But before Krune or the enemy leader could attack, Yusa came forward to talk.
"Shouldn't you give up by now? I don't know who you are, but you are definitely not bandits since they can't possibly have such refined skills, which means that you were sent here by someone. You should know that with my, Ao, and Krune's power, you can't kill everyone now, and that is considering that you will win in the end. Are you sure you want the Mercenary Guild to investigate this incident where there are survivors?"
The leader felt helpless. He knows that Yusa is telling the truth, not to mention that he can't see through this Krune fella. He received information that he could use wind and fire element to summon some kind of fire type wind blades, which as really powerful. The reason that he was assigned as the group leader is that he is a water element user. He was supposed to be Krune's nemesis. Still, after seeing that Krune can also use water element attacks that are by no means any weaker than his own, his confidence is now gone. Not to mention that it would be bad if he could use lightning-based abilities too.
"Very well, but I want their corpses."
He then pointed at the corpse pieces of his companions. Yusa agreed with that, if they can leave without any losses, that would be for the best.
Krunes group retreated while those men stayed behind to recover the corpses of their companions. They still had one chance. If they are capable of reaching Kaley City fast enough and ask their clan to send reinforcements, they might be able to salvage the situation.
After walking for over two hours, the group finally stopped to rest. Everyone had used everything they had in the last battle, and Krune wasn't much better either. To create such a gigantic water prison, control the water blades, and still keep his Divine Sense active all the time, it took a great toll on him. He took a few spirit stones from his spatial ring and started to recover. While everyone was meditating, Yusa, Krune, and Ao went to the side to discuss what happened. Ao Sulian was then the first one to talk.
"You said that they were not bandits, that they were sent by someone, mind to explain?"
Yusa nodded
"In fact, I'm not sure either, but a bandit group shouldn't have such coordination. It was good that my guess was right, and their leader agreed to give up. You don't know it, but Krune has a Four Stars Mercenary Badge, and I think it might have been because of this that we were attacked by them."
Ao was surprised!
"Four Stars? You are joking, right? Only those at the Core Formation Realm can apply for those, why would he have a Four Stars Badge?"
Krune looked a little embarrassed.
"I think I used a little bit too much strength during the test. For some reason, they decided to give me this badge."
Yusa's mouth twitched.
"A little bit your head! Then what if you had used your full power? Would you bring the entire guild down?"
Krune looked away and pretended that he didn't hear anything.
Yusa then explained what happened during the mercenary exam. Ao looked at Krune strangely. He was shocked by his battle strength since he was even able to imprison four Foundation Establishment Realm cultivators. Still, in the end, he was using Water Element only. He didn't use two elements at the same time. But now he knows that Krune can do that and even use Skill Merge!
"I understand now, they were probably after him! But who would dare to buy a fight with the mercenary guild? To kill a genius like him under the guild's nose is almost the same as bringing destruction to one's clan or sect."
Krune was the one to talk this time.
"I don't think they wanted to kill me. That 5th stage Foundation Establishment cultivator that was fighting me at first wasn't using any lethal attacks, it was as if he didn't want me to die."
Yusa eyes then lit up.
"Blood contract! They probably wanted to capture and convince you to sign a blood contract! With your talent, you are definitely becoming a great figure in the future, they wanted to have you for themselves."
She then laughed a little
"Why do you have to be so famous?!"
Another blade passed through Krune's heart, it's very effective! He couldn't help but think again while crying inside.
'Low key is really the sage's path...'
Ao felt awkward at their weird relationship, but then he came back to the main topic.
"Which means that they will probably try again. After we arrive at Kaley City, they won't be able to do anything anymore. Even if we leave the city later, the mercenary guild will be on guard waiting for someone to eat the bait that is Krune. Not to mention that I don't think they will escape the mercenary's guild intelligence network to start with. The guild will probably root them out even before they need to use a baiting plan."
Krune didn't understand much, but Yusa did. The mercenary guild is a behemoth around the world, and very few would oppose it.
"It won't be a problem. It has only been two hours since we left, not to mention that their companions also have to stop to rest. We already left the most dangerous area on the way here, if Krune and I press forward, there is no way they will have time to get there and assemble another team."
Ao then said.
