The air in the abandoned courtyard turned cold.
Not from Lin Xue's frost.
But from something deeper.
Something wrong.
The cloaked figure stood motionless at the edge of the cracked ground, their presence blending into the shadows as if they didn't fully belong in the world.
"…Someone who knows what you've become."
Those words lingered.
Heavy.
Jiang Chen stepped forward.
Despite the pain still tearing through his body—
His gaze remained steady.
"…Then you also know," he said calmly,
"…that threats won't make me leave."
A faint chuckle came from beneath the cloak.
"…As expected."
Chen Yu cracked his knuckles.
"…Enough talking."
Han Wei grinned.
"…Yeah. Let's see what kind of ghost you are."
Zhou Yan didn't move.
His eyes—
Locked.
"…Careful," he said quietly.
"…This one isn't like the others."
Lin Xue's frost aura began to gather again.
Weaker than before—
But sharper.
Controlled.
The cloaked figure lifted a hand.
Dark threads of energy seeped from their fingers—
Thin.
Almost invisible.
Jiang Chen's eyes narrowed.
Not qi…
Something else.
The system pulsed:
[Foreign Energy Detected]
[Classification: Unknown]
[Warning: Do Not Directly Absorb]
"…You feel it, don't you?" the figure said softly.
"…The difference."
Before anyone could react—
They moved.
Gone.
Zhou Yan's eyes widened.
"…Above!"
Too late.
The figure appeared directly behind Chen Yu.
A dark thread lashed out—
Slice!
Chen Yu barely twisted aside—
But the thread cut across his shoulder.
Blood spilled instantly.
"…What the—?!"
Han Wei roared and charged.
His explosive qi erupted outward—
But the figure stepped back—
Phasing.
The attack passed through empty space.
"…Intangibility?" Han Wei muttered.
Jiang Chen moved.
Phoenix Shadow Step!
He intercepted—
Striking toward where the figure would reappear.
Clang!
Their attacks collided midair.
A ripple spread outward—
The cloaked figure slid back slightly.
"…Impressive," they said.
"…Even in that condition."
Jiang Chen's arm trembled slightly.
Pain surged.
But he ignored it.
"…You're not here to warn us."
"…You're testing me."
Silence.
Then—
"…Correct."
The figure raised both hands.
The dark threads multiplied—
Spreading across the courtyard like a web.
Zhou Yan's voice sharpened.
"…Don't let those touch you!"
Lin Xue acted instantly.
Frost Domain — Constrained Field!
Ice spread across the ground—
Freezing several of the threads in place.
But—
The threads didn't break.
They pulsed—
Then cut through the ice.
"…Not good," Lin Xue whispered.
Chen Yu gritted his teeth despite his injury.
"…Then we don't let them hit us!"
The battle erupted.
Han Wei charged again—
This time coordinating with Zhou Yan.
Zhou Yan's precise strikes forced the figure to reposition—
While Han Wei detonated explosive bursts—
Limiting movement.
Jiang Chen watched.
Analyzing.
Even now.
Movement pattern… inconsistent.
Energy structure… not stable.
"…You're not fully here," Jiang Chen said suddenly.
The figure paused—
Just for a moment.
"…Interesting."
Jiang Chen stepped forward again.
"…Projection."
"…Or something similar."
The figure tilted their head.
"…And if I am?"
Jiang Chen's eyes sharpened.
"…Then you're hiding."
For the first time—
The figure's aura flickered.
Zhou Yan caught it immediately.
"…There!"
He struck—
Precise.
Disrupting the flow of the threads.
Lin Xue followed—
Freezing the weakened sections.
Han Wei roared—
Detonating the center.
BOOM!!!
The web shattered.
The cloaked figure staggered slightly—
Their form flickering.
Jiang Chen moved instantly.
Ignoring the pain.
Ignoring the damage.
He reached out—
Grabbing—
Contact.
For a split second—
The world shifted.
A vision.
Dark halls.
Endless structures.
Figures cloaked like this one—
Watching.
Waiting.
And at the center—
Something vast.
Something ancient.
Watching him back.
Jiang Chen's eyes snapped open.
The figure recoiled violently—
Their form destabilizing.
"…You—"
"…how did you—"
Jiang Chen's voice was low.
"…You're not from the Inner Clan."
"…You're part of something bigger."
Silence.
Then—
The figure laughed softly.
"…Good."
"…Very good."
Their body began to dissolve—
Turning into strands of dark energy.
"…Then consider this a message."
The last of their form faded—
But their voice remained.
"…You've been noticed."
"…And next time…"
"…we won't be observing."
Gone.
Silence returned.
Chen Yu dropped to one knee.
"…What… the hell was that…"
Han Wei exhaled sharply.
"…That wasn't a normal fight."
Zhou Yan looked at Jiang Chen.
"…What did you see?"
Jiang Chen didn't answer immediately.
His mind—
Still replaying the vision.
"…A faction," he said finally.
"…One that's been watching for a long time."
Lin Xue's expression tightened.
"…Watching… who?"
Jiang Chen looked up.
His eyes—
Calm.
But deeper than before.
"…Me."
The system pulsed again:
[New Threat Identified]
[Unknown Organization: ???]
[Threat Level: Escalating]
Far away—
In a place untouched by the Inner Clan—
A figure opened their eyes.
"…So the anomaly has awakened…"
A faint smile formed.
"…Good."
"…Let the hunt begin."