The first light of dawn seeped through the dense forest canopy, illuminating the damp ground still marred by last night’s battle.

  The Wudang disciples stirred, groaning as their bodies protested the abuse from hours of Qi Beast hunting.

  The smell of smoldering embers and morning dew filled the air, but the real weight pressing down on them wasn’t fatigue—it was realization.

  They had just made history.

  Juwon, however, sat at the edge of the camp, completely refreshed, absentmindedly rolling a Qi Crystal between his fingers.

  He had cultivated overnight, absorbing to the very last drop of the crystal’s energy, upgrading his cultivation.

  His body still ached, but his Qi pulsed with newfound strength.

  He was at the Peak of Foundation Establishment—and just on the edge of Core Formation.

  He let out a slow breath, Qi Sense expanding farther than ever before, tracing the energy circuits within the earth, the trees, and even the smallest creatures around him. The world was more alive than ever.

  Juwon smirked. That’s new.

  Yan Huai stretched with an exaggerated groan. "Alright, fearless leader, where to next? Or are we just going to follow your ‘Qi Beast serial killer’ instincts again?"

  Luo Qing, still sprawled out in his bedroll, lazily raised a hand.

  "More importantly, when do we report this? Wudang is going to lose its collective mind when they find out Qi Crystals exist."

  Bai Xueling, who had been scanning through their burner phones, finally spoke. "We have to report it eventually. But… how much do we tell them?"

  Luo Qing, ever the opportunist, twirled a Qi Crystal between his fingers. "Well… maybe not everything. Why should we report all of them?" His eyes gleamed with mischief. "We keep what we found and only mention the discovery, not the quantity."

  Zhen Yu gave him a flat look. "That’s literally just lying."

  "No, it’s called self-preservation," Luo Qing shot back. "Think about it. If we hand everything over, we lose an opportunity to strengthen ourselves. And let’s be honest—who’s getting these first? Us or the Elders?"

  Yan Huai shrugged. "He’s got a point. What if we need them later?"

  Xu Weishan shook his head. "The sect should decide what’s done with the Qi Crystals."

  "Oh yeah? And if they take them all for Nascent Soul cultivators? What then?" Yan Huai countered.

  The discussion escalated, voices overlapping, until Juwon, who had been silent the entire time, finally spoke.

  "Stop uselessly arguing."

  The weight of his voice cut through the debate instantly. Silence fell.

  Yan Huai, ever the dramatic, exhaled in relief.

  "Oh, thank god. I thought we were about to have an actual war."

  Luo Qing clicked his tongue. "Fine. Whatever. But don’t expect me to just hand these over like an offering."

  Yan Huai smirked. "Then listen to what the leader says and save them for the sect."

  Luo Qing’s expression darkened. "Oh, shut up. He didn’t even say that."

  Juwon finally looked up, his smirk returning. "Who said anything about giving them to Wudang?"

  The air froze.

  The disciples stared at him like he had just insulted their ancestors.

  "I’m an outsider," Juwon continued. "By default, half the spoils belong to me anyway. But I’m not unreasonable.

  Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.

  If anyone has a problem with this, speak up. Otherwise, I propose a fairer way—whoever contributes the most gets the most."

  Luo Qing’s brain visibly short-circuited. "Oh, you sneaky—"

  Juwon smirked. "Now that I’ve broken through, none of you are beating me for top contributor.

  So, let’s see what you’re really worth."

  Luo Qing groaned. "Great. We’re being scammed."

  Yan Huai laughed. "I kind of respect it, though."

  Xu Weishan sighed. "We still have to report this."

  Juwon shrugged, pulling out one of the three burner phones. "I’ll handle it. I’ll call the Sect Leader myself."

  "Wait—!" Bai Xueling started, but it was too late.

  Juwon had already hit the dial.

  Wudang Sect – Zhang Taichen’s Private Residence

  Steam rose from a jade teacup, wisps of heat curling into the morning air. Zhang Taichen, Wudang’s Sect Leader, lounged poolside, eyes half-lidded in absolute relaxation.

  The phone rang beside him. He lazily picked it up without looking at the number.

  "Yeah, Taichen this side."

  A familiar voice greeted him. "Hey, Taichen. We just found out Qi Beasts exist. Oh, and they leave behind crystallized Qi in their hearts. We call them Qi Crystals now. These crystals hold pure qi inside which any ordinary disciple can refine up to 20% before wasting it, while I, can obviously refine up to 80% due to my true vessel body"

  Juwon decided that it would not be wise of him reveal about that the nature of his body allows him to completely absorb the Qi.

  The Sect Leader while sipping his tea, "Oh I see"

  and suddenly

  his eyes cracked open, he chocked on his tea and leaned forward "What Qi.... beasts of the legends? Qi Crystals that help cultivation?.....This is ...all to sudden!! but...Thats amazing news Juwon."

