Old Master White Crane of White Crane Ridge

Back when he was at the Body Tempering Seventh Level, Lu Yang had been able to kill that 'Big Gray Rats,' which rivaled the Body Tempering Ninth Level, with his perfected [Mountain Splitting Saber Art].

Now that he had reached the Body Tempering Ninth Level, even facing three alone, he had more than enough confidence.

What was more, Lu Yang wanted to see whether he could obtain more useful information from Big Black Skin.

Without everyone watching, he could fight without restraint.

"Pfft!"

A flash of cold light streaked through the forest, and a massive leopard head rolled to the ground as blood sprayed forth.

Before it could even turn around to besiege Lu Yang, one black pelt had already died beneath his blade.

"Ding! Congratulations to the host for killing a first-stage eighth-level Leopard Demon. Received 8 Experience Points."

Lu Yang opened the Attribute Panel.

[Host: Lu Yang]

[Realm: Body Tempering Ninth Level (0/10)]

[Martial Art: Mountain Splitting Saber Art (Perfected: (10/10)]

[Experience Points: 9]

"Just one more point of experience, and I can advance to the Postnatal Realm!"

Lu Yang did not slow down. Like a ghost, he chased after the second black pelt.

Knowing it was no match for him, the black pelt relied on its nimble body to weave continuously through the many trees in the forest, hoping to use them to avoid Lu Yang's blade.

The tactic was indeed effective. After several rounds of pursuit and escape, the black pelt had used the tree trunks to block several fatal strikes.

However, Lu Yang had not come away empty-handed. After several consecutive misses, he had already figured out the black pelt's movement pattern.

When he caught up again and the black pelt instinctively dodged, a streak of blade light pierced through the tree trunk and viciously stabbed into its waist!

"Humph!"

"A demon is still a demon—stubborn and incapable of adapting."

Lu Yang pulled out his saber, and blood burst from the black pelt's body.

Its internal organs had been injured, and the black pelt grew even more terrified. It struggled to flee, but its speed was no longer as nimble as before.

Lu Yang easily caught up. Just as he was about to strike and finish it off, a sudden warning flared in his heart.

At that moment, the sky was beginning to pale with the first light of dawn. A faint glow filtered into the forest, casting a shadow at his feet.

Almost on instinct, Lu Yang's heartbeat quickened. The qi and blood throughout his body surged to the limit, and he spun his blade, slashing fiercely upward from below toward his back!

The powerful, heavy strike had clearly caught the ambusher off guard. Big Black Skin's pupils contracted sharply, and it instinctively twisted its body, trying to evade.

However, when it had lain in ambush in the darkness earlier, intending to kill Lu Yang, it had concealed itself atop a relatively high tree branch.

Now, as it pounced down from above, it was already airborne.

With no footing beneath it, the extent to which it could dodge was truly limited.

"Roar!"

A great spray of demon-tainted blood rained down. Although Big Black Skin had dodged in time and avoided being beheaded in a single stroke, Lu Yang's blade still severed one of its forepaws!

It howled in pain. Terrified beyond measure, Big Black Skin propped itself up on three legs and fled in panic toward the depths of the mountains and forest.

Lu Yang did not hurry after it. Instead, he turned and continued hunting the black pelt whose intestines had been shredded by his blade.

With its internal organs severely wounded, the black pelt's speed slowed more and more in just a short while.

Though it still relied on a last surge of qi and blood to flee deeper into the forest, its steps had become so unsteady that even an ordinary person could have lightly pushed it over, never to rise again.

Without the slightest hesitation, Lu Yang raised his saber and brought it down, beheading the third black pelt.

"Ding! Congratulations to the host for killing a first-stage eighth-level Leopard Demon. Received 8 Experience Points."

The Attribute Panel unfolded, and a faint excitement rose in Lu Yang's heart.

[Host: Lu Yang]

[Realm: Body Tempering Ninth Level (0/10)]

[Martial Art: Mountain Splitting Saber Art (Perfected: (10/10)]

[Experience Points: 17]

"Ding! Detected that the host's Experience Points meet the requirements for a cultivation upgrade. Consume 10 Experience Points to raise cultivation?"

"Upgrade!"

As that red light spread through his body, Lu Yang felt the qi and blood throughout him condense to a critical point. A wisp of true qi gathered from the qi and blood that had already reached perfection.

Buzz, buzz, buzz!

Colorless and formless true qi flowed through his meridians, nourishing his body every moment.

Lu Yang looked at the Attribute Panel again.

[Host: Lu Yang]

[Realm: Houtian First Level (0/20)]

[Martial Art: Mountain Splitting Saber Art (Mastery: (10/10)]

[Experience Points: 7]

Lu Yang subconsciously clenched his fist, feeling the strength within him grow several times greater than before, and a flicker of joy rose in his heart.

"Having entered the Houtian Realm and gained true qi, I finally have some means of protecting myself against ordinary demons and monsters."

The Body Tempering Realm focused on tempering one's qi and blood, strengthening the physical body. In the end, its enhancement of combat strength was limited.

Houtian Realm martial artists, however, could condense the qi and blood within their bodies into true qi, increasing their strength by several times or more.

In theory, the more true qi a martial artist possessed, the stronger they would be.

The power of true qi far surpassed that of qi and blood. Lu Yang estimated that with just that single breath of true qi in his body, he could easily defeat three of his pre-breakthrough selves.

The situation deep within the woods was unknown. If he had not been confident of breaking through to the Houtian First Level, Lu Yang would never have pursued so rashly.

With that wisp of true qi empowering him, Lu Yang now felt as light as a swallow, his speed more than twice what it had been before.

By now, Big Black Skin had long since vanished without a trace. Lu Yang followed the blood trail through the forest.

After the time it took to drink a cup of tea, Big Black Skin's staggering figure appeared in his sight.

"Where do you think you're going?!"

Leaping continuously through the woods and using tree trunks for leverage, Lu Yang reached the space above Big Black Skin and brought his saber down in a sweeping strike.

"Rolling Stone Opens Mountain!"

Empowered by true qi, the might of this strike was more than three times greater than before!

Big Black Skin let out a strange cry and frantically dodged, but Lu Yang's saber still severed most of its leopard tail.

If Lu Yang had wanted its life for the moment, Big Black Skin would already have become a dead soul beneath his blade.

"Argh! Argh!"

"Human, I am a minor demon under Old Master White Crane of White Crane Ridge. How dare you kill me?!"

Its tail severed, Big Black Skin roared in fury.

"Old Master White Crane?" Lu Yang's heart stirred.

White Crane Ridge stretched for thirty li. It lay roughly eighty li west of Niushi Town, connecting to the wilderness beyond the forest before them.

It was said that a white crane demon who had gained sentience dwelled upon White Crane Ridge, calling himself Old Master White Crane.

That white crane demon had been sentient for many years. He had claimed the mountain as his king and commanded countless lesser demons.

Over the years, Black Mountain County had sent people to suppress it several times, yet every attempt had ended in failure.

The white crane demon could fly and was incredibly swift. The feather blades covering its body served both offense and defense, making it exceptionally troublesome.

Quite a few formidable demon-slayers from Black Mountain County had met their Waterloo at White Crane Ridge.

Especially around Niushi Town, Old Master White Crane's existence was like an inescapable shadow hanging over the heads of every human.

"Hmph!"

"What is there to fear?"

Lu Yang sneered and slashed out in rapid succession, forcing Big Black Skin to dodge again and again as it shrieked repeatedly.

Before long, several deep wounds that exposed bone had appeared across Big Black Skin's body.