Citadel Cultivators SectLeon slowly opened his eyes.A dull ache spread through every part of his body as his vision gradually became clear. Above him was a ceiling carved entirely from dark crystal stone, glowing faintly with countless spiritual inscriptions. The air was thick with spiritual energy—far purer than anything he had ever experienced before.He blinked several times. His eyes burned as though fire had been poured into them. Even opening them completely felt like an impossible task.He tried to move, but the moment he attempted to sit up, pain shot through his body.His muscles refused to obey him.After lying unconscious for an entire month, even the simple act of lifting himself felt foreign.Still, Leon gritted his teeth and forced himself upright."I..."He tried to stand, bis legs trembled violently beneath him.The next second— He collapsed heavily onto the stone floor.Leon frowned. "...I can't even walk..."His voice sounded hoarse and dry, as though it had forgot

The hiking trail was nearly empty when their SUV came to a stop at the entrance of the mountain reserve.Catherine stepped out first, taking a deep breath as the cool mountain air brushed against her face.She closed her eyes for a brief moment.."I've missed this."Adrian came around the car, locking it before walking over to stand beside her."The air?"She nodded.."The silence."She looked toward the endless mountain path stretching into the distance."And this."The trail disappeared into a forest of towering pine trees, while birds chirped somewhere overhead. The faint sound of flowing water echoed from deeper inside the mountain.It was peaceful.Completely different from the busy streets they had left behind.Adrian smiled. "I figured you'd like it."Catherine looked sideways at him. "You always figured right."She reached for his hand without thinking.Adrian looked down at their intertwined fingers before smiling quietly."Ready?"She nodded. "I was born ready."They began wal

The news spread across the country far faster than anyone had expected.Within an hour, every major television station interrupted its regular programming to cover the shocking incident at the mountain resort.The headlines alone were enough to throw countless people into panic."Woman Found Dead on Mountain Trail With Mysterious Bite Marks. Authorities Investigating Possible Animal Attack."Another station took an even bolder approach."Eyewitnesses Claim Victim Was Attacked by a Human-Like Creature."Videos recorded by hikers quickly flooded the internet.Police vehicles surrounded the mountain entrance. Ambulances arrived one after another.The hiking trail was completely sealed off.Speculations spread much faster than facts. Some believed it was the work of a dangerous wild animal.Others insisted a serial killer was on the loose. Within minutes, conspiracy theories had begun circulating across social media.Inside the presidential suite of the resort, the television remained on.

The private jet landed smoothly just before sunset, neither Adrian nor Catherine spoke much during the flight home.The excitement that had filled the beginning of their vacation had long disappeared, replaced by an uneasy silence neither of them knew how to break. Every now and then, Catherine would glance out the window at the clouds below, while Adrian quietly reviewed everything that had happened on the mountain.The corpse qi plague.None of it left his mind.By the time they stepped out of the airport's private terminal, Kai was already waiting beside a black luxury SUV.He raised one hand when he saw them. "You two finally made it back."Unlike his usual cheerful self, there wasn't the slightest hint of teasing on his face.He simply walked over and took Catherine's suitcase. "I'll put these in the back."Adrian noticed immediately.Kai was forcing himself to stay quiet.During normal circumstances, he would have made at least twenty jokes before they even reached the car.Toda

Morgana lay quietly on the ancient stone bed, her breathing shallow and uneven. The once graceful woman who had stood at the peak of countless cultivators now looked frail, as though the years had suddenly caught up with her all at once. Her pale face had lost its usual brilliance, and even speaking had become difficult.Beside the bed stood a young woman whose appearance resembled hers almost perfectly. Their facial features were nearly identical, enough for anyone to mistake them for twins. The only noticeable difference was their hair. Morgana's long hair was silver-white like moonlight, while her daughter's flowed down her back in brilliant strands of gold that shimmered whenever the sunlight slipped through the windows.She quietly adjusted the blanket covering her mother before sitting beside the bed. Her fingers gently brushed away the loose strands of white hair resting across Morgana's forehead."You've become weaker again," she murmured with a smile that held neither sadness