During their journey over the next few days, they stopped one night in a flat area. Lian Kai suggested they rest there, so the other mercenaries set up a campfire to cook their meals. This prompted Madara to pause his training and deep comprehension of the technique in his inner realm. As he walked around, he heard someone calling him and turned to see who it was.

"Hey, come eat over here!" Chang Bo called out to him.

Madara was about to decline the invitation, but he noticed that the other mercenaries sitting around the campfire, including Lian Kai and his daughter, Lian Hua, were all looking at him expectantly, waiting for his response. Realizing this, he decided to join them for a meal.

As he sat down and began to eat, Madara quietly listened to the stories shared by his fellow mercenaries about why they had chosen the path of cultivation. When it was his turn, Chang Bo prompted him, "Your turn, kid. Why did you choose to become a cultivator?"

Madara finished his meal before speaking. "I had no choice."

The others furrowed their brows at this response, and one of the men at the campfire asked, "No choice?"

He nodded and continued, "In this perilous world, I had no choice but to become a cultivator. As an ordinary person, I would be defenseless against rogue cultivators, beasts, and bandits, facing certain death."

"Additionally, cultivators hold all the power and influence, leaving ordinary people feeling insignificant and oppressed. To survive and live a meaningful life, I had no other option."

As he explained his situation, the others nodded in understanding. After finishing their meal, they settled in for the night before resuming their journey toward Taiyuan City the next day.

...

After three days of travel, they finally caught sight of the forest that their leader had mentioned. However, as they approached the entrance, a heavy rain began to fall, slowing their progress due to the muddy path. Amidst the downpour and occasional lightning, Madara donned his bamboo hat, feeling the atmosphere around them shift.

Once they reached the heart of the forest, Madara suddenly opened his eyes from his meditative position, sensing movement behind the trees. Chang Bo, who was leading the expedition, noticed the same and signaled for all the wagons to stop.

He then activated a talisman resembling a badge. As he did, each mercenary's badge lit up, indicating that enemies were nearby. Madara stood up from his spot in the wagon and began to attune himself to his surroundings. After a few seconds, he spoke up, "They're here."

At that moment, Chang Bo murmured with a grin, "This isn’t good; they’re surrounding us. I didn’t expect them to lie in wait here." Despite the heavy rain, he shouted at the top of his lungs, "We have enemies!"

As soon as he uttered those words, figures dressed in black emerged from their hiding places among the towering trees and charged toward them.

...

That night, the rain poured down in sheets, transforming the forest into a murky battlefield as thunder rumbled overhead. Madara sensed an ominous presence closing in and activated his Body Flicker Technique, vanishing just as a white slash cut through the air, striking the ground where he had stood moments before. Reappearing on the muddy ground, he found a burly man behind him, fist cocked and ready to strike. Madara's reflexes kicked in, and he flickered again, effortlessly dodging the punch. The man's eyes widened in shock as he materialized behind him, the silver gleam of his sword poised to strike. Before he could land the blow, the man's companion—armed with a sickle—intervened, blocking the attack just in time. Madara's instincts flared; he quickly stepped back to reassess the situation, but a third figure clad in black emerged to his right, sword drawn and ready to attack.

...

Not far away, inside the fourth wagon (carriage), Lian Kai pulled a talisman from his storage ring. Upon activation, it floated and emitted golden yellow runes that expanded until they enveloped the entire wagon, where he sat with his daughter, Lian Hua. From her vantage point, she witnessed the clash between the mercenaries and the bandits. As she peered out the window, she caught sight of a man in black attire wearing a bamboo hat, engaging three opponents with a sword that shone with a silver gleam. When lightning illuminated the scene, Lian Hua realized who he was: "It's him..."

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...

With a swift motion, Madara raised his sword, expertly executing a parry to deflect the incoming strike. He followed up with a precise thrust, aiming for the man's vital points. The bandit barely managed to sidestep, but Madara’s momentum carried him into a fluid lunge, bringing his sword down in a deadly arc that met flesh with a sickening thud. As the first bandit staggered, Madara pivoted, refocusing on the one with the sickle. The man swung his weapon wide, but he sidestepped with a graceful step, effortlessly evading the attack. He feinted to the left, then lunged forward, striking at the man’s midsection before he could react. The remaining bandit, now panicking, attempted to launch a surprise attack from behind. Madara sensed the movement and unleashed a Sword Qi Slash, projecting a blade of energy that cut through the rain-soaked air, striking true and sending the bandit crashing to the ground.

