A Caravan's Plea for Help, a New Commission! A Chest of High-Quality Spirit Herbs!
After leaving Shrek Academy, Dai Fei set out for Heaven Dou City.
His goal was clear-to increase his strength as quickly as possible.
The journey was not always smooth, however. In a world where Soul Masters and ordinary people lived side by side, danger lurked everywhere.
One day, as Dai Fei traveled through a desolate mountain region, he suddenly heard a commotion up ahead.
He frowned slightly and crept closer, only to see a group of bandits attacking a caravan.
Though the caravan guards fought desperately, they were clearly no match for the bandits.
"Hand over everything valuable, or don't blame us for what happens next!"
The bandit leader waved his broadsword and spoke with a sinister grin.
The caravan leader was a middle-aged man. His face was pale, but he still forced himself to remain calm. "Good sirs, we're only small-time merchants. Please, spare us..."
"Cut the nonsense!" the bandit leader interrupted impatiently. "If you don't hand it over now, we'll take it ourselves!"
Dai Fei stood to one side, watching coldly.
He had not wanted to get involved. After all, he had a more important goal.
Besides, these people had nothing to do with him.
Naturally, he could not be bothered whether they lived or died.
Just as he was about to slip away, however, the caravan leader's gaze suddenly fell on him, and an urgent plea for help flashed in his eyes.
"Young hero! Please wait!" the caravan leader called out. "We're willing to pay a high price for your help! If you can kill these bandits for us, we'll give you the most valuable item among our goods!"
Dai Fei was slightly taken aback, then swept his gaze over the caravan's goods.
He noticed one chest that was being especially well protected, with the words "spirit herbs" written on it.
Spirit herbs were a tremendous help to a Soul Master's cultivation, and perhaps they were just what he needed.
He weighed the matter for a moment before finally stepping forward.
Since he had a chance to obtain resources that would benefit him, and could save these people at the same time without going out of his way, why not?
"I'll take this commission."
"Bandits, are you going to get lost now, or am I going to have to gut you?"
Dai Fei spoke coldly, his gaze sweeping over the bandits like a blade.
Seeing that Dai Fei was alone, the bandit leader sneered disdainfully. "Kid, you don't know how high the heavens are or how deep the earth is. If you know what's good for you, get lost!"
Dai Fei walked slowly toward the bandits, a faint sneer on his face.
His steps were steady and forceful, each one seeming to carry a pressure that could not be ignored.
Seeing that he was alone, the bandits smiled contemptuously, not taking him seriously in the slightest.
"Hey, kid, are you tired of living? You dare come here looking for death!"
A bandit waved the curved blade in his hand and shouted, his voice full of provocation.
Dai Fei frowned slightly, a trace of disdain flashing in his eyes.
He said nothing. He merely raised a hand, and a faint golden ripple of Soul Power surged from his body, instantly spreading through the air.
The bandits felt an invisible pressure bear down on them, as though an unseen force had bound them tightly. Their arrogant swagger was instantly suppressed.
"Hmph, don't think you can scare us with your tricks!" Seeing this, the bandit leader waved his broadsword and charged first, shouting, "Brothers, get him!"
Dai Fei smiled faintly, a trace of mockery flashing in his eyes.
His body suddenly turned into a blurry shadow and vanished from where he stood.
The bandit leader's broadsword struck empty air. With a swish, the blade sliced through the air without so much as touching the hem of Dai Fei's clothes.
"Where do you think you're going?!"
The bandit leader roared and turned to search for Dai Fei.
But when he looked up again, Dai Fei was already standing in front of him, arms folded across his chest and a playful smile on his face.
"You people really don't know the difference between life and death."
Dai Fei spoke softly, a faint hint of ridicule in his voice.
Before the bandit leader could react, Dai Fei's palm had already landed lightly on his shoulder.
The palm strike seemed weightless, yet it contained powerful Geng Metal Soul Power.
The bandit leader felt a tremendous force surge into his body. He was instantly sent flying, crashing heavily to the ground and spitting out a mouthful of blood, unable to get back up.
The surrounding bandits backed away in terror, disbelief written across their faces.
They had never imagined that this unremarkable-looking young man could be so formidable.
"Don't be afraid! Get him together!"
"He's alone, and there are so many of us!"
A bandit summoned his courage and shouted, trying to rally his companions' morale.
Dai Fei merely smiled faintly, a trace of coldness flashing in his eyes.
He moved again, becoming a raging wind as he charged straight into the bandits.
He was as fast as lightning, every strike uncannily precise, as though he could see through the bandits' every move.
"Ah-"
The bandits screamed one after another as Dai Fei sent them flying with ease.
Some were struck in the chest and instantly lost the ability to fight.
Some were hit in the legs and fell to their knees.
Others were sent flying by a palm strike, crashing into the nearby rocks and losing consciousness.
Dai Fei's movements flowed like clouds and water. Every move was clean and decisive, without the slightest wasted motion.
His gaze remained calm and focused throughout, as though these bandits were merely a chance to test his blade on the road of cultivation.
In just a few moments, the once-arrogant bandits had all been subdued. They lay sprawled across the ground, not daring to entertain the slightest thought of further resistance.
Dai Fei stood where he was, breathing slightly hard, a glimmer of satisfaction flashing in his eyes.
He lightly brushed off the hem of his clothes and turned toward the caravan.
The caravan guards had long since been watching slack-jawed. They had never imagined that this young man would be so formidable, able to deal with the bandits so easily in such a short time.
The caravan leader was even more shocked. He hurried over to Dai Fei and bowed deeply, a grateful smile on his face.
"Young hero, your courage and might are unmatched! Thank you so much!" the caravan leader said excitedly, his eyes full of admiration.
Dai Fei's tone was flat. "It was only a transaction."
The caravan leader nodded repeatedly. "Great hero, here are your spirit herbs!"
Dai Fei smiled slightly and nodded, then turned and walked toward the chest of spirit herbs.
He opened it and saw that the spirit herbs were of extremely high quality. He could circulate the Geng Metal Sacred Art to refine the power of Geng Metal from them and absorb it.
He already had a plan in mind. With this chest of spirit herbs, his strength might improve a little faster.
The rescue had been worth it.
After putting the chest into his storage ring, he planned to leave.
Seeing this, the caravan leader hurried forward to thank him. "Thank you for saving us, my lord! Might I ask your esteemed name?"
"Geng Metal."
Dai Fei gave him an indifferent glance and spoke in a flat tone. He turned and vanished in the blink of an eye, giving the caravan leader no chance to ask anything more.
"What a shame."
The caravan leader stood there in a daze, secretly grateful that he had met a benefactor.
"Why does the name Geng Metal sound a little familiar?"
Someone suddenly muttered.
"Geng Metal Hunter!"
"Could he be that Geng Metal Hunter who's been especially famous lately?!"
"I heard he killed eight Soul Kings single-handedly, along with another Soul King who was close to becoming a Soul Emperor!"
"They were all Evil Soul Masters, utterly wicked people!"
The others cried out in shock.
"My instincts tell me it must be him!" the caravan leader said excitedly.
"Unfortunately, he's gone. Let's keep moving and head back first."
"Someone like him and people like us are destined to walk different paths."
In the end, he let out a sigh.