Bai Mulan stirred slightly, a soft groan escaping her lips as she woke from her slumber. Slowly, she blinked her eyes open, feeling an unfamiliar warmth against her left side—the warmth of a body. Her mind, still hazy with sleep, barely registered the sensation at first. But the moment she turned to identify the source, her drowsiness vanished in an instant.
Realization hit her like a thunderbolt. Her face flushed deep red as she sat upright, mortified. She had fallen asleep against his back—after he had tirelessly carried her all the way up.
"Awake already?"
Bai Mulan flinched slightly at the voice and turned toward him, her heart skipping a beat when she saw the amused smile on his lips.
"I—I'm sorry! No, I mean—thank you," she stammered, her embarrassment still clouding her thoughts. Her mind, sluggish from just waking up, struggled to find the right words.
"Then, let's go." Chen Fan rose to his feet, a faint smile tugging at his lips as he resisted the urge to tease Bai Mulan further.
Just then, his ears caught the faint sound of numerous footsteps approaching from the distance—most likely from the location where they had first been summoned. His expression darkened slightly as he recalled the two Golden Core corpses they had left behind. The approaching group was probably investigating the scene.
It wouldn't be long before they arrived here.
"We need to move," he said.
Bai Mulan, noticing his sudden change in demeanor, quickly composed herself and nodded.
"I'll scout ahead," Chen Fan added, retrieving a concealment talisman. It still had around fifteen minutes of use left. Without hesitation, he activated it and vanished into the shadows.
Bai Mulan watched as he moved with practiced ease, naturally taking on the most dangerous role without hesitation. A small warmth blossomed in her chest. At first, she had agreed to let him take the lead purely because it was the most logical choice—his strength was far superior to hers. But now, she couldn't help but feel a sliver of concern.
Still, she knew this was no time to hesitate. Chen Fan was cautious and level-headed. Her priority now was to follow his lead and avoid becoming a burden.
Moving silently through the cave, Chen Fan advanced toward the entrance. As he neared the source of the murmuring voices, his eyes narrowed.
Twenty figures dressed in black robes had gathered at the distance—seventeen Golden Core cultivators along with three Nascent Soul experts.
Chen Fan's gaze darkened. He could likely eliminate a Nascent Soul cultivator if he struck from the shadows, but with so many enemies, a direct confrontation would be risky. Victory wasn't guaranteed.
His mind raced through possible strategies, and then, suddenly, he remembered—his new abilities.
Devouring.
The black spike orb.
The ability to shroud others in darkness.
These were only the techniques he had witnessed the dragon use, meaning there were likely more waiting to be unlocked. But for now, these three were enough.
His lips curled slightly as an idea took shape.
Without wasting another moment, he turned back and made his way to Bai Mulan. They needed a plan.
---
"Can you contact him?" one of the Nascent Soul cultivators in black robes asked, his tone grim as he stared at the two corpses before them.
They had already gathered intelligence on all the geniuses present in this place. Killing a Golden Core cultivator wasn't unheard of, but the way it had been done—so cleanly, without any traces of battle—was unsettling. It could only mean one of two things: either the victims had been ambushed, or they had been utterly overpowered.
What was even more concerning was that the Nascent Soul cultivator who had accompanied them was also unreachable. Even though the gap between Foundation Building and Nascent Soul was immense, he couldn't shake off the feeling that something was terribly wrong.
"Come on, you don't seriously think they could've killed a Nascent Soul, do you? He's probably just busy eating them right now," another Nascent Soul cultivator scoffed, dismissing the concern. To him, the idea of a Foundation Building cultivator killing someone at their level was simply impossible.
"It has to be either Chen Fan or the Saint," a third Nascent Soul muttered, his expression darkening. "They're the only ones capable of taking down a Golden Core. Damn it, how lucky can he get?"
BOOM!
A thunderous explosion echoed across the valley, drawing the attention of all twenty cultivators instantly. Their eyes snapped toward the source of the sound—a cave in the distance.
"Look, isn't that him?" The second Nascent Soul cultivator let out a chuckle, his expression one of amusement.
"Hurry! If we move now, we might still get a share," the third Nascent Soul added eagerly, already preparing to dash forward.
However, unlike his companions, the first Nascent Soul cultivator remained slightly wary. Something about this felt… off. Was it really just a coincidence? The timing of the disturbance was almost too precise, as if it had been carefully planned.
"You don't actually think this is a trap, do you?" the second Nascent Soul cultivator scoffed, his tone laced with mockery. "They're probably just hiding in fear. The moment they saw us approaching, they must have panicked and tried to escape, only to run straight into our Nascent Soul ally."
Hearing this explanation, the first Nascent Soul cultivator hesitated for a brief moment before nodding. Maybe he was overthinking things. After all, it was only natural for weaker cultivators to flee when confronted by a group like theirs.
