Prince of Wealth in a Cultivation World

"So, you won't come with us without force, Lin Yulan?" Cao Ming retorted, as the middle-aged man in cultivator's robes stepped forward.

"Cao Ming, you've done what you can. Now that those two aren't submitting easily, I'll take over," the man said, his voice clear and commanding.

"A cultivator!"

Noir's eyes were fixed on him. He could sense Qi within the man, and his demeanour clearly marked him as a cultivator higher level than Noir.

"System, check his status"

[System]

Gao Lan

Cultivation: Peak fifth level of Qi Awakening

Affiliation: Outer disciple (The Silent Mountain Sect)

"He's three minor levels above me, but..." Noir mused. "It will be exciting to see how different the fifth level of Qi Awakening is from the second."

Cao Ming nodded. "Yes, Uncle." He backed off, warning Lin Yulan and Yue Ying, "This is my uncle-master, a friend of my father who personally came to fetch a bride for him. You mortals are nothing but ants before a cultivator. You better surrender now."

As Cao Ming finished speaking, Gao Lan rose into the air from his horse. His body released a dense wave of Qi that enveloped the village square.

The villagers, terrified, scattered throughout the village, some collapsing to their knees, unable to escape in time. The pressure concentrated on Lin Yulan and Yue Ying, who struggled to remain standing.

They could barely withstand the Qi emanating from Gao Lan, who also exerted pressure on Noir. Noir struggled for a few seconds, but then something unexpected happened.

He vanished from his spot and reappeared beside Lin Yulan and Yue Ying. "Hold on tight," he whispered to them. They instinctively grabbed onto him. Noir then vanished again, reappearing on the horses behind Cao Ming and his group.

"Let's go!" Noir said, tapping the horse's back with a burst of Qi. The horse, startled, bolted from the village at full speed.

Gao Lan was a moment too slow. Intent on ending their resistance quickly, he had unleashed a surge of Qi, blanketing the village to demonstrate the vast difference between mortals and a cultivator.

ow, he regretted it as Noir had somehow capitalized on the opportunity, using the distraction to escape with Lin Yulan and Yue Ying.

"They have a cultivator with them!" Gao Lan yelled, recalling his remaining Qi. "After them!" He mounted his horse, while Cao Ming also shouted, "Catch them quickly!" They, along with Cao Ming's personal guard and "Let's go!" Noir said, tapping the horse's back with a burst of Qi. The horse, startled, bolted from the village at full speed.

Gao Lan was a moment too slow. Intent on ending their resistance quickly, he had unleashed a surge of Qi, blanketing the village to demonstrate the vast difference between mortals and a cultivator. Now, he regretted it.

Noir had somehow capitalized on the opportunity, using the distraction to escape with Lin Yulan and Yue Ying.

"They have a cultivator with them!" Gao Lan yelled, recalling his remaining Qi. "After them!" He mounted his horse, while Cao Ming also shouted, "Catch them quickly!" They, along with Cao Ming's personal guard and the remaining guards, gave chase.

Yue Ying and Lin Yulan were shocked but managed to hold on. Lin Yulan sat in front of Noir, while Yue Ying sat behind him, all three sharing the single horse.

Noir had formulated a plan within moments of seeing Gao Lan's stats. He was prepared to fight, but witnessing the villagers' struggle against Gao Lan's mere burst of Qi, he decided to move the fight elsewhere, far from the village.

Lin Yulan and Yue Ying were key to luring Gao Lan and Cao Ming away. Noir had chosen the largest horse, the one used by the guard leader he had killed, for their escape.

Yue Ying, glancing back at the pursuing group, urged, "They're coming! Go faster!"

"Let them come," Noir replied, maintaining a speed that was neither slow nor fast, allowing their pursuers to keep pace at a reasonable distance.

Lin Yulan was also worried, but something else occupied her thoughts. Noir had saved their lives, risking his own when he could have easily escaped alone.

A strange feeling stirred within her heart as her back pressed against his chest. Closing her eyes, she became lost in thought as Noir rode deeper into the forest, eventually stopping in a clearing with fewer trees.

As the horse came to a halt, Lin Yulan looked at Noir with confused eyes while Yue Ying asked in hurried tone, "Why are we stopping? They'll be here any minute."

Noir dismounted, gently lifting Lin Yulan down. "How long are you going to keep running from them?" he asked. "Why don't we just end this ourselves?"

Yue Ying replied, her expression shocked, "How do you propose we stop them? They outnumber us and have a cultivator! We're just three. How can we possibly win?"

"Seems you're forgetting who I am," Noir said sternly, releasing a wisp of his Qi. "I'll handle the cultivator. You two just try to survive the attack."

"There they are!"

Cao Ming yelled as they surrounded Noir's group. Gao Lan spoke, his tone serious, "Who are you? Identify yourself," he demanded of Noir, who was staring back at him.

"Why should you care?" Noir replied casually, shrugging off the question.

"You!" Gao Lan's glare intensified as he began to unleash his full cultivation of fifth level of Qi Awakening. "You don't know who I am? I'm—"

He was interrupted by Noir. "Outer disciple of the Silent Mountain Sect. I know. So what?" Noir replied, taking slow steps toward Gao Lan, who instinctively recoiled.

"How do you know that...? Tell me who sent you?" Gao Lan demanded. Instead of answering, Noir countered, "If you win, I'll tell you." He then released his full cultivation, the second level of Qi Awakening.

"Hahaha, with that level of cultivation, you dare challenge me, Gao Lan?" Gao Lan mocked, waiting for Noir's first move.

Noir used Phantom Steps to vanish, appearing behind Gao Lan. Gao Lan, anticipating this, coated his body with Qi to deflect the attack. But to his surprise, Noir didn't attack him. Instead, he targeted the guards.

"BOOM"

Noir punched the guard in the front, his Qi exploding outwards. Dozens of guards were sent flying, while the rest were fall down to the ground as their horses startled by the sudden chaos, scattered across the forest.