Looking at the translucent window floating before his eyes, Wang Chen felt a faint ripple of emotion—but not shock.

Only inevitability.

From the moment Lin Huang had asked for permission to leave the dojo, Wang Chen had known this day would come. Revenge had been lodged in that boy's heart from the very beginning, festering like an old wound that refused to heal. It was not merely hatred—it was unfinished blood debt.

That unresolved karma was shackling Lin Huang's talent.

Otherwise, with his natural aptitude and Dao affinity, he should have long since surged ahead of his peers, leaving them choking in his wake. Instead, he had been held back by the weight of unfinished business.

And as his master, Wang Chen could not look away.

Some trials could not be taught.

Some breakthroughs could not be guided.

They had to be witnessed.

"Hmm… it's time for me to move," Wang Chen muttered softly.

His injuries had barely finished knitting themselves back together, and already fate was calling him onward again. But that was how cultivation worked. There was no pause button. No moment of true rest. One challenge ended only to reveal the next, waiting patiently in the dark.

Just as he was about to step out and inform Li Mei of the situation, his vision shimmered.

One blue window appeared.

Then another.

---

[Your disciple Lin Huang, facing an opponent ten times stronger than himself, has comprehended a Rare-Grade movement skill.]

[Drifting Crescent Step]

[A fluid sidestep that carries the user forward in a curved arc, allowing a clean strike while evading the enemy's attack.]

---

Before Wang Chen could even finish reading, the system chimed again.

---

[Ding! 10× reward applied.]

[You have comprehended the Ultimate-Grade movement skill.]

[Heaven-Splitting Crescent Dominion]

[The user moves along a preordained arc of fate, bypassing distance, defense, and reaction time. The strike descends from an unavoidable angle, as space itself yields to the blade.]

---

Wang Chen froze.

His pupils dilated slightly as the meaning sank in.

This was… absurd.

Not in the way Chronoblade was absurd. Not in the way the Garden of Eternity defied reason. This was different. Clean. Direct. Brutal in its elegance.

This was his first true offensive movement art.

No tricks.

No loopholes.

No reliance on time freezes or domain manipulation.

Just inevitability.

For a brief moment, Wang Chen genuinely felt the urge to laugh aloud.

Very good.

Very, very good.

His lips curved into a rare, unguarded smile.

"Well done, my disciple," he murmured under his breath. "Keep going."

But that smile didn't last.

The realization followed immediately after.

While he had been sitting here, recovering and contemplating, Lin Huang had been fighting for his life—standing against an enemy strong enough to crush him outright. Every second wasted here was another second his disciple remained in danger.

The urgency in Wang Chen's heart surged like a rising tide.

Enough waiting.

With a sharp step forward, his figure blurred as intent hardened in his eyes.

This time…

he would not arrive late.

...

"Li Mei—"

Wang Chen was about to call out when his voice caught in his throat.

His mouth opened, yet no sound followed.

He stood before the tightly sealed doors of Li Mei's meditation chamber, his gaze fixed as he sensed the familiar rhythm of qi converging above the courtyard. It was dense, stable, and steadily climbing—like a tide pulled by an unseen moon.

A realization struck him.

"This girl… she's about to break through."

The timing was unfortunate—but also perfect.

At such a critical juncture, Li Mei absolutely could not be disturbed. Any external interference now could shatter her momentum and leave permanent scars on her foundation. There was no question about it.

He would have to go to the Soaring Dragon Continent alone.

Still, before leaving, arrangements had to be made.

Wang Chen turned his gaze toward the others residing within the Phoenix and Dragon Dojo. Only now did he truly take in the scene before him—and belatedly realize something rather… dangerous.

He was surrounded.

Every direction he looked, there was a woman whose presence alone could overturn cities or plunge continents into chaos.

Before his thoughts could wander down paths that would only make things worse, Wang Chen shook his head sharply.

Focus.

Focus, Wang Chen. Now is not the time for this nonsense.

He scolded himself inwardly, tone firm. Still… who could really blame him? After everything he had been through, anyone would be at their limit. Even he wasn't immune to exhaustion.

As his attention shifted, Demon Queen Zi Han—who had been meditating beneath the Bodhi Tree—slowly opened her eyes. Those crimson pupils locked onto his figure, a flicker of confusion passing through them.

It was rare for Wang Chen to approach her of his own accord. More often than not, it was the opposite.

Her heart stirred with a quiet, inexplicable anticipation.

Wang Chen nodded slightly in her direction and spoke in a calm, measured voice.

"Fellow Daoist Zi Han, I have important matters to attend to. I'll be leaving the dojo for some time. While I'm gone, I hope you can take care of everything here."

He knew full well that even without asking, Zi Han would never allow harm to befall the dojo.

Still, courtesy mattered.

"Fellow Daoist…"

Zi Han repeated the words softly under her breath.

A complex surge of emotions welled up in her heart.

She knew just how terrifying Wang Chen's strength truly was—yet he never displayed arrogance, never looked down on others, and even treated someone like her as an equal. No condescension. No superiority.

Only respect.

The admiration she held for him deepened yet again.

Unbeknownst to either of them, Ming Yao had been watching the exchange from the side. Her brows slowly knit together as she observed the gentle expressions on both their faces.

Her heartbeat quickened.

Something felt… wrong.

In her eyes, Demon Queen Zi Han abruptly shifted from a distant, untouchable senior into something far more dangerous.

A rival.

"Senior Zi Han…" Ming Yao muttered under her breath, eyes narrowing. "So you also have feelings for Wang Chen…"

—

Wang Chen's ears twitched.

The words reached him clearly.

It took every ounce of self-control he had not to react. By sheer force of will alone, he managed to keep his expression perfectly neutral.

Zi Han, on the other hand, was not so fortunate.

A faint flush bloomed across her face, spreading rapidly until her cheeks were red as ripe fruit. Ming Yao's careless remark made it feel as though something deeply buried—something she had never spoken aloud—had just been dragged into the open.

Still, she was no impulsive teenager.

She was someone who had witnessed eras rise and fall.

Her expression steadied almost instantly.

With practiced composure, Zi Han turned her gaze back to Wang Chen and spoke in a calm, even tone.

"There's no need to worry, Fellow Daoist. As long as I am here… nothing will happen to the dojo."

Her words were firm.

Unquestionable.

Wang Chen nodded once, satisfied.

And with that, the arrangements were complete.

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