At the border between the human and Devil races, the atmosphere was just as heavy.
"My lord, your injuries..."
A black-clad assassin supported the man in front of him, his voice full of concern.
The man wore a white robe, now stained with several dark patches of blood. His face was as pale as paper, his lips devoid of color. He was Xia Yingyihao, the man Long Xingyu had gravely wounded.
"I'm fine."
The White-robed figure waved a hand lightly, signaling that the assassin needn't worry.
His gaze passed through the cramped room and came to rest on the small bed in the corner.
Saint Cai'er lay quietly on it, breathing evenly, as if she were merely asleep.
But the thick bandages wrapped around her, along with the lingering smell of blood mingled with medicinal herbs, silently told of the brutal battle she had just endured.
Ever since she'd returned that day, Cai'er had seemed like a different person.
She was still silent, but beneath that silence lurked a madness powerful enough to burn everything to ashes.
In the Trial Grounds, she no longer waited passively for assignments. She went out to fight on her own.
Alone, she would provoke magical beasts far beyond her current level, even taking the initiative to hunt small groups of Devil Race scouts.
Her strength grew at a frightening pace, but the price was that she returned from nearly every mission gravely injured. Several times, they'd had to pull her back from the brink of death.
"I was the one who carried her back just now."
The black-clad assassin's voice was hoarse.
"She was lying in a pool of blood, still clutching the head of a peak third-tier Demon wolf in her arms."
The White-robed figure fell silent.
As if sensing their gaze, the sleeping girl shifted unconsciously. A pained, yearning expression mingled on her small face.
Her cherry-colored lips parted slightly, and she murmured as if in a dream.
"Xuan Ye... wait for me..."
The White-robed figure and the black-clad assassin looked at each other without a word.
Perhaps this was exactly what the Sanctuary's higher-ups most wanted to see.
The Reincarnation Saintess was growing at an unprecedented pace, and humanity's future seemed to have gained another glimmer of hope.
But those of them who spent every day by her side, watching her carried back from blood-soaked battlefields again and again, felt only a growing ache in their hearts.
"Xuan Ye..."
The black-clad assassin repeated the name softly.
"What's that boy doing now?"
At that, the White-robed figure slowly shook his head.
Misunderstanding him, the black-clad assassin asked, "Do you mean he isn't pushing himself to improve like Miss Cai'er?"
"No."
The White-robed figure denied it.
Unbidden, the memory of the last time he'd seen that boy surfaced in his mind.
On a quiet night, the boy had gazed up at the stars scattered across the sky.
He'd said he wanted to learn to recognize them.
To this day, Xia Yingyihao still didn't understand what Xuan Ye had meant.
But he remembered the boy's calm tone.
Beneath that calm, however, lay a madness that had made even the White-robed figure's heart tremble.
He hadn't shaken his head because he thought Xuan Ye wasn't working hard enough.
Quite the opposite.
He was afraid.
No matter how desperately Cai'er pushed herself, she still had the entire Assassin's Sanctuary behind her. People like them took care of her support and treated her wounds.
But what about Xuan Ye?
He was alone, without any help.
The White-robed figure felt a deep fear.
He feared that by the time Cai'er had given everything she had and finally gained enough power, she would no longer be able to see the one she was fighting for.
That would at least be a good outcome. His fate would remain unknown, leaving her a sliver of hope.
What he feared even more was that the news Cai'er finally received would be confirmation of Xuan Ye's death.
With that boy's temperament, it wouldn't be difficult for him to find somewhere to hide and scrape by.
But...
Would he choose that?
The White-robed figure already knew the answer.
Xuan Ye's choice would be even more extreme, even more reckless than Cai'er's.
Deep within Devil Race Territory, a gloomy forest stretched beneath the night sky.
"Whoosh!"
A Black Shadow darted through the trees, sending leaves rustling in its wake.
Xuan Ye's breathing was ragged and hot, each heartbeat pounding like a drum.
Several deep wounds, down to the bone, kept bleeding, staining his clothes dark red.
His gaze was dark and deep.
There, exhaustion and pain burned alongside a single glimmer of light.
But the view ahead was already beginning to blur.
Just as Xuan Ye's consciousness was about to be swallowed by darkness, crimson text burst into view before him.
[System Choice Triggered] [Choice One: With grievous injuries, evade the two Fifth Tier Devil Race members pursuing you from behind. Reward: Temporary Stealth Buff (lasts 1 hour), Revenge Evolution progress +0.2%] [Choice Two: Kill the two Fifth Tier Devil Race members. Reward: Innate Dark Inner Spiritual Power +1, Revenge Evolution progress +5%]
Xuan Ye clutched his bleeding chest. His ragged breaths tugged at his broken ribs, and the searing pain nearly brought him to his knees.
He had only just fought with everything he had to kill a scout squad led by two Fifth Tier Devil Race members.
The price was two broken ribs and less than thirty percent of his Spiritual Power remaining.
And now this?
In his current state, he was supposed to kill two more enemies of the same tier?
That wasn't a fight. It was suicide!
Reason told him to choose the first option immediately and find somewhere to hide.
But his body moved as if controlled by an instinct etched deep within his soul.
[Choice Two]
The instant he confirmed his choice, the Chaos Spirit Furnace inside him flared with heat, and a scorching sense of Desire spread through his limbs and torso.
It was an intense craving for dark energy.
Xuan Ye's expression didn't change.
He knew the craving wasn't coming from the furnace.
It was coming from him.
Forcing himself to move, he darted into the Tree Hollow of an ancient tree that would have taken several people to wrap their arms around.
He sat cross-legged, pressed his palms together, and silently recited a difficult incantation.
A soft emerald-green light shone from his palms and slowly enveloped him.
Advanced Holy Healing!
A powerful healing spell that only fourth-tier priests could master.
Within the light, his broken bones made faint cracking sounds as they reconnected at a visible pace. The torn muscles began to twitch and knit themselves back together.
His wounds were healing rapidly, but his Spiritual Power, already nearly depleted, now poured out like floodwaters through a breached dam.
He silently opened the system panel.
[Name: Xuan Ye] [Rank: Fourth-Tier Great Knight (Fifth-Tier Earth Knight progress: 58%)] [Innate Inner Spiritual Power: Light 100, Dark 37] [Inner Spiritual Power: 132/1207] [External Spirit Power: 414] [Spirit Furnace: Chaos Spirit Furnace] [Equipment: Revenge (Spirit Demon Grade, evolution progress 98.7%)] [Skills (Knight): Thrust (Mastery Level) Pure White Blade (Mastery Level) Light Slash Sword (Mastery Level) Cross Slash (Mastery Level) Redemption (Proficiency Level) Sun Radiance Slash (Proficiency Level, Fourth Tier): Condenses a blazing sun-like blade of light, dealing 180% of base damage to enemies in a straight line, with an additional 50% damage against dark creatures. Sacred Sword (Proficiency Level, Fourth Tier): Temporarily transforms the weapon into a "light-element Sacred Sword." Each attack carries "Divine Impact." ...] [Skills (Priest): Advanced Holy Healing (Proficiency Level, Fourth Tier): Repairs injuries as severe as broken bones.] [Secret Technique: Instantaneous Movement Steps (Proficiency Level): Increases movement distance to 8 meters; can be used twice in succession.]
Before you continue