Chapter 82: Night Fragrance Returns Again
The gray-robed Golden Core elder stared coldly at Damian. "Boy, I will say this one time."
His long black spear tapped against the ground. "Hand over the jade box, and I may leave your corpse intact."
Damian frowned. "Wow. Straight to threats? Not even a little small talk?"
The old man sneered.
Then his Golden Core aura burst out again, pressing down on the road like a mountain.
The ground cracked beneath his feet, and the trees around him shook violently.
"I am Elder Morven Kraal of the Night Fragrance Pavilion," the old man said proudly. "You should know what that means."
The moment Damian heard that name, his expression became strange. "Night Fragrance Pavilion?"
His mouth twitched. "The hell? Why do I keep meeting people from that damn pavilion?"
First, there was trouble from the brothel district.
Now, during a simple escort mission, another elder from the same shady place had appeared.
Damian suddenly felt like this world really enjoyed throwing the same garbage at him from different directions.
Morven Kraal narrowed his eyes. "You know our pavilion?"
Damian slowly raised his sword and smiled coldly. "Unfortunately, yes."
Then his voice became louder. "And since you know who you are, you should also know who I am."
Morven frowned.
Damian pointed his dark-silver sword toward him. "I am Damian, core disciple of Elder Selvara from the Heavenly Sword Sect."
His grin widened. "How dare a mere elder from some shady perfume house threaten me?"
Morven’s face darkened. "Impudent brat."
Damian shrugged. "Accurate, but still rude."
Morven’s killing intent surged. "If I kill you here, no one will know."
Damian’s eyes sharpened.
Flame and thunder wrapped around his sword. "Then I guess I just have to make sure you never get the chance to tell anyone either."
---
Morven Kraal moved first.
His black spear shot forward like a poisonous snake, aiming straight for Damian’s throat.
The attack was fast.
Too fast for an ordinary Foundation Establishment cultivator to even follow.
But Damian’s eyes remained sharp.
[Thunder Flash Steps]
Lightning flickered beneath his feet, and his body shifted sideways by half a step.
The spear missed his neck by a narrow margin, tearing a line through his sleeve instead.
Damian clicked his tongue. "Damn. Golden Core really is annoying."
Morven’s eyes narrowed. "You dodged?"
Damian did not answer.
Flame and thunder surged around his sword as he slashed upward.
[Burning Thunder Sword Art]
A blazing thunder arc flew out, crashing toward Morven’s chest.
Morven snorted and spun his spear.
Dark Qi wrapped around the spearhead, forming a rotating black spiral.
[Black Serpent Spear Art]
BOOM!
The two attacks collided, and the road beneath them cracked.
Morven’s expression changed slightly. "What?"
The force of Damian’s sword art actually forced him to take half a step back.
It was only half a step, but for a Golden Core cultivator facing a Foundation Establishment junior, that was already humiliating.
Damian grinned. "What’s wrong? Didn’t expect a junior to bite back?"
Morven’s face darkened. "Royal Grade sword art."
His eyes became sharper. "No wonder you dared to act arrogant."
Damian’s heart moved slightly. "So he recognized it."
That was not strange.
Morven was a Golden Core elder, after all. Even if he was from a shady pavilion, he still had experience.
But knowing it and handling it were two different things.
Damian did not fight recklessly.
He used [Thunder Flash Steps] to keep moving, [Lion Roar] to disturb Morven’s rhythm, and [Burning Thunder Sword Art] to strike from sharp angles.
Every time Morven tried to suppress him directly with Golden Core pressure, Damian’s flame and thunder Qi erupted together, cutting a path through the pressure.
For a short while, Damian actually pushed Morven back.
Sword light and spear shadows tore through the forest road.
Burning thunder marks scarred the ground everywhere.
Morven’s robe was even cut open at the shoulder, leaving behind a small burned wound.
The old man’s face became ugly.
He had thought Damian was only a talented brat.
But this brat’s movement art was fast, his sound attack was irritating, and his sword art was terrifyingly high grade.
More importantly, Damian was not fighting like a fool.
He never stayed in one place.
He never traded blows directly for too long.
He used every skill at the right moment, like someone who had already fought many life-and-death battles.
Morven gritted his teeth. "Bastard."
Damian smiled, but sweat had already appeared on his forehead.
His breathing was heavier now.
Although he could pressure Morven for a while, the truth was still obvious.
His Qi was being drained too quickly.
The other side was a Golden Core cultivator.
Morven’s Qi was deeper, denser, and far more stable.
Damian could fight across ranks, but that did not mean he could ignore the difference in realm.
After another clash, Damian was forced back several steps.
His arm trembled slightly.
Morven noticed it immediately and sneered. "So that’s it. Your sword art is powerful, but your Qi cannot support it for long."
Damian exhaled slowly.
"Yeah," he muttered. "That’s the annoying part."
Morven raised his spear again, killing intent surging.
Damian suddenly reached into his storage ring and took out several jade bottles.
Morven frowned. "What are you doing?"
Damian opened them all at once and poured several Top-Rank Profound Grade Blood Qi Recovery Pills into his mouth like candy.
Warm medicinal power exploded through his body.
His pale face quickly regained color, and his trembling arm became steady again.
Morven’s eyes widened. "How the hell can you eat pills like that?! That’s not fair!"
Damian grinned. "Old man, I’m a Foundation Establishment cultivator and I’m rich. I don’t care."
Then flame and thunder erupted from his sword like a storm.
Morven’s expression changed. "One final attack?"
Damian roared and slashed forward.
Burning thunder filled the road, blocking Morven’s sight completely.
The Golden Core elder snorted and raised his spear to defend.
But the expected impact never came.
When the flames and thunder scattered, Damian was already gone.
Only a faint voice drifted from far away. "Old bastard, fight me again when I’m Golden Core!"
Morven froze.
Then his face twisted with rage. "You little brat!"
His furious roar shook the forest, but Damian had already disappeared into the distance.
