Slaying Demons

Huff, huff.

Huff, huff, huff.

The Bear Demon's breaths were as rough as a bellows, yet it dared not gasp for air. Its front claws worked in unison, tearing through the tall grass of the jungle in a desperate attempt to flee, stumbling and rolling forward.

Its wounds were already a bloody mess, its fur matted with mud, broken branches, torn vines, and grass juice.

It kept looking back.

Each time, it accurately fixed its gaze on Ning Xuan's location.

Ning Xuan held the Beast Slaying Saber diagonally, following at a steady pace.

But upon confirming that the Bear Demon could still sense him even in this state, he called out hoarsely from a distance, "Foolish. Your life is your own, the enemy is your boss's. Why aren't you running back quickly?"

The little Bear Demon couldn't speak, but it understood.

It felt that it made sense.

It had been hesitating whether to lead this terrifying enemy back to its lair.

But now, it no longer hesitated.

It adjusted its direction, all four limbs on the ground, and began to accelerate towards the depths of the mountain.

Ning Xuan gripped the Beast Slaying Saber and followed.

After the time it took for an incense stick to burn, the little Bear Demon seemed to have reached a safe zone. It let out a roar with all its might, "Awooo!"

After roaring, it collapsed onto the ground with a "thump."

Several massive figures first rushed out of the dark cave. After crawling out, they stood upright, casting fierce gazes towards a certain spot.

There, Ning Xuan stood on a high mountain that the Bear Demons couldn't immediately attack.

He had followed the little Bear Demon until he was close enough, then slightly changed course and ascended a nearby "high mountain that offered a panoramic view of the lowlands."

He merely wanted to see where the Bear Demons' lair was, to observe, then test the strength of their experts before deciding his next move.

Although he hadn't heard Han Ba's "standard bandit siege theory," he still knew the importance of probing.

If these Bear Demons were outrageously strong and numerous, he would abandon all thoughts of fighting and return to the county to assess the situation. If things went awry, he would flee with the people of the Ning Manor. If he couldn't take the people of the Ning Manor with him, he would pack his gold and silver, stuff his bag with banknotes, and then flee with his mother on his back.

His mother gave birth to him and raised him; he could never abandon her.

As for Han Ba and the others, Ning Xuan didn't hold much hope for them. After all, the weapons used by Han Ba and the others were still within the scope of normal martial artists' understanding, such as the "Heavy Rain Pear Blossom Needles" and "Rapid Fire Crossbows."

These weapons could injure the Mountain Crashing Bear Demons, but it would be difficult.

This was because those sharp weapons were only effective when the Mountain Crashing Bear Demons were "in a relatively static state, with their faces turned towards the archer." Otherwise, no matter how many arrows were shot, they would be like hitting a copper wall and iron bastion, completely useless.

In his nightmare, he had tried repeatedly, developed the hanging basket, and with the advantage of reincarnation foresight, he had finally succeeded.

Of course, Han Ba and the others might also possess so-called "supernatural powers."

But, judging by their level of vigilance and the many dead bodies exposed in the county yesterday, even if Han Ba and the others had such power, it might not be enough.

He didn't want to entrust his life and death entirely to others.

Therefore, he had to test it.

He had to test it seriously, with all his might.

After this test, he would know whether he could fight.

From the heights, the young man's eyes flickered with uncertainty.

Below, the several standing Bear Demons stared fiercely at him.

Suddenly, the standing Bear Demons moved aside, and a series of rumbling sounds came from the dark cave.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

It was like war drums pounding on people's hearts.

Soon, a colossal black bear, about ten feet tall, emerged.

This black bear was taller, bigger, and stronger than all the other Bear Demons!

In its left hand, it still held half a human body. It gripped a human leg, and the person had been roughly torn apart from the middle. Half of the neck, along with half a head, dangled, its bulging eyes still filled with intense fear. The tattered clothing still hinted at the deceased's beauty in life.

The cut at the neck and head, however, was smooth, not as rough and torn as the body.

Ning Xuan's gaze fell upon the black bear's blade-like claws.

His pupils constricted slightly.

After the black bear stopped, the surrounding Bear Demons respectfully whispered to it.

The black bear listened, then threw aside the half-human body and glanced at Ning Xuan's location.

Man and demon faced each other from a distance, with a solemnity akin to generals before a battle.

Suddenly, the black bear stomped the ground with one claw.

The ground let out a loud "boom" and trembled violently. The black bear transformed into a black whirlwind, mixed with the sound of thunder, and charged towards Ning Xuan.

If anyone else were present, they wouldn't even be able to make out the black bear's form. They would only see the jungle outside the cave, where trees of all heights and thicknesses were snapping like dry twigs, and rocks of all sizes were shattering completely.

It was a whirlwind of dust and smoke, a black tempest carrying the might of thunder.

In the black bear's eyes, the strange human youth seemed stunned.

It drew closer.

Even those of the same rank couldn't resist its Innate Demonic Art head-on.

Just as it entered the human's ten-step range, the youth suddenly moved. This movement gave it a dizzying, unbelievable sensation.

The youth's speed was not only extreme but also incredibly precise.

The youth's body moved backward at an unbelievable angle, as if he were falling backward.

He wasn't just falling; he was retreating while falling.

His feet seemed to be coated in oil.

The black bear didn't care. Its Innate Demonic Art didn't care who it was facing; as long as it collided, the opponent would surely shatter!!

"Roar!"

With a roar, the black bear pressed closer.

The youth retreated repeatedly.

Suddenly, the youth's steps slowed, as if he had tripped on something.

A mocking glint appeared in the black bear's eyes. Then, seizing the opportunity, it drew its arms back like a taut bow, leaped forward with its claws raised high, and lunged fiercely at the youth!

Its eyes were ferocious, its claws menacing, and the remnants of man-eating flesh and blood still clung to its lips.

This was the fiercest strike of a beast hunting by instinct.

And at that very moment, the youth in its eyes stopped completely.

With this stop, the youth's body spun back like a top in just a few steps, his speed instantly reaching its maximum. The long saber in the youth's hand also flicked up into the wind.

The black bear let out a contemptuous chuckle, its fangs already dripping with saliva.

Its Innate Demonic Art, Bear Prowess Mountain Collapse, was unleashed!

It pressed down towards the saber.

But the expected scene of "the saber shattering inch by inch" did not occur.

The black bear suddenly felt a cold, tearing sensation.

The saber shattered its Innate Demonic Art, then sliced through its thick, armor-like skin. It pierced from the bear's paw and thrust forward, instantly stabbing into its head.

The tip of the saber transmitted an all-too-familiar power – the power of its Innate Demonic Art, Bear Prowess Mountain Collapse.

Wielded by such a small blade, this power was even more concentrated, sharper, and more terrifying.

In the black bear's beady eyes, disbelief, confusion, and fear flickered.

In the blink of an eye, its incredibly hard skull felt an intense sensation of shattering, followed by a sharp pain in its head.

THUD!!

Ning Xuan's saber pierced diagonally through the black bear.

He held the saber with one arm, skewering the bear.

The saber threaded through the black bear's palm and head, the tip protruding from the back of its skull, bringing forth a dazzling spray of crimson blood. Immediately after, a large amount of brain matter and fragments of bone also rained down.