Teacher by day, Farmer by passion
Chapter 290 - 290: A quick shot.

"What do you think you're doing?!" the man roared, veins bulging in his neck.

"We are from the White Snow Sect!"

He pointed a shaking finger at the walls, his pride puffing him up like a rooster.

"I'm Aulus! Sect Leader of the Falmuth Kingdom Branch! You don't want to do this! Show some respect!"

There was a hush.

Then—

"Shut it."

Lily's voice cracked through the air like lightning. Her eyes had turned pale, icy white, glowing with fury.

Aulus visibly gulped.

Even his disciples took a collective step back, not from fear of Sky High Sect…

But from fear of her.

Lily's expression was serene.

Serene in the same way a frozen lake looks peaceful—right before it shatters and drags you under.

"You already have a 100,000 tael bounty on your head," Lily said coldly, not even looking at Aulus. "What gives you so much courage that you think you can threaten our sect?"

She waved lazily at Bryan.

"Back inside."

The Spirit Sovereign wolf didn't wait to be told twice. It turned tail and darted through the gate like a puppy hearing dinner was ready.

If wolves could smile, this one was grinning ear to ear.

Lily gave Aulus one last glance over her shoulder.

"You can try attacking, if you want," she said. "But you won't even scratch the formation."

And with that, she lifted into the sky, not in a rush, just casually soaring off as if the whole thing bored her.

Aulus trembled.

Not with fear. But with rage.

"Arrogant wench!" he spat, voice echoing like thunder. "You dare turn your back on me?!"

He rose into the air, golden robes flaring, his soul force boiling outward in a violent surge.

As a peak dark-gold cultivator, the energy he unleashed rippled through the air like a crashing tide.

"Let's see how strong your walls really are!"

He hurled the gathered soul force toward the Sky High Sect's main gate.

BOOM!

A deafening explosion rocked the mountain.

CRACK. CRACK.

Stone split. Dust flew. A section of the wall visibly buckled.

For a heartbeat, even the wind seemed to hold its breath. Disciples stared in stunned silence. A few villagers looked ready to run.

Elder Mati slowly raised an eyebrow, her tone just a little too calm. "Grand Elder Lily… where's the formation?"

Silence.

"Formation?" Lily's voice echoed faintly from high above. "…Ah."

Aulus blinked.

And then slowly, delight bloomed on his face.

He put one and one together—

And got two!

He pointed at the cracked walls and laughed, triumphant.

"So it's true! Your sect is all bark and no bite! You thought your name alone would keep us away!"

He turned to his men, riding high on adrenaline.

"White Snow Sect! Elders and disciples! This is our moment! Crush them!"

"ROAR!!"

A wave of killing intent surged as hundreds of white-robed cultivators leapt forward, soul weapons drawn.

From behind the gate, a young Sky High disciple screamed,

"THEY'RE REALLY COMING!"

Elder Mati let out a long, tired sigh and rubbed her temples.

"Of course… of course the formation isn't up," she muttered. "Why would anything ever go smoothly around here?"

Then she called out flatly, "Bryan."

The giant wolf peeked out from behind the gate, one paw still mid-step from its glorious retreat.

"Get back out there. Block the attacks."

Bryan froze.

A low whimper escaped his throat, long, guttural, utterly pitiful.

His ears drooped. His tail tucked.

His paws backpedaled slightly, as if maybe, just maybe, they hadn't seen him yet.

"No," Mati said, pointing at the broken gate. "Out."

The Spirit Sovereign-rank wolf glanced toward the charging army, then back at the gate… then at Mati… then at the army again.

He even looked at a nearby rock, as if considering whether faking unconsciousness might work.

"Bryan…" Mati's voice dropped dangerously low.

With the weight of the universe on his shoulders, the majestic, ancient beast took a slow, dragging step forward.

Then another. Each one a silent dirge to his fading hope.

And then—woof.

He ran out, head low, tail limp, muttering the ancient beast equivalent of "I hate my life."

He stopped just outside the broken gate and turned to face the incoming charge.

Dozens of White Snow Sect disciples were already mid-air, blades drawn, roars rising like thunder.

Bryan growled, reluctantly.

And then—braced himself.

Elder Mati stood at the gate, arms crossed, watching the chaos unfold.

Then came a voice behind her—cool, slightly exasperated.

"Elder Mati… don't you think you're being a bit too much?" Grand Elder Lily asked, her tone unusually subdued.

Mati didn't even look back. "No, Grand Elder. His master ran off with a fugitive dragon the sect master ordered us to look after. He has to suffer for it. I'm merely following the karmic cycle."

She huffed, then added, "I'm sure you'd do the same if you were in my shoes."

Lily gave her a long, deadpan stare. "Hell no. Don't lump me in with your ancient grudge logic. I'm dramatic, not deranged."

With that, she spun on her heel and flew off in a swirl of violet robes, muttering, "crazy bald women".

Mati, unfazed, turned her full attention back to the battlefield outside.

And what she saw made her squint.

"…Wait a moment."

Bryan—the Spirit Sovereign wolf who had just considered faking death—caught sight of Elder Mati still watching from the gate.

His ears twitched. He straightened up a little. Then a bit more.

By the time the charging elders reached him, he looked like a statue carved by divine hands.

His body shimmered with layered defensive auras. His every movement exuded dominance.

Aulus, the branch sect leader, was panting mid-air, his robes scorched and soul force fluctuating wildly.

Several disciples had already been swatted aside like flies, crashing into the trees with loud thuds and yips.

Elder Mati's brow twitched.

"…This doesn't look like punishment anymore."

She narrowed her eyes.

"In fact… is that damn wolf showing off?"

Bryan, as if on cue, let out a majestic howl, leapt into the air, twisted mid-spin, and sent a golden-robed elder flying with a perfectly-timed tail smack.

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