The Qiankun World
Yi Providence

Within one of the many providences of the Qiankun World, an old man, was in a desperate run from a group of nine pursuers.

His attire was ragged, his face lined with the wrinkles of old age, and his eyes filled with the desperation of a trapped beast.

This man was Xuan Liu, the family Patriarch of the Xuan family, a family that once held power and respect within the province of Yi.

Old Liu's quick, labored breaths echoed in the silent landscape, his body weary from the relentless chase.

His pursuers were not far behind, their eyes brimming with a greedy anticipation of the bounty on his head.

Suddenly, a voice rang out, filled with arrogance and contempt, "Stop running, Old Liu! You've nowhere to run now!" It was the young master of the Yun clan, a powerful and influential family within the 13 provinces.

Old Liu gritted his teeth, his heart pounding in his chest. But he did not stop. He could not afford to. His only hope was to escape, to somehow find a way out.

His pursuers, a mix of mercenaries and the Yun clan's members, were very close. Their eyes glinted menacingly in the sun light, like predators closing in on their prey.

"Damn it! This is getting annoying!" one of the mercenaries cursed. "Nine Art Thunder Spears!" Nine bolts of lightning shot forth from a talisman in his hand, forming into sharp spears that bore down on Old Liu.

Old Liu, not missing a beat, flung out a piece of parchment. "Earth Heavenly Shield, arise!" he commanded. A shimmering, block of the ground sprung forth into a shield causing the lightning spears to clash against it with sparks flying everywhere as Old Liu continued running.

"Persistent old man, none of this would have happened if you were a good dog”the young master of the Yun clan growled, his hand reaching into his robe. He pulled out a small, intricately drawn paper talisman. "Unleash, Skyfire Meteor!" The talisman burst into flames and a fiery meteor erupted, streaking across the sky towards Old Liu.

Old Liu's eyes widened. A Skyfire Meteor was an Earth Grade Talisman. It was a devastating attack not easily blocked. But he had no choice. He reached into his robe, pulling out a small jade figurine. "Emerald Serpent!" A giant, spectral serpent sprung forth from the figurine, rushing up to meet the meteor.

The impact created a massive explosion, the shockwave sending Old Liu flying. He landed hard, his body battered and weary. His pursuers quickly surrounded him, their faces lit by the glow of the smoldering crater nearby.

"Old Liu, you've reached your end," the young master sneered, his hand resting on the hilt of his blade.

Old Liu stood up and still couldn't accept his fate, his breathing was heavy as he was clearly out of breath. He looked towards the young man and sneered. “The Xuan Family has not fallen to the point of sending off our only genius to die”

“Admit it” he said as he took in another deep breath, “you want to kill Wa’ner because you see yourself inferior to him”

"Oh? Jealous, are i?" The young master chuckled, his eyes narrowing at Old Liu's words. "Your precious genius is just a thorn in my side. Nothing more."

"Thorn or not, Wa’ner is worth a hundred of you," Old Liu retorted, his voice filled with pride. "And as long as I breathe, I won't let you harm him."

The young master's laughter echoed through the still air. "You won't be breathing for much longer, old man."

A mercenary stepped forward, his hand glowing with energy. "Shall I end this, Young Master Yun?" he asked, his gaze locked on Old Liu.

"No," the young master said, his eyes never leaving Old Liu. "I want him to see it. I want him to see when we raze his clan to the ground.”

Old Liu's heart pounded in his chest. He was out of options, out of time. But he wasn't out of defiance. "If you think capturing me will be as easy, you're gravely mistaken," he said, his voice filled with conviction.

"Celestial Mirage, manifest!" He called out as a talisman within his robe responded, and a series of illusions sprung forth, making it appear as if there were multiple Old Lius, they ran towards the nine people that surrounded him and while a few of them were interspersed, the real Old Liu got away.

His pursuers hesitant and momentarily confused didn’t stay rooted as they quickly ran after him, their faces full of fury.

As the chase continued Old Liu flung a small jade amulet behind him. "Sky Shroud Amulet, activate!" he barked. A thick cloud of mist erupted from the amulet, obscuring the view of his pursuers.

The mist was a thick, impenetrable shroud, obscuring the pursuers' view and slowing them down. Old Liu seized the opportunity to put more distance between him and the pack closing in on him. His breaths came in ragged gasps; he was nearing his limits.

Within the cloud of mist Young Master Yun growled in frustration. "That old man is more cunning than I gave him credit for," he admitted grudgingly.

He pulled out a talisman, its surface etched with a complex set of symbols. "Sky Eyes!" he commanded. The talisman glowed, and a pair of spectral eyes emerged, cutting through the mist to reveal Old Liu's retreating figure.

"There he is!" one of the mercenaries shouted, pointing in the direction revealed by the Sky Eyes.

With renewed vigor, they sped after Old Liu, their collective desire for the bounty on his head fueling their relentless chase.

Old Liu, seeing his trick had failed, stumbled, his body giving way to exhaustion. He fell near a large crater, his breath ragged and uneven.

"Old Liu, you've reached your end," young master Yun sneered, his hand taking out another talisman.

Old Liu's eyes flashed with despair and defiance. Just as the young master was about to activate the talisman, the winds changed.

The sky above them spun, a small swirl formed and slowly increased before bursting into a vortex.

From within the vortex, a figure emerged. A young woman with a charred body fell onto the ground next to the old man.

Thud

Old Liu looked down at the woman who had fallen from the sky, a sense of disbelief creeping into his weary eyes. "By the heavens... What just happened?" He murmured to himself.

The figure of the woman was a tragic sight, her body charred and battered, clothes torn and burnt, revealing countless wounds on her body.