Blood flowed freely across Green Willow Peak. More than a hundred disciples bore massive, jagged wounds, their blood streaming unchecked as the terrain for dozens of feet around was dyed entirely crimson.
Amidst the chaotic melee, although most had lost their combat capability and Zhuge Xiang had stayed his hand, many still died from excessive blood loss under the bleeding effect. Besides, blades had no eyes, and in the heat of a chaotic brawl, how could Zhuge Xiang carefully mind his strength? Out of those hundred-odd disciples, roughly twenty-odd had perished...
Killing people—this was no longer the first time. The Asura Sect was inherently a demonic sect, and in this fair and square duel, the sect would not impose any punishment even if someone died.
Why had Zhuge Xiang come to the Asura Sect? It was precisely to become a person above others, unbullied by anyone else. If one wanted to become a person above others, especially in a demonic sect like the Asura Sect, one could not afford to be soft-hearted. This was also why Zhuge Xiang had always felt that Lu Yuling's kindness and Niu Geng's honesty made them unsuited for a demonic sect like the Asura Sect.
The one-minute duration of the Bloodthirsty Technique had passed, but right at this crucial moment, Zhuge Xiang had broken through. The Qi Energy around his body suddenly erupted with fluctuations, instantly growing even stronger. This breakthrough aura shocked everyone present once more. He had broken through—amidst combat, he had actually broken through to the Qi Cultivation Realm Fifth Layer...
"This batch of newcomers is too terrifying! The Qi Cultivation Realm Fifth Layer? Back when we first arrived, the greatest genius among us barely approached the Qi Cultivation Realm Fourth Layer, right?" Within the surrounding crowd, several Body Tempering Realm disciples sensed the aura of Zhuge Xiang's breakthrough and spoke in low voices.
"The Qi Cultivation Realm Fifth Layer? Could this be the so-called battle-type genius? It seems he only just broke through to the Qi Cultivation Realm Fourth Layer, doesn't it?" Within Lu Yuling's eyes lingered a strange light. Zhuge Xiang's growth speed was somewhat too defying of common sense.
"That's great! The Qi Cultivation Realm Fifth Layer!" As for Niu Geng? He was simply happy.
Originally, the matter of the Nine Aperture Profound Pill had made Niu Geng feel somewhat guilty toward Zhuge Xiang. In his view, during the battle with the demonic moth, only he hadn't contributed much effort, yet Zhuge Xiang had deliberately refused the Nine Aperture Profound Pill and let him acquire one instead. Now, seeing Zhuge Xiang's growth speed, Niu Geng was extremely happy. Sure enough, he was a battle genius; even without the Nine Aperture Profound Pill, his growth speed would not lose to any genius.
Following the conclusion of the battle, the sect's staff quickly arrived and carried away the injured. The sect naturally knew about such a huge commotion breaking out here; those who had died could only be taken away for burial, while those still alive needed to be treated as much as possible.
As for whose responsibility it was? Who should be punished? If senior disciples had groundlessly beaten and killed junior disciples, they would naturally suffer severe punishment. But here, a newcomer disciple had beaten and killed seniors, and moreover under the banner of a duel, so he would not receive any punishment.
"The so-called senior disciples are nothing more than this." The battle had ended, and he had reaped a full ten thousand experience points. Zhuge Xiang was extremely satisfied with such an outcome. No matter how good an item was, one had to know how to utilize it to bring out its greatest value.
If the Courage Medal had been used to deal with monster beasts in the Endless Mountain Range, it would have been a complete waste. But here, Zhuge Xiang had elevated his level by a full tier, as well as the Detoxification Pill—if it had been used purely for detoxification, Zhuge Xiang and the others might have already died in that cave, but Zhuge Xiang tossed it into the demonic moth's mouth and won the victory instead.
One had to admit that Zhuge Xiang was strong, but it wasn't through sheer combat power alone; rather, he knew how to perfectly utilize all the resources he possessed to exert their maximum effect. Therefore, he could reach this step today...
The Courage Medal was used up, and he had also fulfilled his wish by advancing his cultivation to the Qi Cultivation Realm Fifth Layer. There was no longer any reason for Zhuge Xiang to linger, and he turned and departed.
Blood soaked Green Willow Peak. Zhuge Xiang left step by step, leaving behind over a thousand disciples below the Qi Cultivation Realm Fourth Layer on Green Willow Peak who gazed at his departing back with complex expressions filled with anger, hatred, and dread...
The fifteen hundred-odd newcomer disciples followed behind Zhuge Xiang and returned to Green Bamboo Peak. The hour was no longer early; after Zhuge Xiang got some food at the dining hall and ate it, he returned to his room and began taking stock of his harvest this time.
It was worth mentioning that the dining hall at the Asura Headquarters offered meals that were completely incomparable to what the probation disciples had previously experienced. Whether it was the vegetables or the rice, all were cultivated from fertile land brimming with spiritual Qi, while the meat consisted entirely of monster beast flesh. Coupled with the giant cauldron in the dining hall, which was itself an immensely massive treasure artifact, this meal was rich in spiritual Qi and possessed incalculable help for the cultivation of the disciples under the sect.
This chaotic melee had provided immense help to Zhuge Xiang, not merely elevating him by a single tier, but also yielding a bountiful drop of items. About ten Qi Recovery Pills and ten Healing Pills each had dropped, alongside seven magic artifacts. The magic artifacts Zhuge Xiang lacked were now supplemented; another ring and two bracers had already been equipped. With several more magic artifacts worn on his person, Zhuge Xiang's comprehensive strength became even stronger.
