Bonds Forged in Battle
The three, having dispatched their foes, turned their heads toward the rooftop. Up there, Ji An Zhi was retreating nonstop to dodge arrows. The black-clad woman seized the opening and launched herself toward the distant horizon.
In an instant, she soared into the far sky like a hawk.
“I’ll catch her!”
Yeop Hyeon kicked off the ground and shot into the air. But he plummeted straight back down…
“Heh heh heh, forgot I’m still just in the Control Qi Realm…”
Yeop Hyeon couldn’t yet fly freely through the air.
Bai Ze glanced at Mu Yun Qi. Among them, wasn’t he the nimblest?
“I just burned through all my qi. Can’t move anymore.”
“Fine. Nothing we can do.”
Yeop Hyeon nodded and turned to the pair.
“So how’d you know I was here?”
“Our old man told us, obviously. Said you were fighting a bunch of guys and to hurry over.”
Mu Yun Qi hesitated a moment before speaking to Yeop Hyeon.
“Yeop bandit. I know you’re as strong as me, but don’t forget there are people gunning for you. Next time you head down the mountain, come with us. More bodies means safer.”
“…”
“Think I don’t get you? You’re in it for the cash, right? Man, thick-skinned as hell.”
Bai Ze spoke up to the two.
Yeop Hyeon’s face was famously thick-skinned.
Now it seemed Mu Yun Qi’s wasn’t far behind.
Mu Yun Qi stared straight at Bai Ze.
“Guys like you always die first.”
“Wanna bet who goes first, then?”
As Bai Ze stepped forward, Mu Yun Qi backpedaled quick, wagging a finger.
“Yeah, come at me. Try flying me, you lump!”
Bai Ze gave the pitiful Mu Yun Qi a disdainful look and sighed.
“Let’s head back.”
Yeop Hyeon nodded at Bai Ze’s words and eyed Ji An Zhi on the roof.
“Glutton—no, pretty miss! Time to go!”
“Glutton…?”
Ji An Zhi’s eyes flashed.
“Haha, no, I mean… Yeah, Mu Yun Qi told me! He called you a glutton! Right, Bai Ze?”
Bai Ze stared blankly at Yeop Hyeon poking his side. Yeop Hyeon whispered low.
“Hey, wanna skip meals?”
Bai Ze pointed at Mu Yun Qi with a stern face.
“Yeah, An Zhi. That guy said it!”
“You damn bastards!”
As Mu Yun Qi jumped in outrage, a razor-thin blade beam grazed past his head.
His face paled, and he bolted like lightning.
“You human scum! See you back at base!!”
Then Bai Ze approached Yeop Hyeon.
“Craving chicken tonight…”
“No problem, buddy.”
Yeop Hyeon winked and slung an arm around Bai Ze’s shoulder, heading for Canglan Academy.
Moments later, the pair traversed a dense forest. Just beyond lay Canglan Mountain.
Then, two explosions rang out from somewhere. Two shadows appeared before them: Mu Yun Qi and Ji An Zhi.
Both had blood trickling from their mouths. Two arrows pierced Ji An Zhi’s shoulders; one stuck in Mu Yun Qi’s thigh.
Unlike Yeop Hyeon’s iron body, they’d been run clean through!
Yeop Hyeon and Bai Ze rushed over in alarm.
Two more shadows burst from the woods. One was the black-clad woman from before. The other, a man in his early twenties, wore wide-sleeved black robes. Long hair to his shoulders bore a snake tattoo.
Mu Yun Qi, beside Yeop Hyeon, whispered low.
“Watch out—that guy’s strong!”
Yeop Hyeon turned to see the man smiling at him.
“Chu Nation’s Cangmu Academy inner court top rank, Qingzhou Mubang #19, Feng Yixiu.”
Yeop Hyeon kept his eyes locked on the man and advanced slowly, sword in hand.
“Jiang Nation, Canglan Academy, Yeop Hyeon, Qingzhou Mubang #1!”
“Yeop bandit, you don’t even know that?”
Yeop Hyeon ignored Mu Yun Qi’s chirp.
“From behind!”
“…”
Mubang!
Yeop Hyeon had heard of it. No one knew who started it, but it ranked the continent’s top martial artists.
Those listed were Qingzhou’s elite.
Only one from all Jiang Nation: An Ranxiu!
Yeop Hyeon instinctively sensed Feng Yixiu’s strength. But fear? None.
He closed the distance, Spirit Water Sword humming in his grip.
Feng Yixiu smiled outwardly, but his eyes burned serious.
Canglan Academy had posted a huge bounty to kill this man.
No way he’d be easy!
No Mubang ranker was a fool blind to that.
Feng Yixiu, battle-hardened, knew underestimating foes led to death.
The black-clad woman nocked an arrow at Yeop Hyeon.
“I’ll handle him alone.”
Feng Yixiu stopped her.
