The streets outside the Ling Clan estate burned under the weight of urgency. Dust swirled from the fallen debris of the skirmishes behind them, but Ye Tian's gaze was fixed ahead. In his mind, only one figure remained: Ling Feng. Captured. Trapped. Moments from execution.
A notification blinked before his eyes, sharp and insistent:
Target: Ling Feng – Captured in an artifact. Time until execution: 12 minutes.
Ye Tian's jaw tightened. "Twelve minutes… twelve minutes isn't long enough for anything but decisive action."
Yuhua and Mu Qingyao flanked him, eyes alert, bodies coiled like springs ready to strike. Shadow disciples cleared the path ahead, their movements precise, silent, deadly. Yet Ye Tian ignored the ongoing battle behind them; his focus had narrowed to a single thread: her life.
He ran, long strides eating the distance, adrenaline weaving seamlessly with his Night Qi. Mid-stride, a thought crossed his mind, sharp and precise.
> "Hey… can you help dispel that artifact?"
The familiar hum of the system answered instantly.
> "Oh, so you know we can converse."
Ye Tian smirked, letting a hint of humor thread through his tension. "I had an inkling of that."
> "Well… Death Qi, Night Qi as you people call it, is called Death Qi because no other Qi is superior. This is why thousands of years ago, the Ye Clan rose to become one of the top three clans. Your physique—the Night Immortal Physique—is considered cursed. It grants power but shortens life for most and affects two subsequent generations. But not you."
Ye Tian's lips curved into a faint grin. "Obvious reason—I'm reincarnated… and I have you."
> "Correct. I cannot converse more due to laws of plausibility, but you can easily suppress any form of Qi with Death Qi."
Relief mingled with the tight coil of anticipation inside him. His heart beat not just for the fight, but for the girl whose life hung by a slender thread.
The thought of her stirred something primal, protective. Emotions surged, a tidal force that the Night Core System had once reacted to. He concentrated, desperate. He could not lose her—not like this.
A soft, mechanical hum signaled the awakening of dormant power.
Night Core System activated.
Ye Tian felt the subtle shift in his energy, the regulation of his emotions sharpened. It was more potent than before. The system had awakened to his will, amplifying the cold, precise edge of his resolve.
> "Now that I'm ready… let's go save the wife," he murmured, half to himself, half to the empty air.
The world around him seemed to respond. Night Qi flared outward, suffusing the street with a low, almost gravitational pull. The shadows around his enemies thickened as their movement faltered. The system chimed again:
Killing Intent Spree – Proficiency Increased.
Ye Tian's aura expanded. With deliberate, fluid movements, he pushed forward, every strike of Qi and every motion guided with surgical precision. Enemies were flung aside as if reality itself had betrayed them, crashing into walls or collapsing to the ground unconscious. The air crackled, bending under the sheer intensity of his power, a demonstration of night qi mingled with sheer will.
He paused only briefly to glance at his companions.
> "Take care of the rest," he instructed the shadow disciples, his voice low, commanding yet calm. "We have a more important target."
They nodded, eyes gleaming behind masks, and split off to subdue the remaining threats. Ye Tian pivoted, turning his full attention toward the estate.
> "Yuhua, Mu Qingyao, Xiuying—follow me. Stay close. Keep your eyes sharp."
Their nods were silent but resolute. Together, they surged forward, a dark wave of intent racing through the streets, past fallen adversaries, and toward the main gate of the Ling Clan estate.
As they neared the gates, Ye Tian's eyes narrowed. He knew Ling Feng wasn't at the execution platform yet. He felt it—a subtle shift in the energy around the estate, a faint pull of the artifact's death qi. She was close, just out of reach.
A thought flickered—half jest, half strategy.
> "Time to push the limits, Night Core. Let's see what you've really got."
The system hummed in acknowledgment. Night Qi surged, the gravity of his aura intensifying as if the city itself bent around his resolve. His emotions, once steady and calculated, now roared with protective fury.
The main gate loomed, dark and imposing, but nothing could deter him now. Each stride carried the weight of years, of experience, of a life honed through observation, calculation, and the ruthless efficiency of his previous existence.
For the first time in days, Ye Tian allowed himself a moment of grim amusement.
> "Let's see them try to stand between me and what matters," he murmured, lips twitching into a faint, sardonic smile.
And with that, the Night Lord and his entourage reached the main gate, the battle behind them fading into echoes, and the unknown challenges ahead looming like shadows in the sun. Ling Feng's life hung in the balance, and every step Ye Tian took brought them closer to her—but the seconds were bleeding fast.