"Fleeing Before Battle," Preparing for the Third Sacrifice!

"...That guy's just jealous because you have more talent for fighting than he does!"

Tong Huan was no fool; naturally, he had seen it long ago.

Cheng Sheng thought for a moment, then said to Tong Huan, "What if I told you my talent was like a volcano, erupting in bursts... would you believe me?"

"Uh..."

Tong Huan froze, then shook his head. "Brother, quit joking around."

Cheng Sheng smiled and patted him on the shoulder. Without another word, he untied the rope and walked away.

Cheng Sheng washed his face, then went to the crocodile pool and sat down to drink some water and rest.

In fact, Mo Jiang's impression was completely right. Cheng Sheng's talent really was quite ordinary, nowhere near enough to earn him the title of "fighting genius."

Power of the Ram had merely brought his physical abilities up to the average level of the senior trainees. He still had quite a long way to go before completing Body Tempering.

A quick mind was not much help when it came to Body Tempering training, which involved building a foundation and painstakingly developing strength. In fact, his progress in cultivating the Black Killing Secret Art was very slow too.

But...

Slow was slow. Cheng Sheng didn't mind.

He was merely interested in fighting; he was still a long way from being crazy about it or loving it, let alone reaching Mo Jiang's level-where he was practically possessed.

Mo Jiang seemed to have no need for sleep. Cheng Sheng could almost always see him training, training, training...

Though he had clearly started from the highest point of the three, he was also the most diligent in practicing the basics. It was as if he wanted to wash away every trace of the "unorthodox path" he had followed for over a decade and temper his body all over again!

It was downright terrifying...

To Cheng Sheng, fighting was merely a tool he had chosen for the time being to help him move forward. The path he truly meant to walk would always be the path of a warlock.

Splash!

Cheng Sheng casually kicked a stone at his feet into the crocodile pool. Several mutated saltwater crocodiles in the pool were disturbed and silently approached, floating on the surface as they watched him.

Cheng Sheng wasn't afraid. Instead, he picked up his water bottle and waved it at the mutated saltwater crocodiles in greeting.

There was nothing to do for entertainment on the island, so whenever Cheng Sheng had nothing to do, he came to see the saltwater crocodiles. He had even given each of them a name-the fattest was Peppa, the one beside Peppa was George, and the one beneath George was Susan...

"Buzz, buzz..."

Suddenly, a vibrating sound came from Cheng Sheng's pants pocket.

He took out his phone and opened it...

A moment later, the young man sitting by the crocodile pool sprang to his feet and called down to the crocodiles, "I love you, George! And you too, Peppa, Susan..."

Clutching his phone, Cheng Sheng couldn't contain the anticipation and excitement on his face.

He had just received a message from Balai City, telling him to bring the money over as soon as possible and collect the sacrificial crocodile he had reserved...

"What? You want to take leave?"

Beside the crocodile shrine, Sulai, who was sitting upright in quiet meditation beneath the giant crocodile bones, quickly drew her handsome brows together.

"Can't stand staying here anymore?"

Sulai shook her head. "Cheng Sheng, I do understand. For people your age, life on the island is a little boring.

"But this stage of our special training is almost over. In two more days, we'll return to the city and go somewhere else..."

"Senior Sister, it's really not that I can't stand it."

Cheng Sheng spoke with a completely earnest expression. "I have a very, very close friend in Balai. He's gravely ill and about to die. Before he dies, he wants to see me one last time...

"I promise you, when I come back, I'll make up twice... no, three times the special training I miss!"

"..."

The two looked at each other in silence.

Several seconds later, Sulai said helplessly, "You really must take leave?"

Cheng Sheng nodded solemnly. "I must."

"All right, but no more than three days. This is for your own good..."

Sulai finally relented. "Do you remember the way out? Remember to call me when you come back, and I'll tell you where the next special training site is..."

"Thank you, Senior Sister!"

Overjoyed, Cheng Sheng gave Sulai a deep bow, then ran toward the island's exit without looking back, as though a childhood sweetheart really were waiting for him in distant Balai, on the brink of death.

