Reon's vision blurred, edges darkening as his grip on sciousness slipped further with every sed.

  Paihrough his body with a fierd unyielding bite, a sensation that ran deeper than any physical blow he had ever known.

  Even the brutal beating Yang Lie had once giveaiyang paled in parison to this, for Reon had only felt the aftershock of that suffering.

  But here, here in this forest fag death's own shadow, there was no esg it. He felt every crack, every pulse of pain, as if his very bones had turo shards of fire inside him.

  Each shallow breath felt like it might be his st. Yet, through the fading slivers of sciousness, he could still make out Cloudia beside him. Her figure blurred and flickering in his vision, bruised and battered, she struggled to rise.

  Seeing her determination through the haze, Reon gritted his teeth and pushed against his own broken body, f himself upright.

  Blood coated his lips as he tasted the bitter metal tang, but he refused to let his spirit surreo the darkness ing into his vision. That fire—however faint—still burned hotter than his wounds.

  Around them, the forest seemed to close in, heavy shadows darkening as the Shadow Cw Bear loomed closer, its guttural growl eg like distant thunder.

  Reon's heartbeat slowed, each pulse a solemn reminder of how thin the line was between life ah. He couldn't let it end here. Not yet.

  Mustering his st reserve of strength, Reon reached into his spatial ring and pulled out a Healing Pill he had wisely purchased from the Skyreach Mission Pavilion.

  With a bored breath, he swallowed it, feeling the warmth of the pill spread slowly through him as he absorbed its restorative properties.

  eling his Qi to amplify the healing effects, he felt a flicker of relief as his pain eased—though only marginally, enough to stand but far from enough to fight. They were still ered, still broken.

  "Cloudia," he gasped, his voice strained but determined. She looked up at him, eyes fierd unwavering through her own agony. "This isn't over."

  Their gazes met, and in that silent exge, Reo a surge of pliahe forest might be wild and unfiving, the beast ruthless, but together they would face it. Bloodied, broken—but not defeated.

  They couldn't run any lohey would have to fight here, even if it cost them their lives.

  The beast prowled closer, its steps slow and calcuted, like it was sav the moment, relishing their fear.

  It seemed to uand they were too weakeo pose ahreat; this was a game, a cruel mockery of the power it held over its prey.

  Reon knew well that mas grew stronger by dev the Primal Cores of their kind, but they also feel delighted in increasing their own strength by feeding on human cultivators just as human would on powerful beast meat to advaheir cultivation.

  Without warning, Cloudia surged forward, eling what little strength she had left, and unched herself at the Shadow Cw Bear.

  Her cw was a blur of silver as she unleashed a flurry of attacks, each strike faster tha, her movements desperate yet precise.

  She poured everything she had into those blows, sshilessly, and for a moment, her fierce assault seemed endless.

  But against the massive bear, it was as if a mosquito were biting a tiger. Her strikes barely scratched the beast's hide, leaving only shallow lines across its thick fur, mere annoyao something so vast.

  Reon watched in horror as the beast raised its massive cwed paw and swung at her with devastating force.

  This time, it didn't hold back. The blow nded squarely, and Cloudia was hurled backward, her body crashing into a tree again with a siing thud.

  She crumpled at the base, barely moving, her breaths shallow and bored. The blow had been brutal—fatal, if she couldn't stand.

  And now, the beast's dark, merciless eyes turoward him. Reon could see the glint of savage amusement in them, a knowing look that told him it relished the game, sav his weakness.

  It wanted him to suffer. A wave of helplessness settled over him like a stone in his chest, heavier than the pain that throbbed through his shattered body.

  He forced his mind to cut through the haze of agony, reag for any ce, any desperate pn. Should he use the Sword Aura prehension Card?

  It could unleash Sword Aura, though he had no idea at what stage. Even if it was only the Awakeage, it might be enough to let them escape.

  But if he couldn't stabilize its wild energy afterward, he risked being crippled for life—a cost he'd dreaded too much to pay until now.

  He'd hoped for a quiet, safe pce to cultivate, where he could stabilize the aura within himself and make it firm. But with the beast prowling closer, each thunderous step shaking the ground, he could feel that opportunity slipping through his fingers.

  "Damn it!" he hissed, tasting blood on his lips.

  If he was going to die, he wouldn't go quietly. He'd take the beast down—or die trying.

  And if luck favored him with a higher stage of Sword Aura, he might even make it out alive.

  Fists ched, he made his choice. This would end on his terms.