A loud sniffle. Then the sound of someone blowing their nose against a cloth.

  “Come to think of it…” Sobs “Wasn’t he an orphan?” Blows nose “Ling Hua was always the only mother to him…” Sobs

  Juwon turned toward the source of the noise, his lips twitching in amusement as he saw Yan Huai rubbing his nose with the sleeve of his shirt. “Didn’t take you for a cry-baby, Huai.”

  Yan Huai coughed, quickly wiping his eyes. “Tch. Dust in the air.”

  Juwon chuckled before turning his gaze toward Yun Ji. The elder had been watching him carefully, as if waiting to see how he would react.

  Juwon glanced at Yun Ji, something lingering in his mind. "Yun Ji… you said Shennong paved way for the shamanic path but what exactly is shamanism?"

  Yun Ji smiled, as if he had been waiting for the question. "To understand that, we must first understand Qi itself. Different cultures have always sought to define it in their own way. The people of the East call it Qi, the Japanese call it Ki or Reiki, in Polynesian cultures it is known as Mana, and the Greeks once believed in Pneuma—the breath of life. No matter the name, it is the very essence that flows through all things."

  Juwon listened intently as Yun Ji continued. "Qi can be harnessed in many ways. Martial artists refine and store it within their dantian, strengthening their bodies and techniques. But shamans… they do not store Qi like martial artists do."

  Juwon raised an eyebrow. "Then how do they use it?"

  "A shaman acts as a conduit," Yun Ji explained. "Their Qi is not meant to be contained but rather to communicate with the spirits of the world. Spirits, in turn, control the Qi of nature itself. That is the essence of the Shamanic Path. A martial artist uses Qi to empower themselves, while a shaman guides the flow of Qi through spirits to shape the world around them. And that's why to a martial artist, shamans look like your regular civillians"

  Juwon processed the information, intrigued. "So, while martial artists cultivate to increase their own Qi reserves, shamans cultivate to purify their Qi and increase their connection to spirits?"

  Yun Ji nodded approvingly. "Exactly. Shamans are not limited by the Qi within their bodies. Instead, they influence the Qi of the world through spirits. But this also means they are vulnerable—if they lose their connection to spirits, they are powerless."

  Juwon exhaled, his mind racing. "Then what Hei Long is doing… they're trying to replicate this connection artificially?"

  Yun Ji’s expression darkened. "I don't know, but if that's the case, that is what makes them dangerous."

  Juwon exhaled, leaning back on his hands. "Tomorrow, we head for Hei Long’s facility."

  Yun Ji suddenly stepped forward, lowering his head into a deep bow. "Young Master, I have a favor to ask of you."

  Juwon frowned. "Stand up, Yun Ji. What is it?"

  Yun Ji remained bowed. "Please, allow me and a small team of Miao warriors to accompany you to Hei Long’s facility."

  Juwon’s eyes narrowed. "Why? What do you intend to do there?"

  Yun Ji exhaled slowly, lifting his head. "There are families in this village who never saw their children return. We need closure. We need to know what happened to them."

  Juwon studied him for a moment, then sighed. "Fine. But be ready by dawn. We leave at six."

  "Six?!" Yan Huai groaned. "It’s already late, and everyone’s drunk! You expect them to be battle-ready?"

  Juwon smirked. "Not my problem."

  Yan Huai shook his head. "Here we go, guys. The demon is back in action…"

  Luo Qing leaned against the SUV with a smirk. "At this rate, we should start calling him General Juwon. Who else would march a group of half-drunk warriors at sunrise?"

  Juwon raised an eyebrow. "I don’t recall giving you permission to complain."

  Luo Qing chuckled. "Just stating facts."

  "Facts won’t save you if you're late tomorrow," Juwon shot back.

  Meanwhile, Bai Xueling adjusted her weapon, her sharp gaze flickering between Juwon and Yun Ji. "So, these outposts… do we expect resistance, or is this just reconnaissance?"

  The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

  Yun Ji nodded. "If they’re abandoned, there may be traps left behind. But if not… then whoever is still there won't welcome us."

  Luo Qing exhaled, rolling his shoulders. "Finally, some action. I was getting bored."

  Juwon smirked. "Then let’s hope you’re still eager when we get there."

  The SUVs rumbled as they navigated through rough mountain paths, their tires kicking up dust as the first outpost came into view. It was a small, fortress-like structure, built into the mountainside, its walls reinforced with steel, though signs of damage were visible.

  "Something’s wrong," Bai Xueling muttered. "The air here… it’s different."

  Juwon stepped out, eyes scanning the surroundings. "Let's move in carefully."

  Inside, they stepped into a dimly lit corridor that expanded into a vast hall. The ceiling stretched high above them, supported by rusted steel beams, while exposed pipes lined the walls, hissing faintly with lingering pressure. Faint emergency lights flickered, casting eerie shadows across the cold metal flooring.

