Yoriichi, who was sitting near the fire, slowly raised his hands.
His body was still heavily wrapped in the white linen bandages from the forge explosion two months ago. Because the intense, continuous cultivation had demanded all of his focus and energy, he hadn't bothered to remove them, trusting the medicinal paste to do its slow, restorative work.
He reached up, his fingers grasping the edge of the bandages wrapped around his neck and the lower half of his face.
"Then we will leave tomorrow," Yoriichi announced, his voice muffled as he began to slowly unwind the linen. "We have reached our respective bottlenecks here. Sitting in this cave will no longer yield significant results."
He pulled the final strip of bandage from his face, dropping it onto the stone floor.
"We will try our new powers," Yoriichi continued, his crimson eyes locking onto hers. "We will venture into the deeper, more dangerous Red Zones of the trench. We must fight for experience. My foundation feels slightly unstable from the rapid ascension; I need the friction of live combat to solidify my Nine-Star realm. We can train out there for the next few days, gather fresh supplies if necessary, and then we will return to the academy."
Xiao Yu nodded firmly in agreement. "That makes sense. I need to test this liquid Dou Qi against a real target anyway."
"Furthermore," Yoriichi added thoughtfully. "Your current Qi Method is likely obsolete. I think you need a new Ice variant Qi Method to properly channel your new attribute. We will need to check the academy's inner library or the central auction houses when we return. The same applies to your Dou Skills."
"A new Qi Method?" Xiao Yu hummed, looking at her hands, feeling the freezing energy pulsing just beneath her skin. "You're probably right. This low-tier Xuan Qi method feels sluggish now, like trying to push a boulder through a straw."
She walked closer, her eyes scanning his newly exposed face.
"Are you sure you're okay to fight?" she asked worriedly, stepping into the warm glow of the firelight. "You can take all the bandages off now. It's been two months; the wounds should be fully healed. Let me see."
Yoriichi offered a slight nod. He slowly began unwinding the thick layers of linen from his hands, then his arms, and finally his torso.
The bandages fell away, revealing a body that had been fundamentally reforged in extreme cultivation. The pale, dense musculature of his chest and abdomen was mostly unblemished; while a few small, jagged scars from the desperate fight with the assassin still marked his flesh, they were already fading and would fully recover over time. They rested alongside the older, faint silvery line of the shrapnel scar over his heart. The bloody knuckles were perfectly healed, covered in a tough, resilient layer of calloused skin.
He rolled his shoulders, testing his mobility. The muscles moved smoothly, devoid of any stiffness or lingering pain.
"All good," Yoriichi stated simply, his voice returning to its resonant, clear depth.
Xiao Yu stood there, staring.
In the flickering orange light of the bonfire, the sheer, imposing physicality of her younger brother was undeniable. He looked like a seasoned, battle-hardened warrior sculpted from marble rather than normal teenage.
A sudden, intense blush exploded across Xiao Yu's cheeks, turning her face a brilliant shade of crimson. She quickly averted her gaze, her eyes darting toward the cavern ceiling.
"Ah... you should wear some clothes now!" Xiao Yu squeaked meekly, aggressively stirring the empty air with a wooden spoon to distract herself. "It's... it's cold in here because of the waterfall! Yes, very cold!"
Yoriichi paused, a fresh, clean dark tunic held loosely in his hands. He draped the fabric over his broad shoulders, casting a mildly perplexed glance at his sister.
"Hmm..." Yoriichi murmured, his head tilting slightly. "Why are you embarrassed over this? You are not a stranger. You have seen me since we were children. We grew up in the same courtyard, and I have seen you equally as often. It is just biology."
To his ancient, pragmatic soul, the human body was merely a vessel—a tool for martial arts. Modesty, in a survival situation between siblings, seemed like an entirely illogical emotional response.
Xiao Yu's face burned even hotter at his blunt, deadpan logic. She felt incredibly awkward, struggling to articulate the complex shift in their dynamic.
"Umm... I don't know!" Xiao Yu stammered, pulling her knees tightly to her chest. "It's different now! We aren't children anymore. We are adults! You can't just walk around half-naked and expect me not to notice that you suddenly look like... like..." She trailed off, unable to finish the sentence without dying of embarrassment.
Yoriichi smiled—a rare, gentle curving of his lips that actually reached his eyes.
"Oh, sure you are an adult," Yoriichi teased mildly, his tone dry. "You are currently pouting and hiding behind a spoon."
Xiao Yu puffed her cheeks out indignantly, throwing a small pebble at his leg, which he easily dodged with a minimal shift of his hip.
"Shut up and put your shirt on, you idiot!" she huffed, finally breaking into a reluctant laugh.
The tension dissolved, returning to the comfortable, warm domesticity they had cultivated over the past two months. Yoriichi finished dressing, and Xiao Yu returned her attention to the cooking pot, throwing in the last of their dried meat and spices.
As they ate their dinner around the crackling fire, the conversation flowed easily.
"So, what kind of beasts are we hunting tomorrow?" Xiao Yu asked between bites of stew. "Rank 2s? Or are we aiming higher?"
"We will start with high-tier Rank 2s to test your Dou Shi capabilities," Yoriichi answered methodically. "Once your liquid Dou Qi stabilizes under combat stress, we will attempt to locate a solitary Rank 3 beast. However, we must remain vigilant. The deeper zones are hide outs of mercenary bands likely for some, who are far more dangerous than the wildlife."
"I can handle mercenaries," Xiao Yu stated confidently, her eyes flashing with a cold, silvery light. "If they try anything, I'll freeze their blood."
"Confidence is good, but arrogance is fatal," Yoriichi cautioned softly. "Always assume the opponent is hiding a trump card."
They finished their meal, the ambient noise of the waterfall serving as a soothing lullaby.
As the deep night settled over the Abyssal Trench, they retreated to their respective bedrolls laid out near the warmth of the fire.
Xiao Yu fell asleep quickly, exhausted from her breakthrough, her breathing steady and deep.
Yoriichi lay awake for a while longer. He stared at the jagged rock ceiling. Tomorrow, he would finally test the true extent of his Nine-Star power against the savage reality of the world.
He closed his eyes, his breathing shifting into the quiet, rhythmic cycle and let the darkness claim him.