Once outside Black Cloud Town, Han got his bearings and took off on the flying carpet, speeding into the distance.


    “Han, do you think we’ll catch those creeps?” Yun Duo asked.


    “No clue,” Han said, shaking his head. “Nobody knows which way they bolted. But Black Cloud’s close to Qinghua County, so there’s a decent shot.”


    “Here’s hoping we find them…” Han’s voice trailed off. Evil cultivators—especially Heavenly Mother Sect followers—never got a shred of sympathy from him. And this bunch? Beyond ruthless.


    He didn’t know the two hundred-plus who died in Qinghua County, but that didn’t dampen the fury and killing intent simmering in his chest. Fellow citizens, practically neighbors, slaughtered like that—any sane person would be pissed hearing about it.


    “Those jerks are pure evil!” Yun Duo fumed. “How could they do this? Killing so many innocent people who never did a thing to them! They deserve to rot. If I nab them, they’ll regret crossing me!”


    “They sure do,” Han agreed, his gaze fixed on the horizon, voice low and sharp. “That’s why cults like the Heavenly Mother Sect and the Salvation Path are wanted across all three kingdoms.”


    If their hideouts weren’t so damn elusive, top-tier powerhouses would’ve stormed their gates ages ago. Wiping out evil sects, smashing their mountain arrays—it’s a crowd-pleaser, the kind of thing that gets cheers, not pushback. History’s littered with examples: any evil faction dumb enough to expose its base got swarmed and crushed in no time. Evil cultivators and demonic nutjobs? Most folks hate their guts. They don’t care about your pedigree or play by rules—if they spot a chance, they’ll wreck you without hesitation.


    Even a sect like the Heavenly Mother Sect, with an immortal-realm bigwig holding it down, would be toast if its location leaked. The Xuandu Temple Master, the Purple Sky Sovereign—they’d be kicking down the door by sunrise. But if you can’t root them out completely, those creeps can still make you think twice. Take their Heavenly Maidens—high-ranking, untouchable. They pop up in public sometimes, and nobody dares touch them. Let them walk away, or kill one, and the sect’s payback would be a nightmare. No mountain gate to hit, their people slinking around like ghosts—too slippery to pin down.


    Factions like that? They’re the ultimate pain in the ass of the cultivation world.


    “Yun Duo, if you spot anything weird, don’t hold back,” Han said.


    “Don’t worry, I won’t hesitate!” she replied, pulling out a wheel-shaped artifact. She hopped onto it, floating up slowly. “Han, let’s split up—it’ll cover more ground. Bigger chance we’ll find something!”


    Her fighting spirit was on fire. She had her own flight gear—par for the course with the Yun family’s heft. Her wheel looked like something a Night Wanderer could handle, less demanding than Han’s carpet. Lower bar, though, meant it wasn’t as impressive.


    Han mulled it over and nodded. “Alright. Take this—if anything pops up, hit me up.” He handed her a transmission snail, walking her through how it worked.


    He had three baby snails: two locked with Lu Qingmo and Bai Ruoyue, the third kept free for emergencies—flexible use, like now.


    “Cool!” Yun Duo said, snagging the snail as her wheel carried her off.


    Han spread his mental senses wide, pushing them to a crisp, precise limit. He tracked Yun Duo’s retreat until she hit the edge of his range, then buzzed her snail. “You’re at my sensory border now. Don’t go farther—start sweeping that way from there.”


    This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.


    Splitting up was fine, but her safety came first. This distance struck the balance: wider search, quick response if trouble hit. No accidents on his watch.


    “Whoa! Your range is insane!” Yun Duo’s voice crackled through the snail.


    “…”


    “Han, you hear me?”


    “Loud and clear.”


    “It’s really instant—wild!” A few taps echoed from her end—she was fiddling with it. “Oh, Han, my big sis says thanks for that treasure liquid last time. Worked wonders. She’ll keep it hush-hush, won’t spill to anyone.”


    “No need to thank me,” he said.


    She meant the Creation Spirit Liquid he’d brought back from Yunjiang City after meeting the Dragon Maiden. It stayed potent for three days outside the Creation Cauldron. By the time he got back, it was on its last legs. He hated waste, so he brainstormed a final use. Herbs were maxed out, pills too—people were the next best bet. Yun Duo popped to mind—Lu Qingmo’s disciple, his buddy, closest to him outside Tai Bai. One drop for her made sense. Then he thought of Yun Yun—after all their shared gigs, she deserved one too. A little payback for the Yun family’s help, especially with the Ascension Hall and lifespan tricks. That place had left a mark on him.


