~~~

As soon as Xun Huwen makes himself known, the abomination’s flesh starts squirming, turning, and making all sorts of uncomfortable noises. Its enormous body shrinks right before their very eyes, becoming lean and gaunt, though still more than capable of swallowing a grown man whole. Its face loses its horns, tusks, and snout, leaving behind something unnervingly human-like.

Thankfully, it doesn’t grow any eyes. Feng Zhi doesn’t think he could bear it if a beast like that had human eyes. Still, the ease with which the abomination morphs tells Feng Zhi its corpse-like, rotting appearance is a deliberate choice from whoever controls it rather than a natural consequence of it being a mass of dead flesh.

How… tasteless.

“Curious,” the abomination says, now with a mouth and teeth that look entirely too much like a man’s. Feng Zhi fights the urge to shudder. “You… are most curious, visitor from the other side.”

Xun Huwen taps his foot against the ground exactly once.

The abomination’s left ear goes flying off, ripped away by some invisible force neither Feng Zhi nor Xi Mou can see.

That is how easily Xun Huwen could kill them if he wanted to.

“I have no interest in pleasantries,” Xun Huwen says. “You said this meeting was no accident, yet our quest was only decided on weeks ago. We did not even know how we were to be transported. How exactly did someone from the other side receive word of our presence?”

The abomination merely chuckles in reply. Feng Zhi narrows his eyes as it reconstructs its ear with ease. It is as just as he thought. Its regeneration is actually reconstruction. He should have realized it when the monster so easily split into three creatures of identical size. Whenever the creature suffers damage, whoever controls it just reshapes his monster.

The mass contained within its body must be absurd.

“Explain…? Visitor from beyond the plains, there is no need to explain. I have come here to make sure none of you leave. That is all you need to know.”

“How brazen of you.” Xun Huwen grins and eagerly starts walking towards the giant beast. “I thought I had come here for the Feng, yet staying with you might just be more fun.”

The abomination grins.

“If it is the Feng you seek… I have no issue waiting until you’re done with them. It is all the same.”

Xun Huwen.

Stops.

He stops, and Feng Zhi and Xi Mou’s hearts follow suit. Their knuckles go chalk white. Feng Zhi winces as he accidentally draws his own blood from how hard his nails are digging into his palms.

Terrifying as Xun Huwen is, there was some comfort to be found in the interest he showed for their grotesque adversary. However, if he joins forces with him, there is no way they will leave this place alive.

Feng Zhi can only hope Feng Hao is running as far away from this place as possible.

Xun Huwen chuckles.

“Oh, rest easy, Young Master,” Xun Huwen says, somehow managing to make the title sound like an insult. “Today is not the day I kill you.”

He shows them his back, and they almost fall to their knees.

“A pity,” the abomination replies. Multiple spikes grow all over its body as it readies itself for battle.

“Only a little,” Xun Huwen says, his aura simmering around him. “Besides, if I tried to kill him, an annoying eavesdropper would interrupt me. Isn’t that right?”

“That is indeed the case.”

Feng Zhi and Xi Mou step back in surprise as another person appears on the battlefield. Feng Zhi first recognizes him as a Core Disciple, then he identifies him as Elder Xun’s personal disciple.

Mud.

“Oh?” Xun Huwen raises an eyebrow and looks back as Mud appears in front of Feng Zhi and Xi Mou. “So you finally show your face in front of me.”

“This Mud and his face are behind you.”

Xun Huwen twitches, and merely one second ago, the gesture would have evoked fear in Feng Zhi’s soul. That is no longer the case. Feng Zhi will not go as far as to say he suddenly feels safe. That would be utter foolishness. However, Mud’s presence brings an odd sense of tranquility. Judging by Xi Mou’s lack of reaction to Xun Huwen’s irritation, Feng Zhi can tell he’s not alone in feeling like that.

“It seems this Mud has offended. Very well, I shall retire.”

Before Feng Zhi even realizes what is happening, Mud has his hand on his shoulder and is dragging him and Xi Mou away with a movement technique. In the span of a single breath, they put several miles between themselves and Xun Huwen.

And yet, when Xun Hunwen unleashes an attack on the abomination, they all feel it.

“You saved us,” Feng Zhi says, trying to keep his balance as the earth begins rumbling. “Wait! My brother! He’s still back there and-”

“Your brother is headed that way.”

“What?” Feng Zhi looks at the spot in the horizon Mud is pointing at. “But the cave-”

“Young Master Feng Hao made a hole through that cave using the Eternal Flame.” Mud sounds almost impressed. “At least, that’s what I believe he did. This Mud arrived a few seconds after. The Young Master is trying his best to hide his Qi while running, but you should be able to catch up to him easily.”

Mud turns to Xi Mou, who immediately tenses up in response. The Core Disciple peers into his eyes for an unnervingly long time.

“You are not the sort of company I would like to leave the Young Master with, yet there are no other alternatives. Go now. Do not stop for anything or anyone. It is not safe for Young Master Feng Hao out there.”

“Go?” Xi Mou asks. “You will not accompany us?”

Xi Mou may be from a different faction, but it is natural for him to want Mud to stay with them. They may all be Core Disciples, but Mud is undeniably their better. If Xi Mou hadn’t asked, Feng Zhi would have.

“Collecting Young Master Feng Hao is not my mission. Containing Xun Huwen is,” Mud replies.

As if to reaffirm the necessity of his purpose, the tremors around them intensify as Xun Huwen unleashes more power. Even looking in the direction of the fight hurts Feng Zhi. It is hard to believe the difference between him and Xun Huwen is that of only one cultivation realm.

“Go now. Before it is too late.”

“You believe Xun Huwen can be defeated?” Feng Zhi asks, half-hoping.

“No,” Mud replies. “I believe there is still time for him to decide to join forces with his foe.”

It is all he needs to say.

Feng Zhi and Xi Mou start running.

