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"What?" Xiao Zhu exclaimed.

"Oh yeah, you're allowed to use sword Qi now... hehe," said Xiao.

"Little Uncle Xiao, what difference would that make when my energy is almost depleted?" he asked.

"What difference would it make when you're telling me?" replied Xiao.

"Damn! I know this is all about training me so I can be a strong companion who wouldn't drag you down, but isn't this too much?"

"Strong companion? The fact is you're too weak, you've never been in a perilous situation. There was a time when Xuan Ping and I almost lost our lives to a supreme realm powerhouse. That day was dreadful, so I want you to have a near-death experience, so it won't freak you out while hardening your resolve to grow stronger," Xiao explained.

"Come to think of it, Little Uncle Xiao, you haven't told me much about Martial Uncle Xuan Ping," he stated.

"That'll be a story for another day. Focus on your enemy," replied Xiao.

"Fuck!" he exclaimed.

"Hey little boy, I saw your fight with those lousy Heavenly Sword Sect members. It was impressive for your age, just so unfortunate that you'll be dying today."

"Why does everyone keep saying that, but it never happened?" he spouted.

The man, with long blonde hair flowing, flashed a mischievous smile and let out a chuckle. With his mouth hanging wide open, a wild grin spread across his face, revealing clenched teeth.

"Eager to die, huh?" he said with his eyes wildly opened. "I guess you have no idea who you're dealing with. You dare compare us with those lousy Heavenly Sword Sect members?" he said, twisting his head slightly horizontal, with an evil grin.

"No time to play, Wang Jie, little kid. Kindly hand over the Golden Fiery," the leader, Li Wei, said.

"I initially planned not to interfere, but why does everybody keep calling me Golden Fiery? My name is Blossom Peak," he thought.

"What! You planned not to interfere, but you promised to protect me," he said with a damned look etched on his face.

"Huh! What's wrong with you? Even with my assistance, do you really think you could take care of these people? They would kill you before you could blink your eyes," Blossom Peak replied.

"Then... But master said to try..."

"Well, it's up to you to taste death. Do as you wish. I'm going back to bed," Blossom Peak responded.

"Wait! Wait..." Xiao Zhu got no more response.

The next second, all he knew was that he couldn't move his body. It was as if his body control was no longer within him. The killing intent was choking, and slowly he began going to his knees, holding his throat.

"Master, save me!"

"How does it feel to face death?"

"It's a terrible feeling," he said.

"Now you see why you need to be strong, or else you'll be treated like trash. You should change your resolve from now on," said Blossom Peak.

"We are the Blood Moon Brothers!" exclaimed Liu Ying.

"Oh! The one with you or the one with me?" replied Xiao Feng.

Liu Ying looked only to see the branch of a tree within his grasp. He looked towards Xiao Feng, his hand across his prey's shoulder.

"When?" Liu Ying thought.

'Shadow step.'

Liu Ying moved to close the gap between him and Xiao Feng. He motioned to touch him, but the next thing he knew, he could no longer see him.

"Oh! Want to compare movement techniques? Unfortunately, you're still too slow," Xiao Feng said with a stern face. "Come back later."

"What! How's that even possible? It feels like he is disappearing every time I get closer to him," Liu Ying thought as he became infuriated, his fist tightly clenched.

Liu Ying, the fourth brother of the Blood Moon, was known to be agile and nimble, with excellent ability at stealth which he could use to navigate any terrain with ease, no matter how challenging it was.

Now, he was losing to someone in movement techniques. It was really annoying and felt like all his hard work for years was slowly being crushed.

"What? Don't tell me you're tired," Xiao Feng teased, his playful tone evident in his voice.

The Blood Moon Brothers charged at Xiao Feng, but Liu Ying intervened, shouting, "Stop!" He avoided eye contact and hunched his shoulders, clearly struggling with his emotions.

Liu Ying softly admitted, "I know how you feel. But there is zero time for that, brother. We attack together." Li Wei, the eldest brother, urged them to focus on the fight.

Gritting his teeth, Liu Ying clenched his fist and reluctantly agreed, "Okay, brother."

