Desperate Struggle

The Pig Demon's massive hoof swept through the foul-smelling wind, clawing towards his chest. The hoof was stained with Hou San's blood, and bits of flesh and grime were lodged beneath its nails. It grew larger and larger in Wang Quan's rapidly widening pupils, the aura of death almost tangible. He could already smell the thick stench of blood on the hoof and the rotten breath from the Pig Demon's mouth. He imagined his head being crushed by that filthy snout in the next instant, his bones cracking between its tusks before being swallowed with thick saliva.

No! I just transmigrated, and I'm going to die? Fuck!

A surge of rage, mixed with extreme fear and unwillingness, erupted from the deepest part of his heart like lava! His entire body trembled violently from the shock and cold, his muscles stiff and unresponsive, but his consciousness roared: Move! Pick up the saber! Even if I die, I'll tear a piece of flesh from this beast!

Just as the foul-smelling hoof was about to touch his chest, a drop of scalding, highly corrosive Pig Demon saliva landed on his cheek with a splat.

"Ssss—!"

The searing pain of flesh burning, like a red-hot iron branding him! This extreme pain, like a red-hot steel needle, pierced through his fear-frozen nerves!

"Ah!" Wang Quan let out a non-human roar from his throat. Stimulated by the intense pain, his previously rigid body suddenly trembled, regaining a sliver of control!

Now!

His eyes turned bloodshot, the last trace of hesitation and fear in their depths replaced by a near-maniacal ferocity. His left hand instinctively reached into his sleeve, grabbing the warm pill and stuffing it into his mouth without looking, swallowing it whole! Almost simultaneously, his right hand lunged to the side, grabbing the hilt of the standard-issue saber that had fallen from his grasp in his fright!

The Exploding Pill dissolved in his stomach, instantly releasing a violent, scorching torrent of energy that exploded within him like a lit powder keg, raging towards his limbs and bones! His meridians felt like they were being forcibly widened, on the verge of tearing, his muscles bulged uncontrollably, and his bones creaked under the strain. A sense of power far beyond the ordinary, accompanied by a savage killing intent that burned away his reason, swept through his entire body!

All of this happened in a flash, from swallowing the pill to grabbing the saber, in the blink of an eye.

The Pig Demon clearly hadn't expected this human, who had been cowering like a lamb to the slaughter moments ago, to dare resist, and with such sudden speed! A flicker of surprise flashed in its massive pig eyes, and its front hoof, which had been reaching for Wang Quan's chest, instinctively slowed by half a beat.

That half-beat is it!

"Slash!"

A low, inhuman growl rumbled from Wang Quan's throat. Driven by the violent power of the pill, his body naturally twisted, stepped, and swung his arm! The ordinary-looking saber in his hand cut through the air in a cold, resolute arc, carrying all his fear, anger, unwillingness, and the brute force generated by the Exploding Pill, far exceeding his own realm, in a diagonal upward slash!

This saber strike was faster than his usual limit! The blade sliced through the air, emitting a sharp, short hiss. In the dim hollow, the gleaming saber vaguely reflected his current expressionless face, only his eyes burning with a mad flame.

At some point, a thin, vibrant bloodline had appeared on the blade, extending rapidly along the curve of the saber until it converged at the tip, forming a round, heavy drop of blood.

The blood drop fell.

Along with it fell a Pig Demon foreleg, covered in thick black hair, its muscles bulging, thicker than Wang Quan's thigh!

Squelch—!

The cut was smooth. It wasn't until the limb hit the ground that the scalding pig blood gushed out from the shoulder wound, the size of a bowl, like a long-suppressed fountain, drenching Wang Quan's face and head!

"Oooow!!!"

In the next instant, a heart-wrenching, soul-piercing howl, loud enough to shatter Wang Quan's eardrums, erupted! The Pig Demon's massive body staggered backward, its single remaining hoof flailing wildly as it clutched its bleeding stump. Its pair of blood-red pig eyes widened in agony and disbelief, filled with savage rage and a hint of... caught-off-guard terror!

