Chapter Fourteen: Do We Know Each Other?

Long Yun's expression changed drastically as well. Such a formidable cultivation—this must be the Innate Realm! This sensation—he had only felt it once before, and that was from the Great Elder, Qiu Di. Yet the woman in white before him appeared so young, and she was already an expert of the Innate Realm. Where on earth had she come from?

At such a youthful age, even on Divine Dragon Island, where mighty experts were as common as clouds, she would certainly rank among the very best.

The woman in white said nothing. With a casual wave of her arm, the bandit chief was sent flying sideways, his arm twisted like a rope—clearly crippled—as he crashed to the ground, writhing in agony.

The woman in white fixed her gaze on Long Yun. Her eyes were calm, utterly devoid of emotion; the light veil draped over her face concealed any trace of expression.

“Do we know each other?” she asked at length, her voice as cold and emotionless as ice in midwinter.

Long Yun shook his head slightly, a wry smile on his lips. “I haven’t even seen your face. How could I know if we’ve met? Still, your aura… feels oddly familiar.”

At this moment, Long Yun’s eyes shone with intensity as he stared at the woman in white. The longer he looked at her delicate form, the more that strange feeling of familiarity and intimacy grew, becoming more vivid with each passing second.

As if entranced, Long Yun unconsciously raised his hand, reaching towards the white veil covering her face.

A sudden tremor ran through the woman in white. A faint radiance flickered across her form, and an invisible force surged forth, slamming heavily into Long Yun’s chest.

With a choking sound, he spat out a mouthful of blood, his face twisting in pain. Damn it—who was this woman? He had merely looked at her a few times, yet she had struck him with such ruthless force. He could sense the murderous intent emanating from her; she had truly intended to kill him.

Meanwhile, Xiao Leng noticed Long Yun’s plight. With their leader injured, the remaining enemies retreated, allowing him to hurry to Long Yun’s side.

“Junior Brother Long Yun, are you alright?” he asked, then shifted his gaze to the woman in white, his tone turning cold. “Who are you? Why such viciousness?”

Long Yun waved him off. “Senior Brother Xiao Leng, say no more—it was my own fault.” With that, his eyes returned to the woman in white, brows furrowing tightly.

She did not spare him another glance. Her gaze swept over the chief and several elders, and she spoke in a voice so cold it made their hearts tremble. “You deserve death.”

No further words were needed; the chill in her tone spoke volumes. The chief, feeling her overwhelming power, was seized by terror. The woman in white’s cultivation was unfathomable.

To defeat him so effortlessly—she was likely an Innate Realm expert. The gap between the Innate and Acquired Realms was vast; their strengths were worlds apart.

“Miss, we did not know your identity and were rash in our actions. With your cultivation, you are like an immortal—why bother with us? If you so desire, you may take anything you wish from Bikku Mountain,” the chief stammered, dabbing the cold sweat from his brow.

The woman in white said nothing. She stood there like a blooming snow lotus—her graceful bearing inspired admiration, yet not a trace of desire.

Just then, another figure appeared beside her—a young man in his early twenties, robed in azure garments that fluttered despite the still air. Handsome and refined, he was the very image of a noble gentleman.

“Junior Sister, as you instructed, I’ve released all the commoners and wiped out the mountain bandits. Only these few remain. Say the word and I’ll grind their bones to dust,” he said with a slight smile, his tone full of deference.

“They are not worth pity,” the woman in white replied indifferently.

The chief’s face drained of color. The young man’s words dashed all hope; with all the bandits slain, Bikku Mountain was finished.

Now, with death looming, he knew this merciless killer would show no mercy. His fate was sealed—and with life and death hanging in the balance, there was no reason to hold back any longer.

“Hmph! So what if you’re Innate Realm experts? If you want to destroy Bikku Mountain, you’ll pay the price. You’ll all die!” Hatred flashed in his eyes. A dark, inky radiance suddenly erupted from his body, soaring into the sky and enveloping the remaining bandits.

The elders near him, caught within the black aura, were instantly reduced to dried husks—their vital energy entirely drained, a scene so horrific it defied description.

“Hmph! As expected, you follow the demonic path. A fiend from the Demon Realm among the righteous sects—if you’re not killed, chaos will reign!” the young man in blue snorted coldly.

A gleaming longsword appeared in his hand. With a twist of his wrist, countless rays of brilliant light shot forth, converging into a single, dazzling beam that flashed out in an instant.

It was like a burst of light in the darkness—a lightning strike that pierced the chief’s brow in the blink of an eye.

A crimson spot blossomed on the chief’s forehead, spreading slowly—struck down in a single blow. Even after absorbing everyone’s power, he was no match; the blue-robed youth’s cultivation was truly terrifying—beyond belief.

Though his brow was pierced, the chief did not die immediately. A crazed smile curled his lips, and as he collapsed, a chilling voice rang out:

“I told you—you will all die. I’ll go first. On the road to the underworld, I’ll be waiting! Hahaha!”

With those words, his life force dissipated, and he perished where he fell.

“Junior Sister, the deed is done. With this demon eradicated, our trial is complete. Let’s return to the sect,” the blue-robed youth laughed heartily.

The woman in white replied softly, “This is not true tempering—only by surpassing the limits of life and death can one walk the righteous path.”

She paid him no further heed, turning to leave.

Seeing her depart, Long Yun suddenly called out, “Though I was in the wrong today, you have humiliated me. Should I one day reach your level, I will return to avenge this shame!”

“Oh?” The blue-robed youth, already displeased at having his junior sister slight him, now grew even colder at Long Yun’s audacious words.

With a wave of his hand, a violent surge of energy sent Long Yun flying once more. He crashed to the ground, vomiting several mouthfuls of blood.

“What are you doing?” Xiao Leng demanded, sword drawn, ready to strike, but Long Yun caught his arm and shook his head.

“Hmph! Since you are of the righteous path, I’ll spare your life this once. But if you ever disrespect my junior sister again, you will die. Leave now—next time, I won’t be so merciful,” the young man threatened, killing intent radiating from him, his strength so overwhelming that Xiao Leng and Long Yun felt their blood run cold.

He was at least at the Return-to-Origin Realm, perhaps even beyond the Innate Realm.

The woman in white paused, turned back, and spoke to Long Yun in her clear, distant voice: “I await you at any time.”

“Then you must keep improving—or else—” Long Yun’s eyes flashed, wanting to say more, but the young man’s cold snort cut him off.

“Boy, it seems you won’t learn until you’re staring death in the face.” He stepped slowly toward Long Yun, a chill of murderous intent sweeping through the area.

Xiao Leng stood before Long Yun with sword in hand, but in the face of such power, he could offer little assurance.

Just then, the earth began to quake violently. From the ground, billowing waves of inky demonic energy shot forth—cold and evil.

“This is bad!” The young man’s expression changed. Sensing the oppressive might in the demonic aura, he called out urgently, “Junior Sister, it’s an Innate Realm demon. We must leave before it emerges!”

The woman in white remained calm, ignoring his anxious gaze, her eyes fixed intently on the rising demon energy. In a quiet voice, she murmured, “Now this is true tempering.”

“Junior Sister!” the young man cried out in alarm, trying to dissuade her. “We may be at the Return-to-Origin Realm, but compared to the Innate Realm, the gap is vast. We can’t hope to win!”