After killing the four bandits from the ‘Wild Tiger’ mercenary group, Kaminari Shun, prince Tianying and princess Meng were heading towards the city gate. But still as both of them were injured, they were comparably slow. It's only been twenty minutes since Shun have fought the people from the mercenary, but now he was already able to sense an aura drawing near them at a rapid speed.

Shun's eyebrows knitted tightly together as he made a worried look, “Tch! It seems like their reinforcements has already come and they definitely aren't weak. At this rate they will catch us within five minutes. ”

Listening to that, both prince Tianying and princess Meng's expression became grave and sober. Then prince Tianying said, “Mr. Shun, please take my sister and leave this place. I will try to buy you both some time. ”

“No brother! I am not going to leave you…if you stay, I will also stay with you! ” Yuan Meng said hurriedly.

But Shun replied with a smile to comfort them, “Thank you for your concern prince Tianying but I am afraid that's not possible! The person who is coming is at least in the same Cultivation realm as me….if not maybe even higher than that. But don't worry…if there is only one enemy then I might just be able to deal with it! ”

As Shun was able to feel the presence of Zi, Zi also sensed three auras who were running towards the city. After a few moments, they finally became visible. The distance between them and Zi was only eight hundred meters now. Seeing them a dark cold smile appeared on Zi's face as he brought out a tailsman and held it straight pointing it at them, “Let's see where you brats escape now! ”. As he said, the tailsman started glowing with a bright light as a Heavenly formation swiftly formed. Then a white ball of energy appeared over the tailsman which turned into a streak of light and rushed straight towards prince Tianying. The jet of energy was so fast that Within two breaths it was already a mere fifty meters away from him.

As the power was generated using a tailsman, none of them were able to detect it beforehand.When they finally sensed it, Shun abruptly turned and pushed both Tianying and Meng backwards. Then he immediately circulated all his Heavenly energy as he threw a fist braced with lighting.

Screeee~!

Sounds of Heavenly energy colliding pierced through one's ear like a deafening thunder as a giant storm of energy was surged up due to the clash . The Storm subsided after two breaths and everything became visible again. Shun was slightly injured and the clothes on his right arms were tattered and his right arm had several cuts on it but he swiftly stabilized his energy and stopped the bleeding from his right hand. 

“Mr. Shun!! ” prince Tianying and princess Meng both shouted worriedly as they tried to move towards him.

“Don't come! Stay behind! ” Shun said hurriedly as he waved his right hand behind to create a Ice barrier around prince Tianying and Princess Meng.

Zi had already caught up to them. He was standing only a hundred meters away from them. With a sinister grin, Zi said “So you are that brat who killed our people! Hmm...your Cultivation is not bad but it's too bad that today you will be going to the yellow springs!  ”.

…………….

As the ‘Wild Tiger’ mercenary group's elder Lui was about to unleash the power of the tailsman, Ling rushed at him from the shadows. Almost within three breaths, Ling was only a few feets away from him. His sudden appearance made Lui startled. Ling immediately used this golden opportunity and thrusted his right hand at Lui. If this was any young Cultivator then probably this one move would have decided everything but in the end it was a elder who hundreds years of experience and knowledge.  Lui let go of his tailsman as he infused some of his energy in it and in the blink of an eye he gathered his energy to create a barrier. Before Ling's hand could even reach him, the tailsman exploded as the enormous Heavenly formation on the sky crumbled into dust .

Boom! 

The explosion caused Ling and Lui to be blown away almost fifty meters away as they both landed on their feet. Ling had minor injuries as he didn't expect this. On the other hand, there was not a single scratch on Lui.

“So you are one of those bastards who dared to kill our men! Well I was kind enough to use an black gold rank tailsman to give you all a painless death. You should have just stayed hidden or tried to run but you actually had the guts to attack me despite being in Yellow Star realm! ” Lui said coldly.

Ling really didn't want to fight him as he knew the opponent was someone he could not beat right now. 