"They could simply communicate with their clan or sect. No, wait! They can't, the signal won't be able to arrive here."
Yusa nodded.
"Exactly, danger zones don't have signal towers since bandits would most likely take the equipment down to sell. It's a wasted effort. We all know that danger zones are left like that not only because it would be too troublesome to keep watch, but also because they are good places to refine one's skills. So they will have to get closer to Kaley City to be able to communicate with their superiors. Then to summon the necessary personal and leave the city again will take time too. Of course, if we want to prevent that, we need to leave immediately."
Krune nodded. He had already restored his spiritual energy and could go at any moment.
"Then we should be going, Yusa. If I'm not wrong, their leader, that 6th stage Foundation Establishment, will probably separate from their group and rush forward alone. So we can't wait anymore."
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Ao Sulian then said.
"In that case, let me tell the others that I'm leaving too. I'm a Wind Element specialized cultivator, so I won't hold you back. With the three of us, it will be easier to deal with any bandits on the way, not to mention that it will be safer to the others too."
Krune and Yusa agreed with his proposal.
Ao talked a little with his two friends and with the Qi Condensation cultivators. After that, the three of them left, and they rushed all the way until the night of the next day. Ao and Krune were fine since both can use wind element, specially Krune. Still, Yusa is a water element specialized cultivator, so she couldn't keep going anymore. Ao then came forward to carry her. She was about to refuse when Krune reminded.
"You won't be able to do anything if you don't rest. Both of us can use Wind Element so we can continue without stop. But you can't, and remember that we are running against time."
She then left a helpless sigh. Ao then carried her on his back, Krune isn't very strong when you consider his physical strength, so Ao was a much better option for the job.
Two days later, they finally could see the city walls in the distance. Fortunately for them, they just arrived when the enemy was about to send reinforcements to stop them on the way. Krune was right in the end, the enemy leader had rushed forward alone to pass over the information. But he was a water element user just like Yusa. Even with his higher cultivation level, he couldn't compare in endurance against wind element cultivators. They could use the wind to make their bodies lighter, helping them to press forward much easier.
---
Krune, Yusa, and Ao went straight to the Mercenary Guild's main branch to report what happened. When the branch supervisor heard what they said, he exploded in rage. Their Yule Continent Mercenary Guild hasn't given birth to such a talent for a long time already! Now some piece of shit clan or sect wanted to bring him under a blood contract? That is ridiculous!
The entire branch intelligence network moved that day. They looked for information regarding ten Foundation Establishment cultivators leaving the city in the past week, and paired with their cultivation level with what was reported by Krune. Sure enough, there was a match!
At the same time, on the southwest side of Kaley City, the clan head of the Solie Clan was passing right and left inside the meeting room. His name is Zu Solie, a 2nd stage Core Formation Realm cultivator. The elders in the room were all quiet, around a week ago, they had received the information from one of their clan members that a human form demon beast passed the mercenary examination and got a Four Stars Badge and ID. They knew that they were one of the very first ones to receive the information. As long as they could bring Krune to their turf, convince him to sign a blood contract, and let him go as if not had happened, their clan was sure to grow in the future while being carried by Krune.
Unfortunately, the plan failed. They lost four Foundation Establishment cultivators, and the mercenary guild is already investigating the issue. It would be fine if there were no witnesses, but the target itself proved to be much stronger than they had predicted. He was already back at the mercenary guild, so there was nothing they could do with him from now on, the question now is if they can avoid disaster.
It was then that a subordinate knocked on the door and then came in.
"Clan head, we received a call from the mercenary guild, they are inviting you to come to the guild to have a conversation."
The clan head started to sweat all over, it was finally here!
"Very well, call them back and tell that I'm heading there as soon as possible."
The subordinate then left and closed the door behind.
"Clan head, this can not continue. By following the leaving registers of the city, it will be easy for them to find out that it was us who sent the attackers. Not to mention that we still have five of our Foundation Establishment members making their way back to the clan. They will definitely be captured before arriving here."
The clan head got upset.
"Shut up! Do you think I don't know that? I don't want to hear what will happen, I want to hear a solution! Did you get any other information from that Krune that we can use?"
The elders shook their heads, but there was one who remembered one thing.