"You dare cut me?! You dare resist?! A mere Blood Food, you lowly two-legged sheep! I will tear you apart! Chew every bone in your body! I will storm the city and slaughter all of you filthy things!!" The Pig Demon, consumed by pain and fury, its reason completely overwhelmed by agony and rage. Its remaining single eye instantly filled with crimson madness, and its savage Monster Qi erupted without reservation, blowing away the surrounding gravel and dust!

It abruptly raised its remaining foreleg, no longer clawing but acting like a colossal battering ram, sweeping through the foul wind and terrifying force. It stomped fiercely towards Wang Quan's chest, who was still somewhat stunned after his strike!

Bang!!!

A dull thud. Wang Quan didn't have time to dodge effectively. He was hit head-on like a charging bull, sent flying backward off the ground, crashing heavily onto the soft soil ridges several yards away, kicking up large clumps of mud and water!

"Pfft!" Wang Quan spat out a mouthful of blood, feeling as if his internal organs had shifted. His chest throbbed with pain, at least several ribs were broken, and his entire body felt like it was falling apart. The power from the Exploding Pill was rapidly fading, his meridians burned with a fiery pain, and a strong sense of weakness began to spread.

But he wasn't dead! In this fleeting moment between life and death, an indescribable grief and savagery, like volcanic lava, surged and overwhelmed his tightly strung defenses. The fear and helplessness after transmigration, the humiliation and insignificance of being Blood Tax, the brutal bloodshed he had witnessed in recent days, and the despair of being pushed to the brink, where even survival was a luxury... all emotions erupted at this moment!

"I just want to live... I just want to live! What's wrong with that?!" Wang Quan let out a silent roar, which finally burst forth, turning into a heart-rending cry that echoed through the bloody night sky. "Why?! Why can you Demonic Creatures and those high-and-mighty figures decide our lives and deaths at will? Why are we treated like pigs and dogs, to be used as Blood Tax, to be devoured alive by you?!"

His eyes were bloodshot, his face, pale from severe injury and fear, was now flushed red with extreme anger, veins bulging on his forehead. A courage he had never felt before, bordering on madness, mixed with the residual power of the Exploding Pill and the instinct for survival, burned fiercely within him!

"This damned world! This man-eating world! You're forcing me... forcing me to become a beast like you, aren't you?!" he roared, his voice trembling with excitement and injury. "Fine! Fine! If you don't let me live, then no one will have an easy time! If you want my life, you'll have to shed three layers of your skin first!!"

"Fuck your mother..." Wang Quan spat out the blood foam from his mouth, his voice hoarse but carrying a reckless, almost ferocious smile. "It's just a fight to the death... Come on! Whoever flinches dies!"

He let out a low growl, no longer hesitating. Dragging his body that felt like it was tearing apart, he gripped the saber hilt with both hands and charged towards the Pig Demon again! This time, there were no extraneous thoughts in his mind, only the simple yet meticulously honed Wind Slaying Saber Technique! Chop, slash, lift, sweep... the most basic moves were executed frantically in a life-or-death struggle, with no regard for form, only for the fastest, most brutal strikes!

The Pig Demon swung its single arm, its strength still terrifying, but the loss of its limb and the bleeding had clearly affected its agility and balance. It roared in anger, its hooves smashing the ground, creating shallow pits, but it struggled to fully grasp Wang Quan, who was like a mad tiger, attacking without defending.

Blade met hoof, saber met club, sparks flew. Wang Quan sustained new wounds, but he seemed to feel no pain, just gritting his teeth, pouring all his strength, all his hatred, all his desire to survive into every swing!

"Die! Die! Die for me!!" The Pig Demon raged, its single eye shooting out fierce light. Seizing an opportunity when Wang Quan stumbled, its massive body lunged forward, its remaining hoof spread open, about to crush Wang Quan's head!

At this critical juncture!

"Hmph!" A suppressed grunt sounded from the Pig Demon's rear flank! Wei Dayong, who had been struggling to move, seemingly on the verge of collapsing, had somehow crept closer. He suddenly burst forth! He didn't attack the Pig Demon's vital spots like its back, protected by thick bristles and fat—instead, he channeled all his remaining strength, along with his standard-issue saber, into a resolute streak of light, fiercely stabbing towards the Pig Demon's severed shoulder wound that was gushing blood!

