Kai pressed his back against the cold stone behind the altar, forcing his breath into silence. His heart pounded against his ribcage, each beat echoing too loud in the enclosed space.
Someone was coming, Kai held his breath.
Kai's eyes widened, it was that guy he met at Clearwater Village. The same man he'd once challenged to a drinking contest back in Clearwater Village.
Han Long stepped into the chamber, tall and surefooted, his silhouette framed by the cold light spilling through the ancient doorway. His thick braid swung behind him like a coiled serpent, and the familiar scowl tugging at his lips broke the usual blank calm of his face. The pendant on his chest began to pulse faintly, reacting to the Qi density in the air.
He scanned the space with narrowed eyes, taking in the damp stillness, the heavy scent of dust and decay, and the faint, unsettling hum of dormant power. The cracked altar loomed at the center like a forgotten monument. Pale-blue crystals flickered on the walls, casting fractured shadows that danced across the chamber's stone pillars.
He stepped further in, cautious but unshaken, his gaze finally settling on a heap of bones nestled in the far corner of the chamber. Something in his pendant pulsed stronger now, a near magnetic pull. With little hesitation, Han knelt by the remains, pushing aside brittle ribs and shattered joints with efficient ease.
In moments, he found it.
There, clutched by a long-decayed finger, lay a small, ancient ring—dark metal laced with intricate etchings that shimmered faintly under the ethereal light. As Han lifted it free, the ring flared with a ghostly, bluish luminescence, the glow pulsing in rhythm with his pendant.
He turned it over in his palm, eyes narrowing. "So this is it…"
"Stop."
The voice rang out, quiet but firm, echoing against the stone.
Han stilled, fingers tightening around the ring. Slowly, he turned his head toward the altar.
Kai had stepped into view, tense and ready, eyes locked on him with unmistakable intent.
Han blinked, incredulous. "You again?" His voice was thick with disbelief, though his eyes had already narrowed, calculating.
"You can't take the ring," Kai said, stepping forward, his entire frame coiled with tension.
Han's gaze dropped to the dark vein snaking up his arm. Was it longer than it had been yesterday? How much time did he have left?
His brow lifted. "I'll take whatever I please."
"That ring seals the Blood Demon," Kai warned.
Han let out a derisive snort. "And? That means nothing to me. I have a goal—and I will see it through."
Kai edged closer, voice tight. "If it ends up in the wrong hands, it could destroy everything. I won't let you take it. If you try—"
Han's voice dropped to a low growl. "You'll stop me?"
The silence between them pulsed like a heartbeat.
"I will," Kai said softly but there was iron in his tone.
Han's gaze chilled, his expression hardening into ice. "You shouldn't," he said, voice dropping to a near growl. "You've improved—I'll give you that. But don't confuse growth with equality." He stepped forward, eyes glinting like tempered steel. "You're still beneath me, Kai. You don't even deserve to fight me."
He turned to leave but Kai wasn't done.
He moved.
Han reacted in a blink.
His first strike came as a savage arc of Qi-infused fury, a clawed sweep of spiritual force that tore through the air. Kai met it with his Celestial Eclipse Palm, barely intercepting the blow. Even so, the force blasted through his guard, sending a jolt of pain searing through his shoulder as he twisted away.
Han was fast. Too fast.
Kai staggered, channeling Qi to stabilize his footing, and threw a retaliatory strike. Han stepped to the side effortlessly, his aura now feral. The Feral Beast Technique surged around him, warping the air with the beast manifestation of raw, primal energy. It wasn't just a technique—it was instinct weaponized.
Han rushed him, fists crackling with Qi, slamming into Kai's defense like hammers. Kai's palms blocked the worst of it, but he couldn't mount an offense. Every blow came with animalistic power, wild yet precise. Han wasn't just stronger, he was more experienced in combat too.
Kai ducked low and used the Second Eclipse Palm, a spiraling palm attack meant to disrupt footing. Han skidded, but didn't fall.
"This isn't working. I can't break through. Not like this." Kai thought to himself.
Kai spun back, trying to gain space. Han didn't let him. Claws of Qi tore across Kai's robe, drawing blood. He gritted his teeth. The absorption technique that he newly unlocked needed proximity and time, both of which Han was denying him with ruthless precision.
Another strike. Kai barely avoided it. His shoulder flared with pain, but his mind burned hotter.
If I can't overpower him, I'll outthink him.