Isshin knew he couldn't stay hidden anymore.
He dropped down between them and the egg, landing quietly.
Both of them froze, then immediately shifted into fighting stances.
"Who are you?" the boy asked.
"The wyvern left this egg under my protection," Isshin said. "You're not taking it."
The boy scoffed. "Didn't expect someone else to get here first. What sect are you from?"
Isshin didn't hesitate. "Wudang."
They both paused for a moment.
"And you?" Isshin asked.
"Divine Sword Sect," the boy replied.
The system activated quietly.
Names appeared above them.
Not what they claimed.
"What are your names?" Isshin asked.
"I'm Feng. She's Xun."
Isshin already knew they were lying.
"You don't decide what happens to that egg," the boy said, stepping forward.
That was enough.
Isshin's sword moved.
A thin line of blood appeared on the boy's neck.
His eyes widened.
"Step back, Soren," Isshin said calmly.
The moment he said it, both of them understood.
Selene reacted first.
She threw a qi-infused kunai straight at him.
Isshin moved without thinking.
One motion.
The sword cut cleanly.
Soren dropped.
Isshin turned, deflecting the kunai in the same movement. Then he disappeared with flash step and reappeared beside Selene, striking her with a thunder-charged kick.
She hit the ground hard.
Tried to get up.
Couldn't.
Fear showed on her face.
"He—"
Isshin pointed his sword at her throat. "Don't."
She screamed anyway.
Isshin knocked her out.
He stepped back, taking a breath.
Two down.
But the real problem was coming.
He couldn't fight the whole group.
And leaving this as it was would expose him.
"Raijin," he said quietly. "Show me a Wudang technique."
A moment later, the system displayed it.
Form. Movement. Qi flow.
Isshin copied it.
Not perfect.
But enough.
He finished Selene with a clean strike that matched the style.
Then he moved quickly.
Soren's body was dragged into the nest, hidden under debris.
Selene was left where she fell.
Different methods.
Different conclusions.
Then Isshin disappeared into the trees.
He didn't wait long.
The group arrived quickly.
They found Selene first.
Voices rose.
Anger.
Orders were given immediately.
That was his opening.
Isshin ran out from the trees, breathing heavily, stumbling slightly as if he had barely escaped.
He dropped to his knees in front of them.
"Who are you?" the elder asked.
"I… I'm Neil," Isshin said, forcing his voice to shake. "Wudang members attacked me. I ran… then a wyvern showed up…"
The elder frowned. "Wudang…?"
"They've lost their minds," someone muttered.
It was working.
But not completely.
"Why were they chasing you?" another disciple asked.
Isshin didn't pause. "They weren't. Not at first. They killed someone wearing your uniform… then they saw me."
The group went quiet.
They looked at each other.
Their suspicion shifted.
Not gone.
But redirected.
"You're coming with us," the elder said. "Try anything, and you die."
Isshin nodded.
He kept his breathing uneven, his posture weak.
But his mind was already moving.
Staying with them was just as dangerous as fighting them.
Isshin stayed with the group.
They didn't trust him completely. Their eyes kept drifting toward him, watching every move. Even though his story held up, they weren't careless.
Isshin didn't mind.
He walked with them, scanning the surroundings while thinking ahead. Fighting them directly wasn't an option. The elder alone was enough to shut that down. Someone at the True Soul Realm was far beyond him right now.
Raijin suggested using beasts to create chaos.
Lure something strong enough to split them apart.
But Isshin stopped himself.
There was a better way.
The group hadn't found any Wudang cultivators yet.
Because there weren't any left.
He had already dealt with them.
That gave him an idea.
If he showed them the bodies, it would strengthen his story. Remove most of the doubt.
Two choices.
Pretend he didn't know who killed them, or take credit.
The first one was risky.
The second one gave him control.
He chose the second.
He led them back to the ruins.
The bodies were still there.
The elder stepped forward and examined them closely. His expression shifted slightly as he studied the wounds. Clean cuts. No hesitation.
"Did you do this?" the elder asked.
Isshin nodded.
The elder stood up slowly. "Well done."
But he wasn't fully convinced yet.
"If you're this capable," he continued, "why were you running?"
Isshin didn't hesitate.
"There was an elder," he said quietly. "I barely got away."
That was enough.
The group reacted immediately.
Tension.
Anger.
The story fit too well.
"And you said they killed one of ours," the elder added.
Isshin nodded again.
That sealed it.
Their suspicion faded.
"If that's true," the elder said, "you handled this better than most."
There was a short pause.
"You should consider joining the Divine Sword Sect."
Isshin kept his expression steady.
"I'll think about it."
They accepted that.
For now, it was enough.
They continued deeper into the forest.
The air felt heavier the further they went.
Then—
A shadow passed overhead.
A wyvern.
The elder reacted instantly. "Hide."
Everyone moved.
Isshin didn't.
He recognized it.
The same wyvern.
From above, it saw him too.
It also saw something else.
The hidden body near its nest.
It understood what Isshin had done.
But it didn't react.
It simply flew past.
No roar.
No attack.
Nothing.
Time was running out.
Only a few days remained before the Thousand Strike Thunder.
The ruins looked empty to most.
Just broken structures.
Nothing special.
But that wasn't the truth.
Raijin had already explained it.
The real reward wasn't visible.
It was hidden beneath.
Only those who survived the thunder would gain access.
The lightning itself wasn't just a test.
It could strengthen the body.
Enhance thunder affinity.
Sometimes even create a thunder spirit.
That was what people really wanted.
The breakthrough was just part of it.
Other sects were already nearby.
Hidden.
Waiting.
This wasn't a small event.
Just not big enough for sect leaders to show up personally.
But strong enough to attract elders and top disciples.
Isshin understood the situation.
He wasn't strong enough to compete alone.
But he didn't need to be.
If he used the Divine Sword Sect properly, they could shield him during the tribulation.
That was his path.
But for it to work, he needed their trust.
And he didn't have much time.
Three or four days.
That was all.