The next three days passed in a rhythm that felt strangely peaceful.
Each morning, Jiang Han would rise before the sun, meditating by the shrine ruins while Lin Yao slept. He'd circulate spiritual energy through his body, refining the newly absorbed fire essence into usable form.
Then he'd venture out into the woods—sometimes hunting, sometimes just learning.
Learning how the forest moved.
How the spirit beasts marked territory.
How the corrupted remnants of the Purge crept along the edges of reality, not yet fully awake.
> "I'm not strong enough to fight them yet," Jiang Han muttered one morning, watching a warped beast in the distance. Its body was half flesh, half flickering void, its eyes smoking with black aura.
It didn't see him. Not yet.
He marked its path, etched a crude map into bark, and backed away.
> Level 2... maybe. Level 3? I'll need another week at this pace.
He wasn't frustrated. Only focused.
---
That afternoon, he returned to the shrine with two hares and a small spirit lizard—its scales tinged faint green, indicating wood essence.
Lin Yao was outside, weaving tall grass into a rope.
"You've been quiet lately," she said without looking up. "Something on your mind?"
Jiang Han laid the hares down beside her. "I'm thinking about the Purge. I saw another twisted beast today. Bigger than before."
Her hands stilled.
"They're getting closer?"
He nodded. "We have maybe a week before they start roaming into the valley itself."
She looked down. "I still can't use even the basic Qi-sensing techniques my mother taught me. My meridians... they're blocked."
"You're still recovering. Your body's doing the best it can."
"I feel useless."
"You're not."
He said it firmly—not kindly.
She looked up.
"I mean it," he continued. "You kept me grounded when I woke up. You gave me a reason to stay still long enough to learn. That's not nothing."
Lin Yao blushed slightly, then smiled.
"I'll cook again tonight."
"Please don't."
---
That evening, just as dusk was settling over the valley, Jiang Han sat cross-legged outside the shrine, staring into the fire, flame thread hovering and pulsing between his fingertips.
He was refining a new variation—thicker, denser, infused with vibration.
> If I can weave two of them into a crossing strike, it'll act like a scissor line...
But he didn't get the chance to finish.
A scream pierced the air.
Lin Yao.
Jiang Han was on his feet instantly, the thread wrapping itself around his wrist like a bracelet.
He raced through the woods toward the sound.
He found her in a clearing not far from the stream—cornered by a low, hunched figure with glowing red eyes. A Carrion Stalker—thin, fast, and known for striking the vulnerable. It hissed, mandibles twitching.
Jiang Han didn't think.
He leapt forward, sliding between them, flame lashing out mid-dash.
The thread coiled around the stalker's front limb and yanked it off balance.
"Back!" he barked at Lin Yao.
She stumbled, then ran behind a tree.
The beast righted itself in a blur and lunged.
Jiang Han ducked low, rolled under the charge, and slashed with the bone knife across the side. It shrieked, black blood spraying—but not enough.
It spun faster than he anticipated.
Claws raked across his ribs—tearing shirt, skin, and pride.
He grunted, falling back into a crouch.
> Fast. Stronger than the Ash Wolf. I need to break a leg or this turns into a chase.
He poured energy into his wrist—the flame thread expanded, burning hotter.
The beast circled, waiting.
Jiang Han waited too.
His breath slowed.
He visualized the beast's path. Predicted its angle.
Then he moved.
Two steps forward. Fake high. Dodge low.
The Carrion Stalker lunged.
And he released it—
> "Flame Thread – Crossbind Form!"
The thread snapped into two, crossed mid-air like scissors—one line cut the leg, the other looped around the throat.
The beast hit the ground mid-lunge, screaming.
He didn't stop.
He pounced—drove the knife into its eye, pushing past the resistance until it twitched once and went limp.
Blood ran hot down his arm.
He breathed heavily, body shaking, ribs burning.
> You have slain a Spirit Beast: Carrion Stalker (Rank 1+)
+45 EXP
Flame Affinity +1
New Combat Skill Imprinted: Crossbind Flame Web (Prototype)
EXP: 83/100
A branch snapped behind him.
Lin Yao ran forward, eyes wide. She fell to her knees beside him.
"You're bleeding—again!"
"Just a scratch," he said, swaying slightly.
"You're insane!"
He laughed, winced, then sat down hard on a rock.
"I'm not insane. I'm... in training."
She glared at him—then hugged him tightly, ignoring the blood.
"You're not allowed to die, Jiang Han."
He blinked, then hugged her back.
"I won't. Not until I burn down the gates of the Immortal Realm."
---
That night, he sat by the fire with her by his side, his chest bandaged, flame thread dancing lazily above his palm.
> Level Up Achieved – Level 2
+100 Attribute Points
+1 Minor Flame Affinity
+Unlock: Soulforge Genesis – Rank 1 Active
He felt it—deep in his core.
His first true step forward.
But the fire told him something else, too.
> More would come.
And next time... it wouldn't be just one beast.