The Iron fang stronghold settled into twilight, its black stone paths glowing faintly with residual battle essence as the tournament's echoes faded. My hut's dark wood and stone walls felt cool, grounding me after the arena's firestorm. I began by bathing in the basin area, afterwards I stretched and meditated circulating sacred breath, my qi aligning, condensing, folding.
Condensing qi didn't increase the amount, it made it more explosive, like winding a spring. I brewed black tea, the aroma sharp and grounding.
Torren knocked, then ducked inside, his gray-blue storm fang fur catching the light, his reactive qi straps scuffed from his bout with Soren and myself. He dropped onto a stool, fangs flashing in a grin. "Champion, huh? Bet you're still recovering from that headbutt though."
I slid him a cup of tea, my scales sparking. "The head butt was more tolerable than your claws on my ribs. Good thing my ember coil spirit thawed me out."
He laughed, sipping the tea, his slit pupils narrowing. "You earned it, Ash. That lightning in the final round? Brutal.
Torren's ears flicked, "I wonder who they'll send to deal with Kael." I raised an eyebrow, ''probably us, no doubt. We just proved ourselves the most capable.''
Torren nodded, "Six months till the interclan tournament. We'll need every edge against clans like the Waxing crescent clan or the thousand leaves crest clan."
I leaned over the table, planning.
"Your storm claw barrage is good" I said. "But you need more in your kit, a definitive movement skill and another viable offensive skill that you can chain into, then you'll be really dangeroues. "
Torren's claws tapped the wood, his fur bristling. "Your cloud step technique is over powered and gave you a huge advantage—I need to cultivate it something akin to it, if I want to mature my cultivation path.'
I pulled the cloud step technique out of my spirit bracelet and slid it over to him. "Take it. I've cultivated it to the maximum gaining the air-walk,"
Torrens yellow eyes lit up already excited by the possibilities, "You mean it Ash?! wow thanks! Let's cultivate it in the secluded grove, maybe hunt some beasts to test our crystals."
"I grinned wide, my qi flaring. "Like old times. Just don't cry when I outpace you. I still have a good amount of foodstuffs to hold us over, plus we can go and hunt if we get low. We're Iron fang's best," I said, my scales crackling. "Let's make sure the continent knows it."
Torren raised his cup, his fur glowing. "To fire and ice, brother." We clinked cups, the Beast Vein Continent watching, its pulse urging us toward the next fight. I and Torren traveled to the secluded grove beyond the stronghold, where ancient bone trees pulsed with qi, their roots glowing faintly. His eyes gleamed, no resentment in his grin despite my victory. "Ready to break through, champ?" he asked, tossing me a marrow-root strip. I caught it and chewed, the bitter tang sharpening my focus. "Only if you keep up" I said, my scales crackling.
"Let's work on the cloud-step technique" I said. Torren withdrew the tome from his Spirit Bracelet and began to read. I circulated sacred breath while he studied, taking in the sounds around me with my eyes closed.
The secluded grove was quiet save for the rustle of leaves and the faint hum of cicadas. A thin mist curled low over the mossy stones, veiling the ground in a shifting silver. Torren stood barefoot at the grove's center, shoulders tense, sweat beading his brow.
I circled him slowly, arms folded, my eyes sharp but patient. "The Cloud Step is not about speed," I said, my voice calm. "It's about weightlessness. You must visualize the falling feather sigil directing your qi with your intent. If your breath is uneven, and your intent is weak, your steps will drag." Torren exhaled through gritted teeth and tried again. He leapt onto a boulder, pushed off, and landed with a muffled thud on the next.
I shook my head. "Perhaps not enough qi. The Cloud Step generates a floating sigil beneath your feet while mid-air. Direct more qi with your intent."
He stepped forward, his own body seeming to blur. His foot pressed lightly against the mist itself, rippling it as though it were water. He leapt again, and this time I saw the falling feather sigil manifest and activate under his air-borne feet, solidifying into a steppingstone. Torren's jaw dropped. "YES! Double-Rise!."
"Congratulations" I said. Torren drifted down like a feather, and he landed without a sound. "Your spirit must flow lighter than thought. Don't chase the cloud—become it."
