Tyler's determination to locate Kenshiro knew no bounds as he felt his stomach drop. He saw that the cultivators and Daredevil were mostly fine, so he extended his divine sense. The vast expanse of the world unfolded before him, yet Kenshiro was nowhere to be found.

Despite the lack of success, Tyler refused to stop. With a resolve bordering on the heroic, he pushed his senses further and quickly went past his usual limits.

Ten Kilometers, Tyler saw the little white rabbit feeling, flying through the skies at an impressive speed. It seemed utterly terrified and for now, he didn't care and ignored it.

Twenty kilometers later, there were still no signs of Kenshiro.

Thirty kilometers, still nothing.

The strain on his psyche was close to nil. Before, going further than five kilometers with his divine sense would've brought on a terrifying migraine, but now, he felt fine, even after thirty.

As Tyler reached this far out, he encountered a mystifying barrier of divine sense manifest into the wilds—it was Maximus. The obstacle formed an entanglement of dark green and orange roots, formidable and seemingly impenetrable. This obstruction stood as a literal blockade against his divine sense.

A leaf emerged from within this enigmatic barrier, growing steadily, almost purposefully. And then, a sigh, carrying words that bore the weight of finality. "It's too late. You won't find the man. The disturbance caused by trying to attune yourself to the celestial shattered his fragile soul, and the System's tribulations devoured his body. His Dao ends here with you."

The revelation hit Tyler with the same force as a truck would. He had killed Kenshiro.

At that moment, overwhelmed by what he had just learned, Tyler's divine sense stopped working. The shock of the revelation had severed his ties to the outside world, plunging him into darkness. Everything faded away – the world, the roots, the leaf, and the voice—leaving Tyler in an all-encompassing void.

***

Less than thirty minutes ago, Daredevil was quickly restoring his Qi after his benefactor had shown him a few tricks, and he was happily observing his updated status window.

Daredevil (Nether Panther)

Level 18, Organ Reforming.

Soul Stage 0, 69/100

Titles: [Nether Constitution], [Named], [Soul Forging]

Cultivation Methods:

Nethermist Heavenly Arts (Heaven-Grade)

Techniques:

Nethermist Beast Stance (Qi Transformation)

* Misty Strikes (Flawless)

* Mirage Slash (Precise)

* Shadow Pounce (Precise)

Cloak of Mists (Precise)

Mistwalker's Stride (Flawless)

Quests: Sea Formation, Transformation (?), Speech (2), Territory (5).

Soul Forging: [50 Defense] | [Offense] | [10 Utility] | [9 Miscellaneous]

After the recent trip, he finally reached level 18 after hunting a wider variety of spirit beasts outside his usual territory. Somehow, everything was much more efficient whenever he stepped outside his home to hunt.

More importantly, however, was his recent gain after the spar with Tyler! This single lesson had pushed all of the techniques within the Nethermist Beast Stance into the next level, the Misty Strikes even reaching the flawless level! Daredevil was highly pleased with himself and with Tyler's teachings.

He had been stuck for a long time at the Precise level on the Misty Strikes, dating back to before he had met Tyler, and with a single lesson, he had easily pushed it to flawless! The only drawback, however, was the sheer energy consumption. But regardless, Daredevil was satisfied. According to Tyler, he could fatally injure a Sea Formation cultivator with this.

So far, Tyler had yet to really instruct him on anything besides giving him pointers on how to behave with other humans, spirit beasts, and society. Receiving actual combat training from the man felt great.

What didn't feel good, however, was how easily he had shattered all his attacks and saw through all his techniques. Is this how the Fox feel when I play with them? Wondered the spirit beast. It had been extremely frustrating to pour almost all of his Qi into that last strike, only for it to be swiped away like he was some child throwing a tantrum in front of a parent!

Then again, Daredevil realized that unless his benefactor was this strong, there was no way he would be his benefactor. Only such a mighty cultivator could genuinely appreciate his majesty!

So, after Tyler had given him this neatly cut piece of crystal, he went to work absorbing its contents. Daredevil had never seen this type of material, but he could feel the powerful energies within. Observing it closely, a mystical, luminous, liquid-like substance was glowing with a soft silver light inside it.

The sheer amount of Qi Daredevil was regaining by cultivating with this silvery crystal in paw filled him with excitement.

Things continued like this for about 15 minutes until the skies above seemed to become clear, and the rabbit who could talk returned with a satisfied smile. "Master Cultivator! I have returned. Thank you for allowing me to absorb some of this essence. While I can't re-temper my organs now, even this little bit should help me immensely, as Metal was my weakness."

