Continuous Breakthroughs

"Dragon Tiger Vajra Skill" hadn't been mastered yet, so Su Ye still didn't know how effective it was. For now, his priority was to preserve the strength he already had.

Spent 10 Assistance Points. [Body Tempering Initial Giải] upgraded to early mastery.

"Body Tempering Layer Four."

A wave of dizziness washed over Su Ye. He forced himself to steady his mind. With no time to adjust to his new strength, he raised the long saber in his hand and swung it down hard. A flash of blade-light appeared beneath the oil lamp, swift as lightning, aimed straight at the Pig Demon's neck.

The Pig Demon, which had just let its guard down, instantly went on high alert. Shock surged across his face. Something was wrong with this kid's strength—how had it suddenly risen so much? Instinctively, he raised his giant axe to block.

"Clang!" ... "Squelch!"

The Pig Demon's burly body and the long-handled giant axe both fell to the ground.

Killed [Early Sentience · Pig Demon]. Gained 19 Assistance Points.

Su Ye ignored the panel's notification, turned, blew out the candle, and leapt up to hide among the rafters, watching outside.

This was bad. Something had happened to the Pig Family Brothers.

The three Dog Demons outside heard the commotion inside. After exchanging glances, they charged into the house together.

"Crash!"

A deafening boom suddenly rang out. Su Ye stared intently at the door beneath him. A wooden cart, driven by tremendous force, smashed violently through the door. The furnishings inside toppled to the floor, and then three towering figures rushed in.

"Big brother, there are only the bodies of the two Pig Family Brothers. I didn't see anyone." The Dog Demon on the left searched the room before speaking to the lean Dog Demon standing in the middle.

"Zhu Lie had only just died, and we didn't waste any time. Where could that man have gone? Hurry and check whether there's anywhere to hide in the house, like a cellar."

Spent 15 Assistance Points. [Body Tempering Initial Giải] upgraded to mid mastery.

"Body Tempering Layer Five."

Hidden among the rafters, Su Ye quietly increased his strength. As soon as the upgrade was complete, he immediately reined in the surging power to keep it from making a sound.

He studied the three Dog Demons below. The oil lamp had been lit again, and the Dog Demons were just splitting up to search when—

Without the slightest hesitation, Su Ye stamped down hard with both feet against the round beam. His long saber rose high, then hacked down from above.

In an instant, the sharp blade slashed across the back of the Dog Demon leading the group. Blood sprayed everywhere. Flesh gaped open around the wound, exposing even the heart still beating inside.

"Ah!"

A brief, piercing scream rang through the room. The lead Dog Demon forced himself to endure the pain and turned to strike back, but Su Ye gave him no chance. Gripping the hilt with both hands, he pressed down with all his strength and didn't stop until the blade had cut through the Dog Demon's body.

Killed [Early Sentience · Dog Demon]. Gained 18 Assistance Points.

"You cowardly sneak! You'll pay for my big brother's life!" Drawn by the noise, the two Dog Demons charged over with roars.

Su Ye spun around. With his current strength, he had no trouble dealing with these two Dog Demons. His saber flashed, and he hacked down at astonishing speed.

Killed [Early Sentience · Dog Demon]. Gained 19 Assistance Points.

Killed [Early Sentience · Dog Demon]. Gained 15 Assistance Points.

After taking care of the last Dog Demon, the panel showed that he had accumulated 66 Assistance Points.

Su Ye felt his strength was sufficient for now, so he didn't immediately upgrade his cultivation. He strode quickly out of the fenced yard. He had heard the Pig Demon mention that other monsters were nearby, and the Dog Demons' appearance had confirmed it. He just didn't know how many there were.

This was the perfect time to hunt down other demons and beasts and earn Assistance Points. Without wasting a moment, Su Ye hurried from house to house, checking every home with a light on.

The ground in the north of town was a sea of mud. Unlike the central district, it had no flagstones—but that had its advantages. The ground was strewn with the haphazard tracks of wild beasts, and Su Ye followed them at a brisk pace.