Torren closed his eyes, inhaled deep, and let the grove's quiet settle into his bones. When he moved again, his footfall met the mist with the faintest tremor—still clumsy, but no longer earthbound.
I smiled faintly. "Good. That's the first step of the Cloud. Now keep perfecting it. " Hours passed, the grove's qi thickening around us.
My ember coil senses tasted ozone and frost, Torren's aura pulsed stronger.
His beast crystal aura began to shift, its icy qi intensifying. Suddenly, his fur flared, and a storm fang wolf sprouted, curling like a whip, the spectral tail solidified and crackled with pale full moon energy!
"It's happening!" Torren gasped, his slit pupils wide. His Storm fang beast crystal hit tier three, and a new power surged—a sonic wave rippling outward as he threw back his head and unleashed a howl of power. The grove trembled, my scales tingling as the howl boosted his and my qi flow as well as speed, like a gust in a ship's sails.
Nearby critters froze, their movements sluggish, as if the howl dulled their instincts. "Impressive," I said, grinning as the wave faded. "That howl's a game-changer. It Buffs us and appears to stun nearby life." Torren panted, his new tail flicking, enhancing his agility. "I Felt it," he said, claws twitching. It's like my storm's alive now. Slows their aim, shakes their nerve."
I tested my blazing tempest strike, its vortex even sharper, fueled by Torrens boost. "We're even better equipped to deal with Kael now.'
Torren nodded, his tail curling. Torren let another howl pulse again, testing its max range. "I'll use the enhancer next," I said, tapping my bracelet.
Just then a messenger from the Iron fang clan appeared, "Ash, Torren Your presence is requested at Elder Hall. I and Torren exchanged a quick glance, "Escort us back" I said. We used our mobility techniques to travel swiftly back from the secluded Grove. We stood in the Elder's Hall, its breastbone pillars carved with roaring sigils, the air heavy with incense and aura. Elder Vash faced us, his earth woven robes rippling, golden eyes piercing.
Beside us was Lira Razor wing, her feather-scales shimmering. Kaelin Wind strike, her falcon aura sharp. Taryn frost bear and Soren Shadow claw, his panther eyes glinting. "Our hunters have tracked Kael back to the viper coil ravine. A twisting gorge infamous for ambush predators and venomous qi.
"Kael trains there."
Vash said, his voice like stone grinding. "He's hunting cores, destabilizing the balance of power among clans. You six—our strongest—will stop him." My scales crackled, the mission's weight settling. Torren's tail flicked, his slit pupils narrowing. "About time," he muttered.
Lira piped up, "Let's rip his fangs out." Vash unrolled a intent-infused map, its runes glowing to show Kael's last sighting a canyon southwest of the Iron spike Gorge, thick with venom qi. "Kael's bond is a swift viper" Vash said. "His viper siphon fang strike drains qi, and his evasiveness is unmatched.
Work as a unit." Vash looked at me, then at the rest. " As tournament winner and strongest junior huntsmen, I appoint Ash as leader of this mission. He and Torren have already survived two encounters with the Shadow Stalker, so listen to him." The other's Lira, Kaelin, Soren and Taryn all nodded in agreement.
Lira smirked, "I'll clip his wings before he slithers away." Kaelin nodded, her Gale Slash Kick itching for a target. Taryn grunted, "I'll crush his scales." Soren's claws twitched, silent but ready. We prepared in the hall's armory, checking our gear.
Lira and Kaelin sharpened their wind qi, Taryn hefted a qi-infused gauntlet, and Soren tested his Shadow veil Step.
As the group's leader I had to act decisively, planning for the unexpected. Ensuring optimal conditions for a solid victory. "We need to go see Seung Lee" I said, my scales sparking.
As the winner of the tournament and mission leader I spoke with authority. "We're all traveling to Dusk Bane outpost first, then we move into the Viper Ravine."
Torren's tail kept swishing behind him as we trudged the stone road toward Dusk Bane, each flick scattering dust. "If Kael's as slippery as they say, he'll run before we get near him. Should just burn the canyon and smoke him out."
