Who?!

Sword Qi swept in every direction, blood splashing three feet high!

Armed with a fierce killing technique like [Red Night Sword Qi], Tang Shun was like a god of slaughter descended upon the valley.

What chilled the blood even more was his consummate acting.

Whenever he encountered a former companion in the valley, he feigned delighted surprise and offered to travel together, then abruptly unleashed his sword once the other person let their guard down.

Almost none of these young cultivators had imagined that a companion of two years would suddenly strike them down. Caught off guard, they all became material for Tang Shun to refine his Sword Qi.

In just four hours.

Five people had died at Tang Shun's hands. Having absorbed their blood essence and vital Qi, his [Red Night Sword Qi] grew increasingly condensed and savage, bloody light flickering within it as its power soared.

Even his own cultivation rose like a boat on a swelling tide. His presence surged, faintly showing signs of breaking through the shackles of the Qi Refining First Layer!

A ruthless heart, vicious hands, and godlike acting!

Following silently behind Tang Shun, Qi Yun witnessed the whole process as this sneaky bastard disguised himself before striking from behind.

Even he could not help marveling that this fellow truly was a born seed of the demonic path.

Yet all Tang Shun did along the way was kill people to refine his Sword Qi, with no other plans.

Could the condition for passing the trial really just be surviving until the end... Just as Qi Yun watched Tang Shun's back and pondered this.

A black shadow suddenly descended from the sky ahead. Its overpowering, oppressive presence whipped up a fierce wind, shaking the surrounding grass and leaves into a rustling chorus.

Holding a [Soul-Snatching Staff], the black-robed cultivator who had suddenly appeared stared at Tang Shun, whose expression remained unchanged, and gave a soft chuckle of unclear meaning:

"As expected of Martial Uncle Tang's nephew. Such bearing and poise are beyond ordinary folk."

"You flatter me, Senior Brother. I merely rely on my elders." Tang Shun's expression remained unchanged as he cupped his hands in greeting, humble and courteous.

"Heh heh heh. Martial Uncle Tang has sent word, so naturally we must obey. When we meet in the sect someday, we can catch up then."

Waving a hand, the black-robed cultivator motioned for Tang Shun to leave. Clearly, someone high up in the sect had already put in a word, allowing him to pass the trial smoothly even if he did nothing.

"Then thank you, Senior Brother."

Tang Shun smiled faintly and walked forward with perfect composure, clearly already well aware of this "special treatment."

Just as he passed a mere three to five meters behind the black-robed cultivator.

An almost imperceptibly faint whistle suddenly cut through the air!

A speck of cold, dark-blue light shot silently from the black-robed cultivator's palm like a lurking venomous scorpion, aimed straight at the vital spot at the back of Tang Shun's head.

Hiss-

In that lightning-flash instant, Tang Shun suddenly tilted his head slightly.

A silver needle gleaming dark blue grazed past his cheek.

The black-robed cultivator swiftly pulled away after his failed ambush. Interlacing the fingers of both hands, he formed a Method Formula. Between his palms, seven cold glints flickered in and out, terrifyingly sharp.

"Fang Hai, your acting is terrible. You thought you could ambush me with that paltry ability?" Having evaded the ambush, Tang Shun turned with a sneer and looked at the black-robed cultivator opposite him.

With his identity exposed, Fang Hai dropped the pretense. He pulled off his pitch-black hood, revealing a fair, gentle face with a trace of puzzlement:

"How did you notice? I thought... I hadn't really given anything away."

"You gave yourself away by showing yourself to approach me.

"These black-robed menial disciples are nothing but bottom-rung laborers, only slightly better off than 'human material.' How could they know my uncle?

"You thought yourself clever for mentioning my uncle's name. Naturally, you wanted me to lower my guard so you could seize a chance to kill me.

"Fang Hai, we don't have any grudge, do we?"

Watching Fang Hai across from him, Tang Shun tilted his head.

The Limitless Devil Sect's admission procedure was complicated and strict.

If they followed the formal process, they had no absolute assurance of success.

And under that procedure, even their elders within the sect could neither help nor intervene.

But taking the reserve-talent route allowed them to bypass the formal process while also using these mortals to refine their Law Techniques, killing two birds with one stone.

That was the case for both Fang Hai and himself.

Yet the two had never had any conflicts or grudges in their everyday dealings, so he could not understand why Fang Hai had staged this ambush.

"Of course we have no grudge. You just found a piece of [adamant metal] in the valley earlier.

"I want it."

Frankly stating his purpose, Fang Hai stared intently at Tang Shun. At the same time, a heavy, forceful presence slowly emanated from him.

"Qi Refining Second Layer? Tsk, no wonder you're so bold."

Sensing the presence emanating from Fang Hai, Tang Shun chuckled. Pale-red Sword Qi flickered over his lowered left hand:

"But you think a mere Qi Refining Second Layer cultivation means you have me in the bag?"

