Alex was already using his cultivation base to the fullest, but right now he didn't have any technique that was suitable for his current cultivation level. He learned them for his Grandmaster realm, which corresponded to Spirit Severing realm of this world—three whole realms above his current cultivation.
Both of them were giving their all, but it was evident that Alex was piling up injuries and was on the verge of losing.
Alex took a few steps back to get some breathing room. Peng Hai decided to do the same. Although he was winning, he wasn't happy at all. He had already used his spear arts, his treasure spear, and his art of life sacrifice to the fullest. He was actively using his life force to fight, and initially he was sure he could kill him in a few strikes. But it was already more than 100 moves exchanged, and Alex was still standing. He was surprised when Alex pulled out a spear with rank equal to his own, but that was not the only surprise. His tenacity and that strange art with grey smoke was also top quality. Peng Hai decided to end this in the next move, but before that he eyed Old Ma from the corner of his eyes. He had moved the fight in a way to get nearer to him just in case.
And now that he had to show his cards to this extent, he cannot allow a witness even if it is just a mortal. He took a few more steps back and got a straight opening towards Old Ma on his left.
Taking out a knife from his waist belt, he readied it toward Alex. But instead of throwing it towards him, he aimed it and maneuvered his hand to his left, targeting Old Ma with the throwing knife using perfect aim.
This time there were no unexpected results, and the knife hit Old Ma right in the stomach, doubling him over and falling on his back on the ground.
Alex had his jaw dropped. Once the surprise got over, he felt angry because he got Old Ma involved in this mess by coming here—Old Ma was going to die for no reason. Deciding that this had dragged too long and to end this fight, he used half of his spirit to activate Fire Thrust without restraint. Even if it was a skill of higher level its not like he couldn't use it, its just that he hasn't practiced it and was not sure of results.
Alex channeled mana through his spear, igniting the whole spear with roaring flames that twisted like living serpents. He lunged forward in a charged thrust, and threw the spear same as he did to Gao Yong, the fire spear streak like a comet and explode on impact with searing heat that chars flesh and bone.
Peng Hai could see his death coming and he wanted to move, but the speed and decisiveness of the spear which surpassed foundation realm meant he could not avoid it at all. At his end moments, all he could think about was his family. He really wanted to smack his nephew Gao Yong for his actions and himself for underestimating this odd cultivator. He got too big a head after his young master shared the life sacrifice art—[Blood Essence Burning Art]—with them, which let them fight Foundation cultivators.
But it was too late. The spear came down on him like a death god's hand, and all that was left of him was charred pieces of bone and flesh as he exploded in a bloody mess.
The spear touched the ground after pearcing him and an explosion rang out, throwing dust everywhere and leaving a crater 10 meters long in diameter.
The skill took a lot out of Alex. He really needed to start cultivating with gusto and also learn how to system level up.
He was a little confused as he could see none of them had any system level. Although he didn't use Eye of Reprise to appraise them, after talking with them they were only aware of cultivation as they didnt mention anything related to system during whole fight.
With tired steps, Alex reached towards Old Ma Rong. He was still alive, but black veins were reaching all over his body, showing signs of extreme poisoning.
Alex had a few pills on hand, but they were not made for a mortal body to handle and were all of high quality. He still checked inside his storage, but nothing came out that he could call a cure for poison. Looking towards Ma Rong, he could still see life in his eyes.
"I'm sorry, Old Ma Rong. Because of me coming here, you were caught up in the fight. If you have anything that I can do to help, please tell me—I do not want the life of an innocent on my hands," Alex told him his feelings. Although it was not enough to cause him any mental pain, since he was alive he thought of resolving his karma with the old man.
After reading multiple real stories on cultivation when he was dropping to this universe, he no longer was an innocent cultivator. He knew the life of a mortal in the cultivation world was not a valuable thing. Millions of mortals die in fights of cultivators, and no blame is placed on them most of the time. Unless you are connected to someone powerful, your life is not weighted more than cattle in the cultivation world.
Ma Rong moved his head with a painful movement. "My daughter... LingLing, please... please take care of her. In my left pocket... there is a badge of the merchant association and the other has an emblem of Raum town's noble house. Give both to her—she will know what to do with them. Don't tell her I died in a surprise attack... she thinks of me as some kind of hero, haha, cough cough.
Just take her somewhere safe... to Water City perhaps... it's where I was traveling from. She is a clever girl and can make money... please. I won't tell you to take her as your wife but... if she does take your fancy... take the emblem in my second pocket as dowry."
Ma Rong said with tears flowing from the side of his eyes.
"Don't worry, Old Rong. I will make sure she is safe before I leave her anywhere. You can be sure of that," Alex assured him with a sincere expression. As for other things he asked for, Alex wasn't even sure where to start on taking a wife. He was a bachelor on Earth and now this dying man was asking him to marry his daughter in a cultivation world. If it was Earth he would have denied it then and there. But in cultivation world he wasn't sure since he could definitely support a wife or two as a cultivator—the only thing he needed to know was where he stood cultivation-wise in this region!
When Alex came out of his thoughts, the old Rong was already gone. Alex took his body and placed it in his storage.
He himself was not in good condition. He saw his mana back to 15 and used 10 to trigger Immortal Body. All signs of the fight vanished from his body, and he felt refreshed. He did a few motions and cracked his back bones in satisfaction of pain and lethargy finally leaving his bones. He went down the crater that had blood splattered all around and took out his spear.
Giving it a rudimentary swing, he cleaned it of all the gore and blood sticking to it and kept it back in storage. Walking to where Gao Yong was, he picked up and kept his body in the storage as well. It was good that storage does not use much energy and using another perk of storage he took the clothes of Gao Yong, washed them in river and wore them. Though it has small hole where heart should be it was much better than his tattered ones.
Using his Fire, Water, and Earth magic he burned any remains, filled the holes, and watered the soil to further erase any evidence. Finally using Light magic he dried the ground as much as he can removing any traces of fight.
He was really in need of rest and almost out of mana but there was a final things left—the horses and the cart, as for treasure chests—they were already in his storage.
He detached the horses from the cart and once again used his super duper OP storage. If there was any reason to ever believe he might be a main character then this skill might be the reason. If it was a physical entity he might have kissed it.
Now only headache he had was what to do with the horses. He can let them go but if someone found them and recognized them as horses of Old Ma Rong their disappearance will be discovered. What Alex wanted was them to disappear somewhere on the route with no explanation or clue.
Besides if he did let them go , the most probable outcome will be the horses dying to some wild animal. Just because he had a journey free of any encounters doesn't mean there were none here. Deciding the only thing he could offer these creatures were a merciful and swift death he took a sword out and swiftly decapitated them keeping them in his storage before even a drop of blood could fall to the ground.
Rechecking the ground for any evidence, Alex started moving towards the Raum Town. Midway he found a secluded place some distance up a mountain and deciding to take rest and finally resolve all backlash of skill he took out the bedding that was in the cart and promptly went to sleep.