Xu Yuan did not rush.
Leaving the null-stability fragment, he deliberately chose a route that cut across unstable terrain rather than following any clear path. In the Hell World, obvious routes were traps—claimed by territory lords, stalked by apex predators, or saturated with corruption dense enough to melt foundations in moments.
Unstable ground, paradoxically, was safer.
Here, chaotic qi fluctuated violently, making it difficult for strong beings to maintain long-term control. Monsters passed through quickly or died. Demons avoided lingering unless desperate.
Perfect hunting grounds.
Xu Yuan moved steadily, his isolation layer maintained at the thinnest viable level. It drained him constantly, like holding one's breath while walking uphill, but it prevented the worst of the corruption from reaching his core.
Not forever.
Just long enough.
The demon followed silently, keeping pace without complaint. Its movements had grown smoother over time, less erratic. The stabilization purchased earlier was beginning to show results.
"You're adapting faster than expected," Xu Yuan said without looking back.
The demon hesitated. "You changed me."
Xu Yuan nodded once. "You didn't resist."
"That's why I survived," the demon replied quietly.
Xu Yuan did not respond.
Survival was not a virtue here. It was a requirement.
They soon encountered their first prey of the day.
A cluster of low-grade monsters crawled across the jagged terrain ahead—twisted quadrupeds with plated hides and elongated maws, their bodies warped by prolonged exposure to chaotic qi. Individually weak, collectively dangerous.
Xu Yuan observed them carefully.
"They haven't adapted," he said. "They endure by numbers alone."
He stepped forward.
The monsters reacted instantly, shrieking as they charged. Xu Yuan did not activate Sword Law. He did not even draw upon aura.
He met them head-on.
His fists moved with controlled brutality, strikes landing with bone-cracking force. Each blow was precise—targeting joints, weak plates, structural points that compromised movement.
The Hellforged Body Tempering Art worked relentlessly, converting impact and resistance into refinement. Pain surged with every clash, but it no longer slowed him.
The demon joined in, flanking the pack and striking when openings appeared. It fought more cautiously than Xu Yuan, but with growing confidence.
The battle ended quickly.
Xu Yuan stood amid the corpses, chest rising and falling.
[System Points acquired: 187.]
Not enough.
He crouched and began harvesting.
Not everything.
Only what mattered.
Dense muscle fibers. Hardened bones. Corruption-crystallized cores embedded near the spine. He ignored flesh too degraded to be useful.
The demon watched, curiosity overcoming fear. "You're… choosing."
"Yes," Xu Yuan replied. "Killing is easy. Efficiency isn't."
He straightened and wiped his hands clean against the ground.
"This world punishes waste."
They moved on.
Hours passed.
They hunted continuously, targeting isolated groups, wounded roamers, and monsters forced out of stronger territories. Xu Yuan avoided prolonged fights, withdrawing whenever pressure spiked too sharply.
By the time the hellish glow dimmed again, his System Points had climbed steadily.
[System Points: 2,964.]
Xu Yuan stopped.
"This is enough," he said.
The demon looked surprised. "You're stopping now?"
"Yes."
Xu Yuan closed his eyes and opened the system shop.
This time, he did not browse aimlessly.
He went straight to a category he had deliberately avoided until now.
Spatial Assets.
Subspaces.
Most were locked.
Many required absurd point totals.
But one option remained available.
Basic. Crude.
Temporary.
[Hell-Resistant Micro Subspace (Unstable Prototype)]
Function: External isolation, minimal internal law interference.]
Capacity: Limited.]
Warning: Degradation possible.]
Cost: 2,500 SP.]
Xu Yuan studied it in silence.
This was not the world seed.
Not even close.
This was a stopgap.
A shelter—not from enemies, but from the Hell World itself.
"I don't need perfection," he murmured. "I need time."
He confirmed the purchase.
[Transaction complete.]
The pressure around him shifted subtly.
Xu Yuan felt it immediately.
A thin spatial membrane unfolded around a point just ahead of him, invisible yet distinct—a pocket where chaotic qi failed to intrude fully, sliding off its surface like rain on glass.
It was small.
Barely enough to sit inside.
But it was real.
The demon gasped softly. "What… is that?"
Xu Yuan stepped closer, extending a hand toward the boundary.
No resistance.
Only separation.
"This," he said quietly, "is my first refuge."
He stepped inside.
The difference was immediate and overwhelming.
The grinding pressure vanished.
The constant corrosion ceased.
For the first time since arriving in the Hell World, Xu Yuan's body was not under attack.
He exhaled deeply, muscles trembling as tension he had not realized he was holding finally released.
Not relief.
Not comfort.
But reprieve.
He sat down slowly within the subspace, posture relaxed for the first time.
The demon remained outside, staring in awe.
"You're not being hurt," it said. "The world can't touch you."
Xu Yuan nodded.
"Not here," he replied. "And not for long."
He looked at the faint, unstable boundary surrounding the micro subspace.
"This won't last without upgrades," he said. "And upgrades require points."
He closed his eyes.
"This is only the beginning."
Chapter 9: The First Refuge (Part B)
The micro subspace did not feel like a sanctuary.
It felt… unfinished.
Xu Yuan sat cross-legged at its center, eyes half-closed, senses extended carefully toward the thin spatial boundary surrounding him. The membrane shimmered faintly—not visually, but perceptually—like a fragile skin stretched between two incompatible realities.
Outside, the Hell World churned endlessly.
Inside, there was quiet.
Not peace.
Quiet.
The difference was important.
