The Thorne of Destiny

The moment the Ember Earth Bear's paws struck the ground, Adrian felt his scalp go numb.

Too fast.

The earth beneath him screamed.

Cracks spiderwebbed forward at a terrifying speed, glowing crimson from within as molten magma surged upward like a living tide. Chunks of earth the size of boulders were flung into the air, wrapped in searing heat.

There was no time to think.

Only instinct.

"DAMN IT!"

Adrian bit down hard, blood seeping from the corner of his mouth as he forcefully activated Astral Steps to its limit.

WHOOSH!

His figure twisted unnaturally, vanishing just as a pillar of magma erupted from where he had been standing. The blast sent shockwaves ripping through the forest, vaporizing trees and scorching the ground black.

He reappeared dozens of meters away—then again—then again.

Each step tore violently at his meridians.

His vision blurred. His chest burned. Qi surged chaotically inside him, threatening to spiral out of control.

Astral Steps was never meant to be used like this.

Behind him, the forest had turned into a hellscape.

The ground churned like boiling water, magma veins carving through the earth as shockwaves flattened everything in their path. Trees burned, stones melted, and the air itself shimmered with unbearable heat.

Even the Cloudcrest Sect's leader wasn't spared.

He had been running ahead when the attack detonated.

"NO—!"

He barely managed to erect a defensive barrier before the wave hit.

BOOM!

The barrier shattered instantly.

He was sent flying like a rag doll, smashing through trees before crashing hard into the ground. Blood sprayed from his mouth as he rolled to a stop, his aura plummeting.

Golden Core or not—this was a Rank 4 beast unleashing its innate ability.

Survival was no longer guaranteed.

Adrian staggered as he landed again, finally forced to stop. His knees buckled, and he nearly collapsed forward, barely catching himself with his sword embedded into the ground.

His breathing was ragged.

Each inhale felt like swallowing fire.

His robes were scorched. His skin was blistered. His Qi reserves—once deep enough to rival Core cultivators—were now frighteningly low.

Yet the bear still stood.

Through the haze of smoke and fire, the Ember Earth Bear emerged.

Its massive body was wreathed in heat, magma dripping from its claws like liquid blood. Its eyes glowed with savage intent, locked solely onto Adrian.

ROOOAAARR!!!

The roar shook Adrian's soul.

It took a single step forward.

The ground groaned.

Adrian's heart sank.

So this was it?

He tightened his grip on his sword, blood dripping down the blade.

If he was going to die here, he would at least—

Suddenly, something shifted.

The Ember Earth Bear halted.

Its massive head tilted slightly, nostrils flaring as it sniffed the air. Its gaze flicked away from Adrian—just for a moment—toward the collapsed figure of the Cloudcrest Sect leader.

Blood.

Fresh, potent Golden Core blood.

The bear hesitated.

That single pause saved Adrian's life.

Without wasting a breath, Adrian reached into his storage ring and crushed a jade vial in his hand.

A bitter, violent medicinal essence surged down his throat.

His veins burned.

His Qi erupted.

A forbidden pill.

One he had sworn not to use unless absolutely necessary.

"Just a little more…" he rasped.

His aura spiked violently, surpassing the limits of Foundation Establishment—if only temporarily.

The Ember Earth Bear roared again, torn between two prey.

Adrian vanished.

WHOOSH—WHOOSH—WHOOSH!

Astral Steps chained together in a desperate, near-mad sequence as he fled deeper into the Crimson Forest, leaving behind afterimages scorched into the air.

The bear let out a furious bellow, torn by instinct.

After a breath-long hesitation, it turned—

—and charged after Adrian once more.

But its pace had slowed.

Ever so slightly.

Adrian didn't look back.

He couldn't afford to.

Because he knew one thing with absolute certainty.

If he stopped running now—

He would die.

And far behind him, amid the burning forest and shattered earth, the Crimson Peak Mystic Realm swallowed the screams of the dying… and waited hungrily for what would come next.

Adrian didn't know how long he ran.

Time had lost all meaning the moment survival became his only thought.

Branches whipped past his face, tearing shallow cuts across his skin. His lungs burned as if filled with molten iron, each breath scraping his throat raw. The forbidden pill continued to wreak havoc inside him, violently forcing his Qi to circulate at speeds his body was never meant to endure.

Cracks formed along his meridians.

If this continued, even if the Ember Earth Bear didn't kill him, his own cultivation would cripple him.

Yet he didn't dare slow down.

Behind him, the forest shook again.

BOOM.

BOOM.

Each thunderous footstep sent tremors through the ground, vibrating straight into Adrian's bones. The Ember Earth Bear was still coming. Slower than before—but relentless.

