Author’s Note: Read the Author’s note below 👇
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Victor walked steadily along a snaking mountain path, carefully placing each step. The narrow trail barely had enough space for four people to walk side by side but it was still nevertheless still cramped and a single misstep could send him tumbling down into a mist-covered abyss below.
He slowed his pace and glanced downward.
"...Damn," he muttered.
The depth was unnerving. From this height, he couldn’t even see where the mountain slope ended. A thick layer of mist covered the depths below, making it impossible to tell whether there was solid ground—or just an endless fall to certain death.
It was uncertain if he was still on the right path to the Devil Forest but he continued onward regardless.
He wasn’t afraid of heights, but even someone with nerves of steel would find this place unnerving.
"Alright... One step at a time. No sudden movements," he told himself.
A strong gust of wind suddenly rushed past, causing his robes to flap wildly.
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Victor instinctively pressed his body against the rough wall of the cliffside as loose pebbles fell off the edge, disappearing into the mist below.
For a brief second, he wondered if he had made a mistake coming this way.
"This path is insane," he gritted his teeth.
He adjusted his balance and exhaled.
Step by step, he carefully moved forward.
The howling winds echoed in his ears, making the entire landscape feel eerily desolate. Aside from the occasional boulder and scraggly dead trees, the mountain seemed completely abandoned.
All of a sudden—a scream pierced the silence.
"HELP!"
Victor immediately snapped his head forward in response.
The voice had come from somewhere ahead, deeper into the winding mountain trail.
A second later, he heard it again, but more desperate this time.
"Looks like someone’s in trouble," he muttered.
Victor took a deep breath, gathered qi into his legs, and used Wind Dash—but only in short bursts.
His boots skidded against the loose gravel, sending more pebbles tumbling over the edge, but he ignored them and pressed forward.
Victor rounded the corner of the winding mountain path and immediately stopped in his tracks.
Up ahead, a cart-like carriage was tilting dangerously over the edge of the treacherous cliffside road. One of its large wooden wheels had already slipped off the path, leaving it hanging halfway in the air.
A four-legged sturdy spiritual beast with thick green fur and curved horns—was attached to the front of the cart, straining to pull it back onto the road. Its clawed feet scraped against the gravel, kicking up dust as it let out deep grunts.
Two armored men in reddish bronze armor were at either side of the cart, struggling to push it back onto the path. They had swords strapped to their waists, and their muscles were visibly tensed as they fought against the cart’s immense weight.
The situation was dire—the cart was slipping inch by inch, and if it went over the edge, both the beast and whatever was inside the cart would be lost to the depths below.
Then, Victor heard it again.
A feminine scream came from inside the carriage.
"HELP!"
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"Hold on—young miss... we will get it back on track..." one of the men grunted as he pulled with all his might.
A system notification appeared before Victor.
---
[New Task: Aid in the Rescue]
Objective: Help stabilize the carriage before it falls.
Reward: +5% Bloodline UnlockingProgress, +5,000 Qi Wisps, Small Favor from the Li Clan.
---
Victor didn’t hesitate. He sprinted forward and grabbed onto the back of the cart, digging his heels into the dirt as he pulled with everything he had.
"Push harder!" he yelled to the armored men.
The three of them pulled and pushed together, causing the cart to inch backward due to their combined strength. The spiritual beast let out a loud cry and pulled as well causing its massive hooves to scrape against the ground.
With one final pull, the wheel lifted back onto the road, and the beast managed to pull the carriage forward, stabilizing it.
Victor exhaled and wiped the sweat off his forehead.
A ding echoed in his mind.
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[Task Completed!]
Reward: +5% Bloodline UnlockingProgress, +5,000 Qi Wisps, Favor from the Li Clan.
---
The two armored guards turned to Victor with expressions of relief and gratitude.
"Young master, that was incredible! You saved our lady’s carriage," one of them voiced while bowing slightly.
The second guard bowed as well before climbing back into the carriage, while the first jumped onto the top of it and crossed his legs, keeping a watchful eye on the road ahead.
The carriage rolled forward a few feet before coming to a halt.
The armored guard inside the carriage stepped out again and turned to Victor.
"Young lady Li Yang would like to offer her gratitude," he said formally. "Please, step inside."
Victor blinked.
’Li Yang? Oh the Li name from the notification...’
Victor nodded and stepped into the carriage.
The moment he stepped inside, Victor froze.
Sitting elegantly within the lavishly decorated carriage was a woman of artistic beauty.
She wore crimson silk robes embroidered with golden phoenix patterns that was draped gracefully over her delicate frame.
Her jet-black hair cascaded down her back, adorned with golden hairpins and jade ornaments. Her skin was flawless, as if sculpted from the finest jade, and her almond-shaped eyes were as beautiful as the seven seas.
Despite her youthful appearance, there was a natural air of nobility about her—as if the world itself had to adjust to her presence.
This was Lady Li Yang.
Victor swallowed hard. ’Okay, she’s definitely someone important.’
Her crimson lips curled into a smile as she studied him briefly.
"You’re the young cultivator who aided us just now?" she asked in a voice that was both gentle yet commanding.
Victor bowed slightly out of courtesy.
"Yes, my name is Fang Chen," he said. "It was no trouble."
She nodded. "Fang Chen… a name I will remember."
She leaned forward slightly, analyzing him with her piercing gaze.
"You don’t seem to belong to any sect, nor do you wear the robes of a major clan. A rogue cultivator?" she mused.