7 - Cultivators Battle!
At night, Tang Han woke up, stretching with a yawn.
The silver moon shone in the sky, while sounds spread through the forest.
His ears were alert, picking up any noise. He felt hungry and thought about roasting the golden carp, but suddenly, he sensed something unusual. His fur stood up as he tensed, the noise in the forest was louder than usual!
"Clang! Clang!"
'Another beast's fight? No, this doesn't sound like one.'
He stood on a high tree, watching the horizon. Suddenly, a distant explosion rang out.
"Boom!"
The explosion echoed through the trees, and the birds flew frantically into the sky. Tang Han lifted his head, his bright eyes shining in the dark. Without thinking, he rushed toward the sound, using [Instant Agility] to swiftly cut through the branches.
'High-level beasts?'
Tang Han got closer, leaping between trees like a shadow. Suddenly, his limbs trembled, and he fell, barely managing to balance himself before hitting the ground.
'Damn...'
He cursed under his breath. He felt intense pressure as if heavy weights had been placed on his head!
[Resistance!]
Fortunately, he had a solution for it - His new skill [Resistance]!
Once he activated the skill, the pressure eased significantly. He was able to move again and quickly reached a small clearing.
'Just as I thought, it can be used like this too.'
Two young men stood facing each other under the moonlight. One wore a red robe with black patterns, his aura dark and swirling around him like a blood vortex.
The other was a young man in a green robe adorned with a sword symbol that glowed with ancient power. His aura was as sharp as a blade.
The green-robed man's condition was pitiful; he was badly injured, bleeding heavily. Despite his weary expression and pale face, his eyes didn't soften, glaring at his opponent with hostility!
'Humans!'
Tang Han was surprised, he didn't expect that.
'Interesting, I didn't expect to meet humans so soon... judging by their robes, I guess they're both cultivators?'
'They're fighting too. Hmm, let's assume: one is from a sword sect, and the other from a blood sect. Tsk tsk, very cliché.'
Tang Han crouched on a branch not too far from them, watching carefully. He found this interesting; this was his first interaction with humans in this world.
"I won't give you the treasure even if you kill me!" shouted the green-robed cultivator, his sword in hand, glowing faintly.
The red-robed man laughed loudly, raising his hand, which was burning with a blood whirlpool. "You fool, do you think I'll kill you? Haven't you never heard of wishing for death? hehe, I'll show you what is worse than death."
The red-robed cultivator raised his hand, and a low roar spread around him. Red blood magic circles appeared in the air. In an instant, glowing blood arrows shot toward his opponent like snakes!
"Cha—"
The green-robed cultivator leaped back, his sword flashing in front of him to block the arrows. The sword clashed with the blood energy, sending sparks flying in every direction.
"Boom!"
The blood arrows exploded in the air, but the red-robed cultivator didn't retreat.
Tang Han watched this fight intently, every muscle in his body tense. He wasn't accustomed to seeing such fantastical battles, and although he didn't fully understand what was going on, he realized one thing — this was incredibly dangerous!
He felt out of place in this scene, but at the same time, he couldn't stop himself from getting absorbed in it.
"Oh? Fine, then take this!"
The red-robed cultivator pulled a curved sword from his back, swinging it in the air, leaving tangled blood marks in its wake. A swirling blood formation formed above him. Blood arrows wrapped in snakeheads shot out toward his opponent!
"Damn..." The green-robed cultivator muttered, pressing his sword tightly. He planned a counterattack, but the blood formation was too powerful, releasing waves of energy in all directions.
But in the next moment, a golden light flashed across the sky!
"Stop there!"
In a flash, the red-robed cultivator's attack vanished into nothing. A giant sword appeared in the sky, and from it, a young man wearing the same green robe as the previous one leaped out. In the same instant, the sword shrank to a normal size and returned to its sheath.
His presence was completely different from his companion in the green robe.
He exuded dignity and authority. His long black hair cascaded freely down his back like a waterfall, wisps gently blowing in the spiritual breeze. His features were sharp and balanced, his eyes gleaming with deep brilliance. A mysterious Dao symbol, pulsating with ancient energy, was etched on his forehead.
