In the depths of a narrow alley, Mu Zi looked at the two figures in front of her, her gaze filled with concentration.
Her long, waterfall-like hair was disheveled, the once smooth strands now in a mess.
The last rays of sunset had faded, and the alley was shrouded in a thick shadow.
"What's the matter? So much time, and you can't handle some Body Tempering realm fighter?" the man at the late stage of the Earth Yuan realm said, scoffing. "Haha, did you waste it all at the Spring Pavilion?"
Ignoring the mockery, the man at the early stage of the Earth Yuan realm replied:
"Be careful, brother! This girl is a real monster, I barely handled her!"
"Oh really?" A look of surprise flashed in the eyes of the second man, but he shook his head in disbelief. "No way. What can an eighth level of Body Tempering do? You'll take her down with one hit."
His words were full of contempt and doubt, as if the fragile-looking girl could pose no threat.
However, as an experienced fighter in the cultivation world, he maintained a hint of caution, clearly not completely dismissing the words about her being a "monster."
The man carefully scrutinized Mu Zi, trying to understand what made her a "monster."
But no matter how hard he looked, he saw nothing. Only her striking beauty, accentuated by the snow-white skin visible through her torn clothes, seemed more and more appealing.
A lustful grin spread across his face, as if he had made up his mind about something.
"Oh, so that's what makes her a 'monster'? Well, then she really is one! No wonder even you couldn't handle her," the man scoffed, continuing his vulgar mockery.
Mu Zi remained calm, but a cold spark burned deep in her eyes, slowly growing.
Looking at her composure, the man felt an unprovoked anger boil within him.
"Why are you acting so high and mighty? Soon, I'll 'caress' you so much that we'll see if you can keep your composure!" he spat.
This phrase was the last straw. A chilling coldness flooded Mu Zi's eyes, and a mysterious, mystical seal appeared on her forehead.
Click!
An inaudible crack sounded deep within her soul, as if invisible chains had shattered.
"Something's wrong!" The man froze, looking into her emotionless eyes, and finally felt that something was amiss.
An inexplicable fear flooded his heart. Mu Zi's aura bound him, like invisible chains, not letting him move.
He felt the approach of death and bit his tongue hard to overcome the fear. The sharp pain displaced the strange, suffocating sensation.
"No matter how unusual you are! Can a girl in the Body Tempering realm become a rival capable of turning the sky upside down?" he roared, as if convincing himself.
Gathering all his strength at the late stage of the Earth Yuan realm, he used his most powerful third-rank martial art:
"Red Sand Palm!"
The oncoming attack was reflected in her eyes, but not a single feature on Mu Zi's face flinched. She slightly moved her palm, and an invisible force surged forward. The Yang Yuan stones scattered on the ground suddenly flew into the air and ended up in her hand.
After a powerful surge of energy, the Yang Yuan stones turned to dust, raining down on Mu Zi's impeccably white fingers.
Her body was filled with power again. The girl's hands began to move in a swift dance, leaving shimmering shadows in the air.
In an instant, three glowing seals appeared, but that was just the beginning. Mu Zi continued to create marks, and soon four translucent seals appeared before her, and then a fifth. In the end, a total of nine shining seals hovered in front of her.
In the next moment, they merged into one. Under the man's astonished gaze, a pristine white seal, radiating a dazzling glow, appeared before Mu Zi.
"Supreme Heavy Yuan Seal!" Mu Zi announced coldly.
Her dispassionate gaze swept over the man, and she directed the seal to meet his blood-red palm.
Crack!
With a sharp sound, Mu Zi's seal, like a hurricane, crushed everything in its path, instantly breaking the man's arm. Without stopping, it rushed towards his head.
"It's over!" he exclaimed in despair, watching the white glow approaching him.
Pop!
Before he could react, his head exploded like a watermelon, and a disgusting fluid splattered everywhere, drenching the ground. The sight was terrifyingly brutal.
"You! You..." the man at the early stage of the Earth Yuan realm gasped, looking at the scene.
Meeting Mu Zi's cold, emotionless eyes, he felt his will to fight fade.
"Monster! You're a monster!" he screamed.
Without thinking of resisting, he turned and ran down the alley, trying to leave this gruesome, suffocating place as quickly as possible.
"I have to get out!"
Driven by mortal fear, the man let out a furious cry. His potential flared up with incredible speed, breaking through.
"Faster!" he mentally urged himself on.
Noticing that the girl wasn't pursuing him, a glimmer of hope sparked in his heart.
"I'll get to the street up ahead—I'll call for help immediately!"
His eyes widened with anticipation when he saw how close the alley's exit was.
"Just have to get there..."
Suddenly, a scarlet dot flashed on his forehead. In the same instant, his gaze went dark, life left his body, and he collapsed to the ground, lifeless.
Mu Zi lowered her finger, which shone like jade. But in the next moment, her body swayed. A wave of weakness surged, as if draining all her strength in a single instant.
At that moment, the sound of noise and approaching footsteps came from around the alley.
Gathering the last of her will, Mu Zi picked up the scattered Yang Yuan stones, quickly searched the body, and, with a leap, disappeared beyond the alley.
In the caravan returning with a rich haul, Lin Dong sat on horseback, a slight joy in his heart as he looked at the familiar streets of Qingyang.
The trip to Yancheng, where he sold the Yang Yuan stones, had opened up a new world for him. The city's splendor was impressive, but the most important thing was that Lin Dong had come into contact with the world of Symbol Masters for the first time.
Feeling the scroll of the Divine Movement Canon in his bag, he felt a thrill of anticipation.
"Well, show me what a Symbol Master is!" he muttered.
However, as they passed a side alley, the caravan suddenly stopped.
"What's wrong?" Lin Dong, driven by curiosity, rode closer.
Lin Zhentian and Lin Xiao were looking anxiously at two lifeless bodies.
Lin Dong, getting closer, couldn't suppress his horror. A deep wound gaped on the forehead of one of the corpses, and an expression of fear was frozen on its face. The second corpse was completely crushed, and bloody and white remnants were visible around it.
At the sight of this terrible scene, Lin Dong felt his throat constrict with nausea. However, being a strong person, he quickly pulled himself together and, remaining calm, listened to the conversation of the elders.
"Both were at the Earth Yuan stage. One at the early stage, and the other at the late stage," said Lin Zhentian.
"Judging by the nature of the wounds, they were killed instantly, with no chance of resisting. This is the work of at least a Heavenly Yuan master," added Lin Xiao.
"Has a new Heavenly Yuan master appeared in Qingyang?" Lin Zhentian murmured thoughtfully.
Remembering the difficult times the Lin clan was facing, he sighed heavily.
"Troubled times," he shook his head.
"Heavenly Yuan?" Lin Dong repeated quietly, lost in his thoughts.
However, remembering his recent progress in cultivation, he felt a surge of confidence.
"I'll reach it soon too," he muttered.
A message to readers from the Author:
The novel's outline is ready, and its volume will be no less than 1.5 million words. Feel free to invest! Mu Zi will not constantly follow Lin Dong, but his role will remain significant. The main characters of the original will also get their share of attention, and later on, even Xiao Yan and others will appear.
A new book awaits your feedback!