He straightened slowly, watg as the ripples distorted his refle, scattering the sharp features of his new face across the ke's surface. For a moment, the image seemed to symbolize his transformation—a blending of the man he once was and the person he now inhabited.

  He capped the bottle, the weight of the water in his hand grounding him as he stood tall, his gaze fixed on the distant horizon.

  The stillness of the moment brought crity, and his heart swelled with an unshakable determination.

  The man who once bore this face had been vain, arrogant, and reckless—a soul whose ambition burned hot but direless, ed by its own fire. Xue Taiyang's choices had led him to ruin, a waste of potential.

  But now, that wasted potential had been gifted to Reon, a sed ce sculpted in blood and fate.

  A faint smirk curled at his lips, not a of a quiet fidence fed through hardship. "This face, this body... they're mine now," he murmured to himself. His tone was resolute, the words a decration.

  "I won't squahem like you did, Taiyang. I'll fe a path sht it will blind anyone who dares to look."

  Reon ched his free hand, his knuckles whitening as the cool breeze rustled the leaves above him.

  He felt the weight of his past life mingling with the responsibilities and opportunities of this ohere was no room fret or hesitation.

  The mistakes of his predecessor would not define him. He would carve a destiny on his terms, a legacy that would not crumble like the ashes of Taiyang's.

  Turning back toward the makeshift camp, he walked with a steadihat spoke of quiet strength. His footsteps were firm, each step forward a reje of the shadows that had oned Xue Taiyang's life.

  The little white cat peeked at him from where it led near Cloudia, its luminous eyes wide and curious.

  Cloudia too seemed to catch the ge, her head lifting proudly as if to match her master's newfound resolve.

  Reohe filled bottle among the cooking tools and cast o g the shimmering ke.

  It was as if he was leaving behind the final remnants of the man who had once owhis life, stepping fully into his owy.

  He wasn't Xue Taiyang anymore. He wasn't just Reoher.

  He was someone new.

  .

  .

  .

  The inner disciples of the Supreme Dao Sect trudged through the dense foliage of the Whispering Grove, their expressions a mix of eagerness and exhaustion.

  Days of relentless searg had worn them down, but the prospect of capturing two high-priority targets spurred them onward.

  They weren't just looking for the traitor who had betrayed their gang; they were also chasing a creature of legend, a beast whose very existence could skyrocket their reputations.

  As they moved, their leader, a tall and sharp-eyed young mahe way, his tone anding as he addressed his rades.

  "Big Brother, the beast went that way!" one of the disciples excimed, pointing to a trail of broken branches and faint cw marks.

  "Good," the leader replied, his voice steady with authority. "Let's follow it. That little monster might be weak right now, but even injured, it gave us a fight worth remembering. We spent half an hour just wounding it with all our strength bined! A Legendary Lineage Beast... it's beyond anything we've ever seen in these nds."

  The disciples nodded in agreement, their excitement palpable. One of them smirked and added, "Once ture it and present it to Young Master Niu, he'll be so pleased. Maybe... maybe he'll even bring us into his family!"

  "I hope so," another chimed in, his voice tinged with longing. "To think I doubted it was a Legendary Lineage Beast at first! But after seeing its true form in battle, I 't believe such a creature exists here in the Mystic Evergreen Forest or eveire Sleeping Dragon ti. Even in its extremely weakeate, its power was undeniable."

  The leader gnced back at the speaker, pride gleaming in his eyes. "I reized it immediately," he said, his tone dripping with self-satisfa.

  "How, Big Brother?" one of the younger disciples asked curiously. "We've all heard of Legendary Lineage Beasts in stories, but none of us have seen one before. How did you know?"

  The leader grinned, his chest puffing out as he began his expnation. "My family serves as a vassal to one of the great Hunter Noble Families in the Zhenou Kingdom of the Eastern Provihose hunters specialize in capturing and trading rare beasts across tis.

  They taught us everything about beast lineages, even gave us access to their best books. I read about this creature—its unique markings, its aura of majesty—and I saw its image in one of their tomes. Only the Supreme rulers and their desdants of the Beast ti, the Howling Wilds ti, have Legendary Lihey possess the Bloodline of Divis."

  The younger disciples stared in awe, hanging on his every word.