Li Qiye steadied his breathing before answering.
"There were **only two**," he said.
The courtyard remained silent.
"Only two demon beasts participated in the attack," Li Qiye continued carefully. "Both were at the **third layer of the Foundation Establishment realm**."
For the first time since he arrived, the air within the courtyard shifted—ever so slightly.
"One was a **demonic fox**," Li Qiye said. "Cunning, intelligent, and highly skilled in concealment. It employed formations and illusions, directing the battle rather than charging head-on."
He hesitated—just briefly.
"The other…" he continued, his voice lowering, "I do not know what to call it."
The silence deepened.
"It did not resemble any demon beast recorded in our clan's archives," Li Qiye said. "Nor any creature recognized by our elders. It did not rely on physical strength alone."
His fingers curled unconsciously within his sleeves.
"When it spoke," Li Qiye continued, "its **voice itself carried pressure**. It trampled wills, disrupted formations, and shattered concentration. Several elders faltered the moment it spoke—not from fear, but as if their very spirits were being crushed."
He swallowed.
"Even our most experienced elders could not identify it," Li Qiye said. "None had ever seen or heard of such a creature."
He bowed again, deeper than before.
"That is all this junior knows."
The courtyard fell completely still.
Then Elder Lianhua's voice came again—quiet now, yet bearing a weight far heavier than before.
"Two Foundation Establishment demon beasts," she said slowly.
"And one of them unknown even to seasoned elders…"
A pause.
"Were they **truly** demon beasts?"
The question hung in the air like a blade suspended above his neck.
A chill crept up Li Qiye's spine.
He did not lift his head as he continued.
"In every aspect of battle," he said slowly, "the creature defied what should have been possible for its realm."
The courtyard remained silent, but the qi subtly tightened, like a held breath.
"Its **defense** was abnormal," Li Qiye said. "Strikes that should have shattered bone or ruptured organs were endured without visible injury. Even spirit-enhanced attacks left only shallow wounds."
His fists clenched.
"Its **speed** surpassed that of any Foundation Establishment cultivator present. It crossed distances instantly—appearing where it should not have been, striking, then vanishing before retaliation could land."
He raised his head slightly now, just enough for the weight in his eyes to be seen.
"It wielded **multiple elements**," Li Qiye said. "Lightning, shadow, and others I could not clearly identify. These were not crude manifestations—they were controlled. Refined."
A faint ripple passed through the courtyard.
"And it could become **invisible**," he continued. "Not through illusions. It completely concealed its presence. Even when standing nearby, our elders could not sense it."
His voice tightened.
"They used their spiritual senses," Li Qiye said. "They expanded their perception to its limit."
He shook his head once.
"Nothing."
The silence pressed in.
"Despite being only at the **third layer of Foundation Establishment**," Li Qiye said, "it fought **six elders simultaneously**—and killed them one by one."
The words fell like stones into still water.
"It did not overwhelm them through brute force," he added. "It isolated them. Disrupted their coordination. Turned their formations against them."
Then, after a brief pause, he delivered the final blow.
"It also killed my Li clan's **Great Elder**."
The qi in the courtyard stirred.
"He was at the **fifth layer of Foundation Establishment**," Li Qiye said quietly. "He held the line alone after the others fell."
Li Qiye bowed deeply, his forehead nearly touching the stone tiles.
"He did not survive."
The courtyard was silent—utterly, profoundly so.
Then Elder Lianhua's voice spoke again.
This time, it was no longer merely calm.
The air grew still.
"An **unknown beast**," she said slowly, each word precise, "at the **third layer of Foundation Establishment**…"
Her voice echoed softly through the space, as if the courtyard itself were repeating the thought.
"…able to slaughter multiple cultivators of the same realm," she continued, "while **wielding several elemental affinities**, and **concealing its presence even from divine sense**."
A pause.
"That alone defies the natural order."
The qi within the courtyard shifted—deep and steady, like an ancient tide turning.
"Elemental multiplicity is rare even among demon beasts," Elder Lianhua said. "To see it in such a creature—one not bound by human meridians—suggests either **artificial refinement** or an origin far beyond ordinary bloodlines."
Her voice lowered slightly.
"Complete concealment from divine sense is more troubling still. Such an ability is not instinctual. It is learned… or inherited from something that predates our current cultivation systems."
Another pause.
"Yet it remained only at the third layer."
That line carried immense weight.
"A creature capable of killing **six Foundation Establishment elders** and a **fifth-layer Great Elder**, yet refusing—or unable—to advance."
Silence stretched.
"That is not weakness," Elder Lianhua said. "That is **restraint**."
The pressure in the courtyard deepened—not oppressive, but undeniable.
"Such beings do not appear by chance," she continued. "Nor do they reveal themselves without purpose."
Then, finally, she addressed Li Qiye directly.
"Your clan was not attacked for its wealth," Elder Lianhua said.
"It was **tested**."
The words settled like frost.
"And if this creature walks freely beneath the heavens," she concluded, "then White Hollow City will not be the last place to bleed."
The qi slowly stilled.
"Li Qiye," Elder Lianhua said, calm yet final,
"you did well to come."
Silence lingered in the courtyard after her last words.
Then Elder Lianhua spoke again.
"Under normal circumstances," she said evenly, "I would **doubt** such an account."
Her words were not accusatory—only factual.
"To claim that a third-layer entity annihilated multiple Foundation Establishment cultivators, wielded numerous elements, and hid itself from divine sense…" She paused. "Such claims border on the absurd."
The qi in the courtyard remained steady.
"Yet," Elder Lianhua continued, "you crossed sect borders, endured suppressive formations, and climbed Lianhua Peak **alone** to deliver this message."
Her voice lowered slightly.
"A man spinning falsehoods would not dare travel so far merely to stand before me."
Another pause.
"Nor would an ordinary person who truly witnessed such slaughter remain **whole**."
Her words carried quiet weight.
"If you had fabricated this tale without witnessing such devastation firsthand," she said, "your mind would fracture under the pressure of your own lies."
Li Qiye felt the invisible scrutiny sharpen.
"And yet you stand here," Elder Lianhua said. "Your life force is stable. Your spirit—shaken, but intact."
The courtyard seemed to breathe.
"That alone lends weight to your words."
She allowed a moment to pass.
"Still," she continued, "fear distorts memory. Chaos clouds judgment. What you witnessed may not yet be fully understood."
Her voice remained even.
"But I cannot ignore one fact."
The qi subtly deepened.
"You came **this far**."
A long silence followed.
"If even **part** of what you say is true," Elder Lianhua said at last, "then something that should not exist a catastrophe has begun to move."
Her tone hardened—just slightly.
"And that is not a matter your clan can face alone."
The courtyard fell quiet once more.
Then, softly but decisively, she spoke:
"I will verify the truth of this matter myself."