In the main plaza of the outer sect mountain, Sha Xiang stood over her opponent and sneered. The darkness wrapped around her dantian howled in delight, reveling in their victory.

“Just dump it out,” she said.

The boy, she couldn’t be bothered to remember his name, looked up at her. Blood trickled down from his split lip, and several bruises were already forming on his face. “Bandit,” he spat.

She kicked him. “I won. Don’t make me remind you.”

He finally obliged, dumping a pile of low-grade spirit stones on the ground. There were some paper talismans mixed in as well, along with a couple of pieces of jewelry inscribed with formation characters. It wasn’t the best haul, if she were honest. Her darkness laughed as she scooped up her winnings.

Qiao Xia looked on and shifted uncomfortably. Sha Xiang shot her a glance, and the other girl settled down. She had gotten a bit mouthy of late, saying they weren’t conducting themselves like “proper ladies of the Way.” Sha Xiang had slapped that nonsense out of her quickly enough. At least Cui Bao seemed to be enjoying himself.

With her spoils tucked away in her storage treasure, she looked around to see if there was anyone else around worth fighting. He Yu and his little crew had all disappeared from the mountain since their last fight, and with the absence of both Li Heng and Tan Xiaoling, a power vacuum had quickly emerged. Sha Xiang had been more than happy to step into it. That bastard, Xiao Jun, had told her to get stronger, after all. No better way to do that than to fight.

Of course, that damn princess had shown up again a few weeks back. She’d broken through and was now pushing around second and even third-year disciples. That was fine. Sha Xiang would catch her eventually. Once she dealt with Xiao Jun and showed him what real strength looked like. Her darkness cackled at the thought. Its glee was infectious. Just as she was about to give up on finding someone else to slap around before she went and bought another batch of pills, she saw someone who made her blood surge.

He Yu.

He’d entered through the sect’s main gate. He had Li Heng and that Yan Shirong kid with him. Her eyes narrowed as she saw the robe he was wearing. Made him look like one of those soft nobles. At least he still had his hair tied in a proper warrior’s bun. It seemed he’d gotten rich. She took a step towards him, and her darkness was in full agreement with her intent.

“He Yu!” someone called out. “I, Ma Peng, issue challenge! Accept or be named coward!”

Sha Xiang stared death at the soft-looking noble wearing an audacious green robe that strode across the square. He’d ruined everything. She was going to challenge He Yu. She should just attack them both. Ma Peng had only just reached the middle Foundation, while she was pushing up against the late stage. She could easily take them both on at once if she needed.

He Yu cocked his head to one side in that annoying way of his, acting for all the world like he was stupid or something. “Are you sure?” he asked. “I already beat you once.”

Sha Xiang could have spit blood.

“See? He refuses!” Ma Peng called, drawing a bit of a chuckle from the gathering crowd of disciples.

“I never said that. I just asked if you were sure.”

“I’ve advanced since we last met. The outcome won’t be the same, and I’ll take back my pride.”

He Yu shrugged. “Alright,” he said. “Should you start or should I?” His guandao fell into his hand. Sha Xiang’s brows drew together at that. The weapon certainly looked as though it had seen some use. What had he been up to? She’d half thought that he’d left the sect and gone back to Shulin.

Ma Peng shouted some battle cry about honor and drew his jian.

He Yu’s spirit broke over the square. It carried the scent of storm clouds heavy with unfallen rain, and the distant rumble of thunder. Wind tugged at the hem of Sha Xiang’s uniform as He Yu rushed Ma Peng. His skin had taken on a dull shine, like it was halfway between flesh and iron. Tiny arcs of lighting crackled in the winds that wrapped around his guandao.

He’d reached the peak of Foundation. No, she realized, he was already half a step into Body Refining. Worse still, his presence was almost fully formed. That was supposed to be near impossible before breaking into the Third Realm. Her darkness shrank and hid. She cursed its cowardice.

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The duel was over in seconds. Sha Xiang had already turned her back and was leaving the plaza before Ma Peng hit the flagstones. She had pills to buy.

* * *

He Yu took a single spirit stone from Ma Peng before sending him on his way. It would have been more insulting if he’d taken nothing, suggesting that Ma Peng was so far beneath him that he wasn’t even worth claiming a token of victory from. He’d already beaten Ma Peng once, and had other concerns, anyway. Once that distraction had been dealt with, He Yu set about to asking after Zhang Lifen.

