(Late Night – Three Hours Until Morning)
In the stillness of night, Xiao Shui sat cross-legged, cultivating quietly in the cave. After thirty minutes of focused meditation, he finally grasped the basics of the mysterious art: Chasing Dreams. This art activated automatically at the slightest will to live, teleporting the user to a "safe place" they held deep in their heart.
Smiling faintly, Xiao Shui opened his eyes.
"A heart-guided escape... It's not just an art. It's a lifeline."
With his cultivation complete, Little Water (Xiao Shui) stood up and prepared to leave the cave, eager to reunite with his brothers.
But fate had other plans.
As he exited, he once again encountered the same group of bullies—only this time, they weren't looking for trouble. They were fleeing in terror, running for their lives.
One of them shouted, "Shui Jin, you bastard! How are you still alive?! We're all at Core Creation Middle Stage and you're still just at Element Abortion Level 3!"
Another—a girl—growled in fury and started swearing violently.
Xiao Shui smiled sweetly.
"Fellow cultivators, if fate allows us to meet again—let's not. Because none of you are going to survive today."
Then, with a flick of his Qi, he unleashed a powerful wave, cutting down dozens of trees. The thunderous sound echoed through the forest, attracting something sinister.
"What the hell?!" cried one of the bullies. "We're already running from that damn Three-Eyed Leopard, and now he's summoned the Cobra King's snakes?!"
Panicked, they launched a Gold-Rank weapon at him—a gleaming sword—but it clanged harmlessly against his body and dropped to the ground without leaving a scratch.
They exchanged glances, speaking through spiritual consciousness.
"Number One, he's not normal..."
"Number Two, we offended a hidden powerhouse. Even the Great Elder didn't notice him!"
"Number Three, let's apologize and offer all our treasures in exchange for our lives!"
They turned and bowed deeply.
"Senior Shui Jin, please forgive us! We offer all our treasures as apology!"
Xiao Shui smirked.
"Not a bad offer. But double it. Two treasures each—and I'll forget everything that happened tonight."
They scrambled to oblige.
"Yes, yes, two treasures each! Just please make the snakes go away!"
Xiao Shui radiated a wave of Qi. The hissing snakes lurking in the dark retreated instantly. They hadn't attacked earlier because they sensed a dire future—one where they'd all perish if they harmed this young man. Even the venomous beasts bowed to fate.
The bullies handed over three paired treasures:
Golden-Grade Healing Pills – For minor injuries.
Gold-Rank Dual Weapons – One short saber and one long knight sword.
Art of Refining – A rare manual with basic techniques and a few hidden secrets.
Xiao Shui narrowed his eyes at the manual.
"This Art of Refining... for which kind of pill or weapon was it designed?"
"We don't know, Senior. We picked it up from the belongings of a low-level Fire Clan cultivator—someone with gentle, water-like fire. A disgrace to the clan. They killed him off quietly and dumped his things at White City for auction."
[White City – A legalized black market dealing in bounties, kidnappings, tracking, and more—if the price is right.]
Xiao Shui pocketed the treasures and dismissed them.
"You're free to go. I won't kill you. So... get lost."
They bowed repeatedly, muttering praises.
"Thank you, Senior! You're too powerful... and handsome!"
As they ran, one whispered, "If Elder Shuye weren't busy fighting that Earth Clan Master, we wouldn't have lost our treasures..."
Xiao Shui's expression changed.
"I don't want to interfere in others' affairs... but if we meet again, Sister Shuye, I'll return this favor."
Still feeling burdened, Xiao Shui slashed through more trees and shattered giant stones to draw attention to the area, hoping the distraction would buy her time to escape the Cobra Snake.
He ran swiftly toward his brothers.
Elsewhere, Xiao Life (Xiao Shengming) gathered the others near a glowing lake.
"This lake is filled with purified Qi," he explained. "Absorb it into your cores. It will help heal wounds and neutralize poison."
The brothers formed a circle and began cultivating. One by one, they broke through to the Law of Element – Initial Stage—all except Little Wind, who remained stuck at the Core Creation Peak Stage. The lake's energy depleted.
Xiao Life turned to him.
"Don't lose hope. You might need to experience the mortal world or confront deep emotions. Perhaps... join a sect or clan."
Xiao Shui nodded and spoke.
"I've met a sister named Shuye. She's at Law of Element Peak Stage but suppresses herself to avoid attention. She's a Great Elder. Most of the information I've gained is thanks to her."
Xiao Life nodded.
"Then Little Wind, you should join her Wind Clan. Learn about our Eternal Clan's past."
Little Wind hesitated, a worried look in his eyes, then slowly nodded.
"But... she's in trouble," Xiao Shui interrupted. "Two enemies—Clan Master Jin Sitin of the Fire Clan and a Cobra Snake—are fighting her."
"Why didn't you help her then?" Xiao Life demanded.
Xiao Shui frowned.
"Jin Sitin is at Law of Element Peak Stage. The Cobra Snake... I suspect it's at Split Soul Early Stage."
The group paled.
"Split Soul?!" Xiao Life exclaimed. "We're only at Law of Meaning Early Stage, except for me—Middle Stage. Little Wind is still at Core Creation Peak. How can we possibly save her?"
Xiao Shui stood straight.
"I'm also at Law of Meaning – Middle Stage."
Silence.
Then—
"WHAT?!" All the brothers turned, stunned.
"No joke. I explored the lower mountain and found a cave. Inside was a technique called 'Steps of the Thief'—I renamed it 'Chasing Dreams.' It was easy to understand... but terrifying to master."
He paused, thinking darkly:
"Calling it easy was a joke. Trying to cool lava with an ice cube—that's more like it."
He shared the cultivation technique. The others thanked him and began practicing.
An hour later...
Xiao Life broke through to Meaning of Law – Late Stage.
The rest reached Law of Element – Peak Stage.
"Let's go," Xiao Shui said. "The battle is still happening."
They raced through the forest like monkeys, finally arriving at a flattened wasteland where a forest once stood—now scorched and scarred by the battle between three forces.
In the distance, they saw it.
The Cobra Snake—massive, red-black, glowing with lava, its power pulsing at Split Soul – Initial Stage.
The two clan masters—Wind and Fire—both at Meaning of Law – Late Stage.
And Sister Shuye, struggling to hold her ground.
Xiao Life turned to his brothers.
"We'll use the Reverse Art of Merging. We might reach Split Soul power for a short time. It's dangerous—our cultivation may regress or we may suffer severe backlash."
The others responded as one.
"We trust you, Brother Life. Lead the way."
He nodded solemnly.
"Then let's save her... and ourselves."
Merging of the Six Clones
Main Body: Xiao Shengming (Little Life)
Clones:
Xiao Guang (Light)
Xiao Hei (Dark)
Xiao Huo (Fire)
Xiao Shui (Water)
Xiao Feng (Wind)
Xiao Diqiu (Earth)
Reverse Art of Merging – A forbidden technique obtained by Xiao Siwang (Little Death) from the cursed book's third page.
[1. Body Separation | 2. Death of One, Birth of All | 3. Reverse Art | 4. ?????]
[TO BE CONTINUED]