Maybe it was fate—or mere coincidence—but at this moment, deep within the outer region of the Azure Pine Immortal Sect, Li Yuxue was celebrating her breakthrough with Sheng Xia at her residence.

  Sheng Xia’s face was bright with a teasing smile: “Congratulations, Sister Yuxue! You made it in just over a month. It reminds me of myself back then.”

  Li Yuxue bowed slightly, her smile soft but sincere. “It’s all thanks to your help and support, Sister Xia. I wouldn’t have done it without you.”

  Xia waved her hand lightly, her eyes warm. “We came from the same place, so it’s only natural we support each other. But don’t let this lull you. Reaching the middle stages should be your priority. That’s when you can take on tasks and gather resources. Don’t get lost in nostalgia like I did back then—or I’d still be struggling to enter the Inner Sect.”

  Li Yuxue’s eyes sparkled. “You’re talented, Sister Xia. I’m sure you’ll enter the Inner Sect in just a few days. Breaking through to the 7th level of Qi Condensation so fast… the sect test will be a breeze for you.”

  Xia sighed, her gaze distant. “The road ahead isn’t easy. Resources are fiercely contested, and without a master backing you, nothing is guaranteed. The Foundation Establishment hurdles are especially tricky—those pills are a nightmare.”

  Li Yuxue smiled encouragingly. “You’re young, beautiful, and gifted. Any elder master would be lucky to take you in.”

  Xia allowed herself a small, rueful smile. “I hope so… By the way, you said you needed my help with something private. What is it?”

  Li Yuxue hesitated before speaking, her voice low. “It’s about a past grudge… back at home.”

  Xia’s brow furrowed. “You need to forget the mortal world if you want to advance faster. Sever those ties, completely.”

  Li Yuxue shook her head gently. “My grudge in the Hua Kingdom… I’ll leave that to fate. But the grudge here… it’s hard to forget.”

  Xia’s eyes narrowed. “Did someone bully you in the sect?”

  Li Yuxue hesitated, then said firmly: “It’s not exactly that. It’s about someone recruited with my group. He had a hand in my family’s downfall—and he’s here in the sect.”

  Xia’s frown deepened. “Which one?”

  Li Yuxue’s lips pressed together. “His name is Chen Mo… the five-element spiritual root.”

  Xia blinked, then laughed softly. “Ah, I was afraid you’d say Song Yue. Don’t worry. If it’s him, he must have been sent to the Menial Disciples Department. I’ll check his information and bring him here… we’ll deal with this properly.”

  Li Yuxue’s smile widened, her relief unmistakable. “Thank you, Sister Xia. I will never forget your kindness.”

  Seven days slipped by like sand through narrow fingers.

  Chen Mo left his courtyard only once, purchasing grain, oil, and salt from the mortal district. Even Qi Condensation cultivators still required mundane sustenance. Spiritual qi nourished the meridians, not the stomach.

  Back inside, he resumed cultivation with mechanical precision. The panel ticked upward steadily. The grind was smooth, predictable, almost comforting.

  But resources… resources were thinning.

  He had only two spiritual stones left. The remaining pills were dwindling.

  Chen Mo sat cross-legged, fingers lightly tapping against his knee as he calculated.

  The most direct method of income was still the same. Banditry. Efficient. High return. High risk.

  He was already considering potential routes outside Fenglin City. Merchant caravans. Rogue cultivators traveling alone. Small groups escorting goods. But targets had to be chosen carefully. Strength unknown was danger disguised.

  Joining a hunting team was not an option. He had already visited the city’s Hunting Association, the loose cultivator organization responsible for issuing hunting missions and purchasing spoils. Their requirements were clear: Middle Stage Qi Refining or above.

  Early stage cultivators were considered liabilities.

  Chen Mo exhaled slowly.

  Then I’ll reach middle stage faster.

  His eyes sharpened. Once he awakened spiritual sense, everything would change. He could assess opponents, detect ambushes, control proper spiritual weapons, and most importantly… begin unlocking the spoils he had yet to examine.

  For now, he needed spiritual stones.

  And the world outside the city walls was vast.

  A faint smile formed.

  Unfortunately, Chen Mo’s plans were destined to derail.

  He was deep in calculation when a sudden knock struck the courtyard door.

  His eyes snapped open.

  A presence lingered outside. Dense. Steady.

  Fifth level of Qi Refining.

