"You mean you wish he'd carry all of it again. Poor guy never even complained." Yuan Ping chuckled.

Wu Shuan smiled faintly. "He did once. Remember when his knees gave out after Elder Qing made him carry those Heavy Black Iron Ore boxes? He swore his spine would split in two."

"Yeah, those are so dense. Even a single box is almost a ton." A disciple chuckled. "And he carried two!"

Their laughter was quiet but genuine, breaking some of the tension in the air.

Han Yu's lips curved slightly, though his eyes remained watchful.

He too missed Fatty Kui's presence. The man's cheerful complaints and endless appetite had been a strange comfort during previous missions. Without him, the group felt quieter, sharper, and a bit heavier in mood.

Still, this was no time for nostalgia. The forest ahead was thick with mist, and every shadow between the trees seemed to hide intent. Han Yu could feel faint traces of beasts' Qi; scents of fur, musk, and blood lingering along the wind.

"Let's move," he ordered.

The group began their advance.

Each step was measured and deliberate, their boots sinking slightly into the moss-covered ground. Strange plants glowed faintly under the illusionary daylight, and some of their leaves even pulsed with hints of inner luminescence.

A few times, they came across claw marks gouged into trees as thick as city pillars. Some marks were old and faded, others still fresh and glistening with sap.

Luo Ruyan stopped briefly to examine a claw print embedded in the mud. "This belongs to a beast at least mid Core Condensation. Something heavy with strong limbs. We should be close."

Han Yu gave a small nod. The reports said the meadow was guarded by a beast, and the signs confirmed it. Still, the group needed to remain cautious.

Hours passed slowly as they traversed the uneven terrain.

The silence between them was broken only by the crunch of twigs and the distant calls of unseen creatures. Occasionally, the air would vibrate faintly, as if the forest itself was alive and whispering in forgotten tongues.

At one point, Han Yu halted suddenly, raising his hand. The others froze instantly. A faint ripple of Qi brushed against his senses... something had shifted in the flow of the surroundings.

He didn't speak, only pointed to his right. Wu Shuan followed the gesture, his fingers tightening around his sword. A second later, the disturbance faded, leaving behind only stillness.

Yuan Ping exhaled. "Probably a beast watching us from afar."

Han Yu shook his head. "Maybe. Or it could be the some hidden array underfoot."

They all knew that the inner realm was not natural.

Even though forests, rivers, and mountains filled its landscape, every stone and tree was still shaped by the grand formation sustaining the realm's existence. Occasionally, faint lines of inscriptions would glimmer across the ground before vanishing again, reminding everyone that this was an illusion made solid, a painting pretending to be a world.

Just as he was about to signal to continue walking, one of the disciples to his left whispered, "How far are we from the meadow exactly?"

"About forty kilometers more from here," Han Yu replied absently, eyes fixed ahead.

The disciple nodded and took a step forward. But before his foot could land, a low growl rolled through the forest. It was deep and resonant, vibrating through the ground beneath them.

Han Yu's expression hardened.

"Positions!" he barked.

The growl turned into a roar.

From the shadows beyond the meadow, movement erupted. Not one but three beasts burst forth, their bodies blurring with speed. The ground quaked as claws tore through soil and bark.

The lead creature, a wolf-like beast with red eyes, lunged toward them, fangs flashing with spiritual light.

"Defensive formation!" Wu Shuan shouted, his sword sweeping forward in a gleaming arc.

The disciples reacted instantly, forming a loose half-circle around Han Yu and Wu Shuan. Qi surged as talismans ignited, forming barriers of light and flame.

Han Yu drew his halberd in a single, fluid motion. The weapon's blade caught the illusionary sunlight, gleaming like molten silver.

"So much for a single beast," he muttered.

Han Yu's eyes tracked the beasts, while his Spirit sense scanned their cultivation bases.

'Three Peak Qi refining realm beasts... Not too difficult.' Han Yu thought, though he was more worried about this attracting the attention of more beasts, than being able to deal with these beasts.

The first wolf lunged at him, jaws wide. Han Yu sidestepped and swung the halberd upward in a sweeping strike. The weapon's edge met the beast's jaw with a ringing crack, sending it sprawling to the side.

Another beast followed, claws outstretched toward Wu Shuan. He parried with his spear, deflecting the blow before countering with a thrust aimed at its chest. The impact sent a shockwave rippling through the air.

Han Yu caught sight of a third beast circling behind them. He pivoted, channeling Spirit Qi into his weapon, the halberd's tip glowing faintly. The strike that followed was precise, splitting the air with a sound like thunder.

The beast yelped, blood spraying across the grass.

The forest exploded with chaos. Leaves whirled in the air, Qi rippled violently, and the illusionary sky above dimmed as if reacting to the clash below.

Han Yu's mind sharpened into focus, instincts guiding his every move. He could feel the pull of the realm's Qi, distorted and turbulent, but he ignored it. For now, there was only the battle.

He shouted over the noise, voice calm but commanding. "Hold the line! Aim for their legs and throats! Don't scatter!"

The disciples obeyed, pushing forward with renewed coordination.

Though the beasts were fierce, the group's strength was not lacking. Blow by blow, they began to turn the tide. Yet in the depths of Han Yu's perception, something darker stirred beneath the forest floor—a whisper of Qi that did not belong to the beasts, nor to the realm's natural pulse.

Something was watching.

And it was waiting.

The battle had only just begun.