The shattered battlefield slowly fell silent.
Moments ago—
thunder had shaken the heavens.
Ancient glaciers had erupted from the earth.
A Nine-Star Immortal Seed had been blasted across mountains.
Now—
only destruction remained.
The forest had disappeared.
The once-lush land had become a wasteland stretching as far as the eye could see.
Gigantic cracks covered the earth.
Frozen cliffs stood where hills had once existed.
Broken trees lay scattered everywhere.
The cold lingering in the air felt unnatural.
Like the remnants of a battle that should never have happened.
At the center of it all—
Lin Shuan lay motionless upon the fractured ground.
His breathing was weak.
His white hair had already returned to black.
The terrifying power he had borrowed from Tian Wuchen had completely faded.
Inside the Dragon Pendant—
even Tian Wuchen remained silent.
The old dragon's expression was unusually serious.
"Foolish child..."
He sighed.
"You pushed yourself far beyond your limits."
"If that punch had lasted one moment longer..."
"You might have damaged your foundation."
But Lin Shuan could no longer hear him.
His consciousness drifted in darkness.
Far away—
among the collapsed mountains—
Mo Chen lay buried beneath countless boulders.
His body trembled violently.
Blood covered his robes.
Even breathing caused pain.
For a Nine-Star Immortal Seed—
such injuries were humiliating.
Unacceptable.
Yet they were real.
And they had been caused by a Meridian Tracer.
A teenager.
A boy.
The thought alone nearly made him cough blood again.
Suddenly—
CRACK.
A jade-like spiritual stone hanging from his waist shattered.
Black mist emerged from the fragments.
The mist rapidly gathered together.
Then—
a gigantic black leopard phantom appeared.
Its glowing eyes swept across the battlefield.
Moments later—
the phantom condensed into a human figure.
A tall man dressed in black robes stepped forward.
His face was sharp.
His aura was cold.
A leopard insignia rested upon his chest.
Second Hidden Commander of Yue Sha Empire.
Sha Ming.
The moment he saw Mo Chen—
his expression changed completely.
"First Commander?!"
He rushed forward.
His voice trembled with disbelief.
"What happened?"
"Who did this to you?"
"How could you be injured to this extent?"
The mighty Mo Chen—
one of Yue Sha Empire's strongest hidden commanders—
could barely move.
His hands shook.
Blood continued flowing from the corner of his mouth.
Even standing seemed impossible.
Mo Chen forced himself to speak.
"Sha Ming..."
"Take me away."
His voice sounded weak.
"I can't even stand."
For a moment—
Sha Ming felt his blood boil.
Who?
Who could have done this?
A Divine Cycle Emperor?
A hidden sect ancestor?
A peak expert from the imperial capital?
His eyes immediately scanned the battlefield.
The destruction was terrifying.
This wasn't the result of an ordinary Immortal Seed battle.
Then—
his gaze landed upon a white-robed figure lying on the ground.
A white mask.
Black robes stained with dust.
A young man.
A Meridian Tracer.
Sha Ming almost ignored him.
A Meridian Tracer?
Such a person shouldn't even survive on a battlefield like this.
Yet—
something felt strange.
Very strange.
He carefully sensed the lingering aura surrounding Lin Shuan.
Then his pupils shrank.
The aura lingering around the battlefield...
and the aura lingering around this youth...
were astonishingly similar.
His heart skipped a beat.
"Impossible..."
A Meridian Tracer?
No.
That made no sense.
Even if a thousand Meridian Tracers attacked together—
they couldn't injure Mo Chen.
Then why?
Why did their auras match?
Before he could think further—
Mo Chen suddenly spoke.
"Sha Ming..."
His voice carried urgency.
"Do not approach him."
Sha Ming froze.
"What?"
Mo Chen gritted his teeth.
"He's dangerous."
The words stunned Sha Ming.
Dangerous?
A half-conscious Meridian Tracer?
Then suddenly—
his eyes widened.
"Wait."
His gaze sharpened.
"Lin Shuan?"
"The Lin Clan's Lin Shuan?"
The famous cursed genius.
The last heir.
The boy Yue Sha Empire had searched for.
The boy Hei Wu repeatedly warned them about.
Slowly—
Sha Ming's expression darkened.
His killing intent surfaced.
Step.
Step.
Step.
He walked toward Lin Shuan.
At that moment—
Lin Shuan barely remained conscious.
His vision blurred.
His body refused to move.
Yet he still saw Sha Ming approaching.
Saw the killing intent.
Saw the cold smile.
Sha Ming crouched before him.
A cruel grin appeared.
"So..."
