Zhao Xuan didn't bother wiping the blood from his body, nor did he change into the fresh clothes stored in the ruins base.
Still wearing his tattered, blood-stained outfit, he stepped out of the relic space.
His spiritual power, though low compared to his monstrous physique—
At nearly two hundred points—was actually quite high among fourth- and even fifth-rank ability users.
After all, increasing one's spirit was far harder than strengthening the body.
Once outside the relic space, Zhao Xuan immediately held his breath and calmed his mind, scanning the surroundings carefully.
"If only I had Observation Haki right now…"
He shook his head slightly, casting the thought aside and focusing entirely on his surroundings.
The three fifth-rank ability users atop the mountain were not concealing their movements.
Believing Zhao Xuan might have been buried under the explosion's debris, they were noisily digging through the ground.
That made things easy.
In an instant, Zhao Xuan located their approximate positions.
Two were close together in the north; one stood alone to the west.
"But… wasn't there supposed to be a sixth-rank Grandmaster too?"
"Where is he?"
Zhao Xuan's brow furrowed tightly.
When he learned that the ambush squad targeting him included a sixth-rank Grandmaster, Zhao Xuan had already set his next kill target—
That man.
He was confident in his strength—
So confident, in fact, that he had already been planning to hunt a sixth-rank Land King-class beast.
But still—
That would have been achieved through a trick, not brute force.
He didn't actually believe he could face a sixth-rank ability user head-on and win.
So—
He had to seize this chance.
While this group of greedy bandits believed he was gravely injured—
While that sixth rank had his guard completely down—
He would strike.
He would let that man take one full-force hit.
Only then would Zhao Xuan have a chance to turn the tables and slaughter them all.
If he acted rashly and killed the three fifth ranks first,
It would alert the sixth rank immediately.
And once that man was on guard, landing a fatal strike would become nearly impossible.
So—
First, find the sixth-rank Grandmaster.
"He's not on the mountain? Don't tell me he stayed below to block my escape?"
A sharp gleam flashed in Zhao Xuan's eyes.
He clenched his teeth hard, then deliberately forced two mouthfuls of blood out of his throat.
Instantly—
His aura weakened dramatically.
He then pulled out a pouch of mid-grade energy liquid,
Took a large mouthful—
But I didn't swallow it.
He simply held it in his mouth.
Once everything was ready, Zhao Xuan began "cautiously," "unsteadily" staggering downhill.
As soon as he emerged from the dust and black mist atop the mountain—
He saw him.
Standing at the foot of the slope—
The last remaining bandit.
The sixth-rank Grandmaster.
Since Zhao Xuan, a mere Tier-4, could spot him,
That sixth-rank could obviously see Zhao Xuan too.
Their eyes met.
The man's gaze swept over Zhao Xuan's broken, blood-drenched figure,
His pale face and faltering steps,
The weak and flickering aura about him—
And a look of wild delight burst across the Grandmaster's face.
Then—
Tap, tap!
Like a startled bird, Zhao Xuan suddenly stomped the ground dozens of times,
Using Shave to dart rapidly into the distance.
"Running?!"
The sixth rank's grin turned cruel. "Where do you think you can run, brat!?"
Tap, tap!
Laughing madly, he used Shave as well, chasing at high speed.
"You can't escape! Stop running and die obediently!"
In the blink of an eye, the Grandmaster was nearly upon him.
At that moment—
Zhao Xuan swallowed a small sip of the mid-grade energy liquid.
Then—
He activated Minor Dragonization.
His speed suddenly surged, widening the gap slightly.
"Little bug! Let's see how long you can keep that up!"
The sixth rank growled, biting down hard as he accelerated again.
The two streaked through the forest—one fleeing, one pursuing—racing deeper into the Lingyin Mountain Range.
"What!?"
"Zhao Xuan!?"
"Damn it—when did that bastard run down the mountain!?"
Hearing the commotion, the three fifth-rank masters atop the mountain dashed downhill.
At first, they managed to keep up—
But as the chase went on, they were completely left behind within minutes.
"Damn it!"
"That kid's fast!"
"I can't believe he's that quick even after taking such a beating!"
"Forget it. The boss is chasing him—he won't get away. Let's wait here."
"Eh? Where's Huang Jiong? He's gone."
One of them frowned suddenly.
The other two froze.
"Wait… you're right. Where is that guy?"
"He didn't chase after them?"
"That can't be. He's faster than all three of us—he should've caught up long ago."
"Don't tell me…"
A ridiculous, terrifying thought crossed their minds simultaneously.
Their expressions hardened.
"Could that brat Zhao Xuan have ambushed and killed him?" one whispered.
The words made the air go still.
After a few heartbeats, another shook his head violently.
"N-No way! Zhao Xuan might be a freak, sure, but Huang Jiong's no weakling! He's been fifth rank for years. He couldn't have been killed silently like that!"
"He's probably still up there on the mountain."
"Maybe. Let's go back and meet up with him, wait for the boss to return."
While the three turned back toward the blasted hilltop—
Zhao Xuan and the sixth-rank Grandmaster had already run several kilometers deep.
