"NO, WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" Officer Jie roared in shock, but Xing Kai was already sliding down the black cliff face. "Quick, cover him or he'll lose his little life!" Officer Jie no longer whispered his command, and the men snapped out of their stupor. One thing after another was shocking the men when it came to Xing Kai, and now the utterly insane had happened. The men gritted their teeth and launched the hard, dense stones down the cliff with renewed ferocity. If I push them over, will I still get their Heart's blood? Is there a range limit, or restrictions on the method of killing? Xing Kai scrapped down the cliff, staying as close to the wall as he could. He could hear the men shouting from above, but he was focused entirely on his surroundings. He knew the Soul condensing expert would be able to sense him...so everything was down to whether Xing Kai could predict what would happen in the next few seconds. Xing Kai felt an exhilarating rush and his Heart's blood speck seemed to scream out with agreement, demanding that he challenge everything that faced him. The Will to conquer the Heavens, that Xing Kai had unknowingly burned into his Heart's blood, was beginning to reappear. If this works I will have the blood of a Soul condensing Stage cultivator...I can definitely break through with that! Xing Kai roared in his mind and his soul fragment ring hummed with power. As Xing Kai fell down the cliff face he heard a soul shattering roar from below him. Xing Kai narrowed his eyes and prepared to land on the slippery, treacherous path. With a clattering sound from the sand and rocks, Xing Kai landed on the ledge. He shot a glance down at the valley blow, and felt a shiver run down his back. The fall would certainly not be one Xing Kai could survive...the moonlight barely reached down to the ropey thin river below. This is it now Xing Kai braced himself and raised his sword with an obstinate and exhilarated look in his eyes. He could feel an incredible, indescribable rush through his body...his blood rushed through his Loumai and he could feel a vigorous energy flowing through hi Jingmai. His heart pounded and seat formed on his creased brow, and tracked down his angular face. Such a thrill was unlike any tree climbing competition, any prank, or any fight he had ever been in! "WE CAN NOT FAIL THE W..I FA...Y DOWN! CHARGE NOW!" Momentous thundering sounds could be heard. Somehow more hefty boulders were being thrown down the cliff, and the booming sounds were frighteningly loud from below. With the sand still hanging in the air, the boulders were thrown down haphazardly, so some were even coming close to Xing Kai. The militiamen are going all out huh? Well I can't let you down now can I... Xing Kai grinned savagely and supressed the guttural growl that was itching to be released from his throat. A few light taps. The slicing of the air. Suddenly a grizzly eyed man, wearing a horrific death mask over his face. The mask was a dull black, made of copper, and set in the shape of a angry face. Yet it was the man's eyes that completely changed the angry looking mask into a deathly one. These pair of eyes were powerful! Xing Kai felt that liquid fire was being poured into his skull. His mind burned with incredible pain and his body felt like it was detached from his command...his limbs felt so heavy that Xing Kai almost dropped his sword and kneeled! However Xing Kai's Heart's blood was roused and out burst an aura that completely freed up Xing Kai's mind and body. This aura was like a tsunami contained under the skin, filling Xing Kai with vigour again, yet it wouldn't permeate out of his skin... I've screwed up Xing Kai roared like an enraged beast and swung his sword like he had practised thousands of times over the month of training. The sword cut through the air and whistled towards the man's neck with remarkable speed. The man's eyes narrowed in shock, but with insurmountable speed he lifted his elbow and deflected Xing Kai's attack. With impunity he had stopped Xing Kai's powerful attack! The man sneered under his mask and swatted Xing Kai across his face, his gloved hand striking full with Xing Kai's cheek. Xing Kai's neck snapped around painfully, and his thoughts blurred for an instant. His legs trembled and his sword back down to his side completely limp. "Screw off, brat" A grating, sinister, domineering voice sounded from the man's mask. The masked guard sliced a stone hurtling down at his head while looking at Xing Kai. "Hurry up!" The Soul condensing expert shouted back over his shoulder and looked back forwards to see Xing Kai slowly turn his back around. The man saw a burning rage in Xing Kai's eyes, but it didn't seem to be directed at him...the man felt like the boy was not even seeing the man, but someone else. "Die" The soul condensing expert