The night was flawless.
The moon glimmered alone in the star-filled sky.
Arin stared upward.
"Man… it's beautiful."
He paused.
"Or… breathtaking?"
He exhaled softly. That was the better word.
Regardless, the dark bags beneath his eyes told a different story—one of complete exhaustion.
"That bastard didn't even tell me how to break through,"
he muttered, gaze still fixed on the sky.
A tired sigh slipped from his chest.
"Should I try again another time…"
His tail stretched outward.
A series of quiet pops ran down his back as his coils loosened.
He cultivated.
Qi flowed through his meridians—through muscle and bone—washing away his fatigue, if only for a moment.
"Ahh… feels so good," he breathed.
His focus slowly slipped.
His heart raced.
Panic surged up his spine—
and his thoughts scattered into nothing.
In a moment… everything was lost.
…
Footsteps rushed down the corridor of a wooden hall.
They came to an abrupt stop.
The door slid open.
"Master!" Shuo shouted.
An old man sat calmly in his chair, sipping tea.
"Calm down, idiot," he said without looking up.
Shuo stiffened, then bowed deeply.
"I'm sorry, Master."
The old man slowly stroked his twin-braided beard.
"What is it?"
"Master, we must hurry—"
"Why?" the old man asked calmly.
Shuo coughed dryly, steadying his breath.
"The Eastern Lowlands Forest is dangerous—"
"Why?"
The old man finally looked up.
"The scouts reported no threats. A few mutated wolf-rabbits at most," he said lightly.
"You are not that weak."
Shuo clenched his fists.
"No, Master. There are beasts at the Foundation Establishment stage—"
"So?" the old man interrupted.
"You and Wei can handle one or two variants."
Shuo's voice tightened.
"Not one. Not two."
He swallowed.
"Multiple Foundation Establishment beasts."
The old man's brows finally knit together.
"Impossible," he said, shaking his head.
"Most beasts lack the intelligence for that. You must be mistaken."
"Master! We have to hurry—if we delay any longer, they'll grow beyond what we can handle!"
Shuo shouted, desperation tearing through his voice.
The old man looked at him.
Slowly, he set his teacup down.
He rose from his seat and walked to the weapon rack.
A katana rested there.
He gripped it.
And vanished.
The next instant—
The entrance doors exploded open.
Outside, disciples froze mid-training in the small courtyard.
The old man stepped forward, blade at his side.
"Pack your things," he said.
His voice was calm.
Absolute.
"Overgrown beasts need to be put down."
Silence fell.
Then the courtyard erupted.
Shuo sucked in a short breath.
A green-haired man carrying two small axes approached him.
"What was that about?" he asked.
Shuo was drenched in sweat. Slowly, he turned his head toward him.
He didn't answer at first—his breathing still uneven, still catching up.
The green-haired man waved a hand in front of Shuo's eyes.
"Hey. You okay?"
"Huh?"
Shuo blinked.
"Oh—Kayu… yeah." He swallowed.
"We're heading to the Eastern Lowlands Forest."
"Why?" Kayu asked.
Shuo's jaw tightened.
"Multiple beasts in the Foundation Establishment realm," he said.
"We have to deal with them before it's too late."
Kayu's eyes widened.
"Really?"
...
Kael looked at Arin's body.