The boundary stones of Blackstone City lay shattered behind them.
Li Yun did not slow until the ruins disappeared into the smoke-filled horizon. Only when the night air grew colder and the smell of ash finally thinned did he stop, bracing himself against a jagged rock at the edge of the eastern mountain pass.
His breathing was uneven.
Not from exhaustion alone—but from the unfamiliar sensation of control.
Every movement felt deliberate. Efficient. His body no longer wasted strength. The Perfect Mortal Foundation adjusted instinctively, distributing force through muscles and bones as if it had trained for years.
Yet the weight on his shoulder was real.
Su Yan leaned heavily against him, her breathing shallow but steady. Her face was pale beneath the grime, lips pressed together in quiet endurance. Despite her condition, she had not complained once.
Li Yun lowered her carefully against the rock and scanned their surroundings.
The mountain pass was narrow, flanked by steep stone walls and scattered dead trees. Broken clouds drifted overhead, moonlight filtering through in uneven streaks. This place was dangerous—but it was also hidden.
For now.
Su Yan opened her eyes slightly. "We can't stop long."
"I know," Li Yun said. "But you need a moment."
She studied him in silence, then nodded faintly. "Five breaths."
He respected that.
As she closed her eyes, Li Yun felt the system stir.
---
[Environmental assessment initiated.]
[Threat level: Moderate.]
[Recommended action: Concealment + Recovery.]
---
A faint outline flickered before his eyes, highlighting areas of shadow and uneven terrain. It was subtle—nothing flashy—but it gave him just enough awareness to choose their position wisely.
He crouched nearby, back against the stone, and finally allowed himself to think.
I survived.
The words felt unreal.
Blackstone City was gone. Everyone he had known—dead. The life he had accepted—erased.
What remained was uncertainty… and opportunity.
The system had not spoken much since they left the ruins, but Li Yun could feel it—observing, calculating, waiting for him to act rather than react.
Su Yan inhaled deeply, then slowly exhaled.
"Done," she said.
Li Yun straightened. "Can you walk?"
"For a while," she replied. "Pain won't kill me. Staying still will."
He nodded and helped her up again.
As they resumed moving deeper into the pass, Su Yan spoke quietly. "You're not what you appear to be."
Li Yun didn't deny it.
"You sensed it," he said.
She gave a faint, humorless smile. "Anyone with eyes would. A mortal doesn't dodge a high-level cultivator's strike and walk away."
Li Yun tightened his grip on her shoulder slightly—not possessive, but steady. "I don't understand it all yet."
"That makes two of us," she replied. Then, after a pause, "But whatever saved you… it chose well."
Before Li Yun could answer, the system interrupted.
---
[Main Quest Active.]
[Objective: Survive 24 hours beyond the city ruins.]
[Time remaining: 22 hours 11 minutes.]
[Optional Sub-Objective unlocked.]
[Begin foundational cultivation.]
---
Li Yun's heart skipped.
Cultivation… now?
He had just escaped death. His body was still recovering. And yet—this was exactly the kind of pressure the system thrived on.
They reached a shallow cave carved into the mountainside, hidden behind thorned brush and broken stone. Li Yun guided Su Yan inside and helped her sit against the wall.
"This will do," she said softly. "For now."
Li Yun nodded, then turned toward the cave entrance, sitting cross-legged instinctively.
The moment he settled, the system responded.
---
[Cultivation guidance available.]
[Perfect Mortal Foundation detected.]
[Recommended path: Body–Qi Synchronization.]
---
A stream of information flooded his mind—not techniques, but principles.
Breathing patterns. Muscle tension. The correct way to draw spiritual energy without damaging untrained meridians. The reason most cultivators failed before Qi Condensation.
This wasn't a manual.
It was correction.
Li Yun closed his eyes and followed the guidance.
He inhaled slowly.
Spiritual energy responded.
Not violently. Not greedily.
It flowed toward him, thin threads of light seeping into his body, reinforcing muscles, bones, and organs rather than rushing toward his dantian.
His body warmed.
Stabilized.
Su Yan watched him quietly, eyes sharp despite her fatigue.
He's cultivating… without a technique?
Her fingers twitched unconsciously.
This was wrong.
And terrifying.
---
[Progress detected.]
[Body Tempering: Initiated.]
[Status: Stable.]
---
Li Yun exhaled.
For the first time in his life, cultivation did not feel like fighting against himself.
It felt like alignment.
When he opened his eyes, Su Yan was watching him intently.
"You're dangerous," she said softly.
Li Yun met her gaze. "So are you."
A faint smile touched her lips.
Outside the cave, the wind shifted.
Far away, something howled.
And unseen eyes began turning toward the path Li Yun had taken.
---
The night deepened.
Cold crept into the mountain pass, seeping through stone and bone alike. Inside the shallow cave, the faint warmth radiating from Li Yun's body stood in sharp contrast to the chill outside.
His breathing was steady.
Controlled.