felt infuriated that Xing Kai dared to think about his other enemies when he was facing him. Was he not strong enough to capture his attention? He swung his hand clenched around his sword and struck Xing Kai in the chest, before Xing Kai could even blink. Xing Kai flew backwards and his body battered against the cliff face as if he was a straw puppet. He landed in a heap on the edge of the ledge several meters away. The masked man could sense that Xing Kai hadn't died, and he even managed to stay on the ledge; he felt more incredulous at how lucky Xing Kai was, rather than insulted that he failed to kill him in 2 strikes. Suddenly he looked back through the sandy air. He could see hazy shadows and among the clattering sounds he could hear the familiar whistling sound of arrows. "They dare?" The man roared in anger and turned away from Xing Kai sprawled in the distance. He really is powerful...the 7 Captains never showed me their maximum strength Xing Kai spat out the blood from his mouth. His teeth were dyed red and his tongue had a large puncture in it, the size and depth of his canine. Xing Kai pushed himself up off of the edge of the path. His shoulders crackled and his back creaked. He slowly pushed himself onto his feet and he looked down the path. He could vaguely make out the their were a group of green shadows in the distance shooting arrows and throwing spears pulled out of the ground. Suddenly a black shadow closer to him turned around and a deathly mask faced him. The black shadow roared and destroyed a number of arrows that were coming towards him and pulled another black shadow away from the green ones. It's them! Xing Kai suddenly recognised officer Jie and officer Di on the ledge, with a number of other militiamen at their backs. "DIE LITTLE RUNT" The soul shattering roar struck against Xing Kai again, but without any warning an up swelling surge of anger erupted from within Xing Kai. Xing Kai was swept up by the incredible anger and he faced the incoming shadow with his sword raised. He could just make out shouts from the distance by the Nalan militiamen, and they desperately searched for something to fire. The masked man whipped his sword towards his neck with indescribable speed... Xing Kai barely managed to intercept the attack and the man lunged out with a kick...which struck deeply into Xing Kai's stomach. Xing Kai gasped out deeply and doubled over the leg. The man pushed Xing Kai away with his raised leg, and as Xing Kai stumbled back with sword in hand, the deathly masked man punched Xing Kai in the chest. Xing Kai flew even further, and was sent flying half way up the cliff with this ghastly punch. Xing Kai's internal organs were in a shambles, and his ribs were broken and dangerously poking into his lungs. Each deep gasp for air was painful to the extreme. With a muffled thud Xing Kai landed on a thick clump of quick sand. He wheezed horribly and his eyes were being forced open, or he would surely have passed into a deep coma. As if I'll die here...you are not the last step on my road of cultivation! Xing Kai felt the swell of anger rise up again for the third time. However this time he discovered where this random eruption of emotions was coming from... That strange ring...my soul fragments are doing this? Xing Kai was astonished to find his soul fragments were writhing in their places, and great crashing waves of emotions were being released from them. So that was what happened when he slapped me? Xing Kai recalled a similar rush of anger when the man had stuck him across the face but before he could even respond to the emotion he was sent flying again by the Soul condensing expert. Xing Kai felt the waves of anger shroud his mind and his eyes began bulging with veins. Memories were flickering through Xing Kai's mind...memories of his village's destruction, but from strange perspectives! Xing Kai could suddenly see the village being attacked and the villagers being rounded up. He could see things he knew he couldn't have seen...it was not his hands he could see clawing at the walls of the burning homes, it had definitely seen the village square from among the tree branches... Xing Kai roared and his Heart's blood erupted the same intense aura of an almighty King. This will not be my end Xing Kai pulled his legs and arms out of the quick sand pile. His bones felt like they were snapping under the suction force of the sand, but it was actually the collision with the cliff that had fractured his bones. With his teeth gritted agonisingly tight, he pulled himself out. He raised his sword and saw the two masked men being barraged by stones and arrows and running as carefully as they could towards him. With the air filled with dust and the ground muddy and loose, they were not going very fast at all. This plan will still work! Xing Kai brandished his sword