"You truly injured First Commander."
His eyes narrowed.
"Impressive."
"Unfortunately..."
"There won't be another chance."
He slowly raised his hand.
Immortal Seed power gathered.
A single strike would be enough.
Inside Lin Shuan's sleeve—
Longshe suddenly awakened.
The little dragon snake had been sleeping during most of the battle.
But now—
it sensed danger.
Its tiny eyes instantly opened.
Murderous intent exploded from its body.
It prepared to attack.
Yet before Sha Ming could move—
his expression suddenly changed.
Someone was approaching.
Fast.
Very fast.
An Immortal Seed expert.
And close.
Too close.
Sha Ming cursed inwardly.
This was Da Cang territory.
If another expert arrived—
things would become troublesome.
He immediately withdrew his power.
Then looked down at Lin Shuan one final time.
A mocking smile appeared.
"Lin Shuan."
His voice was filled with contempt.
"After Myriad Frost City..."
"All the cities of Da Cang Empire will eventually belong to Yu Long Sect."
His eyes gleamed darkly.
"I hope you're still alive to witness it."
"Hahaha..."
The laughter echoed through the ruined battlefield.
The next moment—
he grabbed Mo Chen.
Then vanished.
Leaving only cold wind behind.
Several breaths later—
a powerful aura descended.
An Immortal Seed expert arrived.
The middle-aged cultivator landed carefully.
His eyes widened.
The destruction before him was unbelievable.
The ground had split apart.
The forest no longer existed.
Ice covered everything.
Even the air contained lingering battle intent.
He immediately sensed two powerful figures fleeing in the distance.
His instincts told him to pursue.
Yet—
before he could move—
he noticed something.
A hand.
Weakly reaching upward.
His attention shifted.
Toward Lin Shuan.
The youth looked terrible.
Barely conscious.
Trying desperately to say something.
The Immortal Seed expert hesitated.
Then sighed.
The fleeing experts could wait.
A life was more important.
He approached.
Looking at the devastated battlefield around them, he shook his head.
"These Immortal Seeds..."
His voice carried irritation.
"They truly have no fear of the Empire Protector."
"Fighting so recklessly."
"They nearly destroyed this entire region."
Then he glanced at Lin Shuan.
"And even dragged a child into it."
If only he knew.
The "child" before him had created half the destruction himself.
Lin Shuan struggled to speak.
His voice barely emerged.
"Elder..."
The man leaned closer.
"What is it?"
"Lin... Jian Sect..."
Then—
darkness consumed him.
His arm fell.
The young man lost consciousness.
The Immortal Seed expert frowned.
"LinJian Sect?"
His eyes moved across Lin Shuan's robes.
White robes.
Sword patterns.
Indeed.
The clothing resembled LinJian Sect attire.
"So you're from LinJian Sect?"
He looked puzzled.
"What were you doing in the royal forests?"
For a moment—
he considered removing the mask.
Curiosity tempted him.
Yet eventually—
he shook his head.
Everyone had secrets.
And those secrets deserved respect.
Instead—
he placed a hand upon Lin Shuan's shoulder.
Gentle spiritual energy entered the youth's body.
His expression changed almost immediately.
"Hm?"
He sensed Lin Shuan's cultivation.
Peak Five-Star Meridian Tracer.
Normal.
Then—
he sensed something else.
His eyes widened.
Third Stage Consciousness Realm.
The Immortal Seed expert stared in disbelief.
"A Meridian Tracer..."
"With Third Stage Consciousness?"
A bitter laugh escaped him.
"No wonder you survived."
"It seems LinJian Sect truly possesses a remarkable disciple."
Without further hesitation—
he lifted Lin Shuan.
Then flew northeast.
Toward LinJian Sect.
Unaware that countless destinies were already beginning to converge there.
Far behind him—
a crimson-robed figure silently stood upon a distant mountain peak.
Protector Yi.
Her eyes remained fixed upon the unconscious Lin Shuan.
Suspicion.
Concern.
And anger.
All three emotions existed simultaneously.
For a moment—
she nearly stepped forward.
Nearly followed.
Nearly approached him.
But she stopped.
Because if she got too close...
certain truths might surface.
Truths she wasn't ready to face.
Not yet.
Especially not now.
Her fists tightened.
And she remained where she stood.
Watching silently as Lin Shuan disappeared into the horizon.
Several hours later—
far to the northeast—
towering mountains pierced the clouds.
Countless sword-shaped peaks stretched across the horizon.
Waterfalls descended from cliff sides like silver dragons.
Ancient pavilions rested atop mountain ridges.
Sword intent filled the air.
