Eight Dragon Eight Elephant Power

"Consume 700 Slaughter Value to upgrade the Dragon-Elephant Prajna Skill!"

At Lu Shaoyou's thought,

In an instant, an even more vast and surging torrent of heat erupted from the depths of his dantian, like floodwaters bursting through a broken dam, roaring as it charged through his limbs and bones.

"Crack! Crack!"

It was as though some barrier within his body had been forcibly shattered, while two entirely new meridians were ruthlessly opened by that tyrannical power.

The bones throughout his body crackled like frying beans, while his muscles visibly swelled and knotted, brimming with explosive strength.

Eight Dragon Eight Elephant Power!

Lu Shaoyou suddenly clenched his fist, crushing the air with a muffled blast.

He could clearly feel that every punch he threw now contained terrifying force far beyond what it had before.

"This feeling!"

Lu Shaoyou gave a low shout and rapidly swung both fists in the empty courtyard. His fist wind howled, afterimages flashing one after another as the air erupted in an unbroken series of thunderous detonations.

"Refreshing!"

Feeling the surging power within him, a grim curve rose uncontrollably at the corner of Lu Shaoyou's lips.

This strength gave him several more measures of confidence in the revenge to come.

But it still was not enough!

His gaze returned to the system panel.

"System, consume 200 Slaughter Value to upgrade Lingbo Weibu!"

"System, consume 300 Slaughter Value to upgrade Lingbo Weibu!"

As his Slaughter Value was consumed, countless profound transformations of Lingbo Weibu poured into his mind like divine enlightenment. The movement technique that had merely reached the introductory stage instantly became well-practiced.

His footsteps unconsciously moved along an enigmatic path. His figure became lighter and swifter, and as he shifted, turned, and leaped about, he faintly carried an elusive charm like antelope horns hanging from nowhere, impossible to grasp.

Lingbo Weibu, minor accomplishment!

Lu Shaoyou gripped the Qi Mei Cudgel in his hand once more. Feeling another tremendous leap in his strength, the flames of vengeance in his heart burned even more fiercely.

Eagle Beak Cliff, Black Wind Village!

Li Batian, Ling Mo!

He suddenly raised his head and looked toward the depths of Yun Yuan Mountain. That was where he would go next.

"Wait for me!"

"System, display the status panel!"

Name: Lu Shaoyou.

Cultivation: First-class Warrior.

Cultivation Method: Dragon-Elephant Prajna Skill (Eighth Layer).

Secret Techniques: Shaolin Cudgel Technique (Proficient), Lingbo Weibu (Minor Accomplishment), Shaolin Dragon Claw Hand (Introductory), Mountain Splitting Fist (Introductory)

Slaughter Value: 80.

Backpack: Ten cubic meters.

A First-class Warrior!

Who could have imagined that in less than a single day, Lu Shaoyou had leaped from an unranked nobody too weak to tie up a chicken into a First-class Warrior capable of splitting steles and shattering rocks in the martial world?

If word got out about such rapid progress, no one would likely believe it.

But Lu Shaoyou knew that this was still far from enough.

Li Batian was a Super First-rate Master, while Black Wind Village was a bandit stronghold that had been entrenched for years. There were surely no shortage of skilled fighters within it.

He took a deep breath and calmed the turmoil in his heart. His gaze became cold and resolute once more.

The next day, at dawn.

Lu Shaoyou took a deep breath of the slightly cool air, and the stifling gloom in his chest eased somewhat.

He did not delay in the slightest. After simply packing his things, mainly enough water and some dry provisions, he bundled them up and stored them in his backpack before leaving the courtyard.

The rising sun cast golden rays through the sparse leaves, scattering mottled patches of light across the devastated Lu Family Village.

Lu Shaoyou gave one final look at the village that had once been filled with laughter and joy, but was now utterly silent. The sorrow in his eyes was replaced by cold determination.

Leading the horse at the village entrance, Lu Shaoyou mounted it and left behind only a retreating figure.

Yun Yuan Mountain was steep and perilous. For an ordinary person, entering its depths and reaching Eagle Beak Cliff would be no easy task.

But now that Lu Shaoyou possessed a superior lightness skill, such treacherous terrain was nothing more than commonplace to him.

