Whoosh-
The cold wind cut to the bone, its biting chill slicing across his face like little knives. Lin Shuguang finally stepped into the Blood Desolate Land.
Ever since he had begun practicing martial skills, his physical fitness had increased severalfold. Even so, he could still clearly feel a bone-piercing chill here in the Blood Desolate Land.
Blood-red gravel covered the ground as far as the eye could see. The dim tones made the Blood Desolate Land seem like a new world born apart from reality, albeit one with an extremely harsh environment.
A sense of desolation permeated the surroundings. In the distant valley, killing intent soared skyward amid gusts of sinister wind. Vaguely, Lin Shuguang kept feeling as though he was being watched...
Suppressing the strange feeling within him, Lin Shuguang strode forward, leaving footprints of varying depths in the gravel.
But soon, the cold wind swept past and covered those footprints again, leaving everything as it had been.
After walking for over half an hour, Lin Shuguang had yet to see the slightest sign of Desolate Ghost Ape activity. But on further thought, the business of hunting Desolate Ghost Apes had been around for a long time. Presumably, the hunters had wiped out all those near the exit.
He could only continue deeper into the Blood Desolate Land.
The deeper he went, the more vivid the blood-red color covering the ground became. As the terrain rose and fell, blood-red forests began to obstruct his previously broad field of vision.
Suddenly!
Lin Shuguang stopped. At nine o'clock, along the edge of the blood-red forest, he spotted several objects sprawled in disarray.
He approached for a closer look.
Corpses!
Aside from three Desolate Ghost Ape corpses, the remaining five were human bodies gnawed beyond recognition. Still, he could vaguely make out four men and one woman. Presumably, they had been a small hunting party that had encountered a large group of Desolate Ghost Apes and lost their lives.
Frowning slightly, Lin Shuguang approached.
This was his first time seeing a Desolate Ghost Ape corpse with his own eyes.
It was roughly 150 centimeters long, with an ape's body and long, thick limbs. The markings on its face resembled a ghostly mask, making it exceedingly ugly.
Lin Shuguang looked away, crouched, and touched the blood that had already congealed. It seemed the battle had taken place not long ago.
Turning his gaze to the corpses, Lin Shuguang helped himself without hesitation. His LV3 Bone Dissection let him effortlessly butcher the three Desolate Ghost Ape corpses. Probably because the small hunting party had struck in a panic, the hides of two Desolate Ghost Apes were mostly ruined, and four bones had all been hacked beyond recognition... But Lin Shuguang did not mind the loss.
Beneath the hunting party's bodies, he also found their earlier spoils: twelve fangs, five Desolate Beads, four intact bones, and three complete, bloodstained hides.
By his rough calculation, he had made over ten thousand without lifting a finger!
The people were wearing war armor, but unfortunately, it was all damaged. Seven or eight pill bottles lay buried in the gravel, but sadly, they were all empty too. He guessed that the people had swallowed the pills at the end in a desperate gamble, but clearly, they had lost-and paid with their lives.
Lin Shuguang quickly packed all the spoils together. Since they were inconvenient to carry, after burying the five people's remains, he hid the spoils as well.
After marking the spot, he sprang up the nearest large tree and gazed into the distance.
This was only the outskirts of the Blood Desolate Land. Far greater dangers lay deeper within.
The gruesome state of those corpses had already sent a chill through Lin Shuguang's heart. A five-person party had been wiped out just like that, while he was alone. The enormity of the risk needed no explanation.
So, should he keep going?
He had already reaped considerable rewards. Even if he returned now, the trip would not have been in vain.
After a moment, Lin Shuguang chose to press on.
"If I choose to back down on my very first try, what about afterward? Will I retreat every time?"
Since he had begun practicing martial skills, Lin Shuguang's disposition had changed somewhat, perhaps without even his own awareness.
He practiced the saber, and that meant forging ahead without hesitation, cutting down every trace of cowardice in his heart!
With his mind made up, Lin Shuguang set off deeper once more. He even hoped to encounter Desolate Ghost Apes and experience mortal danger firsthand, to awaken his potential and deepen his understanding of martial arts.
Undeniably, this was dangerous behavior, but it was also the most effective method.
Life-and-death combat was the greatest tempering!
If Lin Shuguang wanted to rise above others in this world where martial arts flourished, he had to steel himself.
Pushing aside the branches blocking his view, Lin Shuguang was about to continue when his expression suddenly turned serious.
Not far ahead, a Desolate Ghost Ape had its head lowered as it gnawed on half a corpse.
He immediately grew alert and quietly concealed himself. Scanning his surroundings and finding no other signs, he understood at once: this was a lone Desolate Ghost Ape!
"Desolate Ghost Apes have powerful arms and excel at fighting in mountain forests..."
Information kept flashing through Lin Shuguang's mind. While the Desolate Ghost Ape was too occupied to notice him, he carefully advanced step by step.
Thirty meters, twenty meters, ten meters...
The Desolate Ghost Ape abruptly stopped tearing at the corpse. Just as it was about to turn its head, Lin Shuguang moved.
"Now!"
His expression hardened, and he drove off the ground, shooting forward with a whoosh like an arrow loosed from a bow. He crossed seven or eight meters and suddenly appeared before the Desolate Ghost Ape as his Soul Ring flashed.
Before his eyes was a ghostly face bearing a hideous scar, its eyes giving off a bloodthirsty red glow that was about to flare...
The next second, the cold saber slashed down.
Shhk-
As a jet of blood spurted out, the large head flew high into the air.
The Desolate Ghost Ape died without even an intact corpse!
Everything happened in the blink of an eye. From his charge to the downward slash, none of the combat scenarios that had flashed through Lin Shuguang's mind had even had time to unfold before the lone Desolate Ghost Ape was dead!
Lin Shuguang held his saber. Strangely, he felt no discomfort at all; instead, he was rather eager for more. "Could it be because I'm used to slaughtering pigs?"
Shaking off the stray thought, Lin Shuguang looked at the message he had just received.
[Kill successful. Seized 3 cal of Blood Energy Value!]
3 cal!
Compared with killing poultry, this was incredibly profitable!
He looked at the Attribute Panel again.
- [Name]: Lin Shuguang; [Blood Energy Value]: 142 cal; [Skills]: Basic Body Refining Technique LV3 (increases Blood Energy Value by 1 cal daily), Bone Dissection LV3, Tiger Roar Saber Technique LV3; [Destined Soul]: Slaughter Blade (silver); (Description: possesses a certain degree of destructive power after manifestation); [Special Ability]: Absorption LV1 (can seize Blood Energy Value upon a successful kill) -
Lin Shuguang felt even more motivated. He still had his last four hundred yuan. Once his Blood Energy Value met the requirement, he could immediately upgrade the Tiger Roar Saber Technique to LV4!
He took out his dagger and began removing the bones. Only then did he discover that this Desolate Ghost Ape had already been wounded. Its hide was incomplete, and one of its legs was lame, though its fangs and Desolate Bead were intact. Presumably, it had been expelled from its group, but none of that had anything to do with him.
He placed the spoils in the pack he carried. Their weight was practically negligible.
"Now that signs of Desolate Ghost Apes have started appearing, I must be getting closer and closer to where they're active... I need to be even more careful to avoid drawing a large group."
Tightening his pack, Lin Shuguang continued making his way deeper, keeping his attention focused and constantly watching his surroundings with caution.
Half an hour later, he suddenly stopped and frowned at what lay ahead.
Rumble...
Before you continue