The mountains outside the city were quiet, but Li Fan knew better. Silence was not peace. It was anticipation. Every breeze carried a hint of movement, every shadow a possible threat.
Yan Ruo walked beside him, carrying the small pack he had prepared for their departure. Her hands trembled slightly. She did not speak, but her awareness was sharp. Li Fan had trained her well over the past days. She could anticipate danger, but she had not yet learned to confront it fully.
"That was too close," she said softly, breaking the silence.
Li Fan did not turn to her. "Close is relative. They are testing me, measuring how far I am willing to go."
"They are dangerous."
"I know."
She hesitated, glancing at him. "And if they catch us off guard?"
Li Fan stopped. He turned and looked at her steadily. "Then we will not be off guard."
She nodded, swallowing her fear.
---
They traveled lightly, avoiding main roads. The city's scouts had likely already reported their departure, but Li Fan did not fear immediate pursuit. The Black Ridge Sect preferred staged conflicts, not reckless ambushes. For now, they were watching. Calculating.
In the afternoon, as they rested near a riverbank, Li Fan instructed Yan Ruo to sit and meditate.
"Focus on your qi circulation," he said. "You do not need to reach Level 3. You only need control."
"I am not ready," she whispered.
"You will never be ready if you wait for readiness. Action teaches more than hesitation."
She closed her eyes, and Li Fan turned his attention outward, scanning the mountains. His senses detected movement far above the treeline. Small patches of qi pressure. Multiple cultivators, likely Level 4 and 5, moving strategically. Not fast. Not reckless. Observers.
"Black Ridge scouts," he muttered. "They have arrived earlier than expected."
Yan Ruo opened her eyes. "Should we fight?"
Li Fan shook his head. "Not yet. We draw them out first. Let them reveal all their positions and limits. Only then do we act."
---
By evening, seven figures appeared on the ridgeline. Their presence was subtle but unmistakable. Each one radiated control and confidence. Li Fan counted them carefully. Level 5 to Level 7. One at Level 8.
"They are testing the perimeter," he said. "Trying to force me into a reaction."
"They will attack," Yan Ruo whispered.
Li Fan's eyes narrowed. "They will. But not until they believe it is convenient."
He crouched, observing the way the scouts moved. Patterns were predictable. They were precise, but not adaptable. They relied on assumption.
"I can handle them," he said quietly. "If I must."
Yan Ruo's eyes widened. "You do not seem worried."
"I am always calculating," Li Fan replied. "Fear is wasted energy."
---
Night fell. Mist rolled through the valley. Li Fan set formations for early warning. Small talismans lined the perimeter. Each would explode in light and sound if crossed, alerting them to approach.
"Do you trust these?" Yan Ruo asked.
"Not completely," he replied. "But they buy time. Time is more valuable than confidence right now."
Hours passed in silence. Then a sudden disturbance.
A figure materialized from the fog. Level 6 qi pressure radiated outward. The air thickened.
Li Fan's hand shot out, drawing a hidden talisman. With a flick, it released a barrier to block the approach.
The figure stopped abruptly. Not a human error. The barrier had been expected.
Li Fan stepped forward. "State your purpose."
The figure's voice was cold. "We are here to bring Li Fan before Black Ridge Sect authority. No resistance will be tolerated."
Li Fan smirked faintly. "Authority is relative."
The figure's eyes narrowed. "You underestimate us."
"I do not underestimate anything," Li Fan replied. "I calculate outcomes. And your approach is sloppy."
Another figure appeared behind the first. Level 7. The fog thickened unnaturally, qi pressure rising. Li Fan's senses detected five more hidden in the mist.
Yan Ruo tensed. "There are more."
"Yes. And one of them is Level 8," Li Fan said calmly.
"You are outnumbered."
"By design," he replied. "They believe I will panic. They will test each weakness. And we will use it."
---
The lead figure moved forward. Qi surged, disrupting Li Fan's formation. He did not dodge immediately. He allowed the pressure to push him, analyzing the angles, the speed, the range.
"You are Level 3," the figure sneered. "You will die here."
Li Fan's eyes glimmered. "Then teach me why I should not."