Squelch!

The blade accurately pierced through the gap between the broken bones, sinking deep into the Pig Demon's shoulder area! There was no thick hide protection there, leading directly to the internal organs!

"Oooow—!" The Pig Demon let out another earth-shattering howl. Its body stiffened abruptly, its forward lunge becoming distorted and slow!

Opportunity!

A sharp glint flashed in Wang Quan's eyes. Almost instinctively, he lunged forward, ignoring the Pig Demon's flailing hoof that grazed his shoulder and back, drawing a line of blood. He threw his entire body into the gap of the Pig Demon's slightly lowered chest, caused by the intense pain, and with all his might, rammed the Pig Demon's heavy upper body backward!

The Pig Demon lost its balance and fell backward with a crash, kicking up large clouds of mud and water.

Wang Quan seized the chance, pressing his knee firmly onto the Pig Demon's thick neck. With his left hand, he held down its wildly shaking, tusk-flailing massive head, while his right hand gripped the saber hilt and raised it high!

The cold moonlight, mixed with the stench of blood filling the hollow, fell on his blood-stained, ghastly face, and on the vertically descending, gleaming saber tip.

In the Pig Demon's remaining single eye, Wang Quan's expressionless face was finally clearly reflected, along with the rapidly approaching sharp edge of death. For the first time, its eyes showed the clear terror of a beast facing absolute death.

"Die!"

Wang Quan squeezed out a short, cold syllable from his throat. With the last of his strength, he fiercely plunged the saber downwards into the Pig Demon's exposed throat, covered in stiff bristles!

Thwip!

The sound of a sharp blade cutting through tough hide, severing a thick trachea, and piercing a major blood vessel was muffled yet clear. Scalding pig blood, reeking of a strong, gamey odor, sprayed out like a high-pressure water cannon, drenching Wang Quan from head to toe.

The Pig Demon's massive body convulsed violently, its limbs flailing wildly, emitting wheezing sounds. The ferocity and spirit in its single eye rapidly dimmed.

But Wang Quan didn't stop.

As if possessed, he gripped the hilt of his blade with both hands, pulled it out, and plunged it down again! Pulled it out again, and plunged it down again! One strike, then another! He hacked madly at the Pig Demon's neck, head, chest, and abdomen… until the colossal body finally ceased moving, until that area was practically chopped into a bloody pulp, until his arms were too sore to lift any higher, until the fierce energy and medicinal power that had sustained him receded like a tide, and boundless weakness and agony surged in like a tsunami…

"Enough! Wang Quan! Enough!"

Wei Dayong's hoarse, weak voice echoed in his ears. A blood-stained, slightly trembling hand pressed down on his wrist as he raised his hand again, only to find he no longer had the strength to strike.

Wang Quan's movements paused. He slowly raised his head. His face, head, and body were covered in sticky, slippery pig blood, still warm and reeking of a foul stench. He panted heavily, his eyes somewhat vacant, yet possessing a strange calmness as he looked at Wei Dayong.

"Clean up… dissolve the corpse. Leave no trace. I still have some Bone Dissolving Water," Wei Dayong said, his face deathly pale, his chest heaving. Each word seemed to cost him immense effort, but his eyes were fixed on Wang Quan, filled with complex emotions and a faint, indescribable something.

Wang Quan nodded silently, his voice dry. "…Alright."

He released his grip on the saber, which was almost embedded in the mangled flesh. He struggled to stand, his legs weak, nearly falling again. Wei Dayong nudged him with his shoulder, helping him regain his balance.

It was strange. This was the first time he had personally killed… no, brutally slaughtered such a massive and terrifying monster. He had witnessed such a bloody scene, even created it himself. By all rights, he should be overwhelmed with emotion, feeling nauseous, perhaps even vomiting uncontrollably.

But he wasn't.

His body was unusually calm. After the killing stopped, his heart rate returned to normal at an unbelievable speed. Though his hands were weak, they were frighteningly steady. Facing the mess and the pungent smell of blood, he only felt… normal. As if he hadn't just fought a life-or-death battle, but had completed something… that should have been done long ago, something he was accustomed to.

