Xue Yunxue began to feel her breathing grow unstable.
Her steps were still fast, but her chest felt heavy. Most of her energy had already been spent healing Yun Wu's injuries. Though her face remained calm, the thin layer of sweat at her temples betrayed the truth.
The energy in the air felt strange.
Not merely dark—but oppressive.
As if the forest itself possessed a will and was testing who was worthy of advancing further.
Yun Wu, who was running ahead, suddenly glanced back. His black hair fluttered in the wind, and his wolf ears were clearly visible between the strands, twitching warily.
He stopped abruptly.
"You're exhausted," he said shortly.
"I'm fine," Yunxue replied reflexively.
Yun Wu did not respond to her denial. He simply crouched in front of her, his back facing her.
"Get on."
His tone left no room for discussion.
For a moment, Xue Yunxue thought he would shift into his true form—the massive black wolf with the wild aura she had once seen.
But Yun Wu remained in his human form.
Only his wolf ears were fully exposed now, moving subtly with every whisper of wind and snap of branches in the dark forest.
Yunxue did not argue.
She wrapped her arms around his shoulders and climbed onto his back. His body was warm and solid, muscles tightening as he rose to his feet again.
When Yun Wu began running, his speed did not decrease in the slightest.
If anything—
It became steadier.
Faster.
Behind them, Lin Yuan followed at an unhurried pace, yet his steps remained light. His blue-green hair moved gently in the night breeze.
He glanced at the two of them and clicked his tongue lazily.
"How romantic," he muttered. "If you want something more dramatic, I can summon rain for you."
From atop Yun Wu's back, Xue Yunxue rolled her eyes.
They continued running through the forest, which grew darker with every step.
Suddenly, Xue Yunxue remembered something.
She lightly tapped Yun Wu's head.
"What is it?" Yun Wu glanced at her briefly, his amber eyes still sharp and alert.
"May I ask something?"
Yun Wu answered with a low hum of acknowledgment.
"Do you remember when Hu Shui was kidnapped by the rebels… and then suddenly turned insane?" Yunxue asked softly. "Are we heading toward the stronghold where she was once held?"
Yun Wu's steps slowed.
Then stopped.
Lin Yuan halted beside them.
The forest felt suddenly quieter.
"There's something I haven't told you," Yun Wu said quietly.
He took a breath.
"For the past year, I've been investigating the rebel group that kidnapped Hu Shui."
His amber eyes darkened.
"I came to one conclusion."
He turned slightly.
"The ones who kidnapped Hu Shui were not the rebels."
Xue Yunxue and Lin Yuan fell silent.
"It was the Dark Sovereignty."
The wind moved softly through the trees.
"Isn't the rebel group also a pawn of the Dark Sovereignty?" Lin Yuan asked, his tone no longer lazy.
Yun Wu shook his head.
"Not entirely. One of the rebel leaders deeply despises the Dark Sovereignty. They've even clashed openly several times."
"And who is that leader?" Yunxue asked.
Yun Wu paused for a moment.
"The rebels have three leaders. But I've only ever met one of them."
"Noctar."
The name sounded heavy in the air.
"As for the other two… I've never seen their faces."
Lin Yuan raised an eyebrow.
"Sounds like the rebels' leadership itself is chaotic."
"No," Yun Wu replied quietly. "They rarely communicate. It's as if each of them has their own agenda."
He looked toward the west.
"The fortress we're heading to is under Noctar's control."
Xue Yunxue frowned.
"Then why do the reports say the rebels have colluded with the Dark Sovereignty?"
Lin Yuan smiled faintly.
"That's like killing two birds with one stone."
Both of them looked at him.
"If the public believes the rebels are working with the Dark Sovereignty, the kingdom will mobilize its forces to destroy them."
He continued in a calm yet sharp tone.
"And if the rebels are eliminated… the Dark Sovereignty loses a troublesome enemy without having to lift a finger."
-------
The western side of the forest was vastly different from the previous area.
