dark descendent lurking fate

1. The Forest Path

The trees rustled gently in the morning breeze as Qi Rong led the way along a moss-covered path, her silver fox trotting by her heels.

Behind her walked Ash, hands in his robe sleeves, eyes scanning the surroundings with silent calculation.

The crater they'd left behind had disappeared behind the thicket, but the weight of its mystery still followed.

Ash broke the silence.

> "What's the nearest town?"

> "Yunling Town. Small place, not too far from here—half a day's walk," Qi Rong replied, brushing aside a branch.

> "Any sects nearby?"

> "The Ironroot Sect has a branch there. Mostly just outer disciples and some elders handling local affairs. Why?"

Ash paused.

> "Does this realm have any warriors in Throne Manifestation Stage?"

Qi Rong froze mid-step.

> "Throne... what?"

She turned around, blinking at him.

> "Do you mean like… a cultivation technique or a noble title?"

> "It's a cultivation stage," Ash said plainly. "After Core Vein Formation."

Qi Rong stared at him as if he had just spoken in riddles.

> "The highest realm I've ever heard of is Core Vein Formation. And even that... only a handful in the region have ever reached it. Some say it's the peak of human limit."

> "Then this world is... stunted," Ash murmured, more to himself.

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2. The Genius Girl

Qi Rong flushed, her pride suddenly bruised.

> "Excuse me?! I'm already at Qi Condensation. I worked my entire life for that! I'm not some stunted mortal!"

Ash glanced at her.

> "I didn't mean you. I meant the system here. It's like a pond thinking it's an ocean."

Qi Rong puffed up slightly but quickly deflated.

> "...Well, you're not wrong."

> "You said you're a beast tamer?"

> "Yes. My fox here is my second spirit. The first was a falcon but it died in a raid last winter."

Ash gave a quiet nod of respect.

She had power—more than most in this realm, clearly—but not the understanding of what lay beyond.

> "Do you know anything about the realms beyond this one?"

> "Only rumors," she said softly. "They say there's a Sky Realm above this one. But no one's ever proven it. Cultivators who rise too fast vanish. Some think they ascend. Others… say they just disappear."

Ash looked to the sky, his mind briefly flashing back to Elder Huo, to Lian Rou, to the storm and the beasts' sacrifice.

He clenched his fists silently.

> "They don't vanish. They ascend."

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3. A Dangerous Curiosity

Qi Rong slowed her pace.

> "What… stage are you in?" she asked cautiously.

Ash thought for a moment. If he told the truth, it could spark chaos.

> "Core Vein Formation," he finally said.

Even that much caused Qi Rong to stumble slightly.

> "That's not possible. You don't look older than me!"

> "I'm younger than you," he said casually.

She turned around and gawked.

> "How?!"

> "Hard work. Luck. Death. Surviving things I shouldn't have."

She didn't know whether to be inspired or terrified.

> "You really are not from this world…"

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4. The Town Ahead

In the distance, the outline of Yunling Town appeared—quiet, surrounded by lush woods and guarded by a crumbling stone wall.

Smoke rose from chimneys. Carts rattled. No signs of high-level cultivators.

Ash's eyes narrowed.

> "Any auction houses? Black markets?"

> "In Yunling? No way. But sometimes rogue cultivators pass through and trade strange items in back alley stalls. That's the best you'll get here."

> "Hmm…"

He didn't respond, but his mind was already working.

He needed:

Information about this realm's foundation.

Materials to stabilize his spirits.

Time to cultivate.

And above all… silence.

> "Let's go," he said.

> "Wait," Qi Rong called out. "You're not going to tell anyone about that crater or those beasts, are you?"

Ash looked at her for a long second.

> "No. I don't trust anyone enough."

Qi Rong felt her spine chill—but strangely, not out of fear.

Out of respect.

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