The tension in the air was palpable, heavy with the promise of violence. Villagers had retreated into their homes, doors shutting, and shutters slamming closed as whispers of the confrontation spread through the small town. The bounty hunter stood in the center of the dirt road, his blade gleaming like liquid silver in the sunlight, a stark contrast to the swirling darkness that now pooled at Xu Tian’s feet.

  Yan Mei stepped forward, her voice calm but firm. “This doesn’t need to end in bloodshed.”

  The man’s lips curled into a thin smile, his eyes never leaving Xu Tian. “Oh, but it does. That’s the nature of the bounty business, you see. Someone pays for a head, and I bring it back. Simple as that.”

  Xu Tian’s jaw tightened. “You’ve made a mistake coming after me.”

  The bounty hunter chuckled. “You think you’re the first outlaw to tell me that? Go ahead. Show me what you’ve got.”

  Xu Tian didn’t need another invitation. The shadows at his feet surged forward, coiling like serpents before lashing out toward the bounty hunter.

  The bounty hunter moved with inhuman speed, sidestepping the tendrils of shadow as his blade cut through the air in a wide arc. A crescent of silver energy erupted from the sword, slamming into Xu Tian’s shadows and dissipating them with a sharp crack.

  Xu Tian frowned, pulling his tendrils back as he adjusted his stance. This man wasn’t an ordinary mercenary—his movements were too precise, his strikes too calculated.

  The hunter smirked, raising his blade. “What’s the matter? Already having trouble? You might want to try harder if you plan to make this interesting.”

  Xu Tian didn’t respond. Instead, he focused on his breathing, letting the star’s power rise within him. The whispers returned, urging him forward, promising him strength.

  “Do not hesitate,” the star murmured. “Strike with all your might.”

  The shadows at Xu Tian’s feet thickened, darkening the ground around him as they spread outward. He extended his hand, and the shadows formed jagged spears, which shot toward the bounty hunter in a rapid volley.

  This time, the man didn’t dodge. Instead, he raised his blade, the silver energy coating its edge flaring to life. With a single, fluid motion, he deflected the incoming attacks, the spears of shadow shattering like glass against his sword.

  “You’re predictable,” the hunter said, his voice calm. “All power, no control. Let me show you what real skill looks like.”

  He lunged forward, closing the distance between them in an instant. Xu Tian barely had time to react as the hunter’s blade slashed toward his chest. He raised a wall of shadows to block the strike, but the blade cut through it with ease, grazing his side.

  Xu Tian hissed in pain, retreating several steps as blood seeped through his robes.

  “Stop!” Yan Mei’s voice rang out, filled with urgency. She stepped forward, her hands raised. “This isn’t a fair fight. Can’t you see he’s already injured?”

  The bounty hunter glanced at her, his expression indifferent. “Fair fights don’t pay the bills, healer. Stay out of this, unless you want to be next.”

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  Xu Tian wiped the blood from his side, his gaze locked on the hunter. “I don’t need her help.”

  Yan Mei frowned, her frustration clear. “Xu Tian, this isn’t the time to let your pride get in the way. You’re not invincible.”

  He didn’t respond. The star’s whispers grew louder in his mind, urging him to embrace the power he had been holding back.

  “You cannot win like this,” the star hissed. “Let us take control. Let us show you the true extent of your strength.”

  Xu Tian’s fists clenched. He didn’t trust the star—he couldn’t. But he couldn’t deny that the bounty hunter was wearing him down. If he didn’t act soon, he wouldn’t survive the fight.

  The hunter lunged again, his blade moving in a blur as it sliced toward Xu Tian’s throat. This time, Xu Tian didn’t retreat. He stepped into the strike, his shadows surging upward to intercept the blade.

  The impact sent a shockwave through the air, the force of the clash rippling outward. For a moment, the hunter’s blade was locked against Xu Tian’s shadows, the two forces straining against one another.

  And then Xu Tian let go.

  The shadows exploded outward, engulfing the hunter in a wave of darkness. The man stumbled back, momentarily blinded as the tendrils coiled around him, tightening like chains.

  Xu Tian advanced, his movements fluid and precise. The star’s power burned within him, feeding his strength, sharpening his reflexes. The whispers were no longer just in his mind—they seemed to echo in the air around him, a chorus of voices urging him forward.

  “End this,” they said. “Take his life. Take his power.”

  The hunter growled, his blade flaring with silver light as he slashed through the shadows binding him. He moved faster now, his strikes more aggressive, but Xu Tian was ready.

  With a flick of his wrist, he sent a wave of shadow spears hurtling toward the hunter, forcing him to retreat. The ground beneath the hunter’s feet cracked as tendrils of darkness erupted from below, wrapping around his legs and pulling him off balance.

  Xu Tian raised his hand, a single, jagged spear of shadow forming above his palm. He pointed it at the hunter, who was now pinned to the ground, his struggles growing weaker.

  “Any last words?” Xu Tian asked, his voice cold.

  The hunter glared at him, his teeth bared. “You think you’ve won? You have no idea what’s coming for you.”

  Xu Tian’s grip on the spear tightened. The whispers urged him on, promising him power, vengeance, freedom. All he had to do was strike.

  But then he hesitated.

  Yan Mei’s voice echoed in his mind: “You’re not like them.”

  For a moment, he faltered, his hand shaking. The shadows around him flickered, their intensity wavering.

  And then he lowered the spear.

  Xu Tian stepped back, the shadows receding as he released the hunter from their grip. The man collapsed to the ground, coughing and gasping for air.

  “Get out of here,” Xu Tian said, his tone firm. “And tell whoever sent you that if they come for me again, they won’t be as lucky.”

  The hunter stared at him, his expression a mixture of disbelief and anger. But he didn’t argue. Without another word, he scrambled to his feet and fled into the shadows of the village.

  Yan Mei approached cautiously, her expression unreadable. “You spared him.”

  Xu Tian let out a bitter laugh. “Don’t read too much into it. I just didn’t feel like killing him today.”

  “Still,” she said, her tone soft. “It was the right choice.”

  Xu Tian didn’t respond. He turned away, his gaze fixed on the horizon. The fight had left him drained, both physically and mentally, but the star’s whispers remained, louder than ever.

  “Mercy is weakness,” the voices hissed. “You will regret this.”

  Maybe they were right. Maybe sparing the hunter would come back to haunt him. But for now, Xu Tian pushed the thought aside. There were bigger threats to worry about.

  As the group left the village behind, Xu Tian couldn’t shake the feeling that they were being watched. The shadows seemed to stretch unnaturally long in the fading light, and the star’s whispers grew colder, more insistent.

  Far in the distance, in the heart of a sprawling sect, a figure stood before a glowing map, their expression calm but predatory.

  “He’s stronger than we expected,” the figure murmured. “But no matter. He’ll come to us eventually.”

  They reached out, placing a hand over the map where Xu Tian’s location was marked.

  “And when he does,” they said, a faint smile playing across their lips, “he’ll learn what it means to defy the heavens.”