Seeing how impatient he was to leave, Sulai shook her head helplessly.

Two figures stood side by side atop a towering rock, watching Cheng Sheng's retreating figure.

"He's scared..."

Mo Jiang murmured, "In two days, there'll be an assessment at the end of the first stage of special training.

"He's afraid his 'genius' mask will be pierced, so he found an excuse to flee before battle..."

Beside him, Tong Huan turned to glance at Mo Jiang, looking fed up. He muttered a curse. "Psycho."

Then he jumped off the rock and muttered as he walked, "...Damn it, Cheng Sheng actually beat me to it! What excuse am I supposed to use to slip away early now? This crappy island has nothing but a bunch of crocodiles and a madman. It's so boring!"

Mo Jiang heard Tong Huan's words, but paid them no mind.

He simply stared in the direction Cheng Sheng had gone and continued talking to himself. "It doesn't matter. You can dodge it once, but you can't dodge it a second time..."

Mo Jiang walked step by step toward the nearby swamp, the light flickering in his eyes growing brighter and brighter. Finally, he leaped forcefully toward the foul, black swamp.

"Time will eventually prove... who the true genius among this group of disciples is!"

"Today, I'll train for two extra hours!"

Sulai really was the gentlest, most thoughtful senior sister in the whole world!

When Cheng Sheng emerged from the swamp by stepping on the wooden stakes, he found that Sulai had already called for a motorcycle to wait there for him.

Cheng Sheng practically loved Sulai to death.

Only Sulai would have agreed to his leave. If it had been Sha Lie or Songpa, they probably would have told him to get lost before he could even finish the nonsense he'd made up on the spot!

"To the train station!"

Cheng Sheng directed the motorcycle taxi straight to the nearest train station.

He got off, withdrew money, and bought a ticket for the next train to Balai City...

Cheng Sheng arrived in Balai without trouble that same day. Unfortunately, it was too late, and the farm told him to come back the next day.

Cheng Sheng found a random hotel and stayed the night. The next day, after running around making preparations for the third sacrifice, he finally got everything sorted out!

"Good thing you came quickly, or another buyer would have bought it. They're in high demand right now..."

The farm owner, a short, dark-skinned man with a mole on his face, counted the colorful banknotes in his hand as he spoke to Cheng Sheng with a smile.

Cheng Sheng ignored him, keeping his eyes on the crocodile in the cage before him, which now belonged to him.

It was over four meters long, a little plump, and had a beautiful hide. Lying on the ground, it looked very docile.

Compared with the mutated saltwater crocodiles in Black Kill's pool, this crocodile, which had been crossbred until Cheng Sheng could barely tell what kind it was, looked very "petite." Its eyes were a little vacant and dull too...

But Cheng Sheng was still very satisfied.

Even in crocodiles raised in captivity in a pool, the ferocious nature ingrained in their bones could never be completely erased.

When they had chatted earlier, the farm owner had told him that a little over ten days ago, one of his workers had accidentally fallen into the pool and been surrounded and eaten by more than a dozen crocodiles!

In other words, the crocodile before him... had eaten a person too!

As an offering for the third sacrifice, it was more than adequate.

"Young brother, how are you planning to take it back?"

Having finished counting the money, the farm owner spoke with a local Balai accent and a smile. "I suggest you wait another day. The weather bureau forecast says there might be a Black Tide tonight, so you might not be able to get it out..."

"Black Tide?"

Cheng Sheng paused, then shook his head. "It's fine. I'm not leaving today. Just help me find a vehicle and have it delivered to a place I'll specify."

Before coming, Cheng Sheng had rented a temporary warehouse near the outskirts of Balai City. He planned to carry out the third sacrifice there.

"Okay!"

The farm owner readily agreed and patted Cheng Sheng on the arm. Then, beaming, he said, "But, my good friend, helping with the delivery will cost extra!"

Cheng Sheng took a deep breath when he heard that.

If he hadn't been on someone else's turf, and if the other side hadn't had more people and dozens of crocodiles at their disposal... he really wanted to kick that black-hearted old man to death!