Villain Seduces to Rise in Status

Rexa arrived a few minutes later, and they relaxed, chatting. A fire crackled between them as they roasted monster meat, it was something that had become routine by now. An hour drifted past midnight, both of them simply existing together in comfortable silence.

Then the energy wave hit.

Cale’s entire body reacted violently. His head snapped to the right, eyes narrowing.

"Such dense qi... and my body is reacting to it?" he muttered, confusion and concern mixing in his voice.

Rexa’s eyes glowed softly as she assessed the phenomenon. "It must be Yin qi, or perhaps a powerful person has died nearby."

Cale nodded slowly, there were many other possibilities too. "Let’s check it out. There’s a chance it’s those bastards who were following us before."

"Yes, Young Master."

They rose in unison, pulling their weapons free. Noxis materialized from shadow at Cale’s side while Rexa drew two curved karambits, the blades gleaming wickedly in the firelight.

From a distant hilltop, Sael watched the scene unfold with barely contained satisfaction.

Standing beside him were Grandmaster Wang Zetian and Expert Wang Rou—their presence alone felt reassuring. Zetian’s expression remained serious, his gaze fixed on the energy disturbance below.

"A treasure must have appeared," Zetian mused to Rou, "or perhaps someone above Grandmaster Stage has died, leaving such dense energy in their wake."

Rou stroked his long beard thoughtfully. "Indeed. We might actually gain something worthwhile from this trip after all. Shall we investigate?"

Sael stepped forward urgently. "Esteemed Masters, I beg you—please deal with those two first, then we can pursue the treasure."

Zetian sighed heavily, disappointment evident in his expression. "Calling us to handle Master Stage cultivators? What has this continent become? There’s no warrior spirit left. Alright, let’s dispose of them quickly."

With that declaration, he launched himself from the hilltop, sword materializing beneath his feet as he began flying. Wang Rou followed, his own blade manifesting as he ascended into the air. Sael could only watch with envious eyes—such flying techniques were impossible in Vaeloria’s weak lands.

Sael, his butler, and the remaining warriors scrambled down the slope on foot, running as fast as their legs could carry them.

Cale and Rexa sensed their approach instantly.

"They’re coming toward us," Rexa said, her voice steady despite the tension. "It is those people from before."

"Let’s move. Fast," Cale replied.

They bolted through the jungle at maximum speed. Cale could have used his wings to escape, it was definitely a far better option but revealing his only viable escape route to enemies this early would be stupid.

A hundred meters crossed in seconds.

Then Cale’s enhanced perception caught it: a thick, invisible blue layer materializing around them like a hemisphere, trapping them completely.

Both stopped dead, Rexa reaching out to touch the barrier. Her hand met resistance immediately. "We... we can’t get out of this? What is this thing?"

Cale’s eyes traced the ancient text carved beneath the surface, symbols that seemed to operate like codes for the formation itself. His heart sank.

"It’s a barrier. But... how?" He scanned the perimeter, searching desperately. "There must be a source point, a talisman or a flag placed somewhere, unless..." He didn’t want to finish the thought, but it was the only logical conclusion. "Unless there’s a Formation Master among them."

Rexa’s voice wavered slightly. "Formation Master? What is that?"

Cale’s mind raced through possibilities, panic threatening to overwhelm his composure.

’Which clan is this? By this point in my past life, I’d already left this continent. Wang? Li? Or the Magic Empire’s Glimmerwood?’

He forced himself to breathe, think clearly. ’Protecting Rexa amd getting out of here are the only priorities right now.’

His mind shifted tactics. ’Formations can be broken if I find the weak point. But I know nothing about these... unless I kill the creator.’

He looked at Rexa. Fear flickered behind her crimson eyes—the unknown always terrified, regardless of cultivation level.

’Right... Override. I have that ability. For it to work though, I need to see the complete circle running along the formation’s edge. That will increase my chances given my comprehension speed.’

Pulling his Divine Consciousness back from the mindspace, he turned to Rexa. "Follow me."

She nodded without question, and together they sprinted along the hemisphere’s edge, Cale absorbing every detail of the ancient texts as they ran.

Minutes passed.

Suddenly, two blades shot through the air at lethal speed, moving faster than thought. Cale dodged backward instinctively.

Their bodies materialized in front of him with crushing weight.

One Grandmaster while another one an Expert Stage. And from their clothing alone, which was silk bearing the Wang family insignia—they weren’t from around here at least, even if Cale had never seen their insignia.

’Fucking hell.’

"Oh, you dodged that," Zetian observed with mild amusement.

"He’s decent, I’ll give him that," Rou added, stroking his beard.

Rexa stepped protectively forward. "Who are you people?!"

Sael emerged from the jungle with his followers, his eyes lighting up at the sight of Rexa. His gaze lingered far too long, carrying intentions that made Cale’s skin crawl.

Cale’s own gaze swept across them, pulling up their status screens.

He forced a fake smile and clasped his hands in a respectful bow toward Rou. "I didn’t recognize it before, but I greet you, Lord elder from the Wang family."

"Hmm, you know of us?" Rou raised an eyebrow. "This is our first visit to this continent. How could you possibly..."

"You jest, my lord," Cale replied smoothly, his gaze flicking toward Sael with intentional disdain. "Please don’t compare our ducal houses to these pathetic pests. My family has connections with the emperor himself, such information reaches us the first."

Zetian smiled broadly. "Hoho, indeed! It appears our plans were discovered somehow. Well, it matters little now that the gears have already begun turning."

Rou studied both of them with a stare that made Cale deeply uncomfortable, thinking if the old man wanted to take him for the night or something. "These two possess quite the fortune. One blessed with a physique, the other with demonic eyes and a rare body. Under normal circumstances, I would take them both as disciples. Alas, circumstances being what they are..." He trailed off.

Cale sighed internally. ’I didn’t think I’d become famous enough to be targeted this early. What the hell did I even do to draw this kind of attention? Thank god the old man doesn’t have other plans... I’m just too handsome for my own sake.’

Zetian shrugged. "He is a disciple of Merth. What more can be said? We must kill him. There’s a possibility he himself might emerge to avenge his student. If so, we can eliminate both."

Cale’s eyes widened. "Merth? Who is Mer—wait, hold on. I’m not the disciple of the Nexus Lord! If you’re here to kill his disciple, you’ve got the wrong person!"

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