Lin Tian, having separated from his group, was moving unhurriedly through the central tunnel with Lin Yue at his side.
Their masks were unique: they didn't just hide their faces but also allowed them to see in the dark without revealing their own position.
Along the way, smaller branches appeared here and there, but both of them confidently ignored every one of them.
— Senior brother, your artifact is incredible! — now that they were alone, Lin Yue visibly brightened; her restraint faded, replaced by genuine admiration.
She turned her head left and right, taking in the walls, the vaulted ceiling, and the reflections of spiritual lights.
— A trifle. In the future, I'll give you a divine artifact… more than one, — Lin Tian gently took her hand and leaned toward her ear.
The girl flushed beneath her mask, shoved him away, and hurried forward.
A window appeared before the young man's eyes.
[Name: Lin Yue (Green)
Affection Points: +30
Emotion: Embarrassment
Comment: "Senior brother Lin Tian dreams too much."
Parameter Change: +30 → +44. Lin Yue feels mild fondness.]
Lin Tian smiled with satisfaction, though he still shook his head.
"Of all of them, her affection grows the slowest. Even ten bonus points barely did anything…"
But the bright red name on the list made him frown.
[Name: Delia (Red)
Affection Points: – 95
Comment: "Lord of Hell? What an idiot."
Parameter Change: 0 → – 95. Delia feels genuine contempt toward you.]
"The worst score… The next one after that is Grand Elder Lin with –90…"
Smirking, not taking it seriously, he sped up to catch his companion.
***
Du Fei stood a little apart from her group when the ground beneath her suddenly trembled. Her heart seized.
Everything happened too fast — the soil gave way, and her body plunged into the void. Her hair streamed wildly, air currents puffed her clothes, and screams echoed all around her.
She recognized some of the voices — her fellow clan members, falling with her. Shards of wood, stones, clumps of earth flashed past her, sometimes narrowly brushing her as they fell.
But soon darkness swallowed everything. Du Fei could no longer see faces or bodies.
Only noise and chaos.
Then came a deafening crash — something monstrously heavy struck the water.
— Prepare for impact! — her brother shouted.
Not losing a second, Du Fei focused her spiritual energy, reinforcing her body with protective power.
She spared no resources — at times like this, life was worth more than anything.
«Splash!»
Coated in spiritual energy, her body sliced into the water like an arrow. The impact was almost painless — just a faint tingling in her legs. But that was only the beginning.
Danger still loomed from above.
She held her breath, staying underwater. From her bag, she pulled a small crystal and activated it with her spiritual energy. It glowed softly, illuminating the space around her.
Stones, debris, and bodies were still falling, rushing past her — a silent reminder of the chaos above.
Du Fei maneuvered through the deadly current with agility, avoiding collisions. Only when nothing else fell from above did she rise to the surface.
The first sounds that greeted her were screams — sharp, filled with pain and despair.
Du Fei looked around.
Not everyone had fallen into the deep part of the lake. Those who hit the shallows had been shredded by jagged rocks. Stones and boulders that fell afterward crushed many outright. Even bodies strengthened with spiritual energy couldn't always withstand such impact.
Survivors groaned, struggling to crawl toward the shore. A few bodies floated motionlessly on the surface — their lives had ended in the fall.
Du Fei climbed onto the rocky shore. Water dripped from her clothes, but she paid it no mind. Her first instinct was to look for her brother.
— Fei-Fei! Thank the heavens, you're alive! — a familiar voice called out.
She turned and saw Du Shaofu hurrying toward her, scanning her anxiously.
— I'm fine, Shaofu. What about the others?
— One dead… two seriously injured… and one missing, — he said with a frown.
Du Fei clenched her fists.
— We have to find him.
— Right.
Leaving several people to tend to the wounded, they split up to search. Along the way, the girl saw other groups dragging bodies, treating injuries, clearing debris.
Solo cultivators had it the worst — few bothered helping them. If they were lucky, they simply weren't robbed amid the chaos. In this confusion and half-darkness, such things were common.
Having brushed twice against death in one day, Du Fei realized how ridiculous her past behavior had been. She had been far too selfish.