Daredevil opened his eyes and looked at the rabbit briefly, seeing it expecting an answer, but none would be coming for a bit, and he understood why. "My benefactor's presence is gone. He only does this when he's truly trying to cultivate or is working on something really hard. Wait a bit, and he should come back."

Then, Daredevil saw Tanaka Kenshiro return to the ground, pulling a few pills from his storage ring before devouring them. He didn't look good. That last fight had lasted for far too long, and he was clearly exhausted.

Not even a full minute passed before the entire skies turned dark. Everyone present frowned. This was Kenshiro's strongest internal Law. One he had nurtured himself and one that made Daredevil and the cultivators incredibly sad. They all felt like they had just been witness to their parent's death.

The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.

Daredevil observed Kenshiro's expression hardened, transitioning from exhaustion to determined resolve. With a newfound seriousness etched on his features, he took to the skies to confront the next avatar.

From Daredevil's vantage point below, the details of the new avatar were indiscernible, but the oppressive darkness of the clouds hinted at its nature. If Daredevil were to guess, the avatar would be cloaked in black, mirroring the sky. It was as if the heavens themselves were manifesting Kenshiro's internal struggle, reflecting the darkness of his most powerful Law.

When he was about to return to his cultivation after losing sight of the man high in the sky, something happened to Tyler.

The connection they shared wasn't completely gone, but it felt... distant—out of reach. When Daredevil was traveling alone with Jake, the mortal hunter, their connection was thick and always present, even while being separated by hundreds of kilometers. Whenever he tugged on it, Tyler would pull back, and they both shared something akin to a nod, acknowledging the other's presence.

Daredevil, witnessing the transformation of Tyler's aura, was gripped by an unprecedented sense of unease. Tyler was physically present yet seemingly distant. He remained in a lotus position, exuding an aura of calm and composure. However, when Daredevil reached out through their shared bond, he was met with a void.

Even when Tyler had been grievously injured, he hadn't felt this. He hadn't felt any of this even when Tyler's presence had entirely vanished. Their bond had been a constant reminder that even if his world had fallen apart, even if he was on the brink of death, Tyler was there.

Then, without warning, the atmosphere shifted dramatically. Tyler's aura, already powerful and imposing, underwent a radical change. The air around him became heavy, charged with an intensity that was palpable and terrifying. The very fabric of the environment seemed to freeze as if under the weight of an unseen, formidable force.

The sensation that enveloped everyone within a ten-kilometer radius was akin to the descent of a God. No one had ever experienced something like this. Tyler's aura, which had previously suffused the area with a dense Qi, now transformed into something far more menacing.

It was sharp, piercing, and overbearing. It was like a blade poised to cleave the heavens and everything in its path. Like a storm ready to destroy the world, persisting for thousands of years. The aura felt like a lightning sword was falling on their heads, and the winds squeezed their bodies into mush.

Even Daredevil, his companion, was not immune to this overwhelming force. For the first time, Daredevil experienced a genuine fear for its life. This was different, unlike previous encounters with formidable opponents like Yoon Suko, where the threat was physical and tangible. Tyler's aura possessed a soul-severing quality, an existential threat transcending physical harm.

This was Tyler’s domain, but it was running on overdrive.

Daredevil had seen Tyler use his Ten Direction Sword and even experienced his domain for a short time. While this sensation was similar to those two instances, it was at least ten times worse now. One was a technique. The other simply was. It filled the atmosphere in its entirety.

Reacting instinctively to this peril, Daredevil mobilized all its strength and hastily retreated to their home. He was concerned for the lives of the foxes, and honestly, he was pretty sure Tyler wouldn’t hurt him. Daredevil had promised the foxes safe harbor, and shortly after, this happened! He couldn’t bear the idea of leading them to their deaths.

In his hasty escape, Daredevil was engulfed by the pervasive Intent saturating the air. Despite his instincts screaming for him to dodge, he couldn't react fast enough. A searing pain sliced across his back, leaving a deep, bleeding wound that left his soul trembling.

He was wrong. Tyler wasn’t in control at all. He wasn’t safe here.

The force of the attack sent Daredevil spiraling uncontrollably, crashing into the entrance of their cave. As he struggled to regain his senses, he noticed the nearby cultivators springing into action, arming themselves with an array of weapons and activating mystical talismans.

The urgent cries of the cultivators were all Daredevil heard, "Something is wrong! Quick, get in touch with the Sect! Protect the panther, Protect the Son of the old dragon!" before he succumbed to a brief lapse in consciousness.

