"Haa... Haa..."
The bandit who had narrowly escaped death tore through the dense forest, his breaths ragged as he sprinted with everything he had left.
Sweat mixed with the grime on his face as the trees blurred past him, branches scraping his arms, but he didn't stop.
The forest gradually thinned, and in the distance, a jagged rock formation loomed, almost hidden by the thick underbrush.
With a final desperate push, the bandit dashed toward it, slipping through a narrow gap in the rocks that led into a hidden cave.
Panting heavily, he descended deeper into the cave, his footsteps echoing off the damp stone walls.
At last, he reached the underground chamber, a sprawling hideout carved out beneath the mountain.
The cave opened into a rough-hewn series of rooms, where the dim light of flickering torches barely illuminated the rugged surroundings.
He quickly navigated the winding paths, past other bandits lounging in shadows, their weapons lying lazily by their sides.
Finally, he reached the door of the largest room... a ragged, makeshift space where their leader slept.
The bandit, burst into the room and his eyes immediately landed on his boss, a massive, burly figure stretched out on a bed.
"Boss... Boss!" the bandit gasped, staggering forward.
The leader of the bandits, a scarred man with a grim expression... groggily opened his eyes as the frantic bandit stumbled into the room.
His hair was matted with sweat, and the dim torchlight cast deep shadows across his face, highlighting the jagged scar that ran from his cheek to his neck.
"Boss... it's... it's bad," the bandit panted, collapsing onto one knee as he tried to catch his breath. "They're coming."
The leader sat up slowly, and his dark eyes narrowed as he looked at the trembling body form of his subordinate. "Who's coming?" he growled, his voice thick with sleep and annoyance.
"Two... no, a man and a woman... they slaughtered the whole patrol group!" the bandit stammered, his words spilling out in a rush.
The leader's brow furrowed. "You're telling me," he said slowly, his voice dangerous, "that an entire patrol..my men...were taken down by just two people? And you ran?"
The bandit shrank back, the weight of his leader's glare making him tremble. "I... I had to, Boss. They're monsters. The man uses lightning... and the woman, she controls water.
They are exceptional cultivators"
His sword flashed in the dim light of the cave, leaving a trail of destruction.
"Get him! Don't just stand there!" one of the lieutenants yelled, trying to rally the terrified men.
A group of bandits with fire and wind elemental powers rushed forward, desperate to overpower Zhao Tian.
But it was futile.
Zhao Tian smiled as he sidestepped a blast of fire, then sliced through a gust of wind that tried to knock him off balance.
His lightning flared, countering their powers with ease.
*woosh* He dashed forward, slashing through another group of bandits in a single swift motion, their charred bodies falling to the ground, smoking.
A dark glint passed through his eyes as dark energy swirled around the dead bodies, grabbing their souls.
On the other side of the cave, Li Xueyan was just as cadaverous.
*woosh* Her graceful body danced through the air, her water elemental powers flowing like a whip.
She summoned streams of water from the moisture in the air, shaping them into razor-sharp whips that slashed through the bandits with terrifying precision.
*crack* The water whip lashed out, wrapping around one of the bandits' necks, tightening with a brutal snap.
With a flick of her wrist, Li Xueyan sent the man flying across the cave, his body slamming into the stone wall with a sickening thud.
Another group of bandits, wielding earth powers, tried to corner her by raising massive stone barriers around her.
But Li Xueyan's eyes glinted coldly as she raised her hands, and a massive surge of water erupted from beneath the ground, shattering the stone prison.
The water spiraled around her, forming a deadly vortex that crashed down on the bandits like a tidal wave.
"Is that all you've got?" she taunted, her voice laced with confidence as she spun in place, directing the water with the flick of her fingers.
Bandits tried to retreat, but they were helpless against the onslaught.
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I hope you guys liked the chapter!