The village square of Oakhaven was a scene of escalating tension. At its center stood a burly man in elaborate, dark leather armor, his face a sneer of contempt. This was the Baron's Enforcer, a Qi Condensation cultivator, his spiritual energy subtly radiating an oppressive weight that kept the gathered villagers cowed and fearful. Beside him stood two armed guards, their expressions mirroring their master's arrogance.
"I will not ask again!" the Enforcer bellowed, his voice echoing. "Double tribute, or your harvest is forfeit, and your young men come with us to the mines! Does a simple village not understand the Baron's will?" He stomped a heavy boot, sending dust scattering.
Just then, Rylan stepped into the square, Elara and Lyra flanking him, their presence a silent defiance against the Enforcer's bluster. The commotion quieted, and all eyes turned to Rylan. The Enforcer's gaze, initially dismissive, sharpened as he sensed the unfamiliar spiritual presence.
"And who might you be, peasant?" the Enforcer sneered, his eyes narrowing as he finally registered the faint, yet distinct, Qi Condensation aura emanating from Rylan. "You reek of ambition, but you don't wear the Baron's colors."
Rylan stopped a few paces from the Enforcer, his stance relaxed, yet radiating an undeniable power. "I am Rylan Sterling," he stated, his voice calm, clear, and carrying an implicit authority that made the Enforcer unconsciously stiffen. "And these are my people." He gestured subtly to the trembling villagers. "You will cease your threats, and you will leave Oakhaven with nothing more than the standard tribute."
A harsh bark of laughter escaped the Enforcer. "Your people? A ragged stranger and a few cowering farmers? You dare to challenge the Baron's Enforcer? I am Kaelen, a cultivator in service to Baron Von Hess! I could crush you with a single breath!" Kaelen drew his ornate sword, its blade glinting menacingly. His two accompanying guards also gripped their weapons, though their unease was palpable.
Rylan's eyes held Kaelen's, a cold, calculating fire igniting within them. "You may be Kaelen, and you may serve the Baron. But you are a coarse, unrefined cultivator, clinging to borrowed power." He took a single, deliberate step forward, and the air around him subtly shimmered. "I am the one who felled your Dire Wolf. I am the one who cleared the path to Whispering Peak. And I am the one who now tells you: you have overstepped your bounds."
Kaelen's face contorted in a mix of fury and dawning realization. The Dire Wolf! The missing patrol! This 'stranger' was responsible. Enraged, he let out a roar, gathering his spiritual energy and thrusting his sword forward in a crude, powerful lunge. "You insolent dog! Die!"
Rylan didn't move. As Kaelen's sword whistled towards him, Rylan merely extended his right hand, palm open. A surge of pure, refined spiritual energy, far denser than Kaelen's own, exploded from Rylan's Dantian. It wasn't a technique, but a raw, overwhelming force. The spiritual pressure alone was enough to make Kaelen falter, his attack losing cohesion.
Then, Rylan's open palm connected with the flat of Kaelen's blade. The impact sent a wave of spiritual force through the sword, rattling Kaelen's bones, and then directly into his Dantian. Kaelen screamed, a sound of agony and shock, as the spiritual backlash hit him. His cultivation, forcefully disrupted, recoiled violently within his own body. He stumbled backward, dropping his sword, his face pale and contorted in pain.
Rylan followed up instantly, his foot sweeping out, tripping the disoriented Enforcer. Kaelen landed hard, gasping for breath, his cultivation core in chaos. Rylan didn't allow him to recover. He placed his foot firmly on Kaelen's chest, his spiritual energy pressing down, pinning him to the earth.
"You speak of crushing with a single breath?" Rylan's voice was a low, dangerous rumble. "You are not worthy to stand before me." He exerted a subtle pressure, not to kill, but to utterly cripple Kaelen's spiritual flow, leaving him vulnerable, utterly defeated.
The two accompanying guards, who had frozen in terror, now dropped their weapons, their faces ashen. The villagers, moments ago paralyzed by fear, now erupted in cheers. A wave of relief, joy, and profound awe swept through the square.
Rylan looked down at the defeated Enforcer. "Tell your Baron this," he commanded, his voice carrying to every corner of the square. "Oakhaven is under my protection now. The people here will pay only the just tribute, and no more. Attempt to take more, or threaten them again, and the consequences will be far more severe than this." He pressed his foot down a final, crushing spiritual pressure on Kaelen's Dantian, ensuring the Qi Condensation cultivator would not recover fully for a long time.
He removed his foot. Kaelen lay there, whimpering, his body unresponsive, his spiritual energy in shambles.
Rylan turned to the two terrified guards. "Take him. And relay my message. Clearly."
They scrambled, hoisting their groaning superior and stumbling away, leaving the village square to the jubilation of the villagers.
Elder Kael rushed forward, tears in his eyes. "Master Rylan! You saved us! You defeated the Enforcer!"
Rylan simply nodded, a sense of deep satisfaction settling within him. The System had not pinged with a "Harem Member Detected" for Kaelen (naturally), nor had it given a significant cultivation boost for combat. But this act was more than just a fight; it was a declaration.
Oakhaven was his. And the Baron knew it. The Lustful Emperor's influence was expanding, not just through desire, but through decisive action and undeniable power. The Baron would send more, stronger cultivators perhaps. And Rylan would be ready. His path to absolute dominion had truly begun.
End of chapter 15