After some time passed, the sun disappeared.
The three of them continued deeper into the wilderness.
And as the hours passed, the path grew rougher and the trees denser.
Occasional low growls of wild beasts echoed from the distance, but under Han Jin’s peak Qi Refinement aura, most ordinary creatures did not dare approach.
Su Qin also remained alert, her earlier lazy demeanor fading somewhat now that they were truly outside the sect’s protective range.
By the time the sky gradually darkened, they had already covered a good portion of the journey.
"We’ll stop here for the night," Han Jin said coldly as they arrived at a relatively open area beneath a few large trees. "Continuing through the forest in complete darkness is unnecessary."
Su Qin nodded and stretched her voluptuous body slightly, her full chest rising with the movement.
"Finally. Walking all day is tiring enough."
Li Jian looked around.
The spot was decent, covered by thick tree canopies, with a small stream nearby and enough space to start a fire.
He set down his simple pack and began helping gather dry branches without saying much.
Before long, a small campfire was lit.
The flickering flames illuminated the surrounding darkness of the forest, casting long shadows across the three figures.
Night had fully fallen, and the wilderness outside the light of the fire felt even more silent and dangerous.
Han Jin sat on one side of the fire with his sword resting across his knees, his expression still cold and alert as he closed his eyes as if meditating.
Su Qin sat opposite him, lightly rubbing her slightly sore calves, her soft and full figure looking especially alluring under the firelight.
Li Jian sat a short distance away from them, quietly watching the dancing flames.
For a moment, a somewhat distant thought rose in his mind.
Now that I think about it... this is the first time I’ve left the sect since transmigrating.
In the original body’s memories, Li Jian had almost never stepped beyond the outer regions of the Purple Shade Sect.
As a weak outer disciple with no background, there had been little reason... or courage for him to venture into the wilderness on his own.
But now it was different.
As the night wind brushed past the trees around them, fragments of the original body’s knowledge slowly surfaced in his mind.
The Purple Shade Sect was not an independent overlord ruling over its own lands. It was located within the territory of a powerful force known as the Divine Dynasty.
The Divine Dynasty was vast beyond imagination, ruling over countless cities, mortal kingdoms, and cultivation sects.
Under its rule, numerous sects of varying sizes existed, each occupying their own mountains and territories while ultimately remaining under the dynasty’s authority.
The Purple Shade Sect was merely one of those many sects.
Although it held a decent reputation within its local region thanks to its unique purple mist spiritual environment, and its focus on alchemy, in the eyes of the greater Divine Dynasty it was still only a mid-tier sect at best.
Above it, there were far stronger sects, noble clans, and cultivation forces that stood much closer to the true center of power.
Li Jian’s eyes flickered slightly under the firelight.
Maybe being in this sect is good in its own way.
A mid-tier sect like the Purple Shade Sect was neither too weak nor too conspicuous.
If he had transmigrated into a top-tier holy land or a powerful noble clan, with his current average talent and weak foundation, he would have been crushed before he even had the chance to grow.
At least here in the outer sect, the competition was fierce but still within a range he could slowly navigate... especially with the Favor Debt System in his hands.
Here, he could quietly accumulate debts and slowly climb upward without immediately attracting the attention of true monsters.
Li Jian was never an impatient man.
Instead, he preferred slow, steady, and safe progress.
Even with a system as unreasonable as the Favor Debt System in his hands, he had no intention of jumping around wildly and exposing himself too early.
In a cultivation world filled with hidden experts, ancient inheritances, and unpredictable schemes, those who rose too quickly often died just as quickly.
He would rather take one solid step after another.
But then, his gaze happened to fall on Su Qin once more.
Across the campfire, Su Qin lightly brushed a strand of hair behind her ear, her full alluring large chest shifting with the movement.
Under the soft glow of the campfire, her already beautiful face looked even more captivating. The warm light traced along the curve of her fair neck, the full and heavy outline of her breasts, and the soft indentation of her waist.
Even while simply sitting there and occasionally adjusting her posture, her alluring body naturally gave off a seductive charm that was hard to ignore.
Li Jian’s eyes darkened slightly as he murmured almost inaudibly to himself, continuing his thought.
"...Maybe to have a bit of fun in the process too."