The Legendary F Rank

Haru looked at Lian for a second before a smile formed on her face and they both started laughing. The man who lay on the floor beneath Haru slowly got up and made his escape while he was laughing, thinking that he wouldn't realise that he had left. 

Haru smiled as he knew the conflict was over and then looked at Lian's glass. It was half empty but he was already on his second glass so he topped her glass up to the top then did the same to his own.

"So what brings you here? Why take a train? You can fly right?" Haru asked. Referring to how she flew away the last time they met each other. 

"Well I could fly back home but I was actually just at the other side of the country on an assignment. It would take two days to fly back anyway so I thought why not take the train? It might take a little longer but at least I could relax a little." Lian thought about her reasoning for a moment and then responded.

"You were on an assignment? Is that from the Cultivator association or whatever it's called?" Haru asked. He couldn't quite remember the name they said but he knew he wasn't far off the mark. 

"Yeah, The National Association of Cultivators. They sent me out to explore some ruins that were unearthed, but the whole thing was useless. It was just an old temple. There wasn't even the slightest trace of Natural Qi there." Lian sighed and then finished the whole glass of whiskey in one. 

"Do you mind if I?" She looked at Haru and then pointed back to the golden bottle of whiskey that was starting to run low.

"Go ahead." Haru chuckled to himself and then held out his glass for her to fill it up again.

"So what are you doing here? A disciple from "That" sect is heading somewhere on a train? That is some big news. I'm surprised nobody tried to stop you." Lian giggled to herself.

"Me? Well, I'm heading to university. I should already be there but something came up. Haru said and then took another drink from his glass.

Lian looked at him again wide eyes and then leaned closer to him.

"What!? You are so young and you are already this strong? Is everyone from that sect this strong?" She whispered surprised by what she had just heard. 

"I thought you were a little older than that. You must be around eighteen or nineteen right? That is just unheard of…" Lian began to ask and then stopped herself. 

"Is everything okay?" Haru saw that she cut herself off and became confused. 

"Yeah, I was just thinking… Do you know a cultivator by the name of Hong Xia?" Lian asked with a serious look on her face. She looked kind of scared but interested at the same time. 

"Hong Xia? Nope, I haven't really met many cultivators. Why what's up?" Haru asked more about what she was thinking. 

Lian seemed hesitant to answer but did so anyway. 

"Just a cultivator from the Hong family in the capital. She is around your age but I heard that she is a powerhouse. She took down a whole sect on her own because one of their members bullied her little brother. Apparently, the whole sect was painted in blood. 

When the cultivators from the association arrived to try to settle the whole thing without bloodshed she slaughtered them in a single strike of her sword. 

I thought if you could grow your strength this fast then surely you must have some kind of relationship with that girl. But then again I heard that she had a teacher that appeared from the sky one day and took her up into the clouds for thirty nights before taking her back home. 

Do you happen to know of any old women living in the clouds?" She explained and then asked Haru with a hint of suspicion.

"Old women living in the clouds? Not at all but I will let you know if I see any." Haru let out a slight laugh before finishing his third glass of whiskey. He then looked up at the clock at the bar. 

'It's already one o'clock in the morning?' Haru thought before deciding it was probably time for him to head back to his room. 

"I had fun talking with you but I had better head back to my room. I want some time to relax on my own before we arrive in Shanghai." Haru explained and then stood up.

"You're heading to Shanghai? That is where our headquarters is actually located. Wait, hold on a minute." Lian said and then opened up her storage ring. A flash of green light flicked out for her finger for a moment before she held out her hand towards Haru.

"I started carrying these things for public events but please take it. If you ever need any help or if you want to have another chat like this sometimes feel free to call the number on the back." She said as she held out a white business card with her personal details written on it. 

"Sure. I will be sure to keep that in mind. Have a nice night. Oh and feel free to finish that bottle." Haru said before putting the business card in his wallet and then heading back to his room on the train. 

"I will look forward to it," Lian shouted across the carriage as he made his way back through the door. He smiled and then shook his head. 

'That was an unexpected encounter. I didn't realise how much my cultivation had improved but she didn't feel like a threat to me at all. Even knowing that her cultivation is higher than mine didn't make a difference.' Haru thought as he put his key in the door to room twelve and entered.

Everything was in order and exactly how he left it. He was now even more grateful that they provided keys with their private rooms on the train. He then walked over to the bed and sat down with a sigh.

"I already miss Shenzhen…" He said to himself before looking out at the passing trees outside the window. There was nothing but darkness spreading into the distance. They seemed to be passing a forest of some sort at the moment. It looked as lonely as Haru was currently feeling. 

He then brought his legs up onto the bed and closed his eyes. 

"Hey Kun." He said as he entered his soul ocean to see Kun flying around like he usually did. 

"What is it human?" Kun asked with an attitude as he saw Haru appear from nowhere.

"Nothing, I just came to practice." Haru smiled up at the golden flames floating above him. 

"Then don't disturb me," Kun said and then flew up higher into the sky.

"Okay…" Haru said to himself before slashing the space in front of him and then looking into the distance before slashing his hand once more to create another void corridor a few metres away from him. He then ran and jumped through before appearing in the spot he had created the second hole in space. 

"Hmm… I don't feel like this is very practical…" Haru said out loud as he thought about he the shadow had shown the technique to him. He just vanished into the first void corridor and then appeared from another one after he had entered.

"That's because you are doing it all wrong," Kun said as he looked down at Haru struggling to figure out the technique. 

"What do you mean? How do you know if I am doing it wrong?" Haru asked. He was doubtful that Kun had any idea how difficult this technique was. But then again Kun was a being from the upper realm too so he could know.

"Open another corridor," Kun said sounding like he was losing the little patience that he had.

Haru didn't think much of it and then slashed his hand down as fast as he could. Creating a rip in space in front of him But as soon as the corridor opened he felt a force on his shoulders as Kun gripped him and then flew into the void corridor. 

"Wait. What!?" Haru shouted. He didn't even create an exit for them. The pressure was still overbearing on Haru's body but it seemed like it was nothing to Kun as he continued to fly through space while holding Haru with his talons. 

As they flew through space a roar boomed out from behind them. It felt like everything was shaking as the mighty howl echoed out.

"Fuck… Shut up and open another corridor right now, Or else we will die in here." Kun ordered Haru. 

An instant feeling of dread washed over Haru's body. It was the same feeling that he felt during the test the tablet for the law gave him. The loud growl echoed out once again and shook fear into his body. The feeling made him feel sick to his very core and was quickly approaching him.

Haru lifted his hand and slashed down creating another corridor in a panicked hurry. Kun immediately flew through the void corridor and dropped Haru. They had moved only a few metres away from where they had started but it was still an improvement. But Haru felt like Kun had been reckless. 

"Okay! What the fuck Kun? I felt like we really could have died! Why did I feel like that? What was that thing?" Haru asked. It was twice now he had felt like that but this time it was much worse than before. It felt like his soul would be swallowed up if he remained there.