Kara's every movent carried an unconscious allure.
Her figure was already outstanding, and even the loose black dress she wore could not conceal her proud curves. Each step, each subtle sway of her waist, seed to carry a quiet temptation that was difficult to ignore.
"…"
Ethan fell silent for a mont. A fleeting trace of surprise crossed his eyes before vanishing just as quickly.
Senior Sister is not simple, he thought calmly. If I keep playing with fire, I might be the one who gets burned.
"Cough, cough."
He deliberately took a step back and coughed, feigning composure.
"What's wrong, Junior Brother?" Kara tilted her head, eyes bright. "Did you catch a cold?"
She leaned closer, smiling faintly.
"How about I help you warm your bed tonight?"
Ethan's expression remained calm, his voice steady.
"The Training Trial Secret Realm is full of dangers. It's not suitable for that kind of thing."
"Let's wait until we leave the Training Trial Secret Realm."
Kara raised an eyebrow, clearly amused.
She found her junior brother increasingly interesting. Calm when he should be tempted, restrained when others would lose control—such composure was rare.
Ethan did not continue the conversation. He turned away, sat cross-legged on the futon, and entered ditation.
When dawn arrived, Ethan slowly opened his eyes.
He stood and walked to the cave entrance.
The morning light was faint and slightly hazy. The golden sun rose above the horizon, dispersing the thick red mist that had blanketed the land throughout the night.
The murderous tide receded like a retreating beast, and the world gradually returned to clarity.
The sky was cloudless and blue. The forest looked peaceful and tranquil.
Yet no one knew how many lives had ended in the darkness, or how many had barely survived the night.
"Junior Brother Ethan, you're awake."
Kara also opened her eyes and followed his gaze outside.
"Senior Sister Kara," Ethan said, "pack up. We're leaving."
Kara nodded. She stood up, took out a basin of spiritual water from her storage ring, and quickly washed her face and hands, tidying her appearance with practiced ease.
A mont later, Ethan leapt into the air and flew toward the west.
Kara hurriedly followed.
"Junior Brother, why are you going so fast?" she complained lightly.
"As I said last night," Ethan replied without slowing down, "the dayti in the Training Trial Secret Realm is extrely short. At night, there's the murderous tide. We can't afford to waste daylight."
His speed increased again.
According to the jade slip's guidance, Elara was nearby—most likely in the valley to the west.
"Junior Brother, slow down! I can't keep up!"
Kara was already breathing a little harder.
Ethan paused, glanced back, and shook his head.
"Forget it. I'll carry you."
Before Kara could react, Ethan flashed to her side.
She subconsciously thought he would wrap an arm around her waist.
Instead, he grabbed her waist firmly—
and lifted her up like luggage.
Phew!
Golden light streaked across the sky as Ethan shot forward.
Kara's long hair whipped wildly in the wind, her posture completely ungraceful.
"…(#￣～￣#)"
.....
Elara and Risa stood atop a thick, ancient tree.
Elara held onto a sturdy branch with one hand, while Risa crouched lightly on the trunk. Both of them scanned the surroundings cautiously.
Below them stretched a vast swamp.
Towering trees rose from the marsh, their crowns spreading wide like canopies that blocked most of the sunlight. Only scattered rays pierced through the dense leaves, casting fragnted patches of light on the murky water.
The swamp surface was covered with algae and fallen leaves. The water lay eerily still, betraying no sign of movent.
"Miss," Risa asked quietly, "should we continue forward? Or go back and wait for Mr. Ethan?"
Elara studied the area carefully.
"According to the map, this swamp spans dozens of miles. It's marked as dangerous."
"Yet it looks far too peaceful."
Risa extended her perception, probing beneath the surface.
The swamp water was shallow—generally only two or three feet deep, with occasional darker pits slightly deeper.
In theory, such terrain was easy to navigate for cultivators with sharp perception.
Aside from so plants, small fish, and shrimp, there was no trace of monsters.
"That's exactly why it feels strange," Elara said softly. "It's too quiet."
"The Training Trial Secret Realm is known for danger. What we see may only be the surface."
After a brief pause, she made a decision.
"Let's leave the swamp for now. We'll return to the resting place from last night and wait for Mr. Ethan there."
"Understood," Risa nodded imdiately.
Though she was an Upper Supre—albeit suppressed—she did not underestimate this place.
In the Training Trial Secret Realm, caution was always the right choice.
Moreover, she was also curious about Ethan.
She had missed the chaos he caused in the Sky family due to seclusion and had only heard rumors afterward.
People said Ethan was so powerful that even Tyler, the commander-in-chief of Heavenly Palace, was deeply wary of him.
Risa was skeptical.
If Ethan truly possessed such strength, how could he enter the Training Trial Secret Realm at all?
The rules were absolute—Ultimate Supres were forbidden, even if they suppressed their realm.
She believed Ethan was strong, but perhaps the stories were exaggerated.
"Let's go."
Elara leapt down, turning back the way they ca.
The two of them moved swiftly from tree to tree, light and agile like forest spirits.
Within a quarter of an hour, they exited the edge of the swamp and returned to their resting place.
It was a massive tree hollow.
The dead tree was several tis thicker than any other nearby, its surface petrified and hard as stone. No one knew how long it had stood there.
The previous night, Elara and Risa had discovered this hollow, set up a barrier, and safely endured the murderous tide.
"Miss," Risa asked, "when will Mr. Ethan arrive?"
"He gave a jade token linked to my location," Elara replied calmly.
"As long as we don't move around too much, he'll find us."
As she spoke, she took out a green jade token.
At that mont, the jade token suddenly glowed.
"It reacted!"
Elara's eyes lit up.
"What is it, Miss?" Risa asked.
"When the jade token reacts, it ans Ethan has entered its sensing range."
"He's very close."
"That's good," Risa nodded.
Being able to endure the entire night alone in the Training Trial Secret Realm was already proof of Ethan's capability.
Here, surviving the murderous tide required proper shelter, such as caves and tree hollows.
A/N:
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