Meanwhile, at the guest residence where Ji Wuye and Song Jia were staying, shadows flickered from the candles hung along the wooden walls, casting a warm, inviting glow. The aroma of burning wax mingled with the earthy scent of the village.

The village chief, Xu Ma, sat with his daughter, Xu Li, who stood beside him after serving green tea and steaming dumplings on a lacquered tray. Xu Li's hands trembled slightly as she poured the fragrant tea, her brow furrowed with worry.

"So you're saying 'he' killed all the goblins by himself, and 'she' used some kind of violent and powerful sword art?" asked a woman in a white martial robe with dark red stripes. It was Li Rong, an Inner Disciple, frowning as she tapped her fingers on the soft cushion, her lips pressed into a thin line.

"Yes, especially Hero Ji. He wasn't even tired and volunteered to check the Dungeon itself after those long, exhausting battles," Xu Ma replied eagerly, the wrinkles on his weathered face twitching with a mixture of awe and trepidation.

Li Rong sighed, massaging her forehead with slender fingers. So far, all of her Junior Brother's actions didn't make sense, but entering a Dungeon was particularly concerning.

"Excuse me, heroine, are you perhaps the next guard?" Xu Ma asked, referring to the Kunlun disciples meant to replace those guarding the Dungeon entrance, a glimmer of hope in his weary eyes.

"No?" Li Rong raised her eyebrows, her delicate features marred by a slight frown. "Wait, so you've been defending the village by yourselves?"

Seeing their wry smiles and saddened looks, the weight of hardship etched into their faces, Li Rong's expression darkened. She couldn't fathom how common people could defend against the vicious creatures she knew were numerous.

"How long has it been since the creatures emerged?" Li Rong asked, her voice low.

"About two days. They keep coming no matter how many we slay, sometimes at night when the shadows lengthen, sometimes during the day when the sun is high," Xu Ma replied, also massaging his forehead as if trying to soothe a throbbing ache.

"Luckily, with the power we got from the Tower, we've been able to repel most of them and protect our children. But..." Xu Ma's words trailed off, his shoulders slumping with fatigue at the unspoken horrors they had faced.

"You must be exhausted and have lost some men," Li Rong stated softly, her voice tinged with empathy. Xu Ma confirmed with a slight nod, his eyes downcast.

She cupped her hands and said, "Please forgive us for this. I will seek clarification on this matter."

A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

"No, you from Kunlun are not at fault. You have no obligation to protect us, it's just..." Xu Ma trailed off, avoiding her gaze, a flicker of shame passing over his weathered features.

Li Rong noticed the guilt and embarrassment in the village chief's reaction, and even his daughter Xu Li looked saddened, her eyes downcast. A palpable tension hung in the air, a weight of unspoken truths.

Tianmu village had never officially requested protection from Kunlun or asked for guards. However, as part of Kunlun territory, villages were typically protected in exchange for goods or herbs.

The fact that Tianmu hadn't informed Kunlun when the new Official Disciple didn't arrive meant...

"I understand, Mister. Please rest assured," Li Rong said, her tone gentle yet carrying an undercurrent of resolve.

The Jianghu, the martial arts realm, was no longer the same. Even common people thought they were strong enough to protect themselves since gaining power from the Tower of the Gods. However, the foundation hadn't changed.

The difference between a martial artist wielding power and a common person wielding power remained vast, not easily overcome by skills or stronger physiques they got from the Tower.

Martial artists still held clear superiority in mentality and techniques.

But even so, both sides were at fault: the Official Disciples hadn't fulfilled their duty, and Tianmu's village chief hadn't reported the matter.

The nearest stationed Kunlun Disciples were in Baiyun village. If Xu Ma had ever sent a message to Baiyun village, there would have been no sight such as gigantic wolves appearing on the main road, and many losses could have been prevented had they been alerted.

But then...

'How did he know this would happen?' The question glared in Li Rong's mind, her brow furrowing. How could her Junior Brother, Ji Wuye, have known about the Dungeon in Tianmu village and the absence of guards? His arrival coincided with the villagers losing power, as if he'd predicted it, the timing too uncanny to be mere chance.

'So many questions left unanswered.' Li Rong's gaze sharpened. "Mister, did you say my Juniors went to the Dungeon?" She stood up abruptly, her robes swishing with the sudden movement. Only her Junior Brother could answer this. Her Junior Sister's sword art was a secondary concern for now.

...

At the Dungeon entrance, Li Rong frowned, her expression a mix of confusion and concern, while Xu Maand Xu Li looked surprised, their eyes wide with disbelief.

"H-how has the Dungeon changed?" Xu Li muttered, covering her mouth with her hanfu sleeve.

Instead of a cave-like dungeon embedded with tree trunks and stones covered in branches, blending with the surrounding forest, the Dungeon before them was completely dark. It was as if darkness had manifested into an object, turning the whole Dungeon into an inky, impenetrable shadow that seemed to blur the boundaries of reality.

Li Rong frowned briefly, her lips pressing into a tight line as her brows knitted together. Without hesitation, she unsheathed her jian, the gleaming blade catching the faint light as it sliced through the air. Taking a steadying breath, she stepped forward and entered the obscuring darkness.

Yet, when she entered, her frown only deepened at the sight before her.

Countless goblin and Dark Wolf corpses were scattered about, their twisted forms frozen in the throes of death. Vicious blade strikes marred their bodies, the wounds still oozing foul ichor onto the debris-littered ground. Violent-looking fragments of rock were strewn about, as if some great force had violently shaken the very foundations of the Dungeon itself.

What truly caught Li Rong's attention, however, were the blade marks scored deep into the surrounding walls and floor. "Junior Sister," she muttered under her breath, her brow furrowing as she traced the intricate patterns with narrowed eyes.

Not only was her Junior Brother Ji Wuye's inexplicable strength now in question, but her Junior Sister Song Jia's abilities were equally perplexing. As far as Li Rong could remember, Song Jia was little more than a fine-looking but otherwise unremarkable female disciple, notable only for her excessive requests for sparring and training sessions.

Li Rong had even witnessed firsthand how Song Jia had gradually mastered the Kunlun Cloudsoaring Saber Style, the foundational martial art taught to all Outer Disciples. Yet now, the evidence before her eyes hinted at something far more sinister and profound.

The sheer ferocity and power required to leave such deep scarring marks in the unyielding stone defied reason. "Is this a martial art she got from the Tower?" Li Rong pondered, her mind racing as she tried to make sense of the impossibility laid bare before her.

But if this truly stemmed from the Tower of the Gods, how could it be potent enough to slay not just these goblins, but the Dark Wolves as well?