A hand appeared out of nowhere, lightly slapping Henderson's claw.
An unstoppable force exploded in that instant.
Henderson screamed and was sent flying backward.
His claw was already broken, dangling limply in front of him.
"There's someone else here!"
Henderson's voice was full of terror and resentment.
He glared fiercely at the person standing next to Autumn Zheng, then, without a moment's hesitation, unfurled his wings and turned to flee.
Moriah and the others were already completely finished.
Fear was spreading inside Henderson.
Six golden-grade elites, even with the Blood Moon Gem's boost, couldn't defeat Master Lin from Seacrest—they were cut down, five out of six!
This guy is even more vampiric than the Blood Clan themselves!
Now, another stranger appeared and casually broke his claw!
Henderson was on the verge of total collapse.
He couldn't wait to escape and return to the Dark Sacred Court!
"Stay right where you are."
A flash of sword-light streaked through the air behind him.
The sword-light pierced right through Henderson's forehead.
His body crashed to the ground.
The Blood Moon Gem in the sky completely lost its energy; its red glow faded and it dropped from midair.
Evan Lin walked forward, picked up the now powerless gem, and stored it in his Spatial Ring.
He casually flicked his finger, sending a few sparks flying right onto Henderson and the others.
Within a few breaths, they turned to ash.
Second-floor balcony.
Autumn Zheng, still shaken, looked pale.
She stared at the unfamiliar woman standing nearby, still in a daze.
"You... thank you for just now."
Autumn Zheng hesitated; the woman before her gave off a cold and powerful vibe from head to toe.
Her face showed little expression; she simply looked at Autumn Zheng's face up close.
The feeling made Autumn Zheng very uncomfortable.
Just in that moment...
She thought the person who came was Azure Dragon.
In the past, whenever danger appeared, Autumn Zheng always managed to turn misfortune into blessing.
She knew Azure Dragon was hiding in the shadows, just never showing himself.
But this time, she felt a hint of disappointment.
Vermilion Bird said nothing.
She was about the same age as Autumn Zheng.
Autumn Zheng was looking at her, and she was looking right back at Autumn Zheng.
"If nothing's wrong, shouldn't you go back to sleep? Need me to find you a room?"
Evan Lin jumped up from the first floor, landing on the balcony.
He stood beside Autumn Zheng, glanced at Vermilion Bird, and sized her up with interest.
"Weren't you afraid I wouldn't save her?"
Vermilion Bird ignored Evan Lin's words, instead looking at him and asking.
When Henderson attacked, Vermilion Bird originally had no intention of showing herself.
Just like how she always watched from the shadows while Evan Lin fought the six Blood Clan, never stepping in to help.
But Vermilion Bird didn't expect Evan Lin would really put Autumn Zheng in danger.
In that moment, if she hadn't acted, Autumn Zheng's only outcome would have been death.
"Even if you didn't intervene, Henderson wouldn't have succeeded."
Evan Lin had backup plans; he shook his head.
Another bout of silence.
"Thank you."
Autumn Zheng thanked him again, asked Evan Lin a quick question, and only left once she confirmed he was unharmed.
She'd only come out to the balcony because she couldn't sleep and wanted some fresh air.
But ended up witnessing all those scenes by accident.
Autumn Zheng was exhausted and didn't have the energy to ask much more.
No surprise, Henderson and the person who ruined Liana Zheng came from the same place.
Evan Lin didn't say anything, so Autumn Zheng didn't ask further.
"Go to bed early later."
Vermilion Bird watched Autumn Zheng leave, standing there motionless.
"What exactly is the Dark Sacred Court?"
Once Autumn Zheng was gone, Evan Lin finally asked.
From Vermilion Bird's calm expression, it was clear she knew plenty about the Dark Sacred Court.
"It's the gathering place for Western dark creatures—a bunch of monsters who worship a dark god nailed beneath the deep sea."
Vermilion Bird spoke, her voice icy.
She looked at Evan Lin: "The six golden-grade elites who came just now had strength between third and first tier of the Pointing-to-Mystery Realm."
"You took on all six alone... and even shattered the monster they fused into. That surprised me."
Vermilion Bird's gaze grew a bit more complicated as she spoke.
"If I couldn't win, you wouldn't step in either?" Evan Lin asked curiously.
He really hadn't sensed any intent from Vermilion Bird to help him out.
From start to finish, this woman just watched coldly from the sidelines.
"If you can't win, you'll die."
Vermilion Bird didn't hesitate at all, speaking coldly: "Unless you beg me."
"Beg you?" Evan Lin shook his head at her words.
This woman really gave people a bad feeling.
Back when they first met, she immediately fought Evan Lin.
She was like a stone—hard and unyielding.
Her words weren't pleasant either.
"Alright, enough. Let's talk about the Dark Sacred Court. That 'Holy Lord' they mentioned—how strong is he?"
"A Holy Lord's strength should be about the same as our Hidden Dragon, but I've never actually fought one, so I can't say for sure." Vermilion Bird shook her head.
"It's best not to let Azure Dragon know about tonight's events."
She glanced at Evan Lin, speaking seriously: "If he finds out, he'll definitely make a trip to the Dark Sacred Court."
"But right now, he has a lot more urgent things to do. Compared to the Mysterious Ruins, the Dark Sacred Court is trivial."
Vermilion Bird finished speaking and said nothing more.
Her figure melted back into the darkness.
Evan Lin didn’t try to stop her from leaving.
"Dark Sacred Court."
Evan Lin stood on the balcony, his Spatial Ring flashing faintly.
In his palm...
...was the Blood Moon Gem, now completely dimmed.
Its energy was nearly depleted.
Evan Lin looked closely and saw half a drop of blood inside, its shine utterly faded.
Though its energy was gone, the gem still brimmed with a sinister aura.
"Who knows what kind of blood this even is."
"The Dark Sacred Court... Sooner or later, I'll have to pay them a visit myself."
Evan Lin frowned.
He'd thought the Holy Lord would come after him, so he could deal with him then and there.
But it turned out only small fry showed up.
All that waiting for days was for nothing.
The West.
An ancient castle perched atop a mountain peak.
Roxas, dressed in a robe and draped in a wool blanket, sat on a bench. A gem-encrusted cane lay beside him as he waited quietly for news.