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Sudden change notice: The continent's name changed because I came up with one that fit the story better.
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The march after the brief reunion in the small clearing was as intense as Qing Xuanling had imagined.
The spiritual mine they had to attack lay sixty kilometers from their original position, so saying they were short on time was an understatement.
Though that distance would normally be easy for a cultivator to cover—beings who could travel hundreds of kilometers without breaking a sweat—the situation was different now.
Not only were they in the Scarlet Forest—a forest teeming with dangers and mortal beasts—but they were also traveling with a group of over fifty people. A forest wasn't suited for large groups, so they had to significantly slow their pace to avoid leaving anyone behind.
Today was the second day since they'd begun moving.
The trees grew increasingly massive and thick as they advanced, creating a dense canopy that plunged the entire area into darkness—only pierced occasionally by thin rays of light filtering through the red leaves above.
Qing Xuanling was briefly awed by the sight. She'd never been to this part of the forest before, so it was the first time she'd seen how simple shafts of light could hold such beauty.
Yet the place's beauty didn't dull Qing Xuanling's vigilance. The most beautiful flowers were always lined with thorns. She sharpened her hearing, but heard nothing out of the ordinary beyond the heavy footsteps and breathing of her companions.
"I suppose the demonic beasts felt intimidated by the size of our platoon…"
Qing Xuanling sighed with slight relief as she used an ordinary steel sword—not Memory—to cut through the waist-high undergrowth ahead of her. Her cuts were swift and precise, even slicing hidden snakes cleanly in two.
She moved with great agility, despite never having been in this part of the Scarlet Forest before.
She glanced back at the others—their methods were far more magical than hers.
Qing Ziyi constantly drew characters in the air, causing the surrounding underbrush to wither and reveal snakes and insects, which she then dispatched with the character "Cut."
The others employed equally magical techniques: water shields shimmering around them, controlled flames that burned only what they intended, or simply weren't attacked by snakes at all—for reasons unknown…
Qing Xuanling looked at the plain steel sword she'd bought in advance and sighed, returning to her manual labor…
"Pretty tough, huh?" A strong-looking woman laughed as she hacked through the undergrowth with her own sword. "I've always envied clan siblings who have those unique, special methods! They look like immortals! At least they don't have to swing their swords constantly like we do…"
Qing Xuanling smiled faintly. "Sister An is quite funny—even you're better off than I am!"
The strong-looking woman, Qing An, controlled her flying sword to clear the path ahead. True, she swung her sword too—but not in the same tedious way as Qing Xuanling.
A man nearby chuckled. "Darling, stop teasing Little Nine. What'll you do if she refuses to give you any pills because of this? Don't think I'll give you any either!"
"Oh, darling—you're really taking her side now?!"
The man who called Qing An "darling" was Qing Bao, her husband. Both belonged to the Qing clan and had met during a joint mission, eventually developing feelings for each other. Of course, they only began courting after confirming they shared no common ancestors within the last seven generations.
The clan strictly forbade relationships between members who shared a common ancestor within seven generations upward. Though such cases were rare—most couples traced twelve to fifteen generations without overlap.
Setting aside the clan's marriage rules, Qing Xuanling watched the couple with a faint smile. They were the only ones who'd approached her warmly these past few days. Everyone else regarded her with subtle coldness.
The poor first impression she'd made by missing last week's meetings still lingered heavily.
Yet this couple treated her with complete normalcy—even enduring icy glares from others for doing so.
Not only that—they were genuinely kind and always chatted with her when they could. So at some point, she'd mentioned making several pill bottles (though she hadn't revealed how many).
Though her alchemical talent was somewhat known in the clan, its true magnitude wasn't. Most assumed she had ordinary talent—merely "genius-level" by clan standards. Many would be shocked to learn just how monstrous Qing Xuanling and Xuan Dan truly were.
So while the couple teased her about pills, they weren't serious. They didn't believe Qing Xuanling—who'd only recently begun studying alchemy—could have produced anything extraordinary.
Thus, Qing Xuanling was certain they treated her sincerely.
She chatted with them and other companions as they marched. The journey was long, so conversation was inevitable to stave off boredom.
Between stories and jokes, the sun began sinking slowly.
The forest plunged into absolute darkness. Moonlight couldn't pierce the thick canopy, so each squad had to find ways to illuminate their path.