Xu Yuan flexed his fingers slowly. The familiar grinding pressure that had never truly left his body since entering the Hell World was gone. No chaotic qi scraped against his skin. No corrosive currents pressed against his flesh.
For the first time, his body was not actively being damaged.
He inhaled deeply.
His breath came easier than it ever had since awakening here.
"So this is what it feels like," he murmured, voice low. "To exist without resistance."
[Micro subspace integrity: Stable.]
[Estimated degradation time: 31 hours.]
Xu Yuan opened his eyes.
"Thirty-one hours," he repeated calmly. "That's my limit."
The demon stood just outside the boundary, watching with a mixture of awe and unease. It could not enter—the spatial membrane rejected anything not explicitly permitted.
"This place," the demon said slowly, "it feels like the world stops touching you."
Xu Yuan nodded. "Because it does."
He reached out and brushed his fingers against the boundary from inside. The surface rippled faintly, then settled.
"This isn't hiding," he continued. "It's isolation. The Hell World still exists—but it can't interfere directly."
He leaned back slightly and closed his eyes again.
For the first time, he allowed the isolation layer he had been maintaining around his body to relax.
The effect was immediate.
His muscles loosened. His bones stopped vibrating under constant stress. The internal anchor within him no longer needed to absorb external pressure.
Relief washed through him—not pleasure, but functional recovery.
[Isolation layer suspended.]
[Host burden reduced significantly.]
Xu Yuan exhaled slowly.
"So this is how long-term survival works," he said quietly. "Not by fighting the world constantly… but by choosing when it's allowed to touch you."
He turned his attention inward.
Now that the Hell World's pressure was cut off, he could finally assess the damage properly.
Micro-fractures lined his bones—healed, but imperfectly. Muscle fibers were denser than before, but carried deep fatigue. His blood carried traces of corruption, burned away continuously by his cultivation method but not without cost.
He was stronger.
But he was also spent.
Xu Yuan opened the system interface again, this time navigating beyond the surface categories.
"Show me degradation," he ordered.
[External corrosion: Halted.]
[Internal strain: Elevated.]
[Recommendation: Controlled recovery cycle.]
"Recovery without Qi," Xu Yuan murmured. "Crude, but workable."
He reached into the shop again—not for techniques, not for power—but for something far less glamorous.
Nutrient conversion items.
Low-grade.
Unremarkable.
Designed for body cultivators in hostile environments.
Xu Yuan purchased several without hesitation.
[Transaction complete.]
He consumed them methodically, one at a time, allowing his body to absorb the nutrients slowly. The effect was modest, but noticeable—muscle fatigue eased, micro-fractures stabilized further.
Outside, the demon watched silently.
"You're healing," it said.
"Yes," Xu Yuan replied. "But not regenerating."
He opened his eyes and looked at the micro subspace walls again.
"This place buys me time," he said. "Nothing more."
[Correct.]
Xu Yuan's gaze sharpened.
"And time is only useful if I use it."
He shifted his posture, sitting straighter, spine aligned.
"System," he said, "why was this option available now?"
Another pause.
[Host crossed survivability threshold.]
[Prior to this point, refuge would have caused dependency failure.]
Xu Yuan understood immediately.
If he had entered such a subspace earlier—when his body and will were weaker—the contrast would have broken him. He would have become unable to endure the Hell World again.
This refuge was not meant to replace endurance.
It was meant to supplement it.
"Balance," Xu Yuan murmured. "Always balance."
He turned his attention inward once more—not to the isolation layer, but to the still point deep within him. With the Hell World's interference cut off, its presence felt clearer than ever.
Stable.
Absolute.
Unmoving.
Xu Yuan did not touch it.
He did not probe it.
He simply acknowledged it again—and this time, something responded.
Not power.
Not energy.
Understanding.
[Origin-class asset resonance detected.]
[Disclosure restricted.]
Xu Yuan's eyes flickered open.
"So even now, you won't tell me," he said quietly.
[Correct.]
Xu Yuan did not press.
He had learned enough to know when restraint was wiser than curiosity.
He turned instead to the future.
"This subspace," he said, "can it grow?"
[Upgradeable.]
[Requires significant resources.]
"Define significant."
[Current host capacity insufficient for detailed projection.]
Xu Yuan laughed softly.
"Fair."
He looked at the demon again. "You can't stay here," he said.
The demon nodded. "I know."
"This refuge is temporary," Xu Yuan continued. "And it's mine. You'll guard the outside."
The demon bowed deeply. "I will."
Xu Yuan closed his eyes again, entering a shallow meditative state—not true cultivation, but consolidation. He reviewed everything he had learned since awakening here.
The Hell World did not kill indiscriminately.
It assimilated.
It eroded Qi and soul first.
Bodies survived longest—but only if refined correctly.
He could not remain a pure body cultivator forever.
Nor could he rush into Qi or soul cultivation here.
He needed structure.
Subspaces.
Gradual integration.
A foundation that could one day support everything.
His path was becoming clearer.
The micro subspace trembled faintly as time passed, degradation ticking steadily in the background. Xu Yuan ignored it.
He would leave before it failed.
When he emerged again, it would not be to hide.
It would be to hunt with purpose.
The Hell World had given him his first refuge.
Now he would use it to prepare for something far more dangerous—the moment he no longer needed to run.
________________________
Author Note
Chapter 9 completes the establishment of Xu Yuan's first true refuge.
This is not safety, and it is not power—it is time. From here onward, every hunt, every decision, and every upgrade will be deliberate.
Thank you for reading and supporting this journey.
The Hell World has only begun to test him.