Li Jun studied the black crystal in his palm. It pulsed with an eerie energy, unlike anything he had encountered before. His All-Knowing Eye activated, scanning the artifact.
[Shadow Essence Crystal – A condensed form of dark energy. Can be absorbed to enhance cultivation or refine shadow-based techniques.]
His brows furrowed.
"Shadow Essence Crystal? This kind of treasure shouldn't exist in this era… unless someone is creating them."
A disturbing thought.
Artifacts of this nature were remnants of ancient cultivation techniques, forbidden even in his previous life. If someone in this era had begun forging them again, it meant only one thing—a hidden force was rising.
Li Jun clenched his fist around the crystal. The energy inside it resisted, trying to seep into his skin. He could feel the raw power within, whispering, luring him to absorb it.
But he wasn't a fool.
Dark energy wasn't something that could be taken lightly. Power always came at a price.
Instead of absorbing it, he placed the crystal into his storage ring, sealing it away for further study.
He turned his attention back to the fallen hunter's body. Though the man was dead, something felt off.
A strange sensation crept over Li Jun's skin. The air was changing.
His All-Knowing Eye flickered, sensing something abnormal.
Then—his heart stopped.
The hunter's body… was changing.
The skin darkened, the flesh withering as if something was draining it from within.
A soft cracking noise filled the air.
The once-powerful hunter, a trained assassin, was now nothing more than a hollow husk.
Li Jun stepped back, gripping his sword tightly.
"What in the world…?"
A faint, dark mist rose from the remains, twisting in the air before dispersing completely.
A normal corpse didn't decay like that.
This was something else.
Something… unnatural.
His thoughts raced. In his past life, he had seen something similar—bodies drained of life, collapsing into empty shells after being exposed to forbidden energy.
Back then, he had thought such techniques were lost forever.
Now, he was standing in front of proof that they had returned.
His jaw tightened.
"Someone is experimenting with shadow energy."
A dangerous realization settled in his mind.
This wasn't a random attack.
This hunter had been sent to test him.
The implications were clear—someone knew about him.
And that someone was watching.
Li Jun exhaled slowly, forcing himself to stay calm.
Panic wouldn't help. If an unknown force had begun reviving the forbidden arts, then he needed to prepare.
And more importantly—he needed answers.
He turned toward the ruined temple, scanning the area. The battle had left cracks in the stone, debris scattered across the ground. But one detail stood out—footsteps.
Not his.
Not the hunter's.
Someone else had been here… and left.
Li Jun crouched, analyzing the prints. They were fresh. Whoever had watched the fight had left only moments ago.
He glanced toward the horizon, where the sun was beginning to rise.
His next move was clear.
If there were more shadow warriors like this, then something bigger was at play—and he wasn't going to wait for them to come to him.
He straightened, gripping his sword.
The hunter had only been the beginning.
The real enemy was still out there.
And Li Jun would find them.
No matter what it took.