Destiny in Cinders

The Hidden Earth ability, the imperial bloodright...

Together, these two elements granted total control over terrestrial veins. This explained how You Ruhui managed to flee all the way to the frontier completely undetected by both the officials and the heavenly fiends. Thanks to her exceptionally unique imperial blood, she possessed the power to move freely across Grand Chen. Yet it was the same reason she was stuck in the frontier as these forces closed around her.

Only two paths lay ahead. She could leave Grand Chen for Dustdawn, gambling on her concealment tactics to evade her pursuers without her stealth ability. Alternatively, she could wait it out, elude the ongoing sweep, and bet on breaking through the tightest ring of pursuers to slip back into the hinterland and vanish into an unknown backwater where no one would ever find her.

Clearly, the first option was absurd. In An Jing’s eyes, a girl stripped of her ability was someone even he could manipulate with a few words and sell for a high price. The second path was a long shot, but not completely impossible. Though You Ruhui lacked worldly experience, she was incredibly skilled at using her ability. This was the reason she had remained in Keensight; she was wagering her own capabilities against the massive manhunt.

However, the True Fiend Cult had no intention of playing fair. They intended to exploit the snow calamity and turn the entire city into a blood sacrifice. Her desperation suddenly made sense. So the moment she recognized his extraordinary lifearc, she immediately offered to work together.

”How about that? Ahh!” As soon as You Ruhui appeared next to An Jing, his sheathed blade was pressed against her neck, startling her into vanishing on the spot. Then, she peered out with half her face exposed, her eyes locking onto An Jing. ”W-What are you doing?!”

”This is just a display of force. Let it remind you that your ability isn’t foolproof. Don’t let your guard down, or your carelessness will destroy us both.” His eyes narrowed to mask the silver gleam of the sword soul. Then, putting away his blade, An Jing turned and gestured for You Ruhui to follow. ”Let’s go. Since you also seek to eradicate the True Fiend Cult, we might as well join forces. But how will you pay me?”

”For payment... I can help you find terrestrial veins best suited to your lifearc.” Though she was taken aback and slightly annoyed, You Ruhui quickly caught up and bluntly laid out the payment she had originally meant to offer.

”Look, I don’t know why you’re hiding who you are or why you’re fighting the heavenly fiends, but as a martialist, you must want your cultivation to go smoothly, don’t you? Just tell me what you need, and I’ll find you a secluded terrestrial vein where you can cultivate without any distractions!” You Ruhui was bursting with confidence, and in truth, that was exactly what An Jing needed.

To endure on the path of cultivation, both martialists and esotericists required orthodox techniques, ample resources, a dao companion for guidance, and an ideal cultivation ground. An Jing had orthodox techniques, Grandvoid Pathway to obtain resources, and the sword soul as his dao companion. And after some reflection, he realized he still lacked a proper sanctuary for cultivation. Even if he couldn’t find one tailored to his own lifearc, surely there was one suited for Evenstar and Pyrestar.

Regrettably, the Xishan Region was merely a temporary stop for An Jing whose primary goal was to return to the Hanhai Region to search for his mother. So he asked, ”I have no interest in Xishan. Can you tell me about Hanhai’s terrestrial veins instead?”

You Ruhui was somewhat perplexed. ”Huh? Why? Well, I can...”

An Jing nodded; the matter was settled. ”In that case, let’s get started.”

”Sure.” You Ruhui nodded. A soft yellow light bloomed in her palm as she stepped forward and pressed it against An Jing’s forehead. ”I’m channeling my ability into you.”

Being infused with the Hidden Earth ability brought an incredibly surreal sensation. An Jing felt as if his entire body was cradled by the earth, all light and breath fading away as he dissolved into the vast, mighty ground, leaving him with an immense feeling of safety.

However, the effects didn’t last long. You Ruhui had explained that she could sustain the ability indefinitely on herself, but using it on someone else limited its duration to about two hours.

That’s still incredible! An Jing was absolutely impressed. Two whole hours of total invisibility? Good heavens! With an ability like this, he could risk everything in both Skysource and Void Embrace. It was the kind game-changing ability that could completely upend any operational plan or combat strategy.

But thinking about that right now was useless. The more formidable You Ruhui’s ability appeared, the more it proved just how dire her current troubles really were. Shaking his head, An Jing leaped away and vanished into the heavy snow with You Ruhui following closely behind. She had no trouble matching his pace as she was proficient in martial techniques and already at the Tide Aura Stage. With several unique wonders, her combat power was not to be underestimated.

For an imperial descendant born with wonders, You Ruhui’s cultivation level could hardly be considered ”inflated.” Rather, she had intentionally slowed her pace to build an unshakable foundation, or perhaps there were extraordinary conditions she had to meet to manifest her wonders and break through to the Fortification Realm. But the key difference lay in her aura. Unlike An Jing, her aura was sluggish and erratic, as if she were churning it through a thick, heavy paste.

