“N-no! Immortals we’re not bandits, just mere peddlers-” The prostrating man pleaded to no avail.

The right disciple, grinned completely ignoring the man’s pleading. He stepped forth drawing his sword with an overly fanciful twirl. To his credit, his sword moved with a practiced grace, drawing mesmerizing circles of blue Qi in the air.

“Silence bandit scum! I, Wang Changsheng will make you pay for your crimes, taste my blade — Blooming Strike, First Form!” He shouted, a disgusting smirk on his face.

In the blink of an eye, before anyone could react, he appeared before the peddler in a blur. After-images shimmered in his wake, his sword leaving trails of Qi behind as he slashed down at the poor pleading peddler. The peddler squealed, bringing his arms to protect his face.

“AAAGH!”

Both of his arms fell to the floor as a fountain of blood erupted from his stumps. The disciple spun on his lead foot, his back leg coming around in a perfect round-house kick — it crushed into the peddlers skull with a sickening crack.

The peddler was sent tumbling across the impacted dirt, his body limp.

The shit-eating grin of a disciple flicked his blade towards the dirt, the blood along its edge slapping into the ground.

“Brother Changsheng, your Blossoming Strike has reached Small Success, congratulations!” The other disciple with black hair said, clapping his hands softly as if watching a talent show.

Changsheng smiled, bowing softly towards the others. “Thank you brother Mingzun, but it is nothing much, merely due to my new sword. This humble disciple wouldn’t dare boast his skills, especially before Senior Brother Shui Han.”

Fang couldn’t believe the sheer bullshittery he was hearing. They were just… jacking each other off, after killing an innocent man?

His interactions with cultivators as a whole had been bad, Yunfeng excluded, but this was just absurd.

Was the social disparity really this bad? They just killed mortals freely? With no consequence? Not even a smidgen of guilt?

…But why would they? When it was akin to killing an ant? Would you feel remorse over killing an ant?

Fang grit his teeth. Not at the injustice in full display, but at the thought of being viewed him as nothing more than a bug.

Yunfeng grimaced, she recognized the name Shui Han. A relatively popular up-and-coming inner disciple of the Azure Lotus Sect. She had only heard rumors about him, his prowess with his twin-swords for one, and a darker, more sinister rumor about his blood-thirst. The other disciples were nothing to write off either, while their cultivations were lower than hers, the quality of the Azure Lotus Sects techniques made up for such minor differences.

Shui Han stepped forwards, silently approaching the frightened peddler group with a smile. His hands rested on the pommels of his two swords. His blue eyes scanning over the group before suddenly stopping when they reached Yunfeng.

A subtle blue glow rose to his iris’s, his gaze seemingly piercing the veil hiding Yunfeng’s face. He smiled.

“Ah, who knew there would be another fellow disciple here? Which sect do you hail from… junior sister?” He said, drawing out the last two words with a lick of his lips.

Yunfeng frowned, a wave of disgust rolling down her spine. Rather than reply, she took a defensive stance, bringing her hands close to her chest and face. A wave of jade Qi bubbled to her fists, the Qi crawled along her forearms, slowly forming into two jade gauntlets. They coalesced with a sharp shimmer, a low gong-like noise ringing out as they solidified.

Shui Han eyes slightly narrowed at her response. He glanced at her gauntlets, a sneer rising to his lips.

“Do all you brutes from the Jade Horde have no manners? Or are you just especially venomous, hm?” Shui Han said, unsheathing his own swords. The metal softly screeching as they tasted air, the expert craftsmanship of the weapons gleaming in the setting sun.

Yunfeng didn’t even bother replying. As it was clear Shui Han wanted one thing. She grit her teeth as she felt her Qi reserves sitting at half.

I cannot waver again.

She glanced at Fang, giving him a nod with just her eyes.

Yunfeng exploded towards Shui Han, her legs like cannons as she sprinted towards him.

“SHE’S MINE!” Shui Han barked out, dropping into a low stance, smiling as he did so. A small blue Lotus formed over his head, hovering above his hair like a crown. It pulsed, a tangible wave of power flitting around him. His eyes glowed blue as he stepped to meet Yunfeng.

