Chapter 25 Han Shi

• At dawn, a thin mist hovered over Luoshui Lake, veiling the silhouettes of carved pavilions and painted corridors. Dozens of waterbirds chased each other through the haze, vanishing and reappearing, while the nine giant peaks along the shore loomed verdant. From above, the entire Luo Shui Sect resembled an elegant ink wash painting. Tan Xuan sat calmly by the lake, breathing steadily as he continued his daily cultivation. A dozen zhang away, a burly figure swung an arm-thick iron rod, creating a dense blur of shadows and a howling wind. "Han Shi, I'm leaving today," Tan Xuan suddenly stopped cultivating and said to the figure. In the past few days, he had learned everything about this burly man. His name was Han Shi, the son of two Luo Shui Sect deacons who had fallen during a sect mission. Left alone in the sect, Han Shi's honest nature had spared him from harassment—though his stutter and simplemindedness drew subtle disdain, which he keenly felt. Tan Xuan was the first to treat him as an equal, so his departure cast a shadow over Han Shi's face. "Bro... Brother, you... you're leav... leaving?" Han Shi paused, looking at Tan Xuan with reluctance. Hesitantly, he asked, "Can... can I come with you?" Meeting Han Shi's expectant gaze, Tan Xuan sighed and patted his shoulder. "Big guy, my strength is still too low to protect you. Once I'm stronger, I'll take you out to explore." Though not clever, Han Shi knew he would be a burden. "Th... then promise you'll take me out someday." "Don't worry, I will," Tan Xuan comforted him, then turned and left resolutely. The moment he parted from Han Shi, Tan Xuan's expression hardened. The desire to grow stronger burned in him like a wildfire, fueled by the memory of Zhou Liyan's boot on his face. " Get stronger! Get stronger! Get stronger! "Hehe, you finally understand the world's reality," Feng Lingzi chuckled, voice turning serious. "The fastest way to grow stronger is simple: kill. Endless killing. That's an eternal truth." His words carried a bone-chilling cold, each syllable reeking of blood. Tan Xuan walked on in silence, eyes glinting with cold light. Crackwind Valley lay farther than the ancient tomb, on the border of the Li Xuan Dynasty under the Heavenly Demon Sect. The journey required crossing vast, desolate forests. Fortunately, these forests near major powers had been cleared of formidable beasts; most were Profound Dragon Realm, with a few True Spirit Realm and almost none at Divine Repository or above. After twenty days of cautious travel, Tan Xuan encountered only one True Spirit Third Stratum beast, which he ambushed and destroyed with his Water Thunder Pearl. "Jujiao City." Tan Xuan eyed the majestic city and bypassed the queuing crowd. The city guards dared not stop him—such was the privilege of cultivators. In the Xuanhuang Continent, Profound Dragon Realm cultivators could enter any city freely, while commoners must wait in line (except during wartime, when cultivators were screened). As the only border city of the Li Xuan Dynasty, Jujiao City faced endless ancient forests north of its gates, teeming with terrifying beasts. Crackwind Valley lay 500 li beyond. Entering the city, Tan Xuan sought the "Linglong Pavilion," the largest commercial alliance in the Eastern Domain with branches in every city. Renowned for offering anything—for a price—it was rumored to have even auctioned immortal corpses. "I need a detailed map of Crackwind Valley with supplementary information," Tan Xuan told a dignified woman who greeted him with a formulaic smile. "1,000 gold coins." She retrieved a half-meter scroll from the shelves. Unfolding it, Tan Xuan saw countless red dots marked with explanations about beasts, herbs, and mineral veins. Though thorough, the price stung— as an inner disciple, he earned only 100 gold coins monthly, so this map cost a third of his three-year savings. He tossed a storage pouch to the woman. "Exactly 1,000 gold coins. Thank you for your patronage." Her smile remained fixed. After purchasing forest supplies, Tan Xuan left Jujiao City and soared toward Crackwind Valley. "Time to begin cultivating."