~~~

Though not willingly or knowingly, Feng Zhi did end up teaching him how to use the Eternal Flame. Sensing how his brother summoned and controlled it during his battle was crucial towards shaping Feng Hao’s understanding of that power. Without that, Feng Hao is not sure he would have been as successful.

For all his defiance in front of Feng Zhi, Feng Hao found his confidence waning once he was left alone. However, as the battle raged outside and that thing appeared in his field of awareness, the fire within Feng Hao was stoked to a roaring blaze.

Feng Hao knew he couldn’t destroy the wall of fire left behind by his brother. That is why he projected the Eternal Flame towards the cave instead, melting a path through several tons of hard earth and stone.

He ran with all his might after that.

“Truly disguising your Qi requires you to manipulate your Qi in such a way that it mimics the ambient Qi around you.”

Lowering your Qi and keeping it hidden are different things. Elder Brother made that clear enough during his lessons. Still, it is easier to keep one’s Qi hidden when one is not using much of it. That is part of the reason why attacking while hiding one’s Qi is supposed to be exceedingly difficult. It is certainly beyond Feng Hao’s capabilities.

Movement, however, is not. Right now, Feng Hao is moving as fast as he can while keeping his Qi somewhat disguised. It is nowhere near as perfect as the utter stealth Elder Brother Jin is capable of, but it will have to do. Feng Hao has become a small blur streaking through the plains.

It feels nowhere nearly as triumphant as Feng Hao imagined it would

He has managed to escape his brother’s control. Under other circumstances, he would be enjoying the rush of freedom, but how can he do that when he had to leave his brother behind? Feng Hao keeps telling himself it is for the best. Whatever thing his brother is fighting against is strong enough to force him and a Core Disciple to team up and strong enough to make his brother use the Eternal Flame.

Once again, Feng Hao is in a situation where he would only be getting in the way by trying to help.

His face twitches as he keeps running, and not just because of his inner turmoil. His palms have been itching for a while. Releasing the Eternal Flame was not without consequence, it seems. Feng Hao counts himself lucky all he has to deal with are slightly irritated palms.

