"Leave all your weapons here... and get out." In a rundown building on the outskirts of Miami, Chu Lian sat quietly at the edge of a broken bed, her head lowered as she spoke softly to the sixteen men dressed in black, each one armed like a bodyguard.
"I'm sorry, Miss. Our orders are to protect you. We can't abandon our duty for any reason," said one of the men firmly after exchanging a brief look with his comrades. He stepped forward, giving her a crisp salute.
"This mission is one of certain death. I don't want the nation's finest soldiers to die here in vain," Chu Lian said softly, still not looking up. "So go."
"Forgive me for speaking frankly, but even if the sixteen of us die here, it would be our duty as soldiers. You, however, represent China's true future. If we must exchange our lives for yours, then it's a trade well worth it." The man stood his ground, posture upright and voice steady, filled with conviction.
"You have no idea what kind of monster we're about to face, do you?" Chu Lian asked, finally lifting her head. Her tone was flat, but the faint curve of her lips carried something close to mockery.
"We don't, because you haven't told us who or what the enemy is. You only instructed us to find an abandoned building outside the city and bring you here," the man replied. He didn't flinch at her words, nor did he show anger—his gaze remained unwavering, like a warrior prepared to die without fear.
"I told you to find such a place because I didn't want innocent people to be caught up in what's coming," Chu Lian murmured. She didn't know exactly what kind of creature awaited her—but she had already prepared for the worst.
Her biggest regret now was dragging Cai Ya and the others into this catastrophe. If she had stopped the death spirit that night from speaking, perhaps they wouldn't have been drawn into this web of karma—and they would be safe now.
But back then, as her strength continued to grow, her mind had begun to subtly change. Subconsciously, she had started to underestimate her enemies, believing they weren't as dangerous as they truly were.
She had thought that encounter might simply mark the beginning of their entry into the cultivation world—never considering what would happen if things went wrong.
"Staying here will only make things worse. You won't be able to help us—in fact, your presence will only create chaos on the battlefield and make it harder to defend." Chu Lian had briefly considered letting them protect Cai Ya, Liu Yanran, and Li Xiu'er—the ones who couldn't fight.
But after thinking it through, she rejected the idea. Not only would it be useless, but she couldn't bear the thought of turning them into cannon fodder.
This calamity was hers alone. It was already wrong to have involved so many people. She couldn't forgive herself if she dragged these loyal soldiers into it too.
She wasn't some killer who saw lives as expendable. She wasn't the merciless alternate persona known as Dark Chu Lian. She was simply someone fighting to protect the people she wanted to protect.
"Enough... I won't ask again," Chu Lian said quietly as she saw the man about to protest again. She lowered her head, her tone calm and final.
In the next instant, her figure vanished. In a blur of movement, she darted among the men like a shadow—within seconds, they all collapsed to the ground, unconscious, before any could react.
"If you're lucky, by the time you wake up, everything will be over. If not... you'll probably die with us," Chu Lian murmured, standing at the doorway. She pulled out her phone and made a quick call to the standby butler unit.
"Xu Jingyao, bring your team here and get everyone out. Be careful—they're all highly trained. If anyone wakes up midway, don't stop them from doing what they need to do."
After ending the call, Chu Lian stared at the phone screen for a moment. Then, hesitating briefly, she opened her contacts, selecting the entry labeled 'Mother,' and began typing a message slowly:
"Mom, I'm sorry. Please forgive your unfilial daughter for failing to make you and Dad the most envied parents in the world."
"Lian'er has kept many things from you. I've done so many things without considering your feelings—always acting first, always making you worry..."
"For more than ten years, you've taken care of me without ever leaving my side. You've given up everything just to build us a peaceful, warm home."
"But in the end, Lian'er still failed to do her best. I've only made you worry."
"If I could... I'd want nothing more than to be the kind of daughter who nestles in your arms, relying on you for everything—letting you make the choices and solve the problems for me."
"Even if that wouldn't make you proud, even if others wouldn't envy you, at least I could stay by your side."
"In this life, I've failed you. But in the next, I'll repay everything I owe."
"—Chu Lian."
As she walked, Chu Lian typed these words into her phone's message box. The tears she'd been holding back finally broke free, sliding down her cheeks and falling onto the glowing screen, blurring her vision.
"Even if it's sentimental... I don't want to leave regrets," she murmured, smiling faintly through the tears as she pressed the scheduled send button.
She set the timer for six hours later. If nothing happened before then, it would mean only one thing—she had failed.
