Using the knowledge she had absorbed just a day before, Yu Bin gripped her sword tightly in both hands. Her heart thundered in her chest. This wasn’t just another test. This was real. Life and death are real. She called forth a surge of spiritual energy, weaving it through the blade until it hummed with purpose. Then, slicing the air before her, she aimed straight at the dragon’s eyes. A brilliant arc of force lashed out, striking true. The beast roared in agony, its trance-like connection with Bao Fang snapping as suddenly as a taut string cut with a knife. "Yu Bin!" Bao Fang's voice echoed faintly from the shimmering water cage, trembling with urgency and disbelief. Yu Bin turned at the cry. But so did the dragon. "I am here, you stupid dragon! I’m right here!" she yelled, her voice cracking with defiance and fear. The creature swung back toward her, furious. Another wave of spiritual energy lashed at its eyes, this time driving it into a frenzy. The moment Bao Fang was freed, sh

“Master… we did it…” Yu Bin whispered, her voice barely audible. Then, everything went dark. --- Yu Bin had gone into the snake’s belly with a plan—attack from the inside, finding the weak point. But she hadn’t expected what awaited her there: a torrent of resentful energy, ancient and cold, lashing out like a storm. She could barely breathe, barely thinking. Her spiritual powers had responded too late. When she found the crack in the snake’s hide and released her energy, the dark power was already coiled around her like chains. The backlash was overwhelming. The fusion of resentment and spiritual energy was too much. Her body had limits. And now… she has reached them. --- “Yu Bin!” Bao Fang’s voice rang out, panicked and raw. She caught the girl in her arms just before she hit the ground. Her breath hitched. Yu Bin’s body was burning with unstable energy—violent, chaotic. It was like holding a storm inside the flesh. Without wasting another second, Bao Fang hoisted her onto

The forest ended abruptly behind them. Stone turned to sand. Yu Bin’s feet sank slightly as she stepped onto the narrow stretch of white beach, the fine grains warm beneath her boots. Before her, the sea shimmered under the late afternoon sun—so bright and still it looked like glass. It would’ve been beautiful if not for the weight pressing down on her chest. She staggered to a stop and lowered Bao Fang gently onto the sand beside a smooth, sun-warmed stone. Her master’s body was limp, still caught in the haze of poison. Yu Bin brushed strands of hair away from her pale face, her own hands shaking slightly. “I’ll take care of you,” she whispered. “Just hold on.” From the pack Bao Fang had purchased that morning, she pulled out a small foldable tent. Her fingers fumbled with the unfamiliar materials—clumsy, unsure. It took three tries, one minor burn from a spark while lighting the fire, and a few muttered curses—but eventually, it stood. The fire cracked to life in front of it. S

"You woke up…" Yu Bin whispered, her voice trembling as her eyes met Xian Chen's slowly blinking ones. He stirred, disoriented, then focused on her face. "Yu Bin…" he breathed, so softly it barely reached her ears. Her heart clenched. She hadn't realized she’d been holding her breath until it escaped in a sharp, relieved sigh. "What happened, Brother Xian? Where were you? We've been searching everywhere... I thought—" she stopped herself, blinking back the sting in her eyes. Xian Chen's fingers reached for hers, his grip weak but warm. "I’m sorry I made you worry…" She didn’t pull away. "Will you tell me what happened?" she asked gently, searching his face. He hesitated for a long beat, eyes glazing slightly. "I don’t remember much. I received a message from my kingdom and rushed back. I was just about to cross into the Heaven Realm when I felt something… like a blade in my back. After that, nothing but darkness." His tone was too smooth. Too rehearsed. Yu Bin tilted her head sl

The lanterns outside the inn flickered softly in the evening breeze, casting golden halos that danced against the window panes. A hush had settled over the place as night crept in, but inside Xian Chen’s room, secrets stirred, unspoken truths quietly trembling on the edges of every breath. Bao Fang sat across from Yingyue and Xian Chen, her arms folded, eyes narrowed thoughtfully. They had just pieced together a revelation—one that left a bitter taste in her mouth and a tightening in her chest. "Yingyue," she said quietly, her voice barely louder than a whisper, "why did you tell Yu Bin that Ming Fang is dangerous? What happened?" Yingyue hesitated. She clasped her hands in her lap, her gaze drifting toward the window, as though the stars might lend her the courage to speak. “It was… the first morning after we returned,” she began, voice soft and hesitant. “Master and I were just stepping outside to come train when we found Ming Fang waiting outside the door. At first, it seemed no