The Crimson Sword Squad had it relatively easy—Qing Ziyi merely wrote the character "Light" in the air, illuminating their way forward.
Instructor Huan surveyed the path ahead and sighed in relief upon spotting a suitable resting spot. "Hurry—there's a clearing ahead!"
Everyone quickened their pace, reaching the clearing Instructor Huan had seen. It was a treeless patch overgrown with waist-high brush—but that was no obstacle for cultivators.
Spells flew, cutting down the undergrowth until the ground was bare.
Skilled earth-element cultivators then flattened the area and erected livable shelters in moments.
Qing Xuanling sighed at the sight. She'd slept in the forest many times, but never this comfortably. She silently vowed to deepen her mastery of elemental spells.
Lanterns containing luminous crystals lit the newly built camp as squads divided tonight's duties. The Crimson Sword Squad was assigned night watch.
Though cultivators could go days without sleep, rest was still necessary—especially after remaining vigilant for a long time. Thus, one squad stood guard each night while others rested.
This also meant they wouldn't have chores tonight.
Qing Xuanling happily sat down after receiving her meal—demonic beast stew and golden rice infused with spiritual energy. The clan clearly ensured its brave soldiers never went hungry.
She settled by a campfire (lit mostly for ambiance) and listened quietly to the seniors' conversations. Though she rarely spoke to them, Qing Wentian sat beside her, chatting nonstop.
They seemed to be sharing ancient legends now.
"The End of Dharma Era?" Qing Wentian's eyes widened at the unfamiliar term. "What's that? Doesn't sound pleasant…"
The man who'd mentioned it—an elder with wrinkles and streaks of gray—smiled. "No wonder you don't know. It's just speculation by some bitter old fogies. They claim our continent—and the world itself—is in the 'End of Dharma Era,' a time when spiritual energy and cultivators drastically decline."
He chuckled lightly. "It's the excuse they use for their failure to reach the Foundation Establishment. Some lunatics even claim to have found ancient records stating that hundreds of thousands—or even millions—of years ago, reaching Foundation Establishment was effortless, unlike today."
"They even say the cultivation world was far more advanced then—with Immortals beyond Nascent Soul realm walking city streets regularly."
Qing Xuanling and Qing Wentian stared in shock. Neither had heard such tales before.
Qing Wentian asked with childlike curiosity, "Why couldn't it be true? If documents prove it, maybe the ancient cultivation world really was more advanced!"
The man waved dismissively. "It has already been demonstrated on several occasions that our world, Holy Candle, is going through the most prosperous era in its history. There might be Immortals beyond Nascent Soul realm somewhere—but none exist in this world. Perhaps beyond the heavens, as some say… but it's a mystery whether anything lies beyond at all…"
Qing Xuanling's eyes gleamed. Their world was called the Holy Candle Realm—though the name was unknown to the masses. She'd only learned it from ancient texts.
With only one continent—the Celestial Lotus Continent—the times it was necessary to name the world were few., so "Holy Candle" faded into obscurity. She was surprised this senior knew it.
While Qing Xuanling marveled, the senior continued spinning tales until nearly 11 PM—the curfew hour. Instructor Huan established a rule prohibiting the rest of the platoon from disturbing the vigilance of the squad on guard duty, thus imposing a curfew.
So everyone retired to their makeshift shelters to sleep or cultivate after 11 PM.
Meanwhile, Qing Xuanling stood watch with Qing Xunwei at a camp corner, scanning the forest ahead intently.
Qing Xuanling narrowed her eyes. She had a bad feeling. The past few days had been too quiet—nothing like the wild, dangerous Scarlet Forest she remembered. Though this was an unfamiliar zone, such stillness was impossible.
Qi surged to her eyes as she sharpened her hearing, ready to react to any threat.
Yet nothing happened for over three hours. No demonic beasts—even insects avoided it vicinity. She breathed in relief. At least nothing had occurred…
"Enemy attack!"
Qing Ziyi's distant cry made Qing Xuanling's face twist in frustration.
"Why did I even think that?!"
She scolded herself but didn't run toward Qing Ziyi. If enemies truly attacked, abandoning her post would be disastrous. She had to guard against rear assaults.
To her surprise, no one approached her position. Even Qing Ziyi's area fell silent—as if it were a false alarm. Qing Xuanling learned why an hour later.
"What… what is this?"
She stared in disbelief at the skull before her.