Return to the Light

The Cosmic Ark moved silently against the current of the underground river.

The black water beneath the boat continued to flow slowly, without large waves or violent whirlpools, but only when traveling against the current did Hao Nhien clearly feel the quiet resistance accumulating along the way. It was not strong enough to stop the Cosmic Ark, yet it pressed steadily against the hull, slowing his progress considerably.

Hao Nhien stood at the bow, one hand resting on the hilt of the Fire Spirit Sword while the other maintained a small ball of flame floating in front of him. Orange-gold light illuminated the cavern ceiling, reflected across the damp walls of earth and stone, and stretched distorted shadows behind him.

At first, the distance between the water and the cavern ceiling was still considerable. But after nearly half a day of traveling upstream, the rocky ceiling gradually lowered. The thick layers of black stone surrounding the Heavenly Spirit Merchant Association had long since disappeared, replaced by hard earth, sandstone, and layers of loose rock mixed together.

At times, Hao Nhien only had to raise his head to see dry roots piercing through the soil above, some still retaining a grayish-brown color instead of having completely decayed.

He immediately stopped the Cosmic Ark.

His spiritual awareness slowly extended upward.

Its range was obstructed by the earth and rock and could not reach very far, but this time he could no longer sense the same thick layers of stone as before. Above him was mostly earth, sand, and loose rock that did not seem particularly solid.

Hao Nhien's expression shifted slightly.

If tree roots could already reach this deep, then the distance from his current position to the surface should no longer be very great.

He observed the river for a while longer before returning the Cosmic Ark to his Sea of Consciousness. Continuing along the underground river might lead him to a natural exit, but there was no telling how far the water still wound beneath the earth. Now that there was a clear sign that the surface lay directly above him, continuing farther might not be the better choice.

Hao Nhien stood on a protruding section of earth beside the river and looked up at the dark layer of soil overhead. Spirit Wings appeared behind him, the translucent wings opening only enough to reduce the burden on his body and help him maintain his balance on the nearly vertical terrain.

The Fire Spirit Sword appeared in his hand.

This was also the first time he would truly use the sword he had obtained from the hidden chamber for something that required actual force.

Hao Nhien sent spiritual power into the blade. At first, the gray-black sword only trembled faintly. When he allowed his Fire affinity to merge with the flow of spiritual power, the patterns running along the spine of the blade began lighting up one after another in dark red.

The heat did not erupt outward as flame. Instead, it remained contained within the sword, making the entire blade resemble a piece of metal freshly drawn from a furnace.

Hao Nhien chose a relatively weak point in the earth and stone above, then swung.

A dull impact echoed through the tunnel.

Spiritual power carrying Fire affinity followed the blade deep into a crack in the rock. The hardened earth immediately dried out, while fractures spread rapidly to both sides. As the force of the strike continued downward, a large section of stone broke free and fell into the river below.

Hao Nhien studied the cut for a moment. The result was better than he had expected.

The Fire Spirit Sword was not as sharp as the Tieu Dao Sword, but its body was thick enough to withstand heavy force, while the Fire patterns allowed Fire-attributed power to travel through it far more steadily. When he needed to break through something solid or rely on direct power, it was clearly far more suitable than the broad sword he had once taken from Black Wind.

Hao Nhien continued upward. Each time he opened another section of the path, Spirit Wings helped lift him several zhang higher before he searched for another foothold.

The higher he climbed, the narrower the space became. Broken earth and stone constantly fell beneath him, forcing Hao Nhien to take care not to let his retreating path become completely buried. After several dozen zhang, he stopped inside a small hollow he had just opened.

His breathing had grown heavier, though not enough to cause discomfort.

Hao Nhien rested the Fire Spirit Sword against his shoulder and looked down into the darkness below. The sound of the underground river had become distant, reaching him only as a faint echo.

"Using a sword to dig a tunnel really isn't something I should do often."

He gave a quiet laugh.

If he had not possessed the Fire Spirit Sword, if the Cosmic Ark had not protected him through the spatial rift, or if the underground river had not happened to carry him beneath a region where the earth was thinner, this fall might truly have turned into a trap that would not have been easy to escape.

After resting for a while, Hao Nhien continued upward.

From this point onward, the composition of the ground changed noticeably.

Loose rock became increasingly scarce. The hard earth also thinned, gradually giving way to dry yellow sand layered between the sediment. Each time the Fire Spirit Sword struck, the heat no longer fractured large slabs of stone. Instead, it made the earth ahead dry and brittle before the force of the sword blasted it apart to either side.

