The battlefield gradually fell silent.
Only the rustling of leaves and the distant cries of yao beasts remained.
The smell of blood lingered heavily in the air.
Scattered around the forest floor were the unconscious figures of Lin Zheng and his subordinates.
Some had broken bones.
Others suffered internal injuries.
None of them possessed the strength to fight back.
The thunderfire explosion combined with the subsequent battle had completely destroyed their combat capabilities.
Nearby, Lin Sheng's group gathered together.
Their expressions varied.
Lou Han sat against a tree while consuming healing pills.
The wound on his arm had mostly healed, though his complexion remained somewhat pale.
Lin Xiaolu was cleaning her sword.
The coldness in her eyes had not diminished since the battle ended.
Zhao Feng stood with folded arms while examining the defeated alliance members.
Lin Shou remained thoughtful as usual.
No one spoke for a while.
Eventually—
Lou Han broke the silence.
His voice carried obvious killing intent.
"Kill them."
Lin Xiaolu nodded immediately.
"We should."
"They've already tried to cripple us multiple times."
"If we let them go, they'll simply return with more trouble."
Her fingers tightened around her sword hilt.
For martial artists—
Showing mercy to enemies often resulted in future regret.
Especially enemies like these.
The others understood her reasoning.
Lin Zheng had crossed the line long ago.
The only reason they had survived was because Lin Sheng was stronger than expected.
If not—
Today's outcome would have been very different.
Zhao Feng frowned.
"That's too risky."
Lin Xiaolu glanced at him.
"Why?"
Zhao Feng pointed toward Lin Zheng.
"He's one of the alliance leaders."
"If he disappears together with these people, the elders will investigate thoroughly."
"Killing them isn't difficult."
"Making the evidence disappear is."
The group fell silent again.
His words made sense.
The Lin Training Centre wasn't some remote wilderness sect.
Several Xuan Gang elders oversaw the entire organization.
Many matters could be hidden.
But a group of core disciples vanishing together?
That would certainly attract attention.
Lin Shou stroked his chin.
"We need a cleaner solution."
"Something that removes suspicion from us completely."
Lou Han frowned.
"Then what?"
"We simply let them go?"
Nobody answered.
The atmosphere became heavy once more.
Then—
Lin Sheng suddenly spoke.
"I'll handle it."
Everyone turned toward him.
Lin Shou raised an eyebrow.
"You have a plan?"
Lin Sheng smiled.
A mysterious smile.
The kind that usually made people uncomfortable.
"Leave it to me."
The others exchanged glances.
Zhao Feng narrowed his eyes.
"How exactly?"
Lin Sheng merely chuckled.
"You'll know in a few days."
The smile on his face somehow made everyone feel slightly sorry for the unconscious Lin Zheng.
---
Three days later.
The Cloud Mist Market exploded with rumors.
At first—
Nobody paid attention.
After all, strange rumors appeared almost every day.
But this one quickly spread throughout the entire Training Centre.
Several Core Courtyard disciples had died.
Not only that—
One of them was Lin Zheng.
The third strongest alliance leader.
The news immediately caused an uproar.
---
Outer Courtyard.
Training grounds.
Dining halls.
Mission pavilions.
Everywhere people discussed the matter.
"What?"
"Lin Zheng died?"
"Impossible."
"That's nonsense."
A young trainee immediately shook his head.
"Senior Brother Lin Zheng was at Peak Innate Outer Strength."
"How could random yao beasts kill him?"
Many agreed.
After all—
Peak Innate martial artists could easily dominate the outer region of the Cloud Mist Forest.
Ordinary yao beasts posed little threat.
At first, most people dismissed the rumor entirely.
Then—
An elder personally verified it.
The atmosphere changed instantly.
---
Investigation teams were dispatched.
Several elders inspected the battlefield.
After careful examination—
They arrived at a conclusion.
A beast tide had occurred.
The traces were obvious.
Large numbers of yao beasts had passed through the region simultaneously.
The surrounding terrain showed signs of chaotic combat.
Numerous beast tracks covered the area.
Even remnants of powerful Rank-1 Mid Grade and High Grade yao beasts were discovered nearby.
The evidence appeared complete.
Eventually—
The official verdict was announced.
Lin Zheng and his hunting party had encountered an unexpected beast tide.
Surrounded.
Overwhelmed.
Killed.
---
The news spread like wildfire.
Fear followed shortly afterward.
Many outer disciples immediately became uneasy.
Even Core Courtyard trainees started hesitating.
The Cloud Mist Forest had always been dangerous.
But most people viewed danger as manageable.
Now—
A Peak Innate expert had supposedly died there.
Suddenly the risks felt much more real.
Mission completion rates plummeted.
Especially hunting missions.
Several popular hunting routes became nearly deserted.
