Returning back to the Shrouded Peaks where the scene look like the ground split in half
''What... the hell?" Layla muttered, brushing dust off her sleeves as she regained her footing.
Meyu's heart pounded in her chest. "That wasn't just a normal energy release. That was—"
Then she noticed something else.
All eyes remained on Atlas, who remained unconscious, his body finally still. But the rift behind Shen Xue remained—a scar in the earth, and a warning to all who had witnessed it.
A hush fell over the spectators. Even the masters, for the first time in a long while, were left momentarily speechless.
Master Daokan, however, was the first to recover, his voice low but firm.
"That technique... I recognize it. It is not something he should be able to do."
Lin Wuye, still processing what he had just witnessed, exhaled sharply.
"If I'm not mistaken... that was an incomplete form of the Devouring Pulse. But it shouldn't exist in someone like him. He has no cultivated Qi. No formal training. How is this possible?"
Jiang, arms crossed, muttered, "And more importantly... what happens if he does it again?"
Lin Wuye's gaze lingered on Atlas's unconscious form, his mind racing through possibilities.
"That's the question, isn't it? If his body can naturally absorb Qi, then release it in such a destructive manner... he might not have any control over when it happens. This was incomplete, unstable. If he does it again, the next one could be worse."
Master Daokan took a slow step forward, his expression unreadable as he extended his hand toward Atlas. His Qi flared subtly as he analyzed the boy's state, his senses stretching deep within him. Then, his eyes narrowed slightly.
"Fascinating" he murmured. "His Qi is... gone. It's returned to nothing, as if it never existed at all."
Lin Wuye's brows furrowed. "As it should have been. His body isn't meant to retain Qi yet for a brief moment, it harnessed an immense force beyond reason. And now, it's simply vanished? That should be impossible."
Master Daokan straightened, his expression firm.
"Whatever just happened, his body has reset. But that doesn't mean he's unharmed. He's in a deep coma. His core may be empty again, but the strain on his body and mind... he will wake up but it will take time."
Before anyone else could react, Meyu rushed forward, dropping to her knees beside Atlas.
"Atlas!" Her voice cracked as she shook his shoulder lightly, her hands trembling.
"You idiot, wake up! You always talk your way out of things, so talk your way out of this!"
Her breaths came unsteady, panic settling deep in her chest. Atlas had always been unbreakable—annoying, infuriating, reckless—but unbreakable. And yet now, he looked so still, so fragile, his usually sharp and witty face eerily quiet.
Yuxe Wuye followed behind her, kneeling gracefully before placing a reassuring hand on Meyu's shoulder.
"He's alive" she murmured, her voice a calm contrast to the storm raging in Meyu's heart.
"Master Daokan will ensure he's taken care of. He will wake up."
Meyu squeezed her eyes shut, gripping Atlas's torn sleeve tightly.
"He better. He always gets out of things. Always. He talks, he schemes, he finds a way. He wouldn't—he can't just—" Her voice broke, tears slipping down her cheeks.
"Not like this."
Her fingers trembled as they clutched his sleeve, as if holding on tightly enough would keep him from slipping away.
"He's all I have left."
Yuxe Wuye knelt beside her, wrapping an arm around her shoulders and pulling her close.
"He's not gone, Meyu. He's just... lost right now. But he'll find his way back. He will."
Meyu hiccupped, burying her face against Yuxe Wuye's shoulder, her body shaking.
"He's an idiot. A reckless, frustrating idiot.''
Yuxe Wuye stroked her hair gently, her voice soft. "Then trust him to be that idiot. To fight his way back."
Meyu squeezed her eyes shut, nodding against her. "He has to."
Layla, still standing a few steps away, folded her arms. Unlike the others, she didn't rush forward, but that didn't mean she felt nothing. Even in her past life, hardened as she was, she had never been immune to moments like this. Her fingers tightened around her sleeve.
"Damn you, Atlas... you always find a way to make things worse."
Despite her words, there was no mockery in her tone. Only a rare flicker of something else—concern.
"So, what do we do with him?"
Master Daokan exhaled. "We ensure he survives first and then, we prepare for when he wakes up. Because this is only the beginning."
Layla's gaze lingered on Atlas's still form for a moment longer before she exhaled sharply, shaking her head. As much as she cared, survival was still her priority. The coming winter wouldn't wait for anyone, and no amount of sentiment would keep their people from freezing.
She straightened, crossing her arms. "As cruel as it might sound, I need to head back tomorrow. We need supplies, and I don't intend to sit around waiting when there's work to be done. So, who's going to take care of him?"
Master Daokan didn't hesitate. "I will." His voice was firm, leaving no room for argument.
"Shen Xue will assist me."
Shen Xue nodded in agreement. "I'll help. It was my match with him that caused this. It's only right that I take responsibility."
Layla gave them a long look before arching an eyebrow.
"And what about when he wakes up? I assume you have some plan beyond just keeping him breathing?"
Master Daokan's expression didn't change.
"He'll be useful. He's already proved he can survive in the most unexpected ways. Perhaps it's time we officially make him our own personal merchant as well''
Meyu, who had been silent up until now, visibly bristled. "Are you seriously—"
Before she could go off, Yuxe Wuye gently placed a hand on her arm and turned to Meilin.
"We will leave tomorrow. Master Daokan has already ensured that we will be more than adequately treated in the main city."
Layla, still watching Atlas, nodded slowly. "Then let's make sure we're ready."
Meyu stood in silence, her gaze fixed on Atlas's unconscious form. Her hands clenched and unclenched at her sides as she wrestled with the decision before her. Atlas had always been the one to push forward, the one to take risks while she stood at his side. Now, for the first time, he wouldn't be there to lead the charge.
Yuxe Wuye, sensing her turmoil, spoke gently.
"You don't have to decide now, Meyu. But whatever choice you make, it should be for yourself, not just for him."
Meyu swallowed hard.
"If I go with the Silver Lotus, I can handle Atlas's business. Make sure everything he built doesn't fall apart while he's like this. But... if I stay..." Her voice wavered.
"If I stay, I can make sure he's not alone when he wakes up."
She turned to Master Daokan, her expression torn. "If I stay, will I be allowed to?"
Master Daokan studied her for a long moment before nodding. "If that is your decision, then yes."
Meyu inhaled sharply, glancing one last time at Atlas. She had followed him for so long, through every scheme and reckless gamble, through victories and failures alike. Now, for once, she had to decide for herself.
"I need to think about it," she finally admitted.
Yuxe Wuye gave her a small nod. "Then think quickly. Whatever you choose, we leave at dawn."