The air shook as gauntlet met sword in a blurring flurry of attacks. Azure and jade Qi screeched as they met repeatedly in a matter of seconds. Yunfeng defected sword strikes that appeared in the blink of an eye, punching out with so much force that the ground tremor’d. Shui Han smiled, feeling the difference in their cultivations, a relaxed look overcame him.

This should be fun.

The peddlers couldn’t even keep track of their movements, their eyes in utter disbelief as they witnessed the supernatural battle before them.

Unfortunately for them, this wasn’t a demonstration.

The two remaining disciples charged the peddlers, their swords drawing lines of Qi through the air.

Changsheng launched himself at another peddler, repeating the same overhead slash at a fear stricken woman.

Yet, just before his sword came down a fist shot towards his jaw.

Fang appeared once more from a blur, successfully ambushing the disciple, who, like the bandits before didn’t expect a threat to be present amongst the mortals.

Fang’s eyes, however, widened in surprise.

What?!

An icy barrier materialized just mere milliseconds from impact. Fang’s fist cracked, the bones in his hand fracturing as he slammed into the Qi barrier.

Regardless, the force alone sent Changsheng flying into the ground, he dropped his sword as he tumbled across the dirt pathetically, but completely unharmed.

The icy barrier over his skin shimmered, before shattering into a million beautiful motes of Qi. Changsheng stared, completely stunned at the dissipating barrier, a rage flooding through his passably-handsome face.

“M-my life saving talisman!” He screamed out. He looked up to see the transgressor, his eyes filling with an ugly fury as saw Fang, standing by the woman, holding his sword.

Changsheng rose to his feet in a fit, his finger pointed at Fang.

“RETURN MY SWORD! YOU FILTHY MORTAL!” He screamed.

Fang spared him a glance, then looked towards the river in the distance. Then back to the sword.

Changsheng felt a sinking feeling in his stomach. His eyes turning blue as they flooded with Qi.

“YOU DARE?!”

Sure do.

Fang whipped his hand, mustering the full extent of his power as he sent the sword flying towards the river like a javelin. Even reduced to 80% capacity, the sword whistled as it flew.

Changsheng eyes went wide, his body moving before he could even think. He charged for his sword as it flew towards the river, desperately chasing his beloved new weapon.

Fang exploded at him, intercepting him even as he blurred with speed and launched a powerful kick at his chest.

Changsheng snarled, throwing his palm at Fang’s leg. A small blue lotus materialized on his palm, its petals flattening as Fang’s leg slammed into palm. Changsheng grunted, his feet scoring the ground as he deflected the attack.

The sword dropped below the cliffs edge, plummeting to the river’s abyssal depths.

Changsheng stared daggers at Fang, his disciple-like visage dropping into an ugly rage, his head whipped towards his fellow disciple.

“Brother Mingzun! Help me skin this impudent mortal!”

Mingzun turned towards him, busy sinking his sword into a man’s back, he gave Chengsheng a bored look.

“Brother Chengsheng… really? You can’t handle a mere mortal?”

Chengshengs face grew dark, his eyes shooting towards Fang viscously.

“I suspect him to be demonic! Look at his nails!” He pointed accusingly.

Mingzun glanced at Fang’s black nails, scoffing at the sight. He sighed, pulling his blade free from the corpse-sheath.

“Whatever you say brother, but this is unbecoming of our sect.” Despite his harsh words of admonishment, Mingzun withheld no reservations helping. He charged towards Fang, leaving after-images behind as his sword streaked for Fang’s neck.

Fang sucked in a deep breath.

No room for mistakes.

His eyes dilated, his heart thundering as his Core Aura pulsed with power. Mingzun approached with a furious strike, his sword carving at Fang faster than anything he’d ever witnessed.

Fang twisted on his toes, Stormquaking Strides blurring his movements as he narrowly sidestepped the sword. It carved by, the sheer force of the attack whipping a blade of wind into the ground. Fang stabbed out in retaliation, his blackened nails piercing towards Mingzun’s face. Mingzun’s eyes went wide in surprise, but quickly recovered, twisting his sword around him to parry Fang’s attack.

DANG!

