The Crimson Vale earned its name from the red moss that covered everything—trees, rocks, even the bones of travelers who'd failed to cross it.
Yun Xia and I stood at the Vale's southern entrance, looking at a natural corridor carved between mountain peaks. The air itself felt wrong here, thick with spiritual energy that had condensed into something almost visible.
"Last chance to take the safe route," she said. "Two weeks around versus six days through, but we'd both survive the former."
"We don't have two weeks. Enforcer Liu arrives in three days."
"He arrives at Azure Peak City in three days. Finding us after that takes time, even for the Celestial Court." But her tone suggested she already knew my answer.
[CRIMSON VALE: ENTRANCE]
[SPIRITUAL ENERGY DENSITY: 400% ABOVE NORMAL]
[SPIRIT BEAST POPULATION: EXTREME]
[RECORDED DEATHS: 2,847 OVER PAST DECADE]
[RECORDED SURVIVALS: 312]
[SURVIVAL RATE: 9.8%]
"Almost ten percent," I said. "I've survived worse odds."
"When?"
"Three days ago when we killed Shen Tu. The odds were twenty-three percent then, remember?"
"And you think that was a good experience?" Yun Xia shook her head but smiled slightly. "Fine. But we follow my rules. I've crossed the Vale once before—barely survived, learned from it. Rule one: never stop moving during daylight. Rule two: find defensible shelter before dark. Rule three: if something attacks, kill it fast or run faster."
"What about rule four?"
"There is no rule four. If you need a rule four, you're already dead."
We entered the Vale.
The temperature dropped immediately—not physically cold, but spiritually. The dense energy pressing against us felt like walking through water. Each breath required effort. Each step forward felt like pushing against invisible resistance.
"This is the Vale's first test," Yun Xia explained, her voice strained. "The spiritual pressure alone turns back half the people who attempt crossing. Those who can't handle it retreat within hours."
"How long until we adapt?"
"Some never do. Others take a day." She glanced at me. "Fortune Foundation cultivation might help. You manipulate probability,try making it more probable that your body adapts quickly."
I activated my fortune sense, feeling the probability threads connecting my body to the environment. There,a path where adaptation happened faster, where my meridians adjusted to the dense energy efficiently.
I spent 50 LP to nudge probability in that direction.
[COST: 50 LP]
[CURRENT LP: 1,470]
[EFFECT: ENVIRONMENTAL ADAPTATION ACCELERATED]
The pressure eased almost immediately. Not gone, but manageable. I could breathe normally again, move without feeling like I was swimming through honey.
"That's... convenient," Yun Xia observed, watching me adjust. "Took me six hours to adapt naturally when I crossed before."
"Luck manipulation has its uses."
"If you don't run out of LP halfway through and collapse."
Fair point.
We traveled for four hours before encountering our first spirit beast.
It emerged from the red moss without warning,a Crimson Wolf, easily twice the size of a normal wolf, with fur that blended perfectly with the Vale's vegetation. Its eyes glowed with spiritual energy, and its cultivation base pressed against my senses.
[CRIMSON WOLF - QI CONDENSATION PEAK]
[SPECIAL TRAIT: PACK HUNTER]
[WARNING: WHERE THERE'S ONE, THERE ARE USUALLY FIVE OR MORE]
"Don't engage," Yun Xia whispered. "Wolves hunt in packs. If we kill one, the others will—"
Four more wolves melted from the moss around us.
"Never mind," she finished, drawing her daggers. "Kill them all. Fast."
The lead wolf lunged at me, jaws aimed for my throat. I activated Fortune Strike, my sword finding the precise angle to deflect its momentum and open its throat in one motion.
[CRIMSON WOLF DEFEATED]
[+25 LP]
[CURRENT LP: 1,495]
But the other four were already attacking—two at me, two at Yun Xia. She moved like liquid death, her daggers finding vulnerable points with Foundation Establishment precision. Her wolves died in seconds.
Mine required more creativity.
I activated Luck Severance on both simultaneously, spending 14 LP to sever their fortune. Immediately, their coordinated attack fell apart. One wolf's paw caught on a root hidden beneath moss. The other lunged too eagerly and overextended.
