The moment their attack shot toward Kai, powers combined in spiritual energy, something unexpected happened.A figure darted into view—a blur of red and blood—throwing herself in front of him with a trembling shield. The blast struck her barrier dead on, crackling with lightning and fire, and the force was enough to crackle the earth beneath her feet. Her body shook violently, knees buckling, but she remained standing, chest heaving and blood running down her lip.Kai blinked.She actually blocked it?That... that was new.He stared at her, puzzled. She was half-dead, clearly running on the last threads of energy, and yet she still stepped in to shield him?In Kai's mind, a dozen questions fired off like bullets.Was she stupid? Brave? Both? Who the hell risked themselves to protect a stranger who probably looked like he just rolled off a couch five minutes ago?Before he could process more, the woman turned to him sharply, voice urgent."Run! You're just a mortal... one hit from them

Kai was still staring.Like really staring.Not the subtle kind, not the creepy kind—just the kind that screamed, "I’ve got time and you’re entertainment."The woman shifted slightly under the weight of his gaze, raising a brow. “Why are you staring at me like that?”Kai let out a chuckle—low, amused, shameless.“Waiting for you to stop acting like a sealed-up drama queen and actually say something.” He leaned back with a yawn, stretching his limbs wide.“I’ve got a bit of free time today, so I figured... why not waste it listening to the bloody soap opera that got you nearly shredded in my training field?”He grinned lazily, voice dripping with sarcasm.“So, what’s your story? Lemme guess—you’re a runaway disciple from some overbearing sect who didn’t want to marry the old wrinkled elder in charge, so you dipped during your engagement ceremony? Or maybe you accidentally insulted a demigod’s favorite concubine and now they’ve sent all nine realms after your head?”The woman scoffed and

Kai stood near the doorway, one hand resting lazily on the doorframe, the other stuffed deep in his pocket. He was watching her, not with the intensity of a man desperate for answers, but with that maddening, unreadable calm that made people question if he was even listening.The lady blinked in awe, she'd just dropped a bomb, one that could shake the foundation of the entire cultivation world.But all Kai did was blink and was watching her like she was a strange animal making noise in his bedroom.“…You done?” he asked, voice dry.The lady’s smirk deepened. “Let me make things clearer, what I meant is… I know where the Fragmented Scroll of the Celestial Gods is.”Kai scratched his neck like he hadn’t heard her right. “You sure it’s not under your pillow?”She rolled her eyes. “Funny. But I’m serious. This isn’t a joke.”“Neither was the nap you ruined.”The lady huffed. “Do you know how powerful that fragment is? Every cultivator dreams of it! Eternal life. God-tier essence. Realm-be

Kai squinted at the ancient map scroll now laid out between them. The markings glowed faintly in the dim light, infused with that peculiar pulse only true treasures carried, one that whispered of godhood, madness, and the kind of power that turned legends into corpses. That was definitely a deadly map.He hummed lowly, brushing a finger across the worn edge. “Alright then… let’s get the rest and go treasure hunting.”The woman raised an eyebrow. “Treasure hunting? You make it sound like we’re off to dig gold out of the backyard.”“Well,” Kai smirked, “if the backyard had armed maniacs, fire-breathing elders, and a vault cursed by ancient spirits, yeah. Pretty much.”She sighed, folding her arms as her face turned serious. “Don’t underestimate them. The sect isn’t just powerful—they’re paranoid. I barely got out alive the first time. Traps, seals, death formations—hell, even the plants in their courtyard have a body count. I wasn’t just running for fun. They’re watching. Every movement