Spencer furrowed his brows, his unease growing as he glanced around the dense jungle. The stillness felt oppressive, and his sense of security was steadily eroding the longer he stayed. He had ventured deep into the forest to ensure no one would witness anything extraordinary if his system revealed something groundbreaking. But now, a subtle tinge of danger prickled at the edge of his awareness. Cautiously, he stood up, his eyes darting between the shadowy surroundings and the system panel.

  Is it what I am thinking it is?

  There was another panel just below the one which appeared.

  [Plain qi: 0/21 +]

  The ‘plus’ of this tab was grayed out as well.

  Before Spencer could process the new system panel, a blunt force struck his shoulder, driving a sharp cry from his mouth. The impact numbed the area instantly, and he instinctively reached to pull back his clothing, wondering if his skin had been torn.

  A stone rolled to a stop in front of him as a mocking voice called out from behind the trees, rising in pitch. “Oops, seems my aim was a little off.”

  The rustling of bushes followed, and Spencer realized it wasn’t just one person approaching. The voice was amplified with qi, a deliberate move to ensure he knew they were there. It felt like a predator taunting its prey, reveling in fear before striking.

  Who did I piss off? Spencer thought, his mind racing.

  The Protection Squad? They were the only ones who came to mind. Narrowing his eyes, Spencer turned toward the sound. Through the gaps in the dense foliage, he could make out multiple figures—four, maybe five.

  Yeah, I can’t match them.

  Without hesitation, Spencer spun on his heel and bolted in the opposite direction. He didn’t care that it was taking him deeper into the forest—escape was his only priority. His mind flickered with a faint hope that the Grand Elder might save him because of his affinity. But another question loomed: How would she even find him out here?

  As Spencer ran, his mind raced with frantic thoughts. He’d read about abnormally large divine senses in cultivation novels, but he didn’t understand how they worked in reality. Did such senses exist here? Could they remain active constantly, or did their consumption scale with range, making cultivators keep them restricted? Or perhaps the Grand Elder truly was observing him but chose not to interfere in matters between outer disciples unless it was a life-and-death situation.

  He had no idea, but it was clear by now that she wasn’t going to save him, else with her prowess she could’ve easily done so. This is on me, he realized. I’ll have to get through this alone.

  Gritting his teeth, Spencer focused. He wasn’t confident in his ability to execute the Windshadow Step—a movement technique he had yet to master—but he had no choice. He directed his qi into the skill’s pathway, circulating it through the prescribed circuit. This better work, he thought, his body tensing as if to prepare for the surge in speed.

  A faint current surged through Spencer's left arm, stiffening it just enough to prevent him from dodging a thorny plant in his path. The branches scraped against his skin, leaving shallow scratches as he rushed past.

  I failed.

  The backlash from his incorrect use of the Windshadow Step sent a mild jolt of electricity through his arm, leaving it tingling unpleasantly. It was a stark reminder of the consequences of mishandling a technique. In a battle, this kind of mistake could have been catastrophic—and if it happened to one of his legs right now, while running for his life, it could spell disaster.

  Spencer gritted his teeth, forcing himself to push forward despite the stinging pain and rising panic.

  Realizing their prey had chosen flight, the pursuing disciples immediately quickened their pace. Three of them activated their movement skills, with two breaking off to flank Spencer from opposite sides, while the remaining one pursued him directly.

  Spencer threw a glance over his shoulder, his mind racing. He had no time for missteps. At the first stage of the Qi Gathering realm, he was practically at the bottom of the cultivation hierarchy. The way his pursuer was rapidly closing the gap, coupled with the efficiency of the flanking pair, told him all he needed to know: they were at least at the middle stage of the Qi Gathering realm—far out of his league.

  I can’t outrun them all like this. He knew he had only seconds to decide his next move, or he’d be cornered.

  The improvement in the Qi Gathering realm primarily enhanced the amount of qi in a cultivator's dantian, along with the increased physical strength from refined meridians. This thought surfaced in Spencer's mind as he glanced at the additional system panels once more.

  [Plain Qi: 0/21 +]

  [Refined Qi: 21/21 +]

  Skills executed by cultivators in higher stages of the Qi Gathering realm often outmatched those of lower stages due to the greater quantity of qi they could allocate to activation and usage. It was a straightforward advantage of having more energy to power techniques.

  Following the same logic, Spencer wondered if he could do the same. Taking a deep breath, he refocused and attempted the Windshadow Step again. This time, emboldened by the presence of the new panel, he concentrated fully. The qi coursed through the skill’s pathway smoothly, with no disruptions or backlashes, increasing his speed by a hefty margin.

  No longer were the pursuers able to catch up to him as quickly, but the distance was still being shortened due to their higher speed. He could spot five people at times when he occasionally looked back to determine their location and move accordingly. It all clicked into his mind when he saw Ralph and one of the pursuers on his left. He was standing beside Kevin on the day when he was introduced to the disciples.

