The air was thick with tension.
Zhao Yun didn't move. Didn't breathe too hard.
His grip on the Empire Token tightened as his eyes scanned the darkened forest beyond the river. The feeling of being watched had only grown stronger.
It wasn't paranoia. It was real.
Something—or someone—was out there.
Lin was the first to react. She didn't panic, didn't ask questions. Instead, she moved silently, positioning herself at Zhao Yun's side, her body low and ready.
Lei, still shaken from his encounter with the tree, wiped his forehead and muttered, "Tch. Already?" But despite his tone, his hands curled into fists, his body tense.
Mei stepped back, her gaze darting between them and the treeline. "What do we do?"
Zhao Yun exhaled slowly. Think.
They had no weapons. No knowledge of what they were facing. No idea how strong the creatures in this world were.
Right now, they were still mortal.
And mortals died easily.
A low, guttural clicking sound echoed from the trees.
Mei's breath hitched. "That wasn't human."
Zhao Yun's muscles coiled. He knew.
A shadow shifted between the trees. Then another. And another.
They weren't alone.
The figures emerged from the trees—slowly, deliberately.
Tall. Lean. Predatory.
There were five of them—each standing nearly seven feet tall, their skin dark and textured like stone, their eyes glowing with an unnatural yellow hue. Their arms were long, razor-sharp claws glinting under the twin suns' fading light.
Zhao Yun's stomach tightened.
They weren't human.
They weren't even close.
Lin inhaled sharply. "They're hunting us."
Lei grinned, but his fists clenched. "Good. I was getting bored."
Zhao Yun ignored him. His mind was racing, analyzing everything in an instant.
• They were outnumbered. Five creatures. Four of them.
• They had no weapons.
• They had no cultivation.
• And they had no idea how strong these things were.
If they fought now…
They would die.
Zhao Yun took a slow step back. "We run."
Lei snapped toward him. "What?"
"We run," Zhao Yun repeated, voice calm but firm. "We don't know what they can do. If they're fast, we figure it out while running. If they're slow, we escape."
Lin didn't argue. "Mei, stay in the middle."
Mei swallowed and nodded, shifting closer to them.
Lei cursed under his breath but didn't push back. He wasn't stupid—he knew Zhao Yun was right.
Then—
The creatures moved.
They lunged forward with terrifying speed.
"RUN!" Zhao Yun shouted.
They bolted
The forest blurred around them as they sprinted through the undergrowth, the glowing river fading behind them.
The creatures were fast.
Faster than any human. Faster than anything should be.
Zhao Yun barely ducked as a clawed hand swiped at his back, carving deep scars into the bark of a nearby tree.
Mei screamed as another creature lunged from the side. Lin yanked her away just in time, the air hissing as the beast's claws sliced through where she had just been.
Zhao Yun gritted his teeth. Too fast.
If this kept up—
Ahead, the terrain shifted—a steep drop, leading to rocky ground below.
A dead end.
No. Not a dead end.
A chance.
Zhao Yun's mind worked fast.
They wouldn't survive a prolonged chase. If they tried to turn and fight, they'd be slaughtered.
They needed to take a risk.
He shouted over the wind, "JUMP!"
Mei's eyes widened in horror. "WHAT?!"
"TRUST ME!"
There was no time to hesitate.
Zhao Yun grabbed Mei and leaped.
Lin followed without hesitation.
Lei, grinning wildly, laughed before throwing himself off the ledge.
Behind them, the creatures snarled—but they didn't follow.
They stopped just at the edge, watching them fall, their glowing yellow eyes filled with something akin to amusement.
As if this wasn't over.
As if they knew.
They would be seeing them again.
The world spun as Zhao Yun crashed into the ground below, his body rolling against the uneven terrain. Pain exploded in his ribs, his breath forced from his lungs in a sharp gasp.
It hurt.
But he was alive.
Groaning, he pushed himself up. Mei landed beside him, shaking but uninjured. Lin and Lei hit the ground seconds later, both of them moving sluggishly.
Zhao Yun's head spun. They survived.
But for how long?
Mei looked up, trembling. "…They let us go."
No. Not let them go.
They were toying with them.
Zhao Yun clenched his fists, frustration burning in his chest. Weak. They were too weak. If this was the level of the creatures in this world…
They wouldn't last long like this.
And then—
A golden chime echoed.
A faint, glowing screen appeared before them
[SYSTEM UPDATE]
Survival Challenge Completed.
You have encountered the Apex Predators of the Lower Realms and lived.
New System Function Unlocked: Cultivation Pathway.
Zhao Yun's breath caught.
His path to power had finally opened.
He stared at the glowing words, his heart pounding in his chest.
This was just the beginning.
And he would never be prey again.