---
Three days passed.
Amberlight City no longer looked like a peaceful mountain town—it had transformed into a coiled beast, waiting to strike. Defensive formations glowed faintly along the outer walls. Barrels of spirit-oil were lined in trenches camouflaged with earth and leaves. Archers crouched on rooftops, their spirit bows drawn and enchanted with fire glyphs.
In the canyon path southwest of the city—the only terrain wide enough for an army to move through—strange boulders had been rolled into new formations. To the unaware eye, it looked like natural erosion.
But in truth, Su Yang had set a trap.
From atop the highest watchtower, Su Yang scanned the horizon. Max perched on his shoulder, unusually quiet.
"Do you sense them?" Su Yang asked softly.
Max's ears twitched. He gave a low rumble.
"They're coming," Su Yang murmured.
---
Moments later, the scouts returned in haste.
"Reporting!" the lead scout bowed. "Bandits sighted two miles away. Formation consists of five hundred foot soldiers, thirty-five spirit beast riders, and four peak Bone Tempering leaders. Their general—believed to be in Vein Tempering Peak—is in the rear."
Captain Hong growled. "Five hundred?! I thought they barely had three hundred!"
Su Yang's expression didn't change. "They've gathered more under the promise of loot. But they're walking into a grave."
Wei Zhen nodded, his face grim. "Everyone's in position. Say the word."
Su Yang took a deep breath and looked out again.
> "This is it. No more rehearsals. No more chances. One misstep, and innocent people die."
He raised his hand.
"Sound the low bell. Begin Phase One."
---
The deep, echoing ring of the warning bell boomed across the cliffs.
Below in the canyon, the bandit army halted briefly. Their front ranks grumbled in confusion, but their leader—a burly man in black fur armor—merely grinned.
"Perfect. They're scared already. Forward!"
The bandits resumed their march, unaware that beneath their feet, shallow trenches filled with fire talismans and spirit-oil waited.
On the high ridge, Su Yang stood beside three alchemists and a team of archers.
He raised his hand again.
"Wait for the center…"
From above, the canyon path looked like a river of ants crawling through a bottleneck.
"Now."
A volley of arrows shot out like stars falling from the sky.
Fire-tipped and guided by wind-essence, the arrows struck the talisman barrels along the canyon's edge.
BOOM!
The explosion was deafening.
A wave of fire tore through the canyon path, consuming dozens of bandits in a blazing storm. Screams echoed as smoke billowed into the air.
Behind the fire, Su Yang's voice rang out—
"Now! Collapse the ridge!"
At once, cultivators stationed higher up unleashed stone-breaking talismans. Runes activated and thunder cracked as the mountainside rumbled.
A section of the cliff gave way.
Tons of rock crashed down like the hand of heaven itself, smashing into the second wave of bandits trying to advance. The canyon roared as the earth swallowed hundreds in an instant.
Panic exploded among the enemy ranks.
"The path—it's blocked!"
"We're trapped!"
"Fall back!"
Su Yang watched calmly as chaos took root. But he wasn't done.
"Phase Three. Net squads—engage!"
From behind hidden formations, two squads of city cultivators wearing camouflage burst forth, casting massive net talismans. The enchanted nets bound the struggling bandits who tried to flee, paralyzing their limbs and cutting off spiritual circulation.
---
The general at the rear of the bandit army, a long-haired man with a crooked scar, clenched his jaw.
"Who the hell planned this? That's no city commander!"
He stepped forward, gathering dark qi in his hand. "Retreat in a straight line! Clear the rubble!"
But then he saw it.
A young man in gray and crimson robes walking down from the cliffside. His eyes were calm. Cold.
Su Yang.
"You're the one," the general said, eyes narrowing. "You're the rat who's been setting all this up!"
He charged forward, sword flashing with black lightning.
Su Yang didn't flinch.
With a flick of his sleeve, crimson-gold flames erupted around him, forming a dragon-shaped spiral of Karma Fire.
The air shimmered. The heat was not just physical—it carried the power of laws.
> "Karma Flame Spiral—Burning Heaven Form."
The fire collided with the bandit general's lightning blade mid-air.
BOOM!
The shockwave blasted dust and stone across the battlefield. For a moment, both figures were obscured.
Then silence.
When the dust cleared, the general was on one knee, his weapon shattered.
Su Yang stood unscathed.
"You… what flame is that?!" the general hissed, blood dripping from his mouth.
Su Yang said nothing.
He walked forward, palm glowing. The general tried to rise, but a bolt of golden flame struck his shoulder and forced him down.
"It's not your cultivation that makes you dangerous…" the general muttered.
Su Yang looked at him. "No. It's that I know how to win without swinging a sword."
With one final blow of compressed fire qi, Su Yang struck the general unconscious.
---
The battlefield was nearly silent now.
The bandits had been routed. Those who weren't burned or crushed had been captured. Only a few fled, but scouts were already in pursuit.
Back at the city gates, people cheered.
Children ran to the walls, waving cloths. Merchants clapped. The guards banged their spears in celebration.
Su Yang returned, robes dust-covered and singed—but eyes calm.
He looked over the cheering crowd, but his mind remained clear.
> "This is just one city. There are others like it—hanging on by a thread. One fire won't light the world… but it's a start."
Wei Zhen stepped up and bowed deeply. "From today forward, you are an honored protector of Amberlight."
Su Yang smiled faintly. "Protecting one city isn't enough. I'm only getting started."
---
That night, the stars shone brightly.
Max curled beside him under the open sky, tail wagging gently. The snake beast spirit slithered slowly beside the campfire, coiling peacefully.
Su Yang stared into the fire.
> "How many more cities suffer in silence?"
He closed his eyes.
> "I'll find them. One by one. And I'll be ready."
---
End of Chapter 9
Would you like to proceed to Chapter 10: After the Battle — A City Rebuilds, and a Hidden Threat Awakens?