Before dawn, Guo Jiang and Mei Gui reached the bamboo walls of Full Moon Fortress. The moon had vanished behind thick clouds, leaving only a faint gray light over the forest. Wind passed through the tall bamboo and stirred thousands of narrow leaves, yet the fortress itself produced no sound.No guards stood on the watch platforms. No patrol lanterns moved behind the walls, and no warning bell answered their approach.Mei Gui slowed several steps from the gate. “Something is wrong.”Guo Jiang had already extended his spiritual perception through the compound. The Kaishi aura he sensed earlier had disappeared, but the aftermath of its pressure remained like cold residue across the courtyards.“The expert has left,” Guo Jiang said. “Whatever happened inside is already over.”“My people would never abandon their posts.”“They did not abandon them.”The quiet certainty in his voice made Mei Gui’s expression stiffen. She looked toward the dark watchtower where two Crescent-ranked assassins

Guo Jiang and Ryu emerged from the portal beneath a clear sky. The Water Dragon rolled once through the air before spreading his wings and stabilizing above a vast green forest. The black spatial current closed behind them. Guo Jiang checked Ryu’s breathing, wings, and spiritual aura before confirming that neither of them had suffered a serious injury. Ryu looked down at the land. “The spiritual energy here is dense, but the qi feels weak.” “That matches the map.” They had arrived in the southern territory of the Dark Veil, where humans formed the dominant population. Guo Jiang could already sense several settlements and cultivated fields beyond the forest. He decided that Ryu should not enter openly. A legendary Water Dragon would draw attention from every local mage, ruler, and magical-beast hunter. “Remain hidden outside

Guo Jiang and Ryu traveled for a full day and night after leaving Mulberry Village. The farther they moved from the southern human territories, the more clearly Guo Jiang understood the scale of the Dark Veil. Mountain chains, rivers, forests, and scattered settlements passed beneath them, yet Baihu City remained beyond the western horizon. By evening, the sky had turned the color of old gold. The last sunlight faded behind distant mountains when a silver glow appeared ahead. Baihu City was still far away, but its outline could already be seen beneath repeated flashes. Fire rose above the walls, silver streaks crossed the clouds, and heavy explosions rolled through the sky. The noise was so violent that even mental communication became unclear. Ryu tilted his head. “Little creature, is that city being attacked?” “I do not think so,” Guo Jiang replied. &ldq

Onnidu closed his eyes as Nirajh’s silver attack descended. One breath passed. Then a second. By the third breath, the expected pain still had not arrived. Onnidu opened his eyes and saw a figure standing between him and the white beam. The stranger wore black clothing, a bamboo hat, and a thin veil that concealed his face. One hand remained raised toward the fading attack, while the surrounding qi had already dispersed into harmless currents. The Dark Elven ruler stared in disbelief. He had sensed Nirajh’s killing intent clearly. That strike had been strong enough to tear through his magical defense and extinguish his life, yet the man in black had stopped it without causing the arena island to collapse. A calm voice entered Onnidu’s mind. “Leave the battlefield.” Onnidu looked at the st

The figure flew out of the fading weapon storm and crossed half the arena sky before beginning to fall. “Who was struck?” “Was it the Sovereign in Black?” “No. Look at the silver tridents.” The crowd leaned toward enchanted lenses and crystal mirrors, desperate to identify the defeated fighter. Most of them hoped Nirajh had lost. Guo Jiang had saved Onnidu, while Nirajh had insulted Yin Continent, displayed a false artifact, and tried to repair his reputation through murder. The difference between the two men had become too clear. Silver light disappeared around the falling figure. Nirajh emerged from it. His robes were torn near the shoulder, blood darkened the corner of his mouth, and Tremble and Tremor no longer moved with their earlier stability. A second fi