After the Skyfall

Searching for a suspected artifact in a haunted building—this was going to be tough.

Money never comes easy.

Sitting in the car on the way to the destination, Li Yi couldn’t help but sigh inwardly.

But he had no other options. If there were another way to make fifty thousand in a short time, he wouldn’t have taken on such a dangerous job.

The vehicle rumbled through the old district, the road uneven and bumpy.

Inside the car, no one spoke. The atmosphere was tense.

“This car is going in circles. We just passed this road a moment ago,” the hoodie-wearing man suddenly chuckled. “Looks like Old Crow is pretty cautious. I’m starting to believe that what he said might actually be true. Heh, if we really find an artifact, now that’d be interesting.”

“We’re about to be working together, so why don’t we introduce ourselves?” The bespectacled, slightly thin man smiled. “I’m Wei Li, a doctor at a small clinic in Tianchang City. I’m here because my daughter is sick and I need money for her surgery.”

“Zhang Kaiwen.” The hoodie man grinned. “I’m from out of town. Borrowed money from loan sharks and couldn’t pay them back, so I ran here. I’m just in this for the cash—nothing more.”

“Liu Yan, local. I have some talent for cultivation and want to see if I can take the first step.” The woman in the slip dress spoke with determination. “But cultivation costs money, and my family isn’t well-off. I’m taking a gamble. A normal job wouldn’t get me a hundred thousand in ten years. Even if I did save up that much, by then, I’d be too old for cultivation.”

Li Yi simply said, “I’m Li Yi. You all heard my situation when I spoke to Old Crow. No need to repeat it.”

Everyone then turned to the last person—the towering, muscular man with a square face.

Arms crossed, muscles bulging, the man finally spoke in a deep, booming voice.

“Name’s Wang Hu. From Hong Kong. Don’t lump me in with you nobodies. I’m only here because I needed some pocket change while traveling. You’re all just extras to me. But I, Wang Hu, am destined to overturn this world.”

“…” The others.

Damn. This guy’s built different.

As the car came to a stop, a half-ruined skyscraper loomed ahead. Police tape was strung around the perimeter, and warning signs advising people to stay away from the dangerous structure were plastered everywhere.

Nearby buildings were also heavily damaged, each one incomplete, as if some catastrophe had struck here.

“So, this is the Abandoned District?”

Li Yi stepped out of the car, glancing around. There wasn’t another soul in sight. Rusted, abandoned cars littered the cracked streets, while wild grass had overtaken the surrounding wasteland.

Few dared to set foot in the Abandoned District. It wasn’t just because of the destruction—it was because of the unknown dangers that might be lurking here. Only outlaws and cultivators willing to take risks ever stayed in a place like this.

“Old Crow, you’re late.”

A crisp, sharp sound of footsteps echoed from the darkness of the ruined skyscraper. A figure emerged from the shadows. Though their face was obscured, the voice was unmistakably that of a woman—cold, indifferent.

“Took a few detours on the way,” Old Crow replied in a low voice. “Didn’t want any unexpected trouble.”

The figure in the shadows spoke again, “Only five people? That’s barely a drop in the ocean inside this building. It’s not enough. We need at least ten.”

“Wang Jian, an investigator, has been active in the Old District,” Old Crow explained. “I don’t know if he received a tip or if it’s just a coincidence, but he showed up in Wangmen Apartment Complex. I don’t think we should bring too many people for this mission. The more of us there are, the more likely we’ll get exposed. We don’t know what’s inside that building, but caution is always the best approach.”

The woman paused for a moment before nodding. “Wang Jian? I see. You made the right call. This operation can’t be known to outsiders. Five people it is, then. Let’s see how it goes. If you fail, I’ll just find another batch.”

“Whoa, whoa, hold up.” Zhang Kaiwen stepped forward a few steps, frowning. “The way you’re talking, it sounds like we’re not allowed to fail? What happens if we don’t find what you want? Are we just going to get ‘cleaned up’? Because that’s not what we agreed on.”

But before he could finish speaking—

From the depths of the dark skyscraper, a pair of eyes suddenly flashed open like sharp, piercing beams of light.

Buzzz!

In that instant, Li Yi felt a deafening ringing in his head. His ears were overwhelmed by a piercing hum, his vision plunged into darkness, and a sickening nausea churned in his stomach.

Luckily, the sensation passed as quickly as it had come.

When he regained his senses, he turned his head—only to see Zhang Kaiwen kneeling on the ground, face ashen. He let out a loud, gut-wrenching retch, vomiting violently. Blood trickled from his eyes, ears, and nose, making for a horrifying sight.