"Let's go." Without further delay, he commanded the others, leading the charge toward the cave at full speed. The remaining nineteen cultivators followed eagerly, their faces alight with anticipation. Thoughts of seizing a high-class meal filled their minds, making their movements even swifter.
But when they arrived at the cave entrance, their pupils constricted sharply, and all excitement instantly vanished.
A chilling sight greeted them.
Standing just ahead was a breathtakingly beautiful woman with flowing white hair, her cold gaze fixed on them. But their attention wasn't drawn to her alone—it was the bloodied pair of legs lying between her and them that sent a shiver down their spines.
Their eyes darted to the tattered remnants of black robes, scorched and torn, lying near the severed limbs. Recognition dawned upon them like a dreadful wave—this was one of their own. Or at least, what used to be their ally.
A tense silence filled the air.
Instinctively, the group assumed battle stances, their hands gripping their weapons tightly. However, despite their outward readiness, not a single one of them dared to recklessly charge forward.
It wasn't just that she had killed a Nascent Soul cultivator—it was how she had done it. Not a single wound or scratch marred her flawless form. How had she managed to take down one of their own so effortlessly? The fear in their eyes deepened as the realization settled in.
"Let's attack toge—"
Before the leading Nascent Soul cultivator could finish his sentence, a dark aura abruptly surged behind them.
Their instincts screamed at them to turn around.
A black sphere, crackling with ominous energy, shot toward the three Nascent Soul cultivators at the front. Reflexively, their first thought was to retreat—to put as much distance as possible between themselves and the sphere.
But they couldn't.
An overwhelming suction force erupted from the black orb, pulling them in. No matter how hard they struggled, their bodies were inexorably drawn toward one another, as if trapped in an inescapable vortex. The Golden Core cultivators around them suffered the same fate, their figures yanked toward the three Nascent Soul cultivators, creating a tangled mass of panicked bodies.
Just as they began to process what was happening, a chilling sensation pressed against one Nascent Soul cultivator's stomach—a hand.
His eyes darted downward in horror.
A black-scaled palm, glowing ominously, was pressed against his abdomen.
Move! He tried to mobilize his Qi, to launch a counterattack—but nothing happened. His Qi was completely out of his control. His pupils trembled violently.
Pure, unfiltered terror flooded his mind.
BOOM!
A deafening explosion erupted from the sphere.
The suction force did not dissipate. Instead, the explosion spiraled inward, turning into a violent maelstrom centered around the black sphere. The three Nascent Soul cultivators bore the brunt of the devastating impact, their bodies shredded and burned beyond recognition.
Chen Fan examined his hand—unscathed. He curled his fingers into a fist, feeling the raw power surging through his dragon arm. As expected, its durability was unmatched. A smirk crept onto his lips.
Without hesitation, he clenched his fist. The black sphere instantly shifted form, its surface twisting and reshaping into deadly spikes that tore through the mangled bodies of the Nascent Soul cultivators and the unfortunate Golden Core experts caught in the blast.
Chen Fan swiftly retreated a few paces, gathering the last remnants of his Qi. With a flick of his wrist, he slashed through the air three times—three diagonal Annihilation Slashes tore forward, cutting through the remaining cultivators like a blade through paper.
Silence fell over the battlefield. Only the scent of blood lingered
As the black sphere finally dissipated, the full extent of his devastation was laid bare before him.
Scattered across the ground were the corpses of his enemies, their faces frozen in shock, as if they had died before even comprehending what had happened. A satisfied smile tugged at Chen Fan's lips.
It had gone perfectly.
The sound of approaching footsteps broke his moment of reflection. Turning, he saw Bai Mulan walking toward him, her usual composure intact.
"Pretty cool, right?" he grinned, exhilaration still coursing through him. The fact that he had taken down multiple Nascent Soul cultivators almost effortlessly made his confidence soar to new heights.
Bai Mulan met his gaze, a rare smile gracing her lips. "It was our teamwork."
Hearing this, Chen Fan's grin widened even further. There was no denying it—they worked seamlessly together.
With the battle concluded, the two wasted no time rummaging through the corpses, collecting anything of value. Bai Mulan, with practiced ease, retrieved the communication devices from their fallen foes, her movements swift and precise. Despite the burnt state of some of the bodies, their tattoos remained intact, making it easier to identify them.
Chen Fan observed her with amusement. "You're really into this, huh?"
Bai Mulan only smiled mischievously, handing him a pile of devices. Within seconds, the two of them began combing through the contents, checking for any useful information.
After some time, they finally assessed their haul.
Twenty high-grade weapons.
An abundance of precious pills.
A staggering three million spirit stones.
And most importantly—five valuable tokens.
Three blue. Two yellow.
Chen Fan and Bai Mulan exchanged glances, then broke into laughter.
At that moment, there wasn't a single trace of fear or anxiety between them.
Their supposed misfortune—their kidnapping into this secret realm—had turned out to be nothing more than an opportunity in disguise.
And now, with this victory in hand, their minds had already begun plotting their next move.