Su Lin was taken aback by her master's revelation. Her mind raced as she tried to process the information. The idea that she possessed such a hidden strength, sealed away by her master, was both shocking and intriguing.
"Why would you seal such a strength within me, Master?" Su Lin asked, her curiosity piqued.
Her master's expression turned serious as he explained, "Su Lin, the path of cultivation is not without its dangers. Sometimes, having power beyond your current limits can lead to unintended consequences. I sealed this strength within you to protect you until you were ready to harness it safely. Asura's situation serves as a cautionary tale. The power he accessed today was overwhelming and dangerous, even though it saved him at that moment."
Su Lin nodded, absorbing the wisdom behind her master's words. She felt a mixture of gratitude and respect for his foresight in safeguarding her. "Thank you, Master, for looking out for me."
Her master's gaze softened. "You are like a daughter to me, Su Lin. It is my duty to guide and protect you."
As they conversed, Asura began to stir from his slumber. Su Lin carefully approached him and helped him sit up. She opened the bottle her master had given her and gently fed him the liquid inside. Asura coughed slightly at the unfamiliar taste but swallowed it obediently.
"What happened?" Asura's voice was weak, and he looked around in confusion.
Su Lin gave him a reassuring smile. "You saved us, Asura. You tapped into a hidden strength to defeat the syndicate leader and his companion."
Su Lin didn't tell the truth that her master saved them at the critical moment because her master had forbidden her from telling him.
Asura's eyes widened as he tried to recall the events. "I remember... I felt like I was drowning in darkness, and then... everything became a blur."
Su Lin's master approached them, his presence calming. "You accessed a formidable power, Asura. It allowed you to confront an opponent beyond your normal capabilities. However, such strength comes at a cost. Your body is heavily damaged from the strain of using it."
Asura's expression turned serious as he looked at Su Lin's master and asked, "Who are you?" Before Su Lin's master could answer, Su Lin hurriedly said, "Asura, this is my master."
After releasing that he was Su Lin's master, Asura relaxed and apologized for his rudeness. Although he knew about Su Lin's master, he had never met him before, so at first, he was on guard against him.
Then Asura sincerely said, "Elder, thank you for last time. If it was not for you, I would already be crippled by the poison. I wanted to personally thank you but I couldn't find you."
Su Lin's master said, "No worries, Su Lin already thanked me on behave of you and said everything including your words to help me if I needed."
After hearing this, Asura was a little embarrassed because he felt this person was extremely strong, so how could he help someone like that? Still, he said, "Elder, I will say it again - if you ever need help in the future, feel free to ask. I will do my best to help you."
Su Lin's master nodded and said, "I don't think I will need your help anytime soon, but you can help me by staying by my beloved disciple's side."
After hearing this, Su Lin blushed secretly, not wanting Asura to find out. Asura was a bit thick-headed, so he didn't understand the hidden meaning behind Su Lin's master's words. He thought the master wanted him to help Su Lin whenever she needed, so he said bluntly, "Don't worry, I will help her whenever she needs it and protect her if she encounters any danger. I will protect her even if it costs me my life."
These words touched Su Lin's heart and soul deeply. She knew he said this to repay his master's kindness, but it still caused a huge reaction within her. Asura was unaware of Su Lin's feelings as he told this in front of his master, thinking only of showing his sincerity to Su Lin's master.
Su Lin's master smiled after hearing these words. "Then I hope you will keep your word, Asura. Just remember, the strength you used today is not one to be taken lightly. It carries consequences. Be cautious in how you approach your cultivation."
Asura nodded solemnly, clearly understanding the weight of those words.
After that, Su Lin's master turned his attention to Kallu, who was still sleeping peacefully. "Your friend will awaken soon. The memory alteration I performed should keep him from recalling the recent events."
After saying this, he disappeared silently as if he was never in that place.
As if on cue, Kallu stirred and slowly opened his eyes. He blinked, his gaze landing on Su Lin, Asura, and Su Lin's master. "What... what happened?"
Su Lin smiled warmly at him. "We're safe now, Kallu. Everything is fine."
Kallu looked around, his confusion evident. "I... can't remember anything clearly. It's like there's a fog in my mind."
Su Lin told Kallu how Asura triggered his hidden strength and killed the leader of the syndicate, but Kallu was a little confused. All he knew was that Asura was fighting with the leader of the syndicate and that another member who was killed by Asura with a Battle Skill, after that scene his memory became blurry.
As for the elite team, they all forgot about Su Lin's master and also forgot Asura's face. All they knew, including Sir Eric and the vice sect master, was that three people helped them eradicate the Crimson Cobra syndicate, and one of them was extremely powerful in killing the syndicate's leader.
The elite members returned to their respective places. Sir Eric gave every detail of this journey to the king. After hearing it all, the king decided to call them the "Untitled Heroes of the Xiao Kingdom."