Chapter One: The Blade Mercenary Corps

The deep blue pillar of light spiraled downward, a stampede of myriad beasts roaring in fury, cascading with irresistible force. Within a hundred meters, every house was reduced to dust and ash.

“This is… a bit excessive, isn’t it?” Standing at a distance, Leng Tian gazed up at the immense blue bowl suspended in the sky, awed by its terrifying might. What artifact could possibly possess such overwhelming power?

The colossal blue bowl hovered in the void, descending slowly. From within the pillar of light, countless anguished screams echoed as the shadow of a monstrous beast appeared, blurred and indistinct. Lines of runes entwined upward; the surging herd drowned and devoured the shrieking figure, then thundered toward the mouth of the giant bowl. Their silent roars rippled outward, a droning resonance engulfing the entire city of Hidden Wind.

As the bowl finally touched down, the pillar of blue light trembled and dispersed, transforming into streams of azure that vanished into the vessel. Dust settled, and all was calm again.

“Return!” With a soft command, Li Tianzheng, standing in midair, watched as the blue bowl shrank and, with a flash, appeared in his hand.

All three leaders wore broad smiles. Li Tianzheng stowed the bowl, raised his eyes to Leng Tian, and his face softened into a benevolent expression.

“May I ask your name, brother? I am Li Tianzheng, chief of the Celestial Profound Sect. Thank you for your timely aid!” He cupped his fists in gratitude.

“I am Leng Tian. You are too polite, Brother Li. As warriors, it is our duty to help those in need and to vanquish evil wherever it may appear.” Leng Tian offered his name, returning the courtesy with humility.

“Well said, Brother Leng. You are indeed a forthright man. I have urgent matters to attend to, but should fate allow, let us drink together someday. Farewell!” With that, he clasped his fists, released his energy in a protective aura, and vanished in a streak of light.

“Wang Mang of the Universe Martial Academy thanks you, Brother Leng. Should we meet again, I hope for a friendly bout with you.” With a shimmer, Wang Mang departed as well.

“Luan Yudie of Clear Wind Mountain welcomes Brother Leng to visit us. I promise you will be most warmly received! Heehee…” With a silvery laugh, her flowing robes fluttered as she soared away.

Leng Tian smiled silently, watching the three figures drift away. After such chaos, the street was left with a gaping crater dozens of meters deep, swathes of ruined homes obliterated.

He sighed, then turned and left. The members of Fire Dance came to greet him. “Brother, you’re incredible! That monster, which even the three great leaders couldn’t handle, was slain by you!”

“Heh, the main credit goes to them—they’d already wounded it severely. Otherwise, it would not have been so easy for me!”

“Regardless, you’re still the best!” Fire Dance pouted, refusing to be convinced otherwise.

“By the way, how did matters with the mercenary group go?” Leng Tian shifted the subject to their main purpose for coming to Hidden Wind City.

“It went smoothly. As you suggested, we’ve registered the group as the ‘Blade’s Edge Mercenary Company!” Yan Long replied, smiling broadly.

“So when do we take on our first mission?” Leng Tian pressed. This was important to him; with a mission, they could travel the continent, explore, and remain together as brothers-in-arms.

“We were going to take a mission today, but with all the commotion, things were delayed,” Xiao Han said, his eyes still lingering on the ruins, replaying Leng Tian’s fierce and domineering swordplay in his mind.

“Let’s go now, then!”

“Brother, there are so many missions to choose from!” Fire Dance exclaimed.

The seven of them headed towards the Martial Alliance’s branch in Hidden Wind City.

The local branch of the Martial Alliance was located on a broad avenue on the city’s southern side—a three-story wooden pavilion, with a vast reception hall on the ground floor.

At that hour, the hall was nearly empty. The recent battle had drawn away most of the warriors, who were either hiding from the chaos or had fled the city to escape the demon. Only a few remained, speaking quietly among themselves. Behind the counter, an elderly man sipped his tea, glancing up only briefly as Leng Tian’s group entered, then returning to his brew.

Little Ke hopped over to the reception with a sweet smile. “Grandpa, we’re here to take on a mission. Could you tell us where to look?”

Faced with such an adorable girl, the old man’s stern features melted into a broad smile, his wrinkles smoothing away.

“Little girl, are you a mercenary? Such a tender age, in the prime of youth! This is a dangerous calling. Why not let me arrange a safer job for you instead?”

His leering look earned him silent scorn from the group.

Little Ke, undisturbed, asked again with childlike innocence, “Grandpa, can you at least tell me where the mission board is?”

The old man felt his bones loosen with delight. “Upstairs on the second floor—there’s a bounty board with all the current missions.”

“Yay!” Little Ke flashed Fire Dance a triumphant look, and the group headed upstairs. The old man, not giving up, called after her, “Little girl, do consider my suggestion!”

Little Ke just laughed and, arm in arm with Fire Dance, skipped up the stairs.

The second floor was spacious but sparsely furnished, with a few scattered chairs and a large notice board of unknown material mounted on one wall. It was plastered with missions of every sort. The group scanned the list, dazzled by the sheer number and variety, unsure where to begin.

“Brother, you choose one!” Fire Dance’s bright eyes sparkled as she turned to Leng Tian.

Looking over the options, Leng Tian selected an escort mission: to accompany a caravan from Hidden Wind City to the royal capital of the Kingdom of Lark, with a reward of two hundred gold taels.

“This one,” he said, tearing the notice from the board.

No one objected. For all of them, it was their first time taking a mission as a newly-formed mercenary group. Seeing Leng Tian make the choice, they all nodded in agreement.

Little Ke handled the formalities at the front desk. The mission was set to begin in three days, departing from the city gate. Satisfied, the group left the Martial Alliance.

They found a restaurant, ordered a table full of food and wine, and enjoyed a hearty meal before finally leaving the city.

Outside the city gate, on a flat stretch of land, Max descended to pick them up. Together, they returned to Kaoshan Village in the glow of the evening sun.

That night, the sky was beautiful. Leng Tian sat alone in the courtyard, gazing at the sea of stars. Fire Dance and Little Ke had already drifted into dreams.

As a child, in his hometown on the Tianyuan Continent, Leng Tian would often sit in the yard at night, staring up at the stars and wondering what secrets they might hold.

As the deep night settled in and the cool breeze rose, he gathered his thoughts, returned indoors, lay on his bed, and was soon fast asleep—a faint smile gracing his face even in his dreams.