Lin Shu found himself in a precarious situation—he had to be careful not to reveal anything while also ensuring he didn't appear suspicious. Meanwhile, Han Yi was weighing her next words carefully.
"I can't be too direct—that would make him wary. But I also can't just start a casual conversation out of nowhere. We've never spoken before, aside from that match months ago. It would be strange if I suddenly acted friendly… Maybe I should wait for the tournament. He'll likely participate since the rewards Uncle Lu mentioned are tempting. After all, he organized this tournament specifically to flush out the person we're looking for, disguising it as a recruitment event for the Azure Crystal Mine. And besides… I doubt he's the one. The lightning technique he used back then didn't resemble Lightning Steps at all. But just in case, I should add him to the list."
All of these thoughts raced through Han Yi's mind in an instant before she finally spoke.
"Are you here to take a mission or submit one?" she asked casually, keeping her tone neutral. She had already decided to leave after a few more words.
Lin Shu put on a slightly nervous expression, as if he were standing next to someone far above his status—something that wasn't entirely untrue. By now, a small crowd had formed around them, curious to witness the rare sight of Han Yi engaging in conversation with someone outside her usual circle of elites.
"Yeah, I'm thinking about taking a mission to hunt some beasts. Nothing too difficult, just something manageable," Lin Shu replied, his tone casual yet slightly uncertain.
"Alright. Good luck with your mission," Han Yi said, giving him a neutral glance before turning to leave.
Lin Shu returned his focus to the mission board, pretending to continue browsing. He didn't want her to see which one he chose—not until he had already taken it and left.
Just as he was about to make his decision, another voice cut through the murmuring crowd.
"What were you talking about with her?"
Lin Shu turned to find the speaker—a tall, broad-shouldered young man with short brown hair and deep-set dark brown eyes. His posture radiated confidence, and his voice carried a tone of authority, laced with arrogance.
It was none other than Zeng Shiyang, heir to the Zeng Clan.
A ripple of murmurs spread through the gathered students.
"That kid's in trouble if his answer doesn't satisfy Zeng Shiyang…"
"Why does he even care?"
"Apparently, he has a thing for Han Yi. Or maybe it's the opposite—could be jealousy, could be resentment. No one really knows."
"Yeah, right. He's obviously into her. Look at him—acting like that just because she spoke to someone else."
A few low chuckles spread through the crowd, but their gazes remained fixed on the brewing confrontation.
Zeng Shiyang ignored the murmurs around him. He didn't actually care about Han Yi—his curiosity stemmed from something else. Someone like her had no reason to speak with a nobody like Lin Shu, and he wanted to see if there was something more to him.
"Nothing much," Lin Shu replied with an easygoing shrug. "She just remembered me from the entrance competition. Not that I'd call it a fight—I lost pretty quickly."
"I see."
Zeng Shiyang's interest faded almost immediately. He had expected something more, but it turned out to be nothing worth his attention. Without another word, he turned and left, clearly disappointed.
Lin Shu, however, remained on high alert. "Why the hell are these people suddenly talking to me?."He didn't like it. If anything, this was a sign to leave before anything else happened.
Wasting no more time, he quickly selected the mission to Solmire, submitted his name, and left the hall. The details stated that the team would be departing tomorrow morning. That was all he needed to know.
Morning arrived, and Lin Shu made his way to the designated meeting location. Most of the group had already gathered, standing near a row of sturdy carriages. His gaze quickly landed on the beasts harnessed to them—Flamehoof Stallions.
These weren't ordinary horses. Flamehoof Stallions were mid-stage Rank 1 bloodbeasts, prized for their exceptional speed and the ease with which they could be domesticated. Their fiery temperament made them difficult for ordinary people to handle, but for cultivators, they were among the best mounts available. Despite their advantages, they were extremely expensive, far beyond what most individual cultivators could afford.
Lin Shu wasn't surprised to see them here. These particular Flamehoof Stallions belonged to the institute, kept specifically for high-priority missions like this one.
He then walked over to the instructors to submit his token and the mission slip confirming his participation. One of them was a tall man with long black hair tied back neatly, sharp brown eyes scanning each student with silent authority. The other instructor made Lin Shu pause for a brief second—it was the same woman he had paid weeks ago for a private lesson on tracking methods.
