Deterrence

Chapter 18: Intimidation

Thunderous roars echoed from behind the village. The short man's hammer strike halted mid-air, his face filled with terror. A chill involuntarily crept up from his heart, and his hammer-wielding hand dared not swing down.

Rook, standing nearby, also paled slightly. He hadn't expected such a powerful individual to be in this village. Judging by the aura, the owner's strength was on par with his own, and he was already at the peak of Level Six Emperor Grade! It seemed they were in trouble today.

With that thought, Rook glared fiercely at the short man beside him, who immediately flinched.

Accompanied by a rapidly surging airflow, an elder with white hair and beard appeared between the two parties. It was Sage Siri, who had been teaching his grandson, Wright, in the back mountains.

Wright had been cultivating in the back mountains during this time. Naturally, Siri wanted to personally guide him with such a precious Berserk Bloodline. Wright's talent was truly exceptional; he had already half-stepped into Level Five Sect Master. Given time, Siri believed he would reach the Level Five Fighter realm without issue.

Siri was very satisfied with Wright's progress. However, a violent energy fluctuation suddenly erupted here. Upon investigation, he discovered that a group of formidable black-clothed individuals had infiltrated the village and injured people. Enraged, he had rushed over immediately.

"Who are you people? How did you get into our village and injure our people? This is outrageous! Hmph!" Siri said angrily, casting a cold glance at the short man. The short man shivered, his throat bobbing a few times as he slowly shuffled backward behind Rook.

Suddenly, a fierce surge of energy shot towards him like lightning. The short man had no time to dodge and could only watch helplessly.

Just as the short man despaired, a cold snort came from the side. The energy surge immediately dissipated. It turned out Rook had intervened in time to save him. Otherwise, the short man would have been severely injured, if not killed. A deliberate strike from an Emperor Grade expert was not something a Level Five Sect Master could withstand, let alone an unprepared short man.

"Hmph! A dignified Emperor Grade expert resorting to a sneak attack on a Level Five Sect Master!" Rook said coldly, looking at Siri.

Hearing this, Siri turned his gaze to Rook. He hadn't expected there to be an Emperor Grade expert among these people. He hadn't sensed it at first because they were on the same level, making it impossible to discern each other's strength at a glance. Furthermore, Siri had been blinded by rage and hadn't noticed Rook.

"Hmph! Do you think it's not shameful to casually attack others just because you have the strength?" Siri retorted sharply.

"You trespassed into our village and injured our people. If you don't give us an explanation... Hmph!"

Rook's expression immediately turned cold upon hearing this. He said grimly, "You have a lot of nerve. What kind of explanation do you want from us!"

Rook was, it must be said, an arrogant individual. However, he had the ability to be arrogant. At just thirty-five years old, he had reached the peak of Emperor Grade. His talent was rare, and his faction was incredibly powerful.

But he had clearly come to the wrong place. He had assumed that having Siri, one Emperor Grade expert, was the extent of their strength. The others were insignificant in his eyes, as most of the villagers were ordinary people, with only a few having reached Level Four.

Such a force was no match for their group. They only needed to defeat that old man, which he believed would not be difficult, given his confidence in his own strength.

"Hmph! Youngster! Don't be so arrogant just because you've reached Emperor Grade at a young age. This world is vast!" Siri said coldly.

The lifespan of people on this continent was generally over 120 years. Rook, at thirty-five, was indeed still young.

Upon hearing Siri's words, a murderous glint flashed across Rook's face. He detested old people who acted superior due to their age. He had endured enough of that in his organization.

"Old man, stop acting superior in front of me. Just you and these people? Hmph, after I deal with you, let's see what you have to say!" Rook said grimly.

He then charged towards Siri, wielding his gleaming giant hammer. The powerful aura made everyone around unsteady.

Seeing this, Siri's expression turned serious. After all, Rook's strength could not be underestimated.

Siri quickly swiped his right hand across his left index finger. A flash of light appeared, and a massive, dark gold hammer materialized in his hand.

The hammer looked ancient and unadorned, but it exuded a sense of immense weight. Rook's pupils constricted as he saw the war hammer in Siri's hand. Although he couldn't identify its grade at a glance, the intense sense of danger emanating from it confirmed that its quality was undoubtedly high.

With that realization, Rook's face became grave. But thoughts were thoughts; the battle had to continue. The two war hammers collided with a resounding "boom," causing the ground to tremble violently. The surrounding people quickly retreated, fearing they would be caught in the crossfire.

The two figures were forced apart, each retreating five steps, their faces etched with solemnity.

Siri was even more shocked. The war hammer in his hand was left by his ancestors and was comparable to Lord Grade. Combined with his own peak Emperor Grade strength, he believed that below the Emperor Grade, as long as the opponent's weapon wasn't superior to his, they would be no match for him.

Rook, who was clearly his equal in strength, wielded a mere ordinary Emperor Grade war hammer. How could he have fought him to a draw in a head-on collision? Was he truly getting old?

With that thought, Siri unconsciously stroked his grizzled beard, murmuring to himself.

Meanwhile, Rook breathed a sigh of relief. If he hadn't used the secret technique bestowed by his master just in time, he might have suffered a disadvantage in the previous exchange. He was also awestruck by the power of the war hammer in Siri's hand. At this point, he was certain that the dark gold war hammer in Siri's possession was definitely Lord Grade.

A Lord Grade weapon! That was something used by Emperor Grade experts! The thought ignited a fervent desire in Rook's heart, his eyes filled with greed as he stared intently at Siri's war hammer, wishing he could snatch it away.

But at that moment, a strange figure carrying a small, young figure appeared like a ghost.

One was a child of about six or seven years old. Although the battle qi fluctuations indicated only Level Three, Rook felt that this child was not simple. Beside him stood an elder over sixty, standing straight. His deep eyes held a look of confusion and worry. Although there were no battle qi fluctuations emanating from him, Rook felt a strong sense of crisis.

Suddenly, as if recalling something, his pupils constricted. A chill rose from the depths of his heart, and a single word escaped his lips with difficulty: "Emperor Grade!"