After eight long days, Yang Zhai finally opened the inheritance gate and leapt out into the open air.
"It's been three days since they left. No sign of movement since then. It should be safe to move now," he muttered, eyes scanning the desolate landscape.
All around him stretched the same broken land, fractured and scarred with deep cracks. Night had fallen, and an eerie silence blanketed everything. Not even the faint chirping of crickets disturbed the stillness. The moon hung high and solitary in the sky, its pale light casting a cold glow. No stars twinkled nearby, as if the heavens themselves mourned the barren earth below.
Yang Zhai closed the gate behind him and broke into a run. His lines were activated, humming softly with power. The sun had long since dipped below the horizon, leaving the world cloaked in darkness. Yet, he paid no mind to the absence of light—his pace was urgent, driven by a purpose only he understood.
"I need to leave the Suru Continent as soon as possible and head toward the Recn Continent," he thought, determination hardening his features.
"If I'm right, a qafila is set to depart in about three days, bound for Recn. Among them should be a boy named Mil Do Nim. I have to meet him."
---
In the past eleven days, news of the disaster at Mantora Mountain had spread like wildfire across the Suru Continent.
The entire continent was shaken to its core by the news of a mere rank 5 cultivator who had dared to infiltrate Mantora Mountain—and not only that, but also steal the unique torus right from under the Mantora Mountain cultivators' noses. A feat no high-rank cultivator would even attempt. Everyone knew about Mantora Mountain and understood what it was capable of.
Adding to the shock, this cultivator had slain thirteen of Mantora Mountain's own—though no one knew how. Mantora Mountain had since placed a staggering bounty of 3 billion mid-grade essence stones on Tzu Yu's head.
These rumors circulated mainly among clans, sects, and cities, passed from mouth to mouth.
Apart from a handful of individuals, only one other place besides Mantora Mountain seemed to recognize the name: the Eroh Domain.
…..
"What? Tzu Yu did what?" Sun Jian stood up, disbelief etched across his face, unable to believe what he had just heard.
"Master, the rumors are spreading fast. Tzu Yu supposedly stole the unique torus and massacred several false Immortal rank cultivators," a cultivator reported.
Sun Jian chuckled softly, shaking his head. "Haha… How is that even possible? I admit he's impressive—that's why I wanted to recruit him—but even he can't pull off something like this. Are you sure you heard the name right?"
"No, master. I'm certain it's Tzu Yu. I don't know what Mantora Mountain is playing at, but the name mentioned is definitely his."
Sun Jian's eyes gleamed with opportunity. "I see. Then this is a chance for us. Whether truth or rumor, Tzu Yu must be scared and looking for refuge. We can use this to recruit him. At the competition, he didn't show us his full strength—no Mastery Path cultivator forced him to reveal it. I am confident he was hiding far greater strength than he let know. I wanted to force him to join after the competition, but he unexpectedly disappeared."
…..
Meanwhile, somewhere else,
"Uh… so he actually shook Mantora Mountain itself. His sudden disappearance was because he was heading there. I knew he was hiding something terrifying, but I didn't expect him to unleash it like this, he is truly marvelous. I hope he had said goodbye before disappearing." Yue Qing murmured with a knowing smile.
"I wonder what his next move will be. Will he return to the Eroh Domain for safety? But knowing his nature, I doubt it."
---
Elsewhere,
"I'm seriously impressed. How is this even possible? Is Mantora Mountain really that weak? Or… maybe this so-called rank 5 cultivator is actually a high-rank one in disguise," a man sneered, mocking the mountain's reputation.
He appeared to be in his late twenties, clad in a white hanfu trimmed with silver stripes at the edges and buttons. A white flute, adorned with golden and silver patterns, hung at his waist.
His eyes were a striking white, framed by long hair that fell just below his waist. On his forehead was a phoenix-shaped mark, half white and half black, its body centered and wings stretching left and right.
"Yu Hao, why are you laughing?" a woman's voice called from behind.
"Oh, Li Min, it's you. Nothing much. I just got word from my servant who returned with some new talents. Apparently, a rumor's spreading that a mere rank 5 infiltrated Mantora Mountain and stole the unique torus—the one even we wouldn't dare touch. Not only that, but he supposedly massacred thirteen of their false Immortals: three rank 7s and ten rank 6s," Yu Hao replied, his tone dripping with disbelief, as if the story were a joke.
"Hmm… a rank 5 did all that? Stop wasting time on baseless rumors. We need to leave for the Recn Continent soon. Have you checked everything?" Li Min asked sharply.
Her skin was pale, her blue hanfu cinched at the waist with a white sash marking the division between her upper and lower garments. She wore chandelier-like earrings, and a golden sword-shaped mark adorned her forehead between her brows.
Her brown eyes narrowed. Her hair was tied into a fishtail braid and twin tails, all three of which extended to her waist. She, too, carried a flute at her side and appeared to be in her late twenties.
"Don't worry. I've checked everything. We're ready to depart."
"Then why are we still here? We should have left already."
Yu Hao pointed ahead. "Look straight ahead. Tell me, what do you see?"
Li Min followed his gaze and spotted two figures running toward them.
As they drew closer, two boys became visible. One led the way, the other followed closely behind.
The first appeared around sixteen, handsome and striking. He wore tight red Shenyi adorned with wave patterns, a white sash belt, and a black half-moon emblem on the right side of his chest. His long black hair flowed down to his waist. His eyes were mesmerizing—swirling blue and yellow, pupils spinning like twin galaxies.
The second boy seemed more ordinary, also about sixteen. His short black hair was streaked with a few white strands, roughly five percent of the total. His eyes were as dark as the night. He wore a black Shenyi decorated with a phoenix pattern and a red sash tied around his waist.
Li Min said nothing, standing silently beside Yu Hao, her eyes narrowing as she awaited their approach.
!|!*****!*****!|!