By dark-kingxu
The air was still, unnaturally so. Xu Ming stood at the edge of the ancient ruin, the emberberry's lingering warmth still pulsing in his chest. He had consumed it after his hard-won battle, the fiery essence boosting his recovery and sharpening his senses—but now, the world around him felt… off.
The grove he had entered had seemed like any other—until he saw it: stone pillars buried beneath moss and earth, shattered walls half-swallowed by roots, and symbols too ancient for any clan to remember. Yet the threads in the air shimmered here, dancing like flame in slow motion.
> "This place is alive with power," Xu Ming murmured, his voice barely a whisper.
He stepped inside.
The ruins weren't massive, just a circle of broken columns surrounding a collapsed altar at the center. Carvings on the cracked floor pulsed faintly, threads drifting in and out of existence as if whispering forgotten truths.
Then he saw it: a glowing pedestal, half-buried, cradling what looked like a jade slip.
> "A legacy?" he wondered. "Or a trap?"
As he approached, a low growl echoed from behind a shattered wall.
Xu Ming's hand gripped his dagger. The jade slip could wait.
A shadow detached itself from the ruin's edge—sleek, black-furred, with crimson lines burning beneath its skin. A Shadowfang Panther.
Stage 3.
It stalked forward, every movement silent, calculated.
Xu Ming didn't hesitate. Threads lit up in his eyes.
> "Let's test how far I've come."
The beast lunged. Xu Ming spun sideways, eyes catching the flow of the beast's momentum. The threads around its legs showed the flaw—just a heartbeat's delay between impact and retreat.
His blade found the joint behind its shoulder.
Blood sprayed.
The panther screeched, its claws grazing his ribs, but Xu Ming twisted through the air, dragging his dagger along its flank. His eyes burned as he focused deeper—pushing past what his mind could handle—grasping more threads.
A new pattern.
The beast leapt again.
He didn't dodge this time.
He stepped into the attack, blade first, and drove the dagger into its neck.
It collapsed in a spasm of breath and blood.
Xu Ming dropped to one knee, panting.
> "Stage Three beasts are getting easier…" he whispered.
The embers of Qi in his core responded—flaring, expanding.
The beast's core was still intact. He crushed it between his palms, letting the energy pour into him.
The moment it touched his center, the real trial began.
His meridians pulsed violently. Every pore in his body screamed. Thick, black dregs seeped from his skin—filthy residues of mortal limitation.
Xu Ming clenched his fists, grinding his teeth.
> "Break… through!"
Like cracking stone, his inner walls shattered.
Qi Spark – Stage Three.
It wasn't just more energy. His movements became sharper, faster. His perception extended another half-meter beyond his physical senses. And his grip on the threads—clearer than ever.
But something in the ruin stirred in response to his breakthrough.
The jade slip on the pedestal pulsed once—then shattered.
A single thread of glowing light shot into Xu Ming's forehead.
His body froze.
Then came the whisper—not a voice, but an imprint.
A vision.
Of a man standing alone atop a broken sky, a sword of light tearing open the heavens.
Of the Heaven-Threaded Tyrant.
> "You who bear the Sight… remember."
> "Power without purpose is ruin."
Then it was gone.
Xu Ming gasped, falling to his hands and knees. The image seared into his mind like a dream made of fire.
> "What… was that?"
The ruins were silent once more.
But something had changed.
The Sight he possessed had deepened. Where once he saw threads of motion, he now caught glimpses of intent—a beast's hesitation, a cultivator's doubt, the moment before a strike became death.
And deeper still… something was calling.
Not from this forest. From beyond it.
Xu Ming stood, chest heaving.
> "I'm not ready to leave yet," he muttered. "Not until I've touched Stage Five."
He moved deeper into the forest.
More beasts waited. More tests. More blood.
But in the shadows behind him, the ruin glowed faintly—and crumbled into dust.
Authors note:
We're entering a new phase of Xu Ming's journey, and things are about to get much more dangerous. Chapter 11 marks the turning point where his Sight begins to evolve into something beyond mere technique.
As always, if you're enjoying the story, I'd deeply appreciate a rating or comment! It helps me grow and lets me know what you love most.