The old man, reborn three times, breathed his last as he fell to the ground. His upper body twitched slightly for a few moments.
The night deepened, cold snowflakes drifted down, and even the bright fire fountains could not dispel the gloom in the hearts of the people at Jinji Ridge.
The presence of that man on his mount felt like a powerful army charging all at once, overwhelming them with immense pressure.
That was a seasoned master of their faction, one who had undergone three rebirths, yet he was cut down by the man riding the purple lightning beast with a single slash. The severed bodies felt like they had crashed onto their hearts, and the dark red blood not only stained the snow but also sent a chill through them.
Two bandit leaders looked coldly resolute. Despite feeling heavy-hearted, they did not show any signs of retreat. After years of killing and bloodshed, they had experienced many trials and would not be easily shaken.
What weighed on their minds was that the man rode the purple lightning beast, an unusual creature whose speed was almost beyond that of a human who had been reborn five times—they felt they could not outpace him.
If they were to split up and flee, they would be picked off one by one. The sheer force of this man, charging through Jinji Ridge alone on horseback, obviously indicated his intent to eliminate them all.
Qin Ming steered the purple lightning beast forward, each powerful hoof striking the ground with a steady rhythm, like a deep drumbeat resonating in their hearts.
Many among the bandits felt a chill creep in; although they had seen blood before and were fierce fighters, at that moment, they longed to flee. The thunderous sound of the beast’s hooves seemed to crush their already fragile spirits.
With his right hand gripping a spear and pointing it forward, Qin Ming swung his left hand, shaking his long knife. Red droplets of blood fell to the ground before he raised his blade once more.
“What are you all doing? Surround him and attack!” barked one of the bandit leaders, his icy tone making others feel as if they had fallen into a frozen pit.
It was a warning—no one could escape; they must fight.
They knew the methods of this faction well. Even if two of their leaders were defeated, the higher-up bandits would harshly deal with those who showed cowardice today.
At that moment, one leader swung a broad sword, aiming to cleave the man and beast, like a bolt of lightning striking down.
The other leader charged with a heavy spear that gleamed in the fiery light, leaping forward like a shooting star, stirring the wind and raising the snow from the ground.
Earlier, the two leaders had observed Qin Ming’s abilities, convinced he should also be a four-time reborn. They thought they might stand a chance; it was uncertain who would fall first.
Qin Ming showed no fear. His spear quivered in his hand, dispersing the raging snowstorm, deflecting the sharp spear aside and stabbing towards the man's heart.
Simultaneously, his left hand slashed with the long knife, clashing with the other leader’s sword, sparks flying. He urged the beast forward.
With the unmatched speed of the purple lightning beast, Qin Ming unleashed terrifying force, sending the two bandit leaders staggering back.
The color drained from the faces of those around; two seasoned leaders working together were unexpectedly pushed back by a single opponent.
Blood rushed in their ears, and a wave of cold sweat ran down their spines as they realized his power was extraordinarily strong, surpassing their own.
Qin Ming did not stop, charging towards the wooden buildings behind the two leaders. Just then, the sound of hinges creaked urgently.
Boom! A terrible explosion rang out as someone operated a special crossbow. Broad arrows, like long lances, were shot forth. One arrow narrowly missed Qin Ming, creating a fierce gust that flew past his ear, leaving him feeling the immense power.
Another arrow was struck away by his blade, changing direction and penetrating through a building, driving through the torso of a bandit standing in the snow, splattering blood everywhere.
At that moment, Qin Ming cleaved through the obstacles in front of him with his long knife, slicing through everything in his path.
Two old men rushed out, each wielding a long spear aimed straight at him.
The two bandit leaders quickly closed in, preparing to launch a joint attack.
Qin Ming was well aware that there were more than just one or two three-time reborn bandits at Jinji Ridge. He had witnessed four elders emerge alive from the Great Rift last time.
He sensed more three-timers lurking in this area and wanted to eliminate them first, so they wouldn’t interfere when he faced the two leaders.
Most importantly, he feared that these three-timers would secretly slip away; they were much faster than other mountain bandits.
As for the two leaders, if they decided to flee, they would naturally be his first targets.
The two old bandits seemed struck by lightning, unable to contend with the overwhelming might of their foe. Their arms trembled as they felt a creeping chill.
What was even more frightening was that the spear and long knife in their opponent's hands appeared to be alive, cultivated to a level they could hardly reach. Though he was killing, every move he made possessed an inexplicable charm, making the act of killing seem almost like an art.
Qin Ming continued to slash with his long knife, unleashing wave after wave of blade light, each more potent than the last. He overwhelmed one elder’s spear, and with a faint swipe, blood gushed from the elder’s neck before he fell, head rolling to the ground.
The other elder was engulfed by a flurry of spear shadows, his long spear knocked aside. In an instant, Qin Ming’s spear pierced his chest, lifting him into the air.
Qin Ming shook his spear, and a wave of spear shadows erupted within the elder's body, causing him to explode into pieces.
The sight chilled the hearts of the two bandit leaders.
Other mountain bandits watched in horror, their hairs standing on end, fear washing over them from head to toe. This one man on his beast made them want to flee immediately.
Who still cared about what the Golden Thief would do later? Survival was all that mattered now as they realized even their two leaders could not withstand this man.
Someone started to run!
“Stay right there!” shouted a bandit leader furiously.
Qin Ming collided fiercely with the two leaders several times, dashing past them and onto the mountain road, swiftly striking down six men, leaving them sprawled in pools of blood.
