The air grew colder as they left the forest behind, the dense canopy of trees giving way to jagged cliffs and rocky terrain. Xu Tian walked at the head of the group, his eyes scanning the horizon. The bounty hunters had been a warning, a clear sign that the hunt for him was far from over. Scarlet Peak wasn’t just sending disciples after him anymore—they were rallying others, paying outsiders to track him down.

  And they weren’t the only ones.

  He could feel the weight of it now: the star’s power drawing attention, a beacon for those who sought to claim or destroy it. He was a target, and the world seemed determined to remind him.

  “You cannot avoid them forever,” the star murmured, its voice a soft, insistent hum in his mind. “They will come in greater numbers. Stronger, more desperate. If you do not act, they will crush you.”

  Xu Tian’s fists clenched. “Let them try,” he muttered under his breath.

  The group stopped at the edge of a rocky outcrop overlooking a narrow valley. Far below, a winding river shimmered in the late afternoon light, its surface broken by jagged rocks that jutted up like teeth.

  Yan Mei approached Xu Tian, her brow furrowed with concern. “We should talk about what happened back there,” she said, her tone firm but cautious.

  “There’s nothing to talk about,” Xu Tian replied, not looking at her.

  “You let one of them go,” she pressed. “You know they’ll come back, and they’ll bring more with them.”

  “That’s the point,” Xu Tian said flatly. “I want them to know I’m not afraid of them.”

  Yan Mei stepped closer, lowering her voice. “But are you ready for what that means? Scarlet Peak isn’t just going to send mercenaries after you. They’ll send elders. They’ll send assassins. They’ll send anyone and anything they need to take you down.”

  Xu Tian finally turned to face her, his expression hard. “I know what they’re going to do, Yan Mei. I’ve been living with it for years. But I’m not running anymore. If they want me, they’ll have to kill me first.”

  Her gaze softened, and for a moment, she looked as though she might argue. But then she sighed, shaking her head. “You don’t have to face this alone.”

  Qiao Rui, leaning casually against a nearby rock, snorted. “Alone or not, he’s got a point. The more they send after him, the more we’ll know about what we’re up against. They think he’s prey? Let them find out he’s a predator.”

  Yan Mei shot Qiao Rui a glare. “You’re not helping.”

  “I’m not trying to,” Qiao Rui said with a grin. “I’m just saying I like the kid’s style.”

  As the group descended into the valley, the terrain grew rougher, forcing them to move slower. The rocky cliffs loomed high above them, casting long shadows across the path.

  Xu Tian’s unease grew with every step. He couldn’t explain it, but something about this place felt wrong. The air was too still, the silence too heavy.

  “We’re being watched,” Qiao Rui said suddenly, his voice low.

  Xu Tian stopped, his shadows rippling faintly at his feet. “How many?”

  Qiao Rui frowned, his eyes scanning the cliffs. “Hard to say. But it’s not just one or two.”

  Yan Mei looked around, her hand hovering near the talismans at her belt. “Could it be more bounty hunters?”

  “Possibly,” Qiao Rui said. “But it doesn’t feel like them.”

  Before anyone could respond, a low, rumbling voice echoed through the valley.

  “You’ve strayed into the wrong place, shadow bearer.”

  Xu Tian’s head snapped up, his eyes narrowing as a figure stepped out from the shadows of the cliffs above. The man was tall and broad-shouldered, his dark robes embroidered with intricate patterns that shimmered faintly in the fading light. A heavy, jagged blade rested on his back, and his presence radiated power.

  Two more figures emerged behind him, their movements silent but deliberate. Both wore similar robes, and their expressions were cold and focused.

  “Who are you?” Xu Tian demanded, his shadows rising instinctively around him.

  The leader’s lips curled into a faint smile. “We are the Obsidian Covenant,” he said. “Keepers of balance. Guardians of the celestial paths.”

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  Yan Mei’s eyes widened. “The Obsidian Covenant? I thought they were just a myth.”

  “They’re real,” Qiao Rui said grimly. “And they’re trouble.”

  The leader’s gaze fixed on Xu Tian. “You carry the mark of a buried star,” he said. “Its power festers within you, corrupting the balance of this world. Our duty is clear: to destroy such threats before they can spread.”

  Xu Tian’s shadows writhed, his hands curling into fists. “I’m not your enemy.”

  “That is not for you to decide,” the man said. “Surrender now, and we will make your death swift. Resist, and you will suffer.”

  The attack came without warning.

  The two figures behind the leader moved first, their robes billowing as they descended from the cliffs with inhuman speed. One wielded a spear that glimmered with icy energy, while the other’s hands crackled with golden light, conjuring intricate sigils that flared to life as they closed in.

  Xu Tian barely had time to react as the spear wielder lunged, his weapon slicing through the air with deadly precision. Shadows surged to meet the strike, forming a barrier that deflected the blow, but the force of the impact sent Xu Tian skidding backward.

  The sigil caster raised her hands, and glowing chains shot toward Yan Mei and Qiao Rui. Yan Mei threw up a shimmering barrier, but the chains coiled around it, tightening and cracking the golden light.

  Qiao Rui ducked behind a rock, loosing arrows in rapid succession. Two struck the sigil caster, but the arrows dissolved against her glowing aura.

  “This is bad,” Qiao Rui muttered.

  “You think?” Yan Mei shot back, reinforcing her barrier as the chains closed in.

  The leader of the Covenant remained on the cliffs, watching the fight with a calm, calculating expression. His presence was oppressive, like a storm waiting to break.

  Xu Tian felt the star’s power rise within him, its whispers urgent and insistent.

  “Unleash us,” the star hissed. “You cannot win without us.”

  Xu Tian’s shadows coiled tighter, their movements wild and erratic as he tried to fend off the spear wielder’s relentless attacks. The man moved with the precision of a seasoned warrior, each strike forcing Xu Tian further onto the defensive.

  “You’re holding back,” the man said, his tone almost mocking. “Why? Do you fear your own power?”

  Xu Tian didn’t respond. He couldn’t afford to.

  But the star’s whispers grew louder, drowning out the noise of the battle.

  “They are testing you,” it said. “Prove to them that you are stronger. Show them why they should fear us.”

  Xu Tian’s grip on his power wavered. The star’s energy surged, burning through his veins, demanding to be unleashed.

  “Xu Tian!” Yan Mei’s voice broke through the haze, sharp and urgent. “Don’t let it take you!”

  Her words cut through the star’s whispers, anchoring him. Xu Tian took a deep breath, his shadows steadying as he forced the star’s influence back.

  “I don’t need you,” he muttered under his breath.

  And then he struck.

  The shadows surged forward, more focused and controlled than before. Xu Tian’s tendrils coiled around the spear wielder, slamming him into the ground with bone-crushing force. The sigil caster faltered as another wave of shadows shattered her chains, forcing her to retreat.

  The leader of the Covenant finally stepped forward, his heavy blade gleaming as he descended into the fray.

  “Impressive,” he said, his voice calm. “But let’s see how long you can keep this up.”

  Xu Tian braced himself, his shadows rising once more. The fight wasn’t over—not yet.

  Far above, in the heavens, the stars shimmered faintly, as though watching.