The sight of Wudang's retreating forces was a satisfying conclusion to one conflict, but Liam Ardent did not linger. His goal was Bright Peak, the epicenter where the greatest concentration of experience and potential awaited. His form was a blur of motion, the landscape whipping past as the Ladder Cloud Ascension technique devoured the distance. The System's passive energy gain was a constant, comforting hum in his core, a reminder that his power grew with every passing moment.
Then he heard it. The distant, chaotic symphony of combat. Shouts, the ring of steel, and a voice that sliced through the noise, clear and familiar even at a distance.
Rowena.
A cold knot tightened in his stomach. She was supposed to be safe, away on Serpent Isle with the others. Her presence here could only mean the conflict had drawn in every player, and she was in the thick of it.
His qi surged, the Nine Suns Divine Skill fueling his limbs with explosive power. In the span of a few heartbeats, he closed the distance, the scene snapping into horrifying focus.
Three young women stood back-to-back in a desperate defensive circle, their movements coordinated but strained. They were surrounded by over thirty men, their robes marking them as members of some minor sect. And the three women were Rowena Sterling, Lilith Stormbane, and Isla Drake.
A wave of cold, uncontrollable fury washed over Liam. The intellectual satisfaction of battle strategy evaporated, replaced by a primal, protective rage. These were his.
The Heaven-Reliant Sword was in his hand before the thought fully formed. He didn't shout a challenge; he simply became death incarnate.
He plunged into the midst of the attackers. The celestial blade was a silver blur, its passage marked not by clashing steel but by the wet, final sounds of severance. Limbs and weapons were sheared through with contemptuous ease. The air filled with sprays of crimson.
System Update [Defeated Third-Rate Expert: Poyang Gang Member – EXP +1,000, Silver +300]
[Defeated Third-Rate Expert: Poyang Gang Member – EXP +1,000, Silver +300]
[Defeated Second-Rate Expert: Poyang Gang Captain – EXP +3,000, Silver +1,000]
The notifications flickered at the edge of his awareness, meaningless numbers against the backdrop of his wrath. His world had narrowed to the space around the three women, and any who stood within it were condemned.
In the blink of an eye, five men were dead and a dozen more were wounded, their formation shattered by the sudden, violent tempest in their midst.
A burly, middle-aged man, evidently the leader, blanched and hastily signaled a retreat. He called out, his voice strained with sudden fear, "I am Gideon Cleft, Leader of the Jiangxi Poyang Gang, under the banner of the Kongtong Sect! These girls are from Serpent Isle, here to aid the Demon Cult! Sir, which faction do you hail from? Why slaughter my men?"
"Liam!" The simultaneous cry came from three voices—Rowena, Lilith, and Isla. Their faces, moments ago etched with determination and fear, now shone with tearful relief and overwhelming joy.
Gideon Cleft's eyes widened in dawning horror. "You! You're the 'God-Slayer' Liam Ardent! The one who killed Mother Clarisse! But... you're supposed to be dead!"
Liam ignored him completely. Having forced the encirclement to break, he turned his back on the terrified gang members, his focus entirely on the three women. "Are you hurt?" he asked, his voice uncharacteristically tight with concern.
They all shook their heads, a unified gesture of relief. "No, not a scratch," Rowena said, her voice brimming with happiness.
"If you had been any later, that might not have been the case," Lilith added coolly, her sharp gaze sweeping over the cowering Poyang Gang members with undisguised malice.
It was only then that Liam's System-assisted perception took in their cultivation levels. Rowena had reached the First-Rate Expert (Early Stage), Lilith was at the Peak of the Second-Rate realm, and Isla had attained the Second-Rate Expert (Early Stage). Their progress on Serpent Isle had been remarkable. This, combined with the fact that their attackers were mostly Third-Rate Experts with a few Second-Rate captains, explained how they had held out for so long.
The confirmation that they were unhurt allowed the cold, logical part of his mind to reassert control over the fiery anger. He turned his gaze back to Gideon Cleft, and it was like the gaze of a predator settling on its prey.
Gideon Cleft and his remaining men flinched as one. The gang leader hurriedly bowed, his hands clasped. "Sir! I-I had no idea these young ladies were under your protection! I would never have dared trouble them if I knew! Please, I beg you, show mercy! Spare the Poyang Gang this once!"
"Mistakes require consequences," Liam stated, his voice devoid of all warmth. "You threatened what is mine. Begging is pointless. None of you leave here alive."
He moved. There was no grand technique, no flourish. It was pure, efficient annihilation. The Heaven-Reliant Sword became a whirlwind of death among the disorganized, terrified men. They were sheep before a wolf. In moments, the entire force of thirty-odd men lay dead on the ground, the entire area silent save for the quiet weeping of the wind.
System Update [Multiple Defeats Processed: Total EXP +36,000, Total Silver +12,000]
[Internal Energy: 286,000]
[Prestige: 200]
[Experience: 175,000 / 512,000]
"Liam! It's been so long! You're even more dashing than before!" Isla Drake was the first to break the silence, rushing forward to gaze at him with unabashed admiration.
Liam's stern expression finally softened into a faint smile. "Isla. You've grown taller, and more beautiful. Rowena, Lilith, your progress is impressive. It seems your training has not slackened."
"Of course not! We trained relentlessly! Quite a surprise, isn't it?" Lilith retorted, a hint of pride in her typically cool demeanor.
"Indeed, it is," Liam agreed. "But why are you here? Just the three of you?"
"Grandmother is here too," Lilith said offhandedly. "But we don't know where she went." It was typical of the elusive Isolde Serpentis to vanish after bringing them to the conflict zone.
Rowena, serene and beautiful as a celestial maiden, looked at Liam, her eyes holding a depth of emotion. "Liam... have you been well?"
"Very well," he replied, his tone confident. "And my power has grown considerably. When I heard of the siege, I suspected you might be drawn into it. I came as fast as I could. Thankfully, my timing was adequate." His words were an understatement. His arrival hadn't been adequate; it had been the difference between life and death.
The three women fell silent, the gravity of their narrow escape settling over them. They had survived, but only because their guardian had arrived in time.
Glossary – Chapter 50
Poyang Gang: A minor gang from Jiangxi province operating under the protection and banner of the Kongtong Sect. Their members are generally low-level cultivators.
(Heyyy!! as this is the 50th chapter i have posted 2 bonus chapters about the night when all four of them get reunited as one - its very spicy , hot and the most intimate foursome so far with the most Raw details💀💦 only in my P@treon)
This story is inspired from various Wuxia novels ,so if you find any similarities please dont mind . and if you think this is boring wait till the Dual cultivation starts ,Thank you .
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T/N :
Access 25 chapters in Advance on my P@treon: [email protected]/GodFic