Regaining his senses a few seconds later, Daredevil found himself encircled by the four cultivators, their faces etched with concern. "… Cannot reach! He's too powerful!" they exclaimed as True Essence swirled violently, the Heavenly Heartspear Sect members launching an all-out defensive assault.

Amidst this chaos, Daredevil's gaze turned to Tyler, witnessing an extraordinary phenomenon. The very world seemed to be responding to his benefactor's situation. The earth around Tyler had been moved, forming a protective ten-meter crater with a half-sphere emerging from its center.

As if in alliance, the trees extended their roots towards this sphere, weaving a natural shield to safeguard everyone from the overwhelming forces at play.

Enveloping it all was an ancient, familiar aura, particularly resonant with the Panther. It exuded a calming presence, almost reassuring Daredevil that all would be well despite the chaos.

Even with all of this, the cultivators failed to do much. The Storm Domain caused everyone present to suffer wound after wound. Even Daredevil got to eat another four slashes, rendering him barely conscious.

Suddenly, the dark skies cleared up, and one of the cultivators couldn't help but exclaim through gritted teeth. "God dammit! He failed his Tribulation!" A few of them groaned, unable to answer as they constantly fought off the onslaught of Intent.

Then, as Tyler's aura stabilized and died down a bit, the ancient aura seemed to disappear, and Daredevil saw the earth and roots surrounding Tyler take on a shade of orange and dark green.

An odd change had occurred, and he couldn't understand what exactly. One thing was certain: this change had drastically reduced the strain on all present. It was to the point where Daredevil could finally think clearly without his instincts yelling at him to escape.

The cultivators all sighed with relief and expressed their concerns, with the leader turning his attention to Daredevil. "Daredevil, is it? Do you know what happened here? I'm fairly certain this was an accident of sorts.."

Ignoring the man, Daredevil anxiously opened the door to his home, seeking reassurance about the well-being of the foxes. Upon seeing inside, a wave of relief washed over Daredevil as he saw them unharmed and peacefully asleep on Tyler's bed, blissfully unaware of the chaos unfolding outside.

His benefactor's formation was truly marvelous. His suggestion to have the guests stay in there was a magnificent idea.

Outside, the tense atmosphere escalated as one of the cultivators, consumed by frustration, turned aggressively toward Daredevil. "You dirty BEAST!" he shouted, pointing his sword accusingly. "If I'd known this guy had such a formation protecting his home, I wouldn't have lost my family's treasures!"

Just as the cultivator's sword descended towards Daredevil, signaling imminent danger, a spear shot out, intercepting the blow. The leader had stepped forward, his voice ringing with authority. "ENOUGH!" he commanded.

He then turned to his subordinate, his expression stern and disapproving. "We are members of the Heavenly Heartspear Sect! Is your heart so shallow as to take your rage out on a little panther cub?" he chided before shifting his gaze to Daredevil. "This little guy has also been injured, can't you see? He's a named spirit beast, and there is no way his Dao Protector would've done this on purpose! THINK! What would happen if you injured his spirit beast when he recovered? Our sect would've made an enemy for life! What would happen to your Heart if you attacked an innocent? Ignorant fool."

The leader's intervention brought a moment of pause to the scene, his words resonating with wisdom and authority, effectively de-escalating the situation and reminding everyone of the consequences of their actions.

Daredevil was about to gesture everyone inside so they could all be safe until this was over, but he felt that something was off with his link to Tyler. Before, there was only a void, a distant, unreachable presence, but now, it was like a fire was actively burning their bond.

The alarming change in the bond between Daredevil and Tyler halted Daredevil's actions. This realization dawned on him with a sense of urgency: their bond was not just weakening—it was being actively eroded.

In a state of heightened alert, Daredevil swiftly shut the door, steeling himself for a situation that could potentially spiral out of control. Desperate to establish a link with Tyler, he employed every means at his disposal. He growled, cried, and roared to bridge the widening gap between them, but all his efforts seemed futile.

Sensing the tension, the leader of the cultivator squad inquired, "What is it?" However, Daredevil, wrapped in his own concerns and unable to communicate the gravity of the situation verbally, disregarded the question.

Daredevil pulled on their connection in a desperate bid to restore the weakening link with Tyler. He pulled harder than he had ever done before. For a split second, he was delighted as there was finally a reaction. To his shock and agony, however, there were only flames.

Daredevil cried out in pain—his soul was on fire.