Ten minutes earlier.“What? What is Miralda doing, fighting against the Old Master? Has she lost her mind?”Bersena froze the moment she stepped into the courtyard. She had rushed there after seeing the other masters fleeing in panic, but the sight before her left her breathless. She had come because she was worried about Miralda—and it seemed her fears were more than justified.Miralda had just been hurled more than thirty feet back after being hit by Nebulus’s strong inner energy.Before Bersena could run onto the battlefield, Varom appeared in front of her, blocking her path.“Bersena, please understand. This is a sacred duel. We must not interfere.”Varom was right. Nebulus was no ordinary man. He was the Guardian of the Living Forest, a being who would never act without reason, much less in malice. He would never intentionally harm Miralda. On the contrary, it was considered an honor for the young woman to face the Mist Lord in combat.“B-but…”Bersena bit her lip, her face tense

A week later.“Miralda, thank goodness you’re awake.”Bersena immediately embraced the girl lying on the bed as soon as she saw her eyes flutter open.“Bersena,” Miralda whispered, returning the hug. “I’m… I’m so sorry.”Her guilt weighed heavy—she knew her actions had hurt Bersena. But before she could say more, she froze. Something felt terribly wrong in that embrace.“Bersena, y-you…” Miralda’s voice trembled, her face paling with grief. “You’ve lost your power?”It wasn’t just damage to Bersena’s dantian. From what Miralda could sense, it was impossible for her to ever cultivate again.Tears streamed down Miralda’s cheeks.“This is my fault. I never thought… I never thought it would come to this because of me.”As a cultivator herself, she understood all too well the agony of losing one’s core—of having the very essence of cultivation stripped away.“If only I hadn’t used that technique…”“No, Miralda. This isn’t your fault.” Bersena pulled her closer, holding her tightly.“What h