Inside the Ding Clan Mansion, the corridors were dimly lit by glowing bone-lamps, their pale light casting long shadows on the polished stone floor.
At the Depository, Ding Jing appeared silently, his presence immediately making the old keeper straighten his back nervously.
"What did he buy from the Depository?" Ding Jing's voice was cold, his eyes glinting with calculation.
The old man with a white beard stood quickly and bowed low.
His tone carried the deference of someone speaking to the son of a high elder.
"Master Jing, he purchased two Essence-imbued robes, a large amount of sacred beast meat and marrow fragments, and…" He paused, as if struggling to recall the detail. Then, his brows lifted. "Ah, yes. I saw him holding a manual as well. It must have been Blood Rose Breath."
The moment those words were spoken, a sharp frown creased Ding Jing's face. "Blood Rose Breath…" he muttered under his breath.
As a Bonebearer of the Ding Clan, he naturally knew the details of that dual cultivation manual.
Its strength lay in strengthening not just one Bonebearer, but a pair bonded in body and essence.
At first, his expression was grim, but as he thought it through, a sly smile crept onto his lips. "So, you chose this path. Very good." He chuckled darkly, his voice dripping with mockery. "This time, you've finally made a mistake, Xue Wen." His laughter echoed faintly in the empty hall as he dismissed the old man with a wave and walked away, already scheming in his mind.
The next few days passed quietly for Xue Wen.
He devoted himself fully to enhancing his essence, sitting cross-legged in deep breathing sessions while devouring sacred beast meat.
Yet, despite his efforts, he discovered that his marrow energy had stagnated, he was at the very peak of Bone Awakening and could push no further.
Frustration gnawed at him.
Even when he swallowed a precious Essence Bead, the overwhelming energy simply overflowed from his body like water spilling from a brimming cup.
It could not condense into the breakthrough he desired.
That night, under the pale glow of the bone-lamp in his room, Xue Wen scoured the clan's library for answers.
Countless manuals were flipped through, scrolls unrolled and read with painstaking attention.
Finally, he found the cause.
"The texts say… to step into the next realm, one must temper marrow through battle." He whispered the words to himself, eyes narrowing with determination.
The following morning, he sat in his bedroom, carefully preparing a small cloth bag.
He placed a saber within, folded clothes, some dried food, and a water gourd. His movements were deliberate, his expression solemn.
This was no casual venture, this was the threshold of life and death.
He patted the small leather pouch at his waist, the faint jingle of beads sounding within.
Ten Essence Beads still remained.
Enough to support him once he returned from the wilderness.
When everything was ready, he took a deep breath and stepped out of the bedroom.
Ding Mei was in the hall, bent gracefully as she wiped dust from the wooden shelves.
The moment her eyes caught sight of the saber strapped to his bag, her expression froze.
A frown quickly deepened on her delicate features.
"Are you… going to the Ding Mansion?" she asked cautiously, though her gaze lingered anxiously on his weapon.
Xue Wen smiled softly, shaking his head. "No. I am on the verge of a breakthrough. I need battle, I need blood and steel. Only then will my bones shatter and reform into the next stage."
Her breath caught. She understood immediately.
As a Bonebearer herself, once a core member of the Ding Clan, she knew the dangers of such a step.
The memories of her past two husbands flooded her mind in a suffocating wave. Fear stabbed her chest, raw and merciless.
Before she could think, she rushed forward and wrapped her arms tightly around him.
Her body trembled, and her tear-filled eyes pressed against his chest.
Xue Wen felt her heartbeat thundering against his ribs, faster than a war drum.
He didn't need her words to understand her fear, he could feel it in the desperate strength of her embrace.
He stroked her silky hair gently, leaning down so his words brushed against her ear. "Don't be afraid. I promise you, Mei'er, I will return before sunset."
Her head lifted slightly, her eyes shimmering with unshed tears.
She wanted to argue, to beg him not to go, but she knew the truth.
To hold him back now would mean strangling his future, chaining him to stagnation forever.
"I… I will die without you." The words slipped from her trembling lips before she could stop them.
For a moment, Xue Wen froze, stunned by the raw honesty in her voice.
His chest tightened painfully.
They had only just begun to open their hearts to one another, yet already, she feared his loss more than anything else.
He brushed away the tears at the corner of her eyes with his thumb and forced a confident smile. "No, you won't. Because I will come back. I swear it."
Ding Mei sobbed softly, but she forced herself to nod.
She stepped back reluctantly, her hands lingering on his arm until the very last second.
Before he left, she leaned forward and pressed her lips against his, a deep, lingering kiss that carried all her fear, love, and desperate hope.
That kiss left Xue Wen both heavy-hearted and strangely uplifted. With that warmth still lingering, he turned and departed.
The Esther Wilderness loomed ahead, a sprawling expanse of ancient trees, jagged rocks, and hidden beasts.
Its air smelled of damp earth and blood, its silence broken only by the distant cries of predators.
The moment Xue Wen entered, he could feel it, the predatory gazes lurking within the foliage.
Shadows moved silently in the distance, their killing intent brushing against him like icy wind.
Most, however, soon withdrew, recognizing his strength.
He was not prey to be taken lightly.
For an hour, he pressed deeper into the wilderness, his senses sharp, his hand never straying far from the hilt of his saber.
Then, without warning, a low hiss sliced through the air.
The ground trembled slightly as a massive, black-scaled anaconda slithered forward. Its body was encased in thick, overlapping bone plates, glistening like polished armor. Each movement radiated ferocity.
Its crimson eyes fixed on Xue Wen, unblinking, filled with primal hunger.
The scent of decay clung to its forked tongue as it flickered in and out.
Xue Wen's heart tightened as recognition struck. He had read of this creature in the clan's library.
"An Exo Serpent…" His grip tightened around his saber. "A beast that rivals a peak Bone Awakening Bonebearer."
The serpent's hiss deepened into a guttural roar. Its armored coils shifted, muscles rippling with terrifying strength.
Xue Wen exhaled slowly, steadying his nerves. His saber flashed into his hand.