As the Liu clan struggled to regain their bearings by the riverbank, far beyond their encampment Li Wei stood upon a stony ridge overlooking the same valley. The dawn mist clung to his boots as he folded a yellowed parchment over a worn emerald compass. He exhaled softly, his breath forming wisps that vanished into the chill.

"The directions in this domain are warped drastically," he murmured to himself, voice steady despite the fatigue that lined his eyes. "If it weren't for this compass, I'd have been lost by now." The instrument's needle spun erratically before settling toward a faint pulse of spiritual energy in the distance.

The very flare of the teleportation formation that had deposited the Liu clan hours earlier. He tucked both parchment and compass away and began his descent. Though the valley appeared tranquil beneath its shroud of fog.

It was a deceptive calm, as the soil carried traces of qi unlike any realm he had charted before. There was a discordant vibration, like a harp string tuned too tight.

Li Wei had already spent a day mapping this forsaken domain, a feat most cultivators would call madness. The terrain bent upon itself in folds and loops, its geography as unstable as the tempers of immortals.

He had encountered creatures that resembled shadows wrapped in husks of flesh, whispering in dead tongues, yet he had left them undisturbed. It was not courage that kept him alive, but restraint. "One who walks with blades in the dark must never provoke a sharper silence," he recalled from an old traveler's tale.

He had deliberated carefully before guiding the Liu clan to this hidden world, in order to relocate them within the empire would have been suicide. The Wu, Teng, and even remnants of the royal enforcers were already hunting their scent. This valley, though strangely perilous, was beyond mortal reach.

When he peered into the astral plane using his third eye, he had seen a web of pocket dimensions, each with its own strange spirits and deadly quirks. Some brimmed with demonic cultivators who tore their own souls for greater strength.

Meanwhile, others had become pagans that worshipped rogue deities long since fallen into madness. Compared to such abominations, this realm was almost merciful.

Almost.

As he walked, the wind stirred faintly and carried with it the scent of moss and old rain. The forest floor dipped, revealing a trail of prints that belonged neither to beast nor man. His eyes narrowed. "They're already moving," he muttered. "Then my time grows thin."

He broke into a jog, his robe trailing behind like a dark current. Every foot step he took sent subtle ripples of energy into the earth, aligning with the leyline's natural rhythm.

Even in haste, he paid attention to his environment. Flying, he knew, would be an invitation to disaster. The sky here was alive like a vast, unseen consciousness that tolerated no arrogance or folly.

Meanwhile, the Liu clan's encampment had descended into quiet anticipation. Ning Xue stood at the edge of the river, her reflection fractured by the current's eerie light. The mist grew more obscure, its tendrils winding through the trees like searching hands.

Across the camp, guards moved restlessly, blades half-drawn. Jia Lin's voice cut through the murmurs: "Double the watch! Keep the fires burning bright. No light, no safety."

Mei Yu was kneeling beside an injured elder, muttering softly as her hands glowed with restorative qi. The old man's breathing steadied, but his eyes did not open. "His spirit was shaken badly in transit," she whispered. "The leyline here clashes with our cultivation bases. If this continues, it will corrode our cores."

Ning Xue glanced toward the forest. "Then we must find a way to destroy it or make peace with it. A realm will naturally reject intruders, thus our options are limited."

"A good observation," Mei Yu murmured. "And there is plenty among us that can take up the task"

Before Ning Xue could respond, Leng Yue appeared from the mist, her hair damp, her blade slick with dew. "Movement," she said curtly. "Shapes in the fog, but not like any human I've seen. They watch, yet do not approach."

Jia Lin spat to the side. "Then they're hunting our scent. Let them try. Even ghosts can bleed." Ning Xue's expression softened, though her tone remained firm. "Steel may win a battle, but tactics win the war. These lands have their guardians, as all forgotten places do. Best not to draw their ire until Li Wei returns."

At the mention of his name, the others exchanged uneasy glances. None knew where he was, or how he had been after teleporting to this subspace. Mei Yu bit her lip. "Do you think he still lives?"

Ning Xue's answer came without hesitation. "If Li Wei were dead, the heavens would have wept blood." Far from their camp, the man himself paused atop a mossy rise.

Through the fog, he could faintly perceive their qi signatures, shaken yet steady. Relief flickered across his face. " At least they've survived." He knelt, pressing his palm to the ground. The soil responded, glowing faintly with threads of gold and green. The leyline's energy pulsed erratically, feeding on residual chaos from their arrival.

He felt it, a distortion in the current as the movements that weren't natural. His eyes opened sharply. "So, they've found them." He rose in one motion, summoning a talisman from his sleeve. The paper ignited in green flame, releasing a burst of guiding light that streaked toward the riverbank.

"Hold fast," he whispered. "Am closer than you think."

Back at the camp, the mist began to twist and shimmer. From its depths came faint whispers, their breaths low and rhythmic, like chants spoken underwater. The fires dimmed. Jia Lin's jaw clenched. "Form up!" she barked. "Protect the core elders!"

Leng Yue's blade slid free with a sound like ice breaking. "They're here."

Out of the fog drifted forms—tall, translucent figures draped in flowing robes, their faces shrouded by dripping veils. The air grew colder at each step they took, frost forming upon the grass. One raised its hand, and the river behind them churned violently.

Mei Yu gasped. "River spirits… they think we defile their sanctuary."

Ning Xue's eyes narrowed. "Then we have to use our words, not our weapons." She stepped forward, hands clasped before her chest, and bowed deeply. Her qi radiated outward like a flower blooming in autumn,it was soft, calm, like a ripple across still water.

"Halt! We are just travelers, not conquerors," she said, voice firm yet humble. "Our homes burned, our people scattered. Grant us the grace to rest upon your banks for the time being, and we shall not disturb your slumber."

For a breath, silence held. Then one of the spirits hissed, a sound like boiling air. The river flared with dark light. Jia Lin moved instinctively, interposing herself between Ning Xue and the apparition, twin blades crossing in defense.

Before violence could erupt, a gust of wind swept through the clearing. The mist recoiled, the spirits faltered slightly. From its heart stepped Li Wei.

His robe was torn at the hem, his eyes alight with authority that seemed to command even the restless dead. "Enough," he said, his voice resonating like a temple bell. "These people are under my aegis. You will find no hedonism here."

The lead spirit tilted its head, as if assessing him. Slowly, the hostility in the air waned, replaced by reluctant stillness. With a sound like retreating tide, the apparitions drifted back into the fog.

When the last wisp vanished, Li Wei exhaled, the tension bleeding from his shoulders. Ning Xue approached, bowing low. "Master Li. You found us." He smiled faintly. "I should hope so. It would be quite shameful to lose an entire clan I swore to look after."

Jia Lin lowered her blades but did not sheathe them. "What are these spirits? The air reeks of resentment." Li Wei's gaze swept over the river. "This place was once the site of a celestial war. Countless souls drowned here, mortals and gods alike. Their memories persist in the current, neither dead nor alive. We walk upon their graves."

"Then we have to tread lightly," Ning Xue said.

"Indeed," Li Wei replied. "But not to worry. The world gives face to those with strength tempered with grace. We will build anew here—until the day comes when Crescent Moon's debt is repaid."

He turned toward the forest, eyes narrowing. "And before that day, we will have to make this valley a place where the Liu can still thrive."

Thunder rolled faintly in the distance, echoing through the mist as the clan slowly gathered behind him.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.