    Two drops for the sisters? Fair play—they’d earned his trust over time. Too bad Bai Tian got out of seclusion a few days late; the liquid was kaput by then. Han had double-checked the timeline—even if Bai Tian skipped the lurking and bolted straight back, it’d still be expired. Close call, no dice.


    “Han, your luck’s unreal—scoring stuff that refines sinews, boosts talent,” Yun Duo said.


    “I gave a drop to Her Highness, the Dragon Maiden of Yunjiang Palace,” he replied. Name-dropping the palace kept the sisters from questioning the liquid’s origins—they’d fill in the blanks themselves, making it all click.


    Yun Duo wouldn’t shut up. “You’re totally a Chosen One.”


    “Who told you that?”


    “Books.”


    “…” With the Destiny Sect in history, “Chosen One” hit weird.


    “Focus on training, not random reads. Scan properly.”


    “Chill, I’ve got this—multitasking’s a breeze,” she said. “Han, everyone’s calling you Black Cloud’s true dragon now—the town’s greatest genius ever.”


    “Don’t forget the Mountain God elder. I wouldn’t dare compare to them.”


    “My dad says the Mountain God ancestor was about your level back in the day—pretty close.”


    “Han-Han, if you get super strong someday, will you ditch Black Cloud? Never see us again?”


    “Who fed you that one?”


    “Thought it up myself last night in bed.”


    “…”


    “Sleep at night, not overthink—stunts your growth.”


    Snail in hand, Yun Duo yapped nonstop, her chatter relentless. Han went numb. It took him back to their first mission—barely knew each other, yet she’d been fearless, talkative, question after question. He’d forgotten that quirk over time; today jogged his memory. And through the snail? She was somehow chattier. Tech could turn shy folks into keyboard warriors—or make social butterflies even louder.


    Still, they stayed sharp. Any living thing with a whiff of oddity? They’d swoop down, flash their Ghost and Spirit Division creds, and grill them. That badge carried weight across Great Qi—made things smooth. Scanning took focus, so they didn’t blitz, but flight kept them moving.


    Time ticked by. Han’s senses snagged on a dense forest—normal enough, except something wasn’t. “Yun Duo, get over here.”


    “On my way!” She hushed her voice, drifting in stealthily.


    “What’s up?”


    “That direction,” Han said, pointing. “Let’s check it out.”


    They flew toward the woods—a decent sprawl. “Two people in there,” Han said. “One’s got strong blood energy—martial artist. The other’s likely a cultivator.”


    Yun Duo nodded. “I feel them too. But their vibes… seem fine? No evil or demonic tinge.”


    Skills shaped a cultivator’s aura, even their personality. Low-grade dark arts or demonic tricks often twisted folks into cruel, warped messes. Heavenly Dragon Sect folks were a classic case—dragon or water vibes, loud and proud, thanks to their dragon-linked arts. Everyone knew dragons oozed arrogance. Picture a demon clan meeting: dragons telling phoenixes to stand, phoenixes snapping back, dragons calling everyone trash. That energy.


    “Aura’s can be faked,” Han said, gliding into the forest.


    Soon, he spotted them: a guy and a girl, young, good-looking—picture-perfect pair. The guy was sharp, the girl stunning, both rosy-cheeked and clear-eyed. Healthy vibes, like noble heirs from a scholarly clan—no evil cultivator stench.


    The guy looked up, voice firm. “Who goes there?”


    Han signaled Yun Duo to hold back, landed, and flashed his badge. “Black Cloud Ghost and Spirit Division. Routine check.”


    “Oh, Ghost and Spirit Division officers,” the guy said, easing up. “What’s this about?”


    Han stepped closer, eyeing them. “You two look like law-abiding folks—no need to sweat. Just a couple questions.”


    “Ask away, officer,” the guy said. The girl stayed mute.


    Han smiled. “Mind tying yourselves up and coming with me?”


    Shing! Before the words settled, a sword flashed—gorgeous, lethal, and aimed to kill.