The tense battlefield suddenly fell silent. The suffocating aura mist seemed to halt its swirling, allowing a woman's sharp voice to echo through the forest.
> "Hear me! The demonic beast of the Dongfu Forest is now under my command!" Lei Baiyu declared, her voice ringing like thunder splitting the twilight sky.
The soldiers, who had just witnessed her terrifying power, froze. Their eyes widened, their bodies trembled—none dared to lift their weapons. Words were stuck in their throats.
> "Long live Saintess Lei!" they finally shouted, awe and fear mingling in their voices.
From the distance, steady footsteps approached. The Sect Master of Lingyun, Da Ling, walked slowly toward Lei Baiyu, flanked by the elders, including the old Mengling.
> "Excuse us, Saintess Lei… this power… where did it come from?" Elder Mengling asked, curiosity thick in his voice.
Lei Baiyu turned toward him, smiling brightly like a child who had just discovered a new toy.
> "Oh, you're here too. This… is a gift from the great one. He… he's like a god!" she exclaimed, brimming with excitement.
Elder Mengling chuckled, his raspy voice full of conviction.
> "Haha… so my suspicions were correct."
> "What do you mean, old man?" Lei Baiyu asked, puzzled.
Elder Mengling reached into his robe and pulled out an object glowing with a soft light.
> "I, too, received a blessing from the great one. This… is a treasure he bestowed upon me."
Lei Baiyu stared in disbelief, her mouth agape.
> "Wait… you too…?"
> "Indeed," Da Ling replied. "It seems… all of this was foreseen by the great one."
> "What do you mean, Master?" Yue Lingfe, a young disciple from the Lingyun Sect, interjected.
> "The great one foresaw everything. He knew we lacked strength. So, he lent his aid… quietly, from the shadows."
> "So all of this… was part of his plan?" Lei Baiyu asked, her voice now filled with reverence.
> "Yes," Elder Mengling said softly. "The great one is playing a grand game… and we are all pieces on his board."
> "Pieces…," Lei Baiyu muttered. "But even as a pawn… I'm willing to serve him."
> "Indeed," Elder Mengling continued. "Let none of us defy or disrupt the great one's design."
Lei Baiyu nodded firmly. She raised her hand, her voice sharp and commanding once more.
> "From this moment on, the Lingyun Sect and the demonic beasts of Dongfu Forest shall stand united under one power: the power of the great one!"
> "Hear me all! From this day forward, we are one! Together, we shall serve and strengthen the great one's path!"
> "Long live the Great One!" the troops cried out, their voices now firm and resolute.
Lei Baiyu then bowed respectfully to the elders and the sect master.
> "Master Da, elders… we shall return to the Dongfu Forest."
> "Very well, Saintess Lei. Until we meet again," Da Ling replied, returning her bow.
—
Meanwhile…
Beneath the city of Dangzhou, the marketplace bustled with the cries of vendors and the clamor of busy shoppers. Amid the crowd, in front of a small stall selling radishes, stood a young man—handsome, yet brooding: Li Feng.
> "Hey, you old crook! Eight spirit stones for a radish this small?!" he barked angrily. "Do I look like a fool to you?! Trying to rob me?!"
The vendor, an elderly man with a wrinkled face and trembling hands, tried to remain polite.
> "P-please, young master… return the radish… or at least pay for it…"
Li Feng glared at him, then scoffed. He tossed the radish back onto the rough wooden table.
> "Damn it… I should've just relied on Xuanchuan's services," he muttered under his breath as he turned and walked away.