As their gap shrank to mere zhang, Feng Yixiu sensed an intangible force crashing down.
Sword Momentum!
It felt like an invisible blade stabbing at him.
The woman’s face twisted in disbelief.
No Control Qi Realm fighter could unleash this!
Feng Yixiu calmly opened his palm. A white vortex swirled atop it; the ground beneath warped strangely.
Yeop Hyeon struck first.
One Sword Determines Life and Death!
A tyrannical sword descended.
Feng Yixiu’s vortex hurtled to meet it.
Boom!
The ground quaked and cratered for dozens of zhang around them.
Both figures reeled back a dozen zhang. A half-zhang-deep pit scarred their former spot.
“Penetrating Nether Realm!”
Yeop Hyeon shouted. Not Soaring Realm—full Penetrating Nether!
At barely thirty, Penetrating Nether Realm!
Feng Yixiu eyed his right arm, torn and shredded.
Half-ass it, and he’d have lost the limb!
He looked up at Yeop Hyeon.
“Sword cultivator, huh… This destructive power from Control Qi Realm? Unbelievable…”
Yeop Hyeon skipped words, thrusting straight.
He hated chit-chat mid-fight.
When one sword meant life or death, talk was pointless.
Win first.
His blade blurred; fierce sword beams flared at the tip.
Feng Yixiu slowly closed his eyes. Intangible aura erupted from him.
A Penetrating Nether expert’s presence!
The ground shuddered beneath him. Countless stone shards levitated before him. He thrust his hand down.
“Earth Chant!”
Boom!
The shards fused into a raging typhoon, slamming toward Yeop Hyeon.
Bai Ze and the others paled.
This strike, infused with heaven-earth qi, was earth-step technique level!
No one below Penetrating Nether could withstand an earth-step move from such a master!
A clear sword cry rang out; a blade beam slashed down.
Boom!
A heaven-shaking clash. Two shadows skidded back amid dust and stone.
Mid-slide, Yeop Hyeon released his sword. Spirit Water Sword rocketed forward.
Feng Yixiu flipped his palm up.
Stone and sand fused again, blocking the strike.
Thud!
He reeled another dozen zhang.
Yeop Hyeon appeared before him. Feng Yixiu toed the ground and lunged.
Boom!
They traded blows and crashed back to start points.
Yeop Hyeon’s landing cracked the earth outward.
Feng Yixiu stood serene.
Penetrating Nether Realm!
The gulf between it and Soaring was vast. Penetrating Nether masters flew freely and wielded spatial force to amplify attacks.
Key difference: they maximized earth-step techniques.
Earth-step arts demanded Penetrating Nether prowess. Lower realms botched them, harming the user.
Feng Yixiu hadn’t fully mastered spatial force yet.
Full control, and the fight would’ve flipped!
Yeop Hyeon’s face hardened more.
No arrogance, no contempt—just cold analysis of strengths and flaws.
He felt his realm lagging peers. Without quick Soaring Realm breakthrough, Penetrating Nether foes would crush him.
Feng Yixiu grew cautious too. Yeop Hyeon exceeded expectations.
He’d unleashed full power from the start, even earth-step arts.
Yet Yeop Hyeon stood firm.
Just Control Qi Realm.
Soaring or Penetrating Nether? Unthinkable.
Killing intent stirred, but faintly—like grains of sand.
No blood feud demanded their lives. Why keep risking it?
Feng Yixiu glanced behind Yeop Hyeon. An old man leaned on a staff, identity unknown.
Yeop Hyeon’s group stiffened.
The elder’s aura rivaled Dean Ji Yuan Zhang’s!
The old man approached Yeop Hyeon, eyes complex.
“Heard you wanted into Cangmu Academy.”
Yeop Hyeon nodded.
“They rejected you?”
Another nod.
“Tch… Bunch of idiots.”
The elder turned to Feng Yixiu.
“There’s a saying: fighting breeds bonds. Why not end as friends?”
Yeop Hyeon stayed silent.
The elder smiled faintly.
“If it’s your wounded comrades…”
His hand moved. Two jade vials appeared before Mu Yun Qi and Ji An Zhi. A golden flying dagger dropped to Mu Yun Qi; a blazing long dao to Ji An Zhi.
Both top-grade spirit artifacts!
Their eyes bulged. The elder spoke kindly.
“Vials hold superior Golden Wound Pills—one pill worth 300,000 taels, five per vial. Golden Flying Dagger’s a top-grade spirit tool I chanced upon long ago. The long dao, Crimson Flame, also top-grade. With fortune, they could evolve to Manifest rank.”
Ji An Zhi took the vial and Crimson Flame dao. Joy lit her eyes at the flaming blade.
Mu Yun Qi grinned ear-to-ear at the golden dagger.
Prime spirit artifacts!
Things they’d never touched!
Bai Ze sneered at Mu Yun Qi.
“Materialistic punk.”