The forest was unnaturally quiet.
Ash moved like a shadow between trees, guided by Shen Mu's whispers echoing in his mind.
> "To the east. Deeper. You'll find the battlefield there… and the third spirit."
But he wasn't alone.
Though she cloaked her presence, Lian Rou trailed him at a distance. Her invisibility charm flickered once—a minor lapse—but enough.
> "She's behind me," Ash muttered. "I know."
Shen Mu's voice was calm.
> "Let her follow. She won't get far."
---
The Roar
The silence shattered.
A deafening roar tore through the woods, shaking birds from the trees and splitting nearby rocks with the pressure.
Ash froze.
> "That wasn't... ordinary."
From above, a massive claw descended like a meteor, crashing into the canopy.
A golden blur struck the ground near Lian Rou.
Before she could scream, a Tier 5 Golden Bone Ape—easily fifteen feet tall with golden fur like armored plates—was upon her, one claw already pinning her down.
She struggled, but it was no use.
> "Qi Condensation?" the beast growled, its spirit sense flaring. "Unworthy."
---
The Break
Ash moved without thought.
In a blink, he activated Mrit's strength, his body pulsing with enhanced power. He leapt high—too high for someone in the Root Forging stage.
His foot connected with the side of the beast's head, knocking it off-balance. Lian Rou gasped for air as the claw loosened.
> "Run!" Ash shouted, catching her in his arms as the beast roared and raised both fists to crush them.
A moment of silence. Then—
Boom!
The forest floor cratered as Ash dashed away, moving faster than any Root Forging disciple should. Trees blurred, roots snapped beneath his feet, his body surging with spiritual might borrowed from his spirits.
Lian Rou clutched his robe, barely conscious, a thin line of blood trickling from her temple.
> "You… saved me…" she whispered. "That thing… was Tier Five…"
> "Don't talk," Ash said, voice steady, but inside—rage and fear twisted together. "We're not out yet."
---
Escape
Minutes passed like hours. The golden ape didn't chase—it had lost interest once they'd escaped its immediate territory.
Finally, Ash found a shallow cave beneath a fallen cliff and slipped inside. Moonlight filtered through broken stone.
He placed Lian Rou gently on the ground, inspecting her for broken bones. Her pulse was stable—weak, but recovering.
He lit a small flame from a spirit crystal and let the warmth spread.
> "You shouldn't have followed me," he muttered.
> "You're… not what you seem…" she whispered faintly. "That strength…"
Ash didn't answer.
But his mind spun.
> "Did she see too much? Did she recognize Mrit's aura?"
Shen Mu whispered gently.
> "She is alive. That's the problem. You saved her—now you owe her a truth. Or a lie convincing enough to live with."
---
Dawn
As first light bled across the forest, Lian Rou opened her eyes fully.
Ash sat at the cave's entrance, silent, staring into the light.
> "You're hiding something," she said softly. "No Root Forging disciple moves like that. You saved me, but… if I were you, I'd be worried."
Ash didn't look back.
> "I'm always worried," he replied. "But not about you."
She sat up slowly, brushing dust from her sleeves.
> "You've made me owe you. That's not something I like."
> "Good. We're even then. Don't follow me again."
They sat in silence for a while longer, two cultivators surrounded by the scent of blood and earth, both now aware of the dangerous path the other walked—though only Ash knew how dark his truly was.
---
Closing Scene: The Battlefield Calls
Far away, in the ancient battlefield buried beneath layers of ash and stone, a soul stirred.
It had felt Ash's presence in the forest.
It had smelled death aura, the whisper of a necromancer's throne.
It was old.
Vengeful.
And it wanted to be seen again.
---