Feng Liang leapt across rooftops, his silhouette darting between shadows as he moved through the city, his senses attuned to the world around him.
The sky was dimming, casting a soft, blue hue over the empty streets, but he barely noticed.
His breaths grew shallow, and each landing felt heavier than the last as fatigue clawed at his body, yet he pressed on, pushing through the strain.
He could feel the familiar pull of qi reserves dwindling within him, the effects of his recent breakthroughs taking their toll on his mortal form.
The edge of the forest rose before him, a dark, imposing wall of trees towering into the sky.
He reached it, his boots sinking into the soft earth as he crossed from the cold stone of the city's buildings to the dense, leafy undergrowth.
His body felt as if it were made of lead, each movement labored. With a grimace, he staggered forward, one hand bracing against the rough bark of a tree.
