Body Refining, Inner Qi, Black Tide

An hour later, Jiang Yan swung his sword, and a small tree in front of him snapped.

He kicked it aside, and light shone on his face.

He squinted. The barren land had arrived.

Stepping out of the woods, he stomped on the ground. It was a little hard.

Several people walked out, looking back at the dense forest with a slight sigh of relief.

They were lucky. If they had encountered monsters in the woods, the trees would have provided cover and obstructed their vision, making any fight troublesome.

Hiss!

At that moment, a black shadow shot up from the ground, lunging at Sheng Fuwu without giving the group any chance to react.

Sheng Fuwu's eyes were cold, his expression unchanged.

Boom!

He raised his hand, bent his finger, and flicked.

Finger Strike!

A white Inner Qi covered his finger, the mark of a Body Refining martial artist, and the strongest power within their bodies.

Inner Qi!

Upon reaching the Body Refining realm and generating Inner Qi, they no longer relied on the power of talismans but on their own strength to kill monsters.

A powerful Inner Qi erupted from his fingertip, extending a foot.

It was a perfect counter-attack.

Puff!

The black shadow instantly exploded, splattering into a mass of bloody pulp in the air.

The other four, including Jiang Yan, quickly looked over, their eyes filled with shock.

Then, envy.

Body Refining realm, Inner Qi.

"This... it died just like that."

Tang Long muttered. It wasn't the first time he had seen a Body Refining martial artist in action, but he was still shocked.

The power of Inner Qi was truly immense.

Furthermore, Body Refining martial artists were well-rounded, with formidable physiques.

With a single finger strike, the black shadow was obliterated before they could even discern what it was.

However, his body instinctively registered the tremor it felt when the black shadow attacked.

"This... damn it, is Boss Sheng not in the Body Refining realm, but the Body Refining Realm?"

Above Martial Apprentice was the Body Refining realm.

But Body Refining realm was just a general term for the three stages of Body Refining. In reality, the Body Refining realm was divided into three major stages.

Body Refining Realm, Body Refining Realm, Blood Refining Realm.

With each breakthrough in these stages, their strength increased almost exponentially.

In fact, not long ago, a ranked monster had passed through Yuyang Village, causing heavy casualties. The previous village chief had died at the hands of a monster. Boss Sheng was the new village chief sent by the Dahe Gang after the previous one died.

This was his first time seeing Sheng Fuwu in action.

"Let's go."

Seeing everyone stunned, Sheng Fuwu frowned and said coldly.

The group snapped back to reality and continued forward.

This time, Jiang Yan fell behind Sheng Fuwu. He subtly glanced at the bloody pulp on the ground, his left hand moving slightly, feeling nothing unusual.

"No monster points earned, so it wasn't a monster."

Then, he quickened his pace and followed.

Half an hour later, Sheng Fuwu called a halt, finding a location that was advantageous for concealment.

It was a ruin, vaguely showing signs of a former village, now abandoned.

Within the dynasty, many villages were overrun by monsters daily, their human inhabitants becoming monster fodder. Many villages also formed, like stars in the sky, their existence fleeting.

"Alright, we'll stop here. You guys hide first."

He took out an item, which he had obtained at a certain cost.

Monsters fed on flesh and blood.

But there were also some exotic foods in the wilderness, which humans called exotic food.

After consuming this food, monsters had a high chance of advancing.

Therefore, upon smelling the scent of this food, monsters would desperately seek to obtain it.

In Sheng Fuwu's hand was an Exotic Food beneficial for the advancement of the Shepherd Monster.

"The Shepherd Monster has a certain territorial awareness. The last time I encountered it here, it should not have left, if nothing unexpected happened."

Sheng Fuwu thought to himself.

The few people had just hidden themselves.

At this moment, a low hum, the sky suddenly turned dark and gloomy, and a cold wind blew.

Goosebumps rose.

"Something's not right," Tang Long muttered, "This wind is too cold."

Even Sheng Fuwu shivered, his body stiffening.

"No, this wind is wrong."

His body grew colder and colder, the wind like a knife's edge.

He couldn't bother with ambushing anymore, and quickly stood up, turning to look.

He had no choice but to investigate. He was a peak Body Refining realm martial artist, just one step away from advancing to the Body Refining Realm, his blood qi surging. What wind could make him feel cold?

In a short time, heavy rain began to fall, the sky turning overcast. The rain poured down like a flood, instantly drenching the five people.

Looking up, a patch of darkness as black as ink appeared in the distance, surging towards them like a rolling river.

"Black Tide."

Sheng Fuwu lost his composure and couldn't help but exclaim.

Hearing Sheng Fuwu's words, the faces of the others changed drastically.

"Quick, find shelter!"

Sheng Fuwu grabbed Sheng Lunxin, leaving Jiang Yan and the other two behind, and headed towards the center of the ruins.

The three of them, too busy to curse Sheng Fuwu, also hurried after him, running frantically.

Behind them, the Black Tide moved with incredible speed. In just this short while, the sky had already darkened.

Ahead, a dilapidated house still stood, barely intact. The three rejoiced, immediately changing direction slightly and rushing towards the house.

Finally, before the sky turned completely dark, the three of them managed to enter the house.

The first step was safe, but there was still another trial ahead.

They couldn't afford to be careless; the Black Tide was simply too terrifying.

The Black Tide's origin and destination were unknown.

According to the human race's classification of Monsters, the Black Tide was a special-class entity.

It was not a Monster that the human race could resolve with brute force.

It was a Law-type Monster.

Anyone engulfed by the Black Tide would inevitably be assimilated by it, and the Black Tide contained an endless sea of various Monsters.

Some human kings even speculated that the Black Tide might even be the origin of Monsters.

Swish, swish, swish.

The sound of surging water, like a rushing river, echoed, and the sky instantly turned pitch black.

It was truly dark, not just visually, but spiritually. It was a feeling of having light stripped away, plunging the mind into boundless darkness.

Suddenly, a light flickered.

Everyone's eyes widened. In their minds, various illusions appeared, representing their deepest, most suppressed desires.

Jiang Yan was no exception, but he showed no signs of confusion.

In his mind, a scene unfolded.

A vast city appeared, with towering buildings and bustling traffic. The city had just formed when it turned to dust, then reformed, only to turn to dust again.

This cycle repeated, like a rewind.

After an unknown amount of time, he suddenly regained consciousness. Although his surroundings were still dark, the feeling of spiritual emptiness was gone.

He knew he had survived the Black Tide.

Crack!

He struck the Blazing Flames Talisman onto his sword.

If he didn't fight, the power of the Blazing Flames Talisman wouldn't drain quickly.

Tang Long and Fei Shan stood there blankly, their expressions a mixture of astonishment.

Jiang Yan didn't try to wake them; it was useless, and they wouldn't wake up.

Jiang Yan pondered the information about the Black Tide. It was a Law Monster with three characteristics.

First, those engulfed by the Black Tide would be assimilated.

Second, in enclosed environments like houses, they would not be engulfed by the Black Tide.

Third, anyone who saw the Black Tide would undergo a mental trial. Those who failed would have their souls absorbed into the Black Tide.