The first strike came—a straight line of qi-infused force toward his chest. Li Fan sidestepped precisely, allowing the energy to pass harmlessly beside him. He touched the ground, releasing a subtle counterwave, just enough to push the attacker slightly off balance.
The attackers froze momentarily. That was all he needed.
Yan Ruo watched, pale but steady, as Li Fan closed distance between himself and the first two assailants. He struck quickly, precisely, without wasting energy. Their attacks were blocked, redirected, or absorbed.
Yet it was not over.
From the ridgeline, more cultivators arrived. Level 5 and 6. Their goal was clear: surround and exhaust him.
Li Fan spoke softly to Yan Ruo. "Move to the western ridge. Avoid engagement unless forced. Observe."
She hesitated. "Alone?"
"Yes. You cannot help if you are dead."
She nodded, understanding the gravity of the lesson.
---
The fight escalated. Li Fan moved like a shadow, every strike calculated. Every defense measured. He was calm, efficient, and ruthless when necessary.
The attackers had superior strength, but their coordination faltered against his anticipation. He exploited gaps in their alignment, forcing them to overextend. One Level 6 attacker fell into a minor pitfall Li Fan had prepared using terrain manipulation and precise qi control. Another was knocked unconscious by a series of soft but perfectly placed qi strikes.
Xu Kai appeared suddenly from the treeline, Level 8 pressure pushing forward. The air itself seemed to bend under his force.
"You are bold," Xu Kai said. "But boldness will not save you."
Li Fan tilted his head. "Observation is not boldness. It is awareness."
They collided. The earth trembled beneath the impact of their qi. Xu Kai struck relentlessly, trying to overwhelm Li Fan's defenses. Li Fan danced between attacks, using his opponents' momentum against them.
"Level 3 against Level 8," Xu Kai said, voice sharp. "You are a fool."
"I calculate differently," Li Fan replied. "And I account for arrogance."
---
Hours passed in a blur of movement and sound. Li Fan had drawn a line of attackers into traps he had set earlier in the terrain. Hidden talismans, terrain weaknesses, natural hazards. Each movement was designed to limit their strength and increase exposure.
Xu Kai realized too late. Every attack he ordered was anticipated. Every strike manipulated. Li Fan's calm control allowed him to exploit the external conflict in a way that none of the attackers could counter.
But exhaustion began to creep in. Not physical. Mental. Anticipating this many opponents and predicting their patterns required more than qi; it required absolute concentration.
Yan Ruo watched from the western ridge, her eyes wide as she realized how far Li Fan had come. This was no ordinary Level 3. This was someone who had lived, failed, and now applied experience as a weapon.
---
The sun began to rise. Mist lingered. Many attackers lay unconscious, scattered across the valley. Some had fled. Xu Kai remained, glaring.
"You survived," he said. "But you will not survive what comes next."
Li Fan's gaze was steady. "Then let it come."
He turned briefly to Yan Ruo. "Observe carefully. Learn. There is no salvation in weakness."
She nodded, gripping her sleeves tightly.
Xu Kai took a step back, retreating slightly. "This is not over. You have forced my hand, Li Fan. And that is dangerous for you."
Li Fan smiled faintly. "Danger is a path. Not a sentence."
The attackers retreated, leaving the valley empty except for Li Fan and Yan Ruo.
He exhaled slowly. His foundation remained solid, Qi Condensation Level 3 intact. He had survived an attack designed for elimination.
But the real conflict had not yet begun.
Black Ridge Sect had made their position clear. City protection had limits. And Li Fan now carried not just his life, but the burden of Yan Ruo's survival and trust.
He looked toward the horizon. Beyond the mountains, beyond the forests, beyond the city walls, a storm was forming.
And this time, it would not wait for him to finish calculating.
Li Fan's lips curled into a faint smile.
"Let the world test me," he said quietly.
Yan Ruo exhaled beside him. "I will follow."
"Yes," Li Fan replied. "And you will learn to see everything they hide."
The battle ahead would define the first real turning point of his journey. Not just survival. Not just revenge. But dominance.
And Li Fan was ready.
The calm had ended.
The collision was coming.
And he would be the one to decide how it broke.
(Chapter Ended)