Immortal Druid

[POV: Right Hand]

The formation that had ensnared them was quite powerful.

Right Hand did not use the word lightly.

As one of Lady Jin Hong's Four Limbs, he had studied formations for centuries, learning enough to identify their strengths, weaknesses, and hidden mechanisms. Yet the formation surrounding him surpassed nearly everything he had encountered. It transformed daylight into an endless night, reshaped an ordinary forest into an ever-changing maze, empowered illusions through shadows, and employed countless crows as both anchors and casters. More astonishing still, it distorted one's perception of time itself. A few passing minutes could feel like hours, while an unwary cultivator might believe days had elapsed when scarcely more than a heartbeat had passed.

The crows themselves were no less terrifying.

At first glance, they appeared to be little more than Core Formation spiritual beasts.

That impression proved dangerously misleading.

Each crow concealed a curse within its body. Destroying one did not merely eliminate an enemy. Instead, it planted the seed of a Death Gate that would bloom later when the victim least expected it. The realization had come to Right Hand after witnessing the fate of several Nascent Soul cultivators. From that moment onward, he had gone out of his way to avoid unnecessary battles with the murder.

As reluctant as he was to admit it, the prospects of his comrades were bleak.

The instant he understood the nature of the formation, he abandoned any thoughts of searching for the enemy. Instead, he devoted all his efforts to finding the elusive Life Gate that would allow him to escape before the formation fully consumed him.

"Caw."

"Caw."

"Run all you wish."

"The forest remembers every step."

"There is no Life Gate."

Right Hand ignored every taunt.

The voices drifted between the trees like whispers carried upon the wind, but they failed to disturb his concentration. His gaze remained fixed upon a faint wisp of pale light that floated through the forest ahead of him. It was a tracking spell of his own creation, one designed to navigate unstable terrain by constantly correcting its path whenever the surrounding space shifted.

That single thread of light had kept him alive.

He followed it across streams, rocky slopes, and dense thickets, never lingering long enough for the forest to close around him.

Along the way, he encountered the remains of the Nascent Soul cultivators.

Broken puppets lay strewn across the ground, their shattered limbs scattered among snapped roots and pools of drying blood. Entire formations had been torn apart before they could fully activate. Some puppets still clutched broken weapons in lifeless hands, silent evidence that their masters had resisted until the very end.

Right Hand regarded the devastation with a solemn expression.

Many cultivators underestimated spiritual beasts.

That arrogance often proved fatal.

The general rule within the cultivation world remained unchanged through countless generations. Spiritual beasts naturally possessed stronger physiques and greater instincts than cultivators of the same realm. A human wishing to compete needed superior techniques, refined weapons, profound cultivation arts, countless consumable treasures, or a combination of all three.

These crows possessed something even rarer and far more dangerous, considering what they've shown so far. They understood formations, wielded sophisticated illusion arts, and coordinated with uncanny precision. Such accomplishments could never have arisen naturally, suggesting that someone had taught them.

"Help..."

A frail voice drifted from the darkness.

"Please... don't leave me..."

Another followed.

"I know you're there..."

"They're coming..."

Right Hand continued walking without even turning his head. The shadows beneath every tree writhed faintly, no longer resembling ordinary darkness. Something moved within them. The crows circling overhead already posed a formidable threat, yet whatever lurked in those shadows inspired an even greater sense of unease.

Suddenly, a familiar figure stepped onto the path ahead.

"Right Hand!" Left Foot hurried toward him with obvious relief. "There you are! Stay where you are! Don't make another move!"

Right Hand immediately stopped, his expression remaining perfectly calm. "You are not Left Foot."

The figure froze.

"Leave me be," demanded Right Hand.

The forest answered with mocking laughter. "Caw. Caw."

"So close," the voice taunted. "You almost believed. What a disappointment."

The illusion dissolved in an explosion of black feathers as hundreds of crows scattered into the night sky. Right Hand watched them disappear without pursuit. Had his cultivation path leaned toward purification or divine arts, he might have attempted to eradicate them. Instead, he chose restraint. The formation had grown steadily more oppressive since the moment he entered it; the longer it remained active, the stronger it became. Needlessly destroying more crows could easily trigger another hidden trap.

He resumed walking.

Several hundred steps later, his footsteps slowed.

A body lay partially buried beneath tangled vines.

The white veil covering its face bore a familiar character.

It was Left Foot.

The corpse had already begun merging with the forest itself. Thorny vines coiled tightly around the body while roots disappeared into the earth below. The once-pristine white veil had become stained a deep crimson, its elegant character barely visible beneath layers of dried blood.

Right Hand lingered only a moment.

