"My....god...

" Hao Xuan mumbled absentmindedly.

The creature had a face that resembled a spider. There were four eyes right next to each other at the very top. Below it was the humungous, toothy maw surrounded by four appendages. A hard, carapace like material covered its top and bottom which extended far into the deep space. (Reference image in authors notes)

It floated above the pocket space, wriggling its massive appendages while closing in. Beads of cold sweat trickled down the side of Hao Xuan's forehead. He couldn't think at this moment. He didn't know what to do, or rather, there was nothing he COULD with his power.

He could vaguely feel the creatures aura getting closer, it was real! His mind went black as he looked on with wide eyes.

Across from him, the unknown man was instead looking at Hao Xuan with the same nonchalant expression he had from the beginning. He was not bothered by the creature's presence at all while Hao Xuan could not tear his eyes away.

There was nothing but darkness around them so Hao Xuan could not guess how big the creature actually was but one thing was for certain, it was way out of his league.

Only a few moments had passed when he saw two streaks of light shoot out from either side of the 'sky' and straight towards the creature. A low-pitched beasts roar rang loudly in the outer space, defying all laws of physics and even reaching Hao Xuan's ears.

One streak stopped at a distance from the creature while the other ruthlessly ran straight into it, making it stagger back some distance.

'A...Are they...fighting it...? Is that even....possible?' Hao Xuan's thoughts raced as he gazed at what looked like a movie screen hoving in the sky. It was too unreal.

But the battle had only just started when the ground vibrated once and the sky turned dark again, as if nothing out of ordinary had happened.

"What the hell was that?!

" Hao Xuan shouted out loud after a few seconds.

He looked at the man in front who had a gourd in his hand and was drinking from it. Hao Xuan could smell the strong alcohol from several meters away, without even using his heightened abilities.

The man drank a few mouthfuls before he unwillingly pulled the gourd away from his lips.

"Hey kid,

" his smile went away, overtaken by a curious gaze,

"Do you want to listen to a story?

" he asked lightly.

But to Hao Xuan his words were like thunder. Hao Xuan's pupils contracted to the size of pinholes as he instantly put up his guard, his expression somber as it could be. Both his hearts beating like crazy.

"Who are you?

"

The man's expression relaxed significantly looking at the tense Hao Xuan,

"So you haven't forgotten about him?

"

"Him? Him who?

" Hao Xuan asked innocently. Even now he wasn't going to admit anything but seeing his response, the man nodded contently.

"Good, never admit it. You never know whether it's someone he sent or one of his many enemies.

"

Hao Xuan's brow scrunched up,

"I don't know who you're talking about.

"

"Hahaha,

" the man laughed lightheartedly,

"Good good, but kid, your progress is way too slow. It's already been almost two years now and you still haven't even stepped into the Profound Realm. What will master say when he finds out?

"

Hao Xuan's heartbeat jumped as the thought appeared in his mind, 'Is he really someone sent by him?'

But he wasn't going to admit anything himself. Hao Xuan took in a deep breath to regain his composure and stood back up.

"I'm sorry, I think you have the wrong person. I have to go find my friends now. Goodbye,

" he said in one breath and turned around to leave, but his body wouldn't move any further.

The man chuckled and spoke,

"Sit.

"

Hao Xuan's legs bent and he sat back down and swiveled to face the man with robotic movements. Hao Xuan's body was moving on its own. He tried to open his mouth but his jaw was shut tight. Only his eyes were still under his control.

"Relax and listen. Little Ru won't be able to hold back those bunch of old fogeys for too long, so we're pretty short on time,

" he mumbled looking at the sky.

'Little Ru? That creature outside?!? It's with him?!'

He took another big gulp from the gourd and sat up.

"I know master said to leave you alone, but I have a mission for you,

" he calmly looked at Hao Xuan before taking something out of his front shirt pocket.

One was a sketch of a man, and the other was a small booklet.

"I need you to kill this person,

" he tapped on the sketch and showed it to Hao Xuan.

"He is also a participant in this tournament and this is the only opportunity to get to him. Get it done how ever you have to. And consider this an advance payment for that,

" he finished by placing the booklet in the palm of his hand.

Hao Xuan still couldn't move at all. The most he could do was glare at the man that was getting up to leave.

The man also noticed his fiery gaze. If only looks could kill...

"I told you to relax kid,

" he bent down and flicked Hao Xuan's forehead while laughing.

"Hahaha, don't worry, I won't make you do something that's out of your league. With the booklet in hand, you will be able to kill him easily. And it has a lot more value, especially for you. The story inside, read it carefully and maybe you will be able to learn a thing or two,

" he said before snapping his fingers right next to Hao Xuan's ears.

*Snap*

The next second Hao Xuan opened his eyes and found himself standing in a crowded place, surrounded by hundreds of chatty participants.

"Wh..at....

" he looked around blankly.

It was a completely different place from before. The sky was bright blue, illuminating everything as usual. Under his feet was a hard pavement floor and he could even hear a few familiar voices around him.

"Was that a dre-

" he murmured but froze midway upon noticing something in his hand.. He looked down and saw the same sketch and booklet tightly clutched in his right hand.