  Chen Mo’s heart tightened for a fraction of a breath. The forest? But no… if someone had tracked him from that night, they would not knock politely. They would break the door down.

  He rose and walked toward the entrance, suppressing his aura.

  The door creaked open.

  A man in his thirties stood outside, clad in the gray uniform of the Azure Pine Immortal Sect’s outer disciples. His posture was relaxed, but his gaze carried the faint sharpness of someone accustomed to authority.

  “You are menial disciple Chen Mo?”

  Chen Mo frowned slightly. “I used to be. I left the sect a month and a half ago. Is there a problem?”

  The man spoke plainly. “I am outer disciple Hu Kai, sent by Young Miss Sheng Xia. You are to return to the sect to discuss something important. Gather your things.”

  Sheng Xia.

  The name struck like a pebble dropped into still water.

  Chen Mo’s thoughts raced. Isn’t she the princess who came to Hua Kingdom with Shen and the others to recruit?

  What would someone like her want with him?

  He kept his expression neutral. “Does Senior Brother know what Miss Xia wants? I don’t recall ever interacting with her.”

  Hu Kai’s expression cooled slightly. “Do not ask unnecessary questions. Prepare yourself and come with me.”

  Chen Mo cupped his hands politely. “Of course. I will gather a few belongings from inside. Please, Senior Brother, come in. It will not take long.”

  Hu Kai stepped into the courtyard without hesitation.

  Chen Mo turned and walked toward the inner room, his mind already piecing things together.

  Li Yuxue.

  It had to be her.

  Yes… she must have sought Sheng Xia’s help. That woman truly refused to let go.

  His expression darkened slightly as he stepped deeper into the house.

  A fifth level Qi Refining cultivator. Stronger than him in spiritual cultivation. But Chen Mo’s body was Innate realm. His Threaded Movement was perfect. His archery flawless.

  And most importantly… they were alone.

  Hu Kai had walked in willingly.

  Chen Mo’s eyes grew cold.

  If this fool had come to drag him back to the sect, then he would never leave this courtyard.

  Hu Kai had not even bothered to examine Chen Mo’s cultivation.

  Had he extended his spiritual sense for a moment, he would have been startled to discover that a so-called five-element spiritual root menial had already stepped into Qi Refining. But arrogance dulled caution. In his eyes, Chen Mo was insignificant.

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  Inside the inner room, Chen Mo calmly packed a few trivial items into a small bundle, his movements steady and unhurried.

  “I’m ready,” he said evenly.

  Hu Kai turned his back without suspicion. “Follow—”

  The word never finished.

  A sudden chill crawled up Hu Kai’s spine. An instinctive sense of dread flared inside him. His body tensed, spiritual qi surging, but the reaction came a heartbeat too late.

  Chen Mo’s fist, reinforced by Innate-level physical strength, exploded forward like a released siege ram. It struck the back of Hu Kai’s head with terrifying precision.

  The impact was silent but absolute.

  Bone shattered. Flesh tore.

  Before Hu Kai could circulate a single strand of qi, his head separated from his body in a grotesque arc.

  A headless corpse collapsed onto the stone courtyard floor.

  Blood spread quietly between the cracks of the tiles.

  Chen Mo stood over the body, expression calm, breathing steady.

  A fifth-level Qi Refining cultivator.

  Killed in a single strike.

  No spell. No drawn-out struggle. No warning.

  Just overwhelming physical force delivered at the perfect moment.

  He looked down at the corpse without emotion.

  “Careless,” Chen Mo muttered softly.

  Then his eyes sharpened.

  Now the real problems had begun.

  Chen Mo did not hesitate.

  He dragged the corpse into the inner room, tore up several floor tiles, and began digging with brutal efficiency. Soil thudded softly against wood. Blood was wiped. Traces were erased. Within an hour, Hu Kai no longer existed above ground. The courtyard returned to stillness, as if nothing had happened.

  Only then did Chen Mo allow himself to exhale.

  “Li Yuxue…”

  The name left his mouth like poison.

  He cursed her openly, bitterness burning in his chest. If he had dealt with her cleanly back then, none of this would have happened. One moment of restraint had become a chain around his neck.

  He had plans.

  He would cultivate steadily in Fenglin City. Reach middle stage. Join a hunting team. Learn from fellow daoists. Understand the immortal world properly instead of stumbling through it blind.

  He would browse the market for techniques. Acquire a proper spiritual weapon. Build resources slowly but safely.

