Slaying

"Holy shit, I let my guard down."

Only upon making contact did Ning Yue discover that the Vajra Giant Ape's terrifying strength was more than he could withstand.

A single blow sent him flying, sweeping him away like deadwood.

Sure enough, the Indestructible Vajra Physique still fell a little short.

He would have to work harder at simulations from now on.

Otherwise, he couldn't even beat a little Vajra Giant Ape cub.

Even the Myriad Heavens Simulator would be embarrassed if word got out.

Right, it was the Myriad Heavens Simulator that would be embarrassed. Ning Yue didn't care whether it was embarrassing or not.

Don't ask. If you did, the answer was that he had thick skin.

"Ning Yue?"

Ning Yue had been sent flying not far from the homeroom teacher and the others. The enormous commotion drew their attention, and their faces were full of confusion.

Was that Ning Yue?

Probably not. A martial artist capable of fighting a Vajra Giant Ape had to be at least in the Third Grade Iron Bone Realm.

"It's me. Once I've dealt with this big guy, we can catch up."

After rolling over twice, Ning Yue answered in a muffled voice.

"Be careful, Ning Yue! The Vajra Giant Ape has boundless strength, and its whole body is like vajra, with incredibly strong defenses. Its weakness is its vital spot down below." The homeroom teacher spoke quickly, then returned to his fight with the silver wolf.

Ning Yue nodded. "All right, I know."

At that moment, the Vajra Giant Ape came charging over, covering more than ten meters with each stride. Taking advantage of its height and long arms, it raised both hands together and smashed them down at Ning Yue's head like an iron hammer.

"Again?!"

Ning Yue's heart trembled. He had only just regained his footing and had no time to dodge.

He could only raise both hands to block the Vajra Giant Ape's furious blow.

"Huh~TUI!"

A tightness seized his chest, and Ning Yue couldn't help spitting out a mouthful of blood.

His body swayed, and he sank into a crouch.

That happened to let him dodge the Vajra Giant Ape's next attack.

"The vital spot down below, huh!"

Ning Yue had never fought such a frustrating battle. His gaze hardened, and he steeled himself, using the method of exerting force from the Ninefold Thunder Saber to hammer forward, his hands becoming a blur.

"Crack!" "Crunch, crunch!"

Ning Yue attacked the vital spot over and over, sending the chicken flying and smashing the eggs.

Blood and yolk flew together; the autumn waters and the vast sky shared one hue.

"Roar!"

"Whimper!"

The Vajra Giant Ape howled incessantly. Animal instinct filled its heart with fear, and it backed away again and again.

Its ferocity faded, instinct gained the upper hand, and the Vajra Giant Ape was like a wounded beast.

All it wanted was to escape, to flee somewhere safe.

"Running, are you, you bastard? Let's fight another three hundred rounds!"

"Don't run! One way or another, we have to fight it out and see who comes out on top."

"Damn it, how are you so good at running?"

Ning Yue chased after the Vajra Giant Ape. Even badly injured, it could really run.

At last, after his relentless pursuit, the gravely wounded Vajra Giant Ape collapsed.

"I'll teach you to run! I'll teach you to run!"

Ning Yue threw himself onto the Vajra Giant Ape and pounded it furiously, venting the frustration in his heart.

He had been through a lot today: his first time killing a person, his first time killing a vicious beast, his first time being badly injured, and his first time seeing the devastation left after vicious beasts ravaged a city.

All his emotions were tangled together, and he had lost his composure somewhat.

"Dead?"

Ning Yue felt that the Vajra Giant Ape's body had stopped moving. He took a look and saw that the giant ape, whose head he had thoroughly pounded, was no longer breathing.

This time, he had kept his last lesson firmly in mind and hadn't damaged the Vajra Giant Ape's corpse.

A hint of delight appeared on his face. This Vajra Giant Ape should fetch a good price.

