"You two might stand a chance against an ordinary level 23 Seed Master, but I am no ordinary cultivator," Chinn said, his voice filled with confidence. "I am a level 23 Weapon Master, a veteran with ten years of experience."

He smirked. "Let me show you why Weapon Masters are feared at lower ranks."

As he spoke, Chinn summoned two Seed Rings—one common and one uncommon. Though his cultivation talent was lacking, leaving him stuck at level 23 even at the age of 30, he had still managed to accumulate a decent collection of Seed Rings.

Arya prepared to summon his own Seed Rings in response, but he suddenly froze, his eyes widening in surprise. Something unusual was happening. Normally, Seed Rings revolved around the right hand before transforming into a Seed Weapon. However, Chinn's rings moved differently—they circled his entire body from head to toe before finally materializing into a weapon. It was a rod, but unlike Arya's, which was gradually forming into a spear, Chinn's weapon remained a pure rod, unshaped by external influences.

More than that, Arya could feel an overwhelming bestial aura emanating from both Chinn and his weapon. It was as if the weapon had merged with his body, making him appear more beast than man. A strange sense of unease crept into Arya's mind. His confidence wavered, though he did not immediately realize it.

Then, the final surprise came.

As Chinn's Seed Weapon fully materialized, a powerful burst of bestial energy erupted from his body. A ghostly white figure took shape behind him—a wolf-like beast, its translucent form radiating immense power. The creature's aura was suffocating, primal, and overwhelming.

"Now, let me show you what a true Weapon Master, one with Spirit Refining, is capable of."

As Chinn spoke, the illusory beast merged back into his body, and his strength, speed, and aura surged dramatically. Already, Weapon Masters possessed superior physical prowess, but now, with the spirit's fusion, he had become even more dangerous. His expression turned savage, his presence more terrifying, as though he were a beast about to go berserk.

His lips curled into a sinister grin. "Judging by your clothes, you must be from a well-off family. I can't risk future trouble, so I've decided—you're both staying here. Forever."

With that, he moved at astonishing speed, targeting Kane first. Fortunately, Kane managed to evade the attack thanks to his Wind Element, which granted him agility. But even with that advantage, he barely escaped. It was a testament to Chinn's overwhelming power.

Arya had seen enough. Despite knowing that Chinn was too strong for them to handle directly, he couldn't just stand by. He wasn't an ordinary Seed Master either—his Seed Weapon and Seed Stones were of higher quality than Chinn's.

Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.

Without hesitation, Arya struck. His rod crashed toward Chinn with force, forcing the man to abandon his attack on Kane and defend himself instead. Chinn successfully blocked the blow, but his eyes betrayed his surprise. Arya's attack had more power than expected.

Even so, Chinn stood firm, unfazed. Arya quickly retreated, his weapon trembling from the impact. It was clear—Chinn's spirit-refined weapon granted him immense power.

"Not bad," Chinn admitted. "I didn't think you'd be this strong…"

Before he could finish, Kane launched an Air Blast straight at his face. The attack was swift, and Chinn, caught off guard, failed to fully block it. The blast struck him, drawing blood. However, instead of knocking him back, it barely fazed him.

Arya saw an opening and attacked again, his rod striking true. Yet, despite the clean hit, Chinn remained standing.

"Heh… Is that all?" Chinn sneered. "You kids hit harder than I expected, but thanks to my Spirit Refining, your attacks barely affect me."

He lunged at Arya, forcing him into a direct clash. Arya gritted his teeth as he parried blow after blow, but he was being pushed back. Kane continued to support him with ranged attacks, but Chinn's strength wasn't diminishing—it was increasing.

Arya realized the truth: If this fight dragged on, they would die.

They had encountered no cultivators above level 20 until now, yet this one was already beyond their ability to handle. The sheer disparity in strength was overwhelming.

Frustration built inside Arya. He had a bad habit—when a fight dragged on, he grew reckless. His anger fueled his attacks, making him strike wildly, ignoring his own defense. Though he managed to land two hits, a single counterstrike from Chinn sent him flying.

Pain shot through Arya's body, but it only fueled his rage. His grip tightened on his weapon, his eyes tinged with red from pain and fury.

Chinn smirked. "Looks like you've reached your limit. Time to end this."

He raised his weapon, aiming straight for Arya's head—a killing blow.

But Arya wasn't done yet.

"You just had to take things this far, didn't you?" he growled, his voice laced with barely contained fury. "You think you're the only one willing to go all out?"

Summoning all his strength, Arya channeled both Fire and Water elements into his weapon. He knew he couldn't fuse them yet, but their mere presence was enough. Since he couldn't use Seed Skills in Weapon Master form, he looked at Kane and nodded. Kane understood immediately and launched another Air Blast.

Chinn smirked, casually raising a hand to block Kane's attack. But that was the mistake that cost him his life.

Arya moved in, his weapon glowing with the conflicting energies of Fire and Water. Chinn, realizing his error, attempted to block with his other hand. But it was too late.

Arya twisted his body, dodging Chinn's grasp, and unleashed his full-force strike at Chinn's head. Normally, such an attack would have only caused minor injuries. But the presence of opposing elements in the strike amplified its power several times over.

When the attack landed, the elemental reaction was instantaneous.

Chinn's head, hardened like metal from merging with the spirit beast, exploded like a watermelon crushed under immense force. Blood and fragments of flesh splattered everywhere, painting a gruesome scene.

Kane, witnessing the horrifying spectacle, turned pale and vomited. Arya, still caught in the haze of his fury, took a deep breath, slowly calming himself.

He had lost control. He knew that. But he also knew something else—Chinn had intended to kill them. And Arya wasn't the type to show mercy to someone who would kill for something as trivial as a meal dispute.

If you try to kill someone, Arya believed, you should be ready to be killed in return.

There was no place for mercy in a world where power ruled.