Joseph, seated on the cart, narrowed his eyes. His spiritual perception flared outward, scanning the dense forest. His expression darkened. Fifteen enemies—lurking in the shadows, surrounding their convoy like predators stalking prey.
Without hesitation, he leapt from the cart. His crimson robe billowed as his boots hit the ground. His gaze, sharp as a blade, swept over the attackers.
"Looks like you're here to rob us," he said, his voice steady yet laced with authority.
"But you've picked the wrong day. Leave now, or you'll regret it."
From the group of ten men blocking the road, a figure stepped forward.
He was burly, clad in black armor, with a long scar carving down the left side of his face. A black eye patch covered his right eye, but the smirk tugging at his lips hinted at amusement rather than fear.
"Leave?" His voice was hoarse, almost playful. "We came here to do a job."
His men erupted into laughter, their rough chuckles echoing through the forest.
Joseph remained unfazed. His fingers tightened around his sword hilt.
"So you don't understand words?"
The one-eyed man scoffed, voice dripping with mockery.
"Understand words? You idiot, I never went to school. How could I?"
His smirk widened, his amusement turning into malice.
"And don't think about stalling for time. Before that elite squad patrol team arrives, we'll be long gone—with your goods."
Joseph didn't waste any more breath. He turned to his group, his tone sharp and commanding.
"Everyone, defend the goods! If anyone comes near, cut them down. I'll deal with their leader and finish the rest soon."
The students immediately moved into position, weapons drawn.
Ye Xian's expression remained unreadable as he unsheathed his sword. The cold steel gleamed under the dim light filtering through the trees.
Beside him, Tim and Tom gripped their weapons tightly, their knuckles white with tension.
Five of the bandits in front stepped forward, their eyes brimming with contempt. Each one of them was at the Ki Warrior Realm. They sneered as they sized up the trio.
"Hah! Just two brats at the Ki Warrior Realm and one at the Ki Refining Realm?" One of them let out a cruel chuckle.
"You kids seriously think you can stop us?"
Another bandit spat on the ground, his eyes gleaming with sadistic glee.
"Give us the goods, and you'll die a quick death. Otherwise…" His smirk turned wicked. "We'll make sure you suffer first."
Ye Xian didn't respond. He simply adjusted his grip on his sword, his muscles coiling like a viper preparing to strike.
Then—he moved.
In a blur, Ye Xian lunged forward, activating Limit Release.
His speed exploded—his power surged momentarily, reaching the peak of the Ki Warrior Realm.
The bandits' sneers vanished, their eyes widening in shock.
"Shit! Fast—!"
Too late.
Ye Xian struck first.
His blade cleaved through the air, slamming into the first bandit at the edge of their formation. The man barely had time to raise his sword before he was launched into the air.
He crashed into a tree with a sickening thud, blood spraying from his mouth as his body slumped lifelessly against the trunk.
Before the others could react, Ye Xian was already upon his next target.
He swept his leg, striking another bandit's knee. The man's footing shattered—his body lifted off the ground in a helpless arc.
Desperation flashed across the bandit's face. He roared, summoning his Ki Armor in a last-ditch effort to protect himself.
Ye Xian sneered. Fool.
Before the man's body could touch the ground, Ye Xian drove his foot into his abdomen.
CRACK!
The Ki Armor shattered like glass, the impact sending the man skidding backward across the dirt. Blood splattered in a crimson arc from his mouth.
The remaining three bandits snapped out of their daze.
"Kill him!"
They charged in unison, their swords flashing.
Ye Xian's gaze turned cold. He backflipped, narrowly avoiding their slashes, and disappeared behind a thick tree.
"Hey, you two! What are you standing around for? Handle your side of the fight!"
Ye Xian snapped at Tim and Tom, who were still frozen in shock at his ruthless efficiency.
His sharp shout jolted them back to reality. Without hesitation, both stomped the ground, kicking up dust as they lunged at one of the remaining bandits.
Among the three bandits who had planned to chase Ye Xian, one of them sneered upon seeing his comrades engage Tim and Tom.
"Hmph! Think you can run?" he scoffed and rushed toward the tree where Ye Xian had vanished.
