Slaying

(Forget Worry)

Xia Xue didn't even have the strength to open her mouth. She could only watch helplessly as Cheng Dahu's claws inched closer, despair filling her heart. Tears spilled from her eyes, impossible to hold back. The moment she regained her strength, she would fight Cheng Dahu to the death. If she couldn't kill him, she would take her own life.

"Ohohoho, look at you, weeping like a pear blossom in the rain. You're enough to make anyone's heart ache. A beauty like you is a rare sight indeed. Are you thinking of killing yourself as soon as you get your strength back? Don't worry. I won't let you recover enough strength to do that." Cheng Dahu seemed to see right through Xia Xue's thoughts. His smile grew even more sinister, filling her with fear. If that happened, she truly would be worse than dead. How she wished Chu Xiaotian would appear right now and drive these two beasts away. She knew his cultivation was weaker than theirs, but she couldn't help instinctively relying on him.

As if he knew what Xia Xue was thinking, the instant the thought arose, a furious shout rang out from the valley entrance. "You two beasts, go to hell!" The thunderous voice made Cheng Dahu, lost in his lewd fantasies, jolt. Then a figure flashed into view before him. He instinctively threw a punch at the newcomer, who met it with a punch of his own.

With a deafening BOOM, Cheng Dahu was driven back more than ten steps by the tremendous force, his fist aching faintly. His opponent was clearly stronger than he was, and had stopped after retreating only four steps.

"It's you! Hahaha! I was just about to come looking for you, and here you are, delivering yourself to my door!" Seeing that the person who had driven him back was Chu Xiaotian—the very person he'd been looking for—Cheng Dahu's eyes flashed with surprise, but he immediately burst into laughter. A few days ago, Chu Xiaotian had been far weaker than him. Now, he could force him back. His improvement was terrifying. After all, even though Ba Dao had grievously wounded him, his strength hadn't suffered at all. Instead, he'd made tremendous progress and reached the Tenth-Stage Body Refining, his power surging. Yet Chu Xiaotian's improvement seemed even more astonishing.

That wasn't good. Fortunately, both brothers were here. Surely dealing with a brat only a little stronger than him wouldn't be difficult. Cheng Erhu was even stronger than he was now.

Chu Xiaotian looked at the two men, their eyes burning with hatred, and felt a flicker of alarm. From that brief exchange, he could tell that the man who had been at the eighth stage of Body Refining last time had made a huge leap in strength, just as he had. As for the other one, he was probably no weaker.

"You crippled our third brother's hand. Today, we'll cripple both your arms and legs, then slowly torture you and the little slut in front of you!" Cheng Erhu said coldly, gripping the black iron staff in his hand. Killing intent swirled in his eyes. The moment the words left his mouth, he charged like a tank. Cheng Dahu didn't hesitate either. He swung his greatsword and rushed at Chu Xiaotian.

Chu Xiaotian glanced at Xia Xue, who lay on the ground, worry written all over her face. He gave her a reassuring look, then turned and ran deeper into the valley. A fight with these two would be anything but small. If they stayed here, Xia Xue might get hurt, and that was the last thing Chu Xiaotian wanted.

"Brat, there's nowhere to run! Get ready to be tortured to death!" Cheng Erhu let out a long howl, and his speed suddenly doubled. The iron staff whistled through the air as he brought it crashing down at Chu Xiaotian's head. Surprise flashed across Chu Xiaotian's face. From the force of that blow, this man he'd thought might be weaker than Cheng Dahu was definitely stronger. Cheng Dahu had already reached the Tenth-Stage Body Refining. Cheng Erhu had probably entered the Pulse-Opening Realm.

A few days ago, they'd both been at the eighth stage of Body Refining. Now, one had reached the Tenth-Stage Body Refining and the other the Pulse-Opening Realm. It was more than Chu Xiaotian had expected. So it wasn't only he who'd been lucky in this world, he thought to himself. But his movements never slowed. He leaned aside to dodge Cheng Erhu's staff, then lunged toward Cheng Dahu. When facing two opponents, one strong and one weak, he naturally had to take down the weaker one first.

Opening the meridians in the limbs and gathering qi in the feet could greatly increase one's speed. Cheng Dahu and his brother weren't particularly fast to begin with, and Cheng Dahu hadn't expected Chu Xiaotian to turn around so suddenly. By the time he realized it, he was too late to attack. He could only hold his sword across his chest, hoping to fend Chu Xiaotian off for a moment until his brother came to his aid.

