Three mask-wearing individuals stood before the threshold of a formation. It shimmered with power as a man placed his hands on its surface, repelling it. Then, with an excruciating slowness, the man’s fingers dug into the boundary, creating countless cracks on its surface as the formation failed to defend against this intruder.

The barrier pulsed faster as countless runes appeared on the ground, yet the man's hand couldn't be stopped. The formation dimmed as a white vortex appeared in the crux of the man's hand, sapping away the power contained within. With each moment, his fingers dug deeper until cracks appeared on the runes. Yet, despite the man's effort, the barrier still held firm, albeit barely.

A frown could be seen on the man's face from behind his mask. He motioned for the two next to him to help with this endeavour. The same white vortex appeared in their hands as they pressed their palms on the now dim barrier. Unable to bear the strain of its fleeting power, it shattered into countless shards of light, the sound of which drowned the world.

Then, as the purple fog spilled from this enclosure, with a wave of his sleeve, the mist scattered to the four winds, revealing those hidden within.

Yun Jingfei's eyes narrowed slightly as she gazed at those three new arrivals. Yet, she remained calm and composed, feeling no urgency nor peril. She bent over the corpse at her feet and grasped the golden chain. She felt its weight and sturdiness as she picked it up off the ground, but more than that, she felt power welling within her as if it was imparting her its strength. Still, she simply stored it within her storage ring; something this heavy wasn't meant for her.

Soon after, Lian Huiling, too, emerged from the fog. While she could spew this purple mist anew, doing so would only be a waste of qi. Besides, she didn't need to. At her feet were the four intruders they had dealt with, yet only a single one was still intact and unconscious, while most others were only piles of broken limbs, meat and gore.

Despite it all, there was not a single trace of blood that stained Lian Huiling's garb. She hid a vicious smile beneath of fan, yet it all turned sour as she gazed upon these new intruders. The white hair that protruded from behind the men's masks seemed all too familiar. She couldn't help but freeze in place for a moment, but soon, a blaze of fury arose in her heart. Still, she held herself back by biting her lips until blood flowed from the wound. The slight metallic taste distracted her from the ache of her heart.

The battlefield was silent as the wind carried the mist, revealing the macabre spectacle that occurred within. The atmosphere grew heavier as the white-haired trio realized that Feng Xia was nowhere to be seen. Their gazes darted around as they sought her traces, yet none could be found.

Then, without saying a word, the man in front pointed a finger toward the two women before rushing past them, paying them no mind. Cold sweat poured on Yun Jingfei's back as she realized that if that man wanted her dead, she would have no way to resist without the aid of the purple mist. In fact, he seemed much stronger than the man she had just dispatched.

Then, before she could even get back her bearings, the two remaining masked individuals attacked, splitting themselves to face the two women simultaneously. Yun Jingfei could only will herself to move, taking on this new foe. Fortunately, her opponent was much weaker than the man who had passed her by, yet he was still stronger than her. All she could do was evade as best as possible while trying to buy time.

The same applied to Lian Huiling. Her opponent seemed to be a woman who specialized in speed. Lian Huiling sought to disappear within the mist, yet her opponent's relentless assault left her no chance to do so. At best, she could only throw wind blades in all directions, hoping to keep her at bay. She knew that once she bypassed her range, she would be helpless before her, even more so now that she was already exhausted from the earlier confrontation.

While the battle raged, the man entered the main hall, seeking Feng Xia's whereabouts, yet none could be found. His eyes narrowed as he realized she had disappeared into thin air. He hurriedly advanced, fearing she had fled while they broke the formation. He couldn't help but feel a sense of dread rise in his heart, knowing his fate were he to fail in his task. His master wasn't the type to tolerate failure.

As he entered the main bedroom, he saw an orange feather lying on the floor beside the bed. He picked it up and examined it, only to grin from behind his mask. Then, with a single punch, the man shattered the bed, revealing a stairwell hidden beneath. The man quickly rushed down, only to find himself in a dark corridor. The man ran along without even bothering to check for traps, shattering everything that stood in his way.

It only took him a few seconds to catch up to his prey, cornering her into the room at the end. He found a small teenage girl in an orange dress calmly looking at him as if unaware of her current predicament. The man frowned, unable to comprehend her actions, feeling something was wrong. But then, the girl smiled. This smile only brought him an overpowering sense of unease.

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He felt something behind his back; he quickly turned as he prepared a white vortex in his palm, striking with all his might. Yet, his strike was effortlessly caught at the wrist. The man struggled with all the strength he could muster, even opting to show the full might of his white lotus, yet it changed nothing. His arm was held as if in a vice, unable to move a single millimetre.

Before him was a middle-aged man wearing lavish white garbs. His beard was neatly trimmed, interspersed with countless white hair, yet not a single wrinkle was apparent on his skin as if aging was but a concept to him. Still, his temperament echoed the long flow of time.

