The sky overhead was a dull gold, painted with streaks of rose and violet as the sun neared the western horizon. A sharp breeze swept through the sparse trees, whispering through dry leaves and over cracked stone.
Thud!
Zhao Wuji hit the ground first, coughing and groaning as his knees sank into the dirt. His massive frame trembled from residual spatial energy.
"Urgh… where…?"
Liu Erlong staggered beside him, bracing herself against a tree. "This… isn't the trial space anymore."
Flender landed a few paces away, wings flickering away into light as he caught himself mid-fall. He glanced around sharply, eyes narrowing.
"We're not at Sunset forest anymore," he said grimly. "Look. That wall—it's Spirit Hall territory. We were at Sunset Forest before the rift and there quite a distance before reach the city."
Meng Yiran hit the ground last, tumbling onto her side and curling instinctively. She sat up slowly, eyes flickering with disorientation before snapping wide with panic. "Li Wei…? Zhuqing?! Rongrong!? Xiao Wu!?"
No answer came.
Her hand dug into the dirt.
"They're not here…"
Flender mouth tightened. "The rift ejected us. Only us. They disappear infront of us before, does it meant they get transfer to other place or....." The rest he cannot say that they died.
Zhao Wuji punched the earth with a growl. "Damn it! He pushed us out… I felt it. Just before it collapsed. Li Wei… he done something to forced the space to open so we'd escape."
"But at what cost?" Liu Erlong whispered.
Before anyone could respond, a powerful spiritual pressure fell over the clearing—no, three.
Boom—boom—boom.
The air twisted. Leaves scattered like blades in the wind.
From the shadows of a rocky outcrop, three cloaked figures emerged, robes billowing, their Spirit Power pressing like a mountain. Soul Douluo—each one unmistakably a powerful person.
The lead man had sleek, icy-blue hair and cold, discerning eyes. His expression was unreadable.
The woman to his left bore intricate serpent tattoos down her arms. The third, a lean man with a long, healed scar across his jawline, radiated sharp vigilance.
"State your names," the leader ordered without preamble. "And what has just happened here."
Zhao Wuji stepped forward, defensive already. "And who's asking?"
"Spirit Hall Overseers," the woman replied. "You can say that our work is to monitor this border. A rift seem to be recently collapsed here causing unstable space. We sensed several power signatures vanish. So we hurried here."
"Four remain," the scarred man added, eyes scanning them with cool efficiency. "Where are the four others?"
Flender frown deepened. "We're from Shrek Academy. That rift trapped us during a journey to Sunset Forest. Four of our own were left behind." It making Flender doubt the identity of this person, how did he know that there four missing from their group unless they follow us for a long times.
The leader expression didn't change, but his voice turned sharper. "A boy. Li Wei. Where is he? And what happen to him?"
Liu Erlong eyes narrowed. "Why do you care about our student?"
"You will answer," said the woman. "Because you're not in your own territory anymore. This is under Spirit Hall jurisdiction. Lying has consequences."
Zhao Wuji moved protectively in front of Meng Yiran, who had risen shakily. Her fists were clenched tight, her voice trembling but sharp.
"He was there. He was the one who saved us. He stayed back. Are you satisfied?"
The three Soul Douluo exchanged looks.
The leader took a slow step forward, but then—something shifted in his gaze. Just for a flicker of a moment, his cold mask dropped. A sliver of recognition entered his voice.
"He saved you?"
Liu Erlong didn't miss it. "You know him."
The serpent-tattooed woman gave a slight sigh. "More than you realize."
"This will not be pretty." The leader say.
Zhao Wuji eyes narrowed. "You're not just ordinary Spirit Hall agents, are you?"
The blue-haired leader straightened his stance and finally spoke with his real tone—no longer harsh, but neutral and crisp.
"We were sent by his grandfather. Our directive was to shadow and safeguard one individual, Li Wei. At all costs."
Everyone froze.
Even Flender usually composed face cracked with a surprise. "Safeguard…?"
Meng Yiran mouth opened, but nothing came out.
Liu Erlong stepped forward. "Why didn't you intervene sooner, if you were guarding him?"
The serpent woman answered this time, calmly. "The dimensional anomaly cut us off. The moment we realize it, we already use our fastest speed but it still not enough as you guys disappear. We were not able to reach him, so we already scour the place but there nothing. When we notice the rift collapsed, we came immediately."
Zhao Wuji growled. "And instead of explaining that, you interrogated us like criminals?"
The blue-haired man looked at him coolly. "Had Li Wei fallen into enemy hands, we had to ensure none of you were impostors. That's our protocol."
Meng Yiran took a shaky breath. "He… he's not dead. He can't be."
"We do not know. The last spiritual residue we can felt coming from that dimension." The scarred Soul Douluo answer. "The moment you guys come out, it's gone."
The serpent woman glanced toward the fading sun. "He bought you time with his power. That's a heavy price."
A pause.
The leader turned back to them. "We'll begin scanning the forest perimeters and dimensional echoes. If Li Wei or the others return… we'll know."
"You'd better," Liu Erlong said sharply. "Because if you're lying—"
"We're not." His tone left no room for doubt. "We serve the will of our master. And for now, that means he—" he paused, glancing westward, "—must live."
With that, the three of them vanished into streaks of silver and wind.
A heavy silence returned.
The sky was darkening now, a few stars peeking through. In the distance, the lights of the Spirit Hall–controlled city began to glow faintly behind its stone walls.
Flender looked around at the team. Liu Erlong had dropped to one knee, breathing steadily. Zhao Wuji fists were bloodied. Meng Yiran had tears silently trailing down her cheeks.
He exhaled slowly. "We go to the city. Regroup. Rest. Then… we find them."
Zhao Wuji nodded. "Alive. We'll bring them back alive."
Meng Yiran turned her eyes toward the stars.
Please, Li Wei. Be alive.