  Taichen, calmed himself and started sipping his tea again, "Why are you still on the line? Is something bothering you?"

  "Oh, its nothing, I just wanted you to know I’m not giving Wudang a single crystal."

  Taichen choked on his tea.... for the second time.

  Back at the camp, the disciples froze in horror.

  Zhen Yu mouthed silently. Did he just call the Sect Leader by name?

  Meanwhile, Taichen wiped his mouth, sighing. "Man, come on. Aren’t we friends? You know I’m stuck at Peak Nascent Soul Realm. Help a brother out will ya"

  Yan Huai nearly fell over. "Brother?!"

  Luo Qing held his head. "Connections. Of course, it was connections. The Sect Leader himself…" He groaned. "We never stood a chance."

  Zhen Yu shook his head. "Isn’t..... the Sect Leader supposed to be ancient? Why is he talking like that?!"

  Juwon smirked. "Who are you kidding? You just broke through. You’re nowhere near stuck. Focus on stabilizing your realm or go fight a Qi Beast yourself, you prick. We’re putting our lives on the line out here."

  Bai Xueling almost faints "He said prick" only for Luo Qing to catch her.

  "Although..." Juwon’s grin widened.

  Taichen leaned forward. "Although?"

  "If my predictions are right, I’ll send you a whole Qi Beast farm."

  Juwon paused, then continued. "Or even better—make the mountains around Wudang a Qi Beast farm."

  Taichen grinned beyond his eyes. "Now now, brother you do get it."

  A moment of silence.

  Then, both of them burst out laughing."Bwaahhahaha" "Bwahaha"

  Yan Huai, Bai Xueling, Zhen Yu, and the rest stared in deadpan silence. -Brothers Indeed

  Then, suddenly—a third voice joined in. "Pfhahaha"

  Yan Huai blinked. "Wait a second—WHY ARE YOU LAUGHING, LUO QING?!"

  Luo Qing immediately stopped, clearing his throat. "Ahem. I was… lost in thought."

  Juwon smirked. "Right. Keep telling yourself that.

  Now pack up—we’re heading for Xiangxi."

  The disciples exchanged glances, still trying to process everything.

  Yan Huai , shaking his head with a sigh. “Alright, fearless leader. What’s next? Are we actually heading to Xiangxi, or do you plan on robbing a few more Qi Beasts before breakfast?”

  Juwon stretched lazily, rolling his shoulders. "As much as I’d love to, we have work to do. Pack up, we’re moving out. Also, I don't think there are any left in the vicinity"

  Zhen Yu nodded "Qi Beast Serial Killer indeed"

  Xu Weishan seemed curious, "But how were you precisely sensing the qi beasts yesterday? Even us core formation practitioners couldn't sense half of them"

  Juwon winked "Now that's a trade secret"

  The team quickly began dismantling the camp, still grumbling about being woken up at dawn.

  Soon everyone parched up the SUVs ready to leave for Xiangxi. Bai Xueling, who had recovered from her near-fainting spell, glanced at Juwon.

  “We’ll reach Xiangxi in a few hours. What’s the plan when we arrive?”

  Juwon looked at the map displayed on the dashboard of the SUV.

  "First, we check in with the village. They might have seen something unusual before Hei Long abandoned their facility.

  Second, we confirm if there’s any lingering Qi activity in the ruins. Hei Long has to be connected with the Qi Beasts somehow."

  Luo Qing scoffed. "You make it sound easy. Villagers aren’t just going to open up to a bunch of outsiders."

  Juwon smirked. "That’s why we have Bai Xueling."

  She raised an eyebrow. "Excuse me?"

  Juwon gestured vaguely. "You have that... cold yet trustworthy aura. Like someone who knows exactly what they’re doing. Plus, you’re the least terrifying person in this group."

  Yan Huai nodded. "Yeah, compared to Juwon, who rips Qi Crystals out of corpses with his bare hands, Luo Qing, who looks like he’d rob you blind, and Xu Weishan who looks like he will just fight without a reason, You and I are the only good options we have Xueling"

  Xueling said with a straight face, "They will just kick you out because you are annoying Huai"

  "Ouch, that hurt"

  Bai Xueling sighed. "Alright I'll be our spokesperson."

  Zhen Yu sheathed his sword and leaned against the SUV. "What if Hei Long left more than just traces? What if something—or someone—is still there?"

  Juwon’s smirk didn’t waver. "Then we make sure they regret staying behind."

  The engines roared to life as the SUVs rolled out, the thick forest giving way to winding mountain roads.

  As they descended toward Xiangxi, mist clung to the valleys below, shrouding the village in an eerie stillness. The real mission was about to begin.