The first night after returning to the Eastern Ancient Forest passed quietly.
A silver moon hung high above the endless sea of trees.
Beside a gently flowing river, a small fire crackled softly.
Lin Shuan sat cross-legged near the water.
The river reflected countless stars.
The cool night breeze carried the scent of damp earth and ancient trees.
Longshe was curled beside the fire, sleeping lazily like a golden rope.
Inside the pendant, Tian Wuchen remained silent.
The old monster understood something.
After returning from the Treasury Realm, Lin Shuan had changed.
Not merely in cultivation.
Not merely in strength.
His heart had become calmer.
More mature.
The endless darkness of the Void and the countless experiences within the Lost Divine Region had transformed him.
The boy who once acted purely through impulse was gradually becoming a true cultivator.
A person capable of carrying the burden of destiny.
The night passed peacefully.
And soon—
morning arrived.
Golden sunlight filtered through the forest canopy.
Birds chirped.
The river sparkled.
Lin Shuan slowly opened his eyes.
A fresh day.
A new training session.
He stretched his body.
His bones produced crackling sounds.
Meridian Tracer Rank cultivation flowed smoothly through every meridian.
His entire body felt light.
Powerful.
Alive.
"Master."
Inside the pendant, Tian Wuchen opened his eyes.
"Ready?"
Lin Shuan grinned.
"Of course."
Just as both master and disciple prepared to begin training—
BOOOOOOOOOOM!!!
A deafening explosion shook the heavens.
The entire forest trembled.
Birds instantly scattered into the sky.
Trees swayed violently.
The river erupted with countless waves.
Lin Shuan's expression changed.
"What was that?!"
Tian Wuchen immediately became serious.
His spiritual perception spread outward.
Far.
Very far.
Toward the southern region of the forest.
A moment later—
his eyes narrowed.
"Oh?"
Lin Shuan noticed the change.
"What happened?"
Tian Wuchen looked south.
"I can feel several powerful auras."
The old monster smiled.
"A battle."
Lin Shuan instantly became excited.
A battle between experts.
For cultivators—
observing powerful battles was often more valuable than months of training.
Combat contained truths that books could never teach.
Tian Wuchen stroked his beard.
"Haa..."
"Haa..."
A mischievous smile appeared on his face.
"Come."
"We'll learn while entertaining ourselves."
His eyes flashed.
"And I would also like to see how the younger generation fights these days."
Golden smoke emerged from his body.
The old monster transformed into countless particles of light and returned to the pendant.
Lin Shuan grinned.
"Let's go."
CRACK!
White lightning erupted beneath his feet.
The next second—
he vanished.
The Lightning Immortal Path Technique operated at full power.
His body became a streak of white light.
The forest blurred.
Trees flashed past.
Roots.
Branches.
Leaves.
Mountains.
Everything became indistinct shadows.
His figure continuously bounced from tree to tree.
Minutes later—
Lin Shuan arrived near the source of the disturbance.
He landed silently atop an enormous ancient tree.
Then looked down.
And froze.
Below him was a temporary campsite.
The ground was stained with blood.
Broken weapons lay everywhere.
Several cultivators were gathered together.
Every single one was injured.
Some had torn robes.
Others had deep wounds.
Fresh blood covered their bodies.
Clearly—
they had recently experienced a desperate battle.
At the center of the group stood a young woman.
And for a brief moment—
even Lin Shuan became stunned.
She was beautiful.
Unbelievably beautiful.
Her long black hair flowed like silk.
Her skin was fair as snow.
Her eyes resembled crystal lakes beneath moonlight.
She wore white and pale-blue robes embroidered with delicate silver patterns.
Despite her injuries—
she still possessed a noble elegance.
Like a snow lotus blooming atop a frozen mountain.
Like a celestial fairy descended into the mortal world.
Even standing amidst blood and chaos—
her beauty remained impossible to ignore.
Then—
Lin Shuan noticed their opponent.
His pupils immediately contracted.
A gigantic white tiger.
