Tiger-Faced, Seeds? Peril on Every Side!

Xuan Yin Mountain Range.

More than five hundred li deep within.

[Standing in a stream and rinsing yourself +1 minute!]

[Step on Grass +1 time!]

[Petting a wolf's head +1 minute!]

[...]

Qin Shuang held a gray wolf in his arms, continuously stroking its head. Green Grass was tied beneath the soles of his feet as he stood in a mountain stream over a foot deep, its bed covered in pebbles. A series of system notifications rang out in his mind.

At this moment.

The large gray wolf in his arms stared at him in terror. Its mouth had been bound shut with a vine, leaving it only able to whimper through its nose. It had been captured by the human before it and had thought it would die, yet this human simply kept petting its head.

[You have met the requirement of petting a wolf's head for one day. Heavenly Wolf Bone Forging Art has advanced to Proficient.]

[Simplification: kill ten wolves and gnaw ten Roasted Wolf Ribs to reach mastery.]

Just then, two mechanical system notifications sounded in Qin Shuang's mind.

Knowledge and insights regarding the cultivation of the Heavenly Wolf Bone Forging Art emerged within his Sea of Consciousness.

At the same time.

Qin Shuang felt heat spreading throughout his body. Every bone in his body trembled as a powerful, vast current of energy appeared within his Dantian, then poured into the bones of his Limbs and Bones.

Qin Shuang could clearly feel that, in that instant, the bones throughout his body had become even sturdier!

His strength was increasing as well!

In an instant, Qin Shuang felt as though he had grown a little taller, his build becoming more robust. All 206 bones in his body radiated a lustrous white glow beneath that powerful, vast current of energy!

The egg-sized golden bone glittered with Golden Light.

"To advance the Heavenly Wolf Bone Forging Art from Proficient to mastery, I need to kill ten wolves and gnaw ten Roasted Wolf Ribs?"

Seeing the advancement requirements displayed on the panel, Qin Shuang's eyes revealed satisfaction. At least he no longer had to pet wolf heads. He pried apart the wolf's legs in his arms and felt its ribs. Counting the long and short ones together, it had more than twenty ribs, which immediately put him at ease.

He decided.

In a while, he would turn this wolf into Roasted Wolf Ribs first. His food problem would be solved, and his martial art would be simplified too—killing two birds with one stone.

"Whimper... whimper..."

The large gray wolf seemed to sense that it was about to become food and immediately struggled with all its might, but it was futile.

"Useless trash! What a disgrace to wolves!"

Qin Shuang suddenly tossed the large gray wolf to the ground in disgust.

Just now, this wolf had actually... peed itself like a shrimp. The stench shot to the heavens...

"Big Brother, that brat has a Demonic Saber in his hands. We need to be careful!"

Just then, a rough voice drifted over from nearby.

"Don't worry. That brat hasn't advanced to the Divine Wheel Realm, so even if he holds the Yellow Springs Heavenly Saber, he can't unleash its power. As long as we find him and fire a Signal Flare, we'll earn the chance to join the Divine Saber Sect and study the Heavenly Saber Divine Intent Diagram for a day!"

"Besides, we Yanzhou Twin Fiends are at the peak of the Qi and Blood Furnace. We're not made of paper!"

Another, gentler voice sounded.

"Big Brother is right!"

"As long as we find that brat, we'll become Divine Saber Sect disciples from now on!"

The rough voice was filled with anticipation.

Qin Shuang used Grass on Flying at perfection and silently appeared behind a large tree. Looking out, he saw more than a dozen Men wielding weapons and exuding powerful auras striding toward him.

The two men leading them were tall and broad, dressed in Brocade Clothes with long sabers on their backs. Their features were remarkably alike; clearly, they were twin brothers.

Tu Hongzhen and Tu Hongqiang led twelve Gang Members forward. Suddenly, they stopped. A Youth holding a Black Saber and radiating murderous intent stepped out from behind a thick fir tree two zhang away. Horror filled their eyes as they said, "Y-you... who are you?!"

"Aren't you looking for me?"

Qin Shuang looked at the Yanzhou Twin Fiends and spoke calmly. His figure flashed as he charged out with the Black Saber in hand!

At that moment, he unleashed the Blood Rage Saber Art at Great Accomplishment. The Yellow Springs Saber in his hand glowed red and trembled without cease, releasing a terrifying aura that engulfed the Yanzhou Twin Fiends and the others!

"Not good! He's Qin Shuang! Fire the signal!"

Tu Hongzhen's pupils contracted sharply as he shouted and retreated explosively!

The fact that the youth before him had appeared without a sound meant he was anything but ordinary!

Slash!

Using Grass on Flying at perfection, Qin Shuang instantly arrived beside a Man who was about to pull a Signal Flare from his pack. The Yellow Springs Saber swept out, bisecting the Man at the waist without the slightest pause.

