Destiny in Cinders

I must keep building inner qi essence. When I reach the peak of the Tide Aura Stage, I'll naturally advance to the Fortification Realm.

After gathering his things and hiding his face under a veiled hat, An Jing was ready to leave the guest room. There's no time now. Let's see what tools this world has to offer.

He passed the scarred wooden dummy on his way out, and a thought suddenly struck him when his eyes landed on the deep gash on the dummy. Gathering his breath in his dantian, An Jing unleashed a powerful punch aimed dead-center at the dummy's head. Evestar lethal qi surged into his right arm, erupting through his fist. A faint, silvery sheen coated his limb, as if it were forged from metal.

With a brief, muffled thud, the head of the metalwood puppet was gone, reduced to a bowl-shaped wreck with jagged edges that had blasted into the wall. A clean, sharp gash mimicking a sword's strike marred the dummy's nape, yet right at the center of its head sat the unmistakable, crystal-clear imprint of a fist.

Exhaling softly, An Jing felt his right arm tingle with a slight, bracing ache, much like the sensation of applying medicated balm. Such a violent burst of qi would take its toll, even on the bearer of the Seven Ruins Arc. The damage was minor, not enough to hinder his combat prowess. At most, he would face a bout of listlessness once his spirit energy was depleted.

This was merely a limitation of his physique. He would be immune to such repercussions once he entered the Tide Essence Stage. Yet, as he looked upon the destruction he had wrought, an irrepressible sense of delight took hold.

That strike was just as powerful as flying swords from sword cases! Moving forward, I can use the Iceburst Beta and sword case to harass enemies from afar. Once they think I'm just flaunting my artifacts and close the distance, I'll greet them with my fist!

There was a stark contrast in destructive power between his initial lethal qi and what was unleashed after forming the first seal. The former was diffused and ineffective, while the latter was compact and sharp as a blade.

"Sir?" Outside the door, a black market staff's voice drifted in, laced with confusion. "We heard something unusual. Is something wrong?"

"No." Opening the door, An Jing said apologetically, "I was just testing my strength. I've damaged the wooden dummy and the wall. How much do I owe you? I'll pay for the damages."

The staff member in white offered a cautious bow. "No, no. The damage to the wooden dummy is included in the room fee. As for the wall... Ocher Hill said to charge any incidental damages to their account."

"How generous." An Jing was surprised. Though he knew that the manager had undoubtedly profited immensely, he couldn't suppress a sigh. "I didn't expect a black-market shop to be this kind."

"Sir, service is our commitment, and our reputation our top priority." The staff member straightened his body and said with unmistakable pride, "If our guests aren't comfortable and happy, why would they return and how can we expect new ones? How can we keep the business going? Will you be extending your stay with us or continuing to shop? Please check to make sure nothing important is left behind."

"I'll keep shopping," An Jing said. "I'm looking for some weapons and a surveillance drone, but I don't know my way around yet."

"Please follow this." The staff member produced a golden metal sphere from a small case at his waist. Upon activation, spirit patterns illuminated the sphere as it floated in front of An Jing. "This is our little guide. It will take you to where you want to go."

"Alright." An Jing stared at the golden sphere with a flicker of surprise. If Skysource's puppetry had advanced this far, a surveillance drone would likely be compact, far more portable and discreet than he had ever imagined.

This was good news. He followed the golden sphere toward the shops with satisfaction. Watching An Jing leave, the staff member entered the room to inspect it for any signs of damage.

It's surprisingly clean, isn't it? Scanning the room, the waiter let out a faint gasp of surprise.

An Jing had spent most of his time on the glass platform, alternating between cultivation and light reading before eventually sleeping. He had taken the time to tidy up the room before departing, leaving the space in pristine condition. But the moment his gaze fell upon the broken wooden dummy, his eyes widened in astonishment. "It's wrecked this badly?"

He approached the wooden dummy for a close-up inspection and immediately noticed other details. This is... extremely pure mystic metal lethal qi. The volume and purity is exceptional! What a burst of explosive force, to wreak such destruction with just bare hands... What cultivation technique is this?

The staff member recoiled slightly and furrowed his brow. A badlander with the strength of a Qi Refinement cultivator at such a young age... Could he be a genius from a great tribe?

