The sheer power Lin Feng and Xia Qingwu now wielded as First Level Origin Kings felt intoxicating, yet dangerously unstable. The formation of their Origin Domain—Lin Feng's an invisible, distorting sphere of spatial law, Xia Qingwu's a field of searing, absolute heat—was incomplete. The breakthrough had been too rapid, fueled by raw chance and shared energy rather than meticulous refinement.
"Our Domains are like glass," Xia Qingwu observed, sitting cross-legged as she forced her Phoenix Fire to calmly patrol the borders of her Domain. "We can shatter an artifact, but if Luo Han hits our true Domain with a practiced Origin King strike, we will shatter."
Lin Feng agreed. He tested his Void Cutter Finger again. It was now a terrifying attack, capable of punching a temporary hole in reality, but the resulting backlash of chaotic energy made him nauseated. He needed a stabilizing catalyst, something that could help his mind manage the complexities of spatial law.
Their immediate problem, however, was Commander Luo Han. They had broken his high-grade artifact, an unforgivable insult to the Violet Flame Dynasty. Staying in the Ancient Spirit Mountain Range was suicidal.
They decided to return to the relative anonymity of Shifting Sands City, banking on the city's lawlessness and the influence of Elder Ling to provide a temporary shield.
The return to the city was uneventful, but the atmosphere had changed. The Dynasty's presence was heavier; Imperial Guards were now posted openly at the gates, their presence chilling the black market atmosphere. Luo Han was hunting them, offering a massive bounty for the "spatial anomaly" and the "fire rogue."
Lin Feng and Xia Qingwu moved cautiously, their auras perfectly suppressed by an improved concealment technique Xia Qingwu had devised. They immediately sought out Elder Ling.
The rogue alchemist was predictably unconcerned. "Ah, the children who poked the hornet's nest return," Elder Ling grunted, tossing a fresh load of sulfur into her cauldron. "Luo Han's been making noise. He's powerful, but he's arrogant. He won't personally risk the dishonor of returning to this filthy city for two ants."
Lin Feng presented their problem: the unstable Origin Domains and the need for a Soul-Taming Catalyst to aid in spatial comprehension.
Elder Ling scrutinized Lin Feng, her keen eyes seeing the chaotic energy trying to tear his core apart. "Spatial comprehension requires the Essence of Transcendent Insight. It's found in one place in this plane: the Hidden Archive of the Fallen Sect of Tranquility. A place that's guarded not by beasts, but by deadly, ancient formations."
"Where is it?" Lin Feng pressed.
"I need someone to get it. That's your next payment," Elder Ling countered. "And since you've drawn the Dynasty's attention, you'll need backup. Someone who moves in the shadows."
Elder Ling reached under her grime-covered counter and hauled out a small, exquisite, caged Spirit Beast. It wasn't a fierce creature, but a tiny, nine-tailed silver fox, whose large, intelligent eyes observed them silently.
"This is not a beast, but a rogue. He's a legendary thief and illusionist known as the Shadow Thief, Yin Xiu," Elder Ling explained. "He tried to steal a rare Sky-Grade Essence from my inventory. I caught him. Now he works for me."
Elder Ling opened the cage. The silver fox shimmered, and in a puff of smoke, it transformed into a breathtakingly beautiful young woman. She had silver-white hair, delicate fox ears twitching slightly, and a pair of mischievous, slitted golden eyes.
She wore loose, dark silk robes that flowed like smoke. Her figure was instantly noticeable, possessing a striking, lithe grace perfectly suited for silent movement and deception.
"I am Yin Xiu," she corrected, her voice soft but laced with sharp intelligence. "I am no one's pet. And I won't risk my life for a pair of noisy Origin King upstarts who brought the entire Dynasty to our doorstep."
"You want freedom, Yin Xiu?" Lin Feng countered, stepping forward. "I need your skills to bypass ancient formations. The Fallen Sect's Archive holds the Essence of Transcendent Insight. That Essence can cure your Spirit Beast body's chronic instability caused by your flawed human transformation. Elder Ling knows it."
Yin Xiu's golden eyes narrowed at Elder Ling, who merely cackled. Lin Feng had hit a nerve. The Fox Clan transformation was risky, and Yin Xiu needed that Essence to stabilize her human form permanently.
"If you can get me past the formations, I will lead us into the archive's core, steal the Essence, and split the rewards," Yin Xiu finally conceded, her gaze lingering on Lin Feng's subtle spatial distortion. "But you will keep up with my speed. I move like a shadow, not a clumsy Origin King."
Xia Qingwu stepped up, putting a possessive arm around Lin Feng's shoulder, her fiery aura warming the chaotic Void Qi around him. "We move together. You will learn that Lin Feng's speed is anything but clumsy, Shadow Thief."
The tension was palpable, a mix of rivalry and shared mission. Lin Feng now had a second key companion—a master of stealth and deception—who would allow him to bypass the need for brute force and instead focus on mastering the intricacies of his spatial domain. The next stage of their ascent would be measured not by breakthroughs, but by meticulous resource acquisition and tactical mastery.