He silently offered a respectful nod before continuing onward.

Not long afterward, he found another corpse. This time, it was Right Foot. The body wore the same robes and the same white veil the Four Limbs wore. The entire right half of the corpse had vanished.

The surrounding field remained frozen beneath layers of crystalline ice, preserving everything exactly as it had been at the moment of death.

The sight would have shattered the resolve of most cultivators.

"Caw."

"Caw."

"You've lost everyone."

"You're alone."

"No one is coming."

"Even if you escape..."

"...what future awaits you?"

"Only death."

Right Hand continued forward, but the crows’ voices no longer merely mocked. Something subtle now accompanied the sound, a gentle pressure pressing against his mind, attempting to amplify despair and uncertainty. Mental techniques. He recognized them immediately.

His lips curved into the faintest smile.

“So,” he said quietly, “you’ve changed tactics.”

He kept his voice calm and measured. “If you’re attempting to shake my resolve, then I must be doing something right.”

The cawing ceased abruptly, if only for an instant. That brief silence confirmed his suspicion more effectively than any confession could have.

Without hesitation, Right Hand broke into a run, gliding with the wind.

His fan remained steady in one hand while his spiritual senses expanded into a perfect sphere surrounding his body, monitoring every fluctuation in qi, every stirring of the shadows, and every movement among the trees.

Right Hand refused to squander his strength. No large-scale techniques. No Dao Domain. No unnecessary battles. Every breath, every step, every heartbeat was measured, calculated, and patient.

Behind him, the crows resumed their relentless chorus.

"Caw. Caw."

"You are the last one," they taunted. "There is nothing left to protect. Give up. There is no tomorrow. There is no future. There is only death."

Soon, Right Hand came upon what remained of Left Hand.

He slowed only slightly.

The corpse no longer resembled a human body. Whatever curse had claimed Left Foot had devoured him from within, leaving behind little more than scattered pieces of flesh wrapped in thorny vines. The only reason Right Hand recognized his fellow Limb was the blood-soaked white veil lying beside the remains, its embroidered character still faintly visible beneath the crimson stains.

He quietly looked away.

There was nothing more he could do for the dead.

His tracking spell continued drifting ahead as a faint ribbon of pale light, weaving between trees and over twisted roots. Right Hand followed it with unwavering discipline, carefully placing each foot exactly where the spell guided him. Several times, thorn-covered vines lashed toward the guiding light, while shadows surged upward in an attempt to swallow it. Each assault was met with the swift movement of his fan. A flick of his wrist diverted the vines, while precise arcs of qi dispersed the grasping shadows before they could interfere.

The tracking spell remained intact.

It continued leading him forward.

Eventually, the forest opened into a tranquil lake.

The pale ribbon of light floated directly above the water before descending beneath its calm surface.

Right Hand narrowed his eyes.

"The Life Gate..."

The answer was surprisingly straightforward.

If he entered the lake and continued diving downward, the formation would eventually release him beyond its boundaries. His tracking spell had never failed him before.

Unfortunately, someone stood between him and the water.

An elegant woman dressed in azure robes calmly waited upon the lake's surface as though standing upon solid ground.

Right Hand immediately recognized her.

"Zhen Ai."

His voice carried unmistakable hostility.

"To think I would meet one of the lowly pets my precious sect once kept."

His grip tightened around his folded fan.

"I imagine the one challenging Lady Jin Hong is your new master, the Hermit Sage."

He knew her history well.

Zhen Ai had once belonged to the Sea Dragon Palace before being sold to the Heavenly Domain Sect. After escaping during the chaos surrounding an insignificant outer disciple, the entire sect had descended into turmoil. Search parties vanished one after another, and rumors spread that every force dispatched to retrieve the dragon had been annihilated.

Lady Jin Hong had ordered Right Hand and Left Hand to investigate the matter more closely, for her ladyship apparently wanted her Four Limbs the dragon's bloodline for herself.

The memory left a bitter taste in Right Hand's mouth, recalling the order to rape the dragon if the opportunity presented itself.

Right Hand had never admired the woman he served, nor had he taken pride in the tasks she imposed upon her servants. Yet none of that changed his conviction.

Zhen Ai had betrayed the Heavenly Domain Sect.

To Right Hand, the sect stood above every individual. Its teachings, traditions, and authority were sacred. Since childhood, his faith had been nurtured alongside his cultivation until reverence became absolute devotion. That unwavering belief, coupled with extraordinary talent, was precisely why the elders viewed him as the disciple most likely to ascend as the sect's next Immortal.

Zhen Ai regarded him with quiet amusement.

"So," she said with a faint smile, "are you still that old hag's boy toy?"