Silk Cloth Bracer (One-Star Artifact): Defense 8-12, Passive: Healing Speed +3, Durability 18/22, Weight 2.
Cloud Pattern Bracer (One-Star Artifact): Defense 6-15, Passive: Defense +5%, Durability 20/20, Weight 2.
Ring of the Berserk Bear (Two-Star Magic Artifact): Attack 18-26, Passive: Hitting the target's vital point has a 10% chance to trigger a critical strike, Durability 18/19, Weight 1.
Aside from pills and equipment, a special item and a skill book had also dropped. Qi Energy Bodyguard was a skill book that required the Body Tempering Realm to cultivate, so it could not be used just yet. In addition, there was a Clone Phantom Scroll.
Clone Phantom Scroll (Special Consumable): Instantly swaps the user's true body with their shadow, transforming the shadow into the true body to endure attacks while the true body hides within the shadow. Un-seercraftable below the God Transformation Realm.
These were all the spoils brought by Zhuge Xiang's massive uproar on Green Willow Peak—the Steel Secret Medicine and the Courage Medal. Zhuge Xiang was extremely satisfied with this harvest. With the cultivation of the Qi Cultivation Realm Fifth Layer and these items, his strength had grown even stronger. Coupled with those Healing Pills and Qi Recovery Pills, his safety coefficient would be even higher if he went down the mountain for practical training. Particularly the Clone Phantom Scroll, which was simply an unrivaled magical treasure for preserving one's life. As long as he held this in his hand, it was equivalent to having an extra life.
Of the seven dropped magic artifacts, Zhuge Xiang could use three himself. The remaining four one-star artifacts were tossed by Zhuge Xiang all at once into his storage belt to be thrown to Niu Geng tomorrow.
Having reached the Qi Cultivation Realm Fifth Layer, according to the sect's rules, he could select yet another martial art and had also gained a skill point. Seeing that the hour was no longer early, Zhuge Xiang harbored these thoughts in his mind and promptly fell asleep fully clothed.
Zhuge Xiang ate his fill and slept soundly, but the disciples of Green Willow Peak at this moment were unable to sleep the entire night. For a full year, they had suffered oppression from the senior disciples. Having finally waited for the year to pass and expecting to turn the tables, they never imagined the reality would be even more cruel.
All the experts—disciples above the Qi Cultivation Realm Fifth Layer—had actually been knocked down single-handedly by a newcomer disciple. These Green Willow Peak disciples could already imagine how others would ridicule them in the future within the Asura Headquarters.
On Green Willow Peak, blood flowed freely as a group of handymen toiled to wash away the bloodstains on the peak while whispering among themselves. Today, Zhuge Xiang's rampage on Green Willow Peak, fighting over a hundred disciples above the Qi Cultivation Realm Fifth Layer entirely on his own—such a major event was enough to become anyone's dinner-table conversation. Toward the strength Zhuge Xiang had displayed, they felt an involuntary, heartfelt shock. A mere newcomer disciple—just how had he managed to accomplish this?
Tread, tread, tread...
Deep in the night, a crisp and audible sound of footsteps drifted over. Hearing these footsteps, several handymen who were washing the bloodstains on Green Willow Peak turned their heads, their complexions instantly shifting slightly: "Zhang Kuang!? That is? A Two-Star Monster Beast!?"
Amidst the dark night, a figure walked past. He appeared to be a youth of sixteen or seventeen, yet he possessed red hair and crimson eyes, his expression brimming with an untamed and unyielding air. Slung across his shoulder was a purplish-red-furred tiger—was that not the two-star demonic beast, the Purple-Haired Tiger?
Zhang Kuang was the greatest genius of Green Willow Peak. As early as a few months ago, he had already attained the cultivation of the Qi Cultivation Realm Seventh Layer. Within the Asura Headquarters, he was fundamentally a mission maniac, constantly accepting tasks for practical training down the mountain. Nine and a half days out of ten, he was absent from headquarters. Never had they expected that upon returning today, he would actually shoulder back the corpse of a two-star demonic beast.
"Could it be? He has already reached the Body Tempering Realm? How is this possible?" Gazing at Zhang Kuang walking over step by step, several handymen wore looks of awe and hurriedly retreated to the side.
The two-star demonic beast, the Purple-Haired Tiger, was something he had expended immense effort to finally slay. With the mission completed, the materials on the Purple-Haired Tiger could also fetch a good price at headquarters. It was just that the hour was too late now and the trading area was already closed, so Zhang Kuang could only shoulder the Purple-Haired Tiger's corpse back first. However, as he reached Green Willow Peak, Zhang Kuang's footsteps paused slightly.
His nose twitched as he looked at the eye-catching bloodstains on Green Willow Peak, which were clearly left behind after a massive battle involving hundreds of people. A massive battle? The thought that he had actually missed a battle of hundreds caused a look of regret to surface on Zhang Kuang's face.
Turning his head sideways, his crimson pupils gazed at the several awed handymen nearby, and he spoke: "What is the meaning of this? Why are there so many bloodstains on this Green Willow Peak?"
(PS: Many thanks to book friend "Liudao ╭ Fusheng" for the 100 Qidian coins tip. Seeking tickets and collections!)
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