Chapter 127: The Mysterious Woman

The night was cool like water, adorned with twinkling stars, and the moon had quietly climbed above the willow branches. Under normal circumstances, such a beautiful night scene would be worth savoring, but Lu Han was in no mood to appreciate it.

A mysterious woman blocked his path. They were complete strangers, and Lu Han felt entirely out of his depth.

Hidden behind a large tree, the Evil Wind Beast felt conflicted. Though it did not know the woman's true cultivation level, it sensed a glimmer of her origin, which explained its earlier reaction. Moreover, judging by her expression, she seemed to have come specifically for Lu Han.

"Could she be after the Nether Crow inheritance of the Great Sage Mingtian? That can't be right; she doesn't seem to need it..." the Evil Wind Beast muttered to itself. "Besides, this Lu fellow and I have signed the Evergreen Pact. If he meets with trouble, I won't be able to escape either." It wore an expression of human-like resignation.

Once the Evergreen Pact was signed, Lu Han became the master. If Lu Han suffered, the Evil Wind Beast would be implicated; if Lu Han died, the beast would share his fate. This was something most Starry Evergreen Pythons could never accept. As proud, ancient, and powerful spirit beasts, they viewed humans as a weak race. They would rather fall into an eternal slumber than surrender their lives to human control.

The Evil Wind Beast slithered forward, intending to help, but its instincts caused it to shrink back, leaving only its head visible as it watched Lu Han and the mysterious woman.

"Master Evil Wind should probably make a tactical retreat," the beast mumbled. "I shall focus on observation. Yes, observation. Lu Han has only just received the Nether Crow inheritance and cannot yet unleash the full power of the *Nether Crow Soul Canon*. If he could push it to the limit, he might have a chance, but as it stands now..."

The Evil Wind Beast recognized a trace of the woman's origin and knew that Lu Han had no chance at all.

The more it thought, the more restless it became. It had hoped that after leaving the small pocket dimension of the Great Sage Nether Crow and signing the pact with Lu Han, it could start anew, quickly regain its original strength, and roam the Heaven Domain Continent freely. It never expected to be targeted the moment it was sent out of the inheritance space by the Nether Crow Throne.

"Why is Master Evil Wind so miserable? Ever since I followed the Great Sage Mingtian, I spent my days cultivating in that small dimension. Just when I achieved something and thought I could finally leave, the Great Sage fought the Great Sage Qiongqi. Although he won, he suffered incurable wounds and descended here, forcing me into a slumber. My strength is not even one-ten-thousandth of what it was, and now this... Awoo~" The beast let out a mournful howl.

Lu Han noticed the beast and, hearing its sudden, wretched cry, couldn't help but frown. "That mangy snake, what's it raving about now? It's clearly a snake, so why is it howling like a wolf, and so miserably at that?"

Lu Han had been tense facing the mysterious woman, but the beast's antics slightly diffused the oppressive atmosphere. The woman noticed the beast as well, casting a glance its way.

"To possess two ancient bloodlines," she remarked inwardly with surprise. Then, her gaze returned to Lu Han. To her, the object was what mattered most.

"Hand it over," she said in a cold, crisp voice, as if unwilling to waste another word.

As she spoke, Lu Han felt the temperature in the air drop significantly. He was bewildered; he had never met this woman before and certainly didn't remember taking anything of hers.

"Miss, I believe there might be some misunderstanding," Lu Han said with a bow.

"Although it seems to have been modified, I cannot be mistaken about that aura. Grandfather Wu sensed it clearly as well. Since you will not hand it over, I shall take it myself," the woman thought.

An ancient pressure emanated from her. Her white dress fluttered without a breeze as she took a graceful step, her toes lightly touching the ground, and she transformed into a white phantom, charging straight at Lu Han.

Lu Han gritted his teeth. Though he didn't know why she was attacking or what her cultivation level was, he would not sit idly by. He extended his right palm, the circulation path of the *Heavenly Frost Energy* already etched in his mind, and white, primordial frost energy surged from his palm, nearly overflowing. Simultaneously, he manifested the *Heavenly Garment*, a visible film of energy forming over his upper body.

"Roar!" Lu Han let out a shout of excitement.

Having entered the Innate realm and with his combat power fully unleashed, Lu Han was far stronger than he had been in the Evil Wind Cave. He was confident that if he were to face Jia Cheng again, he could defeat him within two moves. He had used his full strength from the start; when the woman appeared, the Nether Crow phantom within his Niwan Palace had trembled. The Nether Crow was an ancient, supreme frost beast, as famous as the Great Sun Golden Crow and even rarer. Seeing it feel threatened was rare indeed, so Lu Han held nothing back.

In the blink of an eye, the woman reached him, her slender palm slashing toward him. Lu Han felt his heart sink at the pressure; the power behind this strike was surely no less than that of his father, Lu Tianhong. He gritted his teeth, knowing there was nowhere to retreat. The energy film on his body flared. Since mastering the *Heavenly Garment*, his physical strength had far exceeded his peers, and after advancing to the Innate realm, it had climbed even higher.

"Bang!"

Their palms collided. A visible shockwave of force erupted between them, sweeping outward. Suddenly, Lu Han felt an immense force surge through his palm.

"Bang!"

Lu Han was sent flying instantly, crashing into the very tree behind the Evil Wind Beast. The beast covered its eyes with its tail, muttering, "Master Evil Wind knew this would happen. I couldn't bear to watch!"

"Boom!"

Lu Han slammed into the trunk. The mysterious woman's expression remained unchanged as she slowly walked toward the fallen Lu Han. As a few leaves fluttered down onto the Evil Wind Beast's head, it lowered its tail.

"Hey, Lu! I say... run!" The beast had intended to say more, but seeing the woman approaching, it chose to flee with complete lack of loyalty.

"Cough, cough... Is the gap really this wide?" Lu Han coughed twice. He hadn't used any martial techniques, but that palm strike was something even an average second-level Innate expert would struggle to withstand.

"Come with me," the woman said as she approached him. Lu Han found it strange; though she was speaking to him, he felt as if she were addressing someone else entirely.

Just as the woman prepared to strike again, a brilliant white light erupted from Lu Han's body. The mysterious frost bead reacted once more, enveloping both the woman and Lu Han within its glow.

The Evil Wind Beast, having reached a safe distance, was left dumbfounded. "Can someone tell Master Evil Wind what just happened?"