Chapter 112: Trouble Brewing


    Han Ming heard the faint sound of wind behind him and tilted his upper body slightly to the side. A yellowish figure brushed past his neck.


    "Sister, I''ll help you!"


    The boy named Xiao''er charged forward, hurling several scorching fireballs toward Han Ming. Surprisingly, the boy was a rare fire-attribute Grand Mage, and at third-tier, he was two levels above Han Ming.


    Han Ming knew these two children were exceptionally talented in magic, and their father undoubtedly doted on them. He couldn''t afford to harm them. If they wanted to play, he would play along. Once they were satisfied, he could leave, and the Battle Soul would have no reason to pursue him.


    With this in mind, Han Ming stopped merely dodging and began weaving between the two children with deliberate steps. His movements were slow enough for them to follow but fast enough to evade their grasp.


    "Gotcha!" Han Ming lightly tapped the boy''s shoulder with the tip of his Qinghong sword.


    The boy, startled, flung a fireball behind him, but Han Ming had already vanished.


    "Gotcha again!"


    This time, Han Ming appeared beside the girl, gently tapping her lower back with his sword before disappearing once more.


    The middle-aged Battle Soul watched Han Ming''s movements with surprise. This young man was clearly a first-tier water mage, yet he fought like a warrior, relying on physical techniques rather than magic. Upon reflection, it made sense. Water magic was notoriously weak, and many water mages trained their bodies to compensate. However, few reached Han Ming''s level.


    The two children were repeatedly struck by Han Ming, leaving faint red marks on their bodies despite his light touch.


    "I think we should stop here," Han Ming said, coming to a halt some distance away.


    "Impressive footwork, friend. I admire your skill. I''m Mo Tianqi. May I know your name?" the middle-aged Battle Soul asked with a smile, though his eyes occasionally flicked to the faint marks on his children.


    "Han Er," Han Ming replied curtly, not wanting to linger. He sheathed his sword and turned to leave.


    The girl, however, was furious. She believed Han Ming had deliberately humiliated her in front of her father, and she couldn''t let it go.


    As Han Ming turned away, the girl quietly pulled out a fiery red orb from her waist.


    "Die!" she hissed, hurling the orb at Han Ming.


    Mo Tianqi saw his daughter''s actions but made no move to stop her. In his eyes, Han Ming was nothing more than a worthless mage with no future. Even if his footwork was impressive, without combat energy, he was still a waste. As for the Slaughter Mark above Han Ming''s head, Mo Tianqi assumed it was because Han Ming had stolen some treasure from the Desert Serpent Clan, earning their wrath. From Han Ming''s earlier speed, Mo Tianqi doubted Han Ming could pose a threat to the Desert Serpent Clan.


    The orb flew toward Han Ming, who sidestepped it at the last moment.


    However, the orb exploded upon hitting the ground, sending a massive pillar of fire into the sky. A powerful shockwave slammed into Han Ming, engulfing him in flames and hurling him far away.


    "Lin''er, I only managed to get two of those Sky-Shattering Orbs, one for you and one for Xiao''er. They''re for self-defense. How could you use it so recklessly?" Mo Tianqi chided his daughter, though his tone was light, and he showed no concern for Han Ming''s fate.


    "Whatever. He''s just a water mage. Who cares?" the girl scoffed, glancing at Han Ming''s crumpled form in the distance, assuming he was dead.


    "You''re such a handful," Mo Tianqi said affectionately, ruffling his daughter''s hair. "Let''s go."


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    As the family walked away, Han Ming coughed violently and spat out a mouthful of blood.


    "What the hell was that? Such destructive power..." Han Ming muttered, examining his injuries. His body was covered in wounds, blood seeping from numerous cuts.


    Then it hit him—his demon spirit was gone.


    "Damn it!" Han Ming realized the spirit must have gone after the girl to seek revenge. He had been annoyed by the girl''s arrogance and had considered teaching her a lesson, but the spirit had acted first. If he had intervened, he could have handled it appropriately. After all, she was just a child, prone to tantrums and stubbornness.


    But the spirit was a different story. It had no sense of restraint and could easily cause serious trouble.


    Han Ming''s head throbbed with frustration. Ignoring his injuries, he hurried after the group, hoping to stop the spirit.


    As the five figures came into view, Han Ming breathed a sigh of relief. The spirit hadn''t acted yet.


    But just as he thought this, his eyes widened. The spirit was stealthily following the girl, invisible to the naked eye.


    "Damn it! Since when could the water spirit turn invisible? I was too careless!" Han Ming cursed under his breath, rushing forward.