But he had severely underestimated Chu Xiaotian's strength. Once his meridians were open and he had complete control over the spiritual power in his body, Chu Xiaotian was no longer someone a Body Refining cultivator could match. The cold Corpse Poison inside him gathered in his fist, and he drove it into Cheng Dahu's chest. With a dull thud, Cheng Dahu's nearly two-meter-tall body flew through the air like a bundle of straw before slamming into the ground. His throat burned, and he couldn't stop a mouthful of blood from spilling out. His chest had caved in; Chu Xiaotian's punch had broken several of his ribs. But the blow had landed on his right side, so the broken bones hadn't pierced his heart. Otherwise, Cheng Dahu would have died on the spot. Even so, he was as good as dead. Chu Xiaotian's Corpse Poison was no ordinary thing. It had entered Cheng Dahu's body with that punch and was now wreaking havoc on his vitality. Cheng Dahu's face grew paler and paler. He was breathing out more than he breathed in, and it was clear he wouldn't last long.

"Big brother!!! Brat, you've hurt my brother again! I'll torture you to death!" Cheng Erhu's eyes nearly bulged from their sockets. He hadn't expected Chu Xiaotian's strength to have grown so much. That blow had been so fast he hadn't even had time to try to save his brother. With a furious roar, Cheng Erhu charged at Chu Xiaotian like a madman, his iron staff whipping up gusts of wind and ripping a layer of grass from the ground.

A glint flashed in Chu Xiaotian's eyes as he faced the human tank. He picked up Cheng Dahu's greatsword and engaged Cheng Erhu. Their cultivation levels differed considerably, but their actual strength was close. In some ways, Chu Xiaotian was even stronger than Cheng Erhu, who had entered the Qi Refining Realm. Chu Xiaotian had never used a sword before, so he wielded the blade like a club and traded blows with Cheng Erhu, matching him strike for strike.

The clanging of weapons echoed through the valley. The two fought from east to west, then west to south, leaving the entire valley in ruins. After clashing for more than a hundred moves, Cheng Erhu, despite his higher cultivation, had gained no advantage at all. He had even fallen behind, battered until he could barely fight back. If the greatsword in Chu Xiaotian's hands hadn't been lighter than the iron staff and on the verge of breaking, Cheng Erhu might already have been battered to death.

The more Chu Xiaotian fought, the more excited he became, and the more naturally his movements flowed. The awkwardness of that first clash had completely faded. With every collision, he could feel his control over the spiritual power inside him growing stronger. Cultivation came from practice, but combat prowess came from fighting. The more one fought, the more skillfully one could control the spiritual power in one's body, and the stronger one became. Most of the difference in strength between cultivators at the same level came down to combat experience and control over spiritual power. Chu Xiaotian hadn't fought many battles, and it was rare to find someone whose strength was so close to his own. He wasn't about to let this opportunity slip by. So, as the fight went on, he simply abandoned the greatsword and faced Cheng Erhu with his bare fists. Though he took several heavy blows at first, he soon began finding openings in Cheng Erhu's attacks. His fists slipped through the iron staff's seemingly impenetrable barrage, leaving one mark after another on Cheng Erhu's body.

Cheng Erhu grew more alarmed and more agitated with every exchange. Chu Xiaotian's attacks were hurting his body, but his talent—far beyond Cheng Erhu's—was an even heavier blow to his pride. A few days ago, Chu Xiaotian had been unable to fight back against him. A few days later, even with a great increase in strength, Cheng Erhu was the one being beaten without the chance to retaliate. He went completely mad. The gusts kicked up by his iron staff grew more terrifying. He abandoned all defense and focused solely on attacking, pounding the earth and rocks until the ground trembled, dirt flew, and stones tumbled. He no longer thought he could defeat Chu Xiaotian. That wasn't realistic. All he wanted now was to die alongside him.

But Cheng Erhu's attacks didn't inflict nearly as much damage on Chu Xiaotian as he'd expected. Even as Cheng Erhu fought recklessly, Chu Xiaotian's agility far surpassed his opponent's. Time and again, he dodged at the very last instant, just as the attacks were about to hit him, leaving Cheng Erhu so frustrated he could have spat blood. After fighting for fifteen minutes, Cheng Erhu realized he still hadn't managed to hurt Chu Xiaotian. His gaze shifted to Xia Xue, still lying in the middle of the valley.

"If I can't beat you, I'll kill this helpless little bitch first!" Cold light flashed in Cheng Erhu's eyes. He had no intention of sparing her out of pity. He sprang forward, swinging his iron staff at Xia Xue.

"Hmph. I'd planned to let you live a little longer, but you've brought this on yourself. Don't blame me!" Chu Xiaotian had been on guard against Cheng Erhu trying this very move. How could he let him succeed? With a cold snort, he moved faster than Cheng Erhu and landed his fist between the man's shoulder blades before Cheng Erhu could reach Xia Xue. His spiritual power surged through his fist and easily shattered Cheng Erhu's heart meridian. Cheng Erhu froze in place. The iron staff fell to the ground, and his hands went limp at his sides.