As they moved, Tian Lei discreetly assessed the cultivation levels of his companions. He was at the fifth level of Body Forging, making him the weakest among them. Liu Yuyan, unsurprisingly, was at the peak of the Body Forging realm, exuding confidence and strength with every step she took. The others appeared to be at the eighth or ninth stage of Body Forging—far ahead of him in terms of power.
Feeling a pang of insecurity, Tian Lei couldn’t help but quietly pray, ’I just hope no Qi Refining cultivator shows up.’ Despite his apprehensions, he steeled himself and followed the group closely, determined to prove his worth.
The sudden sound of something slicing through the air snapped everyone into high alert. In an instant, the group drew their weapons from their spatial rings, their eyes darting through the shadows of the forest.
A sharp whistling sound followed as an arrow hurtled toward Zhang Wei. The projectile gleamed menacingly in the dim light, but Zhang Wei reacted with practiced ease. His blade slashed through the air with a crisp hum, cutting the arrow cleanly in two.
Before the group could recover, a new threat emerged—a blood-red arc of energy. The slash tore through the foliage, crackling with menacing power as it came straight for them.
"Watch out!" Yuyan yelled, her voice carrying a commanding edge.
Zhang Wei stepped forward, bracing himself as his sword collided with the energy slash. Sparks flew from the impact, illuminating the dark underbrush. He gritted his teeth as the force pushed him back a step. "That’s strong!" he muttered, steadying himself.
From the shadows, two figures emerged. The first was a hulking man with a jagged, blood-stained blade resting casually on his shoulder. His grin revealed yellowed teeth as his predatory gaze swept over the group. "Ah, Sect cultivators," he said mockingly. "You thought you could sneak up on us? Too bad for you!"
Beside him stood a wiry bandit, his stance loose but alert. He spun a pair of sickle-like blades in his hands, their edges glinting wickedly. Both radiated an aura of Body Forging cultivation, their presence oppressive yet unrefined.
With a guttural roar, the larger bandit charged, swinging his blade with ferocious speed and strength that belied his bulk.
"Kill them all!" Yuyan commanded, her voice cutting through the chaos.
The team sprang into action.
Chen Hao was the first to move, his speed making him a blur as he intercepted the wiry bandit. His sword clashed against the dual sickles, sparks flying as their weapons locked. "You’re quick," the bandit hissed, but Chen Hao’s confident grin didn’t waver.
Lin Yue struck from the side, her movements graceful yet deadly. Her blade aimed for the larger bandit’s blind spots, forcing him to divide his attention between her and Zhang Wei, who met his attacks head-on with raw strength.
Tian Lei, gripping his sword tightly, joined the fray with a mixture of fear and determination. His Spirit Sword Qi Art wasn’t particularly offensive, but its precise movements and sharp counters gave him enough control to support Zhang Wei.
As the battle raged, Tian Lei suddenly sensed danger from behind. He spun just in time to see a third bandit lunging at him from the shadows, a crude spear aimed at his back. His instincts kicked in, and he activated the Nine Dragon Sword Arts, the offensive art he bought after accumulation a lot of sect points, releasing a swift, arcing strike infused with his Qi. The blade hummed as it met the spear, deflecting it with enough force to stagger the attacker.
"Focus, Tian Lei!" Yuyan shouted, her own sword slicing through a bandit who had foolishly tried to flank her. Her movements were fluid and deadly, seamlessly combining both defense and offense.
The larger bandit let out a roar of frustration as Lin Yue’s blade nicked his arm, drawing blood. "Damn you cultivators!" he bellowed, swinging his massive sword in a wide arc that forced Zhang Wei and Lin Yue to leap back.
But before he could press his advantage, Chen Hao slipped behind him, his blade stabbing into the bandit’s exposed side. The man howled in pain but didn’t fall.
Tian Lei, seeing an opening, stepped forward. Summoning all his courage, he executed the Second Form of the Nine Dragon Sword Arts—a sweeping strike infused with the essence of his Qi. The energy surged along his blade, slashing across the bandit’s chest in a burst of light.
With a guttural cry, the bandit collapsed to his knees, his weapon falling from his hands.
The wiry bandit, seeing his comrade fall, tried to retreat, but Yuyan was faster. With a single, decisive strike, she ended the fight, her blade cutting through the bandit’s neck as though they were paper.
The forest grew still again, save for the heavy breathing of the cultivators. Tian Lei wiped the sweat from his brow, his heart still racing.
"Good work, everyone," Yuyan said, her voice calm but firm. "Stay alert. This was just a scouting party. The main group is still ahead."
Tian Lei swallowed hard, his grip tightening on his sword. The fight had been intense, but it was only the beginning. He looked at the headless corpse as it almost made him puke,
’Damn, this is the exact reason I wanted to avoid fighting’, he thought, his heart still pounding.
Suddenly, Yuyan’s voice snapped him out of his thoughts.
"Yes!" He straightened up immediately, his gaze meeting hers. The others also turned their attention to him, their expressions ranging from curious to expectant.
"You need to learn how to kill," Yuyan said bluntly, her tone cold but firm. "This isn’t inside the sect anymore. Out here, you either kill to survive, or you end up dead yourself."
Tian Lei gulped, the weight of her words sinking in. During the skirmish, he had been holding back, attacking only to injure or disable the bandits—not to kill. He had hoped it would be enough to stop them, but Yuyan’s stern gaze told him otherwise.
"There are pills that can bring someone back from near-death situations," she continued, gesturing toward one of the fallen bandits Tian Lei had spared. "But out here, mercy will only come back to haunt you. Next time, kill them properly."
Her words were punctuated by a swift motion. She stepped forward and drove her sword through the chest of the injured bandit without hesitation. The light in his eyes faded instantly, and Yuyan withdrew her blade, her expression unchanging.
Tian Lei’s stomach churned as he watched. The cold, detached look on her face sent a chill down his spine. He clenched his fists, his resolve wavering. But he knew she was right. In this world, mercy could easily be mistaken for weakness—and weakness had no place here.
"Do you understand?" she asked, her sharp gaze fixed on him.
He nodded slowly. "I... understand," he said, though his voice betrayed his unease.
"Good. Make sure you remember it," Yuyan replied, wiping her blade clean before turning away. The rest of the group followed her lead, but Tian Lei remained rooted to the spot for a moment longer, his mind wrestling with what he had just witnessed.
As the group prepared to continue their mission, Tian Lei resolved to harden his heart. If he wanted to survive—and protect those who relied on him—he would have to embrace the harsh truths of this world, no matter how much they conflicted with his former self.