Courage Medal

Roar!!!

Zhuge Xiang's words were no less than a heavy bomb. Whether it was the senior disciples of Green Willow Peak or the disciples drawn over by the commotion, all of them were fiercely shocked. These words were indeed bold enough and domineering enough.

Every batch of Asura Sect disciples always faced suppression from the senior disciples upon first arrival. This was entirely normal, much like how new recruits in a military camp always suffered bullying from veterans; it was practically an unwritten rule. Yet this batch of disciples had just arrived and rushed straight to Green Willow Peak to deflate the senior disciples' arrogance? This was a thoroughly fierce counterattack.

Are the newbies of this generation all out of their minds? Even though Zhuge Xiang's words exuded dominance, how could their cultivation as newcomers compare to disciples who had spent a full year in Asura Headquarters? Therefore, while Zhuge Xiang's words were startling, no one believed them. Bold words without the backing of ability were nothing more than bragging.

"Hehe, the newbies of this generation are truly interesting, especially the one in the lead. Half-set of magic tools, Qi Cultivation Realm Fourth Layer—such a lineup is indeed rare among newcomers," among the watching disciples, a few Body Tempering Realm disciples wore playful and curious smiles, taking on the exact expression of spectators waiting for a good show.

"You newcomers, are you looking to die? Your strongest is merely at the Qi Cultivation Realm Fourth Layer!" As for the disciples of Green Willow Peak, they roared in anger. For countless years, the unspoken rules of the Asura Sect had remained unchanged, yet today, their own generation was being bullied right at their doorstep by newly arrived disciples. If word got out, all thousands of disciples in their generation would never be able to hold their heads up in the Asura Sect again.

The Qi Cultivation Realm Seventh Layer disciple who had spoken earlier likewise stared in astonishment, clearly not expecting Zhuge Xiang to utter such words. But immediately afterward, that disciple's expression turned gloomy. Qi Cultivation Realm Seventh Layer aura diffused outward, pressing down toward Zhuge Xiang. "Are you looking to die? Then I'll grant your wish!"

Qi Cultivation Realm Seventh Layer? This cultivation was indeed very high, a full three layers higher than his own. Yet since Zhuge Xiang dared to come, he had his own reliance. Previously, the two Qi Cultivation Realm Sixth Layer disciples together had provided Zhuge Xiang with four hundred experience points, but they had only dropped a single Qi Recovery Pill. The true reliance that gave Zhuge Xiang the courage to come was a Courage Medal.

Beneath the Aurora Asura Tower, Zhuge Xiang had continuously killed monsters in the outer perimeter for four or five days. The items dropped were scarce—only two Healing Pills, two Qi Recovery Pills, a piece of Steel Secret Medicine, and a Courage Medal. The Courage Medal was dropped from a One-Star High-Grade Monster Beast...

There was no need to mention the Steel Secret Medicine; it directly added one hundred points of defense. Back when Zhuge Xiang first dueled Li Bin, he used it. He had not expected that half a month later, another one would drop. Zhuge Xiang was also well aware of the value of the Healing Pills and Qi Recovery Pills, but the truly valuable item was the Courage Medal.

Courage Medal (Special Item): No level requirement, all attributes increased by 100%, lasts for 300 seconds, disappears after use.

The duration was three00 seconds. While a One-Star High-Grade Monster Beast could be slain quickly, encountering another One-Star High-Grade Monster Beast within those 300 seconds was far too difficult. Thus, the remaining time would almost certainly be wasted. Therefore, while training in the Endless Mountain Range, Zhuge Xiang had never used it. Today, upon coming to Asura Headquarters and being provoked by the senior disciples, a flash of insight crossed Zhuge Xiang's mind. It was impossible to simultaneously encounter multiple One-Star High-Grade Monster Beasts, but disciples at the sixth, seventh, eighth, or ninth layers of the Qi Cultivation Realm were as common as dirt in the Asura Sect. That was why Zhuge Xiang had come to Green Willow Peak.

On one hand, Zhuge Xiang was destined to resist the suppression of the senior disciples; on the other hand, at Green Willow Peak, his Courage Medal could be perfectly utilized without being wasted. That was why Zhuge Xiang came here. Rather than waiting for them to pick off Green Bamboo Peak one by one, he might as well storm Green Willow Peak himself.

He would challenge their so-called geniuses and seize more experience while taking advantage of the 300-second effective duration of the Courage Medal. After all, if he wanted to raise his cultivation to the Qi Cultivation Realm Fifth Layer, the required experience points were as high as 10,000.

Although a part of Zhuge Xiang's reason for coming here was anger over the senior disciples' suppression, the essence of it was to perfectly utilize the Courage Medal's effect to reap more experience. He had not expected that when he came to Green Willow Peak, disciples like Lu Yuling and the others would practically all follow along. Even more, a massive crowd attracted all the other disciples, instantly evolving the situation into a confrontation between this generation's newcomers and the previous generation's disciples.

Although the development of events exceeded Zhuge Xiang's expectations, he did not feel any aversion to it. Things had reached this point; he could only defeat the geniuses of the senior disciples one by one.

"Newcomer, you should have the awareness of a newcomer. This Green Willow Peak is not a place where you can run wild!" The opposite Qi Cultivation Realm Seventh Layer disciple wore an angry expression, a Horse-Slaying Saber appearing in his hand. The saber light was like a streak of silk, and clearly, consumed by fury, he had dealt a lethal blow, intending to make a swift victory and defeat Zhuge Xiang, the ringleader, to cow these newcomer disciples.