As Zhao Xuan neared the border of the fifth-rank Land King zone and the sixth-rank territory,
The Grandmaster grew anxious.
He might be sixth rank—
But clearly, he wasn't confident in his strength.
If he had been, he would have attacked Zhao Xuan directly earlier—
Not hidden in the shadows, launching a sneak attack with a crystal energy cannon.
"No! No! I can't let that kid go any farther!"
Grinding his teeth, he erupted with full force,
His speed doubled in an instant.
In the blink of an eye, he caught up to Zhao Xuan—
And slammed a fist into his back.
BOOM!!!!
Zhao Xuan was sent flying, smashing through seven or eight towering trees before coming to a stop.
Yet—
Before the Grandmaster could close in, Zhao Xuan staggered back to his feet and kept running deeper into the mountains.
"Damn it!"
The Grandmaster roared, fury blazing.
He burst forward again,
Landing another vicious punch square in Zhao Xuan's back.
BOOM!
Zhao Xuan went flying once more, rolling tens of meters before crashing to a stop.
His aura grew weaker and weaker.
But—
Gritting his teeth, he pushed himself up again and continued fleeing.
"Stop, damn you!"
The Grandmaster was livid.
He feared the boy would draw the attention of a sixth-rank Land King beast—
And if that happened, his prize would be lost.
Worse still, he knew his own limits.
Among the sixth ranks, he was on the weaker side.
If a real Land King appeared, he wouldn't stand a chance.
So he charged again,
Swinging a kick that smashed into Zhao Xuan's legs.
Crackkk!
His left leg dislocated instantly.
The impact sent him flying toward a nearby cliff edge.
And then—
Zhao Xuan tumbled straight off.
He rolled violently down the slope,
Finally crashing to the ground fifty or sixty meters below.
In that instant—
He swallowed the mouthful of energy liquid he'd been holding all this time.
Then—
He opened the relic entrance and dove inside.
Inside—
Zhao Xuan tore open five or six packets of mid-grade energy liquid and gulped them down without hesitation.
It was as if the potions cost nothing.
His stamina recovered rapidly.
Grabbing his dislocated leg,
He twisted sharply—
Crack!
And reset it with a muffled groan of pain.
Then—
"ROAR!"
Zhao Xuan entered his Dragon-Human Form,
Fixing his burning gaze on the relic gate.
Outside—
At the base of the cliff—
Thud!
Almost at the same instant Zhao Xuan vanished,
A dark figure dropped from above—
The sixth-rank Grandmaster.
Frowning, he scanned the empty clearing—
Then smirked as his gaze fell upon a faintly glowing crack in the bushes.
The spatial gate was slowly closing.
"Hah! Just as I thought! A Spatial Relic Core! That brat really has one!"
His face twisted in elation.
Without a moment's hesitation,
He rushed straight into the closing gate—
Completely defenseless.
After all, Zhao Xuan had seemed on the verge of collapse.
He hadn't been faking—it had been genuine.
And Spatial Relic Cores were priceless for a reason.
Unlike ordinary relics that restricted entry by power level,
Spatial relics allowed anyone—no matter their rank—to enter freely.
That's why most powerful clans and major factions turned large spatial relics into their own private secret realms.
So, naturally, the sixth-rank Grandmaster could enter without resistance.
But the moment he stepped through—
BOOOOOOMMMMM!!!!!
Before he could even take in the surroundings—
A terrifying gale slammed into him head-on.
He had zero guard up.
Even less than Huang Jiong, the fifth-rank who'd died earlier.
By the time he realized something was wrong,
Zhao Xuan—already in Dragon-Human form—had appeared before him,
His Armament Haki and lightning-charged Finger Gun pierced straight toward his left temple.
It was too late.
The human head was fragile—
And the temple was its weakest point.
A strike there could stun—or kill outright.
Even with his tough body,
Facing Zhao Xuan's full-power blow, backed by a physique surpassing ten thousand points—
The Grandmaster was helpless.
PCHHH!
Thunder Eight Trigrams – Finger Gun!
Zhao Xuan's finger drove deep—
A full knuckle and a half into the temple.
The devastating force surged inward,
Ripping through the man's brain like a rampaging beast.
"GRAAAHHHHH!!!"
A roar of agony burst from the Grandmaster.
The air itself trembled.
The next second—
A massive punch smashed into Zhao Xuan's chest.
BOOM!
He was sent hurtling backward, crashing hard into his base structure.
The entire building collapsed in a thunderous explosion.
The sixth-rank Grandmaster, however, did not give chase.
He stood frozen,
As thick, dark blood gushed from his nose, eyes, ears, and mouth.
Not just blood—
But chunks of pale, pulped matter spilled from his orifices.
His aura plummeted.
"D-Damn it…"
He muttered hoarsely—
And with a final thud,
Collapsed lifelessly onto the ground.
◇ I'll be dropping one bonus chapters for every 10 reviews. comment
◇ One bonus chapter will be released for every 100 Power Stones.
◇ You can read the ahead chapter on P@treon if you're interested: patreon.com/HorizonStudios0