Old Ghost Yin and Old Lan stood opposite one another, their gazes locked, as torrents of oppressive qi surged from their bodies. The air between them distorted under the collision of their auras, heavy with killing intent, as if the world itself were bracing for the imminent clash.
Below them, the pink-haired woman clenched her fists, teeth grinding. Even with her master's soul present, the pressure from the opposing figure made it hard to breathe.
The white-haired woman stood firm, eyes locked onto the dark giant.
"Master, we discovered a evil stone and we already destroyed it," she said calmly. "Their objective failed."
Old Lan's lips curved into a faint smile.
"Good."
She took a step forward.
The earth cracked beneath her golden feet.
"I don't care what schemes Evil Sanctum is plotting here," she said, voice sharp as a blade. "But since you dared to cross the line and show your face, I'll make sure you remember this."
The dark giant laughed again, louder this time.
"You think this weak soul projection can kill me?" he said mockingly. "I'm not here to fight you, Old Lan. I'm just here to deliver a message."
The golden figure's eyes turned icy.
"Speak."
The dark qi around the old man condensed, forming a pair of glowing crimson eyes within the shadows.
"Tell Heaven Academy this," he said slowly. "Double Beast Manor Competition is after 5 month. And I wanted to ask the disciples you're so desperate to protect will be there, right."
A wave of sinister intent swept through the forest.
The remaining black-cloaked men trembled, faces pale with fanatical reverence.
Old Lan raised her hand.
Golden qi gathered into her palm, dense and terrifying.
"Yeah they will be there," she said coldly. "and they will send every last one of you to hell."
The dark giant's form began to blur.
"Heh… we'll see."
His body started to dissipate, dark qi unraveling like smoke.
"But remember this, Old Lan," his voice echoed one last time. "Next time we see eachother in real body… i wanted to have a fare fight… because we know eachother since childhood, right."
Old Lan's expression embarrassed.
Before she could respond, the dark figure vanished completely, leaving behind only lingering black mist that slowly dispersed into nothingness.
The pressure lifted.
Silence returned to the forest.
The golden giant remained standing for a moment longer, eyes thoughtful.
Then she turned her gaze toward the two women below.
"Both of you," she said to the pink-haired woman, "your task in this place is over. Kill the remaining two evil Sanctum cultivators, withdraw immediately, and report everything to the Academy."
"Yes, Master," the pink-haired woman replied, bowing deeply.
The golden figure nodded once, then dissolved into countless motes of light that faded into the air.
The forest was left in ruins.
Dead bodies, shattered earth, and broken trees stood as proof of what had just occurred.
Just then purple thunder tore through the night sky like a raging beast.
A figure descended from above, lightning coiling around his body as he leapt from tree branch to tree branch before finally appearing directly over the white-haired woman and the pink-haired woman.
It was Zhuo Riyan.
His clothes were torn, his breathing ragged, and exhaustion clung to him like a second skin. Night had already fallen, and despite running half the forest apart, he still hadn't found even a single Three-Leaf Frozen Grass. His legs burned, his meridians screamed, yet he kept forcing the technique again and again.
Little cat sat on his shoulder, completely unaware of the chaos below, snoring shamelessly.
Everyone froze.
The white-haired woman and pink-haired woman both lifted their heads, eyes narrowing sharply.
Who is he.
How the fuck is he even alive.
With that level of cultivation, just entering this area should've killed him ten times over.
Below, the two remaining black-cloaked men looked up as well. Hope flashed across their faces for a split second.
Is he here to help us.
Then they sensed his cultivation.
Their expressions instantly collapsed into despair.
Fuck. We're dead.
Above, Zhuo Riyan tried to focus again, forcing purple thunder through his legs—
And failed.
His concentration shattered.
A violent backlash exploded through his body, and in the next instant he crashed down from the sky like a falling meteor, smashing straight into the ground in front of the two women.
Boom.
The earth shook.
A painful roar tore from Zhuo Riyan's throat as dust and debris exploded outward, swallowing everything in a thick cloud.
Both women reacted instantly.
Swords flashed out of their sheaths, bodies lowering into combat stances, eyes locked onto the dust cloud, ready to kill the moment anything hostile emerged.
But as the dust slowly settled, the scene that appeared left them stunned.
Zhuo Riyan lay flat on his back, half-embedded into the ground, eyes rolled back, chest rising and falling weakly.
Little cat, however, had reacted in time.
He stood proudly on Zhuo Riyan's belly, tail raised, looking around as if nothing had happened.
The white-haired woman stared at Zhuo Riyan for a long moment.
Then her expression softened, returning to calm.
She straightened her posture and lowered her sword.
"Junior Sister, don't worry," she said coldly. "He won't do anything."
Her tone was firm, carrying an authority that allowed no argument.
"Kill the Evil Sanctum people and the Beast Mountain Sect disciple first. After that, I'll explain who he is."
The pink-haired woman hesitated for half a breath, then nodded.
"Understood."
She glanced once at Zhuo Riyan, who was still lying in the ground like a corpse, then slowly turned her gaze toward the two black-cloaked men.
The moment they met her eyes, terror flooded their hearts.
They didn't hesitate.
They turned and ran.
Both of them sprinted toward the fourth region, panic driving every step.
At the same time, the some surviving Beast Mountain Sect disciples, who had been hiding behind trees since the chaos erupted, saw his chance.
He bolted in the opposite direction, desperate to escape with his life.
The pink-haired woman moved.
Her figure blurred.
Her sword left its sheath with a clear, ringing cry as she shot forward like a streak of pink light, murderous intent locking onto the fleeing black-cloaked men.