  Luo Qing frowned, "Tch, so they have abandoned this outpost already"

  Yan Huai picked up a syringe from the ground, his brow furrowing. "The hell were they doing here?"

  Luo Qing inspected a large cylindrical device in the centre of the room. "Looks like this thing was used for something... but what?"

  Lou Qin observed the remains of shattered vials and scattered notes. "What a bunch of twerps. They didn't even bother cleaning up."

  "Good for us," Bai Xueling said as she pulled a half-burned document from the rubble.

  Juwon took the paper, scanning the half-destroyed text. Though much of it was unreadable, one word stood out clearly: SERUM.

  His grip tightened as he looked a door in the dark. "Let's explore further."

  The air was thick with an unnatural stillness, as if the land itself had been scarred by what once took place here.

  Juwon’s gaze remained fixed on the dark metal door at the far end of the corridor.

  "Let's go"

  Taking a deep breath, he pressed his palm against the panel. A low hum vibrated through the air, followed by the groan of rusted hinges as the door slowly slid open.

  As they stepped inside, the full extent of Hei Long’s technology became evident.

  Rows of glass containment pods lined the walls, each one shattered from within. The thick liquid inside had long dried, leaving behind eerie outlines of what once occupied them. Some held remnants of skeletal structures—not quite human, not quite beast. Others were empty, but deep claw marks scarred the interiors.

  Juwon’s fingers traced the edge of one pod, stopping when he felt something wet. Fresh blood. His expression didn’t change.

  Juwon’s eyes flicked to a set of deep, jagged claw marks on the steel floor, leading toward a broken door at the far end of the lab. He exhaled. “Let’s keep moving.

  Juwon and his group searched the entire vicinity, their boots crunching against the debris-littered floor. The deeper they looked, the more unsettling the remnants became.

  With no immediate danger, they got back out towards the entrance and set up camp within the enclosed courtyard of the outpost. The ruined walls provided some shelter, while the open terrain gave them clear visibility in case of attack.

  The fire crackled softly, casting flickering shadows against the broken stone. Around it, the group settled—some tending to their weapons, others lost in thought. The Miao warriors kept their distance, their reverence toward Juwon still palpable.

  Luo Qing stretched lazily. “So, fearless leader, what’s the plan?”

  “We move at dawn,” Juwon said. “This place has nothing left for us.”

  “No complaints there,” Yan Huai muttered. “I’d rather not wake up to some failed Hei Long experiment breathing down my neck.”

  Bai Xueling remained silent, watching the flames.

  Zhen Yu sharpened his sword, his movements slow and methodical. “There’s more to this than what we’re seeing. Hei Long wasn’t just conducting experiments—they were searching for something. Maybe they found it, maybe they lost control of it. Either way, I doubt we’ve seen the worst of it.” Xu Weishan grunted in agreement, cracking his knuckles. “If they left something behind, we’ll find it at the next site. Whatever they were doing here, it wasn’t meant to be discovered.”

  Juwon moved to the top of a pillar by the corner of the wall and sat cross-legged, attempting to cultivate. He drew in his Qi, guiding it through his meridians, expanding it, condensing it—

  But nothing changed. He already had more Qi than any foundation establishment practitioner

  "What am I lacking here?"

  He frowned. He had more Qi than ever. He could already compress it into an almost perfect sphere—yet, somehow, he knew that wasn’t enough. It wasn’t just about forming a sphere. How do you form a core? What is even a core?

  For the first time in a while, he felt stuck.

  Juwon cultivated for the next few hours.

  Juwon closed his eyes, attempting to steady his breathing. The silence of the night pressed in, broken only by the occasional crackling of the fire. His thoughts churned, frustration creeping in.

  Just then, soft footsteps approached. Bai Xueling stopped a few feet away, arms crossed. "Still struggling?"

  Juwon cracked an eye open. "That obvious?"

  She sat down beside him, her gaze locked on the distant horizon. "You’re thinking about Core Formation, aren’t you?"

  Juwon exhaled. "Yeah. I can feel my Qi at its peak, but... something's missing. It’s not just about condensing energy into a sphere, is it?"

  Bai Xueling was silent for a moment before speaking. "No. Core Formation isn’t just about shaping Qi into a core—it’s about transformation. It’s about reshaping yourself along with it."

  Juwon frowned. "So what, I just will myself into evolving?"

  She gave him a small, knowing smirk. "If only it were that simple. You need to understand what it means for you to take that step. No one can tell you that part."

  Juwon mulled over her words, watching the fire dance in the wind. "Figures. No easy answers."

  As the first rays of dawn crept over the ruined walls, Juwon rose, stretching the stiffness from his limbs. The Miao warriors were already awake, their supplies packed.

  Yun Ji approached, his expression unreadable. “Where do we go next?”

  Juwon fastened his cloak. “The second outpost.”

  Luo Qing groaned. “Alright Let’s go”

  With that, they set off, leaving behind the remnants of Hei Long’s twisted experiments and stepping toward the unknown.