  Protection Squad indeed. They sent their members to kill me? No, that would be too suspicious. Everyone knows I refused their offer not too long ago and also accepted to be in a battle indirectly against their leader. Perhaps they were sent only to rough me up? To let me know the consequences of crossing paths with them?

  “Hey! What did I do? Why are you after me?”

  Spencer yelled while dodging the plants, bushes, and various other occasional popups in his path as he continued running deeper into the jungle despite feeling his qi reserves dwindling. His pursuers were slowly but steadily catching up to him, but he couldn’t help but feel calmer.

  Isn’t this what life had always been like? The thought crept into his mind. Running, dodging, barely staying ahead of the consequences of his actions... Life in the streets had been no different. There were always forces hunting you down, looking to exploit, humiliate, or hurt you. Orphanages weren’t all the same; some took care of you like parents would, others... didn’t. His hadn’t.

  “Stop and we’ll tell you.” One of them sniggered, his voice somehow loud enough to reach him.

  But isn’t roughing me up inefficient when it’s not even time for my cave battle? Newcomers like me have it for free for some time, it’s no use injuring me. If it’s indeed like the cultivation worlds I’ve read of, it’s possible I might be able to heal even from a broken leg in a month.

  Spencer thought back to Ralph’s actions on the carriage and made another speculation.

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  Could it be because I talked to Noella? Uhh, isn’t that too childish? Using Protection squad for personal use, could he be someone higher up on their ranking?

  Spencer refocused his attention on the circuit of his movement skill and imbued more qi into it. He succeeded at the first try, boosting his speed noticeably. Unfortunately for him, he was slightly late as one of his pursuers was close enough to launch a long range skill. At least, long range considering the Qi gathering realm.

  Spencer only saw a flash from the corner of his eye before it landed on his back. For a split second, it felt like his entire back was engulfed in flames, but the pain wasn’t as overwhelming as he expected. His clothes had absorbed most of the blast, but the lingering burn on his skin was enough to make his muscles spasm with discomfort.

  Argh! The cry escaped him involuntarily, but he gritted his teeth through the pain, willing himself to keep moving.

  This is not like the streets. The thought struck him as he pushed through the agony. No one throws fire at you there…

  He couldn’t have been used to it, but the pain itself was manageable still. His clothes had borne the majority of the impact. That was what long range skills were like in the Qi gathering realm. It took plenty of qi in the first place to allow the skill to persist outside of the body, and more on top of that to ensure it did enough damage by the time it reached the target.

  Either the pursuer had miscalculated the distance between Spencer and themselves or they intended to fire another shot after burning through the layer of the cloth.

  Spencer's breath came in ragged gasps as he pushed his qi reserves to the limit, increasing the circulation of his movement skill even further. The wind whipped past him as he sped up. The pursuers were not worried because their target was confirmed to be at Qi gathering level 1, even if he was at level 2, they were confident to be able to outlast him.

  His muscles burned from the strain, and each breath felt heavier as he continued to fuel the Windshadow Step with his refined qi. It hurt. The refined qi was precious, something he had worked hard to accumulate, and using it so freely made him feel like he was risking too much. But the boost it gave was undeniable. I have to keep going, he thought, the sting of the qi consumption lingering in his mind. If the panel indeed did what he was thinking though, it wouldn’t hurt as much. Spencer looked behind at his pursuers and focused on the system panel.

  [Plain qi: 0/21 +]

  [Refined qi: 4/21 +]

  He tapped on the plus sign behind the refined qi, instantly feeling a surge of qi in his dantian.

  [Refined qi: 5/21 +]

  [Wealth: 5010]

  So it takes 10 points of wealth for 1 point of refined qi?

  It was an expensive exchange considering he could have plenty of meals with that amount of wealth.

  This time he repeated the procedure with plain qi.

  [Plain qi: 1/21 +]

  [Wealth: 5005]

  5 points of wealth for a point of plain qi huh?

  This exchange was expensive, he resolved to only ever use it in a dicey situation like this one.With that decision settled, he turned his focus back to his dantian, filling the remaining space with plain qi. There was no need to spend extra on refined qi; its speed boost could easily be offset by using more of the plain qi. The added expense would still be far less than the cost of the refined qi.

  Just as another long-range attack was about to strike his back, he surged forward once more, feeling only a faint warmth on his partially exposed skin. He could sense the circuit nearing its limits—there was only so much qi one could channel into a cultivation art before it began to collapse. This natural limit varied depending on the technique or skill, which, in some ways, was a blessing. Without it, the difference between a powerful offensive technique and a weak one, or a sturdy defensive art and a fragile one, would simply be determined by the sheer amount of qi funneled into the circuit.

  Relieved that his current speed was sufficient to stay out of harm's way, he continued using his Wealth points to replenish his qi, immensely thankful for his past self who randomly thought of filling up his dantian, thereby unlocking the feature.

