The fight against the white-masked man raged on. Four against one, yet the masked cultivator showed no signs of being overwhelmed. His movements were precise, weaving through the flurry of attacks with calculated ease, as though the battle was nothing more than an inconvenience.
Xie Lang roared, each stomp of his feet cracking the ground beneath him as he surged forward with Iron Bull Rush, his momentum building with every step. His fists gleamed like dark metal, hardened by Ironhide Fists, a battle skill that turned his hands into iron weapons. But the real danger came from the heat radiating off them — Molten Core Strike, a technique that allowed him to store the force of his movements and convert it into searing heat. His fists glowed red-hot, the air warping around them, each punch threatening to shatter bone and melt flesh.
Yan Bai and Yan Hei worked in perfect tandem, their blades flashing in the moonlight as they tried to corner the masked man, cutting off his escape routes and forcing him into Xie Lang's path. Whenever Xie Lang left himself open after an attack, they lunged, forcing the man to dodge or deflect.
Xu Jin, meanwhile, acted as the wall. With his Hundred-Fold Flesh body refinement technique, his flesh grew unnaturally dense, his body swelling with each blow he absorbed, making him appear fatter. His Iron Boulder Guard battle skill further reinforced his body, allowing him to shrug off attacks that would shatter a lesser man. He took the hits so the others could strike.
It should've been a perfect balance of attack, distraction, and defense. Yet the masked man barely seemed pressured.
"Damned brats…" the man hissed.
Light began to radiate from his arms, illuminating the battlefield with an eerie brilliance. The group tensed. The air grew heavy with Qi.
"Solar Fang Rampart."
A high-tier Rank 1 battle skill. Light condensed around the man's arms, forming translucent shields that shimmered with lethal energy. With a twist of his wrists, the shields flared, releasing explosions of radiant force with each movement. The group scrambled to defend themselves.
Yan Bai and Yan Hei activated their defensive technique, Serpent's Scale Armor, white snake-like scales spreading across their skin. Xu Jin swelled further, his body growing heavier as his Qi surged into his body refining technique. Xie Lang slammed his fists into the ground, creating a stone wall in front of him to absorb the blast.
The masked man exploded forward, faster than before, his Solar Fang Rampart lighting up the street as the battle reached its peak.
---
Meanwhile, inside the village leader's house, Lin Shu moved with calculated silence. His fingers traced the hidden grooves in the wall, searching for the mechanism. Ivory Monolith kept his body tense, prepared to withstand an attack comparable to a mid-tier Rank 1 battle skill if needed. The air was still. Dust floated lazily through the beams of moonlight.
Click.
The wall shifted. A hidden passage revealed itself, dim light flickering at the end of the tunnel. Lin Shu wasted no time, slipping inside. His instincts screamed danger, but he pressed on.
A whistling sound cut through the air. Lin Shu twisted, but not fast enough — arrows shot from the walls, striking his armor. Cracks spread across the ivory surface before the armor repaired itself. He pressed forward, enduring more traps: poisoned needles, tripwires, pressure plates. Each one slowed him down, but none could stop him. Finally, he reached the end of the passage.
What he found made his eyes widen in disbelief.
A black egg, as large as a human head, rested on an altar. Crimson veins pulsed across its surface, the dark shell almost seeming to breathe. Lin Shu stepped closer, heart pounding.
"This… this is an Infernoheart Salamander egg…"
He could hardly believe it. Infernoheart Salamanders were blood beasts capable of reaching the peak of Rank 1. An egg like this was worth a fortune, especially to beast tamers. His mind raced with possibilities. He could sell it at an auction or on the black market — the price would be astronomical. Even raising it crossed his mind, but…
That was a fantasy.
To bind a beast like this, he'd need a beast-taming skill and to be at least close in strength to the creature when it hatched. And even if he managed that, he couldn't hide a salamander that would grow stronger and hungrier by the day. Its preferred food was only found in the Crimson Ember Wastes, far to the south. Greenwood Hollow wasn't an option.
No, raising it was impossible. Selling it was the only choice.
But selling something this valuable carried its own risks. Anyone bold enough to buy an Infernoheart Salamander egg would either kill him for it or mark him as a target. He needed somewhere safe to make the trade…
Darkveil Crossing.
The infamous trade hub was known for its secrecy. Deals made there were untraceable, and buyers rarely asked questions. It was dangerous, but it was his best chance.
Lin Shu clenched his jaw. "I'll sell it. Keeping it is pointless. Even if I wanted to raise it, I don't have the strength or backing." His eyes grew colder. "Besides… with this, I can get something far more useful. A high-tier Rank 1 battle skill…"
He smirked bitterly, recalling the time he'd "killed" a peak-stage Rank 1 blood beast. Tan Bo had been the real fighter, wearing the beast down until he was barely standing. Lin Shu had only landed the final blow — after poisoning the creature. Even then, he wouldn't have survived if Tan Bo hadn't done all the work.
This egg was his chance to change that. To become stronger.
He picked up the egg, its warmth seeping into his palms. He couldn't put it in his storage ring — living things couldn't be stored. He'd have to carry it out.