Sand continuously poured downward. Hao Nhien immediately reduced the output of Spirit Wings and pressed himself against one side of the shaft to avoid the flowing sand.

He knew he was very close to the surface.

This time, Hao Nhien did not strike again immediately. He closed his eyes and sent his spiritual awareness through the sand above.

There was still resistance, but the layer was not thick.

He sensed no powerful spiritual fluctuations, no large spirit beasts nearby, and no signs of battle. All that reached him was the faint movement of sand across the surface and the desert wind constantly sweeping overhead.

Hao Nhien withdrew his spiritual awareness.

He channeled Fire affinity into the Fire Spirit Sword one final time, chose a point above, and struck hard.

The layer of earth and sand split apart.

Light poured through the opening.

After several days of seeing nothing but stone lamps, fire, and darkness beneath the earth, the brightness was so intense that Hao Nhien had to narrow his eyes.

He put away the Fire Spirit Sword as Spirit Wings opened wider behind him. His body immediately became lighter, and his feet repeatedly pushed off the remaining solid points along the shaft as he shot upward through the opening he had created.

A large amount of yellow sand poured down behind him.

Hao Nhien broke through the final layer and burst out into the open.

Hot wind immediately struck his face, dry and harsh, carrying the scent of dust and sand baked beneath the sun.

Hao Nhien stood on a low dune and took a deep breath.

Before him stretched a vast golden expanse reaching all the way to the horizon. Dunes rose one after another in endless layers, while the sun hung high in a sky so blue it almost hurt to look at. There was no longer the smell of damp stone, no sound of underground water, and no sensation of countless layers of earth pressing down from above.

He had returned to the Western Wastes.

Hao Nhien withdrew Spirit Wings and remained still for a while longer to determine his direction.

There were no obvious landmarks nearby. He climbed onto a higher dune and observed the surroundings for a long time before noticing a low rocky ridge to the northwest, with three outcroppings rising almost parallel to one another. The formation was distinctive. He had seen it on a map of the Western Wastes in Lieu Thien Van's study and had later passed through a similar region while traveling toward Sinking Sands with Lanh Hoa and Luu Thanh.

Hao Nhien compared the terrain with the map in his memory. If he had identified it correctly, this place was roughly two days of travel from the area where the battle with the Sand Fox King had taken place for an ordinary group.

At his current speed, he would not need nearly that long.

Hao Nhien was about to leave when his gaze fell on the Tieu Dao Sword.

A memory immediately surfaced.

During the final battle with the Sand Fox King, when the beast had forcibly broken into the fourth rank and his own Berserk had erupted to its limit, he had once been thrown high into the air. At that moment, the explosive surge of spiritual power lasting only a few breaths had allowed him to forcibly use the Tieu Dao Sword as a foothold in midair.

He still remembered that sensation clearly.

After thinking for a moment, Hao Nhien summoned the Tieu Dao Sword.

The silver sword floated before him.

He did not step onto it immediately. Instead, he first adjusted his spiritual power, wrapped the blade in his spiritual awareness, and tried to reproduce the method of control he had used during that battle.

The Tieu Dao Sword slowly lowered.

Hao Nhien placed one foot on it. Spirit Wings opened behind him, maintaining only enough power to reduce the weight pressing down on the sword. When his other foot left the sand, the blade dipped slightly but still managed to support him.

Hao Nhien's eyes brightened.

He tried urging the sword forward.

At first, everything remained fairly stable. The Tieu Dao Sword carried him over the sand at a low altitude, gradually increasing its speed. But after little more than ten breaths, problems began to appear.

The sword started trembling.

Supporting his weight while controlling direction and maintaining speed at the same time consumed spiritual power faster than he had expected. More importantly, his spiritual awareness was not yet refined enough to continuously control so many factors at once. Spirit Wings could reduce some of the burden, but they could not control the Tieu Dao Sword in his place.

You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

Hao Nhien did not force it. He immediately lowered the sword and stepped back onto the sand.

The Tieu Dao Sword returned to his hand.

Hao Nhien looked at it for a while, but there was no disappointment in his eyes.

This attempt had at least proven that what he experienced during the battle with the Sand Fox King had not been a one-time accident that could never be reproduced. He truly could stand on the Tieu Dao Sword for a short time. His cultivation, control of spiritual power, and coordination between his spiritual awareness and the sword simply were not sufficient yet.

To turn this brief state into genuine sword flight, he would need more time to accumulate experience.

