Master, Let's Go Slay the Demon Race!

Miasma drifted through the marsh.

It was not created by any particular Magic Beast, but had always existed in this stretch of marshland.

Decaying vegetation and Magic Beast carcasses had naturally formed one of the area's inherent dangers.

Long Haoyu's temperament underwent a complete transformation. Standing atop a dead tree trunk, he calmly watched the approaching horde of Magic Beasts, utterly unaffected by the miasma.

As his Instinct was fully unleashed, the excitement around him seemed to vanish, replaced by a cold arrogance that seemed capable of looking down upon everything.

No Edge's resonant hum became even more distinct. The bracer formed by Little Coal Ball trembled wildly, yearning for even more frenzied slaughter.

Long Haoyu lightly ran his fingers over No Edge. "No rush!"

Though No Edge continued to hum, it quieted considerably.

The layer of blood-red staining its black blade slowly seeped into the sword itself.

The Magic Beast horde was close.

A mass of enraged Magic Beasts surged in.

Even some Magic Beasts that usually dwelled in the water had climbed onto land at this moment.

Without exception, they all regarded Long Haoyu as prey.

Soon, the first wave of the Magic Beast army charged in. Long Haoyu watched the Magic Beasts that had entered his attack range.

His pupils, narrowed to pinpoints, suddenly expanded. Every Magic Beast's movements seemed to become incredibly sluggish.

Holding No Edge, Long Haoyu advanced toward the Magic Beast horde. He moved with the ease of a leisurely stroll, yet was fast as lightning.

"Fatal Stab!"

His afterimage stretched long behind him.

Long Haoyu appeared directly behind the Magic Beast horde.

Amid the surging golden radiance, countless gray streams of air mixed in.

Gold and gray intertwined, leaving a long gash through the air.

Puff, puff, puff—

Blood holes of identical size suddenly appeared on the bodies of one Magic Beast after another.

Blood Lotus bloomed amid the bloody mist, and the scattering rain of blood fell into the marsh's muddy pools.

Behind Long Haoyu, Magic Beasts fell one after another. The supreme pride and majesty radiating from him after his Instinct was unleashed became the only melody here.

"Master, I think I'm almost meeting the requirements for my first growth."

At that moment, No Edge spoke.

Having gradually calmed, No Edge's voice was much more composed now.

Long Haoyu tightened his grip on No Edge's hilt. Feeling the vibrations of Little Coal Ball on his wrist, the bloodthirsty sensation surged even more fiercely.

"I know."

"Almost meeting them means you haven't met them yet!"

"Slaughter every one of these Magic Beasts rushing at us. That should be enough!"

Long Haoyu spoke indifferently.

He turned around and calmly looked at the other Magic Beasts.

The many Magic Beasts that had been wildly violent moments ago now sensed the soul-deep pressure emanating from Long Haoyu.

Their frenzy came to a halt. Every charging body stopped, and some of the fastest Magic Beasts had to brake with their faces before finally coming to a steady stop.

After scrambling back up, they had completely lost their ferocity. Looking at Long Haoyu's slender figure, they instinctively retreated.

Every pair of eyes was filled with terror and horror.

"Only now do you want to run?"

"Unfortunately, you can't escape!"

Long Haoyu murmured softly.

Raising No Edge, he fixed his gaze on the Magic Beasts once more.

There was no such thing as mercy with him. Either he would be killed by Magic Beasts, or the Magic Beasts would be killed by him.

This cruel world had always been bound by such laws of survival.

The slaughter continued across Haoyue Marsh.

Time slipped away like sand through one's fingers, and in the blink of an eye, a year and a half had passed.

Deep within Haoyue Marsh, Long Haoyu's clothes were already in tatters, while the blood-red color on No Edge had never faded.

No Edge was planted before him. Long Haoyu sat cross-legged atop a moss-covered rock, panting like an old ox.

His body was crisscrossed with wounds, and over the past year and a half, his handsome face had gained much more resolve.

Feeling his injuries rapidly heal, Long Haoyu murmured, "I seem to be getting addicted to my true self. This recovery speed was practically made for battle!"

"After more than a year of constant real combat, I seem to have become more accustomed to switching between the two forms. Demon Subduing cultivation really does need to be carried out in actual combat."

Long Haoyu sighed with feeling, then turned his gaze to No Edge. The chips in its black blade had improved greatly.

Near the hilt, the chips that should have been there had already vanished, completely healed over during its growth over the past year.

"No Edge, how far have you grown now? How far are you from the next tier?" Long Haoyu asked.

Little Coal Ball floated before Long Haoyu. Seeing its body repaired, its voice became much livelier.

"Master, I'm just a little short of reaching the level of Magic Equipment. When that happens, my amplification effect can rise to another level."

"But cultivating in Haoyue Marsh is no longer very useful to me. If you continue cultivating here, Master, it'll be almost impossible for me to grow into Magic Equipment."

"At present, increasing your power by twenty percent is already my limit."

Long Haoyu's heart sank.

With No Edge putting it that way, it confirmed the speculation he had long held.

Haoyue Marsh was ultimately a place where Second-Grade Magic Beasts were common, Third-Grade Magic Beasts were plentiful, but Fourth-Grade Magic Beasts were exceedingly rare.

Over the past year or so, he had built a reputation for himself in Haoyue Marsh. The powerful Magic Beasts all hid in their own territories, none daring to cause him trouble.

It truly would be difficult to continue improving through slaughter here.

Still, No Edge's answer regarding its amplification left him quite satisfied.

A twenty percent amplification was already an extremely astonishing rate.

And No Edge was not even Magic Equipment yet. If it truly grew to the highest level, or even surpassed the highest level...

A sharp gleam appeared in Long Haoyu's eyes. By then, even if he possessed only the power of one dragon, he would have no trouble taking on his grandfather.

"Then it's time to reconsider the next stage of cultivation."

"At the very least, we need to raise you to the level of Magic Equipment first!"

Long Haoyu spoke calmly. Its previous improvement had raised the amplification from ten percent to twenty percent.

For the next increase, he estimated that its amplification should rise to thirty percent.

The Starry Sky Divine Beast possessed by the Alliance's number one expert, who had already entered secluded cultivation, probably provided only around a thirty-five percent increase.

With No Edge capable of such enhancement, he was determined to let it continue growing.

Hearing Long Haoyu's arrangement, No Edge cheered happily. "I knew you treated me best, Master! So who are we going to chop up next?"

"How about we go to the Demon Race's territory? Those guys would definitely be more satisfying to chop up."

PS: I was drained dry yesterday. I'm posting the first chapter first; the second chapter will still come later. I'm coughing up blood...