This was—
LinJian Sect.
One of the oldest sword sects within Da Cang Empire.
Today—
the sect was unusually lively.
Stone pathways bustled with disciples.
Training grounds echoed with sword clashes.
Young disciples sparred beneath the watchful eyes of elders.
Children laughed while running through the outer courtyards.
For the first time in many years—
the atmosphere felt alive.
And almost every conversation revolved around a single topic.
The Young Master.
"The Young Master is coming today!"
A young disciple excitedly shouted.
Another immediately leaned closer.
"Really?"
"I heard he's from the Lin Clan."
"I heard he inherited the Young Master position personally from Sect Leader Lin Mo."
Nearby—
another disciple lowered his voice.
"Do you think he's powerful?"
A girl answered before anyone else could.
"He must be."
"Otherwise Sect Leader wouldn't value him so highly."
"But what's his name?"
"No idea."
"I heard he has been hidden for years."
"Maybe he's some peerless genius."
The discussions continued endlessly.
Not far away—
several female disciples gathered together.
Their eyes sparkled with curiosity.
"I wonder if he's handsome."
Another laughed.
"You're only interested in that."
The first girl puffed her cheeks.
"And what if I am?"
The group burst into laughter.
Meanwhile—
high atop a mountain peak—
Han Qing Li stood alone.
The wind gently moved her silver-white robes.
Her blue eyes stared into the distant horizon.
She looked calm.
Yet everyone who knew her understood—
she was worried.
Very worried.
Ever since Lin Shuan left—
a strange unease had remained within her heart.
Especially after remembering those dark thunderclouds.
She had sensed them.
Felt their terrifying fluctuations.
Yet somehow—
she couldn't sense Lin Shuan at all.
It made no sense.
For someone with Fourth Stage Consciousness Realm—
such a thing should have been impossible.
And yet—
it had happened.
Suddenly—
her eyes narrowed.
Someone was approaching.
Fast.
A powerful aura.
Immediately—
she rose into the sky.
Blue-white moonlight spread around her.
At almost the same moment—
Lin Mo appeared.
Then Lei Yun Hua.
Yan Feng Luo.
Han Xue Long.
Tai Gu Chen.
And the others.
The entire group gathered above LinJian Sect.
Below—
the disciples instantly became alert.
"What happened?"
"Enemy attack?"
Several disciples drew their swords.
Formation disciples immediately began forming seals.
Defensive arrays started activating across the mountains.
Then—
a distant figure appeared.
An Immortal Seed expert.
The moment Yan Feng Luo saw him—
his eyes widened.
Battle intent erupted instantly.
"An outsider!"
Flames exploded around his body.
"I'm going!"
He was already preparing to charge.
But before he could move—
Han Qing Li suddenly reached out.
"Wait."
Her voice was calm.
Yet unusually firm.
Yan Feng Luo froze.
Then followed her gaze.
And his eyes widened.
Someone was being carried.
A familiar figure.
White robes.
White mask.
Lin Shuan.
The moment everyone recognized him—
their expressions changed.
Below—
the disciples became excited.
"Look!"
"Someone's coming!"
"Is that him?"
"The Young Master?"
Countless eyes focused upon the approaching figure.
Then the discussions exploded.
"An Immortal Seed is carrying him!"
"Does the Young Master have an Immortal Seed guardian?"
"Of course he does."
"The Lin Clan wasn't ordinary."
"But..."
"Why does he look injured?"
The questions continued endlessly.
Several girls stared at the unconscious youth.
Even with the mask covering his face—
they couldn't hide their curiosity.
Above the sect—
the approaching Immortal Seed expert finally arrived.
The moment he saw the number of experts gathered before him—
his heart nearly stopped.
Han Qing Li.
Lei Yun Hua.
Han Xue Long.
Yan Feng Luo.
And many others.
Every single one possessed Immortal Seed cultivation.
The scene left him stunned.
"What..."
He swallowed.
"Is this truly LinJian Sect?"
He had always believed LinJian Sect was led by a Seven-Star Form Shaper.
Yet before him—
stood enough Immortal Seeds to shake entire regions.
For a moment—
he genuinely felt nervous.
Then Han Qing Li moved.
Moonlight flashed.
She instantly appeared beside him.
The moment she saw Lin Shuan—
all composure vanished.
"Lin Shuan!"
Without hesitation—
she took him into her arms.
Concern filled her eyes.
"Are you alright?"
Lin Shuan had regained a small amount of consciousness.
Seeing her worried expression—
he forced a faint smile.
"I'm fine..."
His voice sounded weak.
