The girl was very light; Acheron picked her up effortlessly.
The wound is shallow. It should only be from excessive pain.
Acheron quickly assessed Little Yao's condition and quietly let out a breath of relief.
She had originally felt at ease letting Little Yao think things through on her own, partly because of the girl's good luck. Compared to her own Rank E Luck, Acheron had assumed that in such a short span of time, Little Yao would not encounter any real danger.
She had not expected things to turn out like this.
Acheron had already noticed the Wind Thunder Pavilion's mountain gate ahead of the forest.
Isn't this girl a Daughter of Providence? How could she be so unlucky as to pass by the enemy's nest?
However, Acheron did not know that, for the first time, a sense of gratitude had welled up in Little Yao's heart—gratitude for having such good luck to meet Sister Acheron.
...Such a warm embrace, just like Mommy and the other sisters.
Now, relying on Little Yao's luck, Acheron had wandered her way to the girl's side—and, in the process, found the boundary of the mystic realm.
Acheron had already noticed that although her slashes were not greatly affected, there had been a momentary resistance the instant they left the forest.
At the same time, Silver Wolf sent an [OK] reply in the honkai: star rail chat group.
Acheron raised her head, glancing at Lei Hao, before suddenly shifting her gaze toward the star-filled sky.
Seeing this, no one dared to act rashly. Instead, they all waited for the Sect Leader's decision.
Lei Hao also stared gloomily at Acheron—or more precisely, at the blade at her waist.
That blade gave him an instinctive sense of oppression. He did not even dare to probe it with the slightest trace of spiritual sense.
The intuition he had honed through countless life-and-death battles told him clearly that doing so would be no different from courting death.
After a long moment, Acheron remained silent, completely ignoring the reactions of the crowd. Carrying Little Yao in a princess carry, she slowly began to walk away.
This scene instantly filled the elders of the Wind Thunder Pavilion with anger.
As one of the top sects in the entire Tianlan Continent, no one had ever dared to treat them with such cold indifference.
As expected, Lei Hao shouted out.
"I do not know who you are, fellow cultivator, but I'm afraid acting this way is inappropriate. This is a demonic beast we spent two months of effort to capture."
As the Sect Leader of the Wind Thunder Pavilion, he had his pride—but he had not lost his rationality in anger.
Thus, he chose to speak and stop her.
Acheron paused.
Without turning back, she spoke calmly.
"Acheron.
And she is my friend."
This answer did not satisfy them. Instead, it drew a wave of sneering laughter.
In this world, where the strong preyed upon the weak, something like friendship held no value at all.
"Fellow cultivator, stop pretending not to understand. You must have also taken an interest in this auspicious beast's overwhelming providence, haven't you?
But you should understand the principle of first come, first served."
"That has nothing to do with me.
She—will not go with you."
Acheron's tone was flat, as if she were merely stating something obvious.
Lei Hao's expression stiffened. He had not expected her to show him no respect whatsoever.
Immediately, he let out a cold sneer.
"Like the endless abyss of Nihility—bottomless, bringing death and sin to all living beings.
'Acheron'... a name that truly suits you.
However, you seem to have misunderstood one thing."
As his voice fell, the elders released their auras one after another.
Within several kilometers, spiritual energy surged violently. The heavens and earth seemed to shift, as though a storm were about to descend.
Seeing this, Acheron slowly turned around.
Her purple eyes calmly swept across the crowd.
According to Little Yao's earlier assessment, nearly ten of the people present were in the Soul Transformation Realm—a level of combat power that was already formidable across the cultivation world.
If such a force were to descend upon Blue Star, it might not last more than a few days before falling completely.
Even with Acheron's protection, Little Yao could not help but tremble in her arms.
Acheron, however, remained perfectly composed.
"It seems you intend to make me hand her over."
At these words, the people of the Wind Thunder Pavilion burst into laughter.
Lei Hao also released his late-stage Soul Transformation Realm aura, looking down coldly at the two of them.
"I'm glad you have some self-awareness, fellow cultivator. Unfortunately, there is no 'asking' involved."
The atmosphere instantly grew tense.
All the elders waited for the Sect Leader's command, ready to strike and subdue her in an instant.
Even so, Acheron continued to meet his gaze calmly.
"If you think you can."
"Are you threatening me?"
Lei Hao's voice turned icy.
The crowd's anger surged.
An even more terrifying pressure descended like a tidal wave. Within a hundred-mile radius, trees shattered instantly, and the terrain was crushed into ruin.
Yet Acheron's expression did not change in the slightest.
Within a few steps around her, everything remained untouched, as though an invisible barrier protected them.
This caused everyone's expressions to shift drastically.
Even if this was not the full foundation of the Wind Thunder Pavilion, even a Great Ascension Stage expert would not dare to face such a lineup so casually—let alone remain this indifferent.
Little Yao, held in Acheron's arms, witnessed everything clearly.
Only now did she realize just how much she had underestimated Sister Acheron.
At the same time, she understood how foolish her earlier actions had been, causing her cheeks to flush with embarrassment.
Acheron, however, did not notice. She simply continued speaking.
"Mhm... I ended it with a period. It was a... statement, not a threat.
Knowing who I am and still showing such malice, you're not the first, nor will you be the last.
This scene has played out many times before. When faced with my questions, most people retort, 'Why can't I?'
The result... has invariably been that they 'can't'".
Her tone was calm, as though she were stating an ordinary fact.
Yet now, no one in the Wind Thunder Pavilion dared to underestimate her.
Even Lei Hao, who had always been arrogant, grew wary.
Meanwhile, Little Yao trembled even more in her arms—this time out of excitement.
Little Yao (/∇＼): Wahhh! Sister Acheron is way too badass!
Even in the face of this, Lei Hao still refused to back down.
This was no longer just about the auspicious beast or avenging his son's death—this was a matter of the Wind Thunder Pavilion's dignity.
"You are confident. Is it that blade that gives you such confidence?"
Lei Hao stepped forward, his voice cold.
"But do not forget—the Wind Thunder Pavilion has stood for a thousand years as one of the top powers of the Tianlan Continent. We lack neither treasures, nor foundation, nor strength.
Now that you have taken our demonic beast and killed my son, even if you draw that blade, our Wind Thunder Pavilion will not fear you.
When that time comes, you will not be able to take a single step on the Tianlan Continent."
"And you will die.
I mean... all of you will."
...
Lei Hao:
...
Elders:
...
This merciless reply marked a complete break.
Acheron paid them no further attention. After leaving those words behind, she slowly turned and walked away—
Leaving only a stunned silence in her wake.
At this moment, not a single person dared to step forward to stop her.