Tomorrow, This Sword Shall Surely Be Stained with Blood!

The same city.

After searching for three days without finding anyone, Fei Ying's patience was nearly worn away.

Poison Wolf had lost even more patience.

"Bastard! Do you even know where he is? And you still dared ask me for five hundred million!"

Poison Wolf roared furiously.

Fei Ying was thoroughly irritated, but could only force a smile and reassure him. "Even if I were lying to you, I wouldn't take issue with money!"

"Where is he?" Poison Wolf's eyes bulged as he viciously pressed for an answer.

Fei Ying took a deep breath and slowly let it out, saying calmly, "Don't rush. I'm certain they're here. We just don't know where they're hiding."

He changed the subject.

"Maybe they're training that kid. You know their strength shouldn't be wasted hunting monsters in a small county like this."

The moment he heard that, Poison Wolf grew even more anxious. An S-rank genius had a certain chance of becoming a War God Level powerhouse, while Ning Ze had defeated an S-rank genius and seemed even more formidable.

He already possessed the strength of an Advanced Warrior. Once he grew up, he would surely settle accounts with them. By then, they might not even be safe hiding in a Base City.

No one could simply sit around and wait to die, especially people like them who made dirty money. How else could they earn if they did not enter the Wilderness Area?

But anxiety was useless. If he pushed Fei Ying too hard and Fei Ying gave up, they would lose their chance to kill Ning Ze early. They were wary of the Warfire Squad, and the Warfire Squad was equally wary of them.

Most martial artists were indeed extremely cautious in the Wilderness Area, but his squad had a terrible reputation. Very few people would report information to him. Ning Ze was growing so quickly that if they missed this chance, they might never get another.

Suddenly, someone at his side cried out.

"Boss! Found them!"

Delighted, Fei Ying said into the video call, "Wait a moment. Let me confirm it first!"

After ending the communication, he quickly picked up his binoculars and asked, "Where?"

"Boss, direction fifty-five." The man crouched by the window without turning his head.

Fei Ying immediately looked in that direction.

Within his view—

A square-faced man ran with a terrified expression. His movements looked clumsy, and his demeanor was filled with panic.

Behind Xu Liang were long snakes constantly leaping through the air. Each jump nearly struck Xu Liang, yet every time fell just short.

"Just one person?"

Fei Ying frowned. Once he noticed Xu Liang's movements, realization dawned on him. "He's luring the monsters over. No wonder we haven't found them for three days straight. They must have found a concealed blind spot."

"Xuan Zi, get upstairs and follow him. You're good at this. Don't let them spot you. Just find where they are. We'll follow from below."

"Got it, Boss."

The moment he finished speaking, a lean martial artist leaped through the window. After a few steps along the walls, he reached the rooftop, raised his machine gun to confirm Xu Liang's position, and slowly followed after him.

As evening approached, the sky grew dim.

After an entire day of ravaging, the already gray-white street was soaked in blood.

Many monster corpses still lay along the street—Black Spotted Cat Monsters, Black and White Snake Monsters, Iron Armored Sloths, Bloodthirsty Cloud Wolves. Without exception, their bodies were covered in sword marks, their flesh split open everywhere.

Meanwhile, the battle continued in the middle of a nearby street.

Ape-like monsters covered in long earth-yellow fur scrambled over the ruined staircases on both sides. At times, they roared, "Ooh! Ooh!" At other times, they bared their fangs toward the center of the street. Viscous saliva clung to their two long fangs, while their gaping bloody mouths looked terrifying.

One Long-armed Yellow Ape climbed onto a window and tore down the two-meter-long window frame in one motion, hurling it behind itself without hesitation.

A silver-white sword light fell from above. In an instant, the window frame was split in two, revealing a determined face stained with blood.

Just as Ning Ze was about to give chase, seven or eight stones shot toward him from the side. He planted his feet against a vertical wall, abruptly halting his body.

