They rose slowly from their resting spots, the brief respite already fading into memory as Xie Lang cracked his neck and rolled his shoulders. "Alright, that's enough rest. Let's continue moving."
"Well, well, well. If it isn't the disciple of Xie Tianhun himself."
The voice came from the trees, light and mocking. They turned as one, hands moving instinctively toward weapons. A young man stepped out from between the trunks, his slick black hair cut short and neat, a loose robe hanging from his shoulders with casual elegance. He raised a hand in greeting, a faint smile playing at his lips. "What's up?"
Xie Lang's eyes narrowed. "Oh, it's this righteous bastard." He made a small, subtle gesture behind his back, signaling his team to get into position.
The young man seemed amused by the reaction, his smile widening as he watched them tense.
"Who's this guy, Lang?" Xu Jin asked, his voice low.
"I'm just a good friend of this guy here," the newcomer said before Xie Lang could answer. "No worries."
Xie Lang didn't return the friendly tone. "You're going to try your luck with me or something, Tie Zheng?"
Tie Zheng laughed. "No, no, no. I'm not here for that, my friend." His smile turned knowing. "At least, not now."
Xie Lang's posture didn't relax. "So what do you want?"
"Well, I've come to invite you and your team to something." Tie Zheng clasped his hands behind his back, rocking on his heels.
Zeng Shiyang stepped forward, his hand still near his axe. "And what's that?"
Tie Zheng didn't seem bothered by the interruption. "A hunt, of course. You see, I've got some information about what's going to happen on the last day of the hunt."
Xie Lang gestured impatiently. "Well? Don't stop now. Continue."
Tie Zheng began to pace slowly around them, his voice dropping to a conspiratorial tone. "Tomorrow, the radius of the map will decrease again. The space will be so tight that you'll see dozens of fights in every direction you look. There's at least a thousand fighters still in the running, and that's not the only thing." He paused for effect. "They plan on adding something to force all of us toward the center—something that means more points. Every strong contender will be there."
Xie Lang had expected something like this, given how the map had been shrinking. But he still didn't understand what Tie Zheng wanted. "And what does that have to do with you looking for me?"
"That brings me to my other concern." Tie Zheng stopped pacing, his expression growing more serious. "There have been multiple alliances forming between fighters—clans, sects, all of them. The Ironblood Sect disciples have teamed up. The Stormbreak disciples too. Even the Venomheart one's."
Xie Lang's eyes narrowed. "You're here to team up."
Tie Zheng smiled "Exactly. I want us to watch out for each other on the last day. You and I are going to be targeted—I'm alone, and your team doesn't have the numbers some others do." He spread his hands. "So what do you say?"
Xie Lang was quiet for a moment, weighing the offer. Then: "Who are the representatives each of the major sects sent?"
Tie Zheng answered quickly, as if he'd been expecting the question. "To be honest, I only know about the Ironblood and Venomheart representatives. The Stormbreak sect sent multiple elders and their teams—I think three, maybe. But for the other two..." He paused, his easy demeanor flickering. "The Ironblood Sect sent the Tang siblings. Guo Hua and Yu Jun. I don't know if they sent anyone else though"
"And the Venomheart?"
Tie Zheng's face slowly lost its smile. "They sent Lan Xin leading their teams."
Xie Lang searched his memory, but the name didn't ring any bells. "Doesn't ring a bell."
Tie Zheng let out a short, humorless laugh. "Well, all you need to know is that they're annoying to deal with alone. Especially Lan Xin and her poisons."
Yun Qiu, who had been listening quietly, shifted uncomfortably. The Venomheart Sect's reputation for poisons was notorious. "What about the Silverpeak Sect? Do you know who they sent?"
Tie Zheng shrugged. "I don't think they sent anyone, as far as I know. They're busy with their own tournaments right now."
Xie Lang nodded slowly. A Venomheart representative on the field was going to be a problem. An alliance was looking more and more necessary. "Alright. You've got a deal. But we won't meet again until the night, in this exact spot."
Tie Zheng nodded agreeably. "Fine. One more thing—do you know anyone else we could get on our team? Or anyone we can at least make sure won't attack us?"
Xie Lang thought about it for a moment. "I don't know anyone like that. I've almost killed everyone strong enough to survive me, so I doubt they have the best impression of us."
Xu Jin spoke up. "Do you think we could get Li on our side?"
Zeng Shiyang laughed, the sound harsh. "He almost died because of us. Do you really think he wouldn't take the slightest chance to backstab us? We need someone honorable enough to not betray us after a deal, and who doesn't hold as much of a grudge."
