"Brother, it's me… Zhao Yunfei! Where are you? Come out—please come out…"

Her trembling voice carried across the quiet lakeshore, bouncing off the wooden pillars and empty docks. The old fishing nets swayed gently in the breeze, creaking as if responding to her desperation.

Lin Huang and Li Mei arrived silently, their steps light as falling leaves. They stopped a short distance away, watching the blindfolded girl stagger from one dock to another, her hands groping the air, her entire posture trembling like a candle in a storm.

She was terrified.

But neither Lin Huang nor Li Mei said anything. Words at this moment… would only hurt.

Lin Huang exhaled quietly, turning his gaze toward the lake. He forced himself to focus. They had come here for a reason—find the Nine-Petaled Soul Calming Divine Flame and leave before the situation worsened.

Time was running far too quickly.

"Master will be waiting," Lin Huang reminded himself, his eyes narrowing as he scanned the glistening water.

Li Mei remained silent beside him. Her mind was spinning with thoughts she hid behind an outward calm.

The flame is alive… a spiritual entity born from the alchemical saint's refinement.

If it chooses to hide, no one—not even a Nascent Soul expert—can track it down…

It must appear on its own.

Her eyebrows creased. There had to be a way to lure it out. A method. A trigger. Anything—

Then—

Her breath caught.

Her pupils shimmered, and a golden cross-shaped pattern flashed in the center of her All-Seeing Eyes.

"Huh—!"

Shock flickered across her face.

Lin Huang instantly shifted, noticing the change in her qi.

"What is it, junior sister?"

But Li Mei didn't answer. Her body stiffened.

A wave of pressure—thick, chilling, heavy—rolled through the air like a stormfront.

In the distance, a terrifying aura was racing toward the lake. Fast.

Too fast.

Li Mei's nails dug into her palm. That suffocating pressure… that stench of death…

Demons.

Her heart dropped.

"That aura… it's not human," she whispered, her voice trembling ever so slightly. "It's a demon. A strong one."

Even before her words fully left her lips—

The surface of the lake trembled.

The leaves rustled.

The wind turned sharp.

Lin Huang's hand instinctively moved to the hilt of his sword.

Zhao Yunfei, oblivious to danger, continued to call for her missing brother—her fragile voice echoing across the lake as death rushed toward them.

Lin Huang's movement stopped instantly. His posture shifted, his eyes narrowing into razor-thin slits as he locked onto the source of the incoming pressure.

A single breath was enough.

His instincts screamed the truth before his mind even processed it—

He was no match for this demon. Not even close.

He spun toward Li Mei, his voice sharp like a drawn blade.

"Junior sister—run!"

Li Mei didn't move.

For a heartbeat, she stood frozen. Her gaze trembled, her thoughts flashing like lightning behind her calm expression.

My soul isn't fully healed… my foundation isn't stable… even fighting a Foundation demon would drain me—much less a Golden Core one…

Run. That's the right choice. Survive first.

Her fists tightened at her sides.

She hated retreating. But logic was merciless.

That aura… it was beyond terrifying. Heavy. Ancient. Hungry.

At least Golden Core Realm—likely higher.

Li Mei inhaled sharply. She made her decision.

Her foot shifted—

And at that exact moment—

The sky tore open.

Not metaphorically. A literal ripple of distortion spread through the air, like a stone thrown into a divine mirror.

Then—

BOOM!

A violent aura slammed into the village, rattling the rotting wooden houses and sending a shockwave of dust spiraling around them.

A towering figure emerged in the center of the village.

A Demon of the Three Eyes Clan.

Ten feet tall.

Muscles coiled like steel cables under ashen skin.

And three pitch-black eyes that pulsed with an unnatural void-like glow.

The air warped around him as he took a single step.

Life withered.

Where his gaze swept—

Grass curled into ash.

Old trees split apart with dry cracks.

Even the soil crumbled, turning gray and brittle.

His voice dripped with grotesque pleasure.

"Kekeke… so much life origin… this continent truly is a feast."

He inhaled deeply.

The wind shuddered.

Vibrant green collapsed into colorless husks. Flowers aged decades in seconds. The world responded to his greed—

and decayed.

"Hahaha… yes… yes… with energy like this, I will soon reach the peak of Deity Transformation Realm. Then… I shall form an army of my own…"

Every word oozed arrogance and hunger.

His aura swelled again—so violently that both Lin Huang and Li Mei could barely breathe. The very air around them felt thick, oppressive, suffocating.

Then, the demon's three eyes shifted.

Slowly…

Deliberately…

They turned toward the serene lake.

The calm blue surface rippled under the distortion, reflecting the demon's monstrous silhouette.

"Hmmm…"

His lips curled upward, tongue sliding across sharp teeth.

"What is this potent aura… hiding beneath the water?"

Greed. Hunger. Madness.

Every emotion swirled in those three eyes.

And his expression told the entire story—

He wasn't here for the villagers.

He wasn't here for random cruelty.

He had sensed the Nine-Petaled Soul Calming Divine Flame.

"What is happening…?"

Zhao Yunfei whispered, her voice trembling. "What is this dangerous aura I sense…?"

She spun around in confusion, blindfolded eyes flickering beneath the fabric. One moment she had been searching for her elder brother—and the next, the world itself seemed to shift. The wind grew heavy. The air thickened. Fear that didn't belong to her pulsed faintly in her chest.

Before she could gather her thoughts, a sharp gust sliced past her, followed by a familiar, calm voice.

"Quickly leave this place!"

Lin Huang appeared before her, sword-like brows drawn tight, his expression grave. His body radiated tension, every muscle screaming danger.

"A powerful demon is here," he warned, barely restraining the urge to grab her and run. "If you want to live—run. Now."

He clenched his fists.

For some reason he couldn't explain, the instinct to physically pull this girl away surged through him—a protective impulse that wasn't like him at all.

But before he could act, Zhao Yunfei shook her head violently.

"No!" she cried. "I can't leave—I haven't found my brother yet!"

Lin Huang froze.

This girl…!

He stared at her, utterly stunned. Did she not realize—did she truly not understand what was happening? A demon—likely Golden Core Realm or above—had arrived. For such a creature, slaughtering them would be as effortless as crushing ants.

Even so… she refused to move.

Lin Huang grit his teeth. His patience was thinning rapidly, yet he held back from shouting. Deep inside, something warned him:

If you snap at her—you'll regret it for the rest of your life.

The ominous feeling only made everything worse.

Before he could respond, Li Mei's voice cut through the chaos like a blade.

"Senior brother, what are you doing?!"

Her usually calm tone was laced with frustration and urgency. She took a step back, eyes cold and clear as she stared at Zhao Yunfei.

"Don't waste time on her—she's not a child," Li Mei snapped. "If she wants to throw her life away, that's her choice. We can't afford to die here over a stranger!"

Li Mei's breath trembled slightly as she spoke, but her reasoning was sharp. She had lived far too long, seen far too many tragedies.

There were principles she had learned through hard experience:

When death is rushing toward you—

Compassion is a luxury.

Hesitation is fatal.

And kindness… kills.

Their own lives were hanging by a thread.

They couldn't save everyone.

Not here.

Not now.

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