When the two men witnessed their companion's actions, they glanced down the ravine. "Do you think the boy down there is still alive?" the Saber user inquired of his comrade.
"I'm not sure. If you're curious, you could go down and check," the crossbow user responded.
Without further questioning, the man wielding the spear descended to the base of the ravine to ascertain the boy's fate. Retrieving a dagger from his storage ring, he carefully traced its tip along the cliff's edge to aid his descent. Upon reaching the bottom, he meticulously searched for any sign of the boy, but unfortunately found none. After scanning the area for traces of life force, or qi, he retrieved his spear and ascended back to the cliff's top. Once reunited with his companions, he confirmed that the boy they had been pursuing had perished.
With that, the Saber user turned to him and inquired, "Brother, are you absolutely certain?"
Proudly, he responded, "Without a doubt, I witnessed firsthand how my spear technique struck him in the chest. He even attempted to flee because I sensed a surge of qi as he plummeted down the cliff, so I ensured he wouldn't escape."
Upon hearing this, the crossbow user interjected, "It's a shame we couldn't acquire the teleportation technique he was employing."
"Alright, let's retreat for now. They might be lying in wait for us," the spear user suggested to his companions.
Upon hearing his words, the two readily agreed, and the trio swiftly departed from their current location.
...
Not far from the northwest side of Jiandan Village, some villagers were standing while others were crouched on the grassy ground. Men dressed in black guarded them as they remained in these positions.
It was noticeable that the villagers had their hands and feet shackled while they watched their houses in the distance slowly being consumed by flames. Their bodies bore the marks of injuries sustained in their attempts to escape from the men in black.
The confusion was evident on their faces. Some were crying, remembering their loved ones who had sacrificed their lives to protect them. Others were bewildered, trying to understand why they had been attacked by the men in black.
Amidst the clamor surrounding her and a faint ache in her stomach, Li Lu slowly regained consciousness. As her eyelids fluttered open, her mother, Li Mei, came into view. Li Mei was lying nearby, and Li Lu could feel her gentle touch as she brushed her hair aside. Casting her gaze to the left, she noticed their village not far off, now engulfed in flames with houses ablaze.
As she prepared to rise, Li Lu's movement was halted by the realization that she was bound by shackles on her hands and feet. It was then that the events of the recent turmoil flooded back into her mind, prompting her to turn to her mother. "Mom, are you okay? Are you hurt anywhere?" Li Mei responded to her daughter's concern. Li Lu continued, "Mom, did you see Big Sister Yun and Madara here?" Li Mei shook her head in response to her daughter's inquiry.
"Mom, we have to escape from here," Li Lu urged. Li Mei countered her daughter's plea. "No, we can't. There are too many of them, and I can't risk your safety," she said, gently holding Li Lu's cheeks. As she assessed their surroundings, Li Lu noticed several black-clad men standing guard. Judging by her previous encounters, she presumed them to be at the above middle stage of qi condensation realm.
Despite her mother's objections, Li Lu rose to her feet, determined. She released her Qi throughout her body and attempted to break free from the shackles, but her efforts were in vain.
Her struggles drew the attention of the two men guarding them. "Kid, don't bother trying to break those," one of them advised. "With your cultivation stage, you won't stand a chance," his companion added. The two fell silent as a long-haired man with spiky hair approached. They immediately knelt and cupped their fists, addressing him as "Boss."
...
As he approached, he sensed a surge of Qi, prompting him to glance towards the young girl standing nearby to his left. Intrigued, he walked towards her. "I didn't expect to find another cultivator in this place," he remarked. Hearing this, Li Lu couldn't help but wonder what he meant by his statement.
Seeking answers, she turned to their boss. "Why are you doing this to us? We haven't wronged you in any way," she questioned. Their conversation drew the attention of those nearby, and one of the two men prepared to respond. "You have no right to question our boss like that, so...", but was silenced by their boss, who raised his left hand. Their boss then turned his attention to the young girl, chuckling softly before continuing, "Kid, I admire your courage, but you're in over your head. Let me tell you, the path of cultivation is different from what you might imagine."
Upon hearing this, Li Lu was left speechless. Just as she was about to take a seat, three figures clad in black approached them. As they drew nearer, they knelt and respectfully cupped their fists before their leader. When they reached them, their boss questioned why it had taken so long. One of the three men stepped forward to explain. "Boss, we encountered a young cultivator who seemed to possess a teleportation-like technique, which delayed our pursuit."
This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.
Li Lu was taken aback by this revelation. She knew that she and Madara were the only young cultivators in their village. The news filled her with worry; perhaps something had happened to him. She instinctively clasped her hands together, silently listening to their conversation.
"Technique?" their boss inquired. Instead of answering verbally, the saber-wielding man withdrew a Spirit Orb from his storage ring to show his boss what they were referring to.
