Xiao Yue and Xiao Ling drew closer to Ashenvale, Xiao Yue's demeanor hard and focused, her hands clenched tightly around her sword. The ruins loomed ahead, their crumbling walls casting long shadows across the barren landscape. Xiao Yue's eyes burned with determination, her jaw set with purpose. Xiao Ling stole a glance at her worriedly but said nothing, merely sighing internally and wishing they could finish things up fast enough and head back home. She was fed up with trying to keep Xiao Yue in check all the time. If only Xiao Chen's killers did not have to be so troublesome, taking care of them should not have dragged on this long. If they were weaklings, some mercenaries could have found them already and done their dirty work for them. But even mercenaries knew when not to mess with someone not in the same league as they were. Only the new and stupid ones acted impulsively without thinking. It only made Xiao Ling wonder how strong this group really was. The fact that they were ab

With the issue of the Xiao family tracking them solved for now, the others had to decide where the next stop would be, since there was no treasure, just an inscription left by the last Shadow Lord. The mood among the group was subdued, the weight of their fruitless search pressing down on them.Lu Shen wore a downcast look, his shoulders slumped and his eyes distant. Lin Feng noticed and settled down beside him. "You do know that the inscription is also a treasure, right? It is not just something you can use just yet," Lin Feng said, trying to offer some comfort.Lu Shen sighed, his voice heavy with disappointment. "I know, and that is not the reason I feel this way. I just cannot shake off this feeling that we missed something. I have done a lot of research on the treasure, and I know it exists. This inscription is not just it."Lin Feng watched him, saying nothing. He did not know what to say to the old man or how to tell him that he was on a wild goose chase for a treasure that mig

Lin Feng's body remained frozen in place, the chaotic energy still crackling across his skin. The attack he had designed to harm Shin had turned against him, and now he was paying the price for his arrogance. His internal organs were ruptured, his meridians strained, and his core flickered weakly. But as Shin had predicted, his body was already beginning to heal itself, his body's powerful healing prowess working tirelessly to mend the damage.The pain was excruciating, far worse than anything he had experienced in his life. Each second felt like an eternity, the agony stretching and twisting time itself. He could not move, could not scream, could not do anything but endure. His vision blurred, and the edges of his consciousness began to fade.Then, something shifted.Deep within him, his fourth core stirred. It had been dormant since Shin had cut off his connection to the shadows, but now it pulsed with a faint, steady rhythm. The chaotic energy that had been wreaking havoc on his bo

Xiao Yue sat in the shadows of a crumbling ruin, her face pale and her body still recovering from the trap that had nearly killed her. The damage to her internal organs had been severe, and her core had cracked. It would take a while to totally heal. But she was alive, and that was what mattered. Her pride, however, had suffered a far greater wound. The humiliation of being outsmarted by someone she considered beneath her burned hotter than any physical pain.Xiao Ling stood nearby, her arms crossed and her expression grim. She had been silent for hours, her anger simmering beneath the surface. Finally, she spoke. "Whoever set that trap knew exactly what they were doing. They knew you would try to decipher the inscription. They were waiting for you."Xiao Yue's eyes narrowed, her hands clenching into fists. "It was him. He knew we were following him."Xiao Ling shook her head, her voice cautious. "You cannot be certain of that. It could have been anyone. The ruins are ancient, and m

The guest wing of Heaven's Sky Court was silent, its walls thick enough to muffle the distant sounds of disciples training in the courtyards below. Xiao Yue stood motionless by the window, her reflection a ghost in the dark glass, her fingers tracing the edge of her sword's hilt with a patience that bordered on obsession. The sun had long since dipped below the horizon, leaving only the pale glow of the moon to illuminate the courtyard.Xiao Ling watched her from the doorway, her arms crossed and her expression unreadable. The silence between them had stretched for hours, broken only by the occasional creak of the old building settling around them."You have been standing there for three hours," Xiao Ling finally said. "Are you planning to glare the gates open?"Xiao Yue did not turn. "He is close. I can feel it.""You have been saying that for days.""Because it is true."Xiao Ling pushed off from the doorframe, walking toward the table where a plate of untouched food sat. She pick