Outer Cliffs — Heavenflame Ridge
The humanoid serpent beast hovered in mid-air, its monstrous eyes brimming with fury and molten hatred. As it raised its arms, its scaled fists glowed a terrifying hue of deep red and burning orange, like twin suns blazing in the storm.
A violent surge of energy condensed into its palm.
Burning Hand.
The beast roared and lunged at Gao Tian like a flaming meteor.
Gao Tian's expression tightened.
"He's coming straight for me—I can't dodge it in time!"
With a flash of thought, he crossed his arms in front of him.
"Spiritual Barrier!"
A golden shield of energy surged around him.
BOOM!
The serpent's flaming fist crashed into Gao Tian's barrier. For a fleeting moment, it held—but the power behind the Burning Hand was too much.
CRACK!
Fractures split across the barrier's surface like glass—then it shattered entirely.
The devastating punch landed directly against Gao Tian's arms, hurling him backward like a broken arrow.
BANG!
His body slammed into a massive boulder, leaving cracks in the stone.
Shu Yu turned slightly, her face calm as always. "Hey. Do you want help?"
Gao Tian slowly stood up.
His arms trembled, but his lips curled into that familiar, dangerous smile.
A glint flickered in his sharp eyes—madness, determination, and thrill combined.
He didn't answer her.
"..."
Shu Yu narrowed her eyes slightly. "Do you want help?"
But he was no longer listening.
She sighed internally.
So he's like this again… when he gets like this, he stops thinking like a normal cultivator. It's as if his body fights on its own.
Gao Tian threw his head back and laughed wildly.
"Haha! Now you've made me angry."
The beast charged once more, flames trailing behind like molten wings.
But Gao Tian didn't move.
Then—
SWOOSH!
He vanished from where he stood.
The serpent beast's eyes widened. Before it could react, Gao Tian had reappeared directly in front of it like a ghost.
Shu Yu watched quietly from a distance.
That speed… he's not even fully conscious. His instincts are fighting for him.
Gao Tian's right arm surged with energy.
"Dynamic Palm."
Chaotic blue spiritual energy wrapped around his hand as he slammed it forward, piercing into the serpent's chest.
CRACK!
The beast howled in agony, its chest torn open and blood gushing like a fountain.
Without hesitation, Gao Tian's left hand glowed with the same blue force.
"Dynamic Palm!"
He struck again—this time, right at the beast's head.
BOOM!
The beast's skull exploded like a volcano erupting, blood and bone fragments spraying across the scorched ground.
The serpent's body spasmed once… then collapsed, lifeless, into the pool of lava.
Gao Tian stood amidst the blood and heat, his body soaked in crimson, his expression calm… and cold.
Shu Yu, watching the gruesome scene unfold, didn't move.
Her expression didn't change.
But in her heart, she was silent.
...So he really didn't need help.
The molten winds still howled across the scorched terrain, the scent of blood and ash heavy in the air. The serpent beast's corpse steamed within the lava pool, its death marking a momentary silence in the mountain's wrath.
Gao Tian stood in the middle of it all—his body bloodied, his aura raging, and his eyes glinting with a wild madness.
He turned slowly, his gaze locking onto Shu Yu.
A twisted grin stretched across his lips.
"Oh, little girl… come here. I'll give you a present… heh."
His tone was low, playful—and dangerous.
Shu Yu stared at him, her face as expressionless as ever.
But her thoughts churned beneath the calm.
He's still unconscious. That last technique must've pushed his mind too far. His body's moving on instinct—he sees everyone as an enemy now… even me.
Suddenly, Gao Tian bolted forward, blurring across the rocky terrain like a phantom. His hand surged with crackling blue light—Dynamic Palm, fully charged.
The ground quaked beneath his steps.
Shu Yu didn't hesitate.
Swoosh—
A spiritual barrier shimmered to life around her just as Gao Tian's palm slammed against it.
BOOM!
The impact resounded like thunder in a canyon. The barrier flickered, rippled... but held.
Shu Yu's figure vanished the next instant.
Flash Step.
She reappeared silently behind him.
Gao Tian sensed something.
His eyes sharpened, and he began to turn—too late.
Tkk.
A precise strike landed at the base of his neck.
His body stiffened. The blue energy around his hand fizzled out like a dying flame.
His eyes rolled.
Thud.
Gao Tian collapsed to the ground, unconscious.
Shu Yu stood behind him, calm and composed, her hand slowly lowering.
She looked down at him.
"You're strong—undeniably so. But when you act like this... it feels like you're someone else entirely."
She bent down slightly, placed two fingers on his neck to check his pulse.
Stable. Just knocked out.
With effortless strength, she hoisted him onto her back and turned toward the gaping cavern beyond the lava pool.
"Let's go, before more beasts appear."
The oppressive heat of Heavenflame Ridge sizzled in the air, but in front of the gaping hole within the mountain wall, a strange, heavy chill lingered. The cave entrance was a vast, pitch-black void. No light penetrated it. Even the molten glow of surrounding lava seemed to be swallowed into that abyss.
Shu Yu arrived silently, carrying Gao Tian on her back. His body was limp, unconscious, but the wild fluctuations in his qi had finally begun to settle.
She stood in front of the dark hole, her cold eyes studying its depth.
Can't see through it. Not even with spiritual sense…
The presence from within the cave was ominous—ancient, dormant, yet watchful.
She turned to the side and gently laid Gao Tian down against the rocky wall, just a few steps from the entrance. The jagged terrain still radiated heat, but the shadows of the cave seemed to cool the area ever so slightly.
Shu Yu knelt beside him.
His breathing was shallow but steady. His forehead glistened with sweat, his hair sticking to his skin, and the blue energy from earlier had completely vanished.
He'll need time to recover. That last transformation pushed him beyond his limit.
Her hand slid across the air, summoning his spiritual ring with a flick.
From it, she retrieved a small jade bottle—one of the few high-grade healing pills left in his collection.
She opened the bottle, took out a pearl-like pill glowing with faint green light… and paused.
He's still unconscious. He won't be able to swallow this on his own.
Shu Yu narrowed her eyes slightly, then calmly placed the pill between her lips.
Without a change in her expression, she leaned closer.
Her cold face neared his.
And then, she kissed him gently, letting the pill pass from her mouth to his.
A soft glow spread between their lips as the pill slid into his throat, dissolving into healing essence the moment it entered.
She sat back upright, wiped the faint trace of blood from the edge of his mouth, and adjusted his position slightly, so he could breathe more easily.
Her expression remained unreadable.
But inwardly—
...You're trouble. You're reckless. And yet…
She turned once more toward the dark abyss ahead.
You might be the one to walk through that darkness and return alive.
The winds of the volcano howled behind her. The abyss ahead remained silent.
She stayed seated beside Gao Tian, guarding him in silence as the healing pill began to take effect—and the mystery of the black abyss loomed closer than ever.
Her thoughts drifted to his past, each memory unfolding like a forgotten page in an ancient book.