Lordi Payne didn't hesitate much before agreeing. Just yesterday, he'd taken down Lee Sagwon's trio—including a fifth-layer Qi Refinent cultivator—so he wasn't too intimidated by Gum Torin. This spar was a perfect chance to gauge this team's strength.
The others stepped back, creating a makeshift arena. Gum Torin cracked his neck and stretched his arms. His deanor was relaxed, almost dismissive, as if he were indulging a child. "Co at , Junior Brother," he said, his voice dripping with casual arrogance. "Don't hold back."
"Senior Brother Gum, here I co!" Lordi Payne clasped his fists in salute, then sank his shoulders, squared his stance, and threw a punch.
Gum Torin smirked at the straightforward strike—purely a test of strength, no art or technique. He didn't dodge or block, instead, he stood his ground, allowing the punch to land squarely on his chest.
Bang!
The impact echoed with a dull thud, and for a brief mont, Gum's expression faltered. His face paled, then flushed red as the force of the blow rippled through him. In a flash, he snapped a kick at Lordi Payne's knee.
Lordi Payne's instincts scread at him to evade. He sidestepped, but Gum's movent were unpredictable. The kick shifted mid-air, as if anticipating Lordi Payne's dodge. Caught off guard, Lordi Payne raised his right forearm to block!
Thud!
A surge of force rocked Lordi Payne's arm, shoving him back three steps.
Gum Torin didn't let up. He closed the distance in an instant, his palm slicing through the air toward Lordi Payne's chest. Lordi Payne, still off-balance, crossed his arms in a desperate attempt to guard his vitals. But Gum's strike was a feint—a re tap that carried no real force. Before Lordi Payne could react, Gum slipped across his side with the speed of a darting fish, his movents almost too fast to follow.
Lordi Payne's gut scread danger. He twisted around, but too late—Gum's fist slamd into his back! His organs jolted, chest tightening, nearly forcing blood out of his throat.
Yet, despite the shock, Lordi Payne refused to retreat. Gritting his teeth, he threw a swing back fist, aiming at Gum Torin's shoulder.
The exchange continued. Neither went all out, a flurry of strikes and counters that echoed through the cramped space. Lordi Payne's inexperience in real combat began to show, his movents slightly slower, his reactions a fraction delayed. Eating three or four solid hits before Gum abruptly stepped back, his face turning away as if bored.
Chen Huan's voice cut through the situation. "That's enough."
Lordi Payne bowed respectful. "Thank you, Senior Brother Gum, for the lesson!"
His heart clenched ever so slightly. Even with both of them holding back, this brief crash had revealed a stark truth: Gum Torin, though at the sa fifth-layer as Miu Toanh, was undeniably stronger. If Gum had been among the trio that confronted him yesterday, Lordi Payne wouldn't be standing here now.
Gum Torin waved him off with a dismissive gesture, his face unreadable. Chen Haunt, ever perceptive, caught the subtle tension and signaled Chen Mave with a flick of his eyes. She stepped forward gracefully, her smile warm and inviting. "Junior Brother Payne, you've been carrying a blade on your back this whole ti—why didn't you use it?"
Lordi Payne shook his head, his tone humble. "It was just a spar. Senior Brother Gum didn't use any weapons, so I couldn't either." Internally, he replayed the fight in his mind, dissecting every move. His raw strength might have matched Gum's, but his technique was a ss—sloppy, full of holes. Even with his blade, he doubted he could have won. The gap in combat experience was glaring.
Chen Mave giggled softly, her voice like the tinkling of wind chis. "Senior Brother Gum's cultivation outranks yours, so he didn't need a weapon. My brother Haunt is skilled with blades too—perhaps he can give you so pointers later."
As they chatted, Chen Haunt quietly stepped over to Gum Torin, his voice low. "What is it?"
Gum hesitated, his eyes darting to ensure Lordi Payne was out of earshot. He wiped a faint trace of blood from his lip, his voice barely above a whisper. "That kid's body is... strange. Tougher than any fourth-layer I've ever faced. Caught off guard—almost embarrassed myself."
Chen Haunt's eyes widened in surprise, but he quickly masked it. Hwong Hyun cut in with a grin. "Congrats, Senior Brother Chen!"