The trees were sparser, their trunks thin and curved like ribs protruding from the earth. The ground was rocky and cracked, as though it had once been scorched by ancient flames. The black mist was thinner here, yet the air felt drier—
And sharper.
Like a territory deliberately cleared for defense.
Xue Yunxue was still on Yun Wu's back when the night wind began to settle.
"Are we close?" she asked softly.
Yun Wu's black hair fluttered in the wind. He glanced back briefly. His amber eyes caught the last traces of fading twilight.
"We're almost there."
His answer was short.
Yet his steps remained steady.
Without hesitation.
Behind them, Lin Yuan slowed slightly. His blue-green hair stood out starkly against the forest's darkness. His blue eyes narrowed as a faint ripple of spiritual power spread from his body—unseen, yet felt like an invisible net.
He scanned the ground.
The trees.
The air.
Calculating blind spots.
Searching for traps.
"I haven't detected any Taigu-level presence," he murmured. "If there is one… he's hiding his aura extremely well."
Yun Wu did not reply, but his jaw tightened slightly.
As night fell completely—
They finally arrived.
The fortress emerged between the shadows of the trees like a stone beast standing guard.
Its walls were tall and rough, reinforced with black metal that reflected the torchlight in a dull, ominous gleam. A shallow moat surrounded it, filled with sharp stones and hidden iron spikes.
This was no makeshift defense.
It had been built by someone who understood war.
Torches burned along the walls. Their shadows stretched long and unnatural, as if living creatures watching from above.
Guards patrolled in disciplined formation.
Their red-and-black armor was uniform.
Spears and bows stood ready.
No obvious openings could be seen.
Yun Wu landed lightly on the ground and allowed Yunxue to slide down from his back. They concealed themselves behind a massive tree whose roots jutted out like claws gripping the earth.
From there, the main gate was clearly visible.
Yun Wu observed for several seconds.
"Approximately two hundred soldiers inside."
His tone was flat—like he was counting sacks of grain, not armed men.
Lin Yuan scanned deeper.
"I don't sense anyone at Taigu level inside this fortress."
Yun Wu exhaled quietly.
For the first time that day, his shoulders loosened slightly.
"My informant said Noctar reached Taigu not long ago, but this is only a peripheral stronghold," he said in a low voice. "Noctar's main fortress lies farther west. He shouldn't be here."
The night wind carried the scent of iron, sweat, and burning wood.
Xue Yunxue stared at the fortress for a long moment.
She calculated distances.
Patrol rotations.
Risks.
"Yun Wu and I will go inside. You stay out here," she finally said.
Lin Yuan's blue eyes turned cold instantly.
"No."
His voice was no longer lazy.
"Do you intend to leave me standing here like a decorative statue?"
The teasing tone had vanished.
What remained was irritation—and faint concern.
"The fewer people who enter, the lower the chance of detection," Yunxue replied calmly.
"Lin Yuan is right," Yun Wu suddenly spoke.
"You can't go in. I'll handle it."
Xue Yunxue turned sharply toward him.
"I'm not letting you go alone," she said firmly. "You nearly died earlier. Stop acting like a tragic hero."
Yun Wu fell silent. Lin Yuan pinched the bridge of his nose. One stubborn person was already exhausting enough.
Now the wolf had joined the competition.
He let out a long sigh and raised his hand in surrender.
"Fine. Yun Wu and I will go in. You stay here."
Xue Yunxue blinked.
She wasn't entirely convinced.
Lin Yuan was clever and cunning—but just as reckless as the wolf.
Still—
He possessed strength that could not be underestimated and formidable combat ability.
And that was better than sending two reckless idiots together.
Yun Wu glanced at Lin Yuan.
For the first time that night, they agreed without sarcasm.
"…Alright." Yunxue finally nodded. "I'll wait here."
But she did not let them leave unprepared.
She retrieved two small bottles from her storage space. The liquid inside was grayish-green, faintly shimmering under the moonlight.
"Drink this."
Lin Yuan raised an eyebrow.
"What now?"
