?The air in the Black Wolf Mountain Range had shifted from heavy to hostile.
Su Han could feel the humidity clinging to his skin like a damp shroud.
Every breath tasted of moss and ancient decay.
?With his body now at the 2nd Level of the Body Refining Realm, the fatigue was gone.
The weight that should have slowed him was replaced by a rhythmic, pulsing energy.
He was a shadow moving through shadows, covering twenty kilometers in two hours.
?He was nearly at the edge of the range when the forest itself seemed to recoil.
A sudden, sharp whish of displaced air was his only warning.
Su Han's instincts, honed by the system's recent breakthroughs, screamed.
?A jagged limestone rock, the size of a man's head, tore through the thick canopy.
He twisted his torso mid-stride, the stone whistling past his ear with a cold draft.
It smashed into a rotting cedar behind him with a bone-jarring thud.
?Su Han skidded to a halt, his boots carving ruts into the dark loam.
His eyes, now sharp and predatory, locked onto a cluster of dense ferns.
?"Nice reflexes for a stray dog," a raspy voice called out.
?Four men emerged from the gloom, fanning out to block any path of retreat.
They were dressed in charcoal-grey tunics of the Shadow-Blade Sect.
Their faces were partially hidden by low-slung caps, eyes glinting with malice.
?The leader, a man with a crooked nose and yellow-stained teeth, stepped forward.
He toyed with a curved blade that seemed to drink what little light reached the floor.
Su Han's mind went still as the system's interface flickered across his vision.
?Leader (Viper): 4th Level Body Refining Realm.
Lieutenant (Scar): 3rd Level Body Refining Realm.
The Lackeys: Two fighters at the 2nd Level Body Refining Realm.
?The power gap was undeniable, a wall of meat and steel facing a lone boy.
At Level 2, Su Han was facing a force that would crush any ordinary cultivator.
But Su Han wasn't ordinary—he was a host.
?"You've got a clean face, kid," the leader, Viper, sneered.
?"Too clean for these woods. You look like one of those pampered young masters."
"I bet your storage pouch is screaming to be emptied," he added with a grin.
?Scar's eyes traced the torn fabric on Su Han's arm as he added his own taunt.
"Boss, look at that silk tunic. Even shredded, it's worth more than our monthly haul."
"Let's peel him like a grape," he chuckled, his hand tightening on his weapon.
?One of the lackeys stepped forward, his breathing heavy with greed.
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"Listen, boy. This is the Black Wolf Range. Here, the only law is the length of your blade."
"Hand over your silver, and we might let you keep your limbs," he threatened.
?Su Han didn't move, his heart rate remaining steady despite the pressure.
"So, the Shadow-Blade Sect has reduced itself to picking on lone travelers?"
"How pathetic," Su Han added, his voice dripping with calm disdain.
?The bandits' faces darkened instantly at the insult.
"Pathetic?" Viper laughed, a dry, rattling sound that echoed through the trees.
"We are the predators of these trails. Calling us thieves is like calling the storm a breeze."
?"Kill him!" Viper roared, signaling the end of the conversation.
?The two 2nd-level lackeys didn't hesitate, lunging from opposite sides.
Their standard Dull Iron Sabers aimed for his throat and thighs in a pincer move.
Su Han breathed out, his focus narrowing down to the movement of their blades.
?Instead of jumping back, he stepped directly into the path of the left attacker.
He used the "Tiger's Claw" technique, but it felt different with 100% mastery.
The energy didn't just sit in his palm; it vibrated with a ghostly amber light.
?He caught the side of the saber, forcing it downward with explosive strength.
In the same motion, he slammed his free palm into the man's solar plexus.
CRACK! The sound of the shattering sternum echoed like a snapped branch.
?The man was launched backward, his eyes rolling back as he lost consciousness.
However, the second lackey found an opening, his blade biting into Su Han's shoulder.
A hot, stinging fire raced down Su Han's spine, but he didn't flinch.
