Han Yu flew through the forest for nearly an hour, the wind roaring past his ears like the cries of a hundred furious ghosts.
His body trembled from the exertion, his legs tense as he stabilized himself on the shaft of his halberd. Every beat of his heart felt like thunder in his chest, every breath ca out as ragged gasps. The air around him was cold and sharp, slicing against his face as he pushed the halberd faster and faster, soaring above the endless sea of trees that stretched below.
He had no idea where he was going.
The forest below was an unbroken maze of green and black, the horizon shrouded by the thick, illusory mist that seed to swallow all light. Even the false stars above, pale and distant, looked like they were watching him flee in mockery.
His vision blurred at tis, not from speed, but from exhaustion and fear. The only thing that kept him from crashing was the sheer instinct to survive.
Han Yu's Qi was draining faster than he had ever felt before.
Flying on a spirit weapon was no simple feat. It demanded both control and a steady flow of Qi to maintain balance and propulsion. His halberd quivered beneath him every few seconds, wobbling as his focus faltered. Still, he clenched his teeth and poured what little remained of his energy into the weapon, forcing it forward.
The further he flew, the fainter the oppressive aura of the tomb beca, but the mory of it still clung to him like a shadow.
He could still see the crimson pillars of light behind him, stretching into the heavens like divine spears, defying reason itself. They illuminated the horizon even from this distance, bathing the clouds in red hues that made the false sky appear as if it were bleeding.
"Keep going," Han Yu muttered through his teeth, his voice hoarse. "Just a little more… just get away."
He could feel his Qi ebbing dangerously low.
His limbs grew heavier, his core burned with strain, and cold sweat covered his forehead. The halberd started to dip lower, trembling as if it too was crying out in exhaustion. Han Yu's vision dimd at the edges, and he knew that if he kept going much longer, he would fall from the sky like a stone.
"Can't stay like this any longer..."
He scanned the ground below, eyes darting through the shadows until he spotted an open patch between a cluster of boulders. It was not ideal, but it would have to do. He guided the halberd downward, forcing it to slow as gently as he could.
The descent was rough, the halberd shaking uncontrollably as his focus slipped. He jumped off just before touching the ground, rolling over the dirt and coming to a stop beside a massive rock.
THUD
The mont his body hit the earth, he let out a groan and lay there for a while, chest heaving.
"Haah... Haah... Haah... I made... it..."
His Qi reserves were nearly empty, the spiritual energy within his body reduced to a re flicker. Every muscle scread from fatigue, but the solid ground beneath him felt like the greatest blessing he could have hoped for.
After several minutes of stillness, Han Yu forced himself to sit up and look around.
The landscape here was different. The towering, oppressive trees that had filled the earlier parts of the forest were fewer now, replaced by rough stone outcroppings and uneven terrain. There were hills and boulders scattered about, giving the place a rugged, natural charm that felt strangely peaceful after the suffocating dread of the tomb area.
He noticed sothing else too, the forest here felt less dead.
While there were still no birds or beasts, the air did not feel so heavy. It was easier to breathe, and the silence was not nearly as haunting. The strange, glowing mushrooms that had filled the earlier parts of the forest were sparse here. Only a few could be seen growing near the base of so rocks, their pale light faint and harmless.
Han Yu leaned against the large rock behind him, still breathing hard.
His hands trembled as he reached for his water gourd, taking slow sips to wet his parched throat. The water was lukewarm, but it helped him regain so clarity. He tilted his head back and gazed up at the sky.
The pillars of light were still visible, faint but unyielding.
Even from this far, their presence was unmistakable. Due to this inner realm being flat, rather than a sphere, the pillars could be seen even from this far. If he were back in the Violet Eve World, he likely wouldn't have seen the pillars due to the curvature of the world.
The crimson glow seed eternal, piercing through the illusory heavens and dyeing the mist above with shades of blood and gold. Han Yu could not help but shudder at the sight. Whatever those lights were, they were not sothing mortals or even most cultivators were ant to witness.
"How long will you last?" he muttered quietly, half in awe, half in fear. "And what in the heavens are you doing?"
His curiosity stirred again, but the mory of the illusion, the bleeding moon, the suffocating dread made his stomach twist. No matter how much he wanted answers, he would not risk going back. Curiosity might have gotten him this far, but it would not save him if that thing, whatever it was, decided to awaken further.
For now, he needed to recover.
"Ti to use the supplies."
He reached into his spatial pouch and pulled out a small porcelain bottle, uncorking it to reveal a handful of Qi restoration pills. Without hesitation, he popped one into his mouth, letting the pill dissolve under his tongue. A cool wave of energy spread through his ridians, gentle but insufficient.
He knew one would not be enough.
He took out two more and swallowed them quickly. Then he retrieved two low-grade spirit stones, holding one in each hand.
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