Taking a deep breath, Feng Hao ups his speed. It makes his Qi more noticeable than before, but it should be fine now. He has put enough miles between himself and his brother. What is important now is for him to get to the temple. He will get a stone, hopefully meet with Elder Brother, and return to the Eternal Flame Clan.

After that…

After that…

The ground breaks under his feet, and Feng Hao stumbles. He had been so lost in his thoughts he had not noticed the Spirit Beast laying in wait, a lizard of some sort. Its earth-colored body rises from the earth until it stands at twice Feng Hao’s height. The Spirit Beast screeches and unhinges its jaws to swallow Feng Hao in one gulp.

The young child flares his Qi. Sparks appear in his hands, ready to lash out.

They sputter.

Pain shoots through his body and causes him to fall to his knees. The lizard’s mouth draws closer. Feng Hao does not even have the time to close his eyes in fright.

The beast never touches him.

Something like death spreads through the air. The lizard squeals as another creature rises from the earth and plunges its fangs into its body. It is an ugly and misshapen thing with eyes in odd places and several bits of flesh missing from its body. It has a long worm-like body that bulges awkwardly and four legs of uneven sizes.

In two bites, its long fangs have torn the lizard’s body in half. However, that’s not what has Feng Hao scrambling to his feet. As the lizard dies, its flesh bulges and bubbles before being absorbed into the monster.

As the process finishes and the lizard is no more, the creature turns its many eyes to him. Once more, Feng Hao readies itself for a fight.

[Blooming Lotus]

The power of a cultivator in the middle of the True Realm washes over the plains. Glowing green Qi blooms into crimson as it smashes into the monster and tears it into pieces. The pieces start wiggling, but another attack of even greater power thoroughly destroys the bizarre creature that felt like death.

“Are you okay?” asks his savior. “You looked like you needed… I know you.”

His savior looks like he has been fighting for days. Despite that, Feng Hao can recognize his robes as those worn by Inner Disciples. That would normally be a source of comfort, but not under these circumstances.

He looks familiar.

“You are Feng Hao!” The disciple says, snapping his fingers. “To think you were the kid from the Selection Exam! I guess it is a good thing I saved you.”

He laughs, but Feng Hao does not feel like laughing with him. This person is strong enough to take him hostage if he wants to.

However, he cannot show weakness now!

“Thank you for saving me, senior brother. However, I must now resume my journey to the temple.”

“Good. I was going there too,” the disciple says, surprising Feng Hao with his agreeableness. “My name is Huang Shing, young master. Considering the dangers out here…” Huang Shing glares at the remains of the creature he just killed as if making sure it wasn’t about to start moving again. “It is best if I take you with me.”

“You will be taking my brother nowhere!”

Feng Zhi appears in a blur of speed. Xi Mou appears beside him a second later. It is the first time Feng Hao has seen his brother so unkempt, but what strikes him the most is the rage that emanates from his body. It fills the space around them, pushing the air out to the point it becomes hard to breathe.

“Feng Zhi,” Huang Shing growls. Rather than being intimidated by Feng Zhi, Huang Shing flares his aura and pushes back against his brother’s Qi. “I have been looking forward to this!”

“Then you’re a fool who cannot appreciate my kindness!” His brother says. He takes a step forward, and cracks start appearing all over the earth. “You should have never joined the Eternal Flame Clan.”

“So you do remember me! I knew it!”

“Step away from my brother, or I will-”

Feng Zhi’s words are cut off as Xi Mou attacks him from the side. His brother barely manages to block.

“Brother!”

“You treacherous dog!”

“Take the Young Master and get out of here!” Xi Mou roars as he starts attacking Feng Zhi with long whips of fire.

“What?” Huang Shing blinks. “But I-”

“The Young Master is clearly not safe around him! Go now, junior! Take the Young Master to the temple! I will hold this one back!”

Huang Shing looks conflicted, but only for a moment. Before Feng Hao can say anything, Huang Shing hauls him over his shoulder.

“Wait! I-”

Feng Hao’s words are drowned out by the ensuing sonic boom. His eyes grow wide as a massive fireball erupts behind them.

In the distance, Feng Zhi howls with rage.

~~~