The world shifted and Huo Chen felt solid ground beneath the wolf's paws .

  He looked around immediately. No cultivators nearby—just open space in every direction. He let out a breath.

  'Good.'

  The landscape stretched out before him, and he took it in properly now. Rocky terrain, wide and exposed.

  Boulders the size of houses sat scattered across the ground like they'd been thrown by giants. In the distance, mountain ranges rose up, their peaks sharp and unforgiving against the clear sky.

  Huo Chen breathed in and felt the difference immediately. The spiritual energy here was thick, almost tangible. It pressed against his skin, sank into his lungs with each breath.

  His body pulled it in naturally and he could already tell—cultivating here would be faster.

  Then he heard them. Roars in the distance. Deep, guttural sounds that echoed across the rocks. Not just one or two—dozens of them, layered over each other, coming from multiple directions. Growls and Snarls.

  The heavy thud of something massive moving. A screech that cut through the air, high and piercing, followed by the crash of something being torn apart.

  'I have to be careful now.' He thought.

  The wolf's ears flicked back and forth, tracking the sounds. Its body stayed tense, muscles coiled.

  Huo Chen patted its head once. "Let's move."

  The wolf started forward, its paws silent against the stone. After some time, Huo Chen spotted figures in the distance.

  Two of them, moving in his general direction. He became cautious immediately. The wolf slowed, its body lowering slightly as it closed the distance more carefully.

  As they got closer, Huo Chen could make out details. Two men, both middle-aged, probably in their forties. They'd spotted him as well—their heads had turned his way, tracking his approach.

  The distance closed until both groups were within speaking range. The two men stopped and stood in front of Huo Chen, blocking his path.

  The wolf growled low in its throat, a warning sound that rumbled through its chest. Huo Chen patted its head.

  "Its okay."

  He looked at the two men and assessed them quickly. The one on the left was eighth layer Qi Refining. The one on the right was seventh layer.

  To avoid looking like an easy target, Huo Chen released his spiritual pressure slightly. His system normally kept his cultivation concealed, but right now, letting them know he was seventh layer seemed smarter than appearing weak.

  The pressure flared outward briefly, then settled.

  The man on the left—the eighth layer cultivator—smiled and cupped his fists in greeting.

  "Greetings, friend. I'm Zhao Liang, and this is my companion, Wei Kun."

  Wei Kun, the seventh layer cultivator, also cupped his fists. "We didn't expect to run into anyone so quickly. It's good to see another face."

  Huo Chen returned the gesture. " I'm Huo Chen."

  Zhao Liang smiled slightly. "Friend Huo, then. Good to meet someone who isn't immediately hostile." His tone was friendly. "This realm is... well, you've seen it. Dangerous doesn't quite cover it. Beasts everywhere, and plenty of cultivators who'd kill you for a spirit herb."

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  Wei Kun spoke up. "We're putting together a small group. Just a few people watching each other's backs while we search for resources. Safer that way—less chance of getting ambushed by beasts or jumped by other cultivators."

  Zhao Liang nodded. "Eight months is a long time to survive alone. What do you say, Friend Huo? Join us. We split what we find fairly, and we all walk out of here alive."

  Huo Chen looked at them for a moment. Both seemed genuine enough. Their postures were relaxed, their faces open.

  He shook his head. "I appreciate the offer, but I prefer working alone."

  Zhao Liang's smile didn't fade. "I understand the instinct, truly. But this place is different. A lone cultivator is a target—beasts hunt what they can isolate, and other cultivators see easy prey."

  "Friend Huo," Wei Kun added, his tone more serious now. "You seem capable, but this realm doesn't care about capability. You wouldn't want misfortune to fall on you because you were too stubborn to accept help when it was offered."

  Huo Chen's expression stayed neutral. "I've told you my answer."

  He patted the wolf's head and the beast surged forward immediately, moving past the two men at an angle. Huo Chen stayed alert, ready for any form of attack.

  Nothing happened.

  The two men simply stood there, watching him go. Once Huo Chen had put some distance between them, he relaxed slightly but kept moving at a steady pace.

  The wolf's ears stayed back, still tense.

  Behind him, Zhao Liang and Wei Kun remained standing in place, their eyes following Huo Chen until he disappeared around a cluster of large boulders.

  ---

  The moment Huo Chen was out of sight, both men's expressions changed.

  Zhao Liang's smile vanished. His face went cold, almost gloomy. Wei Kun's earnest look disappeared as well, replaced by something harder.

  Wei Kun turned to Zhao Liang, his voice dropping lower. "Brother Zhao, why did we let him leave? He refused our offer. We should have ended him right there and taken whatever he had."

  Zhao Liang shook his head. "You're too hasty. We just entered the realm. Starting battles now, when everyone's still fresh and alert, is foolish. Better to wait."

  Wei Kun frowned but didn't argue. After a moment, he sighed. "What do we do now? That's the second person we've invited who turned us down. If this keeps happening—"

  "Everyone's still wary of each other," Zhao Liang said, cutting him off. "It's too early. People are cautious right now, watching for threats. Give it a few days. Once they're injured and suffered losses that's when they'll be easier to approach. Or easier to kill."

  Wei Kun considered that and nodded slowly. "So we drop the plan for now?"

  "For now," Zhao Liang confirmed. "We'll Focus on harvesting resources. Spirit herbs, beast cores, anything valuable. We'll build our strength first. The opportunities for... recruitment will come later."

  "Understood."

  They turned and began walking in a different direction, leaving the area where they'd met Huo Chen behind.

  ---

  Huo Chen kept the wolf moving for another ten minutes before slowing down.

  Those two men. He'd be a fool to trust strangers he'd just met, especially in a place like this. Their offer sounded reasonable on the surface, but that's what made it dangerous. Groups like that often turned on their own members the moment something valuable appeared.

  Easier to kill someone who trusted you than someone who saw you coming.

  He'd rather take his chances alone. At least then he only had to watch for enemies, not allies who might become enemies.

  His immediate priority was clear now. Resources. He needed to find spirit herbs, beast cores, anything that would help him break through to the eighth layer as quickly as possible.

  The gap between seventh and eighth was significant, and every bit of extra power mattered in a place like this.

  The wolf moved steadily beneath him, its pace controlled.

  Then Huo Chen felt it tense. The beast's entire body went rigid. Its fur stood up along its spine and a low growl rumbled in its throat.

  Not the warning growl from earlier—this was fear.

  Huo Chen looked up.

  Two shapes circled overhead, high in the sky. Winged beasts, their bodies sleek and powerful. They had four legs like normal predators, but massive wings extended from their shoulders, keeping them aloft with slow, deliberate beats.

  Their forms were dark against the sky, making them hard to see clearly until they shifted position.

  Damn. They'd been circling silently, and he hadn't noticed until the wolf sensed them.

  Both beasts suddenly folded their wings and dove.

  Whoosh—

  They came down fast, cutting through the air like arrows, their wings tucked tight against their bodies.

  The wind screamed as they descended, closing the distance in seconds.

  The wolf scrambled to the side and Huo Chen flew off its back, rolling clear as the first beast slammed into the ground where he'd been a second before.

  Rock exploded outward from the impact. The second beast landed right after, its claws tearing into the earth.

  Huo Chen came up to his feet, earth Qi already flooding through his body.

  The beasts turned toward him, their eyes locked on him with clear intent. Eight layer Qi Refining realm. Both of them.

  The wolf circled to his left, growling, its body low to the ground. It knew it was outmatched—these things could kill it in seconds if they focused on it.

  The first beast lunged forward, its jaws opening wide.

  His first battle in the Emerald Void Realm had begun.