Slaying

Twenty-two days remained until Assessment Day.

The Blood Desolate Land.

Lin Shuguang swiftly and deftly dissected the Desolate Ghost Ape corpses on the ground. His two powerful saber techniques had let him kill with ease in this encounter.

His Blood Energy Value had easily surged by nearly a hundred points. It was quite a haul.

After packing up his spoils, he suppressed the hunger inside him and found a secluded spot to rest and eat. He deftly opened the jerky he had prepared in his pack, tore off a piece, stuffed it into his mouth, and chewed expressionlessly.

"If I want to improve any faster, I can only keep heading deeper."

Meanwhile, at the edge of the Blood Desolate Land.

Zhang Fan, who had met Lin Shuguang once before, had returned with his squad to hunt again.

"Captain, today's the last day, and we still haven't found the Blood Sea Heart Lotus. Could the intel be wrong?" a teammate asked worriedly.

Four days earlier, their hunter squad had accepted a commission to find a Blood Sea Heart Lotus.

It was a kind of treasure medicine containing powerful blood energy. Each plant bore twenty-four lotus seeds and was exceptionally rare.

Had their employer not offered an extraordinarily high price and agreed to give them eight of the Blood Sea Heart Lotus's seeds, Zhang Fan would never have handed it over even if he found it.

"Impossible. There's absolutely nothing wrong with the intel," Zhang Fan said firmly. He unfolded the map and scanned it. "If it were that easy to find, what would they need us for? Blood Sea Heart Lotuses grow in cracks in the rock and have extremely strict environmental requirements. Today, we're searching deeper inside!"

One member's expression shifted slightly. "Captain, wouldn't that be too risky?"

The others looked hesitant as well.

The deeper they ventured into the Blood Desolate Land, the greater the danger.

Zhang Fan put away the map and said calmly, "I know your concerns, but this is our last chance. Some of you are applying for next month's apprentice assessment. If we complete this mission, you'll have enough cultivation resources, and your chances of passing will be much higher. High risk, high reward. Do I need to say more?"

Several members exchanged glances.

"Let's risk it!"

The corners of Zhang Fan's mouth lifted. "Then enough talk. Move out!"

Having eaten his fill, Lin Shuguang set off deeper inside again.

Perhaps even he had not expected that the farther he ventured into the Blood Desolate Land, the easier it would become to find traces of Desolate Ghost Apes.

In just one hour, he encountered two groups of Desolate Ghost Apes.

He even found Blood Heart Grass beside a cold pool.

Ten stalks in total-thirty thousand yuan in the bag!

But soon, a blood-red lotus growing in a crack in the cliff caught Lin Shuguang's eye.

"There's actually treasure medicine here?!"

He strode over and plucked the blood-red lotus. Its powerful blood energy fluctuations sent his mind rippling.

It was as though he could see bundles of banknotes falling into his pockets.

Just then, something suddenly whistled through the air.

Lin Shuguang's expression shifted slightly, and he dodged sideways.

An arrow shot viciously past his face.

Had Lin Shuguang not dodged in time, the arrow that buried itself straight into the cliff would likely have pierced him on the spot.

He frowned and looked over. Zhang Fan was approaching with his squad.

Facing Lin Shuguang from a distance, he looked utterly confident, as though he had Lin Shuguang right where he wanted him.

"We meet again."

"Hand over the Blood Sea Heart Lotus."

With a wave of his hand, the hunter squad members behind him immediately spread out to surround Lin Shuguang in a fan formation.

Lin Shuguang recognized Zhang Fan as well and narrowed his eyes. "What if I refuse?"

As he spoke, he tucked the Blood Sea Heart Lotus into his clothes.

"Refuse?" The corners of Zhang Fan's mouth rose slightly as he said disdainfully, "Take the courtesy you're offered. Do you really think you're some kind of hero?"

His gaze turned cold, and he ordered icily:

"Kill him! I want the Blood Sea Heart Lotus, and I want his pack too!"

Whoosh!

A figure suddenly dashed forward.

It was Lin Shuguang, striking first.

He pulled his saber out of thin air, stepped forward, and unleashed Star Prison Gale Slash with ferocious force.

Since there was no room for discussion, he would fight!

Lin Shuguang's strike carried a fierce, overbearing force. The air cracked as his saber slashed straight at the nearest man.

This guy?!

Zhang Fan froze.

He had never expected Lin Shuguang to actually dare strike first.

Then fury surged through him, and a vicious gleam blazed in his eyes.

He abruptly strode forward, his entire body taking on the form of a tiger as he pounced.

His fingers curled into claws, veins bulging as his hands attacked Lin Shuguang's throat one after the other.

He was not trying to save his companion-he wanted to kill Lin Shuguang on the spot!

Riiip-

In that split second, everyone heard the sound of something being torn apart.

They looked toward the sound.

They saw a great cloud of blood burst from one of their members' chests. He died on the spot without even getting a chance to attack.

Lin Shuguang sped through the bloody mist, expressionless, like the god of death.

Everyone watched in horror.

One strike, and they had lost a companion!

When they looked at Lin Shuguang again, their pupils constricted slightly. This man was not as weak as he appeared!

"You're courting death!" Zhang Fan roared in fury, having failed both to kill Lin Shuguang and to save his companion.

Lin Shuguang ignored his furious roar and raised his saber for another slash!

Roar-

Everyone seemed to hear a tiger's roar and a dragon's cry, and the hair all over their bodies abruptly stood on end.

The man Lin Shuguang was poised to attack shouted in alarm and formed a Seal Imprint with both hands.

His aura surged on the spot.

With a furious roar, he spat a stream of bright red lava from his mouth.

Like searing, blood-red molten iron, it tore through the air with sizzling bursts.

At the sight, even his companions hurriedly scattered, afraid of being caught in the attack.

He had opened with his ultimate move!

They could all understand why.

After all, the terrifying sight of Lin Shuguang killing a man on the spot with a single slash had been enough to make their blood run cold.

Nearby, Zhang Fan could not help stopping when he saw Wang Hu unleash his ultimate move.

He had teamed up with Wang Hu for three years and knew this move all too well.

In his eyes, Lin Shuguang was certain to die!

When he looked at Lin Shuguang again, he could not help seeing him as a dead man, a sneer forming at the corners of his mouth.

Yet Lin Shuguang neither dodged nor retreated.

The next second, pitch-black scale armor abruptly appeared on his airborne body and spread over him.

Enveloped from head to toe, Lin Shuguang looked like a demon god descending upon the world.

The lava everyone considered so terrifying slammed into Lin Shuguang, but a dense layer of special energy automatically gathered and blocked all the damage.

Apart from making Lin Shuguang feel a hint of scorching heat, it accomplished nothing.

"How is that possible?!"

Everyone paled in shock.

Lin Shuguang answered them with a downward slash.

Gale force surged like thunder.

In an instant, sand flew and stones scattered.

Shhk-

Amid that terrifying scene, Lin Shuguang's saber easily pierced Wang Hu's chest.

Wang Hu's eyes had already gone blank.

He could not understand why his most powerful strike had been blocked so easily.

He only had time to lower his head and glance at the hole in his chest...

With a splurt, a cloud of blood sprayed out, and he too died on the spot.

"Wang Hu!"

The others were stunned, their mouths hanging open.

They stared at the figure not far away, entirely encased in black War Armor, their hearts shaken.

"Demon God Armor!"

Zhang Fan stared fixedly at Lin Shuguang, enunciating every word.

[Thank you all for your support. If you have any spare recommendation votes, throw them Lin Shuguang's way so he can keep spending o(^▽^)o]