A loud clash resounded as blackened nail met steel. The sword vibrated violently in Mingzun’s hands, his eyes narrowing as leapt backwards.

“Chensheng! Are you just going to stand there?” He shouted to his brother.

Chengsheng grinned. “Haha! Brother Mingzun, I thought he was just a mortal?”

Mingzun groaned, ignoring the remark. He twirled the sword in his hands, dropping into a low stance with the point towards Fang.

“Shut up and kill this demonic cultivator with me!”

Fang’s hand throbbed, he looked down to see that his nails had flattened against the sword. His brows furrowed as he looked at the two disciples.

This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

I don’t think I can win this without burning my Aura. Survive? Maybe, but I don’t want to survive…

He willed his Core Aura to burn. His heart audibly throbbed as a rush of air exploded from his body.

BA DUM!

His eyes glowed a deep gold as the energy flooded through his veins.

Chengsheng and Mingzun eyes practically ballooned. Fang’s presence suddenly erupted, emanating an unseen pressure from his gaze alone.

Fang grinned at them.

I want to win.

He took the initiative, vanishing from sight with a single step. The wind screamed as Mingzun swung out to meet his attack. The sword buckled as Fang stabbed into it once more. Mingzun grunted as an incredible amount of power crashed into his blade, sending him stumbling.

Fang leaned back, dodging a palm strike from Chengsheng — he twisted, throwing a countering kick. Chengsheng dexterously slapped his leg, parrying and redirecting the attack to the ground. Fang grunted, feeling the impact shake his bones but maintained momentum, twisting his failed kick into a furious stomp.

The earth below them thundered, a shockwave exploding outwards sending Chengsheng reeling back.

Fang gave no quarter, switching targets in a blink. The ground exploded three times as he blurred with more speed. He circled around like a lightning bolt, shooting towards Mingzun in an instant. The man grimaced, his eyes pulsing with Qi. Energy flooded into his sword. The weapon glowing a bright blue before he slashed towards Fang. Dust parted as a wave of azure Qi launched outwards at Fang.

Fang twisted on his toes once more, rapidly changing directions and dodging the streaking blue sword wave. He kicked off the earth, flipping multiple times into a heel slam. Mingzun eyes went wide as he braced for impact.

Fang’s heel slammed into the flat of his sword. Mingzun buckled to his knees as his arms quaked.

IMPOSSBLE!

Fang spun off the kick, landing andtwisting with superhuman agility, snapping into a back-kick. Mingzun’s eyes dilated as Fang sank his leg like a cannon in his chest.

BANG!

A familiar icy Qi barrier appeared on his skin as he was sent skating across the ground, his robes twisted around the impact point. His feet drew deep ruts in the earth as he arrested his momentum. His lungs heaved heavy breaths of disbelief as he watched his life-saving talisman dissipate into the air.

Chengsheng screamed as he charged at Fang. His palm pulsed with power, a lotus blossom forming on his hand once more.

Fang didn’t shy away, launching his fist directly at Chengsheng’s palm.

“FOOL!” Chengsheng screamed in glee. To dare challenge Azure Lotus Qi with mere mortal hands! DIE!

Fang’s fist hammered against the lotus, the Qi seemingly holding against his super-human strength.

Fang grinned — twisting his fist.

The lotus shook, the flower suddenlycontorting under Fang’s fist even as it ripped his flesh away, revealing pure bone underneath as he forced his punch through. Chengsheng’s eyes bulged as a wave of force imploded into his palm. The bones in his hand shattered into a twisting maw. He cried, flying back clutching his hand as it spewed blood. Reduced to just a stringy mess of sinew and tendon.

Mingzun stared gobsmacked, his heart pounding in his chest as he witnessed his fellow disciple wailing in excruciation. The mortal whipped his head towards him with a wolfish grin. There was nothing but savage fury burning behind the mortal’s golden irises. The grip on his sword wavered.

Demon…

Fang laughed as he ignored the fear-stricken man, bolting directly towards the screaming Chengsheng with a raised fist.

“NO!” Mingzun screamed. He stepped forwards suddenly accelerating towards the two, his sword shooting like a comet to intercept Fang’s attack.

