The light from the status panel slowly faded from his sight. Zhang Wen lay motionless at the center of the cave, his eyes staring into the empty space ahead without emotion. Every line of information remained vividly etched in his mind.
He fell silent for a moment, then drew in a deep breath, his chest rising slowly, before pressing his palm against the cold stone floor. He struggled to stand. The instant his body moved, the qi channels within him reacted violently, blood surging back up his throat.
"Hgh!"
The sound of blood being spat out rang sharply. Zhang Wen bent forward, crimson blood splattering across the stone ground. He wiped the corner of his mouth roughly with the back of his hand and forced himself upright. Both legs trembled slightly, yet they still managed to support his weight. He moved about the cave, opening his spatial ring and carefully collecting every remaining drop of sacred water, storing it all inside.
After gathering what remained of the sacred water, he braced himself and began walking along the long passage within the cave. One step felt unbearably heavy. The next step crushed his lungs. Every breath was a negotiation with his own body. The passage twisted and wound onward, the dim glow of natural crystals casting his elongated shadow along the stone walls.
Before long, the sound of rushing water echoed from ahead. Cool, damp air swept across his face. Zhang Wen forced himself forward until, at last, he emerged from the cave's mouth.
A massive waterfall thundered down from a towering cliff, its roar shaking the air. The clear torrent resembled a white curtain that separated the inner world from the outside. Sunlight pierced through the falling water, scattering brilliant reflections across his body. The cave he had just left was hidden seamlessly behind the vast waterfall, concealed from the world.
Zhang Wen stood there, gazing at the light before him, his eyes narrowing slightly. He raised a hand and touched the falling water. An icy chill pierced him instantly, and in that same moment, blood burst from his mouth once more.
This time, his body did not collapse.
His skin began to turn translucent. Flesh and blood dissolved into flowing currents, his entire form silently breaking apart before merging with the cascading waterfall.
Zhang Wen flowed along with the water, allowing his body to become part of the stream itself. The world spun past in blurred fragments, yet his consciousness gradually settled into calm.
The world he was in now was called the World of Heavenly Fate. It was merely a small world, one among hundreds of lesser worlds beneath the vastly greater Heavenly Fate World. This knowledge was no secret to the Zhang Clan or other top-tier forces. The origins of the Zhang Clan itself traced back to a greater world. Those members who lacked the qualifications to remain within the main lineage had been sent down to establish foundations in this small world instead.
As his body flowed along the current, passing schools of fish and various aquatic spirit beasts without any of them sensing his presence in the slightest, Zhang Wen's thoughts slowly organized themselves. The place he was in now was the Black Wind Continent, one of several dozen continents within the World of Heavenly Fate. Among them all, the Black Wind Continent was the strongest. It possessed the richest resources, the densest spiritual energy, and the most vast territory.
The Black Wind Continent was the center of countless forces. Great clans, holy lands, and many mysterious powers were rooted there. The Zhang Clan itself was also located on this continent, far to the northernmost reaches.
As for where he was drifting now, it lay at the southernmost edge of the continent. This was the Mist Forest, a region that served as a passage connecting the Black Wind Continent and the Golden Jade Continent.
The current carried Zhang Wen onward. He did not know how many hours had passed. He only knew that he had to maintain his consciousness. Though exhaustion weighed heavily on him, his body, transformed into flowing water, slowly absorbed the surrounding moisture and currents. This was not to increase his strength, but to prevent his existence from fading away within the turbulent flow.
Each time the current struck rocks or split into smaller streams, his form trembled slightly, as if warning him that if he lost focus for even a moment, this control would collapse, and he would be torn apart into nothing more than an ordinary, formless drop of water.
After some time, the sounds of people finally drifted in from ahead. The scent of smoke, the aroma of food, and the grinding of wagon wheels against stone grew clearer and clearer. A city appeared within his perception.
It was Yellowleaf City, a large city with a great river running through its center. It was a crucial junction between the Black Wind Continent and the Golden Jade Continent. People from all directions passed through this place, whether merchants, travelers, or cultivators unwilling to risk detours along more dangerous routes.