He wore a loose robe combining pure white and calm green, with intricate patterns resembling celestial energy flows, surrounded by a faint spiritual aura that resonated in harmony with the nature around him.
He looked at the young man beside him, then turned his gaze to the red-robed man. His gaze felt like it was piercing through the soul.
The red-robed cultivator shuddered with rage, a faint trace of fear appeared in his eyes, and he shouted, "Yu Qin! What does a true disciple like you doing here?"
"What I'm doing is none of your concern."
The black-haired man's expression was cold as he spoke calmly, "I'll give you a chance to save your life. Leave."
"Dammit!"
The red-robed cultivator raised his hand and shot the blood-snake arrows at him, but the man was too fast. He moved like a flash of lightning, raising his hand and creating a golden barrier. The attacks vanished into nothing as they hit the barrier!
"It seems you don't care about your life."
Yu Qin's expression darkened, and he scoffed coldly. He extended his finger in the air and flicked it. In the next instant—
"Whoosh!!"
A murderous green stream shot through the air, like a massive sword wave dancing in the air, making a faint yet terrifying sound. The sharpness of the cut split in the air like wind cutting through flesh and bone!
"Cha—!"
The red-robed cultivator couldn't react in time, his face turning pale. The attack came too fast for him to imagine, and he barely had a moment to see the end.
"Boom!"
Before he could retreat, his chest was pierced by the deadly strike. A muffled scream of pain followed, and then a huge explosion shook the ground, sending him flying!
"Ughhh!"
"Boom!"
His body felt numb and painful, blood flowing from him like a river. He struggled to pull out a golden slip of paper from his hand, tearing it!
"Whoosh!!"
"Yu Qin! I swear I'll kill you one day!"
In the blink of an eye, the red-robed cultivator had disappeared into the thick shadows of the forest, leaving only the echo of his voice, like a vengeful spirit.
Tang Han watched in awe and shock from behind the bushes as the red-robed cultivator disappeared into the forest.
He felt like he was watching a battle from a fantasy novel. All these lights, swords, and techniques...
Even to him, that was incredible.
'Cat's Claw... huh? Ridiculous, men should fight like this with swords!'
'Ah, what was that saying... "Shame on those who have no sword."'
He felt an immense thrill, and all he wanted now was to try these powers for himself.
'What level of strength is required to perform an attack like that? This man...Yu Qin!'
Tang Han's gaze deepened, avoiding looking directly at him. He felt an indescribable threat from Yu Qin. With a flick of his finger, he had ended the red-robed cultivator and forced him to flee. How powerful must Yu Qin be with a sword?
'This world keeps getting more exciting.'
'I guess I won't be bored this time...'
A light of ambition flashed in Tang Han's eyes, and he felt a strong desire to increase his level and dive deeper into this world of cultivation.
"Brother Yu Qin, a beast is watching us, should we..."
For a moment, Tang Han felt as if the young man in the green robe was looking at him. He anticipated their ability to sense him, but it still made his fur stand on end, ready to leap into action and activate [Instant Agility].
But Yu Qin did not lift his gaze to him; instead, he asked the young man in green, "It's fine, no need to kill unnecessarily. More importantly, did you get the treasure?"
The young man in green eagerly nodded to Yu Qin, "Yes, Brother Yu Qin, the map was right!"
"Very good." Yu Qin nodded with quiet satisfaction.
"Whoosh!"
He quickly swung his sword, and they soared into the sky with golden light.
'Treasure, huh? Unfortunately, I don't even have the chance to think about that.'
Tang Han watched them leave from a distance. He felt exhausted, as he had been using [Resistance] throughout these events to withstand the immense aura of these cultivators.
No other beasts had been able to approach. Fortunately, his [Resistance] had leveled up twice and was now at level 3!
'This skill consumes soul power... I'm not sure what that is yet, but it's probably my mental energy. How do I increase it?'
Tang Han didn't know.
'Ah, never mind. For I need to find a meal...'