In the desolate depths of Autumn Pine Forest, ancient trees stretched endlessly, their golden canopies like autumn clouds. Amid the serene silence, a spatial rift tore open, ejecting a battered figure.
Lan An's body was bare, riddled with wounds, blood drenching his flesh. His handsome face twisted with scars, eyes shut tight. The void was a realm beyond his Fusion Realm grasp, requiring Refining Void guidance. Swept by the Void Storm, only the Nirvana Spirit Water coursing through his veins and his robust Body Cultivation kept him from being pulverized.
Unconscious on the ground, the Nirvana Spirit Water flowed beneath his skin, blending with his blood, slowly mending his injuries. Yet, the damage was severe, leaving him in a haze.
Suddenly, a grand entourage emerged in the primal forest. Leading it was a majestic silver carriage, pulled by four White Sky Horses gliding through the air, exuding noble grace.
The coachman, an old man named Lu Lao with white hair and a kind face, had deep, starry eyes radiating the aura of a perfected Fusion Realm expert. Behind him, over a hundred warriors in battle armor rode Fourth-Rank White Birds, their disciplined formation radiating valor. Even the weakest among them was a Late Nascent Soul cultivator.
At the forefront, a dashing general in black armor rode a Fifth-Rank perfected Black Bird, thrice the size of the White Birds. His Refining Void Mid-Stage power was formidable.
Such a regiment let nothing escape their notice. Lan An's pitiful state was immediately spotted, but in this savage forest, such sights were common. A lone wounded man was trivial compared to entire legions slaughtered by high-tier demonic beasts. Lu Lao and the general, Yu Chen, spared him a glance but moved on.
"Hold, Lu Lao!" a crystalline, gentle voice called from the carriage.
Lu Lao nodded respectfully, reining in the White Sky Horses, halting mid-air. The White Bird Legion stopped instantly, wings flapping steadily to hold position.
Yu Chen's eyes narrowed, guessing the carriage occupant's intent. "Princess, please consider your noble status!" Lu Lao cautioned softly, unable to defy her but mindful of propriety.
"Lu Lao, how can we ignore a dying soul? Is that not akin to the bandits who rob and kill?" the voice replied, its kindness stirring hearts.
Lu Lao's lips twitched, unable to counter. "With such wounds, even if he lives, he'll be a cripple, unable to cultivate," Yu Chen interjected, his tone cold.
The legion nodded. Lan An's state suggested a fate worse than death—a cultivator stripped of power.
"At least we can save his life, can't we?" the voice countered, pure and unwavering.
Lu Lao fell silent. Yu Chen's face darkened, as did the legion's. In the cultivation world, might ruled, and mercy was rare. Yet, they couldn't argue with her—she whose heart was the purest in the realm.
Unable to taint her compassion, Lu Lao and the legion held their tongues. The princess rose, a flawless, jade-like hand parting the carriage's curtain, poised to step out.
"Princess, stay! Let us handle this!" Yu Chen called, wary of her exposure. Without waiting, he spurred his Black Bird downward, its talons seizing Lan An's bloodied form. Yu Chen grabbed him, disgust flickering in his eyes.
A Refining Void Mid-Stage general, ranked 25th on the Golden List at 300 years old, the youngest of White Sand Dynasty—carrying a "cripple"? It grated his pride. To him, Lan An, wounded in the wild, was likely mauled by beasts—a worthless nobody.
Two White Bird warriors, reading their general's mood, took Lan An, draping him over a White Bird and covering him with robes from a storage ring.
Inside the carriage, the princess withdrew her hand, satisfied. She tossed out a white pill, its medicinal fragrance enchanting. "This is a Mid Earth-Grade Healing Pill. His wounds are grave—administer it quickly!"
Her gentle instructions clear, she settled back, silent. Saving a stranger was her limit; his recovery depended on him.
Envious glances from the legion followed as Yu Chen grudgingly fed Lan An the Healing Pill. The entourage resumed its march, none bothering to check the pill's effect. Lan An's injuries were too severe for instant recovery, even with an immortal pill.
Draped over the White Bird, guarded by two warriors, Lan An moved with the legion. Unnoticed, the Healing Pill merged with the Nirvana Spirit Water, accelerating its flow. Tiny wounds on his body began to close. Normally, Lan An might scoff at a Mid Earth-Grade pill, but in his unconscious state, it was like coal in a snowstorm, a vital aid.
