Eklavya’s grip tightened around his sword as he shifted his stance protectively in front of Anshvi. His gaze swept over all five, silently gauging their threat. Each of them possessed the unmistakable bearing of trained cultivators—steady breath, focused eyes, ready killing intent simmering beneath calm expressions.

  But the man in the center immediately stood out.

  He had short, neat green hair that shifted like blades of grass under starlight and eyes of a matching shade that shone with arrogance born from power and position. He carried himself with the assurance of someone who believed the world itself bent around him.

  Pranayan Nair—Young Master of the Falling Leaf Sect. The strongest sect in the entire Mati Empire.

  The title alone made countless cultivators tremble, yet Eklavya’s expression didn’t waver. Instead, his mind stood there thinking, how to escape from there.

  Pranayan let his eyes roam over the battlefield—the twisted body of the beast they had slain, the scattered blood, the broken trees, the faint hum of lingering ki.

  A slow smile spread across his lips. “Well, well,” he drawled. “That was… impressive.”

  Eklavya didn’t answer the praise. His eyes flicked down to Anshvi—her lashes were trembling faintly, breath was shallow, her body stained with dust and blood. Then he looked up again with a cold expression. “What do you want?”

  Pranayan ignored him and instead allowed his gaze to linger on the beast carcass with mild interest, but Eklavya’s instincts screamed that the young master’s real interest wasn’t the beast. Something about the situation felt wrong to him.

  ‘I need to get out of here,’ he thought as his muscles tense. ‘They don’t seem like good people.’

  As he shifted slightly, his eyes caught the jade pendants hanging from each man’s waist—engraved with the Falling Leaf sigil. Eklavya’s heart sank. ‘Members from the Falling Leaf Sect… here? Why would they appear on this side of the forest?’

  Before he could continue pondering, Pranayan's attention finally drifted to Anshvi. His eyes widened slightly, then darkened with a different kind of interest. ‘She looks even prettier up close,’ he thought with a smirk tugging at the corner of his lips.

  Eklavya saw the look in his eyes immediately and something inside him flared with anger. “If you want the beast we killed,” Eklavya said, voice steady despite the storm inside of him, “you can have it. But let us leave first.”

  Without waiting for their response, he leaned down and gently lifted Anshvi in both arms. Her head rested against his shoulder, her hair brushing against his chest. Pranayan’s smile widened, but the warmth disappeared. “No,” he said coldly. “I don’t only want the beast.”

  His eyes sharpened. “Hand over that girl. Then I’ll let you leave safely.”

  Eklavya’s jaw tightened. “What if I refuse?”

  Pranayan’s response was laughter—mocking, carefree, dripping with arrogance. “Hahaha… refuse? You?” He shook his head. “Do you think you can escape from us? And even if you did… I am the young master of the Falling Leaf Sect. No matter where you run, I can find you.”

  The other four men smirked, unsheathing their weapons, their blades glinting under the moonlight.

  Eklavya’s mind raced. ‘I don’t have any options left…’

  He focused on the soul power token—now only one-fourth of its unsealed soul power remained. Using it all would cause severe backlash. He might not be able to move afterward. He might not even survive the side effects with all the injury and fatigue he had.

  But then his gaze fell on Anshvi—her peaceful, unconscious face despite her internal injuries. He took a slow breath. Even if he only had the slimmest chance… He would take it.

  He pulled Anshvi closer to his chest, holding her securely with one arm. The other hand reached for his sword. The token’s final soul power poured into his channels like a scorching flood.

  His veins felt like molten iron and pain stabbed through his bones but Eklavya gritted his teeth. A deep hum resonated through his body as his ki burst outward. His eyes shone a fierce, glowing blue. The ground beneath his feet cracked.

  Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author's consent. Report any sightings.

  At that very moment he made a breakthrough. The seventh stage of Chakra Opening, Crown Chakra Opening.

  Though unstable, the sudden breakthrough merged with the borrowed soul power twisting through his body. For a moment—just a brief, dangerous moment—his strength soared to rival a second-star Master Warrior.

  Pranayan’s eyes widened. “What—?”

  But Eklavya didn’t waste a single breath.

  He sprang upward, flipping his sword into the air. For a moment it glittered against the stars. His hands remained locked around Anshvi. Then, he caught the falling sword with his mouth and held Anshvi with both hands.