I capitalized ruthlessly, my sword taking the first through the eye, the second through the exposed ribs.
[CRIMSON WOLVES DEFEATED x2]
[+50 LP]
[CURRENT LP: 1,531]
"Not bad," Yun Xia acknowledged, wiping blood from her blades. "But we just announced our presence to every predator within a mile. Move. Now."
We ran deeper into the Vale, the spiritual pressure increasing with each mile. Behind us, I heard howls,more wolves, probably dozens, converging on the scent of blood.
"The Vale's food chain is brutal," Yun Xia explained as we ran. "Everything here is stronger, faster, more aggressive. The spiritual energy density forces constant evolution. Survive or die. No middle ground."
"Sounds familiar," I muttered.
We ran for another two hours before the howling faded. Yun Xia finally slowed, consulting a crude map she'd drawn on leather.
"There's a cave system ahead. Defensible, only one entrance. We shelter there tonight, continue at dawn."
"How far have we gone?"
"Maybe ten miles. We need to average twenty miles per day to cross in six days. Today's pace is acceptable."
[PROGRESS: 10 MILES / 120 MILES TOTAL]
[PACE: ON TARGET]
[LP EXPENDITURE: MODERATE]
[INJURIES: NONE]
The cave system appeared at dusk—a narrow opening in the Vale's red stone, just wide enough for one person. Yun Xia examined it carefully before nodding.
"Empty. At least, empty of anything currently alive." She pointed to old bones scattered near the entrance. "Someone died here, but long ago. The scent is gone."
We entered cautiously, weapons ready. The cave extended back thirty feet, ending in solid stone. Defensible. A single person at the entrance could hold off multiple attackers.
"I'll take first watch," Yun Xia said, settling near the entrance. "You cultivate, recover your LP expenditure from today. We'll need full resources tomorrow."
I sat cross-legged in the cave's rear, extending my fortune sense outward. In the Vale, fortune threads were chaotic, tangled, constantly shifting. Predators and prey, survival and death, all woven together in an intricate pattern.
And beneath it all, I felt something else—a deeper current of fate, like an underground river. The Crimson Vale wasn't just dangerous terrain. It was a place where destiny itself flowed stronger, where probability bent more easily.
Perfect training ground for a Fortune Foundation cultivator.
I began absorbing ambient fortune from my surroundings. The Vale held tremendous accumulated luck,every creature that survived here defied death daily, generating fortune with each breath.
[FORTUNE ABSORPTION: ACTIVE]
[AMBIENT FORTUNE IN CRIMSON VALE: EXCEPTIONAL]
[ABSORPTION RATE: +5 LP PER HOUR]
Not fast, but steady. Over the six-day crossing, I could potentially gain several hundred LP just from passive absorption while resting.
Hours passed. Night deepened. The Vale's sounds changed—daytime predators yielding to nocturnal hunters. Yun Xia remained motionless at the cave entrance, her spiritual sense extended, monitoring threats.
Around midnight, something approached.
I felt it before I saw it—a distortion in probability threads, something that bent fate around itself like light around a black hole.
"Yun Xia," I whispered. "Something's coming. Something big."
"I know. I've been tracking it for five minutes." Her voice was tense. "It's circling our position, testing our defenses."
"What is it?"
"Can't tell. It's masking its spiritual signature somehow. But based on the pressure..." She gripped her daggers tighter. "Foundation Establishment minimum. Possibly Core Formation."
[WARNING: MAJOR THREAT APPROACHING]
[SPIRITUAL SIGNATURE: OBSCURED]
[ESTIMATED POWER: FOUNDATION ESTABLISHMENT 3RD-7TH LAYER]
[ALTERNATIVE: CORE FORMATION 1ST-2ND LAYER]
[COMBAT PROBABILITY: UNKNOWN]
The thing circling us suddenly stopped. Complete silence fell across the Vale—even the background sounds of nocturnal insects ceased.
Then a voice spoke, deep and resonant, carrying the weight of profound cultivation.
"Interesting. A Foundation Establishment cultivator and a... what are you? Fortune Foundation? How quaint."
A figure stepped into view at the cave entrance—humanoid but not quite human. Its form seemed to shift between shapes, never settling. Eyes like molten gold studied us with ancient intelligence.
