Training

Three days later.

Black Stone City

A young man strolled down the street. He wore a black robe, his blue-silver hair flowing down his back. A half-face mask concealed his features, revealing only a pair of blue-gold eyes. Standing roughly 1.7 meters tall, he was none other than Xiao Ling, who had left Jia Nan Academy to train.

Whoosh!

At that moment, a boy who looked eleven or twelve darted through the crowd toward him, seemingly fleeing something. Yet his path intentionally—or unintentionally—sent him hurtling toward Xiao Ling.

Bang!

Before he could get within a meter of Xiao Ling, the boy was violently swatted away. His chest seemed to have taken a crushing blow and caved in slightly. He coughed up several mouthfuls of blood, struggled a few times, then collapsed limply to the ground. Without prompt treatment, such injuries could very well prove fatal. Several small money pouches also fell from his chest, exposing his identity.

Xiao Ling withdrew the hand he had swung, his gaze utterly indifferent. With a slight activation of Suction Palm, several bags of gold coins flew into his hand, and he stored them in Twenty-Four Bridges Moonlight Night.

Several concealed gazes lurking in the shadows of the street gradually withdrew as well.

This was already the third day since he had left Jia Nan Academy. Because Xiao Ling had used the "Disguise" skill of the Hundred-Thousand-Year Blue Silver Emperor's Trunk Bone to maintain the appearance of a five-star Dou Shi, those above the Great Dou Shi realm had no interest in him on the road to Black Stone City, while those below the Dou Shi realm did not dare provoke him.

Those who came looking for trouble were all Dou Shi and Great Dou Shi cultivators, and Xiao Ling had robbed every last one of them instead.

He still remembered the two five-star Great Dou Shi cultivators who had tracked him. After he entered an alley, they surrounded him. Xiao Ling first pretended to surrender, then ambushed one of them the moment he got close. After exchanging several moves with the other, he killed him in a one-on-one fight.

At the time, both men had been dumbfounded. Xiao Ling had only said, "You two aren't bad. You can continue being brothers in the Myriad Soul Banner." Then he collected them into the Myriad Soul Banner.

Entering a fairly lavish inn, Xiao Ling walked to the counter and said to the fat man behind it, "I'd like a room."

The fat man had been lying behind the counter taking a nap. Seeing someone enter the inn, he carefully looked Xiao Ling over, and a glint of greed flashed through his narrow eyes.

Xiao Ling casually tossed out a small pouch filled with bulging gold coins, which clinked and jingled within.

The greed in the fat man's eyes intensified. He picked up the pouch and weighed it, then looked at the Storage Ring on Xiao Ling's hand and the belt around his waist. The smile on his face grew greedier, though he spoke with some disdain. "This is the best inn in the city. That little money isn't enough."

"You'll need at least another ten... no, twenty gold coins."

Beneath his black robe, Xiao Ling lowered his eyes slightly without any reaction and tossed over another pouch.

Seeing Xiao Ling's generous manner, the fat man seemed to have spotted a massive fat sheep and became even more enthusiastic. "Certainly, sir. Please wait a moment. I'll arrange a room for you right away."

At the same time, he wailed inwardly that he had asked for too little. Still, he could make a tidy profit by making his move tonight. A mere Dou Shi possessing two storage items had to be loaded.

After entering the room he had booked, Xiao Ling looked around. It was not especially luxurious, but the furniture, table, chairs, and bed were all complete.

He walked to the bed and sat cross-legged, then took out a wanted poster from Twenty-Four Bridges Moonlight Night.

Upon closer inspection, the portrait on it was that of the fat man downstairs, along with some basic information.

Tang Ri Tian, proficient in hammer-type Dou Techniques. An eight-star Great Dou Shi. Operates an inn in Black Stone City and frequently murders guests within it.

Putting the wanted poster back into his belt, Xiao Ling muttered to himself, "A true hunter always appears in the guise of prey. Hopefully, I can end this fight tonight and test the power of the Dou Technique I previously imitated and created."

No longer dwelling on it, he sat cross-legged and formed a cultivation hand seal, beginning his training. His body started absorbing Dou Qi, while his Soul Perception remained alert to every movement around the room.

Three in the morning. The moon shone brightly, while only a few stars dotted the sky.

While cultivating, Xiao Ling discovered a figure approaching his room.

Focusing his Soul Perception to inspect it, he found that it was Tang Ri Tian from downstairs. At that moment, Tang Ri Tian held a pitch-black sledgehammer in his hand, his eyes filled with greed.

Seeing this, Xiao Ling swiftly withdrew from cultivation. He first used the "Disguise" skill to conceal his aura, then summoned the Beast Flame of the Blazing Fire Wolf and the Beast Flame of the Nether Sea Flood Dragon Beast. He fused them together, and when their energies reached equilibrium, they formed a strange Flame Lotus.

His Soul Perception focused on the door. The moment Tang Ri Tian opened it, Xiao Ling immediately hurled the Buddha's Rage Fire Lotus at him.

Sensing a massive energy crashing toward him, Tang Ri Tian hurriedly swung up his sledgehammer and shouted, "How can it be this strong? Take my ultimate technique, Great Suni Hammer!" Unfortunately, before he could swing the hammer out, the fire lotus had already landed on him and exploded in front of his chest. Fortunately, he activated his Dou Qi Armor in time; otherwise, he might have been blown straight to ashes.

Boom!

A massive hole was blasted through the inn, and flames began spreading in every direction.

Xiao Ling had already leaped out the window and moved some distance away, so he was unaffected. Tang Ri Tian, however, had taken the Buddha's Rage Fire Lotus head-on. One of his arms was now mangled and bloody, and his body was covered in burns of varying severity.

Seeing Xiao Ling standing there unharmed and staring at him with indifferent eyes, Tang Ri Tian ignored his injuries and fled into the distance.

But Xiao Ling had no intention of giving him the chance. The instant he spotted Tang Ri Tian, he rushed after him.

Seeing the Dou Qi Armor on Xiao Ling's body, Tang Ri Tian knew he had been set up. He was already seriously wounded, and escape was practically impossible, so he shouted at Xiao Ling, "Young hero, today's matter is entirely my fault. I'll serve you like an ox or horse. Please spare this lowly man's miserable life."

Yet beneath his pleading gaze was a deep-seated hatred. He had already sensed that Xiao Ling was merely a one-star Great Dou Shi. He planned to ambush Xiao Ling once his guard was down. With his strength as an eight-star Great Dou Shi, he would surely succeed and kill him in a single strike.

However, Xiao Ling gave him no chance to continue speaking. Using Wind Chasing Steps, he rapidly closed the distance to Tang Ri Tian. Under the latter's terrified gaze, Xiao Ling launched a Crimson Flame Fist at his heart meridian. Although Tang Ri Tian raised his sledgehammer to block it, it was knocked aside after only two seconds of resistance. Under Tang Ri Tian's horrified gaze, Xiao Ling's fist pierced through his chest.

Xiao Ling's combat principle was simple: strike while the enemy was down and finish them off. He had seen plenty of villains die from talking too much, and he had no desire to become that kind of brainless villain.

After withdrawing his fist and using Beast Flame to burn away the blood on it, Xiao Ling took Tang Ri Tian's Storage Ring, collected his soul into the Myriad Soul Banner, and used a recording crystal to document the corpse. Then, draped in a black robe, he melted into the night.