Hao Nhien put away the Tieu Dao Sword and looked toward the distant rocky ridge.

If he could not ride the sword, then he would run.

Spiritual power circulated down through his legs, and Hao Nhien shot forward, quickly crossing the first dune.

He did not keep Spirit Wings active continuously. Only when he encountered tall dunes, wide gaps in the terrain, or sections that required rapid changes in direction did the translucent wings flash briefly behind him, lightening his body and helping him cross obstacles more easily.

Even so, his speed was far greater than that of an ordinary group traveling on foot.

After several hours, familiar signs around Sinking Sands began to appear.

Hao Nhien slowed down.

When he climbed the final dune, Sinking Sands came into view.

After several days, most traces of the battle had already faded. The wind of the Western Wastes had continually covered the damaged ground with fresh sand, making the great collapse at the center far less violent than before. The swirling sand currents that had once churned endlessly had also settled considerably, leaving only a darker region at the center to show that the water and earth beneath remained unstable.

Hao Nhien stood on the dune and looked down for a while.

That was the place that had swallowed him.

It was also the place that had led him to the Heavenly Spirit Merchant Association, the ancient letter, and the clue concerning the Spirit Cloud-Firmament passage.

Judging only by the result, he could almost call what had happened a fortunate encounter.

But if given the choice again, Hao Nhien had absolutely no desire to experience it a second time.

A sound in the distance made him turn his head.

Someone was running toward him.

The first figure to appear atop a nearby dune was Lanh Hoa.

The middle-aged man still wore the familiar clothes now covered in dust, while his normally neat hair had become somewhat disheveled. His steps were much faster than usual, but when he was only several zhang away from Hao Nhien, he suddenly stopped.

Lanh Hoa looked Hao Nhien over from head to toe.

His gaze paused on the tears in Hao Nhien's robe before shifting to the stable aura around him. The hand beside his saber tightened once, then slowly relaxed.

Afterward, he dropped to one knee.

"Clan Head."

Lanh Hoa's voice was slightly hoarse.

"It is good that you have returned."

Hao Nhien looked at the man before him, then stepped forward and helped him up.

"I kept you waiting."

Lanh Hoa stood, but still examined him once more.

"For the past five days, we haven't left this area. Cat Dang had people establish a camp outside the dangerous zone, while Luu Thanh and I took turns searching around Sinking Sands, but we found no trace of you."

Five days.

Hao Nhien paused slightly.

He could only estimate that he had been unconscious for close to three days. Adding the time spent exploring the Heavenly Spirit Merchant Association, cultivating inside the Cave Dwelling, following the underground river, and digging his way to the surface, the number made perfect sense.

Lanh Hoa continued.

"How are your injuries, Clan Head?"

"They've stabilized," Hao Nhien replied. "The spatial rift swept me into an underground river. Afterward, I found a place where I could rest and recover, then followed the river upstream and eventually dug my way out."

Lanh Hoa only nodded after hearing this.

"It is enough that you returned safely."

At the same time, a loud shout came from behind him.

"Clan Head!"

Luu Thanh rushed over the dune.

He was moving so quickly that he barely managed to slow down when he drew near. After confirming that the man standing before him truly was Hao Nhien, the tension on his face immediately changed into an expression somewhere between joy and disbelief.

"Clan Head, you disappeared for five days and now you've suddenly crawled out of the ground. Don't tell me you learned some secret earth-burrowing art?"

Hao Nhien looked at him.

"I wish."

Luu Thanh blinked.

"You really didn't?"

"I don't have an Earth affinity." Hao Nhien patted his shoulder lightly. "I was swept into an underground river, then used a sword to dig my way out."

Luu Thanh fell silent for a few breaths.

"You dug with a sword?"

"Yes."

He stared at Hao Nhien for another moment, then burst out laughing.

"If this story is ever told, we have to add at least thirty percent more grandeur. The Clan Head was swallowed by a spatial rift, cut through a hundred layers of stone alone, then burst out of the desert from underground. That already sounds exactly right."

"Don't add anything."

Lanh Hoa spoke coldly from beside him.

Luu Thanh immediately turned around.

"Uncle Lanh..."

"No."

Luu Thanh sighed.

"The people of our Fire Qilin Tribe truly lack anyone who knows how to tell a good story."

Hao Nhien laughed.

He knew those jokes concealed five difficult days of waiting, but Luu Thanh was not someone who liked turning emotion into heavy words. The fact that he still had enough energy to talk nonstop was enough for Hao Nhien to understand how relieved the young man truly was.

