You Can't Hold Back Anymore

"At least it wasn't all for nothing."

Wei Qing said, bending down to reach for the bone spur.

Just as his fingertips were about to touch it—

"Whoosh!"

The bone spur suddenly sprang up, shooting toward Wei Qing's face like a sharp sword.

A metallic clang rang out as the bone spur was struck by the Soul Severing Blade.

Cracks instantly spread across the bone spur.

Wei Qing's figure flickered, and the Soul Severing Blade swung out again.

The bone spur tried to dodge, but it was a moment too late.

With a "crack," it shattered into pieces, scattering across the ground.

Immediately after, the surrounding environment shifted once more. The darkness receded, and the courtyard returned to light.

Five meters away, a pure white Two-tailed Demonic Cat glared at Wei Qing with a pair of heterochromatic pupils—one blue, one gold—burning with hatred.

Information about the Two-tailed Demonic Cat before him quickly surfaced in his mind:

Spiritual Stream Demonic Cat, a Psychic Demon, fond of devouring mental power, skilled in mental control. The number of tails represents its power level; each rank advancement grows a new tail.

Weakness: insufficient physical defense.

Seeing that Wei Qing's eyes had regained clarity, the demonic cat pushed off the ground with all four limbs, ready to flee.

The illusion was broken.

The puppet was destroyed.

With both trump cards nullified, facing Wei Qing's attack head-on, it had no confidence of winning.

A cold flash streaked by. The blade grazed the demonic cat's neck. Snow-white fur scattered as the cat's head separated from its body.

In the last moment before its consciousness faded, it saw its own headless body still frozen in the motion of escape, while its remaining tail gradually dissipated.

Then, a red light orb merged into Wei Qing's body.

[Ding! Slain Eighth-Rank Mid Stage Spiritual Stream Demonic Cat]

[Mental Power +53, Strength +66, Constitution +69. Dropped items: Mental Skull (fusable), Technique "Nanke's Dream"]

"Fuse!"

[Ding! Fusion complete. Mental Power +50]

As the system's voice faded, the Mental Skull dissolved into countless strands of deep blue light that surged into his mind.

Immediately after, Wei Qing sensed his mental power skyrocketing.

His vision also grew sharper. Twenty meters away, two ants fighting over food were clearly visible to him.

Even more astonishing was the change in his comprehension—

The originally obscure and difficult saber techniques automatically deconstructed, constantly reassembling and fusing in his mind, ultimately condensing into the most straightforward slash.

[Flowing Cloud Slash has broken through to the Perfection Realm. Automatically comprehended Profound Meaning: Lotus Blossom!]

[Lotus Blossom: Saber speed increased by 300%. Capable of cutting intangible things.]

The mental technique "Nanke's Dream" began circulating on its own, skipping the entry stage and directly reaching the Minor Achievement Level.

Wei Qing closed his eyes and focused. Every rustle and movement within twenty zhang was clearly discernible.

[Host: Wei Qing]

[Age: 16]

[Realm: Eighth-Rank Martial Artist (Peak)]

[Mental Power: 297]

[Strength: 236]

[Constitution: 235]

[Martial Skill: Flowing Cloud Slash (Perfection) — Profound Meaning: Lotus Blossom]

[Technique: Nanke's Dream (Minor Achievement)]

Cultivation techniques are divided into four grades: Heaven, Earth, Profound, Yellow. Mastery levels are: Entry, Minor Achievement, Major Achievement, Perfection.

Nine out of ten martial artists are stuck at Minor Achievement.

Those at Major Achievement can almost be invincible within the same rank.

Those who comprehend Perfection can fight across realms with ease.

Profound Meaning is a powerful move only possessed by techniques of Earth Grade and above!

Wei Qing clenched his fist, the corner of his mouth lifting slightly.

"At the Ninth Rank, 30 attribute points advance one minor realm. After the Eighth Rank, 50 attribute points advance one minor realm. Counting just mental power, I can now rival a Seventh-Rank Initial Stage martial artist."