It didn’t take him long to learn that she had returned several days earlier. Half carried by Ren Huang, looking terrible. Her robes had been scorched and sported a number of dark stains that the rumors swore were blood. While only a few disciples had managed to catch sight of the two of them, the whispers had spread quickly.

It was concerning that it had taken the two of them so long to get back. He Yu and his companions had moved as fast as they could, and it had still taken them two weeks. Zhang Lifen had vanished shortly after her return, apparently making good on her warning to He Yu that she’d be in seclusion until before the tournament.

Before He Yu could do the same, he needed to attend to some errands. A quick stop at the assignment hall saw them paid for their efforts in dispatching King Hao. Although he’d known both what the payment would be, and that it would be split three ways, it seemed paltry now. Just his uncollected stipend alone was half again as large as the job payment after the split. Then there was all the lucre they’d brought back with them.

The three disciples made their way to the sect market. It took them the better part of the afternoon to sell off and then apportion their newfound wealth. The core of the spirit serpent they’d harvested in those first days of their trip was the real prize. They managed to negotiate a price of six mid-grade spirit stones for it. It was the first time He Yu had even seen a mid-grade stone, and judging by Yan Shirong and Li Heng’s reaction, they represented a tremendous help toward his breakthrough.

The remainder of the evening saw them spending their riches on medicines and elixirs. Based on what Zhang Lifen had told him when He Yu had broken through to Foundation, if there was ever a time to stuff himself with pills, this was it.

He bought another Five Phases Refinement Pill on Li Heng’s recommendation, which cost him as much as his guandao had. The expense was far less painful this time around. He also bought a Flashing Cloud Elixir, which would help him with his heaven and wind aspects. To round out his cultivation base, he purchased a Hundred-Year Water Lilly—a spirit herb that had spent a hundred years growing in a pond located on one of the inner sect mountains. It was a good purchase as it didn’t need to be refined. Rather, it worked much like a spirit stone, allowing him to absorb its potent water-aspected qi directly.

Although water was the weakest aspect of his cultivation base, he saw little point in neglecting it. Especially since the next technique of the Cloud Emperor’s Heavenly Palace was called the Spring Rain Mirror. It didn’t take an expert to guess what aspect that technique took.

With their elixirs in hand, He Yu and Li Heng parted ways with Yan Shirong and headed back to their shared home. The comital scion was in good spirits as he bid them farewell, and it wasn’t hard to see why. Based on the way he’d talked over the course of their trip, He Yu had gotten the impression that he’d expected to take much longer to reach the Third Realm.

He Yu didn’t blame him.

He hadn’t expected to advance this quickly either. Now he was going to break through after spending a month and a half cultivating at the peak of Foundation. Thinking back to his reaction when Zhang Lifen had sent him out for this “training opportunity,” he shook his head. It was truly difficult to tell how much of what had transpired had been by chance, and how much by her design.

Just as He Yu and Li Heng approached the entrance to the men’s residential area, a familiar figure came bounding out of the evening gloom. Chen Fei had discarded her sect uniform, as many of the outer sect disciples had while he’d been gone. Now she wore the same sort of outfit that she had when he’d first met her.

It was all leather and felt, with gray fur trim along the hems and sleeves. There was, however, one new addition. A thick bear pelt was draped over her shoulders. It gave off a spiritual impression similar to what the skin of the serpent had.

“He Yu, I’ve missed you!” she said as she drew close.

Li Heng shot him a knowing smile. “I’ll let you two catch up.” Then, he offered a salute and a polite bow to Chen Fei. “Sect Sister Chen, it is good to see you. If you’ll excuse me, I have some matters to attend to.”

Now that he’d seen her and she’d mentioned it, He Yu realized that he’d missed her as well. “It’s good to see you,” he said. His heart started beating faster for some reason, he was suddenly very nervous.

“Nice robes,” she said. Then she grinned. “And you’ve advanced. Congratulations.”

He Yu briefly opened his spiritual perception with the Cloud Emperor’s Peerless Judgment. Chen Fei’s spirit had always been solid and full of strength, but now he could see it for what it was. She gave the impression of a mountain, rising above its neighbors. The stone roots of her foundation reached deep into the earth, drawing in yet more strength and vitality.

“So have you,” he said. “Late Foundation?”

She nodded. “Senior Brother Ren trapped me higher up on the mountain. That’s where I got this.” She gestured to the bear pelt.

“Here,” he said, gesturing to a nearby bench under a blooming peach tree. “You can tell me about it. I’ve got time.”

She gave him a brilliant smile that made his heart sing. He really had missed her.