Spoils of War and Arrival at Cloud Creek City

The stench of blood mixed with dust in the canyon was nauseating.

The lingering rays of the setting sun dyed the entire battlefield a tragic, dark crimson.

Only after the last bandit had scrambled away and disappeared deep into the mountain forest did the surviving escorts erupt in cheers of relief, as if waking from a dream.

But soon, the cheers gradually died down. All eyes involuntarily turned to the youth standing quietly beside the corpse of the One-Eyed Dragon King.

Lin Xiao.

The name now carried a mysterious and terrifying aura in everyone's minds.

The tattered hemp clothes he wore remained spotless, an incongruous sight against the bloody environment. His slightly immature face showed no trace of emotion, as if the thrilling ambush had been no more than him crushing an ant.

Zhang Kui leaned on his Ghost-Head Saber, gasping for breath. He had several wounds, yet he felt no pain at all. He looked at Lin Xiao, his single eye filled with complex emotions—shock, gratitude, and a deep sense of apprehension.

He knew that even in his prime, his chances of defeating the Body Refinement Fifth Level One-Eyed Dragon King would not exceed thirty percent. Yet this youth had killed him in a flash, in a manner that was almost a complete annihilation!

This was beyond his understanding of genius. This was a monster!

Boss Zhao, the plump merchant, poked his round head out from behind the horse carriage. Seeing that the fight was over, he quickly tidied his clothes and scurried over with small steps.

He didn't check his goods first but ran straight to Lin Xiao, his face a mask of fawning smiles. He bowed deeply, "Young Hero Lin! If you hadn't turned the tide today, my hundred-plus pounds of flesh and this entire caravan's cargo would have been lost! My gratitude is beyond words. Please accept Zhao Defa's bow!"

His posture was extremely humble, even using the respectful term "you."

Lin Xiao glanced at him and said indifferently, "I was just protecting myself."

He bent down and began searching the One-Eyed Dragon King's corpse. He never stood on ceremony when it came to spoils of war.

Soon, he found a heavy money pouch and a small booklet wrapped in oilcloth in the One-Eyed Dragon King's embrace.

He opened the money pouch. Inside were over a dozen glittering gold coins and some loose silver. Gold coins! One gold coin was equal to one hundred silver coins. This windfall was enough to provide a common family with a lifetime of food and clothing.

His heart beat slightly faster, but his expression remained unchanged as he put away the money pouch. Then, he opened the oilcloth package.

Inside was a thread-bound manual. The cover bore four ancient characters—Cloak Axe Technique.

[System Notification: Discovered Human-Tier Low-Grade Martial Skill Cloak Axe Technique. Learn?]

[Martial Skill Description: Cloak Axe Technique is a close-combat axe technique that emphasizes momentum and power. Its attacks are broad and powerful, with considerable might. Cultivated to great mastery, it can cleave metal and shatter stone.]

A martial skill!

Lin Xiao's breathing quickened. He had the realm and strength, but lacked any decent offensive skills. He had been relying on the system's weakness analysis and his past life's combat techniques. This martial skill perfectly addressed his biggest shortcoming!

Although it was an axe technique and didn't match his dagger, the power generation methods and move variations could be applied universally.

"Learn!" he thought silently.

Instantly, a stream of information about axe techniques flooded his mind. Chop, hack, slash, cut... each move and stance was clearly imprinted in his memory.

[System Notification: Successfully learned Cloak Axe Technique. Current proficiency 0/1000.]

Seeing this, a flicker of greed flashed in Zhang Kui and Boss Zhao's eyes, but they quickly suppressed it. They knew that the youth's possessions were not something they could covet.

After finishing this, Lin Xiao stood up and said to Zhang Kui, "Team Leader Zhang, clean up the battlefield. There should be some more valuables on these bandits."

"Yes, yes! It's all up to Young Hero Lin!" Zhang Kui quickly nodded and bowed, his demeanor a hundred times more respectful than before.

The rest was simple.