Many trainees preferred accepting gathering missions instead.
Though less profitable—
At least they were safer.
---
Within the Elders' Hall.
Several mentors looked displeased.
An elderly martial artist slammed his palm onto a table.
Bang!
"Cowards!"
"A few deaths and they lose their fighting spirit?"
"The path of martial arts has always been paved with danger."
Another elder nodded.
"If they fear death this much, they'll never reach Xuan Gang."
The elders quickly began lecturing disciples during training sessions.
Some spoke about courage.
Others discussed determination.
Many emphasized that true martial artists should embrace danger rather than avoid it.
Unfortunately—
Fear wasn't easily erased.
Not when fresh examples existed.
---
Meanwhile—
The alliance leaders gathered secretly.
The atmosphere was grim.
A room that once contained six powerful leaders now held only five.
An empty chair remained.
No one touched it.
The absence felt particularly obvious.
One leader finally sighed.
"Lin Zheng is really gone."
Silence followed.
No matter their flaws—
They had spent years working together.
Another leader clenched his fist.
"Our strength has fallen."
"He was the third strongest among us."
"Finding a replacement won't be easy."
Bai Ling sat quietly.
Her expression remained calm.
But inwardly she was calculating.
Losing Lin Zheng wasn't merely losing a person.
It meant losing influence.
Losing manpower.
Losing resources.
Most importantly—
It created instability within the alliance.
Many members had already begun questioning their future.
This wasn't good.
Very bad, in fact.
"We need a replacement soon."
One leader nodded.
"But who?"
No one answered.
The room remained silent.
---
Elsewhere.
Core Courtyard.
Lin Sheng's residence.
The atmosphere couldn't have been more different.
The group had gathered again.
This time—
No hunting plans were being discussed.
Instead, everyone was relaxing.
Tea steamed gently from several cups.
Even Lou Han appeared unusually comfortable.
Lin Xiaolu stretched lazily.
"We're really taking a break?"
Zhao Feng laughed.
"Of course."
"We earned enough resources to cultivate peacefully for months."
Lin Shou nodded.
"And there's still an investigation happening."
"Keeping a low profile is smarter."
Everyone agreed.
Even if no evidence pointed toward them—
Appearing in the forest too frequently would attract unnecessary attention.
For now—
Lying low was best.
---
Lin Sheng sipped his tea.
Then he looked toward the others.
"Use this time wisely."
Everyone immediately understood.
Breakthroughs.
That was the priority.
The group had accumulated substantial resources.
Spirit stones.
Contribution points.
Medicinal pills.
Everything necessary was available.
The next step was advancement.
"Focus on reaching Outer Strength."
Lin Sheng said calmly.
The others nodded.
The difference between Inner Strength and Outer Strength wasn't small.
At Outer Strength—
True Qi Fields manifested naturally.
Reaction speeds increased dramatically.
Defensive capabilities improved.
Combat strength underwent another transformation.
Reaching that realm would significantly improve their survival chances.
Especially with the current situation inside Cloud Mist Market.
---
As the group continued discussing cultivation—
Far away.
Within Ding Region.
Another meeting was taking place.
One hidden from the public eye.
One drenched in darkness.
---
Inside a concealed room.
Several figures sat around a circular table.
The room was dimly lit.
Red lanterns cast eerie shadows across the walls.
The smell of blood permeated everything.
Even the spiritual energy itself felt corrupted.
The auras present were sinister.
Cruel.
Violent.
Every person seated there possessed obvious killing intent.
These were demonic cultivators.
---
One man sat at the head of the table.
His fingers tapped lightly against the wooden surface.
Tap.
Tap.
Tap.
The room remained silent until he finally spoke.
"Are the preparations complete?"
His voice sounded calm.
Yet everyone present could hear the hidden danger underneath.
Another cultivator immediately nodded.
"They are."
"The robber cultivators have taken the bait."
A faint smile appeared beneath the leader's hood.
"Good."
"Very good."
Everything was proceeding according to plan.
Months of preparation were finally beginning to bear fruit.
The chaos within Cloud Mist Market had already exceeded expectations.
Fear was spreading.
Suspicion was growing.
And most importantly—
Blood continued flowing.
Exactly as intended.
---
Another demonic cultivator spoke.
"What about the Thunder Yao Beast?"
The room grew slightly quieter.
Even the leader paused briefly.
A third cultivator answered.
"It remains cautious."
"More cautious than expected."
"The beast hasn't fully committed."
A snort echoed through the room.
"Naturally."
"A mutated Thunder Yao Beast isn't stupid."
"Especially one at that level."
The speaker's eyes narrowed.
"But don't worry."
"We'll give it a push."
A cruel grin appeared.
"Desperate times call for desperate measures."
Several people chuckled darkly.
The sound resembled ghosts laughing in a graveyard.