Argus is in a good mood.
During the past few days, he had found out that despite the fact that even his first teacher, Qing Tian, pretty much confirmed that while he claims, and truly believes that the Meridian Cleansing process is a realm of cultivation, it is also completely different in a way that it more cultivates and improves what is lacking in a cultivator rather than strengthen them, sort of like repairing a broken thing in order to make it functional again rather than a process of upgrading this broken object.
In his case, however, with the Three Purities Origin Meridian, it wasn't completely the case as he can still sense his strength and power growing by a significant amount every time he progresses in his cultivation, each series of improvement within his meridians allowing him to gain strength way beyond his expectations, his rate of growth transcending his previous experience in cultivation.
'I can feel it, this is even greater progress than my rate of cultivation in the Body Refining Realm back then…'
He told himself during his cultivations, the anticipation for when he completed the Meridian Cleansing process just made him itch to cultivate more and more, pretty much making him the outcast of the group he is currently in.
'They might be complaining a lot, but they're still young people as well…'
He thought to himself as he looked at these young men and women retreating the moment that he told their supposed leader to do so, still being lenient to them despite being well aware of everything they were talking about during their time together.
'Well, treat it as a gift before farewell, it has been two weeks after all, I'll head back once I get what I came into this forest for…'
He added as he directed his attention to the group of bandits now clearly laughing at his words, some of them clutching their stomachs in sheer amazement, as never in their entire lives did they see someone so foolish, acting like a hero in a situation like this.
"Hahaha, this is great!! First, a princess who thinks her family will scare us, now this idiot!! Hahahha!!!"
"Spare the kid some slack!! You said it yourself, he's an idiot!! HAHAHAHA!!"
As the laughter of his people becomes more apparent, the leader of the bandit group becomes more and more wary of the young man, as, from his initial instinct, the notion that he might be dangerous settles more and more as his observation, born from his countless experiences and elevated by the sense of danger he is currently feeling, tells him multiple things.
For one, the young man's voice seems to be filled with confidence stemming not from foolishness, but from experience as well, which makes him think it is all the odder, as the young man doesn't seem to be older than the rest of his group.
Secondly is the way he just strides forward, ever so closer to his group, almost as if the weapons in their hands isn't of any concern to him at all, an action that he will oftentimes anyone will remark as that of an idiot who wants to die and yet now, makes the young man more terrifying, the reason for that being the last thing he had observed.
With each step this cloaked young man takes, nothing is left behind, not a sound of a step while he moves forward, not a footprint where he takes a step. The only reason why he knows the young man is moving is the fact that he can see him right now, and had that not the case, he is pretty sure he wouldn't realize how close he is right now.
"Say, is there…"
His speculations were spot on.
The moment that he thought about retreat and pulling back, no matter how much his subordinates would mock him after, the leader of the bandit group heard the same deep, powerful voice from the cloaked figure before he disappeared from his spot, sending not only the bandit group, but the young travelers as well, into a state of panic and shock.
"… something funny with what I just said?"
When the thought of the young man escaping starts popping in their minds, the young man proves them wrong, as his figure, now with his fist stretched, is now within the bandit's encirclement, one of them clutching their stomach, but no longer from unstopping laughter but rather from the immense pain that also made them faint not long after.
Seeing the state their companion is currently in after receiving a single punch from the cloaked young man, the rest of the bandit group couldn't help but get more aggressive, some of them immediately closing in while some created distance, murmuring something under their breath.
"He doesn't give off any sort of mana at all!! That's just a fluke, I doubt he can do it again!!"
One of the bandits remarked as he approached the young man's figure, his words snapping their boss out of his terrified trance before it dawns on him the fact that the young man truly doesn't give off any trace of mana on himself, meaning two things, both being in their favor.
First is the fact that he might have expended his mana pool on that singular attack, meaning exactly what his subordinate had previously said, that there's no way he can perform such a thing a second time.
The second is the fact that this young man doesn't have any mana at all, and that means that, once again, just like what his subordinate pointed out, it is just a fluke, a fluke that is practically impossible to replicate a second time.
Indeed, both the bandit who just spoke and the leader who snapped out of his daze are correct with the second assumption, except they are only half correct, a fatal flaw in their logic being the reason as to why the next series of events will be something extremely incomprehensible for them.
"Well, that's true, I don't have any mana at all…"
Hearing these words from the bandit, Argus couldn't help but mutter in agreement, causing the bandits to smile all the more, as such words gave them the confidence to deal with the young man now.
"Too bad I don't really need mana…"
Hearing the next words from him, however, the bandits were sent into utter confusion as they wondered why the young man would say something like that, especially when he was facing experienced opponents like them.
"Move back, let me deal with this blabbering brat!!"
One of the bandits spoke as he pointed a wooden wand towards the young man before he shouted with a maniacal expression on his face.
"Jetstream!!"
A glowing circle starts forming around the end of the wand, complex writings and runic symbols filling its inside as it glows without medium in the air, before moisture starts forming around it. Within the next moment, it grows, and then the next, turning into a stream of water with a force powerful enough to knock someone unconscious once hit.
For the first time since Argus returned to his home world, magic was used on him by another human being.