The tension in the air was thiough to be cut with a bde. The etlefield seemed to slow as Cai Feng and the white-robed man faced each other, their preseninating the chaotic surroundings.The man in white stood calmly, his expression unreadable, save for the faint curve of amusement tugging at his lips. His strikiures—high cheekbones, a sharp jawline, and pierg, almost luminous crimson eyes—exuded an otherworldly charm, made even more distinct by the single red dot on his forehead, like a marking of something beyond mortal prehensioilted his head, studying Cai Feng as if examining something of i. Then, in a voiooth, too rexed for a battlefield, he finally spoke.“Ah… the feneral of the Fallen Iron Sun Nation.” His lips quirked slightly. “I’d wondered where you had disappeared to.”Cai Feng’s expression didn’t shift, but a dark gleam flickered in his gray eyes. His grip on his long, single-edged bde tightened slightly.“You’ve done your research.” His tone was low, even. Unshaken. “But it doesn’t matter who I was. What matters is that you won’t be leaving this pscathed.”The white-robed man exhaled lightly, almost as if disappointed. “A shame. I had hoped you would’ve found a new purpose in life, but here you are, still tying yourself to something as fragile as a mere vilge.” He sighed, his crimson eyes narrowing. “Very well, let us see if you still live up to your reputation.”Then, he moved.In an instant, the etlefield trembled as both meed in motion.Cai Feng unched himself forward, his bde a blur of silver as he swung with a force that could sever steel. But before his strike could nd, the white-robed man’s form flickered—like a mirage—vanishing from sight.Feiyin’s heart pounded. His eyes straio follow, barely catg the moment the man reappeared on the opposite side, his palm crag with densed Essence Qi, shaped into an emerald-hued crest arc of energy.“Verdant Crest Ssh.”With a flick of his wrist, the glowing crest surged forward, slig through the air with a sharp hum.Cai Feng’s eyes fshed coldly as he pivoted, his footwork stable, his bde engulfed in a faint golden light as he executed a powerful upward swing."Iron Sun Severance!"His Essence Qi surged outward, g against the Verdant Crest Ssh with a thunderous explosion, sending shockwaves rippling across the battlefield.Dirt and debris were kicked into the air, blinding some of the militia still engaged in battle. The sheer force of the impact sent some weaker cultivators stumbling backward, struggling to remain upright.Feiyin could feel the pressure from where he stood, his chest tightening uhe weight of the unleashed Essence Qi. This was a battle between Qi densation cultivators usiernal Qi proje.His father had spoken of this step before—the true power of cultivators in the Qi densation Realm y in their ability to wield their Essence Qi externally, shaping it into lethal teiques and enhang their ons beyond their natural limits.And now, he was witnessing it firsthand.The white-robed man didn't stop, his movements eerily smooth, almost effortless. With a light tap of his foot, he soared backward, nding gracefully on the rooftop of a nearby house. He raised his hand, and seven faintly glowing emerald orbs of Essence Qi maed above his palm, pulsing with raw energy."Emerald Serpent Fangs."With a flick of his fingers, the orbs shed out like striking vipers, zigzagging through the air with unnatural speed, leaving behind faint streaks of emerald light.Cai Feng didn’t waver.His bde gleamed as he pnted his foot firmly on the ground. A thin yer of golden Essence Qi ed around his entire body, sharpening his aura to an almost tangible edge."Golden Mantle – Sun’s Ward."The first emerald orb struck, but instead of pierg through him, it veered off course, deflected by the golden aura surrounding him. The wo came simultaneously, curving like snakes, but Cai Feng shifted slightly, twisting his body in a calcuted mahat let them pass within inches of his frame.The remaining orbs verged all at once.Feiyin held his breath.But then, his father moved.With a single explosive burst, Cai Feng vanished from his spot, reappearing in a bzing streak of golden light, cutting straight toward his oppo like a fallieor.The white-robed man’s eyes widened slightly—then, for the first time, his smirk faded.Cai Feng’s bde was mere inches away from cleaving into him.At the st moment, a powerful surge of emerald energy erupted from the white-robed man, f a translut barrier of force."Verdant Wall!"Cai Feng’s bde met the shield with a resounding impact, a shockwave bsting outward, shattering windows, crag wooden walls, and tearing through the air like a violent tempest.The white-robed man skidded back across the rooftop, his robe fluttering violently from the sheer force. He exhaled lightly, studying his oppo with a new gleam in his eyes.He lifted a hand, flexing his fingers before a sloroving nod.