Flaunting His Might in the Outer Sect

Flaunting His Might in the Outer Sect

Faced with the sudden artifact attack.

A chill flashed through Xiao Liang's eyes. With Ghost Shadow Step beneath his feet, a golden streak flashed, and his body had already shifted several yards away.

The Corpse-Binding Net missed and covered the ground, instantly corroding the stone slabs with eerie green marks.

"Heh, kid, you've got a pretty good movement technique. Ghost Shadow Step? Why does yours shine gold?"

The flesh between Hua Song's brows twisted as he shoved Yan Xiaodie out of his arms. His expression turned more cautious as he raised a hand to recall the Corpse-Binding Net, catching it in his palm and idly playing with it.

Though he had not been serious just now, the artifact he had unleashed was not something an ordinary probationary disciple could evade.

"You switched to another cultivation technique, didn't you? Why not take it out and let your senior brother examine it for you?"

Unexpectedly, that toad-faced man had fairly sharp powers of observation. At a glance, he saw that the spiritual power Xiao Liang used to activate Ghost Shadow Step was not from the Blood Nightmare Technique, but some purer kind of spiritual power.

The quality of one's spiritual power indirectly reflected how advanced the cultivation technique behind it was.

The Demon Sect followed a universal rule: whoever had the bigger fist was the boss.

If I see something I want but do not have, then as long as I want it, I take it by force.

People like Qiu Ling, the Blood-Eyed law-enforcement disciple, who were willing to befriend talented disciples, were instead the minority.

Xiao Liang gave a faint smile. From that exchange, he had already learned that this arrogant outer sect senior brother before him was merely at the Fifth Level of Qi Refining, still inferior to him.

He was most likely a Little Ghost Hall disciple who had only advanced to the outer sect last year, or perhaps the year before.

In a place like the Ten Thousand Demon Cavern, pretending to be weak to lure out enemies did not work well. Countless people would gladly come and stomp on you, making proper cultivation impossible.

Thus, showing weakness before one's enemies was the path to death.

"Fine. Now that I've returned to the sect, if I don't display my methods, wouldn't that be like walking at night in splendid robes? You really came at the perfect time!"

Xiao Liang fell silent. As he pondered inwardly, golden threads began winding around his fingers, palms, and elbows.

"Looks like you refuse a toast only to drink a forfeit!"

Hua Song narrowed his eyes. Empowered by spiritual power, the Corpse-Binding Net in his hand expanded and shrank unpredictably. He circled around Xiao Liang for several steps, carefully searching for an opening in his stance, ready to unleash it at any moment.

The phenomenon around Xiao Liang's hands clearly showed that he had activated some special spell, one Hua Song had never seen on any other disciple of the Ten Thousand Demon Cavern.

This made Hua Song wary. Though he had already delivered his threat, he remained reluctant to release the artifact in his hand.

Xiao Liang remained standing where he was, entirely at ease. He glanced at Yan Xiaodie's shifting expression and found it rather amusing.

After a brief moment of thought, he understood why Yan Xiaodie had attached herself to that toad-faced brute at the Fifth Level of Qi Refining.

Was she willing to sacrifice her looks just to borrow an artifact? Hmph, not surprising. In the face of reality, her former standards for choosing a cultivation partner clearly were not so strict!

The three-year Little Ghost Hall Grand Competition was fast approaching. Even those who had previously muddled along in ignorance had likely, at this critical moment, learned through various channels.

What miserable fate awaited them if they failed to pass the competition.

To raise their strength as much as possible, these ants on a hot pan would use every possible means to improve their combat power, even if it was only temporary combat power.

Artifacts were one of the most obvious sources of improvement, and the Little Ghost Hall Grand Competition would likely not restrict the use of borrowed artifacts.

Here, results were everything. The process and fairness did not matter at all.

In truth, things were exactly as Xiao Liang had guessed. During the half year he had spent away from the mountain.

Some probationary disciples had completely thrown caution to the wind in order to achieve victory in the Little Ghost Hall Grand Competition.

Whether they sold their beauty to stronger outer sect disciples in exchange for support, or lost all dignity and miserably became spell-training targets.

In short, insects had their paths, and rats had theirs.

Over the past half year, some probationary disciples had undergone enormous changes in strength.

