"Another expert?"
The ugly man rubbed the blood jade on his chest, his eyes sizing up the uninvited guest like a hungry wolf.
When he noticed the Bronze Mask unique to Demon Hunters on the newcomer, his expression instantly twisted into a snarl.
"Hmph! You're that Demon Hunter who's been making such a splash, aren't you? I've got several brothers who seem to have died by your hand!"
The ugly man licked his lips, murderous intent surging in his eyes!
"You came crawling out on your own. That saves me a lot of trouble!"
"..."
Gu Cheng stood with his blade in hand, silent.
He had come to slay the demon and save the people. To avoid drawing unnecessary trouble because of the Blood Blade Scripture, he had borrowed the Demon Hunter gear Xu Nianxue had left in her storage bag to conceal his identity.
He hadn't expected to run into her enemy this time.
"Demon Hunter?"
"Is he the Demon Hunter who rescued the young lady?"
The fat steward's hollow eyes, emptied by despair, suddenly glowed again.
He'd heard the people in the courtyard say that the Demon Hunter's identity was a mystery, and his strength unfathomable.
If the newcomer really was him, perhaps they truly could escape alive!
Cao Jianxin gazed at the figure standing with his blade in hand, and a flicker of hope ignited in his heart too.
But when he sensed that the newcomer was only at the Qi Blood Realm, that glimmer of hope was instantly snuffed out.
Qi Blood. Mortal Breaking.
The two neighboring realms were separated by a heavenly chasm.
The gulf between them was something martial techniques could never make up for.
Without reaching the Mortal Breaking Realm, one couldn't gather true qi in the dantian.
With only their bodies and the most primitive Qi and Blood Power, how could human warriors possibly stand against a great demon in the Mortal Breaking Realm?
"I'm afraid he'll meet the same end and become wolf demon fodder, won't he?"
The one-armed swordsman sighed mournfully, his mood growing heavier.
"Boy, why don't you come play a game with me too?"
The ugly man chuckled crazily and pointed at his own neck, repeating his earlier trick:
"One strike each. You go first. Come on, just swing at me here..."
Szzzt—
The ugly man hadn't even finished speaking when crimson lightning suddenly flashed across the blood blade in the mysterious man's hand.
In the next instant, a massive blood-red slash came howling toward the ugly man's face, its astonishing destructive aura sweeping forth with the force of thunder!
Not good!!!
The ugly man's face changed dramatically. Terror twisted his already hideous features into something even more grotesque.
He thrust out his right hand. Blood Baleful Intent surged in his palm, forming a blood-red claw mark as he tried to block the attack.
But his rushed defense was like flimsy paper—utterly useless!
Pfft—
The blood-red slash cut through his defense like a hot knife through butter and struck him hard in the chest.
In an instant, blood sprayed and lightning burst, blasting the ugly man's battered body away like a cannonball. He spun through the air and crashed into the distant woods, startling a flock of birds into flight.
"!!!"
Everyone stared at the wretched figure that had been sent flying with a single blow.
The humans and wolf demons present were all dumbstruck, their eyes wide and faces filled with disbelief.
"Th-this is the Qi Blood Realm?!"
Cao Jianxin couldn't help but cry out.
If not for the throbbing pain from his severed arm, he would have suspected he was trapped in some absurd, bizarre nightmare.
Forget the Qi Blood Realm.
Even his master, a high-stage Mortal Breaking expert, might not have been able to unleash a slash with such terrifying power so effortlessly.
"Is that wolf demon missing a few screws?"
Gu Cheng curled his lip. It was the first time he'd heard such a bizarre request.
Without hesitation, he immediately answered with a Lightning Cyclone Slash.
The Blood Blade Scripture and Wind Thunder Blade Technique joined forces, unleashing devastating power in an instant.
However, thanks to the keen, precise perception of his divine sense, Gu Cheng could tell that the two martial arts didn't seem to mesh very well.
They should have been able to reach a power of 200, but in the end, they managed only about 150.
"Hmm, now that I think about it, that actually makes perfect sense..."
Gu Cheng rested the blood blade on his shoulder, pondering.
The Wind Thunder Blade Technique contained the intent of wind and thunder, and lightning was generally used to sweep away demons and subdue evil.
The Blood Blade Scripture, on the other hand, was a proper demonic technique through and through.
It would've been strange if the two worked together perfectly!
Gu Cheng sighed softly.
If he wanted to bring out his natal blood weapon's power to its fullest, he'd have to find a way to get his hands on a proper demonic blade technique.
"Awooooo—"
A thunderous wolf howl rang out from the distant woods.
The howl was so furious, so frenzied, it seemed capable of tearing the heavens and earth apart.
The terrifying sound alone was enough to make several frail caravan guards faint on the spot.
Everyone followed the sound and saw a towering figure, as huge as a small mountain, slowly emerge from the nearby woods.
It was a giant wolf demon at least five meters tall, its muscles bulging like iron and its fur bristling like steel needles.
Its right claw was noticeably larger than the others, encased in a thick layer of blood-red callus that looked like a suit of armor.
A dense miasma of demonic Baleful Intent spread through the air, radiating waves of ill omen.
A massive slash stretched across its chest, from its left shoulder to its right waist, nearly gutting it. The wound was charred black.
The Giant Wolf Demon stared fixedly at the masked man in the distance.
Though grievously wounded, the murderous intent in its eyes had only grown sharper, as if it wanted to devour him alive.
As the enormous monster drew closer, even the ground beneath their feet began to tremble.
The caravan guards watched in terror, all holding their breath.
They had lived in Changle County for so long, yet this was the first time they'd seen a demon this enormous.
Was this its true form?
"Is that... a mutated demon beast?!"
Cao Jianxin stared at the wolf demon's hideous right claw, his pupils trembling.
No wonder the beast was so vicious. It turned out to be one of those rare special individuals, found only once in ten thousand!
These special individuals were not only larger and more resilient. Their organs could mutate, too, giving rise to all kinds of bizarre innate abilities. Their strength naturally far surpassed that of ordinary members of their kind!
Cao Jianxin looked anxiously toward the Demon Hunter.
That terrifying slash from before couldn't be something he could unleash one after another, could it?
How would he deal with it now?
"That blood-red claw... Could it really be the wolf demon code-named Blood Claw?"
Gu Cheng turned his eyes away from the grotesque, sinister claw.
He studied the wolf demon as it slowly approached, his expression rather odd.
He truly hadn't expected it.
The enemy who had killed Lin Qingyan's father, the one she'd searched for in vain, had just landed right in his lap.
"You know, boy? That hide was one of my favorite skins."
Blood Claw bared his wide mouth and spoke in a deep, rumbling voice.
He had to admit, these demons had some truly bizarre tastes...
"Since you ruined my skin, I'll take yours as compensation!"
As he spoke, a red glint flashed in the Blood Claw wolf demon's eyes.
He raised his blood-red claw and thrust it forward with all his strength. A dense torrent of demonic Baleful Intent surged out...
Whoosh—
A massive crimson claw shadow suddenly appeared in midair.
It came crashing down on Gu Cheng with the terrifying force of an avalanche!
Before you continue