番茄乐园

The disciples of the Battle Maiden Sect continued to fight, their determination unwavering in the face of the seemingly endless onslaught from the Unorthodox Faction.

However, while the battle was fierce, both sides managed to minimize casualties, almost as if those from the Unorthodox Faction weren\'t interested in starting a war with the other party.

Amidst the chaos, Aelina spotted Cyrus, the Sect Leader of the Crimson Slayer Sect. Intrigued and sensing that he could provide valuable information about what was happening, Aelina figured she should meet him.

\'It\'s not like he can kill me.\' Aelina shrugged and turned to one of the Elders.

"Keep an eye on the situation here. I\'ll return as soon as I can."

With a nod, the Elder took command, ensuring the defenses held strong in Aelina\'s absence.

High up in the sky, Aelina found the leader of the Crimson Slayer Sect, a tall, imposing figure dressed in crimson robes. He exuded an aura of menace, but Aelina remained unfazed.

However, she noticed that the man had a deep frown on his face and looked incredibly annoyed as he stared at the battlefield.

Aelina didn\'t miss this and became even more intrigued about what was going on, as she knew that although Cyrus wasn\'t the smartest person, he wasn\'t an idiot. He would not bring his disciples to attack her Sect under normal circumstances.

He even somehow goaded some beasts into attacking their Sect!

"I see you\'ve gotten rather bold, Cyrus," Aelina flew up to him and said, snapping him out of his thoughts, "Maybe I should bring a few people with me and visit your Sect after this. I wouldn\'t mind some free loot, after all."

Cyrus scowled, unsure if she was joking, as her expression gave nothing away, but he figured she might actually do what she said.

"I don\'t want to be here, either," He huffed under his breath, causing Aelina to raise an eyebrow, "But it\'s not like I have a choice."

"Hmmm? Then, why are you here? You should know that even though a few people somehow made it inside my Sect\'s formations, they can\'t do anything. Also, there\'s nothing of importance in the Outer Court. Why would you risk the annihilation of your Sect just to send a few people there?" Aelina casually asked, not worried about the infiltrators.

Cyrus\' eyes widened in surprise as he gawked at Aelina, "You knew?! How?!"

"Hmph!" Aelina snorted, "Do you seriously think I wouldn\'t notice that one of your Elders poked a hole in my formations and sent a few \'unsuspecting fellows\' into my Sect?? Do I look so useless to you?"

Without giving Cyrus time to answer, Aelina\'s body disappeared, only to reappear right before him.

"WHA-ACK!" Surprised, he screamed out, but Aelina grabbed him by the neck and stared deep into his eyes, cutting him off.

"Now, why don\'t you tell me what\'s really going on before I rip out your throat and feed your corpse to the dogs."

***

Somewhere in the Outer Court of the Sect, two little girls were running around in a peaceful valley, playing hide-and-go-seek amongst the trees. While they could feel the vibrations of the battle outside the Sect, they had no intention of leaving the valley to assist the other disciples.

They were too weak for that, anyways.

Thus, they just went back to play-*Ahem!*-training.

Training! Yeah, training! They would never slack off while Maria and Mira were gone!

This… this was just another form of training–One unknown to Mira.

While it may look like playing, they were actually training their proficiency in the Hidden World Technique!

Naturally, these two little girls were Dominique and Hana, who had decided to stay in the Sect with Mira after Maria left.

Dominique had no real reason to follow Maria. Not only was Mira her mother and master, but she was old enough now to take care of herself, and leaving one of the best Sects on the Continent wasn\'t something she was willing to do.

As for Hana, Mira had an obligation to save her mother in return for learning the Hidden World Technique. Mira and her subordinates had all learned the basics of the technique and could use it with decent proficiency. Thus, there wouldn\'t be a point in her leaving, even if she wanted to.

She would just be an extra burden if she went with Maria. Staying here in the Battle Maiden Sect was her best, safest, and most reliable option if she wanted to reunite with her mother.

Unfortunately for both of them, Mira is often busy or away from the Sect, so there\'s only so much they can do.

