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Lucian’s cold eyes narrowed as he approached the trembling figure slumped against the tree.

His presence felt like a suffocating force, pressing down on the man’s chest, each breath a struggle.

Blood still oozed from his wounds, though the healing pill had managed to staunch the worst of it.

"Didn’t you say this is just a small island?" His voice carried an unsettling calm, like the eye of a storm, but beneath it was an undeniable undercurrent of menace.

The man’s breath hitched, his mind racing, trying to find the right words under the suffocating pressure of Lucian’s presence.

His heart hammered in his chest as he struggled to answer quickly, fearing what would happen if he hesitated for too long.

"Y-yes... this isn’t the mainland. It’s one of the many islands that broke off after the ancient war... when a great cultivator clashed with a Demon King."

His voice trembled, each word coming out rushed, "the battle was so catastrophic that this side of the continent itself fractured into thousands of pieces, scattering across the sea. This place... this cursed land, was one of those fragments."

Lucian’s gaze darkened, processing the information, "a piece of a shattered continent..."

"Such secrets, the knowledge of these islands and their true nature, surely the Emperors must know of them, correct?" his voice, though calm, held an undercurrent of suspicion, as if he expected the answer to unravel a deeper conspiracy.

The man swallowed hard, fear flickering in his eyes, "yes, they do... But they keep it hidden, not wanting the mortal world to descend into chaos."

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The man continued, his voice shaking, "It doesn’t have any Spiritual Energy. These lands... seemed to have been forsaken by the Heavens. After that battle, the energy never returned, and now... well, the stronger sects don’t care about these cursed lands anymore."

A faint sneer curled Lucian’s lips, "so, these sects just let this place rot?"

"No, not quite. The sects like my Crimson Sky sect control these mortal Empires, but they don’t bother too much with these islands. They only send lower-ranked disciples here to broaden their experiences. No one of real power would waste time on a place like this," the man stammered, feeling the weight of Lucian’s scrutiny pressing down on him.

Lucian stepped closer, his crimson eyes gleaming with a mixture of curiosity, "and yet... they send people here. Why? How do you arrive at these islands?"

Lucian couldn’t help but remember the memories he absorbed when he took over this body. Before his reincarnation, ’he’ had visited the ocean but had never laid eyes on any continent or its fragmented pieces, only the vast, endless blue stretching before ’him’.

The man swallowed hard, sensing the urgency of his answer.

"I don’t know the real reason," the man stammered, his voice wavering with uncertainty.

"But... once, I accidentally overheard two elders discussing something about Qi and Fate Movement. He mentioned that if the mortals on these islands discovered that they were living like livestock, it could disrupt the Qi movement and throw everything into chaos. That’s why they send us here — to keep the Empires in check and maintain control over the populace."

He took a deep breath, his desperation spilling into his words, "and they send us here through an array formation,"

"It’s the only way to travel between these islands. The ocean is too vast and extremely dangerous to cross. Demonic beasts lurk beneath the waves, waiting to strike. It would be impossible to navigate the waters without being killed even for an elder from the sect."

Lucian’s interest piqued at the mention of the array formation, "so there’s a method to connect these forsaken lands to the mainland?"

The man’s eyes darted around nervously, the fear of revealing too much weighing heavily on him, but he still replied truthfully, "only those with permission from the sect can utilize the array. It’s a tightly guarded secret, reserved for the disciples of the sect. Without that, we’re just trapped here, stranded on this desolate island."

His thoughts turned to escape, "and who controls this array formation here?"

"Senior brother J-Jason," the man stammered, "he’s a first-level Qi Gathering cultivator... also an inner sect disciple, sent by my Crimson Sky Sect to oversee this part of the island."

Lucian raised an eyebrow, the name ringing strange to his ears, "Jason, huh! And he’s at the first level of Qi Gathering!?"

"Yes, sir..." the man’s voice trembled as he continued, "it’s the realm right after Body Strengthening. Once you’ve tempered your body to its peak, you can start gathering Spiritual Energy and unlocking your meridians."

Lucian’s gaze grew sharper, "So, any mortal can ascend to that level?"