“Fool.” Fang taunted, abruptly dropping low. The telegraphed sword strike passed overhead in a blue streak. Mingzun’s eyes widened as he felt the world grow slow. His body screamed at him as he watched Fang’s fist approach his jaw from below.

He tried desperately to pull back, but his momentum chained him to his death.

WHAM!

Fang’s fist crumpled his jaw into his skull like a shotgun fired at point-blank. A disgusting explosion of brain matter lifted into the air, painting the near night-sky red. Fang shoulder checked Mingzun’s corpse, sending it smacking into the ground limply, rolling until it came to an eternal rest.

Changsheng stared at Fang with a disturbed look. His face was absolutely incredulous. How in HEAVENS-FUC-CKING-NAME! Does that make sense?!

You must understand. For him, it was heaven and earth flipping, imagine being pummeled into submission by an ant. It’s disgusting pincers stabbing you with enough force to buckle steel.

He would’ve much preferred the sun rising from the west.

Unfortunately the moon was currently rising from the east.

It rose over the Blue river at a sharp angle. For a perfect moment it painted a bridge of lunar light to its surface.

The Mortal turned to him as crimson blood fell from gore high above, a trillion droplets glimmering in bone-white lunar light.

“How’s that taste?” He said with a chuckle…

Changsheng shook in a stupor, his brows going stupid.

“W-What?” He stammered.

“Perspective.” Fang said coldly.

—

Shui Han was already growing bored.

He sidestepped, his chest barely leaning back as a gauntlet the size of a cart nearly kissed his chiseled jaw. Even his hair swept aside to safety. His sword glowed as he casually twirled it behind his back.

He suddenly slashed out. Carving space sixteen times in the blink of an eye. The sword waves whipped forwards in staggered succession, leaving a trail of Qi petals in their wake.

“Sixteen Petal Sword — Catching the Breeze… huh?” Shui Han announced with a smirk, until he stole a glance at his junior brothers — his voice dropped low, turning oddly casual.

The Jade Horde disciple grunted as she shuffled backwards with butterfly steps. She threw out air popping punches in rapid succession, Jade Qi exploding against azure, dying her vision a blinding blue. With just her senses she bobbed and weaved, her hat brim thinning with each successive close call. With a roar, a pair of jade greaves manifested over her feet and shin.

She jumped and twisted, dodging the final barrage of sword waves, before landing into a guarded stance, her eyes flaring green.

But Shui Han wasn’t even looking at her.

She stole a glance towards his gaze. Until she too, had a similar thought.

Huh?

Shui Han couldn’t believe his eyes. It was true that he had piss poor, bottom of the barrel expectations of his fellow disciples…

But to lose to a fucking mortal? And what is that repulsive look of fear in Chengsheng’s face. It hurt him, physically, to see such pathetic faces. The Mortal stood over the sorry excuse of a disciple, before he suddenly snapped his head at Shui Han.

A large grin spread over his face as he pointed at him.

“You’re next.” He declared.

He exploded a single leg forwards, sending a jackhammer kick at Changsheng’s face. The disciple’s head blurred as it cratered into the dirt.

Thuk!

Shui Han’s face transformed into a dragons snarl, the lotus crown above his head thrashing with power. His Qi empowered voice flooded out in a wave of dust.

“UNACCETABLE!”

A flash of jade green erupted from above him. His eyes snapped upwards to see a house-sized fist of solid jade barreling down at him. With a single furious stomp he launched up to meet it. His twin swords erupting upwards in grand arcs.

The jade fist screamed as it met the sword wave in a blinding clash of energy. The jade fist buckled, the armor cracking as the sword waves sawed straight through.

Fang shot forwards, blasting himself upwards. His body blurred into a streak as he flew towards Shui Han. He intended to intercept another fool caught in the air.

But Shui Han suddenly stepped.

In mid air.

His foot hovered above a blue lotus petal, the materialized construct of deep blue Qi supported his entire being.

“Enough games.”

He vanished.

Fang blinked, and Shui Han was suddenly only a step away. He could barely process what happened before he disappeared again, suddenly far away again, standing on a blue petal sheathing his swords. His vision parted, a sharp sensation stinging his eyes.

