The crimson-robed figure stood atop a sea of clouds.
Below him, Black Crow Mountain stretched endlessly, its forests bathed in the golden light of the setting sun.
In his gloved hand rested a communication talisman.
With a flick of his finger, spiritual qi flowed into the talisman.
It burst into crimson flames.
A cold, emotionless voice echoed from within.
"Report."
The masked man knelt on one knee.
"The disturbance beneath Black Crow Mountain has ended."
"The inheritance site has collapsed."
A brief silence followed.
"Was the inheritance recovered?"
"No."
"But..."
The masked man hesitated.
"We've found someone who may have inherited it."
The voice immediately became colder.
"Describe him."
"A male."
"Approximately fifteen years old."
"Village-born."
"He left Black Crow Mountain shortly after the disturbance."
"He defeated a Spirit gathering cultivator despite having no known background."
Silence.
Then...
A single sentence.
"Kill him."
The flames extinguished.
The communication talisman crumbled into ash.
The masked man lowered his head.
"As you command..."
Meanwhile.Dozens of miles away, Lin Yuan and Gu Chen walked along an ancient stone road.
The mountains gradually gave way to rolling hills, rivers, and cultivated fields.
It was the first time Lin Yuan had traveled beyond the forests surrounding his village.
Everything felt new.
Farmers worked in vast fields.
Merchants guided caravans pulled by enormous oxen.
Children laughed as they chased each other through villages.
For a moment...
Lin Yuan forgot the weight of revenge.
He simply watched the world.
Gu Chen noticed.
"Beautiful, isn't it?"
Lin Yuan nodded.
"I didn't know so many people lived beyond the mountains."
Gu Chen smiled.
"The world is much larger than you can imagine."
As dusk approached, they arrived at a bustling crossroads.
Merchants from different regions had gathered there.
Stalls lined both sides of the road.
The air was filled with the aromas of roasted meat, medicinal herbs, and fresh bread.
Lin Yuan's stomach growled loudly.
Gu Chen laughed.
"I was wondering how long you'd pretend not to be hungry."
He tossed a spirit stone toward a nearby food stall.
"Two bowls of beef noodles."
The elderly vendor caught the stone, his eyes widening.
"Senior..."
"This is worth far more than a meal."
Gu Chen waved dismissively.
"Then keep the change."
The vendor bowed repeatedly.
"Thank you, Senior!"thank you,
Lin Yuan watched quietly.
One spirit stone...
Could feed an ordinary family for months.
Yet Gu Chen spent it without hesitation.who really is he.
They sat beneath a wooden stood while steam rose from two large bowls of soup filled with meat.
Lin Yuan hesitated before the food , not knowing weather to eat or not .
"Go on."
Gu Chen grinned.
"The soup won't cultivate themselves."
Lin Yuan couldn't help smiling.
It was the first genuine smile to appear on his face since the destruction of his village.
He picked up the chopsticks.
The broth was rich.
The beef was tender.
For someone who had survived on roasted game and wild herbs his entire life...
It was the finest meal he had ever tasted.
Gu Chen watched him with quiet amusement.
"Slow down."
"No one's stealing your food."
Lin Yuan realized he had nearly emptied the bowl.
A hint of embarrassment crossed his face making his face all red.
As they ate, voices drifted from nearby tables.
"Have you heard?"
"The Azure Cloud Sect's entrance examination begins next month."
"I heard thousands of youths are coming."
"Thousands of youths come every year, at the end Only a few hundred will be accepted."
"What about the Blood Moon Sect?"
"They've been searching the Southern Wilderness for something."
"I heard several villages disappeared overnight."
Lin Yuan's chopsticks paused.
His expression darkened.
Gu Chen noticed but said nothing.
Instead, he casually changed the subject.
"Boy."
"Do you know the difference between strength..."
"...and power?"
Lin Yuan thought for a moment.
"Aren't they the same?"
Gu Chen shook his head.
"Strength allows you to defeat an opponent."
"Power allows you to decide whether a battle happens at all."
Lin Yuan frowned.
"I don't understand."
The old man pointed toward the market.
"That merchant."
"He has almost no cultivation."
"But because he controls dozens of caravans..."
"He feeds entire towns."
He then pointed toward a group of armored guards.
"They're stronger than him."
"But they obey him."
Lin Yuan's eyes slowly widened.
"So..."
"Cultivation isn't everything."
Gu Chen nodded approvingly.
"Exactly."
"If you seek only greater cultivation..."
"You'll become another powerful fighter."
"But if you wish to become a Sovereign..."
"You must understand people."
"You must understand kingdoms."
"You must understand ambition."
His voice became unusually serious.
"The greatest enemies aren't always the strongest."
"They're the ones who make others fight for them those who know how to use people and resources around them."
Those words etched themselves deeply into Lin Yuan's heart.
That night, they rented two small rooms at a roadside inn.
The innkeeper, recognizing Gu Chen as a generous customer, personally prepared hot water and clean clothes for Lin Yuan.
For the first time in days...
He washed away the dried blood covering his body.
Standing before the bronze mirror in his room, he barely recognized himself.
The frightened village boy was gone.
In his place stood a lean young man with determined eyes.
He touched the faint black mark over his heart. And crunching his fists he swore,
"I'll become strong enough..."
"So no one can ever take away the people I care about again."
Outside his window...
A shadow landed silently on the roof.
The masked man from Black Crow Mountain.
He looked through a narrow gap into Lin Yuan's room.
His hand slowly gripped the hilt of his crimson dagger.