(Two Days Later)Abigail had been standing under the sun for two days now.Two full days.No shade, no movement and no Qi.The sun had not shifted even a fraction. It remained nailed to the sky like a divine judgment passed down specifically for her. The heat pressed into her shoulders, her scalp, her eyelids. The ground beneath her feet radiated upward, as if she stood on a furnace rather than soil.Her lips were cracked and her throat was dry.Her white robe, once clean and untouchable, now clung to her frame, stained faintly with sweat and dust. The wind moved, but it carried no mercy. It only stirred the hot air around her like a breath from a giant beast.Her Qi remained sealed.She had tried countless times.Subtly, quietly and without outward reaction.Every attempt ended the same way ...silence.Her meridians felt present, intact, but unreachable. As if cultivation itself had stepped away from her and said, Endure this as a mortal.Her legs trembled slightly now.Not visibly e

The moment Abigail saw the old man step out of the house again, something inside her shifted completely.The heat no longer felt oppressive and the weight no longer felt punishing.Instead, it felt… purposeful.Her eyes were still faintly red from crying, her white robe clinging to her frame, spiritual energy swirling around her in visible currents. The clarity she had just gained made everything feel sharp and painfully obvious.She wanted to fall to her knees and thank him.Not out of weakness and not out of blind reverence but because she finally understood.Under that merciless sun, he hadn’t been punishing her body, it was something more.But before she could kneel and before her knees even bent slightly, the old man’s voice rang out.“Sit.”It was a simple, calm and undeniable command.“And cultivate.”There was no hesitation in her this time.No questioning.No ego.No calculation.She lowered herself immediately and sat cross-legged where she stood.The moment she closed her e

The old man looked at Abigail for a long time before speaking again. The night air was calm now, the artificial sun long gone, the oppressive heat replaced by a cool breeze that carried the faint scent of earth and stillness. The valley seemed different, quieter, and softer like a blade that had just been sheathed after a long battle.“In the future,” the old man said slowly, his voice carrying the weight of years and countless disciples before her, “you must not lose your way.”His gaze did not waver.“You have talent. You have discipline. And you have stubbornness.” A faint smile flickered across his aged face. “All of these are good qualities… until they are not.”He stepped closer, his frail body somehow carrying the pressure of a mountain.“You walk the sword path. The sword is straightforward. It does not twist. It does not scheme. It does not pretend. But the heart of the one who holds it must be even straighter.”His eyes sharpened slightly.“If your heart bends, your sword b

Kai stared at the massive dark opening in the distance for a long second after Zora casually announced she was going to throw them into it to die.Then he shrugged.“I knew it,” he muttered flatly. “I knew you’ve been planning to take my life all this while.”He crossed his arms and gave her a sideways look. “Every time you say ‘training,’ it means near-death experience. Every time you say ‘opportunity,’ it means I bleed. Every time you say ‘small test,’ it turns into some monster two realms above me.”He gestured vaguely toward the gaping portal.“And now this. Ten-mile vacuum cleaner of doom. Obviously, you want me dead. I’ve connected the dots.”Abigail blinked faintly at his tone and glanced between them, unsure whether she should be worried or amused.Kai continued complaining, his expression deadpan. “First it was buffaloes. Then crocodiles. Then Taotie that resurrect like they have unlimited data. Now interdimensional hole in the ground. At this rate, I’m expecting you to send

Kai and Abigail nodded after hearing Zora.For the first time since they had arrived in this desolate land, the pressure in their chests eased slightly. A thousand years. Even a hundred years. That was not immediate doom. That was breathing space.Seemed like they had been worrying too much.The suction force from the portal still roared like a beast hungry for the world, but knowing that invasion wasn’t as simple as kicking down a door made it feel less unstoppable.Zora folded her arms and added casually, as if she were discussing the weather, “It is not that easy to invade a world no matter how powerful they are.”Kai let out a slow breath.Abigail’s fingers tightened slightly at her sides.Both of them, without saying it out loud, made the same silent vow.Grow stronger.No matter the cost.Protect Earth.No matter what.This was not about cultivation for pride. Not about surpassing rivals. Not about proving talent.This was home.And they would do anything.Kai’s gaze hardened as