The young woman glared icily at Wei Yi, her heart seething with fury, her expression dark and stormy.
Wei Yi's gaze was equally unkind as he clutched tightly to his half of the torn manual, his face shifting between shadow and light.
The two stood locked in a tense standoff, eyes narrowed in mutual hostility.
The looks they exchanged were sharp enough to cut, as if either could devour the other on the spot.
Clearly, neither of them was the type to suffer a loss in silence.
"I'll remember you."
"I don't care if I can't have the complete manual—but you won't have it either."
A cold sneer tugged at the woman's lips.
Then, to Wei Yi's complete astonishment, she did something entirely unexpected.
Without a word, she spun around and fled.
Yes—fled!
Just like that!
Leaving Wei Yi standing in the night wind, clutching half a manual, stunned and bewildered.
He could hardly believe that she would abandon the other half so decisively and run.
What use was half a manual?
To leave with only a fragment—what could she possibly gain? No one could master a martial art from half a scroll. Did she not fear the risk of going mad from flawed cultivation?
Her actions defied not only Wei Yi's expectations but also those of every onlooker.
No one anticipated such a sudden retreat. And with her incredible speed and evasive technique, even the Black Tiger Society failed to intercept her. They could only gape as she vanished into the night, gone without a trace.
"Big Brother… she… ran!"
Xu Pingzheng stood dumbstruck for a moment, then spoke through gritted teeth, his face darkening.
They had refrained from intervening in the duel, hoping Wei Yi and the woman would weaken each other so they could swoop in and seize them both. Yet, not only had they failed to reap the spoils—they'd been completely outplayed.
"I'm not blind!"
Zhao Yuanji snarled, his jaw clenched in frustration.
It would have been bad enough if she'd escaped—but to escape with half the manual? That meant even if they managed to capture Wei Yi, they would still only end up with a useless fragment. Like Wei Yi, he knew: what good was half a manual?
The thought alone made him want to vomit blood.
One unexpected enemy after another—each more infuriating than the last!
"No matter what, take down the remaining two first."
"Show no mercy!"
Zhao Yuanji barked his orders without hesitation.
With that, the entire Black Tiger Society charged toward Wei Yi and Li Hanlun with deadly intent.
Zhao Yuanji personally moved to engage Wei Yi.
Xu Pingzheng and Lei Yuan launched a joint assault on Li Hanlun.
The other elite members of the Black Tiger Society didn't hold back either, each unleashing their martial skills with ruthless precision. As per Zhao Yuanji's command, none showed the slightest hint of restraint.
Wei Yi and Li Hanlun exchanged a glance and gave a near-imperceptible nod.
"Now!"
Even before the word finished leaving his lips, the two of them each pulled out a small, pitch-black sphere.
Seemingly unremarkable, but upon seeing them, Zhao Yuanji and the others visibly paled. Their pupils contracted in horror.
Those two maniacs actually brought such deadly devices?
"Get back—!"
Zhao Yuanji shouted in alarm.
But even before his warning reached the others, Wei Yi and Li Hanlun hurled the spheres forcefully to the ground.
Boom!
Boom!
Boom!
Boom!
Four successive detonations shattered the air.
The thunderous explosions roared through the ruins, nearly deafening everyone within earshot.
Gaping craters tore open the earth before the Black Tiger Society members. Thick plumes of smoke billowed skyward, and those caught off guard were sent flying by the shockwaves. Many sustained serious injuries on the spot.
Long moments passed before the wounded, bruised, and battered, crawled from the wreckage.
Save for Zhao Yuanji—who had reacted with lightning speed—everyone else bore signs of injury.
But by then, Wei Yi and Li Hanlun had long vanished into the darkness.
Not only had they escaped, but they'd also taken with them all the treasures recovered from the tomb. Not even a strand of hair remained for the Black Tiger Society.
Faced with this outcome, the society members wore expressions of deep dismay.
Zhao Yuanji, in particular, stood silent and stone-faced. His countenance was cold as ice, his fury visible beneath the surface like a volcano on the verge of eruption.
"What the hell just happened?"
"We spent so much time and effort to locate this tomb. We planned everything in secret."
"None but our own knew about this operation. So how did those three suddenly appear?"
Zhao Yuanji's voice was a low growl as he swept a murderous glare across the gathering.
The implication behind his words was clear.
There had been a leak. A traitor among them.
"That's impossible," Xu Pingzheng, the grinning tiger, said with a frown. "We've been together constantly these past few days. No one had the chance to send word even if they wanted to. And the rest of the Society didn't know a thing about this mission—there was no one to leak to."
"Then explain to me—who the hell were those three?"
Zhao Yuanji's voice rose in fury.
"I…"
Xu Pingzheng was at a loss for words.
Never mind the woman who showed up last—those two who arrived earlier were clearly prepared. Their ambush was timed to perfection, and their escape plan flawlessly executed.
It certainly felt like an inside leak.
Xu Pingzheng couldn't help but narrow his eyes in suspicion, casting a cold glance at the others.
"Who sold us out?"
Lei Yuan, the Plague Tiger, always hot-tempered, erupted with rage. His vicious gaze swept the group like a blade, ready to strike at the first sign of guilt.
"It wasn't me!"
"I've been by the boss's side the whole time!"
"I didn't do it!"
The others turned pale, rushing to defend themselves in terrified voices.
No one wanted that kind of blame on their head.
One by one, they shouted their innocence.
Zhao Yuanji exhaled slowly. Ironically, it was in that moment of chaos that he regained his calm.
These were men he had chosen personally. Those loose of tongue or weak of will had been left behind. By all logic, none of them should have betrayed him.
And yet… how had those three shown up?
Could it really have been coincidence?
He couldn't make sense of it.
"No matter what, we must track them down."
"If I'm right, they're likely all disciples of the Outer Academy. Otherwise, they wouldn't have gone to such lengths to conceal their identities."
"One of them clearly possesses a water-attribute bloodline. Another has remarkable swordsmanship and commands a rare fire-attribute true qi. And the woman—her sword art appears to be the Profound-tier Wu Yi Sword Technique."
"Based on those traits, find them. Identify them. And when we do—make them pay tenfold, a hundredfold!"
Zhao Yuanji's voice was a growl of barely restrained wrath, his teeth clenched in bitter hatred.