Desert Leopards

Five black claws swept toward Quan Nha’s throat. The distance was too short, and the sword she had just brought down had not yet returned to guard.

Hao Nhien activated Spirit Wings for a brief burst. Translucent wings flashed into existence behind him and drove him sideways across the gap, carrying him in front of Quan Nha just as the leopard’s claws came down.

“Thud!”

His left arm rose across his body as spiritual power surged into it to protect the bones and meridians beneath. Even so, the strength of a third-rank demonic beast tore through his sleeve and carved three deep wounds into his flesh, sending blood streaming all the way to his wrist.

Hao Nhien had no time to inspect the injury. His right fist was already gathering power according to the Body Soul Fist Art before driving straight into the exposed chest before him.

The heavy force of the blow slammed into the leopard, knocking it off course and sending it sideways before it skidded across the sand. Hao Nhien was also forced backward by the recoil, his feet carving two long furrows before he finally came to a stop.

The leopard had barely hit the ground when it coiled and lunged back at him. One eye had been torn open by Quan Nha’s sword, blood running down the side of its face, but the injury only seemed to make it more savage.

Several zhang of distance vanished within a single breath.

Hao Nhien activated Spirit Wings a second time, twisting aside from the pounce before immediately drawing the Tieu Dao Sword. Two bursts in such quick succession had noticeably drained the spiritual power in his dantian, but there was no time to think about that now.

The leopard twisted with astonishing speed and swept its left claw across him. Hao Nhien brought his sword back to block, and the impact traveled through the blade into his arm, leaving his wrist numb.

At that exact moment, a wave of cold swept low across the sand.

Lam Tuyet did not attempt to freeze the entire beast. Moisture gathered only around one of its forelegs, hardening the sand beneath its paw for an instant while a thin layer of cold clung to the joint.

Its movement faltered for a beat.

Quan Nha moved at once, entering from the blind side of its injured eye. She did not use Charm Eyes again. Instead, she seized that opening and slashed diagonally from its shoulder toward its flank.

Blood quickly stained its yellow-gray fur.

The leopard roared and whipped around toward her.

Hao Nhien had been waiting for exactly that.

The Tieu Dao Sword followed the wind and stabbed into the softer flesh beneath the foreleg that Lam Tuyet had slowed. The blade pierced through skin and muscle before striking bone, forcing the beast to wrench its body aside and sweep its tail behind it.

Hao Nhien withdrew his sword and retreated. Quan Nha avoided the brunt of the strike, but the force still clipped her shoulder and sent her stumbling several steps.

On either side, the two late second-rank Desert Leopards were still trying to tear apart the formation. Trieu Phong and Tieu Van held one flank, while Lam Phong and Luu Hoa guarded the other. Neither pair could kill its opponent, but neither allowed the beasts to circle into the center.

Hao Nhien spared them only a glance before returning his attention to the leader.

Its eye, shoulder, and foreleg were all wounded. Blood flowed more freely now, but its aura had not weakened enough to be taken lightly. The clearest change was that it had stopped charging recklessly and had begun to retreat one step at a time.

Hao Nhien understood at once.

The hunt was no longer worth the cost.

Its instinct to survive was beginning to overpower its instinct to kill.

“Don’t push too far.”

He had barely spoken when the leopard gave a low growl.

The two second-rank beasts reacted almost simultaneously. One accepted another cut from Tieu Van’s blade to break free of Trieu Phong’s pressure, while the other charged straight through one of Luu Hoa’s lines of fire before turning to flee.

The leader stared at Hao Nhien for another beat, then spun and raced after them. Its injured foreleg made its stride slightly uneven, but it was still far too fast for the squad to risk giving chase.

Trieu Phong gave no order to pursue.

Hao Nhien stayed where he was as well.

The three yellow-gray figures quickly disappeared behind the low shrubs at the edge of the oasis, leaving only a broken trail of blood across the sand.

No one relaxed immediately.

Hao Nhien continued staring in the direction they had vanished for several breaths before finally sheathing his sword.

Only then did the pain in his left arm truly make itself known.

Tieu Lan had already come over.

She did not ask whether it hurt. She took one quick look at his arm, pulled him down to sit, then poured medicinal wash over the wounds to clean away the sand and blood before covering the three deep cuts with Hemostatic Powder.

Hao Nhien flexed his fingers experimentally.

Tieu Lan watched for a moment before saying, “The tendons weren’t hit, but Young Master shouldn’t put too much force through your left arm for the next two days.”