A few other bandits behind paled at the scene; their path was blocked.
Qin Ming stood firm, coldly watching them, guiding the purple lightning beast forward towards the stronghold.
“Who exactly are you, and when has Jinji Ridge offended you?” one bandit leader couldn't hold back, still unaware of Qin Ming's identity.
“If this stronghold is wiped out, the Golden Thief will not simply ignore it,” said another leader, his confidence waning.
“You bandits have refused capture while continuing your wicked ways, bringing calamity upon this region. Do you think the city lord will let this slide? Even people from outside will be incensed! Your evil deeds are beyond measure—until Jinji Ridge is eradicated, even heaven won’t stand idly by!” Qin Ming rasped.
The two leaders exchanged uneasy glances, a sense of foreboding filling the air. Mentioning the city lord and outsiders indicated a potential danger to them.
A new official often spouts fire; they feared they might be the next victims. Besides, not long ago they had worked with an outsider beast, only for it to vanish inexplicably.
Qin Ming urged his beast onward, scattering the remaining mountain bandits in all directions.
“Why the panic? Flee to the back mountain!” one bandit leader yelled.
Instantly, some bandits’ eyes flickered as they fled towards the back mountain.
Qin Ming, however, nocked another arrow, swiftly shooting down several more men.
As the two leaders pressed closer, they forced him to draw his blade once more.
This time, Qin Ming focused intently on his swordplay, the dim light of his blade flowing like water. The dragon-patterned long knife seemed to come alive, accompanied by the sound of wind and thunder and shining brilliantly as if aiming to slice through the very heavens.
The two leaders trembled with fear; their level of being reborn was equal to his, yet somehow this opponent’s sword skills had reached a realm they could only aspire to. If the light from the heavens could shine along the blade, it would be even more terrifying.
They strongly suspected that in terms of swordsmanship alone, this person might not be weaker than certain Golden Thieves.
Swish!
One leader was struck in the shoulder, blood gushing forth.
Qin Ming was taken aback; the instinctive perception of a four-time reborn was indeed formidable. His strike was meant to sever the man’s shoulder in one blow.
Yet the bandit had predicted it ahead of time, managing to only graze his shoulder without breaking bone.
With a fierce expression, that bandit discarded his sword and, with unparalleled keen sense, seized the fleeting chance, clamping down on Qin Ming's long knife with both hands.
Although his hands glowed with a faint light, protecting him, they still suffered injury as bright red blood trickled down.
With a sharp crack, he broke Qin Ming's long knife.
Is this the power of a fourth-time reborn? They were indeed much stronger than those few elders, with a remarkable increase in their abilities. In hand-to-hand combat, they became even more dangerous.
The other bandit leader launched a fierce assault to subdue Qin Ming and prevent him from grasping the long spear.
Both leaders realized that this mysterious man’s swordplay and spear techniques were at a level they could not compete with, possessing an uncanny power to transform the ordinary into the extraordinary. If he continued to grow like this, he would truly reach a paragon of martial arts, where the beauty of his skills transcended brutality.
Qin Ming was unafraid; he wanted to test his own divine force and hurled his long knife, piercing a distant bandit in a single thrust.
Then, he faced his opponents with bare hands.
The two leaders attacked with rapid ferocity, striking from both sides in succession.
Qin Ming’s left hand met one bandit, their palms crashing together in a tremendous collision, unleashing a burst of light.
In an instant, the bandit was sent flying back, clutching his hand, blood dripping from his right palm where flesh had been torn away.
Not only that, a terrifying penetrating force surged through his hand, shredding the flesh and breaking three of his finger bones.
Qin Ming leaped off the purple lightning beast, engaging another bandit who swooped in like a hawk. They clashed several times in quick succession.
This bandit suffered even worse. His hands were disfigured, and he cried out in agony, somersaulting six or seven meters away. His hands were crumpled like those of a chicken, unable to straighten, half of the flesh gone, and all his fingers shattered.
“He has fused several types of divine power!”
“Why are you targeting us?” They shook with fear; a four-time reborn merging different types of divine power was no ordinary feat, hinting at a deeper, hidden background.
What they didn’t realize was that Qin Ming was merely a three-time reborn.
“Am I too strong, or did I overestimate you? A fourth-time reborn bandit is nothing more than this,” Qin Ming said hoarsely, glancing down at his hands.
He swiftly returned to the back of the purple lightning beast, which had instinctively begun to run off in fear but held back, wary of ending up like the other bandits.
Qin Ming patted its head and said, “Your choice is wise. Do you see this spear? It’s meant for you. If you dare to run away, I’ll throw it with all my might, and I guarantee I can pin you down on this path.”
The two bandit leaders retreated, completely losing what little courage and strength they had left to confront Qin Ming.
They turned to flee, trying to escape using buildings as cover, rushing towards the back mountain.
Qin Ming urged the purple lightning beast to give chase, and along the way, he pierced another leader with his spear, viciously shaking it and splattering the remains.
Then he muttered, glancing at the back mountain, “No wonder it’s called Jinji Ridge.”
…
In the thick night, near the mountain of Jinji Ridge, a few figures stood silently in the dense forest on the roadside, one woman lost in thought.
“Miss, should we continue waiting?” a servant girl beside her asked softly.
In the dark grove, the woman had a slender figure and her face was indistinguishable. She replied, “Hmm, let’s wait a bit longer. That figure on the purple lightning beast looks a bit familiar…”
“Who does it resemble?”
“Cui Chong and…”