---
Ming sat calmly on the ground, as if entering a state of meditation.
He slowly sank deep into his consciousness—the Realm of Ryu.
This place was a repository for semi-spiritual beings capable of taking various forms: weapons, beasts, objects, or even deities. These entities were known as—Ryu.
Each Ryu possessed unique abilities depending on its origin and rank.
---
Within his mind,
Ming opened his eyes amidst the pitch-black void, as if in an empty, dark chamber.
"This Realm of Ryu… how strange it is."
He saw two glowing orbs floating in the darkness—undoubtedly, they were Ryu.
The first orb shone a pale gray-white, shaped vaguely like a hand. Yet no matter how hard he stared, he couldn't make out its exact form.
The second was a green light, shaped like a hand-sized bamboo leaf—resembling a sword or a blade.
---
"Second-rank Ryu—Bamboo Leaf Blade… and first-rank Ryu—Korn, the Thief."
Ming felt something stir within his memories.
"In the beginning, that bamboo blade didn't belong to him... How did he manage to steal it from someone else?"
He pondered for a moment, then remembered.
"Korn, the Thief."
Korn's main ability was to steal Ryu from others.
But stealing a Ryu came with risks—it could go berserk or refuse to acknowledge its new master.
---
At last, Ming understood.
"It lowered its own rank… to reduce the backlash?"
"Korn used to be second-rank... It downgraded itself in order to steal a higher-ranked Ryu with less risk."
He closed his eyes once more and withdrew his mind from the Realm of Ryu.
---
Back in the real world, Ming opened his eyes, slowly rose to his feet, and muttered:
"That ungrateful butterfly… by now, there's no way it escaped the grasp of the Heavenly Palace. Just thinking about it burns me with frustration."
He stood in thought for a moment before scanning for a way out of the forest. But before he could go far, the wind carried the distant sound of power—
A battle—between many people.
"Hmm..." Ming cautiously followed the sound.
---
As he neared the source, he concealed himself behind a large bush, eyes locked on a tall man locked in combat with nearly ten other men.
"That woman..." Ming whispered upon spotting a young lady behind the tall man.
"Isn't she the one that kid once protected?"
---
"Give it up, Chief Fang! Hand the girl over to the Demon Sect, and this will all end. I'm done wasting time!"
"Never! If survival means betrayal, I'd rather die!"
"Tch… So stubborn." snarled the man named Fei, launching another wave of attacks.
A thunderous clash rang out, and cracks appeared on Fang's golden-hued body.
"If we don't find a way to escape now, I won't be able to protect the young lady much longer..." he thought grimly.
---
Meanwhile, Ming continued watching in silence, wearing the cloak and mask he had taken from the three men earlier.
"The Demon Sect, huh…" He smirked subtly, as if a plan had just formed in his mind.
"How wicked could demons in this lower realm truly be?"