The peace that lingered after the reunion lasted only for a breath, fragile and fleeting like the last whisper of calm before a storm. The rumble of footsteps echoed from the shattered corridors, soft at first, then growing louder, heavier...until the cultivators filled the grand hall.
Lucas turned his head sharply, his body instinctively tense. The air thickened with killing intent even before the figures appeared.
Lira gasped softly and staggered a step back, her hands trembling as she tried to summon her Qi. "Their aura… it's too much," she muttered, her voice barely steady.
Behind the rank of soldiers, three figures floated effortlessly above the ground. They didn't need introductions. The moment their presence filled the hall, the temperature dropped even further, spiritual suppression, the kind that gnawed at one's very core.