She had everything — a loving brother, caring parents, a home, warmth, safety. Her family was one of the strongest in the city. Everything others dreamed of, she had from birth.
And she had rejected it… because of foolishness.
Scoffing at herself, Du Fei continued searching until a blurry silhouette surfaced in her memory.
"I wonder… is she here too?"
Looking among the scattered bodies, she tried to find the girl — the one who had unintentionally put her back on the right path.
After ten minutes, she found no one and returned — only to see that the missing person had already rejoined the group safely.
Breathing out in relief, she asked her brother:
— What do we do now?
— Look for a way out? — Shaofu said uncertainly.
— You're worried about the Schink? — Du Fei noticed that the area had grown quieter.
Many people stood in groups along the shore, staring toward the center of the lake. Among them was Wang Lei with his own men.
Their intentions were obvious.
— Yes. He's extremely valuable. Especially his core.
— Brother, don't you think it's strange that the Schink appeared in the forest exactly during the tournament?
— What do you mean?
— That lizard is incredibly rare. Yet it appears exactly now. And the moment it was killed — an earthquake. Too many coincidences.
— I think you're being too suspicious. Black Schinks are rare, but they're spotted once every few years. And the earthquake… likely just coincidence. Our battle caused the collapse.
— Hmm. Maybe you're right. But if we go after it, what about the wounded?
— They're stabilized. Their lives aren't in danger.
— All right, — Du Fei agreed, though doubt still lingered. Deciding not to join the "fun," she began examining the surroundings.
«Boom!»
A loud burst drew everyone's attention. It was the explosion of Wang Lei's signal flare. Light filled the cavern, finally revealing it.
Before them stretched a two-level underground space. Dozens of tunnels branched out from each level into the unknown.
— Is this an underground city of an ancient civilization? someone asked.
— Nonsense! There's nothing here resembling human dwellings. More like the lair of some beast… or many of them.
But the suggestion was dismissed immediately — there were plenty of people willing to argue.
Intrigued by the origins of this place, groups began dispersing through the tunnels in search of valuables.But with three clans and several strong groups present, weaker parties stood no chance.
On the shore, four leaders — Du Shaofu, Wang Lei, Xue Meili, and the stout mercenary captain Raiden — gathered to discuss.
Their people stood nearby, awaiting orders.
— We split it: thirty percent to each clan, — Wang Lei said sharply, — and ten to the mercenaries.
Both clan leaders nodded.
Raiden clearly wasn't pleased, but he didn't argue — he had no leverage against the unspoken alliance of the three clans.
— Good.
Du Shaofu asked the crucial question:
— How do we even pull it out? That lizard is the size of a small house.
Xue Meili replied:
— I have an idea.
In the end, they chose several cultivators to dive to the bottom of the lake and tie ropes around the Black Schink's body. Each faction picked one representative.
They disappeared underwater, and people on shore began to pull the ropes taut.
Several minutes passed — no movement, no signals.
Gradually, tension thickened among the waiting groups.
Before Wang Lei fired another flare, the light of the first faded, plunging the cave into semi-darkness once again. Instinctively, Du Fei looked upward.
And froze.
The crack in the ceiling was covered by a dark veil — the stars were gone.
— When did that appear?.. — she whispered, then suddenly shouted: — Shaofu!
— What? — but his voice was drowned out by the sudden jerking of the ropes.
The previously slack ropes snapped tight — as if something below had pulled them downward.
People cried out, losing their grip.
— Let go! — Raiden roared.
Several cultivators were dragged into the water before the others managed to jump back.
Large bubbles broke the surface, bursting one after another. Massive waves rose in the center of the lake, throwing the dragged cultivators back onto the shore.
And then…
Something surfaced.
Its scales shimmered with blue-green light. Over thirty meters long. A broad head adorned with horns shaped like cresting waves.
Eyes — bright, blue, piercing straight into one's soul.Behind it — enormous, webbed, translucent wings.Its tail ended with a powerful fin, cutting the water with every movement.
Its presence paralyzed everyone.The air grew humid and heavy.
— D-d-d… dragon!!!