?A cruel, jagged smile broke across Su Han's face as he felt the pain.
He used the momentum of the strike to spin, reaching into his system space.
In a blur of motion, he pulled out the Bent Fruit Knife and drove it into his jugular.
?The thief tried to scream, but only a wet, gurgling sound came out.
He collapsed, clutching his throat as his life-blood soaked the thirsty soil.
?[DING! Target Slain! Gained 20 Experience Points and 50 Silver Coins!]
?[LOOT OBTAINED!]
Weapon: "Venom-Tooth Dagger" (Yellow-Grade, Low-Level).
Skill: "Shadow-Step Flicker" (Yellow-Grade, Low-Level Movement Art).
?The system's voice was a cold comfort in the heat of the battle.
Immediately, the Shadow-Step Flicker imprint itself onto Su Han's nerves.
His legs felt lighter, his stance shifting naturally into an agile form.
?He dropped the fruit knife and gripped the Venom-Tooth Dagger.
The hilt, wrapped in coarse lizard skin, provided a perfect, steady grip.
He turned his focus to the remaining lackey who was trying to scramble away.
?With a burst of his new movement skill, Su Han appeared behind him like a ghost.
The Venom-Tooth Dagger flashed, buried deep into the man's spine.
?[DING! Target Slain! Gained 20 Experience Points and 50 Silver Coins!]
?[LOOT OBTAINED!]
Weapon: "Iron-Breaker Sword" (Yellow-Grade, Low-Level).
Consumable: "Spring-Dew Healing Pills" (Grade 1, Low-Level) - 1 Bottle (3 Pills).
?Su Han stood amongst the bodies, his breath coming in shallow gasps.
His back was drenched in blood, but he remained calm and focused.
He uncorked the jade bottle and swallowed a Spring-Dew Pill instantly.
?A cool, minty sensation spread through his veins, stitching the jagged wound.
His flagging stamina revived as the pill's energy flowed through his system.
?"You... you little devil!" Viper barked, his face pale with shock and rage.
?"A Level 2 kid killing my men like they're cattle?"
"I'll skin you alive for this!" Viper roared, charging forward.
?Viper and Scar charged together, their coordination deadly and precise.
The 4th-level leader moved with a speed Su Han couldn't match in a straight fight.
The air pressure around Viper's blade was heavy, sign of superior internal strength.
?Su Han knew he couldn't win this head-on, so he activated Shadow-Step Flicker.
He dodged a lethal slash that took a chunk out of a nearby tree.
He began to run, weaving through the undergrowth to draw them deeper.
?The more he used the skill under pressure, the more the system optimized it.
As he burst into a clearing, he saw his salvation: Three-Horned Obsidian Bulls.
These beasts were massive, their hides stone-tough, and their tempers short.
?Su Han grabbed a jagged flint stone and channeled his remaining strength.
He hurled it with pinpoint accuracy at the lead bull's central horn.
CLANG! The impact echoed, and the bull roared like grinding tectonic plates.
?"Shadow-Blade Sect! Today, we feast on bull heart!" Su Han screamed.
?"Kill the leader first!" he added, his voice carrying across the clearing.
?The thieves skidded into the clearing, their eyes widening in pure horror.
The bulls, already seeing red, locked onto the men in dark tunics.
To a Three-Horned Bull, anyone in a dark outfit was a predator to be destroyed.
?The herd, led by a massive 3rd-level beast, lowered their horns and charged.
The ground shook under the weight of five tons of charging muscle.
Su Han didn't wait, doubling back and passing the thieves like lightning.
?As he got close to the disoriented Viper, he pulled a pouch of Pungent Pollen.
He dashed the paralyzing dust directly into their shocked faces.
"Enjoy the feast," Su Han whispered, his voice cold as the grave.
?By the time the thieves finished coughing, the first bull was already upon them.
Su Han vanished into the canopy, watching from a high branch.
The "experts" of the Shadow-Blade Sect were being trampled into the mud below.
