The Woman Of The Voidmoon

Chapter 121 — The Woman of the Voidmoon

The northern district of the city was considerably quieter than the central streets.

Aether moved across the rooftops with Blackfang following several meters behind him. Ironhide remained within his shadow, ready to manifest at a moment's notice, while Grimhorn stayed completely hidden. Aether had no intention of revealing his entire strength before he understood what Blackridge was doing inside the city.

The warehouse Blackfang had discovered stood at the edge of an abandoned commercial district. From the outside, it looked ordinary. The building was old, its walls covered with dust, and several broken signs hung above the entrance.

But Aether could sense the Origin Energy inside.

There were eight cultivators.

Two Stage 7.

Five Stage 6.

And one whose cultivation he couldn't determine accurately.

That last person was the reason Aether didn't immediately attack.

Someone capable of deliberately suppressing their presence inside a Blackridge facility was worth investigating.

Aether crouched on the roof of a neighboring building and looked through one of the broken windows.

Inside, several black-robed cultivators surrounded a large wooden table.

A map covered most of its surface.

Aether narrowed his eyes.

The map showed the continent.

Several locations had been marked.

Some were familiar.

The northern region.

The Crimson Marsh.

Verdantia.

The Crown route.

The Origin Heart.

Blackridge had been tracking the same places he had visited.

One of the Stage 7 cultivators pointed toward the northern region.

"The report confirms that the six-key network has stabilized again."

Another man shook his head.

"Then the intruder succeeded."

"The higher command already knows."

Aether's expression didn't change.

Higher command.

So the Stage 9 operative really had someone above him.

The first man continued, "We're not supposed to interfere with the keys anymore. The order is to monitor the individual who activated the Origin Heart."

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Aether's eyes became colder.

So they were watching him.

He was about to enter the warehouse when another presence appeared.

Not inside.

Above.

Aether looked up.

A woman stood on the opposite rooftop.

She wore a dark cloak that moved gently in the night wind. Long silver hair flowed down her back, catching the moonlight, while a slender black sword rested at her waist.

She was beautiful.

But Aether's attention wasn't drawn to her appearance.

It was her energy.

Almost completely concealed.

A faint spatial fluctuation surrounded her body, bending the air so subtly that an ordinary cultivator wouldn't notice it.

Aether's eyes narrowed.

The woman looked directly at him.

For several seconds, neither moved.

Then she spoke.

"You've been watching that warehouse for three minutes."

Her voice was calm.

Aether stood.

"And you've been watching me."

"I arrived first."

"That doesn't answer my question."

The woman smiled slightly.

"No. It doesn't."

Aether studied her.

She wasn't frightened.

More importantly, she wasn't pretending to be stronger than she was.

Her confidence seemed genuine.

"You're not Blackridge."

"No."

"Then what do you want with them?"

The woman's expression hardened.

"Something they took from me."

Aether glanced toward the warehouse.

"Then we have overlapping interests."

She looked at him carefully.

"You know about the six keys."

Aether didn't answer.

That was enough of an answer.

Her eyes narrowed.

"You're the one they've been searching for."

"Probably."

"You're surprisingly calm."

Aether shrugged.

"I don't see a reason to panic."

A faint smile appeared on her lips.

"I suppose that's one way of looking at it."

Before either could continue, a movement came from the warehouse.

Someone had noticed them.

The woman immediately drew her sword.

Aether's gaze shifted toward the entrance.

Blackridge soldiers rushed onto the street.

"Kill them!"

The first attack came from the rooftop.

Aether stepped forward.

Blackfang emerged from his shadow.

The wolf crossed the distance instantly and slammed into one of the Stage 6 cultivators.

The man barely had time to react before Blackfang tore through his defense.

At the same moment, the silver-haired woman vanished.

Aether's eyes sharpened.

She hadn't moved normally.

Space itself had folded.

She reappeared behind another Blackridge soldier and struck with her sword.

A thin black line appeared across the man's chest.

He collapsed.

Aether watched her carefully.

Spatial movement.

Interesting.

Three more Blackridge cultivators surrounded him.

Aether didn't bother speaking.

His Origin Energy surged.

Ironhide erupted from his shadow.

The enormous bear slammed one attacker into the ground.

Aether stepped forward and killed another with a single strike.

The third attempted to escape.

Aether's eyes followed him.

Blackfang intercepted him before he reached the alley.

The man's scream lasted less than a second.

[Stage 6 Origin Cultivator defeated.]

[Origin Points +30.]

[Origin Points: 30 / 1,600.]

Aether continued forward.

The Stage 7 cultivators finally appeared.

One attacked the silver-haired woman.

She blocked his sword but was pushed backward.

Aether moved toward them.

The Blackridge cultivator noticed him.

"Stay out of this!"

Aether ignored him.

He appeared behind the man.

The Stage 7 cultivator turned.

Too late.

Aether's palm struck his chest.

The man's body flew through the warehouse wall.

Blackfang finished the second Stage 7.

Within moments, the street fell silent.

Aether looked toward the silver-haired woman.

She lowered her sword.

"You could have left."

"I could have."

"But you didn't."

Aether glanced at the warehouse.

"They had information I wanted."

She nodded.

"Then perhaps we should investigate together."

Aether looked at her for another moment.

"What should I call you?"

The woman hesitated briefly before answering.

"Vaelira."

Aether remembered the name.

Then his System suddenly reacted.

[Unique physique detected.]

[Void-based Origin Physique detected.]

[Physique analysis beginning.]

Aether's eyes changed slightly.

[Physique: Voidmoon Physique.]

[Compatibility with Infinite Origin Physique: 94%.]

[Origin Physique Integration function available.]

For the first time that night, Aether's attention sharpened with genuine interest.

Vaelira noticed his expression.

"Did you discover something?"

Aether calmly closed the System interface.

"Nothing important."

She clearly didn't believe him.

But she didn't press.

Instead, she looked toward the destroyed warehouse.

"Then let's find out what Blackridge was hiding."

Aether nodded.

For the first time since entering the city, he wasn't investigating alone.

And without realizing it yet, Aether had just met the woman whose existence would eventually change the evolution of his Infinite Origin Physique.