Yan Lingxin slept for several hours in the Holy Spring's gentle glow, her breathing evening out as the last traces of venom dissolved into nothingness. Li Meiyu remained close, watching her with a calm, sisterly expression. Fengyu, meanwhile, used the time to explore the Sanctuary's growing edges—checking plant growth, mapping terrains, and evaluating beast populations.
The Sanctuary felt more alive than before.
Perhaps it reacted to new inhabitants.
When Lingxin finally stirred awake, the sky above glowed violet-gold, the Sanctuary's eternal twilight shifting toward its faux evening. She blinked sleep out of her golden eyes, confusion softening into clarity.
Fengyu approached with a cup of herbal tea.
"You're awake," he said gently.
Lingxin's gaze lifted to him—uncertain, shy, yet filled with gratitude. "I… feel better. A lot better."
"You should," Li Meiyu added with a smile. "This place is miraculous."
Lingxin studied the two of them, her brows knitting. "I… don't understand. Why save me? Why risk yourselves?"
Fengyu crouched beside her. "Because not everyone deserves to die alone in a cold forest. And because you're not weak. You fought a water serpent by yourself."
Lingxin's cheeks flushed faintly. "It was… instinct. I just didn't want to die."
"Instinct is still strength," he said.
Her chest tightened at the sincerity in his voice, and a faint chime echoed in Fengyu's mind.
[Yan Lingxin – Favorability +5 → Total: 55]
Progress.
But not yet enough to receive the Divine Mark.
Fengyu stood, brushing sand from his hands. "I want to know more about your situation. Your injuries tell me you've been running for days."
Lingxin hesitated—then exhaled shakily. "A rogue cultivator group… ambushed us. They captured girls with strong roots. My clan tried to resist. Everyone died." Her voice trembled. "I escaped and ran. I didn't think I'd last this long."
Li Meiyu's face hardened in sympathy. Fengyu's expression darkened, but he held his emotions steady.
"I'm sorry," he said quietly. "But you're safe now."
Lingxin looked down, fingers curling in the grass. "Safe…" The word felt foreign to her.
Meiyu sat beside her, gently brushing dirt from Lingxin's hair. "Fengyu saved me too. And this place—this Sanctuary—is like a haven."
Lingxin's eyes lifted slightly, her voice small. "A… Sanctuary?"
Fengyu nodded. "I found it during the trial. Only I can access it. It's our base of survival and a place where you can heal and grow."
Yan Lingxin stared at him for several seconds.
Then she whispered:
"Why are you helping me? Someone like you shouldn't risk yourself for someone like me…"
Fengyu chuckled softly. "And what kind of person am I?"
"You… you're strong. Kind. You didn't even hesitate."
Meiyu folded her arms and smiled slyly. "He's like that. You get used to it."
Fengyu cleared his throat politely, and a ripple of laughter escaped Lingxin for the first time. It was small, brief, but genuine.
Another chime.
[Yan Lingxin – Favorability +5 → Total: 60]
Excellent.
— — —
Hours later, after a meal of roasted herb chicken and berries from the Sanctuary's orchards, Fengyu inspected the surroundings once more. He needed to re-enter the outside world soon. Too much time spent inside risked creating gaps between his apparent survival progress and what others expected.
Li Meiyu approached him quietly, carrying water bowls. Lingxin stayed behind, practicing breathing exercises Fengyu had taught her.
"Fengyu," Meiyu said gently, "are you planning to go outside again soon?"
"Yes." He didn't sugarcoat it. "The trial world changes quickly. Resources shift. Beasts move. If I stay hidden for too long, I'll fall behind."
Her expression wavered. "Be careful."
He smiled softly. "Always."
Then Meiyu hesitated before saying, "Lingxin… likes you, you know."
Fengyu paused. "Already?"
Meiyu lightly touched her chest. "The way she looks at you—it's the same way I looked at you after you saved me. Gratitude turns into trust, and trust into something deeper."
Fengyu didn't deny it. In a world as cruel as theirs, genuine help was rare. A man who saved you at your lowest would naturally become a pillar.
And the system encouraged connections.
Not forced—but nurtured.
"It's fine," Fengyu said. "We'll let her grow at her own pace."
Meiyu nodded softly. "Good."
Another moment passed between them—quiet, warm, and full of subtle understanding.
— — —
As Fengyu prepared to leave the Sanctuary, a shout came from behind him.
"Fengyu!"
Yan Lingxin limped slightly but rushed toward him, stopping just a step away. Her amber eyes glistened with a mixture of fear and determination.
"You… you're going outside."
"Yes." He gave a reassuring nod. "I'll be back soon."
Lingxin bit her lip. "Can't… can't you take me with you? I don't want to be alone. Not again."
Meiyu stepped close, placing a calming hand on Lingxin's arm. "He can't. You're not strong enough yet. Out there, beasts and rogues will kill you."
Lingxin trembled, torn between fear and reason.
Fengyu placed a hand gently on her shoulder. "Listen. You're safe here. The Sanctuary is a hundred times better than the outside. Train. Heal. Rest. When you reach the right level… I'll take you with me."
Her breath hitched. "Promise?"
"Promise."
A soft, crystalline chime sounded in his mind.
[Yan Lingxin – Favorability +10 → Total: 70]
[Divine Blessing Mark Ready]
Perfect.
The Holy Tree reacted instantly. A gentle beam of jade light descended and touched Lingxin's head. Her body shivered, her aura stabilizing as the mark formed across her palm.
Lingxin stared in awe. "This… what is this feeling?"
"Protection," Fengyu said. "And trust."
She placed her marked hand against her heart. "Thank you… Fengyu."
Li Meiyu smiled warmly at the moment. The two girls, once strangers struggling for survival, were now bound to the Sanctuary—and to him.
A small family forming.
Fengyu inhaled deeply, sensing the subtle shift in the Sanctuary's air—as if it welcomed its new member.
The system chimed again.
[Sanctuary Members: 2]
[Next Major Upgrade Requirement: 10 Descendants]
He exhaled.
Still a long way to go.
But the foundation was set.
He looked at Meiyu and Lingxin.
Both girls watched him with quiet trust, gentle affection, and unspoken hope.
"I'll return soon," he said.
They nodded as one.
As Fengyu stepped out of the Sanctuary and the wild forest swallowed him once more, he whispered to himself:
"This is how it starts.
This is how the future clan grows."