The forest was quiet at dawn.
The wind barely moved. Birds refused to sing. The mountain itself seemed to hold its breath.
Li Shen crouched at the edge of a rocky outcrop overlooking a clearing deep within the woods east of Yunling. He held a crude, rusted dagger in one hand and steadied his breath.
Ahead, sitting beneath a tree wrapped in black talismans, was a man in a tattered crimson robe.
His name was Qiao Yu, once an outer disciple of the Blood Flame Sect—now a fugitive. Rumor had it he'd fled to Yunling's outskirts after killing his own master in a mad quest for forbidden arts.
To most, Qiao Yu was a dangerous rogue cultivator. To Li Shen, he was something else:
A test.
[Soul Thread Sense: Active]
[Target Detected – Cultivation Stage: 3rd Level Qi Disciple]
[Spiritual Veins: Partially Blocked. Mental Stability: Unstable]
[Estimated Combat Compatibility: 37%]
Li Shen narrowed his eyes.
The Soul Thread Sense let him perceive qi not with sight, but feeling—like threads suspended in a windless void, each one vibrating with a person's nature, strength, and weakness.
Qiao Yu's threads were frayed, flickering, like a candle about to burn out. But dangerous still.
Li Shen couldn't win a direct fight. He wasn't ready.
But he didn't plan to fight fair.
⸻
Moments Later – In the Clearing
Qiao Yu stirred from his meditation. His bloodshot eyes opened slowly, and his nostrils flared.
"…Who's there?"
No response.
He rose unsteadily, one hand crackling with crimson qi. "Don't bother hiding, rat. You're not the first to try and rob me."
Li Shen appeared silently behind him, moving like a shadow.
He slashed low, toward the rogue cultivator's Achilles.
The blade met flesh.
Qiao Yu screamed, staggered—but didn't fall. He spun with shocking speed, his palm bursting into flame.
Li Shen ducked, rolled, and bolted toward the tree line.
A fireball roared past him, searing bark and leaves.
Qiao Yu limped forward, snarling. "You little bastard! I'll skin you!"
[Warning: Target Entering Combat Stance]
[Host Qi Reserves: 7% – Critical Efficiency Mode Engaged]
[Devour Ready – Range: Contact Only]
Shen gritted his teeth. One more strike. One chance.
He baited the man—throwing the dagger into a bush and darting left.
Qiao Yu turned—
And Shen was already on him, bare-handed.
He slammed his palm into the rogue's chest.
[Devour Protocol: Activated]
[Extracting Spiritual Matrix…]
[Qi Core Integrity: 36% – Shattering… Success.]
[Skill Extracted: Flame Palm (Low Rank – Fire Attribute)]
[Qi Absorption: 11% – Forsaken Root Now 5% Unsealed]
Qiao Yu's eyes widened in horror. His screams died in his throat as the color drained from his skin. His body shuddered once—and collapsed.
Li Shen fell to his knees, panting. His hand was still warm.
Not from blood.
From stolen fire.
[Skill Integration Complete. Flame Palm: Rank 1 (Unstable)]
[You have taken a life. Host Qi Channels have hardened. Mind State: Balanced.]
[Title Earned: First Kill]
[Reward: +1% Unseal Progress]
Shen stared at the corpse. He didn't feel triumph. Or grief.
Only a strange emptiness.
"I didn't want to kill you," he whispered. "But you weren't going to stop."
He stood slowly, wiping his hands on the grass. The rusted dagger lay nearby, chipped and blackened.
He left it behind.
⸻
That Night – Yunling Village
Unseen and unnoticed, a man in azure robes entered the village under the guise of a merchant.
He wore a charm of concealment. He smiled easily. But his eyes were as sharp as drawn swords.
He was Wei Zhen, a Watcher of the Azure Sky Sect. His job was simple:
Find Li Shen. Confirm his awakening. Kill him, if necessary.
He moved through the village, collecting rumors.
"Boy's been missing from home."
"Probably ran off in shame."
"Haven't seen him in days."
Wei Zhen narrowed his eyes.
He slipped into the woods before midnight, headed toward the place the children whispered about—"the ruined hut on the cliff."
⸻
Meanwhile – In the Forest
Li Shen sat cross-legged before Qiao Yu's now looted corpse. He had already buried it beneath a cairn of stones and purified the clearing with fire.
He didn't want to leave a rot for the wolves to find.
Instead, he studied the Flame Palm technique.
It was basic: gather qi to the palm, compress, ignite, and release. But the Devour skill gave him direct access to the threads of the ability—letting him manipulate it at its core.
He tried.
A flicker of orange light danced along his fingers.
It sputtered. Faded.
Then returned, brighter.
He smiled faintly.
[Skill: Flame Palm – Rank 1 → Rank 2]
[Forsaken Root: 6% Unsealed]
[You are now considered a True Cultivator.**
The path was no longer closed.
But it was soaked in shadows.