The battlefield was quiet.
Pieces of shattered rock floated in the air, drifting slowly before falling. The mountain pass had been torn apart — scorched earth, cracked cliffs, glowing patches of spent Qi everywhere.
Only one figure remained standing across from Shen Hao.
The bandit leader.
He stepped forward from the smoke, calm and unhurried. His long, dark robe moved slightly with the breeze, and his sharp silver eyes stared straight at Shen Hao without emotion.
There was no arrogance in his face.
Just control.
He looked like someone who had walked through a hundred battles and never once lost his footing. His aura was cold — not flashy, not loud — but it pressed down on the space around him like a silent storm.
Shen Hao stood tall, though his shoulders ached and his breath came slow. Blood had dried on his arm, and his robes were worn. Behind him, the two golems hovered quietly, cracked in places but still holding strong.
Lingfeng floated beside him, spinning slowly in the air.
"Okay," Lingfeng whispered. "This guy looks like the final boss of a tournament arc. And I don't like it."
The bandit leader finally spoke.
"You fought well," he said. His voice was smooth, quiet, and sharp. "Your control is better than most I've seen in this realm. You surprised me."
He paused, taking a slow breath.
"But surprise doesn't win battles. Experience does."
Mo Han's voice stirred in Shen Hao's mind.
"Be careful. His flow is controlled. His Qi is layered deep — no waste, no gaps. That's someone who has fought for decades."
Shen Hao narrowed his eyes.
"I'm not backing down."
The leader nodded once.
"I know. But let's be honest—" He glanced at the weakened golems, then at Shen Hao's stance. "This isn't your best form, is it? You're injured. Drained. Outnumbered… by one."
He raised a hand, not as a threat — just a statement.
"I didn't expect to fight you myself. But now that I have to, I'll make it quick."
The golems stepped forward, ready.
Shen Hao didn't move.
Mo Han's voice spoke again, calm and sharp.
"Watch his left shoulder. That's where his first strike will come from."
Lingfeng hovered a little higher.
"Alright, Master. Try not to die. I'd hate to get stuck with one of the golems. No offense."
"None taken," rumbled the older golem.
"Yeah, well, you sound like a broken boulder," Lingfeng replied.
The leader raised his hand slightly.
His Qi surged quietly — not explosive, but focused. A thin mist of energy rose around him, swirling like a controlled wind. The ground beneath his feet didn't shake — it folded.
Everything about him said one thing:
He knew exactly what he was doing.
And he didn't fear anything in front of him.
The wind shifted.
The bandit leader's cloak snapped behind him, but his feet didn't move. His eyes locked on Shen Hao's, and for a brief moment, nothing happened.
Then the older golem launched forward.
The earth cracked under his step as he shot toward the leader, fist drawn back, fire Qi roaring around his arm. The younger golem followed behind, not as heavy, but faster — air swirling around his body like a spiraling current.
The bandit leader didn't flinch.
He raised one hand and drew a clean line in the air.
In that moment, the ground between them twisted.
A sharp, invisible pressure struck forward — a slicing wave of Qi. It didn't explode. It cut.
The older golem shifted last-second and blocked with both arms. The strike pushed him back with force, skidding across the stone.
The younger golem shot upward and dove from above. His fist aimed for the leader's chest.
Still, no panic.
The leader vanished and reappeared a few meters to the side, like he'd been carried by wind itself.
"He's using folded-space steps," Mo Han's voice echoed.
"He doesn't move fast — he cuts space."
Shen Hao launched in.
He shot forward with a burst of Qi, dodging left at the last second, aiming for the leader's exposed side. He swung low, hand glowing with purple energy, flames crackling around his palm.
The leader turned just slightly and caught the blow with his forearm.
The impact shook the air, but he barely moved.
Then his other hand flicked forward — fast and sharp.
Shen Hao blocked, but the strike still sent him spinning.
He caught himself midair and landed back beside the golems.
"Okay," Lingfeng said, floating up again. "Let's all agree this guy is not a normal bandit leader. He's like a final exam with legs."
"Less jokes," Shen Hao muttered, exhaling. "More stabbing."
"You got it, Chief."
Lingfeng darted into the air and began spinning rapidly, wind howling around him. He flew in a spiral, aiming for the leader's shoulder.
The leader stepped aside with perfect timing — not wasting an inch of motion — and backhanded Lingfeng mid-spin.
"Ow. Rude," Lingfeng groaned, bouncing off a floating rock.
The golems charged again.
This time, they came from opposite angles. The older one swung low, aiming for the knees, while the younger aimed a flying punch from above.