"A Vale Guardian," Yun Xia breathed, and for the first time since I'd met her, I heard fear in her voice. "Wei Chen, don't move. Don't attack. Don't even breathe aggressively."
"What's a Vale Guardian?"
"Spirit beasts that have achieved semi-human intelligence and Core Formation cultivation. They maintain order in the Crimson Vale, prevent anything too powerful from destroying the ecosystem." She lowered her daggers slowly, showing non-aggression. "Great Guardian, we mean no disrespect. We're merely passing through."
The Guardian tilted its head, studying us like insects. "Passing through. Yes, many pass through. Most become sustenance for the Vale's residents. You, however, interest me."
Its golden eyes fixed on me specifically.
"Fortune Foundation cultivation. Probability manipulation. Fate Weaver bloodline struggling to awaken." The Guardian's form solidified slightly—an elderly man's shape, though the eyes remained inhuman. "The Celestial Court hunts you, doesn't it? You smell of their attention."
I started to answer, but the Guardian waved a hand dismissively.
"Don't bother lying. I can read fate threads. Your past is written in probability itself—murdered young master, resurrected by mysterious system, hunted for bloodline you barely understand." It smiled, showing too many teeth. "Quite the tale. Tragic beginning, uncertain middle, probably violent end."
"Are you going to kill us?" I asked directly.
"Kill you? Why? You're entertainment. The Vale is boring most of the time—just endless cycles of predator and prey. But you..." It gestured at me. "You might actually do something interesting. Survive, grow stronger, challenge fate itself. That's worth watching."
[VALE GUARDIAN: ANALYSIS]
[POWER LEVEL: CORE FORMATION 3RD LAYER]
[COMBAT AGAINST YOU: INSTANT DEATH]
[CURRENT INTENT: CURIOUS, NOT HOSTILE]
[PROBABILITY OF SURVIVAL: 100% IF NON-AGGRESSIVE]
"What do you want?" Yun Xia asked carefully.
"Amusement. Specifically, I want to see if the Fortune Foundation cultivator survives my Vale." The Guardian's form shifted again, becoming less defined. "I'll offer a wager. Survive the next six days, reach the northern exit alive, and I'll give you information. Fail, and you become part of the Vale's ecosystem."
"What kind of information?"
"About Fate Weavers. About why the Celestial Court really fears them. About what your bloodline can actually do when fully awakened." The Guardian's smile widened. "Information worth dying for, some might say."
[QUEST GENERATED: THE GUARDIAN'S WAGER]
[OBJECTIVE: SURVIVE CRIMSON VALE CROSSING]
[REWARD: CRITICAL INFORMATION ABOUT FATE WEAVER BLOODLINE]
[FAILURE: DEATH]
[NOTE: THIS WAS ALREADY YOUR OBJECTIVE]
[THE GUARDIAN IS JUST MAKING IT OFFICIAL]
"And if we refuse the wager?"
"Then I kill you now and eat your interesting fortune. Your choice." The Guardian examined its translucent claws. "I'm rather hungry, actually. Haven't eaten a Fortune Foundation cultivator in decades."
"We accept the wager," I said quickly.
"Excellent!" The Guardian clapped its hands together, and reality rippled. I felt something settle over us—a binding, a contract written in probability itself. "Six days. Survive. I'll be watching. Oh, and one more thing..."
It gestured, and suddenly the Vale's spiritual pressure doubled. The air became thick as syrup. Breathing required active effort.
"Can't make it too easy," the Guardian said cheerfully. "Where's the entertainment in that? Good luck, little Fortune Weaver. You'll need it."
It vanished, leaving us alone in the cave with doubled spiritual pressure crushing down on us.
"Did that actually just happen?" I gasped, struggling to breathe.
"Vale Guardians are insane," Yun Xia managed. "All of them. Bored immortals playing games with mortal lives." She was already adapting to the pressure, her superior cultivation letting her adjust faster. "But we're alive, which is better than I expected."
"It doubled the difficulty. We were already barely surviving, and it made it harder."
