Jian stirred, his breath shallow as his body fought to recover. The scent of burnt impurities lingered in the cave, a testament to the violent transformation he had endured. His spirit root had been strengthened, reforged by the fruit’s power. But Tao…

Jian’s eyes flickered open, and he immediately tensed. Tao sat cross legged across from him, his form unnervingly still, as if caught between wakefulness and slumber. Yet the air around him was different. He felt different. The cave, once thick with the residual Qi of their cultivation, now seemed almost barren in comparison to the energy radiating from Tao.

His breakthrough had pushed him further, far beyond what should have been possible.

Jian clenched his fists and pushed himself up, his limbs still heavy. "You… You broke through." His voice was hoarse, but the sharpness in his gaze was unmistakable.

Tao’s eyelids fluttered before he exhaled slowly and met Jian’s stare. "Yes."

Jian frowned. "To the Fourth Layer. I felt it happen."

Tao didn’t deny it. He couldn’t. The evidence was undeniable. His presence had changed. He was stronger, his Qi flowing through his meridians with newfound refinement. But Jian’s gaze darkened slightly. "Then why did you disappear?"

Tao stiffened.

Jian rubbed his temples, trying to shake off the lingering fog in his mind. "You were here, and then… you weren’t. It was like you flickered out of existence.” His breath slowed as he tried to grasp the memory. "And then I blacked out."

The moment he said it, doubt began to creep in.

Had Tao really vanished? Or was it just the lingering effects of the fruit? His breakthrough had been unlike anything he had ever experienced. The energy had torn through him, nearly breaking him apart. Wouldn’t it make sense if his senses were still unstable?

Tao studied him, his expression unreadable. Then he shrugged, his tone light. "You passed out from the strain. That’s all."

Jian exhaled slowly, running a hand through his damp hair. He wanted to press further, but his own uncertainty held him back. The fruit had altered him in ways he couldn’t yet understand. Could he really trust his memory of what had happened?

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After a long pause, he shook his head. "Maybe… Maybe it was just an illusion. A side effect of the fruit’s energy overwhelming my senses."

Tao nodded, not confirming nor denying. "That would make sense."

Jian sighed and leaned back against the cave wall, closing his eyes briefly. His body still felt foreign to him, stronger, yes, but also unfamiliar. There were too many changes happening at once, too many things he had yet to understand.

For now, he would let it go.

But a seed of suspicion had already been planted.

A few moments passed in silence, each of them lost in thought. Then Jian exhaled deeply and sat forward, reaching into his robes. "We can’t just sit here. We need to figure out what’s next."

Tao watched as Jian pulled out a rolled-up map they had taken from the Iron Tower Sect disciple, its edges worn from use. He unrolled it carefully, laying it flat between them. Tao leaned forward and looked at the intricate depiction of the region they had ventured into.

Jian traced a finger along the rough terrain, his brows furrowing. "The Obsidian Cloud Lotus should be here just on the edge of the Black Hollow Forest." He tapped a spot further west. "If we want to get there, we have two choices. We either take the direct route through the forest and risk running into spirit beasts, or we go around the valley, which will take at least three extra days."

Tao studied the map, his expression unreadable. "We’ve been gone from the sect for a while now If we take the long way around, who knows what we will encounter and how long it will take us to get back. We are also short on healing pills"

Jian nodded grimly. "We’d need to hunt along the way. That’s fine for food and replenishing our Qi, but medicinal herbs are harder to come by. If one of us gets injured…" He let the thought hang between them.

Tao glanced at him. "You think we should take the risk and go straight through?"

Jian hesitated before nodding. "It’s dangerous, but we’ve both advanced. We’re not as weak as when we first arrived here." He flexed his fingers, feeling the strength in his newly refined body. "We might be able to handle ourselves."

Tao’s eyes flickered with contemplation. He wasn’t just thinking about the beasts. After his time in the pocket realm, he had even more reason to press forward.

But Jian was right. The Wilds were unpredictable. The wrong encounter could end them both.

Tao sighed. "Then we need to prepare. We should rest for a few hours, let our bodies adjust to the breakthroughs, and then move at dawn."

Jian nodded, rolling the map back up. "Agreed. But before we sleep, let’s check what we have left."

They went through their supplies, taking stock of the medicinal pills. It wasn’t much, but it would last if they were careful.

As they worked, Jian cast a glance at Tao. The feeling of unease hadn’t left him. He still couldn’t shake the memory of what he had seen, or thought he had seen.

But for now, he let it be.

Tomorrow, they would move forward. One way or another.