Each inhale drew in thin strands of spiritual energy from the surrounding environment. Each exhale expelled faint impurities—heat, tension, remnants of fear and shock that still clung to his flesh.
This was not how cultivation was supposed to begin.
At least, not according to any manual Li Yun had ever seen.
Yet the Ascendant Fate System guided him with quiet precision, adjusting posture, breathing rhythm, even the minute flexing of muscle groups.
---
[Body–Qi Synchronization: Ongoing.]
[Efficiency: 137% above Mortal baseline.]
[Warning: External threat probability increasing.]
---
Li Yun's awareness sharpened at the warning.
Even with his eyes closed, he could sense it now—a disturbance in the flow of spiritual energy beyond the cave. Faint ripples, distant but growing clearer.
Someone was searching.
Not randomly.
Methodically.
Su Yan felt it too.
She shifted slightly, her hand tightening against the stone floor. "They're coming," she said quietly.
Li Yun opened his eyes. "How many?"
"At least three," she replied after a moment. "Scouts. Not the ones who destroyed the city—but connected to them."
That was worse.
Scouts meant information.
Information meant pursuit.
The system responded instantly.
---
[Situation Analysis Initiated.]
[Enemy strength estimate: Body Tempering to early Qi Condensation.]
[Recommended actions:]
• Option 1: Evade (Low risk, low reward)
• Option 2: Ambush (Moderate risk, moderate reward)
• Option 3: Forced Breakthrough (High risk, high reward)
---
Li Yun's jaw tightened.
A few hours ago, he would not have survived any of those options.
Now… he had a choice.
Su Yan studied his expression carefully. "You're deciding something dangerous."
"Yes."
She did not argue. Instead, she asked the more important question. "What happens to me if you fail?"
Li Yun met her gaze. "I won't."
It wasn't arrogance.
It was resolve.
He turned inward.
Option 3.
---
[Forced Breakthrough selected.]
[Warning: High failure probability.]
[Failure consequence: Severe bodily damage / possible cultivation regression.]
[Confirm?]
---
Li Yun didn't hesitate.
Confirm.
The cave seemed to pulse.
Spiritual energy surged violently toward him, no longer trickling but rushing in thick currents. His muscles seized as pressure built within his body, bones humming as if struck by a thousand hammers.
This was not gentle refinement.
This was forging.
Li Yun gritted his teeth, suppressing a groan as pain exploded through every meridian. Sweat poured from his body, soaking the stone beneath him.
Su Yan's eyes widened.
"This is madness," she whispered. "You don't force a breakthrough at this stage—"
Crack.
Something shifted inside Li Yun.
Not shattered—aligned.
His body adapted.
Meridians expanded just enough. Flesh toughened. Bones grew denser. The Perfect Mortal Foundation absorbed the pressure and redistributed it, preventing collapse.
---
[Body Tempering: Stage 1 → Stage 3.]
[Physical strength increased.]
[Pain tolerance significantly improved.]
---
Li Yun exhaled sharply, chest heaving.
The pain receded, replaced by a deep, grounded strength. His heartbeat steadied. His senses sharpened further.
Outside the cave, footsteps stopped.
Voices murmured.
"I sense something here."
"Fresh energy disturbance. Someone's cultivating."
"Inside."
Li Yun stood.
He picked up a jagged piece of stone from the cave floor. It felt light in his hand.
Too light.
Su Yan looked at him, eyes intense. "If this goes wrong, run. Don't look back."
Li Yun shook his head. "If I run now, they'll chase us forever."
He stepped toward the cave entrance.
The system spoke one final time.
---
[Combat scenario detected.]
[Hidden Quest Triggered.]
Hidden Quest: First Blood
Objective: Kill at least one pursuer
Reward: Unknown
Failure: Marked by hostile fate
---
Li Yun smiled grimly.
So this is how it begins.
He moved.
The moment he stepped out of the cave, moonlight spilled over his bloodstained figure. Three cultivators stood several meters away, eyes narrowing in surprise.
"A boy?"
"Wait—he's only Body Tempering."
"Doesn't matter. Kill him."
They rushed him.
Li Yun didn't retreat.
He stepped forward.
The first cultivator raised his blade.
Li Yun threw the stone.
It punched through the man's throat like a cannon shot.
Blood sprayed.
The body fell.
The remaining two froze in shock.
Before they could react, Li Yun was already moving.
Fast.
Too fast.
---
[Hidden Quest Progress: 1/1 targets eliminated.]
---
The mountain wind howled.
And Li Yun took his first step onto a path stained with blood.
---
The body hit the ground with a dull, final sound.
For half a breath, the mountain pass went silent.
The remaining two cultivators stared at their fallen companion, eyes wide with disbelief. Blood seeped into the dirt, still steaming faintly in the cold night air.
"He—he killed Zhang Rui with a stone?"
"That's impossible! He's only Body Tempering!"
Li Yun did not answer them.
