Right after Wen Ran advanced to the Spirit Refinent stage, his body surged with such explosive power that it felt as if he would burst if he didn't release it. The overwhelming energy threatened to tear him apart, and Wen Ran knew there was only one way to ease the pressure — he had to hunt down those who had managed to slip away. Not a single soul could escape today — no one could be allowed to spread word of what had happened here. He knew that so experts would inevitably sense the disturbance, but he refused to believe they would dare to co and investigate.
Yet little did he know, there were indeed experts in this world so powerful that they had already witnessed what had transpired — and from that mont on, Wen Ran had beco their number one target. The day they crossed paths would be the day they struck him down without rcy.
When the final disciple of the Violet Lotus Foundry fell, Wen Ran stood among the blood-soaked ground, his crimson eyes scanning the battlefield. Bodies lay twisted and mangled, their lifeless stares frozen in terror. The air reeked of iron and death. Yet as his gaze drifted to the distance, his breath hitched.
There, barely breathing, was his master.
Wen Ran's steps faltered. His pulse raced as a strange weight settled in his chest. He clenched his fists tightly, trying to suppress the knot of emotion that threatened to overwhelm him.
"Master…" Wen Ran muttered, his voice unsteady. His words trembled on his lips, uncertain and conflicted. He didn't know why he felt this way. He didn't care about anyone in this world — at least, that's what he'd always believed. Yet this old man, this stubborn fool who had constantly plotted against him, sohow felt like the parent Wen Ran had never known. Despite their strained relationship — a delicate balance of mistrust and manipulation — his master had still co to his aid, ti and ti again.
Why did he do this? Wen Ran couldn't shake the thought no matter how hard he tried.
"Ha...ha…" The old man's laugh was weak, his voice brittle like dried leaves in the wind. His life force flickered dimly, a fragile fla on the verge of being snuffed out. "My dear disciple… look at the ss you've made," he wheezed. "This place looks like a devil's den now… haha! You really are sothing… even the heavens hate you… This has been a nice eye-opener for . I think... I even managed to benefit from that..."
Despite his failing body, the old man seed strangely content, and Wen Ran couldn't understand why.
Without a word, Wen Ran moved to support him, gripping his master's shoulder and carefully lifting him to his feet. The old man let out a sharp cry of pain but didn't complain.
"Save your strength, old man," Wen Ran muttered, his voice low but firm. "We need to get out of here before experts on your level show up and send us to hell before you even have a chance to recover."
He carried his master away from the battlefield, his steps heavy yet determined. They traveled far north, eventually finding shelter in a secluded cave roughly twenty li away. Wen Ran knew it wasn't far enough — if those powerful experts wanted to find them, this distance was aningless — but for now, it was their only option. The area was remote, and if they suppressed their cultivation bases well enough, they might just avoid detection. Disappearing, at least for a while, was the best course of action.
Wen Ran knew that even if they returned to the Heaven Shattering Sect, they would face severe consequences. Destroying another sect without the Sect Master's permission was a cri that could not be overlooked. His actions had brought disaster to their sect's doorstep, and their enemies would surely demand his surrender. The most powerful forces in the region would want his body — to study it, dissect it, and ultimately burn him alive for daring to practice demonic arts.
As for his master... he would likely survive. The old man's status as the Great Elder — the most influential figure beneath the Sect Master — would earn him a slap on the wrist at most. Wen Ran knew that much.
But …? He clenched his teeth. They won't just let die… they'll make suffer until my very soul is nothing but ash...
"Wen Ran..." The old man's voice was barely more than a whisper, each word scraping against his throat as he leaned weakly against the cold cave wall. His breath ca in shallow, uneven bursts, and his trembling arm reached inside his robes. His fingers fumbled clumsily before he finally drew out a worn spirit pouch. His hand shook as he held it out, the fabric stained with traces of blood.
"Take this..." His voice wavered, his strength slipping away like grains of sand through an open palm. "There are materials inside that will help you survive for a while... You must travel deep — to the edge of the world. There's a secret tunnel that leads out of this dinsion. In my pouch... there's a key... a key that unlocks it." His fingers clutched the pouch tighter for a mont, his arm trembling violently before forcing it forward. "Take it... and run... as far away as you can..."
His breath hitched, his frail body barely clinging to consciousness. Yet his gaze — fierce despite the weakness in his body — locked firmly on Wen Ran.
For Wen Ran, this mont weighed heavier than any battle he had ever fought. It was not a decision of power or survival — it was a choice between his pride and his future. To stay and fight would an facing death head-on, but to run... to flee like a coward, even if it ant living...
It gnawed at him.
"Shut it, old man," Wen Ran snapped, his voice rougher than he intended. His fingers curled tightly into a fist, nails digging into his palm. "I'll help you recover first — then I can run wherever I want." He moved closer, kneeling beside his master. His voice softened just slightly. "You've saved my life too many tis now... If I let you die here, what would be the point of my cultivation? What would be the point of this path I walk?"
His gaze darkened, but there was a flicker of conviction in his crimson eyes — a rare light that only appeared when his resolve hardened.
"I don't save people... I'm no hero," Wen Ran muttered bitterly. "But I repay kindness, no matter what. Even if people think I'm a fool for it... I'd rather live with a clean heart than develop a heart demon that could cripple my path to immortality."
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