The escorts began to clear the battlefield, tend to the wounded, and collect spoils. Lin Xiao did not interfere further, merely finding a clean spot to sit cross-legged and begin digesting the gains from the battle and his learning.

Although this battle seemed easy for him, it had been a huge drain on his mental energy. Especially when directing the entire battle, he had to process a massive amount of information fed back by the system panel simultaneously, which was a great test of his mental strength.

Fortunately, his previous mental attribute had reached the mortal limit of 10 points, and after killing the One-Eyed Dragon King, he had even surpassed it.

He brought up his status panel, feeling a surge of satisfaction.

[Name: Lin Xiao]

[Realm: Body Refinement Second Level (4/200)]

[Level: 4 (36/100)]

[Strength: 9 (Exceeds Mortal)]

[Agility: 10 (Exceeds Mortal)]

[Spirit: 11 (Exceeds Mortal)]

[Cultivation Method: Qi Gathering Art (Proficiency 45/100)]

[Martial Skill: Cloak Axe Technique (Proficiency 0/1000)]

After his level increased to 4, his realm naturally broke through from Body Refinement First Level to Body Refinement Second Level! His Strength, Agility, and Spirit attributes had all surpassed the mortal limit!

This was the rapid growth brought by battle and slaughter!

As night fell, the caravan did not continue their journey but chose to rest in the canyon.

The bonfire burned brightly, but the atmosphere was eerily quiet. All the escorts kept their distance from Lin Xiao, not daring to approach easily.

Zhang Kui and Boss Zhao came together, respectfully placing all the plundered wealth before Lin Xiao.

"Young Hero Lin, this is all the spoils from this haul. A total of thirty-seven gold coins and over five hundred silver coins. According to the rules of the road, you get seventy percent!" Zhang Kui said.

Lin Xiao glanced at the pile of gold and silver and shook his head, "I'll only take what I deserve. I killed the bandit leader, so his possessions are mine. You can distribute the rest based on merit. Make sure the families of the fallen brothers are well compensated."

He knew that winning people's hearts was more important than extorting money.

Upon hearing this, Zhang Kui and Boss Zhao were both stunned, and then their eyes revealed expressions of immense gratitude and admiration.

"Young Hero, your righteousness is commendable!" Zhang Kui bowed deeply. "On behalf of my fallen brothers, I thank you!"

That night, Lin Xiao's image in everyone's hearts shifted from a terrifying "monster" to one with a touch of "benevolence and righteousness."

The rest of the journey encountered no further setbacks.

With the great god Lin Xiao holding the fort, ordinary petty thieves and ruffians didn't dare to approach.

Lin Xiao also enjoyed the leisure, spending most of his time in the carriage, cultivating the Qi Gathering Art while mentally rehearsing the moves of the Cloak Axe Technique.

Although he didn't have an axe in hand, he could integrate the force-generating techniques of the axe art into his punches, kicks, and dagger, making his attacks more fierce and threatening.

Five days later, the outline of a magnificent city finally appeared at the edge of the horizon.

The city walls were dozens of feet high, built from massive bluestones, shimmering with an ancient and heavy luster under the sun. Flags fluttered and armored soldiers stood guard along the walls. A wide moat, like a jade belt, encircled the entire city.

Even from a distance, one could feel the prosperity and grandeur emanating from the city.

Cloud Creek City!

One of the largest cities in the eastern part of the Skywind Kingdom, and the only city within a thousand-mile radius with a first-class cultivation academy!

Lin Xiao stood on the carriage, gazing at the colossal city, and couldn't help but feel a sense of awe. Compared to Cloud Creek City, Qingyang City, where he had stayed before, was like a small village in the countryside.

The others in the caravan also showed expressions of excitement and longing.

"We're finally here!" Boss Zhao was so excited that tears welled up in his eyes.

As the caravan slowly approached the city gate, the number of pedestrians on the official road increased. There were richly dressed merchants, mercenaries with swords on their backs, hurried scholars, and occasionally even one or two truly powerful cultivators riding exotic beast mounts.

The prosperity and vitality here were far beyond what Qingyang City could compare to.