"Why not give it a try and find out?"

Before his words had finished, Fang Hai changed his finger seals, and the seven [Yin Wind Needles] poised between his palms immediately shot out.

People with backing like them naturally would never learn those commonplace Law Techniques.

Like Tang Shun's [Red Night Sword Qi], his [Yin Wind Needle] had also been passed down by an elder.

Not only could it summon these elusive, hard-to-detect silver needles.

The needles also carried a sinister poison. Anyone struck would lose the ability to move within minutes, left at his mercy.

"A petty trick."

With a calm smile, Tang Shun waved out a streak of pale-red Sword Qi. Fierce and domineering, it instantly shattered the Yin Wind Needles and continued shooting toward Fang Hai without losing momentum.

The Sword Qi swept past his shoulder, carving a deep groove in the tree trunk behind him. Fang Hai immediately retaliated, his finger seals shifting nonstop as silver needles flew toward Tang Shun in an unbroken stream.

For a time, Sword Qi swept in all directions, and needle shadows swarmed like locusts.

Pale-red and dark-blue radiance collided wildly and burst apart in the woods.

Branches and leaves flew, rocks split, and the two fought in a deadlock!

Perched like a ghost on a nearby tree branch, Qi Yun watched the magical battle before him, clicking his tongue in wonder.

So this is what people with connections have at their disposal? Compared with these two, the five-element Law Techniques we learned really aren't fit to show in public.

Amid the fierce battle, Fang Hai spotted an opening. Nine consecutive Yin Wind Needles sealed off Tang Shun's retreat, while he closed in like a phantom. His right hand darted out like lightning and seized the bulging pouch at Tang Shun's waist!

Got it.

But at that moment, Tang Shun, who had been driven into a corner, suddenly moved his right hand. A much weaker yet equally sharp streak of Sword Qi shot straight toward Fang Hai's right arm.

"Sword Qi from both hands?! You've been hiding your ability!"

Crying out in astonishment, Fang Hai hastily withdrew his hand. But he was too close to Tang Shun, and the Sword Qi reached him in the blink of an eye.

Riiip-

Scarlet sprayed, scalding blood splashing across the surrounding grass like spilled ink.

With a muffled grunt, Fang Hai clutched his right arm and hurriedly retreated!

The pouch in his hand also fell aside, landing on a damp, slippery rock covered in moss.

Hmm?!

Qi Yun, who had been watching the battlefield intently, abruptly narrowed his eyes, a keen gleam flashing within them.

My chance is here!

He forcibly suppressed his surging excitement and stayed still, patiently waiting for the best moment.

Having forced Fang Hai back with one sword strike, Tang Shun's eyes brimmed with murderous light. His Red Night Sword Qi had wounded Fang Hai and swept away some of his blood essence and vital Qi, slightly restoring his condition.

Glancing at where the pouch had fallen, Tang Shun decisively charged at Fang Hai first. The Sword Qi from his left hand darted like a venomous snake's tongue, instantly piercing Fang Hai's shoulder at an extremely tricky angle and completely stripping him of his fighting strength.

Now!

At the very instant Fang Hai staggered, gravely wounded, and Tang Shun prepared to deliver the fatal blow with the advantage in hand.

An invisible, formless breeze, like the valley's own air currents, silently brushed over the mossy rock.

The pouch on the rock vanished without a trace!

The fatal Sword Qi pierced Fang Hai's throat. He stared fixedly at Tang Shun, unwilling to accept his fate, as bloody foam welled from his mouth:

"You... you..."

Gently brushing aside the hair hanging over his forehead, Tang Shun's gaze was icy, and a smile curled his lips:

"You thought I hadn't noticed you following me all this time?

"I deliberately hid my ability to lure you onto the hook!

"Otherwise, how would an idiot like you have shown yourself to fight me?

"Now this is perfect. With your Qi Refining Second Layer cultivation to refine my Sword Qi, my [Red Night Sword Qi] can be fully honed.

"I really must thank you for that."

Hearing this, Fang Hai's eyes instantly widened. His outstretched left hand clawed futilely at the air before finally falling limply.

Wasting no more words, Tang Shun swiftly formed Hand Seals and cast his technique to absorb Fang Hai's blood essence and vital Qi. Feeling the fully honed [Red Night Sword Qi] within him, he could not help laughing in delight several times as he walked toward the rock, brimming with satisfaction.

Yet when he reached the rock and swept his gaze over it...

It was completely empty!

There was only slippery moss and a few drops of blood that had yet to dry!

The smile on Tang Shun's face instantly froze. He abruptly bent down, both hands frantically searching the rock and the surrounding grass.

Nothing!

There was nothing at all!

An icy chill shot straight from the soles of his feet to the crown of his head.

The next second, a roar filled with shock, fury, and brutality suddenly erupted, making the entire mountain forest reverberate.

"Who?!!!"