Time passed as the legion maintained its pace. Occasionally, powerful demonic beasts ambushed from the forest, only to be swiftly slain by the White Bird Legion. But their grand presence stirred deeper threats.
Two colossal beasts, like small mountains, blocked their path. Their Sixth-Rank Mid-Stage auras—equivalent to human Refining Void Mid-Stage—radiated menace.
A Blazing Tiger, its black fangs gleaming, body wreathed in crimson flames, glared with agile ferocity. Behind, a Ghost Cobra, over ten zhang long, spread its ghostly hood, its venomous tongue flickering, eyes cold and sharp.
The oppressive aura unsettled several White Birds, which screeched in fear. "Hmph!" Yu Chen snorted, his aura surging to dispel the pressure.
"We're just passing through, no conflict intended. Why make trouble? I, Yu Chen, fear no one!" he declared, his electric gaze fixed on the beasts, his bearing unyielding despite matching their realm.
"Hmph, no surprise from White Sand Dynasty's young general, Golden List's 25th, Black Prince Yu Chen. Such arrogance," the Blazing Tiger growled, its blood-red eyes thirsting for battle.
"This is Autumn Pine Forest, not your dynasty. Flying brazenly overhead—dare call that peaceful?" the Ghost Cobra hissed, its voice chilling.
Yu Chen's face twitched. He'd chosen to cross Autumn Pine Forest, ignoring the princess's advice, as the shortest route to the dynasty, saving ten days. He'd assumed their status would cow the forest's beasts into submission. Their defiance bruised his pride before the legion and princess.
Fury rising, Yu Chen summoned a gleaming black spear, forged from rare Black Ore Stone, three meters long, tipped with Star Metal. Its razor-sharp point chilled onlookers—a Low Heaven-Grade Black War Spear.
Gripping it, Yu Chen's battle intent soared, eager to impress the princess. Pointing at the beasts, he barked, "I never shy from a fight. Clear the way, or die!"
"Kill!" the White Bird Legion roared, blood pumping, swords drawn. "General's might! No retreat—kill!"
"Arrogant fools!" The beasts, already volatile, were provoked. With earth-shaking roars, they charged.
The Blazing Tiger became a sea of fire, its blazing claws slashing at Yu Chen. Battle-hardened, he met it fearlessly, his spear spinning. Wind and Earth elements swirled, forming a sandstorm around the spear's tip, warping space.
"Sandstorm Spear Art—Shatter Jade!" Yu Chen bellowed, thrusting his spear at the tiger's fiery claws.
BOOM!
The clash echoed, spiritual energy erupting, devastating a swath of forest. The tiger's massive form staggered back a step.
"Die!" the Ghost Cobra hissed, spitting venomous mist at Yu Chen. "Not on our watch!" the White Bird warriors soared, forming a tight formation.
Their birds flapped wide wings, conjuring a massive whirlwind. The warriors channeled Earth Spiritual Energy, forming white sand that merged with the vortex, creating a colossal sandstorm that shattered the cobra's poison.
The legion's discipline shone, their strength formidable. But the gap between Sixth-Rank and Fusion Realm was vast. The Ghost Cobra sneered, its tail rising like a pillar, power gathering at its tip, smashing toward the legion.
CRACK!
The tail tore space itself. "Defend!" Yu Chen, entangled with the tiger, roared.
"Hold!" the legion shouted. White Birds raised wings, channeling Wind Spiritual Energy into a sturdy shield. Warriors formed hand seals, conjuring layered Earth Walls to reinforce the birds' barrier—a perfect Wind-Earth defense, united as one.
Inside the carriage, the princess nodded approvingly but sighed, "Not enough."
The cobra's tail struck like a mountain.
CLANG!
A metallic clash rang out. Central shields shattered, a third of the legion blasted back, spitting blood mid-air. Yet, none died—a testament to their coordination, surviving two Sixth-Rank attacks.
But they couldn't hold long. Yu Chen, seeing this, knew he had to end it. Killing intent flared, his eyes locking on the Blazing Tiger. His voice turned icy.
"Black Sand Flow…"