As the sun rose over the horizon, its golden light mingled with the blood moon's crimson glow, falling upon Kanoru. For the past two months, the blood moon had shone relentlessly, dyeing the world below in its ominous light. It never once faded, and with it came the unceasing invasion.
Two months ago, when the invasion began, Kanoru had thought it was limited to Shentong—the capital city of the Ming Empire. But he was wrong. Two days after the initial attack, the battle in the skies above Shentong ended in defeat. The invaders emerged victorious.
One of the most powerful empires in the world had lost its capital in just two days.
Upon learning of the fall of Shentong, Kanoru, Yun Feng, Yun Ming, and the three higher-ranked warlocks gathered and made a grim decision—they had to flee. The capital was too dangerous. If the invaders sent out spirit realm experts and they were discovered, they would be annihilated.
They chose to head toward the capital city of Ren County, where they knew Bai Yue's mother, Shui Xueling, resided—and where they could obtain the Hundred Herbs Pill.
They believed it would take only a month to reach Ren County's capital, even on foot. But they were wrong again.
Two months had passed, and they had not even crossed the river.
The invasion was not limited to Shentong. The attackers had struck all around the capital—perhaps even the entire Ming Empire or the whole world.
Now, Kanoru and his group were only half a day away from Bilu City, the gateway to the river crossing. But they could not enter. Bilu City had been under siege by the invaders for over a month.
For weeks, they had hidden in the forest near the city. Every few days, they would emerge, launching hit-and-run attacks on the smaller enemy squads patrolling the outskirts. They weren't alone—other small resistance groups also lurked in the forests and hills, surrounding the invaders' forces.
But despite their efforts, Kanoru couldn't shake the growing dread in his chest.
'Why has no help come for Bilu City?'
No reinforcements crossed the river. No armies arrived from the surrounding cities.
'It can't just be Shentong. The GreyRose Circus must have launched a full-scale invasion of the world.'
Kanoru shook his head, forcing the worst-case scenarios from his mind. Today, they wouldn't be going out to fight, so before dawn, he rose and began his training.
His skin slowly turned blood red, and a green, flame-like energy enveloped his body, releasing a terrifying aura. Time passed as he trained, counting the seconds in his head. When he finally closed the sixth gate, the green energy vanished almost instantly, and his skin gradually returned to its normal color.
The first time he had opened the sixth gate, his body could withstand the energy for only five minutes. Now, after a month of relentless practice, he could endure it for half an hour. As his chakra healed the internal injuries left by the energy, Kanoru calculated how long it would take to fully refine his body—to reach the point where he could bear the power of the sixth gate without suffering any damage.
'It took two months of training to handle it for half an hour. Four months would make it an hour.'
'To endure it for an entire day… more than eight years.'
Eight years—an impossible luxury, especially now. He had no access to resources to accelerate his training, as they were hiding in the forest.
Kanoru muttered to himself, "I have to find a way to get some resources. I can't waste eight years on this."
Spending that much time just to refine his body would be a fool's path, even in peacetime. But during an invasion, it was nothing short of suicide. Every moment, he needed to grow stronger.
Once his body healed, he resumed his cycle. He opened the gates one by one until he reached the sixth, held it for half an hour, then closed them all and let his chakra repair the damage. He repeated this until his hunger finally forced him to stop.
Weary but determined, he descended the hill and ate a quick meal. Afterward, he spent some time sparring with Asuna and Gu Mingzhu, helping them sharpen their combat skills.
Once their training was done, Kanoru climbed back up the hill and resumed his own.
At the top, he drew his sword from its sheath and began practicing. With each swing, the blade buzzed, releasing faint vibrations into the air. Gradually, a tiger's roar echoed from the sword, growing louder with every stroke.
He was attempting to comprehend one of the wind's natures—Sound. Unlike others, he had no guide or technique to follow. Instead, he relied on the knowledge from his past lives, knowing that sound originates from vibration. So, he started by creating and refining vibrations, aiming to master the nature of Sound.
Since he had no clear method to follow, he decided on a straightforward approach—to keep producing sounds that naturally occur in the world. 'If I can replicate the sounds of nature… one day, at some moment, I'll grasp the essence of Sound.'
He knew there were frequencies beyond human hearing, but he chose to focus on those audible to the human ear first. Once he mastered them, he could explore the subtler, hidden sounds.
He swung his sword relentlessly. The rustling of leaves, the neigh of a horse, the bark of a dog, the croak of a frog—every sound he could think of, he recreated through his blade.
He practiced until hunger gnawed at him, forcing him to stop. He walked down the hill, ate some food, and decided against resuming his training. Tomorrow, he would be part of a small team hunting lone invaders and small squads to thin their numbers and aid Bilu City in its struggle.
Lying on his bed inside his makeshift wooden home, he stared at the ceiling. Asuna and Gu Mingzhu were still practicing outside. Alone, with nothing to distract him, his mind wandered.
He thought of his parents and his little sister. Worry gnawed at him as he started thinking again of the worst possible outcome: 'What if the invasion isn't limited to the Ming Empire? What if it has spread across the entire continent?'
He clung to the hope that Athia was safe, untouched. 'The Mori family can't hold out if the invasion reaches them.'
The more he thought of his family, the deeper his worry grew. He clenched his fists, knowing he couldn't afford to be consumed by it. 'I can't help them unless I grow stronger. I need to defeat the invaders besieging Bilu City, cross the river to Qinhua, and then make my way home.'
To calm his mind, he closed his eyes and visualized a tornado. He focused on its swirling, destructive power, letting the image drown out his fears.
'I have to stay calm… make every choice with a clear mind.'