The rain just stopped.

  Only the drifting mist and the faint glow of dissipating dark qi remained.

  Shadowbane hummed in Lin Xian’s hand—

  Huuuum… huuummm…

  A deep, hungry resonance.

  Strands of black energy floated up from the beasts’ corpses, drawn toward the blade like threads of smoke.

  Ancient sigils along Shadowbane pulsed, absorbing them.

  Lin Xian frowned lightly.

  “So… it really can consume corrupted qi and refine itself.”

  The sword vibrated in agreement.

  Beside him, Xiao Jin’s little body suddenly stiffened—

  then a big, excited grin split across its tiny face.

  Its fur rose slightly, lightning flickering along its spine as its eyes widened—

  He senses primal qi! So much, especially from the leader!

  It hopped in excited circles around the largest corpse—

  Mo Yue’er blinked in surprise.

  “H-he’s reacting to the qi?”

  Mo Zhen stroked his beard.

  “This creature… its bloodline seems extraordinary.”

  Lin Xian sighed, looking down at the excited fluff ball.

  “He consumes primal qi for growth. But not yet.”

  He gently pressed a finger on Xiao Jin’s forehead.

  Xiao Jin froze—

  but its tail wiggled uncontrollably showing the expression that he is craving for the primal qi

  Then—

  GRRRRrrrrkkk…

  The little beast’s stomach rumbled so loudly Mo Yue’er covered her mouth to hide her laughter.

  Mo Zhen politely looked away.

  Lin Xian stared at Xiao Jin.

  “…Don’t pretend you’re not hungry.”

  Xiao Jin puffed up indignantly as if saying he is not—

  Another stomach growl, it's expression change to a pity face.

  Despite the humor, streams of dark qi rose softly around Lin Xian’s limbs as well.

  He breathed, letting his Nirvana God’s Eye stabilize the flow.

  “Absorb enough to recover,” he told Xiao Jin.

  “But don’t refine it yet. This qi must be purified first.”

  Xiao Jin nodded vigorously—

  and began drawing the mist into its body, sparks crackling softly each time it inhaled.

  Within moments, the battlefield grew quiet—

  all qi completely devoured by sword and beast.

  ---

  Checking on Each Other

  Mo Zhen walked closer.

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  “Lin Xian,” he asked, tone steady but filled with concern,

  “How is your condition? That fight… was not easy even for peak experts.”

  Lin Xian rolled his shoulder once.

  His muscles ached faintly, his meridians felt strained—

  but his expression remained calm.

  “I’m fine. A little overstrained, nothing serious.”

  He glanced at Xiao Jin.

  “And you?”

  Xiao Jin puffed up proudly on his shoulder—

  (Perfect! Strong! Victorious! …Also very full.)

  It sat straight, trying to look noble.

  But its belly bulged a little.

  Mo Yue’er giggled softly.

  “H-he looks rounder…”

  Xiao Jin froze

  It tried to suck in its stomach—unsuccessfully.

  Mo Zhen cleared his throat.

  “That sword of yours… and your eyes.

  They are not ordinary.

  Which clan or sect do you come from?”

  Lin Xian simply answered:

  “I’m just a mortal.”

  Both Mo Zhen and Mo Yue’er were stunned.

  Mo Yue’er: “A… mortal…?”

  Mo Zhen: “Your skill surpasses experts…”

  Lin Xian’s expression remained unreadable.

  He did not elaborate.

  ---

  Investigating the Forest

  Once Xiao Jin finished absorbing the qi, Lin Xian sheathed Shadowbane.

  “Our senses were dulled inside this forest,” Lin Xian said.

  “It’s better to investigate the surroundings thoroughly.

  There may be more lurking.”

  Mo Zhen nodded.

  “Yes. These beasts attacked with coordination. I fear they weren’t acting on instincts only.”

  The group moved through the mist-covered woods, checking every broken trunk, every patch of darkened soil

  The group moved through the mist-covered woods, checking every broken trunk, every patch of darkened soil.

  Lin Xian used his God’s Eye to scan for residual movement.

  Mo Zhen spread out faint detection talismans.

  Xiao Jin sniffed the air—

  Lin Xian exhaled slowly, lowering his sword, then spoke,

  “Looks like every beast in this area has been cleared out.”

  Mo Zhen nodded once, his spiritual sense retracting

  “My inspections confirm it. There’s no residual monster qi lingering anywhere.”

  Xiao Jin raised his little paw— signalling the area is safe but he seems a little bit disappointed

  ---

  Mo Zhen exhaled in relief.

  “Very well. Lin Xian, you should rest.

  Your battle earlier was enough to exhaust any ordinary cultivator ten times over.”

  Lin Xian didn’t argue.

  A faint ache pulsed in his chest—

  his body wasn’t fully recovered from earlier fight.

  Mo Zhen points toward the cave entrance they had come from.

  “I will keep watch outside.

  You three settle in and recover your strength.”

  Mo Yue’er added softly,

  “We owe you our lives today.”

