Practice and a scapegoat

After the three Green Demon fell to the ground, the area around the valley fell silent.

Lu Heng stood still, holding the purple-glowing longsword in his hand, his fingers pressing on the hilt, slowly moving his wrist to get used to the force transmitted back after swinging the sword.

It wasn't about comparing anything; it was simply about feeling the power travel from his arm all the way to the blade. When he had just slain the three-headed Green Demon, his attack was so fast that he hadn't had time to fully savor the feedback from the penetration. At some points when he exerted force, there was still a slight awkwardness, as if he hadn't fully unleashed his power. He swung the blade back and forth a few times with small movements, his muscles contracting and relaxing in a cycle, gradually memorizing this unique feeling of exertion.

The sound of stones grinding together came from the pile of rubble.

A burly figure emerged from between the rocks— Goblin Warrior, wielding a double-bladed great axe, his body covered in crisscrossing old scars. He didn't charge immediately, but lowered his center of gravity, keeping a distance and watching Lu Heng warily. His feet lightly pounded the earth beneath his feet, constantly shifting his position in small increments, searching for a suitable angle to attack.

Lu Heng did not immediately kill him.

He suppressed some of the Star Force within his body, intending to use this opponent to hone the rhythm of unleashing his new power.

The Goblin Warrior was the first to push off the ground and charge forward.

It didn't charge straight in; instead, it moved in a roundabout way, using the angle of the rocks to change direction, and then swung its giant axe horizontally. The wind from the axe whistled past our ears.

Lu Heng shifted his feet slightly to the side to avoid the axe blade, then flicked his wrist to raise his longsword, the blade striking the spine of the axe.

A crisp sound.

The Goblin Warrior jerked his arm, halting his charge.

When the impact came, Lu Heng knew what to expect. If he hadn't suppressed his Star Force, that blow would have been enough to shatter his opponent's arm bones. He continued to restrain his strength and stabilize his center of gravity.

It quickly regained its footing and pounced again, feinting, lunging, sweeping, and slashing—its movements fluid and coordinated, a style honed through years of battle. Sometimes, a single axe swing was merely a feint, and the instant Lu Heng made a dodge, it would immediately change its attack, slashing diagonally.

Lu Heng consistently controlled his power, his movements were minimal, and he deliberately restrained his Star Force output with each block, deflection, and light slash, gradually finding the right balance in his sword strikes.

He didn't aim for devastating damage; instead, he focused on adjusting the timing of his wrist rotations, sensing just the right amount of Star Force to release. Too little, and the blade would feel sluggish; too much, and it would tear the target apart with the slightest touch. This balance required repeated testing.

They fought back and forth for dozens of moves.

The initial awkwardness of activating the new power gradually disappeared, and the movements became smoother. There was no need to consciously recall how to mobilize the power; with a thought, the Star Force naturally surged onto the blade.

Lu Heng stopped applying pressure.

The Goblin Warrior swung its axe again, Lu Heng raised his hand and slashed straight at it. Star Force flowed through the blade, and the blade pierced through its body.

The giant axe slipped from his hand and fell to the ground with a loud thud. The Goblin Warrior collapsed into the mud, motionless.

The warm scent of flesh and blood filled the air.

Beneath Lu Heng's skin and flesh, the Blood Taisui began to operate on its own. That newly generated intelligence actively filtered out the chaotic and violent parts of the demonic energy, and the purified nutrients slowly seeped into his body, subtly refining his muscles.

He sensed the unusual activity within his body, but did not dwell on it.

With a thought, the longsword in his hand dispersed into starlight, then coalesced back into Star Wolf, which landed on the ground. With another thought, the Star Wolf transformed back into the longsword.

I switched back and forth several times.

The flow of power was smooth, without the slightest interruption.

After trying everything I wanted to verify, an idea popped into my head.

We could actually stay here a little longer.

The commotion in this valley is quite significant, and it might even attract other monsters, which will provide a good opportunity to hone one's skills. The more times you fight, the better your control over your power will become.

