The wind carried the scent of dust and tension as Rylan stood alone, a single figure against the approaching might of Baron Von Hess. The two leading cultivators, the broad-shouldered man with the warhammer and the lean, agile one with twin daggers, radiated a palpable spiritual pressure. Behind them, the twenty guards advanced with grim faces, their spears glinting.
"You're a fool to stand alone," the warhammer cultivator snarled, his voice a low rumble. "You defied the Baron once. You won't live to do it again." He identified himself, perhaps to intimidate, or out of arrogance. "I am Borin, and this is my partner, Sylas. We are the Baron's Blade and Hammer. You face true power now."
Rylan simply extended an open hand, his spiritual energy subtly flaring, daring them to advance. He sensed the difference in their Qi Condensation. Borin was brute force, his spiritual energy raw and powerful, like a blunt instrument. Sylas was more refined, his energy fluid and evasive, hinting at speed and precision. They were indeed stronger than Kaelen, operating in the Qi Condensation (Mid-Stage) realm, just as the System had indicated.
"Your Baron's blade and hammer will break upon my will," Rylan retorted, his voice calm, yet resonating with an unshakeable confidence that seemed to ripple through the air.
Borin roared, rushing forward, his heavy warhammer arcing through the air with astonishing speed, aimed to crush Rylan where he stood. A crude but immensely powerful Qi Condensation technique fueled the strike, leaving a visible distortion in the air.
At the same instant, Sylas, moving with the deceptive swiftness of a serpent, darted around Borin, his twin daggers flashing, aiming for Rylan's flanks. His spiritual energy flowed like water, making his movements hard to predict.
Rylan met the onslaught with a chilling calm. He didn't evade Borin's direct attack. Instead, he channeled the entirety of his Qi Condensation (Early Stage) spiritual energy into his body, infusing his limbs with immense power and speed. He moved like a ghost, sidestepping the main force of the warhammer, allowing it to whistle past his ear by mere inches. As Borin overextended, Rylan delivered a lightning-fast kick to the back of his knee, forcing the bulky cultivator off balance.
Before Borin could recover, Rylan spun, redirecting his momentum to intercept Sylas. The dagger-wielding cultivator was quick, his blades a blur, but Rylan's senses, sharpened by his enhanced physique and dual cultivation, allowed him to perceive the attacks with uncanny clarity. He slapped away one dagger, then caught Sylas's wrist with his other hand, a surge of spiritual energy flowing into the grip. He twisted, forcing Sylas's own spiritual energy to recoil, disarming him with a sharp crack of bone.
Sylas cried out, a mix of pain and disbelief. Rylan didn't give him time to recover. He used the momentum of the twist to send Sylas spinning into Borin, who was just regaining his footing. The two cultivators collided, a tangle of limbs and weapons.
[Ding! Host has skillfully disrupted enemy formation!][Reward: Minor Tactical Comprehension +0.1 (Absorbed).]
The two Baron's cultivators, dazed and momentarily tangled, were vulnerable. Rylan seized the moment. He unleashed a focused spiritual palm strike, not at one, but at both. A powerful wave of spiritual energy, infused with his newly refined essence, slammed into them. Borin grunted, his brute force barely absorbing the impact, but Sylas screamed, his more refined, agile cultivation reacting violently to the raw power. Both were sent flying, crashing heavily into the company of guards behind them.
The guards scattered, many of them falling over their own feet, their morale shattered at the sight of their formidable leaders so easily dispatched.
[Ding! Host has defeated two Qi Condensation (Mid-Stage) Cultivators and routed Baron's Guard Company!][Reward: Breakthrough to Qi Condensation (Mid-Stage), Advanced Martial Art Technique: Twin Serpent Strikes (Dagger-based), Advanced Martial Art Technique: Earth-Shattering Hammer (Hammer-based), Minor Weapon Affinity (Blade), Minor Weapon Affinity (Blunt).]
A massive surge of spiritual energy, far greater than any before, ripped through Rylan's Dantian. He felt his cultivation base expand, deepen, and refine itself into a new, higher state of being. The very air around him seemed to tremble. He had reached Qi Condensation (Mid-Stage), a phenomenal leap that put him firmly in the upper echelons of regional power.
He also gained two powerful new martial art techniques, fully integrated into his mind, and an affinity for the very weapons his opponents wielded. The System was not just providing cultivation, but the tools to match his expanding power.
Borin and Sylas lay groaning, their spiritual energies in chaos, barely conscious. The guards, terrified, were already beginning to flee, abandoning their incapacitated leaders. The battle was over.
Rylan stood in the center of the dust-filled path, his chest rising and falling steadily, radiating an aura of undeniable, conquering power. The cheers from Oakhaven erupted then, a joyous roar that shook the very air. Villagers poured out of their homes, their faces beaming with relief and awe.
Elder Kael, tears streaming down his face, rushed forward. "Master Rylan! You did it! You truly defeated them!"
Rylan simply offered a triumphant smile. He looked towards the horizon, towards the distant lands of Baron Von Hess, and beyond, to the Jade Empire. The Baron's 'retribution' had failed. The Lustful Emperor was no longer just a protector of a village. He was a force to be reckoned with, a rising power that would shake the foundations of this world. His path to absolute dominion was now undeniable.
End of chapter 17