The sun had barely crested the jagged peaks of the eastern mountains when Yinmo set out alone. Unlike the grand departure of the clan elites—Lei Xuan, Qingyu, Lianyun, Feng Tao, Heng Yi, and Lianhua—who rode under the protection of heavily armed escorts, Yinmo had nothing but the worn satchel on his back and the quiet resolve in his heart.
The path to Foundations for All Academy was treacherous, winding through territories unclaimed by any single power. Bandits lurked in the forests, magical beasts roamed freely, and even rogue cultivators prowled the region in search of prey. Though the clan leader had ensured Yinmo faced these dangers alone, there was no turning back.
Yet fate had no intention of letting him pass unchallenged.
A Meeting in the Darkened Wilds
As dusk settled over the mountainous terrain, the sharp scent of blood drifted through the crisp night air. Yinmo paused, ears keen to the unnatural silence. Then, a lone figure emerged from the shadows.
A woman, breathtaking in both presence and beauty, staggered into view. Midnight-black hair, unbound and cascading in silken waves, caught the flickering traces of moonlight. Her deep crimson and gold-trimmed robes—once pristine—were marred by dust and streaks of dried blood. The molten amber of her eyes flickered with exhaustion, yet she carried herself with unwavering dignity.
Even injured, she was regal. Even pursued, she was determined.
Her guards were already dead. That much was certain.
She clutched a silver-threaded satchel close to her chest, her grip tense. Whatever was inside, she was willing to die protecting it.
Yinmo stepped forward instinctively. His presence, quiet but watchful, barely stirred the silence.
"Are you injured?" he asked.
Lianhua's gaze met his, sharp despite her fatigue. There was no panic in her eyes—only caution. She did not answer immediately. Instead, she exhaled and pressed a bloodied hand to her wounded arm.
"They won't stop until they find me," she finally whispered.
Behind them, unseen figures lurked in the shadows.
Far beyond their immediate danger, multiple factions had already turned their eyes toward Lianhua.
Within the depths of Duskfall, whispers circulated about a woman possessing an incredibly rare affinity for wood magic who had escaped captivity. She had been meant for experimentation—another piece in the Father of All Demons' relentless pursuit of unlocking The Taboo.
Her life force, if properly harnessed, might have served as a missing key in his dark studies.
Yet she had slipped through their grasp.
Elsewhere, within the Magical Beast Council, tensions grew as high elders debated their next move. The repeated infiltration of spies into human academies had yielded uncertain results. Now, murmurs arose of whether agents should be sent once again—though the risk of exposing The Taboo threatened their secrecy.
Meanwhile, the first-class clans made final preparations to send their talented youths to their respective academies, oblivious to the larger forces stirring beneath the surface.