The forest had gone quiet.
Too quiet.
The kind of silence that didn't bring peace—
Only tension.
Li Tian stood still, his eyes scanning the darkness beyond the fallen hunters.
Four bodies.
Four lives taken.
And yet—
There was no satisfaction.
Only clarity.
"They'll send stronger ones next."
His voice was calm.
Certain.
Behind him, the woman stepped closer.
"You're right."
She glanced at the corpses briefly.
"You just killed a tracking squad."
Li Tian's gaze didn't change.
"Then the next ones won't underestimate me."
"Exactly."
She crossed her arms.
"And that's a problem."
Li Tian finally turned to her.
"Everything is a problem right now."
A faint pause.
"Name."
The woman blinked slightly.
"…What?"
"Your name," Li Tian said.
"If I'm going to keep moving, I need to know who's behind me."
She studied him for a moment.
Then answered.
"Mei."
Short.
Simple.
Li Tian nodded.
"Li Tian."
"I know," she replied calmly.
"You've made quite a reputation in one night."
Li Tian let out a quiet breath.
"Not by choice."
Mei didn't respond.
Instead, she stepped toward one of the fallen hunters and crouched down.
Her fingers moved quickly, checking his belongings.
Pouches.
Marks.
Equipment.
Her expression shifted slightly.
"Not good."
Li Tian's eyes narrowed.
"What?"
Mei lifted a small metal token.
Dark.
Etched with a strange symbol.
"This," she said, holding it up,
"is a hunter mark."
Li Tian frowned.
"And?"
"It means they're not just random trackers."
Her voice grew serious.
"This is an organized hunting unit."
A pause.
"They don't stop."
Li Tian's grip on his sword tightened slightly.
Of course…
Nothing is ever simple.
Mei stood up.
"If they confirm your position, they'll send a capture squad."
"Stronger?"
"Much stronger."
Li Tian looked toward the deeper forest.
Thinking.
Not panicking.
Thinking.
"If I keep running…"
"They'll corner you," Mei finished.
"And if I stay…"
"They'll overwhelm you."
Silence.
The situation was clear.
There was no safe option.
Only better risks.
The system flickered.
[Growth Path active]
[New directive: Mark target or be marked]
Li Tian froze slightly.
Mark…?
Before he could process—
A sudden burning sensation spread across his chest.
"AGH—!"
He grabbed his shirt tightly.
Pain surged.
Different from before.
Sharper.
Focused.
Mei's eyes widened slightly.
"What is that?"
Li Tian didn't answer.
He tore open his collar.
On his skin—
A faint glowing symbol appeared.
Red.
Pulsing.
Alive.
The system pulsed again.
[Hunter Mark detected]
[Status: Host tracked]
Li Tian's pupils shrank.
"They marked me…"
Mei stepped closer, her expression serious.
"That's not a normal tracking mark."
She looked at the symbol carefully.
"It's… responding."
Responding…?
Li Tian felt it.
The mark wasn't just there.
It was… active.
Like something was watching through it.
The system flickered again.
[Warning: Location trace increasing]
[Time before full detection: Limited]
Li Tian's mind sharpened instantly.
So this is the next move…
They don't chase blindly.
They track.
Precisely.
Relentlessly.
Mei stepped back slightly.
"You need to remove that."
Li Tian looked at her.
"How?"
She hesitated.
Then spoke.
"There's only one way I know."
"Say it."
"Destroy the source."
A pause.
"The one who placed the mark."
Li Tian's eyes darkened.
That means—
Going toward them.
Not away.
Mei nodded slightly.
"Risky."
"Very."
"But if you don't…"
"You'll never escape."
Silence.
Rainwater dripped from the trees.
The forest held its breath.
Li Tian looked down at the glowing mark on his chest.
Then—
Closed his eyes.
Running…
Had limits.
Hiding…
Had limits.
But this—
This was different.
If he kept running now—
He would just die slower.
Then—
There was only one path left.
He opened his eyes again.
Sharp.
Focused.
"Where?"
Mei blinked.
"What?"
"The one who marked me."
He stepped forward.
Calm.
Steady.
"Where are they?"
Mei stared at him.
For a moment—
Speechless.
"You're serious…?"
Li Tian didn't hesitate.
"If I'm already being hunted…"
"…then I'll hunt back."
The system pulsed.
[Growth Path confirmed]
[New objective: Eliminate Mark Source]
[Reward: Bloodline Stability Increase]
Mei let out a slow breath.
"…You're insane."
"Maybe."
Li Tian's lips curved slightly.
"But I'm alive."
A faint pause.
"Guide me."
Mei looked at him.
Long.
Carefully.
Then—
She turned.
Pointing deeper into the forest.
"Three kilometers north."
"Rock ridge area."
"That's where their command scout usually operates."
Li Tian nodded.
No hesitation.
No doubt.
He stepped forward.
Into the darkness.
Not running.
Not hiding.
Moving with purpose.
Mei followed behind him.
Still watching.
Still analyzing.
"You know," she said quietly,
"If you fail… you won't get a second chance."
Li Tian didn't look back.
"I never had one."
The forest swallowed their steps.
But this time—
It wasn't just escape.
It was a counterattack.
And far ahead—
Unaware of what was coming—
The hunter who placed the mark waited.
🔥 The Dragon's Ancestral Legacy 🔥