Was it the effect of the Exploding Pill? Or the residual instincts of the body's original owner? Or perhaps… such traits were hidden deep within his own soul?

He didn't know. He didn't have the time to ponder it either.

The two said no more, enduring their injuries and weakness as they began to clean up the scene. Wei Dayong pulled a dirty leather pouch from his embrace and poured some pungent greyish-white powder onto the Pig Demon's remains. The powder hissed upon contact with flesh and blood, emitting foul-smelling white smoke. Flesh and bone dissolved at a visible rate, turning into a pool of yellow liquid that seeped into the soil.

Wang Quan silently helped, gathering the corpses of Hou San, the dead Blood Tax, and the two monsters to be processed together. He had been too focused on his own desperate fight earlier to notice how Wei Dayong had killed the Ox Demon.

As the last traces vanished under the Bone Dissolving Water, only the messy signs of the struggle and an overpowering scent of blood remained in the depression. The night wind blew, carrying the chill of late autumn.

Just then, a cold, emotionless notification sounded in Wang Quan's mind:

[Killed Minor Monster, Gained Points: 4.]

Points? Wang Quan's mind stirred. Immediately, below his [Wind Slaying Saber Technique (Proficient)] skill, a flashing option appeared: [Distributable Points: 4]. And next to the [Wind Slaying Saber Technique] skill, a plus sign appeared, along with a smaller icon that seemed to read "Deduce?".

Wang Quan's thoughts raced. He tried focusing his attention on the plus sign next to [Wind Slaying Saber Technique].

[Spend 2 points to upgrade Wind Slaying Saber Technique realm?]

As the thought formed, a stream of information, clearer and more profound than any he had gained through diligent practice before, flooded his mind! It was as if countless phantom figures were demonstrating the various techniques of the Wind Slaying Saber Technique repeatedly within his consciousness: slash, chop, thrust, sweep, parry, block… from the most basic moves to power generation techniques, footwork coordination, and combat responses… countless experiences, insights, and even vague fragments of understanding about saber momentum and Blade Intent were fiercely imprinted into his memory and the depths of his physical instincts!

In an instant, he felt his understanding of this basic saber technique reach an entirely new level. The previous stiffness and unfamiliarity vanished, replaced by a feeling of absolute mastery, as if tempered through a thousand battles, achieving complete fluidity and clarity. The saber in his hand also felt lighter, more obedient.

[Wind Slaying Saber Technique upgraded! From Proficient to Great Accomplishment, current realm: Perfection!]

[Remaining Points: 2]

Perfection! He had leaped directly from beginner to Perfection! Wang Quan's heart trembled. He suppressed the urge to immediately draw his saber and test it out. He looked at the icon labeled "Deduce?" and focused his attention on it.

[Detected that the basic skill Wind Slaying Saber Technique has reached Perfection, fulfilling the preliminary deduction prerequisite. Spend 1 point to attempt to deduce potential future directions? (Note: Deduction results are uncertain, influenced by foundation, comprehension, opportunity, and available points. Potential directions include, but are not limited to: more refined saber techniques, special energy channeling techniques, or failure.)]

Deduce? Use points to deduce further advancements from this most basic saber technique? Perhaps techniques, or even…?

But looking at the remaining 2 points, he calmed down. Deduction costs 1 point each time, and the result is uncertain, with a possibility of failure. Currently, his Wind Slaying Saber Technique was perfected and sufficient for now. The priority was to survive, gather more information, and find more stable ways to obtain points and Cultivation Methods.

"Looks like… I need to find a way to kill more monsters." Wang Quan wiped the bloodstains from his face, his eyes appearing deep in the night. Not for justice, but simply to survive, to become stronger, to avoid being treated as a Blood Tax in this cruel world where humans and monsters mingled.

He glanced at Wei Dayong, who was still processing the last traces, his breathing growing weaker. He then looked at the nearly dissolved puddle that belonged to Hou San on the ground.

"Let's go. We shouldn't stay here long," Wei Dayong said hoarsely, his injuries severe, sustained only by sheer willpower.

The two supported each other, picked up any usable weapons, and cast a final glance at the dark wilderness in the distance, where four Blood Tax prisoners lay paralyzed with fear, their bowels emptied.