Several hours later, he had already penetrated deep into the heart of Yun Yuan Mountain. According to the route map drawn by the bandits, Eagle Beak Cliff was not far away.

Sure enough, after traveling for roughly the time it took to burn an incense stick, faint traces of man-made repairs appeared around the bend in the mountain path ahead.

Lu Shaoyou glanced at the sky. There was still some time before sunset.

At this point, he was no longer in a hurry. Charging in directly was certainly not an option. He planned to wait until nightfall, then infiltrate under cover of darkness.

Finding a concealed spot, Lu Shaoyou ate while occasionally gazing into the distance.

Before long, the sky darkened.

Lu Shaoyou's eyes sharpened. He slowly rose, then silently slipped forward like a wildcat.

At a narrow mountain pass, two bandits dressed in black, steel sabers hanging at their waists, were leaning against a wooden barricade and chatting idly.

"Damn it, what rotten luck. Ever since the Young Master caused that mess in Lu Family Village, the Village Chief's been wearing a dark face all the time. The atmosphere on the mountain has gotten a lot tenser." The bandit with a scar across his face spat.

"Isn't that the truth? I heard the prefecture might send troops. No idea whether it's real or not." The other, a tall and thin bandit, looked deeply worried.

Lu Shaoyou gave them no chance to continue their discussion.

He suddenly exerted force beneath his feet, unleashing Lingbo Weibu to its limit. His figure swept across more than ten zhang in an instant like a wisp of green smoke.

"Who goes—"

The scar-faced bandit's vision blurred. He had barely uttered two words when an iron cudgel carrying the force of ten thousand jun crashed toward his face.

Bang!

The Qi Mei Cudgel struck after moving later, yet arrived first, smashing with perfect precision into his forehead.

The scar-faced bandit did not even have time to scream before his head, like a watermelon struck by a heavy hammer, caved completely inward. Red and white matter splattered in every direction.

Kill an Unranked Warrior, Slaughter Value +10.

The tall, thin bandit turned in horror and saw his companion's corpse collapsing to the ground, along with Lu Shaoyou's utterly expressionless face.

"Enemy—" He had just opened his mouth to call for help when Lu Shaoyou flicked his wrist. The Qi Mei Cudgel swept sideways, its shadow lashing out like a whip as it struck heavily across his neck.

Crack!

A bone-splitting sound that set one's teeth on edge rang out. The tall, thin bandit's head twisted to one side at a grotesque angle. His eyes bulged wide as life rapidly drained from him.

Kill an Unranked Warrior, Slaughter Value +10.

After dealing with those two sentries, Lu Shaoyou did not pause, continuing to sneak farther up the mountain.

Not far ahead was another similar sentry post, likewise guarded by two bandits.

This time, Lu Shaoyou did not even give them a chance to speak.

Whoosh!

He closed in like a ghost, the Qi Mei Cudgel in his hand dancing like the wind. Two dull thuds sounded, and the two bandits had followed the first pair down the same road.

Kill an Unranked Warrior, Slaughter Value +10.

Kill an Unranked Warrior, Slaughter Value +10.

After dispatching four sentries in succession, Lu Shaoyou's Slaughter Value had accumulated to 120 points.

He looked up. Not far ahead, the terrain suddenly opened up, and a steep cliff rose from the ground. Layer upon layer of buildings could faintly be seen atop it—the very lair of Black Wind Village.

The village gates were shut tight, the drawbridge raised high. Numerous bandits patrolled back and forth atop the walls, their defenses strict.

Lu Shaoyou hid behind a massive boulder and carefully observed the situation at the gates.

Just then, he keenly caught the conversation of two guards from the watchtower above the gates.

"Sigh, what do you think the Village Chief is thinking? The Young Master made such a huge blunder, so why did he still let him go down the mountain?"

"Shh! Keep your voice down! The Village Chief's in a terrible mood today. Because of the Young Master's affair, he flew into a huge rage last night. Quite a few people got cursed until they were drenched from head to toe in spit.

"I heard the Village Chief locked himself in the secret chamber and refuses to see anyone."

"Really? Then we..."

Hearing this, a sharp gleam flashed through Lu Shaoyou's eyes.

Li Batian was troubled and had shut himself away?

For him, this might be a once-in-a-thousand-years opportunity.