The sun hung high in the sky, casting bright light over the scene. Yet, faintly visible amidst the sunlight, the eight stars lingered, as if watching over the mountain range below. A dirt road leading toward the rugged peaks, surrounded by rocks of various shapes and sizes—some looming larger than a man. On this road, a lone carriage stood, encircled protectively by four guards who braced themselves against the surrounding threat: nine masked men closing in from all sides. On the rocks flanking the road, more masked figures crouched, gripping bows and arrows, poised to strike.
Beside these archers, an elderly man dressed in worn grey robes observed the scene with calm intensity, a sword sheathed at his side. His presence was a silent command, one that drew respect from the masked men surrounding him. The dirt road was littered with bodies, the grim evidence of a battle that had already taken its toll.
Standing near the carriage, Rain held his sword in a relaxed posture, three bodies lying still at his feet, silent proof of his skill. Behind him, where the rocky terrain met the forest, travelers looked on from horseback—men, women, and children. Some began slipping back into the trees, putting distance between themselves and the looming confrontation.
The air grew thick with tension, each side poised, the silence broken only by hushed whispers and the fading sound of retreating hooves. Rain's steady gaze locked onto the old man in grey, who finally spoke, his voice calm yet edged with authority. "If you leave now, I'll spare your life. I have a soft spot for young talents like you."
Rain smirked. "Is that so? But I'm more interested in testing my strength against you… What's your name?"
At his words, the masked men shifted, their eyes narrowing as they prepared to advance. The old man let out a cold laugh. "It's been some time since anyone dared to speak to me like this, especially after I ascended to Master. But I admire your confidence." His eyes glinted with challenge. "Here's a deal: if you survive three of my strikes, you'll join the Seven Evil Palace. If you survive ten, I'll take you as my disciple."
With that, the old man flashed toward Rain, his sword slicing through the air. To onlookers, his speed seemed almost instantaneous—faster than the blink of an eye. But to Rain, it felt slow. He raised his sword to block, and as their blades clashed, sparks scattered, drawing gasps from the crowd.
Rain had suspected the old man's "Master" title meant he was in the Strength Realm, and the impact confirmed it. Feeling more at ease, Rain realized this would be an easy fight if he chose, yet he decided to draw it out. He intended to use the old man as a sparring partner, an opportunity to refine his Cloud Sword Art.
Rain smirked. "I don't think there's much you can teach me with your strength." With a sharp push, he forced the old man's sword back. Keeping his own strength within the limits of a typical Strength Realm warrior, Rain saw the old man hold his ground, surprised but steady.
The old man's face grew serious as he sensed Rain's strength rivaling his own. "Just because you're a master warrior doesn't mean you're a match for me," he scoffed, launching into a relentless series of attacks. Each stroke of his sword was accompanied by an eerie sound, like the caw of a crow.
Rain evaded the strikes with the movement technique from his Cloud Sword Art, dodging with fluid steps. When he couldn't dodge, he parried, countering with the Cloud Sword's offensive techniques. But as he hadn't fully mastered the art yet, his defense weakened whenever he struck back, allowing the old man to speed up his own counterattacks. Realizing this, Rain halted his counterattacks after a few exchanges, shifting his focus entirely to refining his defense.
---
From the crowd behind, Zhou An spoke worriedly, "Father, will Rain be alright?"
Zhou An's father didn't want to say no, though Rain was only defending and seemed unable to counterattack effectively, looking as if he might lose.
Lu Jing chimed in, "Rain is losing."
Zhou An shot back, "Brother Rain won't lose!"
"Then why can't he land a single attack?" Lu Jing replied, her tone skeptical.
As the two began to bicker, a voice among the crowd broke in, "Why is the Seven Evil Palace attacking the carriage?"
From the carriage, a young girl and boy, whom Rain had spoken with before, emerged, watching intently as Rain fought the old man.
A woman in the crowd with a sword at her side replied, "Looks like they're after that young girl and boy."
Another man added, "I know them," and his partner nodded, "Yes, I recognize them too."
All eyes turned to the men for clarification. The first man explained, "The girl and boy are children of the head of the Zhang Family from Minghe City."
His partner continued, "The head of the Zhang family has been missing for two years. Everyone in the city assumes he's dead, and now the girl has taken over leadership of the Zhang family."
The crowd nodded thoughtfully, and another man spoke up, "Then why is the Seven Evil Palace attacking them?"
Curiosity spread among the group.
"Maybe they have some kind of treasure," suggested a woman nearby.
"Oh! The Zhang family of Minghe City—I think I know why they're being attacked!" said another man.
The woman raised an eyebrow. "Why?"
All eyes turned to the man as he continued, "My surname is Shi, from Pearl Lake Town…"
"We don't need your life story," came a murmur from the crowd, echoing with impatient nods.