These Long-armed Yellow Apes are quite clever. They know they can't beat me, so they keep fleeing, dodging, and launching sneak attacks. They not only know how to use tools and terrain, but also how to fight as a team.

Inside a VIP room on the top floor of the clubhouse building.

Seeing Ning Ze forced back once again, Xu Liang grinned. "Haha, not so easy this time, huh? It took me a lot of effort to lure them here. I got pelted with stones all the way."

Ma Yu smiled faintly. "You got pelted with stones all the way, but this kid hasn't been hit even once."

Xu Liang shrugged. "He's stronger than me, and his Movement Technique is at the Micro-level. It would be strange if he got hit."

"Why are you admitting you're weaker than Xiao Ze this time? Didn't you refuse to admit it before?" Zuo Xingyuan teased.

"That's because..." Xu Liang's eyes shifted as he said, "Even if I admit I'm weaker than him, it doesn't seem to matter. It was bound to happen sooner or later, and I'm not losing anything."

"But you're different. If you lose, you won't be keeping your position as captain."

"Hmph."

Zuo Xingyuan snorted. Just as he was about to say that Ning Ze would not remain in the squad for long and could not threaten his position as captain—

His Communication Watch suddenly vibrated.

He opened it.

Boss Ning: The fish has taken the bait.

Zuo Xingyuan narrowed his eyes and shouted downstairs, "Kid, stop playing around. It's about time you finished them."

At those words, Ning Ze's eyes sharpened. His speed suddenly increased, and within a few steps, he caught up to a Long-armed Yellow Ape. His long sword swept out, and sword shadows filled the air, making it impossible to distinguish real from false.

Ning Ze thrust through the air. Before the Long-armed Yellow Ape could react, silver light shot through its eye and into its brain. Its body fell limply below.

The remaining Long-armed Yellow Apes shrieked in terrified rage, but another was swiftly slain. Realizing the situation was unfavorable, they began fleeing.

After killing three Long-armed Yellow Apes, Ning Ze did not continue the pursuit. Instead, he turned and ran toward the clubhouse building. After kicking off the damaged outer wall several times, he vaulted through a window and entered a room on the top floor.

"Captain, is today's battle over?"

Zuo Xingyuan nodded. "Let's change locations first. This place has been exposed."

Ning Ze was puzzled. Exposed? Were they being watched?

He did not ask. Instead, he silently followed behind. Whatever came, he would deal with it. If something had happened, Zuo Xingyuan would surely tell him after they reached their new hiding place.

He opened the System Panel.

Host: Ning Ze

Realm: Advanced Warrior, 4115 kg

Cultivation Skills: Gene Energy Cultivation Method "Five Hearts Facing Heaven Style"; Guidance Technique "Seven Spiritual Wind Arts"

Combat Skills: "Swift Steps," Micro-level, 3188/10000; "Gale Sword Master," Proficient, 3293/10000

Over the past three days, his improvement had been tremendous.

His strength alone had increased by 800 kilograms, directly raising his physical condition to that of an Advanced Warrior.

His progress in Gale Sword Master and Swift Steps had been even faster.

During intense battles, both his Sword Art and Movement Technique improved rapidly. The more tense the battle, the faster they advanced.

Once the monsters were exhausted, Ning Ze would finish them off.

At home, merely improving his physical condition would have taken eight days, with twenty hours of cultivation every day. Yet the total battle time now amounted to only a day and a half. His physical condition and Sword Art proficiency were both improving. Overall, his cultivation speed was five times what it had been at home!

He owed much of this to that Rat Tide.

Even though his Micro-level Movement Technique allowed him to endure encirclement, a person's stamina was limited. Even monsters could become exhausted, and after using Force Generation, his stamina drained even faster.

Ning Ze had drawn inspiration from his escape during the Rat Tide. Since he could absorb Cosmic Energy while running and thereby avoid fatigue, he should be able to do the same in battle.