"Aura-suppression potion," Yunxue replied briefly. "It will dampen your energy fluctuations and mask your spiritual presence. The effect lasts one hour. No longer."
Yun Wu accepted it without hesitation and drank it immediately.
The aura around him gradually dimmed, like a flame smothered beneath ash.
Lin Yuan stared at his bottle for a few seconds before finally swallowing it.
His expression shifted slightly.
"It tastes like fermented seawater sludge aged for ten years."
"Stop complaining," Yunxue said flatly. "If you get caught because your arrogance smells too strong, don't blame me."
Lin Yuan snorted softly.
The night grew quieter.
And then—
The infiltration began.
-------
Yun Wu knew this fortress well.
He had once lived here—not as a guest, but as a shadow working within its walls. Every corridor, every corner, even the cracks along the stone surface were etched into his memory.
He gave Lin Yuan a brief signal.
No sound.
No words.
They moved along the western side of the fortress, where the wall met a fractured rocky slope. There, hidden behind thorny shrubs and a massive stone that looked entirely natural, lay a narrow crevice.
An old entrance.
Once used as a secret supply route.
Yun Wu pushed aside the shrubs and pressed a concealed stone mechanism. The massive rock shifted slowly, almost silently.
"Still functional," Lin Yuan murmured.
They slipped inside.
The stone sealed shut behind them.
Darkness swallowed them whole.
———
Outside, Xue Yunxue stood quietly behind the giant tree.
She watched the silhouettes of the two men disappear into the fortress, and then the night returned to silence.
Her heart felt unsettled.
'Sister Xue… I don't know why, but I have a bad feeling,' Moa said softly.
Xue Yunxue remained silent. It wasn't just Moa—she felt it too.
Slowly, she closed her eyes and knelt down.
Her palm pressed against the cracked earth.
Plant-element energy flowed gently from her body, seeping into the wild roots growing around the fortress. The roots crept inward through gaps in the stone, following moisture, following life.
She could not see with her eyes—
But the soil could.
The roots could.
And she borrowed their sight.
------
Inside the fortress, Yun Wu moved without a sound. His steps were light, his sense of smell sharpened.
He could scent metal, sweat, weapon oil.
And something else—
The stale stench of dried blood.
The underground prison lay on the eastern inner side of the fortress.
The corridor leading there was narrow and sloped downward. The stone walls were damp. Water dripped from the ceiling—tick… tick… tick…—a monotonous, grating sound.
Lin Yuan followed closely behind, blue eyes scanning every corner.
They stopped before a large iron door leading to the prison chamber.
Yun Wu paused.
Listening.
Counting breaths.
Rough laughter echoed from inside.
The thud of wood being struck.
The pungent smell of alcohol mixed with the stench of men who hadn't bathed in days.
Yun Wu glanced at Lin Yuan. Lin Yuan gave a slight nod.
They peered through a narrow crack.
The prison was filthy and damp. Rusted iron bars lined the walls, forming rows of cells. Dirty water pooled in the corners of the stone floor.
At the center of the room, five guards sat around a round wooden table.
A large barrel of liquor lay tipped on its side. Several wooden cups were overturned.
Two guards were laughing loudly. One had already slumped over, half-asleep.
But two others remained alert enough.
Lin Yuan did not step forward.
He remained within the corridor's shadow, his greenish-blue hair nearly blending into the darkness of the stone walls.
His blue eyes narrowed.
The air around him shifted.
Slowly—very slowly—a faint blue mist began to emerge from his fingertips. It was not flashy. Not dazzling.
Rather, it was subtle—like sea fog before dawn.
The mist crept along the floor.
Slipping through the small gaps beneath the iron prison door.
It entered silently, like an invisible breath.
Lin Yuan's mental energy pressed down upon the guards' consciousness like the crushing pressure of the deep sea.
Their thoughts grew heavy.
Sluggish.
Suffocated without wounds.
Within seconds, all five guards collapsed onto the damp stone floor. They were still breathing—but their eyes were vacant, unfocused.
Yun Wu glanced at Lin Yuan.
