Chapter 6 - Chapter 6: The Canyon That Breathes

Kael did not leave the estate through the main gate. He never did when he expected pursuit. Instead he crossed the eastern training grounds before dawn, vaulted the outer stone wall, and moved along the low ridges that bordered Veyron territory. The air was thin there, colder, carrying the faint metallic scent of spirit ore veins beneath the earth. He walked openly for the first mile, then deliberately slowed his pace. If they were watching, they would interpret it as carelessness. He wanted them confident. The Devouring Mark beneath his skin remained dormant, but not silent. It hummed faintly as if anticipating a meal. Two hours later he reached Blackwind Canyon, a narrow chasm carved deep into the hills. Spirit mist drifted lazily through its depths. To ordinary cultivators the mist was corrosive, slowly eroding qi circulation. Kael stepped inside without hesitation. The temperature dropped immediately. Wind did not flow through the canyon normally. It pulsed, inhaling and exhaling like something alive. He descended carefully along the rocky slope until he reached a flat shelf halfway down. Then he waited. The first arrow came without warning, slicing through mist toward his throat. Kael tilted his head slightly. The arrow brushed his hair and embedded into stone behind him. He did not look back. "If you traveled this far," he said calmly, "you should aim better." Three figures stepped from the mist above and below, blocking both exits. Ashen Fang insignias gleamed faintly at their collars. One mid-stage Body Tempering. Two early-stage. Coordinated. The strongest among them smiled thinly. "You adapt quickly, Veyron. We wondered how long it would take you to choose a place like this." Kael's expression did not change. "Long enough." The canyon inhaled. A surge of mist rolled through the space between them. The two weaker cultivators attacked first, blades flashing in tandem. Kael stepped backward deliberately, allowing their strikes to drive him closer to the canyon wall. Sparks scattered as steel met steel. Their coordination was clean but predictable. He parried high, shifted low, and kicked one attacker in the ribs hard enough to stagger him. The stronger cultivator joined then, descending from above with a heavy downward strike meant to shatter his guard. Kael raised his blade but allowed himself to slide to one knee under the impact. Stone cracked beneath him. Blood trickled from his lip. The attackers saw weakness. That was enough. The canyon exhaled violently. Spirit mist thickened, turning the air sharp and biting. The Ashen Fang cultivators grimaced as their qi circulation faltered. Kael, however, closed his eyes for a single breath and released the Devouring Mark slightly. The corrosive mist bent toward him, threads of unstable energy drawn into his meridians. It burned, but he absorbed it in controlled increments, refining as he fought. His movements sharpened instead of slowed. The mid-stage attacker noticed first. "His aura… it's increasing." Kael moved. He stepped inside the weaker cultivator's guard and drove his elbow into the man's throat before slicing across his abdomen. Blood mixed with mist. As the dying man's qi destabilized, Kael pressed his palm against the collapsing dantian and devoured a fragment of it. Power surged violently. His vision flickered silver for a heartbeat. He almost took too much. The Devouring Mark pulsed hungrily, demanding more. He forced it down, compressing the stolen energy before it spread too widely. The second weaker attacker hesitated. That hesitation cost him his life. Kael's blade pierced his heart cleanly. The mid-stage cultivator retreated a step, shock replacing confidence. "Monster," he muttered. Kael tilted his head slightly. "No. Efficient." The final clash was brief and brutal. The stronger man unleashed a full-force technique, qi flaring outward in a spiraling slash. Kael did not block directly. He sidestepped, allowed part of the strike to graze his shoulder, and closed distance instantly. Their blades locked. For a moment they stood chest to chest. "What are you?" the Ashen Fang cultivator demanded. Kael's eyes were colder now. Emotion dulled by recent devouring. "Hungry." He released the Devouring Mark fully for a single breath. The opponent's qi destabilized as Kael siphoned a controlled portion mid-struggle. Not enough to overload. Just enough to tip balance. Then he severed the man's arm and followed with a final cut across the throat. Silence returned to the canyon. Kael stood alone amid drifting mist and cooling corpses. He inhaled deeply, allowing the canyon's corrosive aura to flow into him in thin streams. This was farming. Not chaotic devouring. Controlled refinement. Minutes passed before he withdrew the Mark. When he climbed out of Blackwind Canyon, he was stronger than when he entered. And somewhere beyond the ridges, unseen eyes confirmed it. "He grows faster under pressure," a distant observer murmured. "Good," another voice replied. "Increase the pressure".