Wang Chen exhaled lightly, his expression once again settling into cold composure.

Another problem solved.

Another secret kept.

And another dangerous piece added to the board under his control.

Wang Chen's eyes lingered on the horizon for a long moment, as though he were still tracking something far beyond mortal sight. Only after a single slow breath did the tenseness in his shoulders ease, and a faint sigh left his lips.

"I can't keep up with his speed at all," he murmured. "If it weren't for Doomclock's aura clinging to him like a shadow, I might not detect him at all."

It wasn't self-deprecation. It was a clear and honest assessment.

The gap between a Foundation Building cultivator and a Nascent Soul expert was simply too vast—an uncrossable chasm for most. The fact that Wang Chen could even stand before a Nascent Soul cultivator without crumbling was already a monstrous achievement. If anyone learned that he had not only resisted Rong Lua, but suppressed and marked him… the continent would go mad.

"Rong Lua is strong," Wang Chen admitted, a faint glint of caution flashing in his eyes, "but that doesn't mean I should relax."

Even with Rong Lua acting as an unwitting shield, Wang Chen could not bring himself to fully trust fate. The upcoming demon invasion was too unpredictable. One mistake—one careless moment—and his disciples could be erased before he had the chance to intervene.

He wasn't willing to gamble on that.

With a single breath, the qi around him trembled.

Wang Chen activated One Thought to Cross the World, pushing it far past what a Foundation Building cultivator should ever attempt. The land beneath his feet warped—compressed—then burst outward in concentric ripples as his figure shot into the distance like a streak of distorted light.

At the same time, Formation of Absolute Concealment wrapped around him fully. Every trace of qi he released… vanished. Every sound he produced… swallowed. Every fluctuation he made… erased before the world could feel it.

One moment he stood on the forest floor.

The next—

He was simply gone.

A silent phantom drifting through the trees.

…

The heart of the Ancient Silver Tree Forest was breathtakingly serene.

A crystal-clear lake stretched out like a polished mirror, reflecting the towering silverwood giants that circled it. Spirit fish swam lazily beneath the surface, their shimmering scales painting streaks of bright color through the glassy water.

But for cultivators… this sight was anything but normal.

Floating atop the water were lotus flowers—each one a vivid crimson, each with nine fiery petals shaped like burning embers.

Fire-attribute nine-petal lotuses.

They swayed gently with the breeze.

Which made absolutely no sense.

This lake should have been filled with water-attribute nine-petal lotuses—the main ingredient for spiritual calming pills. No fire-aligned lotus should even survive here.

Something was very wrong.

Lin Huang and Li Mei stood at the abandoned village beside the lake, both wearing the same guarded expression. Dilapidated houses lined the dirt road, their wooden doors broken or half-open. Pots, bowls, baskets, and cloth lay scattered across the empty street, covered in dust.

It looked as if the villagers had dropped everything and fled in a single breath.

"This is… not a good sign," Lin Huang murmured, his hand drifting unconsciously toward his sword.

A faint breeze swept past them, but neither moved. Both were too focused on the unsettling stillness of the place.

He turned to Li Mei, his voice steady despite the unease in his eyes.

"Junior sister… this is the right location, correct?"

"Mmm." Li Mei nodded firmly.

Her All-Seeing Eyes flashed faintly, the cross-shaped mark in her pupils pulsing with light.

Yes. This was the place she remembered.

But in her memories, the village was bustling. Merchants in long cloaks congregated around the lake, eagerly collecting water-attribute nine-petal lotuses. Children ran between the houses. Fishermen laughed as they hauled in their nets.

There was life.

Now there was only silence.

Her brows furrowed as her memories stirred.

During her previous life, she had heard that a traveling merchant group noticed the lake behaving strangely. Soon after, rumors spread like wildfire. The water started boiling with qi, the lotuses changing color, and eventually—

A treasure appeared at the bottom of the lake.

A name carved into the annals of the Seven Convergence World:

Nine-Petaled Soul Calming Divine Flame.

As she repeated the name silently, Li Mei's eyes filled with reverence.

The Seven Convergence World wasn't known for mighty emperors or ancient legacies, but it had birthed two figures who shook the Upper Realm itself—

Her senior brother, the Realm Destroyer, Lin Huang.

And another—

Alchemist Saint, Nine-Petaled Lotus.

A cultivator who stood at the very peak of the alchemy dao.

Li Mei took a slow breath.

Her pulse steadied.

If her deductions were right, the treasure should appear any moment now.

And if so…

Their real test had only just begun.

....

Lin Huang scanned the abandoned village with razor-sharp focus, every muscle drawn tight. His instincts were roaring—cold, precise warnings he had learned never to ignore.

Villagers didn't abandon their homes for nothing.

Not this many.

Not this suddenly.

Something must have terrified them into fleeing.

The silence was unnerving. No birds. No wind. Just the faint creaking of old wooden beams swaying in the forest's gloom.

As the two slowly advanced through the empty street, a soft sound echoed suddenly—

A laugh.

Light. Delicate.

Like silver bells chiming in the distance.

A sound that did not belong in such a dead, hollow place.

Lin Huang's eyes snapped toward a shabby-looking hut at the far end of the village. His pupils tightened to needle points, and sword intent surged through him like lightning. Sword qi gathered invisibly in his palms, the air around him trembling faintly.

Then—

"Ehehe… Big brother, you're finally back from work!"

The voice was bright and sweet, filled with innocent cheer. "Usually you come home earlier… mmh, did Boss Yang bully you again today? That old geezer—when will he learn his lesson?"

Lin Huang and Li Mei froze.

Their shocked gazes locked onto the hut as its crooked door creaked open.

A girl stepped out from behind the shadows—a girl so breathtaking it felt unreal. She looked like an angel carved from moonlight itself. Her hair was pure snow-white, cascading like silk. Her skin was just as pale, almost luminous in the dim light.

But it wasn't her beauty that sent a chill down their spines.

It was the strip of black cotton cloth wrapped around her eyes—tied so tightly it almost seemed part of her skin.

A blindfold.

Old, worn… stained faintly with something dark.

For a moment, the entire world seemed to hold its breath.

Li Mei's heart lurched violently.

Lin Huang's fingers tightened—the gathered sword qi trembling on the edge of release.

Because even though the girl walked straight toward them…

Even though she navigated the uneven ground with perfect grace…

Even though she smiled in their direction…

Her eyes were covered.

And yet she moved as if she could see every detail.

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