The relentless storm battered Hidden Dragon Peak Mountain. Outside, sheets of rain hammered the earth, while hailstones the size of baseballs and soccer balls pelted the rocky cliffs and base structures. Darkness cloaked the mountain, broken only by flickering searchlights sweeping the treacherous slopes.
Inside the Hidden Dragon Peak Base, tension simmered beneath the surface. Commander Long's soldiers manned their stations, eyes sharp as streams of encrypted data poured in from checkpoints scattered across the mountain, the underground train tunnels, and the nearby training site.
Han Yue sat beside Long Yi in the command center, her eyes blazing with barely contained eagerness. Enemy squads flashed across the holo-screens—some moving northeast, others creeping through southern ravines. She clenched her fists, itching to join the fight.
Long Yi's calm, steady voice cut through her anticipation as he gently squeezed her hand. "Not yet," he said, locking eyes with her, his tone firm but gentle. "You can kill them if they reach our doors."
Han Yue pouted, shaking her sleeves. "Sounds impossible!"
Long Yi smiled, conceding with a hint of warmth. "Then you can kill the ones who try to retreat later on, okay?"
Satisfied, Han Yue nodded and settled back, watching as Long Yi rose and took command. His presence was magnetic—every word and gesture commanding respect and swift obedience. She was amazed. His aura of authority was unmistakable: a born leader conducting an orchestra. Her eyes sparkled with admiration. So cool!
Long Yi's orders came swift and precise.
He would command Hidden Dragon Peak Base, directing defenses and security with unwavering focus.
Commander Long would oversee his Private Training Base, coordinating patrols and fortifications with military precision.
Shadow 3 took charge of the Training Site, maintaining razor-sharp control over its every inch.
The other shadow leaders—1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8—were stationed at critical checkpoints across the mountain: within the underground train tunnels, along training site perimeters, at Commander Long's base, and throughout Hidden Dragon Peak Base itself.
The underground train tunnels connecting these locations were vital lifelines—and prime targets for infiltration.
"The tunnels are vulnerable," Long Yi warned. "Watch every shadow. No one moves without our knowledge."
Beyond the storm's veil of darkness, dozens of hostile teams moved with quiet determination.
Fractured government factions, rogue awakeners hungry for the potion's power, mercenaries desperate for fortune or glory—each slipped through the downpour, hoping to catch the defenders off guard.
Some crawled through the underground tunnels. Others pressed toward Commander Long's Training Base or the main Training Site. Many climbed treacherous mountain paths, aiming to assault Hidden Dragon Peak Base head-on.
They came in scattered groups, from every direction—eager to steal the Awakening Potion or to die trying.
Han Yue refused to stay idle. As Long Yi coordinated forces, she spread her spiritual senses across the mountain, seeking leaks, hidden enemies, and threats beyond patrol lines.
Her powers rippled through the darkness, unveiling shadows lurking in cracks and thickets.
When enemy spies attempted retreat, their plans exposed, Han Yue unleashed her wrath. Silent and deadly, her spiritual energy surged—ending their lives before they vanished into the night.
Tonight, the mountain would run red—not from the storm's rain, but from the blood of those foolish enough to challenge the defenders of Hidden Dragon Peak.
From the command center, Han Yue's eyes gleamed with the thrill of the hunt, watching, waiting, ready to strike.
The storm raged outside, but the real tempest was unfolding beneath the mountain—within the shadowed depths of Hidden Dragon Peak and its allied strongholds.
Military jeeps and armored trucks roared along muddy roads as desperate factions surged toward their targets. Armed soldiers poured out in squads—some forcing their way toward Hidden Dragon Base, others veering for Commander Long's private training compound, and more pressing the Training Site.
But brute force was only part of the threat. Stealthy scouts and spies infiltrated in smaller teams, eager to slip past defenses, gather intelligence, or steal the priceless potion formula.
Beneath the mountain lay the abandoned train station: a cavernous, dark labyrinth. Giant rusted trains sat frozen on cold tracks as infiltrators forced their way inside, knowing the tunnels ahead demanded travel on foot.
Their footsteps echoed eerily in the vast shadows. But as they pressed forward, team members began to vanish—silent, unseen deaths stalking them through the darkness.
Shadow Leaders 6, 7, and 8 commanded the underground checkpoints, their forces lurking in hidden alcoves, waiting with lethal patience.
Some intruders found their mouths silently covered before they could scream. Others were strangled in shadowy grips, bodies dragged away like ghosts.
One unlucky group was consumed by flames summoned by Shadow 8's fiery wrath—charred remains left behind as a grim warning.
Another batch sank into quicksand-like traps conjured by Shadow 7, buried alive beneath the station floor's cold earth.
Others met gruesome ends at the fangs of ravenous, spirit-controlled mice, unleashed by Shadow 6 to hunt in swarms.
The train station became a tomb, littered with bodies, scattered weapons, and abandoned vehicles. The quiet was deafening—a chilling testament to the precision and brutality of Long Yi's shadow guards.
Shadow 8's cold voice broke the silence:"Clean up the site. Don't scare the rats away."
