Eight or nine days had passed since Lin Shuan left the hidden cave.
Westward he traveled toward the heart of Da Cang Empire, crossing mountains, rivers, and ancient forests that seemed untouched by human feet for centuries.
Yet something unusual had happened during the journey—
not a single mystical beast had dared approach him.
Not one.
At first Lin Shuan thought fortune favored him.
But by the fifth day he understood why.
It was Longshe.
The tiny dragon-snake lay lazily around his shoulder most of the time, appearing no more threatening than an exotic spirit pet.
Yet every beast in the wild sensed what appearances concealed—
an ancient predator.
An immortal bloodline creature from the age of chaos.
Even asleep, Longshe radiated terrifying suppressed authority.
Birds altered flight paths to avoid them.
Predators vanished before Lin Shuan ever sensed them.
Even the forest itself seemed quieter wherever he walked.
Once Lin Shuan laughed and touched Longshe's head.
"You're scaring away my training opponents."
Longshe lifted his tiny golden head proudly and hissed as if saying—
As it should be.
Inside the golden dragon pendant, Tian Wuchen's voice sounded dryly:
"Be grateful."
Lin Shuan smirked.
"Master, you and he both are overprotective."
"Wrong," Tian Wuchen replied.
"We simply dislike burying you."
Lin Shuan had no answer to that.
On the ninth day—
he reached a region of ancient eastern blackwood forest.
This forest was different.
Older.
Darker.
The trees rose hundreds of feet, their trunks enormous, bark nearly black, roots twisting like coiled serpents.
Ancient vines hung in curtains.
Mist drifted through shadows.
Luo Essence in the air was rich enough to taste.
Lin Shuan stopped and looked upward.
"…Good place to rest."
He leaped lightly onto a massive branch thick as a palace beam and sat cross-legged.
Below him, mist rolled through the undergrowth.
Longshe coiled nearby, eyes half-open, watchful.
Lin Shuan began cultivating.
Instantly Luo Essence stirred.
Wind rose.
Energy currents spiraled around him.
Silver-white streams of spiritual essence circled his body like flowing rivers.
Leaves trembled.
Branches rustled.
The forest seemed to breathe with him.
Within his dantian—
his Luo Essence Core rotated slowly.
Dense.
Powerful.
Alive.
Energy Core Rank cultivation silently advanced.
Hours passed.
Stillness deepened.
Longshe watched like a silent guardian.
Nothing moved.
Nothing dared.
Then—
Lin Shuan's eyes opened.
Sharp.
Bright.
A thought came.
He smiled.
"…Let me test how much my Frost Divine Heart has grown."
Inside the pendant Tian Wuchen immediately said—
"Do not overdo—"
Too late.
Lin Shuan raised one hand.
Activated the Frost Divine Heart.
THUMP.
Its pulse echoed through him.
Absolute White Frost erupted.
Not violently—
but with terrifying calm.
Silver-white mist exploded outward.
Cold spread in every direction.
One kilometer.
Two.
Three.
Five.
Everything froze.
Completely.
Trees became crystal sculptures.
Leaves turned into glittering frost.
Ground transformed into ice.
Mist became frozen silver dust suspended in air.
A kingdom of winter birthed instantly.
Lin Shuan floated down from the branch slowly.
His eyes glowed pure white.
Not ordinary white—
living frost-light.
As if twin frozen stars burned in his pupils.
He stared at the world he had frozen.
"…Beautiful…"
Even Tian Wuchen went silent a moment.
Then—
something stirred.
Lin Shuan's expression sharpened.
He sensed it.
Movement.
Far in the frozen bushes.
Longshe rose first.
Body tense.
Eyes narrowing.
A predator sensing predators.
Rustle.
Silence.
Then—
two glowing violet eyes appeared.
Watching.
Then—
another pair.
Then another.
Six pairs.
Twelve glowing purple eyes in darkness.
Then they emerged.
One by one.
Six massive panthers.
Long.
Flexible.
Black fur darker than shadow itself.
Muscles rippling.
Eyes glowing violet.
Fangs like curved daggers.
Each radiating oppressive aura.
Rank-3 Moon Panthers.
Energy Core Rank.
Nine-Star beasts.