“Mm.”

She continued wrapping the arm. Her movements were much faster and steadier than before, without the fluster she had shown the first few times she had to treat injuries immediately after battle.

Quan Nha stood not far away.

The force from the leopard’s tail had struck her left shoulder. There was no obvious external wound, but her aura remained slightly unsettled. A faint trace of blood still lingered at the corner of her lips from the earlier backlash of Charm Eyes.

Only after regulating her breathing did she walk over.

“How is your arm?”

“Not serious.”

Hao Nhien glanced at her shoulder.

“And you?”

“Just a little backlash.”

He nodded.

“Next time, don’t close in too deeply right after using Charm Eyes. A third-rank demonic beast breaks free of its influence faster than you think.”

Quan Nha was silent for a moment before replying, “I know.”

She did not thank him again, and Hao Nhien did not mention how he had stepped between her and the leopard’s claws. They simply looked at each other for a brief moment before turning toward the others.

Trieu Phong was examining the streaks of blood left across the sand.

“They weren’t lightly wounded.”

Tieu Van wiped one of his short sabers clean.

“But they still ran faster than I could.”

Lam Phong lowered his round shield beside his leg.

“If the one on my side wanted to run, I couldn’t keep it either.”

Luu Hoa looked toward the direction the three leopards had disappeared.

“At least we didn’t let them break the formation.”

“That is what matters.”

Trieu Phong straightened.

“Not everyone needs to kill a third-rank demonic beast on their own. Lam Phong holds the line, Tieu Van forces angles, Lam Tuyet slows them down. All of those roles matter.”

He looked toward Hao Nhien, then Quan Nha.

“But that fight also showed us something. If Hao Nhien is tied down by a strong opponent, the rest of us lack someone capable of placing direct pressure on a third-rank demonic beast.”

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No one disagreed.

Luu Hoa had only recently entered mid Foundation Establishment and had not yet fully stabilized his realm. His Fire affinity was also still better suited to ranged attacks and controlling an opponent’s movement. Quan Nha possessed both swordsmanship and Charm affinity, but at Qi Condensation level nine, neither her body nor her true qi was enough to maintain pressure against a third-rank opponent for long.

Trieu Phong did not continue the analysis.

“Leave the oasis first.”

This was clearly no longer a suitable place to remain.

The squad quickly gathered what they needed and left the lake in a direction different from the one the three leopards had taken. They traveled for nearly half a day, crossing two large stretches of dunes before finding a low rocky area with open sightlines and no fresh traces of demonic beasts.

Only after everyone had settled into their resting positions did Tieu Lan gently tug at Hao Nhien’s right sleeve.

He turned toward her.

She stepped a little closer and lowered her voice.

“Young Master.”

“Mm?”

Her gaze briefly passed over Quan Nha in the distance before she took out a small jade bottle.

The moment Hao Nhien saw the seal around its mouth, he froze. When Tieu Lan loosened it slightly, the familiar medicinal fragrance immediately made his expression turn serious.

“A Foundation Pill?”

Tieu Lan nodded.

For several breaths, Hao Nhien said nothing.

Ten thousand points.

He had once spent nearly everything he had gained in the Inner Secret Realm to exchange for one of these pills. More than anyone here, he understood exactly how valuable the object in her hand was.

“Master gave it to you?”

“Yes. Before Young Master exchanged for one yourself. Afterward, I planned to return it, but Master only told me to keep carrying it.”

Hao Nhien looked at the jade bottle for another moment. Whether Phong Van Tu had merely been preparing for unexpected circumstances or had anticipated something else, he could not know.

His gaze moved toward Quan Nha, then toward the distant dunes where the Desert Leopards had disappeared.

“You want to give it to her?”

Tieu Lan nodded softly.

“If Sister Quan Nha becomes stronger, everyone will be safer.”

Hao Nhien was silent for a moment before replying.

“All right. Let me speak to her.”

That evening, when Tieu Lan brought out the jade bottle again, the others sitting nearby did not notice at first. Only when she opened the seal and the clear medicinal fragrance spread through the air did Luu Hoa turn his head.

His expression changed immediately.

“Wait.”

He straightened.

“Is that a Foundation Pill?”

Tieu Van, who had been cleaning his twin short sabers, snapped his head up.

Lam Phong said nothing, but his gaze fixed on the bottle.

Even Lam Tuyet, who rarely showed much emotion, paused.

“Is that really a Foundation Pill?”

