Rune understood immediately.
This man wasn't ordinary.
He didn't react right away. He kept his expression neutral, letting the silence sit for a moment before speaking.
"Then what do you suggest?"
The man didn't answer directly. He leaned back in his chair. "You can't beat him. One hit, and you're done. Maybe he holds back, maybe not."
"It's fine," Rune said. "I'll handle it."
He pushed the door open.
"Wait—" the man started, but Rune was already outside.
The moment the door opened, more than twenty cultivators rushed in from the street. Their qi filled the area instantly, pressing in from all sides.
Rune didn't hesitate.
His arms shifted, forming into smooth conduits. He fired rapidly, shot after shot cutting through the air. Several attackers dropped, but others kept moving, avoiding the attacks.
More came from the sides. From above.
Rune stomped the ground.
A stone golem rose beneath him, lifting him up. From above, he continued firing, controlling the space while the golem swung through anyone who got close.
The fight didn't last long.
Within a minute, it was over.
The street went quiet again.
Rune stepped down and walked forward.
Behind him, the man in the coat was still standing by the doorway, watching.
Then he moved.
Two fingers lifted slightly.
Something shot toward Rune at high speed.
Rune reacted on instinct, turning and catching it mid-air.
He opened his hand.
A small object.
Metal.
Strange shape.
It looked like a key, but not for anything he recognized.
Rune glanced back.
The man didn't say anything.
Neither did Rune.
They both turned and left in opposite directions.
Back in the Heavenly Demon Empire, Karin's days were filled with training and study.
The guardian had made it clear.
If Karin wanted even a chance at what she was trying to do, she needed to reach the True Soul Realm. And beyond that, she needed to learn a specific technique.
Heavenly Death Palm.
That technique was tied to something deeper.
A "door."
It wasn't something ordinary disciples could access. Even high-ranking members didn't know about it. Only direct heirs of the Heavenly Demon had the right to learn it.
The manual was sealed away.
Only the guardian could open it.
News of Isshin's death spread quickly.
At the academy, things felt different. Conversations became quieter. Even without confirmation, people accepted it.
Khalid stayed in seclusion.
The Zeldyr clan heard the news as well.
For them, it was over.
Isshin was no longer a concern.
One night, Karin walked alone to the cliffs behind the Heavenly Demon Castle.
The wind was strong.
The ocean below was dark.
She sat near the edge, looking up at the sky.
Her thoughts didn't settle.
She thought about everything that had happened. The academy. The fights. The mistakes.
She blamed herself.
She knew, logically, that bringing someone back wasn't possible.
But she couldn't let it go.
Her hands tightened slightly.
Then—
The ground cracked.
Before she could react, the edge gave way.
She dropped.
At the last second, she caught the ledge.
Her body swung against the cliff.
Her grip tightened as she tried to pull herself up, but there was nothing to step on. The surface was smooth.
She looked down.
Far below, the ocean moved slowly in the dark.
Then she noticed something.
A cave.
Hidden along the cliffside, partially covered by shadows and waves.
She stared at it.
She had studied everything about this place.
There was no mention of this.
But it was there.