Sure enough, before long, he spotted two Pig Demons, one behind the other, sneaking toward a house about a dozen meters away. His long saber flashed out of its sheath, and he kicked off hard. He covered the hundred-meter distance in just a few breaths.

His saber came down, and the thick stench of blood filled the air. The Pig Demon in front heard the commotion and turned around, eyes bulging with rage. The newcomer had felled a companion of equal strength with one stroke. The Pig Demon's scalp went numb.

He turned and ran, but after only a few steps, pain shot through his left leg. His body lost its balance, and he fell to the ground with a thud.

"Don't kill me! Don't kill me!"

The Pig Demon's reaction made Su Ye realize he might be able to question him. He asked, "How many demons and beasts came with you this time?"

At Su Ye's question, the Pig Demon hurriedly replied, "Ten."

"Only ten? Which demons and beasts were they, and how strong are they?"

"Only the Pig and Dog Families. We're all about the same strength."

Hearing this, Su Ye smiled faintly. "So there are other forces too. Tell me about them."

"Well, we all serve the Qu Mountain Demon King." From the Pig Demon's account, Su Ye learned that the Wulian Mountain Range stretched for tens of thousands of miles. The section within Linshan County wound and twisted, and was known as Qu Mountain. Two major demonic forces dwelled there.

The Qu Mountain Demon King was one of them. He had gathered nearby demons and beasts who had reached Early Sentience or higher to form a force, and called himself the Demon King.

The other demonic force was somewhat unusual. It was made up entirely of zombies, and its ruler was a Black Zombie that had cultivated intelligence. It was said to have also developed an Iron Armor Body.

The demonic cultivation stages were Early Sentience, Meridian Opening, Aperture Opening, and Core Condensation, matching the stages of martial cultivation. Each had early, middle, and late phases, as well as nine layers.

After hearing the Pig Demon's explanation, Su Ye thought for a moment and asked, "Between your king and that Ironclad Corpse, which is stronger? What are their cultivation levels?"

"I—I don't know."

Su Ye looked at the bulging sack beside the Pig Demon. Dark-red liquid had soaked through most of it.

The thick stench of blood filled the air. Su Ye furrowed his brows, remembering what had happened earlier in the fenced yard, and asked, "Why have you collected so many heads?"

"I... well..." The Pig Demon hesitated for a long time. Then, seeing Su Ye's unfriendly expression, he answered nervously, "Like supplements for the body, eating brains to open the mind."

Su Ye looked at the sack on the ground, his voice cold. "So you've already tested it."

"This was my first time out. As for whether it works, that's just what the other brothers said." The Pig Demon's gaze darted aside.

After questioning him further, Su Ye found that the Pig Demon truly didn't know much. He simply raised his saber and took the last bit of value from him.

Killed [Early Sentience · Pig Demon]. Gained 17 Assistance Points.

Killed [Early Sentience · Pig Demon]. Gained 20 Assistance Points.

Seeing the 104 Assistance Points on the panel, Su Ye suppressed the urge to increase his strength and continued searching for the other demons and beasts.

His current strength was enough to sweep aside these demons and beasts, so he had little to worry about on that front. He was only concerned that the remaining three might realize something was wrong and flee.

Without realizing it, Su Ye quickened his pace. He couldn't let the duck he'd already caught fly away.

He hadn't walked much farther when a dense mass of figures appeared in the distance.

"Everyone, split up and run!"

"Where the hell is Meng Qi?"

"Meng Qi's already dead! Hurry, they're right behind us!"

Only when the crowd drew closer did Su Ye see who they were: the farmers of Kaoshan Town. Quite a few women were stumbling behind the crowd, holding their children by the hand. Every face was filled with terror.

"Run! Keep running!"

A sharp, piercing roar rang out abruptly. A Dog Demon leapt down from the eaves, blocking the crowd's path.

"Stop! There's a monster up ahead!"

Several men at the front of the group shouted.

The running crowd abruptly came to a halt, and a wave of people fell over. The women sobbed, at a loss for what to do.