The leader spun between them, one foot sliding forward with perfect balance.
He grabbed the younger golem's arm mid-punch and twisted it just enough to deflect the attack. His other palm struck the older golem square in the chest, and fire Qi burst from the point of contact, sending the massive body backward into the canyon wall.
"He's reading our moves," Shen Hao thought.
"Like he's seen every form before it's launched."
"Because he probably has," Mo Han replied. "You'll need to do what he doesn't expect."
"You mean be reckless?"
"No," Mo Han said calmly. "I mean… be you."
Shen Hao's eyes sharpened.
He exhaled slowly and let his Qi flow in a slightly unstable pattern — unrefined, like the start of a failed technique.
The leader noticed.
And for the first time — tilted his head, curious.
Exactly what Shen Hao wanted.
He charged in.
But this time, his Qi didn't follow a perfect path.
It spun rougher. Sloppier. On purpose.
He twisted midair, faked a left strike, then blinked out and reappeared above the leader's shoulder — launching a downward palm glowing with unstable purple flame.
The bandit leader raised his arm to block—
And the attack exploded mid-flight.
BOOM!
It wasn't full power, but it scattered heat and light across the cliffside. Smoke blurred the air for a second.
The leader slid backward through the dust, cloak flaring behind him.
He wasn't hurt. But he was surprised.
"Better," Mo Han said. "Keep him guessing. Keep the flow broken."
Shen Hao didn't slow down. He fired two small blasts of Qi in different directions. One curved wide — a feint. The other came in straight with wind riding its edge.
And just behind it—
Lingfeng.
"Surprise, old man!" he yelled, spinning like a buzzsaw.
The leader turned at the last second and knocked Lingfeng away with a flick of his wrist.
"Okay," Lingfeng groaned, bouncing again. "That one hurt my ego more than my blade."
But even that small clash bought Shen Hao another moment.
The younger golem appeared behind the leader and slammed both fists down. The leader dodged low — but not fast enough. One fist clipped his shoulder, forcing his feet into the stone.
A crack formed below.
That was the opening.
Shen Hao blinked in behind him and struck—
The leader twisted, grabbed Shen Hao by the wrist mid-swing, and hurled him sideways.
Shen Hao rolled in the air, caught himself, and landed beside the golems again.
"This guy's built like a cultivation textbook," Lingfeng muttered. "Every block is a counter. Every dodge is a setup."
"He's reading your rhythm," Mo Han warned. "You have to break it again."
Before Shen Hao could respond—
The older golem suddenly roared.
He moved without a command, his body flaring with bright fire Qi.
"He's overloading!" Shen Hao realized.
The elder golem launched himself straight at the leader, arms wide, flames bursting from his joints.
Shen Hao's eyes widened.
"Too direct!"
The leader's eyes narrowed, and he stepped aside smoothly, avoiding the first punch.
Then struck back — not with Qi, but with two precise fingers to the golem's chest.
A burst of invisible pressure followed.
BOOM!
The golem staggered. Sparks erupted from his core as the force pushed through his defenses.
He stumbled back, his light flickering.
"You okay?" Lingfeng asked.
"I am… functional," the golem answered through gritted words.
"Yeah well, try functioning slightly less like a meteor."
Shen Hao exhaled. His arms were sore, and his Qi core was humming loud now. Not empty, but clearly tired.
The leader stood in the middle of the field — surrounded, but untouched. His expression hadn't changed. Calm. Focused.
"You're skilled," he said. "But still wild. You rely too much on force and cleverness."
He raised one hand again.
"But cleverness fades when fatigue takes hold."
His aura surged.
For the first time, he went all in.
The pressure dropped like a hammer.
The bandit leader released his full aura — not loud or explosive, but heavy and sharp, like a blade held just an inch from your throat.
The ground beneath him cracked quietly.
His robes fluttered, but the space around him held still — like even the wind was afraid to move.
Mo Han's voice turned serious.
"Now he's done testing. This is his real form."
Shen Hao felt it immediately.
His Qi strained just to hold its shape. The two golems shifted beside him, adjusting their footing. Even Lingfeng slowed his spinning.
"Okay…" he said, not joking for once. "So, uh, anyone else feel like we've entered the boss stage of a realm-breaking dungeon?"
"Focus," Shen Hao said, his jaw tight. "We end it now."
The leader vanished from sight.
He reappeared behind Shen Hao — fast, silent.
Shen Hao twisted, blocked with his forearm, but the strike broke through his guard and sent him flying backward.
The younger golem caught him midair.
But the leader was already there again, palm raised.
He struck the golem once in the chest, and a pulse of force exploded outward. The golem dropped to one knee, steam rising from his joints.