Xu Jin thought for a moment. "What about Shang Yufeng? He's pretty well known."
Zeng Shiyang shook his head. "That would be a good option, but he's with Li and his team. And it's obvious who leads that team. With Li around, it's not going to work."
Yun Qiu had been silent until now, his voice hesitant. "What about the Han siblings?"
They all went quiet for a moment, considering. Then nods went around.
"Yeah, that works," Xu Jin said.
"Yeah, you should try for the Han siblings," Zeng Shiyang agreed.
Tie Zheng's curiosity was clearly piqued. "So who's this Li guy you're talking about? Is he any good?"
Xu Jin sighed heavily. "Well, it took Xie Lang and Han Lei and another guy like them—plus both of us and Han Lei's team. Even after all of that, we weren't able to bring him down."
Tie Zheng's eyes widened slightly, his casual demeanor cracking for just a moment. "That's quite a fighter. I might have to try convincing him into joining us too. There are too many people like us still around." He looked at them thoughtfully. "If I assume correctly, you've been killing everyone you come across?"
"Not really," Xu Jin said. "We only killed those we couldn't just let go. Why?"
Tie Zheng tilted his head. "Have you gone to any of the truce spots?"
Xu Jin shook his head. Yun Qiu frowned. "What are those?"
"Spots where no fighting is allowed," Tie Zheng explained. "Trading spots for information. I've been going once every day to get what I want. Not all cultivators fight—some deal in intelligence. What better way to get points or resources than to sell the locations of others?" He paused, a thought striking him. "Wait. I remember now—there was a sale of information about Chi Aoyan and a guy called Li. Multiple teams bought it, including members of the Chi Clan. Is that the person you're talking about?"
They nodded.
"That's interesting." Tie Zheng turned back to Xie Lang. "Do you have any feud with the other Chi Clan heirs?"
Xie Lang shrugged. "Not particularly."
Tie Zheng's smile returned, sharper now. "What about getting them on our side instead? We most likely won't get Li to joing us from what you're saying. So why not get his enemies? We'll give them a reason to fight with us. I'll even help bring him down with them." His eyes glittered with calculation. "But of course, we won't be killing him after. That would be troublesome—getting on Yanqi's hate list isn't something I want, even for a resonance."
They exchanged glances, then nodded as one.
Tie Zheng clapped his hands together. "Alright then. I'll be going now. I'll try to find the Han siblings, then I'll look for the Chi heir." He turned to leave, then paused, glancing back over his shoulder. "Oh, one more thing. There's this guy with violet strands in his hair. From what I've heard, if you see him... it would be best if you fought him with me. Just a piece of advice."
He vanished into the trees before anyone could respond.
Xu Jin moved closer to Xie Lang. "Can we trust him?"
Xie Lang's expression was hard. "For now, yeah. But we'll be breaking his token the moment we get Li and anyone like him."
Yun Qiu looked surprised. "I didn't expect you'd accept his deal."
Xie Lang grunted. "If what he's saying is true, we'd be alone against multiple teams if we don't team up with anyone. And I trust him because of his ideals, I know that he won't attack us or backstab us because it's not in his best interest."
They looked at each other, then nodded, moving deeper into the forest as the hunt continued around them.
---
Lin Shu moved through the trees with Shang beside him, their pace relentless. Kai and Aoyan trailed a short distance behind, struggling to keep up with the two more experienced hunters.
"28,040 points," Lin Shu calculated, the number burning in his mind. "I'm doing well, but I need more. If I can find Xie Lang or Han Yi—especially Han Yi—I can end this. I need to kill her. To guarantee my safety."
He glanced at Shang, remembering something the winged fighter had mentioned earlier. "Hey. What was that 'heart' you told me about?"
Shang's hand clamped over Lin Shu's mouth so fast he barely saw it move. "Hey! Didn't I tell you I'd tell you later? Not now!" His eyes darted around, wild with alarm. "You'll get us killed if you talk about it out here."
Lin Shu pried the hand away, more confused than alarmed. "What's so sensitive about this topic? Is this guy losing more screws by the day?" He shrugged. "Alright. Fine."
Shang's face immediately transformed, his earlier panic replaced by a wild, almost manic grin. "Just know that it's something. Something big." He laughed, a sound full of barely contained excitement. "Man, I can't help but think about it. If it weren't for the hunt, I would've used it already. But it's too dangerous right now too dangerous....."
