The storm struck with an unforgiving fury, shaking the very earth beneath Xiao Xuan's feet. The winds howled, carrying with them the sharp crack of thunder that seemed to reverberate in his bones. Xiao Xuan struggled to keep his footing as the storm battered the forest, branches snapping in the chaos, and the sky itself glowing bright with flashes of lightning.
His clothes were soaked, sticking to his skin as the rain came down in sheets. His muscles burned from the strain of the earlier battle with the Black Fang Boar, and his mind was still reeling from the strange surge of power he had felt. That brief moment of strength had been a lifeline, a reminder that, perhaps, there was something more within him—something powerful waiting to be unlocked. But he knew better than to lean too heavily on such fleeting moments of power.
The storm, however, made it hard to think. It was like the world was collapsing around him, the intensity of nature's wrath reflecting the turmoil in his heart. Without warning, a blinding flash of lightning split the sky, followed by a thunderous boom that left his ears ringing. He staggered, barely able to stay upright as the ground beneath him quivered.
He had to find shelter.
Xiao Xuan's eyes darted around desperately, searching for any refuge from the storm. His body was exhausted, and the wind was becoming more violent by the second. That's when he saw it—a narrow cave entrance, barely visible amidst the thick trees and underbrush. He didn't hesitate. The storm was closing in, and he wasn't about to stand out in the open, waiting for a lightning strike to end it all.
He sprinted toward the cave, pushing past the branches and roots that seemed determined to trip him. Just as another bolt of lightning struck nearby, he ducked into the dark cave, gasping for breath as he entered its cool embrace.
The cave was small, its narrow entrance barely large enough to fit him. But in the face of the storm, it was more than enough. Xiao Xuan collapsed to the ground inside, his legs weak from the run and his body sore from the earlier battle. The roar of the storm seemed muffled here, the heavy rain tapping against the cave's rocky exterior.
Xiao Xuan took a few moments to catch his breath, leaning against the wall. The pain in his muscles was still fresh, but it was nothing compared to the turmoil in his mind. The strange power surge. The boar. The storm. His sense of helplessness had been overwhelming, and now, the quiet of the cave left him with only his thoughts.
He closed his eyes and exhaled, trying to center himself. The world outside was chaos, but in this cave, he had a moment to think.
The surge of power from earlier had not been something he had planned. It had come out of nowhere, like an uncontrollable force. What was it? Was it his immortality, some latent ability he had yet to understand? Or was it something more dangerous—something he shouldn't be tampering with?
His fingers brushed over the rough stone of the cave's wall, and his mind wandered back to the forbidden technique. The temptation to use it, to speed up his cultivation, was always there, lingering just beneath the surface of his thoughts. He had resisted it so far, but what if he couldn't resist forever? The world was unforgiving. If he didn't find power, he would remain nothing more than a forgotten laborer in a lowly sect.
But then again, that power came with a price. He had seen it in Chen Wu's face. He had felt it in his own hesitation.
Xiao Xuan opened his eyes, staring into the shadows of the cave. The storm outside seemed to grow fiercer, and he could feel the weight of the world pressing down on him. How long could he hold out? How long could he keep walking this path of patience when everything around him was a reminder that the world didn't care about his ideals?
Suddenly, there was a faint sound—a crackling, low and strange. Xiao Xuan tensed, his body alert. Had something followed him into the cave? He strained his ears, but the sound wasn't repeated. The air inside the cave seemed thick, almost charged with a strange energy. He stood up cautiously, moving toward the source of the sound, but the storm outside drowned out all other noises.
He shook his head. His nerves were playing tricks on him. He couldn't afford to be distracted now. The storm was far from over, and the exhaustion still clung to him like a second skin.
As he sank back down to the ground, resting his back against the cool rock, his thoughts drifted again. He had always told himself that he would build something lasting, something greater than mere power. A family. A clan. A place where no one had to suffer from weakness. But how could he build that if he couldn't even defend himself from a beast?
A strange thought crossed his mind—a fleeting sensation that something, or someone, had a hand in his survival. It wasn't clear, just a passing feeling, but it lingered. Maybe the storm, maybe the strange power that had surged within him, was pushing him toward something. Or someone.
Xiao Xuan quickly dismissed the thought. There were no forces pulling him. Not yet. He was still in control of his own path, wasn't he?
With a final, steadying breath, he closed his eyes and let the sounds of the storm wash over him. He wasn't about to rush into anything. He would survive the storm, both outside and within himself. But for now, he could rest. Fate could wait.