Half an hour later, the abandoned farm buzzed with vehicles and figures. Medics rushed in, loading the severely injured Awakened onto ambulances.

"Hmph. So you're the one who dared to lay hands on my precious Tangtang?" A woman in an Enforcement Team uniform glared down at Shadowblade. He was shackled with special sealing cuffs, huddled on the ground. Her voice turned icy. "Take him back later. And you few—give him a proper welcome."

She kicked Shadowblade over without another glance. Waving to her burly men, she left them to it. They leered at the delicate-looking Shadowblade. "Don't worry, Boss," one grinned. "We'll take real good care of this pretty boy."

Shadowblade's face shifted from hatred to pure terror as they closed in. His screams faded as they dragged him away. Needless to say, his next hours wouldn't be pleasant.

Meanwhile, Lin Tang sat on a makeshift bench outside an ambulance. A nurse carefully cleaned a cut on her chin. The alcohol swab stung, and tears welled in Lin Tang's eyes. Mild pain flared intensely under the burn.

"My precious Tangtang, are you alright?" The woman approached with worry after dealing with Shadowblade. "Let Auntie take a good look."

Lin Tang hopped off the bench, sticking out her tongue. "I'm fine, Auntie. It's my big brother who's in bad shape." She grinned mischievously at Lin Chuan on a nearby stretcher. He was wrapped head-to-toe in bandages like a mummy. At first, worried about his sister, Lin Chuan hadn't noticed his own pain. But now heat and agony spread through his body—the backlash from overloading his Spirit Energy. That Divine Artifact was clearly beyond his level. Earlier, he'd forced its activation just to show off.

"Damn," Lin Chuan grumbled, watching her sly smile. "After I risked my life to save you, is this how you treat your brother?"

Lin Tang let out a soft huff. "You misused that Divine Artifact to show off. And it wasn't you who saved me—it was Brother Feng Ye."

"So you'd rather cry in his arms than mine?" Lin Chuan fumed, recalling his sister's tear-streaked face in Feng Ye's embrace. Jealousy prickled within him.

"What? Tangtang, you cried in another man's arms?" The woman's face darkened instantly. She gritted her teeth. "Tell me who he is. I'll cut him down right now."

"Auntie, don't be so extreme!" Lin Tang grabbed her arm. "Brother Feng Ye saved my life. You can't do anything rash to him."

The woman snorted. "Men are no good. I'll spare him this time for saving you. But Tangtang, don't be fooled so easily..." She paused, fixing her gaze on Lin Tang. "You know what I mean, right?"

Lin Tang's cheeks flushed. "Auntie, what are you thinking? I'm only twelve! I don't have those kinds of thoughts. I just see him as a brother."

Lin Chuan felt like pulling his hair out. "Hey, I'm your real brother, you know!"

"Oh." Lin Tang finally looked at him, pouting slightly. "Sorry, I forgot."

Lin Chuan needed an instant heart remedy. Seeing his frustrated face, Lin Tang chuckled softly. Truth was, she was deeply grateful to her brother. She was just used to bickering with him.

"Feng Ye, huh?" the woman muttered nearby. "I'll see what's so special about you."

...

Whatever unfolded at the farm no longer concerned Feng Ye. But the Chaos Legion soldiers' sudden appearance and Shadowblade's last-minute betrayal left a deep impression. Returning to the Awakened life meant surprises and betrayals were commonplace—magnified endlessly in Overdeity missions. Unlike before, Feng Ye now had the strength to handle them.

Of course, "betrayal" wasn't always accurate. In Overdeity missions, Awakened teams were often just alliances of convenience. Many barely knew each other.

Lin Tang had promised to register the Awakened Association's quota mission later. Logically, Feng Ye could head home now. But he didn't feel like it. For one, he'd promised treats for Coco. For another, he was troubled.

When the Black Knight died, it left more than just the War Spirit Essence Shadowblade coveted. There was also... a Sage's Heart.

A Sage's Heart formed only within a Saint-class War Spirit. Like the War Spirit Essence—which let Awakened reach the Soul realm—it could help advancement. But not to Soul. To the... Domain realm.

The Awakened Association classified tiers as S, A, B, C, D. Yet this was subjective. True strength lay in three realms: Spirit, Soul, and Domain. New Awakened started at Spirit, reaching B-Class through training. A and S-Class matched the Soul realm. Domain surpassed S-Class. The top hundred there were Divine Realm experts. Others were simply Transcendents.

A single Sage's Heart couldn't guarantee an S-Class Awakened would reach Transcendent. It required opportunity. Still, it was priceless—a rare drop from Saint-class War Spirits. Whenever one appeared, countless would flock to it. Feng Ye took it not for its value. If given to the Lin siblings, it would stir massive waves in Haven City.

Moreover... even if Lin Chuan claimed he killed the War Spirit with his Divine Artifact's full release, few would believe him. After all... it was a Saint-class War Spirit. Even wounded, it was beyond Lin Chuan. Others would inevitably turn their gaze to Feng Ye—a scenario he wanted to avoid at all costs.