He stood beneath the moonlight, chest rising and falling steadily, fingers still slightly numb from the impact. The force he had used was far greater than he expected—greater than he should have been capable of.
The Perfect Mortal Foundation had not merely strengthened him.
It had removed the limits he once believed were absolute.
The second cultivator recovered first, rage flashing across his face. "You're courting death!"
He charged, blade flashing with a thin layer of qi.
Li Yun moved.
Not recklessly. Not blindly.
He sidestepped at the last instant, the blade grazing past his ribs instead of cutting through them. He felt the wind of the strike, analyzed the angle, the weight, the flaw.
Too wide. Too slow.
Li Yun stepped in close and slammed his elbow into the cultivator's throat.
There was a crack.
The man collapsed, choking, hands clawing uselessly at his neck.
The third cultivator froze.
Fear replaced arrogance in his eyes.
"You—wait—this doesn't concern you!" he stammered, backing away. "We were only scouting—"
Li Yun picked up the fallen blade.
The metal felt cold and unfamiliar in his hand.
For a fraction of a second, hesitation surfaced.
This is killing.
Not self-defense.
Not survival.
A choice.
The system spoke.
---
[Hidden Quest: First Blood — Completion pending.]
[Requirement unmet: Host must finalize outcome.]
---
Li Yun's eyes hardened.
If he spared this man, information would spread. Names would be recorded. A trail would form.
Su Yan would never be safe.
Neither would he.
Li Yun stepped forward.
The cultivator turned to run.
Li Yun threw the blade.
It struck cleanly between the man's shoulder blades, piercing straight through his heart.
The body fell face-first into the dirt.
Silence returned.
---
[Hidden Quest: First Blood — Completed.]
[Reward distribution in progress…]
---
Li Yun stood motionless, staring at the three corpses.
His hands trembled.
Not from fear.
From aftermath.
This was the first time he had taken lives with his own hands. The system had guided him, strengthened him—but the decision had been his alone.
He did not feel triumph.
He felt weight.
---
[Psychological evaluation ongoing.]
[Host mental stability: Acceptable.]
[Trait reinforcement: Ruthlessness (Latent).]
---
Li Yun exhaled slowly, forcing the tremor from his hands.
If I hesitate again, I'll die.
He turned back toward the cave.
Su Yan was standing at the entrance, leaning heavily against the stone wall. Her eyes were fixed on the bodies outside, expression unreadable.
"You didn't hesitate," she said quietly.
Li Yun met her gaze. "I couldn't."
She studied him for a long moment, then nodded. "Good. Hesitation kills faster than blades in this world."
He walked back into the cave and sat down heavily, muscles finally protesting now that the danger had passed.
The system chimed softly.
---
[Hidden Quest Reward Granted.]
[Reward 1: Passive Skill — Combat Insight (Basic).]
[Effect: Increased efficiency in analyzing enemy movement and weaknesses.]
[Reward 2: Attribute Increase.]
• Strength +2
• Perception +2
---
Li Yun felt it immediately.
The world sharpened—edges clearer, movements easier to predict even in memory. The earlier fight replayed in his mind, mistakes highlighted, improvements suggested.
Not regret.
Optimization.
Su Yan lowered herself carefully to the ground opposite him.
"You've killed before," she said. It wasn't a question.
"No," Li Yun replied. "Tonight was the first time."
Her brows lifted slightly. "Then you adapted quickly."
"I didn't have a choice."
She was silent for a moment, then spoke again. "Neither do I."
She reached up and pulled aside the torn fabric at her collar.
Beneath it, etched faintly into her skin, was a complex seal—dark lines intertwined with pale blue light, suppressing her spiritual energy completely.
"This seal isn't ordinary," she said. "It was placed by someone far above the people you just killed."
Li Yun's eyes narrowed.
"Can you remove it?"
"Not yet," she answered. "But if I regain even a fraction of my cultivation… things will change."
The system responded immediately.
---
[Fate-bound Entity Analysis Updated.]
[Seal detected: High-tier suppression.]
[Removal condition: Unknown.]
[New Side Quest Unlocked.]
Side Quest: Unbroken Chains
Objective: Find a method to weaken or remove Su Yan's suppression seal
Reward: Unknown
Failure: Fate stagnation
---
Li Yun absorbed the information quietly.
This was no coincidence.
Their meeting. Their survival. Their paths crossing at the edge of annihilation.
Fate was tightening around them.
Outside the cave, dawn began to creep across the horizon, pale light washing over the mountain pass.
---
[Main Quest Update.]
[Objective: Survive 24 hours beyond the city ruins.]
[Time remaining: 17 hours 42 minutes.]
---
Li Yun stood and looked east, where the mountains stretched endlessly.
"Once it's light, we move," he said.
"To where?" Su Yan asked.
Li Yun clenched his fist.
"A place where strength is earned," he replied. "And where fate can be challenged."
The system remained silent.
But for the first time, Li Yun felt it wasn't just observing anymore.
It was preparing him.
---