"In the report from our members back at the village, when this Krune cultivates, he absorbs the spiritual energy of over a hundred meters radius. That's already considering that he had spirit stones all around him, would it be possible to pay him to let it go?"
The clan head eyes lit up. Finally, there was an idea. In fact, it was a straightforward one, it's just that since they heard that Krune was a Four Stars Mercenary, they thought that he wouldn't care about spirit stones at all! But if his universe foundation needs so much spiritual energy like it's said in the report, then maybe, just maybe, it might be enough to save their clan that way.
"Alright, let's go with what you said, prepare to leave, I'm heading over there."
Core Formation Cultivators could use their spiritual energy to fly. Still, flying is restricted in Kaley City. Only Divine Soul cultivators are allowed to in the city. It's just that there aren't many of them to start with. The Solie clan obviously wasn't one of the powers with a Divine Soul Realm ancestor.
---
Back at the mercenary guild, Krune, Ao and Yusa were waiting for the results of the search in one of the rooms provided by the mercenary guild for them to rest. They heard the sound of a door opening when the guild supervisor of the branch came in.
"We got the five Foundation Establishment you had talked about. They are all part of the Solie Clan, and their clan head is coming to the guild to give an explanation. Do you want to take part in the meeting?"
All three of them nodded their heads.
In the meeting room, Zu Solie was waiting. Then, Krune, Ao, and Yusa came in together with the supervisor of the branch.
Zu Solie came forward to greet them first.
"Supervisor Lu, those three should be Krune, Ao, and Yusa, right?"
The three of them didn't look the least bit happy with his greetings, two were supposed to die while one was supposed to become a slave, how could they?
"Clan head Zu Solie, let's cut the bullshit. We already got those five members of your clan. However, I haven't done anything to them yet, and they haven't said anything. Still, they are registered as part of your clan, and we both know that there is no way that they would have moved without your permission."
Zu Solie smiled bitterly, it was here.
"Yes, I was the one who asked them to bring Krune over, and even if I said that it wouldn't be to force him to sign a blood contract, no one would believe me anyway, so I came to make amends."
Supervisor Lu then said
"I wonder what kind of amends you are willing to make for us to let it go? Is there something you can offer Krune and his friends that we can't?"
Zu Solie shook his head.
"We obviously can't offer anything that the mercenary guild can't. But we are willing to pay any price as long as our clan can be left out of the hook, this Clan head's life is also on the table."
They were surprised, Zu Solie was even willing to give his life away to save his clan. He might have tried to kill and slave them, but at least he knows how to protect his own.
Zu Solie continued.
"We heard the little friend Krune needs a lot of spirit stones for his cultivation. If the matter can be resolved with this, we are willing to offer ten thousand Rank Three low-quality spirit stones."
Don't look down on this number. Even after Krune 'paid a visit' to several spiritual vein lakes back in Katiu Forest, he wasn't able to find a single Rank Three spirit stone. The best ones he found were only Rank Two middle grade, and they weren't much.
Not only Krune and Ao were surprised with this amount, Yusa eyes were on fire! She grabbed Krunes arms and started shaking it without stop, this money grubber has already lost her sanity!
Krune also needs spirit stones urgently, not only for his cultivation but also for his Spiritual Energy Meridians. They then looked at supervisor Lu.
Lu Ganan is his full name, and he understood the meaning of their looks.
"I won't lie, this is a considerable fortune in a place like Kaley City. We might be a city, but we are a small one, so this price can indeed help you a lot while you are here. The question is, do you want to spare the Solie Clan?"
Krune then got an idea. They will need support while they are here, the Solie Clan might have tried to do what they did, but they still have some influence in the city.
"If the Solie clan head is willing to sign a blood contract promising that the clan won't try to do anything to my friends or me and also give its full support during the time we are in Kaley City, then I think we can let this matter go. What you two think about it?"
Ao Sulian and Yusa Shen understood what Krune wanted to do. Support would indeed make things much easier in the city and open several doors for them, so they nodded.
Zu Solie also was ecstatic! The Solie clan might have lost almost all of its treasure. Still, they adverted disaster, the money will come in again sooner or later anyway. But if they use this chance to build a good relationship with Krune, this disaster might turn out to be their fortune instead. He then gladly signed the contract, which put a restriction on his soul.