His owl-like eyes fixed on Lin Shu, gleaming with fervor. "It's marvelous. You'll understand when I show you later."
Lin Shu filed the information away without really believing it. "I've never heard of anything called 'the heart' before. Not from Yanqi, not from Aoyan. But we'll see what this guy has in his mind."
His gaze swept the forest as they moved, his Owl's Gaze catching flickers of movement, of life, of potential prey. Then he saw it—a small brilliance of light in the distance, pulsing like a star fallen to earth. He changed direction without a word, veering toward it with sudden, focused intensity.
Shang noticed immediately, launching himself into the sky with a beat of his powerful wings. Aoyan and Kai scrambled to keep up, their exhaustion forgotten in the rush of the hunt.
The light grew brighter as Lin Shu closed the distance. Then he heard it—a roar, deep and resonant, carrying through the trees.
"Yu."
His helm formed over his face, the ivory plates sliding into place with familiar comfort. Infernal force radiated through his limbs as he pushed faster, the trees blurring past.
Ahead, a young man with bluish hair stood facing two fighters who bore such a strong resemblance they were clearly brothers. Yu's stance was relaxed, but his eyes were sharp.
"Just my luck to find these meatheads," he murmured, studying the steel-like coating that covered the brothers' skin. "I really hate their clan." He forced himself to calm, to focus. "At least it's not that guy. Their armor can't even compare to his. Two or three peak-tier techniques will break theirs. His took over a dozen. Better than meeting him. But their bodies are strong—possibly the same—but their destructive techniques are lacking compared to his. Speed? Theirs is a little Better."
"This one is pretty tough, Yu Jun," said the younger brother, his hair short and neatly trimmed.
"Yeah, he's too fast. Those sound techniques are also annoying." The older brother—Guo Hua—cracked his knuckles. "Better if we go all out. Get ready."
Light gathered around Yu, condensing into blinding brilliance. He moved.
The flash sent the brothers shielding their eyes. Yu targeted the younger, his fist slamming into Yu Jun's steel-coated chest with a sound like a bell. Yu Jun's brother tried to intervene, but Yu's roar pushed him back, the sound technique disrupting his balance.
Guo Hua's fist dimly glowed as he drove it toward Yu, the ground cracking beneath him. Yu evaded, stepping back just out of range.
Yu Jun regrouped with his brother. "We can't fight someone this fast. His sound techniques counter our defense."
Guo Hua nodded, his eyes scanning for an escape route. Then they caught something in the distance. His expression tightened.
"Someone's coming," he sent through a transmitting message. His excellent vision picked out details. "Black armor. Might be the guy Han Lei told us about at the truce area yesterday."
Yu's hearing picking the transmittive message as his head jolted to the side, his eyes widening. "Come on! Just when I thought I had them, he shows up. That was a clear twenty thousand points if I killed them."
He started to move, to flee, but a winged figure dropped from the sky to block his path.
"Ha! Yu! How's it going, my brother?" Shang's grin was infuriatingly cheerful.
Yu's expression twisted. "This retard is going to be the death of me."
Shang moved to block every attempt Yu made to escape. "No can do. Li said he wants to meet you again."
Lin Shu arrived as he and shang blocked all of Yu's escape routes, His voice came from behind the helm, smooth and almost friendly. "Hello, 'brother.'"
Yu smiled, hiding his nervousness behind practiced ease. "Alright. Shang on this side. Li on the other. The Tang brothers behind me. Safe to say I'm screwed if I try to run. I don't have the energy to outrun Shang, and I have no chance fighting Li alone." He met Lin Shu's gaze. "Time for a sacrifice. But I won't be the one making it."
He raised his hands in a gesture of surrender. "I surrender. You get to keep your place in Yanqi's team as the top fighter."
Lin Shu's smile faded behind his helm. "Aren't you a smart little weasel? He knows I won't target him now because he's on my team. Yanqi told us to fight together after I defeat them, or they defeat me." He studied Yu for a long moment. "Pretty smart."
Yu's smile widened. "You got it, man. Nothing else to say."
The Tang brothers, caught completely off guard as they planned to run since those two seemed to target Yu first but now that he surrendered and seemed to know them it was obvious who the new targets were as they tried to flee. Shang was faster, circling them with his wings spread wide.
"Wait, isn't that steel on your skin? You're from the Tang Clan." Shang's grin turned predatory. "Hey, Li! Who do you think has tougher armor? You or them?"