As he turned to leave, his eyes darkened. The mission didn't matter anymore. Let the others kill each other. He had what he came for.
And soon, he'd have much more.
Lin Shu slipped out of the village leader's house under the cover of darkness, the Infernoheart Salamander egg cradled carefully in his arms. He moved swiftly, each step precise, his mind racing. Hiding the egg in the village was too risky — the village leader, the others, even that masked man… any of them could stumble upon it. No, he needed somewhere more secluded.
There was a cave not too far from the village, tucked away beneath the roots of an old tree. He'd found it during one of his earlier hunts. It wasn't deep, but it was hidden, and that was enough. He'd leave the egg there and return for it after things settled down. Whether that meant leaving for Darkveil Crossing with it in tow or sneaking back if the others lost the fight… it didn't matter. The egg was his now.
As he slipped through the shadows, he glanced toward the village square — and what he saw made him move even faster.
Explosions of light lit up the night. Houses crumbled beneath the force of the ongoing battle. The white-masked man fought like a cornered beast, his Solar Fang Rampart flaring with every movement, while Xie Lang and the others grew weaker and weaker. Even with their cooperation, they couldn't keep up. Their Qi reserves were draining fast, and the masked man showed no signs of slowing. Xie Lang and the twins might've had secrets left to use, but what good were they if they didn't have the strength to wield them?
Lin Shu didn't stay to watch the outcome. He had his prize. Let the fools fight and die for nothing.
By the time he reached the cave, he moved like a ghost. The entrance was narrow, barely wide enough for him to slip through. Inside, darkness swallowed him whole. The cave was silent — but not empty. He heard the soft scurrying of claws against stone, the quiet hissing of some lurking beast. Lin Shu's eyes narrowed.
A few moments later, silence returned. The floor was slick with blood, but the cave was his now. He carefully placed the egg against the cold stone, surrounding it with dry moss for insulation. The cave was sealed behind a layer of stones, carefully arranged to look natural, but sturdy enough to deter most scavengers. It wasn't perfect, but it would do.
He stepped back, his gaze lingering on the egg. "I'll come back for you… once the path is clear." Without another word, he vanished into the night.
---
Moments after Lin Shu disappeared into the forest, another figure approached the village leader's house. Cloaked in shadows, the man moved with quiet purpose. A black hawk perched on his shoulder, its beady eyes glimmering in the dark. The man's face twisted with frustration as he surveyed the destruction.
"That old bastard better have the egg," he muttered. "I didn't rush the beast wave and launch this attack just to leave empty-handed. I'd have come sooner if I didn't have to slow the old man down…"
He clenched his fists, barely restraining his anger. The empire had interfered — of all times, now. Even with the chaos in the Farlands, they'd still managed to send reinforcements. "Righteous bastards…" he thought bitterly. "They always have to meddle in everything."
The man slipped into the house, his eyes scanning every corner. He tore through furniture and overturned shelves, searching for any sign of the hidden room. His hawk shifted on his shoulder, claws digging into his cloak. Then, in the basement, he found her.
A girl, passed out on the floor. His eyes narrowed. "What the hell is this…?"
Ignoring her for now, he pushed deeper into the hidden passage, heart pounding. When he reached the final room, his breath caught in his throat. The altar stood empty. His hands trembled as realization dawned.
"No… No, no, no, NO!" His screams echoed through the stone chamber, fists slamming into the walls. "Damnit! Damnit! Damnit! DAMNIT!" His eyes turned bloodshot, veins bulging in his neck. The egg was gone.
He stormed back up the passage, seething. Grabbing the unconscious girl, he slung her over his shoulder and stepped outside, eyes blazing with fury. He scanned the battlefield, ready to tear the truth from those brats himself —
A second hawk swooped down, landing on his arm. He snatched the parchment tied to its leg and scanned the message. His face paled.
"Shit."
He spun toward his subordinate, voice cutting through the chaos. "We're leaving. Now. Forget the brats. They're coming back."
"What?!" Xie Lang roared from across the battlefield, struggling against the twins' restraint. "You're not going anywhere!"
Xie Lang lunged forward, only to be yanked back by Yan Bai and Yan Hei, their blades glimmering in the moonlight. "Do not even think about it!" Xu Jin snapped, panting heavily. "This doesn't concern us. We did our mission. Stop dragging us into your damned fights, you barbarian!"
"The hell did you just say to me you fat bastard?!" Xie Lang snarled.
"I said I'm not fat!" Xu Jin bellowed, veins bulging as he gestured to his massive frame. "It's my body refinement! If I didn't have this technique, you'd be dead already. I saved your ass more times than I can count, you ungrateful savage!"
"Oh yeah?! You want me to smash your pig face into the dirt, huh?!"
"Bring it on, bull-brain!"
The twins glanced at each other, barely suppressing their laughter as the two bickered, all while keeping their swords at the ready. They were still in a fight, after all.
But before another punch could be thrown, the masked men vanished into the night, shadows swallowing them whole.
And in a cave not far from the village, nestled in the cold stone, a black egg pulsed with faint crimson light.