Like a calamity that refused to be outrun.

Adrian clenched his teeth, blood leaking from his lips.

"Not… yet…"

He forced himself to remain conscious, his eyes darting across the terrain. The Crimson Forest was no ordinary forest—hidden danger zones, unstable Qi currents, collapsed ruins, and forbidden lands were scattered throughout.

If he wanted to live, he needed terrain.

Luck—finally—answered him.

Ahead, the forest canopy thinned abruptly. The air shifted, becoming heavy, oppressive. Even the ambient Qi grew chaotic, forming irregular currents that scraped against his skin like invisible blades.

Adrian's pupils shrank.

"A spatial distortion zone…"

Branches whipped past his face, tearing shallow cuts across his skin. His lungs burned as if filled with molten iron, each breath scraping his throat raw. The forbidden pill continued to wreak havoc inside him, violently forcing his Qi to circulate at speeds his body was never meant to endure.

Cracks formed along his meridians.

If this continued, even if the Ember Earth Bear didn't kill him, his own cultivation would cripple him.

Yet he didn't dare slow down.

Behind him, the forest shook again.

BOOM.

BOOM.

Each thunderous footstep sent tremors through the ground, vibrating straight into Adrian's bones. The Ember Earth Bear was still coming. Slower than before—but relentless.

Like a calamity that refused to be outrun.

Adrian clenched his teeth, blood leaking from his lips.

"Not… yet…"

He forced himself to remain conscious, his eyes darting across the terrain. The Crimson Forest was no ordinary forest—hidden danger zones, unstable Qi currents, collapsed ruins, and forbidden lands were scattered throughout.

If he wanted to live, he needed terrain.

Luck—finally—answered him.

Ahead, the forest canopy thinned abruptly. The air shifted, becoming heavy, oppressive. Even the ambient Qi grew chaotic, forming irregular currents that scraped against his skin like invisible blades.

Ahead, the forest canopy thinned abruptly. The air shifted, becoming heavy, oppressive. Even the ambient Qi grew chaotic, forming irregular currents that scraped against his skin like invisible blades.

Adrian's pupils shrank.

"A spatial distortion zone…"

A naturally formed unstable area where earth veins, fire veins, and astral currents overlapped chaotically. Cultivators avoided such places like the plague. Entering without preparation could shred one's body apart.

But to a desperate man?

It was salvation.

Adrian veered sharply, plunging straight into the distortion zone.

The moment he crossed the boundary, his vision warped violently. Space twisted, his balance vanished, and his internal Qi nearly collapsed under the sudden pressure.

He coughed out a mouthful of blood mid-step.

But he kept moving.

Behind him, the Ember Earth Bear skidded to a halt at the edge of the zone.

It roared—furious, unwilling.

Its massive claws dug into the soil, magma sizzling beneath its paws. The chaotic spatial currents lashed outward, slicing shallow gashes across its hide.

The bear hesitated.

It was powerful—but not foolish.

This place was dangerous even for it.

Adrian stumbled deeper, collapsing behind a jagged stone formation as his legs finally gave out. He rolled onto his back, staring at the distorted sky above, chest heaving violently.

For several terrifying breaths, he waited.

No roar followed.

No crushing footsteps.

Only silence—broken by the chaotic hum of unstable Qi.

A shaky laugh escaped Adrian's lips.

"…Alive."

Barely.

He didn't relax.

Not yet.

With trembling hands, he pulled out several pills and swallowed them without hesitation. Cooling essence flowed through his body, clashing violently with the remnants of the forbidden pill. Pain wracked him, forcing a hoarse groan from his throat.

But his Qi stabilized—just enough.

Minutes passed.

Then—

A distant, enraged roar echoed from beyond the distortion zone.

The Ember Earth Bear.

But it didn't enter.

Adrian closed his eyes, exhaustion crashing down on him like a tidal wave.

He had escaped.

At a terrible cost—but he had survived.

Only then did his hand tighten around his storage ring.

Inside it lay the Vermilion Spirit Grass.

A Rank 4 herb.

The reason he had risked everything.

Slowly, Adrian's lips curled into a faint, dangerous smile.

"Cloudcrest Sect…"

He remembered the sneers. The betrayal. The way they had thrown him to the wolves—literally.

They were dead now.

All but one, perhaps.

And even if that one survived…

This wasn't over.

Not even close.

As the chaotic winds howled around him and the Crimson Forest swallowed his presence, Adrian drifted into unconsciousness—his fate, cultivation, and vengeance quietly fermenting beneath the scorched earth.