Tieu Lan nodded.

The area around the fire immediately fell quiet. Everyone present understood how precious such a pill was. For a cultivator at Qi Condensation level nine, it could mean the difference between remaining trapped for years and gaining a genuine chance to step into Foundation Establishment.

Quan Nha turned her head.

Hao Nhien stood a short distance away.

He nodded.

“You’re already at Qi Condensation level nine. Use it.”

Quan Nha did not accept it immediately.

Hao Nhien continued.

“You saw what happened this morning. If you enter Foundation Establishment, it won’t only strengthen your swordsmanship and Charm affinity. The squad will also gain another person capable of directly pressuring a third-rank opponent.”

Quan Nha looked toward Tieu Lan.

Tieu Lan did not urge her. She simply held the jade bottle in her hand.

Quan Nha stared at the pill for a long while without reaching for it.

“No.”

Her voice was lower than usual.

“This is too valuable.”

Tieu Lan only said, “I know.”

“It was meant for Hao Nhien.”

“Young Master has already reached Foundation Establishment.”

Quan Nha still did not move.

“That doesn’t mean something like this can simply be given to me.”

“No one said it was being given casually.”

Hao Nhien stepped forward.

“I know better than anyone here how much it is worth.”

He looked toward the darkness beyond the rocky ground.

“But I don’t think those Desert Leopards have truly given up. You and I were both directly responsible for wounding their leader. If they continue following us, we may still be their targets.”

He looked back at her.

“Don’t think too much about it right now. Improving our ability to deal with what comes next is more important. As for how much this pill is worth, or whose favor we owe for it, we can settle that together later.”

Only after a long silence did Quan Nha finally accept the bottle.

“All right.”

She paused.

“I’ll remember this.”

Tieu Lan smiled.

“That’s enough.”

That night, Quan Nha spent the entire time recovering and settling her condition.

The next morning, after the squad had rested fully and confirmed that there was nothing unusual in the surrounding area, the other seven divided the watch among themselves while Quan Nha sat cross-legged beneath a low rock wall.

She swallowed the Foundation Pill.

Its medicinal power spread through her body, protecting her meridians and dantian while her own true qi began to transform.

Hao Nhien stood at the outer perimeter, keeping most of his attention on the surrounding desert. Even so, he noticed every shift in the aura behind him.

About half a shichen later, Quan Nha’s Charm affinity began to fluctuate more strongly.

The backlash from her clash with the Desert Leopard seemed to have left some lingering effects. At moments, the aura around her became unusually deep and cold, reminding Hao Nhien of what he had once sensed on Python Mountain.

But this time, there was no sign that she was losing control.

The fluctuations lasted only briefly before slowly drawing inward.

Her true qi also began to change. The process was not fast, but it remained steady.

More than one shichen passed.

The aura surrounding Quan Nha suddenly contracted, then a deeper and heavier spiritual power spread outward.

She kept her eyes closed for a while longer, stabilizing her new state.

When she finally opened them, her realm had completely changed.

Early Foundation Establishment.

Tieu Lan was the first to approach.

“Sister Quan Nha, congratulations.”

Quan Nha looked at her and nodded.

“Thank you.”

Tieu Lan stepped closer and gently hugged her.

Quan Nha paused for a moment, then soon placed a hand against Tieu Lan’s back. The embrace lasted only briefly before they separated.

Luu Hoa laughed from nearby.

“Looks like our squad has another Foundation Establishment cultivator now.”

Tieu Van looked from Quan Nha to him.

“You only broke through yesterday. Don’t make it sound like this was your achievement.”

The atmosphere finally lightened.

Trieu Phong examined Quan Nha’s aura before saying, “Don’t push yourself for the next two days. Stabilizing your realm comes first.”

Quan Nha nodded.

“I understand.”

Hao Nhien approached last.

“If we run into that leopard from yesterday again…”

Quan Nha looked at him, the corner of her lips curving slightly.

“I won’t only make it hesitate for half a breath this time.”

Hao Nhien smiled.

“Good.”

Over the following days, the change gradually spread through the entire formation.

Quan Nha still could not hold a third-rank demonic beast alone, but when she fought alongside Hao Nhien and Luu Hoa, she had become an offensive point capable of sharing real pressure. Lam Tuyet grew increasingly precise in how she used terrain and Water affinity. Lam Phong held the center more securely, while Tieu Van learned to wait for true openings instead of rushing forward too early.

