A small mountain peak stood in the distance. It was around 100 meters high, covered with grass and trees, and looked like a place full of life. There was nothing unusual about the peak except for its location.
If it were five kilometers further west, it would've been just another ordinary peak. But in this region, where only a few scattered trees and patches of grass could be seen, it stood out,looking oddly out of place.
Yuan was already standing before the peak, and the illusion formation was already active. But since he had prior knowledge of the formation, he let his spiritual blood continuously circulate through his body.
As long as he could feel the energy flowing steadily within, he knew he was aware and conscious. If, at any point, the blood stopped circulating naturally, that would be his signal that the illusion had taken effect.
With this method, Yuan carefully and steadily approached the small peak without losing his sense of direction.
He had already circled the peak several times and noticed that there were no caves on any of its sides. So, Yuan guessed that the alchemist must have placed the entrance or a cave seal somewhere at the top.
And so, he began to climb.
As Yuan began to climb, the illusion formation had already lost nearly all of its effect. It could no longer disturb him.
After walking around freely for nearly half an hour, Yuan was certain that all the runes he had set were effective and had successfully blocked any outgoing signals. Because of that, he could ascend without much worry.
However, that didn't mean he wasn't being cautious.
Even now, he remained alert.Ready for any surprise attacks.
Climbing higher and higher, Yuan soon reached the top of the small mountain peak. The entire area was covered with grass, spiritual trees, and even a few spiritual herbs. It resembled a small garden. Not an actual cultivated one, but more like a naturally growing patch with a slightly refined appearance.
Still, there were no rare herbs among them. At a glance, none of the spiritual plants held much value.
Yet, even with just this modest garden, it was clear that a cultivator was living here.
Yuan narrowed his eyes and began observing the surroundings more closely. He examined the trees, the ground, and the entire area,on guard for hidden traps.
But after some time, he found nothing… except a large stone, roughly four meters tall, resting on the ground.
The earth around the stone showed signs of grinding or dragging, making it look highly suspicious in Yuan's eyes
He immediately prepared for a potential battle.
In one swift motion, he drew his sword from its sheath and held it firmly in his right hand.
Then, with a subtle movement, he summoned his Azure Snake and allowed it to coil around his left arm, hidden beneath his sleeve,ready to strike at a moment's notice.
Yuan readied his final trump card,just in case.
He carefully distributed 9% of his spiritual blood to his hands, wrists, fingertips, toes, and the soles of his feet. The remaining 1% he left circulating in his heart, mixed with his regular blood.
That final reserve was meant for emergencies,if he were pierced or seriously wounded in the torso, he could use it to heal or at least stabilize the injury.
To finish his preparations, he allowed his crimson aura to seep into his skin, reinforcing it with a thin layer of resistance. If he were struck with a serious blow, it would help him slow the bleeding.Enough for him to survive until he killed the alchemist and could fully heal.
"Haaa…" he exhaled one last deep breath.
Then, without hesitation, Yuan struck the stone with full force.Delivering a powerful kick that sent it flying off the small mountain peak in one smooth motion.
With the stone gone, an entrance was revealed.
Leading into a chamber hidden within the peak.
Without wasting a second, Yuan dashed inside.
In just a heartbeat, he reached the open room. There were no doors, no defenses at the front,only a single figure.
A middle aged man with long black hair, dressed in a plain white robe, sat cross legged on a cultivation bed. He remained still, as if unfazed.
Then, slowly, the man opened his eyes.
Dark brown pupils stared back at Yuan with calm indifference.
As the middle aged man opened his eyes, Yuan was already mid swing.His sword aimed to behead him without an ounce of hesitation.
The man saw the moving sword instantly. Just one look into Yuan's cold, merciless eyes told him everything he needed to know.
Reacting purely on instinct, the man threw himself to the left, rolling to the side in an attempt to dodge the deadly strike.
He succeeded.
But not without a price.
Still in a half lotus position, the middle aged man had used his left arm to throw himself aside,but in doing so, he left his right arm exposed for just a moment.
A moment was all Yuan needed.
He had already predicted that one slash wouldn't be enough to end this.
So instead, he took the man's right arm.
Blood sprayed across the chamber, painting the floor and walls crimson. The entire right side of the room was quickly soaked in it.
The man gritted his teeth.
The pain was real.
Searing and intense,but he could endured it.
And strangely, no more blood flowed from the severed shoulder after a few moments. He had somehow stopped the bleeding with sheer force of will or cultivation technique.
All of this happened in the span of two seconds.
Yuan's eyes narrowed. The cold glint in them sharpened as he activated Howling Gale Steps,that allowed him cover the distance of five meters with seemenly one step.
In a blur, Yuan reappeared just a meter behind the middle aged man.
But fast as he was, the man's reaction was sharper.
Despite having lost an arm, he could still see Yuan's movements with his bare eyes,clearly and calmly.
With a quick forward roll, the man dodged Yuan's second strike and finally managed to rise to his feet for the first time.
Not only did the middle aged man stand up, but he also suddenly drew a sword out of nowhere.
Yuan couldn't see how he did it,but he could guess.
