Chapter 31: The Difference in Strength

The cultivator fell heavily to the ground.

His body slid along the stone before coming to rest against the wall.

A stunned silence followed.

Ao Kuiba lowered his hand.

The Ironwood Clan cultivators all looked up at him.

The man on the ground pushed himself up onto his knees, his face red with anger.

"You..."

Ao Kuiba regarded him.

The man lunged forward and spiritual energy erupted from his body as he hurled a punch toward Ao Kuiba’s chest.

Ao Kuiba did not move.

The punch drew closer, and at the very last moment, Ao Kuiba took a half step to the side, avoiding the attack.

Ao Kuiba caught the man by the arm, pulling him forward and driving his knee into the attacker’s stomach.

The cultivator’s body folded over, and Ao Kuiba released his hold on his arm, slamming his palm against the man’s neck, sending him flying.

Ao Kuiba did not look down, as another of the cultivators charged forward from behind, palm raised to strike Ao Kuiba’s temple.

Ao Kuiba turned his head and his forearm met the attacker’s outstretched hand, forcing the man to stagger back.

Ao Kuiba seized the man by the wrist and stopped him from pulling away.

Ao Kuiba turned and the attacker’s knees buckled beneath him.

Before he could recover, Ao Kuiba grabbed the front of his robes and lifted him into the air by his neck, his feet kicking impotently at the air.

Ao Kuiba looked down at him.

"You came to threaten someone, did you not?"

He flung the man away, and the cultivator crashed into the wall, knocking a hole in it.

The cultivator lay sprawled on the ground, motionless.

The others finally recovered from their surprise and four of the remaining cultivators moved forward at once.

Lin Yue’s expression changed as she saw the first one approaching.

"Ao Kuiba!"

She was already moving when the first cultivator brought his sword up to slash across Ao Kuiba’s chest.

Ao Kuiba caught the edge of the blade with two fingers and the cultivator’s eyes went wide as he realized he could not pull it away.

Ao Kuiba’s grip tightened and the blade snapped, the broken length of steel flying past the man’s shoulder.

Ao Kuiba stepped forward and punched him square in the chest, sending the cultivator flying back and crashing into a pillar.

The next cultivator stepped forward and hurled a palm strike toward Ao Kuiba’s face.

Ao Kuiba lowered his head and the strike passed over him, and he caught the man by the waist, lifting him clean off the ground.

The cultivator barely had time to register what was happening before Ao Kuiba slammed him down onto the stone floor, the impact cracking the tiles.

Ao Kuiba stepped over him as the third cultivator reached Lin Yue, his hand outstretched to grab her shoulder.

Ao Kuiba’s eyes narrowed and he disappeared from where he’d been standing.

The cultivator’s hand halted an inch from Lin Yue’s shoulder and Ao Kuiba appeared between them, his eyes locked onto the attacker’s neck.

Ao Kuiba had caught the man’s wrist, and the cultivator went pale.

Ao Kuiba regarded him coolly.

"You nearly touched her."

The man’s lips parted.

"I..."

Ao Kuiba pulled him closer and punched him in the stomach, forcing his body to bend around the blow.

Ao Kuiba delivered a second punch and the man’s breathing grew shallow.

Ao Kuiba struck him a third time and the cultivator shot across the room, crashing into a table and sending it toppling to the floor in pieces.

Ao Kuiba turned to face the others and the remaining cultivators stepped back, their confidence shaken.

One of them swallowed hard.

"He’s Core Formation."

The others looked at him, surprised, and Ao Kuiba did not correct the man.

It hardly mattered.

The strongest of the group stepped forward, his face lined with age, clad in a pair of green robes bearing the insignia of the Ironwood Clan.

He had watched the fight unfold without interfering, but the look on his face had grown increasingly severe as he observed Ao Kuiba’s skill.

"Enough."

The other injured cultivators looked toward him, and the old man strode forward, his cultivation pressure rolling through the chamber like rolling thunder.

Core Formation.

Lin Yue’s brows drew together in a look of alarm.

"Elder Han..."

The old man ignored her and fixed his gaze on Ao Kuiba.

"You have made your point."

Ao Kuiba looked around the room at the bodies lying on the ground.

"I have not made a point."

He stepped toward the old man.

"They attacked me."

Elder Han’s expression darkened.

"You are an outsider, you do not understand how things are done in this city."

"I understand enough," Ao Kuiba replied evenly.

"You injured members of the Ironwood Clan."

"They attacked first."

"You could have stopped when you defeated the first one," Elder Han said.