But this thought only lingered for a fleeting moment.

He then thought of the Forest Will.

If I deliberately create a prolonged battle here, will it trigger a warning from the other side? We've already had their intervention before, there's no need to test that invisible red line.

Everything that needed to be tried has been tried.

There's no need to linger any longer.

Lu Heng held the knife at his side.

He changed direction and walked out in the direction that led away from the valley.

After leaving the Hill Valley, Lu Heng followed the forest path towards Moonview Valley.

The longsword in his hand had lost its purple light, and its appearance looked much simpler. He slowed down his pace, letting his consciousness gently scan his body as he walked. The Blood Taisui remained quietly dormant beneath his skin, and the energy he had just absorbed was slowly permeating his body without producing any unusual pulling sensation.

The surrounding trees were densely packed, and the view was frequently fragmented by tree trunks and bushes.

It took about ten minutes to walk.

Through a patch of scattered bushes, a chaotic clatter of footsteps and panting shouts suddenly pierced my ears.

Lu Heng paused, his gaze shifting towards the direction from which the sound came.

Three figures stumbled and rushed out of the bushes.

They are survivors.

The three men were covered in scratches, their clothes torn in rips, their faces covered in dust, and their eyes filled with pure panic. As they ran, they caught a glimpse of Lu Heng standing on the road out of the corner of their eye. It was like grabbing a piece of driftwood in their despair. Without bothering to figure out who Lu Heng was, they immediately turned around and charged straight at him, roaring.

"Help us!"

Something is chasing us! Please help!

The shouts grew closer.

They mustered their last bit of strength and reached out to Lu Heng, hoping to get protection.

Lu Heng's brows furrowed slightly.

He didn't stop to help, nor did he say anything. He had no intention of rescuing anyone; he simply adjusted his direction instinctively, preparing to bypass the group and leave the area.

There's no need to get involved.

But just as he dodged to the side, the man running in front saw that Lu Heng actually wanted to dodge, and the desire to survive twisted in his eyes.

An extreme idea popped into his head.

We can't let this person leave.

If Lu Heng escapes, the monsters that come after him will only target the three of them.

The man's running trajectory suddenly changed. Instead of grabbing Lu Heng's outstretched clothes, he gripped a short knife tucked at his waist, gritted his teeth, and fiercely stabbed towards Lu Heng.

His plan was both blatant and malicious.

There's no need to hurt Lu Heng; just provoking a conflict will keep the pursuers pinned down on the target in front of this man.

Lu Heng kept a sliver of attention on the other person.

The moment he saw the blade coming, he pushed off the ground with his toes and quickly retreated half a meter.

The cold dagger grazed past his clothes, and he missed.

Having missed his target, the man stopped pursuing Lu Heng and used the momentum from the impact to dash away down a side path.

Almost exactly one second after the action was completed.

Several green shadows burst out, smashing through the bushes along the path the survivors had just taken.

The original target was the three people who were fleeing for their lives.

However, the sudden burst of fighting in the air successfully attracted the attention of the Green Demon.

They abandoned their original pursuit, turned their heads, and fixed their scarlet eyes on Lu Heng, roaring as they charged towards him like a tidal wave.

On the fork in the road in the distance, the man who had harbored evil intentions glanced back quickly in this direction before running even faster and disappearing into the depths of the forest in the blink of an eye.

The other two survivors also took advantage of this gap to scatter and escape in different directions.

Lu Heng stood there, gazing in the direction the man had disappeared.

A surge of anger rose from the depths of my heart without warning.

It's that kind of person again.

Instead of focusing on their own survival, they dig a pit, dragging innocent people out as bait to exchange for their own chance to escape.

His anger did not cloud his judgment.

It's just a straightforward, instinctive sense of disgust.

The whistling wind drew near, and several Green Demon figures had already rushed within tens of meters.

Lu Heng withdrew his gaze from the distance, and his hand hanging at his side twitched slightly.

A faint light flashed in my palm.

The purple-patterned longsword was already quietly in his hand.