He felt something stir—stronger than Qi, deeper than duty.
Maybe it was connection.
Maybe… affection.
But before he could speak, a sudden scream echoed from below.
Tian Shen's eyes snapped toward the port.
Smoke rose in the distance.
"Looks like trouble found us again," Feng Yin muttered, already drawing a talisman.
They sprinted back down the trail.
As they reached the lower cliffs, the source of the chaos became clear. A merchant ship had been wrecked on the rocks—splintered by something massive.
Cultivators from the port outpost clashed with beasts spilling from the surf—scaled, crimson-eyed creatures with jagged fins and barbed tails.
"Sea-fiends," Tian Shen whispered. "From the Sea Depths."
He didn't wait for orders, he surged forward, forming a stance.
His footwork shifted, smoother than before. He ducked past a creature's lunge, slamming his palm into its neck.
『Congrats host, you killed a 3-star beast and gained Spirit points ×200.』
