Long Shen's original plan was straightforward: return to the ancient tree and hope to find Suha and her group there. After all, Suha's team was his original group, and if he wanted to make a name for himself, he had to contribute to their success. To that end, he had fiercely defeated a Scarlet Wolf and carried its heavy body on his back all this time. He intended to use this feat to elevate Suha's group's reputation. Though he sometimes appeared selfish and detached, Long Shen was not foolish enough to forget the importance of the selection process. As long as it worked in his favor, he would act accordingly!
But encountering Suha and the rest of her team on the path? That was entirely unexpected! Yet, since it meant a shorter journey to catch up with them, this fortunate twist suited our young friend Long Shen just fine. Still, he paused, wondering how to approach the group. Naturally introverted, his interactions with other children were… let's say, awkward at best. He wasn't sure how to introduce himself, nor how to explain that he had slain a monster at the Qi Foundation stage. Faced with this delicate dilemma, he took a deep breath, summoned all his courage, and leapt silently from the branch to land softly on the damp, earthy forest floor.
His landing was as quiet and graceful as a ballet dancer's step — not a single sound betrayed his presence to Suha and the others. Long Shen's subtlety was remarkable; it wasn't just the skill of his cultivation, but a true mastery of footwork. He tried his best to remain hidden, but the slight difference between his Qi and Suha's was enough to give him away quickly!
"Who's there?!" Suha's voice rang out sharply, reverberating through the forest with a commanding presence that stretched a hundred meters in every direction, ensuring every living creature within earshot heard her.
Suha's team was stunned. Why would their leader suddenly shout in such a threatening tone? Was there truly an intruder nearby? Panic rippled through them. One of the two cultivators, both at the second layer of Qi Refinement, asked their princess nervously:
"Princess Suha! Are you sure you sensed a presence nearby? Zi Lin and I haven't seen or heard anything…" Yu Tong questioned, her voice tinged with confusion and disbelief.
"With your cultivation level, it would be hard for you to detect such a presence! Whoever or whatever it is is deliberately concealing their Qi—nearly impossible to detect for anyone below the seventh layer of Qi Refinement. Prepare yourselves for battle; this could be difficult!" Suha warned sharply.
Zi Lin and Yu Tong grew even more frightened. If only cultivators at the seventh layer or above could sense it, what kind of monster were they up against? Something at the very peak of Qi Refinement—or perhaps beyond?!
"Princess! Shouldn't we reconsider fighting? Maybe we should flee while we still can!" The two cultivators urged in voices mixed with fear and desperation, trying to dissuade Suha from rushing into danger.
But Suha stood firm. Not an inch did she waver. She faced away from them, her gaze locked on the spot where she had felt the presence. She exuded the aura of an empress—steadfast, unshaken, with her strong back and hand resting calmly on the scabbard of her sword. Her voice carried far and clear as she declared:
"Have faith in me! Even if it is a monster at the peak of Qi Refinement, I will not fear! Nothing will stop me from avenging us all. I have a duty, and I will fulfill it!" With these words, she drew the tip of her sword, her Qi rising sharply.
The two cultivators fell silent, overwhelmed by Suha's commanding presence and terrifying Qi. It was no ordinary Qi—Suha's Qi was royal. It compelled those around her either to kneel or to watch in awe.
Suddenly, a noise broke the tense silence—audible this time to everyone. It came from a thick, large bush—perfectly camouflaged amidst the forest. The first thing to emerge from the foliage wasn't Long Shen himself, but rather... the severed head of the Scarlet Wolf he had killed!
What a cruel twist of fate! The irony was palpable. Despite its lifeless state, the mere sight of that wolf's head sent chills of terror through all who were present. The air grew thick with tension, the slightest movement could ignite chaos at any moment.
In that instant, the first to act was the fierce Suha!
"Now!!" she shouted at the top of her lungs, gathering all her Qi into her blade, which hardened like diamond and hummed with raw energy.
With breathtaking grace, she launched herself forward in a move worthy of the greatest athletes. Her sword Qi burst forth like a crescent moon slicing through the air, speeding directly toward the wolf's severed head protruding from the leaves.
Suha knew her strike wouldn't be enough to finish the fight. She had analyzed the residual energy lingering in the corpse and realized it was a demon at the foundational stage. Her sword Qi might rival a cultivator halfway through foundational level, but it could never surpass that threshold. Still, she kept her cool, ready to press the assault!
As Long Shen was just revealing himself, he couldn't even take a step out of the bushes before Suha's sword Qi slammed straight at him! It nearly overwhelmed his mind—what a reception! This attack was close to the power of a foundational cultivator, and Long Shen did not underestimate it. With a sublime display of footwork, he dodged deftly, but part of the energy grazed his neck, leaving a thin sword mark. Luckily, the corpse remained unharmed.
No sooner had he recovered than Suha, Yu Tong, and Zi Lin rushed forward to surround him! To avoid disaster, Long Shen made a quick decision. He inhaled deeply, then shouted:
"STOP! IT'S ME, LONG SHEN!" His voice carried the weight of much of his Qi and echoed for hundreds of meters around.
Startled by this powerful Qi, Suha's group halted, lowering their weapons and eyes widening as they recognized the young boy.
"Long Shen? Wait... who is Long Shen?" one cultivator asked.
"Hmm, Long Shen? I recognize him! He's the boy who provoked me when we first entered this forest!" Suha said, surprised by the sudden turn of events.
"This kid—I recognize his face, but I didn't know his name... But what on earth is he doing here? And why is he accompanied by that demon?!" Suha's voice trembled, her eyes darting nervously to the wolf's head.
Yu Tong looked closely at Long Shen's figure and interrupted, "Wait, Princess, look again! He's not accompanied by that monster… he's carrying its corpse!" Her words shocked her so much that she nearly stumbled and almost fell to the ground.
Suha stared carefully at Long Shen. Indeed, the beast—lifeless—was carried by him. The absurdity of the scene struck her deeply. A child without any cultivation base carrying the corpse of a foundational-level beast... What nonsense was this?!
She examined him once more, her shock deepening. Swallowing hard, she whispered under her breath:
"The peak of Qi Refinement... How is this even possible...?"
She chuckled softly, sheathed her sword, and fell silent.
Whether it was Suha or the other two cultivators, all had come to the same realization. None could recover from the shock of seeing someone without cultivation evolve so rapidly in just a few days.
"Well! Is this what you call a welcome? And here I was hoping for a gentle start. Looks like I missed that…" a soft voice broke the silence—it was Long Shen's.