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Jin descended, his figure cutting through the thickened air like a blade. He landed gracefully near Zhang, whose mind still struggled to process the chaos of the last moments. The battle, the loss, and the overwhelming surge of power had unfolded in the blink of an eye, leaving him disoriented and breathless.
Zhang's eyes were wide, his body trembling slightly as he stared at the fallen, the wreckage of the battlefield surrounding them. The memory of Shimmer's final cry echoed in his mind, the loss too great for him to fully grasp. He had just reached the Nascent Soul stage, only to witness the death of his friend, his companion.
The Elders and the Clan Leader of the sect had finally arrived, rushing toward the scene, their faces painted with shock and fear. They could feel the weight of Jin's presence in the air, the power emanating from him like a suffocating wave.
Jin said nothing. His gaze swept across the battlefield, and his heart clenched when it landed on Mochi. She lay on the ground, her small frame battered and bruised, covered in dirt and blood from the vicious battle. The cheerfulness she once carried was nowhere to be seen. Her body was still, unconscious from the strain of the conflict and the loss she had endured.
Before Jin could stop himself, a fleeting image of her cheerful face, the one that had once filled every room with light, flashed before his eyes. It was hard to reconcile that memory with the still figure before him now.
His hand moved instinctively, a soft pulse of energy radiating from his palm. Jin's qi enveloped Mochi first, healing the cuts and bruises that marred her skin, mending the damage done to her body from the fight. The process was slow at first but grew faster as his power seeped into her, the golden light bathing her in warmth.
Then his attention turned to the rest of her companions—Suyin, Lin Yan, Xiao Yu, and Jiang Bo. They were in no better shape, their bodies battered from the battle, but they had survived, each struggling to remain conscious. Jin's energy flowed out to them, healing their wounds, stabilizing their breathing. His aura wrapped around them like a protective blanket, easing their pain and helping them regain their strength.
Once their injuries were healed and they began to stir, Jin turned to the kneeling Clan Leader and Elders. They had already fallen to their knees, trembling with fear and guilt. The sight of him, the legendary figure they had only heard of in whispers, was enough to drive them to the ground in submission.
"Please forgive us," the Clan Leader begged, his voice strained with fear. "We had no idea... We did not know she was your daughter. We failed to protect her... We have failed you."
The Elders murmured in agreement, their heads bowed low. They had no excuses. They had allowed such danger to come so close to Mochi, and now they feared the wrath of her father.
Jin stood silently, his eyes cold and unreadable. His aura, still pulsating with immense power, had the Elders and the Clan Leader trembling in place. But after a long, heavy pause, Jin simply shook his head. The words he spoke were quiet, yet carried the weight of the heavens.
"Let's go."
In a flash, Jin raised his hand, and the world around them shimmered with the force of his teleportation. The air rippled like a heatwave before everything shifted, the landscape warping into the familiar surroundings of Mochi's sect. In an instant, they were back at the sect, safe but still in the wake of what had transpired.
Mochi, still unconscious from the ordeal, was carefully placed in a secure room by Jin himself. The Elders and the Clan Leader remained silent, afraid to speak, knowing their failure had brought them close to the brink of ruin. Jin made no further moves toward them; his actions spoke volumes, and they understood that their time would come when Mochi had recovered.
The mood in the room was heavy, laden with grief and regret. But even in the midst of this tense silence, the Elders and Clan Leader knew one thing for certain: the mysterious man who had come to their aid was not just any cultivator. He was the father of the girl they had failed to protect, and he was someone they would never dare to cross again.
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