"I only damaged their consciousness centers. If they're lucky, they'll wake up in a few days," Lin Yuan said with a faint smile. "If not… they'll simply go mad. Not dead."
His tone was casual.
As if madness were merely a mild side effect.
Yun Wu didn't particularly care.
The result was enough.
He stepped deeper into the underground prison.
The stench grew stronger.
The cells on both sides were filled with male beastmen—emaciated bodies covered in festering old wounds. Some were barely breathing. Iron chains bound their wrists and ankles to the walls.
A few lifted their heads at the sound of footsteps.
Their eyes were hollow. Fearful. Hopeless.
Yun Wu checked them one by one.
Searching for a familiar face.
But—
Xuxu was not there.
His heartbeat quickened.
His expression tightened.
Where were they keeping Xuxu?
------
Outside the fortress, Xue Yunxue remained kneeling behind the massive tree.
Her plant-element energy continued to spread through the wild roots weaving beneath the earth. Through them, she could "see" the shadows of movement inside the fortress—the vibration of footsteps, shifts in ground pressure, the pulse of living beings.
She was fairly certain Yun Wu and Lin Yuan could handle two hundred soldiers if it came to that.
But suddenly—
A different tremor rippled through the distance.
Not from the ground.
From the air.
Xue Yunxue's eyes snapped open.
The night sky quivered faintly.
A small anti-gravity aircraft descended silently from the darkness. Its underlights were dim, just bright enough to illuminate the ground as it landed inside the fortress courtyard.
From her position, she couldn't see who stepped out.
She immediately closed her eyes again, deepening her energy channel.
The roots that had infiltrated beneath the fortress walls continued creeping forward, slipping through gaps in reinforced concrete and blackened steel. In this modern beast world, rebel fortresses did not rely solely on stone and timber—their foundations were fused with industrial alloys, energy sensors, even basic gravity-field enhancers.
But nature always found its path.
And Xue Yunxue was its master.
Her consciousness merged with the soil. She felt the vibration of the anti-gravity engine cooling in the inner courtyard. The faint hum of modern technology blended with the scent of oil and spiritual fuel.
The aircraft door opened.
Someone stepped down.
His footsteps were steady.
Heavy.
Not heavy because of physical weight—but because the pressure of his aura struck the earth like an invisible warhammer. Each step made the wild roots connected to Yunxue tremble violently.
He stopped.
Silent.
As if listening.
As if sensing.
Xue Yunxue's heartbeat quickened.
A thread-thin root that had crawled beneath the man's boots suddenly burned.
Then—
It snapped.
Her energy flow was severed by force.
Like someone who knew exactly where to step to stop a beating heart.
Xue Yunxue jolted and opened her eyes.
Her face turned pale.
This person wasn't just powerful.
He was perceptive.
Extremely perceptive.
He could detect the flow of plant-element energy disguised within the soil—something even most military generals would fail to notice.
Have I been discovered?
Her breathing grew uneven. She stared at the distant fortress, her thoughts racing.
Inside… Yun Wu and Lin Yuan were still there.
Whoever had just arrived was clearly powerful—possibly terrifyingly so.
'Sister Xue, run! That person is truly dangerous. He has reached the Taigu Realm!' Moa warned urgently.
'What about Yun Wu and Lin Yuan?' Xue Yunxue asked silently.
Moa could only sigh.
'We can't guarantee whether they'll make it out alive,' Moa whispered anxiously. Then added, 'This is the strongest beastman I have ever encountered.'
Xue Yunxue's face drained of color.
She had to warn Yun Wu and Lin Yuan.
But how?
------
"Is something troubling you, Sir?"
A red-and-black uniformed officer stood rigidly behind the tall, broad figure who had just stepped out of the anti-gravity aircraft. The fortress floodlights cast long shadows across the cracked ground.
The man stood facing the inner courtyard, his back straight as a military flagpole.
His brown eyes swept across the area calmly.
Too calmly.
His long black cloak fluttered in the night wind, revealing the powerful silhouette of a broad frame—solid muscles outlined beneath modern combat gear reinforced with a thin layer of spiritual shielding.