Lira snorted, twirling a dagger along her knuckles. "Yeah, genius. Let's set the venom qi gorge on fire. Maybe you'd like to breathe poison smoke for a week straight?"
Kaelin raised her hands in mock surrender, breeze rustling through her hair. "Don't give him ideas, Lira. Torren likes things simple — smash, burn, roar."
"Works fine so far," Torren muttered, but his mouth twitched like he was hiding a smile.
Taryn trudged along with his axe slung over one shoulder, expression as flat as the mountains. "Stop yapping. Kael won't be beaten by chatter. Train your steps, sharpen your breath."
Soren, silent as ever, only chuckled low. His shadow veil rippled across his feet as if to underline Taryn's point.
"See? Soren agrees with me," Taryn said.
Lira rolled her eyes. "No, that was a 'you're all idiots' laugh. I can tell."
I shook my head, cutting through their bickering before it flared into something worse. "Focus. Dusk Bane's an outpost of mercenaries and drifters. Eyes everywhere, ears sharper than blades. Keep the mission quiet."
Kaelin tilted her head toward me with a teasing smile. "Oh, hear that? Our fearless leader practicing his big voice. Careful, Ash, if you start sounding like Vash, we'll all fall asleep."
Even I had to smirk at that. The road stretched wide and the wind carried the scent of iron and wet stone. Despite the jabs and mutters, the rhythm of boots, tails, and claws beat steady. We weren't just six prodigies anymore — we were a hunting pack, and the banter was as much armor as our gear.
We made it to Dusk Bane without incident, however our group attracted looks and attention. The moment we stepped into the Outpost the air snapped. A circle of ragged leather and torchlight parted around us like tidewater around a reef. Boots scrape on cobblestones hurrying to get out of our advance, a dozen faces shaded under oilskin hoods tilt up. For a second the city held its breath — hawkers froze mid-cry, a dog curled into itself and went quiet.
Torren heard some whispers; ''A group of Iron Fangs, look sharp this could be trouble."
A ring of warriors formed around us.
"By the great will," a merchant hissed from his stand, voice thin as a wind-whistle. A scrawny lad with a dagger tucked into his boot took a step forward, stepped forward with false bravado, "What's it to you, tourney-king? Come to find trouble?" He spat in our direction and grinned like he wanted blood. I didn't speak or smile, instead I let my aura do the talking. I released a focused wave at the young punk pushing him down to his knees as we passed by. I extended my aura a full 360 degrees hammering the entirety with it. The ring of warriors around us grew double in diameter as lesser hunters and cultivators rushed to exit its oppressive pressure.
My aura was quite strong for my rank and age; and the bravado of all nearby wannabe tough guys faded into hard, quick recalculations. A group of scrawny ruffians retreated into a nearby alley way.
Torren's tail flicked once — slow, dangerous — and the street's chatter thinned to a murmur. "About time," he muttered. Two scruffy hunters pressed themselves against a wall as if the air were suddenly lava. One of them dragged a hand across his face and mumbled, "Shadow Stalker twice-those two lived." Those words alone made more ripples than a stone thrown in a calm lake.
Lira's grin cuts through the gloom like a blade. "Where here to rip some fangs out, who's first!" she declared, voice sharp and amused. A woman with a sleeve of tattoos — scarred, loud, one of Dusk Bane's easier recognizables — snorted laughter, but it was quickly swallowed when I pointed an intent-worn finger directing my aura her way. This was official clan matter now, and no disrespect would be tolerated. The name Kael began to be passed from mouth to mouth, the gravitas of the situation finally settling on the Dusk Bane locals.
"Iron Fangs out for blood" A whisper came and went.
The bench-pressing ruffian who'd been puffing himself up paled; an old crone with one milky eye muttered a charm under her breath and crossed herself. Respect and fear braid together for our circle.
Lira smirked, flicking a knife-edge of wind across her knuckles. Kaelin, fluid as a breeze, cracked her knuckles and the faint sound of gathered wind answered her. Taryn pounded a fist into his gauntleted hand and the stonework at his feet jumped from the resonance; Soren's eyes went shadow-soft as he folded into his veil-step stance. Even the most talkative scallywag in Dusk Bane silenced his tongue when we stepped past.