The city had long had a rule: in special circumstances such as vicious beasts attacking the city or cults launching attacks, all spoils belonged to the martial artists who obtained them.

At that moment, the homeroom teacher and the others walked over.

"Brother Yue, you're incredible! You even killed a Vajra Giant Ape all by yourself."

Gan Xiaomei hurried over and plopped down beside Ning Yue, without a trace of ladylike grace.

Ning Yue himself sat on the Vajra Giant Ape's corpse, looking just as disheveled and unwilling to move a muscle.

"You were impressive too. You managed to kill a Third-Rank Realm vicious beast while you're only in the First-Rank Realm."

He saw Liao Dong and a familiar-looking classmate carrying the silver wolf from earlier on their shoulders.

Only then did he notice that there were no vicious beasts left in the square.

The surviving martial artists lay sprawled across the ruins.

Several of them came over toward Ning Yue.

"Can I help you?"

Ning Yue sprang to his feet and watched the approaching group warily.

He activated the Eye of Heaven Observation and looked at their information.

[Meng Tian, Third Rank]

[Gao Yao, Third Rank]

[He Li, Third Rank]

[Wan Qili, Fourth Rank]

Of the four who had come over, three were Third Rank and one was Fourth Rank. None of them looked very old, around twenty-one or twenty-two, and they were geniuses among their peers.

Of course, Ning Yue wasn't afraid either.

Given time, in a few years his realm would surely be higher than theirs.

The future was the future. At present, his combat strength still fell slightly short of Third- and Fourth-Rank Realm martial artists.

One-on-one, he feared none of them.

"What can I do for you? Huh! Are you Meng Tian?"

The homeroom teacher moved closer to Ning Yue, ready to face the group together with him.

He took a closer look at them. They looked somewhat familiar, so he asked uncertainly.

"Teacher Zuo, it's me."

Meng Tian was a martial artist standing 1.8 meters tall, with a broad build and ordinary looks. He held a massive battle saber.

"Teacher Zuo, it's been a long time."

"Teacher Zuo, it's me, He Li. Don't you remember me?"

Three of the four greeted the homeroom teacher. They were all senior schoolmates who had graduated from Xinyuan Martial Arts High School several years ago.

As for the last martial artist, He Li introduced him, and Ning Yue and the others learned his name as well.

Wan Qili, He Li's boyfriend.

Seeing this, Ning Yue guessed they had probably come to see the homeroom teacher.

"What martial arts rank are you now? Even I, your teacher, can't tell what realms you're in anymore."

Zuo Tianchang looked at them questioningly, his voice full of feeling.

"We're all Third Rank. He Li's boyfriend is the impressive one. He's in the Fourth-Rank Realm, the strongest among us," Gao Yao answered, his voice carrying more than a little youthful pride.

Zuo Tianchang paid no mind to the boasting in their voices and sighed inwardly.

He was thirty-five or thirty-six and still in the Third-Rank Realm, while these students were only twenty-one or twenty-two and already at Martial Arts Third Rank.

For a moment, he felt a little old.

"Why say so much? Let's get down to business. We can take this opportunity to kill a few more vicious beasts," Wan Qili said impatiently.

"Is there something you need?"

Zuo Tianchang asked in confusion. He had thought they had come especially to greet him; clearly, he had been flattering himself.

"Why would I come see an old man like you if I didn't need something? What, do I have nothing better to do?" Wan Qili muttered. He Li tugged on his arm, so he didn't say it aloud.

But everyone present was a martial artist with sharp eyes and ears. Even though he had muttered very quietly, they heard him clearly.

"Meng Tian, you tell him."

He Li gave an awkward smile and pulled Wan Qili behind her, saying something to him in a low voice. Wan Qili looked unconvinced, but in the end he nodded helplessly.

At that point, Meng Tian stepped forward, pointed at Ning Yue, and spoke with some embarrassment.

"Teacher Zuo, we came to see this junior schoolmate."