dark descendent lurking fate

Chapter 69: The village that pushed back



1. The Elder Descends

A cold wind swept over Mirewood as the sun crested the eastern hills.

The Crimson Ring Sect's scouting elder, a stern man named Elder Huo Long, descended from the sky on a flying crane. His crimson robe flared, embroidered with a black ring of fire—a symbol of mid-tier command in the sect.

Villagers froze as he landed in the center square.

Without speaking, he spread his palm…

And unleashed his spiritual pressure.

It was like an invisible tsunami—spirit energy surging through every building, over every street, pressing on lungs and cracking weaker walls.

> "Anyone hiding true cultivation will be forced to their knees," Elder Huo Long said quietly.

His eyes scanned the frightened villagers. All of them gasped, knees trembling.

All… except one.

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2. Mei and the Bull

On the edge of the square, Mei, the young girl, clutched her fruit basket. She couldn't breathe.

Ash wasn't around—he had left to gather herbs outside the village.

The elder's pressure crashed toward her like a wall.

But then—a thunderous force erupted, silent yet devastating.

Elder Huo Long's eyes widened.

It felt like a bull was charging through his soul.

A massive presence—wild, unyielding, ancient—met his pressure and shattered it mid-air.

> "W-What—?!"

The elder staggered three steps back, his robes fluttering, and the pressure around the village collapsed like broken glass.

> "Impossible…" he muttered. "It wasn't resistance—it was rejection."

The girl blinked. Her breath returned. She looked up, confused.

The fruit in her basket hadn't even bruised.

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3. The Warning That Wasn't Spoken

Elder Huo Long scanned the surroundings.

Nothing. No cultivator revealed themselves. No burst of power followed. Just silence.

But the phantom pressure that had met his own was unmistakable. It hadn't come from Mei… but it had acted for her.

> "A spirit? No. This was… different. It was... primordial."

He turned toward the mountains briefly, then back toward the village.

> "A cultivator with power over a Tier 5 or higher beast... that's no disciple."

He bit his lip and left without a word.

He knew one thing now:

Someone was watching. And that someone had no interest in being known.

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4. Ash's Return

Ash returned in the evening, herbs in hand.

Mei ran up to him, confused and excited.

> "There was a flying old man! He scared everyone but then he left after staring at me."

Ash knelt to check her over. No injuries. No traces of spiritual backlash.

> "Did you feel strange when he looked at you?" he asked softly.

> "Yes. Like something heavy was on me. But then it was gone."

Ash narrowed his eyes.

Shen Mu spoke in his mind:

> "Mrit reacted."

> "He protected her."

Ash exhaled.

> "He did well."

He looked to the sky.

> "But now they know I'm here."

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5. Back in Crimson Ring Sect

Elder Huo Long knelt before Sect Master Ru Qingyan.

> "There is no doubt, Sect Master. The presence was enough to counter my spiritual pressure directly. With one target. Instantly."

The sect master's eyes narrowed.

> "And you don't know who it was?"

> "No. But I suspect it's someone at Sovereign Throne level… or someone with access to multiple Tier 5+ beast spirits."

Ru Qingyan tapped the armrest.

> "We won't provoke. Not yet."

> "We'll watch."

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