Killing Zhu Fang

"Little brother, in return for your Purple Spirit Grass, how about I gift you a body-refining technique of the human race?"

Just as Chen Changming was lost in a daze, a melodious, silver-bell-like laughter rang out beside his ears.

Chen Changming nodded woodenly.

At a time like this, did he dare to refuse?

This great red demon could annihilate him with a single glare; he possessed no capital to bargain with.

A faint, imperceptible beam of light shot into his forehead.

In that instant, Chen Changming felt a cultivation technique manifest within his mind.

Heavenly Furnace Body Refining Art.

Before he could examine the technique in detail, the voice reached his ears again: "Little brother, this technique is quite formidable; it is enough to sustain your cultivation up to the Nascent Soul Realm."

Nascent Soul Realm?

Chen Changming blinked, a bitter smile tugging at his lips.

He was completely ignorant of the cultivation realms; until now, he had only known of the Xiantian Realm and the Qi Refining Realm.

Another streak of green light flashed by.

In the space before Chen Changming's chest, an ancient bronze key floated, its surface covered in mysterious patterns that made one's head spin just to look at them.

"Little brother, I am currently in dire straits and fear I can no longer protect this key. Would you be willing to keep it safe for me for a time?"

The great red bird spoke, its tone grave, clearly indicating that this matter was of the utmost importance.

Keep it safe?

Chen Changming gave a self-deprecating smile and shook his head. "Big sister, with my meager strength..."

"It is precisely because you are so weak that you will not attract attention."

The great red bird chuckled.

It gave a slight nod, and the bronze key transformed into a streak of green light, vanishing into the youth's chest.

The youth hurriedly pulled open his clothes, only to find a small green dot on his chest, resembling a birthmark, which was not at all conspicuous.

"Little brother, wait for me to return and find you..."

The great red bird flicked its wings, instantly tearing through the void and disappearing from sight.

"Most of the miasma in this valley has been purified by me; you may leave safely..."

Just as Chen Changming was lost in thought, the voice echoed in his mind once more.

After the great red bird departed, the sense of oppression vanished, and Chen Changming's state of mind gradually stabilized.

This demon calls herself a princess; her status is likely extraordinary. This bronze key must also be an incredible object. The fact that she is being hunted is surely because of it...

Chen Changming mused to himself.

He felt as though he had been swept into a massive vortex. Yet, beneath such torrential floods, the lives of those at the bottom were as lowly as ants. Caught in the midst of such grand trends, how could a small character like him possibly resist?

His only option now was to take things one step at a time, keep a low profile, and prioritize staying alive.

After a moment of silence, Chen Changming rubbed his chest, pulled his clothes shut, and glanced behind him, his face suddenly lighting up with joy.

The miasma had indeed thinned significantly. As long as he kept walking along the valley, he would be able to escape Zhu Fang completely.

"Damn it, that little bastard, he's still not dead!"

In the mist behind Chen Changming, the figure of an old man faintly emerged.

The person who had arrived was none other than Zhu Fang.

At this moment, he looked wretched, his entire body stained a greenish-blue, corroded until he resembled a malevolent ghost.

The spiritual armor on his body was dim, giving the impression that it might flicker out at any moment.

Upon seeing the youth's back, Zhu Fang grew even more incensed.

It was fortunate that the valley's miasma had suddenly thinned; had he not pursued him, that little bastard would have escaped scot-free.

Although he was a Qi Refining cultivator, he was severely injured and his internal spiritual energy was thin. If he did not reclaim the Purple Spirit Grass and consume it in time, he feared he would not live for another three months.

At this moment, Zhu Fang became cautious.

After cursing silently in his heart, he drew a steel blade and approached slowly, without making a sound, preparing to strike with a single, decisive ambush.

Yet, at this moment, Chen Changming was completely unaware that anyone was behind him.

He had entirely overlooked the possibility that Zhu Fang would risk his life to venture deep into the miasma-filled valley.

"Go to hell!"

Zhu Fang roared, pouring every ounce of his remaining strength into the strike.