Courage Medal!!!

With a low shout, Zhuge Xiang directly activated the effect of the Courage Medal. All attributes surged by 100%. With only 300 seconds available, Zhuge Xiang was unwilling to waste this precious time either. Raising his Blood Refinement Saber, he directly executed Explosive Steps. His entire body transformed into a blur of a shadow that was difficult for the naked eye to catch, crossing paths with the opposite disciple.

The Bloodthirsty Technique already granted a 50% overall attribute boost, which had made Zhuge Xiang's Explosive Steps already difficult to track. At this moment, with a 100% boost to all attributes, the speed under the execution of Explosive Steps was naturally even more terrifying.

Attack, defense, attack speed, movement speed, and so on—all of them doubled. Coupled with the bonuses from his half-set of magic tools, especially a fierce skill like Explosive Steps, Zhuge Xiang believed that at this moment, no cultivator below the Body Tempering Realm was his match.

With a speed difficult to capture and an attack force equivalent to a Qi Cultivation Realm Seventh Layer cultivator, unless facing the defensive capabilities of someone above the Body Tempering Realm, no one could block a single saber strike from him under the execution of Explosive Steps.

Fresh blood splattered. The Qi Cultivation Realm Seventh Layer disciple only felt Zhuge Xiang flash past his eyes, followed by a sharp pain in his chest as a massive saber wound was carved directly across his torso. This single strike almost split him straight in two.

"Who else?!" Zhuge Xiang's Blood Refinement Saber pointed directly at the senior disciples of Green Willow Peak, having instantly slain the Qi Cultivation Realm Seventh Layer disciple as well, and he asked in a cold voice.

"I-Impossible... Liu Tian possesses the cultivation of the Qi Cultivation Realm Seventh Layer... He was someone who charged into the top eight during the Grand Tournament. It's impossible for him to have been defeated so easily!" They had originally wanted to watch how Zhuge Xiang, this arrogant newcomer, would be directly suppressed, but the reality was the exact opposite, leaving them utterly shocked. The cultivation of the Qi Cultivation Realm Seventh Layer, instantly killed in a single move? Was this really a newcomer?

"H-He really is Zhuge Xiang?" Although she knew Zhuge Xiang was strong, this time, even Hua Nongying and the others widened their eyes, unable to believe everything they were seeing. Qi Cultivation Realm Seventh Layer cultivation, instantly killed in one move? How could his strength possibly have increased this rapidly?

"Such fast speed! Although his attack power is still not enough to injure me, his speed makes it hard to dodge." Among the watching disciples, even the few Body Tempering Realm disciples who had been watching the show with amusement saw their expressions grow much more solemn.

In the Body Tempering Realm, one used Qi Energy to temper the physical body. Not only did physical strength grow stronger, but the body's resistance to blows also increased correspondingly. If one practiced external training kung fu like the Golden Bell Shield, purely the physical defense could rival a fourth-grade or even fifth-grade defensive magic tool. Zhuge Xiang's saber strike from earlier was not enough to injure a Body Tempering Realm disciple, but the speed of Explosive Steps startled them.

"Such a strong newcomer. I'll come play with you..." When Zhuge Xiang pointed his Blood Refinement Saber straight at the Green Willow Peak disciples, a ghost-like voice sounded right behind Zhuge Xiang. Before Zhuge Xiang could react, his back suffered a fierce strike, causing his entire body to involuntarily lunge forward a few steps. A sweetness rose in his throat, and on his Character Interface, his HP of 140 points dropped by half in a flash.

The Flowing Cloud Cloak added a shield that absorbed 20 points of damage, and the half-set of equipment on his body added about 50 points of defense. With the Courage Medal's effect doubled, even with all that, half his HP had been shaved off in a single instant. If not for the special effect of the Flowing Cloud Cloak, this strike would have nearly crippled him into a state of having zero combat capability.

This ghost-like attack caused Zhuge Xiang's expression to shift. Without a second thought, he tossed a Healing Pill into his mouth, and almost simultaneously, the Blood Refinement Saber slashed backward in a reverse grip. However, it only struck empty air as a semi-illusory shadow flashed and vanished, phantom-like and untraceable.

"Haha, it's Zhang Ying! His Ghost Step has long reached the Perfection Level. Could this be the Ghostly Shadow Step, the advanced martial art of the legendary Ghost Step, which possesses a certain effect of concealing one's figure?" Seeing Zhuge Xiang struck and injured, along with the semi-illusory shadow flashing behind his back, the disciples who had previously been awed by Zhuge Xiang's strength burst into loud laughter.

The advanced movement technique of Ghost Step was Ghostly Shadow Step. As this Zhang Ying executed it, semi-illusory shadows could occasionally be seen flashing across the arena, truly resembling a ghost. Zhuge Xiang's expression turned cold. Although it was still a one-on-one duel, he had almost been ambushed just now, and natural anger intertwined within his heart.

"Ghostly Shadow Step? Possessing a strange effect that conceals your figure to a certain degree? If you have the guts, try getting close to me again..." Holding his Blood Refinement Saber slanted toward the ground, Zhuge Xiang relaxed his entire body without a shred of defensive vigilance, quietly waiting for the opponent to launch a second attack. The moment the other party struck again would be the moment of their defeat.