"I guess this makes sense," he thought. "We'll need someone skilled in tracking if we're going after the Shadow Dwellers' hideout."
After confirming his identity, Lin Shu stepped back and waited alongside the others as more students arrived, slowly filling out the ranks of the expedition team. The morning air was brisk, but a heavy silence hung among the cultivators, each one quietly preparing for the danger ahead.
The carriages rolled across winding roads and open plains, carrying the mission group toward Solmire. Lin Shu sat near the back, arms crossed, lost in thought. His conversation with Han Yi lingered uncomfortably in his mind. It had been awkward—painfully so. But strangely, she hadn't seemed to notice or care. Her attitude had remained calm, detached, as if their interaction had meant nothing at all.
"I made the right call," he thought. "Best to keep my distance from that place for a while."
This mission, difficult as it may be, was the perfect excuse. Tracking the Shadow Dwellers lair was no easy task. The creatures were elusive, masters of hiding, and their strength at night made open conflict deadly. But even if the search dragged on, defending the town in the meantime would buy him time—time away from eyes that were starting to look too closely.
The journey stretched for four long days.
When the carriages finally arrived, Lin Shu got his first look at Solmire. The town—no, city—was in ruins. Tall towers and buildings loomed above them, their once-majestic forms now broken, scorched, or abandoned. Cracks split stone roads. Faint echoes of life clung to the air, but the streets were nearly empty, even though it was morning.
It was a shadow of its former self.
He had heard stories. Solmire had once been a thriving city protected by a Rank 3 cultivator, a place where few dared to cause trouble. But that protector had died mysteriously, his fate sealed away behind layers of silence. The empire never released the truth to the public. His death had left the city wide open to beasts and demonic cultivators. The empire was forced to intervene, salvaging what it could before everything collapsed.
And now, with the rise of the Shadow Dwellers, Solmire stood on the edge once more. Destruction loomed in the dark, waiting for nightfall.
The group was escorted by several armored guards through the near-empty streets, their footsteps echoing eerily in the quiet city. They were taken to the town's headquarters—a building that stood out sharply against the crumbling surroundings.
Though time and neglect had worn its edges, the structure still retained a sense of majesty. Elegant inscriptions lined its walls, tracing the history of Solmire in etched symbols and flowing script. Curved stone pillars supported a wide archway at the entrance, and despite the fading colors and cracked tiles, the building's craftsmanship was undeniable.
It was a reminder of what the city had once been—proud, powerful, and protected. A place where cultivators once walked openly in the streets, where the name of Solmire carried weight. Even now, as shadows gathered on its borders, the headquarters stood tall, silently declaring that its legacy had not yet been erased.
After entering the headquarters, the group was led into a wide hall with faded banners hanging from the high ceiling. At the far end stood a woman draped in a long dark green robe. Her face bore the lines of age, but her posture was straight, and her gaze was sharp and assessing, the kind that stripped people bare without needing a word.
"I am Madam Qu," she said simply, her voice steady but lacking warmth. "I am the one currently overseeing Solmire."
Her cultivation was at the peak of Rank 1, just like the two instructors who accompanied the group. From the little Lin Shu had picked up, she hadn't always lived here. She was appointed recently by the empire, sent in after the city's fall from grace.
The previous cultivators—those once loyal to the old city lord—had long fled when their leader died. Powerful enemies from his past had begun targeting the city, and not one of his so-called allies stayed to defend it. Cowards, the lot of them. With no defenders left, only mortals and low-level cultivators remained behind.
Oddly, the attacks eventually stopped. The demonic cultivators pulled back, perhaps out of boredom, perhaps because there was nothing left to destroy—or maybe they simply didn't want to risk drawing the empire's true wrath. But that didn't mean the danger was gone. Now, the Shadow Dwellers were rising, and Solmire was crumbling again.
Lin Shu listened, but his mind wandered, unsettled. Attacks on cities and villages have spiked in recent months… and the empire's response is slower than ever. Why? The empire was stretched thin—but how thin? What's in the Far Lands that's pulling so much of their strength away? And why does no one talk about it?
The silence around it was louder than any rumor.