Before anything else could be said—
Yan Feng Luo suddenly exploded.
"You!"
Flames erupted around him.
His finger pointed directly at the Immortal Seed expert.
"You injured Brother Shuan?!"
The surrounding temperature immediately increased.
Several disciples nearly stumbled from the pressure.
The Immortal Seed expert looked bewildered.
"What?"
Fortunately—
Lin Shuan weakly lifted a hand.
Placing it upon Yan Feng Luo's shoulder.
"Brother Feng Luo..."
"Stop."
Yan Feng Luo froze.
Lin Shuan smiled faintly.
"He saved me."
The flames immediately disappeared.
Yan Feng Luo awkwardly scratched his head.
"Oh."
Then he stepped back.
The Immortal Seed expert secretly released a breath of relief.
For a moment—
he genuinely thought he might be attacked.
Lin Mo stepped forward.
"Cultivator friend."
The man immediately cupped his fists.
"My name is Chen Feng."
"I discovered this young man within the royal forests."
"He had been caught in the aftermath of an Immortal Seed battle."
"He requested to be brought to LinJian Sect."
"So I escorted him here."
Silence followed.
Han Qing Li lowered her gaze toward Lin Shuan.
Her eyes narrowed slightly.
The royal forest.
Immortal Seed battle.
The strange thunderclouds.
The mysterious disappearance.
Nothing matched.
Something was clearly missing.
Yet when she looked at Lin Shuan—
he simply gave a small nod.
A silent confirmation.
Though doubts remained—
she chose not to press further.
Not now.
Seeing that everything was settled—
Chen Feng prepared to leave.
However—
before he could move—
Lin Shuan suddenly spoke.
"Elder Chen."
Chen Feng paused.
"Hm?"
Lin Shuan smiled.
"You helped me."
"Please stay."
The Immortal Seed expert looked surprised.
Then Lin Mo stepped forward.
His laughter echoed across the mountain.
"Indeed."
"Today is a special day."
"The Young Master has returned."
"A celebration will be held."
"You are welcome to join."
Chen Feng blinked.
Then slowly smiled.
"Very well."
For the first time—
he felt genuinely curious about this sect.
At that moment—
Lin Shuan slowly reached toward his face.
The disciples below immediately quieted.
Everyone watched.
Curious.
Anticipating.
Then—
the mask came off.
Silence.
Absolute silence.
His sharp jawline became visible.
His handsome features emerged beneath the sunlight.
Years of hardship had erased the softness of childhood.
Leaving behind determination.
Maturity.
And a unique charm.
Many female disciples instantly froze.
Their faces turned red.
"So handsome..."
One girl whispered.
Several others silently agreed.
Then—
the seal upon his forehead became visible.
Ancient.
Mysterious.
Unforgettable.
Instead of reducing his appearance—
it enhanced it.
Making him seem even more extraordinary.
Yet within the crowd—
one young man suddenly turned pale.
His body trembled.
His eyes widened in horror.
"Lin..."
"Lin Shuan?!"
Fear flooded his face.
"It really is him."
Without another word—
he quietly retreated from the crowd.
Then disappeared into a hidden path.
No one noticed.
No one except fate itself.
Meanwhile—
Lin Shuan was too exhausted to care.
Han Qing Li immediately brought him toward a mountain residence.
The disciples watched with fascination.
Their mysterious Young Master.
Surrounded by Immortal Seeds.
Protected by peerless geniuses.
Even Han Qing Li herself seemed unusually concerned about him.
To them—
he appeared almost legendary.
Inside the mountain residence—
Lin Shuan finally sat down.
The moment the door closed—
his expression became serious.
A crystal appeared in his hand.
An Energy Crystal.
One of the treasures gathered within the Primordial Garden.
Without hesitation—
he began absorbing it.
Pure energy surged into his body.
The damaged meridians slowly recovered.
The internal injuries gradually healed.
The pain faded.
Outside—
the celebration of the Young Master's return had already begun.
But inside the room—
Lin Shuan silently cultivated.
Because he knew something others did not.
Mo Chen had escaped.
Yue Sha Empire had moved again.
And the words Sha Ming left behind still echoed within his mind.
"After Myriad Frost City..."
"All cities of Da Cang Empire will belong to Yu Long Sect..."
Lin Shuan slowly opened his eyes.
A cold light flashed within them.
The road ahead was becoming darker.
More dangerous.
Yet his determination only grew stronger.
Because now—
he was no longer fighting only for revenge.
He was fighting for everyone standing beside him.
And this time—
he would not lose.
The storm was approaching.
And Lin Shuan was finally stepping onto the center of the stage.