Have Them Hacked to Pieces

After entering the Green Demon Mountain Range, Zhou Cheng, Qin Meng, and Lin Ru began searching for demons.

Since only experts in the King Realm could project their spiritual sense outward, the three of them had to search carefully using their eyes, ears, nose, and other senses.

However, Zhou Cheng had brought the Ice Snow Phoenix along. Since it could fly, finding demons became much easier.

Before long, the Ice Snow Phoenix spotted a Green Wolf Demon from high above.

Green Wolf Demons were all enormous, two or three times the size of ordinary wolves. This one was at Body Refining Level Seven.

Qin Meng and Lin Ru didn't make a move. Zhou Cheng gripped the God-Slaying Saber, flashed forward, and drove it straight into the Green Wolf Demon's throat.

The God-Slaying Saber pierced through the back of its neck.

Blood sprayed into the air.

But the blood instantly turned into a faint mist and was devoured completely by the Demon God Garment.

Your Demon-Subduing Saber Technique killed a demon, eliminating a threat to humanity. Cultivation progress increased by 1.

Your Demon God Garment devoured the Green Wolf Demon's blood essence and entered a demonic state. Grade increased by 1.

Your God-Slaying Saber killed a Green Wolf Demon and became even sharper. Grade increased by 1.

Zhou Cheng pulled out the saber, and the Green Wolf Demon crashed to the ground.

Watching the Green Wolf Demon fall with a crash, Zhou Cheng felt somewhat unsettled. After all, it was his first time killing a demon.

After taking a moment to steady himself, Zhou Cheng kept moving, continuing his search for another demon.

With the Ice Snow Phoenix, Qin Meng, and Lin Ru helping him search, it didn't take long to find another one.

This time it was a Swine Demon, a fairly common kind of demon. It was weaker than the Green Wolf Demon, at the peak of Body Refining Level Six.

However, the Swine Demon's body was two sizes bulkier than the Green Wolf Demon's. Zhou Cheng swung the God-Slaying Saber in his hand and used the Demon-Subduing Saber Technique, cutting through the Swine Demon's throat in a single strike.

Whether a warrior or a demon, the throat was a place where one strike could kill.

After taking care of the Swine Demon, Zhou Cheng's Demon-Subduing Saber Technique, Demon God Garment, and God-Slaying Saber each increased by 1 again.

It seems killing each demon increases them by 1. Zhou Cheng thought. At this rate, if I kill dozens of demons, my Demon-Subduing Saber Technique will break through to the Mastery Realm.

Dozens of them?

Then he'd set himself a small goal: do his best to reach it tonight!

Zhou Cheng began searching for a third demon.

While Zhou Cheng hunted demons in the Green Demon Mountain Range, Zhou Wei stood in his courtyard, gazing at the stars that filled the sky.

After the afternoon rain had washed everything clean, tonight's sky was clearer than it had been in days. The night breeze was cool, with none of the day's heat.

Luo Shui came to Zhou Wei's side and draped a cloak over his shoulders. "Are you thinking about the Grand Tutor?"

Zhou Wei shook his head. "No. I'm thinking about the mysterious expert who saved me last night." He paused, then said, "That expert definitely wasn't just passing by."

Luo Shui ventured a guess. "He used a long saber and was tall. Could he have been Wei Zheng of the Saber Sect?" Like the people from the Demonic Cult, she had thought of Wei Zheng of the Saber Sect.

Zhou Wei's eyes were deep and contemplative. "I thought of Wei Zheng too. But we have no dealings with the Saber Sect, and I don't know Wei Zheng. Why would he save me?"

He looked up at the twinkling stars. "I can't make sense of it."

Then he asked, "Li'er will be back in a couple of days, won't he?"

After Zhou Wei was assassinated and suffered an injury to his heart meridian, Zhou Li, who was at the Sun Moon Sword Sect, had heard the news and hurried back.

At the mention of her eldest son, Zhou Li, Luo Shui smiled. "Li'er is already on his way. Sect Master Chen is coming with him."