Without hesitation, the guards moved swiftly, hiding corpses and clearing paths for the next wave of intruders—the cycle of death relentless.
At the Training Site, Shadow 3 stood sentinel alongside Shadows 1 and 4, hundreds of shadow guards arrayed in silent, deadly formation. Trenches and concealed pits dug long ago fortified the perimeter—all bait for unwary invaders.
No searchlights illuminated the grounds—darkness was their ally. Shadow 3's orders were clear:"Let them come. See if they can leave alive."
Shadow 1's spiritual senses tingled as approaching teams neared. Reports flew to Shadow 3, who dispatched squads to strategic ambush points. One by one, intruders fell—mouths covered, necks broken in silence, bodies whisked away before panic could spread.
Shadow 4 wielded water with deadly grace, manipulating the torrent outside into suffocating bubbles that crushed enemies' lungs. Screams echoed briefly before silence returned, the rain amplifying his aquatic wrath.
Inside the chaos, young trainees moved in squads—electric shocks stunned foes, flames danced at fingertips, gusts of wind blinded and knocked enemies down. The attackers realized too late the truth:"It's here... the Awakened…"
But their vision faded to black as Shadow 1 struck down the noisy ones with spiritual precision.
Bored with the predictable slaughter, Shadow 3 stepped outside. Mercenaries prepared to toss grenades at the walls—unthinkable sacrilege.
With a flick of his hand, gravity crushed their weapons to dust and pinned the mercenaries to the ground, immobilized and helpless.
"Come out," Shadow 3's voice crackled over the intercom, "There are many rats outside."
Reinforcements surged from the shadows, daggers flashing in the moonlight, ending the intruders' lives with cold efficiency.
At Commander Long's private training base, reports arrived swiftly."Commander," Secretary Liang Meiyu's voice crackled. "We've captured twenty intruders. Colonel Zhuang Wei's men have sealed the perimeter with trenches and traps. Some who tried to shoot were killed on the spot."
"Excellent," Commander Long said calmly. "No prisoners. Leave none alive."
At the perimeter, Colonel Zhuang Wei grinned, the thrill of the hunt evident. "I'll let the little girl interrogate the captives tomorrow."The guards exchanged nervous glances. "Not again, Colonel…"
Outside the seemingly deserted training base, intruders hesitated. The wide-open bunker looked abandoned—but as they stepped inside, an electric current surged through the ground.
Bodies convulsed, smoke rising as electricity pulsed through the defenses.
Commander Long watched coolly from his window. "Finish it."The control team responded with ruthless precision, cleaning up survivors and clearing the area.
Shadow 2 stood guard nearby, waiting patiently. As the next batch crossed the threshold, a sharp wind whispered—and then, one by one, their heads flew clean off their bodies, their bodies collapsing in pools of blood.
"Clean up," he commanded coldly. The shadows moved swiftly, leaving nothing behind.
At Hidden Dragon Base, Han Yue lounged, casually munching chips. The control room was alive with flickering screens—CCTV feeds from every angle, including the grim scenes at the train station.
She watched, fascinated by the ruthlessness of Shadows 6, 7, and 8 as they dispatched enemies with ropes, knives, and silent strength.
"Brutal," she murmured, eyes sparkling with excitement.
Between bites, Han Yue scanned the mountainside, hunting for deserters and retreating spies.Already, forty had fallen to her spiritual wrath—those who dared flee were cut down without mercy.
"Locations clear," she reported to Assistant Chen. "Several attempts to retreat ended in death."
Chen and Liu nodded grimly, dispatching cleanup teams to erase evidence and keep the mountain's secrets safe.
Despite her innocent demeanor, Han Yue's cold precision was unmatched—a single thought, and lives ended unseen.
Shadow 5 guarded the Hidden Dragon Base's gate, twisting vines and roots through bodies like deadly skewers. Intruders trying to flee found their path barred by snipers hidden in the towering walls, silencers muffling the deadly shots.
The base was a silent death trap—no one escaped.
Han Yue's smile faded as she sensed growing desperation among the enemy. The mountain was too quiet, too still.
Jeeps and trucks carried soldiers up the slopes, some armed, some in military gear, others mercenaries. Yet no explosions or gunfire shattered the eerie calm.
The silence planted seeds of terror and doubt in the attackers' hearts.
"They're wondering why it's so quiet," Han Yue giggled, glancing at Long Yi.
Seated, sipping wine, Long Yi smiled. "Just rats playing in the dark."
Secretary Wen coughed softly. "Using rockets would be a waste."
Long Yi nodded. "Yes. Let them sleep—some forever."
Han Yue pouted, "Boring." Then grinned mischievously, "Well, I'll just keep playing quietly."
The night wore on—silent but deadly. Blood flowed down Hidden Dragon Peak, painting the earth red beneath the relentless Torrent Rainstorm.
When dawn finally broke, the storm's fury subsided, washing away the blood—but the mountain's message was clear.
"The Hidden Dragon Peak Mountain is not to be trifled with and those who come to steal will perish."