As Yang Mi stood momentarily lost in thought, her piercing amber eyes reflecting the deep intensity of her contemplation, Reon took the chance to turn and slip away.
His every instinct screamed caution—he knew all too well that dealing with someone like Yang Mi was akin to walking a razor's edge.
One misstep could prove fatal. But simply retreating wasn't enough. He needed to leave her with something to think about, to divert her attention from him and stir her curiosity further.
His steps were measured, but just before disappearing from her sight, Reon stopped. He glanced back over his shoulder, meeting her gaze with an expression carefully crafted to betray nothing but calm.
His voice, though soft, carried an air of mystery and a hidden depth that could sow doubt in even the most confident of hearts.
"Be careful," he said, his tone deliberately cryptic, "the one behind all of this is far more dangerous than you realize."
The words hung in the air between them, laden with hidden meaning. Reon knew well that Yang Mi's mind would immediately start racing, trying to decipher his statement, trying to figure out if he knew more than he let on.
He offered no further explanation, giving her just enough to question but not enough to find answers.
Without waiting for her response or risking a second glance, Reon turned on his heel and continued on his way, leaving Yang Mi standing in the dust of her own confusion.
Her initial fury had been interrupted by the complexity of his remark, and now she was lost in deep thought, her mind filling with questions she hadn't even realized she needed to ask.
Reon's heart, however, wasn't nearly as calm as his exterior had portrayed. He knew how dangerous Yang Mi could be, how quickly she could lash out. He had thrown a stone into still waters, and now all he could do was hope the ripples would work in his favor.
As he moved toward the Mystic Evergreen Forest, his pace quickened, but to any casual observer, it would appear as though he was merely walking at a steady, almost leisurely speed.
There was no sign of haste in his movements, yet beneath the surface, there was an urgency he couldn't quite shake. His footsteps fell in a rhythm that carried him swiftly forward, as though he were gliding over the ground with a practiced ease.
This seamless motion was due to his mastery of the Soulbound Beast Command Technique, a skill that allowed him to channel Cloudia's abilities subtly.
With this technique, Reon could mimic Cloudia's natural grace, moving faster than normal perception would allow while maintaining an air of calm composure.
It was almost as if time around him had slowed, his steps barely disturbing the air as he surged forward.
Within a matter of seconds, Reon passed the towering structure of the Weaponry Hall. As he moved, he cast a glance over his shoulder, his eyes scanning the area.
He was half-expecting to see Yang Mi following him, her intense gaze tracking his every step. But she was nowhere to be seen, and a small sigh of relief escaped his lips.
Satisfied that she wasn't tailing him, Reon turned his focus back to the path ahead. Reaching into his spatial ring, he retrieved a map, its surface glowing faintly as it materialized in his hand.
Earlier, at the Skyreach Mission Pavilion, Reon had been meticulous in his preparations. He had purchased two maps—one of the entire Outer Sect and another specifically detailing the Mystic Evergreen Forest.
Now that he possessed these, there was no need to rely on Xu Yang's guidance anymore. The map of the Outer Sect would serve as his guide, and the detailed one of the forest would lead him through the wilderness.
Reon unfolded the map, his eyes scanning the intricately drawn lines that represented the Outer Sect's vast landscape.
The Mystic Evergreen Forest was located in the southern region of the sect, and while he had known this much, the exact path had eluded him until now.
The sheer size of the Outer Sect, comparable to the scale of a large country on Earth, made navigating it without precise directions a daunting task.
Now, with the map in hand, he pinpointed the forest's location. The map displayed only the section known as the Outer Rim, or as the disciples often called it, the Beginner's Forest.
But this was just the beginning. The Mystic Evergreen Forest was far more vast than just the Outer Rim. It stretched over a distance that could easily be said to cover one-tenth of the entire Supreme Dao Sect's territory—a landmass as large as Earth itself.
The forest's deeper regions were home to unimaginable dangers, beasts that even the most skilled disciples feared.
As Reon traced the path from the Outer Rim and beyond, a surge of excitement mingled with trepidation coursed through him.
Ahead lay a journey filled with peril yet brimming with opportunities to grow stronger. He wasn't the same person he had been before arriving in this world, and soon enough, he would prove it.
With renewed determination, Reon folded the map and quickened his pace, stepping into the embrace of the Mystic Evergreen Forest, ready to face whatever awaited him.