The ground was in utter ruin, riddled with craters ranging from several meters to over ten meters wide, scattered chaotically across the area.


    A deep, twisted scar stretched far into the distance.


    At the very center lay the largest crater, where everything beneath the surface had been reduced to dust.


    "Whoosh!"


    The sound of rushing air cut through the silence as three strikingly beautiful women descended from the sky, carrying an unconscious figure.


    Seeing the devastated land with no other signs of life, one of them, already anxious, struggled to contain her emotions.


    These three were none other than Bai Ruoyue, An Lang, and Lu Qingmo, who had rushed over from Black Cloud Town.


    Hovering above the deepest crater, they finally saw Han’s figure—lying motionless on the debris.


    He was definitely alive.


    "Junior Brother!"


    Bai Ruoyue plummeted from the air, landing swiftly in the crater and rushing toward Han.


    "Are you alright?!"


    Her voice was filled with concern.


    Han looked rather battered—his golden-threaded robe was torn, his soul appeared faint and weakened, but thankfully, he was not gravely injured.


    "Nothing too serious," Han replied, though he had no intention of moving.


    The explosion of a Saint Manifestation’s remnant body was not something easily withstood.


    Fortunately, he had forged his Natal Artifact and mastered the Tenfold Celestial Radiance.


    The latter was a profound Yin Spirit technique, while the former, in Han’s hands, could nearly rival a Saint Manifestation Artifact in power. It had played a crucial role in protecting him.


    Combined with his other defensive measures, he had managed to survive the black-robed man’s final desperate attack without having to use his dragon scale’s second defensive charge.


    Even in death, the black-robed man could never have imagined that Han, a mere Daywalker cultivator, possessed a Natal Artifact.


    Lu Qingmo knelt beside Han, taking out a healing pill. She dissolved its energy and infused it into Han’s soul.


    After carefully assessing his condition, the tension in her heart eased—only for her anger to surge in its place.


    An ambush by a Saint Manifestation cultivator—this was an incredibly perilous situation.


    Had Han not possessed such formidable trump cards, she dared not imagine the consequences.


    However, she did not let her fury show. This was neither the time nor the place—her anger was not something the people here should bear.


    Bai Ruoyue, still anxious, asked, "Where is that Saint Manifestation cultivator?"


    "Aunt Mo is here now. Even if he fled, she will track him down!"


    Han forced a smile, a hint of pride in his expression, before answering her question.


    "I killed him."


    A Daywalker killed a Saint Manifestation cultivator!


    It didn’t matter whether external tools were used—the fact remained.


    Bai Ruoyue was utterly stunned. Shock quickly gave way to joy as she looked at Han, her gaze filled with complex emotions.


    Killed by her Junior Brother…


    Warm medicinal energy spread through Han’s body like spring rain nourishing parched soil, soothing his soul, mending his wounds, and restoring his vitality.


    "You did well," Lu Qingmo said calmly, her voice almost eerily tranquil.


    "The choices you made in the heat of battle were commendable. Your performance was excellent."


    Then she turned to An Lang. "An Lang, check the surroundings."


    "Got it!"


    An Lang floated away. Now that Han was safe, she could finally relax.


    Earlier, when Han had endured the explosion of a Saint Manifestation cultivator, she had felt an intense sense of dread—her heart had truly skipped a beat.


    Yet, oddly enough, Bai Ruoyue and Lu Qingmo, having merged with the Wings of Heart, had remained unaffected.


    This was because Han’s situation, while dangerous, had not yet crossed the ultimate threshold.


    "Ruoyue, take care of Han," Lu Qingmo instructed before adding, "I’m going to inspect the battlefield."


    She needed to see if any clues had been left behind.


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    If there were…


    No matter who was responsible, she would not let them go.


    After Lu Qingmo left, Bai Ruoyue withdrew her gaze from her departing figure.


    Then, she whispered, "Junior Brother, Aunt Mo is really angry now."


    Having been by Lu Qingmo’s side since she was three, Bai Ruoyue knew her all too well.


    "Today’s incident must have worried her greatly."


    Han could easily imagine the anxiety and fear Lu Qingmo must have felt while rushing from Black Cloud Town to this place.


    "I’m angry too."


    Han’s eyes narrowed slightly. This ambush had been premeditated—it was no mere accident.


    As they spoke, Han’s soul returned to his physical body.


    For a soul, the body was the most suitable place to rest.


    Whether for healing or recovering from exhaustion, the physical body provided essential support.


    "Junior Brother…"


    Bai Ruoyue lowered her head, her voice suddenly quiet.


    "I’m sorry… I couldn’t help you at all."


    Han paused, noticing the slight redness in her eyes.


    "Senior Sister, you’ve already helped me a great deal," Han said with a smile.


    "Without you, my body would have been destroyed."


    Had he faced today’s enemy alone, his soul would have remained bound to his body, unable to leave until the Heavenly Thunder Seal activated, severely injuring the black-robed man before he could engage.


    And during that critical moment, the black-robed man might have seized the opportunity to destroy Han’s physical body.


    However, Han’s words did not seem to ease Bai Ruoyue’s feelings.


    Han understood all too well—the feeling of powerlessness was bitter.


    Especially for someone like Bai Ruoyue, who had always been strong, always the one taking care of him.


    After a brief thought, he reached out and took Bai Ruoyue’s hand.


    "Senior Sister, back when I was weak, none of you ever saw me as a burden. Instead, you helped me without hesitation."


    "If you say things like this now, wouldn’t that make me seem shameless for relying on you all in the past?"


    Bai Ruoyue glanced at their joined hands, her face turning slightly red.


    Indeed… that would be quite shameless.


