Symphony of Slaughter
The Sky-Rending Claw struck true.
With Gu Yue's glacial intervention robbing the bear of its footing, Yao Xuan's descending blow met no organized defense. The crystalline layer over the beast's neck, formidable against lesser attacks, shattered like sugar glass under the concentrated might of the Ancestral Dragon. The sound was a sharp, high crack that echoed unnaturally in the clearing.
Yao Xuan felt the layers yield beneath his claw: the outer crystal, the tough hide, the dense muscle. His focus was absolute, his aim surgical. The force, channeled with precision, traveled through the flesh and found its target—the thick cervical vertebrae.
CRUNCH.
A deeper, wetter sound followed the initial crack. The structural integrity of the Millennium Crystal Bear's spine failed. The colossal light in its gemstone eyes flickered, dimming from predatory intelligence to blank, dying confusion. Its forward momentum, arrested by death, became a lifeless collapse. It fell like a felled monument, the impact jolting the earth and shattering the ice pane beneath it into a thousand glittering shards.
Yao Xuan was already gone. Instinct and training took over. He invoked the Ancestral Dragon Shattering Void Step, his form blurring and reappearing ten meters away, well clear of the carcass. He knew the legends—some soul beasts carried a final, vengeful release.
He was right. A final pulse of earthy yellow energy erupted from the bear's body in a silent, expanding ring. Everything it touched—soil, grass, the lower trunks of nearby trees—instantly transmuted into a dull, opaque crystal. The area became a grotesque, frozen garden of its dying wrath. It was a spectacular, useless fury. Yao Xuan stood unscathed at its edge, his scaled chest rising and falling steadily, wisps of nine-colored energy curling from his claws.
In the observation room, the triumph was met with a moment of stunned silence, followed by a collective release of breath.
"He predicted the death-throes explosion," Long Hengxu noted, his voice thick with appreciation. "That's not just power; that's battlefield prescience."
Wu Changkong merely smiled, a rare, full expression of pride. His students were exceeding every expectation.
Zhang Yangzi, Wang Jinxi, and Xie Xie watched, their earlier competitive spirits now completely sublimated into awe. "He makes it look… inevitable," Xie Xie whispered, his usual bravado replaced by genuine reverence.
On the platform, the system's notification was a quiet chime in Yao Xuan's mind.
A satisfactory haul. But the true reward manifested as a rich, ochre-yellow stream of spiritual power that coalesced from the dissipating beast. It split in mid-air, guided by the platform's rules on cooperative kills—one half flowing into Yao Xuan, the other into Gu Yue.
The energy that entered Yao Xuan was dense and solid, like liquid earth. It settled into his foundation, further compacting and strengthening his soul's bedrock. The Ancestral Dragon spirit within him gave a satisfied rumble, its cultivation edging forward another step.
"Well done, Yao Xuan." Gu Yue's voice was soft but clear, cutting through the post-battle silence. She offered a small, genuine smile—a rare, unguarded expression that lit up her features. It was a smile of shared victory, of acknowledged synergy. The sovereign was pleased with the test results; the girl was simply happy to have fought beside him.
"The control was yours," Yao Xuan replied, dismissing his transformation. The brilliant scales receded, leaving him feeling both drained and exhilarated. He met her gaze, his own expression open and appreciative. "That ice sheet was perfectly timed. Without that opening, it would have been a much longer, messier fight."
"Then it seems we make an effective team." Her smile lingered, a hint of playful challenge in her silver eyes. "Would you object to a continued partnership? I promise not to slow you down too much." The question was framed with Gu Yue's typical straightforwardness, but underneath lay a vulnerability—an invitation from both the strategist seeking the best ally and the lonely girl seeking connection.
"Object? I'd be a fool to refuse," Yao Xuan said, a warm chuckle in his voice. "But first, we recover. You pushed yourself hard leading it here." His tone shifted to one of practical care. "Rest. I'll keep watch."
He didn't frame it as a romantic gesture, but as a logical division of labor born from trust. Gu Yue gave a slight, graceful nod, the smile softening into something more private. "Thank you."
She settled onto a clean patch of grass, assuming a meditative posture. Yao Xuan took position a few paces away, his back to a large tree, his senses extending outwards. He didn't meditate deeply, but allowed his Ancestral Dragon bloodline's potent vitality to cycle, restoring his stamina and soul power at a visible rate. His gaze, however, remained alert, scanning the tree line.
In the quiet, the shared spiritual energy from the bear hummed between them, a tangible thread of their combined effort. Gu Yue, in her meditation, felt the foreign yet compatible energy merge with her own silver dragon power. It was further data—his power could synergize with hers, could feed hers without conflict. The implications sent a thrill through her sovereign mind. And Na'er's heart simply basked in the safety of his watchful presence.
Ten minutes passed in peaceful silence. Yao Xuan was fully restored, his aura calm but potent. Gu Yue's breathing had evened out, the flush of exertion gone from her cheeks, replaced by a serene, luminous quality.
Then, the forest went quiet. Not the quiet of peace, but the quiet of a held breath.
A rustle. Then another. Not from one direction, but from all around them. A dry, scraping sound of many bodies moving through undergrowth. From the shadows between the trees, points of baleful red light ignited—dozens, then nearly a hundred. Low, menacing growls vibrated through the earth.
They emerged from the gloom: wolves, but creatures of shadow and grim. Their fur was a matte, dusty gray-black, their eyes burning with a uniform, hungry crimson. They moved with a sinister, coordinated silence. At the forefront, two larger beasts stalked forward. They stood a head taller than the rest, their fur darker than midnight, their eyes a deeper, more intelligent shade of blood-red. An aura of cold malice and pack intelligence radiated from them.
Yao Xuan's eyes narrowed. The [Eye of Observation] provided swift, grim data.
"Gu Yue," Yao Xuan said, his voice low and steady, devoid of panic. "We have company. Netherworld Wolves. And two of their kings."
He felt her presence shift beside him as she rose smoothly to her feet, her meditation broken, her expression instantly composed and alert. She followed his gaze, taking in the encircling ring of crimson eyes. "A full pack," she observed, her voice cool. "This changes the calculus."
"Defensive posture," Yao Xuan instructed, shifting so they stood back-to-back. "They'll test us first. Don't let them separate us. If the pressure becomes untenable, withdraw immediately." His concern was practical, protective, but not patronizing. He trusted her skill, but acknowledged the overwhelming numbers.
"Understood," Gu Yue replied, silver light already dancing at her fingertips. "I'll watch the flanks. You handle the vanguard." Her trust in his strength was absolute, a mirror of his in her control.
As the circle of red eyes began to tighten, and the two Wolf Kings lifted their muzzles in silent, commanding snarls, the comfortable quiet shattered. The spirit ascension platform had offered its first true test of synergy. Now, it presented a trial of endurance. The battle against a single mighty foe was over. The war against a relentless, cunning horde was about to begin. Their bond, freshly strengthened in victory, would now be tempered in the crucible of shared survival.