Linyue shuddered. Her fingers curled into fists. Her chest felt heavy.
Why did she always hope it wasn't him? Why did she keep trying to deny it?
She had hoped, just a little, that maybe she was wrong. That it was someone else. Another mysterious lightning rogue cultivator. Or anything else. But it was him. Here. Now. At the battlefield. At the very spot where angry cabbages had exploded not too long ago.
Shu Mingye's eyes locked on the masked man instantly. They narrowed to thin slits. The man in the white mask. It was him. Linyue's master. In Luyan.
His eyes flicked to Linyue. Her face had gone still. Her brows slightly furrowed. Her lips pressed tight. Her spiritual energy flickered faintly like a flame unsure whether to burn or die out. He knew she had always hoped her master had nothing to do with any of this. That the angry cabbages, the forbidden arrays, the spreading madness—all of it—were just an awful coincidence. But now he was here. In the flesh. Masked and dangerous. Walking through the middle of a demon horde like they were bowing to him. The demons didn't touch him. Didn't get close to him. Why? Was it his lightning spiritual energy? Was it the sheer pressure pouring off him like a storm in human form?
Lightning crackled faintly around the man's body, blue and pale. It snapped through the air in sharp bursts, jumping between his fingers and curling around his arms.
Shu Mingye stepped closer to Linyue. His own fire spiritual energy woke with a low hiss, the heat curling in waves around them. He didn't trust that man. Not one bit. Yes, her master had saved her before. But he had also hurt her. Left her with quiet scars and questions she never dared to say out loud. And now he was here again. In the middle of a battlefield. Doing what, exactly?
Shu Mingye wasn't about to wait and find out.
The masked man raised his hand. No words. No chant. No warning. Just one small flick of his wrist and the world erupted.
BOOM.
A chain of blue lightning tore across the battlefield. It zigzagged wildly, crackling louder than thunder. It didn't care who or what it hit. Demons screamed as their bodies lit up. Soldiers staggered back as the lightning jumped to them next, crawling across armor, searing flesh, shocking spiritual energy out of balance. One soldier let out a blood-curdling scream before collapsing. Another twitched violently before falling face-first on the dirt. A third didn't even have time to cry out before the strike sent him flying like a ragdoll.
Linyue froze. Her eyes widened. Her breath caught. She didn't even have time to move.
Her master stood there. Calm. Motionless. Watching it all unfold. There was no rush in his stance. No regret. His white mask stared back at her as if daring her to speak.
Shu Mingye's fire flared to life instantly, roaring red and furious. Heat pulsed off him in waves as embers hissed against the dirt.
Linyue's heart pounded painfully in her chest. This side of him. The one that made her tremble when she was young. The one she told herself never to think about again. It was here.
CRACK.
Another whip of blue lightning split the air, sharper this time. It shot across the field, cutting down more demons and catching another soldier in its merciless path. The soldier fell with a heavy thud.
"Why?" Linyue whispered, her voice small even to her own ears. Her hands shook. Her fingers curled uselessly at her sides. This wasn't a warning. This wasn't a test. This was an attack. Then she felt a quiet shift of wind beside her.
Shen Zhenyu. He appeared at her side without a sound, sword in his hand, his posture calm but sharp. His eyes stayed fixed on the masked man ahead. He had seen it too. The demons were no longer the real threat. They were just noise now. The true danger stood in front of them, masked and silent, with lightning dancing around him.
Her master. And he was striking without mercy. Without pause. Without even glancing at the lives he snuffed out. Soldiers. Demons. Anyone unlucky enough to stand in his way.
Linyue's heart pounded hard. She swallowed, her throat tight. They could not win. She knew it. Shen Zhenyu probably knew it too. Not against him. Not here. His power was different. Vast. Heavy. The air around them felt like it was vibrating under the weight of his presence.
Her chaos family was still fighting. Her friends. Her people. And… he was here too. Her smug, shameless king. He was probably already planning to throw himself in front of the next lightning bolt for her. She couldn't let that happen.
Gritting her teeth, Linyue stepped forward. Before the next arc of lightning could lash out, she called her spiritual weapon. Her lightning blade appeared in her hand in a burst of blue light. It thrummed in her grip, vibrating with raw energy.
The masked man moved. Another flash of pale blue lightning burst from his fingertips, crackling sharp and fast across the battlefield.
Linyue slashed her blade. Once. Twice. Three times. Each swing sliced the air so fast the air cracked. Shockwaves burst out with every strike. Arcs of blue energy spiraled through the sky like coiled dragons set loose. They shot forward and slammed into the incoming lightning.
BOOM.
The two forces collided mid-air. Blue lightning met her curved strikes with a violent shriek. Sparks exploded in every direction, raining down like burning stars. Dust shot up in thick clouds. The ground rippled. The battlefield froze for a heartbeat. Soldiers stopped yelling. Demons paused mid-snarl. Even Shu Mingye stilled, his fire roaring faintly at his fingertips.
Then—KA-BOOM.
The shockwave hit. Demons flew back. Soldiers tumbled to the ground, shields up. Even Shen Zhenyu braced himself, his boots skidding across the dirt. The air itself seemed to tear apart with the sound.
Linyue staggered back a step, her hand burning from the backlash. Her blade crackled angrily but stayed firm in her grip. She blinked through the dust.
The chain of lightning was gone. Interrupted. Broken.
The masked man tilted his head, faintly curious. Almost amused.
She didn't care. Her jaw tightened. Her eyes locked on his masked face. If he wanted to keep zapping people, he would have to go through her first. This time, she wasn't that scared little girl anymore. She had people to protect. She had a reason to fight.
As Linyue gripped her sword tighter, two familiar figures emerged from the swirling dust and screaming chaos.
Song Meiyu. He Yuying.
They were slightly out of breath, clearly ignoring every single instruction to stay safe. But their eyes were steady, and their steps didn't waver as they stopped beside Shen Zhenyu. Together, they formed a small, uneven wall of resistance. It wasn't perfect. It wobbled slightly. But it was theirs.
Linyue blinked at them, caught between relief, annoyance, and rising panic. She turned her head slightly. "Sister Meiyu, Brother Yuying. You should go back inside."
Song Meiyu's mouth opened like she was about to argue.
"Go." Shen Zhenyu's voice cut in sharp, cold, and leaving no room for debate. "She's right. Notify the masters. Now."
Song Meiyu hesitated, her lips pressed in a thin line of worry. But one glance at the masked man crackling with lightning was enough to make her nod. "…Alright," she muttered finally.
She and He Yuying turned, backing toward the wall. They made it two steps.
CRACK.
A massive fork of lightning slammed into the ground near them. The air split with the sound of thunder. Blinding light flashed, searing white against their eyes. The ground buckled violently. Dirt exploded upward in a thick cloud. A shockwave slammed into them. The wind howled, sharp and heavy, tossing their hair and clothes wildly.
Song Meiyu yelped, grabbing He Yuying's sleeve. He caught her just in time, pulling her back as another streak of lightning arced dangerously close. They both froze, staring at the masked man.
He hadn't moved an inch. His arm stayed raised. Lightning curled lazily around his fingers. The strike hadn't been meant to kill. Not yet. But it had spoken loud and clear. A warning.