Wind Patio listened to Lenient’s suggestion with resignation, but he had already gotten used to not asking “why” to this insane pine tree. He simply nodded to Lenient, “Alright, let’s take them back with us.”

“Thank you, Master Patio.” Lenient gratefully thanked Master Patio, dragging his body forward with his one remaining hand. Seeing Lenient's struggle, Wind Patio gave Serene a significant glance and the latter hurried to Lenient's side, helping Lenient onto his back.

An immortal cultivator from Early Legend level exerted spiritual pressure that curshed Spark, forcing him to crawl on the ground, with Flint slipping off his back.

Flint felt a spiritual pressure bearing down on her, causing a throbbing headache. She dropped to her knees in the snow, propping herself up with one hand as she rubbed her temple with the other to try and ease the pain.

Wind Patio spoke to Spark in a commanding tone, leaving no room for doubt. "Your Highness, please come with us."

Spark struggled against the crushing spiritual pressure, his golden eyes flickering with defiance despite being forced to the ground. "I refuse," he growled through gritted teeth. "I'm on my way to the Celestial Sword Sect."

Wind Patio merely looked down at him with cold indifference. The spiritual pressure intensified, causing Spark to bite back a grunt of pain. As a prince of the Lumin clan, Spark's pride wouldn't allow him to show weakness, but his trembling arms betrayed his struggle to crawl on the ground.

Flint, still fighting against the oppressive force herself, watched helplessly as her companion was subdued. Despite the throbbing in her head, her mind raced through possible solutions, but against such a powerful immortal cultivator, their options were severely limited.

Lenient observed from Serene's back, his sage-colored braid swaying slightly as he tilted his head. Despite his mutilated form, a subtle smile played at the corners of his mouth as he watched the young wolf prince's futile resistance.

Wind Patio utilized his naturall aura to retrieve a Frost Jade Pine Needle from the small pouch attached to his waist on the right side. Skillfully, he applied a layer of sleeping draught without coming into direct contact with it.

Due to his excessive power, he hesitated, not wanting to risk harming the wolf prince

by trying to throw the needle himself.

"Serene," Wind commanded softly, "Don’t touch it. Guide it with your natural aura. We need him alive and unharmed."

Before Serene could respond, Lenient Pine suddenly lurched forward from his position on Serene's back. Despite his broken legs and right arm, he snatched the needle with his remaining left hand directly. His sage-colored braid whipped through the air as he launched the needle at Spark, striking him in the shoulder – a carefully chosen spot that would neither kill nor permanently injure.

Spark's golden eyes widened in surprise before growing heavy. He swayed once, twice, then collapsed to the ground, his chest rising and falling in the steady rhythm of deep sleep.

But the victory was short-lived. Lenient's pale face grew paler still, his fingers trembling where they had touched the poisoned needle. Without a word, he slumped against Serene's back, his consciousness fading as the sleeping draught took effect through even that brief contact.

"Stop!" Flint planted herself between Wind Patio and Spark's unconscious form. Despite the crushing spiritual pressure that made each movement a struggle, she struggled to straighten her upper body. "You can't take him!"

Wind Patio's cold eyes narrowed. "Step aside, young lady. This matter is beyond your understanding."

"I won't!" Flint's legs shook with effort, but her voice remained steady.

A sharp whistle cut through the air, followed by a blast of sword intent so powerful it dispersed Wind Patio's spiritual pressure like morning mist. A figure landed between them, his black robes emblazoned with a wind symbol.

The newcomer's stance was relaxed but vigilant. "Wind Patio of the Abyssal Pavilion," he stated, his voice carrying quiet authority despite his lower cultivation. "Your reputation precedes you."

Wind Patio's eyes swept over the black-robed figure dismissively. "And you are?"

"The North Thunder of the Celestial Sword Sect." His hand remained steady on his sword hilt. "While I don't know these young cultivators, this is Celestial Sword Sect territory. I cannot allow you to cause trouble here."

A cold smile played across Wind Patio's lips. "A mere Master level dares to challenge me?"

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North Thunder struck first, his sword tracing a brilliant arc of natural aura. But as the attack approached Wind Patio, the air seemed to distort and darken. The sword energy wavered, then disappeared entirely, absorbed into the void-like distortion around Wind Patio's form.

Their battle escalated quickly. Each time North Thunder attacked, Wind Patio's void element techniques would devour the incoming spiritual energy, leaving nothing but empty space in its wake. The very air grew thin around them as Wind Patio's power consumed the natural aura in the area.

After absorbing several more attacks, Wind Patio manipulates the natural aura, his hand hovering over the pouch at his left waist. He hesitated for a moment at the left pouch, which contained the lethal poisoned needles, before deliberately reaching for the right one instead. Even in battle, he preferred to avoid unnecessary death.

The Frost Jade Pine Needles glinted in the light as they shot through the air. The North Thunder managed to deflect most with his sword, but one found its mark in his shoulder. Though not poisoned, the impact was enough to send him staggering backward, blood seeping through his cyan and white robes.

As the enemies closed in, North Thunder gritted his teeth and channeled his natural aura into his sword. A blinding golden light burst from the blade, illuminating the entire battlefield with dancing particles of pure energy. The air crackled with tension as he unleashed his signature move - the Sacred Light Thunder Strike - obliterating anything in its path.

But Wind Patio was beyond ready. With a wave of his hand, he summoned forth a vortex of pure emptiness, a mirror of nothingness that expanded rapidly, consuming all in its path.

As the sword, pulsing with divine light, struck this barrier, it didn't simply disappear – it was devoured, its energy absorbed and redirected with devastating force. North Thunder's own attack boomeranged back at him from every angle, amplified by Wind Patio's void element and unleashing a cataclysmic explosion that shook the very foundations of their battle ground.