Even ordinary cultivators would flee in terror.
But Lin Shuan smiled.
Like a hunter seeing prey.
The pendant flashed faintly.
Tian Wuchen's voice turned grave.
"…Black Moon Panthers."
Pause.
Then lower—
"How are they here…"
Lin Shuan heard the tension.
"…Master?"
Tian Wuchen's tone deepened.
"This is not a good sign."
The panthers circled slowly.
Low growls vibrating through frozen air.
Lin Shuan's eyes gleamed.
Then he said almost excitedly—
"Then why not end them here?"
Tian Wuchen answered after a moment—
"…Yes."
"That would be best."
Longshe turned toward the panthers and released a strand of ancient pressure.
Invisible.
But devastating.
The six beasts froze.
Actually stepped back.
Fear.
Real fear.
Before something far older.
Yet—
they did not flee.
They resisted.
As if forced.
Controlled.
Lin Shuan noticed instantly.
His eyes narrowed.
"…Why do they look so dangerous?"
Tian Wuchen answered quietly—
"These are rulers of Black Mountain."
"They never leave their territory."
"Any who enter it…"
"…never return."
Lin Shuan listened carefully.
Tian Wuchen continued:
"If they are here…"
"Either something drove them…"
"…or someone commands them."
Silence.
That made the forest colder than frost.
A hidden master?
A beast tamer?
Something worse?
Before Lin Shuan could think further—
Longshe unleashed stronger pressure.
The panthers finally panicked.
They turned—
to flee.
Lin Shuan snorted.
"Trying to run?"
Humph.
He smiled.
"Longshe."
"This is my training."
At once Longshe slipped into his sleeve.
Hidden.
Watching.
Lin Shuan bent slightly.
Lightning danced beneath his feet.
CRACK—
Lightning Immortal Path.
He vanished.
Only thunder remained.
The hunt began.
Through black trees he moved like living lightning.
No eyes could track him.
He slipped between trunks in silver flashes.
Wind screamed past.
Ahead—
the panthers stopped.
Turned.
No longer fleeing.
Fighting.
Good.
Lin Shuan smiled.
"This is better."
One panther lunged first.
Fast as black wind.
Claws aiming for throat.
Lin Shuan disappeared.
Thunder cracked.
Appeared above it.
Golden Emperor Fist.
BOOM.
One punch.
Its skull shattered.
The panther crashed dead.
Silence.
Five remained.
The others roared.
And attacked together.
Perfect.
Lin Shuan laughed.
"Come!"
Three shadows tore in from left.
Two from behind.
Murderous coordination.
A pack hunt.
But—
Lin Shuan was no prey.
Lightning flashed.
He moved between claws impossibly.
Sky Dragon Smash!
A white dragon soul erupted.
ROAR—
Shockwave sent two panthers crashing through frozen trees.
Another leapt.
Fangs toward shoulder.
Lin Shuan turned.
Absolute White Frost burst from palm.
The beast froze mid-leap.
Turned to ice.
He shattered it with one kick.
CRASH.
Second kill.
Three left.
Their purple eyes burned savage now.
But something else lurked there—
madness.
Compulsion.
Like enslaved beasts.
One suddenly emitted black mist.
Corrupt aura.
Tian Wuchen's voice cut sharply—
"Be careful!"
"They've been tainted!"
The panthers attacked as one.
A killing formation.
Lin Shuan's battle blood ignited.
Good.
A worthy fight.
He activated lightning.
Frost.
Dragon force.
All together.
The forest erupted into war.
One panther struck from blindside.
Its claw sliced Lin Shuan's arm.
Blood flowed.
He smiled wider.
"Finally."
Real battle.
He stomped.
Lightning immortal path.
Vanished.
Appeared behind beast.
Golden Dragon Smash.
A golden dragon phantom roared.
BOOOOM.
Its spine snapped.
Third kill.
The remaining two became frenzied.
One breathed black poisonous mist.
The other circled like shadow.
Lin Shuan suddenly lowered stance.
Eyes calm.
"Let me try…"
He inhaled.
Combined techniques.
Lightning movement—
frost compression—
Golden Emperor Fist.
The first panther charged.
Lin Shuan moved.
Flash Crossing.
