Li Chen had barely taken ten steps into the gravity-warped valley when his instincts screamed.
He stopped.
The air ahead shimmered unnaturally, as if reality itself hesitated to exist there. Stones floated at odd angles, drifting lazily before snapping back into place without warning. Every few breaths, gravity inverted for a heartbeat, then corrected itself again.
A perfect place to hide.
A terrible place to relax.
Li Chen moved cautiously, each step guided by perception rather than sight. His aura was suppressed to the extreme, his presence so faint that even spirit beasts would struggle to notice him.
Then—
A soft sound reached his ears.
Not wind.
Not stone.
A sigh.
Li Chen froze.
No, he thought immediately. Absolutely not.
He scanned the area.
At the center of the valley, seated upon a levitating slab of pale crystal, was a woman.
She wore flowing white robes tinged with silver, their edges fluttering gently despite the lack of wind. Long black hair cascaded down her back like a waterfall of ink, framing a face so refined it seemed unreal—skin flawless, eyes deep and luminous, lips curved in faint, tranquil amusement.
A beauty.
The kind that made cultivators forget caution.
Li Chen felt only a tightening in his chest.
Trouble, he concluded. Big trouble.
She was injured.
Blood stained the edge of her sleeve, and her breathing was uneven—carefully controlled, but shallow. A faint spatial distortion lingered around her body, as though she had been thrown here by force rather than arriving willingly.
Li Chen took one slow step backward.
The crystal slab creaked softly.
Her eyes opened.
They locked onto him instantly.
Li Chen stopped retreating.
Running now would only draw attention.
"…You don't need to be afraid," the woman said gently. Her voice was clear and melodic, carrying a soothing cadence that resonated faintly with the surrounding qi. "I won't harm you."
Li Chen's mind raced.
Beautiful. Injured. Alone. In a high-danger zone. Speaking calmly.
Every single part of this screamed fatal encounter.
"I believe you," Li Chen said politely.
He did not move closer.
He did not relax.
The woman blinked, clearly surprised. "You do?"
"Yes," Li Chen replied. "Which is why I'll leave now."
He turned slightly, preparing to withdraw at an angle that wouldn't trigger hostility.
The woman's lips curved upward. "Interesting."
The air shifted.
Li Chen felt it instantly—a subtle tightening of space, not enough to trap him, but enough to remind him how close he was to danger.
"You're not from the lower realm, are you?" she asked softly.
Li Chen's heart sank.
Of course she noticed.
"I'm not strong," he said carefully. "And I don't like trouble."
She laughed quietly. The sound was light, pleasant… and entirely out of place.
"Then why are you here?"
Li Chen didn't answer.
Because running away fast enough requires courage too.
She studied him for a long moment, eyes sharp beneath their gentle surface. Then she sighed again, this time with genuine fatigue.
"…Help me," she said.
There it was.
The most dangerous request in cultivation.
Li Chen did not respond immediately.
He assessed her injuries, the fluctuations in her qi, the unstable spatial scars around her body. Whatever had wounded her was beyond ordinary core disciple level.
Helping her would entangle him.
Refusing her might provoke her.
Either way—
Disaster.
"What happens if I say no?" Li Chen asked calmly.
She tilted her head. "Then I'll wait for someone else."
Li Chen narrowed his eyes.
She didn't threaten me.
That was worse.
"…And if I help?" he asked.
Her gaze softened. "Then I'll owe you a favor."
Li Chen's stomach dropped.
Never accept favors from beautiful women in cultivation realms, his instincts screamed. They always come with blood interest.
"I don't need favors," he said quickly. "I only want to leave alive."
She smiled. "Then help me leave this place."
Li Chen exhaled slowly.
This woman was not asking for healing.
She was asking for escape.
Which meant she was dangerous enough that the realm itself was trying to kill her.
Li Chen rubbed his temple. "You're very troublesome."
Her smile widened slightly. "So I've been told."
Silence stretched between them.
Finally, Li Chen spoke.
"I won't touch you," he said firmly. "I won't carry you. I won't share qi. And if something goes wrong, I run first."
She laughed softly. "Fair."
Li Chen retrieved a formation plate from his sleeve, activating it cautiously. A stabilizing field spread around the crystal slab, easing the spatial distortions slightly.
Her eyes widened—just a fraction.
"You're… surprisingly careful."
Li Chen didn't look at her. "That's how I'm still alive."
As the formation settled, Li Chen felt a familiar unease crawl up his spine.
He had made contact.
And in the Realm of Hidden Origins, contact meant connection.
He glanced at her one last time.
Beautiful, he thought.
Definitely trouble.
And yet—
For the first time since entering the realm, Li Chen suspected that escaping alone might no longer be an option.