CHAPTER 45: VIOLET SERPENT

For the first time, Kyrian was in a forest that was not so silent. The momentary silence was constantly broken by beasts fighting for territory and hunting each other.

Two weeks had passed, during that time, he only walked in a straight line, hunting beasts to eat when necessary and learning about his strength with all the beasts of similar power he encountered along the way.

His body had already fully adapted to the new environment.

Even so, Kyrian did not relax. What he knew from Wei Feng about the northern region was only a spark. It was simply far too vast. The forces of the region where the old man had always lived before fleeing to the End Mountains were, at most, median forces compared to the northern region as a whole.

But even that little was enough for Kyrian to understand that he was in completely unknown territory.

He needed to find a city, a force, to locate himself, but mainly to obtain resources. Without resources, even a talented cultivator would still take too long to advance.

He kept his guard high in the forest, sometimes avoiding beasts that his eyes saw from afar, especially those with cultivation much higher than his own. Perhaps he could kill them, using his blood or ice. But he decided not to risk it for now, leaving that for later, once he found a place and thought about his next steps.

Kyrian carried extremely high expectations for absolutely everything he had learned from Wei Feng. He wanted to see for himself, to feel on his skin what he had studied for the last ten years.

In the last few days, Kyrian also devoted some time to cultivation. But even though Qi was abundant, Kyrian felt it would take longer than he thought.

Qi poured into his dantian in abundance, condensing rapidly. But the amount he needed was simply absurd. Two weeks had passed, and he felt he was only halfway to the next stage.

The second of eight stages.

But this would be resolved once he managed to acquire more resources. Even though he required more Qi than others, Kyrian was not unhappy. After all, he would have more energy in a fight, more endurance. And also, more strength.

During his training with Wei Feng, Kyrian realized that using his eyes to control intent required an absurd amount of Qi.

Kyrian continued on his path, a faint smile unconsciously on his face the entire way.

While looking at the giant trees around him, he suddenly heard something. The air carried a different sound for the first time.

A metallic crash echoed in the distance, mixed with human voices and shouts of exertion. Kyrian froze for an instant, then tilted his head, focusing his hearing. The sound came from the east.

Without hesitation, he dashed in that direction.

The path led him to the edge of a cliff, giving him a perfect view of the clearing that appeared below. The scene revealed itself before his eyes.

Five youths, probably his age, all dressed in the same clothes, bluish-gray robes with a cloud-shaped crest embroidered on the shoulders.

They were not standing still but fighting together against a colossal creature. The largest living being he had ever seen.

It was a violet serpent. A beast he had learned about in the bestiary, its strength could be compared to the 4° stage of the Qi Accumulation realm.

Its body stretched dozens of meters and was as thick as the trunk of a centuries-old tree. Violet scales gleamed with a sheen, reflecting the sunlight.

It moved with extreme speed, making the ground crack. The beast’s eyes were yellow slits that shone with pure hatred, its forked tongue hissing in the air as it used its tail to defend and attack.

The clash between the beast and the youths was violent. Two wielded long swords, one girl held a spear, and the other two wielded long daggers. But despite their combined effort, they could barely scratch the serpent’s scales.

With every strike from the creature, the sound of metal rang in their ears, and the youths felt their arms and bodies tremble.

The weakest of the group was at the peak of the Body Refinement realm. And the leader, who was shouting orders, was at the 3° stage of the Qi Accumulation realm.

Kyrian remained still above the cliff, observing. His eyes followed every movement of the five and the violet serpent. The serpent had the advantage. Its brute strength was much greater, its speed surprising, and its scales seemed impenetrable, those weapons would not pierce it, making the battle unfair.

The youths seemed well-trained, but their attacks were not coordinated enough to overcome the difference in power. They probably didn’t have much experience fighting together against a superior opponent.

Then, as he watched, a mistake occurred.

One of the swordsmen, the youngest and weakest of them, with a still-childish face, failed to retreat in time. The serpent’s tail moved like a whip, striking him squarely. He managed to raise his sword just in time to shield himself.

But even so, the impact flung his body against a nearby tree, splitting the trunk before he collapsed to the ground, coughing blood.

A desperate scream came from the only girl among the youths.