One of the younger scouts, a face freckled by salt and sun, couldn't help but mouth a question to his friend as we passed: "You think they'll take his core?" His friend only shrugged, eyes on the horizon. "Kael stole cores, now he's about to die for them."
We made for Seung Lee's martial emporium with the circle unwinding around us, the city exhaled relief in our wake — a mixture of curiosity and old, practical dread — Before we entered her shop however, a grizzled watchman called out after us, not insolent but not friendly either: "Bring back proof, huntsmen. Dusk Bane doesn't want war, just the rumor ended."
I nodded, scales sparking as I answered for all of us. "I came here to hedge the bet, then we move into the Viper Ravine." The watchman's eyes flicked to the rune-map one last time, then down the road where the canyon lied. He spat and crossed himself -not in challenge, but as a small ward — and the ring finally disbanded behind us, the city returning to its business with one less whisper and another story to flinch at over mugs that night.
The Martial Tome Emporium's wood sign swung, carved with roaring beasts, inside glass cases and shelves stored tomes of forgotten power. Seung stood behind a counter, her lean frame draped in a silver-threaded black robe, sharp eyes dissecting us like a surgeon.
"Ash ember coil, Torren storm fang," she said, her voice a low blade. "And the rest—Razor wing, Winds trike, Frost bear, Shadow claw. You're here for my ex-student, Kael, aren't you?" My scales sparked, her insight cutting deep. "Vash of Iron fang sent us," I said. "Kael's in Viper coil Ravine, hiding. We need tomes to counter his Core Siphon Strike." Torren's tail twitched, his slit pupils narrowing. "Something to make him regret crossing us," he growled.
Seung stepped forward, her eyes scanning our qi. She pressed a qi-infused crystal to my chest, its glow syncing with my ember coil bond.
"Your lightning qi is strong, Ash—8.3 on the meter—but it's volatile. Risks a qi Rebound if you overextend." She moved to Torren, her crystal pulsing against his fur. "Your Howl AoE is new, Storm fang. It'll boost your team, but your Sacred Breath is only tier 1, but I suppose that's better than no breath technique at all."
Lira smirked, her feather-scales shimmering. "Got anything to make me faster?" Kaelin scanned tomes, her falcon aura sharp. Taryn grunted, "Something to crush him." Soren stayed silent, his panther eyes glinting. Seung led us to a beast bone shelf, tomes glowing with kata maps and trigger seals.
"Kael's swift viper bond helps him drain qi," she said. "His qi corruption—makes him erratic. You need synergy, not power."
"She pulled a tome for me: "Thunder coil claw a tier III hybrid technique, for 450 coins. This will evolve your hidden dragon palm with serpent-like precision, countering Kaels siphon. Requires stable qi flow."
For Torren, she offered Frost fang Roar a tier II hybrid skill, for 400 coins. "This will amplify your Howl A-O-E, adding a frost debuff to freeze stunned enemies.
Risky with your tier one foundation." Lira picked up a Sky Talon Spiral tome a tier II offensive skill, for 350 iron coins.
Kaelin Wind strike picked up white wind Cascade a Tier II hybrid support skill for 400 coins.
Taryn Iron fang chose Ice barrier a tier II skill for 300 coins.
And Soren Shadow strike chose ''Fang'' a mysterious tier II Beast skill for 350 coins.
None of us had the coin.
"You've got 10 coins each," Seung said, her eyes narrowing. Very well, prove your worth in a style fracture trial.
Duel my qi constructs—survive, and I'll gift you the tomes." She led us to a stone ring behind the emporium, its runes flaring as constructs formed and rose, they were purple serpent-like figures mimicking Kael's Core Siphoning Strike.
I adjusted my Storm-Grip Talon Bands, my Blazing Tempest Strike ready.
Seung raised a hand. The qi in the air tightened like a snare. "Fail, and the tomes remain sealed. If you enter Viper Ravine blind Kael will tear through, your unprepared friendship bonds." A hum of pressure pulsed from the ring, the constructs forming eyes glowed with siphon hunger. Torren's Howl AoE pulsed, boosting our speed, his tail flicking. "Let's carve'em up," he said. Lira and Kaelin struck a battle stance while Taryn anchored and Soren focused qi. The serpent constructs slithered forward, qi leaking like smoke from their fangs. Their strikes came in bursts—like Kael's—measured to drain, then lash, then vanish.