like a hero and ran precariously towards the two men. The Soul condensing expert quickly sensed Xing Kai approaching and his eyes widened. Now he felt incredibly humiliated that he couldn't even dispatch a trifling boy, and the boy had enough courage to face him repeatedly. If any of his friends knew, they would humiliate him for life. He dashed forwards towards Xing Kai while the peak Blood condensing cultivator behind him followed as quickly as he could. He was constantly on high alert, because he could see that officer Jie had a lean black spear in his hand...and was waiting for the split second opportunity he needed to finish him. Xing Kai was now only meters away from the deathly masked man, and he whipped his sword towards the man. Xing Kai had no defensive stance and was attacking wildly with his sword...coupled with his red eyes and his enraged face, it would seem that Xing Kai had gone insane. With mocking eyes the Soul condensing expert met the sword slash, and had already brought his own sword to Xing Kai's throat with his monstrous speed. Suddenly Xing Kai lurched...and fell down he side of the ledge. "Stupid brat" The man chuckled to himself and swiftly leaped past the falling Xing Kai. Suddenly he felt a frightening pull on his side. He looked down and saw Xing Kai was hugging the three bags of Yao Grass in the man's hands. His eyes narrowed to pinholes and he felt a cold shock grip his heart. He lurched to the side thanks to the added weight of Xing Kai to his left hand, and slipped on the mud... This is my gamble Xing Kai stared the Soul condensing expert in the eyes. "Damn it" The man roared and accidently yanked Xing Kai upwards to correct for the imbalance he felt. He would have slipped and fallen down the cliff if he did nothing, or he could release both the bags and Xing Kai and let them fall down the cliff...or he would be forced to pull Xing Kai up. "Don't think you can get away from me, you worthless runt" The masked man slashed down at Xing Kai as soon as he was pulled back onto the ledge. But his balance was still unstable, so Xing Kai twisted to the side and yanked one of the bags out of the man's hands and scurried down the path. With Xing Kai's terrible injuries he could barely stumbled much further...but his goal was already in sight. The masked man chased after Xing Kai, completely incensed that he had lost a bag and was outsmarted by a little kid. Xing Kai's eyes widened and he looked back over his shoulder again for an instant. Standing before him was the peak Blood condensing Stage masked man, fending off the hail of stones thrown down at him, and the carefully shot arrows from the officers on the ledge. The bag in his hand had small cuts in it, but his clothes were even worse. A chance! Xing Kai suddenly kicked a large stone on the ledge straight towards the man's head. Of course with his weakened state, the stone was hardly a threat to the man, but it did shock him. He turned around and saw Xing Kai with his red eyes and his battered appearance charging towards him...with a bag in his hands! "How the hell?" The masked man could barely say another word, as Xing Kai suddenly grinned and waved his hand downwards as if giving a signal. "Shit" The masked man turned around and his eyes wildly flashed. A black streak flashed through the air, and appeared before the man in an instant. Officer Jie had thrown the only javelin he could find. "Arrgg" The masked man roared and with an equally fast swing of his sword, managed to slice the javelin in half. The man's eyes widened...he felt a cold slicing sensation on his back. "That brat!" He tried to turn, but suddenly he felt a frightening pull on his heart. He could suddenly feel his Heart's blood being pulled out and dragged towards his wound. His pupils shrunk to a pinpoint and he felt an excruciating pain for an instant as his Heart's blood was removed and his soul severed form his body. Quickly now! Xing Kai yanked the bag out of the dying man's hands and focused on cycling the Heart's blood the instant it was refined. "You son of a wretched whore" The Soul condensing man's howl filled the valley and struck all the militiamen like a cannon. Their eyes filled with fear and their hearts trembled. "Xing Kai get over here!" Officer Jie ran towards Xing Kai as fast as he could manage, but the Soul condensing expert was faster and closer to Xing Kai. Breakthrough damn it...breakthrough or I'll die here! Xing Kai was standing completely still on the ledge with two bags in hand, his sword in the other, and the dead masked man at his feet. The blood was already refined in a single moment by the agitated soul fragments, and now Xing Kai was cycling it. These drops of blood were by far the most powerful he had ever absorbed. Xing Kai had the feeling...that if this was the first blood he had ever absorbed, even without