The man persisted, "Let me finish! My great-grandfather was a half-step Grandmaster. One day, I overheard him saying that, when he was young, he received guidance from a half-step Grandmaster named Zhang Chi, who belonged to the Zhang family in Minghe City. Zhang Chi even protected him when he was chased by his enemies."
Everyone was astonished by this revelation and turned back to the man who had initially revealed the girl and boy's identities.
The first man shrugged. "I didn't Zhang's family ancestor was a half step grandmaster."
His partner added, "I did hear a rumor, though, that the Zhang family possesses a half-step superior practice method."
The crowd fell silent as they turned their attention back to the fierce battle unfolding before them.
---
Rain could feel his mastery of the Cloud Sword Art's movement technique improving, but it wasn't enough; he was still being suppressed by the old man. Realizing the limits of his current technique, Rain considered switching to his Spring Rain Sword technique. In that moment of hesitation, he failed to block the old man's attack, and a shallow slash opened on his left arm.
The old man sneered, "Look at you—you're going to die."
Rain, unfazed, smiled, "I thought you were going to take me as your personal disciple."
The old man's smile turned cold. "I only take disciples whose talent is below mine, not above. With talent like yours, you'd surpass me in a few years, and I don't leave chances for future threats."
Rain smiled and laughed as he deflected the old man's sword. The old man's confusion deepened—he was clearly overpowering the young warrior, and yet there was no trace of fear in Rain's eyes. A thought crossed his mind: *Does he have a trump card?*
Suddenly, Rain shifted his sword technique to the Spring Rain Sword Art, though he continued to use the Cloud Sword Art's movement technique. To fully blend the Spring Rain Sword Art with the Cloud Sword Art, he would need to integrate both the attack and movement styles seamlessly.
"I don't need years to surpass you," Rain said, his sword beginning to glow with a cold, sharp light. Anyone below a Master's strength could feel a pricking sensation in their eyes just from looking at it. Unlike the old man's sword, which produced the sound of flapping wings and the cawing of a crow, Rain's sword sang with the soft, rhythmic patter of raindrops hitting the ground.
As their swords clashed again, Rain still held back his full power, matching only the strength of a Master warrior, slowly balancing the fight.
The old man's expression twisted in anger as he noticed the change in Rain's technique. "I've met confident people before," the old man sneered, "but never someone so arrogant—or reckless. You dare face me with an unmastered technique?"
Rain merely smiled, creating some distance from the old man. Silently, he activated his soul chip, which had been analyzing the old man's sword techniques and fighting patterns since the beginning of the encounter. With the chip's insight, Rain anticipated the old man's next moves. As the old man lunged, Rain sidestepped to the left, dodging his opponent's strike and exposing the old man's right arm, which he swiftly sliced with a precise, controlled stroke.
With every move, Rain pressed his advantage, the chip's predictions allowing him to evade and counterattack with precision. Each of his strikes left a clean yet jagged slice on the old man, as the sword's edge emitted a faint, concentrated sword energy that left residual energy with every wound. Though the old man's energy allowed him to dissipate this residual energy,It was clear the old man was losing ground, his injuries mounting as Rain's precise strikes continued to find their mark, one after another.
---
In the crowd, Zhou An grinned at Lu Jing. "See? Brother Rain is winning."
But as Rain seemed to be gaining the upper hand, a sudden and terrifying aura surged from the fight—not from Rain, but from the old man. The Evil Crow Master's figure began to shift; his frame grew taller, his muscles bulged, and his skin took on a deep red hue marked by dark, sinister patterns.
Zhou An's father's eyes widened. "The Evil Crow Master isn't just a master warrior… he's a half-step Grandmaster."
Zhou An stared at the transformed old man in horror. "Is Rain going to lose, Father?"
Among the onlookers, a woman murmured, "Yes… the young boy might be done for."
Another man sighed, "The world is about to lose a genius. If only he hadn't been so reckless—he could've reached the Grandmaster realm someday."
But as the crowd muttered, another woman pointed out, "Yet look at him… even with the Evil Crow Master showing his half-step Grandmaster strength, the boy seems calm, almost… in control."
Lu Jing's father nodded, observing Rain's composed stance. "Indeed. Even with the Evil Crow Master showing his true strength, it doesn't seem to matter to him."
---
Rain watched as the old man's transformation completed. Deciding to match his opponent's new level of agility, Rain stopped suppressing his speed but held back on his full strength. The old man, now twice as fast, lunged forward with a powerful chop of his sword, but Rain easily sidestepped each attack, blocking and dodging with precision.
After a few more exchanges, Rain felt the solid resistance of a rock at his back, leaving him with no room to retreat. The old man's eyes gleamed with triumph as he grinned. "It's over for you now. Your time ends here."
But as the old man brought his sword down, Rain unleashed his full strength, meeting the old man's strike head-on, his blade arcing upward with deadly precision.