The Crimson Ambush

The night was thick with tension as Jiang Chen moved swiftly through the rugged terrain of Bonefire Ridge, his cloak fluttering against the wind. He had stayed in the wilderness long enough. The city of Ironhollow might have been a nest of enemies, but it was also a battlefield, and he thrived in battle.

The Crimson Edict had spread like wildfire. Mercenaries, rogue cultivators, and bounty hunters were already after him, but Jiang Chen had no interest in wasting time with small fries. The Crimson Blade Sect was the real enemy, and the sooner he crushed their disciples, the sooner he could move forward.

As he reached the outskirts of the city, his instincts flared.

Danger.

He stopped. His golden-amber eyes sharpened as he scanned the area. The stillness of the night felt wrong—too quiet, too controlled.

Then, he saw them.

Figures emerging from the shadows, surrounding him in a loose formation. Red-robed cultivators, their Crimson Blade Sect insignia gleaming in the moonlight.

Jiang Chen smirked. About time.

A tall, sneering disciple stepped forward. "Jiang Chen. The sect has decided that your corpse is worth more than your miserable existence."

Another disciple spat, "You got lucky before. Let's see how long that luck lasts."

Jiang Chen cracked his neck, his Chaos Qi stirring within. "I'll give you credit. You actually waited until I left the wilderness before attacking. Smart. I thought you Crimson bastards only knew how to bark."

The leader's face twisted in anger. "Kill him."

The ambush began.

The first wave rushed at him, their weapons flashing with crimson-hued Qi techniques, blades aimed at his vital points.

Jiang Chen moved first.

A burst of Chaos Qi surged beneath his feet, and he shot forward like a shadow, dodging the first attack with supernatural speed. His spear lashed out, striking a disciple's chest, and the impact ruptured flesh and shattered bone instantly.

Before the others could react, he pivoted—

 A palm strike infused with compressed Force Intent sent another disciple flying back, his ribs caving inward from the sheer force.

The rest hesitated for a fraction of a second—but that was all he needed.

Jiang Chen exhaled, and his Qi flared. His Chaos Qi wasn't like theirs. It was wild, unstable, and devouring.

One disciple slashed at him from behind—

BOOM.

Jiang Chen twisted mid-air and slammed his elbow into the attacker's jaw, dislocating it on impact before following up with a spear thrust through the heart.

The group began to panic.

"He's too fast—"

"He's a monster—"

"He's alone! Kill him together—!"

Jiang Chen laughed, his voice filled with mockery. "Pathetic. You're talking too much."

With a flick of his wrist, he hurled his spear, and it skewered a disciple's throat, pinning him to a nearby boulder.

Then, he vanished.

Reappearing behind the next target, he grabbed the man by the skull and slammed him headfirst into the ground, leaving a crater.

The ground trembled, and the battle was already over before it had truly begun.

Just as Jiang Chen finished cutting down another disciple, a powerful force descended upon him.

A streak of red light flashed—

 A blade, coated in refined Qi, slashed toward him!

Jiang Chen narrowly dodged, the blade shaving a few strands of his hair as it passed.

A new figure stood before him.

A Crimson Blade Sect inner disciple.

His presence was stronger than the others, Late-Stage Qi Condensation, a level Jiang Chen had just reached. His sword flickered with a spirit technique, a refined blade art far superior to what the other disciples had used.

Jiang Chen grinned. Finally, a proper challenge.

"You should have run when you had the chance," the inner disciple said coldly, raising his sword. "But you're arrogant. That's why you'll die here."

Jiang Chen rolled his shoulders. "You Crimson bastards really love hearing yourselves talk."

 The inner disciple vanished.

A burst of speed—too fast for the average cultivator to react to.

But Jiang Chen wasn't average.

He caught the subtle shift in the wind, the faint disturbance of Qi—

CLANG!

He blocked the attack, his Chaos Qi coiling around his spear, intercepting the sword strike at the last moment. Sparks flew as their weapons clashed.

Jiang Chen twisted his spear, using the momentum to deflect the strike and retaliate with a piercing thrust.

The inner disciple barely dodged, his expression darkening. "You—"

 BOOM.

Jiang Chen smashed his foot into the man's ribs, sending him flying into a nearby rock formation.

The disciple coughed blood, his Qi faltering.

Jiang Chen strode forward, his spear dripping with blood. "You should've brought more people."

Fear flashed in the disciple's eyes.

He tried to rise—

 Jiang Chen's spear was already at his throat.

"Wait—"

A flicker of Qi. A blur of motion. A spear strike too fast to dodge.

SHIK.

The disciple's body slumped lifelessly to the ground.

Jiang Chen exhaled, his amber-gold eyes glowing in the night.

They sent trash after me.

Then—

A crushing aura descended.

Jiang Chen froze for the first time.

A terrifying presence approached, far stronger than any of the disciples.

A figure landed in front of him without a sound—

A Crimson Blade Sect elder.

His crimson robes were untouched by dust or blood, his long hair flowing in the night wind. His expression was unreadable, but his eyes were cold—assessing, calculating.

Jiang Chen's grip on his spear tightened instinctively.

This was not an opponent he could fight head-on.

"You've caused quite the mess," the elder said calmly, glancing at the battlefield littered with bodies. "The sect expected you to be formidable, but this…" He shook his head. "You're wasting potential."

Jiang Chen didn't respond, his mind racing. He couldn't sense the elder's cultivation at all.

That alone was enough to tell him—Foundation Establishment or higher.

The elder met his gaze. "The sect is willing to make you an offer."

Jiang Chen raised an eyebrow. "An offer?"

The elder smiled slightly. "Join us. The sect values strength, and you've proven yourself. Serve us, and you will be given resources beyond your imagination. Refuse…"

A pause. The air grew heavier, Qi pressure pressing down on Jiang Chen's body.

"…and you will not leave this place alive."

Jiang Chen stared at the elder, then grinned.

"Serve the Crimson Blade Sect?" He spat blood onto the ground, his smirk widening. "I'd rather let a dog gnaw on my bones."

The elder's expression remained unchanged.

"Very well."

Just as he raised his hand—

A new voice cut through the tension.

"Oi, oi. You old bastards are still forcing kids into your ranks? Some things never change."

A new figure appeared, clad in black-and-gold robes, radiating an entirely different kind of pressure.

Jiang Chen turned, his eyes narrowing.

This wasn't just another cultivator.

He had arrived