the cycling method he could have reached 80% completion of the first layer! The Heart's blood of a peak Blood condensing cultivator was this monstrous. This incredible surge of power flowed through his body and rapidly repaired the damage he had suffered at the hands of the Soul condensing expert. He felt more powerful than ever, and his strength increased by leaps and bounds... But he could not take the final step over the line. I still failed to breakthrough? Xing Kai cursed in his mind and ground his teeth. He tightened his grip on the two bags and looked up. He could see officer Jie running towards him with all the men on the ledge and on the cliff edge hurling everything they could get behind Xing Kai. Good thing the mud was wet enough or I would already be done for Xing Kai skipped back a few steps and turned about to see the Soul condensing expert standing exactly where he was only a few moments ago. Time for the final part of the plan... Xing Kai stared at the Soul condensing expert in the eyes as he approached. He could see the man's moves much more clearly now, even though he hadn't broken through. The stones and arrows that flew towards him were destroyed with ease, but they slowed him down nevertheless. Not so fast huh? Xing Kai waited and watched as the masked man drew closer. The moment seemed to slow down and the Soul condensing expert stared down at Xing Kai, while Xing Kai stared back. With a casual swing...Xing Kai threw both of the bags of Yao Grass, which would send any town wild. He threw the bags over the edge close to the masked man. "NOOO" The masked man lunged and stretched out to grab the bags. Losing the first bag, and 6 peak Blood condensing elite cultivators was already a cost he couldn't afford, so he refused to lose two more bags. As he reached over the edge of the narrow path, he continued deflecting stones and arrows. He had his sense locked on to Xing Kai, so he knew that Xing Kai was running straight towards. But he could tell that Xing Kai was running too slowly to take advantage of the chance he had created. "Bury him in stones!" Officer Di roared to those above and threw a spear precisely at the masked man's ankle. But even this spear was split in half by the masked man. He finally snatched the bags out of the air and steadied himself. Xing Kai was only a step away from the man and was swinging his sword with full force, causing a shrill whistling sound to ring out in the night. The man shuffled back a step on the muddy ground and pushed Xing Kai's slash to the side. The masked man took advantage of Xing Kai overextending and with incredible speed, he stabbed with his sword. However to Xing Kai this speed was now tolerable. He could already make out the signs of the incoming attack from the masked man's shoulder and feet. Even with heavy clothing and armour on, Xing Kai could detect the minute indicators of the masked man's attack. He twisted backwards and narrowly avoided the stab and replied with a slash towards the man's neck. What followed was a shocking exchange of rapid stabs and slashes at one another. This kind of battle was clearly above the level of the other militiamen, as their faces became pale and they gulped repeatedly. In just a few unhurried heart beats, a dozen blows were exchanged, each lethal and creating whistling and shrieking sounds in the air. Xing Kai was steadily losing ground, and on the narrow treacherous ledge this would lead to a tragic death; with such a flurry of attacks it was almost impossible for the men to aid Xing Kai by firing arrows or throwing stones, so he was completely alone against a Soul condensing expert. Almost...I've almost done it Xing Kai was moving a few steps every second and positioning himself precisely against the edge of the ledge. The masked man's eyes flashed and he swung his sword viciously towards Xing Kai's head. Xing Kai's eyes glinted with excitement, and he made a dipped down low. "DIE" With a loud cry, the masked man suddenly kicked Xing Kai in the chest to send him flying over the edge of the cliff.

However with an elegant swivel to the side, Xing Kai avoided the attack and instead...pulled the man straight over the edge. "AARRGG" The man screamed and realised in an instant that he was doomed. He was falling forward far too quickly and tumbled over the edge. However to the militiamen's astonishment, Xing Kai sliced the man's hand off and grabbed all 4 bags as he fell into the dark valley. 4 bags of Yao Grass were in his hands, 6 peak Blood condensing cultivators had been defeated...and a Soul condensing expert was thrown over the edge of a cliff! But what left all of them incredulous was that Xing Kai was watching the screaming man fall down the valley with a look of anxiousness and perhaps disappointment. As if defeating a Soul condensing expert by outwitting him was not enough!