Pprrrrrrt…
The needles echoed sharply, slicing through the air moments from impact, Tianyu blocked every one of them.
"There!"
He hurled the crude blade forward.
A dull thud followed, accompanied by a sharp cry from the bushes. Tianyu dove immediately, launching himself after the sound.
"Damn it… what kind of monster did they bring this time?" the thin man thought, fleeing with his free hand, clutching at his bleeding shoulder.
"It hasn't even been long since they entered, and he's already moving freely… have they already adapted to the Qi here?"
The man's eyes darted wildly as he slid down a small hill, but he was too slow. Tianyu burst from his side.
Clamp!
A heavy kick smashed straight through the man's guard and sent him flying.
Before he could even recover, Tianyu twisted mid-step. His finger was coated in condensed Ice Essence Qi.
Slash!
The man's leg was severed cleanly.
"Mercy, mercy..." the man cried, but Tianyu paid him no heed; he was consumed by his discovery.
"How fascinating…" Tianyu thought calmly as he inspected the flow of Qi around his finger.
"This Qi… It's different from what I had after breaking through in the foundation; it's denser and so easy to use."
Lian's Qi had already begun to stabilise into Gang essence Qi with proper control; he could shape it into almost any form he wished. In fact, the next stage of cultivation required one to continuously condense their Qi into a weapon, refining it again and again until it became an extension of their very body.
He pressed two fingers against the man's neck.
"Give me your jade," Tianyu said coldly, his eyes glinting with murderous intent.
"I—I…" the man stammered, his entire body trembling.
"What," Tianyu cut in sharply, "you think I won't just kill you and take it from your corpse?"
"Give it if you want to live." Tianyu's voice was cold.
"I haven't found one yet…I'm still searching!" the man cried.
"Oh?" Tianyu replied flatly.
"Then what use are you to me?"
His fingers pierced forward.
The man's throat was crushed cleanly. Blood spilt as his body went limp, life draining from his eyes.
"So, this is what he meant by foxes, huh?" Tianyu thought as he withdrew his hand.
"If I hadn't been constantly spreading my Qi, I would've died. When I was talking to him… his left hand was already gathering Qi."
Before he could think further, the corpse crumbled.
It turned to dust, scattering into the air.
"What the—hell?" Tianyu muttered, stepping back instinctively.
The black robe the man had worn pulsed with a faint blue light. A moment later, it collapsed inward, transforming into a small blue jade shard.
It levitated briefly, then dropped neatly into Tianyu's palm.
"What… what's going on here?" His thoughts raced.
As he held the jade, a soft wave of Qi washed over him. The crushing pressure from the robe eased slightly.
"Ha…" Tianyu exhaled.
"I understand it now." His hands clenched hard, forming a fist.
"What a sick game they've put us in."
He slipped the jade into his pocket.
"Ohhhh…"
"How merciless."
The voice drifted down lazily from above.
Tianyu snapped his head up.
Perched on a tree branch overhead stood a pale man, gazing down at him with quiet amusement.
He dropped from the tree, hitting the ground with a heavy thud, and began walking toward Tianyu at an unhurried pace.
Tianyu immediately leapt backwards, retrieving his makeshift blade. He raised it high as Gang Qi surged through it, the crude weapon pulsing with condensed might.
"Whoa… whoa… whoa," the man said calmly, lifting both hands.
"Easy now."
"I'm not here to fight."
Up close, the man looked almost unreal. His skin was deathly pale, so pale he could've passed for a wandering spirit. His eyes were yellow, slit with thin red pupils that felt more like a snake than a human.
Tianyu edged back another step, his gaze never leaving him.
"He's dangerous", Tianyu realised grimly.
"I didn't sense him at all before he spoke.
Even now, it's like he is not there. I can't feel his presence"
"Oh, come on," the man said lightly. "You can put that thing down."
"My name is Shéyǎn."
He tilted his head slightly, studying Tianyu with open curiosity.
"I watched you when we were brought here," Shéyǎn continued.
" You didn't cling to anyone. You moved immediately."
A faint smile tugged at his lips.
"I think you're strong."
He spread his hands again, deliberately open.
"So, what do you say about forming a three-man party?"
….
"What with you offering a partnership out of nowhere, how do I know you're not just laying a trap for me?"
"Hahahahaha… yeah, that may be true, but if I wanted to kill you, wouldn't I have ambushed you during your fight?'
"Tch… Condensing as that is its true... So how will this partnership work!?"
Tianyu's grip loosened slightly, though his body remained tense.
"Just as you've already seen," Shéyǎn replied calmly. "Surely you understand there are people who have been here far longer than us."
He lowered his hands and stepped closer, his presence pressing in.
"If you go alone, you might obtain the full jade in time. But tell me, can you defend it by yourself? Can you find the people that you need, without tracking skills?"
" He's right."
The thought churned violently in Tianyu's mind. 'But can I really trust him?'
"H-how can I trust you?"
"Ha!" Shéyǎn laughed sharply. "Trust? Trust doesn't exist in the martial world."
His brows furrowed slightly.
"What is this, Aura? I'm feeling it's like a thousand snakes are coiling around me." Tianyu's grip tightened around his blade once more.
"Everyone looks out for themselves. We're merely using each other until the first round ends, and I promise I will not attack you until then."
"First… round!?"
Tianyu exhaled slowly. 'Whatever. One can never get stronger if they don't dive into danger.'
"…Fine. Let's use each other, then."
They shook hands.
Shéyǎn's grip was unnaturally cold.
It wasn't frosting Qi, or the kind of cold that you would feel from someone who practised extreme Ying arts.
It was something else entirely.
"What wit this guy, he's like a ghost …?" Tianyu wondered.
Tianyu's gaze lifted, meeting Shéyǎn's eyes.
"Are you even human?"
"Hm."
Shéyǎn tilted his head, a faint smile forming. "Sometimes, I wonder the same."
His fingers tightened just a little around Tianyu's hand.
"Everyone has secrets, right? You have yours as well… don't you?"
…