Its body exceeded twenty meters.
White crystalline armor covered its entire body.
Each crystal radiated icy Luo Essence.
Its claws resembled divine blades.
Its eyes glowed with frightening intelligence.
And on its forehead—
a single crystal horn protruded outward.
The moment Lin Shuan saw it—
a memory surfaced.
During his journey toward Frostveil City—
he had once encountered hunters transporting a rare white tiger.
Back then they had spoken of a legendary beast.
Lin Shuan whispered,
"...Snow Feng White Tiger."
Tian Wuchen seemed surprised.
"You know this beast?"
Lin Shuan nodded.
"I've heard about it before."
The old monster immediately explained.
"This creature is a Rank Seven Talismanic Beast."
Lin Shuan's eyes widened.
Rank Seven.
That was equivalent to an Immortal Seed expert.
Tian Wuchen continued.
"Even after reaching Rank Seven, they can live for over ten thousand years."
"Long ago..."
"They were considered one of the strongest beast races in the galaxy."
His voice became slightly nostalgic.
"But time spares nobody."
"Their bloodline weakened."
"Their numbers decreased."
"Now they stand at the edge of extinction."
Lin Shuan silently watched the beast.
The tiger was magnificent.
Powerful.
Ancient.
Yet somehow tragic.
Then—
ROOOOOOOOOAR!!!
The Snow Feng White Tiger suddenly released a deafening roar.
The surrounding forest trembled.
Countless trees shattered.
Luo Essence gathered inside its mouth.
A gigantic sphere of icy energy formed.
The cultivators below immediately panicked.
"Defend!"
"Together!"
"Stop it!"
All of them gathered their remaining strength.
Various techniques erupted.
Flames.
Ice.
Lightning.
Wind.
Dozens of attacks collided with the tiger's attack.
BOOOOOOOOOOM!!!
A massive explosion followed.
Shockwaves spread in every direction.
But the result was obvious.
The exhausted cultivators were simply too weak.
Their defenses shattered.
Everyone was blasted backward.
Blood sprayed through the air.
Several cultivators crashed into trees.
Some fell to their knees.
Others nearly lost consciousness.
The beautiful young woman stepped forward.
Her face was pale.
Yet determination filled her eyes.
She raised her sword.
Extreme frost energy gathered around the blade.
"Extreme Frost Sword Ray Technique!"
A brilliant beam of icy light shot toward the tiger.
The attack possessed tremendous power.
Even Lin Shuan felt surprised.
But—
the Snow Feng White Tiger was stronger.
Much stronger.
Its enormous claw smashed forward.
BOOM!
The sword ray shattered instantly.
The young woman was thrown backward.
Blood escaped her lips.
Her body nearly collapsed.
The situation became increasingly desperate.
The tiger advanced slowly.
Its eyes remained cold.
Merciless.
The injured cultivators exchanged bitter smiles.
One young man wearing lava-red robes clenched his fists.
His face was filled with unwillingness.
He looked toward the young woman.
"Princess Qing Li..."
His voice trembled.
"I'm sorry."
"We failed to protect you."
Blood flowed from his mouth.
Yet his eyes remained filled with rage.
"This may be our final day."
Silence fell.
The atmosphere became suffocating.
Death was approaching.
And everyone knew it.
At that moment—
Tian Wuchen suddenly spoke.
"Lin Shuan."
"Hm?"
"You should help them."
Lin Shuan blinked.
"What?"
The old monster smiled.
"Perhaps one day these people may help you fight your enemies."
Lin Shuan's face immediately changed.
"What?!"
He looked at the enormous tiger.
Then at himself.
Then back at the tiger.
"Master!"
"How am I supposed to help?!"
"I'm only a Meridian Tracer cultivator!"
He pointed dramatically.
"That thing is a giant monster!"
"If I go down there, I'll die immediately!"
Tian Wuchen replied calmly.
"This is today's training."
Lin Shuan froze.
"..."
"..."
"...Master."
"Yes?"
"You are trying to kill your disciple."