"With the Nanke's Dream mental technique, combined with a perfected Flowing Cloud Slash."

"Even if I face a Seventh-Rank Peak or even a Sixth-Rank Initial Stage demon this time, I won't be afraid."

The moment the two-tailed Spirit Stream Demonic Cat was slain—

Far away in Yandang Mountain, a dark cave trembled violently, rocks tumbling down.

Inside the cave, a pair of blood-red eyes snapped open, erupting with terrifying killing intent.

"Who? Who dares kill my child?"

With a roar that shook the heavens, a four-tailed Spirit Stream Demonic Cat, five meters tall, burst through the cave's stone ceiling.

Its pure white fur stood on end, its wet nose twitching slightly.

"Whoever you are... I will make you pay blood for blood!"

The four-tailed Spirit Stream Demonic Cat howled at the sky, its dreadful sound waves shaking the air for a thousand meters around, causing birds and beasts to explode into gore.

The next moment, its form turned into a white streak of lightning, racing toward Dragon Cave Village.

"Lord Wei, are you alright?" Zhu Huan looked at Wei Qing with deep concern, glancing around the room. "I noticed that after you entered the door, you went completely still."

"Is there a demon..."

"Pfft!"

Before Zhu Huan could finish, Wei Qing spat out a mouthful of blood, his face instantly turning deathly pale.

His legs gave way, and he collapsed to the ground.

"Lord Wei..."

Zhu Huan hurried forward to support him.

Suddenly.

A flash of cold light burst forth, stabbing straight toward Wei Qing's heart.

"Clang!"

The sound of metal clashing rang out as the Soul Slaying Blade, reversed in Wei Qing's grip, precisely blocked the dagger gleaming with black light.

The sparks from the collision illuminated Zhu Huan's stunned eyes.

"You're fine?"

"You finally couldn't hold back anymore."

Zhu Huan leaped backward with his blade, retreating five meters away, shaking his head with a sigh. "People from the Heavenly Realm Division are really hard to kill. It's always like this!"

"Why betray the human race?"

"Heh heh... Naturally, to get what I want."

"Rise!"

As he spoke, Zhu Huan's hands formed seals at lightning speed. Vicious black Demonic Marks spread upward from his neck, crawling across his entire face in an instant.

At the center of his brow, a bizarre demonic eye appeared.

At the same time, his aura surged wildly.

In a single breath, it broke through to Eighth-Rank Initial Stage... Eighth-Rank Mid Stage...

Until Seventh-Rank Initial Stage, the surging momentum began to slow.

Finally, it settled just before breaking through to Seventh-Rank Mid Stage.

"This power... it's intoxicating!"

Zhu Huan clenched his fist, a sickly, ecstatic expression on his face.

Wei Qing's voice was cold. "Do you know the price of that power?"

"Price." Zhu Huan paused at the words, then burst into laughter, his eyes bloodshot. "Haha, it'd be better if they all died."

"Ever since they killed my mother, I've wished every moment for them all to perish!"

"Even if the Imperial Court doesn't exterminate the three clans, after I kill you, I'll send them all down to apologize to my mother."

The moment the words left his mouth, Zhu Huan's figure flickered, leaving only an afterimage in the air.

In an instant, he appeared before Wei Qing.

His hand formed a claw, striking straight for the throat.

Wei Qing sidestepped, the claw grazing past his neck and tearing a one-inch-deep gash into the bluestone floor.

With a "crack," the entire stone slab shattered from the point of impact, fragments flying everywhere.

Seizing the moment, Wei Qing kicked hard toward his Dantian.

Seeing this, Zhu Huan smiled eerily and took the blow head-on.

But the scene Wei Qing expected—of his opponent gravely wounded—never came.

Instead, Zhu Huan's abdomen suddenly caved in at a bizarre angle, as if he had no bones.