Anyone with connections could at least obtain a Pseudo-Spirit Artifact for protection before the competition arrived.

If Xiao Liang had not encountered his opportunities after descending the mountain, then with the meager resources available on the mountain, even if he possessed Mastered Ghost Shadow Step, he likely would have amounted to little.

More than likely, he would have been forced by circumstances to sell off many of his own interests.

When Yan Xiaodie heard that Xiao Liang might possess an advanced cultivation technique, her eyes immediately lit up. A ruthless glint flashed over her face as she said to the toad-faced brute:

"Senior Brother Hua Song, I heard that half a year ago, this man had only just broken through to the Third Level of Qi Refining. He also has a Four-Spirit Root, so there is nothing to fear!"

"His cultivation technique and spells must have been acquired during this trip down the mountain. Though he has had some luck, he has no backing. We cannot let this opportunity slip away!"

After hearing Yan Xiaodie reveal Xiao Liang's background, the toad-faced man's gaze brightened greatly, and the last trace of wariness in his heart was cast far beyond the clouds.

Third Level of Qi Refining half a year ago, and a Four-Spirit Root at that. At most, he was now at the Peak Third Level of Qi Refining.

"I almost let you fool me with that act!"

Hua Song let out a harsh, strange laugh and suddenly hurled out the Corpse-Binding Net. Then he stomped his foot down, formed claws with both hands, black aura seeping from them as he charged at Xiao Liang.

Once he made a move, he went all out. His footwork shifted in bizarre patterns, rippling with dark shadows. It was actually Ghost Shadow Step that was close to mastery!

"Are you done talking?"

Xiao Liang's smile was cold. His gaze swept across Hua Song and Yan Xiaodie's faces as he used the pure spiritual power of the Sixth Layer of Qi Refining to activate the Heavenly Yang Demon-Subduing Hand.

Golden spiritual power nearly condensed into a tangible layer of soft armor over both his arms.

He raised a hand and grabbed. The spiritual power around his hand trembled, and through a deft application of force, he caught the edge of the flying Corpse-Binding Net. He spun it twice before drawing it into his grasp.

The layer of corpse poison most feared by others was firmly kept outside by the spiritual power of the Golden Crow Sun-Refining Divine Art.

"It's only a Pseudo-Spirit Artifact, and one of the worst among them at that. Is it really worth showing off like this?"

Under Hua Song's shocked gaze, Xiao Liang erupted with spiritual power. Gripping the Corpse-Binding Net in one hand, he viciously slapped it across Hua Song's face.

Aah!!!

As though he had been branded by a hot iron, several crisscrossing marks of corpse-poison corrosion appeared on Hua Song's already ugly face.

Amid his screams, energy burst from his fingertips as he viciously clawed toward Xiao Liang's chest and abdomen!

Trifling tricks!

Xiao Liang struck after him yet arrived first, his pair of golden hands seeming to have been forged from gold and iron.

He slapped the Yin Demon Claw without the slightest mercy. Several crisp cracks rang out, and several of Hua Song's fingers were already broken, bent crookedly to one side.

"Sixth Layer of Qi Refining!"

Hua Song's face was filled with terror. He shifted beneath his feet and activated Ghost Shadow Step, flashing several yards away as he tried to flee.

But Xiao Liang's Ghost Shadow Step was even more proficient than his and had already been fully mastered.

On the training ground, one gold and one black, two figures activated Ghost Shadow Step in succession.

Yet the black shadow was always immediately caught by the golden figure, like a nightmare from which he could not escape.

Boom!

In the end, Xiao Liang became a golden flash. Carrying the force of a gale, he planted one foot in Hua Song's chest and kicked him flying.

Only after smashing through three wooden training posts did Hua Song collapse limply to the ground like a dead dog.

Layers of bloody foam still poured from his mouth, while his limbs were twisted grotesquely. He had completely lost the ability to resist.

In this battle, a probationary disciple in gray robes had actually defeated an outer sect disciple in black robes who possessed an artifact!

Dozens of outer sect disciples of all kinds on the training ground witnessed this scene.

Xiao Liang's expression was indifferent as the golden spiritual power around him gradually faded, like a general removing his armor, carrying an icy presence no one dared meet head-on.

End of Chapter