Tian Wuchen laughed.
Lin Shuan nearly coughed blood.
Meanwhile—
the Snow Feng White Tiger prepared its final attack.
The exhausted cultivators closed their eyes.
Some accepted death.
Some prayed.
Some simply waited.
Then—
CRACK!!!
A bolt of white lightning exploded across the battlefield.
Everyone froze.
The tiger froze.
The cultivators froze.
Even the forest seemed to freeze.
A white figure appeared.
BOOM!
The tiger's massive claw collided against a sword.
The impact shook the battlefield.
The white figure was pushed backward several meters.
Struggling.
Shaking.
Barely holding on.
Everyone stared.
A young man.
White robes.
Black hair.
Ordinary appearance.
Meridian Tracer cultivation.
The lava-robed youth almost fainted.
"Who is this?!"
"When did he arrive?!"
Another cultivator groaned.
"He's too weak!"
"He's just throwing away his life!"
Lin Shuan heard everything.
His face darkened.
"Thank you for your encouragement."
BOOM!
The tiger forced him backward.
Lin Shuan immediately retreated.
The beast roared.
Then charged.
Faster.
More violent.
More deadly.
But suddenly—
Lin Shuan vanished.
The cultivators gasped.
The tiger stopped.
Confused.
Then—
CRACK!
White lightning appeared behind it.
Lin Shuan emerged instantly.
His sword flashed.
SLASH!
The tiger's rear leg was struck.
Blood exploded outward.
ROOOOAR!!!
The tiger stumbled.
Its massive body crashed to the ground.
The injured cultivators were stunned.
"So fast!"
"What kind of movement technique is that?!"
Before the beast could recover—
Lin Shuan attacked again.
Lightning flashed repeatedly.
Sword strikes descended like rain.
SLASH!
SLASH!
SLASH!
Blood continuously sprayed from the tiger's body.
More wounds appeared.
The already-injured beast gradually weakened.
Only now did everyone realize something.
This tiger had already been severely wounded before.
Lin Shuan was exploiting every weakness.
Every injury.
Every opening.
Finally—
the beast could no longer stand.
Its enormous body collapsed.
Breathing heavily.
Lin Shuan landed nearby.
His sword slowly rose.
Luo Essence surged.
The final attack gathered.
"Star Splitting Sword Slash."
A terrifying sword aura formed.
The tiger's eyes widened.
Death approached.
Then—
"WAIT!"
A female voice suddenly rang out.
Lin Shuan instinctively turned.
It was Qing Li.
The sudden interruption caused his concentration to shift.
The sword attack fired.
But its direction changed.
BOOOOOOM!!!
Instead of striking the tiger—
the attack hit the crystal horn.
CRACK!!!
The horn shattered.
Everyone froze.
The tiger froze.
Lin Shuan froze.
Then—
something bizarre happened.
The gigantic tiger rapidly shrank.
Twenty meters.
Ten meters.
Five meters.
One meter.
Then—
it became the size of a puppy.
Silence.
Absolute silence.
Everyone stared.
The little tiger blinked.
Then sneezed.
Lin Shuan stared.
The tiger stared.
The cultivators stared.
Finally—
Lin Shuan picked it up.
"...It's cute."
The tiny tiger growled.
It sounded more adorable than threatening.
Inside the pendant—
Tian Wuchen laughed.
"Excellent."
"You defeated an Immortal Seed."
Lin Shuan instantly became proud.
"Haha!"
"I really have become powerful!"
Tian Wuchen immediately destroyed his happiness.
"Yes."
"But if they hadn't already injured it first..."
"You wouldn't even qualify to stand near it."
Lin Shuan's smile froze.
"...Master."
"Yes?"
"You always know how to hurt people."
The old monster laughed shamelessly.
Everyone was surprised to see how a Meridian Tracer rank warrior could defeat a Rank 7 Talismanic Beast?
But Princess Qing Li understood that Some people like to hide their powers.
Meanwhile—
Princess Qing Li slowly stepped forward.
