Tao stirred, his body screaming in protest as he shifted against the rough stone floor. Every movement sent fresh waves of pain coursing through him, a harsh reminder of the battle with the Illusion Spinning Spider. He groaned softly, his fingers brushing against his side, where the venom’s burn had left an angry welt despite the healing pills.

Beside him, Jian let out a low groan as he sat up, wincing. His face was pale, streaked with dried blood from the gash on his forehead. “I feel like I’ve been trampled by an Ironhide Boar,” he muttered, his voice rough.

Tao gave a weak chuckle, though it hurt to laugh. “You look worse than that.”

Jian smirked faintly, but the expression quickly faded as he took in their surroundings. The cave’s dim light revealed the harsh lines of its rocky walls, and the faint smell of damp earth clung to the air. The only sounds were their own labored breaths and the occasional distant screech of a beast outside.

“We’ll need to stay here a while,” Tao said, forcing himself to sit up. His voice was steady despite the pain. “We’re in no shape to move far, and looking for another shelter is too dangerous.”

Jian nodded, leaning back against the wall. “Agreed. But we’ll need to keep the beasts out. You have anything left for an array?”

Tao fumbled with the storage ring on his finger, his Qi sluggish as he activated it. After a moment, he retrieved the stones needed for a basic Beast Repelling Array. Dragging himself to the cave entrance, he arranged the stones in a precise pattern, their faint hum forming a fragile barrier.

“It won’t stop anything strong,” Tao said as he limped back to his spot, “but it should keep smaller beasts away.”

Jian exhaled deeply, his hand brushing the hilt of his sword. “Better than nothing. Now, let’s see what we’ve got.”

They carefully laid out their spoils on the cave floor. Tao retrieved the fruits they had harvested from the tree, their faint glow casting eerie patterns on the stone. Beside them, he placed the spider cores, their dense energy radiating an oppressive heat.

“These fruits...” Jian murmured, picking one up and holding it to the light. “I’ve never seen anything like them. The Qi inside is incredible.”

“Too incredible,” Tao said, his tone cautious. “We don’t know what they’ll do. If the Qi is too wild or impure, it could cripple us instead of helping.”

Jian set the fruit down reluctantly. “Fair point. What about the cores?”

Tao shook his head. “We’d need a purification technique to safely draw Qi from them. Without one, we’d risk damaging our foundations.”

“Great,” Jian muttered. “All this treasure, and we can’t use any of it.”

Tao smirked faintly. “Not yet.”

They stored the fruits and cores back in the ring, turning their attention to the sword and techniques they had taken from the Ironwood Tower Sect disciples. Jian picked up the blade, running his fingers over its etched runes.

“This sword is better than anything we’ve got,” Jian said, testing its balance with a few light swings. “You should take it.”

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Tao blinked in surprise. “We already agreed you would take it. You should keep it.”

Jian shook his head, his expression firm. “Your sword shattered in the fight, and you’re the one who keeps pulling us out of trouble. Take it. Call it an investment in our survival.”

Tao hesitated, then nodded, taking the blade. Its weight felt perfect in his hand, and the faint hum of Qi within it resonated with his own energy. “Thank you,” he said quietly.

“Don’t thank me,” Jian said with a grin. “Just don’t break this one.”

They turned their attention to the techniques next. Jian examined the Ironwood Tower Sect’s sword manual, his eyes narrowing as he read the intricate diagrams and descriptions.

“This technique is advanced,” Jian said, his tone tinged with admiration. “If we adapt some of these principles, we could elevate our own sword arts.”

Tao nodded, though his mind was already racing with possibilities. The fluid, precise movements described in the manual could complement his Raging Waves Sword Art, adding a layer of unpredictability to its chaotic strikes.

Jian then picked up the jade slip containing the sect’s cultivation method. He hesitated. Unlike the sword techniques, which could be adapted, a cultivation method shaped the very foundation of a cultivator’s strength. His current technique, the one he had trained in since childhood, was already showing its limitations.

Tao noticed his hesitation. “You should take it,” he said quickly. “It’s better than the basic method we were taught.”

Jian’s grip on the jade slip tightened. “What about you?”

“I’ve got my own path,” Tao said. “This one suits you better.”

Jian studied the slip in his hands, a deep frown settling on his face. He had known for some time that his cultivation was progressing too slowly. His cultivation method was inferior to the core members of his sect. The fight with the Illusion Spinning Spider had made that painfully clear, his Qi reserves had drained too quickly, and his recovery had been sluggish. If they faced another beast of that level, he might not survive.

But taking a stolen technique from another sect was dangerous. Some sects built traps into their methods, ensuring that anyone who cultivated them without proper guidance would cripple themselves. Worse, if the Ironwood Tower Sect ever found out, they would be marked as thieves.

Still… he had no choice.

His jaw tightened. “If I don’t do this, I’ll be holding us back.”

Tao met his gaze, silent for a moment before nodding. “Then be careful. Test it first. If anything feels off, stop immediately.”

Jian took a deep breath and closed his eyes, guiding a thread of Qi through the first circulation path described in the jade slip. At first, everything felt smooth, but then, a sudden jolt of resistance made his breath hitch. It was like pushing against a locked door.

He clenched his jaw and forced his Qi through. Pain flared in his meridians, sharp and searing, but after a few moments, it faded. His Qi felt… different. He could already sense a slight improvement in efficiency.

He exhaled slowly. “It’s… manageable. Just different.”

Tao studied him. “Are you sure?”

Jian nodded. “It’s risky, but it’s better than staying weak.”

The hours passed in quiet recovery. Tao meditated, guiding the energy from the healing pill through his meridians to repair the worst of his injuries. The Unyielding Mountain Spirit technique steadied his mind, its slow, rhythmic flow grounding him amidst the chaos of the Wilds.

Jian practiced the Ironwood Tower Sect cultivation method in small increments, careful not to push too far. The initial resistance in his meridians lessened with each attempt, and his Qi felt more refined, more controlled. He also studied the sword manual, his movements growing more precise as he tested the principles described within.

Tao joined him, the new sword in his hand as he experimented with blending the manual’s techniques into his Raging Waves Sword Art. The blade moved with a new fluidity, each strike flowing seamlessly into the next.

By the time the sun began to set, they were both exhausted but stronger. The cave was still, the faint hum of the array their only companion.

“We’ve made progress,” Jian said, leaning back against the wall.

Tao nodded, his grip tightening on the hilt of his new sword. “But the Wilds aren’t done with us yet.”

Jian grinned faintly, his eyes gleaming with determination. “Good. Let them come.”