Chapter 3037: A Beastkin - Walker Of The Worlds

Without waiting for a reply, the figure turned and glided toward a nearby cliffside. There was a narrow path along the ash-laden slope—one not visible from the city. Daoist Chu glanced at Meng Bai. "Stay alert," he murmured. "This might still be a trap." Meng Bai nodded. "With Xiao Yin and Xiao Yang here, I doubt it’ll be a good one." As they followed the shadowy tracker, neither of them knew just how deep the trail would go—or the truths waiting to be unearthed in the forgotten ashes of the Verdant Ash Basin. The cloaked figure’s voice echoed with eerie resonance as they beckoned the group forward. Their silhouette began to glide toward the cliffside path—quiet, graceful, and enigmatic. Daoist Chu and Meng Bai exchanged glances, cautious but curious. Meng Bai gave a small nod, while Ashy chirped softly from his shoulder, her feathers ruffling in subtle unease. The trio descended carefully behind the mysterious tracker, the air growing heavier with every step. But before they could fully step onto the hidden trail, the cloaked figure suddenly halted. Daoist Chu stopped mid-step, brows furrowing. "Is something—?" A dark ripple of energy burst from the figure’s sleeve, taking form mid-air as it transformed into a writhing tendril of shadow. Without hesitation, it lashed toward them like a serpent, hissing with elemental force. "Trap!" Meng Bai shouted, springing back as the twin snakes hissed, rising in front of him to intercept. The calm invitation had been a ruse. Several more tendrils followed, dark arc-shaped attacks slicing through the air with uncanny precision. Daoist Chu acted instantly, a defensive talisman forming a shimmering golden dome to absorb the brunt of the first barrage. The twin snakes gobbled down two of the shadow strikes, their bodies glowing faintly with elemental digestion. More projectiles launched from the cloaked figure’s hands. His movements were fluid—too fluid. A master of his element. But this time, Meng Bai wasn’t just dodging. He twirled his spear and leapt forward, slashing with a water-infused technique that cut apart one of the dark tendrils midair, causing it to evaporate into ash-like mist. "You said come with you!" Meng Bai shouted, angry. "No more words," the hooded figure rasped. "You brought him here." Before Meng Bai could ask what he meant, a terrifying presence swept over the skies. SHUUUUUUUUM! A sharp aura descended like the heavens themselves had drawn a blade. The clouds trembled. The very air became like a honed edge. And then—he appeared. A streak of radiant red and orange tore through the skies. Atop the back of the swift and fierce Little Shrubby, Lin Mu arrived. He hovered above the battlefield like a sovereign. His robes fluttered in the ash-tinted wind, and in his eyes burned a calm yet forceful gaze. His hand was on the rather large hilt of his sword—not yet drawn, but the Sword Intent it exuded was unbearable in its pressure. "Enough," Lin Mu said, voice neither loud nor soft—but it echoed through the valley like a divine verdict. The hooded figure turned in alarm, suddenly aware of who or what had entered the field. The sharp Sword Intent burst out like a crashing wave, powered by the resonance of Lin Mu’sSword Heart. For a second, the world stilled. The cloaked attacker staggered midair as their body tensed involuntarily. For someone who relied on sensing and hiding, the oppressive presence of Lin Mu was utterly disorienting. Still, they didn’t back down. Instead, they raised their arms once more, summoning dark energy that coalesced into multiple jagged spears of black flame-like substance—each brimming with corrupted elemental force. With a flick of both hands, the tracker hurled them forward with incredible speed. Daoist Chu’s expression tightened, but Lin Mu didn’t flinch. He didn’t even raise his sword. Chi!Chi!Chi! With a mere exhalation, thin arcs of Sword Intent extended from his body—like invisible blades responding to his will. Each streak cut apart the incoming attacks before they got within twenty feet of him, reducing them to harmless trails of fading darkness. "I said enough," Lin Mu repeated. The cloaked figure hovered, breathing heavily. Their aura surged, but Lin Mu noticed something—hisSword Heartwasn’t reacting in the usual way. If the person had harbored true hostility—malicious intent to kill—then Lin Mu’s Sword Intent would have retaliated automatically, even without his will. It had sensed hostility from the people before when he first entered the city. But this time? It remained dormant. The attack wasn’t fueled by killing intent. It was caution... maybe fear. Instinct, perhaps. That made Lin Mu narrow his eyes in contemplation. "You don’t want to kill me," Lin Mu said softly. "But you think you have to." The cloaked figure didn’t reply. Lin Mu raised his right hand and extended his palm. Space warped around it, growing heavy. BOOOOM! In an instant, the pressure of hisDominating Gravity Dao Embryoerupted. A great force rippled out like a dome—anchored on the cloaked figure’s body. It was as if the weight of a mountain had dropped onto their shoulders. The figure fell from the sky like a meteor, slamming into the ground with a heavy crash. Dust and ash exploded into the air. The cloak around them billowed—and then ripped. A soft cry left their lips as they struggled against the invisible weight. And then— Rip! The veil of shadow around the figure’s hood dissipated, finally revealing their face. Daoist Chu’s eyes widened. Meng Bai, who had landed by the side of the cliff thanks to Xiao Yin and Xiao Yang’s help, gasped audibly. Lin Mu narrowed his gaze as he floated down from the air. Two pointed ears twitched on top of the figure’s head, coated in a soft shade of indigo fur. A mane of slightly disheveled silver hair fell around their face, and their eyes—pale amber with narrow pupils—gleamed with wild intensity. Not a human. A beastkin. More specifically—a malewolf beastkin. The person beneath the cloak was young, maybe just slightly older than Meng Bai in appearance. Their features were sharp but not unpleasant, marked with traces of both ferocity and elegance—hallmarks of a predator born into civilization.