Another figure slowly approached from the camp.

Cat Tieu Nhan did not run like Luu Thanh. She walked quickly, but stopped several steps away from Hao Nhien.

Five days in the Western Wastes had clearly worn on her as well. Her naturally sun-darkened face looked slightly pale, her lips were dry, and her brown robe carried no small amount of sand and dust. Even so, when she saw Hao Nhien standing safely before her, the tension in her eyes visibly eased.

She bowed.

"Young Master Hao Nhien, it is good that you returned safely."

"Thank you for staying, Tieu Nhan."

"You saved my life. Waiting a few days is nothing."

Her answer was simple, but Hao Nhien could hear the sincerity in it.

Tieu Nhan hesitated for a moment before taking out a small jade bottle.

"These are Qi Replenishing Pills from the Cat Loi Tribe. Their quality isn't especially high, but they're useful for restoring strength and treating ordinary injuries. If you're still hurt, you can take them first."

Hao Nhien accepted the jade bottle. A faint medicinal fragrance drifted out. He breathed it in once, then closed the bottle and handed it back to Tieu Nhan.

"The pills are good, but my injuries have already been treated. Keep them. The Western Wastes are vast, and there may come a time when you need them yourself."

Tieu Nhan looked at the jade bottle in her hand, then nodded.

"If you truly need them, just tell me."

"I won't stand on ceremony."

Only then did she put the bottle away.

A moment later, Tieu Nhan seemed to remember something more important.

"Uncle Cat Dang already left ahead of us to report what happened. My father is the Clan Head of the Cat Loi Tribe. Once he learns what happened at Sinking Sands, he will certainly send people here as well. If you have nothing urgent to do immediately, I would like to invite you, on my father's behalf, to visit the Cat Loi Tribe."

Hao Nhien did not answer immediately. He looked toward the horizon.

Somewhere else in the Western Wastes, the Heavenly Eye Tribe was building a new city, using water, food, resources, marriage, and promises of stability to draw one tribe after another into its sphere of control. The Fire Qilin Tribe had also been divided, with one faction connected to the Heavenly Eye Tribe, while Hao Nhien still did not fully understand the true situation within his own tribe.

If he wanted to reach the Fire Qilin Tribe, find those who remained loyal to the old path, reach the Fire Qilin Altar, and reclaim the tribe's right to choose its own future, relying only on himself, Lanh Hoa, and Luu Thanh would not be enough.

He needed to understand the Western Wastes as they were now.

He also needed to know which tribes had not yet completely sided with the Heavenly Eye Tribe.

The Cat Loi Tribe was not a great tribe, but from what Hao Nhien had seen, they had at least maintained their own position. Cat Dang was also clear-headed enough to recognize the appeal of the Heavenly Eye Tribe without immediately bowing his head.

That was already a good place to start.

Hao Nhien withdrew his gaze.

"All right. I'll visit the Cat Loi Tribe."

Tieu Nhan's eyes immediately brightened.

"I'll lead the way. The tribe isn't too far from here. If we move quickly, we can arrive before sunset tomorrow."

As she spoke, she began describing the route, then casually mentioned the tribe's underground lake, the red stone hills to the south, and the Fire Sand Wine that the Cat Loi people often served to guests.

Luu Thanh immediately turned his head when he heard the word wine.

"Fire Sand Wine?"

Tieu Nhan looked at him.

"That's right. The best batches are usually aged in underground stone cellars."

Luu Thanh immediately became interested.

Lanh Hoa glanced at him.

Luu Thanh cleared his throat and promptly corrected himself.

"I only want to understand the customs of the Cat Loi Tribe. Cultural exchange between tribes is very important."

Hao Nhien shook his head.

"We'll talk about it when we get there."

The tension that had lingered after five days of waiting finally began to ease.

Cat Tieu Nhan walked ahead to lead the way, Lanh Hoa remained in his familiar position beside Hao Nhien, and Luu Thanh continued asking questions about the Cat Loi Tribe as they traveled. Beneath the sunlight of the Western Wastes, the four figures gradually left Sinking Sands behind.

Hao Nhien looked back at the collapsed region one final time.

When he first came here, he had only intended to deal with the threat of the Sand Foxes. By the time he left, he had gained the Fire Spirit Sword, three Thunder Bursts, the black arrow, the secrets of the Heavenly Spirit Merchant Association, and a genuine clue connected to the Firmament.

The road ahead was clearly more complicated than when he had first entered the Western Wastes.

But this time, he no longer saw only one path.

Third City.

