Chapter 134: Chapter 134: Ren Kai (part 1)

It wasn’t just large, it felt heavy, and oppressive.

Like something that didn’t belong.

One of the students, a young man with a spear, tightened his grip as he tried to steady his shaking hands.

“Why is it this fast…?” he muttered.

“Stop talking and attack!” another shouted.

Three of them rushed forward at once, their weapons aimed at its legs, trying to limit its movement, their strikes landing almost at the same time with sharp metallic sounds.

Clang.

Clang.

Clang.

The impact echoed.

But the shell barely cracked.

“What the hell—”

Before he could finish, the insect moved.

Fast.

Too fast.

One of its legs shot forward like a spear, piercing straight through the chest of the nearest student, lifting him off the ground in a single motion.

His eyes widened.

Blood filled his mouth.

“N… no…”

The insect twitched its leg.

And threw him aside.

His body slammed into the wall with a sickening sound, then slid down, unmoving.

“Jian!”

Panic broke instantly.

“Fall back! Fall back!”

But it was already too late.

The insect lunged forward, its body crashing into the group as its mandibles snapped shut, catching another student by the shoulder, crushing bone with a wet crack before tearing him off his feet.

His scream cut through the air.

“Help me! Someone—!”

The rest tried to respond.

They really tried.

One swung his sword with everything he had, aiming for its neck, his blade striking hard enough to spark against the shell.

It left a mark.

A shallow one.

The insect turned.

Its head snapped toward him.

For a split second, their eyes met.

Then it moved again.

A blur.

Its body slammed into him, knocking him flat before one of its legs stabbed down, piercing through his stomach and pinning him to the ground.

He choked, his hands clawing weakly at the limb impaling him.

“I… I can’t—”

He didn’t finish.

Nearby, a girl stumbled backward, her voice shaking.

“We-we are all gonna die!!”

Another grabbed her arm, trying to pull her away.

“Move! We can’t fight this thing!”

“But the mission—”

“Forget the mission!”

A loud crack cut him off.

They turned just in time to see another one of their companions get caught, the insect’s mandibles snapping shut around his torso, crushing him instantly before tossing the broken body aside like it meant nothing.

Now only six remained.

And none of them wanted to stay.

“Run!”

That was the only thing left.

They turned.

They ran.

But the insect didn’t chase immediately.

It twitched.

Then its body split slightly along the back.

And from within, smaller insects poured out, dozens of them, spilling onto the ground like a living tide before rushing forward, cutting off their escape.

“No—!”

One tripped, falling hard as the swarm reached him first, crawling over his body, forcing into his clothes, his mouth, his eyes as he screamed and thrashed.

“GET THEM OFF! GET THEM OFF!”

The others didn’t stop.

They couldn’t.

Behind them, the massive insect moved again.

Closing the distance.

One by one, the street fell quiet. Not all at once, but piece by piece.

Until nothing was left, only the sound of chewing.

And the faint, fading echoes of screams that no one would hear.

—-

By the time Ren Kai’s group returned, the sun had already begun to set.

Valen City stood the same as before from the outside, tall walls, guarded gates, people moving in and out, but the atmosphere had changed.

It felt heavier.

The moment they stepped through the gates, they noticed it.

By the time Ren Kai and his group returned to the sect, the sky had already begun to darken.

The gates of the Clear Water Sect stood open, but the atmosphere was no longer the same as when they left.

There was tension in the air.

Disciples gathered in small groups, their voices low, their expressions uneasy, and even the guards at the entrance stood straighter than usual, their eyes scanning every returning figure as if expecting something to follow behind them.

Ren Kai stepped through the gates first, his pace steady as always, but his eyes moved slightly, taking in the change without saying a word.

Behind him, Lian Yue frowned faintly.

“…Something’s wrong.”

Hao Jin nodded.

“Yeah…”

They didn’t slow down.

But as they moved deeper into the sect grounds, the whispers became clearer.

“I heard none of the outer disciples returned…”

“That’s impossible…”

Cai Wen’s brows furrowed.

“…What are they talking about?”

Before anyone could answer, one of the outer disciples noticed them and froze.

His eyes widened.

“R-Ren Kai…?”

The name spread quickly.

Heads turned.

More people gathered, and then the realization hit them. Only them returned.

Ren Kai stopped.

He turned slightly, his gaze landing on the nearest group of disciples, his expression calm, but there was a quiet weight behind it now.

“What happened?” he asked.

The outer disciple hesitated, clearly shaken, his voice unsteady.

“We… we thought you would know…”

Ren Kai’s eyes narrowed slightly.

“Know what?”

Another disciple stepped forward, swallowing hard before speaking.

“The others didn’t come back.”

Silence.

For a brief moment, no one moved.

Ren Kai didn’t react immediately.

His gaze moved past them, toward the inner courtyard, where more disciples were gathered, the same tension visible everywhere.

“…Did anyone go after them?” he asked.

An older disciple shook his head.

“The elders haven’t given the order yet. They’re still discussing it.”

Hao Jin clicked his tongue.

“Still discussing? People are already missing.”

Ren Kai didn’t answer right away, his gaze lingering on the anxious faces around him, on the way even the inner disciples who once carried themselves with quiet arrogance now stood a little straighter, a little more alert, as if something unseen had brushed past them and left a warning behind.

“They won’t ignore this,” Lian Yue said quietly, though her eyes were no longer calm, there was tension there now, something sharper than before.

“They can’t,” Shen Lu added, his tone low. “Too many went out. If none of them came back…”

He didn’t finish.

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