If she survived, the message would never be sent. But if she didn't return... then this would be her final duty—as their daughter, as Chu Lian.
Yes. Because she was their daughter, she had to bear that responsibility.
But why... why am I crying? Why does it hurt this much?
Her walking pace quickened—from a slow, measured stride to a brisk march. Within minutes, her steps turned into a full sprint. In just a few more minutes, she had covered several kilometers from the old building.
But what she didn't know was that someone had been following her all along.
Once he confirmed she had left, the figure leapt lightly onto the rooftop and slipped into the room where the unconscious soldiers lay.
Seeing the bodies of the elite operatives sprawled across the floor, the young man dressed in white sighed softly. "What a willful girl... doesn't she realize that having them here would've at least eased her burden?"
As he spoke, he formed a subtle hand seal and pointed in the air toward them. "To think your death trial would come so soon... I wonder what you did to draw such calamity."
"But no matter. With my Earth-level strength, I should be able to protect them—unless the enemy is Heaven-level, or an Earth-level peak variant. Otherwise, ensuring their survival won't be difficult." As he spoke, the black-clad men began to stir and slowly woke up.
When they saw the young man standing before them, they immediately saluted. "Instructor, we failed to carry out the command assigned to us. Please allow us to atone with our lives."
"Enough of that. You were only unconscious for a short while—it's not like things are beyond repair. And we're not in Japan; we don't do that 'atonement by death' nonsense. What's wrong? Feeling ashamed of your own strength?" The young man in white shook his head lightly, knowing full well what they were thinking. But as their nominal instructor, it wasn't his place to scold them.
After a moment of thought, he reached into his robes and pulled out a small porcelain vial, setting it on the old table nearby. "Inside are pills that can temporarily boost your power. But when the effects wear off, you'll be paralyzed for quite some time."
"When that happens, you might not even be able to finish the mission—or recover fully afterward. Still, it's also a chance—a chance to touch a higher level of strength. Whether you take it or not is up to you."
With that, the white-clad youth turned and headed for the door, leaving the vial behind for them to decide. Just before stepping out, he paused and looked back. "One more thing—the pill's effects last for six hours. During that time, your strength will roughly double. But remember—leave the battlefield before the final moments, and find a safe place to recover when the drug wears off."
"We won't disappoint you, Instructor!" the men said in unison, saluting once more. Their expressions were calm—resolute. They had already accepted the possibility of death. For the mission, what were a few lasting injuries compared to that?
Even if they were to die on this mission, it would still be an honor. The fact that their instructor had personally appeared meant that this task was far beyond their usual level. Gaining his acknowledgment was already the greatest achievement of their lives.
Meanwhile, far from the rundown building, Chu Lian arrived at a stream deep in the forest outside the city. The girls gathered there wore expressions of fear and worry—but none of regret or despair. Seeing that, Chu Lian felt her heart tighten. In this life, she had found bonds and emotions she had never known before.
Without a word, Chu Lian smiled gently at them. Then she closed her eyes, spreading her arms as she turned to face the breaking dawn. "This might be our last sunrise. I'm sorry for making you all pay the price for my recklessness."
"No, no," Cai Ya said softly, brushing a strand of hair from her ear as she smiled warmly at Chu Lian bathed in the morning light. "Everything we've seen and experienced on this journey has already been worth it. Meeting you—all of you—was the best thing that's ever happened to me. Even if it's brief, I have no regrets. Because I believe—we will overcome this."
Chu Lian shook her head gently. "I wish I could share your faith... but I don't think we can win this time." The enemy's strength had far exceeded her expectations.
"But we don't believe you'll lose, Chu Lian. We've always—always—believed in you," said Li Xiu'er, her normally shy voice now clear and unwavering. For all her timidity, she was always the bravest one when it mattered most.
Chu Lian fell silent for a long moment. Then she said quietly, "It's here..."
In the distant sky, beneath the light of dawn, a dark shadow approached swiftly from the horizon. As it drew nearer, its massive form came into view before the girls' eyes.
Black and crimson scales flowed like molten fire, wings spanning nearly eighty meters, a body thirty meters long, its limbs thick and powerful, radiating an overwhelming aura. Even from afar, one could see the sulfur burning deep within its enormous head.
It was a creature ripped straight from the legends of old—a colossal beast capable of tearing the heavens apart and driving all living things to despair.
"So the enemy... is a dragon?" "An Earth-level peak dragon... this is going to be trouble." At two different places, both Chu Lian and the white-clad youth spoke those words at the same time upon seeing the monstrous creature.
This was a calamity from which there was no escape...