"Junior Shan!"

The serpent wasted no time and lunged forward, fangs bared, ready to finish the fallen boy before he could rise. And before any of his companions could help.

Despair filled the eyes of the four remaining.

And it was at that moment Kyrian decided to act.

His body leapt from the cliff. His eyes closed completely. And in an instant, they opened again. Instead of deep crimson red, a blue the color of the sky appeared, along with a snowflake whiter than the clouds.

His body plummeted like lightning. In the air, his hand was already moving. From the ring on his finger, a black steel spear appeared, materializing in his palm with a cold gleam.

Qi surged from his dantian, directed through his entire body, not only that, his eyes glowed, and a frigid energy coursed through his arm and into the spear.

In the same instant, Kyrian twisted his body and hurled the weapon.

The spear shot across the clearing like lightning. The cutting sound rang out with the impact. The tip pierced the serpent’s body, slicing through the scales like paper and burying itself deep until it lodged in a rock beneath. The impact was brutal, cracks spreading across the stone in web-like patterns as frost spread.

The colossal serpent’s body shuddered as the frigid energy traveled through the spear into its body, freezing everything in its path. Blood didn’t even drip. Then it collapsed to the ground, raising a small cloud of dust.

"..."

Silence.

The youths froze, their weapons still raised. Their eyes fixed on the lifeless body of the beast that, moments before, had nearly crushed them. Their heavy breathing mingled with shock.

None of them understood exactly what had happened. Only that their companion’s death had been avoided by a thread.

Slowly, their gazes turned back. Kyrian had already landed in the clearing with a small impact on the ground.

He walked to the serpent, pulled the spear from its skull with a sharp motion, and spun it, resting it on his shoulder.

Then he spoke with the calmest voice he could muster.

"A few more seconds and all of you would be dead."

Kyrian only acted when he saw it was the most necessary moment. He wanted to save them, and in return, they would owe him. He would get all the information he needed.

The five youths stared at Kyrian standing atop the serpent’s head and swallowed hard. The first to react was the one who had been thrown against the tree.

He was still bleeding from his mouth, but he forced himself to stand, supported by his sword.

"Thank you... if it weren’t for you, I..." His words trailed off, replaced by a look of mixed fear and gratitude.

The girl who had shouted earlier, with clear eyes and a firm expression, stepped forward. She gave a short but respectful bow.

"We are from the Mu family, of Misty City. I thank you for saving our Junior brother. May I know your name?" She was as respectful as she could be, but not overly so, for she could see Kyrian was a youth like them.

Hearing this, Kyrian raised his eyebrows. Mu family. Misty City. Finally, names, people. His heart beat faster, but his expression remained neutral. He had found the source of information he needed.

"I am just a traveler. I ended up getting lost. While passing by, I heard the sound of battle and came to take a look." Kyrian’s eyes scanned the group again.

"Mu family?"

The girl saw that Kyrian was interested, so she grew excited.

"Yes, our Mu family is one of the three great families that govern Misty City."

"Mu Ning!" Suddenly, the girl’s words were cut off by the leader, who was standing in front of the others while helping the injured one to stand.

He was looking at Kyrian with a strange expression. Especially at his eyes.

"Is there... a problem? Brother Lin?" Mu Ning asked, glancing at the leader and then back at Kyrian. Only then did she finally focus on Kyrian’s appearance.

She immediately noticed how handsome he was. But most importantly, his unique eyes. She stepped back a few paces until she was beside the group’s leader.

For some reason, Kyrian noticed that they all seemed incredulous as they stared at him. No, at his eyes.

Suddenly, the group’s leader stepped forward, also bowing slightly.

"My name is Mu Lin. I thank our benefactor for saving us and our Junior brother. If you are willing, we would like you to accompany us to the city. Our Mu family does not forget debts."

Kyrian didn’t even think twice. It was exactly what he needed. A city, information, a starting point. Even better, within a family already recognized in the region. Things would move more easily.

"I accept. Show me the way there."

The youths were delighted, especially the leader and the girl, for some reason Kyrian would soon discover.

The image of the spear piercing through the serpent’s skull with a single strike was still fresh in their minds. The youths soon began to talk about it as the journey to the city began.