The white-robed man looked at his prey with indifference, yet there was viciousness hidden in the depths of his eyes. The masked man sought to escape from his grasp, yet his arm remained immobile.

“Give it up,” the white-robed man said. “The young lady wants you in one piece; otherwise, you would have already been dealt with.”

The masked man felt dread arise in his heart as his captor’s pressure crashed over him, as if the weight of an ocean was overhead, preventing any movement from him. He even felt unable to breathe. Still, the fear of this man couldn’t surpass the one of his master.

Through gritted teeth, the masked man spun a vortex within his hand, lessening the pressure slightly enough to allow movement. However, instead of striking his captor, the man aimed for his own arm, shattering it in an explosion of gore.

Now free, the man jumped back, his remaining hand outstretched toward Feng Xia, attempting to grab her. Feng Xia was stunned by this man's determination. She couldn't help but flinch as she saw his shattered arm dangling limply as blood flowed endlessly. She could even see the skin of this man's neck becoming whiter with every breath he took.

Still, his struggle would prove useless. The white-robbed man took only a step forward, appearing before Feng Xia. The space around her vibrated slightly as if the world couldn't contain him. Then, with an outstretched palm, the white man pressed it down over the void as a black lotus revolved over his head. To Feng Xia's surprise, there was an ethereal silhouette of a young man seated on the black lotus platform.

The masked man felt as if the world crashed down on him. His legs buckled under the pressure, and he collapsed onto the stone floor, unable to rise anymore. Then, the white man pointed two fingers toward him, tracing a single straight line, which severed the mangled arm at the shoulder with a clean, almost bloodless cut.

Using those same fingers, the man wrote a simple rune into the air, which then lit up, bathing the underground chamber with light before receding. A small flame stood in its place, fuelling itself with the surrounding qi before the man breathed into it, infusing it even more. The flame then followed his gaze, colliding with the masked man's fresh injury, burning the wound shut.

“It wouldn’t do for you to die of blood loss,” the middle-aged man said calmly. “After all, the young lady has many questions for you and the group you are a part of.”

Through only the use of his qi, the white-robed man picked his victim up off the floor, making him levitate in the air. He then turned to Feng Xia, giving her a nod and a smile, before leaving this underground chamber.

Once he was gone, Feng Xia collapsed onto the floor, feeling like years had been shaved off her life. While she knew this man had been posted here through Lian Huiling's order and this was all part of the plan, she couldn't help but fear the strength he had displayed. After all, if he wanted to take her captive, she would have no way to resist.

Once she could finally stand again, Feng Xia exited this dark place, only to be stunned by what she saw.

“What happened here?” She asked, confused.

Before her were Yun Jingfei and Lian Huiling, completely unharmed, along with another woman she didn't recognize. That woman wore clothes resembling the man's: a long white dress that contrasted with her long auburn hair, similar to Lian Huiling.

At her feet were too headless corpses and blood smeared in a circle on the ground. It was as if their head had exploded, leaving the last traces of their existence around them.

“You’ve failed?” the white-robed man said to the woman, yet there was no reproach in his voice, only gentleness.

The woman scoffed and turned to the side, obviously irate with the events that occurred. She kept her mouth shut, unwilling to speak a word.

“Uncle! Aunt! Thank you for your help," Lian Huiling said as she bowed slightly. "We couldn't have done this without you."

Both turned to her, yet only the man smiled, while the woman only nodded.

“Think nothing of it. After all, your father has personally asked us to help you with anything you need. I'm only doing what I should for the clan," the man said. "Still, how brazen they are so soon after the recent commotion is quite shocking. This girl must be quite valuable for them to dispatch such a force and even some contingency."

The man eyed Feng Xia, which gave her goosebumps. Fortunately, Yun Jingfei had arrived at her side, taking her hand. She could finally feel somewhat relieved that this ordeal was over.

“That's not something you should concern yourself with," Yun Jingfei said, her tone stern and calm.

The man's gaze turned to her, and she could feel the pressure of his presence on her skin. Yet she stood unperturbed, indomitable, even as her sword was held tightly in her hand.

“Quit it, please. This girl is Qin Yun’s business, and I have no intention of prying,” Lian Huiling said.

The man’s gaze lingered for a while longer, as did the woman in a white dress, yet they soon lost interest, preferring to return to the prey they had captured.

“While it’s a shame about the other two, let’s see who we have here,” Lian Huiling added as she approached the masked man hovering midair.

She pried the mask away from his face, yet her expression became complicated as she saw what lay beneath. It started as surprise, then turned to rage, but soon subsided as she took a deep breath before ending on derision. She couldn't help but show a mocking smile.

“I didn’t think we would meet again so soon, Hou Ping,” she said with the flames of vengeance in her eyes.