Several days later.
The morning mountain forest was still veiled in a faint mist. From afar, it seemed to appear and disappear, like a fairy's gauzy scarf fluttering in a dance.
Soft sunlight spilled through the woods, lending the lush leaves shades of deep and pale green.
Suddenly, the dense forest rang with the roars of wild beasts. Lin Yiqing wore gray hemp clothes, wisps of bloodlust swirling around him. He gripped the Refined Iron Dagger tightly, blood dripping from its blade.
Opposite him, a pitch-black beast circled, constantly searching for a chance to attack.
The beast had two heads and looked much like a leopard, but its body was now covered in wounds and drenched in blood.
After breaking through to the seventh level of the Body Tempering Realm, Lin Yiqing had begun deliberately building up his practical combat experience.
The outcome of a battle depended on more than just cultivation methods and martial arts. A fighter's instincts in battle were just as crucial.
Suddenly, the black leopard sprang at him. It moved as fast as a bolt of black lightning, lunging in an instant. Its two mouths gaped wide, ready to bite down on him.
Lin Yiqing's heart was calm as still water. The moment the black leopard pounced, he tightened both hands around the hilt, leaned slightly to the right into a bow stance, and swept his sword across.
"Riiip."
The sound of a blade slicing through flesh reached his ears. The black beast had been cut in two, its flesh and blood scattering across the ground.
"Phew."
Only after a long while did Lin Yiqing raise a hand to wipe the sweat from his brow. This battle had been no easy feat.
The beast was incredibly fierce and fast. He hadn't even dared to blink, afraid that in a single instant he might lose his life. He had finally managed to seize an opening and kill it.
"With battles this intense, a few more should be enough to break through to the eighth level of the Body Tempering Realm."
Lin Yiqing pondered to himself. After all these days of fighting, the Origin Power Seed inside him had grown considerably. The faint white mist swirling around it seemed on the verge of forming a halo.
"Too bad about the hide. It would've made a nice coat." Lin Yiqing looked at the beast's remains on the ground and couldn't help feeling regret.
He cut the sinews and meat from the beast's legs and stored them in the Universe Bag, then buried the carcass on the spot. That was how Lin Yiqing had spent his days cultivating lately.
With enough meat to replenish his strength, he had grown considerably taller, and his features had become even more striking.
"Whoosh."
Lin Yiqing had just turned to leave when an arrow suddenly shot at him from the dark forest.
The instant he heard it, Lin Yiqing swiftly drew his sword and knocked the arrow upward, splitting it in two. Then he warily turned to look into the woods behind him.
"Who's there?"
A clump of bushes rustled slightly, and three tall figures walked out from among the trees.
All three looked to be in their thirties or forties. They wore gray cloth and leather armor, and their faces were thick with flesh.
Two carried Refined Steel Broadswords. One looked wooden and dull; the other wore a cocky expression and an exaggerated rooster-comb hairstyle.
The last man's face was gloomy. He gripped an Ox-Horn Longbow, and from their attire, the three seemed to belong to the same faction.
"Heh, this kid's got some skill. He actually dodged your arrow, Lao Bai."
The man with the rooster-comb hairstyle turned his head and addressed the gloomy archer in an affected tone.
Lin Yiqing watched them coldly. They had ambushed him without reason, and now they ignored his question, acting as if they were above everyone else. It made his blood boil.
"What do you three want?"
Seeing that they had come with ill intent, Lin Yiqing's face turned frosty. He held his sword before him and asked coldly.
"Heh. You got on the wrong person's bad side, kid. You must be tired of living. Hand over anything valuable, and I might even give you a quick death so you can avoid a beating."
The rooster-headed man pointed his Refined Steel Broadsword at Lin Yiqing, his face full of menace. His words made it clear that he thought the inexperienced boy was already as good as his.
In his years of experience, a few harsh threats were usually enough to make a boy Lin Yiqing's age drop to his knees and beg for mercy. There was no need to take him seriously.
"Who sent you?"
Lin Yiqing's heart sank. If his guess was right, today was going to be troublesome.
"Heh. Once you're dead, I'll cut off your head and present it to him. Then you'll know."
With that, the rooster-headed man and the wooden-faced one charged forward, cornering Lin Yiqing from either side.
The archer also sprang up into a tree and drew the Ox-Horn Longbow to full moon.
Lin Yiqing's expression didn't change, but his nerves snapped taut. From what they had said, he understood that these men had almost certainly been sent by Lin Mang.
His right hand clamped down on the Refined Iron Dagger. At that moment, only the cool touch of the blade could steady his mind.
This was the first time he had ever had to fight someone to the death. Even when he'd been at odds with Lin Shan, he had never considered killing him.
But he knew all too well that in this world, where might made right, people inevitably got hurt or killed in a fight. He just hadn't expected that day to come so soon.
"You wouldn't take the easy way, so now you'll have to take the hard way. Chop him up and claim the reward."
With that, the two men swung their broadswords at him from either side. Lin Yiqing hastily dodged, raising his dagger to parry their attacks.
As soon as they clashed, he could tell that the wooden-faced man and the archer hiding in the tree were roughly as strong as he was.
All three were around the seventh level of the Body Tempering Realm, while the rooster-headed man was already an expert at the eighth.
Lin Yiqing's expression grew grave. His opponents had higher cultivation and outnumbered him. If he let his guard down for even a moment, he might die here today.
The tremendous force of the blades colliding left his palms numb.
Fortunately, he had advantages of his own. Since beginning cultivation, his reflexes had grown increasingly sharp, and his physical strength had steadily improved. He could just barely hold his own against all three, dodging and counterattacking.
"Whoosh, whoosh!"
Lin Yiqing had only just evaded the two men's attacks when several arrows shot at him from the tree. He had no choice but to swing his sword and dodge again.
"Give it up, kid! Second Grade Martial Art, Steel-Breaking Slash!"
Seeing his opening, the rooster-headed man seized the chance, raised his broadsword high, and brought it down in a slash.
A faint white glimmer appeared on the blade—the sign that he was channeling Origin Power. If the slash landed, Lin Yiqing would be gravely wounded at best.
At this critical moment, several thoughts flashed through Lin Yiqing's mind. His heart grew calm as still water, and reason took the place of fear.
Even time seemed to slow in his eyes. He knocked aside the wooden-faced man's attack with a flick of his sword, then turned sideways to evade the rooster-headed man's descending slash. The whole sequence flowed like water.
"Second Grade Martial Art, Wood Sword Art!"
As he dodged, a faint green glow lit the blade of Lin Yiqing's dagger. The Origin Power Seed inside him surged into motion, then settled outside his dantian. At that very moment, he broke through to the eighth level of the Body Tempering Realm.
The Refined Iron Dagger flashed, trailing several green sword shadows. Under the rooster-headed man's horrified gaze, Lin Yiqing struck off his head with a single slash.
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