The impact sent North Thunder crashing through several trees before he finally came to a stop, coughing blood. His sword arm hung limp, and several ribs were clearly broken. Only then did he reach for the jade communication talisman at his belt, knowing he could no longer protect the young cultivators alone.

Through the settling dust of battle, Wind Patio's keen eyes caught movement in the distance. Several silhouettes appeared against the horizon, their forms gliding through the air on spiritual swords, their robes bearing the unmistakable emblem of the Celestial Sword Sect.

He clicked his tongue in mild annoyance. He made a smooth motion with his hand, conjuring up a ethereal canoe - one that was dark and shiny like obsidian, with a subtle aura emanating from it, giving off a faint glow. The void element surrounding him rippled as he stepped aboard.

"Serene," he commanded quietly, helping his disciple settle the unconscious Lenient into the craft. The sage-haired young cultivator remained deeply asleep, still affected by the earlier sleeping draught.

Wind Patio cast one last calculating look at North Thunder, who was still struggling to rise, and the approaching reinforcements. While he had no doubt he could handle a few more cultivators in Masters levels or Adept levels, a prolonged battle would risk exposing their true purpose in the area. The Moonlight Bead would have to wait.

With a pulse of natural aura, the ethereal canoe rose into the air, carrying its three passengers away. They vanished into the distance, leaving only traces of void element energy dissipating in their wake.

After the dust settled and Wind Patio's group disappeared, North Thunder slowly made his way over to where Flint knelt beside the unconscious wolf. Despite his injuries, his eyes remained sharp as he assessed the situation.

"Are you alright?" he asked Flint, pressing a hand to his broken ribs as he caught his breath. A large patch of his clothes was stained red with blood.

Flint nodded, her hand resting protectively on Spark's dark fur. "Yes, but Spark's still asleep from their poison."

The Frost Jade Pine Needle that Lenient had just thrown over was already pulled out by Flint. She carefully touched the end, avoiding the part coated with poison.

"Why were you targeted by Wind Patio?" North Thunder asked, his tone careful but firm. "It's unusual for an Early Legend cultivator to take such interest in young practitioners."

"I don't even know who he is," Flint admitted, her brow furrowed with concern.

"The wolf’s name is Spark. Spark was traveling to the Celestial Sword Sect to seek apprenticeship. I met him on the road and decided to accompany him for some reason. We were almost there when they ambushed us." Flint replied to North Thunder.

Just then, several cultivators landed around them, their swords humming with residual natural aura from their flight. They quickly gathered around North Thunder, their faces growing serious as they saw his injuries.

"Sage North Thunder! What happened here?"

North Thunder straightened despite his wounds. "Wind Patio of the Abyssal Pavilion. He and his disciples were attempting to capture this wolf and this Miss." He gestured to Spark's sleeping form. "Their presence so close to our sect is... concerning."

One of the elders exchanged concerned looks with the disciples who had followed behind. A disciple finally spoke up, "It's unusual for the Abyssal Pavilion to get involved with other sects. For Wind Patio to make an appearance in person..."

"We should report this to the sect leader," another added. "And these young ones – if the spiritual beast truly seeks apprenticeship, we should bring them both to safety."

North Thunder nodded in agreement. "Let's return to the sect. The sleeping draught should wear off soon, and we can properly discuss matters there."

North Thunder extended his hand, channeling his natural aura into his sword. The blade shimmered and expanded until it was wide enough to serve as a stable platform. He carefully helped Flint settle the sleeping wolf onto the gleaming surface.

"Hold on tight," he instructed, waiting until Flint had positioned herself securely beside Spark. The other elders and disciples had already taken to the skies ahead of them.

As they rose into the air, North Thunder maintained a steady, gentle pace, careful not to disturb his unconscious passenger. As the sun began to peek over the distant mountains, they soared through the crisp morning air. The cool breeze brushed against their faces as they watched the peaceful landscape awaken below them.

“When I first saw you, I thought he was your spirit beast.” Standing on the tip of the sword, Sage North Thunder did not turn around, but suddenly spoke, breaking the silence between himself and Flint.

Flint cracked a small smile as she remembered the scene she when she first met Spark. "You know, when I first saw him, I never would have guessed he was a wolf," she mused with a touch of amusement.

Sage North Thunder's face registered a momentary surprise before settling into an expression of understanding. It suddenly occurred to him: if Spark wasn't capable of incarnating, how did he come to the Celestial Sword Sect to seek apprenticeship? He would not be admitted. Sage North Thunder nearly forgot about this important detail.

He took a quick glance at Spark, who was peacefully sleeping in his wolf form, before resuming his focus on guiding the spiritual sword forward. "So... why do you want to go to the Celestial Sword Sect, Miss?"

Flint was taken aback by the sudden shift in conversation towards herself. "Me?" she asked, trying to process the unexpected attention. "It's a complicated situation," she continued. "I seem to have lost all of my memories. Spark mentioned that the Celestial Sword Sect might have a solution for my amnesia."

Sage North Thunder's brow creased in confusion. He had never come across a solution for amnesia within the Celestial Sword Sect. "I don't want to give you false hope, but as far as I'm aware, we do not possess any spells or potions that can help with amnesia..."

To his suprise, Flint remained composed and replied, “I've considered it, and I don't believe this is a case of amnesia. My memories from birth to now are haunted by the thought I am a piece of flint. So, I’m wondering if I’m searching for some sort of… past life memories.”

“Past life?!” Sage North Thunder's reaction was a complete departure from his previous calm demeanor, “Are you not an immortal cultivator? Only those who have reached the Great Perfection of Deity can remember their past lifes, the events that the their souls have experienced.”