The summons arrived at dawn.
A sealed letter from the City Lord's mansion, requesting Xiao Ning'er and Ling Tian's presence at an urgent meeting regarding a supposed beast wave sighting.
Ling Tian's eyes narrowed the moment he saw it.
"This feels wrong," he muttered, turning the letter over. The seal looked official—but his instincts screamed otherwise.
Xiao Ning'er stood beside him, tension in her shoulders. "A setup?"
"Most likely."
But refusing the summons would draw suspicion—and Shen Yue was too cunning to spring a trap that could be ignored.
Ling Tian exhaled slowly. "We'll walk in—but prepared."
Her gaze met his, fearless. "Always."
At dusk, they arrived at the designated location: an abandoned outpost on the city's outskirts. The setting sun painted the sky in blood-red streaks—ominous and cold.
Silent.
Too silent.
Ling Tian's eyes scanned the empty courtyard, every nerve on edge.
Suddenly—clang!
Iron gates slammed shut behind them. From the shadows, masked assassins emerged—dozens, their weapons gleaming wickedly.
"Welcome," a cold voice echoed. Shen Yue stepped forward, flanked by his elites.
"I must thank you," he sneered. "For walking into your own graves."
Xiao Ning'er's grip tightened on her spear, her eyes blazing. "Coward."
Ling Tian's voice was deadly calm. "You should've brought an army."
Shen Yue's smirk widened. "Oh, we did."
He raised a hand.
At his signal, waves of mercenaries flooded the courtyard, soul force crackling in the air.
Then—chaos.
Ling Tian was a blur of motion, fists and force tearing through enemy lines with precision. Every strike shattered bone, every movement laced with lethal intent.
Beside him, Xiao Ning'er was grace and fury incarnate—her spear a whirl of silver, each thrust finding its mark with terrifying accuracy.
Their backs pressed together as they fought—a perfect, unspoken rhythm honed by trust and instinct.
"We can't hold forever!" Xiao Ning'er shouted over the clash of steel.
Ling Tian's eyes gleamed, calculating. "We don't need to."
In a flash, he reached into his sleeve, pulling out a concealed talisman—a high-grade explosive charm he'd saved for this very moment.
He met her eyes. "On my mark—run."
"No," she shot back fiercely. "We stay together."
His heart surged at her defiance—but there was no time to argue.
"Together, then," he agreed, voice raw.
He flung the talisman into the heart of the mercenary swarm.
BOOM—!
The explosion rocked the outpost, fire and smoke swallowing screams of shock and pain.
Ling Tian grabbed Xiao Ning'er's hand, dragging her through the shattered wall as debris rained down. They sprinted into the night, lungs burning, hearts hammering in unison.
Behind them, Shen Yue's howl of rage echoed—but for now, they were free.
They didn't stop until they reached the forest's edge, collapsing to their knees beneath the moonlight.
Ling Tian pulled Xiao Ning'er into his arms, holding her tightly.
"You okay?" he gasped, searching her face.
She nodded, breathless, eyes shining. "You?"
"Always," he whispered.
Their foreheads pressed together, the danger still pulsing in their veins—but so did the undeniable truth:
They were stronger together.
And nothing—not Shen Yue, not fate itself—would break that bond.