It was already late into the night when Xia Ning Chang stirred awake. The pallor on her face had faded, replaced by a gentle glow of vitality. Her recovery was complete.
She offered Yang Kai a quiet nod of thanks. No words were needed; the way her eyes lingered on him said enough. He simply smiled and passed her a bowl of warm food. They sat close, sharing a modest meal beneath the open sky, letting the silence settle comfortably between them.
They had grown used to this closeness. After all, during their journey, they'd spent quiet nights side by side—sometimes under the same blanket, sometimes sharing whispers before sleep. Nothing had crossed the line, but there was something unspoken between them now. A shift neither dared name.
"Soon it will be the Zi hour," Xia Ning Chang said softly, her gaze cast toward the mist creeping along the valley floor. "Yin energy will gather. Junior Brother… don't waste your World Qi unnecessarily. It's best to conserve it."
Yang Kai gave a quiet nod. Though his dantian brimmed with Yang Liquid, he saw no reason to boast. She wasn't someone he needed to impress.
Suddenly, the air turned strange.
A cold wind howled through the valley—unnatural and eerie in the stillness of the cliffs. It carried a chill that clung to the bones, sharp and biting. The kind of cold that wasn't just of the body but of the soul. Yang Kai felt it trying to seep in, and instinctively, his True Yang Tactics ignited in response.
Even then, the Yin energy pressed in heavily.
"Come here," Xia Ning Chang called, reaching into her robes. She held out a purple jade pendant that glowed faintly. "This will shield us."
He stepped closer. The warmth of the jade spread at once, driving away the icy grasp of the Yin mist. The pendant's barrier was small—small enough that their shoulders nearly touched. He could feel the subtle warmth of her presence beside him.
"Don't drift too far," she said, voice barely above a whisper.
Yang Kai gave another nod, eyes forward, though he could sense her glance flicking toward him. Her breath was steady, but her fingers clutched the jade tighter.
The silence that followed was different than before. It held a quiet weight—an awareness of closeness, of things left unsaid.
"I should go outside the barrier," Yang Kai said, almost reflexively. "Just in case."
"No." Her response came quicker than expected. "There's no need. Just… stay here."
He paused for a moment. Then stayed.
They stood there side by side, unmoving, not speaking. But even without words, something passed between them—a comfort in the nearness, and a promise neither of them could name yet.
--------------------------------------
On the other side, the Blood Group had already sensed the changes occurring in the valley and rushed over.
Looking down at the Yin energy below, Wen Fei Chen probed the area and pondered silently.
Long Hui's spirits were high. "Hallmaster Wen, have they already started to act?"
As long as Yang Kai and Xia Ning Chang made a move, his group could charge in without hesitation.
Wen Fei Chen didn't respond right away. He continued scanning the surroundings. Something was clearly off down there, but even with all his years of experience, he couldn't pinpoint it. Seeing Long Hui's growing impatience, he finally said, "Whether they've moved or not is still unclear. But there's definitely something strange—or valuable—down there. How about we—"
Before he could finish, Long Hui impatiently cut him off. "No need to wait. Since the object's appeared, it doesn't matter whether they act or not. Hallmaster Wen, how about we deal with them now? We can collect the treasure afterward."
Wen Fei Chen sighed, but eventually nodded. "Very well. You all, go!"
In the dark of night, a sinister light flickered in Long Hui's eyes. Soon, he would capture that masked woman, strip away her disguise, and enjoy her fully beneath him. Just the thought made his blood boil with twisted excitement.
Yang Kai, ah, Yang Kai. You dared to covet my woman—then you'll suffer the consequences.
I won't kill you. I'll let you watch as I taint her with my hands. Her screams will fill the valley, and I'll drink in your rage and helplessness like sweet wine.
Thirteen people, no longer concealing their presence, followed Wen Fei Chen's signal and sprinted down into the valley.
One poor tempered body disciple from Storm House hesitated at the cliff's edge. The drop was too steep—he didn't dare leap. But before he could decide, Long Hui sneered and kicked him down mercilessly. The man fell screaming to his death.
The clamor from the Blood Group and Storm House disciples echoed across the valley. Their arrival was anything but subtle. The pitiful disciple's final cry, carried by the swirling Yin energy, spread far and wide into the night.
Listening to this, Yang Kai and Xia Ning Chang's faces both changed colour. They turned their heads sharply toward the direction from where the yell had originated. They hadn't known they were being tracked. Wen Fei Chen's tracking was precise, and he'd kept a considerable distance—far enough that even Xia Ning Chang, though at the peak of Separation and Reunion Boundary, hadn't sensed anything.
"How come there are other people here?" Xia Ning Chang furrowed her delicate brows.
