The moment Lin Fengyu reappeared in the wilderness, the air felt heavier—not physically, but with an instinctive tension that made the hairs on his neck rise. The forest had changed. The hush among the trees was unnatural. Small beasts that normally rustled through leaves were nowhere to be heard.
Something had happened.
He moved silently through the underbrush, scanning the soil for tracks. Broken branches. Heavy claw marks. Signs of a predator far stronger than the two-tailed water serpent he had encountered earlier.
Fengyu tightened his grip on a sharpened wooden spear he had crafted.
"Something big passed through recently," he muttered.
The trial area shifted constantly; spiritual beasts migrated unpredictably, and rogue cultivators often stirred trouble. He needed to stay alert.
After ten minutes, he heard it—a faint groan, barely audible above the rustling leaves.
Human.
Fengyu immediately headed toward the sound.
Crouching behind a bush, he spotted a boy—around fourteen—collapsed beside a fallen tree. His left arm hung at a strange angle, clearly dislocated. His breathing was shallow, and a deep gash across his chest soaked his robes with blood.
But what caught Fengyu's attention was the beast lying dead beside the boy. A horned shadow cat—swift, deadly, silent.
The boy had killed it.
Or wounded it enough that it bled out nearby.
Not ordinary.
Fengyu approached slowly, spear lowered to avoid scaring him.
The boy's eyes snapped open—sharp, fierce, full of instinctive fear.
He reached for a stone with his shaking hand.
"Stay… back!"
Fengyu raised both hands calmly. "I'm not your enemy. I'm Lin Fengyu, from the same clan."
The boy hesitated, eyes darting uncertainly. "Lin… clan? You're one of us?"
"Yes," Fengyu said. "And you need help."
The boy's breathing hitched, exhaustion bleeding into his gaze. "Beasts… too many… I couldn't… run anymore."
His body slumped.
A chime sounded in Fengyu's mind.
[Unknown Boy – Favorability +20]
Good enough.
Fengyu kneeled, checking the boy's pulse. Weak but steady. He probed the arm—dislocated, not broken. The chest wound was deep but survivable with Holy Spring treatment.
"Hang on," Fengyu whispered.
He placed a hand on the boy's back and activated Sanctuary travel.
Warm light swallowed them.
— — —
They arrived inside the Sanctuary by the riverside, where Li Meiyu and Yan Lingxin gathered herbs. The moment they noticed Fengyu carrying the injured boy, they rushed over.
"Another one?" Meiyu gasped.
"He's badly hurt," Fengyu replied. "Spring, now."
Lingxin helped him lower the boy into the Holy Spring. The glowing water lapped gently against the boy's limbs, and instantly the change began. His shallow breaths deepened. The gash along his chest slowly sealed.
Meiyu watched anxiously. "Who is he?"
"No idea yet," Fengyu said. "But he fought a shadow cat alone. That takes either talent or desperation."
Lingxin leaned closer to study his features. "He looks younger than us."
She wasn't wrong. His face was still childish, but his hands were rough with training—someone determined, someone who had been forced to grow up early.
Minutes later, the boy's fingers twitched.
He opened his eyes slowly, confusion swirling in the dark pupils. "W-Where… am I?"
"In a safe place," Fengyu said gently.
The boy stared at the three of them—two girls and Fengyu—then around at the shimmering landscape, his jaw dropping.
"What… what is this place?" he whispered.
"A sanctuary," Fengyu answered simply. "Somewhere the trial can't reach you."
The boy trembled. "You… saved me?"
"Yes."
Another chime.
[Unknown Boy – Favorability +10 → Total: 30]
Lingxin offered him a cup of Spring water. "Drink slowly. It'll heal the rest."
He drank with both hands shaking—fear, relief, disbelief all mixed together.
"What's your name?" Meiyu asked softly.
The boy swallowed hard. "Lin Xuan… from the third outer branch."
Fengyu nodded. "I know that branch. They weren't given good training."
Lin Xuan's jaw clenched. "No. They shoved us in and told us to pray."
Meiyu glanced at Fengyu meaningfully.
Another like them. Abandoned. Alone.
The Sanctuary welcomed them all.
Fengyu crouched at Lin Xuan's eye level. "Listen carefully. This place is hidden. Only we can enter right now. You are safe, but you must never speak about this Sanctuary outside. Ever."
Lin Xuan nodded slowly, but hesitation clouded his eyes. "I… I don't know if I can be useful. I'm weak. I nearly died twice in two days…"
"You survived," Fengyu said firmly. "That already makes you stronger than half the trial participants."
Lin Xuan's eyes widened.
Lingxin added, "If Fengyu saved you, it's because he saw something in you."
Meiyu nodded. "You're one of us now."
The boy's lips parted in astonishment. He looked between the three of them—three people radiating sincerity he had never received in his entire life.
Then tears slipped down his cheeks.
"I've… never been wanted anywhere…"
The girls froze.
Fengyu placed a hand on his shoulder.
"You're wanted here."
A chime rang again.
[Lin Xuan – Favorability +20 → Total: 50]
Reward Unlocked: Minor Spiritual Bone Strengthening
His aura subtly strengthened—a promising foundation.
The Holy Tree glowed faintly in the distance, reacting to the boy's growing trust.
Not yet 70.
But soon.
— — —
Later that evening inside the Sanctuary's dusk-like glow, Fengyu stood at the edge of the lake, contemplating their next move.
Three people now relied on him.
Two girls. One boy.
All injured. All abandoned. All desperate for a place to belong.
He looked at the Holy Tree, its leaves shimmering like starlight.
''System," he murmured, "how many people can I realistically bring inside before drawing danger?"
"As many as you choose, Host. The Sanctuary is built to house a growing clan. But favorability must reach 70 for long-term stability, and trust must be managed carefully."
Fengyu nodded.
He would not bring in everyone.
Only those worth saving.
Only those who could become pillars of the future.
Soft footsteps approached.
Meiyu and Lingxin stood side by side, watching him quietly.
"Fengyu," Meiyu said gently, "what's wrong?"
"Just thinking about the future."
Lingxin stepped closer. "The Sanctuary is growing. We're growing. And you're not alone anymore."
He looked at them—the first two seeds of his clan.
Then at Lin Xuan, sleeping peacefully near a campfire.
No… he truly wasn't alone.
But he had to be cautious.
Growing too fast would attract suspicion.
Growing too slowly would waste precious time.
And the trial outside was only getting more dangerous.
Fengyu exhaled deeply.
"Tomorrow," he whispered, "I'll start the real hunt. We need resources. And... There's something else out there. Something strong."
Meiyu's eyes narrowed with worry. "Stronger than before?"
"Yes."
Lingxin asked softly, "Dangerous?"
"Very."
The night wind carried a foreboding chill across the Sanctuary.
The next days would not be peaceful.
The trial world was changing.
And something powerful was approaching.
Fengyu clenched his fist.
"I'll face it. Because the Sanctuary… and all of you… depend on me."
The Sanctuary responded with a soft, resonant hum—
as if acknowledging its growing Progenitor.