Beside him, Liu Yan’s eyes widened in shock, a mix of disbelief and terror flickering across her face. “This… Is this ‘Witnessing’?”

“‘Witnessing’?” Li Yi immediately asked. “What is that?”

“When the mind focuses through the eyes, vision alone can kill. This is an ability only true cultivators can master. She’s not just an ordinary person—she’s at least someone who has unlocked the ‘Spirit Medium’ state.”

Though her voice was tinged with fear, there was also a hint of awe—and longing.

“She’s already reached the Spirit Medium stage?” Li Yi was stunned.

He didn’t know much about cultivation, but in this era, even if you hadn’t seen it firsthand, you’d definitely heard of it.

The first realm of cultivation was Spirit Medium.

Even though it was only the first step, it was a chasm that countless people could never cross.

Because cultivation in this world was… broken.

For normal people, attempting to cultivate usually led to severe illness, madness, or an agonizing death.

Even for those who overcame the dangers of cultivation, the process was painfully slow.

Li Yi knew of a relative whose child had been cultivating at home for five years. Five years of doing nothing but eating, sleeping, and training—eating a lot, sleeping a lot, and, well… you get the idea.

And after all that time? Still no results.

Eventually, the family came to a conclusion: maybe he wasn’t cultivating at all—maybe he was just freeloading.

And this wasn’t an isolated case. Many families experienced the same thing.

Three to five years of effort, only to gain nothing.

The risk-reward ratio was terrible—and the wasted time made it even worse. Because of this, many people eventually gave up on cultivation. Only families with money to spare were willing to invest in it for their children.

Of course, there were also poorer families who tightened their belts just to support a single cultivator in hopes of changing their fate.

From within the ruined skyscraper, the woman’s footsteps echoed as she slowly emerged from the shadows.

Her voice was as cold as her expression. “Watch your mouth next time. Consider this a warning. Don’t overestimate yourself. Out here in the Abandoned District, if I wanted to kill you all, not a single trace would be left behind.”

She finally stepped into full view.

Tall and slender, she was dressed in a tight-fitting bodysuit, emphasizing her athletic build. A long ponytail cascaded down her back, reaching her waist. Her pale face carried a chilling indifference, and her eyes—her pupils were pale white, faintly glowing in the dim light.

“Crow, transfer the money to them and have them start immediately. Don’t try any tricks—I’ll be watching from the shadows. If anyone steps out of line, I guarantee you won’t make it out of here alive.”

After saying this, the woman swept a cold gaze across the group, then turned and walked away.

In no time, her figure blended into the darkness of the abandoned high-rise, vanishing from sight.

“Tch, what a nasty woman. I almost died just now. Those who’ve truly stepped into cultivation are insane… For a second there, I thought my brain was going to explode. That technique is called ‘Witnessing,’ right? Damn it, maybe I should take out a loan and start cultivating too.” Zhang Kaiwen staggered to his feet, spitting out a mouthful of bloodied saliva.

“That hit was something else! Looks like this trip won’t be boring after all. Hahaha, I’m starting to get excited.” Wang Hu let out a booming laugh.

Wei Li, ever the doctor, wiped his glasses before speaking. “The Witnessing technique is indeed dangerous. It seems to target the brain, functioning like a mental shockwave. Normal people have no way to defend against it. The only countermeasure would be another cultivator who has also unlocked their Medium State. What I’m curious about is its range—how far can it reach? Can walls or buildings block it?”

Li Yi remained silent, rubbing his still-throbbing head, his heart still pounding with fear.

That attack hadn’t even been aimed at him—he had only been caught in the residual effect.

Yet even just the aftershock was enough to make his vision go black and leave his head ringing. If that woman had been serious, Zhang Kaiwen would be dead without a doubt. No chance of survival.

“If that was just a warning, she really went overboard… Is it because we’re in the Abandoned Zone? Or have cultivators simply stopped seeing ordinary people as humans?” Li Yi wondered to himself.

Then, his phone vibrated.

Checking the screen, he saw a notification—50,000 deposited into his account.

The others all received similar alerts.

Crow spoke in his usual low tone. “The money’s been transferred. No more delays—start moving. I’ll send additional information through text once you’re inside the building.”

“Enough chit-chat. Time to move, weaklings!”

Wang Hu took the lead, striding toward the half-collapsed skyscraper without hesitation.

“Hey, Wang Hu, don’t rush in like that! Crow literally just said this place is haunted.” Zhang Kaiwen called out.

But Wang Hu didn’t even turn back.