After a simple experiment, he succeeded. He forced himself into that cultivation state during battle, constantly absorbing Cosmic Energy. The Cosmic Energy was naturally insufficient to strengthen his genes, but it could restore his stamina. With nearly limitless stamina supporting him, he only felt somewhat mentally fatigued.

However, that fatigue did not last long. It took a great deal of concentration only when he was first surrounded. Later, the strain lessened considerably.

Because his strength had increased too quickly.

For every kilogram his base physical strength increased, his strength after Force Generation increased by two kilograms.

The first time he had been surrounded, it had been extremely dangerous. After a fierce battle, he gained 200 kilograms, raising his physical strength to 3500 kilograms and his strength after Force Generation to 7000 kilograms.

That was already very high even among Advanced Warriors. Combined with his Micro-level Movement Technique, ordinary monsters could not possibly threaten him.

They could not exactly bring Beast Warlord-level monsters over to serve as sparring partners. If there were valuable Beast Warlord-level monsters nearby, they would have killed them long ago.

Thus, he could only obediently use the original Gale Sword Master, reducing his Force Generation from twofold to 1.4 times. His strength dropped sharply to 4900 kilograms, finally allowing the monsters to pressure him.

Correspondingly, since he was not fighting at his limit, his mind was naturally less exhausted. With a trump card in hand, the battle became less dangerous, and his rate of improvement began to decline.

Still, this cultivation speed was far superior to cultivating at home. Three consecutive days had sent his combat power soaring once more. He now fully possessed the strength of a Beginner Warlord, perhaps even nearing that of his two Warlord-level uncles.

The Warfire Squad found another place to shelter.

Zuo Xingyuan strictly ordered everyone to stand guard and thoroughly search the surroundings, as though they had already entered battle.

Once everything was settled—

Zuo Xingyuan came to Ning Ze's side. Smiling slightly, he asked, "Aren't you curious?"

"I am." Ning Ze said seriously, "I was waiting for you to tell me."

"You brat!" Zuo Xingyuan gave a cruel smile. "It's time for revenge!"

"Revenge?" Ning Ze was confused. "The Blood Eagle Squad? Are they coming to ambush us?"

They had only encountered that one squad since entering the Wilderness Area, and it had even tried to steal their prey. If there was a grudge, it naturally had to be them.

"The Blood Eagle Squad? It should be them, I suppose. But they're only accomplices." Zuo Xingyuan was not entirely certain. Then a cold gleam flashed in his eyes. "No matter who it is, it's time to settle the grudge from eight years ago. More accurately, seven years and six months."

"You've thought of something, haven't you?"

Ning Ze's pupils abruptly contracted. In an icy voice, he asked, "You mean my father? That time we were surrounded by monsters wasn't an accident—it was man-made?"

"Hmph!"

"An accident?"

Zuo Xingyuan sneered. "Without a Lord-level monster rampaging, without an Advanced Beast General commanding them, without a War God hunting monsters, and without a monster siege, how could several kinds of monsters possibly riot at once? Why would they relentlessly pursue us?"

"Monsters possess intelligence. Some are not even inferior to humans. For them to behave so irregularly and completely unleash their wildness, it was all because of a plant—or rather, a treasure."

Zuo Xingyuan gave a false smile, one that looked deeply unsettling. The hatred in his eyes surged wildly.

Rage also rose within Ning Ze's heart. In a low voice, he asked, "What plant?"

"Starry Night Grass! One stalk was worth over a hundred million Huaxia Coin. That was the old price. Now, it should be worth two hundred million."

Zuo Xingyuan's voice was cold. "Its effect is simple. When powdered Starry Night Grass is mixed with the juice of Bloodlight Vine, it produces a strange fragrance. This medicine can promote monster evolution, and that fragrance is also fatally attractive to monsters. These two plants are the main ingredients in Gene Potions."

"What happened afterward?" Ning Ze's gaze was ice-cold. "And who was the enemy?"