    Bai Ruoyue suddenly collapsed into Han''s arms, her voice muffled as she murmured,


    "Little junior brother, this is the last time."


    "If something like this happens again, let An Lang escape."


    Seeing Han unharmed, she finally let out a long breath of relief. But after the overwhelming joy came an unbearable sorrow.


    "Nonsense!" Han scoffed. "What are you talking about? Once is more than enough—this won’t happen again."


    Above them, at the edge of the pit, Lu Qingmo stood motionless, gazing down at the two of them with an unreadable expression.


    After a brief silence, Bai Ruoyue pulled away from Han, her eyes flickering evasively.


    "Let''s head up first."


    The moment she finished speaking, Lu Qingmo descended into the pit, lifting the two of them back up.


    "Aunt Mo, did you discover anything?"


    "No signs of any faction-specific Daoist techniques," Lu Qingmo replied, shaking her head. "Let''s return to Black Cloud Town. On the way, tell me about your battle with that Manifestation-stage cultivator."


    She had a rough idea of how Han had defeated the enemy, but she needed the full details.


    At that moment, An Lang flew over, holding several charred fragments in his hands.


    "Young Master, Sister Lu, Sister Bai—there’s nothing left at the scene, not even a spatial pouch. Just these pieces… they seem like some sort of material."


    Han shook his head. "That man self-destructed in the end. His spatial pouch must have been destroyed."


    It was common knowledge: once a spatial item was ruined, everything inside it was lost forever.


    "These fragments were left behind when he tried to block my Thunder Seal."


    Lu Qingmo took the pieces, wiping away the burnt exterior. A single glance was enough for her to understand.


    "Let''s go back first."


    A Daoist flying carpet materialized in the air. The three of them boarded, while An Lang returned to the Ghost Abode and set off toward Black Cloud Town.


    "Senior Sister and I captured the fugitive wanted by the town''s governing office. On our way back, we encountered that Manifestation-stage cultivator."


    "He knew a great deal about us—our identities, our mission. He had been watching us from a distance as we apprehended the fugitive…"


    As they traveled, Han recounted the events to Lu Qingmo, with Bai Ruoyue occasionally adding details.


    "At first, he used a Daoist technique to transform earth into serpents. Later, he manipulated the power of the land itself."


    "…A Dharma Bell above his head, a Life-Saving Jade Pendant…"


    "Severed-limb regeneration techniques…"


    Han detailed everything he could remember.


    Lu Qingmo fell into deep thought, remaining silent for a long time before finally speaking.


    "None of the techniques he used are unique to any particular faction that I know of."


    "Earth Serpent Arts, Self-Detonation Techniques… If you have enough resources, you can buy them from high-tier trading houses like the Myriad Star Chamber of Commerce or the Black-White Pavilion."


    If such techniques could be purchased freely, then major factions would naturally have access to them as well. There was no way to confirm his origins based on that alone.


    "Cunning bastard!" Bai Ruoyue gritted her teeth.


    It was clear that he had done this on purpose, making it impossible to trace his affiliation.


    "The Life-Saving Jade Pendant is a remarkable artifact," Lu Qingmo continued. "These treasures can absorb and withstand significant damage on behalf of the user."


    "The higher the quality, the greater the protection—top-tier ones can even prevent death once."


    "Even if such artifacts can be purchased, an ordinary Manifestation-stage cultivator wouldn’t be able to afford them."


    "If the force targeting you is within Black Cloud Town, then only Zuo Tianzheng and Tianlong Sect’s Manifestation-stage cultivators would have the means to procure such an item."


    "If the enemy isn’t from within the town, then it could be one of the demonic sects—perhaps the Celestial Mother Cult or the Hall of Uncertainty."


    Lu Qingmo narrowed down the suspects, pointing toward a few potential culprits.


    "Zuo Tianzheng brought one Manifestation-stage cultivator and one Bone-Washing stage cultivator. Tianlong Sect has one Manifestation-stage expert and two Bone-Washing stage cultivators," Bai Ruoyue noted. "Once we get back, we can check their numbers. If any of their Manifestation-stage cultivators are missing, then we’ll know it was them!"


    Han considered this but eventually shook his head.


    "That won’t necessarily be accurate. These are just the forces they’ve openly displayed. We have no way of knowing if they’ve hidden additional experts among their entourage."


    For a faction of that level, sneaking a Manifestation-stage cultivator into Black Cloud Town without drawing attention was trivial.


    After all, Black Cloud Town was an open territory—unlike a county city, it had no protective formations.


    "Han is right." Lu Qingmo nodded, then suddenly turned to Bai Ruoyue with a new question.


    "Ruoyue, repeat exactly what the governing office said when they commissioned you for this task."


    "This morning…"


    After listening to her response, Lu Qingmo''s expression darkened slightly.


    "Yesterday, they detected traces of demonic activity. Today, they asked for your help. And then, outside town, you were ambushed by a Manifestation-stage cultivator…"


    "Did you sense any water-based energy or dragon-related qi on that cultivator?"


    The question immediately sparked something in Han’s mind.


    "No. There was no trace of water energy or anything related to aquatic beings."


    Lu Qingmo nodded. "That being the case, while we can’t completely rule out the possibility of deliberate concealment, the Tianlong Sect is currently the least suspicious."


    Most of Tianlong Sect’s cultivators practiced water-based techniques or dragon-related martial arts. Their unique qi differed significantly from that of terrestrial cultivators.


    "Zuo Tianzheng… Demonic cultivators…"


    Lu Qingmo closed her eyes slightly, while Han carefully analyzed the possible culprits.


    One thing was certain—this assailant was no wandering Manifestation-stage cultivator unconnected to Black Cloud Town. He was tied to this place, and to them, in ways they had yet to uncover.