While the man and the beast fought a desperate, boiling war deep underwater, the atmosphere above the surface was entirely different.
High in the thick, mossy branches of the mangrove tree, Xiao Yu sat perfectly still. She was pale, her breathing shallow and ragged, fighting the agonizing backlash within her concussed Dantian. She was desperately circulating her Dou Qi, staring unblinkingly at the bubbling surface of the sinkhole.
Suddenly, her senses spiked. She became hyper-alert.
A heavy, rhythmic thrum-thrum-thrum echoed through the sulfurous fog. It wasn't the sound of an insect swarm; it was the powerful, synchronized wingbeats of flying beasts.
The thick canopy above her rustled violently. Two large silhouettes descended through the fog, landing heavily on a massive, sprawling mangrove branch just thirty yards from her position.
Xiao Yu suppressed her aura entirely, peering through the dense foliage.
They were Rank 2 Cinder Crested Falcons. Their feathers were a brilliant, ashen grey, save for a blazing, fiery crest of feathers atop their heads that passively radiated heat, parting the wetland fog around them.
But it wasn't the falcons that made Xiao Yu's heart skip a beat. It was the riders.
Two figures leaped gracefully from the backs of the avian beasts, landing lightly on the thick roots protruding from the shallow swamp water. They were both adorned in the crisp, immaculate, silver-lined uniforms of the Jia Nan Academy's Law Enforcement Unit—a faction completely separate from the standard tutors, answering only to the Core Elders.
When Xiao Yu focused her gaze on them, she was genuinely surprised by the sheer density of their auras. Both of them are in realm of Da Dou Shi.
The one on the left was a woman, her hair pulled back into a strict, severe bun. Her eyes were sharp, scanning the environment with predatory efficiency. She radiated the distinct, heavy kinetic pressure of an mid Da Dou Shi.
The one on the right was a tall, broad-shouldered young man with a relaxed but observant posture. His aura was intensely condensed, resting firmly at the Initial Stage of Da Dou Shi likely 2-Star.
They were Senior Captain Lin and Vice-Captain Feng.
"The disturbance originated from this exact quadrant," Captain Lin stated, her voice crisp and authoritative, easily carrying through the quiet, misty air. Her hand rested casually on the hilt of a curved silver saber at her hip.
Vice-Captain Feng knelt down near the edge of the shallow water, running a gloved hand over a piece of completely frozen water—the residual ice from Xiao Yu's earlier battle.
"Extreme Yin Dou Qi," Feng noted, his eyes narrowing. "And the thermal vents in this immediate area have been forcefully suppressed. Whatever fought here possessed an incredibly potent ice attribute."
He stood up, his gaze sweeping across the clearing before locking onto the massive, ruined corpse resting half-submerged in the water.
"Heavens," Feng muttered, stepping closer. "That's a Miasma-Swallowing Python. A Rank 3 beast. And it's been completely butchered. Look at the puncture wounds in the eyes... precision strikes."
Captain Lin walked over, her aura flaring slightly to push away the residual miasma of the beast. She inspected the frozen, jagged cuts along the python's scales.
"The Elders issued a rigorous, Level-A emergency order to scour the outer perimeters for two specific students," Lin said, her sharp eyes scanning the thick canopy above. "A genius sword wielder who defied a Dou Shi, and his sister."
She looked back at the frozen water, then at the dead python. "Could they have possibly killed a Rank 3 predator?"
"If the rumors about their combat prowess are true... maybe," Feng replied, though his tone was laced with heavy skepticism. He tapped his foot against the mangrove root. "But they wouldn't have survived unscathed."
Up in the tree, Xiao Yu's mind raced. The Law Enforcement Unit. The Elders were actively looking for them. This meant the academy hadn't abandoned them after the assassin's attack; they were actively trying to retrieve them.
She looked down at the bubbling sinkhole. Yoriichi was still down there. If she stayed hidden and he didn't come up, he would die. If she revealed herself, these powerful seniors could potentially assist, or at least secure the area.
She made her choice.
Suppressing a painful cough from her injured meridians, Xiao Yu slowly stood up on the branch.
The slight rustle of leaves was all it took. Both Captain Lin and Vice-Captain Feng snapped their attention upward, their Dou Qi flaring instantly, weapons half-drawn as they locked onto her position.
Seeing the sheer hostility ready to be unleashed, Xiao Yu immediately raised her hands to show she was unarmed. She took a steadying breath and hopped down from the high branch.
She landed gracefully in the shallow water, though her legs trembled slightly from the internal strain. She stood a dozen yards away from the two enforcers, the misty fog swirling around her silver hair and pale, refined features.
Maintaining the strict etiquette of the academy despite the dire circumstances, Xiao Yu brought her hands together, politely cupping her fists in a traditional martial greeting.
"Seniors," Xiao Yu spoke, her voice steady despite the chaos happening beneath her feet. "I am Xiao Yu, from the Outer Academy."