Kai didn’t rush as he led Jerry toward the inner section of the barrier. The walk itself was calm, almost too calm for what had just happened outside, but that was just how Kai moved when he wasn’t in a fight, steady, quiet, and thinking ten steps ahead of whatever came next. Jerry followed closely behind, his posture straighter than before, his expression more composed, though there was still something restless in his eyes that Kai didn’t miss.When they reached the boundary, Kai paused slightly and glanced back at him. “Don’t force it,” he said casually.Jerry frowned. “Force what?”Kai smirked faintly. “The barrier doesn’t like strangers who act like they belong.”Jerry didn’t respond to that, but he stepped forward more carefully this time, letting Kai’s presence guide him through. The moment he crossed, he felt it again, that subtle resistance melting away, and he understood immediately that without Kai, he wouldn’t have been able to enter so easily.“Intteresting,” he muttered

Kai didn’t try to hide it this time, he was genuinely happy.And it shows in his face, not with the lazy smirk or sarcastic half-amused version of him everyone was used to, but actual relief mixed with excitement as he led the Immortal Forging Sect into the barrier, waving them in like someone finally bringing home backup that made sense.“Come in, come in,” he said, motioning casually. “You’ll like it here, minimal death, occasional chaos, good scenery if you ignore the tied-up idiots over there.”Liang snorted. “You always find a way to make things sound normal.”“They are normal,” Kai replied without missing a beat. “This is my peaceful life now.”Abigail, who had followed them in, folded her arms. “If this is peaceful, I don’t want to see what you call trouble.”Kai glanced at her. “You already did. You just enjoyed it too much.”She didn’t respond.Which meant he was right.Emily stood slightly behind, observing quietly as always, her gaze sweeping over the newcomers with calm in

They didn’t drag things out.Once the decision was made, Kai stood up first, dusting his hands lightly as if he had just finished a minor task instead of restructuring the entire power balance of the area. Abigail and Emily followed without needing to be told, and the others naturally trailed behind, all eyes shifting toward the corner where the five old men still sat tied up like badly packed goods.The moment the group approached, the old men stiffened slightly.Not out of defiance but caution because they didn’t know what was coming next.Kai stopped in front of them, looking down with a neutral expression, then tilted his head slightly. “Comfortable?”No one answered.Good.He nodded once like that silence confirmed something, then gestured lazily toward Emily. “Release them.”Emily didn’t move immediately. Instead, she stepped forward slowly, her gaze calm but sharp as it swept across each of them, and for a brief second, the pressure they felt wasn’t from Kai anymore, it was fr

Then Kai finally asked quietly, “Are you confident?”Emily blinked slightly. “About what?”Kai looked directly at her. “Leading this place.”The question landed heavily, not because she hadn’t expected it, but because hearing it directly made everything feel far more real. Emily exhaled slowly and looked away briefly, her gaze drifting toward the distant formation grounds where the disciples were still training and fighting.“Not really,” she admitted honestly after a while. There was no shame in her tone and no fake confidence either, just honesty. “I’m not that confident, but I’ll try. I don’t want to disappoint you after all this.”Kai stared at her for a moment before a faint smile finally appeared on his face again, though this one was softer than usual. “You won’t,” he said simply before crossing his arms lightly. “There’s something else you need to know. The illusionary man.”Emily blinked while Abigail narrowed her eyes slightly too because even though they both knew the ill

The moment everyone sensed the pressure coming from the two men, the atmosphere changed completely. Earlier, some disciples still held onto hope because there were only two enemies this time, but the suffocating pressure pouring from the men instantly crushed those thoughts.These were not opponents one could measure by numbers.Both men stood calmly there without a care in the world, their robes fluttering slightly from the unstable Qi around the portal while terrifying power radiated from their bodies naturally. Unlike the others from before, they didn’t look arrogant or impatient. Their gazes were calm, observant, and dangerously composed.Peak Dao Fusion Realm.The moment that realization settled into everyone’s mind, several people unconsciously stepped backward.Even Allen and Sophie’s expressions became heavy.Only Elder Harkan remained standing calmly at the front alongside Kai, though even his eyes had narrowed seriously now.The two invaders slowly swept their gazes across t