The stone beneath our feet thrummed with active qi as the style fracture trial roared to life. Twelve serpentine constructs burst forward! Their fangs glinted with acrid venom.
These weren't mere ''constructs'' I thought "They're real predators!" I announced. I stepped forward, lightning-laced ember coil scales flaring bright. "Lira, go high! Kaelin, give me cross wind fire! Torren, peel left and cover Taryn—Soren' guard our flank!" A surge of wind blasted outward as Kaelin used a Wind Strike Barrage! Taryn unleashed a frost claw slam sending out a wave of jagged ice spikes! The ice spikes impaled and froze four serpents, freezing their cores before they could die.
Overhead, two more constructs circled down from above! Lira launched skyward, talons flaring with qi.
"SKY REND PALM KYAAAAA!"
Her Sky Rend palm strike sent out a concentrated wind blast that sliced a serpent clean in half mid-plunge. Another lunged from below, fangs aimed at Taryn's ribs. Torren blurred in, frost and storm trailing from his limbs. He drove a glowing claw into the serpent's throat before pivoting beside Taryn. Taryn frost bear, grinned wide, "Glacial Smash Fist!" Taryn launched a massive frozen fist!
The Frozen flying fist sailed across Seung's trial grounds and struck a serpent freezing it on contact, Taryn charged into it sending it shattering into a rune wall.
A blur swept up the rear toward Soren.
The shadow rogue didn't blink.
Soren vanished into black mist using the Shadow Veil Step technique—and reappeared behind the Serpent, blades flashing! With a swish of dark blade steel the Serpent construct was instantly beheaded.
I summoned and sung the Jawbreaker Beast Hammer in a wide arc.
"GET LIFTED!"
My Jawbreaker Beast Hammer surged with qi, cracking into a serpent's runed spine. The impact sent a feedback pulse that scattered two more constructs from Torren's path. Taryn Continued to send out waves of Frost Claw Slams and Glacial Smash Fists. Kaelin Launched Gale slash kicks and Wind Strike Barrages while Lira unleashed more of her Sky Rend Palms and Gale Talon Kicks. Torren's Storm fang Mode activated—his spectral tail flashing as he curved right, flanking with supernatural precision.
I leapt—''Cloud Step Technique!'' I double jumped into a falling Jaw Breaker Hammer Strike! I slammed down into a serpent just as it coiled for a qi siphon strike.
"Hidden Dragon Palm!" My lightning chi erupted in a spiral, overloading the siphon and rupturing its runes from within. From the side, Kaelin's voice cut in: "More incoming—rear!" A serpent had cloaked itself in siphon mist—nearly invisible. My eyes flared, "Soren—tag it!" Soren flitted behind the mist and whistled sharply—a cue.
Several small butterfly bomblets flew out from the dark mist, they exploded in crackling arcs, revealing the camouflaged serpent just as Lira dive-bombed it with a rotating talon slash.
Crack!
The construct shattered into qi-laced dust. The final two serpents converged on Taryn.
"Taryn, duck!" I shouted. I whipped my hammer in a spinning throw—"Qi Arc Slam!"—and it collided with one serpent, bouncing to the next like a thunderclap bowling pin. All seventeen constructs fell, their cores flickering and fading into the floor.
Silence.
Then Seung Lee Kim's voice rang across the trial ring. "Style fracture trial complete. Your synergy is imperfect—but your instincts? lethal." She paused. "The tomes are yours." The tomes rose from the arena's center, their qi seals unraveling. Each member walked toward their respected tome pulsing with elemental resonance. My tome glowed with lightning runes coiled like a dragon's fang. Torren's shimmered with a frost-threaded howl.
The trial was over.
But the hunt had just begun.