Therefore, during the time that the two have been together, Dominique and Hana have gotten quite close and spent most of their days together. Even when Dominique trained or cultivated, Hana wouldn\'t leave her side.

Today was no different.

As Dominique ran through the little forest, it only took her a few minutes to find Hana crouching inside a large bush.

"I found you!" Dominique exclaimed with a giggle, running up to the little girl, "Now, it\'s your turn to look for me!"

Hana got up, brushed the dirt off her clothes, and giggled as well, "Fine! Let\'s see if your mastery of the Hidden World Technique has improved!"

She walked over to behind one of the trees and was just about to close her eyes to begin counting when Dominique suddenly grabbed her hand.

"What ar-Mmmfff!" Her eyes widened in surprise when she felt Dominique\'s small hand cover her mouth, silencing her.

"Shhhh!" Dominique hushed her and dropped to a crouching stance before using the Hidden World Technique and erasing her presence.

"Hide." She whispered into Hana\'s ear.

The latter nodded and followed suit, using the Hidden World Technique to her full capabilities, which caused her presence to almost completely disappear. In fact, even with Dominique holding onto her, she hardly noticed that Hana was there!

The two girls exchanged puzzled glances but remained silent, trusting Dominique\'s instincts. While she may not be as sensitive or as strong as Mira, Dominique was still trained by her and knew when something seemed off.

And right now, something was very wrong.

She could feel a faint malevolent aura getting closer and closer to them. In all the time she\'s spent in the Sect, something like this has never happened before.

In fact, Dominique doesn\'t even remember ever having random visitors! Everyone in the Sect minds their own business unless they need something, and since Mira didn\'t know many people in the Sect, nobody bothered visiting her little valley.

At that moment, they heard the faint sound of footsteps approaching. The intruders from the Unorthodox Faction had somehow made their way into the peaceful valley and were searching for them.

"Spread out and find that girl! Hide your presence, and don\'t use your Soul Sense to prevent one of the Elders from spotting you." one of them ordered, his voice barely above a whisper.

"Yes, sir!" The others whispered back and quickly spread out around the valley.

Dominique and Hana exchanged a look of fear and determination. They knew that they couldn\'t fight against these intruders, but they could use their mastery of the Hidden World Technique to avoid detection.

And so, a dangerous game of cat and mouse began.

The two girls remained low, moving silently from one hiding spot to another, always trying to stay a step ahead of the intruders.

The tension in the air was palpable; the usually serene valley was now filled with the stifled breaths of the young girls and the quiet rustle of leaves as they moved cautiously, trying to remain hidden from the enemy.

Dominique\'s heart raced in her chest; her senses heightened to an almost unbearable degree. Her eyes darted back and forth, seeking any sign of the intruders\' movements. On the other hand, Hana seemed to be holding her breath, her small frame trembling with fear as she tried to maintain her own technique while also increasing the effectiveness of Dominique\'s.

Flashbacks to the time she was captured entered her mind, and she became even more frightened.

\'I…I-I don\'t want that to happen to me again!\' She clenched her small fists, her eyes burning with determination not to get caught.

As the intruders searched the valley, the girls found themselves hiding behind a large boulder. They pressed themselves against the cold, hard surface, barely daring to breathe. The footsteps of one of the intruders seemed to grow louder and closer, causing their hearts to pound even harder.

The man\'s shadow loomed over them, and they held their breath, praying that he wouldn\'t discover their hiding spot. To their immense relief, the man moved on, the sound of his footsteps gradually fading into the distance.

Dominique and Hana exchanged a brief glance, relief washing over their faces. They knew they couldn\'t stay in one place for long, so they began to move again, constantly searching for new hiding spots and avoiding any signs of the intruders.

As time began to pass, with both sides growing impatient, the game of cat and mouse continued. The girls became more and more exhausted, but they refused to give in, determined to prevent themselves from being discovered.

Just as they were beginning to think they might be able to evade the intruders indefinitely, a chilling voice echoed through the valley.

"We know you\'re here, little one. You can\'t hide forever."

The girls froze, their hearts sinking, but they remained steady, not giving in to his bluffs.

That is if it was only a bluff…