Bai Yun concealed himself atop a tree, his gaze icy and serpentine, fixed upon five Xuanming Sect disciples gathered several dozen yards away. His expression was frigid, sinister. He had already slain eight disciples, yet his actions had inevitably alerted the sect.
Night had fallen, and the forest was shrouded in darkness, its depths seemingly endless. Without a moon to light the way, the occasional howls of wild beasts reverberated through the air, heightening the unease of the young disciples. They were novices, untested by the blood-soaked trials of life, their faces pale and their nerves frayed.
"How could this happen? How could it? The senior brothers… they're all dead. All dead!" A young girl, her face ashen, stammered incoherently, her trembling voice betraying her terror.
"Junior Sister, do not be afraid," a composed man reassured her. "Though Bai Yun can inexplicably hide himself, his strength is not insurmountable. As long as we stand together, he would not dare approach us."
"Senior Brother Luo, we should return to the sect and report this immediately!"
"Yes! Let the elders deal with that demon. We can't handle him ourselves."
"I agree. Let's go back."
The remaining three male disciples, equally inexperienced, were visibly shaken, their fear of death overwhelming their resolve.
"No!" Senior Brother Luo declared firmly, his tone leaving no room for argument. "We've been on the run all day, and our bodies are exhausted. If we force ourselves to continue, we'll only grow weaker. At that point, his stealth and speed would leave us utterly defenseless."
"Then what should we do?"
The others, having no opinions of their own, fell silent, their gazes shifting helplessly to Luo.
"We'll form a defensive circle here to recover our strength. At dawn, we'll make our way back to the sect. Besides, reinforcements might already be on their way," Luo said calmly, his steady demeanor bringing a sliver of hope to the group.
"All right, we'll do as Senior Brother Luo says."
Though Bai Yun could not hear their conversation, he understood their intentions. He knew he had to strike quickly—if reinforcements from the Xuanming Sect arrived, his situation would become perilous. The task might even become impossible, and his own life would hang by a thread.
The disciples' formation rendered his Shadow Stealth and Breath Concealment techniques ineffective. Calmly, Bai Yun entered the "Cosmic Evolver" space and browsed through the items available on the Xuan Earth interface.
Throat-Sealing Poison: 100 Evolution Points (Half Price)
After reading the description, he purchased a dose without hesitation. Exiting the space, he coated his dagger with the venom, then placed a Rejuvenation Pill into his mouth. The energy required to maintain his stealth and concealment abilities was taxing, though not excessively so—small drains accumulated over time.
Bai Yun carefully descended the tree and crept silently toward the five disciples. When he reached a position about ten yards away, he concealed himself behind a tree, waiting for the right moment.
Over the next two hours, fatigue visibly wore down the disciples. Their watchfulness waned as they saw no sign of their foe. Only Luo, who had some experience in battle, remained vigilant, while the others, like fragile flowers sheltered from the storm, grew increasingly lax.
While they succumbed to weariness, Bai Yun remained alert, aided by a Revitalizing Talisman he had purchased for a mere 50 Evolution Points. Crushing a Speed Talisman in his hand, he advanced silently, closing the distance to mere yards.
In an instant, Bai Yun sprang into action. His crouched form erupted with explosive speed, enhanced by both the Thunder Step technique and the Speed Talisman. In the blink of an eye, he was among them.
Slash! Slash!
Before they could react, his venom-laced dagger slashed through two disciples. He retreated immediately, disappearing once more into the shadows.
"Ahhh!"
A shrill scream shattered the silence of the forest. Wild beasts, as if echoing the chaos, howled in unison, their cries reverberating through the night.
"You demon! Show yourself! Come out and fight me!" Luo bellowed, his voice a mix of rage and despair. He gripped his sword tightly, swinging it wildly at the darkness. Behind him, the remaining two disciples huddled together, trembling uncontrollably.
Bai Yun, concealed a short distance away, watched them coldly, calculating his next move.
The lingering presence of an invisible enemy paralyzed the three survivors. Fear coursed through their veins, leaving them no choice but to form a defensive triangle, their backs pressed together as they waited for the inevitable.
"I want to go back. I want to go back!"
Barely a quarter of an hour later, the girl's nerves shattered completely. Muttering to herself, she suddenly broke into a frantic run toward the direction of the sect. Of the thirteen disciples who had come, ten were already dead. She had no desire to join them.
Thunk!
The girl's body jerked to a halt mid-sprint, her terrified eyes losing focus. For a fleeting moment, a hint of relief crossed her features—death had freed her from fear.
Bai Yun appeared silently in front of her, his dagger buried deep in her chest. His expression was void of emotion, his heart untouched by the act.
Perhaps, on Earth, Bai Yun had been a gentle, law-abiding man, but this world and its brutal realities had awakened something primal within him. Here, with power in his hands, his repressed nature had erupted, transforming him into a ruthless predator.
"Shuangshuang!" Luo and the other disciple cried out in anguish, their eyes bloodshot as they charged toward Bai Yun in fury.
Bai Yun pushed the girl's lifeless body aside and lunged forward, his Thunder Step propelling him like a lightning bolt toward his final targets.
Clang! Clang!
Sparks flew as their weapons clashed. Bai Yun's superior speed overwhelmed them, his relentless strikes forcing them onto the defensive. Their exhaustion only widened the gap between them.
"Left and right!" Luo shouted, urging his companion to coordinate. With his words, he unleashed the Xuanming Sword Technique, his strikes fierce and unyielding. His ally quickly followed, sealing off Bai Yun's escape route.
Faced with danger, Bai Yun dropped low to the ground, supporting himself with one hand as he kicked backward with explosive force. His body slithered like a serpent, darting beneath Luo's guard. In the blink of an eye, his dagger slashed Luo's leg. Using his hand for leverage, he propelled himself away, slipping out of their encirclement.
Gasping for breath, Bai Yun steadied himself, his chest heaving with exhaustion. The swift, intricate movements had drained much of his energy, leaving his left hand trembling with fatigue.
Luo fell to the ground, despair clouding his gaze. He recognized the poison coursing through his veins and knew his fate was sealed.
The remaining disciple, paralyzed with fear, dropped his sword and fled, stumbling as he ran.
"Watch out!" Luo, his voice hoarse, tried to warn his companion, but it was too late. Bai Yun, moving like an arrow loosed from a bow, intercepted the fleeing figure.
Another bloom of blood.
As the disciple's body crumpled, Bai Yun turned slowly to face Luo. His steps deliberate, he closed the distance between them.
"You've made an enemy of the Xuanming Sect. Your death is inevitable. I'll be waiting for you in the afterlife," Luo spat venomously, his expression twisted with hatred. Gripping his sword tightly, he slashed it across his own throat before Bai Yun could stop him.
"Task completed. Reward: 5,000 Evolution Points."
Bai Yun frowned slightly, regret flickering in his eyes as he gazed at Luo's lifeless body. "A pity… I missed out on 100 points."