---
The return along the trail of the Crimson Dusk Forest was silent. Wuchen could feel the effects of the newly absorbed second ring in his body—a different vigor, a vibrant energy that seemed eager to burst from his muscles. His father, Lei Qingshan, walked ahead, alert, his eyes scanning every sign between the trees.
But on that late afternoon, the forest whispered warnings that only seasoned warriors could understand.
Qingshan suddenly stopped, raising a hand. Wuchen halted immediately.
"There are people surrounding us," his father murmured. "Six presences."
"They're moving in to complete the encirclement."
Wuchen swallowed hard. His breath became heavy.
From the bushes, six figures emerged. All wore dark cloaks, their faces partially hidden. But the spiritual pressure they emanated was impossible to hide.
Two Spirit Emperors, with six rings—one white, two yellow, two purple, and one black—slightly below optimal configuration but still Spirit Emperors. Two Spirit Kings, with five rings. And two Spirit Elders, with three rings.
"You're far less discreet than you think," Qingshan said coldly. "Who sent you?"
One of the Emperors, a thin man with feline eyes, stepped forward.
"That doesn't matter. We just need you dead. Nothing personal. The boy... and you."
He raised a hand and gestured.
The other Spirit Emperor and the two Kings moved to battle Qingshan.
"You two, take care of the boy."
The two Spirit Elders stepped forward. "Don't underestimate him."
Wuchen clenched his fists. His Iron Tyrant Battle Armor emerged in a dull glow. Qingshan, meanwhile, rolled his shoulders—and in a wave of metallic light, two axes appeared in his hands.
Living Iron Twin Axes.
The blades pulsed with spiritual energy, breathing with their wielder.
"Stay alive, Wuchen," his father said. "Don't hesitate."
And then the battle exploded.
---
The two Elders advanced at moderate speed. One used a floating spirit blade; the other, a short fire spear.
Wuchen didn't retreat. His newly acquired second ring glowed—Force Absorption. He blocked the spinning blade with his forearm, redirecting the stored force into a punch to the opponent's chest. The second Elder tried to stab him with the spear, but Wuchen used the Chain Breaker style to spin his body, dodging and delivering a descending kick to the enemy's knee.
The fight was intense—he was outmatched in cultivation—but each blow made him stronger.
He activated his first ability—Resilient Iron Skin—a passive ability from his first ring that drastically reduced impact damage and increased resistance to physical skills.
The battle dragged on, but he held firm.
---
Qingshan was quickly surrounded. The two Emperors and two Kings approached from different directions, trying to corner him with coordinated attacks.
But Qingshan wasn't just strong.
He was a wall of steel.
His first ring glowed—he roared. "Directional Slash!"
One of the axes shone, and with a single move, he tore the ground in a devastating straight line. One of the Kings barely leapt away, but the other was grazed and thrown back.
Second Ring! "Axeman's Fury!"
The weight of the axes doubled. Qingshan advanced with heavy steps, each blow forcing his enemies to retreat. The Emperors exchanged looks and started using joint skills to slow him. But he didn't stop, like an ancient beast that knew only how to move forward.
Third Ring! "Iron Wave!"
Spinning the axes around his body, Qingshan blocked three attacks at once—a fire blast, spiritual blades, and an electric whip. After three rotations, a shockwave exploded outward, hurling all enemies back.
One of the Kings fell on his back, stunned.
Qingshan threw his left axe with the Fourth Ring: Thrown Axe – Screaming Slash!
The projectile spun at high speed, disorienting one of the Emperors with a sharp sound. The weapon returned to his hand like a boomerang.
The enemies roared, activating a joint prison of spiritual energy to trap him.
Fifth Ring! "Impact Wall!"
Qingshan crossed the axes in front of his body, absorbing the concentrated blows. After three impacts, the barrier exploded, throwing all four enemies back in a brutal wave.
He twirled the right axe.
Sixth Ring! "Corebreaker Flame Rupture!"
Charged with compressed heat energy, the axe descended like a falling star onto one of the Kings. The ground cracked, the spiritual armor shattered. The man screamed before being burned and smashed against a tree.
"One down," Qingshan growled.
The other King advanced hesitantly. Qingshan caught him with the axe handles and hurled him upward. Before he could fall:
Seventh Ring! "Iron Hawk Dance!"
The two axes were linked by an invisible spiritual chain. A burst of energy. Qingshan controlled them with open arms, spinning them around his body like merciless scythes.
The King was sliced midair before he hit the ground. Two bodies now lay on the battlefield.
The Emperors didn't hesitate, using their comrade's death as a distraction. One stabbed Qingshan from behind, but he didn't know fear. Qingshan spun, striking back with his axe, though the attacker narrowly dodged. One was wounded. The other—the leader—gritted his teeth.
"Damn! He's above the estimated level!"
They fought for several more minutes. Despite their numerical advantage, the mercenaries found themselves increasingly cornered and out of options. Qingshan was a war machine, a relentless warrior willing to trade injury for progress, like a berserker with the precision of a ninja. And soon... they were afraid.
"Run, Shen!" shouted the wounded one, trying to rise. "Run!"
One Emperor retreated. In seconds, he vanished among the trees, while the other tried to hold out.
Qingshan, covered in wounds and blood, struck a diagonal blow with both axes.
Silence.
The third body fell.
---
Wuchen had defeated one of the Elders. The other lay unconscious, face down. He breathed heavily, with a few injuries, but nothing serious. If not for the current situation, he would have celebrated—fighting outnumbered and outclassed, and still winning, was something to be proud of.
Qingshan approached, still alert.
"Are you hurt?"
"Just... scratches," the son replied, panting but firm.
"And you, Father?"
"I'm fine. You fought like a true warrior." Qingshan glanced around. "But this isn't over. Someone sent them. And we'll find out who."
He raised his axes, which slowly dissolved into metallic light particles.
"Let's return. With evidence."
He went to the spiritual elder's body, sealed his meridians, and hoisted him onto his shoulder.
Together, father and son left the clearing. Behind them, cracked earth and corpses bore witness to the strength of the Lei bloodline. But ahead, the shadows still waited.
And new enemies would rise.
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