They all turned toward the voice—only to see a boy in white slowly walking out from the shadows.
He wore a long robe, pure and pristine like freshly fallen snow. His waist-length hair swayed gently with the breeze, and his features were so refined they bordered on ethereal, as if sculpted by the heavens themselves.
With both hands clasped behind his back, he walked forward at a leisurely pace, unhurried, undisturbed by the tension in the air.
The Darkshade Panther narrowed its eyes, a flicker of cold light flashing across them. He had been so caught up in his own triumph that he failed to notice someone standing at the fifth level of Qi Condensation.
"Boy… who are you?" the panther asked, its voice low and laced with suspicion.
The others were equally surprised. How had someone come so close without any of them sensing him?
The boy looked up, his calm gaze sweeping over them all.
"Qichen," he said plainly.
Yes—it was Qichen.
"Hahaha…" The Darkshade Panther let out a laugh, but this time, it held a mocking tone. "You're either brave... or stupid. You had the chance to leave, yet you stayed. Are you really courting death?"
Across the clearing, Lin Feng Qiang's eyes narrowed at the name.
Qichen?
That name stirred a memory. He'd heard of someone named Qichen before... but the one he knew didn't look like this. Not even close.
"You don't have to worry about me," Qichen replied with a gentle shake of his head and a faint smile dancing on his lips.
"Though, I do have a question."
"Oh?" the panther asked, now watching him with a touch more curiosity.
"Were you the one who placed the formation around this cave? The one that isolates the space and keeps others from entering?" Qichen asked calmly.
The Darkshade Panther stared at him, its gaze sharp and probing.
Then it smirked.
"Since you've already knocked on death's door… I'll humor you," it said, eyes gleaming with greed. "No. That formation wasn't mine."
"No!" the Darkshade Panther said, its voice tinged with a sneer. "Although I was indeed searching for this cave, I wasn't the one who set up the formation. But it seems luck favors me. While I was exploring nearby, something strange descended... I lost consciousness. And when I woke up, I discovered this cave, filled with herbs."
He raised his head proudly, his tone growing more arrogant.
"That was when the idea struck me. The perfect place to begin my harvest... of human blood."
Suddenly—
"Lord!" Ling Hui shouted, drawing everyone's attention.
The Darkshade Panther scowled, clearly displeased at being interrupted mid-boast. Its lips curled in annoyance, and the thought of ripping Ling Hui apart briefly crossed its mind. Perhaps that would soothe its rising irritation.
"What is it?" it snapped.
Ling Hui staggered forward, stammering, "T-The herbs… Lord, the herbs… They're all gone!"
"What?!" the Panther roared.
Everyone turned around sharply.
They had just come from that area—and yet now, all that remained were empty rock crevices and barren walls. Even the herbs that had been growing along the cave's surfaces were gone, not a single leaf in sight.
It was as if someone had swept the entire back half of the cave clean.
Only the herbs at the front—and the Twilight Harmony Fruit growing around that mysterious black-and-white soil—remained untouched.
Shock painted their faces. Had someone really cleared out the entire cave behind them while they were distracted by the Demonic Beast Tamer's scheme?
Lin Feng Qiang's eyes narrowed, and slowly... his gaze settled on Qichen.
Murderous intent surged in his heart.
"Boy... It was you, wasn't it?" he growled, his tone dripping with venom. "You took those herbs!"
His voice was filled with barely restrained rage. After all the suffering and humiliation he had endured lately, this was the final straw. He had dreamed of returning to the sect with those herbs in hand. And now—more than 70% of them were gone.
Even if they were only Yellow Tier, that much quantity would have brought him more points. He might even receive the praise of the sect master.
But now?
Gone. Snatched right from under his nose.
To make matters worse, Qichen's ethereal presence, his composure, his face—it all made Lin Feng Qiang feel like a joke just standing near him. Compared to this boy, he looked like a clown.
And to add insult to injury... he knew he'd heard Qichen's voice before. Somewhere. And something about it made his instincts scream danger.
That was enough.
He must eliminate this boy. If left alone, someone like Qichen would only grow into a threat.