So she’s an esotericist? Seeing this, An Jing instantly recalled the word.

Esotericists were presumably the last remaining vestige of spirit-root qi cultivation in Void Embrace. They were highly adept at using geomantic arrays to harness the power of heaven and earth, while also possessing the skill to create talismans and construct formations.

However, this came at a price; their flow of aura resonated with heaven and earth. Thus, the circulation of aura remained incredibly slow in the early stages of cultivation, leaving them with almost no close-combat capabilities. But with the right teammate, they could unleash power that far exceeded their individual strength combined.

No wonder she’s looking to team up. She must have recognized my martial strength. The truth dawned on An Jing, but he said nothing.

It wasn’t long before the two of them arrived at a street near Honor Pavilion. Standing invisible on top of a building across Honor Pavilion, An Jing and You Ruhui observed the True Fiend Cult’s base at close range. With An Jing’s current vision surpassing what one could see using ordinary telescopes, spotting eagles and geese flying a thousand meters high or tracking small prey through the dense grass was easy. Naturally, scouting a tall building across a few streets was absolute child’s play.

You Ruhui observed Honor Pavilion through an exquisite gilded telescope with deep interest. With An Jing there to protect her from being cornered, she appeared remarkably lively. ”So, this is their base? I thought they were hiding among the officials.”

”You’re not wrong. Some have infiltrated the authorities, but...” But the demonic cult is already deeply embedded within the government, so it’s impossible for the heavenly fiends to infiltrate them. Every poison has its antidote—the demonic cult suppresses the heavenly fiends. An Jing swallowed his words, his eyes narrowing slightly.

While You Ruhui was merely taking in the scene, he was observing the layout of personnel around Honor Pavilion and figuring out how to demolish the building with the explosive thunder beads. An Jing never hesitated. Once he resolved to eliminate an enemy, he would do whatever it took.

The fiend follower, Lu Jin, was unquestionably the most formidable martialist in Honor Pavilion. Barring the unexpected, he was at mid-to-late Fortification Realm. He couldn’t possibly be at peak Fortification Realm with his advanced years. An Jing was uncertain if his opponent would grow stronger with the heavenly fiend’s boon, but no amount of strength could help him break the ceiling beyond peak Fortification Realm to reach the Hundred Meridians Clearing Realm.

This was because breaking through to the Clearing Realm required aligning with the heavenly seas and terrestrial veins as well as opening the mind. By ascending the stairway to heaven, one could then transform the spine, or the body, into a Heavenly Pillar connecting the heavenly seas and terrestrial veins. Such personal transformation couldn’t be achieved through external means. If the heavenly fiends possessed the power to grant an instant breakthrough to the Clearing Realm, the world would already be theirs.

An Jing felt certain he could defeat anyone below the Clearing Realm, but only in a one-on-one fight. With limited Evenstar lethal qi, taking on multiple opponents would be extremely grueling. Despite forming three seals and advancing to the Tide Aura Stage, An Jing had a mere thirty-nine strands of Evenstar lethal qi. It was enough to slaughter a Fortification martialist, but he couldn’t afford to waste it on low-level grunts.

There was a considerable number of martialists within Honor Pavilion, including over a dozen at the Aura Realm. Most had reached the River Aura Stage, but none had advanced to the Tide Aura Stage. However, they didn’t concern An Jing; his attention was fully directed toward Honor Pavilion’s guard captain, who was also a Fortification martialist.

From where he stood, An Jing had a clear view of Honor Pavilion’s front entrance. Moving to the next street, An Jing and You Ruhui drew closer to Honor Pavilion to map out the surrounding paths and building placements. With the Hidden Earth ability, the duo boldly leaped from building to building completely unnoticed.

This was all necessary. An escape route had to be finalized before they set foot inside, and it also gave them the perfect chance to spot any guards hiding nearby. Before long, An Jing had completed a thorough sweep of the surrounding area and uncovered numerous hidden guards. Furthermore, he discovered several buildings around Honor Pavilion that were part of the True Fiend Cult’s base, seemingly laid out in a formation. This was an important detail.

Intelligence from Zheng Mo revealed that the True Fiend Cult had brought in reinforcements to infiltrate the city. They were none other than these guards, the elite forces of the True Fiend Cult. These robust men moved with swift, synchronized precision. Though lacking individual martial cultivation, they excelled at fighting in formation, allowing them to strike as hard as real martialists. Not even An Jing was sure he could eliminate the entire team before they could respond.

An Jing suddenly noticed a gaunt, grim-faced man among these elites. His skin resembled polished jade, reflecting the ambient light. It was a wonder known as Treasure Jade Garment.