The hill was quiet save for the soft whisper of wind and the rhythmic crackle of my ember coil generated fire. Gnarled trees leaned overhead, their branches like crooked fingers curled against the silver-blue dusk. Between Dusk bane and the Iron Spike Canyons, we'd found a small plateau to rest—a rise that gave us view of the jagged terrain ahead. Soren returned first, canteens sloshing with water from the nearby stream.
"Clear. Cold. Probably glacier runoff," he muttered, dropping the satchels gently beside the cookpot.
Kaelin arrived moments later, a gutted six-legged tusk hare slung over her shoulder.
She dumped the carcass near the fire and grinned. "Could've gotten a dusk boar, but I spooked it. This is clean meat though." Torren took the lead on prep, his Storm fang claws efficient as knives, skinning and sectioning the beast with predator precision. Lira helped with seasoning, pulling smoked salt from her kit.
The scent of spiced meat filled the air. We ate in near silence, each of us lost in our thoughts. Above, stars began to blink through the canopy gaps. The fire popped. Sparks swirled like fireflies caught in a slow updraft.
When the food was gone and the flames settled low, the new tomes came out. Each of us had our new tome—still warm with the qi seal from Seung Lee's arena. The bindings pulsed faintly, tuned to our individual cores. A few pages crackled with elemental resistance; others shimmered with spectral ink that flickered when viewed from an angle. My tome radiated storm light—etched in spiral runes that crackled like coiled thunder. Torren's had frost-root veins coiling around a wolf's sigil, its edges rimed with qi condensation.
Liras was slim and aerodynamic, the pages feather-light yet razor-sharp to the touch. Kaelin's felt more like a scroll-tide—its ink moving as though stirred by qi wind.
Taryn's was dense, rune-forged like quarry stone, each page heavy with frost technique anchors. Soren's... shimmered oddly. Black ink merged with translucent claw patterns that shifted shape with every page turn.
Eventually, the silence broke.
I stood first, scroll still unfurled in one hand. "I need to feel it live. No point just reading it."
I stepped into the clearing. "Thunder coil Claw." My voice carried low. Lightning sparked from my fingertips, coiling around my forearm like a serpent. With a surge of breath and motion, I clawed forward—and the air cracked with a spiral burst of thunder that whipped the nearby leaves in a cyclone. My beast crystals pulsed with warmth.
Torren rose next. He exhaled slowly, frost curling from his lips. "Frost Fang Roar!" He braced, chest low, claws wide—and then unleashed a short, fanged howl that rippled through the ground. The snow-white qi took the shape of a spectral wolf's jaws, biting forward and chilling the grass where it struck. Lira stood without a word. Her movements were skylight and smooth.
"Sky Talon Spiral!"
With a flick of her leg, she vaulted upward, spinning in a cyclone of chi-infused kicks! Feathers of qi sliced into the branches above, carving feather-shapes into the bark without snapping the limbs. She landed with barely a sound. Kaelin watched her, then cracked her neck and stepped into the wind. Her hands wove a tide-pattern.
"Cascade."
Water and wind qi spiraled from her feet as she spun, generating burst after burst of pressure waves that disrupted the air like pulsing shock fans. A few embers from the fire sizzled and extinguished under the force. Taryn grunted and stood, stomping his boot twice before settling into a shoulder-wide stance.
"Ice Wall." His foot hit the ground, and a ripple of chi carved into the soil, raising a low, circular wall of defensive Ice around him—perfect cover for group fights or rooting constructs in place.
Then came Soren. He didn't say a word. Just stepped into shadow. For a moment, we thought he vanished. Then from behind the trees, a spectral beast emerged—its body like liquid obsidian, vaguely panther-like, its eyes glowing red.
"Beast Fang Emulate."
The voice came from the creature's maw, but it was Soren's. Not a summon. Not entirely. A qi transformation technique. His qi had shaped into a phantom manifestation of his bonded beast's instincts—letting him phase, strike, or hunt with animal precision. His body was still within—but only just. The creature prowled through us, flickering between solid and spirit, before vanishing in a swirl of black smoke. Soren reappeared at the edge of the fire; eyes dim but aware.
No one said a word for a while. We just watched the stars.
The Viper Ravine waited. We were no longer the same Hunters who had first stepped into Dusk bane.