But when he arrived, there was nothing—no sign of movement, no trace of his target.
His eyes darted around, scanning the surrounding foliage.
"Where the hell did he go?"
Thack!
A faint sound echoed from his left. Instinctively, the bandit turned his head just in time to see a pebble rolling across the dirt. His expression stiffened.
A trap—!
His Ki Armor flared to life in a desperate attempt at defense, but it was too late.
A flash of steel, cold and merciless, pierced straight through his chest. The blade erupted from his back, slick with crimson.
The bandit gasped, blood bubbling at his lips. His knees buckled, and his body convulsed for a brief moment before slumping lifelessly to the ground.
Ye Xian stood behind him, his sword still humming from the sheer force of the thrust. He twisted the blade slightly before yanking it free, flicking off the excess blood.
His expression remained cold, unreadable.
Ye Xian did not forgive. If someone sought his life, he would take theirs first.
Without another glance at the corpse, he turned toward Tim and Tom, who were still locked in battle. Their opponents, though struggling, were on the verge of collapse.
The moment Ye Xian approached, the two bandits hesitated—just for a second.
That was all the openings Tim and Tom needed.
Their blades flashed, cutting through flesh and bone. The bandits barely had time to scream before they fell, blood pooling beneath their twitching bodies.
Ye Xian wasted no time. Moving swiftly, he sealed the acupuncture of the bandits he had downed earlier, ensuring they remained immobilized.
Tom let out a breath, shaking his head in disbelief.
"Damn, Ye Xian. You took down three of them before we even finished one."
Tim wiped his blade clean and nodded. "Yeah. You're just at the High Stage of the Ki Refining Realm, yet you took out three Mid-Stage Ki Warriors like they were nothing."
Ye Xian simply nodded, his gaze distant. His mind was elsewhere.
Because he had heard something.
During the fight, when he had momentarily taken cover behind the tree, he had extended his spiritual perception to a full 200-meter radius—a feat only achievable by cultivators at the Element Master Realm or above.
And what he found made his blood run cold.
Two figures concealed among the thick branches of a large tree. Their faces were hidden behind masks, but their auras were unmistakable.
Lu Aotian and Ye Shen.
His stepbrother and the Young Master of the Lu Clan—both watching from the shadows.
And from their hushed conversation, Ye Xian pieced together the horrifying truth.
This mission was never real.
The true mission had been completed a day ago. The escort assignment he had accepted was nothing but bait—a carefully orchestrated trap designed specifically to eliminate him.
And the so-called "companions" he had fought alongside? They were nothing more than chess pieces—pawns in this orchestrated execution, either to kill him or capture him for further torture.
An Element Master realm cultivator, an Element Deciple Realm cultivator, and three Peak Ki Warriors, five Ki Refining Realm cultivators—the very ones he had been traveling with—were for just Ye Xian
Ye Xian was completely surrounded. And dumbstruck for moment why so many cultivators for him.
If he stayed, death wouldn't just be painful. It would be humiliating.
His eyes flickered toward Joseph, the strongest among them, currently locked in battle with the bandit leader. The clash between the two titans raged fiercely sending shockwaves to the sourounding, neither side backing down.
Ye Xian mind raced .
The bandits were not the real threat but become a escape root for Ye Xian.
They were merely tools to create an opening—a perfect moment when Ye Xian would be escape.
Once the bandits were dealt with, the true enemies would strike him.
He had to move.
But first, he had to deal with the twins. They clung to him like shadows, speaking to him like close friends while waiting for the perfect moment to strike.
"Let's help the others," Ye Xian suddenly suggested, his voice calm, betraying none of his inner turmoil.
Tim and Tom, still in awe of his earlier performance, nodded without hesitation.
"Sure!"
They turned to rush forward—
"Tim, there's something on your back," Ye Xian said calmly.
Tim barely had time to react.
"Huh? What are you talking ab— Aghh!"
Shing!
A chilling metallic sound sliced through the air.
Tim's body jerked violently, his words cut off by a sharp, agonizing scream. His limbs trembled, his breath hitched.