The four black clothed bandits didn’t notice that something had happened on the leading bandit. The distance of each bandit was five meters apart in order for them to have space with each other.

The second bandit who has turned as the leading bandit slowly continued walking straight hoping to find their prey.

Snort!

A snort once again resonated but not towards the first bandit but the second bandit which was alerted by the snort.

In a breath of time, the expected whistling sound that came from a punch has not arrived for the second time, though the second bandit didn’t know what’s coming but he who was alerted was now acting cautiously as he channeled his peak rank of Mortal Realm and was ready for the incoming dangers ahead of him.

Each step he took was as light as feathers, no sounds echoed. His cold steel sword was now glowing a bit of red colored light inclining his arm in attacking position.

Whoosh!

A twin of rainbow-colored ball suddenly appeared in front of the bandit’s eyes, zooming towards his face. Him who was already ready quickly hacked his red-glowing sword towards the rainbow-colored ball.

Peng!

A dull sound of metal being deflected as it was forcibly bent the red-glowing sword’s blade. A numbing sensation runs towards the fingers of the wielder of the red-glowing sword but the black-clothed bandit was not paying attention to his bent sword nor his numbed hands but was looking at the incoming twin rainbow-color ball!

Bang! Bang!

Two muffled sound resonated as the two rainbow-colored balls reached its target.

“Aaaaahh!”

A terrified scream quickly resonated the soundless surrounding alerting the other three black clothed bandits.

“Someone screamed! Go after him!”

“Shit!”

Chen Yun quickly left the area as he picked up the bag from the bosom of the recently killed bandit.

Cha! Cha! Cha!

A loud and incoming footstep was coming from his back forcing him to channel more of his elemental energy towards his feet as he sprints towards the dim light gorge, looking for the endpoint of this Sword Cleaving Sword.

The time it takes an incense stick to burn, he saw a bright light ahead of him. Wanting to channel another batch of elemental energy towards his feet yet he could not because he fell short of elemental energy and only 30% were left.

“I saw him!”

“Chase him!”

Nearly reaching the bright light, he forcefully accelerated his speed just by his will add a bit of speed. Without another batch of elemental energy, he can only hope that he can quickly leave this place. He quickly jumped out from the mouth of the gorge’s exit.

A refreshing feeling gently touched Chen Yun’s body as he was flying to the sky!?...

He quickly snapped open his eyes without adjusting his eyes from the surrounding light. He saw beautiful scenery below him, twisting rivers from his right heading towards the left. The high cliffs at the side of the river bank with clustered trees forming a forest but he was not here to appreciate the scenery because he was falling towards the scenery he just saw!

“Aaaaaah!” A scream of falling person resonated.

The three pursuers arrived at the end of the gorge and saw Chen Yun falling below.

“Chet, luckily he was not killed by us or else I will cut him to pieces a hundred times. Losing two Peak Mortal Realm was a great loss.”

“Let’s head back to our headquarters!” The leader expressionlessly said.

…

“Uhhh..” groaning sound came out from Chen Yun’s mouth.

He reached his two hands to the ground pushing it as he slowly stood up.

This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

“That was a dangerous careless jump.” He silently talks to himself with a hint of self-ridicule.

Chen Yun looks around and saw yellow colored broken fragments littered on the ground below his feet. It was the Triangular Pointing Light Shield!

A sour expression was written on Chen Yun’s face, losing some protective items makes him feel a bit unsafe. If he was just a bit careful and didn’t frantically jumped from the gorge’s exit there might be no loss of any of his items.

A transparent circular shield was appearing and disappearing on Chen Yun’s body and still looking resilient and still sturdy, there’s no damage was inflicted from the Omni Transparent Film because the Triangular Pointing Light Shield mostly receives all the force of his downfall.

He reached his hands on the flickering shield. The film was smooth and snake-like scale feels when touched.

After he examines his loss, he surveyed his surroundings and when he didn’t notice any dangers around him, he quickly viewed his map. He was now at the south-west part of Cloud Hands City and he was near at the border between Cloud Hands City and the Blazing Spear City.

If he heads to the south-east he will reach the main road and there directly headed towards the Blazing Spear City.

Without wasting another more time, he rushed towards the south-east.

…

His journey to the Blazing Spear City was extended by a month which is normally taken for only a month.

In the main road having the route, Cloud Hands City to Blazing Spear City and vice versa, a group of people was walking while they surrounded a merchant’s carriage. They were the mercenary hired by the owner of the carriage, varying from the fifth rank of Mortal Realm to the peak of Mortal Realm.

Two people were sitting in the carriage, one was an old man with a head full of white hair, though old but his eyes was full of vitality and had already experienced the vicissitude of life. He was the owner the carriage and the merchant who hired these group of mercenaries.

 The person besides the old man was a bald man with a muscular body and a stern look placed on his face; a black saber was strapped on his back and exuded the First Rank of the Earthen Realm and the leader of his gang.

As they were leisurely traveling, they arrived in some part of the main road which was towering trees that sunders the heaven above were growing. Typically, this place doesn't have an exact name and was called by the traveling merchants as “Forested Sundering Tree” or in its infamous name “Merchant’s Grave”. It was called ‘Merchant’s Grave’ because this location was a good place in placing an ambush, every year many merchants died in this place yet there was still many of them who were traveling here bravely much like the old man.

A dignified expression was plastered on the faces of all the mercenaries and was prepared if there was an ambush ahead of them as their job was to protect their merchant who hired them. Even their bald leader had climbed down from the carriage and walked accompanying the other men.

