Li Yun did not stay in Stonewater City.
He left at dawn, before the market awoke and before the council's decision could fully settle into rumor. That, too, was deliberate. Recognition lingered longer than presence—and he had learned not to overstay either.
As he crossed the eastern road, the land subtly reshaped itself around him.
Not physically.
Socially.
The patrols along the road were fewer but sharper. Traders watched him openly now, not with fear, but calculation. Cultivators did not challenge him—but they did not ignore him either.
This is the price, Li Yun thought. You're no longer a question. You're a factor.
---
When Messages Arrive Without Messengers
He felt the first message before he saw it.
A thin line of intent brushed against his senses, gentle and precise. Li Yun halted and turned toward a lone standing stone at the roadside. Its surface shimmered briefly, then projected a faint sigil.
An invitation.
Not binding.
Not urgent.
Stonewater Council acknowledges your departure.
Border tensions rising to the south.
Your neutrality remains respected.
Li Yun let the sigil fade.
"So now they notify me," he murmured.
Information, not orders.
That was how influence began.
---
The Southern Pressure
Two days later, the land changed again.
The Qi grew turbulent, layered with hostility and territorial strain. Broken formations scarred the ground, and abandoned villages dotted the roadside—too recent to be forgotten.
Li Yun crouched near one such settlement, fingers brushing the dust.
Foundation-level conflict had passed through here.
More than once.
He rose slowly.
This isn't random, he realized. This is a pressure front.
---
The First Refusal
He encountered them near a ravine—a group of six cultivators wearing unified insignia: a crimson knot bound by iron.
A clan.
Their leader stepped forward confidently.
"You're Li Yun," the man said. "Registered Neutral from Stonewater."
Li Yun inclined his head slightly.
"Yes."
The man smiled.
"Good. That saves time. Our clan is securing this corridor. We expect non-aligned Foundation cultivators to refrain from interference."
Li Yun met his gaze.
"And if I don't?"
The man's smile thinned.
"Then we assume hostility."
Li Yun exhaled slowly.
"You're assuming too much already."
Silence fell.
The clan cultivators tensed.
Li Yun didn't draw his blade.
He didn't flare his aura.
He simply stood—foundation steady, presence undeniable.
The ground beneath his feet cracked softly.
The leader's expression changed.
He raised a hand.
"We'll… note your position," he said stiffly.
They withdrew without another word.
---
Being Neutral Does Not Mean Being Absent
That night, Li Yun cultivated beneath a wind-carved cliff, Qi circulating smoothly. His foundation felt solid, grounded, but not complacent.
The southern region was destabilizing.
Not due to one power—but several.
Clans encroaching.
Wanderers resisting.
Small sects collapsing.
And now—
Neutral foundations were being counted.
Li Yun opened his eyes.
This will escalate.
---
A Test with Consequences
The escalation came the next morning.
Li Yun arrived at a river crossing to find a standoff already in progress. On one side stood clan cultivators—iron-bound insignia visible. On the other, a small group of independent cultivators protecting a caravan of refugees.
Both sides sensed Li Yun instantly.
The clan leader turned sharply.
"You again," he said. "This doesn't concern you."
Li Yun looked at the refugees—exhausted, injured, afraid.
Then back at the clan cultivator.
"You're blocking passage," Li Yun said evenly. "Move."
The man laughed.
"You don't have authority here."
Li Yun nodded.
"I know."
He stepped forward anyway.
---
Foundation Establishment Draws a Line
Pressure rose.
The clan cultivators released their Qi in unison, a coordinated wave meant to crush opposition quickly.
Li Yun met it head-on.
Not violently.
Decisively.
His foundation anchored instantly, dispersing the combined pressure into the riverbank. Water surged upward in a controlled arc, then fell harmlessly back.
The clan leader staggered.
Li Yun spoke calmly.
"Last warning."
The clan hesitated.
Then withdrew.
Not routed.
Not defeated.
Denied.
---
Aftermath Without Applause
The refugees stared at Li Yun as if he were something unreal.
"Thank you, Senior," one whispered.
Li Yun shook his head.
"Go," he said. "Before someone stronger arrives."
They didn't argue.
As they fled, Li Yun felt it—ripples spreading outward, far faster than word of mouth.
This was no longer a private act.
This was precedent.
---
The World Reacts
By nightfall, Li Yun sensed movement across the region.
Multiple Foundation auras repositioned.
Clans adjusted routes.
Independent cultivators clustered more tightly.
He had altered the local balance.
Not by conquering.
By refusing.
---
Stonewater Responds Quietly
Far away, the Stonewater Council received fragmented reports.
"He interfered," one member said. "But did not claim territory."
The gray-robed woman nodded.
"Good," she said. "He's consistent."
"And dangerous," another added.
"Yes," she agreed. "But predictably so."
---
Walking Forward Anyway
Li Yun continued south.
He did not linger to consolidate influence.
He did not announce intentions.
That, too, was deliberate.
Foundation Establishment granted the ability to stop.
But momentum still mattered.
As the land darkened and Qi turbulence thickened, Li Yun felt it clearly now—
This region was heading toward open conflict.
And neutrality would soon be tested harder than ever.
Li Yun exhaled slowly.
Let's see what breaks first, he thought.
---