Ren Liang's steps were unsteady as he moved deeper into the forest, leaving the familiar boundaries of Jinxi behind. His thin sandals barely protected him from the jagged stones and roots that lined the path, but the pain was nothing compared to the weight in his chest. His breath came shallow, his shoulder burned with every movement, and yet his resolve pushed him forward. The voices of the Verdant Cloud Pavilion cultivators still echoed in his mind, a stark reminder of how powerless he was. If they had pressed him further, if they had seen through his lie, he wouldn't have stood a chance.
The shard within him pulsed faintly, a subtle vibration that felt alive, as though it were responding to his thoughts. He didn't fully understand its power, but he couldn't deny its presence. It had saved him once, and it might be the only thing that could keep him alive now.
The forest thickened as Ren pressed on, the trees growing taller and closer together until their branches wove into a canopy that blocked out the sun. The air grew cooler, the scents of moss and damp earth filling his senses. He had no destination in mind, only the knowledge that staying near Jinxi would be a death sentence. If the cultivators returned and sensed the shard's energy, they wouldn't hesitate to take it—and him—by force.
As the hours stretched on, Ren's legs grew heavier, his breaths labored. He stumbled over a root and barely caught himself before collapsing. His vision blurred, and for a moment, he considered turning back. His body wasn't built for this—he was weak, always had been. What chance did he have out here, alone and injured?
But the thought of returning to Jinxi brought a bitter taste to his mouth. Returning meant enduring his uncle's scorn, Bai Shun's taunts, and the endless whispers of the villagers. It meant living a life where he was little more than a burden, a ghost haunting the edges of their world. No. He couldn't go back.
Ren leaned against a tree, his head resting against the rough bark as he tried to steady his breathing. The shard hummed again, a faint warmth spreading from his chest. It wasn't much, but it was enough to keep him moving. He pushed off the tree and continued, his steps slow but determined.
The forest began to change. The air grew colder, the ground sloping upward as the trees thinned. Strange plants dotted the path—ferns with silvery leaves that glimmered faintly in the dim light, and flowers that pulsed with a soft, ethereal glow. Ren paused to examine one of the flowers, its petals delicate and translucent. He had never seen anything like it in Jinxi.
His hand reached out instinctively to touch it, but the shard's hum grew louder, a sharp warning that made him pull back. The flower's glow intensified for a moment before dimming again, its beauty masking something dangerous. Ren swallowed hard and stepped around it, his eyes scanning the forest more carefully. This wasn't the simple woodland he'd known near the village. He had crossed into something else—a place touched by the remnants of the cultivation world.
The thought both terrified and intrigued him. Cultivators often spoke of hidden realms and ancient ruins where treasures lay waiting for those brave enough to claim them. But those same places were rife with danger—poisonous plants, ferocious beasts, and traps left behind by long-dead cultivators. Ren wasn't brave, and he certainly wasn't strong, but if he could find something here—anything to give him an edge—he might have a chance.
The sun had begun to set by the time Ren reached a clearing. A jagged boulder jutted out from the ground, its surface cracked and weathered by time. Around it, the grass was sparse, replaced by patches of strange, dark soil that smelled faintly of iron. Ren's legs gave out as he reached the base of the boulder, his body too exhausted to take another step. He sank to the ground, his head resting against the cool stone.
For a moment, he let himself rest, his eyes drifting shut. The shard's hum had quieted, its presence a faint pulse in the back of his mind. Despite the danger, the silence of the clearing felt almost peaceful. But that peace didn't last.
A low, guttural growl shattered the quiet. Ren's eyes snapped open, his heart pounding as he scanned the clearing. The growl came again, closer this time, and a shape emerged from the shadows. It was a Stoneback Lizard, its body covered in rough, slate-like scales that gleamed faintly in the dim light. The beast's eyes glowed an eerie yellow, its long tongue flicking out as it tasted the air.
Ren's body froze. He had heard stories of Stoneback Lizards—low-level spirit beasts that were slow but incredibly tough, their scales resistant to most weapons. Even a novice cultivator would struggle to kill one without the proper techniques. For Ren, with no training and no weapon, it might as well have been an executioner.
The lizard's gaze locked onto him, and it let out a screeching hiss before charging. Ren scrambled to his feet, panic surging through him as the beast closed the distance. His mind raced, searching for a way out, but the clearing offered no cover, no escape. The shard pulsed violently, the energy within him flaring to life.
Duplicate.
The word echoed in his mind, and without thinking, Ren grabbed a loose stone from the ground. The shard's energy surged through him, and suddenly there were two stones in his hands, identical in weight and texture. The duplication drained him instantly, leaving him gasping, but he didn't hesitate. As the lizard lunged, he hurled one of the stones with all his strength.
The stone struck the lizard's head, glancing off its armored scales with a dull crack. The beast snarled, momentarily dazed but far from deterred. Ren threw the second stone, aiming for its eye. This time, the impact hit true, and the lizard let out a pained screech, its head jerking back as blood oozed from the wound.
Ren didn't wait to see if it would recover. He turned and ran, his legs burning with effort as he sprinted toward the tree line. The lizard roared behind him, its heavy footsteps shaking the ground as it gave chase. Ren's vision blurred, his body screaming in protest, but fear drove him forward.
The shard pulsed again, its energy flaring as if in response to his desperation. Another thought entered his mind—instinctual, raw. He grabbed a low-hanging branch as he ran, the shard's power flowing into it. When he let go, two identical branches tumbled to the ground, their weight throwing the pursuing lizard off balance. The beast tripped, crashing into the underbrush with a thunderous crack.
Ren didn't stop. He pushed forward until the sounds of the lizard's roars faded into the distance. His legs gave out as he reached a small stream, and he collapsed onto the damp earth, gasping for air. His entire body shook, his muscles burning from exertion.
The shard's hum softened, its energy fading back into the quiet pulse he'd felt before. Ren stared at the stream, his reflection distorted by the rippling water. He had survived—barely—but the encounter had left him shaken. The shard's power had saved him again, but the cost was clear. Every use left him weaker, more drained, and he had no idea how long he could sustain it.
As the moon rose over the forest, Ren forced himself to sit up. His hands were scraped and bloody, his shoulder still aching, but his resolve burned brighter than ever. He couldn't afford to stay weak. The world was merciless, and if he wanted to survive, he would have to become stronger—stronger than the beasts, stronger than the cultivators, stronger than anyone who dared to stand in his way.
Ren's blue eyes reflected the moonlight as he stared into the distance. The shard pulsed faintly in his chest, a quiet reminder of the power waiting to be unlocked. He didn't know where the path ahead would lead, but one thing was certain: he would no longer be a victim of fate.