His grip tightened, knuckles whitening. He knew the principle well— cut the grass at the root, or weeds would grow back again
But then—
"Oh? Were your names written on the herbs?" Qichen asked lazily, a faint smirk tugging at his lips. "Don't talk rubbish when the adults are speaking… or you'll get spanked."
His voice was calm, even playful—but the insult cut deep.
Lin Feng Qiang had already been added to Qichen's kill list long ago. The fool just hadn't realized it yet.
"You… you bastard!" Lin Feng Qiang's face flushed an ugly red, veins bulging across his forehead and neck.
No one had ever dared speak to him like that. Not even his peers here would dare use such a tone.
But this boy? This lowly brat dared to.
The audacity made Lin Feng Qiang's blood boil.
"Roar!" A roar resounded in the cave, drawing everyone's attention back to the Darkshade Panther. Its eyes were red with fury.
"Don't you see me here?! You dare to clamor in front of this master?!" The Darkshade Panther was truly angry. Didn't they know that death was knocking at their door? If they did, how dare they ignore me?
"It seems that I, the Great Demonic Beast Master, have been too lenient that a group of blood bags dares to ignore me!" it roared with fury. He had been boasting a moment ago, but now that he was being ignored, he lost his demeanor.
He looked at Qichen with cold eyes, his claws digging into the dirt. "Boy, you are either bold or foolish. To steal my herbs right before my eyes. I must ask, are you really that stupid or just bold?" the Darkshade Panther said.
"Of course I dare to steal herbs, because I don't see you as a threat at all," Qichen said with a smile.
"Boy…! What audacity! It seems I must make an example of you to scare the flock!" The Demonic Beast Master controlling the Darkshade Panther was angered by Qichen's words.
The beast leaped toward Qichen, claws extended and mouth wide open.
Seeing this, Lin Feng Qiang smiled evilly. He didn't even need to lift a finger and the root would be uprooted. They could all see that Qichen was only at the 5th level of Qi Condensation.
Zhao Yu Xuan saw a chance and gritted her teeth. She executed the 'Willow Steps Dancing Through the Wind' and shot toward the Twilight Harmony Fruit.
"Ssssaa!" The Light Refractive Snake's eyes turned cold. "Girl, you dare?!" the Demonic Beast Master spoke through the Light Refractive Snake while still attacking Qichen.
Instead of scaring the flock, he ended up inciting them.
The others didn't lag behind and also shot forward.
The Darkshade Panther's claws were about to pierce Qichen's heart when Qichen moved to the right in a fluid motion, missing the claws by a hair's breadth.
If you look closely, you'll notice that his footwork bares a faint resemblance to Zhao Yu Xuan's 'Willow Steps Dancing Through The Wind'
After avoiding the Darkshade Panther's attack, Qichen didn't stay to fight and also shot out in the direction of the Twilight Harmony Fruit.
"Roar!" The Darkshade Panther was furious. It couldn't blend into the shadows because of the bright light, which made it even angrier.
It used its forelimbs to land on the ground, then switched to the other side, planning to take out its anger on Qichen.
The Light Refractive Snake was just as violent. It knew that the technique Zhao Yu Xuan was using, in addition to increasing her speed, also gave her fast reflexes, so it might not be able to hit her directly.
It sprayed poison toward her instead and whipped its tail toward Ming Yi Han.
Ming Yi Han's scalp went numb. He quickly channeled his Qi into his high-tier Yellow Spiritual Sword and gave a shout.
"High-grade Yellow Tier technique—Silk Thread Cut!"
A materialized sword made of Qi also appeared above his head, slashing toward the snake's tail. The materialized sword had a very sharp edge—so sharp that looking at it might hurt your eyes.
This is what the Silk Thread Cut technique is known for: a very sharp edge.
The Light Refractive Snake sensed the danger, and a layer of spiritual energy appeared, covering its tail to defend against Ming Yi Han's attack.
The poison surged straight toward Zhao Yu Xuan at high speed, but she wasn't to be underestimated.
She quickly sidestepped the attack, her movement sharp and precise.