“I don't know what senior is talking about! I am but a mere passerby. I had to attack senior to cancel the Heavenly formation else I would have died as week. I hope senior tries to understand that!  ” Ling said.

“A passerby? Hahaha! Who do you think you are trying to fool! But I must say you are somewhat skilled. Even I was unable to pick your presence at all..” as Lui said this, he noticed the black cloak that Ling was wearing over his clothes. 

Suddenly Lui's eyes flashed with a greedy light as he said with a gluttonous dark grin, “...I see…so you have a concealment robe! No wonder you are from the Imperial Sect! Hahaha! Very well then if you tell me where your friends are and also give me that cloak…then I can promise you that I will give you a painless death!”

Ling's eyebrows knitted tightly together and curled his fingers into a fist as he thought, ‘Looks like I can't get away by talking! Well I didn't really expect it would work anyway! ’.

Then Ling said coldly in a mocking tone ,“Heh! I really don't know what you are talking about but since you want to kill me anyway…then try it if you can, old dog! ”

“Insolent junior! You are courting death! ” Lui said as Heavenly energy exploded from his body and he dashed at Ling like a viscious beast. As his aura locked on Ling, Ling felt like he was being pressed with a thousand kilograms of hammer. 

As Lui approached him, he shoved his right hand aiming at Ling's throat like a sharpened dagger. Although Ling was feeling pressured but still it wasn't able to immobilize him. He gritted his teeth tightly as he turned his body right side causing Lui to hit thin air. Then he did a spin over as he got to Lui's side and struck him with his elbow right at his left shoulder.

Lui felt a metallic bat hit his shoulder as he staggered a little to his right with a surprised look on his face and before he could turn his body to face Ling again, Ling followed up with a spin kick balancing on his left leg and struck Lui's backside of head. 

Thud!!

This caused Lui to stumble forward as he felt like he was hit by an iron rod on his head . But then he instantly turned around and threw a fist with all his might towards Ling as he shouted, “Die!! ”. 

But Ling already anticipated that as he bent his body backwards to dodge the attack and then did a backflip to get away from him. As soon as Ling landed, he immediately focused on Lui's movements again. He knew that he was only able to injure him because he got him by surprise. So he didn't carelessly rushed at him anymore. 

Ling thought Lui would rush at him again but Lui didn't attack him. Lui was looking at him with a dumbfounded look because he was unable to understand how a brat of Yellow Star realm was able to move under the pressure of a Crimson Star realm. And Ling didn't only dodge his attack but also attacked and injured him slightly at the same time and it all happened so fast that even him a late stage Crimson Star realm was unable to react at time.  

But then a dark and erie smile covered his face again as he said, “I see! So that's what it is! You not only have a presence concealing robe but also a Cultivation hiding artifact! Hehehe! It seems I really got lucky this time! After I kill you…I will definitely make sure to search your body to see if there are anymore hidden treasures hidden in it! ”. 

In reality Ling didn't have any strength hiding artifact but Lui was only able to come up with this explanation because everyone knew that even if one or two difference in stages in the same Cultivation realm could be make up by Heavenly arts, it was utterly impossible for someone to fight an opponent who was an entire realm above him. Not to mention, Lui was two realms higher than Ling or that's what he thought. But little did he know that Ling's power couldn't be measured by common knowledge.

As Lui finished speaking, he lifted his right arm and an one handed sword instantly appeared in it. Then he released all his Heavenly energy without any restraint.

Ling was already feeling like he was being crushed under a boulder and now along with the sword's might, he felt like a thousand swords were pointing at him. But still his gaze remained calm and serene. He mockingly said with a face like he was looking at a mere pebble on the road, “Heh! To think a senior would use weapon against a defenseless junior! If the world were to know, your mercenary group….oh no no…your shitty team wouldn't even be compared to a filthy trash! ”

“Trash!! I am going to tear you to pieces now! How dare you disrespect our group! ” Lui shouted angrily as he held his sword high up and fire started burning on it. 

