The sun rose, casting long shadows over Green River Town. For the first time in months, it felt like the town was holding its breath, unsure whether the next gust of wind would bring a storm or calm.
In the forge, Xi Chen stood before the molten iron, his hands steady, his focus absolute. His training with the Scarlet Furnace Body had entered a new phase. The pain was no longer something to fear—it was a tool, a sharp edge he wielded with practiced precision.
Today, the temperature in his veins was almost unbearable, a sensation that had become familiar as he advanced through his tempering. His body was slowly becoming something more than human, and yet, in the quiet moments between the burns and aches, he found a strange peace.
He worked tirelessly, forging another batch of tools for the farmers. The work was simple, but there was satisfaction in it—a satisfaction the high clans and the powerful would never know. They had everything, yet nothing had meaning. For Xi Chen, the forge was his sanctuary. Here, he could create something that mattered—something real.
After a few hours, Xi Bing came to the forge, his expression tight with determination. His brother had been spending most of his time practicing, but something in the air was different today. Xi Bing's usually casual demeanor had been replaced with an intensity that Xi Chen couldn't ignore.
"Big Brother," Xi Bing said, standing at the threshold. His voice was quieter than usual. "We need to talk."
Xi Chen raised an eyebrow, wiping the sweat from his brow. "What's bothering you?"
"There's been word of a cultivator," Xi Bing said. "An outsider. Someone from the Guo Clan. A real cultivator. People are saying he's here to hunt us down."
Xi Chen set down the hammer, his heart rate picking up. A cultivator from the Guo Clan? It was exactly what he had feared.
"Have you seen him?" Xi Chen asked, keeping his tone neutral.
"No. But he's asking questions. People in town are starting to talk. They say he's strong. Stronger than anyone we've faced."
Xi Chen's eyes narrowed. He knew the Guo Clan wouldn't stop until they had their revenge. A cultivator would change the rules of the game entirely. But there was no time to dwell on fear. He couldn't afford to show weakness in front of his brothers.
"We'll handle it," Xi Chen said, his voice steady.
"Big Brother, you're not planning to fight him alone, are you?" Xi Bing asked, his voice laced with concern.
Xi Chen gave him a brief glance, offering a slight smile. "We're not ready yet. But we will be."
Later that night, Xi Chen went to the back of the house, where a small plot of land lay untouched by the town's hustle. It was here that he had been secretly training, a place away from prying eyes. His body was still aching from the last round of training, but he couldn't afford to rest—not now.
Xi Xuan was already there, holding his stance. Though the boy was younger and weaker, his focus was unwavering.
Xi Chen approached quietly, taking a moment to observe.
"Your stance is better," Xi Chen said, his voice gentle but firm. "But you're still leaning too much on your right foot. Focus on your core—keep your weight centered."
Xi Xuan nodded eagerly, his determination shining through. "I'll get it right, Big Brother. I won't let you down."
Xi Chen didn't answer immediately. Instead, he moved to his own training area, where a wooden target had been set up. The air around him seemed to thrum with energy as he entered the first of his tempering forms. The Scarlet Furnace Body was becoming more responsive, his body glowing faintly red as he moved through the slow, deliberate motions.
Each strike was an explosion of heat. His skin reddened as his muscles tightened and stretched, veins swelling with the pressure.
[Progress: 65%]
The burn was intense, but this time, it didn't cripple him. He kept pushing, reaching further into the depths of his strength. Each moment was a reminder of how far he had come—and how far he still had to go.
The quiet night air stirred around him, the sound of the wind whispering through the trees. His breath came in ragged gasps, but he didn't stop. Not now. Not when everything depended on his strength.
As the night passed, Xi Chen couldn't shake the unease that clung to him. The cultivator from the Guo Clan was out there, somewhere, and the weight of that reality pressed on him like a boulder.
At dawn, as the first rays of sunlight touched the rooftops of Green River Town, Xi Chen stood in front of the forge once more, a sense of determination settling in his chest. The cultivator would come, sooner or later, and when he did, Xi Chen would be ready.
But there was something else, something Xi Chen had not yet shared with his brothers.
In this world, power was everything. It was the only thing that made the strong untouchable and the weak invisible. If he wanted to protect his family, to protect Green River Town, he would have to become a force greater than any cultivator, any clan, any noble.
The path was unclear. Dangerous. But Xi Chen knew there was no turning back now.
He would forge his own future, just as he had forged the tools of his past.
Later that afternoon, Lin Bo came to the forge again, this time with a different look in his eyes—one of urgency.
Xi Chen didn't even need to ask.
"They've come. The Guo Clan's men," Lin Bo said quietly, glancing over his shoulder. "They've already started asking around. Some of the farmers are scared. They want to leave town."
Xi Chen's eyes hardened. "Tell them to stay. If they leave now, the Guo Clan will hunt them down. The only way to survive is to stand."
"But—"
"They'll stay hidden, just like we are," Xi Chen interrupted. "I won't let anyone get hurt because of me."
Lin Bo nodded, though doubt still lingered in his gaze. "You're a brave man, Xi Chen. But you can't fight them all on your own."
Xi Chen smiled faintly. "I won't have to."
As the days wore on, the tension in Green River Town grew thick. The air seemed charged, as if it were waiting for something to break. Xi Chen spent his days at the forge, training in secret, while his brothers continued their practice.
But every night, he felt the weight of the coming storm.
The cultivator was close. He could feel it in his bones. But this time, Xi Chen wouldn't wait for them to come to him.
He would take the fight to them.
The town was changing—Xi Chen could feel it. In the quiet moments between the hours of training and forging, there was a new sense of resolve among the people who had been forgotten for too long.
Green River Town had been weak. But no longer.
Xi Chen would make sure of that.