The man must have accessed his bag of holding in a flash. After all, a Meridian Awakening Stage cultivator was far faster than him, fast enough that Yuan's eyes couldn't even track the movement.
But even so… Yuan could still move like one.
His gaze sharpened as he watched the middle aged man closely,particularly how he held the sword.
It was sloppy.
His stance, although decent, was unbalanced. He held the sword like a complete beginner
From that alone, Yuan could already tell,this man was definitely right hand dominant.
Which meant… taking his right arm at the very start had nearly guaranteed victory.
Yuan prepared to charge again, adjusting his stance for another dash.
But before he could move, the middle aged man fixed him with an cold,but a fearing stare.
He endured all the pain that came over his body and controlled his anger.He then to stared at Yuan and spoke in an coldly and a little pained voice.
"Are you the one who hunts down my fellow loose cultivators… the Hunter of the Ignored Cultivators?"
Yuan blinked, confused.
"Who is that?" he thought.
But he didn't care.
He had no interest in whatever nonsense the man was muttering.
He wasn't here to talk.
Without a word, Yuan dashed forward, sword aimed to end the fight.
"Tsk."
The middle aged man clicked his tongue and charged as well,beginning the next deadly clash of swords.
The two of them exchanged countless sword blows.
But most of the middle aged man's swings weren't truly dangerous.Wild, sloppy, and easy to read. He focused more on defending himself than attacking, and because of that, Yuan remained unharmed, without even a single serious injury.
In contrast, the middle aged man had a pained expression on his face. His white robe was slowly being torn apart, and his body was now covered in shallow cuts,none of them life threatening, but they added up.
Still, he endured.
After another short exchange, the man suddenly took a step back, panting softly, and muttered under his breath.
"I should have really have gone out with that damn bastard..."
Yuan heard it clearly.
His voice was filled with regret and fear. Fear that was now clearly visible in his eyes.
Yuan had seen that same kind of fear many times before, especially in the memories of the Azure Basilisk.
The fear of death.
Those trembling eyes, wide and shaky, were always the same. And Yuan knew,when fear began to consumed someone, they would start making mistakes.
That was when he dashed in.
More sword clashes echoed throughout the room, the two figures moving at near blinding speed. Metal met metal, sparks flew, and the room became a blur of motion.
But even amidst the chaos, Yuan could feel it…
The end of this battle was drawing near.
The middle aged man still had much more power behind his slashes, but since he was fighting with his left arm, his movements lacked any real sword training. He wasn't used to wielding a sword with that hand, and so most of his strikes were wild and easy to block.
He tried to kick Yuan a few times as well, but his legs had no spiritual blood infused into them. Because of that, they weren't strong or fast.
Slightly better than a normal mortal's kicks, but that was something Yuan could easily dodge. After all, if the man did use spiritual blood in his legs, the severed right arm would gush out even more blood, eventually killing him from blood loss.
The middle aged man wasn't that foolish.
But still… he was starting to realize it.
He was going to die.
That realization drove madness into his eyes. His mind was overtaken by pure survival instinct. He began to make mistakes.
Rushing his footwork, stumbling slightly, looking repeatedly toward the exit of the cave.
But Yuan saw right through him.
He could tell the man was desperate to flee.
And so, after one final clash, their swords locked together,metal grinding against metal, both weapons trembling from the pressure.
Yuan's sword was already wearing down.
Cracks creeping along its edge, weakened by the raw strength behind each clash.
But the middle aged man… he is clearly blinded by his fear. Blinded by the panic of his losed arm and the blood he lost. He only wanted to escape, to run.
Yuan saw this.
So he gave him what he wanted,an opening.
A path to the exit.
A chance to flee.
The middle aged man saw the opening and smiled madly, his eyes filled with desperation. Pouring the last of his reserved spiritual blood into his legs, he dashed toward the exit with all the speed he could muster.
But Yuan had already turned around.
His sword was already in motion, thrown straight at the man's back without hesitation, without mercy.
The middle aged man didn't even realize it.
He was too focused on fleeing, too blinded by the thought of survival to notice the sword flying toward him.
Even though he was faster, his body lacked the spare spiritual blood needed to maintain that speed. And with the cave entrance being a straight path, there was no way to evade it.
Just as his momentum began to slow, the sword found its mark,piercing straight into the center of his back.
The man staggered.
His eyes widened.
He looked down, eyes wide and trembling, as a searing pain bloomed through his chest.A silver tip, red with blood, pierced through his white blood covered robe.
Yuan's sword, jutting out from his chest like a final verdict.
A sickening gush of blood spilled from his mouth, and he dropped to the ground, coughing violently.
Yuan stared coldly at the dying mans back, his gaze indifferent, unshaken.
This entire fight hadn't even lasted ten minutes.
And to Yuan, it was a disappointment.
Still, he was satisfied.
At least he hadn't been injured.
And more importantly, this man hadn't turned out to be some hidden old monster in disguise. If he had been, Yuan might have been the one coughing up blood on the floor right now.
"Cough! Cough!"
The sound of ragged, wet coughing echoed through the chamber as Yuan slowly walked forward.
Calm steps and cold eyes, Yuan approached the dying man,without fear, without sympathy, and without pause.