"Alright," Kyrian replied to the crown prince after a moment of silent thought.

The prince had helped him before the sect's test began. Accepting this request would be like repaying that small debt.

Kyrian then turned to Yanyu.

"Is there any problem with him training with us for a few days?"

Yanyu shook her head.

"No. No problem." She also knew about the prince's help, so she accepted without caring much.

Kyrian nodded.

"Alright. Let's go to the technique pavilion first, then."

The three of them set off together. The cutting wind of the inner area now felt like a gentle breeze to Kyrian and Yanyu, both already used to the winds of the central area.

Upon entering the pavilion, the place was silent, illuminated by green lamps fixed to the walls.

Tall shelves held countless books and sealed scrolls.

Yanyu walked among them, observing carefully until she stopped before a shelf.

She picked one of the books and smiled, determined.

It was a movement technique, one of the most advanced on that floor of the pavilion.

It had cost all of her merit points.

Kyrian raised his eyebrows but said nothing. It truly seemed difficult to be an inner disciple.

After storing the book, Yanyu looked at Kyrian.

"And you? Don't you want to take a mission? Since we're already here, we could train outside the sect instead of staying stuck in the courtyard."

Kyrian thought for a moment and agreed.

"Makes sense. Staying here won't make us progress much faster anyway."

Ren Yao smiled faintly.

"So, a mission then?"

They left the pavilion and headed toward the task hall. On the way, Yanyu struck up a conversation with the prince.

"I never imagined going on a mission with the crown prince. I've heard a lot about you in my city."

Ren Yao scratched his neck, a little embarrassed.

"Those stories are exaggerated. I'm nothing compared to Kyrian. He's a disciple of the sect leader, the one who commands everything within the Verdant Sword Domain. I'm just a prince from a small country. There's no need for formality."

"Still, it's strange," Yanyu laughed.

When they arrived at the task hall, the place was bustling. Several disciples were consulting the scrolls pinned to the walls.

Kyrian scanned them quickly until one mission immediately caught his attention.

"This one."

It was an extermination mission.

The target was an organization that had arisen in a small country within the Verdant Sword Domain.

It was said they cultivated techniques considered demonic and were performing sacrifices in villages and small towns to strengthen themselves.

"Sounds dangerous," Yanyu commented, reading the details.

"Seems simple to me, honestly," Kyrian replied, taking the scroll for a personal reason.

Ren Yao merely shrugged.

After registering the mission, the trio went to the stables of the inner area. The sounds of beasts echoed through the place, roars wings flapping.

Kyrian looked around until he found and recognized an eagle, the same one that had carried him to the Ravine City on his last trip.

He approached and ran his hand along the creature's neck.

"Come on, we're heading out again," Kyrian said with a smile as he touched the beak of the giant eagle.

The eagle let out a sharp cry and spread its wings. The three climbed onto its back.

The wind soon grew stronger as the eagle gained altitude.

In a few moments, they left the sect gates behind, flying toward the country of Linha.

…

The cold wind cut through the skies as the eagle glided among the clouds. Its gigantic wings beat rhythmically, producing a deep hum that blended with the wind rushing against their faces.

Kyrian, at the front, gazed at the horizon, narrowing his eyes. The Verdant Sword Domain stretched vast below them.

Immense forests, wide rivers gleaming under the sun, and mountain ranges that pierced the clouds.

Behind him, Yanyu kept her hair tied, silently admiring the scenery, while Ren Yao sat in a cultivation posture, trying to stabilize his Qi within his body.

Since their departure, Kyrian had guided him with few words, but with precision.

"Learn to control your Qi flow better. Don't force it. Qi should move with precision. If you push too hard when attacking, it'll scatter."

Ren Yao took deep breaths, his body trembling slightly from the effort to better stabilize his energy.

Yanyu glanced back, observing the prince with curiosity.

"He really does have talent. He's adapting quickly."

Kyrian, hearing that, simply nodded lightly.

"He just needs direction. His strength will grow with time if he keeps this up."

Ren Yao opened his eyes and exhaled, a small smile forming on his face.

"You'd really make a good teacher. Your explanations are simple, but they… make sense."

Kyrian didn't respond, keeping his gaze fixed ahead.

