The first pale light of dawn was barely brushing the northern horizon when Lin Feng (Logan) finally broke through the outer trees of the mansion grounds. The world around him was muted, silvered with frost, and eerily quiet. Cradled in his arms, Zhao Lengxuan—Leon—was barely conscious, his body trembling, pale as untouched snow. Every shallow breath whispered a fragile warning: one misstep and he could be gone.
Logan's eyes narrowed. He did not slow. His steps were precise, controlled, carrying the weight of a man who had endured centuries of war and now bore the weight of one he refused to lose. The mansion's spires rose ahead, bathed in the first hints of dawn, and Logan's aura flared—a streak of cold, lethal energy slicing across the landscape, announcing his return before he even arrived.
Inside, the mansion was still alive with the faint hum of concentrated energy. The five immortals, Jason, Ethan, Caleb, Susana and Luna had not slept. Instead, they had gathered in the big parlor, their legs crossed and eyes closed, meditating as the night dragged on. They had no illusions about the danger outside, no pretense of rest. Every subtle spike in spiritual energy, every tremor in the air, they felt it, preparing for whatever news would come.
In the corner, Shen Rui'an their caretaker and secret healer—was leafing through a thick volume on Earth medicine, his expression calm but focused. His fingers traced lines of text and diagrams, quietly cross-referencing herbs and vitamins that could help stabilize the wounded Leon. Though outwardly he appeared a dutiful butler, every inch of his posture spoke of vigilance and readiness to act at a moment's notice.
The group's meditation broke before Logan even reached the mansion. The first hint of his aura—a slash of cold, commanding, unrelenting—swept through the parlor. Every head snapped up simultaneously. Eyes wide, concern written deep across immortal faces that rarely betrayed emotion.
"Logan…"caleb whispered, voice tight.
Susana, already rising, muttered, "Something's wrong."
Jason's fists clenched. "He's carrying someone."
Ethan, eyes narrowing, added softly, "And the qi… it's unstable. Weak. Extremely weak."
Without another word, the five moved as one, flowing through the hall toward the grand doors, Shen Rui'an close behind with the thick book tucked under his arm. The instant Logan stepped through the doors, the sheer weight of his aura and the sight of Leon in his arms froze everyone.
Leon's face was pale, lips tinged blue, breathing shallow. Blood, partially frozen from the northern frost and Logan's haste, streaked along his robes. Even in unconsciousness, Leon radiated stubborn strength—a silent declaration that he had endured a fight that would have broken most immortals.
Shen Rui'an pushed forward instantly, hands hovering over Leon. "Step aside, Logan," he said calmly but firmly. "Let me stabilize him."
Logan did not move. His eyes scanned Leon's injuries, the corrupted qi, and the traces of demonic energy still clinging to his body. Then he exhaled slowly, frost blooming along his fingers once again. He pressed a delicate touch to Leon's wound. Ice spread quickly, sealing torn flesh, stopping bleeding, and immobilizing the worst of the corruption. Leon shivered violently under the process, but the ice held him steady.
Shen Rui'an finally reached Leon, gently placing his hands over Logan's icy work. "It's enough for now. I'll take over—vital energy, anti-corruption herbs…" He paused, looking at Logan. "You need rest too. Take a moment, even a short one. I have vitamins here…"
Logan's eyes didn't leave Leon's face. Without a word, he collected the tiny vial, then turned instantly, leaving Shen Rui'an no time to argue. His frost-laden aura swept across the mansion grounds as he prepared to depart again. The urgency, the fire in his eyes, betrayed his intent: the battle was not over. Not until the demon that had escaped was no more.
The immortals immediately protested. "You're going back out there?!" Caleb shouted.
"Logan—don't," Susana added, her voice trembling with anger and worry.
Luna hands were clenched at her chest. "You can't go alone!"
Ethan's voice cut through sharply, "We go with you. We're not staying here while you do this!"
Logan's gaze, icy and sharp as the northern wind, fell on them. "No," he said simply. "This is my fight. Only one of you comes with me."