Then everything went dark.

—

Yunfeng moved before Shui Han could destroy her falling fist. Her stomach sinking to a pit as Shui Han’s Qi built in his lotus crown.

As strong as the kid was, Shui Han had just unsealed his cultivation. The smug fuck had been keeping it suppressed the whole time—and even then, she hadn’t scratched him once!

His power rose breaking into the 10th stage with ease, before charging up the immortal ladder.

11th … 12th … Dread flushed through Yunfeng’s face.

Peak Stage…

Without hesitation she reached into her chest pocket and crushed a talisman made of white jade. A hourglass of white-sand appeared above her hand.

Three seconds!

Her body blurred towards both of their bags, snatching them with iron-grips. The packs vanished from sight, a silvery ring on her hand pulsed with Qi.

Two seconds.

She turned, and watched as Fang was slapped out of the air by an eye tearing wave of Qi. Her eyes dilated, tracking his descent to earth. She sprinted forwards, accelerating towards his crash angle.

One second.

Fang smashed into the earth in a mushroom cloud of dirt. Yunfeng slid across the ground on her jade greaves, extending her hour-glass hand blindly into dust cloud.

Please!

A cocoon of white energy suddenly appeared around the dust cloud. Shui Han’s eyes went wide as he immediately slashed out with both swords.

His sword waves cut across space in an instant, mere millimeters away from the white energy.

THRUMMM!

As if space itself had struck a cord, the area within the cocoon shivered, a bright radiance enveloping the world within.

Then it vanished.

The sword waves sliced the dust cloud in two halves, the dust curling around the attack like inverted waves.

Shui Han floated to the ground. He sheathed his blades, before swiping a hand towards the dust cloud as if swatting a fly away. Qi rushed out like massive fan passed by, blasting the refuse away.

Shui Han clicked his tongue, seeing nothing but a bloodied crater.

“Tsk. Typical.”

He looked over at his junior brothers. Or at least what was left of them, before sighing. Elder Zhen was going to chew him out, he might even get a month in ice-box. Not the worse thing in the world—but a necessary formality—he was told.

By Elder Zhen himself.

The few remaining peddlers cowed in fear in the distance, their wails drowning away in his ears.

Shui Han sighed, what a mess to clean up. He looked back to the crater. The brute aside, that mortal… there is something seriously off about him.

It wasn’t demonic.

No… it felt like something else entirely.

What is he hiding?

—

Ten thousand miles east, over the Blue River.

Wind roars over a bamboo jungle. Massive green stalks creak and bend under a torrential downpour. The sky screams as a flash of light smites the earth. A towering bamboo stalk suddenly explodes into a charred mess, embers sizzling in the rain.

Far below, where the charred mess rains onto the earth, a stone pagoda rests. Its cobbled walls are smothered in a strangling mess of vines and moss, having been untouched since long, long ago. The sky rumbles with the power of the heavens.

Deep inside the temple, a pin-drop of blinding white appears in space. It hovers for three seconds. The moment awkwardly long as nothing happens, before suddenly-

THRUMMM!

The spot of white erupts, expanding into a glowing cocoon of energy in the blink of an eye. Lightning streaks across the sky, flipping the night into day.

When night returns the cocoon is gone.

“AHHH-”

Yunfeng screams from within the temple, her Qi flaring in a raised hand, defending against a non-existent enemy.

“-HHHhhhhaa…” Her hand dropped. A small crack resounds, and she looks down to see the hour-glass above her other hand shatter. The white energy dissipating into the air.

From underneath her hand, a warm wetness bubbled.

Hm?

She raised it, a string of dripping blood stuck to her palm, her own blood ran cold as she spied Fang’s mutilated face. His eyes were gone, smushed into a moist mess of white juice. His chest rose, a choke of blood rising to his lips.

HE’S STILL ALIVE!

Yunfeng flipped her palm, sending her Qi through her spirit ring. A small somewhat bright-red pill appeared in her hand. With a single move she shoved it into Fang’s mouth, then tipped his jaw back.

Fang choked even more blood as the pill went down his throat, he tried desperately to vomit, but Yunfeng clamped his mouth closed. She always hated this part of the process.