The man quickly shook his head, fear flashing in his eyes, "no! Not all are blessed by Fate. Most mortals can’t even reach the peak of Body Strengthening."

"They’ll spend their entire lives trying and still fail. Only those chosen by destiny, or those born into wealth and resources, can make it beyond."

Lucian’s lips curled into a faint smirk, "so Fate decides. And those who are not chosen... they are left to rot."

The man nodded, desperation seeping into his voice, "exactly... most mortals are bound by their limits. They can never absorb enough energy to advance in their lifetimes. Only those born with talent, or with access to heavenly and earthly treasures, can break through."

Lucian’s eyes flicked to the faint glow emanating from the man’s pockets, shimmering like distant stars against the darkness of the night.

"And these are?" he asked, his voice low and curious, "what role do they play?"

As the man hesitated, Lucian’s intensity compelled him to retrieve the glowing stones from his pocket, revealing their radiant surfaces illuminated by the moonlight.

"Spiritual Stones..." the man’s trembling hand offered the stones to Lucian, "they contain pure, condensed nature’s Spiritual Energy. For those at the Body Strengthening stage, absorbing energy indirectly from these stones can speed up their cultivation."

"But… you need to be at the peak of Body Strengthening to fully absorb their power."

Lucian’s eyes glinted with interest as he took one of the stones, feeling the cold energy pulsing from it, "so, without reaching the peak of Body Strengthening, one cannot handle their energy?"

The man nodded quickly, "Yes, sir. The body would burst from within if it tried to absorb too much without being strong enough. However, even if you can’t directly absorb the energy, over time... the stone will still release small amounts of energy, gradually entering your body. It can help fasten the process to complete Body Strengthening, but... it’s dangerous if rushed."

Lucian held the stone up to the dim moonlight, its faint glow reflecting in his blood-red eyes. He could feel the power contained within, dormant yet potent, waiting to be tapped. "So... a tool for the chosen few."

"Yes," the man whispered, hope creeping into his voice, "If you let me live, I can help you. I know the way to the array formation. I can take you there, help you leave this forsaken place."

Lucian’s smile faded, his expression turning unreadable.

He walked closer, his figure looming over the injured man, "you think I can’t see through your facade?"

The man’s heart raced, sweat ran down his back, his mind scrambling for a way to survive.

"I... I know more things! I can... I can tell you how to avoid the sects’ detection, how to escape without raising suspicion! Jason will be leaving soon, and nobody will question you if I’m there!"

Lucian’s gaze darkened, his patience thinnin, "so, Jason will be leaving soon?"

"Yes!" the man hurriedly answered, "He’s scheduled to return to the mainland in a month. The sect rotates its disciples stationed here, sending replacements every month. If you... if you let me live, I can take you to the array formation, and... and help you leave before another senior brother arrives."

Lucian’s mind worked quickly, absorbing every piece of information.

His eyes flickered to the horizon. Escaping this island through the array formation was an enticing thought, but he needed more — he needed leverage, power.

The man, sensing Lucian’s hesitation, quickly retrieved something from his pouch, "here... these stones... take them too... they’ll help you reach the peak of Body Strengthening faster. Even without proper cultivation techniques, just holding them will allow the energy to flow into your body."

Lucian extended his hand, and the man, trembling, placed the remaining Spiritual Stones into his palm.

The energy was faint but unmistakable, a soft hum of power waiting to be unleashed.

The man watched Lucian carefully, his heart pounding in his chest, "I swear, if you let me live, I’ll—"

Lucian’s hand suddenly shot forward, moving faster than the eye could follow!

The man’s breath caught in his throat as Lucian’s palm slammed against his forehead, the force snapping his head back.

There was no time for the man to react, no chance for him to draw the knife he had secretly clutched beneath his robes.

Lucian stood still, his eyes cold and detached, as the man’s body crumpled to the ground, lifeless.

For a moment, the forest was silent, the only sound the soft rustling of leaves in the wind.

Lucian looked down at the stones in his hand, his mind racing — not with fear, but with a long lost anticipation.