  “He should’ve run out of qi by now, what’s going on?”

  One of the pursuers grumbled in frustration. The group had regrouped and were relying on their movement skills to keep pace with Spencer, knowing he was only running in a straight line. Flanking was useless unless someone was much faster than him.

  This particular man was at the Qi Gathering Realm, Stage 3—the weakest among the group—and he was beginning to fall behind. He had only joined the mission because the leader’s younger brother wanted some work done. Associating himself with the mission would make him appear more competent in the younger brother’s eyes, potentially improving his future prospects, even if only by a small margin. But who could have predicted it would be this difficult? If he started lagging now without making any meaningful contribution, it was possible that the leader’s younger brother would look upon him unfavorably, jeopardizing his future in the sect.

  One of the leading pursuers, the one who had cast the fire-based spell, answered without turning around, his gaze still fixed on Spencer’s retreating form. “There are various types of treasures that can let someone use qi beyond their limit. He might have one of them.” The man glanced back at Ralph, his expression serious. “Whatever that treasure is, it’s mine, got it?”

  Ralph understood that his only advantage here was authority, not strength. The man making the demand had the highest combat prowess among them. However, given Ralph's background, coming across such a treasure was a simple matter. He nodded without hesitation, knowing there was no real loss for him.

  Spencer could feel he was nearing his limit when a sharp pain shot through his meridians as he forced more qi into the circuit, urging him to ease off. Suddenly, his vision flashed white, a blinding veil that masked his sight for a moment before fading away. The brief lapse in focus allowed a thorn from a nearby bush to scrape across his leg, cutting into his skin.

  Is this some side effect of overloading the circuit? he wondered. I didn’t read about anything like this. Maybe it’s a hidden cost of using the system?

  Spencer didn’t have the time to consider the cause of his vision blur—he couldn’t afford to. His focus remained on the pursuers. The potential dangers lurking deeper in the jungle could wait. An immediate threat was more important to get rid of than the possibility of a relatively larger threat.

  As he pushed forward, his eyes caught sight of a clearing up ahead. Instead of veering away, he maintained his straight path.

  What if my vision flashes again? he thought, anxiety creeping in. What if it lasts longer this time? I don’t want to end up with cuts all over my body, or worse, run straight into a tree.

  Spencer glanced over his shoulder, just in time to see the man who had cast the fire-based spells accelerating. His teeth clenched in frustration. Ignoring the sharp burn in his meridians, he pushed more qi into his circuits.

  Without warning, a wave of white flooded his vision once more, quickly followed by a kaleidoscope of colors. It felt like Murphy’s Law in action—anything that could go wrong, would go wrong. But, at least he hadn’t veered off from the clearing earlier. He kept running, relieved that no fresh cuts marred his skin.

  Flashes of visions swirled in Spencer’s mind, unlike anything he had experienced before. It wasn’t just a single image; it was a cascade of scenes—fragments of memories that didn’t belong to him. No, it wasn’t like a movie. The memories, broken and disjointed, kept pushing their way into his consciousness. They were chaotic, incomplete, a jumble of moments that didn’t make sense. Yet, despite their disarray, they felt undeniably his.

  He knew, logically, that he had never lived through these moments, that these were not his experiences. But the connection was there, undeniable. It felt as though his existence had somehow accepted them, as if his mind had already associated the memories as him. The feeling was both forced and strangely natural, a paradox that made his head spin.

  Among the chaotic whirl of fragmented memories, one stood out—a complete memory, a sharp contrast to the rest. A spark of hope flickered within Spencer as he focused on it. It was a cultivation art, clear and distinct in his mind. He felt as if he had known it for a lifetime, as though he had practiced it endlessly, honed it to perfection. The movements, the principles—it all felt so familiar, like something he had internalized to the very core of his being.

  Unfortunately, Spencer wasn’t prepared for the consequences of activating the cultivation art. He only knew the technique itself, not the external factors tied to it. The moment he tried to channel qi into his meridians, his consciousness was immediately suppressed.

  He could still control the qi, albeit barely, with all the willpower he could muster. It followed an incredibly refined path, guided with a mastery that far surpassed his previous experience with movement techniques. It was as if centuries of cultivation knowledge flowed through him, the qi moving effortlessly through a circuit that stretched across his meridian network. The control was absolute, as though he had been practicing it for lifetimes.

  The pursuers stopped, panting heavily as they immediately began spreading out while staring at the man they’ve been chasing. Spencer had turned to face them as soon as they caught up. His irises were nowhere to be seen; his black pupils had expanded, consuming the entire circle of his eyes, giving him an otherworldly, almost inhuman appearance. He had passed the area of clearing, back into the dense, untamed jungle, now surrounded by pursuers on all sides.

  Due to the grace of the Bridge of Life and Death, a cultivation art known to be lost in the records of history had resurfaced out in the world.

  ‘Predatory Flow.’