After a breath passed, Fang finally stopped choking. The wound across his face throbbed, his eyeballs suddenly twitching violently. A wisp of red Qi enveloped his eyes, slowly reconstructing and regrowing the organs anew.

The wind continued to roar high above as the moon crested into the night sky.

Yunfeng looked at Fang with Qi vision to see that his eyes had fully healed. Unfortunately, since most of the healing went to his eyes, it couldn’t fully finish the rest of the wound.

A massive scar streaked across his face, from his upper nose to just below his brow, masking his eyes with a grizzly reminder of the attack.

Thankfully she didn’t have to worry about potential Qi deviation happening from this event, as Fang wasn’t a cultivator.

Which might be the oddest thing today.

The bandits, were as frequent as having a drink.

The Demonic Cultivator? Rare, but not her first time, nor unheard of.

The disciples from another Sect, hell-bent on killing her? Its what she trains for.

But a mortal killing not one, but two Azure Sect disciples, above the 6th stage, while the other was even slightly higher. Their inexperience aside, those were decade-long, trained martial warriors.

Had they spent their entire lives cultivating?

She couldn’t make sense of it. A kid, with the strength of a low-stage platinum body refiner. He Neared the peak of what a mortal could ever achieve. The only refiners even close to such absurd physical strength, were Empresses’ honor guards. Not to mention that they’re also Core Formation experts, they’d been practically baptized and drowned in medical baths since birth.

Some kid on the fringes of a Savage land should have no business being even close to that strength.

Yunfeng gazed down at Fang with a curious gaze.

What are you hiding?

—

Fang awoke with a scream.

He shot up, only to groan as a terrible pain racked his body. His head throbbed as if he’d taken a gunshot to the brain.

My eyes!

His memory kicked him, reminding him of the final moment. Of his vision splitting in two. His hands reached to his face. He sighed with relief, feeling his eyes still there. His hands brushed against his skin feeling a rough scar stretch across his face.

Better than death.

Fang carefully looked around to see nothing but darkness. His ears focused, a low rumbling sound echoing in the distance. He stood carefully, easing every tender muscle fiber into movement. His hand touched a wall, he took a few steps away from it, before his hand touched another.

A tunnel?

Fang limped towards the noise. It grew louder as he approached, like the pounding of a waterfall. Finally, he reached the exit, entering into an overgrown stone temple. Just outside Fang saw the source of the noise, a storm was raging just outside.

The world flipped in brightness, a thunderous boom clapping the sky asunder. Fangs’ eyes winced, barely catching the silhouette of a bag in the distance. His backpack was placed in the center of the temple room, impossible to miss. A single rock was placed onto what looked like parchment cloth. He trudged over to the bag, before carefully sitting beside it.

Fang placed the cloth to the side, saving it for later. He felt up his bag, fumbling through its contents to grasp a small bundle of dried sticks he kept in his sleeping bag. A habit Kang instilled in him during their first nights in the freezing snow. He placed one carefully onto the temple floor before drilling it down with his palms. Rather quickly, an ember formed. Fang then stacked small little twigs over the ember, blowing softly to entice flames to form. After a surprisingly peaceful moment, he had a small flame going.

Fang relished in the warmth of the measly flame, before bringing the piece of parchment to the fire-light.

Fang, you’ve been asleep for three days. I have to go. I used an Escape Talisman right after you lost consciousness, it landed us in a forest I recognize to be East of Three Bayan Town. The Green Maze.

I wish I could’ve stayed but I need to inform my sect about the demonic cultivator, as well as killing two disciples. I pray that my greater healing pill was enough to heal you.

Hopefully you see this and our life-debt is even.

Visit the Sect if you’re alive.

- Yunfeng

P.S. The storm will not pass, the temple is not safe.

Fang stared at the message before sighing. He leaned against his backpack, letting his muscles rest. A weight lifted off his shoulders.

I almost died again…

Would he have awoken again? In a different body, in a different world? He closed his eyes, an exhaustion washing over him. There was no way to know for sure, but he didn’t want to bet against death. He just hoped there wasn’t a new nightmare to torment his dreams.