Right Hand gave a single nod, slowly unfolding his fan. "There is no need for pleasantries. We need only fight to the death."

"I agree," said Zhen Ai as her smile widened. "So you'd better do your best."

Right Hand almost laughed.

He could not understand where her confidence originated.

Her dragon bloodline was indeed extraordinary.

Even so, she remained only a Nascent Soul cultivator.

Right Hand unsealed his fan, and it instantly expanded into a massive war fan almost as tall as its wielder. Closed, it resembled a heavy iron staff. Open, each sharpened rib became a blade capable of cleaving steel.

"Zhen Ai," he intoned, pointing his war fan at her, "by the authority of the Heavenly Domain Sect, I declare your execution."

His spiritual sea erupted.

"Dao Domain: World of Nullification."

The surrounding world trembled. An invisible wave expanded outward from Right Hand’s position, swallowing everything in its path.

Wherever it passed, spiritual qi lost all activity, collapsing into its most inert state. The illusions blanketing the forest dissolved one after another. The twisting maze disappeared. Even the hidden pathways revealed themselves beneath the overwhelming suppression.

The Life Gate burst open.

A vast opening appeared beyond Zhen Ai, revealing a clear path leading out of the formation. Bright sunlight illuminated rolling meadows beyond the forest. For the first time since entering this cursed place, he saw freedom.

Confidence surged within him. His Dao Domain ranked among the greatest techniques of his generation. Even the elders of the Heavenly Domain Sect had praised its terrifying suppressive power. Within the World of Nullification, he stood unrivaled.

Then his confidence faltered.

The lake had disappeared. What he once thought was water had never been water at all. Its surface transformed into an endless sea of blackness where shadows continuously writhed and intertwined like living creatures. Elementals. Recognition dawned immediately. Right Hand had read countless ancient records describing elemental lifeforms born from the classical elements such as earth, fire, water, metal, and wood. But darkness? He had never encountered such a creature.

"Caw. Caw."

"Magnificent," the crows called out. "You truly saw through the illusion. You are worthy."

They no longer mocked him. Instead, they praised him.

Right Hand instinctively turned. Behind him stood an enormous tree whose crown vanished beyond the heavens themselves. Violent fluctuations of Immortal qi radiated from its direction, showing that Lady Jin Hong was still fighting.

"Don't lose focus."

Zhen Ai’s calm voice drew his attention back. A tiny crow landed gracefully upon her shoulder.

"Lady Zhen," the little crow said politely, "if it is you, then the Sage should be able to form a contract. This cultivator is unlike the others."

Zhen Ai nodded, her gaze remaining fixed on Right Hand.

"I suppose you're right." She smiled softly. "It has been long overdue. It is time I devoted myself to the Sage."

A radiant golden contract materialized beside her, ancient runes floating across its surface. The moment Right Hand saw it, his Danger Sense screamed in warning. He exploded forward.

The shadows beneath his feet suddenly surged upward. Dozens of Shadow Elementals emerged from the darkness, binding his limbs with chains of murky qi. Right Hand roared, his war fan spinning into a whirlwind of flashing steel that severed every chain surrounding him.

He shortly broke free.

However, he was one heartbeat too late.

The golden contract dissolved into countless motes of light that flowed into Zhen Ai. Her aura erupted violently. Her cultivation surged until it stabilized within the Soul Transformation realm.

Just as quickly, Zhen Ai began to transform as she assumed her beastly shape.

Azure scales spread across her skin.

Brilliant horns curved from her forehead.

Her body expanded with overwhelming majesty as an enormous azure dragon rose above the lake. Each movement stirred violent currents through the sea of shadows, while blazing dragonfire gathered deep within her throat.

The heavens themselves seemed to dim before her presence.

She lowered her head.

Her golden eyes met Right Hand's.

Then she exhaled.

A torrent of azure flame swept across the battlefield.

It was not ordinary fire. Every ember carried an authority that distorted the surrounding laws, tearing through spiritual qi itself.

Right Hand immediately poured every remaining ounce of strength into his Dao Domain. The World of Nullification expanded to its limit. The inert field struggled against the advancing dragonfire. For a single fleeting moment, the flames slowed.

Then the dragon’s breath shattered through the suppressed laws as though they were fragile glass. The Dao Domain collapsed.

The azure inferno engulfed Right Hand completely. His war fan disintegrated first, followed by his robes. His spiritual power vanished into the overwhelming blaze. He never uttered another word.

When the flames finally dispersed, nothing remained upon the shore. Only drifting ash scattered quietly across the dark waters, carried away by a wind that no longer belonged to the world outside the forest.