The brothers launched their attacks from different directions, but Xiao Feng effortlessly blocked, parried, and defended. Moving with fluidity, he started laughing.

"This isn't even enough for a warm-up," he snickered, clearly unchallenged by their efforts.

Within a minute, Xiao Feng had adapted to their fighting style, making the encounter boring for him. He declared, "Enough playing with you. I've got plenty of things to do. Let us meet again," before disappearing from sight.

"Who the fuck is he?" one of the brothers exclaimed.

"That movement felt so unreal, just like an illusion," Li Wei, the eldest brother, mused. "Even if we weren't able to lay our hands on the golden fiery, it wasn't a total loss. We had the chance to gauge our capabilities. We still have a lot of room for improvement... Let's go, brothers."

...

"Little Uncle Xiao Feng, why didn't you kill them and merely toy with them?" Xiao Zhu asked, curiosity evident in his voice.

"There was no actual fun to derive from that," Xiao Feng replied calmly. "And I have a feeling we'll be meeting again in the near future. Whether as friends or foes, I don't know. But if it turns out to be enemies, I'll kill them for laying their filthy hands on my disciple."

Xiao Zhu pressed further, asking, "But how strong are you exactly?"

"Me too... I'm eagerly awaiting to find out," Xiao Feng replied, his tone filled with anticipation.

...

"I'm against that, eldest brother," Liu Ying spoke up. "As the Blood Moon Brothers, we are feared throughout the province, if not the whole cultivation world. Now we're letting him go after he played with us? Yes, he is stronger, but how can we grow stronger if we do not face him now? I can't live facing a gigantic wall my entire life... How would I progress?"

"I agree with what Junior Brother Liu Ying just said," Chen Long chimed in.

Li Wei sighed and reluctantly agreed, saying, "I hope we don't meet our demise... Let's go after them."

They began tailing Xiao Feng and his little disciple, facing increasing difficulty in locating any trace of them. However, they eventually stumbled upon a trail that had previously eluded them.

Li Wei, being the smartest and most strategic thinker among them, realized that Xiao Feng may have been expecting them. Proceeding further could prove deadly, but he decided not to object to the others' desires.

"I hope we don't meet our demise," Li Wei thought to himself, shaking his head.

"What is it, Eldest Brother?" one of the brothers inquired.

"Haven't you noticed? It's like he was expecting us already. Going any further might be dangerous. But if that's what you guys want, I won't object anymore," Li Wei replied.

After thirty minutes of pursuit, Xiao Zhu expressed his surprise, "Little Uncle Xiao, I didn't expect them to follow us this far."

Xiao Feng smirked and corrected him, "Point of correction, you didn't expect them to head towards their death... Hehe."

Xiao Zhu looked at his master with admiration, thinking, "There is not a day I've experienced without my heart pumping. I never regretted being his disciple."

As they continued their journey, Xiao Zhu engaged in a mental conversation with the Blossom Peak, expressing his observations.

"Look at the way you're laughing. Better don't be like him, toying with people's lives. And the more I sense him, I feel like his cultivation level is beyond my Qi sense. Only Father might be able to sense his original cultivation level."

"Might? But he told me he is in the Immortal Ascension stage," Xiao Zhu shared.

The Blossom Peak interjected, "Immortal Ascension stage? No, I doubt it. His might seems like that of those in the Divine Realm."

"The Divine Realm? I thought there were only these realms and the Upper Realm," Xiao Zhu replied, seeking clarification.

"Compared to me, you're still a novice. There are actually four realms: the Lower Realm, the Upper Realm, the Divine Realm, and the Chaos Realm," the Blossom Peak explained.

"I know about the lower realm and upper realm, but can you tell me about the divine realm and chaos realm?"

The Divine Realm is a mystical realm believed to be inhabited by divine beings, deities, or higher powers. It is seen as a realm of perfection and transcendence, often representing a spiritual realm beyond the physical world. It is believed that these divine beings possess enlightenment and deep understanding of the universe and its workings.

