Inside the stronghold's great hall, Han Xiao sat slumped in his chair, his face dark and stormy. Under the flickering light of the hall's lamps, his expression appeared twisted and terrifying. The squad of bandits guarding the door outside didn't dare breathe too loudly, fearful of provoking the stronghold master and becoming the target of his rage.
Tonight's battle had cost them their last remaining hall leader, and nearly a hundred ordinary bandits lay dead or wounded! And when Han Xiao had finally rushed to the scene, he hadn't even gotten a clear look at the enemy.
"Damn it! Damn it! Who the hell are they?!" Han Xiao slammed his fist onto the armrest. "The one who killed Xiao Chen… that spear in his hand was definitely a soul armament! And no low-grade one either! High-grade human-tier… or even earth-tier? Annihilate our Heim Stronghold in three days… such arrogance!" His fury erupted again, and he slammed his palm down. The newly replaced chair beneath him promptly shattered into pieces, joining its predecessor in retirement.
A soul armament was a weapon forged either from the soul core of a soul beast or from special materials imbued with the elemental forces of heaven and earth, granting it immense power.
Soul armaments were graded into three tiers: Heaven, Earth, and Human. Each tier was further divided into high, medium, and low grades. Even the lowest-grade, low-tier human-grade soul armament was considered an almost mythical treasure in the eyes of the world. Han Xiao, as the master of the Heim Stronghold, had only managed to obtain one such piece—the 'Golden Thread Soul Armor', a low-grade human-tier soul armament bestowed upon him by his sect. He simply couldn't fathom what grade the crimson spear wielded by Xiao Chen's killer might be.
Deputy Stronghold Master Yang Tian's expression was also grim, but far calmer. He waited for Han Xiao's rage to subside slightly before speaking up.
"Stronghold Master, you must calm down quickly. As I said before, we absolutely cannot afford to panic and lose our composure. That would only play right into the enemy's hands…"
"Oh? What insights do you have?" Han Xiao knew that when it came to strategy, he was indeed inferior to his deputy. Yang Tian often acted as the stronghold's strategist.
"First, I can say with certainty that the enemy's overall strength likely isn't overwhelming. If it were, they would have launched a full assault already. My guess is they probably don't have anyone above the Soul Warrior level among them."
"Furthermore, the purpose of the two who came up the mountain tonight is quite clear: intimidation. Not aimed at us, but at our ordinary followers. To them, a Soul Master is an immensely powerful being. Witnessing their hall leader, someone they usually looked up to, being killed so easily… the psychological impact on them is unpredictable. Combined with the final words spoken by that man… I fear… these next few days, there may be… disruptions within the stronghold."
"You mean… some will try to flee?"
"It's highly possible."
"Are they idiots? Those people are waiting right below the mountain! How could they survive going out?"
"If they believe staying here means certain death, some will be willing to try their luck. After all, that man's final words were, 'Those who remain on the mountain will die.' In other words, 'Those who leave the stronghold might live.' That's how they'll interpret it…"
"Hmph! If anyone dares to defect, I'll wring their neck myself before the enemy even sets foot here! No need to wait!"
"Killing one to warn a hundred is only effective when a small group defects and the majority are still hesitating. These next few days, have our trusted men keep a close watch on the lower ranks… monitor their movements closely." Yang Tian sighed, his expression deeply troubled. The enemy's ploy was insidious. Without even launching a true attack, they had already sown discord and weakened the stronghold's morale from within.
"That man said he would destroy the stronghold in three days. Is that credible?" Han Xiao recalled another point, his voice urgent.
"Of course not. It's merely a tactic to sow confusion and fear. However… we cannot rule out the possibility of a scheme within a scheme. If they do launch a full-scale attack three days from now… But if we focus solely on the 'three days' deadline, we might be vulnerable to a surprise attack before then. Sigh… The enemy's goal is painfully obvious! Right now, we can only remain trapped in a state of constant vigilance, worrying about an attack that could come at any moment."
"Then what should we do?" Hearing this, a sliver of panic crept into Han Xiao's heart.
"There's no other choice. We can't lead everyone down the mountain—they've likely set up ambushes waiting for us. We can only strengthen the defenses here on the mountain and be prepared to face the enemy at any time…"
"Damn it! When has our Heim Stronghold ever been so humiliated… You said yourself they probably don't have Soul Warriors. Why don't I personally lead the entire stronghold down? Forget about ambushes! We'll smash through them with sheer force!"