He was Noctar.
One of the three rebel leaders.
The aura around him did not explode outward like a bloodthirsty soldier's.
Instead—
It was controlled.
Dense.
Like steel forged over and over again.
Noctar lowered his gaze slightly and touched the ground with the tip of his boot.
He shifted his foot slowly, as if feeling the remnants of a vibration that had just been severed.
"It seems…" he said in a low voice, "…someone tried to spy on this fortress from the outside."
The officers beside him exchanged glances.
Several instinctively tightened their grip on their weapons.
Noctar slowly lifted his head and looked toward the dark western forest.
That gaze was sharp.
As if it could pierce through layers of trees and uncover whoever was hiding there.
Behind the massive tree, Xue Yunxue's heart pounded harder.
"Shall we capture them, Sir?" another officer asked.
Noctar finally withdrew his gaze.
"No need."
His voice was flat.
Emotionless.
"I'll deal with it later."
He turned around, his cloak sweeping with the motion.
"There is something more important I must attend to first."
The officers looked confused.
"I will go welcome our guest," Noctar said calmly.
------
Their presence had finally been detected.
No alarms blared—no modern sirens screaming through the fortress. Only subtle changes in the patrol patterns. Footsteps quickened. Formations shifted.
Then the iron door at the end of the underground corridor burst open.
More than a dozen rebel soldiers charged in with weapons drawn.
"Intruders!"
Yun Wu didn't wait for them to close the distance.
His black hair swung as he shot forward, amber eyes blazing sharply in the dim prison light. His movements were clean and efficient—not wild like a beast, but disciplined like the military officer he once had been.
He spun low, sweeping a soldier's legs out from under him before driving his elbow straight into the man's throat.
The crack of bone echoed.
On the other side, Lin Yuan stepped forward calmly.
His blue-green hair swayed lightly, his blue eyes flashing coldly.
A spear thrust toward him.
Lin Yuan shifted half an inch.
The spear tip pierced through a fading afterimage.
A wisp of blue mist flickered around him, and with a slight twist of his wrist, a surge of mental energy slammed into his attacker's skull.
The soldier collapsed instantly, his body convulsing before falling still.
The narrow corridor turned into a brutal close-quarters battlefield.
Yun Wu struck down enemy after enemy with precise, lethal blows. His claws tore through rebel armor as if it were paper.
Lin Yuan moved more leisurely.
Every step he took was followed by a subtle burst of mental pressure. Those who held his gaze for even a second too long faltered, losing balance before crumpling to the ground. Spiritual blades formed around him, slicing through the soldiers ahead without mercy.
In less than a minute—
Dozens of low-ranking soldiers lay sprawled across the damp stone floor.
Yun Wu's breathing remained steady.
Lin Yuan hadn't even begun to sweat.
"They're still too weak," Lin Yuan muttered.
Yun Wu gave a slight nod.
But just as they began to gain the upper hand—
The air changed.
Energy pressure surged suddenly.
Heavy.
Dense.
The fine hairs at the back of Yun Wu's neck stood on end.
His wolf ears emerged fully, rigid and alert.
This power—
Did not belong to ordinary soldiers.
Heavy footsteps echoed from the far end of the corridor.
Not rushed.
Not panicked.
Measured.
"You little rats…"
The voice was hoarse, heavy, and filled with quiet menace.
"You dare trespass in my domain."
Yun Wu and Lin Yuan turned simultaneously.
At the end of the corridor, the lamplight reflected off a towering silhouette.
Noctar.
He stood there like a living wall. His black cloak draped over broad shoulders, brown eyes cold and steady.
The pressure radiating from him made the air tremble.
Instinct.
Yun Wu and Lin Yuan retreated nearly thirty meters in a single breath.
The stone floor cracked beneath their feet.
Yun Wu let out a low growl.
Lin Yuan narrowed his eyes.
There was no longer any doubt.
This was no fight against low-ranking troops.
This was a direct clash with one of the rebel leaders.