    But he was too late.


    The spirit, hovering behind the girl, suddenly materialized as the girl turned to speak to her father.


    Before Mo Tianqi could react, the spirit''s hands moved swiftly.


    A thin silver thread looped around the girl''s neck, and her head tumbled to the ground.


    "Stop!" Han Ming shouted, arriving just in time to witness the horrifying scene.


    "No!!!" Mo Tianqi''s anguished cry echoed as he dropped to his knees, cradling his daughter''s lifeless body. He desperately tried to reattach her head, but it was too late.


    "Sister..." the boy, Xiao''er, stood frozen for a moment before bursting into tears.


    "Stop! Damn it!" Han Ming was stunned. This was a disaster. The spirit had no sense of proportion, killing a child without hesitation. As he hesitated, the spirit moved toward the boy, sending a chill down Han Ming''s spine.


    "You''re dead!" Mo Tianqi roared, his combat energy flaring as he lunged at the spirit.


    The spirit opened its mouth, spewing countless threads that entangled Mo Tianqi''s fist. At the same time, its hand moved again, severing the boy''s head.


    Han Ming was utterly speechless.


    The spirit didn''t obey his commands, but he was still responsible for its actions. Mo Tianqi would undoubtedly seek revenge.


    As Mo Tianqi''s grief turned to madness, he charged at Han Ming.


    Han Ming knew there was no time to explain. He turned and fled.


    The spirit, oblivious to the danger, flung a thread at Mo Tianqi''s neck.


    Mo Tianqi swatted it away, giving Han Ming enough time to disappear into the distance.


    A heart-wrenching roar followed him.


    "Han Er! I''ll kill you!!"


    Han Ming ran for an entire day and night before finally stopping.


    In the distance, a small city loomed through the raging storm.


    "Why is there a city in a place like this?" Han Ming wondered aloud, feeling both curious and uneasy.


    He glanced at the spirit beside him, feeling a mix of anger and helplessness. The spirit was completely beyond his control, and he had no way to discipline it. After all, he couldn''t harm his own spirit.


    "Get back inside me, and stay there! If you act on your own again, I''ll cut off your magic supply. I''d rather we both suffer than let you cause more trouble. I mean it!" Han Ming shouted at the spirit.


    The spirit ignored him, shrinking back into his body.


    As Han Ming debated whether to enter the city for supplies, he heard voices behind him.


    Turning, he saw two men approaching. They noticed the blood-red character above Han Ming''s head and stared in surprise.


    "Excuse me, why is there a city here?" Han Ming asked politely.


    One of the men, who looked like a servant, smiled. "You must be new here. The Wild Storm is the outer ring of the Wild Fire Prison. Many experts come here to explore, and this is the last stop before entering. That''s why humans have built eighteen cities here, each governed by a city lord. These lords are under the jurisdiction of the Wild Storm''s overlord. The largest city is Storm City, where the overlord resides."


    "Thank you for the information," Han Ming said courteously.


    The man waved it off. "No problem."


    Han Ming nodded and turned to leave. With the Slaughter Mark above his head, entering the city would only invite trouble.


    As he walked away, a large group emerged from the city gates, surrounding a burly man in his forties. The man exuded the aura of a first-tier Battle Soul.


    Han Ming sighed. The depths of the wild forest were indeed filled with powerful figures. This man was likely the city lord, and there were sixteen others like him, all under the command of the Wild Storm''s overlord, who was probably at the Battle King level, similar to Gugar.


    As the group approached, Han Ming decided to leave quickly.


    But just as he turned, he heard the sound of wind behind him.


    He dodged to the side as a snow-white sword grazed his shoulder.


    Han Ming turned to see the man who had answered his question earlier, now wielding the sword. The other man, clearly the master, swung two massive hammers at him.


    Han Ming realized these two were skilled fighters. He dodged their attacks, but their coordination was flawless, their strikes relentless.


    "Leave your head behind!" the master sneered, landing a heavy blow on Han Ming''s injured shoulder.


    "Damn it!"


    Han Ming winced in pain. The man was a fifth-tier Battle Frenzy warrior, not an easy opponent. Realizing the man wouldn''t let him go, Han Ming drew his Qinghong sword. He twisted his body to evade the next attack, smeared the blade with his blood, and slashed. A crescent-shaped red energy wave sliced through both men, cutting them in half.


    "Lie''er!!!"


    A distant roar echoed as the Battle Soul transformed into a streak of light, charging toward Han Ming.


    "Are you kidding me? Did I just kill another Battle Soul''s son?!"