Chapter 5: 🔥The Seal Weakens, The Flame Rages 🔥

The dense mist that veiled the forest slowly began to dissipate, revealing shadowy figures hidden within its depths. Hunters and rogue cultivators emerged in scattered groups, their wary eyes scanning the surroundings.

Among them, the forces of the Gu Family stood in grim silence.

At the heart of the clearing, a group of Gu Family cultivators remained still, their expressions unreadable. The elder at the forefront gripped a broken locket in his palm. A faint crimson glow pulsed from the shattered artifact—a silent warning of an impending threat.

Several merchants and rogue cultivators exchanged glances, their unease growing.

One of them muttered, voice laced with apprehension,

“Who could have possibly killed Young Master Gu❓

A seasoned cultivator narrowed his eyes, his expression grave.

“It wasn’t an ordinary person. That artifact was Second Grade—breaking it wouldn’t have been easy, not even for someone at the Foundation Building Stage.”

Ji Ru felt a cold shiver crawl down her spine. Her gaze shifted toward Ji Yang, realization dawning upon her.

He wasn’t bluffing.

Before she could say anything, the elder examined the locket more closely. His expression darkened as he declared,

“This locket contains a tracking technique. Whoever killed Young Master Gu… this artifact will lead us to them.”

A deadly silence fell over the forest.

Ji Yang’s eyes narrowed slightly, but his face remained unreadable.

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🔥First Move: The Web of Deception 🔥

Ji Yang turned slightly and whispered a few words to Ji Ru.

She hesitated, wanting to ask more, but upon seeing the seriousness in his eyes, she simply nodded.

Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

A few moments later—

Ji Ru hunted down several beast corpses and stored them in her spatial ring. Then, she deliberately smeared their blood onto her clothes and arms, making it appear as if she had barely escaped a fierce battle.

Meanwhile, Ji Yang swiftly moved in a different direction, wrapping a dark cloth around his face to conceal his identity.

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Second Move: The Distraction🔥

As Ji Yang crossed a certain distance—

The crimson glow of the locket suddenly intensified.

The Gu Family elder stiffened.

“Wait! The locket is reacting—he’s nearby!”

“Find him! Do not let him escape!”

At once, multiple Gu Family cultivators charged in Ji Yang’s direction.

At the same time—

Ji Ru had already slipped out of the forest. She paused for a brief moment, glancing back.

But Ji Yang’s words echoed in her mind:

"If you escape first, I can slip away unnoticed. This way, both of us survive."

"I hope you return home safely… I'll be waiting for you."

Clenching her fists, she forced herself to move forward—leaving Ji Yang behind.

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The Real Danger: 👿A Shadow’s Arrival👿

Now, Ji Yang was completely surrounded.

The Gu Family elder, a Foundation Building Stage cultivator, closed the distance with alarming speed.

“Where do you think you’re running, boy?”

His aura surged violently, his movements tripling in speed.

Ji Yang tried to evade, but the difference in power was undeniable.

With a swift motion, the elder launched a palm strike—a devastating wave of energy surging toward him.

Ji Yang attempted to dodge, but—

BOOM!

The attack struck him directly.

"Aghh!"

Blood splattered as Ji Yang was sent flying. He crashed against a tree, barely managing to stay on his feet. Gritting his teeth, he forced himself deeper into the thickest part of the forest, where the fog was still dense.

But then—

A presence stirred within the mist.

A shadowy figure moved noiselessly between the trees, its steps so light that even the wind failed to register them.

Ji Yang’s gaze sharpened.

"Someone… is following me?"

How?

In this dense Fogging Forest, where visibility was almost nonexistent, how had this person tracked him so precisely?

Ji Yang immediately understood—this was no ordinary pursuer.

Calming his breath, he spoke without turning.

“You can come out now.”

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A Shadow Steps Forward

The figure hesitated. Then, it stepped into the dim light.

Ji Yang could feel an eerie stillness in the air. This person… their presence was almost imperceptible.

Even high-level cultivators would struggle to sense them.

Then, a chilling voice broke the silence.

"So, it’s you, boy..."

Ji Yang’s expression remained cold.

"You’re an assassin, aren’t you?"

The figure chuckled softly.

"Interesting… seems like you’ve figured out quite a bit already."

Ji Yang clenched his fists.

"In a place like this… hunters aren’t the only ones lurking. Sometimes, the predator becomes the prey."

The assassin took a step forward.

"You won’t last much longer, boy."

Ji Yang controlled his breathing, but the pain and blood loss were taking their toll.

He needed to regain his strength—fast.

"You intend to kill me?" he asked.

The assassin smirked.

"No. Killing you now would be a waste. But I am curious about one thing—"

He paused. Then, his voice turned sharp.

"—How did a mere Body Tempering Stage cultivator at the second level defeat three elite disciples?"

Ji Yang remained silent.

Deep within his consciousness, something stirred.

A familiar presence.

A flame flickered in the depths of his soul.

"The Yin-Yang Flame…!"🔥

It had remained sealed for so long due to his weak body, but now—

It was going out of control!

A sudden heat surged through Ji Yang’s veins.

The assassin’s eyes narrowed as he sensed the rising temperature around Ji Yang.

"Well now… what exactly are you hiding❓"

The assassin’s smirk widened.

"If you don’t tell me, I’ll just have to cut you open and find out myself."

Ji Yang was critically injured.

His pursuer was far stronger.

But something deep within him was awakening.

Could he control the Yin-Yang Flame in his current state❓

Or would its seal finally break—bringing the same destruction that had once shaken the God Domain?

[To be continued…]🔥

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