Battle, Enlightenment

"HAHAHA! Boss, look, he's running toward us!"

"Has this kid gone crazy? Does he think he can take on all five of us by himself?"

"Damn it, shut the hell up, all of you! Out in the Wilderness, no one can be underestimated!"

Baldie truly had the makings of a boss. After rebuking his subordinates, he turned a grave gaze toward Jiang Yan, who was sprinting toward them.

"This boy..."

"Get your heads in the game! There's something wrong with this guy."

Jiang Yan pushed his Body Tempering Perfection to the limit and charged forward with Swiftness beneath his feet. A fierce gust swept through the road behind him. The longsaber in his hand dripped with blood, and a faint killing intent radiated from his body.

Killing intent could neither be seen nor touched, yet it truly existed. After a day of fighting, Heaven Rewards Diligence had thoroughly condensed that aura within Jiang Yan. Now, as it erupted in an instant, it startled the others into repeatedly glancing his way.

Baldie's expression slipped out of control. Having survived in the Wilderness for so long, he knew exactly who could be provoked and who could not.

"This is a damn student?"

With his longsaber in hand, Jiang Yan had already closed in. The perfected Basic Saber Technique carried no flashy effects. It was simply a pure saber edge, slashing down at one of them.

"You brat, do you really think you're invincible?"

The one being struck was Skinny, the archer. He cursed angrily as a short blade slipped from his sleeve, and he forcibly received Jiang Yan's descending saber strike.

The longsaber and broken blade carved graceful arcs through the air before colliding, sparks flying in every direction.

Skinny said, "No, the force is wrong."

Clang!

The broken blade was sliced in half like mud. Skinny's pupils contracted as he watched the longsaber continue on without losing momentum, sweeping toward his neck.

Slish—

His head separated from his body, blood spurting like a pillar.

The saber edge grew even more fearsome, and the remaining four all trembled in terror.

"Get him together!"

Baldie was the first to react. Wearing a pair of iron Boxing Gloves, he charged forward and smashed a punch toward Jiang Yan.

Jiang Yan narrowed his eyes. Baldie's aura was even stronger than his.

"Blood Coagulation?"

He licked the corner of his lips, and the Battle Intent in his eyes intensified.

"I'll fight you anyway!"

The saber edge swept out, only to be blocked by the Boxing Gloves. The others quietly appeared behind him, but sneak attacks were completely useless against Jiang Yan, who possessed Desperate Truth.

It was as though he had Spider Sense. With a leap, he evaded the ambush from behind.

System Log Updated

"You are in an intense battle. Battlefield Intuition has slightly improved."

"You have fallen into a desperate one-against-many situation. Thick-Skinned Physique has greatly improved."

Jiang Yan looked at them as though they were treasures yet to be unearthed, the excitement in his eyes nearly overflowing.

"Then let you be sacrifices to my saber!"

His saber strikes became even faster. His figure flickered like a ghost among the four, and someone would be injured every so often.

The more they fought, the more something felt wrong. Before their eyes, Jiang Yan's saber technique was becoming increasingly refined. They clearly saw no special effects from any martial skill, yet the genuine pressure it exerted could not be underestimated.

"Could this damn thing be the Basic Saber Technique?"

Baldie was horrified. After fighting for so long, he had not been able to make out what martial skill Jiang Yan was using. Then, after thinking it over, he realized it was that Basic Saber Technique everyone knew.

"Is this kid a monster? He trained Basic Saber Technique to this level?"

Baldie felt uneasy. The longer they fought, the less confidence he had, and he even began to harbor thoughts of retreat.

His stamina was beginning to fail.

In contrast, Jiang Yan was full of vigor, growing more forceful the longer he fought and suppressing them until they could not lift their heads.

Pssh—

Jiang Yan's saber tip pierced through two more throats. Only Baldie and one woman remained standing in the field.

"Fuck, looks like I can only do that."

Baldie pulled a white medicine bottle from his pocket. Just as he was about to take it, a flash of saber light swept past.

"AAAAAH!"

A brown arm flew through the air. While it was still airborne, the saber edge swept repeatedly, chopping the severed arm into eight pieces.

The medicine bottle fell to the ground. Jiang Yan stepped on it, and his calm voice rang out:

"No taking drugs during a fight."

Bang!

He crushed the medicine bottle beneath his foot.

Having lost an arm, Baldie's strength plummeted. Jiang Yan made short work of him and sent his saber into Baldie's chest.

Baldie, dead.

Only the woman remained at the scene.

"Don't... don't kill me!"

"Big brother, I can do anything! Don't kill me!"

The woman frantically tore off her clothes, tears already streaming down her face. She regretted beyond measure ever deciding to rob this Demon Lord.

A flash of saber light streaked past, and the woman's movements froze.

Rumble, rumble...

She saw herself kneeling there.

Jiang Yan sheathed his saber.

System Log Updated:

"You accomplished the feat of fighting one against five with a saber. Your understanding of the saber has increased."

"Your Thick-Skinned Physique blocked much of the damage for you. After the battle, Thick-Skinned Physique appears to be beginning a transformation."

"You have experienced a thoroughly exhilarating battle. Your physique has slightly improved."

Jiang Yan closed his eyes and sensed the obvious changes in his body.

He saw the opportunity for transformation, but it was not enough!

He needed more battles.

After searching through their corpses, Jiang Yan collected around ten thousand Star Coins, aside from some useless bank cards.

There was also a pair of Boxing Gloves, a Longsword, and various odds and ends that looked somewhat useful.

He stuffed everything into a large sack and headed for the Exchange.

Jiang Yan was still covered in blood. Rather than drawing ridicule, that appearance deepened people's impression of him, adding a trace of respect to their eyes.

Shorty was already waiting at the place from that morning.

Jiang Yan walked over and set the huge black sack on the ground, making the earth tremble.

"Congratulations, you've returned with a full haul," Shorty flattered him.

Jiang Yan did not want to waste words and asked directly, "Did you bring Explosive Step?"

Shorty nodded with a smile. "I brought it, I brought it."

As he spoke, he pulled a yellowed book from behind his black robe.

"How much?"

"Fifty thousand."

Jiang Yan frowned slightly. "Too expensive. You dare charge this much for black-market goods?"

Shorty chuckled. "Customer, everything can be negotiated."

Jiang Yan said, "Then ten thousand."

Shorty nearly spat out a mouthful of blood. Smiling bitterly, he said, "Customer, ten thousand is too little, unless..."

Jiang Yan said, "Speak plainly."

With a snicker, Shorty pointed at the huge black sack on the ground. "Unless you sell me the things in there."

Jiang Yan understood. This guy wanted to expand his supply.

After pondering for a moment, Jiang Yan agreed.

"From now on, I'll sell you all the materials I gather in the Wilderness. In return, give me a ninety percent discount on all your black-market goods. How about it?"

Shorty was delighted. "Deal!"

A win-win situation.

Jiang Yan supplied a large quantity of goods, so Shorty would have no problem selling them at full price. Shorty's black-market stock was limited and sold item by item. Jiang Yan would not want too much either, so selling it at a ninety percent discount would not cost him much.

Jiang Yan counted the items in the black sack, and Shorty priced all of them according to the Exchange's market rates.