Inside the Fragrant Peak Pavilion Training Grounds of the Inner Disciple Region.
Natalie and Charlotte could be seen standing before each other with a wooden sword in their hands. The energy waves that surrounded their bodies indicated their current cultivation.
Both parties were at the Middle Stages of the Spirit Tempering Realm.
The average cultivations of Inner were at the Spirit Tempering Realm. So it could be said that these two had the qualifications of an Inner Disciple. However, their Divine Arts which greatly enhanced their capabilities enabled them to jump realms and fight an average cultivator at the Initial Stage of the Divine Soul Realm.
In short, just because their cultivation was average at best among the Inner Disciples. Their combat prowess shouldn't be underestimated.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Consecutive dull thuds echoed along with the labored breathing of the two.
"Charlotte! You're too rigid and violent! Remember that although being rigid is good when it comes to increasing your firepower and defenses, it would make you brittle! Try and alternate between softness and hardness!" Mathias' dignified voice echoed across the training grounds, Charlotte puffed her cheeks and coldly snorted.
Natalie revealed a wry smile, darting her gaze at Mathias who remained as stoic as ever. She said, "Senior, we're gonna take a break for a moment..."
Mathias nodded his head, "I'll leave these snacks here, I'll be back in half an hour or so..." He placed a small basket filled with fruits and a gourd before leaving.
"I really hate father, he's so strict and it's not like I'm not working hard to meet his demands..." Charlotte pouted and witnessing this adorable side of such a cold-looking young woman, Natalie couldn't help but endlessly smile as she said,
"Umu, don't worry about it, Char~ Your father is only doing that for your sake..."
"I know, but he's too strict as if our relationship as a father and daughter disappears when we're training..." Charlotte replied before taking an apple and biting into it.
Natalie took a grape and munched on it before saying, "Yeah, I can see, you're definitely improving day by day, although you're a late bloomer..." Natalie's tone turned strange when she reached the end of her sentence. Charlotte stiffened up before retorting, "I'm sorry for being a late bloomer, I'm not like you that is a cultivation freak!"
Natalie's laughter echoed out as she tried to console the pouting Charlotte. Rubbing her head, the young woman's eyes slightly narrowed upon feeling the sensation of the former's hand on her hair.
"Now that I think about it, Elder Sis, when will Dan come back?" Charlotte lifted her head and a faint blush suffused on her rosy cheeks. Whenever she thought of Dan's figure, she would feel embarrassed and dizzy.
Natalie's expression flickered, as a woman. She was sensitive towards the feelings of other women and ever since Dan rescued her. Natalie understood that this young woman had developed feelings for her husband.
Even though she wanted to keep Dan for himself. In this world, men who were capable always had numerous wives. And if Dan wanted to take concubines, who could stop him from doing so?
Sighing in her heart. She replied, "Senior George told me that he will definitely be back in the next three months, and since it's already a month since he's gone, he should be back in the next two months..." Natalie's expression turned melancholic, though she didn't show it in her expression, she thoroughly missed her husband. Enough that she wanted to escape from the Academy and fly towards his location.
But when she remembered what George told her about Dan's mission. She knew that she could only sit and wait until Dan's success. Lifting her head, she stared at the ceiling and thought, "I hope he arrives soon, Juliet's birthday is coming in several weeks..."
Natalie sent her thoughts towards the skies as the two young women stood up and started their sparring once more.
Meanwhile, at the Great Forest of Manzur, Dan could be seen flying towards the opposite direction. His expression tensed up and Grace that he wrapped in his arms stared at him in concern.
"It's okay, you can put me down, I can fight them..." She knew that Dan wouldn't be able to continue his current speed for long.
"Fight them? Are you retarded? They're cultivators, you know? Not like those bastards at the Plains of Azer!" Dan scolded, and Grace tightly gripped her fists. She felt remorse about how much of a baggage she was.
Dan noticed her gesture and couldn't help but inwardly smile.
In encouraging someone in doing things that they didn't want to do. One should give them a powerful enough motive. In this case, after Dan found that Grace didn't have any interest in cultivation. He had no other choice but to have her know about how weak she was by making her feel guilty about her powerlessness.
Witnessing her small action, Dan understood that the idea of gaining strength to become useful has started digging into her heart. Smiling to himself, Dan momentarily glanced at his persistent predators before mumbling, "Grace, can you endure for five seconds? I'm going to finish them up..."
Grace's expression flickered, "Five seconds? There are three people chasing after us, you know?"
"It's okay, I'll be fine, just trust me..." Dan reassured her before landing on the ground. The three men who chased after them also did the same as their expressions twisted in delight.
