The battlefield had already turned into ruins.
Cracked earth, shattered trees, and the smell of blood filled the air.
In the middle of it all stood the young cultivator—his body covered in wounds, his breathing heavy and unstable.
Yet the crazy smile on his face hadn't disappeared.
In front of him stood the four powerful cultivators who had nearly killed him.
One of them looked at him with cold eyes before speaking slowly.
You forced the four of us into such a dangerous situation… I must admit, you are a terrifying opponent.
Another cultivator added,
If we had been careless even for a moment, we might have died today.
The young man suddenly began to laugh.
A hoarse, almost insane laugh.
Hahaha…
Blood dripped from the corner of his lips as he lifted his head and looked at them.
You think I'm dying that easily?
His eyes turned sharp.
If I die… I'll take all of you with me.
Suddenly, the energy around his body began to fluctuate violently.
His spiritual aura started becoming unstable.
The surrounding air trembled.
One of the cultivators' expressions instantly changed.
Wait… he's going to self-destruct!
Another shouted loudly.
Run!
All four of them immediately began retreating.
A cultivator's self-destruction at his level would be powerful enough to heavily injure even them.
But at that exact moment—
The young man's crazy smile widened.
Got you.
WHOOSH!
In a flash of speed, his figure disappeared.
Before anyone could react, he appeared beside the cultivator who was holding the princess.
With lightning speed, he grabbed her and pulled her into his arms.
SHING!
A dagger appeared in his hand and pressed against the princess's neck.
Don't move.
His cold voice echoed across the battlefield.
One more step… and your princess dies.
Everything froze.
The four cultivators immediately stopped.
Their expressions darkened.
One of them spoke in a cold tone.
Release her… or you will suffer a fate worse than death.
The young man only smirked.
Suddenly—
The shadow behind them began to slowly disappear.
Clearly, kaze was trying to move secretly.
But the young man didn't even turn his head.
Instead, he slightly pushed the dagger into the princess's neck.
A thin line of blood appeared.
The princess trembled.
I told you.
His voice was calm but terrifying.
Stay where you are.
The kaze instantly stopped moving.
None of them wanted to risk the princess's life.
If anything happened to her, the relationship between their organization and the royal family would collapse.
The young man slowly began stepping backward.
His sharp eyes scanned the four cultivators.
If any of you try to follow me…
His grip tightened around the princess.
I'll kill her without hesitation.
None of them moved.
They could only watch as he disappeared into the forest with the princess.
After moving for some distance, the young man finally stopped.
In front of him flowed a wide, fast-moving river.
Without hesitation, he looked at the unconscious princess in his arms.
For a brief moment, her eyes slightly opened.
And in that instant—
She clearly saw his face.
But the kairo didn't notice.
The next second—
He threw her into the river.
Splash!
The princess fell into the rushing water and quickly lost consciousness as the current carried her away.
Without looking back, kairo turned and disappeared into the forest.
Not long after that, he entered a hidden cave.
Inside, four figures immediately stood up.
My lord.
Kairo sat down heavily against the wall.
Hand over your royalty.
His voice was cold.
And give me half of your energy.
Without hesitation, the four cultivators began transferring their spiritual energy to him.
A powerful aura filled the cave.
After a few moments, the young man's wounds began healing rapidly.
His breathing stabilized.
He slowly opened his eyes.
A faint smirk appeared on his lips.
Damn it…
I went there to absorb their energy… and instead wasted my own.
He stretched his fingers slightly.
But it doesn't matter.
His eyes gleamed.
I was at the Body Integration Low Stage before…
Now I've reached the Middle Stage.
The four cultivators looked at him with admiration.
Then he looked at them and spoke again.
Sit down.
They immediately sat cross-legged on the ground.
The young man raised his hand and activated his cultivation technique.
A violent surge of spiritual energy filled the cave.
The aura around the four cultivators began rising rapidly.
Their cultivation levels shot upward.
From Core Formation Low Stage…
To Core Formation Peak stage.
The four of them opened their eyes in shock.
Incredible…
Our power… increased this much!
Meanwhile…
Inside the temporary medical camp, the four cultivators from earlier were distributing recovery pills.
Injured students and warriors quickly recovered their strength.
As soon as everyone regained their energy, panic began spreading.
Where is that evil cultivator?!
Did he escape?!
Some people were furious.
Others were still terrified.
At the same time—
Madelyn finally found the unconscious princess near the riverbank.
She quickly carried her to safety and used spiritual energy to heal her.
After a while, the princess slowly opened her eyes.
Madelyn sighed in relief.
Your Highness… did that evil cultivator harm you?
The princess shook her head slightly.
No… he didn't.
Madelyn finally relaxed.
But the princess quietly looked at the sky.
Inside her mind, the face of the young man appeared again.
She had seen him clearly.
Morning slowly arrived.
And with it…
The beginning of a new day.