Yang Zhai looked around and noticed many residences lined up along the winding path, each with name boards carved in distinct styles. Every residence clearly belonged to a different force, each one marked with its own pride and heritage.
Yang Zhai's eyes kept scanning as he strolled, until he stepped into a small ka shop tucked between two towering pavilions. There, after some bargain with the shopkeeper, he purchased a Rank 5 Mastery Path Ka called Curb Ka, paying with three thousand Mid‑Grade essence stones.
After securing the ka, Yang Zhai turned and left, heading back toward the Iron Clad residence with quiet steps, the air thick with the hum of distant cultivators at work.
He reached his room, and as he approached, Zuh Qil pushed open the door. Yang Zhai halted behind him, his eyes narrowed.
"You two… what are you doing?" Yang Zhai's voice was calm but edged with suspicion.
His gaze swept the room—and came to a stop. The floor table was split apart, the walls bore deep cracks, and even the floor itself looked shattered in different places. It was as though a storm had torn through it.
His eyes narrowed further, his mind working swiftly.
What are these two up to? A battle must have broken out… but if they fought, wouldn't there be onlookers crowding here? Yet there's no one here. Just them. He thought.
He pushed the door open fully, stepping past Zuh Qil. His fingers brushed lightly over the doorframe as he entered, activating four blue lines that flared faintly in the void. A hand‑sized chandelier of high‑grade glowing stone hung from the ceiling, lighting the scene in a cold, unwavering glow. It alone remained intact amidst the ruin. Both Min Ho and Jin Su's clothes were in tatters, barely clinging to their sweat‑drenched bodies.
"Nothing much… just arms training," Min Ho said, catching his breath.
"Arms training?" Yang Zhai's tone was flat, but there was a subtle edge behind it.
"Wanna see? Step back a little—or you might get hurt. You're not as strong as us, after all," Min Ho said with a smirk.
Yang Zhai stepped back silently, his sharp eyes fixed on them.
I need to see how they managed to cause so much destruction without alerting anyone.
Jin Su and Min Ho took their places, a meter and a half apart.
They extended their right arms forward, palms facing each other. Their hands met with a faint clap, then pressed together. A surge of power spread as both channeled their strength through their palms, pushing forward with intensity carefully measured at the level of 150 bulls.
A wave of pressure burst outward, unseen but heavy. Zuh Qil instantly stepped before Yang Zhai, shielding him. The sudden force tore at Zuh Qil's robes, fabric ripping in streaks.
The pressure struck the walls, the floor, and even the doors, deepening the cracks already present.
Yang Zhai frowned, his mind racing: What was that? And why wasn't there any sound? How can such overwhelming force leave no echo, no roar, no crash?
Both Min Ho and Jin Su were drenched in sweat now, chests rising and falling rapidly as they caught their breath.
Min Ho switched his arm, raising his left as Jin Su mirrored him, ready to clash again. But before they could, Yang Zhai's voice cut through.
"You two—stop. That's enough. Look around. Do you expect to sleep in this wreck?"
"Uh…" Min Ho and Jin Su froze, glancing around at the wreckage with startled expressions.
"Oops… how did this happen? I didn't even notice," Min Ho said, scratching his head in disbelief as his eyes roamed over the broken room.
"So… why exactly was that?" Yang Zhai's voice sharpened, searching for an answer.
"Just dual cultivation," Min Ho answered, a sly smile tugging at his lips.
Yang Zhai stayed silent, his gaze drilling into Min Ho as if searching for answers.
"Jin Su here has a method for dual cultivation," Min Ho continued. "He wanted to train, so he asked me. Since we're heading to the same sect, I figured—why not help? But man, that was amazing! A transfer of strength between us, strengthening bones, muscles, veins—everything but the skin. And here's the thing… to allow cultivators to train peacefully, no sound escapes during the process. That's why we didn't notice the damage… hahahaha."
No… it's more than that, Yang Zhai thought, his arms folding across his chest as he regarded Jin Su with calm calculation. Even if their technique silenced their clash, the sound of splintering wood and cracking wood should still echo. Yet… nothing. It's like…something is swallowing all sound itself.
"Anyway, you two, start fixing this mess. If the elders see this, they might toss you into the ocean before we even set foot in the Iron Clad Sect. Master Zuh Qil and I will be outside in the garden doing some training."
Without further delay, Yang Zhai and Zuh Qil stepped out, leaving the ruined room behind.
"So… we really have to repair all of this," Jin Su muttered, looking at the devastation, his brows furrowing as he sighed.
"No worries," Min Ho said with a grin, brushing dust off his chest. "We're body cultivators. Even ordinary cultivators can handle repairs like this without exhaustion. For us, it's nothing."
"I told you we should have trained in the garden," Jin Su grumbled. "But no—you insisted nothing would happen. You didn't want others knowing about my method. Now look at this mess! And I don't even have spare clothes."
"Don't worry," Min Ho said confidently. "Since you helped me cultivate, I'll give you five sets of clothes. They're yours."
"Are you sure…" Jin Su began glancing at Min Ho's towering frame.
"Absolutely," Min Ho replied, his grin widening.
"Zuh Qil, keep watch," Yang Zhai instructed softly as they reached the garden. "Make sure those two don't cause more trouble. I've no intention of dealing with unnecessary problems because of them."
They both sat down beneath the faint glow of lantern stones. Yang Zhai closed his eyes and began to cleanse the lingering toll of Red Poison, while Zuh Qil sat nearby, feigning cultivation but keeping vigilant.
Purified streams of energy coursed through Yang Zhai's veins, weaving into his left arm and slowly stripping away every trace of Red Poison's aftereffect, mending what had been damaged.
Hours passed in stillness, and as the first touch of dawn neared, Yang Zhai had finally purged the poison's toll from his body.
Only two hours remained before sunrise. Leaning back against the cool wooden wall, Yang Zhai drifted into rest.
The garden was bathed in faint, wavering light from dim glow stones placed near a small pond. Shadows stretched long, and darkness pooled in the corners, cloaking the place in quiet serenity.
Beneath the pond's surface, two or three glow stones shimmered softly. As fish drifted above them, their scales caught the glow, as though light itself rose from the water's depths.
Beside Yang Zhai, an old tree cradled a glow stone hidden in its thick foliage. Though unseen, it bathed the leaves in a dim red radiance that spilled like embers.
Above, far beyond the barrier, countless lights swirled in the Poison Storm—each strand of deadly color twisting like blossoms in the night sky, both beautiful and fatal.
A gentle wind moved through the garden, brushing against Yang Zhai's skin. Though the island was sealed within an invisible barrier, the breeze felt fresh and alive, rustling the leaves with a calming whisper.
Beside him sat Zuh Qil, his posture serene, eyes closed as though lost in deep cultivation, silently standing guard as the storm raged on beyond.
!|!*****!*****!|!