The journey lasted an entire day. Over the next several hours, they alternated between silence and brief conversations about cultivation and combat techniques.

The prince trained Qi control in his hands, trying to form blades of energy between his fingers, an exercise of concentration.

At other moments, Yanyu demonstrated short gestures, slicing the air and leaving almost invisible traces of Qi that radiated a sharp aura. Ren Yao tried to imitate her, failing several times.

Kyrian also noticed that after advancing to the Qi Liberation Realm, Ren Yao's Qi had transformed into a sharp Qi derived from one of the sect's cultivation techniques.

It was less pure, but still good.

The sun began to set, painting the horizon in shades of orange and red. The clouds took on a golden hue, and the wind grew warmer.

"We're getting close," Kyrian murmured as he felt a faint disturbance.

Below, the terrain changed. Dense forests gave way to arid plains and low mountains. A river cut through the country of Linha, and small villages could be seen near its banks.

Kyrian leaned down, giving a slight tap on the eagle's neck.

"Descend near that hill."

The eagle let out a cry and began to spiral downward. The wind whipped their faces as the ground drew near.

They landed heavily, raising a small cloud of dust.

The eagle folded its wings and stood nearby, watching its surroundings.

Kyrian was the first to dismount, breathing in the scent of dry earth. There was something impure about this place.

Ren Yao and Yanyu jumped down right after.

"So this is the country of Linha… looks dead," Yanyu said, gazing at the horizon.

Indeed, the place seemed abandoned. The wind dragged bits of straw along the roads, and the nearby villages were silent, with half-open doors and broken windows.

Silence was the first thing that stood out. It wasn't the peaceful silence of the countryside, but a heavy emptiness, as if life itself had been drained from the land.

The warm wind blew, lifting dust and scraps.

Kyrian walked toward the dusty road, his eyes analyzing every detail.

"The smell here is different," Yanyu commented in a low voice.

Yao Ren wrinkled his nose, agreeing.

"Smells… rotten and like old blood."

Ren Yao partially drew his sword, his posture shifting into a cautious guard.

"The reports mentioned sacrifices…" Kyrian said before walking toward the nearest village.

They decided to investigate one of the several villages that weren't too far apart from each other.

The village was a cluster of no more than twenty houses made of earth and wood. The door of the first house hung broken, swaying slightly with the wind.

Inside, furniture was overturned, and pots of food were rotting. There was haste in the way everything had been abandoned.

"They fled," Yanyu whispered, her gaze sweeping across the abandoned kitchen.

"They didn't manage to take anything," she added, pointing to a small, simple chest in a corner that stood open, but seemed to have been ignored.

Kyrian looked at the packed dirt floor.

"No signs of struggle. Just… haste."

He crouched and touched something, his gaze narrowing.

"There are ashes… but not from fire. There's no trace of anything having been burned," Kyrian said. Then, he stood and left the house, his eyes scanning the village.

His attention was drawn to the center of the small settlement.

There, where there was a well, a gathering spot, the ground was marked.

A circle had been drawn with a dark, almost black powder, and within it, complex patterns were etched. The strong smell came from that place and spread around.

Ren Yao approached the circle, but Kyrian raised a hand.

"Stop."

The prince froze.

"What is it?"

"It's a formation," Kyrian said, his eyes glimmering faintly green as he analyzed it.

A dreadful and agonizing memory from his past surfaced.

"It's a formation made by someone."

'It's similar to the one Wei Feng used, but instead of blood, it uses another kind of fuel.'

Kyrian crouched, passing his fingers over the dark powder. He rubbed it between his fingers and brought it close to his nose.

It smelled rotten, like something dead.

"Someone drained the life of the people here to activate this formation."

Ren Yao clenched his fists, his face turning serious.

"So it's true. They are sacrificing people."

Kyrian slowly stood, his gaze cold upon the circle.

He didn't like this situation at all.

He took a step back and looked at the two.

"Let's rest for today. Tomorrow, we'll hunt whoever did this."

'Now… do I already possess the strength needed to prevent such a tragedy from happening again?' Kyrian thought to himself.

'No. I still need more power. Much more.' He clenched his fists slightly as they entered one of the abandoned houses, where they chose to spend the night.

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