"Who?" Caleb asked.
He looked at Jason—an immortal with unflinching loyalty and strength. "Jason. You're coming. The rest stay. Protect the mansion, protect the innocents, and keep Shen Rui'an from worrying me to death while I'm gone."
Jason's eyes narrowed but he nodded. "Understood."
The group's protests dissolved under Logan's steely aura. They knew better than to argue once he had chosen.
Without another word, he rose into the air, Jason following in a streak of red qi. The valley awaited, and Logan's mind was a single focus: the demon that had fled, the corruption still festering, and the cost of inaction.
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The chase was brutal.
The escaped demon's trail burned faintly in the frost, a residual smear of corrupted qi and fire marks that threatened to awaken fear among ordinary humans if left unchecked. Logan's aura flared, incinerating the surrounding energy and traces as he flew, burning everything to ash that would leave no trace and no chance for mortal law enforcement to stumble into disaster. Jason followed, assisting in targeting clusters of energy that might regenerate into minor demons, though Logan's strikes were the ones that truly flattened the corrupted residue.
Finally, they reached the demon's lair—a collapsed warehouse where demonic energy pulsed like a heartbeat. The demon emerged immediately, dark smoke coiling around him, scales reflecting the faint morning light. His eyes glowed with anger, rage, and a cruel amusement at the fact that one of his companions had been killed.
"You return," the demon hissed, voice like grinding metal. "And yet… the first one fell."
Logan's expression did not waver. "You should have stayed buried."
The demon's power flared, a wave of black fire rolling toward them. Logan moved first—Jason instinctively following but keeping a safe distance. The demon lashed out with claws, corrupted energy, and mind-breaking illusions, attempting to bring panic and despair.
Logan's aura expanded, sweeping Jason safely away with a shield of silver frost. "Go!" he ordered. "Do not interfere unless necessary."
Jason shot back a glance but obeyed, retreating just out of range as Logan stepped forward, ice and silver qi coiling around his body, aura blazing brighter than ever.
The battle erupted in flashes—blades of silver and frost against black, corrosive claws, fire erupting from the demon's every strike. He summoned shadows that twisted the ground beneath, tried to manipulate space with corrupted energy, and unleashed psychic attacks meant to disorient and crush Logan's resolve.
But Logan moved with precision beyond mortal comprehension. Every attack was countered before it landed, every strike calculated. The demon's full arsenal could not pierce his defenses. The air around him shimmered with lethal cold; every move was a dance of centuries of experience, a storm contained within a human silhouette.
Jason watched in awe as Logan's aura cut through the corrupted energy, a silver blade of wrath and power. The demon roared, twisting the battlefield into chaos, but Logan remained unharmed. Not a scratch. Not a breath out of place.
Finally, seeing no escape, the demon attempted a desperate tactic—pouring all his energy into a final cataclysmic strike aimed to bring them both down. Logan's eyes narrowed. In a single motion, he flung Jason safely to the side, then met the attack head-on. Silver qi flared explosively, frost and wind screaming through the warehouse ruins. The demon's energy shattered against Logan's, sending the surrounding debris flying into a storm of ice and fire.
The demon collapsed, stunned but alive, its aura diminished, beaten back into the shadows it had emerged from. Logan's breath came steady and controlled. Not a single injury marred him. His eyes, however, burned with fury and determination.
Jason landed softly, eyes wide. "He… he didn't even scratch you?"
Logan turned, voice low but steady. "He was lucky. Next time, he won't be."
The sun finally rose, gilding the horizon with gold. The frost sparkled beneath it, but the valley had been purged of the immediate threat. Logan's aura, though still tense, began to settle, and he allowed himself the briefest moment to glance toward the direction of the mansion.
Leon's fragile body waited there, protected, and Logan's mind was already turning toward the next step.
The fight was over. But the war—the battle for Earth—was far from finished.
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Okayyyyy this chapter is dedicated to Fortune_rems. Thank you for all the power stones given to this book. Thank you for not giving up on us. Heartinfiction loves you ❤️❤️❤️🤭