“Do you have a plan? ” Vanisha asked concernfully.

“I don't really know if this can be called a plan! But I am going to stake it all and use that! ” as Ling said it he thought Vanisha would definitely oppose to this. But Vanisha replied unhesitantly, “Okay then! Go all out! That's the only choice you have right now! At least even if that move is unable to defeat him it would definitely injure him and you won't die from his attack as well! ” 

Ling was slightly stunned but then he smirked as thought that Vanisha must had another plan even if this didn't work. Although he didn't know what that was but still he trusted her and that's why even the last bit of hesitation he had also went away.

Fire started burning all over Lui's body and with a burst of fire energy he dashed at Ling. 

At the same moment, Ling clenched his right fist and within a blink of an eye red colored energy covered it. Then he also rushed at him.

 It was Void energy yet it had a strange light red color. The energy swirled and danced crazily around his right arm as Veins in his right hand became popped up. Lui could also see that strange energy but he didn't feel any pressure or didn't fear it at all. Instead a sinister smil could be seen on his face when they were only a few feet away as Lui shouted,  “Dieeee!!!”

And a Heavenly formation instantly appeared around the sword as the flames grew even more ferocious and burning hot. Then he swung his sword downwards at lighting speed . Ling also thrusted his right hand which was engulfed by the void energy as he muttered under his breath, ‘First art: Null Airbreak’.

Clash!

The two attacks clashed against each other causing the air around them to shake. But Right after the collision, the flames that were burning with bright golden light instantly blew out....No they didn't extinguish instead it looked like the flame energy along with the heavenly energy got absorbed as the light in the surroundings seemed to dim and the red Void energy that enshrouded Ling's hand became more dense and frenzied. Seeing that Lui's expression abruptly changed as shock and fear covered his face. Then a boulder like fist struck his chest almost in the blink of an eye crumbling his sword and defensive barrier into multiple small pieces. 

Crack!!

BOOM! 

With a burst of energy, Lui was sent flying away like a blodied ragdoll for one hundred meters before he crashed on the ground and skidded for another fifty meters leaving behind a bloody trail. There was a fist sized hole in his chest and all bones of his ribcage were shattered into fragments. Every orifice on his face was bleeding as his vision alternated between gray and white before he fainted dead away.

On the other side Ling limply fell on his knees and looked down as he was breathing heavily. He had almost used up all his energies and his right arm had been grievously injured as there were several tiny cracks on his forearm bone. He was didn't really expect that this art would be this powerful.Even Vanisha was slightly astonished.

“Never thought I would be able to visciously injure a late stage Crimson Star realm this early! ” Ling muttered to himself. Then he slowly stood up and looked at his right hand which was covered in bruises and cuts, “But it seems my body still can't use this properly. ”

“So..are you going to assist them now after you finish him? I suggest you don't! ” Vanisha asked.

“Well right now I am too tired and I need to recuperate. So I guess I will go back! It was a good training anyway! ” Ling said as he gave a disappointed sigh.

Vanisha raised narrowed her eyes slightly as she asked softly, “Why are you upset? ”

Ling again sighed as he said disheartenedly, “I risked my life to save them but in the end I got nothing in return! Why is this world so cruel!! Sigh...anyway let's go. ”

After that, Ling slowly and went to check Lui's body. He was still breathing but his breathing was really weak.

“It's your poor fate that you met me today. Remember one thing after you go to hell…don't act so cocky in front of a junior ever again! ” Ling said emotionlessly. Then he smashed Lui's head with his right foot as it bursted like a balloon and bloody pool formed beneath his body.

After that he checked his body but only found a few silvers. Then he turned and walked towards the way he had come from. 

———————

Note: Okay, so here are some of the Cultivation realms-

Heavenly Cultivation: Sky star realm->Yellow star realm->Blue star realm->Crimson star realm->Calamity star realm->Fallen Azure star realm->….

Void Cultivation: Primary Void realm-> Zeroth Void realm->….