Hanyuan's silhouette was a flash of blue and white as he traversed the mountain passes. His Azure Cloud Footwork had reached a level of proficiency where his feet barely seemed to touch the ground, leaving only faint ripples in the dust behind him. Halfway to Spirit Springs City, the jagged mountain peaks began to flatten into rolling plains, and the massive stone walls of Zhang City appeared on the horizon.
Zhang City was a gargantuan merchant hub, a city where trade routes from all four corners of the Southern Continent converged. As Hanyuan walked through the gates, the sheer scale of the crowds made Spirit Springs City look like a quiet village. Mercenaries with scarred armor rubbed shoulders with wealthy silk merchants, and disciples from various minor sects navigated the streets with arrogant strides.
Hanyuan made a straight line for a prominent yellow painted skyscraper that towered over the market district: the Yellow Leaf Shop.
Inside, the air was cool and smelled of old parchment and precious metals. The first floor was a chaotic mess of haggling, but Hanyuan bypassed the counters and ascended the polished wooden stairs to the second floor.
He had a specific goal. While he had mastered the Silverfrost Spear Art, he couldn't simply copy the manual and give it to his kin,sect laws were absolute, and sharing their secret techniques with outsiders,even family,was a crime punishable by death.
He scanned the shelves of the martial arts section, his senses dismissing the Human grade scrolls. Finally, his hand settled on a jade slip bound in emerald silk.
[Azure Wind Spear Art]
Grade: Middle Spirit Rank.
Description: A style that focuses on the fluid, relentless nature of the gale. It emphasizes speed and follow through strikes.
The price was a steep 50 spirit stones. Hanyuan didn't hesitate. He paid the assistant, watching as the remaining 80 stones and the new manual vanished into his Storage Ring.
Elder Wei will be shocked, Hanyuan thought with a smirk. A Middle Spirit grade manual is something the Bai Clan hasn't seen in centuries.
As Hanyuan stepped out of the Yellow Leaf Shop and back into the humid afternoon air, his mind was already miles away at his father's dinner table. Distracted, he rounded a corner and collided with a wall of muscle.
"Watch it, you little brat!"
Hanyuan stumbled back a step. Standing before him was a burly middle aged mercenary with a broadsword strapped to his back and the smell of cheap ale clinging to his breath. Before Hanyuan could even open his mouth to offer a apology, the man's face twisted in drunken rage. He lunged, his heavy fist whistling through the air toward Hanyuan's face.
He actually wants to punch me for a simple bump? Hanyuan thought, his obsidian eyes going cold.
To Hanyuan's senses, the man's movement was as slow as a crawling snail. He could see the messy Qi circulation,barely at the 5th Layer of Qi Refining.
"Fool," Hanyuan spat.
He didn't move a muscle to strike back. Instead, he simply released his aura.
BOOM!
The 9th layer Qi Refining Aura exploded outward. The air around Hanyuan solidified, turning into a crushing, icy pressure.
The mercenary's fist stopped dead two inches from Hanyuan's nose. The man's eyes bulged, and the color drained from his face as if a plug had been pulled. Cold sweat drenched his tunic, and his limbs began to shake so violently his teeth rattled.
"I... I..." the man stammered, falling to his knees as the weight of Hanyuan's killing intent pressed down on his soul. "I didn't recognize your greatness! Please! Mercy! I was drunk, I... spare me, Great Immortal!"
Hanyuan looked down at the trembling man. The anger he'd felt a second ago vanished, replaced by a hollow disdain.
"I wanted to break your arm at the very least," Hanyuan said, his voice like cracking ice. "But now that you've started begging like a dog, the mood is gone."
He withdrew his aura as suddenly as he had released it. The mercenary collapsed into the dirt, gasping for air as if he had just been pulled from a frozen lake.
I want to get home as fast as possible, Hanyuan thought, refusing to let the city's filth linger on his mind. I've wasted enough time.
