Dymas left the valley behind and pushed deeper into the Forgotten Forest. The sun had risen fully now. Small animals darted away when he stepped too close. The air stayed cool under the trees. Qi flowed stronger here than on the open road. It clung to everything: the moss, the bark, the leaves underfoot. His body pulled it in without pause.
He walked for hours. The stallion followed on a loose rein, hooves soft on the forest floor. No more palace riders yet. No patrols. Just the wild.
His shoulder no longer hurt. The cut from Seraphina's sword had closed completely. The bruise on his jaw was gone. Minor regeneration worked fast now that he had broken through to Layer 3. His steps felt lighter. His grip on the spear steadier. The curse lines had vanished from his skin. Only the silver scar on his cheek remained, a thin reminder of the old him.
He checked the screen every so often.
Current realm progress: Qi Condensation Layer 3 – 12%
Current points: 30,697
The fight with Seraphina had given good points. Her frost qi had fed the absorber well. He felt the energy stored inside, ready if he needed it.
The forest grew quieter the deeper he went. Fewer birds. Fewer small sounds. The trees stood taller, trunks black and twisted in places. Qi thickened until it pressed against his skin like warm water. He could see faint currents in the air now, pale blue threads drifting between branches.
He found a sheltered spot near a rocky outcrop. A small cave mouth opened in the stone, just wide enough for one man. Moss hung over the entrance like a curtain. No tracks around it. No scent of beasts. Perfect.
Dymas tied the horse to a low branch outside. The stallion snorted and lowered its head to graze.
He stepped inside the cave. The air cooled immediately. Qi gathered thickest here. It pooled in the center of the small chamber like invisible mist.
He sat cross-legged on the stone floor. Spear across his knees. Axe beside him. He closed his eyes.
The Auto-Cultivation Module ran harder now. Qi poured in from every direction. It flowed into his dantian, filling the core drop by drop. His breathing deepened. His heartbeat slowed. The world outside faded.
Time passed. Minutes. Hours. He did not move.
The qi built. Pressure mounted in his core. It pressed outward, against his meridians. Pain started low in his abdomen, sharp and familiar. He welcomed it.
The system prompted.
Breakthrough opportunity detected. Force advancement? Y/N
Yes.
He focused. Pushed the qi harder. The core expanded. Meridians stretched. Pain climbed higher, into his chest, his throat. Sweat beaded on his forehead. His black hair stuck to his skin. The scar on his cheek burned.
He gritted his teeth. Kept pushing.
A crack sounded inside him. Not bone. Energy. The core burst open, then reformed stronger. Qi surged through every channel. His body shook once. Heat flooded his limbs. Light flared behind his closed eyes.
Breakthrough complete: Qi Condensation Layer 4
All stats +1
New passive unlocked: Qi Sense Lv.1 – Detect qi signatures within 50 meters. Improved accuracy with higher realm.
Dymas exhaled long and slow. The pain faded. Warmth remained. His dantian felt larger, more solid. The qi moved smoother, faster. He opened his eyes.
The cave looked different. The glowing crystals in the walls pulsed in time with his heartbeat. Faint blue threads drifted through the air. He could see them clearly now. Qi Sense had activated. The forest outside hummed with signatures: small beasts, insects, distant trees rich with energy.
He stood. His body felt taller somehow. Stronger. The torn tunic hung looser on broader shoulders. Muscles stood out more under his skin. No gray lines left. Just clean, unmarked flesh except for the scar.
He flexed his hand. Strength flowed easy. He picked up the spear. It felt almost weightless.
A notification flashed.
Stored cursed qi fully converted. Cursed Burst skill upgraded: Range increased to 8 meters. Damage +20%.
He tested it. Focused on the stored energy from Seraphina's frost and the earlier fights. He released it in a short pulse.
A shockwave rippled outward. The cave walls trembled. Dust fell from the ceiling. The crystals flickered brighter for a second.
Cursed Burst used. Cooldown: 4 minutes 30 seconds remaining
Useful.
He stepped out of the cave. Sunlight hit his face. The stallion lifted its head and nickered.
Dymas mounted. The horse felt steadier under him now. His balance perfect.
He rode on.
The forest opened after another mile. A wider clearing appeared. Sunlight poured in full. Grass grew tall and green. Flowers dotted the edges, purple and white. Qi gathered in the center, strongest at a single point: a small stone pedestal half-buried in the earth. On top sat a jade box, cracked but intact.
Dymas dismounted. Approached slow.
No traps visible. No beasts. Just the box.
He knelt. Opened it.
Inside lay a small manual bound in faded leather. Title embossed in gold: Basic Meridian Cleansing Technique.
Beside it, three low-grade spirit herbs. Green leaves, red veins. Qi radiated from them.
He took the manual first. Flipped through. Simple diagrams. Breathing patterns. Hand seals. A technique to purge impurities from meridians. Good for breakthroughs.
He absorbed the herbs next. Swallowed one whole. The others he crushed and pressed against his wrists.
Qi gained: +1,200
Realm progress: Qi Condensation Layer 4 – 35%
The manual he kept. He could study it later.
He stood.
A twig snapped behind him.
He turned.
Seraphina Voss stepped into the clearing. Same robe. Same sword. Her silver hair loose now, moving in the breeze. A fresh bandage wrapped her arm from the lynx fight.
She looked at the empty box. Then at him.
"You took the herbs."
Dymas nodded.
She stepped closer. "That technique belongs to my sect. Lost decades ago."
Dymas met her eyes. "Find it first next time."
Tension hung between them. The air cooled slightly.
She drew her sword slow.
"I could take it back."
Dymas raised the spear.
"You could try."
They stood facing each other. Sunlight bright on the grass. Qi thick in the air.
Seraphina's blue eyes narrowed.
Then she lowered the sword.
"Not today."
She sheathed it.
Dymas lowered the spear.
She turned to leave.
But before she vanished into the trees, she looked back once.
"Be careful, Blackthorn. The forest has eyes. And not all of them are friendly."
She disappeared.
Dymas watched the spot where she had stood.
The clearing went quiet.
But he felt it now. Qi Sense active.
A signature in the distance. Red. Hot. Winged.
Closer than before.
Amber eyes somewhere in the shadows.
Watching.
Waiting.
Dymas gripped the spear tighter.
The forest was not done with him yet.