Hui raced through the grass at top speed. He brushed through the Unrivaled Under Heavens Peak’s barrier, and glanced up sharply as he did. The barrier’s still active? Not even that worn down. Master really wasn’t joking about tweaking it just before he ascended. It’s worthy of being called a tenth-stage cultivator’s masterpiece barrier.

…Though knowing Master, it’s something he casually comprehended and threw up, without seriously studying a single barrier…

He raced on, toward where the edge of Starbound Sect’s barrier had been. Nothing remained of the great barrier formation except for the faint shimmer of qi on the air. He hopped to a sapling and climbed to its very tip, shielding his eyes as he looked around. His eyes narrowed, and he hurtled away. He raced off, moving faster than ever. Grass bent before his rush. Pebbles flew up behind him. A very startled caterpillar reared up as he passed, antennae twitching.

A pile of bodies laid on the ground. Most of them young, barely any sign of qi in their bodies. Atop them, shielding them with her own body, was Sis Mei.

Hui reached out, his hand trembling. He leaped over to Sis Mei’s side and knelt by her head, gently pushing her hair out of her face. Unlike Xixing, her eyes were closed. She wore a peaceful expression despite shielding the fledgling cultivators.

“You trusted me,” Hui whispered. His heart trembled. She trusted me, and I failed her.

No. This failure is only temporary. I’m going to fix this. I’m going to fix everything.

He looked at Sis Mei, then at the children she protected. I can’t drag just her into Master’s peak. I can’t leave the children behind and only take Sis Mei after she worked so hard to save them. I should take all of them.

But… if I do, I… there’s no way the All-Heavens cultivators won’t notice. Argh, dammit. I… I worked so hard to not get stuck in Master’s peak, but at this rate…

No, no. Gui Delun isn’t here any longer. It should be much easier to escape these cultivators. And I escaped Gui Delun! True, I had to sacrifice my real body to accomplish that, but… they aren’t seventh-, maybe eighth-stage like Gui Delun was. They’re fifth stage, at worst. I can hold my own.

Taking a deep breath, Hui reached out toward Sis Mei and the young cultivators, using his qi to float them over the ground. He ran off toward his peak, dragging the children and Sis Mei behind him.

A beam of light caught his eye. Hui flicked his eyes to the side and ran faster, hurtling toward the peak.

The beam of light drew closer, revealing a cultivator flying on a sword. Zhi Ahn scowled at the pile of cultivators, narrowing his eyes down at the pile. “What… who’s there?”

Hui threw his hand ahead, sending his fellow cultivators out in front of him, soaring toward his Master’s peak. He raced after them, leaping from one clump of grass to another.

Zhi Ahn hurtled after the pile of bodies, ignoring the small rustling through the grass. He gestured, and blades of life qi blasted toward the bodies.

Hui leaped up. He threw his hand out toward the blades and absorbed with all his might. The life qi diminished, and his own body grew. He didn’t manage to absorb all of it, and the remnants slashed into his hands. Green ichor ran down his palms to his wrists. In the next instant, his life qi diminished as the lotus body healed itself.

If I want to keep growing my life qi stores, I have to make sure I don’t get injured! He wiped his hands on his robes and took a deep breath, then looked at his hands again. At least I don’t seem to shrink as soon as I lose some life qi. I wonder if I could learn to change my size in this form?

Zhi Ahn frowned at Hui. “I didn’t detect your aura. Who are you?”

“Eh?” Hui asked. I’m fourth stage. He’s fourth stage. Why couldn’t he…

The rush slippers! They mask my aura. In this guy’s eyes, I’m a mysterious senior whose cultivation he can’t see through!

Wait. Does that mean…

Hui jumped and landed at the top of a sapling. He stared out into the distance with a mysterious expression and put his hands behind his back. A wind stirred, blowing his ponytail out in front of him. “I’m merely a passerby. Pay me no mind.”

“What is your relation to Starbound Sect?” Zhi Ahn demanded.

Hui glanced at the pile of bodies drifting toward the peak’s barrier. A little more. Stall for a few more moments… “No relation. As I said, I’m a mere passerby. Treat me as the atmosphere.”

“I’m afraid I can’t do that. All-Heavens Sect guards these ruins. Even if Senior is more powerful than me, I must ask Senior to leave, and leave those bodies behind, as well,” Zhi Ahn said, cupping his hands to Hui. His eyes narrowed slightly. Something about this man is familiar. I can’t sense his aura, but his face… But then, I’m sure I would recognize a cultivator this… oddly proportioned, if I’d seen him before. There aren’t many cultivators who run around with adult proportions and toddler-sized bodies.

Actually, he was the size of a doll at first. Is it this senior’s habit to change his size at random?

Hui harrumphed. He looked at Zhi Ahn from the corner of his eyes. “You dare?”

Internally, Hui rubbed his chin thoughtfully. It’s actually pretty fun to be domineering. Who would have known? Maybe I should try it a little more often.

“Senior, if you do not leave those bodies now, I’ll be forced to take action,” Zhi Ahn said. He grit his teeth and subtly sent a pulse of qi skyward. Even if he realizes I’m doing it, my only chance at survival is summoning reinforcements!

Hui’s eyes widened. Shit! This is why I never act domineering. Think, Hui, think before you act! Now he’s called all his friends. It’ll be much harder to fake my death out of this one.

There’s only one clear path out of this!

Hui gestured toward his storage ring, drawing Gu Tian’s sword from within. He leaped off the sapling and charged at Zhi Ahn in the same moment, throwing a flip into the gesture to obscure his usual flow of motion.

Zhi Ahn drew his sword and charged to meet Hui. They clashed in midair. Two sword strikes flew out. Passing each other, they drew to a halt, swords still held before them.

“Well… met,” Hui managed. His head rolled off of his neck and fell to the ground. A second later, his body plopped down beside it.