Before then…
Thud!
Hamizz collapsed onto his back, blood gushing repeatedly from his mouth. He writhed upon the ground as though begging for repentance. His body was thoroughly drained by that last attack. He wouldn't have dared to use that attack carelessly; however, he had been enraged by the sight of his companion being pierced and hurled aside, making him cast aside all restraint.
Zaaapp…
A holy light suddenly descended from the heavens. Its radiance seized the crowd, making them feel the urge to bow. It was as though a voice whispered from within, coaxing them to submit.
The weaker onlookers couldn't resist; one by one, they toppled onto their backs, unable to withstand the pressure. Silence fell, absolute and suffocating. Even a pin drop would have echoed clearly through the space.
Thereupon, a woman descended from the sky. She struck the ground with a resounding bang, rising a cloud of dust as the earth trembled beneath her weird landing.
The moment the dust settled, everyone was struck dumb by the peerless beauty before them—piercing eyes framed by short lashes that seemed to cut through the silence.
She walked slowly across the ground, yet not a single footstep could be heard. Her movements were flawless, as if she were employing a movement skill, though her aura remained completely dormant. That was the mark of one who had trained for years, enclosing and incorporating her skill into her very core.
She wore luxurious silver robes, ingrained with glowing lusters, and her dazzling pupils seemed to ignite attraction naturally in all who beheld her. Her thin nose complemented her oval face, while her graceful yet imposing figure drew every gaze. As she advanced, her silvery hair danced freely with the wind.
A long, thin rope hung loosely from her shoulder, swaying with each step.
She radiated an air of dominance merely from her presence as she spread her spiritual sense to its limits, effortlessly crossing more than a hundred meters radius. The expression on her face was stern, as her sharp voice cut across the silent space like a blade.
"Wow, wow, you guys have done quite the decoration to my domain. It will be my pleasure to host you all next time." Her lips curled into a ridiculous smile, captivating all who heard her. Shivers ran through the crowd.
Yes—she was none other than a Settlers soldier. But unbeknownst to most, she was also the daughter of the Zone 11 Commander, the pride and face of the entire zone: Kate Bargle.
What terrified them most was the energy she now emitted, paralyzing everyone present.
Thud…
Balin and Simley, already at the center of the crowd, collapsed onto their backsides. Their faces drained of color.
They were doomed.
___
A boy with long, curly red hair sat cross‑legged upon the floor, meditating as he tried to gather the receding energy, seeking to advance his cultivation base. But his efforts were futile—the energy was constantly being drawn into what he had named the Black Hole.
Yet unlike the countless times before, something changed.
When he awoke earlier to brush his teeth, he discovered that his octagonal pendant—imprinted with a diverse array of lights and usually hanging from his neck—was gone. He searched the entire room with no success. His parents and sister also denied having seen it.
After scouring for some time, he reluctantly abandoned the search and turned his mind back to cultivation. It had been a while since he had truly focused on advancing his cultivation base. Perhaps, the pendant would reveal itself when he was in a more relaxed state.
As always, the cultivation process resisted him, bringing him trouble just as it had countless times before. But he persisted, continuing as he always did. This time, however, something new happened.
The moment Blood delved into cultivation, what happened the next moment left him utterly shocked. He stared wide‑eyed, almost sheepishly, as he was impaled by the sight before him.
Inadvertently, he had been transported into a vast expanse filled with still, starry lights. The stars did not move, as though bound by some mighty law or cosmic rule.
There, amidst the distinct constellations, lay the lost pendant he had been searching for—emitting a soothing glow. Its brilliance was sharper than ever before, and the surrounding stars resonated with a tranquility that seemed eternal.
A sudden wave of trepidation enveloped him as he gazed closer, before shifting his focus instantly. The bewildering scenery was beyond his comprehension.
Determined to try something new, he sat cross‑legged upon the starry floor and resumed cultivation.
Blood gathered the energy from the surrounding space, guiding it through his energy paths, slowly filling the crystal sphere within his spiritual space. To his astonishment, as he transported the energy, the pathways became visible, appearing as transparent channels that shimmered near the octagonal pendant.
The energy flowed side to side, weaving through the pendant as though it were the very heart of the channels. Blood could feel the energy growing rapidly. The rate at which he gathered the Heaven and Earth energy had clearly increased. Never before had he absorbed energy in this manner, especially with his low‑grade cultivation technique.
Nevertheless, he continued to circulate the flow and soon realized that his spiritual space—where the crystal sphere of Heaven and Earth energy resided—was not leaking at all. Contrary to what he had believed, the energy was being swallowed whole by the pendant. It wasn't being channeled into his spiritual space from the start.
After accumulating Heaven and Earth energy for some time, the aura around the pendant suddenly grew brighter, surging violently. It seemed as though it would burst and then—
Boomm!
A silent yet massive eruption of energy engulfed the starry space. For a fleeting moment, the motionless stars shifted, glowing with renewed brilliance. The once‑inactive space was revived, but with it descended a penetrative and dangerous darkness.
Thick clouds of shadow rolled across the entire domain, smothering the light. The extraordinary space chimed with strange resonance before gradually brightening again—only to darken once more.
Light and darkness alternated in a relentless sequence, pulsing like the heartbeat of the cosmos. In that instant, Blood was expelled from the starry space, bringing him back into the real world.
His brows were tightly knitted as he breathed heavily. He was utterly lost in the field of cultivation as time slipped away unnoticed. He sat there like a mountain, unmoving.
A single day passed, and nothing changed. Then two days, then three. His posture remained the same.
Just like that, a month passed in a flash.
___
Meanwhile…
While Blood was deep in cultivation, two figures had unwittingly stirred a hornet's nest.
Balin and Simley backed away, dread overwhelming them as they recognized the beauty before them. In their panic, they stumbled and slammed onto the ground, retreating clumsily from her.
It just so happened that the young lady owned this place. What an unfortunate situation they had found themselves in. They had to play their cards carefully from now on.
They had clearly heard her claiming this place was her domain. It suddenly came to them that they had been running rampant all along on her territory? If word reached their clans, their names might be erased from the family records, declaring them unknown. It would be as though they had never existed. They didn't know her true origin, but their parents had warned them never to provoke her.
Even they knew they were mere ants in her sight. Their clan wouldn't interfere—they would abandon anyone foolish enough to find fault with her.
To be on her bad side was to invite ruin. She carried the backing and influence of a Zone Commander's household. No commander was an easy figure; each held tremendous power and authority. Only the most talented individuals were worth the clan's protection, worth fighting for. And her background was colossal, her influence undeniable.
They had trespassed into the territory of a fierce tiger, blind to the danger until it was already too late.
They had nothing to hold onto...