Zhang Wen pulled his consciousness back at once before his watery form flowed up onto the riverbank. He carefully controlled the power of water, gathering the surrounding liquid and condensing it into a human shape. Plain-colored clothes were formed from water essence, covering a body that still could not be revealed to the outside world.
More importantly, he was far too weak right now. Too weak to use his power to alter his appearance or distort the perception of others. All he could do was conceal the most basic traces.
While quietly checking the condition of his body, he asked within his mind.
"System… can you hide my aura, something that prevents others from sensing my existence?"
Almost immediately, a response sounded.
[Activating concealment mode for 3 days. As long as a Great Emperor does not personally come looking for you, no one will be able to sense your existence. Even your own younger brother will be unable to recognize you.]
Zhang Wen let out a faint laugh. The sound was hoarse and so brief it could barely be called laughter.
"Three days, huh… that will do."
At that moment, a carriage passed along the riverbank. A merchant sat at the front, accompanied by the crack of a whip. Zhang Wen did not hesitate. His body shattered into droplets of water in an instant, then shot upward and clung neatly beneath the axle of the carriage.
As the carriage drew near the city gate, the guards began inspecting names and goods with care. The atmosphere was slightly tense due to heightened security measures. But for a drop of water hidden beneath the carriage, being discovered was nearly impossible.
Before long, the carriage passed through the city gate without issue.
Zhang Wen slowly separated himself from the axle, letting his watery form drip silently to the ground. He then flowed along the shadows of a narrow alley, heading toward the northernmost part of the city.
He had some knowledge of this city. He had come here once before. That time, Zhang Lin had brought him along to search for a cave that concealed immortal water. And it was here, in Yellowleaf City, that he had met someone truly interesting. Someone he could trust.
Zhang Wen halted the flow of his watery form in front of a trading house. His calm, steady gaze rested silently on the building before him as memories from a few years ago surfaced with startling clarity. Back then, he had come here together with Zhang Lin. This trading house had not looked so dilapidated in the past. Though the building itself was neither new nor luxurious, it had been full of life. The sounds of bargaining, laughter, and the ceaseless circulation of wealth had filled the air. It had once been one of the most prosperous trading houses in Yellowleaf City, a place that anyone on a trade route would inevitably pass through.
But the sight before him now slowly altered something in his heart. The building still stood tall, yet its vitality was gone. The traces of former prosperity had been replaced by an oppressive silence. The front doors were tightly shut, parts of the walls were cracked, and the protective formations that had once been firm were now so faint they were nearly powerless.
Zhang Wen did not rush. He allowed his body to transform into a stream of water and seep calmly through the gaps in the door, entering the interior. The first thing that greeted his senses was ruin. The reception hall that had once been bustling with people now held only wreckage. The purchasing tables had collapsed, counters were broken, and fragments of wood and stone were scattered across the floor. These traces suggested that a rather fierce battle had taken place here.
He flowed silently past the destroyed remains and gradually made his way up to the second floor. Controlling his watery body in such a weakened state made every movement sluggish, as if he were forcing himself through an invisible resistance. Eventually, he stopped in front of a single room. The wooden door was rotten and crooked, and the formation that had once protected this room barely retained any power at all.
Zhang Wen slipped through the door without hesitation.
Inside the room, only a faint light filtered in through a cracked window. On a dilapidated wooden bed lay the motionless body of a man. He was so emaciated that his bones were visible beneath his skin. His body was shriveled, devoid of vitality. His cultivation had completely collapsed, leaving not even a trace behind. His breathing was faint, on the verge of vanishing at any moment. A thin, stale stench lingered throughout the room, the smell of a body slowly being consumed by approaching death.
Zhang Wen gradually condensed his form back into that of a human and stepped up beside the bed without saying a word. His gaze remained calm and unreadable.
[Name: Ming Yuan]
[Cultivation Level: Collapsed]
[Special Body: Stellar Origin Body (Sacred Level) (Origin Collapsed)]
[Luck: Black]
[Affinity: 95]