In the eastern part of the city stood a quiet courtyard located a comfortable distance from the military encampment and the main roads. The outside was guarded rather strictly, with two rows of lightly armored cultivators taking turns standing watch beneath the walls, yet the interior was so peaceful that it almost seemed separated from the tense atmosphere of the Western Wastes.

Several large old trees blocked most of the afternoon sunlight. Beneath their shade were patches of green grass rarely seen in this dry region, scattered with clusters of pale purple flowers. In one corner of the courtyard sat a small stone pond, where water dripped steadily from the mouth of a carved stone spirit beast.

Beneath the largest tree, Quan Nha and Tieu Lan sat beside each other at a stone table.

On the table were a teapot, two small cups, and several stalks of medicinal herbs that Tieu Lan had just brought back from the medical ward. A faint medicinal scent still lingered on her hands, showing that not long ago she had still been helping the healers process herbs.

Tieu Lan had grown slightly thinner since leaving Thanh Van Sect, but her movements were much steadier than before. Her days in the medical ward had gradually accustomed her to injuries, blood, and situations that required quick treatment, and she no longer became flustered as easily as she once had.

Only when she sat quietly did her gaze still drift unconsciously toward the west.

Quan Nha passed her a cup of tea.

"Thinking about him again?"

Tieu Lan accepted the cup with both hands and nodded lightly.

"Yes."

She did not deny it.

"I know Young Master will find a way back. It's just that we haven't heard anything for so long, and sometimes I still can't help worrying."

Quan Nha looked at her for a while before speaking.

"He promised he would return. A man like him doesn't make promises lightly. Unless there truly is no other choice, he will find a way to keep his word."

Tieu Lan listened in silence.

Quan Nha did not offer any further certainty that she herself could not prove. After a while, her gaze shifted toward the medicinal herbs on the table.

A moment later, she looked at the herbs again.

"How have your studies in the medical ward been lately?"

"The healers here have been teaching me how to treat injuries caused by spirit beasts and Fire poison in the Western Wastes." Tieu Lan paused briefly before continuing. "A few days ago, someone nearly had his arm bitten off by a spirit beast. I was still frightened at first, but this time my hands didn't tremble."

Quan Nha nodded lightly.

"That's what you should be doing."

Tieu Lan looked at her.

"Sister Quan Nha, aren't you going to tell me not to worry about Young Master?"

"Worrying won't make him return any faster," Quan Nha replied. "But every new way you learn to stop bleeding, every medicinal herb you remember, and every bit your cultivation improves can become useful when he returns."

Tieu Lan tightened her fingers around the teacup after hearing this.

"I think so too. If Young Master gets hurt again in the future, I at least want to be able to help him faster than before."

What Tieu Lan wanted had never been complicated. When Hao Nhien needed her, she simply wanted to be able to help him a little more.

Quan Nha looked at her, her gaze softening.

"Then keep doing what you're doing."

Tieu Lan nodded.

"Yes."

The evening breeze passed through the branches, carrying the scents of medicinal herbs and green tea.

After a while, Quan Nha set down her cup.

"I'm going into seclusion for about half a month."

Tieu Lan looked slightly surprised.

"Sister Quan Nha, are you trying to break through?"

"Not necessarily." Quan Nha shook her head. "I want to deepen my understanding of the Charm inheritance and stabilize what I've recently received. Forcing a breakthrough would do more harm than good."

Once she heard that it was not because of an injury or anything unusual, Tieu Lan relaxed.

"During that time, keep going to the medical ward. If anything important happens, have one of the maids call me."

Tieu Lan nodded.

After hesitating for a moment, she asked,

"What if Young Master comes back while Sister is in seclusion?"

Quan Nha was silent for a moment.

Then the corners of her lips curved slightly.

"Tell him to wait."

Tieu Lan blinked.

Quan Nha lifted her teacup.

"He's made us wait this long. Surely he can wait a few more days for me."

Tieu Lan looked at her calm expression and finally laughed.

"If Young Master heard that, he'd definitely say Sister was doing it on purpose."

"I am."

Tieu Lan's smile became more visible.

Quan Nha poured more tea into her cup.

"Then for the next half month, you focus on your medicine and I'll enter seclusion. When he returns, at least he won't be able to say that all we did was sit here waiting for him."

Tieu Lan raised her cup.

"Yes. We'll wait for Young Master to return together."

Quan Nha gently raised her own cup.

The two teacups touched softly beneath the tree.

The faint sound quickly disappeared into the rustling leaves.