As for the Chaos Realm, it is typically described as a primal and chaotic dimension that exists outside ordinary reality. This realm is characterized by disorder, unpredictability, and raw elemental power. It is populated by strange creatures, powerful entities, and unpredictable magic. The Chaos Realm is a force that needs to be balanced or contained, as it represents the opposite force of creation. To enter this realm, one must possess a high level of destructive energy.

"At my current stage, am I qualified to enter the Chaos Realm?"

Covetous as it may sound, I highly advise against attempting to enter the Chaos Realm at your current level. Even a moment within that realm would prove fatal for someone of your abilities.

"What about my master?"

Regarding your master, it is difficult to say. He seems quite unique and unbounded by conventional restraints.

"Hmm, that's unfortunate." Xiao Zhu looked around and realized they were no longer in the forest. "Huh!" he exclaimed. "Uncle Xiao, how did we end up here?"

"We are here to prepare a table for our guest," Xiao Feng replied with a smile. "In the meantime, let's enjoy a cup of tea."

"Guest?" Xiao Zhu wondered.

Xiao Feng's smile widened as he looked over the bustling restaurant they were in. It was a popular establishment in the region, filled with waiters moving swiftly between tables. Xiao Feng found this lively atmosphere enjoyable and considered it a test of one's rationality.

"Waiter!" Xiao Zhu called out eagerly, catching the attention of a waiter who hurried over with a bright smile.

"What can I get you, handsome young master?" the waiter asked, rubbing his hands together.

"Just bring me a large meatball made with pork and vegetables. And for my master, serve him your finest dish. Don't forget to include your best wine," Xiao Zhu chuckled.

Xiao Feng's eyes sparkled. "That was Xuan Ping's favorite," he thought. "Wait! How does he know I love wine?"

"Why aren't you eating, Uncle Little Xiao?" Xiao Zhu asked, crumbs falling from his mouth.

"Well, our guests have arrived," Xiao Feng replied.

Xiao Zhu turned around in surprise. "The Blood Moon Brothers!"

"Don't worry and enjoy your meal. Since their eldest brother is more perceptive than the rest, I will leave them to have their discussion."

Eldest brother Li Wei approached Xiao Feng's table and greeted him with a cupped hand. "I hope my sudden appearance has not been an annoyance, Brother?"

"Not at all. Please have a seat and join me for some wine," Xiao Feng replied.

Li Wei sat down but stared at the wine in his cup for a long moment.

"Just drink it. I wouldn't stoop so low as to poison you. And if you don't trust the wine, feed it to the little brat by your side," Xiao Feng said casually.

"What? Me?" Xiao Zhu exclaimed nervously, uncertain about the idea of drinking the wine.

"Just take it. It's even milder than a low-grade poison, so don't waste it," Xiao Feng assured him.

Reluctantly, Xiao Zhu took the wine glass and gulped it down. "Wow, this feeling! So this is what they call wine," he thought with excitement.

Xiao Feng observed the transformation in Xiao Zhu and chuckled. "Look at this brat, who hesitated at first but now seems so excited."

Li Wei also drank the wine, while Liu Ying, annoyed by his eldest brother's decision to dine with Xiao Feng, felt the intensity of Xiao Feng's killing intent directed solely at him. He began to sweat profusely.

"Is this what Brother meant by messing with the wrong person?" Liu Ying pondered.

Feeling a little saddened by the situation, Liu Ying approached their table, cupped his hands, and apologized. "I apologize for my earlier actions. We truly needed the Golden Fiery Sword, but since you obtained it first, we will accept it."

"I understand. It's difficult to accept, but that's the truth," Xiao Feng replied.

"Hmm," Xiao Feng smirked. "Now I like you. How about working for me? I can make you stronger."

Eldest brother Li Wei's eyes widened, and Xiao Zhu dropped his pork meat in surprise.

"Do you mean putting the Blood Moon Brothers under your wing?" Li Wei asked

"Well, we'll see about that..."

...

So far, there are three known sovereigns: Xuan Ping, a physical or body cultivator; the Heavenly Sovereign, Xiao Feng, an infinite sword cultivator; and the Earthly Sovereign, Xu Qing, a divine alchemist. They are referred to as the human sovereigns.

...