Yang Kai's expression turned cold. According to his Little Senior Sister, this place was barren most of the year, only coming alive on the seventh of July. For others to appear here on this exact day… either they came for the same reason or had come for them.
And judging from the voices and movements, the second option seemed more likely. The group was large, though thinned somewhat from those who perished falling off the cliff. Still, they had numbers and clear intent.
"Looks like we have got trouble." Yang Kai narrowed his eyes, thoughts racing. "Let's flee first."
"Okay!" Xia Ning Chang nodded in agreement.
Suddenly, a cold voice called out behind them, and a silhouette materialized in front of them, cutting off their retreat.
Yang Kai and Xia Ning Chang instinctively dodged the oncoming palm strike, their World Qi instantly surging. Yang Kai didn't strike back. Not yet. Not until he had a full grasp of the situation.
Wen Fei Chen stood tall before them, impassive. His eyes skimmed past Yang Kai like he didn't even exist—then stopped on Xia Ning Chang. Though her face was veiled, those clear, star-like eyes and her graceful figure caught his attention.
Desire flared in his heart. "If it were Long Hui instead of me standing here… I dare not imagine what kind of shameful acts he would commit."
The three stood still, tension thick in the air. Yang Kai looked for a way out, but every path was blocked by the man's oppressive qi.
"This person is a True Element Boundary powerhouse," Xia Ning Chang whispered softly. "Junior Brother, don't act rashly."
Yang Kai didn't respond immediately. True Element…? His breath slowed—not from fear, but calculation. The kind of calculation a man makes when he knows he can't die. He could feel the threat, but there was no fear in him. His secret was simple, absolute—he could not be killed.
Soon the rest of Blood Group and Storm House caught up. Their gazes were hostile, their presence suffocating.
"Who are you?" Yang Kai asked calmly, though his brows furrowed.
He didn't recognize any of them. Unbeknownst to him, many familiar faces had already perished en route—swallowed by beasts or shattered by the fall.
"I am a person who wants to send you to your death," sneered Long Hui as he stepped forward from behind Wen Fei Chen. His lewd gaze swept over Xia Ning Chang. "Wonderful… What a beautiful pure girl. This time really was worth it."
Xia Ning Chang furrowed her brows, face twisted in disgust. She instinctively moved behind Yang Kai. Even though her cultivation far surpassed his, she felt safer this way. It wasn't logic. It was something deeper.
Pressing gently against his back, her soft form trembled slightly. Yang Kai swallowed. Straightened. But his mind remained sharp and focused. There was no fear in his heart.
Long Hui grinned coldly. "You dare touch Hui Mei Er? Did you ever think that you'd land yourself in this pinch over it?"
Yang Kai was stunned. "This… is about Hui Mei Er?"
Still, he hadn't forgotten Long Zai Tian. The old man from the mine. That humiliation wasn't something easily erased.
Nu Lang stepped forward. "Nu Tao is my younger brother. He and Chen Shao Feng vanished. I want to know, boy, whether you had a hand in it."
So that's how it is. Yang Kai sighed internally. Two enemy groups joined forces, and both were after him.
He took a deep breath, face calm and collected. Then he gently squeezed Xia Ning Chang's hand. "It's my mess. You don't need to get involved. If you get the chance—run."
His voice was steady, but she felt something stir within her. That calm confidence… even now. She stared at him, her throat dry. Why was he like this? Why was he unafraid? Was it bravery—or something else entirely?
Long Hui sneered, "Run? You think I've stalked you through the forest all these days just to let you escape? No, no. Yang Kai—you die here. And her? I won't kill her immediately. I'll make her my plaything. Slowly. Until she begs to die."
Rage filled Yang Kai's chest. His face went ice-cold. "Run!"
In a flash, he turned and grabbed Xia Ning Chang's arm. Before she could react, he hurled her away with all the strength he had, flinging her into the distance.
"Wishful thinking!" Wen Fei Chen's body vanished, then reappeared behind her, palm raised.
A moment later—
BOOM!
Xia Ning Chang let out a cry, bracing for impact… but it never came. Opening her eyes, she saw Yang Kai—his back torn and bloody—blocking the blow.
He stood firm, unmoving.
Yang Kai smirked, blood dripping from the corner of his mouth. "Is that all a True Element Boundary can do?"
Xia Ning Chang's eyes widened in horror. Her body trembled—not from fear of their enemies, but from fear for him. "Junior Brother! You're hurt!"
He turned to her, eyes filled with warmth. "Relax… I won't die."
That voice, that look—it wasn't fake. He meant it. He knew he wouldn't die.
And for the first time, Xia Ning Chang felt something in her chest crack and open wide.
He was her junior in name only. In that moment, he became someone more—someone irreplaceable.