Ling Yue moved through the sky.
Her figure glided steadily.
Not fast.
Not slow.
The wind brushed past her.
Cool.
Quiet.
But her thoughts were not.
For a brief moment—
She frowned slightly.
(…I was too harsh.)
The memory of his calm voice lingered in her mind.
Unmoved.
Uncomplaining.
Her fingers tightened slightly—
Then loosened.
(…But it's better this way.)
His face surfaced briefly in her thoughts—
Then faded.
A faint pause followed.
(He has already suffered enough.)
Her gaze lowered just a fraction.
(Getting involved with me… will only bring him more trouble.)
The sky stretched endlessly ahead.
Clear.
Peaceful.
Yet—
Something beneath that calm—
Felt unsettled.
Her thoughts drifted.
Un focused.
Below her—
Vast mountains stretched across the land.
Towering peaks rose above the forest.
Ancient.
Silent.
The sea of trees swayed gently in the wind.
Birds soared between the mountains—
Their wings gliding freely through the open sky.
Everything looked peaceful.
Too peaceful.
Even the wind felt strangely restrained.
But Ling Yue didn't notice.
Lost in thought—
She continued forward.
…
Then—
A sharp disturbance cut through the stillness.
Ling Yue's eyes snapped open.
In an instant—
Her expression changed.
The softness vanished.
Her senses surged outward.
The air grew heavy.
Tense.
Her gaze shifted sharply toward the distance—
Locking onto something unseen.
Fast.
Approaching.
Ling Yue stilled.
Her figure hovered in the air—
Unmoving.
Her gaze fixed ahead.
Waiting.
The tension thickened.
Then—
A faint tremor ran through the forest below.
Leaves shook.
Branches snapped.
Something was coming.
Fast.
The next moment—
Dark figures burst from the forest.
A pack of wolves.
Black flames flickered faintly along their bodies—
Distorting the air around them.
Blackfire Wolves.
Their eyes glowed with a feral light.
Their auras overlapped—
Growing more intense as they moved together.
They tore through the forest at full speed—
Passing directly beneath her.
Ling Yue watched silently.
Calm.
Unmoved.
From her position in the sky—
They were nothing.
The wolves didn't even notice her.
They rushed past like a dark wave—
And vanished into the distance.
Silence returned.
Ling Yue's eyes narrowed slightly.
(…Something's wrong.)
Their movement—
Too fast.
Too direct.
Not random.
For a brief moment—
She remained still.
Watching the direction they disappeared into.
Then—
Her gaze shifted forward again.
Calm returned.
Without hesitation—
Her aura stirred.
In the next instant—
She speed up.
Her figure cutting through the sky—
Continuing toward her destination.
The forest stirred once more.
The pack of wolves moved swiftly through the shadows—
Their formation tight.
Their speed unbroken.
They didn't slow.
Didn't hesitate.
Their direction remained clear—
Toward the mountains.
Toward the path Ling Yue had taken earlier.
Toward the cave.
Blackfire Wolves.
Third-level beasts that hunted in packs—
Rarely seen alone.
Their black fur blended seamlessly into the forest.
Like shadows in motion.
Only their eyes could be seen—
Faintly glowing in the dark.
Their claws tore through the ground as they ran.
Sharp.
Relentless.
Each movement carried raw force—
Enough to rip through flesh and bone without resistance.
A faint burning scent lingered in their wake.
They moved as one.
Fast.
Direct.
Closing in—
On their destination.
Li Xuan stood at the cave entrance.
His gaze rested on the rising sun.
Golden light spread slowly across the horizon—
Pushing away the last traces of night.
The wind drifted past him.
Cool.
Quiet.
For a moment—
His mind remained still.
Empty.
…
Then—
A faint smile touched his lips.
"Good things… don't last."
His voice was soft.
Almost lost in the wind.
He turned.
Stepping back into the cave.
The warmth of the sunlight faded behind him.
Shadows wrapped around the space once more.
His steps slowed.
His hand lifted slightly—
Fingers brushing against the pendant at his chest.
A faint aura lingered around it.
Subtle.
Yet steady.
His gaze lowered.
(Time to recover.)
(And return to—)
His thoughts stopped.
Abruptly.
A shift—
Barely noticeable—
Yet impossible to ignore.
From the cave entrance.
Li Xuan's expression changed.
His eyes sharpened instantly.
"…Ling Yue?"
The name slipped out naturally.
But almost at once—
He went silent.
A brief pause.
Then—
He shook his head slowly.
"…No."
His gaze fixed on the entrance.
The air felt wrong.
Heavy.
Unfamiliar.
The wind had changed.
Something—
Was coming.