Dual Cultivation: Beasts and Women!

In an instant, he was lost in thoughts about his triumph and the lesson of not underestimating unfamiliar individuals, when suddenly, an attack at close range materialized right before him.

The Spirit of the master, whom he hadn't had time to identify, attacked him quickly and brutally, making him break out in a cold sweat as he felt strange, facing death just after killing four enemies.

Liam thought about the irony of life, feeling that there he was, about to be fatally attacked after the four murders he had just committed.

'I hope these potions work. I'm really going to need them!' He thought of the moment when the wrinkled demon would seriously injure him with a trident.

Amid Liam's concern, Thal'Korr tried to take his master's place, but even he could not match the speed of the 8-Star Spirit Lord. He could only watch in dismay as the enemy's attack reached his master's body, unable to do anything useful in time.

Just as Liam and the secret enemy attacking him thought that his blood would be spilled, the sound of shattering glass came from the direction of the tip of the Spirit's trident.

A bluish glow, similar to that of a star in the sky, emerged from the point that should have reached Liam's body before a barrier of the same color quickly formed and covered Liam's entire body.

The Guardian Sphere that the Leopard Leader had given him floated in the air as the eyes of not only Liam but also the enemy Spirit Master widened.

The demon Spirit with the trident in his hands trembled as he felt the expansion of the bluish barrier against him. A second later, his weapon shattered as if it were made of glass.

But during Liam's defensive formation, the Spirit's body was struck by the expanding barrier, electrocuted, and hurled like a meteor into the distance.

"Aaaagh!"

A scream of pain rang out from 56 meters to Liam's left before the green-skinned Spirit exploded!

Along with the explosion of the 8-Star Spirit Lord, the bluish barrier around Liam and Thal'Korr disintegrated as quickly as it had appeared, and the Guardian Sphere lost all the mana it had accumulated.

Liam remembered he had this artifact attached to him, and that it could activate when his life was in great danger. He put it aside by raising his guard and turning to the side where he had heard the enemy's voice.

As he looked to the left, he saw a red-haired man with a scar in the middle of his face. Liam frowned, not knowing who this person was, but on the lookout for this 9-Star Spirit Lord Spirit Master.

"Who are you? Why did you attack me?" Liam stared at the red-haired foe as he and Thal'Korr moved into battle position.

Even though the enemy's dominant Spirit had just exploded, Levi still had a 7-Star Spirit at his side. Not only that, he alone was a 9-Star cultivator, enough to challenge Liam and Thal'Korr to a fierce battle.

Levi clenched his fists in anger, his face turning red with frustration as a sharp pain coursed through his chest.

He hadn't expected that Liam would surprise him after this guy had fought five opponents. Levi had watched the end of this fight and attacked without hesitation or unnecessary comments.

'Fucking Leopards! Who the hell gave this brat that defensive artifact?' Levi bared his teeth with a horrible expression on his face.

But even wounded and without one of his Spirits, he was sure that his enemy wasn't in the best of shape. He had watched Liam fight and could tell that the boy was hiding his true level.

If Liam could grow that fast, then he needed to be eliminated!

As he had already started this, Levi had no intention of leaving without his target's head!

"You made the wrong choice by standing against us. Geniuses are best killed when they're not on our side," said this important member of the Crimson Rebels.

He drew his own weapon, a dark red-bladed sword with runes embedded in it, and advanced alongside a Spirit in the shape of a giant ant, one meter long and 40 centimeters high.

Liam let Thal'Korr use his strongest skill, Power Amplification, while he did the same, right at the beginning of this new battle.

They were against two opponents stronger than them. Their only chance of winning would be to go all out from the start!

'Try to delay the enemy's Spirit as long as possible. Demon Ants are resilient, so don't lose your temper. I'll hurt its master.' Liam commanded his Spirit, aware of the enemy Spirit's characteristics.

Liam contemplated the idea of using a recovery potion to boost his energy. However, he knew potions required a minimum amount of time to kick in. Even if they worked rapidly, he would still have to wait at least a minute for any potion to take effect. And frankly, Liam didn't have that kind of time to spare.

He continued, raising his voice to muster the bravery to confront Levi.

This man was a stranger he had never encountered, but who was evidently present because of his rejection of the Crimson Rebels' invitation.

Liam had previously thought that the Crimson Rebels differed from the other factions in City Thirteen, because they hadn't tried to take action against him after he chose the Leopards. But the truth was that this faction simply hadn't had the chance to approach him to punish him for his choice!

While facing Levi, Liam started to understand that this particular hunt would require more effort and thought than he had initially thought. The number of enemies he would face outside of City Thirteen was actually much larger than he had expected!

It deepened Liam's dark circles even more as he moved his sword against the enemy's sword and had his first direct fight against another Spirit Master in this world.

Until now, he had only fought against Spirits and beasts, opponents who were no threat to him without their Spirits.

However, Levi was different from the rest. With a cultivation one level higher than Liam's, the young redhead skillfully clashed his weapon against the enemy's blade, resulting in a resounding 'clang' reverberating through the air.

Liam felt the muscles in his arms burn as the enemy's sword pushed his weapon backwards. Levi opened his eyes in surprise, not expecting so much force from his opponent to be able to stop him.

'This wretch... He's probably at 8-Star already!' Levi realized, even without feeling Liam's magical fluctuation.

But he had a slight advantage in this fight, until Liam stepped back, removed his weapon and counterattacked from another angle.

Clang!

Levi defended himself, but he couldn't help but feel a burning sensation in his arms. Even though he had a little more strength than Liam, the difference wasn't great. Depending on his and his opponent's movements, he could feel the discomfort of even defending himself!

Beads of perspiration coursed down Levi's spine, mingling with the tension etched across his face. The adversary standing before him proved to be far more intricate than he initially surmised.

However, with both him and his last remaining Spirit engaged in direct combat, there was no option for retreat. Liam was determined to not let his opponent escape, and he was unwilling to allow any additional time for his adversary to strengthen.

There was only one possible outcome for this fight—one of them had to win, and the loser would face death!

Clang!

Liam's sword started showing signs of deformation, with visible dents and scratches marring its once pristine surface. In contrast, Levi's weapon remained in impeccable condition, exuding a sense of superior craftsmanship.

"Shit!"

Liam moved to dodge one of the enemy's moves, feeling that he had to change his strategy or he would eventually lose this fight.

In the midst of the battle, he used his powers, using the shadows to suppress his opponent, as well as his other abilities to weaken or diminish his opponent's mental clarity. But like him, Levi also had passive abilities.

In Levi's case, he had a strange power related to the surrounding nature, able to manipulate the surrounding plants to a lesser extent. But not only that, this individual also had impressive strength.

Liam knew this even before the fight with Levi, as he recognized the two Spirits of the enemy and their innate characteristics.

The ant was responsible for the super strength and the multispectral vision, capable of hindering any attack against Levi, while the Floros'Kar demon was behind the plant-related power.

This plant-related power could do many things, but the worst thing Liam felt was the release of water vapor, making it difficult for him to see his opponent.

Just as he was able to affect the opponent with his abilities, the opponent could also affect him, nullifying his "advantages" and occasionally even pressuring him!

The only real advantage Liam had now was the fact that the enemy had already lost one Spirit in this fight, while he was still in one piece. Other than that, the fight was very even!