Inside its attack.
Punch.
Golden Emperor Fist—
Mountain Breaking Form.
BOOOOOM.
The beast exploded apart.
Fourth kill.
Last panther froze.
Then—
unexpectedly—
it howled.
A strange signal.
Tian Wuchen's voice thundered:
"Kill it now!"
Too late.
The panther lunged madly.
Self-destructive.
Lin Shuan's eyes flashed white.
Frost Divine Heart pulsed.
He raised one finger.
Absolute white frost condensed into spear-like ice.
He whispered—
"Die."
SHHHK—
Ice pierced its skull.
Silence.
Fifth.
But—
wait.
There had been six.
One missing.
Lin Shuan spun.
Too late.
The last panther attacked from shadows—
ambush.
Its jaws at his neck.
But—
Longshe burst from sleeve.
HISS—
Golden light exploded.
Ancient dragon pressure descended.
The panther froze midair.
Terrified.
Lin Shuan grinned.
"Mine."
Golden Emperor Fist.
BOOM.
Final kill.
Silence.
The frozen forest breathed again.
Six corpses.
Snow drifting.
Blood on ice.
Lin Shuan stood smiling.
Breathing hard.
Alive.
Satisfied.
Then practical instinct returned.
He crouched beside first beast.
Hand pierced chest.
Pulled out an energy crystal.
Dark violet.
Radiant.
Dense beast core.
Then another.
And another.
Six total.
Energy crystals from nine-star beasts.
Valuable treasures.
Lin Shuan turned one in his fingers.
"…Not bad."
Tian Wuchen's voice sounded thoughtful.
"Take them all."
"You may need them."
Lin Shuan nodded.
Stored them away.
But his expression darkened.
"…Master."
"These beasts…"
"Who controls them?"
Tian Wuchen was silent long enough to unsettle him.
Then—
"I do not know."
"But I dislike coincidences."
He added colder—
"If Black Mountain rulers roam this far…"
"…something in the empire may be changing."
That killed Lin Shuan's light mood.
Danger?
At the tournament?
At Da Cang?
He looked westward.
Distant.
Unknown.
Something stirred in his chest.
Not fear.
Instinct.
Storm before thunder.
Longshe emerged again.
Stared into forest darkness.
Still alert.
As if sensing unseen things.
Lin Shuan touched his head.
"You sensed something too?"
Longshe hissed softly.
Yes.
Night came.
Lin Shuan made no fire.
He sat atop frozen earth among defeated panthers.
Moonlight silvered the ice forest.
Beautiful.
Terrible.
He meditated.
Yet mind lingered on Tian Wuchen's words.
Not a good sign.
Those words echoed.
After long silence—
Lin Shuan asked softly—
"Master…"
"If there really is someone controlling such beasts…"
"…could they be stronger than me?"
Tian Wuchen answered almost lazily—
"Obviously."
Lin Shuan nearly choked.
"…Can you not soften truths?"
"No."
Pause.
Then—
"But perhaps not stronger forever."
That made Lin Shuan smile.
After a while Tian Wuchen said:
"You fought well."
Rare praise.
Lin Shuan blinked.
"…Was that praise?"
"Do not become arrogant."
There it was.
Lin Shuan laughed.
Some things never changed.
Before dawn—
he stood.
Ready to move.
But before leaving—
he looked at the frozen forest he had made.
A battlefield of ice and shattered black beasts.
His handiwork.
Proof of growth.
The boy once hunted by beasts—
now hunted beasts.
That realization struck strangely deep.
Longshe coiled around his shoulder again.
Tiny.
Proud.
Lin Shuan smiled.
"Come."
"Da Cang awaits."
He stepped forward.
Lightning cracked.
And vanished into western wilderness.
Yet—
far away—
hidden atop a distant black ridge—
someone watched.
A cloaked silhouette.
Beside it—
more violet eyes opened in darkness.
Many more.
The figure murmured coldly—
"So…"
"…someone killed my moon panthers."
A smile.
Cruel.
Interesting.
And in the forest below—
Lin Shuan walked unknowingly toward the empire.
Toward tournament.
Toward old friends.
Toward enemies.
And perhaps—
toward the first true shadow of a greater war.