Three years had passed.
Little Sunset Peak, Sunset Market.
A masked man crouched behind a stall. Before him lay a two-meter-wide strip of grayish-white cloth, displaying only four bottles of Medicinal Pills. Beside each bottle, a paper label identified its contents: "Qi Nourishing Pill," "Evil-Repelling Pill," "Breakthrough Pill," and "Mind Gathering Pill."
The market streets bustled with people, some stopping to haggle over prices. Deals were struck, while others walked away empty-handed.
The masked man was, of course, Han Yi.
This market was just one of many scattered across the Outer Peak.
Three years had passed since his return to the sect. During that time, he had drifted through numerous Outer Sect markets, amassing over a dozen unique masks.
To minimize risk and avoid drawing unwanted attention, he spaced out his pill sales by several months, each time choosing a market far from his previous one.
As dusk deepened, Han Yi packed his pills into his Storage Pouch, neatly folded the grayish-white cloth, and left the market.
About two hundred meters behind him, three figures trailed discreetly. Though they kept their distance, their eyes occasionally met, their intentions flickering in their glances. They followed at a leisurely pace, maintaining their distance.
Oblivious to the danger, Han Yi continued ahead, unaware of his pursuers.
Over the past two years, despite his constant vigilance, Han Yi had never encountered a single Robber Cultivator. Naturally, his initial wariness had diminished somewhat.
As usual, after leaving the walled market complex, he accelerated, activating his Light Body Technique. Like a swift bird, he soared into the distance.
Behind him, the three figures who had been following Han Yi saw his speed increase and raced out of the market to keep pace.
By the time Han Yi reached the mid-slope of Little Sunset Peak, he stopped.
A figure blocked his path.
"Junior Brother," the masked man rasped, his voice hoarse, "I'm only after wealth. Leave your Storage Pouch and you can go." His demeanor clearly marked him as an experienced Robber Cultivator.
Han Yi's heart tightened.
For two years, he had mentally rehearsed how to handle such a situation. Now that the moment had arrived, a tremor of tension ran through him.
After all, aside from his sudden encounter with Jiang De in Mengshan City two years prior, this was only his second real battle.
Like that previous clash, this was another ambush. But this time, the outcome would depend entirely on sheer strength.
"Senior Brother, I..."
Han Yi started to speak, but abruptly whirled around. Three figures were sprinting toward him from the rear.
"Damn it! A pincer attack! They're working together!"
Han Yi didn't hold back. He raised his hand and flicked his fingers twice in rapid succession.
Boom!
His newly advanced Qi Refining Fifth Layer cultivation, combined with his Spirit Void Finger technique, which he had diligently honed to 90/100 progress toward Masterful mastery, produced a force beyond anyone's imagination.
The man who had initially blocked Han Yi's path grinned triumphantly as his companions closed in, thinking, Finally, we've caught a big fish.
But the next moment, his expression twisted in shock—no, terror would be a more accurate description.
The "big fish" flicked a finger, unleashing a bolt of starlight-like Spirit Light that flashed before his eyes.
With my peak Qi Refining Fifth Layer strength, blocking an instant spell from a fellow Fifth Layer cultivator—especially one who has just entered the realm—should be easy, he thought confidently.
He didn't bother with further defenses, simply activating his Golden Shield Technique to intercept the attack. He had tested this defensive spell before and knew it could even briefly withstand ordinary attacks from Sixth Layer cultivators.
But fate had other plans.
In the next instant, his pupils constricted violently. Helplessly, he watched as the starlight pierced through his Golden Shield like a thunderbolt, striking him squarely.
Before the searing pain could register, another starlight projectile followed swiftly.
Boom! Boom!
After unleashing the two finger strikes, Han Yi didn't even bother checking the results. Instead, he quickly pressed his index and middle fingers together and flicked them forward again in a decisive motion.
A dagger, sheathed at Han Yi's waist, suddenly shot into the air.
Whoosh!
The sound of tearing through the air echoed, followed by a sharp whack that abruptly silenced the scream ahead.
Han Yi moved like lightning, darting forward. With a single grab, he snatched the Storage Pouch from the headless corpse with a gaping hole in its chest. The dagger returned to its sheath, its blade vibrating softly.
Then, without lingering, Han Yi unleashed the full potential of his Light Body Technique, sprinting forward. In a few leaps, he vanished without a trace.
He wasn't afraid of the three pursuers behind him, but what if more reinforcements arrived? What if a Late-Stage Qi Refining expert appeared, or someone even stronger?
Killing Robber Cultivators was one thing, but such a swift and decisive victory might make him look like one himself—a difficult explanation to avoid.
The battle had ended in the blink of an eye, less than a single breath.
When the trio finally reached the scene, they were overwhelmed by a primal fear.
It was too fast. The battle had ended far too quickly.
From their distant vantage point, they had only glimpsed a flash of starlight, heard a scream rise, and then fall silent as the battle concluded.
"Senior Brother Zhuang, what do we do?"
"Li Kui... he's really dead?"
"He was at the peak of the Qi Refining Fifth Layer," one cultivator said, "capable of holding his own against a Sixth Layer expert for a short time."
"If the enemy's strength is this overwhelming, could they be a Seventh Layer master?"
"It's possible," another cultivator replied, his voice barely concealing his fear.
In the center stood the masked man known as Senior Brother Zhuang, the strongest member of their four-man team. He had just risen from a crouch beside the headless corpse, and his voice trembled with apprehension.
"The enemy is strong... incredibly strong... terrifyingly strong."
"Two spells, their attributes indecipherable, shattered Junior Brother Li Kui's shield, pierced his chest, and then a swift sword strike severed his head—all done with ruthless efficiency."
"Even if I had faced him, my chances of survival would have been slim to none."
"Even if he's not at the Seventh Layer, he possesses the combat power of a peak Sixth Layer expert—and a Sixth Layer expert with terrifying battle prowess at that."
"We must leave immediately. This place is no longer safe. This time, Junior Brother Li Kui simply met his fate."
The masked man produced a black bottle, poured out a viscous black liquid, and dripped it onto the corpse. A hissing sound erupted as the liquid dissolved the remains, leaving only a small pit behind—bones and all.
His practiced movements revealed he was already well-versed in the ways of a Robber Cultivator.
Then, the three swiftly vanished.
Apart from them and Han Yi, no one would ever know a battle had erupted and concluded there, nor that a peak Qi Refining Fifth Layer Robber Cultivator had met his end on that spot.
When Han Yi returned to Little Spirit Void Peak and removed his mask, his heart still pounded furiously.
It took him a full quarter of an hour to regain his composure.
Once calm, he began to analyze the ambush.
"There were four Robber Cultivators. Good thing I was quick-witted. If the three behind me had managed to surround me, I might have escaped, but likely with injuries."
"That was too dangerous."
"I can't go to Sunset Market again."
"Still, my combat prowess isn't bad at all. Within the Qi Refining Fifth Layer, no one could withstand my rapid-fire Spirit Void Fingers. Even against a Qi Refining Sixth Layer cultivator... well, I haven't faced one yet. I don't know their methods, so it's best not to jump to conclusions."
"Indeed, combat requires strategy: speed, precision, and ruthlessness. Too much hesitation or wasted words can be fatal."