Mastered, One Slash Beheads

"Uwaa!"

"Argh!"

"Third Boss, retreat! We don't have many men left!"

Unending wails rose from all around. Of their force of more than a hundred, no one probably knew how many remained.

But one thing was certain: the Fierce Wind Bandits had suffered a crushing defeat this time.

Seeing that the thick fog showed no sign of dispersing, Xu Sanqiang gritted his teeth until his eyes nearly split, yet there was nothing he could do.

"Damn it, retreat!"

When they heard the Third Boss finally give the word, the remaining Fierce Wind Bandits felt as though they had been granted a pardon. Without caring about anything else, they turned and fled downhill as fast as their legs could carry them.

"Heh. Showing your backs to the enemy—no wonder you can only be mountain bandits."

A low chuckle sounded behind them all, like the whisper of a demon or a yaksha come to claim lives.

Just as terror surged into their hearts, another wail rang out.

"Uwaa!"

That cry was like the blast of a charging horn. Every bandit's courage shattered completely, and they howled as they raced madly down the mountain.

Li Yan had likewise become a harvesting machine. His feet never stopped; saber in one hand, pickaxe in the other. Whenever he caught up to one, he killed one!

This pursuit carried him straight beyond the range of the dense fog.

Only then did the bandits finally see Li Yan clearly.

His clothes were tattered, his hair disheveled, and his face filthy. No one would have objected to calling him a beggar.

Yet this beggar had slaughtered their hundred-man force until they cast aside their helmets and armor. Looking around at their companions, not even half had survived.

Li Yan was also looking at his Attribute Points and Experience Points. He had originally intended to kill another couple of people to round out his Experience Points, but he had not expected them to collapse and flee. They could not blame him for harvesting them now.

There were still quite a few people before him, but all their courage had been killed away. They were no different from meat on a chopping block.

Just as Li Yan was about to continue, Xu Sanqiang emerged from the mist as well.

Upon seeing Li Yan, Xu Sanqiang did not attack immediately. He merely blocked the way between Li Yan and the others.

"Sir, have you and the Fierce Wind Bandits ever borne any grudge in the past?"

"No."

Li Yan looked at Xu Sanqiang with a faintly amused smile. This fellow was rather interesting. Li Yan had killed so many of his men, yet he could still endure it. He might become someone noteworthy in the future.

Unfortunately, he was going to die today.

"Since we have no old grievances and no recent enmity, why have you blocked our path and killed my subordinates?"

"Do you know the consequences of becoming enemies with the Fierce Wind Bandits?"

"Oh? A wild man from the mountains, this is the first time I've heard of the Fierce Wind Bandits. What consequences could there possibly be?"

The Fierce Wind Bandits had risen only two years ago, and they operated in a remote Border Pass place like Panlong Town. The original owner of this body had long since been thrown into the mine tunnels, so where would he have learned who the Fierce Wind Bandits were?

However, because the Fierce Wind Bandits had cut off the grain route and forcibly seized provisions meant for an army of one hundred thousand, their name had long spread across the land.

This man might look like some wild mountain savage, but his Martial Arts were formidable and his words sharp. How could he truly be some worthless forest barbarian?

He simply looked down on the Fierce Wind Bandits from the bottom of his heart!

At that thought, Xu Sanqiang slowly raised the silver spear in his hand. "Since you insist on becoming enemies with the Fierce Wind Bandits, there is nothing more to say."

"Before we fight, however, I would still like to know your identity."

"Heh."

Li Yan snorted. Seeing Xu Sanqiang's expression, he roughly understood what the man had misunderstood, but it did not matter. He wanted to kill him too.

"Didn't I tell you? Just a wild man from the mountains."

"Bastard! You dare toy with me? Die!"

As his words fell, Xu Sanqiang shook his spear. A thunderous crack burst through the air, and the spear shot toward Li Yan like a flood dragon emerging from the sea.

Xu Sanqiang had not originally been called Xu Sanqiang. He had merely been a homeless beggar in Dongjiang City, until chance had led to a lame old man taking him in as a servant.

