The moon was hanging high in the sky, and this part of the forest was enveloped in silence.
A figure soon appeared in the area, as they moved while observing their surroundings.
This person was also covered with a similar cloak, similar to that of the three Grandmasters.
But if there was something that differentiated them from one another, then it would be that this person was a woman.
Unlike three of her fellow Grandmasters who were tasked with assisting Thrain, she was here to ensure that the plan to eliminate Jarek was a resounding success.
Once she was sure she was at an appropriate distance away from the battlefield that was soon about to erupt, she stopped and hid herself for good measure.
At the position she was hiding herself in, she could hear and watch the battle the incoming battle.
'Master is worrying too much.' She genuinely thought that sending one more Grandmaster was enough.
But her master had sent four Grandmasters to deal with one Grandmaster.
If that wasn't overkill, then she didn't know what else was.
The plan was to assist Thrain in case he fell into Jarek's hands.
But the situation developed in a direction she hadn't expected.
She saw Thrain unleashing a skill that increased his power by quite a significant margin. 'He was this strong!? In that state, he can even defeat me. What a powerful ability. We really underestimated you.'
She had never seen anyone improve their combat power to such a degree with a single ability.
But her astonishment soon faded after some thought. 'That ability must come with severe side effects.'
Her speculations were spot on.
Typically, very powerful abilities tend to have big drawbacks to keep things balanced.
However, what she saw next left her stunned.
Thrain's spear, which was thrust at Jarek, suddenly halted mid-air, unable to be pushed forward further.
As she looked at the still smiling Jarek, who had shown not a trace of worry, she realized that Jarek was the cause of this strange phenomenon.
As she looked closely, she was able to identify Jarek's methods. 'Space laws?'
But...
"Why is it so strong?" She hadn't seen Jarek perform any gesture indicating the level of ease with which he stopped Thrain's fierce attack.
Her mind fell into chaos as she thought of the impossible. 'Does that mean that he has the prowess of a Medium Level Empyrean? But how can that be possible? He is as powerful as Master!'
She couldn't understand how someone could have a prowess of four levels above their cultivation.
She had never even seen a cultivator with a prowess of two levels higher, and those with three were only a legend.
If someone had told her that someone like Jarek existed, she would not have believed that person.
But after witnessing his might, she had no choice but to believe.
She broke out in a cold sweat, thinking of the powerful enemy they had brought to their doorstep.
'It's a good thing master sent me, otherwise we would have remained ignorant of the true threat he holds.'
But she doesn't leave.
She had yet to fulfill her purpose for coming here.
And so, she must continue to observe the situation.
It didn't take long for her to be astonished once again. 'Where did he get a high-grade weapon?'
Her eyes were fixed on Thrain, who had thrown the spear at one of the Grandmasters.
'Who are you, Thrain?' She felt there was more to Thrain than met the eye, as if he were covered by a veil of mystery.
However, with this spear in the hands of her comrades, her worries start to diminish.
After all, a High-Grade weapon poses a threat to all cultivators below the Lord Stage.
With this change, even Jarek would be in for a tough battle.
Or that's what she thought.
Jarek, who was supposed to be struggling against the Spear Grandmaster, displayed a level of power that exceeded her expectations.
He effortlessly dealt with all three Grandmasters at the same time.
None of them could keep up with his overwhelming strength and his terrifying speed.
Watching this scene, she felt a chill up her spine, and an even crazier possibility came to mind. "Could it be that he has reached the level of a Crowned Empyrean?"
Her head started to spin. 'But that would mean a combat prowess of... six levels higher! How can such a person exist?'
She originally thought that they still had time to deal with Jarek before he grew even further.
But now all hope of that was lost.
It didn't matter how much they planned for.
Even if Jarek's progress was completely halted for decades, they still wouldn't catch up to him.
In fact, it wouldn't surprise her if one of the three turned traitor to save their lives out of desperation.
Surprisingly, even at the option to betray for them to be spared, they remained loyal until the very end.
She shed tears as she watched them end their own lives.
She then watched Jarek thwarting Thrain's futile attempt at escape, Jarek, and she wondered, 'How is anyone supposed to deal with this monster?'
It seems there was only one path of survival available to her master.
And that was to flee.
Her heart sank even further when he heard Jarek's question. "... Who is your mysterious helper?"
She had forgotten that the only other person who knew about Jurgen was Thrain himself.
Her mind raced, trying to think of a solution.
Because she didn't, Jurgen would die tonight.
'What should I do? Should I return quickly to inform the master? Or should I take the risk?'
She was leaning more towards the second option than the first.
That was because Jarek didn't yet know about Jurgen's involvement.
If she could silence Thrain, while she would also die, it would be worth it.
She could at least buy time for her master.
That was the best she could do right now.
And so, she slowly closed the distance between herself and Jarek and Thrain.
As she closed the distance and continued listening in on their conversation, some of her earlier questions were answered. 'So that's why. So it was from the Bloodfang family.'
Thrain continued with his narration of his past, while she found a suitable location about half a kilometre away from her target.
Jarek had his back to her, so she was sure he wouldn't spot her.
She would use the element of surprise to her advantage.
She took out a bow and aimed it at Thrain.
Though she wanted to strike Jarek down, she knew her strength was limited.
But the weakened Thrain was a different story.
He was at his weakest after sacrificing so much of his blood essence.
'I only need one shot.'
She fired the shot after she had imbued the arrow with arrow qi, and she watched as the arrow moved to strike the intended target's head.
Unfortunately for her, things didn't play out as she had expected.
Her arrow froze mid-air just a few inches away from Thrain's head.
"Damn it! Do you have eyes on the back of your head!?" She cursed as she moved to flee deeper into the forest.