  A shock ran through the five cultivators. His entire body was now a blur of blue fire and swirling ki.

  “Stop—” Pranayan shouted.

  But Eklavya didn’t stop and why would he do that. With every shred of ki forced into his feet, he launched forward like a lightning bolt. Pranayan’s eyes widened further but unfortunately it was too late.

  A single swing—swift, brutal, and precise. The blood sprayed into the air.

  “AAAHHHH!” Pranayan’s scream shook the trees as his right arm flew off his body and hit the ground with a dull thud.

  “Kill him!!” he roared, face twisted in agony and hatred.

  But Eklavya was already gone—moving so fast that even the Grandmaster-level cultivator couldn’t catch him easily. The forest blurred around him. Leaves whipped past his face. The ground became a streak of dark green and brown beneath his feet.

  But Eklavya didn’t slow down. If he stopped—if he even hesitated—Anshvi would fall into their hands and he as well. And that was something he would never allow to happen.

  The terrain ahead shifted abruptly. A towering cliff wall rose up before him—jagged stone wrapped in thick layers of brush and long grass. He tried to halt, but he couldn’t. His legs carried too much momentum. The force of his movement was just, simply too great.

  ‘Dammit—!’

  As the mountain wall rushed toward him, he twisted his body at the last second. The bushes scraped painfully against his skin as he turned his back to protect Anshvi from the impact.

  Then the wall gave way. Instead of stone, his weight pierced through a thin veil of overgrown vines and brush.

  They tumbled through darkness and slid down a short slope of loose earth and roots. Eklavya hit the ground hard—his back slamming into jagged rocks, skin tearing, blood spreading across the dirt. The pain exploded throughout his body. But Anshvi landed safely atop him, barely jostling. It was a hidden ancient cave.

  The entrance had been completely concealed behind natural growth. Anyone passing by would never suspect its existence.

  Eklavya tried to move—but his limbs felt heavy. His vision blurred slowly. “Soul… power…” he muttered weakly.

  The backlash hit like a tidal wave. His entire body burned with agony and his every muscle trembled. His breath grew shallow. His consciousness slipped away and everything faded into darkness.

  ….

  Outside, the forest remained silent.

  The four cultivators searched the area frantically. They combed through the grass, broke bushes apart, inspected trees, even dug through the soil in irritation.

  But they never found the hidden entrance. The cave swallowed all sound and left no trace of Eklavya’s or Anshvi’s presence.

  Frustrated and unable to sense any ki signature from him, the men eventually retreated to regroup.

  …

  Meanwhile, far away from the forest, Jai stormed into the clan mansion despite his injuries. Dried blood stained the sides of his uniform. Several layers of bandages wrapped around his shoulder and left arm, still soaked with fresh red patches.

  He didn’t rest or even take a breath before heading straight to the clan leader’s room. He knocked on the door.

  “Come in,” a deep voice responded. Jai pushed the door open.

  Inside, Clan Leader Ishant sat at his round table, his hair tied loosely behind him, a stack of documents scattered before him. Candlelight cast warm shadows across the room.

  The moment Ishant looked up, his brows drew together.

  “What happened?” he asked immediately.

  Jai bowed slightly but winced as the movement tugged at his injuries.

  “Some mercenaries hired by Neewansh attacked our mine,” he reported. “It was fortunate that young master Eklavya and a girl beside him—who was in the Grandmaster Warrior realm—arrived and fought with us.”

  Ishant’s eyes narrowed in contemplation. A slow smirk spread across his lips.

  Jai blinked, confused. “They walked deeper inside the forest afterward. They were searching for something. Eklavya said he would return tomorrow evening.”

  Ishant leaned back in his chair, tapping his fingers against the table. “Was the girl’s name… Anshvi?”

  Jai’s eyes widened. “How do you know?”

  Instead of answering, Ishant waved his hand dismissively. “You go and rest for now. We’ll talk in the morning about mine.”

  Jai bowed again and left, closing the door behind him.

  The moment Ishant was alone, he let out a long breath and spoke softly to himself.

  “Eklavya… you saved her, brought her back alive on that day.” He chuckled lightly. “She has always had affection toward you. How much longer are you going to pretend you don’t see her feelings?”