---Sword Qi Slash: This technique allows the practitioner to project a blade of energy from their sword, creating a ranged attack. The sword Qi travels through the air and can cut through objects or strike opponents from a distance.---

Suddenly, Madara felt a powerful attack approaching from a distance, prompting him to activate his Body Flicker Technique once more. As he dodged, he spotted a massive axe embedded in the ground where he had just stood, and behind him surged a large blue arc of energy. Reacting quickly, he used his technique again to avoid the deadly blow. In both directions, he saw two formidable foes: a towering giant and another man wielding a Saber sword in his left hand.

The ensuing battle stretched on for what felt like hours. He engaged both enemies, each blow resonating with power and skill. The giant swung his axe with tremendous force, while the saber-wielding foe attempted to flank him with quick, precise strikes. Despite the cultivation stage gap (late-stage Qi Condensation) and disparity in power, Madara fought fiercely, weaving through attacks with swift footwork and expertly parrying blows. The intensity of the fight took its toll, leaving him with numerous wounds across his body, each a testament to his grit and determination. Finally, after a relentless exchange, he seized an opening; with a swift riposte, he struck down the giant decisively. Moments later, he turned to face the saber-wielding enemy, overwhelming him with a combination of feints and precise thrusts until he delivered a final strike that brought him to the ground.

Exhausted and bloodied, Madara stood amidst the chaos, breathing heavily as he surveyed the fallen enemies. On the other side, the remaining bandits began to retreat upon realizing that their leader had been slain by Chang Bo. As the battle concluded, many bandit bodies lay lifeless on the ground, alongside the casualties from their own group. Though it pained them to see their fallen comrades, they understood that such was the fate of mercenaries and cultivators.

Madara wiped the blood from his sword before storing it in his ring. He approached the five bandits he had slain to collect their weapons and storage items. After that, he made his way back to the wagon, where he had been stationed to stand guard. There, he began to heal the wounds he had sustained in battle, and afterward, he entered deep meditation to absorb the Qi he had expended during the fight.

Once the rain subsided, Chang bo's group resumed their journey toward Taiyuan City. During that night’s travel, within his inner realm, he carefully analyzed the battle, observing how he countered his enemies' attacks and the decisions he made throughout the fight. After reviewing the events, he commented, "Fighting against actual opponents is a different experience. I didn’t expect to face three mid-stage Qi Condensation cultivators and two late-stage ones. I struggled immensely against the two late-stage cultivators; a single misstep could have meant my death. I need to improve." With that determination, he resumed training in his inner realm.

He emerged from his inner realm upon hearing Chang Bo's voice. "Kid, we have arrived in Taiyuan City."

As he stepped out of the wagon, Madara was greeted by the bustling streets of Taiyuan City. The roads were paved with glowing enchanted stones, lined with elegant buildings made from spiritual wood, each adorned with intricate carvings. He marveled at the sight, thinking, "I never expected it to be so different from Jin Yang Town."

Behind him, the mercenaries were unloading Mr. Lian Kai's belongings from the wagon into a nearby shop. At the same time, Lian Kai handed Madara five silver coins as payment for his assistance. Upon receiving the coins, he asked, "Sir, where is the location for the disciple selection?"

"Why are you only asking about that now, kid? It started a while ago this morning. Anyway, follow this road, and you'll see the plaza where the sect disciple selection is taking place." Just as he was about to return the badge to Chang Bo, he was interrupted.

"Keep it; we might meet again someday." Madara cupped his fists together in farewell.

As he walked away, Lian Kai noticed his daughter staring at him with admiration as he left. He was about to speak when his daughter broke the silence. "Dad, I want to become a cultivator."

Surprised, he asked, "I thought you didn’t want to be a cultivator?" Lian Hua replied, "At first, I didn’t, but now I understand." She gazed longingly in the direction Madara had gone.

...

Madara hurried through the streets, he couldn’t help but recall his past life on Earth, racing to avoid being late for class. In his haste, he had forgotten to change his clothes, so he glanced around for a place to do so but found nothing suitable. Undeterred, he continued onward, drawn by the sounds and voices echoing from the plaza.

Upon reaching the entrance and stepping inside, he felt the curious gazes of the people around him, their eyes fixed on the newcomer in their midst.