"Absolutely not! The slightest misstep could lead to the complete annihilation of the Heim Stronghold! And… have you forgotten the soul armament used by the man who killed Xiao Chen? That spear's grade is unquestionably high. For a Soul Master below the Soul Sprite realm, possessing a powerful soul armament makes killing someone above their level entirely possible. Can you be certain that your low-grade human-tier Golden Thread Soul Armor would withstand the edge of that spear?"
Han Xiao fell silent. The Golden Thread Soul Armor bestowed by the sect was impervious to ordinary weapons, true. But the image of Xiao Chen being shattered to pieces by that spear sent a chill down his own spine. He… didn't dare gamble.
"Fine. We'll do as you say. At least tonight, they probably won't make another move, right? Everyone, dismissed…"
Han Xiao stood up dejectedly and walked out of the hall, heading towards his private quarters. From afar, an almost imperceptible sigh drifted back.
"Could it be… that our Heim Stronghold… is doomed to perish so inexplicably…"
...
At the foot of Heim Mountain, Bai Yunfei and Li Chengfeng sat within a cluster of trees, tending to their wounds.
"That fight was truly satisfying!" Li Chengfeng leaned against a tree trunk, gazing up at the starry sky through the gaps in the leaves, his voice a low murmur. "Those beasts in human skin… those bandits who treated us like ants, who killed on a whim… I cut them down so easily… If only I had possessed this strength sooner… If only… Father, Mother, Sister… Uncle Zhou next door, Village Elder Li… everyone… I have power now. Kill them all… all bandits deserve death! Kill them all…"
"Chengfeng? Are you alright? You…" Bai Yunfei, sitting beside him, noticed his friend's increasingly disturbed muttering and spoke up with concern.
Li Chengfeng stopped talking. He rubbed his forehead and offered Bai Yunfei a strained smile. "I know what you're worried about. But don't worry. I won't lose myself. Those bandits deserve death. I'm only avenging myself… avenging those who died. That's all. I won't become a mindless killing demon…"
Bai Yunfei breathed a sigh of relief. "Yes, they all deserve it. Letting them live only means more innocent people will suffer. When I first encountered them… I wasn't as resolute as you. But now… we will destroy them completely!"
"By the way, you're almost reaching mid-stage Soul Apprentice, right? That spear-wielding bandit you fought earlier was much weaker than you. Why did the fight last so long? Just to wait for the stronghold master to arrive and make a show of force?" Li Chengfeng recalled the earlier battle, his brow furrowed in puzzlement.
"That was part of it. But the main reason," Bai Yunfei replied, cleaning his spear, "is exactly what you mentioned. He also used a spear. My spear technique may look decent, but my biggest weakness is lack of real combat experience. Finally encountering a suitable opponent, I naturally wanted to learn and gain some practical insights."
"Sigh… I really don't get you. How can you call yourself weak? The power of your Fiery-Tipped Spear is enough to compensate for any lack of finesse!"
"That might be true against the enemies we've faced so far," Bai Yunfei said, his expression turning serious. "But in the wider world of Soul Masters… we are still very, very weak…" He couldn't help but recall the casual, dismissive glance from Zhang Yang's father, Zhang Zhenshan. The Soul Sprite realm… it was a height he couldn't even begin to reach right now. Not to mention the mysterious old man who gave him the spatial ring.
"Speaking of which," Li Chengfeng changed the subject, "what did you mean by that last shout? Are we attacking the stronghold in three days?"
"Of course not," Bai Yunfei chuckled softly. "I lied to them…"
"..."
"Heh. Just a little stratagem," Bai Yunfei explained, a hint of cunning in his eyes as he looked towards the mountain. "To make our next moves easier. If my guess is correct, over the next two days, some bandits might try to flee down the mountain. Whether the stronghold master suppresses them or not, it works to our advantage."
"And… if someone really does flee down here? Do we let them go?"
"What? You'd be willing to let them leave?"
"Of course not!" Li Chengfeng's eyes hardened. "These vicious beasts… letting even one escape is a disaster waiting to happen."
"Well, there you have it," Bai Yunfei stated simply. "If anyone comes down the mountain… kill them."
"..."
"Alright," Bai Yunfei stood up, stretching. "Let's take turns resting. We need to cultivate intensively these next few days. Both of us cultivate quickly. I believe it won't be long before I break through to mid-stage Soul Apprentice, and you reach late-stage Soul Disciple. When that time comes, and the moment is ripe… we will obliterate this nest of bandits!"