Her beautiful eyes focused on the tiny tiger.
Then on Lin Shuan.
"D-Dao Friend..."
She hesitated.
Then bowed slightly.
"Thank you for saving us."
Lin Shuan scratched his head awkwardly.
"No problem."
Qing Li looked at the tiger.
Then looked away.
Then looked back.
Clearly struggling.
Finally she gathered courage.
"Could you..."
"Perhaps..."
"Give that tiger to us?"
Lin Shuan immediately hugged the tiger tighter.
His instincts screamed danger.
He didn't want to give it away.
The little tiger was cute.
And rare.
And fluffy.
Tian Wuchen suddenly spoke.
"Sometimes sacrifices are necessary to make allies."
Lin Shuan sighed.
His heart bled.
Slowly—
he handed over the tiger.
The little beast looked equally betrayed.
Qing Li's eyes brightened.
"Thank you!"
She carefully accepted it.
The tiny tiger immediately curled into her arms.
Lin Shuan felt even more heartbroken.
Then Qing Li smiled warmly.
"May we know your name?"
Lin Shuan nodded.
"Shuan Hao."
"Shuan Hao..."
She repeated the name softly.
Then he asked,
"And your identity?"
The young woman hesitated.
She glanced toward her companions.
The injured elders.
Her friends.
A trace of sadness appeared.
Then she answered.
"My name is Han Qing Li."
"I am the Princess of Wanling Empire."
The moment those words were spoken—
everyone nearby became quiet.
Lin Shuan blinked.
A princess?
Han Qing Li continued.
"Our empire..."
Her voice trembled.
"...no longer exists."
Silence.
A bitter smile appeared.
"We were investigating strange disturbances near the border."
"Then we encountered it."
A shadow appeared in her eyes.
Fear.
Pure fear.
"The Void Chaos."
Everyone around her became pale.
"We tried to escape."
"We used every method available."
"But we couldn't."
"We were severely injured."
She slowly raised her arm.
A horrifying wound covered her skin.
Dark Void energy writhed inside it.
Continuously devouring her strength.
Continuously consuming her vitality.
The moment Tian Wuchen saw it—
his eyes widened.
For the first time—
the old monster looked genuinely shocked.
Because he recognized it.
Perfectly.
Far too perfectly.
His own body was still cultivating within that cave universe because of a similar injury.
Meanwhile—
Lin Shuan's expression changed drastically.
He remembered.
He had seen this power before.
Inside Tian Wuchen's memories.
Inside the ancient battlefield.
The same terrifying Void energy that had wounded his ancestor.
The same force responsible for the death of Lin Xin Jian.
Han Qing Li continued quietly.
"We had heard stories before."
"Merchants spoke of a terrifying force."
"A force that destroyed an entire empire."
Lin Shuan's heart skipped.
"Molin Yao Sen Empire."
Qing Li nodded.
"Yes."
"At first nobody believed it."
"How could an entire empire vanish?"
"How could millions disappear into the Void?"
Her eyes became red.
"But then..."
"It happened to us too."
The princess lowered her head.
Tears quietly formed.
"Our homeland is gone."
"Our people are gone."
"Our empire..."
"...is gone."
The surrounding cultivators lowered their heads.
Nobody spoke.
Nobody knew what to say.
Then Qing Li noticed Lin Shuan's expression.
His reaction was unusual.
Far too unusual.
Hope appeared in her eyes.
"Shuan Hao..."
"You know something about this power, don't you?"
Everyone immediately looked toward him.
Lin Shuan remained silent.
He couldn't reveal Tian Wuchen.
He couldn't reveal the ancient secrets.
After a long pause—
he slowly shook his head.
"No."
Then his eyes became serious.
Very serious.
"But..."
He looked directly at the Void wound.
"I know one thing."
The forest became silent.
"What?"
Qing Li asked softly.
Lin Shuan stared at the dark energy.
Then answered.
"...It is extremely dangerous."
And for the first time since meeting her—
fear appeared in Han Qing Li's eyes.