Chapter 102: Journey together to the cave

Our newly formed alliance didn’t immediately rush forward. The four survivors were battered, their clothes torn, and their physical qi reserves severely depleted from their prior desperate defense. Jiang Wei immediately began distributing basic recovery pills to his two wounded companions, while Lu Chen stood a few paces away, his arms tightly crossed over his chest, his eyes burning holes into the back of my white and blue robes.

I ignored his glare entirely, leaning casually against a large, sun-warmed boulder. I closed my eyes, navigating the crisp, newly calibrated interface of the updated System inside my mind. Deep within the locked weapon archives of my upgraded inventory, two legendary techniques pulsed with a terrifying, dormant golden glow:

[Heaven-Splitting Sword Strike] and [Heavenly Punishment: Divine Annihilation].

Ever since I breached the Meridian Stage, a more deep, instinctual understanding of those techniques had settled into my soul. I knew I could finally execute them with flawless precision now—but the spiritual cost was astronomical. A single full-power swing of either technique would violently drain a massive portion of my current energy reserves. They were mountain-destroying trump cards, items meant to be kept hidden until a high-tier Demon Lord forced my hand. For now, they would remain silent in the dark slots of my inventory.

“We should start moving,” Jiang Wei said, stepping forward after ensuring his companions could walk. He wiped a streak of dried blood from his forehead, his expression turning serious. “The gorge paths are narrow, but the advance scouts of the Demon Lords are likely tracking our previous position. If we maintain a steady, cautious pace, we can use the rocky terrain to mask our spiritual signatures.”

“Lead the way, leader,” I replied, offering a lazy grin.

As the group fell into a single-file line, I naturally stepped into the rear guard position, matching my stride perfectly with Qing Yan’s. The afternoon sun beat down on the winding mountain trail, catching the intricate gold feather filigree along the low-cut trim of her red dress. With every slow, deliberate step she took up the steep rocky incline, the long slit of her vermilion gown would part, revealing the flawless, smooth length of her smooth long leg. Her long gold earrings swayed rhythmically against her neck, clicking softly against the fabric.

I reached down, my fingers sliding smoothly into hers, locking our hands together.

Qing Yan went instantly rigid. She didn’t pull away immediately, but she shot me a sharp, intensely flustered look, her teeth biting her lower lip. “Barry… stop it. There are people right in front of us. Have you absolutely no shame?”

“Why should I be ashamed of holding my wife’s hand?” I whispered back, my voice dropping into a teasing murmur right near her ear.

“I am not your wife!” she squeaked softly, her voice filled with a mixture of intense shyness and total irritation. She violently pinched the back of my hand with her free fingers, though her grip was remarkably gentle. “We… we simply just stabilized our cores. That is all. Do not make it sound so shameless, you arrogant brute.”

“Oh, so we’re just cultivation partners now?” I chuckled softly, refusing to let go of her hand. “That’s cold, Fire Empress. I want a kiss, like we did in the cave, only one~.” I said leaning closer to her ear keeping my voice down so only she can hear it,

“Barry!” She stopped dead in her tracks, her face turning so red it matched the vermilion silk of her dress. Her eyes flared with a lethal flash of her restored core, a small spark of white-hot flame dancing across her fingers. “If you say another word about that cave in public, I will use my sect’s Blazing Phoenix Seal to permanently melt your lips together. I mean it!”

“Alright, alright, the Fire Empress has spoken,” I laughed quietly, stepping forward to keep the pace, enjoying the beautiful, fierce reaction she gave me.

Up ahead, Lu Chen suddenly slowed his pace, deliberately falling back until he was walking right on the other side of Qing Yan. He had been watching our interactions out of the corner of his eye, his jaw tightly clenched, his face twisted in

pure jealousy. He cleared his throat loudly, trying to force a noble, refined smile onto his face as he looked at her.

“Qing Yan,” Lu Chen said, his voice dripping with an exaggerated gentleness that made my skin crawl. “You shouldn’t let this vulgar rogue disrespect you like this. A maiden from a distinguished cultivation background shouldn’t be subjected to such crude jests. When we reach the sanctuary, I will personally speak to the Grand Alliance elders to ensure you are given a proper, secure courtyard away from… undesirable elements.”

Qing Yan’s expression instantly stiffened, the playful, shy warmth from a moment ago completely vanishing, replaced by her guarded, cold demeanor. She didn’t look at Lu Chen, her eyes remaining fixed on the rocky trail ahead. “Lu Chen, I have already told you to stop. Barry saved my life. His humor may be… infuriating, but he is the only reason i alive and able to recover my strength. I do not need a courtyard, and I do not need your intervention.”

Lu Chen’s fists clenched so hard beneath his torn white sleeves. He shot me a look of pure, unadulterated hatred, his chest heaving with anger. “He only helped you because he recognized your value as a Genesis expert! He is using you, Qing Yan! Can’t you see that an ordinary, fast-talking wanderer like him doesn’t belong in our world? Once the crisis is over, what can a man like him provide for someone of your status?”

I stopped walking, slowly letting go of Qing Yan’s hand as I turned my full attention to Lu Chen. The lazy, teasing smirk vanished from my face, replaced by the dense, crushing weight of my Meridian Stage aura. The ambient air temperature in the mountain pass instantly dropped, a pressure settling over the trail that made Lu Chen’s breath catch sharply in his throat. His knees trembled slightly under the sudden weight, his defensive qi violently fluctuating as he realized the terrifying gap between us.

“Listen to me closely, poetry boy,” I murmured, my voice dropping into a smooth, lethally quiet tone as I stepped directly into his personal space, fully towering over his rigid frame. “I’ve tolerated your whining because you’re someone that qing yan know , But if you insult me—or imply that my bond with her is anything less than absolute— one more time, I won’t use a sword. I will simply use this golden aura to ground you into the earth. Do we understand each other?”

Lu Chen swallowed hard, his face turning completely pale, the sheer terror of a Meridian master’s intent breaking through his jealousy. He couldn’t force a single word out of his mouth.

“Barry, enough,” Qing Yan said softly, stepping between us. Her hand gently rested against my forearm, the warmth of her touch instantly dispersing the suffocating pressure I had laid over the trail. She looked up at me, a silent understanding passing between our eyes. “We have a cave to reach.”

I let out a slow breath, the arrogant smirk smoothly sliding back onto my face as I looked away from the terrified cultivator. “Right you are, Fire Empress. Lead the way.”

Jiang Wei called out from the front of the line, pointing toward a narrow, fog-shrouded ravine splitting the side of the northern mountain ridge.

“The entrance to the valley traps is just ahead. Stay focused. The air is changing.”