The sun had not yet risen when Jiang Xun awoke, the faint orange glow on the horizon bleeding through the trees. Lin Yue was still curled in her cloak, fast asleep. The night had passed uneventfully, though the occasional distant howl reminded them the forest was never silent.
He rolled his shoulders, feeling the light tension from hours of Deep Practice. Though his muscles ached, it was the satisfying kind—earned, rather than inflicted.
[Vital Breath: Stable]
Stamina regeneration active. System synchronization optimal.
Jiang Xun retrieved his saber and quietly stepped away from the campsite.
The forest held a damp stillness, dew clinging to leaves and bark. Insects buzzed low, and somewhere overhead a crow cawed three times—a warning.
He didn't need the system to tell him something was wrong.
...
Half an hour later, Lin Yue joined him on the narrow trail. Her hair was loosely tied back, a short blade strapped at her hip. Her expression was pinched.
"You felt it too," she said. "The silence."
He nodded. "Even the beasts are avoiding this stretch. Something's ahead."
Their journey had taken them eastward toward a ravine locals called the Demon's Mouth. Legend said it had been a battlefield centuries ago, now a forgotten pit where restless spirits clung to old grievances.
But more than tales drew them here.
[Quest Update: Hunt - Lesser Revenant Detected Nearby]
Suggested Objective: Slay Revenant. Chance to absorb minor spirit essence and deepen Vital Breath control.
Warning: Creatures born of grudge often resist conventional weapons. Soul-infused techniques advised.
As they crept through the underbrush, the trees thinned. The air cooled unnaturally, the scent of rot and rust growing stronger. Eventually, they reached the mouth of the ravine.
Jiang Xun peered over the edge.
Below, ancient bones and rusted weapons lay in disarray. A collapsed shrine squatted at the center of the depression, and black vines choked its stone steps. A faint blue flame flickered just beyond the threshold.
And standing in its shadow was the Revenant.
It was once human—still bore the shape of one—but its flesh had withered like smoked leather, and its eyes glowed pale azure. It moved slowly, as though time passed differently for it. But even still, its presence was suffocating.
Lin Yue swallowed. "Are you ready?"
Jiang Xun exhaled and drew his saber. "Stay behind me. If it tries to split, go for the head."
He took a step forward—and the Revenant's gaze snapped toward him. Its mouth opened with a rasping wail, and the world grew suddenly heavier.
[Combat Initiated – Lesser Revenant (Spirit Rank: F-)]
-20% Essence resistance to non-infused strikes.
Special Trait: Grudge Lash – Counterattack when injured.
Target Weakness: Midsection instability. Prior trauma site.
Recommended: Martial Technique – Sundered Gale
Jiang Xun surged forward.
The Revenant moved faster than expected, lurching sideways in a blur and swiping with fingers like daggers. He ducked under its grasp and twisted, slashing across its torso.
The blade bit—not deep, but enough to send black ichor spraying.
Then it screamed.
The sound hit like a wave of knives, and Jiang Xun staggered.
[Alert: Grudge Lash Imminent]
Too late.
The Revenant twisted its torso unnaturally and struck him with a coiled whip of sinew and soul-force. He was thrown backward into the base of a stone pillar. Pain exploded in his ribs.
"Jiang Xun!" Lin Yue called, blade drawn.
"I'm fine—focus!"
He pushed himself up, blood in his mouth.
[Vital Breath Fluctuating – Recommend Technique Deployment]
He narrowed his eyes and entered the rhythm again.
Ironblood Saber Arts – Branch Form: Sundered Gale.
The saber shimmered faintly with his Vital Breath as he stepped in low, spun, and brought the blade up in a sweeping vertical arc. The strike cracked through the air like thunder.
The Revenant reared back, but too slowly.
The blade cleaved into its chest—and this time, it howled. A searing light poured from the wound as its body trembled violently.
[Essence Disruption: Critical]
Grudge energy destabilizing. Finish the target within 5 seconds or regeneration will begin.
"Now!" he barked.
Lin Yue dashed forward, her smaller blade glowing faintly with her own fledgling breath technique. She stabbed upward into the Revenant's jaw with perfect timing.
It went still.
Then began to crumble—ash and bone sloughing off in soft heaps. The blue flame in its eyes dimmed and went dark.
[Revenant Slain – Spirit Essence Absorbed]
+25 Martial Insight
+1 Vital Breath Capacity
Ironblood Saber Arts: +6% Mastery (36%)
Soul Echo Fragment Obtained – usable for temporary mental clarity or dream meditation.
Jiang Xun fell to one knee, gasping. But even in exhaustion, a calm elation filled him.
This… this was progress.
And the system wasn't just a cheat. It was a path—a silent master guiding him through peril and practice alike.
"You alright?" Lin Yue knelt beside him.
He nodded, looking at the dissipating remains of the Revenant.
"One down," he said quietly. "More to go."