It was late, and the guards of the Niu Tribe settlement stood lazily at their posts.
"The crack's open," muttered a skinny young guard, yawning. "Guess the Windy Mountains trash is marching in."
"My brother's fighting in that mess," grunted the older, broader guard. "Better not come back whining again."
"If we had their resources, we'd all be in the Semi Elemental Realm," the younger sneered.
From the shadows, a voice cut through the silence—sharp, mocking.
"Then come and test if I'm trash."
Both guards froze. A figure stepped into the firelight: a masked woman, her face hidden behind a wolf's snarl, her aura suffocating.
"Ring the alarm," she said sweetly. "I'll even give you a head start."
"She's Bone Training Stage!" the older guard shouted in panic. The younger one crushed a token, unleashing a booming alarm.
Chaos unleashed.
Guards flooded the gate. Among them, three Brain Training Stage cultivators appeared. At the front stood Lord Beiron, mid-thirties, clad in molten armor, his aura imposing.
"What's this? You rang the alarm for a child?" he sneered.
"L-Lord Beiron, she said she'd kill us… and we couldn't stop her!"
"A Niu, Le Niu—kill her."
The two Brain Training cultivators stepped forward confidently—until the woman vanished.
"Where—where did she go?" A Niu stammered.
"Ran off. Coward," Le Niu scoffed.
A scream pierced the air. Beiron lay lifeless, a clean strike to the throat.
"Maybe find someone stronger next time," the woman murmured.
"C-call Elder Yu!" Le Niu screamed.
"Go ahead," she said, eyes gleaming. "He won't save you."
She struck again. A Niu fell, his throat slit.
From deeper in the camp, a thunderous roar shook the earth.
"Who dares to kill my Niu Tribe members?!"
Elder Yu stormed into view. Bears' fur on his shoulders, a blazing bear tattoo across his chest, his very presence radiated fire and rage.
"You dare challenge me? Die!"
The woman laughed, darting into the night.
"Catch me if you can."
He chased her down effortlessly. A blazing punch hurled a wave of fire toward her. She blocked with her dagger, but the force sent her flying.
"Too strong…" she muttered, blood at her lips. But her eyes held no fear.
It was at this moment.
Seven pillars of light erupted, surrounding Elder Yu. From each, a figure emerged.
"Ilargia, you're hurt," said Nika, stepping from one of the glowing pillars.
"It's nothing," she replied, calm and collected.
"It can't hold me," Elder Yu growled. "This won't stop me!"
"Let's find out," said Asier, notching an arrow, longbow drawn tight.
"Brother, don't leave the formation!" Dragaris warned.
"Listen to her," Elder Yu snarled. "You're in the Brain Training Stage. You can't even touch me."
"We're not here to beat you," Nika replied coolly. "Just to see how far we still need to go."
Ilargia vanished, reappearing behind Elder Yu. Her daggers flashed—barely scratching his flame barrier.
"Fire Elemental Energy is no joke," she noted mentally.
Nika raised his gleaming axe. "Then we'll just break through."
"Wait," Asier said. "That fire isn't normal."
Ilargia stepped back, activating her dagger's embedded formation. A wave of white moonlight clashed against the fire.
"Not Elemental Energy… a formation?" Elder Yu's eyes widened.
"Low Semi Elemental grade," Ilargia said smugly. "Let's see if your flames can take it."
The moonlight forced him back. Nika followed up, axe humming, striking against the old man's blade.
CRACK.
His fire barrier shattered. His sword broke.
"Impossible… That axe—was that a Low Semi Elemental Artifact too?!"
Before he could react, Asier's arrows rained down, one embedding just centimeters from Elder Yu's heart.
"Don't move," Asier said, his eyes glowing white.
Elder Yu froze. He could sense the poison-laced energy of Giant Exploding Spider thread in the arrows.
"Who are you…?"
"No need for you to know," Asier replied coolly.
Dragaris and Drogaris emerged from the formation, faces full of disbelief.
"How… how can you be this strong?" Dragaris asked.
Nika smiled, his expression unreadable.
"We were just lucky he didn't take us seriously."
It was true. Had Elder Yu fought seriously from the start, things might have ended differently.
Ilargia, bleeding but proud, wiped her blade clean.
"What's the big deal? He's just an Element Absorption Stage cultivator."
Her bloodstained clothes betrayed the cost of the fight.
The twins were speechless.
They had just watched the impossible unfold.