The First Drop of Blood

At the outer edge of the Yunluo Mountain Range.

With a single command from Shen Yi, three Tier 1 demonic beasts charged in unison toward the enemy.

How could that blustering man have anticipated that beasts, seemingly just captured, would obey Shen Yi so readily?

He had thought he was facing merely a fifth or sixth layer Body Forging Realm brat, and with his own eighth layer Body Forging Realm strength, he was confident enough to defeat his opponent, seize these demonic beasts, and present them to his master.

Now, facing the furious attacks of three demonic beasts, the man was in a wretched state. In the blink of an eye, he had fallen into the disadvantage, his body covered in wounds, blood dripping down through torn rags.

"Fine, kid! The green hills remain, the waters flow forever—if you've got the guts, don't you dare flee the Yunluo Mountain Range!"

Shen Yi paid the man no mind. Even with his eighth layer Body Forging cultivation, Shen Yi was still confident he could defeat him. Unfortunately, there were too many eyes around; otherwise, Shen Yi wouldn't have minded making him disappear from this world.

He pressed deeper into the range. With these demonic beasts clearing the way ahead, Shen Yi saved himself a great deal of trouble.

The tools originally used to capture demonic beasts had been dismantled piece by piece by Shen Yi, repurposed to carry medicinal herbs.

When they reached a mountain pass, all the demonic beasts halted, staring nervously into the depths of the mist.

"Is there a demonic beast in there?"

Sensing their fear, Shen Yi tried asking.

"Is it very strong?"

The beasts nodded like pounding garlic. The weaker ones even began to tremble.

"Looks like at least a Tier 2 demonic beast!"

Shen Yi placed the herbs onto the Azure Stone Boar's back and moved to a concealed spot.

"Wait for me here. I'll go in and take a look."

The Azure Stone Boar had already learned Shen Yi's dominance along the way and dared not harbor any treachery. It even put on a self-righteous air, guarding the other beasts, earning deep contempt from them all.

Deep within the mountain pass, Shen Yi hid behind a boulder, observing the distance.

"There seems to be a fight over there, but the fog is too thick to see clearly."

After a moment's thought, Shen Yi decided to move closer, because he heard a familiar voice—the one who had threatened to rob him.

The sounds of battle drew nearer, and Shen Yi finally saw clearly: a group of five people were encircling and fighting a demonic beast.

"That's... a Golden Winged Eagle!"

A Tier 2 demonic beast! Shen Yi's heart tightened. That was a genuine Tier 2 demonic beast, far stronger than the Tier 2 war beasts bred over generations in the academy. Its wild ferocity alone was enough to suppress many war beasts of the same tier.

"Those four... they're all Qi Refining cultivators. Only that unlucky one is still in the Body Forging stage."

Having assessed the situation, Shen Yi decided to stay hidden and watch. Though the four Qi Refining cultivators were formidable, the Tier 2 Golden Winged Eagle was not to be underestimated.

In an instant, spells erupted across the field, spiritual energy churning. Sharp attacks flew toward the Golden Winged Eagle, knocking off many of its golden feathers.

"So this is the power of a Qi Refining cultivator?"

Shen Yi was glad he hadn't acted rashly. With the offensive power of those men, even with his Minor Accomplishment of Undying Skin, he wasn't confident he could withstand a single blow—especially since he currently had no attack techniques, only a few crude punches and kicks, relying on brute strength.

But the Golden Winged Eagle was no pushover either. Though struck by spells and looking somewhat battered, it still relied on its speed and iron-like wings to injure two of them.

"Wang Si, hold that eagle for a moment! I'll cast a spell!"

That Wang Si was the very man Shen Yi had let go. Now, the other three had already fallen wounded, leaving only him still able to move.

"Young Master, please hurry!"

In just a single breath, Wang Si was clawed, fresh blood streaks appearing across his chest. Seeing the other man focusing to cast a spell, the Golden Winged Eagle bristled its golden feathers, spread its wings, and charged forward, its sharp claws gleaming with cold light, aiming for a killing blow.

"Too late!"

The man sneered. With a sweep of his longsword, a red lightning bolt shot from the blade.

A mournful cry rang out. Half a golden wing fell from the sky. The Golden Winged Eagle, grievously wounded, dragged its broken body into the mist and vanished.

"Cough, cough!"

That Qi Refining cultivator's face was equally pale. That last strike had clearly drained all his spiritual power.

"Wang Si, go quickly and check on the fellow cultivators—are they in danger?"

Though his words were solicitous, his hand made a killing gesture. Wang Si understood at once. He acknowledged the order, hid a dagger behind his back, and strode quickly toward the others.

"Thank you, Brother Wang Minghui."

The three were completely unaware of the danger approaching, still expressing gratitude to Wang Minghui and his servant.

"You—"

"Ah!"

"You... you can't kill me! I... I am a disciple of Ninghai Immortal Academy!"

"Ah!"

Wang Si dispatched the three with practiced ease. Clearly, this master and servant pair were no strangers to such deeds.

"Ninghai Immortal Academy!"

Shen Yi had intended to look the other way, unwilling to court trouble. But upon hearing that the victims were disciples of the Immortal Academy, he naturally could not stand idly by.

"Stop!"

But it was already too late. Shen Yi sighed inwardly as he watched this senior brother fall.

"It's you!"

Wang Si recognized Shen Yi at a glance. He whispered a few words in Wang Minghui's ear, then fixed a vicious glare on Shen Yi.

"Brat! Since you've seen this, you can't be allowed to live. But if you hand over those spirit beasts, I'll spare your life."

Shen Yi noticed that although Wang Minghui's words were harsh, the pallor on his face had deepened—clearly, he was at the end of his rope.

"Today, I will avenge my fellow disciple!"

Without a moment's hesitation, Shen Yi met Wang Si's dagger with a fist straight to his face. That punch left him seeing stars, his body swaying before he collapsed to the ground.

"Wang Si!"

Wang Minghui grabbed his longsword and swung it wildly in front of him, trying to keep Shen Yi at bay.

Shen Yi neither dodged nor avoided, letting the blade strike his body. A mocking smile curled on his lips:

"If you were in your prime, I wouldn't last a single exchange against you. But now you're spent—how could you possibly hurt me?"

"Impossible! Impossible! Spare me! I am the son of the Qingxuan Sect's Great Elder! I can give you spirit stones and cultivation techniques. Kill me, and the Qingxuan Sect will never let you go! Spare me, I beg you!"

Wang Minghui's words tumbled out incoherently. Then, to Shen Yi's surprise, he dropped to his knees and kowtowed, his head striking the ground with heavy thuds.

"Spare me!"

Blood seeped from Wang Minghui's forehead, streaming down his cheeks and onto the earth, a pitiful sight.

"Spare me—or else, die!"

Wang Minghui suddenly lunged, producing a dagger from somewhere and driving it straight at Shen Yi's abdomen.

The dagger pressed against Shen Yi's stomach but could not penetrate an inch. Shen Yi smiled faintly, and as Wang Minghui stared in shock, he grabbed the blade and crushed it in his grip.

"Aside from being thick-skinned and tough, I've got a bit of strength to spare."

A flash of cold steel. With an expression of utter astonishment, Wang Minghui clutched his throat and collapsed into a pool of blood.

As for Wang Si, the spirit beast summoned by Shen Yi dragged him into the nearby underbrush.