His clone caught up to him three li from where Zhou Kang had fallen. They continued together through the wilderness, covering ground steadily until the flat plains gave way to rising hills and then larger formations of rock.

  A mountain range stretched ahead. Huo Chen headed directly for it. He moved between two smaller peaks and found a cliff face with dense rock. His hands pressed against the stone and earth Qi flooded outward, carving into the mountain itself.

  The opening formed quickly—just large enough to sit and sleep comfortably. He stepped inside. The clone followed and returned to his dantian. The entrance sealed behind him, rock flowing back into place until no trace remained.

  Huo Chen sat down and let out a long breath. His body was still tense from the fight. He let his shoulders drop and felt some of the tension release.

  His hands rested on his knees. Blood stained his knuckles and the skin was torn in places from the close exchanges with Zhou Kang. He flexed his fingers slowly.

  'I can't keep fighting like this with just earth Qi on my fists... I need a weapon.'

  He reached into his storage bag and pulled out Zhou Kang's storage ring. He pushed his spiritual sense inside briefly and found what he was looking for—a jade bottle containing healing pills. He pulled one out.

  The pill was small and pale green, its spiritual energy dense. He swallowed it. The effect was immediate. Warmth spread through his body, concentrating in the damaged areas. The torn skin on his knuckles and the injuries on his shoulder began to close, the pain fading.

  Within minutes, the wounds had sealed completely, leaving only faint marks that would disappear by morning. Quality pills. Worth the price Zhou Kang had probably paid for them.

  Exhaustion settled over him now that the immediate concerns were handled. His Qi reserves were still low and his body needed rest. He lay down on the stone floor and closed his eyes. Sleep came quickly.

  Morning light filtered through cracks in the sealed entrance when he woke. His body felt stiff but the injuries were gone. He sat up and stretched, feeling his joints crack. He reached for his storage bag and pulled out the jade slip he'd won at the auction.

  The Stone Mantle Barrier technique. He held it in his palm and pushed his spiritual sense into it.

  Information flooded his mind immediately. The technique's structure, the circulation patterns and the hand seals required to activate it.

  He pulled his spiritual sense back and sat with the knowledge, trying to piece it together. It was complicated. The Qi pathways were intricate, requiring precise control.

  The visualization alone demanded focus he wasn't sure he could maintain for the duration needed. He attempted to circulate his Qi according to the first pattern. It resisted. The flow felt wrong, sluggish.

  He tried again, adjusting slightly. Better, but still not right. He stopped and frowned.

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  'Hmm. This would take a lot of time for me to master alone...'

  Then an idea occurred to him.

  'Let me try my clone and see if there would be any surprise.'

  He released the clone from his dantian. It materialized beside him. He handed the jade slip to it. The clone took the slip and held it.

  Huo Chen focused his awareness through the clone's body, experiencing the technique from that perspective.

  The difference was immediate.

  What had felt impossibly complex moments ago suddenly became clear. The circulation patterns made sense. The hand seals aligned naturally. He could see the underlying principles of the technique—how the earth Qi was supposed to condense and where the structural integrity came from.

  It was like looking through fog and having it lift all at once. He pulled his awareness back to his own body and stared at the clone in shock.

  Then he felt it—a surge of joy in his chest, genuine excitement.

  "Hahahahahah!" The laugh came out freely, echoing slightly in the small cave. "I'm a comprehension genius now! Hahahah, amazing!"

  What a pleasant surprise.

  The discovery was more valuable than he'd expected. The clone wasn't just for combat. It doubled his comprehension speed, maybe more. Techniques that would take him weeks to understand alone could be grasped in days—maybe hours—with the clone's help.

  He dismissed the clone with a wave of his hand and it returned to his dantian. The jade slip went back into his storage bag. He'd study it properly later when he had a stable place to practice.

  For now, he had other things to handle. He pulled out Zhou Kang's storage ring again and examined the contents more thoroughly this time. Seventy mid-grade spirit stones and over a thousand low grade stones sat in neat stacks.

  He looked at them and a satisfied feeling settled over him.

  'Good. With these, I won't have to worry about resources for a long time.'

  He allowed himself a small smile. It felt good to be rich again.

  Pills, talismans, the saber, beast cores, spirit herbs—all quality items. All useful. He transferred everything from his storage bag into the ring for easier access.

  The saber he'd sell in the next city. He leaned back against the stone wall.

  The resources were handled and his Injuries healed.

  But staying here made no sense.

  Qingfeng City was out of the question now. The commotion from Zhou Kang's death would be too much, and the last thing he needed was unnecessary attention. His mind went to the information he'd gathered while he was in Qingfeng City.

  The Eastern Border Province was divided into two domains. The western domain—where Qingfeng City sat—was ruled by the Azure River Sect and the Gale Sword Sect. Both had Golden Core experts backing them.

  The eastern domain was different. Two powers controlled that side: the Blood Moon Hall and the Mu Family. Both also had Golden Core experts.

  'Blood Moon Hall.' He turned the name over in his mind. What kind of sect called themselves that?

  And the Mu Family—another Golden Core power.

  The eastern domain. He'd never been there before, but now seemed like the right time. He stood and walked to the sealed entrance. His Qi pushed outward and the stone parted smoothly.

  Morning air rushed in, cool and clean. He stepped outside. The mountains stretched around him, the sky clear overhead.

  The eastern domain lay ahead, across forests and rivers and whatever else stood between here and there.

  "Let's see what this eastern domain is all about."

  He started walking. The mountain range fell away behind him as he descended back toward flatter ground. The peaks grew smaller with each li he covered, their jagged edges softening into the distance until they were just dark shapes against the horizon.

  The terrain opened up ahead. Dense forests stretched to the north. To the south, rolling hills covered in wild grass. He kept his direction steady—east—and maintained a comfortable pace. Weeks would pass before he reached the eastern domain properly. The border wasn't a clear line but a gradual shift in territory, marked by different cities, different influences, different people.

  He'd know it when he saw it. For now, he just moved forward. The mountains behind him faded completely, disappearing as the distance grew. Ahead, the land stretched wide and open, waiting.