"You really caused us too much trouble, making us run in circles, like that..." One of them whose stature looked double than Dan went forward. Cracking his neck and his knuckles, a coercive and terrifying aura wafted out of his body.
"Elder Bro, from our arrangement last time, I'll take the first taste of the woman first..." Another man with a thin-stature replied with an excited voice.
"It's fine, Boss told us that if captured them, we can do whatever we want with them first..." The gigantic man replied before glancing at his comrade whose physique looked the same as him, "How about you, Brother Third?"
"I'll take the man..." Brother Third replied with a chilling voice which sent shivers down Dan's spine. The latter's expression darkened and his eyes shone in a light of killing intent.
The cultivation of these three men was at the Peak of Organ Tempering Realm. Clicking his tongue, he decided on not wasting any time towards them as he directly summoned his Desert Eagle and Gerber Mark 2 Dagger that he recently bought.
"How about the three of you shut up, for all eternity?" Dan's cold voice suddenly echoed behind them. The expressions of the three flickered before simultaneously sending a kick towards the source of the voice.
Dust flew towards the skies and when visibility returned. They found Dan staring at them with a vicious smile on his face.
"How did we not hit him? We attacked at the same time that his voice echoed out..." The Brother First, the Eldest of them mumbled. This mystery also struck the two brothers and the three of them fell into deep contemplation.
Seeing his enemy thinking so deep right before his eyes irritated Dan as the latter pounced towards their direction. Sending a flurry of malicious stabs directly at their vital areas, intent on ending their lives in an instant.
"Harummph!" Brother Fist stood tall like a mountain as a silhouette of an Elephant manifested in the air around him. Brother Second took a stance and spread his legs apart while Brother Third, formed two claws with his arms.
Three silhouettes of an Elephant, an Eagle, and a Snake superimposed upon each other. Forming an impregnable barrier that surrounded the two.
Dan retreated for a moment, staring at the fortified energy waves that came from the brownish layer of transparent barrier that covered them. Dan knew that even with his strongest attack. It would be impossible for him to breakthrough.
However, little did these bastards knew that Dan had a powerful cheat which could make even the Gods at the Heavens itself, envious. And that was the cheat of having a system.
[System Simulation Completed!]
A holographic image of the three men could be seen floating before Dan's vision. A blaring red dot could be seen on the Eldest man's foot as Dan's eyes flashed in a critical light. Taking up his dagger, he approached the vicinity of the barrier.
"Idiot!" Brother First coldly sneered and when Dan neared within twenty steps of distance between him and the barrier. The silhouette of a snake materialized and attacked him. Forcing him back for several steps.
"Fool! No matter how fast you are and how swift your attacks are, as long as you can't penetrate our barrier that's no use!"
"That's right! That's right! Brother First really is smart!"
"Tremble before our might, you brat! Quickly surrender that woman and we will consider sparing your life!"
The three men clamored and witnessing their stiff movements under their stance. Dan facepalmed, "I thought that I finally found some strong and smart enemies but it seems like the three of you has muscles for brains..."
"Just what the hell did you say?! Repeat that again!"
"How dare this brat is so presumptuous before us? Does he not know about who we are?"
"So this brat is someone that won't cry until he sees his coffin..."
Hearing their words, even Grace who looked terrified earlier couldn't help but become speechless. When she saw their peculiar stance and how stiff their bodies while doing such stance, she already knew the reason why Dan called them stupid.
Because they were indeed, too stupid!
That may be the reason why they had to resort to banditry instead of looking for jobs.
Dan stashed his dagger back and turned around, completely ignoring the three.
"This brat, how dare he ignores us!"
"Hey come back here! Only when you leave that woman could you leave!"
"Fuck, let's get out of this formation, Brother First!"
"What, get out? This formation lasts for thirty minutes, you know?"
"Wait, what? why did we use this in the first place?!"
"That's because Brother Third said that it's the most effective way in capturing our prey..."
"Are you retarded? That only works when we're in an enclosed area and we're not chasing our enemy! Now, look! They're escaping!"
"Shit, do you have any idea on how we can end this quicker?"
"I don't! I'm not the one who made this formation in the first place..."
Dan shook his head and left the clamoring three. He didn't even have the drive to kill them as he left with Grace who started laughing while holding her stomach and pointing in their direction. These actions of hers made the three, increasingly indignant as they threw fierce glares at their direction.
Soon, the stupid three finally disappeared from their line of sight, but before Dan and Grace could continue his journey, his jade token from the Paradyne Academy suddenly ignited in a fiery light.
[Emergency! Emergency! Requesting for back up in this coordinates!]
Resplendent lights flew from the token and formed these words. Dan cupped his chin for a moment as the jade token suddenly transformed into a compass which pointed at the direction where the emergency distress signal originated from.