  Now?

  All of it had collapsed.

  An outer disciple of the Azure Pine Immortal Sect had disappeared after coming here. Once the sect investigated and traced his last known location, suspicion would inevitably fall on this courtyard. Chen Mo had no illusions about that.

  His face darkened.

  The sect was not something he could contend with. Not yet.

  The roads ahead felt blocked, sealed one after another. Staying in the city was no longer safe. Even if the body remained undiscovered for some time, eventual scrutiny was certain.

  That left only one path.

  The wilderness.

  Mountains. Forests. Demonic beasts. Rogue cultivators.

  A lawless world where strength was the only rule.

  Chen Mo clenched his fists.

  “Fine,” he muttered coldly. “If the human world won’t have me, I’ll take my chances among beasts.”

  A faint, humorless smile crossed his lips.

  Hopefully… he would not become their meal instead.

  Chen Mo packed lightly. A few clothes. Remaining grain. His pills. The compendium. The spoils he had yet to properly examine. Nothing unnecessary.

  He left Fenglin City the same way he had once entered it, blending into the stream of mortals walking through the gates at dawn. No dramatic farewell. No lingering glance backward.

  Soon, the road thinned. The city walls shrank behind him. Trees grew denser.

  And before long, Chen Mo’s figure disappeared into the forest path, swallowed by green shadows and uncertain fate.

  At the same time, within the outer region of the Azure Pine Immortal Sect, Sheng Xia and Li Yuxue were speaking inside a quiet courtyard pavilion.

  Li Yuxue’s eyes widened in disbelief. “He left the sect after one week?!”

  Sheng Xia nodded lazily, sipping tea. “Yes. It seems he was truly afraid of you.” She gave a light laugh.

  Li Yuxue frowned. “He was always quick to run.”

  Sheng Xia snorted softly. “Run? Where could he possibly run? The only place he could go is Fenglin City. Mortals, even Qi Refining cultivators, cannot simply wander the wilderness alone.”

  She set her cup down and continued calmly. “The world outside is not a playground. It is safe near the sects and inside cities. Perhaps in territories controlled by powerful families as well. But the distances between them are vast and filled with dangers. Demonic beasts, rogue cultivators, unstable terrain…”

  Her gaze turned distant. “Only sects possess spiritual boats capable of establishing safe transportation routes. Without that, travel is gambling with your life.”

  Li Yuxue’s expression eased slightly. “Then he cannot escape far.”

  Sheng Xia smiled faintly. “Even if he tries, the world will force him back… or swallow him.”

  Chen Mo moved like a shadow that had learned caution.

  The further he went from the main road, the quieter the world became. Wind brushed the treetops. Insects hummed. Somewhere far off, something howled. The forest was not silent. It was watchful.

  He did not walk in straight lines.

  Whenever he sensed the faint ripple of an unfamiliar aura, he altered direction immediately. Sometimes it was subtle, just a prickling at the back of his neck. Other times it was clearer, the oppressive weight of a demonic beast lurking somewhere ahead. Each time, he shifted course without hesitation.

  Stealth was survival.

  His Threaded Movement was not flashy here. It became delicate. Controlled breathing. Light footfalls. Weight distributed carefully to avoid snapping twigs or disturbing loose stones. Even his presence seemed dimmed, as if he were folding himself between the trees rather than walking among them.

  At one point, he felt the faint fluctuation of human qi several hundred meters away. Rogue cultivators perhaps. He did not investigate. He curved wide around them, circling patiently until the aura faded behind him.

  The deeper he went, the denser the spiritual qi became, but so did the danger.

  He kept one principle firmly in mind: not too deep.

  Going too far into the mountains would mean encountering beasts he could not handle. Too shallow, and he risked crossing paths with hunting teams or patrols.

  He needed a middle ground.

  A secluded location. Natural concealment. Perhaps a small cave near a water source. Somewhere with terrain advantages. Somewhere he could retreat into and cultivate safely.

  By dusk, he had climbed a series of rocky ridges overlooking a narrow valley thick with old-growth trees. A small stream cut through the center, its sound masking subtle noise. There were signs of beasts, but none too powerful.

  Chen Mo stood still, closing his eyes briefly, sensing.

  No immediate threats. No overwhelming aura.

  His lips pressed into a thin line.

  This… might work.

  The forest did not welcome him. It tolerated him. And for now, that was enough.