Kyrian found the young man possessed by the black mass that radiated immense hostility.

The young man's body trembled slightly, but his eyes were completely empty.

Kyrian took a deep breath.

"He's there."

Mei Ran followed his gaze and understood immediately.

"I… will take care of the monkey and the city. They need help."

Kyrian listened and nodded.

"Alright, drop me close to him. I'll handle this."

She stared at him for a few seconds, evaluating Kyrian's firmness. Then, she nodded.

"Fine. Don't be reckless."

The eagle then dove, cutting through the air. When they were close to the ground, Kyrian leapt.

His boots struck the ground against the broken stones of the street. Dust rose.

Mei Ran did not stop. She dashed like a green flash toward the city center, where the beasts were slaughtering everyone.

Kyrian raised his eyes.

In front of him, the young man remained standing. The black mist rose like a living shadow. Suffocating and oppressive.

The surrounding silence was almost unreal. Even with the roars of beasts echoing in the distance.

Kyrian clenched his fists, his eyes glowing green.

"So. It really is the same."

He began to walk. He was not yet at the distance from which the book had flown last time.

Kyrian felt no fear and advanced calmly toward the young man.

*********************************************

Mei Ran's eagle cut through the skies in a sweeping flight. The wind roared, mingling with echoes of screams and the shrieks of beasts that devoured the city below.

Closer to the center, the chaos was greater. Walls collapsed, streets cracked, and blood spread across the ground in red.

At the heart of the destruction, the colossal monkey rose like a living mountain. The beast's broad arms smashed entire structures with a single strike.

The roar of the animal burst like thunder, heard throughout the city.

It shook the hearts of cultivators who still resisted.

Mei Ran did not hesitate. Her eyes narrowed, and her hand rested on the hilt of her sword.

Her Qi exploded like a silent wind, descending upon the city in waves.

The beasts of the Qi Accumulation and Qi Liberation realms felt it immediately. Some froze, others fled far away, their survival instincts screaming before the oppressive pressure of the elder's cultivation.

The monkey, however, rose even higher.

Its massive body cast a shadow over an entire area. It struck its chest with a fist, and the roar it unleashed shattered windows.

Mei Ran unsheathed her sword.

An arc of green light flashed in the air.

"Seven Leaf Sword."

Mei Ran's body vanished.

In an instant, seven flashes cut through space, seven visible leaves of Qi tearing the air.

The monkey tried to react, but it was too late.

The first six strikes hit its arms and legs, each blow precise and deep. The seventh came at the heel, cutting through the beast's thick tendon.

The titan monkey toppled.

The ground shook as if a small earthquake had struck the city.

Buildings collapsed, and dust rose in columns. The roar of pain echoed, drowning out all other sounds for a moment.

Mei Ran did not stop.

She unsheathed the first sword and drew the second. Now, with a blade in each hand.

Her gaze was cold and serene, as if the scene before her were just another battle among the many in her life.

A sigh escaped her lips.

Then she advanced.

One slash opened the monkey's throat. Another pierced its chest.

The sword traced the air in fluid, fast, precise movements. Blood gushed in torrents, staining the ground, the walls, and the rubble.

Within moments, the monkey's body was lifeless. Collapsing motionless.

Silence lasted for a heartbeat before new roars echoed around.

Mei Ran spun, the swords gleaming in her hands, and then dashed.

Her speed was terrifying. With each step, she crossed several meters. With each step, her body vanished and reappeared further ahead.

Beasts of the Qi Liberation realm that appeared in her path were sliced into pieces before they even realized they had been attacked.

It was like child's play for Mei Ran.

The city in chaos began to breathe again. Each roar that fell silent, each beast shredded, reignited hope in the eyes of the local cultivators.

Mei Ran seemed like a living storm of wind and sword, clearing everything in her path, showing the strength of an elder of the sect.

*****************************************************

Meanwhile, Kyrian continued his path.

With each step, the air grew heavier. The black mass stirred, sensing his presence. As if it recognized his approach.

The hostility seemed to surge in waves. Pressing against Kyrian's mind as though invisible hands tried to crush his consciousness.

Kyrian gritted his teeth, sweat trickling down his forehead.

'This… is stronger than what was inside Luz,' Kyrian thought, his eyes glowing.

His body was enveloped by sword intent.

Then, the pressure seemed to ease by many levels, and he continued forward. His green gaze shone with growing clarity.

And then, deep within his mind, something awoke.

The book.

Without Kyrian calling it, the completely blank tome reacted. It vibrated in his mind of its own accord.

A white flash appeared before him, bursting from his forehead. The book floated in the air, its pages flipping with a dry sound.

The energy that emanated from it was pure and unknown.

The black mist reacted instantly.

The sound that echoed was not physical but like a mental scream, desperate, as though the essence of that black mass was being torn apart.

Kyrian frowned, realizing that this black mass felt different. The other one had simply fled and died without making a sound. This one seemed to scream within his mind.

The possessed young man convulsed, his empty eyes twitching.

He tried to retreat, but it was useless. The book's power dragged him back, as if invisible chains bound him.

The fog dissolved into particles, reduced to ashes carried away by the wind.

Kyrian exhaled deeply. What he had imagined truly happened again.

The black mass of palpable hostility vanished into dust, sucked away by the energy of the book. The young man's body collapsed to the ground. Inert, as if all his strength had been drained.

Kyrian remained silent. Staring at the book that still floated before him.

Then the book closed its pages slowly and vanished in a flash, returning inside his mind.

Kyrian clenched his fists, breathing deeply. His eyes fell upon the unconscious young man's body.

He crouched, lifted the young man onto his shoulders, and laid him beside the broken stones of the street.

Kyrian then touched the young man's neck. He was alive, his body cold, his breathing slow, but little by little it seemed to return to normal.

Kyrian figured it would take some time, but when the young man finally woke, there would be answers to obtain.

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