Xuyanyan hesitated, sensing an unusual emptiness along his route. Although he remained on high alert for bounty hunters, something felt off—no presences in sight. Steady and composed, he activated his Qi-Erasing Mirage technique, moving cautiously over fallen leaves and exposed roots.
Each step was deliberate, the only sounds were the crunch of earth beneath his boots and distant calls of unseen beasts. Spotting some outer disciples intermittently, a wave of relief washed over him, and his fear gradually faded. He finally halted a few hundred meters from his cramp house, carefully sensing the surroundings. Finding no one there, he advanced toward his home.
As soon as he stepped inside, Xuanyan swiftly shut the door behind him and leaned against it, exhaling several long breaths in a row. His shoulders sagged as relief flooded over him, exhaustion creeping back in now that he was finally safe—
