The silence abruptly grew heavy, pressing down on the forest like a physical weight. The trees and plants became unnaturally still; not a single leaf rustled. Despite his agony, Gu Zong continued to trudge forward like a wounded bird unable to take to the sky, yet refusing to surrender to the earth. Behind him, Han Wuang Shi followed in a state of profound composure, his eyes no longer wet with tears, but hollow, as if containing nothing at all.

  Gu Zong suddenly stopped. He felt it a silence so absolute it made him feel as though he had gone deaf. This was no natural peace. Before he could decipher the threat, the underbrush began to quiver. Gu Zong's instincts flared. Wuang Shi drew his sword instantly, and Gu Zong followed suit, his battered body tensing for combat.

  From a trembling bush, a rabbit emerged a jet-black rabbit with piercing golden eyes. The moment Wuang Shi saw it, he paled.

  "Yun! Get back! Be on guard!" he shouted. "This is the territory of the Zishi Temple. We are under the watchful gaze of the Zhangwu Pillars!"

  Before Gu Zong could react, a strike whistled from behind. It was an attack from the Pillar of Death itself. In a blur of mystical energy, the Pillar split into two identical forms. One manifested directly in front of Wuang Shi. A chilling, emotional tension filled the air as both Pillars of Death stared into the eyes of the young men. Their eyes glowed with a predatory golden light a sign that the Zhangwu Pillars had officially designated them as enemies. A Pillar only reveals its golden gaze when it intends to execute its foe.

  From the shifting shadows, the rest of the Pillars emerged in a deep black aura, forming a V-shaped phalanx: the Pillar of Unity, the Guardian Pillar, the Life Pillar, the Healer Pillar, and the Pillar of Knowledge.

  The first Pillar of Death launched a precision strike at Gu Zong, while the second lunged at Wuang Shi. Refusing to yield, Gu Zong met the blow with a ferocious parry. Wuang Shi, too, fought back, intercepting every lethal move. Suddenly, a strike from the Pillar of Death slashed Wuang Shi’s thigh, sending him to his knees. As the Pillar’s blade swung toward Wuang Shi’s throat, a sword intervened.

  The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

  Gu Zong blocked the lethal blow and shoved Wuang Shi with all his might, throwing him outside the boundary of the Zishi Temple’s territory. Wuang Shi watched in shock as he tumbled onto safe ground.

  The two Pillars of Death merged back into a single entity and unleashed a relentless storm of attacks on Gu Zong. Gu Zong answered every move with desperate bravery. Swords clashed, sending sparks flying and creating ripples of light that carved through the air. They moved with such blinding speed that only the luminous arcs of their blades remained visible.

  Realizing his strength was waning, Gu Zong formulated a gamble. He executed a deceptive maneuver to break the engagement and sprinted toward the Zishi Temple. The Pillar of Death pursued him, but just as his body reached its limit, Gu Zong made a final, lunging leap into the temple's inner sanctum.

  Instantly, the Pillar of Death froze. It became static, an immovable statue once more. It hid its golden eyes beneath the shadow of its triangular black hat and retreated into stillness.

  Outside the boundary, Han Wuang Shi clutched his bleeding thigh in excruciating pain. The black rabbit reappeared, hopping toward him and nestling itself within the long, flowing sleeve of his robes.

  At that moment, the Healer Pillar detached from the V-formation and glided toward him. Wuang Shi looked up through the haze of pain. The Healer Pillar tilted its head slightly, revealing eyes filled with a tenderness so profound it defied description.

  The Healer Pillar spread its arms, and its hands ignited with a brilliant golden radiance. It began to perform a series of intricate, beautiful hand Spell Seal while ascending slowly into the air. Finally, it formed the shape of a lotus with its hands, channeling a stream of golden energy directly into the center of Wuang Shi’s chest.

  Waves of warmth surged through Wuang Shi. He watched in awe as his wounds not just the new ones, but all of them began to knit together and vanish. A melody seemed to play in the air around him, so sweet and pure that tears welled in his eyes. He felt a sense of wholenss he hadn't known in years.

  As soon as the healing was complete, the Zhangwu Pillars vanished in a single heartbeat.

  Wuang Shi remained sitting on the ground, stunned. The black rabbit was still wiggling inside his sleeve. He reached in, gently lifting the soft, fluffy creature and cradling it in his lap. As he stood up, he realized with a shock that the chronic pain from years of whipping the agony he had carried like a second skin was gone. He could walk without a limp. He could move freely.

  Silent and contemplative, he picked up his sword and walked to the edge of the Zishi Temple territory. He sat down under a nearby tree, choosing to wait for Gu Zong just outside the boundary.