Ao Kuiba regarded him coolly.

"Your people continued to press forward."

Elder Han’s spiritual energy flared to life in the room and Lin Yue’s father clutched at the bars of his cell.

"Please..."

Ao Kuiba raised his hand slightly and the old man fell silent.

Ao Kuiba fixed his gaze on him.

"If you came to threaten me, finish what you started."

Elder Han’s gaze narrowed.

"You think simply reaching Core Formation makes you untouchable?"

Ao Kuiba said nothing.

Elder Han moved forward and the speed of his movement was far greater than the others.

He crossed the room in an instant and hurled a palm strike toward Ao Kuiba’s chest, but Ao Kuiba raised his arm to meet the attack.

The force of the impact sent shockwaves rippling through the chamber floor, and Elder Han’s eyes widened as he realized Ao Kuiba had not moved an inch.

Ao Kuiba pushed forward with his spiritual energy, forcing the old man to stagger back, but he did not relent.

Ao Kuiba caught Elder Han’s wrist and the old man struggled to pull away, but Ao Kuiba’s grip was firm.

He fixed his gaze on the older man.

"Is that all you have?"

Elder Han’s face twisted in anger as Ao Kuiba pulled him forward, and Ao Kuiba struck him across the ribs.

The impact of the blow sent the old man spinning sideways and he landed on his knees, his back bent as he gasped for breath.

Ao Kuiba grabbed the folds of the old man’s robe and hurled him across the room, sending cracks racing up the stone floor where he landed.

Elder Han rolled forward and pushed himself up, but Ao Kuiba kicked him in the side of the ribs, sending him sprawling across the room again.

He landed on his feet with his back to the wall and blood trickled from the corner of his mouth as he glared at Ao Kuiba.

For the first time, fear showed in his eyes.

Ao Kuiba walked forward and Elder Han forced himself to his feet.

His hands moved through the air and a thick layer of spiritual energy coiled around his body.

Elder Han attacked again, but Ao Kuiba stepped inside his guard and drove a fist into his shoulder, shattering the barrier of energy.

Ao Kuiba struck him again and this time the blow fell across the old man’s chest, sending him staggering backward.

Ao Kuiba seized him by the collar and lifted him off the ground, his eyes unreadable as he regarded the old man.

"You are stronger than the others."

Elder Han struggled to breathe.

"But you’re still weak."

Ao Kuiba shoved him across the floor and the old man lay sprawled on his back, unable to move.

Ao Kuiba placed his foot beside his shoulder, but did not press his weight down.

He did not need to.

"Take your people and go."

Elder Han looked up at him.

"You..."

Ao Kuiba looked down at him.

"You came to threaten me because you thought I would be afraid of the Ironwood Clan."

His eyes darkened.

"Now you know better."

Elder Han gritted his teeth.

Slowly he pushed himself up, and none of the remaining members of the Ironwood Clan said anything.

Elder Han looked toward his people.

"Get up."

The injured cultivators groaned and pushed themselves up, some needing assistance from their companions, and none of them dared to look at Ao Kuiba.

They filed out of the detention room and Elder Han was the last to go.

Before he stepped through the doorway, he cast one last glance at Ao Kuiba, who was already walking toward Lin Yue.

He had completely stopped paying attention to them.

It was a far greater insult than the beating he had taken.

The door closed behind him and silence once again filled the detention room.

Lin Yue looked at Ao Kuiba.

"You defeated a Core Formation elder so easily."

Ao Kuiba looked at her.

"Don’t be surprised."

Lin Yue blinked.

"That guy is weak. Even a Foundation Establishment cultivator could easily defeat him."

Lin Yue looked at him for a long moment before whispering, almost to herself.

"Not everyone is a monster like you."

Ao Kuiba said nothing.

Her father chuckled weakly from inside the cell.

"I think we’re going to need a much better way to thank him."

Ao Kuiba looked around the formation surrounding the cell.

"Let’s get you out first."

The accusations against Lin Yue’s father were soon dropped by the officials, and none of them held any power to continue detaining him after the defeat of Elder Han.

No one from the Ironwood Clan remained to support it.

Lin Yue helped her father to his feet, and Ao Kuiba followed them both back toward the family property.

He stopped beside the spiritual spring and his gaze swept across the formation.

There.

A small part of the stone formation beneath the main structure had been hidden away.

Ao Kuiba stared at it for a moment.

Something had been concealed beneath the formation.

Ao Kuiba did not touch it, not yet.

He simply memorized the place before turning to Lin Yue.

"Let’s go."