The Signal Flare was cleaved into two as well!

[Enemy killed +1!]

Just then, a notification appeared in Qin Shuang's mind.

"Ssshh! Ssshh! Ssshh!"

The Yellow Springs Saber in Qin Shuang's hand was incomparably sharp. Wherever it passed, all twelve subordinates of the Yanzhou Twin Fiends were cleaved in two with a single stroke, leaving only the two leaders alive.

"Y-young hero! Spare... spare us!"

Seeing all his subordinates slaughtered and Qin Shuang advancing with the Yellow Springs Saber in hand, Tu Hongzhen's eyes immediately filled with terror. He dropped to his knees before Qin Shuang and repeatedly kowtowed, while Tu Hongqiang knelt beside him.

"How many people entered the mountains to search for me? Answer honestly, or the corpses on the ground will be your fate!"

Qin Shuang looked at the Yanzhou Twin Fiends and spoke in a low voice.

At this moment, he was extremely satisfied. The Yanzhou Twin Fiends before him were both at the peak of the Qi and Blood Furnace in the Marrow Jade Realm, yet compared to him, they fell far short. This showed that he had been right to temper his bones into gold.

The more golden bones he had, the stronger he would become, and the more powerful his qi, blood, and strength would be.

His future achievements would likewise be greater!

"Yes..."

"Xiao Jiulang of the Divine Saber Sect is stationed in Qingzhou City. He is determined to obtain the Yellow Springs Heavenly Saber. He offered the surrounding cities' four or five gangs a day of viewing the Heavenly Saber Divine Intent Diagram upon joining the Divine Saber Sect, enticing them to search for you. The moment there is news of you, he will rush over at once!"

"At the same time, there are experts from Pudu Jing'an Nunnery, the Hidden Weapon Tang Sect, Thunderclap Hall, Pushen Hall, True Martial Hall, and the Nine Nether Mansion of the Demonic Sect!"

"Saintess Yu Shiqie Yuxianzi has declared that if you hand over... the Yellow Springs Heavenly Saber... and let her take it back to the holy land for sealing, she can guarantee your safety..."

"At present, aside from us, the Xuan Yin Mountain Range also has Swift Saber Hall from Jinyong City, Iron Fist Sect, and the Golden Banner Society from Maple Leaf City... There are at least ten gangs searching for you, young hero..."

"A few of your Azure Dragon Society hall masters escaped. The rest were... controlled."

Though Tu Hongzhen looked like a rough, burly man, in the face of death he was like a little mouse, trembling all over as he spilled everything about Qingzhou City like beans pouring from a bamboo tube.

"So many people covet the Yellow Springs Heavenly Saber..."

Qin Shuang's heart tightened, and a glint of killing intent flashed through his eyes. Yellow Springs had already acknowledged him as its master. Even if it had not, he would never hand it over. If they wanted to take Yellow Springs from him, then he would kill his way through them all!

His Blood Rage Saber Art required the slaughter of a hundred enemies to reach completion. Perfect—he would use these people's lives to forge his Blood Rage Saber Art to perfection!

"You two should be on your way as well!"

Qin Shuang looked at the Yanzhou Twin Fiends, his eyes brimming with killing intent.

"Ah... you don't keep your word..."

Tu Hongzhen's eyes widened as he retreated in terror, trying to flee. Unfortunately, it was too late. The Yellow Springs Saber in Qin Shuang's hand swept out in an arc, slicing across the necks of Tu Hongzhen and Tu Hongqiang!

The two heads soared into the air!

"If you live, my heart will not be at ease. Besides, I never promised to spare you!"

Qin Shuang wiped the blood from the Yellow Springs Saber on their clothes. After searching the corpses, he found over sixty Tiger Blood Pills, several banknotes, and several dozen taels of loose silver, then strode away.

Just as Qin Shuang departed, a tall figure clad in a black-and-yellow robe and wearing a tiger-face mask stepped out from behind a fir tree. Looking in the direction Qin Shuang had left, a sharp gleam appeared in his eyes as he murmured, "I never expected a Golden Bone seed to be born here in Yanzhou, Tianchu... and to have obtained the Yellow Springs Demonic Blade as well. Excellent... If he grows stronger, this venerable one's Flawed Dao Platform can be mended..."

"He must not die halfway..."

This man's voice was somewhat aged. With his hands clasped behind his back, he carried himself with the bearing of a deep abyss and lofty mountain!

Suddenly, the Tiger Mask Man looked toward Qingzhou City in the distance. Ripples spread around him, and in an instant he vanished, as though he had never appeared at all!

A quarter of an hour later.

A young girl dressed in white, graceful in figure, her face veiled in white gauze and an Ancient Sword on her back, appeared at the spot. One zhang behind her stood a handsome, scholarly-looking young man, holding a Beauty Fan.