The Boy from Stone County

News that the Lineage would hold a grand competition in a year spread like wildfire, and Green Maple Valley erupted.

"A grand competition! The Lineage is holding one for the whole clan!"

"Anyone under thirty can enter! There's even a Hundred Arts Assessment! This is my chance!"

"I heard the rewards for the top hundred are incredibly generous! The top ten will even have a chance to become disciples of an Innate Realm Great Expert from the clan, and the top three will enter the core ranks directly!"

"Cultivation techniques, pills, treasures, and time to cultivate in the Nine-Layered Spirit Gathering Tower... I'm going all out! This time, I'm sure to get a good ranking!"

In the clan schools, Training Grounds, Alchemy Rooms, Artifact Refining rooms—anywhere Li Family youths gathered, the coming grand competition was almost all they talked about.

Outside the valley, a young man returned, travel-worn, carrying a grisly severed head in his hand.

The mountain guards stopped him. Though they recognized him, they still followed procedure and checked his Identity Jade Token.

Looking at the head in his hand, one of the guards couldn't help asking, "Cousin Xingyue, what's that...?"

The young man grinned, baring a row of gleaming white teeth. "A demon spawn."

The mountain guards stared in shock.

By the time they came to their senses, the young man had already walked off.

"Ever since that incident, Cousin Xingyue's been like a madman, with nothing on his mind but cultivation and slaying demons."

One of the mountain guards sighed.

"This is already his third trip out this year, isn't it?"

"Yeah. I've heard that any demonic cultivator who falls into his hands would be better off dead."

"No kidding. See that rosary of human bones at his waist? I heard he killed well over a