“…Impressive.” His voice was calm, yet tinged with something else—curiosity, perhaps even amusement. “You aren’t rusted by time after all, General Cai.”Cai Feng straightened, his expression cold, his bde steady.“You talk too much,” he muttered.The white-robed ma out a soft chuckle, his fiwirling zily in the air. "Perhaps. But I do so enjoy drawing out these moments. A true duel should not be rushed."The air between them hummed with uensiotle had only just begun.—-The vilge square had turned into a battlefield, the once peaceful air now thick with the csh of steel, the cries of pain, and the acrid st of blood. The militia fought fiercely, their movements disciplined and coordihanks to Cai Feng’s rigorous training, but the bck-clothed attackers were ruthless, their strikes precise, their numbers overwhelming.Feiyin's pulse pounded in his ears as he sed the battlefield, trying to make sense of the chaos. Jiang Hu fought at the front, wielding a heavy saber with brutal efficy, his strikes splitting the enemy ranks like ahrough wood. Beside him, Liu Shan, a burly man with a shaved head, swung his massive iron staff in wide arcs, breaking bones and sending enemies sprawling.But even though the militia was holding its ground, the invaders were uing, their movements too calcuted for simple bandits. They weren’t just here to raid—they were here to kill.Then, his eyes nded on Sun Ke.His friend was locked in a desperate struggle against one of the bck-clothed attackers, his smaller frame clearly at a disadvantage. Sun Ke’s oppo was a head taller and far more experienced, pressing the attack with rapid, ruthless swings. Sun Ke was barely holding on, blog with his short sword but failing to gain any ground.Then, in a blur of movement, the attacker’s knee drove into Sun Ke’s stomach.Su out a strangled gasp, his body bug from the blow before he stumbled backward. His grip on his sword faltered, and before he could recover, the enemy raised his bde for a finishing strike.Feiyin moved before he even thought.His heartbeat was a thunderous drum in his ears as he sprinted forward, his grip tightening around his saber. His father’s voice echoed in his mind."A drawn bde is a known one, and a sheathed one is an unknown. People fear the unknown."The bck-clothed man hadn’t noticed him yet, too focused on delivering the final blow to Sun Ke.Feiyin closed the distance, his breath steady, his mind clear with a sient—Strike before you are seen. Kill before you are killed.His bde whispered through the air.The moment he sshed forward, time seemed to slow. The edge of his saber met flesh, cutting ly into the side of the attacker’s neck. There was a gurgled choke—a sharp exhale—and then the body crumpled to the ground, unmoving.For a moment, everything blurred.The noise of the battlefield faded. The rush of blood in his ears roared louder than any battle cry.He stared at the body before him, the realization hitting him with a cold, paralyzing grip.He had taken a life.His firembled around the hilt of his bde. His stomach ed, his breath came in shasps. He had traio fight, traio defend—but this was different. This was real.The body wasn’t moving.He had killed someone."Feiyin!"Sun Ke’s panicked voiapped him back.Feiyin blinked rapidly, his gaze shifting to his friend. Sun Ke was staring at him, wide-eyed, clutg his stomach where he had been hit, but still very much alive.Feiyin swallowed, pushing doworm of emotions that threateo e him. His hands stopped trembling. His breathing steadied."There is no time for weakness. If you hesitate, more will die."He ched his jaw, lifting his gaze back to the battlefield." you still fight?" he asked, his voice steadier than he felt.Sun Ke gave a weak nod, his face still pale. "Yeah… yeah, I .""The's go."Feiyin turned, sing the battlefield, his father’s teags sharpening his instincts."A fight is not just about power—it is about awareness. Look for opportunities. See what others do not."The militia ushing back, but some were struggling—outnumbered, outmaneuvered. Feiyin focused, his eyes darting across the battlefield, searg for openings.There.A militia member was locked in bat, fending off two oppos at once, his movements slowing as exhaustio in.Feiyin rushed forward, his steps swift and precise. He circled behind the closest enemy, who hadn’t yet noticed him, and struck.His saber drove ly through the back, between the ribs.Another body fell.This time, he didn’t freeze.There was ation, no trembling hands. The enemy had died, but the militia member had survived. That was all that mattered.With every step, Feiyin moved differently now. His eyes sed the battlefield with a new crity. He was small, fast, unnoticed—but that was an advahe enemy had under estimated him.He wouldn’t waste that.Through the chaos, he kept moving, striking from the blind spots, assisting where he could. His mind sharpened, his instincts honed, his body moved with the training drilled into him.This was not the battlefield he had envisioned, but it was the one he was on.And he would survive.