"We share the sa joy," Chen Haunt replied, his voice tinged with restrained excitent. "If the Soul Summoning Banner is forged, we can take on higher-paying tasks." His eyes glead with ambition as he whispered promises. "Perhaps I could even secure a chance to elevate to the inner sect. Deshah, I'll need you to handle this personally later."
Sil Deshah's gaze softened as she looked at him. "Anything for you, Senior Brother Chen. I'll give it my all."
With their plans set, Chen Haunt turned his attention back to Lordi Payne, his deanor even warr than before. He fussed over the younger man, his concern genuine but calculated. "Are you hurt, Junior Brother Payne? Here, take this Blood-Qi Pill for recovery." He handed over the pill with a warm smile.
Lordi Payne accepted it with profuse thanks, but instead of consuming it, he carefully tucked it into his pouch.
Gum Torin's eyes narrowed slightly, a flicker of suspicion crossing his face. This kid's on guard, he thought.
"Let him be," Sil Deshah murmured, her voice cold and dismissive. "He's here now. Do you really think he can slip our grasp?"
Chen Haunt said nothing, but his eyes lingered on Lordi Payne for a mont longer before he turned to Chen Mave. "Stick close to him from now on. You're both at the fourth layer, and you'll be working on tasks together. Bonding is only natural."
From that day forward, Chen Mave beca a constant presence at Lordi Payne's side. She was chatty and open, regaling him with sect anecdotes and sharing tips on task managent. Her grace and charm were undeniable, her laughter like a lody that could disarm even the most guarded heart. But Lordi Payne, though outwardly grateful, showed no romantic interest in mind. His mind was elsewhere, consud by the mountain of spirit stone debt crushing him. Where could he possibly find room for exchanging fond glances and favors with Chen Mave?
Besides, compared to Fairy Lith's ethereal allure, Chen Mave didn't even register.
Once Lordi Payne confird that Chen Mave's squad couldn't offer a solution to his fine within three months, his focus shifted entirely to survival. He was too busy racking his brain for solutions to entertain her flirtations.
Her constant hovering was starting to interfere with his plans, and it grated on his nerves.
Lordi Payne endured days of her presence, his patience wearing thin. Finally, the Corpse Cloud began its descent, breaking through the thick layer of clouds. Monts later, through the thinning mist, a city nestled among mid-mountain peaks ca into view.
"That's Lothgar City," Chen i said, her voice soft and lodic as she leaned in closer, her presence as constant as ever. "The city jarl is a graduated disciple of Holy Sect who's been stationed here for the past twenty years. All three of our tasks are tied to him in so way..."
Lordi Payne studied the sprawling city below. "Senior Sister Chen," he interrupted, his tone asured but curious, "what's the cultivation level of the flower demon beasts outside Lothgar?" He already suspected the answer—Chen Haunt had chosen this task to train Chen i, after all—but he wanted to be certain. There was no room for surprises.
Chen i's smile was warm, almost reassuring. "Don't worry, Junior Brother Payne. They're at the fourth-layer Enlightennt stage, which matches our Qi Refinent fourth-layer. True, demon beasts tend to outmatch cultivators at the sa level, but together, we'll handle them just fine."
She paused, her tone softening further as if to soothe his concerns. "My brother brought us out here for experience, not to throw us into anything too dangerous. You can relax."
Lordi Payne nodded, his expression thoughtful. "Thank you, Senior Sister Chen. When we face that flower demon, I'll rely on you to watch my back."
Chen i's smile widened, her eyes sparkling with a mix of confidence and camaraderie. "Junior Brother Payne, you're too polite. Together, we've got nothing to fear!"
As the Corpse Cloud descended, Chen i continued to share tidbits about Lothgar, her voice carrying a practiced ease that suggested she'd done her howork before the trip. "The city's known for its ancient spirit wells," she said, her tone almost conversational. "They say the water there can enhance cultivation if consud during a full moon. Of course, the jarl controls access to them, so it's not sothing we can just stroll in and try."
Lordi Payne listened, his gaze fixed on the city as it grew larger beneath them. The Corpse Cloud touched down gracefully on a towering platform in the heart of Lothgar, the misty tendrils of the cloud dissolving into the air as they disembarked.
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