Volume 5 — The Shadow in the Mountains
Lin Feng's victory should have brought peace. Instead, it brought sleepless nights, headaches, and a mysterious old man who kept popping up behind him like a haunted turnip.
The old man introduced himself as Elder Mo, a wandering cultivator who "just happened to be passing by" despite clearly having stalked Lin Feng all the way from the arena.
"Young man," Elder Mo said, poking Lin Feng's forehead, "the peach within you is awakening."
"I know," Lin Feng said. "It keeps humming lullabies inside my dantian."
"That's not a lullaby," Elder Mo corrected. "That's a warning."
Meanwhile, the Peach Blossom Sect buzzed with excitement. Lin Feng, their least reliable disciple, had defeated a Crimson Fang prodigy. Recruits imitated his every move—unfortunately including his tendency to trip.
Caiyi, however, stayed worried.
"That figure watching the duel… he wasn't from the Crimson Fang Clan," she said.
"No?" Lin Feng gulped.
"No. This one felt older. Stronger. Dangerous."
Her fears proved right when a message arrived, burned into a blackened talisman:
"The Peach Host will be claimed. Prepare yourselves."
The Sect Master's face darkened. "The sender is from the Obsidian Root Palace—the sect that once sought to control the Peach Blossom Heart Method. They were banished centuries ago… but it seems they have returned."
Lin Feng felt faint. "They're after me?! Why?!"
"You contain the awakened peach spirit," the Sect Master said. "They believe controlling you means controlling the power."
Lin Feng groaned. "Can't I just give it back?!"
"No," Elder Mo said. "Once the peach chooses a host, it cannot be removed. Unless the host dies."
Lin Feng paled. "Let's… not choose that option."
Caiyi grabbed his wrist. "We'll protect you. You're not alone."
Her touch steadied him—but only for a moment.
That night, the mountains shook. A wave of dark spiritual energy rolled through the valley, shattering trees and dimming the stars.
From the darkness stepped a man in obsidian armor, his eyes glowing like dying embers.
"The Peach Host," he said softly. "I have finally found you."
Lin Feng's breath caught.
The true hunt had begun.