"Hello, bro..."

Liu Ming’s voice drifted slowly from the phone.

Liu Chang stood on a mountain, phone in hand, gazing into the distance. His brow was furrowed. He had actually lost the mysterious master. Or rather, he had never found a single trace of them to begin with. ’Could that person really be that fast?’

He was already irritated about losing the mysterious master. When his little brother called, said "bro," and then nothing for a long moment, his patience wore thin. "What is it?" he asked. "Why the sudden call? Is something wrong?"

Liu Ming had wanted to tell his brother to rein in his temper, but hearing the impatience in Liu Chang’s voice, he changed his tune. "It’s nothing," he said. "I just wanted to get the specific details of that battle."

"What’s there to know?"

Liu Chang frowned. He was reluctant to talk about his mistake, but he knew this was a necessary procedure for the organization. After a pause, he spoke. "It was nothing, really. That little zombie just played a dirty trick on me. He had a white pearl hidden in his pocket that could seal off the space in that area. I was trapped inside, so I couldn’t get to Su Yu in time to help."

"A white pearl?"

"That doesn’t seem to be mentioned in any of the intel the organization has on the Spiritual Sect."

Liu Ming asked doubtfully, "Was the pearl an item? Or... created by a sequence?"

"It was probably created by a sequence."

Liu Chang said flatly. Though he disliked getting involved in the organization’s affairs, that didn’t mean he didn’t know what was important. After killing Ah Tian, he had immediately found the fragments of the white pearl in his pocket and studied them.

The white pearl was something evolved from a sequence, definitely not a product of technology.

Liu Chang stated this conclusion to Liu Ming with certainty, which made Liu Ming fall silent for a moment.

He had only meant to advise his brother to be more careful, but he hadn’t expected to receive this kind of information. ’This means... the Spiritual Sect also has someone with a space-type sequence, and it’s likely one that counters Liu Chang.’ Thinking of this, Liu Ming immediately said, "Brother, I’ll have the organization send someone else to help you."

"Tsk. What’s that supposed to mean?"

Liu Chang clicked his tongue, saying with some displeasure, "I don’t need anyone’s help."

"I’m not questioning your strength, it’s just that someone in the Spiritual Sect has a sequence that counters you..."

Liu Ming was only halfway through his sentence when the words "I don’t need help" came from the other end, followed by the BEEP BEEP BEEP of a busy signal. He glanced up at the bright moon hanging in the sky and sighed slowly. Liu Ming knew his older brother was an incredibly arrogant man, but that kind of pride could very well bring harm to those around him.

So, he made another call. "Hello, Senior Li Yu...?"

On the other end, Liu Chang hung up and sat down on the mountaintop, gazing at the bright moon, lost in thought. After a long while, he clicked his tongue and muttered,

"It was just a mistake this time."

’I refuse to believe I can’t handle this mission alone.’

...

BOOM!

Deep in the mountain forest, the sound of stone exploding suddenly rang out. The noise was so extraordinarily loud that countless animals fled outwards as if they had seen a ghost.

At the source of the explosive sound,

the High Priest’s eyes glowed green as he drove his fist deep into the cave wall.

Cracks instantly spread across the cave, making it look as if it would collapse at any second. He took two deep breaths and slowly pulled his fist from the crater. The rock made a CRACK CRACK sound, but ultimately held without completely collapsing.

"Ah Xing... Ah Tian... to think they died just like that!"

"Damn it! DAMN IT ALL!"

As he spoke, the green light in the High Priest’s eyes intensified. Although he had used his two sons as tools, the fact that someone else had killed them still stirred an indescribable sorrow and rage in his heart.

His body swaying, he walked to the edge of the stone bed and sat down with a THUD.

He knew his two sons were not weak. If they fought together, they had a chance of fighting even a Tier Four Peak to a standstill. For them to have died so easily meant they had either chosen to fight separately, or... the special organization had sent someone very strong to protect Su Yu.

The High Priest forcefully suppressed the rage in his heart.

Ah Xing and Ah Tian had just died tragically. The special organization would definitely assign more people to protect Su Yu to prevent any further incidents. Though old, he hadn’t reached his current position by being a fool.

’If I want to avenge my sons, I have to be patient. I’ll have to wait a while before attacking again.’

’And... it can’t be like last time.’

’First I sent the Corpse Assistant Priest, then I sent Ah Xing and Ah Tian. If I’m going to strike, I have to go all in. Myself, plus my wife—two Tier Four Peaks would naturally be able to take down Su Yu with ease.’

The High Priest thought of this, but his brow furrowed. He still felt a little uneasy.

His withered fingers tapped lightly on the stone bed. With each tap, a small crater appeared on the stone surface. Then, as if he had thought of something, he muttered,

"I hear Su Yu is especially close with his older brother. Why don’t I... go after Su Xing first this time."

The more he thought about it, the more sensible the plan seemed.

’If Su Yu really loves his brother, then as long as I capture Su Xing, he will surely be thrown into chaos, maybe even do something irrational.’

’Besides, the special organization’s protection must be focused more on Su Yu than on Su Xing. That gives me more room to maneuver with Su Xing.’

At this thought, the High Priest burst into laughter. After a long time, the laughter died down, and a sinister smile curled his lips. He stared intently at the world outside the cave and sneered,

"This time, I will complete His directive."

...

「The next day.」

Su Xing woke up leisurely.

He pushed himself up from the bed with one hand, then quickly washed up. He casually picked up his phone and ordered takeout: two steamers of soup dumplings, three meat buns, and a bowl of soy milk. Only after placing his order did Su Xing head toward the training hall.

When Su Xing walked into the training hall,

he found that the Sword Hall was almost completely repaired. ’The organization must have sent people to clean up afterwards,’ he thought.

Besides the repaired Sword Hall, Su Xing suddenly saw a girl he hadn’t seen in days standing at the entrance, seemingly hesitant to come inside.

At first, she didn’t see Su Xing come out; she was just looking down, taking off her shoes. It wasn’t until Su Xing called her name that she looked up at him.

"Shen Tongxue, you’re here to visit again?"

"Ah... Brother Su, you don’t mind, do you?"

Shen Ruyun nodded in a slight fluster. Her visit to the Sword Hall this time wasn’t arranged by the organization; her strength was no longer considered sufficient to be of much help to Su Yu.

This time, she had come on her own initiative.

Her strength was now considered on the lower end back at the organization’s headquarters. Aside from assigning her some material-gathering chores, they had no other missions for her. And since... those tasks were usually given to Wang Yu anyway, she had become somewhat dispensable.

The majority of the people in the organization now came from the north. Although she was also from the north, she wasn’t very familiar with these Tier Three and Tier Three Peak members.

By comparison, she was more familiar with people like Bailan and Liu Ming. But now, all her acquaintances were busy with their own affairs. Bailan was deeply trusted by Li Yu and had endless things to do every day. Liu Ming was preparing to go into seclusion. Wang Yu spent her days collecting all sorts of data. And Su Yu was with his brother.

Looking around, there was hardly anyone she knew in the organization anymore.

Coupled with her lack of missions, she had wanted to find Su Yu as soon as she was discharged from the hospital, to see if life could go back to the way it was before. She was a little nervous and had been about to say something to explain her uninvited visit.

But then she saw Su Xing turn and shout into the house, "Hey, little brother! Your girlfriend’s here to see you!"