Swish!

A cold, biting glint of light tore through the mist and descended with crushing force.

Although he was a cultivator in the Qi Refining Realm, he was not actually proficient in the martial arts. In his youth, his physical constitution had surpassed that of an ordinary mortal, but now, old and frail, and suffering from severe wounds, this single strike exhausted every ounce of his strength.

There was no other reason—

He sought only to shatter the boy's Spirit Armor and kill him outright.

"Oh no!"

Chen Changming was startled by the sound, vaguely hearing the whistle of the blade as it descended, but it was already too late to dodge. He could only circulate his Spirit Armor Art with all his might, hoping to withstand the attack.

BOOM!

The steel blade struck the Spirit Armor with a thunderous roar. The immense force tore a fissure in the armor, and the tip of the blade bit deep, hacking into Chen Changming's back.

Chen Changming let out a muffled groan. As his body staggered forward, he spun around violently and pulled an object from his robes, hurling it fiercely at the figure behind him.

This object was the Silver Stone.

At this moment, it was the only thing Chen Changming had that could serve as a weapon.

The Silver Stone streaked through the mist like a meteor, striking Zhu Fang square in the forehead.

With a dull thud, the Silver Stone embedded itself deep into his skull. Blood and brains splattered as the aged and frail Zhu Fang was killed by Chen Changming on the spot!

Chen Changming hunched over, gasping for air. The wound on his back bled incessantly, causing him to wince and grit his teeth in pain.

Fortunately, his Spirit Armor Art had been strengthened; otherwise, that strike would surely have cost him his life.

"A Qi Refining cultivator... truly formidable..."

Walking slowly toward Zhu Fang, Chen Changming exhaled, his expression visibly relaxing.

For the past month, this old man had been like a sword hanging over his head, keeping the boy in a constant state of unease and a lingering sense of impending doom.

Now that the old man was dead, he was finally out of danger.

One man killed in the Chu Kingdom, one man killed in the Yue Kingdom; a nine-year-old boy had killed two people in the span of a month. Such experiences had made Chen Changming far more composed.

The boy understood clearly that in these chaotic times, one was like duckweed without roots; to survive, one had to be ruthless.

Chen Changming rummaged through the corpse and found only a tattered cloth bag.

Inside were a few dozen taels of broken silver, a scabbard, and a yellowed, worn book.

"Five Tigers Soul-Severing Blade?"

Chen Changming picked up the manual with interest, but after reading only the preface, his face revealed a look of disappointment.

This was not a cultivation technique for immortals.

It was a martial art from the pugilistic world, and its practitioners could reach at most the Xiantian Realm.

As for the Xiantian Realm, Chen Changming had already reached its peak.

"I have the token gifted by the immortal master; if I seek a cultivation technique, I can simply join the Lingxiao Sect. For now, this Five Tigers Soul-Severing Blade is suitable for me to practice—at the very least, it adds another skill for self-defense..."

Chen Changming muttered to himself, his eyes growing brighter.

If this blade technique were practiced enough times, its power would increase. By then, there would be few people below the Qi Refining Realm who could pose a threat to him.

Picking up the steel blade and sheathing it at his waist, Chen Changming staggered away from the scene.

Three months later.

A small village a hundred miles from the Miasma Valley suddenly became lively. Many young boys and girls, led by their parents, arrived at the village square, gazing toward a certain spot with faces full of anticipation.

In a small courtyard, the door to a side room pushed open. A young man walked out slowly and asked with a smile to a sturdy old man who was chopping wood.

"Uncle Liu, is there some happy event in the village today?"

"The immortal masters have come."

Uncle Liu put down his wood-chopping blade and chuckled, "They are the immortal masters from the Lingxiao Sect. They come to the village every three years to recruit disciples. Everyone in the village hopes their own child will be chosen and become a member of the immortal sect."

The Lingxiao Sect!

Chen Changming's heart surged with excitement. He had never expected that while recuperating in this village, he would actually encounter the Lingxiao Sect arriving to recruit disciples!