"Even Sect Master Chen is coming?" Zhou Wei said in surprise.

Luo Shui nodded. "The news that a phoenix divine beast appeared in the Capital City has spread. Sect Master Chen is coming because of it. Li'er said that, besides Sect Master Chen, a large number of experts from the Sun Moon Sword Sect are coming too."

"Not only the Sun Moon Sword Sect. Experts from Shaolin Temple, the Ten Thousand Stars Sect, and the Saber Sect will also be arriving one after another."

"The Capital City is in for a turbulent time."

Night gradually deepened.

The silver moon hung high in the sky.

Three hours after Zhou Cheng entered the Green Demon Mountain Range,

"Your Demon-Subduing Saber Technique killed forty-nine demons. Beginner cultivation progress has reached 100%. Breakthrough to the Mastery Realm!"

The system panel flashed brightly, and the Demon-Subduing Saber Technique's Beginner Realm had changed to the Mastery Realm.

After killing forty-nine demons, Zhou Cheng didn't feel tired at all. Instead, his blood seemed to be boiling.

Now his Roaming Dragon White Tiger Fist and Demon-Subduing Saber Technique had both reached the Mastery Realm. Only his Willow Steps in the Wind remained short of a breakthrough to the Mastery Realm.

Weapons:

Earth Cauldron: Low-Grade Spirit Artifact (Progress: 10)

God-Slaying Saber: Low-Grade Spirit Artifact (Progress: 56)

Demon God Garment: Low-Grade Spirit Artifact (Progress: 55)

After killing forty-odd more demons, his God-Slaying Saber and Demon God Garment could advance to mid-grade spirit artifacts. However, Zhou Cheng glanced at the night sky. It was already the hour of the ox, past one in the morning, so he decided to come back tomorrow.

Zhou Cheng followed the way he had come, heading out of the Green Demon Mountain Range.

Just as Zhou Cheng and the others were making their way back along the same route, they suddenly heard laughter. Then they saw a large group of people coming from another direction, also heading out of the Green Demon Mountain Range.

By the moonlight, Zhou Cheng made out their clothes.

People from the Grand Tutor Mansion?

At that moment, Gao Jun and the others from the Grand Tutor Mansion spotted Zhou Cheng and his companions too.

"Zhou Cheng?" Gao Jun exclaimed in surprise. He had seen Zhou Cheng at the poetry gathering and recognized him. But what was Zhou Cheng doing in the Green Demon Mountain Range in the middle of the night?

Training?

But usually, only family disciples at Body Refining Level Seven or above came to the Green Demon Mountain Range to train. Zhou Cheng was only at Body Refining Level Three.

Zhou Cheng glanced at the black fox in their hands and ignored them. He was about to leave with Qin Meng and Lin Ru.

"Stop!" Gao Jun suddenly barked.

More than twenty people from the Grand Tutor Mansion surrounded them.

Gao Jun looked at Zhou Cheng suspiciously. "Zhou Cheng, what are you doing in the Green Demon Mountain Range?"

Hearing the other man's high-and-mighty tone, Zhou Cheng replied, "What I'm doing here is none of your business!" He looked at the Grand Tutor Mansion's people surrounding him and said coldly, "Get lost!"

Gao Jun was stunned.

Usually, at poetry gatherings, Zhou Cheng—only at Body Refining Level Three—would avoid him. And now he was telling him to get lost?

"You're asking for death!" Gao Jun snarled in fury, then swung a slap at Zhou Cheng.

Gao Jun was fifteen years old and an expert at Body Refining Level Eight. If that slap had landed, it could have knocked the teeth out of an ordinary Body Refining Level Seven warrior.

But just as his hand reached Zhou Cheng, someone seized it.

Qin Meng held Gao Jun's hand, his eyes icy. He twisted, and the sound of cracking bones rang out.

Gao Jun let out a scream. His right hand had been twisted into a complete pretzel. It wasn't merely cracked; it was utterly shattered. The pain nearly made him pass out. He roared furiously, "Have them hacked to pieces! Hack every last one of them to pieces, including that brat Zhou Cheng!"