The old man was no good person. He beat and tortured him at will, working him to the bone while giving him barely enough to eat.

But the old man knew Martial Arts, and the beggar was no match for him at all.

One day, the beggar discovered a silver spear and a manual of spear techniques hidden in the old man's room. Thinking of the old man's abilities, wicked thoughts began to rise in his heart.

By chance, the beggar fed the old man arsenic while he was drunk.

The old man died. His money, silver spear, and spear manual all fell into the beggar's hands. That was how the present Xu Sanqiang came to be.

Unfortunately, the spear manual had eighteen moves, but he only knew three thrusts. That was how he got the name Xu Sanqiang.

Still, he had practiced those three thrusts until they were as natural as fire and pure as green. They were more than enough for a bandit.

At this moment, as he thrust out, the spearhead trembled ceaselessly while the shaft remained utterly still, making it impossible to tell where his true attack lay.

Seeing this, Li Yan did not rush to make a move. Instead, he closed his eyes.

Name: Li Yan

Realm: Body Tempering Seventh Layer

Strength: 89.8

Speed: 84

Physique: 87

Spirit: 22

Martial Arts: Hundred Beasts Marrow Quenching Scripture, Fifth Layer (0/1600); Hundred Battles Saber, Minor Accomplishment (18/300)

Remaining Experience Points: 523

After the battle just now, just as before, all Attribute Points aside from Spirit had increased. His realm had silently risen to the Body Tempering Seventh Layer, but what Li Yan valued more was the added Experience Points.

Furthermore, because he had used the Hundred Battles Saber to kill, the Experience Points required for the saber technique had decreased.

If he diligently trained on ordinary days, the Experience Points required for Martial Arts would presumably decrease as well.

At that thought, Li Yan hurriedly shook his head.

Bastard, how could I have such a dangerous thought? I can add points already, yet I still want to train bitterly? Isn't that forcing myself to suffer for no reason?

"System, upgrade the Hundred Battles Saber Technique."

The next instant, 282 Experience Points were deducted, and the Hundred Battles Saber Technique broke through into the realm of Mastered.

In an instant, Li Yan felt as though he had practiced the Hundred Battles Saber Technique tens of thousands of times. Every combination and technique became crystal clear to him, and he gained an understanding of the true essence of the saber technique.

This saber technique was made for slaughter on the battlefield. Only with the conviction that none beneath heaven could stand against oneself, with fearlessness before all things, could one fully unleash its true essence.

Seeing that his spearhead had already reached the wild man before him, Xu Sanqiang sneered inwardly. So he truly was a savage, able only to hide in the dense fog and kill people by relying on it.

In a face-to-face exchange, he had revealed his true colors at once. Since that was the case, there was nothing more to consider.

With a slight tremble of his hand, the previously swaying spear tip stopped shaking and shot straight for Li Yan's throat.

At that very moment, Li Yan abruptly opened his eyes, a savage killing intent surging in their depths.

Just as the spearhead was about to strike him, Li Yan suddenly lowered himself, his body shooting out almost flush against the ground!

"What?"

Xu Sanqiang was horrified. The distance between them was already extremely close. In his vision, Li Yan seemed to vanish without warning!

Before he could react, however, a flash of cold light erupted. Then he felt the world spinning before his eyes, and he saw a familiar figure—only it had no head.

That was... my body...

Head and body separated, blood spurted into the air like a fountain before the corpse slowly toppled over.

The sight stunned the remaining Fierce Wind Bandits. No one had expected the Third Boss, who had always killed without hesitation and whose silver spear had been unstoppable, to die so easily at another's hands.

"Run!"

No one knew who shouted first, but everyone fled for their lives without a second thought. Those with horses mounted them, those near the woods plunged into them—the farther they scattered, the better.

Li Yan did not bother with them. Could he not see the glowing orbs that had burst from Xu Sanqiang's body?

There was even a light purple orb he had never seen before. How could killing people be as interesting as looting a corpse?