He didn't think much of it. After all, strength like that wasn't uncommon in the black market. What truly caught him off guard was An Jing's youth. Despite his attempts at concealment, he couldn't have been more than fifteen or sixteen. Moreover, the boy was wielding a rare cultivation technique. At his age, the sheer purity of his spirit qi marked him as a prodigy among prodigies.

In Skysource, reaching the Qi Refinement Realm was an arduous hurdle. Within Deepnight City, achieving this earned a student automatic admission to the elite high schools, bypassing all entrance exams. Most people wouldn't even achieve this before the Sacred Selection.

The Qi Refinement Realm was the threshold for admission into the various academies. In the first Sacred Selection, reaching the sixth level of the Qi Refinement Realm could guarantee one admission to any of the four premier dao academies, often also securing a spot as a core disciple for these academies to groom.

Given the talent An Jing had displayed, his admission to a dao academy was virtually assured. From there, he could easily secure a position in any major corporation or the military.

A moment of calculated contemplation passed. Then, a glint flickered past the staff member's eyes. He relayed this information to the black market's management, who responded almost instantly.

"One slip leads to another. We can't afford to get reckless. We might ignore the corporations' laws, but we've got to play by our own. Otherwise, we're no better than lawless thugs.

"Any tribe capable of producing such a prodigy must be formidable. Treat him well and earn his trust, but do not follow or investigate him. If he needs something, he'll come to us. That display was a deliberate test. Remember, service is our commitment, and our reputation our top priority."

"I understand." Upon hearing these instructions, the staff member assumed a deferential attitude. "I'll make note of it for potential opportunities in the future."

***

"That first slash was unremarkable, but that punch is going to raise eyebrows and tip off any keen observers. They'll realize your cultivation technique is superior and your spirit qi is refined, pointing to an extraordinary legacy," Yvelbane spoke softly in his mind as An Jing made his way toward the shops, following the little guide. "You seek attention. You might find opportunities or you might find nothing, but you'll almost certainly draw covetous eyes. Why take the risk?"

"Because I'm equipped to take risks, but I can't afford stability," An Jing explained as he followed the little guide into the brightly lit commercial zone. "A cautious approach? I don't have the luxury of time. I'm a mere beginner, so even if I flaunt this superior technique, they know they can't squeeze anything beyond Qi Refinement methods from me. They'll have to wonder what kind of powerhouse stands behind a boy with such a profound legacy.

"Greed may blind them, but they know better than to cause a scene in their own market. So they'll wait until I step outside. By then, we'll have our weapons and can return to Void Embrace whenever we like.

"Failure means I die in Void Embrace. But if I can slip through the grasp of the heavenly fiends and the demonic cult, I'll return to Skysource much stronger. I can change my appearance and give myself a new identity. I'll even be able to alter my spirit qi signature.

"This way, if the black market turns hostile, I can simply disappear. But what if they plan to recruit me or seek a connection? I can always walk away unscathed, so there's no need for such excessive caution or hesitation.

"In that case, I might as well step into the spotlight to attract better opportunities. Both the boss of the recycling house and the manager of Ocher Hill think I'm some genius from the badlands, so that's who I am. If they want to win me over or invest in my potential, I'll make sure it's worth their while. It's all the same either way, so why not give it a shot?"

Despite the calm smile on An Jing's face, Yvelbane could sense his growing excitement. From the moment the boy awakened his lifearc, he said he would flee the demonic cult, and he did; he said he would slay the manor lord, and it was done. He lived entirely on his own terms and never wasted a breath on empty boasts.

Within him stirred a nameless force, a profound vow to take action, to make something of himself. He refused to sit back and wait for luck to strike; he would create his own opportunities. He refused to let time pass him by, seizing every available second. Was it the Seven Ruins Arc that molded this temperament, or was it this specific temperament that awakened the arc?

"You are the sword wielder." For this reason, Yvelbane smiled. "Since you've thought this through and aren't just rushing in blindly, then by all means, proceed."

An Jing returned to the shops, led by the little guide. Unlike the free-trade zone, the light here was dimmer. As the dark glow touched him, lethal qi radiating from the surrounding weapons surged toward him with an intensity that almost made him recoil.

They had arrived at the weapons warehouse.