Lin Shu moved to the other side of the brothers, completing the encirclement. "We'll test that now."
White flame exploded from his feet, propelling him forward. Yu Jun had no choice but to meet his charge. Their fists collided—steel against ivory wreathed in white fire. Yu Jun's steel coating cracked.
Lin Shu added another burst of white flame, the force equivalent to a peak-tier technique. The steel shattered.
Guo Hua tried to help his brother. Shang's wing caught him in the side, sending him stumbling. He barely regained his balance before a fist of light—Yu's—slammed into his chest. Shang twisted in the air, driving a kick into the back of Guo Hua's head.
Guo Hua fell. A Scorch Piercer took him in the chest, shattering his token and cracking his armor.
Shang shouted in outrage. "Does your greed know no bounds, Li? You have one, so why take mine?"
Lin Shu ignored him. He grabbed Yu Jun by the neck, tore his token free, and crushed it. He tossed the disciple to the ground. "Are you sure you two are the representatives of the Ironblood Sect? You're not that strong."
Yu Jun protested weakly. "What do you know? We just fought a monster and got away without losing limbs. Then we fought that guy—" he gestured at Yu "—and emptied half our qi. If you don't believe us, check your points."
Lin Shu checked his token. His face went cold. "You have no points?"
His leg came down on Yu Jun's chest, pinning him to the ground. "Don't play dumb with me. Where are the real tokens you're hiding?"
Yu Jun struggled to speak. "If we were hiding anything, we would've been disqualified already. Didn't you hear the new rules?"
Lin Shu's voice was ice. "Fine. If you don't have them, give me the direction of the one who took them."
Yu sent a transmitting message, his mental voice urgent. "Don't kill them, Li. If you do, the Ironblood Sect won't leave it be. Especially since you're killing them for nothing not in self-defense, nor for points. They'll use it as an excuse to hunt you."
Lin Shu lifted his foot from Yu Jun's chest. The disciple sat up slowly, breathing hard.
"Where is he?" Lin Shu demanded.
Yu Jun pointed. "Last place we met him was outside the truce location, south of here. He kept waiting there for anyone leaving. We underestimated him. Had to use most of our qi to escape."
Lin Shu studied them, weighing his options. "What Yu said is true. I don't need more enemies I can't handle. I'm already gambling by trying to kill Han Yi—who knows if Yanqi would help me with that. Better to be safe. Let's see what these two are worth."
He looked down at them. "Are you inner or outer disciples?"
The brothers exchanged glances. "Outer disciples," Yu Jun admitted. "But we were promised inner disciple positions if we perform well in the event. We're also Tang clan members. Nephews of the heir."
Lin Shu considered. He'd been ready to kill them after the first admission, but the second made him pause. "They might not be lying. Their clan might take revenge. And I already took their tokens so they'll say I killed them for no reason. But I'm not leaving with nothing."
He smiled, a cold expression behind the helm. "Well, you two can see that I've wasted considerable effort and gained no points from you. Don't you think I deserve some compensation for that?"
Shang stifled a laugh at the transparent ploy. Yu remained silent, watching.
Yu Jun and Guo Hua exchanged another look. Then Yu Jun reached into his spatial ring and pulled out five shimmering aether shards. "Here. This should be enough."
Lin Shu took them with practiced ease, the shards vanishing into his own ring. "Alright. You're free to go."
The brothers scrambled to their feet and fled into the forest without looking back.
Shang draped himself over Kai, using the smaller boy's head as an armrest. Kai's eye twitched violently, a vein throbbing at his temple.
"Alright, let's go now," Shang announced cheerfully.
Lin Shu glanced at Yu. "How many points do you have?"
Yu's eyes narrowed as he lied. "Around five thousand. Why?"
Lin Shu shrugged. "Nothing. Just asking."
Shang's grin widened. "Hey, Yu, don't trust him. He's definitely going to try to steal your token later. I just know it."
Lin Shu looked at Shang with the expression of a man contemplating violence. "What is wrong with this moron?"
Yu laughed, some of the tension leaving his shoulders. "Well, I tried to do the same thing, so I guess it's only fair." He met Lin Shu's gaze squarely. "But I'll tell you this, Li. I'll break my token myself if you ever try to take it. We'll both end up with nothing."
Shang raised his arm enthusiastically. "Yeah, me too! Me too! I'll do that if you try stealing. Man, why didn't I think of that?"
Lin Shu rolled his eyes behind his helm. "Whatever. Let's just get out of here."