"Yes. But it also promised information if we succeed. Real information about Fate Weavers, from a being that's lived for centuries." She met my eyes. "That's worth the increased risk. If we survive."
[ENVIRONMENTAL DIFFICULTY: INCREASED]
[SPIRITUAL PRESSURE: 800% ABOVE NORMAL]
[BEAST AGGRESSION: HEIGHTENED]
[SURVIVAL PROBABILITY: REDUCED TO 4.2%]
I spent another 50 LP manipulating probability to help my body adapt to the new pressure. It helped, but didn't eliminate the difficulty entirely.
[CURRENT LP: 1,481]
"Six days," I said, once I could breathe normally again. "We cross the Vale in six days, survive whatever the Guardian throws at us, and get information that might actually help us fight the Celestial Court."
"You make it sound simple."
"It's not simple. But it's necessary." I settled back into meditation. "Wake me for my watch shift. And Yun Xia? Thank you. For coming with me. You didn't have to."
"I know. But watching you defy probability is more interesting than hiding forever." She smiled slightly. "Plus, someone needs to make sure you don't die stupidly."
"Appreciate it."
I closed my eyes and sank into cultivation, absorbing the Vale's ambient fortune while my body adjusted to the increased spiritual pressure.
Tomorrow would bring new dangers, new tests, new opportunities to court death.
But tonight, in this small cave protected by a Foundation Establishment cultivator and watched by an insane Guardian, I was alive.
And I intended to stay that way.
Day two in the Crimson Vale started badly and got worse.
We'd traveled maybe five miles when we encountered the Razorwing Raptors—aerial spirit beasts that hunted in flocks of twenty or more. Their talons could tear through steel, and they coordinated attacks with frightening intelligence.
[RAZORWING RAPTORS x 24]
[CULTIVATION: QI CONDENSATION 6TH-8TH LAYER]
[SPECIAL TRAIT: AERIAL SUPERIORITY]
[THREAT LEVEL: EXTREME]
"Run!" Yun Xia didn't even consider fighting—smart. We couldn't win against that many aerial opponents.
We ran.
The Raptors pursued, their screeches echoing through the Vale. I activated Luck Severance on the lead birds, spending LP to make them unlucky.
[COST: 35 LP]
[CURRENT LP: 1,446]
Several Raptors collided mid-flight, their coordination failing. Others missed their dives, talons catching on tree branches instead of flesh.
But twenty-four opponents was too many to sever efficiently. One Raptor got through, its talons raking across my back.
[INJURY: MODERATE LACERATIONS]
[BLEEDING: ACTIVE]
Pain exploded across my shoulders. I stumbled, and another Raptor dove for my exposed head—
Yun Xia's thrown dagger took it through the eye.
"Keep moving!" She grabbed my arm, practically dragging me forward. "They won't pursue past their territory. Another half mile!"
We ran that half mile with Raptors screaming overhead, their attacks growing more desperate as we approached their territory boundary. At the last moment, three dove simultaneously—a coordinated killing strike.
I activated Probability Shield.
[COST: 50 LP]
[CURRENT LP: 1,396]
Reality twisted. The Raptors' talons, which should have torn us apart, instead deflected at impossible angles. One Raptor broke its own wing on the probability barrier. The other two flew past, unable to course-correct in time.
We crossed the territory line.
The Raptors shrieked in frustration but didn't follow. We collapsed behind a massive red tree, gasping.
"Injury status?" Yun Xia asked, already pulling out bandages.
"Bleeding, hurts like hell, but functional." I let her clean and dress the wounds. "How many more ambush predators should we expect?"
"In the Vale? All of them." She finished the bandages and offered me a healing pill. "Take this. It's low-grade, but better than bleeding for the next week."
I swallowed the pill, feeling its energy work on my injuries. Not complete healing, but enough to keep me moving.
[HP: MODERATE DAMAGE REDUCED TO MINOR]
[BLEEDING: STOPPED]
We continued north, moving more cautiously now. Every shadow could hide a predator. Every sound could indicate an ambush.
By midday, we'd covered another eight miles and fought off two more spirit beast packs. My LP was dropping steadily—1,396 to 1,215 as I spent points on Luck Severance, Fortune Strike, and environmental adaptation.
