Among the many buildings, only a handful showed any sign of light.

"You all should go."

"Senior Sister Brooks..."

Yvonne Brooks just sat there, and in that instant, it was as if he had lost the entire world—his expression desolate and bleak.

She gripped the standard longsword of Yunlai Sword Sect tightly in her hand, and before him stood a group of five—five disciples of Yunlai Sword Sect.

Each of the five carried their luggage on their backs.

Their intentions were already abundantly clear.

"Senior sister, we're sorry... we'll take our leave first." The disciples bowed slightly and walked out.

When they reached the door, they seemed still uneasy, glancing back at the lost and broken Yvonne Brooks, sighing softly, and then closed the courtyard gate for her...

Darkness crept in silently...

Deathly silence enveloped the courtyard, leaving nowhere to hide...

Where once the Yunlai Sword Sect would occasionally echo with coughs, now it truly resembled a ghostly domain—utterly silent. The empty courtyard, shrouded in darkness, was like a beast lying in wait, making the entire mountain area seem even more eerie.

Henry Parker's strength—Yvonne Brooks had finally witnessed it.

Already suffering from old wounds, Logan Foster lost the Yunxiao Sword today. In his grief, he clashed head-on with Henry Parker's overwhelming presence and coughed up blood.

The doctor's diagnosis: Logan Foster...

Would not survive more than three to five days.

Yunlai Sword Sect had lost its last spiritual pillar.

...

"Young Sect Master."

Inside the study of the courtyard, Ethan Brooks looked at Yvonne Brooks, who sat dazed on the steps at the entrance, and fell silent.

Behind him stood a girl of seventeen or eighteen.

Among the few remaining disciples of Yunlai Sword Sect, one of the rare inner disciples who had reached level four swordsman—Lily Harris.

"Let her have some time alone."

"Yes."

"How many people are left in the sect?"

"Young Sect Master, there are sixteen inner disciples left, forty-eight outer disciples, and one hundred and nine maids, servants, and miscellaneous workers... However... among the inner disciples, Senior Brother Carter and Senior Brother Cooper have also said that they will leave at dawn tomorrow..."

"If they want to leave... let them go. Junior Sister Lily, if you wish to leave, you can as well..."

"Young Sect Master, how can you say that?"

Before Ethan Brooks could finish, Lily Harris was already a bit angry: "My parents died long ago in a beast rampage. If it weren't for Elder Foster of Yunlai Sword Sect bringing me here, I would have died long ago. From the day I became aware, I have considered myself a member of Yunlai Sword Sect. Even if everyone else leaves, I will never leave. I believe many of the junior brothers, junior sisters, and senior sisters feel the same as I do."

"Good."

Ethan Brooks nodded solemnly.

"It's getting late. Go rest for now. Tomorrow... there will probably be a lot to do."

"I'll go keep Senior Sister Bennett company. I'm afraid she might do something rash."

Ethan Brooks glanced at the absent-minded Yvonne Brooks sitting on the steps at the courtyard gate and nodded slightly, "Alright."

After Lily Harris left the room, only Ethan Brooks remained in the study. In this pitch-black night, the entire room felt eerily quiet.

"Did I make a mistake?"

Ethan Brooks muttered to himself.

"Beep! By remaining in Yunlai Sword Sect, the probability of the host encountering danger increases by 271%. Among them, target individual Henry Parker has a 67.26% probability of sending assassins to eliminate all threats. It is recommended to leave Yunlai Sword Sect to remove the threat from target Henry Parker."

"Two-thirds chance... So I really did make the wrong choice."

As Ethan Brooks spoke, a hint of self-mockery seemed to appear on his face.

"But... so be it. I'm only nineteen, still young. It's normal to be impulsive sometimes, isn't it? Or maybe..."

In Ethan Brooks's mind, he recalled the look in the eyes of the white-clad girl Ethan Sullivan as she pointed her sword at him today...

Lofty and aloof!

Regarded others as nothing!

Holding the power of life and death!

"Beep! According to federal law, when in an unknown and dangerous area, preserving one's own life is the top priority."

"Federal law..."

Ethan Brooks looked up at the blue moon in the sky, glowing with a deep azure light...

The Federation... that world was already far from him. Now, the place where he stood...

Was Yunlai Sword Sect.

...

"To reverse Yunlai Sword Sect's decline, Logan Foster absolutely cannot die. If Logan Foster really dies in three days, Yunlai Sword Sect will be finished. Therefore..."

"Number Two, have you analyzed Logan Foster's physical condition?"

"Beep! Target individual Logan Foster: level five severe injury, 99.81% probability of recovery, requires twelve vials of Revitalization Serum, three vials of BSM Nutrient Solution, and A-31 Healing Solution..."

"Revitalization Serum or BSM Nutrient Solution, I have neither. What I want is a healing plan composed of medicinal herbs that can be gathered within three days."

"Beep! Insufficient data, please supplement the database."

"Database."

Ethan Brooks's gaze fell on the bookshelf in the study.