Tieu Lan remained within the protected area, but treating injuries while the squad was still moving had become almost instinctive. Trieu Phong remained the one who controlled the overall rhythm. After nearly half a month, all eight of them had begun to know where the person beside them would move before an order had even been fully spoken.

But the Western Wastes did not leave them entirely undisturbed.

Ever since the battle at the oasis, Hao Nhien occasionally felt as though something was following them.

Once, near sunset, he saw a yellow-gray figure standing atop a distant dune. By the time he turned fully toward it, only sand remained, sliding down the slope in the wind.

On another occasion, Trieu Phong discovered fresh beast tracks outside the perimeter of their night camp. They appeared for only a few steps before vanishing across exposed stone, not enough to identify what had left them.

Even Quan Nha once turned around while they were traveling.

Hao Nhien asked, “Something there?”

She stared at the dunes behind them for a while before shaking her head.

“Not sure.”

No one could say whether those signs truly belonged to the Desert Leopards that had escaped, or to some other danger roaming the Western Wastes. From then on, however, the squad never neglected its rear watch.

On the eleventh day, Trieu Phong spread the map across a flat rock. Their marked route through the east and southeast had already formed a broad arc around nearly half of Third City’s outer region.

Hao Nhien studied the distance back.

“That’s enough.”

Trieu Phong nodded.

“Three days if we travel directly. Four if we have to avoid beast packs or run into a sandstorm.”

Tieu Van sighed.

“I thought deciding to go back meant I’d be sleeping inside the city tomorrow.”

“You can sleep on the sand.”

Lam Phong answered.

The mood lightened slightly, but the squad quickly began packing.

Their gains from the journey were far from small.

The squad’s storage bags held a considerable number of first-rank and second-rank beast cores, several third-rank cores taken from more dangerous battles, and a large amount of valuable material such as hides, claws, venom sacs, and other parts that could be used for artifact refinement or exchanged for points. Tieu Lan had also gathered several medicinal herbs that only grew in the dry, scorching environment of the Western Wastes, including a few varieties that were not always easy to obtain even within the Thanh Van Sect.

Trieu Phong had recorded most of the materials according to squad rules. Anything particularly suitable for one of them would be given priority for personal use, while the rest could be sold or exchanged after they returned to Third City.

Tieu Van had already joked that the haul should at least be enough to replace his twin short sabers with a better pair.

Lam Phong merely looked at his round shield, now covered in scorch marks and claw scratches. He said nothing, but everyone understood that the first thing he wanted to do upon returning was have it repaired or reinforced.

Hao Nhien had no objection.

After so many battles, the limitations of their current equipment had become increasingly obvious. If they truly intended to venture deeper into the Western Wastes, what they had now would not be enough.

The Wind and Cloud Squad turned back toward Third City.

The next three days passed without any major battles, but the journey was hardly leisurely. They avoided two regions showing signs of concentrated beast activity, lost nearly half a day to a sandstorm, and maintained the same watch every night.

The feeling that something was silently following them never completely disappeared. Once, while crossing a long stretch of dunes, Hao Nhien again saw a distant yellow-gray figure on a sandy ridge.

It vanished in the blink of an eye.

By the end of the third day, the first signs of Third City began to appear. Patrol markers came first, followed by fresh wagon tracks and footprints across the sand.

By the afternoon of the fourth day, the city walls finally emerged through the shimmering heat along the horizon.

Tieu Van let out a long breath when he saw them.

“Finally back.”

But the closer they came, the more the smile faded from his face.

He was not the only one who noticed.

There were far more patrols outside Third City than before. The number of soldiers stationed along the walls seemed almost doubled, and figures moved constantly between the watchtowers. The gates remained open, but everyone entering or leaving was being inspected far more carefully than usual.

The atmosphere was completely different from when they had departed.

Trieu Phong slowed.

“Something happened.”

Hao Nhien felt the same.

Fifteen days ago, Third City had been tense, but its rhythm had remained normal. Now the atmosphere felt like a cord that had been pulled far tighter.

The Wind and Cloud Squad continued toward the gate.

They were still more than a hundred zhang away when Hao Nhien’s gaze suddenly paused.

A faint sensation brushed across him.

It was not killing intent.

Nor was it spiritual power pressing directly against him.

It was simply the feeling that someone had just looked at him.

From above.

Hao Nhien raised his head.

Among the figures moving along the city wall, it seemed as though someone had just stepped away from the edge.

When he looked more carefully, no one was there.