Tang Xi walked steadily toward the entrance of the Clear Water Mountains, her sharp gaze sweeping over the movement around her. Cultivators of various levels and backgrounds, seasoned hunters, and merts passed by, making their way into the opened city. The gate, whients ago had been an imperable barrier, had now bee a bustling hub of life, where determined faces and tense expressions blended into the stant flow of people ing and going.
Among the many travelers, her focus rested particurly on the groups of cultivators and hunters heading in the same dire as she was. Who were they? Rivals, allies, or merely fleeting shadows in this jourhese thoughts crossed her mind but quickly dissipated. She knew her path was a solitary one—and it had to remain so for a while.
As her steps carried her farther from the city, the grand figure of the gates slowly faded behind her. And then, when it was almost out of sight, she paused for a moment.
The wind blew gently, carrying her determined voice:— "Wait for me, Father... I will return soon!"
Her promise echoed in the air before dissolving into the horizon. Without further hesitation, Tang Xi stepped into the dense forest surrounding the city.
The enviro around her ged as she advahe once sparse trees grew taller and sturdier, their iwining branches f a web that filtered the sunlight, casting shifting patterns of shadows on the leaf-cround. The st of damp earth mixed with the faint fragrance of spiritual pnts that thrived freely in that territory.
She moved with precision and caution, each step remarkably light, thanks to her Phoenix-Winged Glide teique. Her past experieill influenced her—any unknown pce could harbor dangers ready to strike. She had learhat no matter how beautiful a pce appeared, it could ceal deadly threats for those who let their guard down.
However, as she ventured deeper, a familiar sensation began to envelop her—solitude.
It was a feeling she had endured tless times in her past life, an oppressive void that seemed to expand within her. For fourteen years, she had found bonds and panionship that filled that emptiness, but now, alone in the vast forest, the weight of that absence pressed upon her once more.
Her heart tightened slightly, and for a moment, she drifted into memories of the past.
But before that shadow could e her thoughts, something pulled her back—the Lunar Umbrel.
Her e with the spiritual artifact ran deeper than words could express. A gentle warmth spread through her chest, like an invisible embrace surrounding her. A torrent of emotions and images fshed through her mind—the smile of her adoptive father, the loving voices of her biological parents, the friends and allies who had crossed her path.
— "I am not alone."
The thought anchored itself in her mind as an unshakable truth, dispelling the looming shadow. Her breathing steadied, and the lonelihat once clouded her eyes was now repced by renewed determination.
She lifted her gaze and took in her surroundings. The forest was awakening with the rising sun, and suddenly, everything seemed more vibrant. The rustling branches swayed with the wind, the distinct songs of different birds filled the air, and the subtle presenall spiritual creatures flickered in the distance. Life pulsed all around her.
It was a remihat the world tio turn, and she was here, alive, walking her own path.
With this newfound resolve, Tang Xi pressed forward on her journey.
The apparent ease with which she moved was merely an illusion to outside observers—with each step, her sharpened senses searched for any sign of danger. If a threat emerged, she would react swiftly and decisively.
'I don't know if this is good or bad for me in this life,' — she thought. After all, this heightened vigince seemed to be engraved into her very soul, an essential habit that had ensured her survival.
The forest around her began to reveal its inhabitants.
Above, iron-furred squirrels moved skillfully through the braheir sturdy bodies adapted to withstand impacts. Small, vividly colored spiritual birds flew in flocks, their melodic calls resonating through the air. In the dense vegetation, watchful eyes glowed from the shadows—hiddeures silently her.
Tang Xi admired the se.— "How beautiful..." — she murmured to herself.
She had studied this ecosystem before setting out. First-level Body Tempering spiritual beasts were usually ignored by mid-level cultivators and hunters, as they posed no challenge and had little to offer in valuable materials. However, for ordinary mortals, even fag one of these creatures could be a fatal risk.
The retionship between cultivators and nature was plex—for some, the forest was merely a hunting ground; for others, a sacred pce. Tang Xi had yet to determine where she stood in this bance, but ohing was certain: she respected the life pulsing around her.
With that thought, she adjusted her posture, took a deep breath, and tinued walking.
But as she moved forward, her sharpened senses picked up on something—a greedy i lurking from within a nearby bush, focused entirely on her.
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