"We need to find fortune sources," I said during a brief rest. "I'm burning through LP faster than passive absorption can replenish."
"Hunt stronger beasts," Yun Xia suggested. "Their accumulated fortune is significant. A Foundation Establishment level beast would give you hundreds of LP."
"Can we kill a Foundation Establishment beast?"
"Depends on the beast. And our luck." She smiled at the irony. "Which I suppose you can manipulate."
We found our opportunity that evening—a Crimson Bear, massive and territorial, guarding a cave filled with spirit fruits.
[CRIMSON BEAR - FOUNDATION ESTABLISHMENT 2ND LAYER]
[SPECIAL TRAIT: IMMENSE PHYSICAL STRENGTH]
[WEAKNESS: SLOW, PREDICTABLE ATTACKS]
[FORTUNE CONCENTRATION: 200+ LP]
"That's a lot of fortune," I observed, watching the bear patrol its territory.
"That's also a Foundation Establishment beast that could kill you with one hit." Yun Xia studied the terrain. "But I'm Foundation Establishment too. I could fight it directly while you provide luck manipulation support."
"Risky."
"Everything here is risky. But those spirit fruits it's guarding? Each one contains concentrated Vale energy. Eating them would probably push you toward 6th Layer breakthrough."
[ANALYZING: SPIRIT FRUITS]
[ESTIMATED VALUE: 50 LP PER FRUIT]
[ESTIMATED QUANTITY: 15-20 FRUITS]
[TOTAL POTENTIAL GAIN: 750-1000 LP]
That much fortune would not only replenish my spent LP but potentially trigger breakthrough to Fortune Foundation 6th Layer. The power increase would make the rest of the Vale crossing significantly easier.
"We do it," I decided. "But smart. Not fair."
"I'm listening."
"The bear is strong but slow. It relies on power, not speed or tactics. So we don't fight it fairly—we stack every advantage." I pointed to the cave entrance. "You engage it directly, keep it focused on you. I'll work from stealth, using Luck Severance to make it clumsy, Fortune Strike to target vulnerable points. Death by a thousand cuts instead of direct confrontation."
"Assassinating a spirit beast. Unconventional." Yun Xia smiled. "I like it."
We positioned ourselves—Yun Xia at the cave entrance, me hidden in the red moss thirty feet away with a clear sight line.
"Hey! Bear!" Yun Xia called out, her voice carrying insult and challenge. "Your mother was a regular bear! Your cubs will be weak!"
The Crimson Bear's roar shook the Vale. It charged, Foundation Establishment power making each step crater the ground.
I activated Luck Severance.
[COST: 15 LP (FOUNDATION ESTABLISHMENT TARGET)]
[CURRENT LP: 1,200]
The bear's charge faltered slightly—a root caught its paw, throwing off its momentum. Yun Xia exploited the opening, her daggers finding gaps in its thick hide.
But Foundation Establishment beasts didn't die easily. The bear backhanded her, sending her flying. She hit a tree hard enough to crack wood.
[YUN XIA: INJURED]
[STATUS: MODERATE DAMAGE]
The bear turned toward her fallen form, preparing a killing strike—
I hit it with Fortune Strike from behind, my sword finding the exact spot where spine met skull. Not deep enough to kill instantly, but deep enough to stagger it.
The bear roared and spun, looking for this new threat. I activated Probability Step, vanishing from its sight line before it could target me.
"Over here!" Yun Xia was already back up, Foundation Establishment regeneration keeping her functional despite broken ribs. She attacked again, drawing its attention.
For the next ten minutes, we played a lethal game,Yun Xia as distraction, me as assassin. Each time the bear focused on one of us, the other attacked from behind. Each time it tried to land a killing blow, Luck Severance made it slightly miss.
Death by a thousand cuts.
Finally, hemorrhaging from dozens of wounds, slowed by accumulated damage and bad luck, the Crimson Bear collapsed.
[CRIMSON BEAR DEFEATED]
[+250 LP]
[FORTUNE ABSORPTION AVAILABLE: +200 LP]
I absorbed its accumulated fortune while Yun Xia harvested the spirit fruits. Twenty-three fruits total, each glowing with concentrated spiritual energy.
