CHAPTER 107: AMBUSH IN THE FOREST

The morning sun had barely risen when Li Tian stepped out of the Li estate, the cool wind brushing against his face. After the recent days spent juggling cultivation, secret nights with Xu Fang, and playful yet delicate moments with Li Xue, he longed for some fresh air beyond the compound walls. His steps carried him toward the forest outskirts, a place where disciples often trained and where fewer eyes followed him.

The leaves rustled gently, but there was a stillness in the air, the kind that made instinct scream danger. Li Tian narrowed his eyes. His soul sense, sharpened by reincarnation and further empowered by the system’s rewards, spread outward like a net. He caught the faintest flicker of killing intent—raw, unrefined, but deadly serious.

[Warning: Host has been targeted. Estimated enemy cultivators: 5. Cultivation levels range from late Qi Refinement to early Core Formation. Ambush imminent.]

Li Tian smirked, running a hand through his hair casually, as though strolling through a garden rather than walking into a trap. "Already? I didn’t think I’d become so popular this quickly."

The ambushers made their move, leaping from the trees with weapons drawn. Their leader, a scar-faced man in dark robes, barked out, "Li Tian! Bastard of the Li clan—you’ve offended the wrong people! Today, you die here!"

Li Tian didn’t flinch. He studied their formation, noting how they spread to encircle him.

[Analyzing enemy movements... Optimal response calculated. Suggestion: Disrupt formation by eliminating the weakest link first. Recommended technique: Shadow Serpent Steps.]

With a chuckle, Li Tian’s figure blurred. He slipped past a sword slash, his steps twisting unnaturally like a serpent weaving through grass. In a blink, he appeared behind the youngest of the attackers—a boy barely older than himself, trembling with his blade raised.

Li Tian’s palm shot forward. Bang! The youth was sent flying into a tree, coughing blood, unconscious.

"Pathetic," Li Tian muttered.

The others roared, their killing intent doubling. Spells ignited—fireballs, earthen spikes, and blades of wind converged on him at once.

[Crisis Mode can be activated. Temporary stat boost available due to life-threatening situation. Activate?]

"Not yet," Li Tian whispered, lips curling into a dangerous smile. "Let me enjoy this first."

He summoned one of his newly gained techniques, Heavenly Tempest Palm. With a sweep of his hand, a violent gust surged outward, colliding with their spells mid-air. Explosions rocked the forest, smoke and dust clouding vision.

Scar-face charged in through the haze, his saber gleaming with killing intent. "You’re dead!"

Li Tian tilted his head lazily, then raised his arm. Clang! His bare hand caught the saber mid-swing, sparks flying. Shock flooded the man’s face—his blade trembled as though caught in an iron vice.

"Your mistake," Li Tian said coldly, before twisting the weapon free and driving a knee into the man’s gut. Crack! Ribs shattered. The scarred cultivator screamed before collapsing, his weapon clattering uselessly to the ground.

The remaining three attackers hesitated. Their leader incapacitated, their morale wavered.

[Enemy hesitation detected. Opportunity for psychological domination.]

Li Tian’s gaze sharpened, his voice cutting like a blade. "Run, or stay and die. Your choice."

Two of them bolted without a word, fleeing deeper into the forest. Only one remained—a woman with sharp eyes, trembling hands clutching a dagger.

She didn’t attack. Instead, she dropped the weapon and fell to her knees. "Please! Spare me! I was forced into this—I don’t want to die!"

Li Tian studied her. Her aura was weak, her cultivation at the early Qi Refinement stage. Hardly a threat. But there was something genuine in her desperation.

[Possible system quest detected: "Subjugate or recruit the survivor." Rewards vary depending on choice.]

Li Tian raised an eyebrow. "Recruit, huh?"

He stepped closer, crouching so his eyes met hers. "What’s your name?"

"S-Su Yin," she stammered. "I only joined them because my family was taken hostage... If I failed, they promised to..." Her voice broke.

Li Tian’s smirk faded into a thoughtful look. He could see the truth in her trembling, the raw fear that couldn’t be faked.

"Su Yin," he repeated. "Then here’s your chance. Serve me, and I’ll keep you alive. Betray me, and I’ll end you myself. Understand?"

Her eyes widened. She nodded furiously. "Yes! I swear it!"

[Quest complete. Reward issued: Technique—Phantom Mirage Arts.]

A wave of energy surged through Li Tian’s body as knowledge of the new movement technique burned into his mind. His lips curved upward. "Not bad."

He glanced around the forest, where unconscious bodies and one groaning scarred cultivator lay scattered. A mess, but manageable. With Su Yin trailing nervously behind him, Li Tian started back toward the estate.

The ambush hadn’t rattled him—it had only reminded him of something important. Enemies were watching. Rivals were plotting. And his path forward wouldn’t be easy.

But with the system by his side, his growing harem of beauties, and his own indomitable will, Li Tian welcomed the chaos.

"Let them come," he murmured, eyes gleaming. "The more they push, the stronger I’ll become."