  Lin Xian replied with a faint shake of his head.

  “In this forest… we rely on each other.”

  ”

  Xiao Jin climbed onto his head, raising both paws as if making a grand declaration—

  It tried to strike a heroic pose.

  It wobbled, slipped—

  Mo Yue’er caught it mid-fall.

  She smiled.

  “…Round little guardian.”

  Xiao Jin froze in her hands—

  before covering its face in shame.

  Lin Xian walked toward the cave, expression calm, a faint smile hidden in the corner of his lips.

  The forest became quiet again

  The night settled in

  And for the first time after the battle,

  a moment of peace returned.

  Scene 2 — Purification Under the Silent Moon

  The cave was quiet.

  Only the faint drip of water echoed in the background, like distant heartbeats.

  Lin Xian sat cross-legged, Shadowbane resting beside him.

  Xiao Jin curled up on a warm stone near him, sparks occasionally crackling from its fur.

  Outside, Mo Zhen kept silent watch.

  Mo Yue’er meditated lightly near the entrance, her presence soft as moonlight.

  Inside—

  Lin Xian inhaled slowly.

  Nirvana Scripture — Primordial Cycle.

  The ancient chant rose within his meridians like a sleeping phoenix awakening.

  Golden runes shimmered faintly across his skin.

  The primal qi he absorbed earlier churned violently inside him at first—raw, untamed, seething with beast instincts.

  Then,

  The Nirvana Scripture unfurled like golden flames around the primal qi,

  enveloping the wild torrent in layers of radiant scripture.

  Each character blazed, searing away impurities in brilliant flashes.

  Chaos howled, then fractured—shattered into orderly streams as the scripture crushed disorder into harmony, forging raw savagery into pure, tempered qi.

  Huuuuuuum—

  His dantian lit up like a starry well.

  Lin Xian’s brows lifted slightly.

  “…Interesting.”

  He hadn’t expected this.

  Not at all.

  The Nirvana Scripture wasn’t merely compatible with primal qi—

  it hungered for it.

  It devoured the raw, chaotic torrent whole, scorched away every impurity in golden flames, and forged what remained into something higher, purer, transcendent.

  The primal qi turned into shining liquid light, purer than high-grade spiritual essence.

  His meridians thrummed.

  His bones cracked faintly.

  His blood heated, circulating faster and smoother than ever.

  He clenched his fist—

  a faint ripple of golden pressure spread from his skin.

  “Even in my past life… my qi was never this pure.”

  A trace of shock flickered in his eyes.

  He was growing faster than before.

  Stronger than before.

  More refined than before.

  It was as if the primal qi was meant for him—

  or meant for the reincarnated Heavenly King who once defied the heavens.

  ---

  Beside Him — Xiao Jin

  Xiao Jin shivered—

  then its body glowed faintly blue.

  Xiao Jin shivered once—violently—as if the heavens themselves had brushed against its fur.

  Then its small body ignited in a soft, ethereal blue glow, the color of storm skies just before lightning splits the night.

  Tiny paws flexed and twitched, each twitch sending arcs of pure white-blue electricity dancing across its limbs like living veins of thunder.

  Its claws slid out—longer now, sharper than obsidian blades, gleaming with an otherworldly sheen that cut the air itself.

  Bones creaked and hardened inside, denser now, unbreakable.

  Like Lin Xian, Xiao Jin didn’t refine the qi fully—

  but even purifying a portion made its physique tremble with growth.

  Arcs danced across its back.

  Its heartbeat thumped louder.

  Its aura thickened, though still adorably small.

  ---

  Back to Lin Xian

  He completed another cycle.

  Pain faded.

  Strain faded.

  The weariness of those brutal clashes drained from his body like muddy water flushed clean by a rushing stream—leaving his meridians clear and his spirit renewed.

  His dantian pulsed, tough and vast—

  far more resilient than a normal Spirit Foundation cultivator.

  He opened his eyes.

  A faint golden flash rippled in their depths before fading.

  Mo Zhen, sensing the shift, turned slightly from the entrance.

  Mo Yue’er’s eyes widened softly at the wave of pressure.

  But neither spoke.

  The cave felt steadier, warmer.

  Lin Xian exhaled slowly.

  “…Good. The danger earlier was worth it.”

  Xiao Jin perked up proudly—

  Then its stomach made a soft gurrrk—

  Lin Xian flicked its head lightly.

  “Later.”

  Xiao Jin slumped—

  but snuggled closer to his knee anyway.

  A rare hint of amusement crossed Lin Xian’s faint smile.

  Outside, the night deepened.

  Mist thickened.

  And somewhere

  —

  far beyond the trees, past the broken battlefield, hidden behind layers of weaving shadows—

  two glowing red eyes opened.

  Cold.

  Ancient, and hungry.

  They stared toward the cave.

  Watching.

  Waiting.

  Breathing in the lingering qi of battle.

  A demon’s gaze.

  And the forest trembled slightly.

  To be continued