He tapped the ground, and before the gathered onlookers could even blink, his figure blurred, he vanished from the man's sight, leaving Zhang City behind as a mere memory.
The journey that had once taken days of arduous travel was now a mere sprint for Hanyuan. For an entire day, his feet run the miles nonstop, his Azure Cloud Footwork leaving a faint trail of mist across the Southern Continent's landscape.
Finally, the air grew humid and familiar. Hanyuan entered the dense eaves of the forest where he had first spilled blood,the place where Elder Wei had tested him and where he had fought beside Captain Zhang Hu and Aunt Yumei. As he walked beneath the gnarled oaks, he couldn't help but wonder if the mercenaries were still roaming the trade routes or if they had found a quieter life.
A Tier 1 Iron Toothed Wolf lunged from the shadows, followed by a pair of Bristle Back Boars. A year ago, these would have been life and-death struggles. Now, Hanyuan didn't even break his stride. With a casual flick of his fingers, arcs of violet lightning danced through the air, charring the beasts before they could even snarl.
He moved slowly through the final stretch, letting the memories of his childhood wash over him. He remembered the sting of his first wounds and the weight of his first wooden spear. By the time he emerged from the treeline, the sun was casting long, golden shadows across the familiar stone walls of Spirit Springs City.
Hanyuan felt a deep, genuine smile tugging at his lips as he passed through the city gates. The guards, busy checking merchant manifests, didn't recognize the tall, elegant youth at first. But as he approached the Bai Clan estate, the veteran Guards at the main gate froze.
"That... that face..."
"It's the Young Master! Young Master Hanyuan has returned!"
"Quickly! Alert the Patriarch! Call for Madam Ruo!"
Hanyuan ignored the growing commotion behind him, his boots clicking softly on the stone. "Finally," he whispered, "I am home."
To his surprise, the inner courtyards were eerily quiet. The training grounds were empty, and the servants were sparse. Then, the realization hit him. Right. The calendar... today is the Annual Clan Gathering.
He didn't head for the Main Hall. Instead, he steered his path toward the clan's Great Arena. He pulled the hood of his white disciple robe over his long black hair and completely suppressed his aura, blending into the shadows of the spectator stands like a common observer.
Below, the younger generation was locked in combat. His eyes immediately found a lanky, familiar figure. Bai Minghan was currently struggling against a branch family disciple, his movements clumsy and hesitant.
"I bet he slacked off the moment I left," Hanyuan chuckled quietly to himself.
His senses scanned his old friend. Minghan had only reached the 3rd Layer of Qi Refining. In the small pond of Spirit Springs City, it was an average result, but after seeing the monsters of the Mystic Sky Sect, it looked painfully slow.
If I can secure a stable position in the Inner Sect, Hanyuan thought, watching Minghan take a heavy blow to the shoulder, I'll definitely have to bring back some Star Breaker Pills for him. I can't have him looking this pathetic forever.
His gaze shifted upward to the high Elder Platform. The sight made his heart throb with nostalgia.
Elder Ling sat on the far right, still stroking his goatee as he watched his grandson's poor performance with a visible scowl. Elder Wei was beside him, looking as scarred and stern as ever, his hand resting on the hilt of his weapon. On the far left sat Elder Zhang, the oldest member of the clan, leaning heavily on his black Spirit wood cane with half closed eyes.
And there, in the center seat, was his father.
Bai Feng looked exactly as Hanyuan remembered, though perhaps a few more grey hairs touched his temples. The Patriarch's aura was steady, an unshakeable mountain in the eyes of the city.
Hanyuan leaned his back against a stone pillar, the shadow of his hood hiding the sparks that flickered in his eyes. The scene brought a flood of memories from three years ago,back when he was ten years old. He remembered the cold smirk on Bai Xueling's face as she drove him into the dirt. He remembered the crushing weight of his own inferior talent and the frustration of a boy who could only watch as others flew to the heavens.