Whoosh!

Suddenly there was a shadow that suddenly appeared on the road, the mercenaries quickly positioned themselves into attacking formation forming like an arrow.

The shadow was still rolling as he was shouting in agony…

“Ouch, ouch, ouch, that hurts. Damn that demonic beast luckily I lost it.”

He suddenly noticed that there are people at the main road and they were a bit tense, but his eyes suddenly lit.

“Oh! Can I join you? I was also heading to the Blazing Spear City” he said.

A weird expression suddenly appeared on their faces as they relaxed their tense muscles but they didn’t lower their guard. This time, the old merchant who was sitting on his carriage looked at the person who was rolling recently with interest.

No one answered Chen Yun’s proposal, but he looked at the old man who was sitting on the carriage knowing that he was the one who decides.

The old man only looked towards Chen Yun with an interest in his eyes, while stroking his beard as if he was weighing something then suddenly he squinted his eyes as he replied, “Hohoho, you’re quite skilled with your cultivation base of the first rank of the Earthen Realm there’s no problem joining us. In the end, our route was the same so why not join.”

“Then I would gladly accept your offer senior” Chen Yun excitedly answered.

The mercenaries didn’t disapprove the old man’s answer nor agree on his choice; even their leader didn’t utter a single word against his proposal.

Chen Yun quickly joined the group and continued their journey to the Blazing Spear City, other than Chen Yun’s appearance there’s no ambusher suddenly popped out from the sides of the forest and they were smoothly traveled without any problems. Their journey continued on in a month!

In this month Chen Yun learned that the Blazing Spear City was famed for its high-class blacksmiths and their high-quality products. The quality of each weapon was ranked from the cultivator’s cultivation base, but the difference is they were just divided by nine realms and without any rank. For example, the item he bought which was the green jaded sword was at the Mortal Realm while the red tasseled-tied spear was at the Earth Realm. The higher the realm the valuable and powerful it is, each weapon can be fully unleashed when a person reached the peak of that realm, if Chen Yun would ever plan to use the two weapons, only the green jaded sword will be used 100% while the red tasseled-tied spear which he can only use a portion of its real power and much like 10%.

The Blazing Spear City’s City Lord was Mo Chisheng, he was as powerful like Chen Yun’s father. Inside the city, there are two sects and two clans and they are the Blazing Spear Sect, Dragon Spear Sect, Mo Clan, and Yan Clan.

The Blazing Spear City’s name came from the strongest sect, the Blazing Spear Sect. Though it was the strongest in the city, it was still acting low-key in order for their disciples not to brag their sect and abuse the sect‘s authority unlike the Dragon Spear Sect that acts like an overlord, and because the Blazing Spear Sect went to have a low-profile, the Dragon Spear Sect grabbed this opportunity to act like they are the real owner of the city.

The Mo Clan and Yan Clan was way older than the Blazing Spear Sect that exists in the city but not much info was leaked to the outside but the City Lord was believed that he came from the Mo Clan because of his surname, there are some rumors that these two clans have done many marriage arrangements in each other.

His one month journey with the merchant and the mercenaries was quite awkward because these mercenaries had not spoken to him or with each other as if they didn’t need to speak in the first place. Luckily, the old man was talkative and quite interesting old man, His name was Olaf he lives in the Cloud Hands City and he inherited his parents business as a merchant. The merchant told Chen Yun that these mercenaries were called the Black Saber Mercenaries they are well demanded by the most merchants, but luck has with the old merchant and he got these mercenaries.

Though they didn’t speak merchant Olaf told him that the name of the leader of these mercenaries was Tu Ren. When Chen Yun wants to ask for more information the merchant also didn’t know their real background for he just hires them to deliver his goods.

Every night, they stopped their journey and give a rest at the roadside while eating their packed rations and Chen Yun will do his training on Cloud Hands Art.

Whoosh!

Chen Yun swiftly moves from left to right then to and fro, his feet were exuded a rainbow-colored mist as it covers his feet like a fog or a cloud. Every time he stepped the ground, a surge of mist will erupt from his feet and quickly hid his footsteps and his feet, hiding it from the onlookers that will be hard to discern where will be his direction because of the obstructing rainbow colored fog.

Not only it will hide or cover his feet, it also boosts his movement speed and flexibility to change direction by 20%. Within the span of the month he had touched the essence of the first stance of Cloud Hands Art, but not completely that is why he can only increase his movements by 20%. Though it was only a 20% increase of movement speed and maneuverability, it greatly enhances his fighting capability.

As the time went by, the leader of the mercenary group was a bit uncomfortable of the smooth journey they had because he felt there’s something going to happen ahead of them. His men started to relax and lowered their guard just last week; because of the lack of dangers, they cannot hold their vigilance day and night which will give them a headache. So as time went by, they slowly slacked they security as they slowly approached the border of the Cloud Hands City and Blazing Spear City.

Blazing Spear City was located near the border and it will only take three days before they can reach the city.

When the group saw the silhouette of the towering buildings of the city that with a right angle it looked like a spear embedded its handle to the ground while its spearhead was pointed towards the heaven. They quickly hastened their steps. They passed by an open field which can see the vastness of the city, as they hurriedly traveled to the Blazing Spear City.

Hummm!

Suddenly, the ground quaked and it waved like in the sea making the group to be unbalanced that even some of them fell to the ground.

Vwoosh!

While the group was confused and startled metallic sounds of weapons quickly follows the quaking which was coming from above the skies as it came raining down towards the Black Saber Mercenaries, Chen Yun, and the merchant named Olaf!