"Afterward?" Zuo Xingyuan thought for a moment. A massive shadow seemed to emerge in his eyes as he muttered, "You haven't forgotten the last Rat Tide, have you? It was about the same, except the colors were much more vivid. We escaped..."

Much more vivid?

Ning Ze fell silent. How could he forget the previous Rat Tide? If that Rat Tide had instead been a Beast Tide, then it would naturally have included every kind of monster: pitch-black Black Tide Savage Bulls, earth-yellow Long-armed Yellow Apes, orange Black-striped Cloud Leopards, deep-purple Purple Lightning Scale Snakes... Wasn't that incredibly vivid?

That helplessness while running—if he had not forcibly entered a cultivation state, even ten minutes of sprinting would have left him exhausted. How long had his father held on? What kind of desperate struggle to the death had he endured?

Amid an endless horde of monsters, what kind of despair had that been...

"As for the enemy, of course it was the Poison Wolf Squad we encountered in the Wilderness Area!" Zuo Xingyuan's voice was filled with hatred. "They secretly attacked us while we were fighting over prey. We won in the end, and Boss Ning slashed Poison Wolf once. After they retreated, the monsters around us began to riot!"

"Those bastards had scattered medicine mixed from Starry Night Grass and Bloodlight Vine throughout the area. They had prepared cleansing medicine beforehand, but we did not. We barely broke out of the monster horde, and every one of us was drenched in blood, but the monsters still refused to give up. They pursued us for a hundred miles. Most of the monsters eventually gave up, but a Purple-eyed Demonic Wolf continued hunting us. That was an Intermediate Beast General. Boss Ning had only recently become a Warlord then. He had to fight desperately and sacrifice one leg just to kill that monster."

"Afterward, we found evidence, but they refused to admit it. We wanted revenge, but after the supervisors of the Limitless Martial Arts School and Thunderclap Martial Arts School discussed the matter, they ordered us not to fight privately."

"Of course, rules were rules. We closely monitored each other's movements and searched for chances to strike, but they were extremely cautious. We never found an opportunity all these years."

"Now, the chance for revenge has come!"

Ning Ze's eyes were filled with cold light. "They came for me this time?"

A smile tugged at Zuo Xingyuan's lips. "Boss Ning originally intended to protect you. He spent two hundred million on intelligence to monitor the Poison Wolf Squad's movements until you grew stronger."

"That kind of precaution would normally have been enough. At most, there was one more enemy, and they naturally wouldn't fear a newcomer like you. But no one expected your talent to be so outstanding that you went straight to the Thunderclap Martial Arts School and crushed their genius!"

"Once that news spread, how could they possibly sit still? They wouldn't dare act in the Base City, so the Wilderness Area was their only choice."

"When we gathered in the Base City, we had already made thorough plans. It was time to settle the grudges left by the older generation. If there were enemies, we would kill them! We couldn't let you juniors live in constant fear."

Ning Ze was silent for a moment before asking, "Then what should we do?"

"We just need to wait for the rabbit by the tree stump!" Zuo Xingyuan grinned. "Since Boss Ning has confirmed that they're preparing to act, they'll naturally come to us. Is there any easier method than waiting for the enemy to come knocking?"

"Do you remember the strongest strategy I told you about?"

Ning Ze nodded, already understanding the plan. He said calmly, "Call for reinforcements."

"Exactly. Boss Ning made arrangements long ago. He's already bringing numerous experts here. They'll definitely be faster than those people. Besides, we sent them the exact location, while they still have to search for us." Zuo Xingyuan's face was full of smug delight.

Ning Ze looked up. Yang Chao and the others all wore grim smiles, and an invisible killing intent churned through the small room.

Ning Ze gripped the Light Swan Sword in his hand. His father's enemy was naturally his enemy as well, especially now that they had come to kill him.

Tomorrow, this sword shall surely be stained with blood!