Meanwhile by the side...
KingCamper evaded another flame-infused punch, then slammed the pommel of his blade into the bald disciple's jaw.
[Critical Hit – 498 DMG Dealt]
"And... you're done," he said cheerfully.
The bald disciple collapsed to one knee with blood trickling from his mouth.
"Ouuu shiny," KingCamper trailed his index finger across the bald head of the disciple with a playful tone.
Fang Chen walked over while raising an eyebrow. "You alright?"
KingCamper tossed him a thumbs-up. "Peachy. You did great, man. First time I've seen someone easily defeat a cultivator one rank above them."
"Uh luck I guess," Victor muttered while rubbing the back of his neck.
"Don't worry," KingCamper grinned. "They'll think twice before messing with players again."
The rogue spirit leeches were gone, and the corrupted mist of the Weeping Hollow had finally begun to thin.
Victor sheathed his blade and turned to KingCamper who was currently wiping his sword clean with a silky piece of fabric.
"Appreciate the assist," Victor stated.
The tension from the earlier confrontation hadn't entirely left him.
KingCamper tucked his cloth away and shrugged. "Hey, you looked like you were about to get jumped by two of the world's finest narcissists. I wasn't about to let a fellow player get shanked by NPC egos in pretty robes."
Victor gave a short laugh. "Those 'NPCs' were Inner Court disciples. They stole my sect mission kill. Then they tried to ambush me. I only came here to increase my bloodline integration. Now my mission's marked as failed."
KingCamper winced dramatically. "Oof. That's brutal. I swear, half of these guys have main-character syndrome. It's always 'I'm better than you because I've got fancy clothes and a talking sword.'"
Victor arched a brow. "Your sword talks?"
"Only when I'm drunk," KingCamper shot back with a wink.
KingCamper sheathed his weapon and gestured toward the deeper part of the Hollow. "Actually, I was about to run a mission myself. Might be a little higher-level than yours, though not exactly complicated."
"Let me guess. More corrupted beasts?"
"Worse—smugglers. Real scum of the system. Apparently, they're trafficking a bunch of things... one of which are illegal blood essence to rogue cultivators. The stones simulate cultivation progress without actual breakthroughs—total cheat item for desperate wannabes."
Victor nodded. "Sounds dangerous."
"Which is why I could use a reliable second sword," KingCamper added. "This isn't like your mission. I won't lose progress if someone joins in. So, what do you say? We clean up some trash and grab some loot?"
Victor thought for a moment, then nodded. "Sure. I'm in."
[Friend Request from Player: KingCamper]
[KingCamper has been added to your Friend List]
KingCamper brought up a glowing map interface. A dotted line flickered through the forest. "There's a black willow grove about half a mile south of here. My quest data says they'll pass through it within the next hour. We set up, wait, confirm their presence, then strike."
"What level are they?"
"Their leader is probably late Core Formation, maybe touching early Nascent Soul. The rest are all over the place—strong, but not coordinated. It's their stealth tactics that make them dangerous."
The two made their way through the Hollow, the corrupted roots twisting beneath their boots. Mist curled through the low-hanging branches, clinging to the earth like cobwebs. Blackened flora littered the trail whoch were most likely remnants of past battles or corrupted qi storms.
They reached the willow tree and climbed into the branches. The canopy was thick, making this the perfect place to overlook the pathway below without being seen.
As they waited, KingCamper leaned back against the trunk. "So, how long you been playing Ascendant Realms?"
"Not long," Victor admitted. "A couple of months in the real world."
"Damn, and you're already working with spatial qi and soloing elite-class mobs? You must've hit some kind of cheat-code RNG."
Victor smiled faintly. "Let's just say... I've got some unique circumstances."
Meanwhile, back at the Violet Spring Sect...
Two figures stumbled through the gates of the Violet Spring Sect, bloodied and worn.
Gasps rose from the disciples nearby.
"Is that... Inner Disciple Huo Lian?!"
Huo Lian's left arm was gone. A blood-soaked wrap was tied around the stump.
His silver hair which was once tied immaculately, now hung wild across his blood-smeared face. Zhan Kui, the massive bald disciple, looked no better—
His robes were torn and his face was bruised and battered.
Within seconds, a crowd gathered.
"What happened to them?"
"Who could've done this?!"
"Did they fight a Spirit King or something?!"
Elder Chun of the disciplinary hall arrived in a blur, radiating with powerful spritual presence.
His gaze swept over them.
"Inner Disciples, report."
Huo Lian voice was low and trembling with rage. "It was two transmigrators."
Zhan Kui growled. "One of them used some sort of flower blade art. Annoying as hell, but strong."
"And the other?" Chun asked.
Huo Lian turned his one good eye toward him. "He had arrow-like runes along his skin... and space trembled around him when he fought. He wasn't even in the Nascent Soul Realm and yet he still... beat me."
A collective hush fell over the crowd.
Elder Chun frowned. "What were you doing out there? Were you sent by the sect?"
"We followed someone on a mission," Zhan Kui admitted reluctantly. "Thought he was just an upstart. Wanted to teach him a lesson."
Elder Chun's face darkened. "And instead, he taught you one."
"He cut off my arm," Huo Lian's body shook as he hissed. "Elder you won't allow some Outsiders to bully the sect Inner court disciples will you? This will give us a bad name if they are not dealt with."
A collection of mutters spread through the surroundings. .
If someone outside the Inner Court could defeat two well-established disciples, what did that say about their strength—or their future?
"Give me names..." Elder Chun demanded.
"I don't know about the other one but the one we followed is a guest here who deserves none of the good treatment he has received from the sect... Fang Chen!"