"Keep the formation!" Wu Shuan barked seeing the disciple being swept back before channeling Qi into his sword.

SLICK

His strike landed true, cutting a bloody gash along the beast's leg.

The smell of bloodied fur filled the air.

Han Yu's eyes glinted. The beast turned its fury toward Wu Shuan, giving him the moment he needed. Soul Qi flared within him like a silent tide, invisible yet vast. His perception sharpened even further, and he moved before the beast could turn back.

He slashed upward, his blade tracing a bright crescent of light that cut across the creature's neck. Blood sprayed, sizzling as it hit the grass.

SPLASHH

The beast roared again, its Qi surging wildly. The pressure nearly knocked one of the younger disciples off balance. The creature opened its jaws wide, blue flame flickering between its fangs—Spirit Fire!

"Scatter!" Han Yu yelled.

WHOOOOOOSH

A torrent of blue flame erupted, sweeping across the clearing.

HISSS

SIZZLE

CRACKLE

The grass ignited instantly, forming a wall of crackling energy. Han Yu rolled to the side, feeling the searing heat graze his arm.

Wu Shuan countered. He slammed a fire pulse talisman into the ground, channeling fire Qi downward before forcing it outward.

WOOOM

The two flames collided, creating a shockwave that momentarily neutralized the beast's attack.

Han Yu was already moving again. He closed the distance, his Halberd radiating faint silver light. The beast swung a claw toward him, its power immense.

But Han Yu anticipated it. He slid under the strike, his movement guided by that faint, unseen perception of Soul Qi. In one smooth motion, his sword pierced through the underside of the beast's jaw, lodging deep into the skull.

SHLICK

The creature froze. For a heartbeat, everything went silent. Then its massive body convulsed once before collapsing heavily into the grass.

THUD

A gust of hot air rippled outward as its Qi dissipated.

Han Yu exhaled slowly and withdrew his Halberd.

Wu Shuan approached, his blade still glowing faintly with qi. "Well done," he said between breaths. "That was cleaner than I expected."

Han Yu smiled faintly. "We've had enough practice with beasts like these by now."

The disciples regrouped, their expressions a mixture of awe and relief. One helped the fallen member to his feet; his robes were torn and burned, but he was otherwise unharmed.

Still, the group remained tense. The echo of the battle had not gone unnoticed.

"Stay sharp," Han Yu warned. "The noise will attract attention—either from more beasts or other disciples."

Wu Shuan nodded grimly. "Let's secure the herb quickly."

They approached the cluster of white flowers in the meadow's center. The faint, glowing petals shimmered like moonlight condensed into a plant. The fragrance that filled the air was calming, yet filled with spiritual potency.

One of the disciples crouched down. "It's definitely a high-grade spirit herb," he said. "But I can't recognize the exact species."

Han Yu leaned in, his gaze studying the patterns of Qi that flowed around it. The energy was dense yet stable, refined in a way that suggested age. "It's old," he murmured. "At least a few centuries. Maybe even five hundred years."

While he could not identify it right away, he knew he had no time to consult the books right now. Instead he carefully drew a small jade box from his pouch and stored the herb within, sealing it with a talisman to preserve its vitality.

The other disciples began to harvest the corpse for its materials as well as the core.

By the time they were done though, Wu Shuan's expression had turned serious. "Do you feel that?"

Han Yu paused. The air around them had grown heavier. He spread out his spiritual sense, but what he found wasn't a beast's aura. It was faint, fragmented… yet distinctly human.

"Someone's watching," Han Yu said quietly.

The other disciples stiffened.

Wu Shuan gestured for them to move closer together. "Could be another sect. Maybe they heard the battle."

Han Yu's eyes narrowed. "If it's from an orthodox sect, we can talk. If not…"

"Then we move fast," Wu Shuan finished.

They waited a few moments longer, but no one appeared. The pressure faded as quickly as it came, like a mirage dissolving.

Still, the unease lingered.

"Let's head back," Han Yu said finally. "We got what we came for."

The group began to move, retracing their path through the burned grass and the forest's edge. Behind them, the butchered corpse of the iron-scaled beast laid dead.

As they walked, Yuan Ping broke the silence. "That herb… and that beast. Both of them felt unusual, didn't they? It's like they don't belong to this land."

Han Yu glanced at him. "You mean like the wolves earlier?"

Yuan Ping nodded. "Exactly. The energy signature, the qi skill it used, the way the Qi flowed... it's different. I'm sure of it now. These things don't come from our continent."

Wu Shuan frowned. "Then where did they come from? Don't tell me these places are linked?"

Yuan Ping gave a small shrug. "The records I read were vague, but they mentioned distant lands connected through the void. If this inner realm is tied to the lesser void, then maybe… it connects to other worlds, not just ours."

Han Yu's steps slowed slightly at that thought. The illusionary sky above flickered faintly, as if reacting to their words.

For a moment, he felt something stir within his Soul Qi—a faint resonance, as though something in the realm itself had acknowledged their presence.

He said nothing, only looking up at the false heavens.

The clouds drifted by lazily, their movements too perfect, too even.

A whisper of unease ran through him once more.

They continued onward, but the deeper they walked into the forest, the more Han Yu felt that the boundaries of this place were thinner than they appeared—like a dream barely holding its shape.

And far, far away, hidden behind the false horizon, violet-robed figures turned their gaze toward the same direction, their faint laughter echoing through the realm.

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