It was just past dawn.
Wei Lianfeng had barely begun his meditation when the earth shook.
Not metaphorically. Not Qi pressure. But like some ancient beast.
Real, actual, bone-shaking, ground-thumping impact like boulders colliding.
Then came yelling.
Not in Yunxuan dialect. Not even in any recognizable tongue.
It was guttural, strange, almost lazy-sounding.
"What the hell do you mean we shouldn't rob them!? It was just a suggestion!"
Crash.
"Because they're people, Kaelen. They've buried their dead, and they're probably half-starved!"
Boom.
Sand sprayed into the sky like a geyser.
Wei Lianfeng's eyes snapped open. Huo Mingtai had already grabbed a makeshift club. Bai Yueyin was on her feet, half-limping toward the noise.
And there, just beyond the line of trees.
Then the beach trembled again.
A muffled thud... then sand geysered into the air.
Wei Lianfeng's eyes followed the commotion.
"Is it a spirit beast?" Yueyin muttered, already holding her broken spear.
