A few thousand miles away.
In a space deep within the Green Glory Palace, the air was thick with Spirit essence, so concentrated that it shimmered as visible white smoke.
The array formations that filled the chamber pulsed with raw power, an intricate Yantra serving as a conduit for a powerful 3rd order Spirit cultivation technique.
At the center of this energy-filled chamber sat the Green Glory Lord, his body hovering a few meters off the ground in serene meditation. For weeks, he had been here, isolated from the outside world, his focus solely on his cultivation.
Despite his youthful appearance—barely a wrinkle or sign of age, looking like a man in his early forties—Liyen Lowanfield had already lived for over three centuries, and his mastery over the elemental forces showed it.
As his eyes fluttered open, they emitted a sharp, blinding light, almost like the sun breaking through thick clouds. The very air around him responded. Lightning streaked out of nowhere, crackling in bluish arcs that danced around him like serpents.
The lightning then shifted color, taking on a deep green hue before forming the shape of a colossal tree behind him. Its branches spread rapidly, filling the chamber with electric energy, making it seem as though the very essence of the world was bending to his will.
But as quickly as the elemental chaos had surged, it vanished, returning the chamber to its former, eerie calm. The Green Glory Lord exhaled a long, turbid breath, releasing the tension in his body. His glowing eyes dimmed, and his breathing settled into a steady rhythm.
The Green Glory Lord had been awakened from his meditation. There was an interference that he hadn’t expected to encounter.
Physically, the Green Glory Lord was a striking figure. His jet-black hair flowed past his shoulders, streaked lightly with strands of silver, a symbol of his age and experience in a realm where time had little meaning compared to mortal standards.
His sharp, angular face carried a distinct air of authority. High cheekbones, a strong jaw, and piercing emerald eyes that gleamed with both wisdom and ruthlessness.
His robes, dark green and embroidered with silver threads that shimmered in the dim light, wrapped around him like a king’s mantle. Each movement, even the smallest, carried a sense of gravity, of power held in check.
The most striking feature about him, however, wasn’t his regal appearance or the visible strength radiating off his form—it was the subtle sense of dominance.
Even at rest, Liyen exuded an aura that could make seasoned 3rd realm cultivators hesitate. The kind of aura that only someone who had lived through centuries of battle and scheming could possess.
Slowly, the Green Glory Lord descended, his feet touching the ground for the first time in weeks. The smooth stone beneath him was cool, a contrast to the energy still tingling in the air.
“Who has the guts to interfere in my plans? Is it another Core Formation cultivator?”
His brow furrowed slightly, deep in thought. Something had disturbed him—a shift in the delicate balance he maintained with his disciples and his far-reaching plans.
Lini’s disappearance meant more than just losing a piece on the board. She carried his surname, a mark of her status as one of his core disciples.
This tradition of adopting surnames of one’s master to indicate their Dao lineage was something very common in the Green Glory Palace.
Though not his blood, Lini had been allowed the privilege of the Lowanfield name, a testament to her connection with the Green Glory Lord, and that carried certain expectations.
If someone had taken her or interfered with his plans for her, it would require a response. It was not only crucial in the Green Glory Lord’s plans to enter the Wild Devil Lands but also a matter of prestige for the Green Glory Palace.
He closed his eyes once again, focusing on one particular presence—Lini Lowanfield. Or rather, the absence of it. The tracking-type Essence Equation rune he had meticulously planted on her had disappeared just minutes ago.
Liyen’s lips tightened into a thin line.
“Hm? This is rather strange,” he murmured to himself, his voice deep and contemplative. “It would’ve been fine if she were killed. But she’s just disappeared into thin air? I can’t even confirm if she’s alive or dead.”
The Green Glory Lord’s frown deepened. He had expected many possible outcomes when he sent Lini on this mission. He knew she was a pawn in a larger game, an expendable one at that.
But this—this sudden erasure—wasn’t something he had foreseen. It wasn’t the work of someone simple, someone careless. This was calculated. Someone had blocked a way that could have allowed him to enter the Wild Devil Lands using a justifiable cause.
His mind raced as he weighed the possibilities. The rune wasn’t just an ordinary marker—it was designed to trace her every movement, whether in life or death. For it to disappear so completely meant something far more complex than a simple death.
“Has she been forcefully taken into an isolated dimension? But if that were the case, it would have triggered a different rune I planted on her.”
Not even a trace of life or death. It could only mean that her presence was being blocked by the powers of another Core Formation cultivator, or the method used to isolate her was beyond what he could handle.
“I guess I can’t enter the Wild Devil Lands just yet. This will need further investigation,” the Green Glory Lord finally concluded, already calculating his next move.
The Green Glory Lord reached into his robes and pulled out a sleek communication talisman, its surface shimmering faintly in the fading light. With a simple flick of his wrist, he sent it flying off into the distance, watching as it disappeared into the sky.
His expression remained unchanged as he stepped forward, his figure moving with fluid grace toward a nearby mountain peak.
Once he reached the summit, he stopped, hands clasped behind his back. The sun was dipping below the horizon, casting a warm orange glow across the vast green lands that stretched out endlessly before him.
It was a serene view, one that might calm a lesser man, but Liyen’s eyes remained sharp, reflecting the faintest hint of calculation.
He didn’t have to wait long.