After bidding farewell to the terrified Half-Immortal Liu, Yan Kui hefted the Bone Shattering Hammer and strode north, heading straight for the Black Wind Stockade deep in Sunset Mountain.
The mountain path was rugged, and the woods were dense.
But to Yan Kui, it was no more than an ordinary stroll. Each time the muscles in his legs flexed, the ground shuddered beneath him. His speed was astonishing.
About half an hour later, a crude stockade built against the mountainside appeared in his view.
The stockade gate was made of thick logs, with several tattered flags planted above it. Each flag bore the image of a snarling boar's head. A faint stench of blood and rotting meat drifted from within, mingling with the mountain breeze until the smell made anyone who caught it want to retch.
"The Black Wind Stockade..."
Yan Kui narrowed his eyes.
He made no attempt to hide himself and walked straight toward the gate.
"Who goes there?!"
Two bandits on the gate spotted Yan Kui. When they saw his tower-like figure and the enormous Bone Shattering Hammer slung over his shoulder, their hands shook so badly that they nearly fell off the stockade wall.
"I'm Yan Kui."
Yan Kui's voice boomed like a bell, making the stockade wall vibrate.
"Your boss owes me. Tell him to come pay up."
"Owes... owes you?"
The two bandits exchanged glances. When had their boss ever incurred a debt with a baleful fiend like this?
"Quick... Go report to the boss!"
One of the bandits scrambled away to deliver the message.
A moment later, hurried footsteps and a string of gruff curses came from inside the gate.
"What vermin dares trespass in my Black Wind Stockade?!"
Rumble!
The gate burst open.
A giant, two meters tall and broad as a barrel, strode out. He wore a bloodstained animal-hide vest, his arms were as thick as buckets, and his face was covered in dense black hair. His nose was flat, his lips jutted out, and two sharp tusks showed between them.
How could this be a man? He was plainly a half-man, half-pig monster!
"Boss!"
The bandits cried out in unison.
The giant was none other than the Black Wind Stockade's boss, Zhu San.
His tiny eyes fixed on Yan Kui, murderous light flickering in them.
"You're the one who killed my brother One-Eyed Dragon?!"
Zhu San's nostrils flared as if he could smell the blood still clinging to Yan Kui.
"If his name was One-Eyed Dragon, then yes."
Yan Kui replied calmly.
"Good! Very good! You killed my brother, and you still dare come right to my door!"
Furious, Zhu San hefted the spiked club in his hand. It weighed at least two hundred pounds.
"Men! Chop him to pieces! Toss him behind the mountain to feed the wolves!"
"Kill!"
Led by Zhu San, a band of mountain bandits surged forward, waving blades, spears, and clubs.
Yan Kui didn't move an inch.
He let their attacks land on him.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
The blades and swords struck Yan Kui's Mysterious Iron Body with shrill metallic clangs. Sparks flew, the bandits' weapons snapped one after another, and their palms split open.
"Wh-what kind of monster is this?!"
The bandits were scared out of their wits.
"Is that all the strength you've got?"
Yan Kui gave a sneer, disappointment flickering in his eyes.
He lightly tapped the Bone Shattering Hammer against the ground.
Boom!
An invisible shock wave erupted around him. The bandits nearby were sent reeling, their eardrums ringing. Many bled from all seven orifices and dropped dead on the spot.
Brute Bull Strength!
"Now it's my turn."
Yan Kui moved.
He strode forward, swinging the Bone Shattering Hammer in a sweep that tore through the air.
The dozen or so bandits at the front were sent flying by the blow. They hit the ground like discarded sacks, their bones shattered.
He moved through them as if no one stood in his way. Every swing of the Bone Shattering Hammer brought a storm of blood.
In just a few breaths,
every bandit had been slaughtered except Zhu San.
[Killed 20 bandits, plundered Life Essence.] [Origin Power: +4.0]
Yan Kui rested the Bone Shattering Hammer on his shoulder and fixed his gaze on Zhu San.
All color had drained from Zhu San's face. His eyes were full of fear.
"Y-you... what kind of monster are you?"
He asked with a trembling voice.
"I'm Yan Kui."
Yan Kui replied calmly. "A debt collector come to collect."
"A debt?"
Zhu San froze.
"You killed my men and wrecked my stockade."
Yan Kui pointed at the corpses on the ground. "Now hand over everything valuable on you, along with your Savage Boar Ramming Technique."
"The Savage Boar Ramming Technique?!"
Zhu San's pupils shrank.
How did he know about that Cultivation Technique? It was the Black Wind Stockade's treasured legacy, never taught to outsiders!
"This Cultivation Technique is an ancestral heirloom of the Black Wind Stockade..."
"Enough chatter."
Yan Kui impatiently raised the Bone Shattering Hammer as if about to bring it down.
"Don't! Don't! I'll give it to you! I'll give it to you!"
Terrified, Zhu San dropped his spiked club, pulled a greasy animal-hide scroll from his clothes, and shakily held it out.
"You know what's good for you."
Yan Kui took the hide scroll and casually tossed it to the system.
[Detected Mortal Hard Skills: Savage Boar Ramming Technique (incomplete). Record it?]
"Record it!"
Yan Kui was delighted. It really was an incomplete version. Better still, an incomplete version meant there was room to improve it.
"Still not enough."
Yan Kui looked at Zhu San, a glint of ill intent in his eyes.
"Hm?" Zhu San froze.
"Your flesh... and your Demon Core..."
Yan Kui grinned.
"Leave them both to me."
"You... you dare?!"
Zhu San finally realized Yan Kui hadn't come for the Cultivation Technique. He'd come to... slaughter a pig!
He suddenly burst into action, his muscles swelling as two short tusks sprouted from his head.
"Roar!"
He let out a beastlike roar and charged at Yan Kui.
This was his strongest move—Savage Boar Charge!
"Too bad you picked the wrong person to charge."
Yan Kui didn't dodge.
He raised the Bone Shattering Hammer and brought it crashing down with enough force to split mountains.
Brute Bull Strength!
Savage Charge!
This wasn't two wild bulls colliding. It was a tank smashing into a tractor.
Boom!
The earth-shaking impact rang out.
The Bone Shattering Hammer drove Zhu San's massive body half a foot into the ground. Blood gushed from his mouth, and his eyes rolled back.
He struggled a few times, then finally stopped moving.
[Killed the Black Wind Stockade's boss (peak Body Refinement Realm/half-demon), plundered Life Essence.] [Origin Power: +1.0] [Detected Demon Core (common grade). Consume it?]
"Consume it!"
Yan Kui didn't hesitate.
[Consumed Demon Core, Origin Power: +2.0]
Yan Kui pulled the Bone Shattering Hammer out of Zhu San's body.
And with that, the Black Wind Stockade was utterly destroyed.
Yan Kui searched the stockade, but aside from a small amount of stolen property, he found nothing else of value.
"Tianwu City..."
He glanced at the incomplete Savage Boar Ramming Technique in his hand.
Now that he had a new Hard Skill, it was time to head to Tianwu City and collect more Hard Skills.
He left without a trace of reluctance and set fire to the Black Wind Stockade.
The blazing flames illuminated his back against the night sky, making him look like a Demon God.
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