After paying a considerable entry tax, the caravan successfully entered Cloud Creek City.

The scene within the city further broadened Lin Xiao's horizons. The wide streets were paved with flat bluestone slabs, wide enough for eight carriages to travel side-by-side. On both sides of the street were countless shops, restaurants, and inns, with constant calls of vendors, shouts, and laughter, creating a scene of bustling prosperity.

The air itself seemed to be filled with spiritual energy several times denser than that in the wilderness.

The caravan stopped in front of a large warehouse within the city.

Boss Zhao successfully handed over the goods and received a large sum of the final payment, his face splitting into a wide smile.

The time for farewell had arrived.

"Young Hero Lin, here is the agreed-upon payment of twenty silver coins. Additionally, this is a small token of my personal appreciation, please accept it!" Boss Zhao handed over a money bag, which contained twenty silver coins and five gold coins.

Lin Xiao did not refuse; it was what he deserved.

Zhang Kui also walked over and handed Lin Xiao a black iron token engraved with the character "Wind".

"Young Hero Lin, this is the token of our Black Wind Escort Agency. In the future, if you need anything from our agency in Cloud Creek City, just bring this token to our main office in the west of the city and find me. As long as I, Zhang Kui, can help, I will not refuse!" he said solemnly, his words filled with sincerity. He wanted to befriend this young man with boundless potential.

"Thank you," Lin Xiao accepted the iron token and cupped his fists towards everyone. "Farewell for now, we shall meet again."

With that, he turned and merged into the bustling crowd without any hesitation, disappearing quickly.

Zhang Kui watched his receding figure, silent for a long time, his single eye filled with emotion. He knew that this hidden dragon would eventually soar to the heavens, and they might just be insignificant passersby in his life.

Lin Xiao walked alone on the bustling streets of Cloud Creek City.

He first found a clothing shop and changed out of his tattered clothes, donning a clean and neat black martial outfit. Then, he went to a weapon shop and spent a gold coin to buy a dagger made of fine steel, replacing his rusty weapon that had long been unable to bear the load.

Looking refreshed, he no longer resembled a refugee but rather a young master from a prominent family out for training.

He found a relatively clean-looking inn and checked in.

In the room, Lin Xiao emptied all his possessions onto the bed.

Forty-two gold coins, several silver coins. One first-tier low-grade demon core. Human-Tier Low-Grade Martial Skill Cloak Axe Technique. Black Wind Escort Agency token.

This was his first fortune in this world, earned by risking his own life!

Looking at these items, Lin Xiao felt an unprecedented sense of satisfaction and security.

He didn't rush to inquire about the cultivation academy. He knew that what he needed most now was to quickly convert his strength into actual combat power.

For the next few days, he didn't leave his room at the inn, shutting himself in and cultivating madly.

He used gold coins to buy large amounts of meat from the innkeeper. These energy-rich foods provided ample support for his cultivation.

During the day, he rehearsed the Cloak Axe Technique in his mind and tried to integrate it into his dagger techniques. At night, he circulated the Qi Gathering Art with all his might, absorbing the spiritual energy in Cloud Creek City, which was far denser than that in the wilderness.

His strength was improving at an astonishing rate.

[Qi Gathering Art Proficiency +5]

[Cloak Axe Technique Proficiency +10]

[Realm Advancement! Current Realm: Body Refinement Third Level!]

A week later, when Lin Xiao opened his eyes again, his realm had successfully broken through to Body Refinement Third Level! And the proficiency of the Cloak Axe Technique had reached the minor accomplishment stage.

He could feel that the spiritual energy within his body was several times more abundant than before. Now, he was confident that he could kill an opponent like the One-Eyed Dragon King head-on within ten moves!

"It's time."

Lin Xiao stood up and pushed open the window, gazing in the direction of the city center.

There, towering buildings pierced the clouds, appearing and disappearing, emanating a solemn and ancient aura.

That was the location of Cloud Creek Academy.

It was also the ultimate destination of his journey.

His eyes burned with the flame called ambition.

Talent test? Mortal-Grade Inferior?