"Eat half now," she instructed, offering me the fruits. "Save the rest for emergency situations. These things are valuable,each one is worth at least fifty gold taels in civilized markets."
I ate twelve fruits, their energy exploding through my meridians like liquid fire.
[FORTUNE ABSORBED FROM FRUITS: +600 LP]
[TOTAL LP GAINED: 1,050]
[CURRENT LP: 2,250]
[WARNING: EXCESSIVE FORTUNE ABSORPTION]
[BREAKTHROUGH IMMINENT]
[RECOMMEND: SECURE LOCATION IMMEDIATELY]
"I'm breaking through," I gasped, feeling power surge through my cultivation base. "Now. Can't control it."
"Cave. Move." Yun Xia practically carried me into the bear's former den, setting me down in the deepest chamber. "I'll guard. You cultivate."
I had no choice,the breakthrough was happening whether I wanted it or not.
Fortune Foundation 5th Layer shattered like glass, reforming into something stronger, more refined. The probability threads I'd been manipulating became clearer, more numerous, easier to influence.
[FORTUNE FOUNDATION 5TH LAYER → 6TH LAYER]
[BREAKTHROUGH SUCCESSFUL]
[NEW ABILITIES UNLOCKED]
[SKILL ENHANCED: FATE GLIMPSE]
[COST REDUCED: 100 LP → 75 LP]
[DURATION INCREASED: 1-24 HOURS → 1-72 HOURS]
[NEW SKILL: FORTUNE POOL]
[PASSIVE ABILITY]
[EFFECT: LP REGENERATION INCREASED FROM +10/DAY TO +25/DAY]
[EFFECT: MAXIMUM LP CAPACITY INCREASED TO 3,000]
[NEW SKILL: PROBABILITY CASCADE]
[COST: 200 LP]
[EFFECT: CHAIN LUCK MANIPULATION ACROSS MULTIPLE TARGETS]
[EXAMPLE: SEVER ONE ENEMY'S LUCK, IT SPREADS TO NEARBY ALLIES]
[CURRENT REALM: FORTUNE FOUNDATION 6TH LAYER]
[EQUIVALENT POWER: FOUNDATION ESTABLISHMENT 1ST-2ND LAYER]
I opened my eyes to find Yun Xia watching me with an expression between respect and envy.
"You broke through. Mid-combat, in a spirit beast den, in the Crimson Vale." She shook her head. "Your cultivation speed is absurd. Do you know how long it took me to advance from Foundation Establishment 1st to 2nd Layer?"
"How long?"
"Three years. You just jumped from Fortune Foundation 5th to 6th in two weeks."
"Fortune Foundation is different. Advancement comes from courting death, and I've been doing a lot of that lately."
"Fair point." She stood, testing her injuries. The healing pill had done its work,her ribs were mostly mended. "We're at twenty-three miles now. Good progress for day two. Let's find shelter and rest. Tomorrow will be harder."
"Why harder?"
"Because we're entering the Vale's central region. Everything beyond this point is Foundation Establishment minimum." She smiled without humor. "The Guardian wasn't kidding about making it difficult."
We found shelter in a narrow crevice between rocks, defensible and hidden. I took first watch, my newly enhanced fortune sense mapping threats across a much wider area than before.
The breakthrough had changed me. I felt it in how easily probability bent to my will, in how clearly I could see the threads of fate.
Four more days in the Crimson Vale.
Four more days of fighting, surviving, growing stronger.
Then we'd reach Lin Mei, build our alliance, and start planning real resistance against the Celestial Court.
But first, I had to survive the Guardian's wager.
I settled into watch, my sword across my knees, my fortune sense extended into the crimson darkness.
Day two complete.
Four more to go.
[STATUS UPDATE:]
Realm: Fortune Foundation 6th Layer (BREAKTHROUGH!)
LP: 2,250/3,000
Location: Crimson Vale - Central Region
Progress: 23 Miles / 120 Miles Total
Days Remaining: 4
Injuries: Minor (Healing)
Companion Status: Yun Xia (Moderate Injuries, Stable)
Guardian's Wager: Active
Enforcer Liu ETA: 2 Days Until Azure Peak City Arrival.