Shen Hao landed, eyes burning.
"Master," he said in his mind. "Now would be a great time for a miracle."
"No miracles," Mo Han replied. "Just timing. Listen."
The old master spoke quickly.
"When he moves next, strike high and low together. Golems on the side. You with a delayed Qi pulse. Lingfeng—add chaos."
"Chaos is my middle name," Lingfeng said instantly. "Okay no it's not, but it should be."
The leader dashed forward again — this time toward the elder golem.
Shen Hao launched his first move: a wide arc of purple Qi meant to distract. The golems split left and right, closing in at a curve. Lingfeng shot in from above, spinning wildly.
The leader dodged the blade—
But not the younger golem, who slammed him from the side, knocking him off-center.
Shen Hao focused everything into his palm — a glowing sphere of flame Qi and wind energy mixed.
"Let's see how you handle this…"
He launched it low — slow, on purpose.
The leader moved to dodge again, but just then—
Lingfeng curved back in and smacked him on the head.
"BONK!" he yelled gleefully.
It wasn't a hard hit, but it was enough to distract him for half a second.
And half a second was all Shen Hao needed.
The attack connected.
BOOM!
A clean blast of controlled power slammed the leader into the canyon wall. For the first time, he let out a sound — not pain, just sharp breath.
He stood again, robes tattered, blood on his lip.
His eyes weren't calm anymore.
"You… really are persistent."
He raised one hand.
A dark, blood-colored symbol flared in his palm.
"Master?" Shen Hao asked quickly.
"Forbidden Qi Seal," Mo Han said. "Last-resort move. He's risking his core."
"Then we hit first."
The golems rushed.
Shen Hao followed.
The leader's palm glowed blood-red.
His Qi pulsed unevenly now — unstable, wild. The ground shook around him as the dark symbol in his hand expanded, floating like a rune of destruction.
Mo Han's voice was sharp.
"He's burning his core. That technique will boost his power, but it will destroy him too… if it fails."
Shen Hao didn't wait.
"Now!"
The golems charged first — one high, one low. Their damaged bodies moved without hesitation, elemental energy lighting their limbs.
Shen Hao dashed in right behind them.
Lingfeng spiraled around the trio like a wild gust of wind, flicking sparks and slapping small chunks of stone out of the way.
"Incoming combo move number... I lost count," Lingfeng muttered.
"Let's just name this one: Angry Cultivator Sandwich."
The leader roared and struck first — a blast of red Qi shooting toward the older golem. The golem took it square in the chest and staggered but didn't fall. His hand came down like a meteor, crashing into the leader's shoulder.
The younger golem followed with a clean uppercut, knocking the man slightly off balance.
Shen Hao was already there.
He blinked in behind him and hit three points on the leader's back with rapid bursts of Qi — not to injure, but to stagger his flow.
It worked.
The dark rune in the man's palm pulsed once… then cracked.
"No—!" he growled.
Lingfeng darted in, spun once, and smacked the broken seal in the man's hand with the flat of his blade.
"No cheating," he said. "Play fair."
The symbol shattered into dust.
The leader's eyes widened.
And then Shen Hao struck.
A single blow — full force, everything focused in one palm. Flame and wind twisted together in a spiral of violet light.
The impact landed in the center of the man's chest.
BOOM.
The canyon wall behind him cracked. The leader was thrown back into it, debris flying in every direction.
Silence.
Dust hung in the air.
Shen Hao stood still, breathing hard. His clothes were torn, his arm was shaking — but he stayed on his feet.
The leader coughed once. Blood trickled from his mouth. He dropped to his knees, then slumped to the ground.
But before his eyes closed, he looked up at Shen Hao.
"You… don't even know what you've done."
Shen Hao didn't answer.
The man smiled faintly — cold, even as he bled.
"You've made enemies… with the Crimson Void Sect."
He coughed again, weaker this time.
"Our master… he'll find you. All of you."
He dropped his head.
And didn't rise again.
The wind moved again.
Lingfeng floated down beside Shen Hao, quiet for once.
"Crimson Void Sect, huh?" he said. "Why do bad guys always have names that sound like blood rituals and doom?"
"Because they usually are blood rituals and doom," Shen Hao said softly.
Mo Han's voice came into his mind, quiet but clear.
"This was only the first step. The Crimson Void Sect… is no small threat."
Shen Hao didn't reply.
He turned away from the body, gave the golems a silent nod, and began flying west again — toward Mount Sheng, toward the next step in his path.
The sky above began to clear, but the air still felt heavy.
Something darker had begun.