----Spirit Orb: A glowing orb that captures visual and auditory information within its depths. By focusing spiritual energy into the orb, the user can project the recording as a holographic image/video.----
As the man retrieved the Spirit Orb from his storage ring, he infused it with Qi, causing it to emit a faint glow as he held it in his hand. Once the Spirit Orb absorbed the Qi, it projected a holographic rectangle measuring 12 inches in length and 6 inches in height. With a simple command from the man, the orb displayed a video, revealing how swiftly the kid had distanced himself from them.
It showcased his adept evasion and defense against the crossbow user's attacks using his wooden sword infused with sword qi. The video also depicted him being wounded by their companion's attack and how he was propelled towards the cliff edge due to the force of that blow. After the video ended, the man returned the Spirit Orb to his storage ring.
In the distance, Li Lu watched in awe as she witnessed Madara's remarkable combat skills and resourcefulness in the face of danger. Meanwhile, upon seeing the demonstration, their boss interjected. "Interesting technique. From my observation, it's not teleportation but rather a movement technique. Each time he employs it, I can still perceive his afterimage," he remarked. He paused briefly before turning to the three men. "You're only at the middle stage of the Qi Condensation realm, correct?" The three men responded respectfully with a cupped fist gesture, "Yes, boss."
Upon hearing this, the man responded, "So that's why you had difficulty catching him because of the technique he used. It seems to be based on the cultivation realm of the user. I say this because you're only one stage above him, and when you encountered him, it appeared as if he was teleporting. When I saw it, I noticed his afterimage with each use of the technique. I'm impressed with what he showed, being skilled in utilizing his own techniques even at an early stage of the Qi Condensation Realm."
The three men admired their boss for his keen observation and articulate analysis. Their demeanor turned serious again when their boss asked about the whereabouts of the child they had been pursuing. Upon hearing this, Li Lu's heart raced as she listened intently. When the three men responded, the spear user spoke up, "Boss, I killed him because he was planning to escape." As he spoke, their boss's expression changed, appearing somewhat irritated or disappointed at what he heard.
Seeking confirmation, he asked again, "Are you sure about that? It would be troublesome if he survived." The spear user replied confidently, "Yes, boss. I saw him being hit, and I inspected the area after he was struck. There were no traces of his body left due to the impact of my spear technique." Upon hearing this, their boss simply responded to them.
...
Upon hearing this, Li Lu stood frozen, tears streaming down her face as she recalled the joyful memories and final moments she shared with Madara. After a moment, their boss's attention returned to the young girl standing before him. Seeing her tear-streaked face and blank expression, he approached her cautiously, his hands held out slightly behind him. "It looks like you were with him, am I right?" he asked gently. At this point, it seemed like Li Lu didn't hear anything. She was reminded of what their boss had said earlier about another cultivator, and she concluded that her Big Sister Yun, must have met the same fate, which was why she couldn't see her here.
Recognizing her grief, he spoke again to the young girl. "This is the other side of the cultivation path." After conveying these words, he gestured to two of his men to prepare the teleportation array they had used earlier.
----Teleportation array: is a complex magical or spiritual formation that allows for instant travel between distant locations.----
After the departure of the two men, he turned his attention back to the remaining three. "The three of you—not to undermine your abilities, but it's clear you need further training. Do you understand?" They responded with a respectful cupped fist gesture. "Very well, inform the others, and let's depart from here," he directed, and in an instant, the three vanished from his sight. Once they were gone, he made his way towards where the teleportation array was set up.
As he walked, he found himself unable to shake off the memory of the technique he had witnessed from the young boy. It lingered in his mind, leaving him somewhat speechless. "What a missed opportunity," he mused aloud. "If only we had captured that boy, I could have undoubtedly learned the technique he was using."
"I never expected her younger brother to possess such technique; I should have been the one to apprehend him," he lamented with regret. "Such knowledge would have been invaluable for someone like me, at the middle stage of the foundation realm," he reflected quietly to himself.
...
Li Lu found herself in a daze, her mind blank, until she felt a reassuring hand holding hers. Turning, she saw her mother beside her. Her mother's presence brought a flicker of comfort amidst the turmoil. Upon noticing her daughter's distant stare and tear-streaked cheeks, Li Mei gently spoke, "Don't worry, I'm still here." Li Lu, overwhelmed by emotions, could only nod as tears continued to flow. Leaning into her mother's embrace, she sought solace in her presence.
Li Mei, understanding her daughter's pain, gently brushed Li Lu's hair aside and encouraged her to release her emotions. With a voice choked with emotion, Li Lu managed to utter, "Mom."
Their moment of shared grief was abruptly interrupted by the leader of the black-clad men, signaling their departure. Nearby, the teleportation array set up by his subordinates began to glow, signaling their imminent departure. As the bound villagers were led towards it by the black-clad men, Li Lu stole a final glance back at their village, now consumed by flames.
...
Several days later, there was a boy lying on the riverbank. His clothes were torn, with cuts on his arms and legs and dried blood staining them. Notably, there was a large hole in his chest attire. As he lay there, the warmth of the sun gradually brought him back to consciousness. Awakening, he spat out water mixed with a trace of blood from his mouth. After expelling the fluids, he looked around, his gaze scanning his surroundings as he questioned himself, "Where am I?"