Dark clouds covered the sky, and the rain poured endlessly.
At the edge of the village, at some unknown moment, a mass of pitch-black iron cavalry appeared. Every rider was armored and armed, their warhorses' eyes glowing red, and brilliant light swirling around their hooves.
Each warhorse radiated an overwhelming sense of oppression.
"Who are these people?!"
Kevin Qin and his group felt a killing intent so real it was almost tangible. Their internal force surged as they prepared for battle, staring at the iron cavalry at the village entrance, their expressions grim.
These horses were no ordinary steeds.
These men were no ordinary people.
The dense ranks of cavalry spread out, completely surrounding the entire village.
At a glance, the cavalry seemed to stretch endlessly, with no end in sight.
At the center of all the cavalry, a carriage drawn by nine strange beasts slowly advanced.
The carriage looked as if it were forged from pure gold, radiating golden light. A banner stood atop it, emblazoned with the characters 'Divine Wind.'
Each beast pulling the carriage had three heads, resembling tiger-wolves but fiercer. Their breath released clouds of white mist, their appearance terrifying, bodies covered in multicolored scales, exuding an air of majesty.
From inside the carriage, a hand slowly extended and waved lightly. Instantly, all the cavalry seemed to receive an order, advancing toward the village from every direction.
The cavalry swept through like locusts, destroying every house they passed and slaughtering all the villagers.
In an instant, the entire village was plunged into misery. Screams rang out one after another as villagers scattered in panic, but no matter how they fled, death was inevitable.
Blood stained the ground red.
Kevin Qin and the others turned pale, their bodies trembling. Their internal force surged to its peak, forming protective shadows around them.
Yet the cavalry seemed not to notice those hiding in the temple. No rider entered, nor did anyone glance their way.
The killing intent surged like a tide.
Soon, iron cavalry dragged a little girl out of a house in the middle of the village.
The little girl's face was deathly pale, her whole body trembling. She struggled desperately, crying and pounding on the cavalry's armor, but it was all in vain.
A boy chased after them, kicking at the cavalry, clinging to their legs, crawling and rolling, even biting, desperately trying to rescue the girl.
But he failed.
With a slight movement, the cavalry kicked him far away.
His small body crashed into the fence, shattering it. He trembled as he crawled up, rushed forward again, only to be kicked flying once more.
Again and again, he was battered and bruised.
"Should we help?"
Yvette's voice trembled. She had already recognized those two children—they were the pair who bought candied haw earlier on the street.
Now, the little boy's body was covered with wounds. He could barely stand, but stubbornly crawled forward, trying to reach the girl being carried away.
We...
Kevin Qin was about to speak when his expression suddenly changed.
Only then did everyone notice that, at some point, Evan Lin had already stepped forward.
Don't go!
Kevin Qin shouted, but Evan Lin ignored him.
This guy!
Jiang He’s expression changed as well. She hadn’t expected Evan Lin to dare step out at this moment!
He was facing countless iron cavalry!
The armor worn by these iron cavalry and their warhorses were unlike anything anyone had ever seen!
What do we do?
Someone asked, their face full of anxiety.
Stay here. I’ll go. If anything happens, try to break out!
Kevin Qin pulled Yvette back just as she was about to rush out, cautioned her repeatedly, then strode into the rain, following Evan Lin.
Evan Lin walked at a steady pace, his expression indifferent as he looked at the street around him.
Rain from the sky drenched them, bringing a chill, and the cold wind made it even more biting.
Along the roadside were shattered houses and villagers cruelly trampled to death by the iron cavalry.
The rainwater at their feet had already turned red.
Are you crazy?!
Kevin Qin quickly caught up to Evan Lin. Seeing an iron cavalry approaching, his expression changed, his internal force surged, and he struck at the rider with shadow power.
Yet, not even the expected roar sounded.
No sound of metal clashing.
Kevin Qin was stunned. He hadn’t felt any impact at all—his internal force vanished like a stone sinking in water, dispersing completely.
"The heavens are vast and lonely. In this lifetime, what is it that people truly seek?"
Evan Lin’s black hair whipped around his temples, his eyes calm. He walked between the ferocious cavalry and the panicked villagers, surrounded by corpses and ruins, never shifting his gaze.
Everyone from Yvette’s group focused their gaze on Evan Lin, watching the black-haired youth stride through the chaos. His tall figure gave them an indescribable feeling.
Evan Lin kept walking, stopping beside the battered boy lying on the ground. He looked down at the boy’s weak body, then turned his gaze to the girl being carried away by the cavalry.
The girl was being carried toward the carriage by the cavalry.
The carriage curtain lifted, and that same hand gently tapped the girl’s forehead. Instantly, her struggles ceased—she seemed to fall into a deep sleep, no longer resisting.
The iron cavalry retreated like a tide, leaving behind fires that burned in the rain and taking the girl with them.
The boy lay on the ground as if dead.
Days blurred by. On the third day, the boy finally awoke.
He clenched his fists, gritted his teeth, and howled his grief to the sky.
Peacebrook County under the Divine Wind Dynasty was erased from the world.
Evan Lin watched silently as the grieving boy dragged his battered body, stumbling toward the direction the cavalry had left, step by painful step, barely moving.
Step by step, he moved from near to far, until he vanished beyond sight.
What the hell was all this?
Kevin Qin still hadn’t recovered from everything he’d just seen.
Yvette and the others had already chased over from the temple.
"Are you okay? How could you just rush out alone like that? You could have died!"
Yvette was anxious, but couldn’t help scolding Evan Lin a bit.
Jiang He and the others were still badly shaken—the whole scene was just too intense. Even nearby, in the burned-out villages, they could see villagers’ severed limbs and remains.
It was terrifying.
"Why did it feel like watching a movie?" Yvette suddenly said. Everyone fell silent—they couldn’t explain what had just happened either.
"This is residual divine thought."
Evan Lin spoke calmly. The others were stunned and all looked at him.
"The Divine Wind Dynasty shone for an era, unmatched. The royal clan monopolized the world’s resources, and strong cultivators were everywhere—but in the end, it was destroyed."
"The boy who just left—if nothing unexpected happened—should be the one pointed out by the Everlost stele, the one surrounded by the Three-Headed Abyssal Serpent."
"Am I right or wrong?"
After Evan Lin finished speaking, his gaze was calm. He turned and looked toward the temple.
Yvette and the others were startled, all following Evan Lin’s gaze. Their hearts skipped a beat.
At some unknown moment, someone was standing quietly in front of the temple—solitary, spotless, as if detached from the world.