Feng Chen stood at the cave's entrance, his senses heightened as he listened to the faint but unmistakable sound of a child's scream piercing the thick silence of the forest.
His brows furrowed in confusion and suspicion. What kind of kid would wander into a place like this?
The Grave of Immortals wasn't just any forest; it was a deathtrap. Even seasoned cultivators avoided it, yet here was the sound of someone... no, a child... in distress.
Yin and Yang, coiled comfortably around his shoulders, tensed up at the sound, their scales rippling in response. They flicked their tongues, tasting the air, trying to discern the source of the disturbance.
"Master, what's that?" Yang hissed, his eyes darting around nervously.
"Is it dangerous?" Yin added, her voice tinged with worry.
Feng Chen glanced at his companions, noting their concern. His robe, already in tatters from countless battles, offered no way to hide them. He knew he couldn't risk exposing Yin and Yang.
Their identities were too precious, their powers too unique. And right now, he wasn't nearly powerful enough to protect them from the dangers that lurked in these woods.
Feng Chen took a deep breath, his expression serious.
"Yin, Yang, stay here. Focus your energies outward and you'll feel a boundary surrounding the cave... that's the barrier I set up. No matter what happens, do not step outside until I return."
Yin and Yang exchanged worried glances but nodded, their eyes filled with reluctance. Feng Chen gave them a reassuring smile, then turned and leaped into the forest, his form vanishing in a blur of speed.
Let's just hope it's not someone from the Feng Clan... Feng Chen thought, gritting his teeth as he moved swiftly through the forest, his feet barely touching the ground.
He leapt from branch to branch, moving with the speed of a shadow, his body blending seamlessly with the dappled sunlight filtering through the leaves.
His heart pounded as memories of his exile flooded back. The whispers, the sneers, the cold indifference of his own family... they had cast him out as if he were nothing, just a stain on their perfect lineage.
But that was the past. Right now, there was only the present... the here and now... and the urgent need to find the source of that scream.
The cries grew louder, sharper, echoing against the stone walls of a towering cliff that suddenly loomed before him. Feng Chen skidded to a halt, peering over the edge of the cliff.
Below, the forest stretched out in a tangled mess of shadows and thick mist, obscuring anything beyond a few meters.
"The sound's coming from down there…" Feng Chen muttered, scanning the dense undergrowth far below. The drop was steep... suicidal, even... but there was no time to hesitate.
Damn it, let's see if this works… Feng Chen closed his eyes briefly, drawing his qi to his eyes. His cerulean irises began to glow, suffused with the faint light of his qi.
A soft, mysterious aura rippled outward from him, subtle but undeniably potent. He hadn't fully realized it yet, but this was a power that few cultivators could even dream of achieving.
His enhanced vision pierced through the mist, revealing a chaotic scene below. A young girl, no older than ten, was sprinting through the forest, her small form barely dodging the snapping jaws of a pack of feral wolves.
Her hair was a tangled mess of black strands, her clothes little more than tattered rags that clung desperately to her frail frame.
Feng Chen's eyes narrowed, taking in every detail.
"Hoh? What do we have here? A slave girl, huh? Now this is something new..." He smirked, though it was tinged with a cold bitterness. Even in a world full of magical beasts and grand sects, human cruelty remained a constant.
Despite the girl's obvious danger, Feng Chen couldn't help but be fascinated. In the fourteen years he had spent in this world, he had been trapped within the confines of the Feng Clan, treated like a blemish rather than a member of a prestigious family.
His days were spent reading ancient texts, studying techniques he could never use, and gazing longingly at the sky through the barred windows of his small, dark room.
He was allowed out only when summoned for special reasons, like the day they cast him out... an exile that had led him here, to this desolate forest. The memories were bitter, but they fueled his determination. This was his moment.
Feng Chen's gaze shifted back to the girl below. She was running for her life, desperately trying to stay ahead of the wolves that were gaining on her. He could see the terror in her movements, the frantic, uncoordinated stumbling of someone who was outmatched, out of options.
'Looks like it's time to play hero...'
Feng Chen thought, a mischievous grin spreading across his face. I'm missing that nagging friend of mine right about now…
"Disengage Do Not Disturb Mode," he commanded, his tone dripping with mock authority.
-----
System Notification:-
WHO DARES SUMMON ME? OH... IT'S JUST YOU. WHAT DO YOU WANT NOW, YOU NUISANCE?
-----
Feng Chen chuckled.
"I missed you too, buddy." Without another word, he stepped off the edge of the cliff, plunging headfirst into the swirling mist below.
-----
System Notification:-
HOLD UP... ARE YOU ACTUALLY TRYING TO GET YOURSELF KILLED? I SWEAR, IF YOU DIE, I'M NOT COMING TO YOUR FUNERAL!
-----
Feng Chen's laugh echoed as he descended, his body slicing through the air.
"Relax, I've got this," he said confidently. Despite being only at the peak of the Foundation Realm, his physical prowess was nothing short of monstrous, bolstered by his unique mastery over Yin and Yang qi.
As he fell, he positioned his body into a diving stance, extending his limbs to create a thin barrier of qi just above his skin.
While he couldn't yet manipulate qi outside his body like a Core Realm cultivator, he could control it to a microscopic degree... enough to form a shield that was barely a fraction of a hair's thickness.
He channeled his Yang qi into the barrier, reinforcing it, feeling the energy pulse and strengthen just enough to handle the impact of his descent.
With his limbs stretched out, he adjusted his body, transforming himself into a human glider. The wind whipped past him, and he could feel every shift in the air currents as he steered himself toward the girl.
The maneuver took only seconds, but the skill involved was extraordinary. Most cultivators at his level would never dream of attempting something like this.
It was a testament to Feng Chen's razor-sharp mind and his unyielding will to push the boundaries of what was possible.
-----
System Notification:-
WHAT IN THE ACTUAL HELL? HOW DID YOU EVEN PULL THAT OFF? ARE YOU SOME KIND OF CHEAT CODE OR SOMETHING?
-----
Feng Chen smirked, feeling the exhilarating rush of wind against his face. This was freedom. This was what he had been craving for years... an escape from the constraints that had held him back.
"Isn't this worthy of an achievement, System? Where's my reward?" he teased, a cocky grin plastered on his face.
-----
System Notification:-
REWARD? REWARD YOUR OWN DAMN SELF. HOW ABOUT I GIVE YOU A 'GET LOST' MEDAL INSTEAD?
-----
Feng Chen laughed, genuinely amused by the system's flustered response. He adjusted his glide, his long hair billowing like a banner behind him, his eyes locked onto his target below.
The girl was stumbling now, the wolves snapping at her heels, their snarls echoing like thunder in the forest. He could feel the thrill building inside him, the anticipation of a challenge.
With every ounce of control he had, Feng Chen angled his descent, moving gracefully through the air. The ground was rushing up to meet him, but he was ready.