Chapter 20: Into the Stone Forest
A suffocating mist blanketed the air, swallowing both sound and light. Elton, Zoro, Christy, and Cedric advanced cautiously through the jagged expanse of the Stoned Forest. The ground crunched beneath their boots—dead roots, scattered bones, and eroded stone forming an uneasy path. Although the suppression formation did not yet hinder their current strength, a constant weight pressed upon them, an unseen presence lingering within the fog.
Every step carried discipline. Christy's red starry eyes glimmered faintly as her Gentle Palms remained poised to strike or deflect at any moment. Zoro's grip tightened on his twin katanas, his stoicism betrayed only by subtle flickers of unease in his gaze. Cedric's burning dagger hummed steadily with restrained fire, sparks trailing faintly across its edge as he kept it primed. Elton led the way—not out of authority, but because instinct told him where danger was most likely to appear. His sharp eyes often drifted toward the shifting shadows, where silhouettes of other Bright Blade disciples emerged and vanished into the mist like fleeting ghosts.
Time passed in tense silence. Already, their group had clashed with several low-ranked demonic beasts—horned boars that charged recklessly through the haze, mist wolves that hunted in coordinated silence, and even a chameleon-scaled serpent that nearly struck from invisibility. Each battle sharpened their coordination. Elton's Star Lightning Speed blurred him across the battlefield, striking with deadly bursts. Zoro cut down enemies with brutal, surgical precision. Cedric darted in and out, his flames burning through the gaps. Christy's chaos-deflecting palms shattered the rhythm of every foe, leaving them vulnerable to finishing blows.
After half a day of steady progress, they arrived at a narrow rocky incline scarred with claw marks. Elton crouched low, examining the scratches. They were too frequent to be mere territorial signs and too shallow to belong to apex predators. Motioning for caution, he led them down the slope. The incline opened into a cavern, its wide chamber dimly lit by glowing stones embedded within the walls.
Five skeletal beasts awaited them, shaped like monstrous badgers but armored in jagged stone. Their hollow eyes glimmered with faint energy as guttural snarls reverberated through the chamber. They circled the cracked nests around them but did not yet attack.
Zoro's lips curved into a thin, eager smile. "We strike quickly. No mercy."
The group fanned out, attacking in perfect rhythm. Cedric surged forward first, his fire dagger igniting into a brilliant flare as he tore through the nearest beast. Zoro followed immediately, his twin blades carving down two foes in brutal arcs. Christy spun gracefully, her spiraling palm shattering the momentum of another beast before breaking its stone armor apart. Elton vaulted high from a pillar and descended with crushing force, his Ki-infused strike smashing the final beast into the cavern floor.
The chamber fell silent once more, broken only by ragged breathing and the faint hiss of Cedric's flames. The stench of scorched fur and shattered stone filled the air.
"This chamber will serve well as a temporary base," Elton said, brushing dust from his coat. "It is defensible, hidden, and already cleared."
Together, they dragged the corpses toward the entrance, stacking them as grim warnings for any wandering predators. Zoro sat against a wall, methodically sharpening his blades. Cedric crouched beside a fractured stone, channeling steady flame into it until the warmth spread.
Elton leaned back against the cavern wall, finally easing his muscles. Christy approached quietly, her expression calm and steady.
"Hold still," she said softly.
"Huh?"
She reached out and plucked a broad green leaf tangled in his hair.
"Oh—uh… thanks," Elton muttered, clearing his throat while his face flushed faintly.
"You are welcome," Christy replied with serene grace, returning to her place without another word.
Cedric scoffed under his breath, loud enough for Zoro to catch. "Tch. What is this active favoritism..."
Zoro chuckled, shaking his head with quiet amusement. Christy ignored both of them, calmly applying a balm of soft Ki energy to her bruises.
Night in the Stoned Forest carried no peace. Distant howls rose like mournful laments, and monstrous shrieks echoed from unseen ravines. The mist itself seemed to hum with restless intent, pressing against the cavern walls as if alive. Yet inside the rocky shelter, the four disciples carved out a fragile pocket of safety.
Elton sat near the fire, his gaze fixed on the dancing flames. Sparks reflected in his eyes like faint stars. Every step forward sharpens me, yet every step carries weight. How long before the burden becomes too heavy? He clenched his fists lightly, the silence in his mind almost more unsettling than the usual whispers of the inner voice. It was waiting—watching—for the moment he doubted himself.
Zoro sat sharpening his blades, the rhythmic scrape of whetstone filling the chamber. At last, he spoke in his usual blunt tone. "Each battle reminds me that I cannot afford hesitation. If I do, the blade stops moving, and I die. Simple as that." His voice carried no dramatics, only cold conviction.
Cedric smirked faintly, feeding the fire with a flick of his dagger's flame. "Hmph. You're too grim about it, Zoro. Fear and danger—they're not curses, they're motivation. I was raised to hide behind guards and rules. I swore never again." His eyes glimmered, the firelight painting his ambition across his face.
Christy listened quietly, her red starry eyes glowing like scattered embers. When she finally spoke, her voice was calm but edged with something older than her age. "Strength without control is a disaster waiting to happen. The real challenge is how we choose to use it."
The fire crackled as silence settled again, each of them mulling over her words.
Elton finally broke the stillness, his tone firm. "Tomorrow we go deeper. The risks will rise, but so will the rewards. If we hesitate, others will claim what we could not."
One by one, the others nodded. Resolve hardened in their hearts, their bond strengthening through the weight of their shared determination.
Outside, the Stoned Forest wailed with night terrors. But inside the cavern, four young cultivators sat together, their ambitions burning brighter than the firelight.
Tomorrow, they would descend further.