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Chapter 86: Chapter 86: Night of Slaughter!
Through this period of cultivation, Luo Cheng had already discovered that the higher the quality of the martial souls he devoured, the faster the True Dragon Technique would break through!
Previously, the dragon energy within his dantian already showed signs of undergoing another transformation. If he devoured two more Five-star Martial Souls, there was a high chance he could break through to the third level of the True Dragon Technique!
Very soon, Luo Cheng finished devouring the martial souls of Cao Qing and his companions.
"Time to leave this place!"
Luo Cheng raised his head and glanced at the sky.
At this moment, the light had completely dimmed.
Thin clouds veiled the moon, leaving the entire forest dark and shadowy. Terrifying roars of demon beasts echoed incessantly.
The night belonged to the demon beasts!
Knowing it was no longer safe to remain here, Luo Cheng’s figure flickered and disappeared into the dark, dense forest.
Roar!
Shortly after Luo Cheng left, a deep, guttural roar rippled through the air.
Several massive shadows, drawn by the scent of blood, charged out from the forest and quickly devoured Cao Qing and his companions’ corpses completely—leaving not even bones behind!
The danger on Qingyun Island multiplied manyfold at night, with demon beasts roaming everywhere.
Luo Cheng had barely traveled a mile before being attacked twice by demon beasts, forcing him to slow down his pace.
"I need to find a spot to break through my realm."
With one sword, Luo Cheng pierced through a demon wolf attempting a sneak attack, exhaling lightly to steady himself.
The night on Qingyun Island was too perilous; demon beasts were everywhere.
Having accumulated a whopping ten thousand hunting points, Luo Cheng was securely within the top three of the Green Cloud Trial. He didn’t want to waste any more time hunting demon beasts—his first priority was breaking through the True Dragon Technique.
Thud, thud, thud...
Suddenly, the sound of dense footsteps rose.
A group of seven people emerged from the forest—all of them were martial artists at the Fourth Layer of the Transcendence Realm!
"Hmm, it appears he’s Luo Cheng!"
"Kill him, and we can directly advance to being Outer Sect disciples!"
When the seven spotted Luo Cheng, their eyes gleamed with a predatory light.
An ugly youth with a scar on his face licked his lips and said, "Step aside, his life belongs to me!"
"Hmph, Wang Tao, you’re being far too domineering! While your strength is indeed formidable, you’re not much stronger than us. Why should we listen to you?"
"Whoever claims his head, it’s up to their own skill!"
"Agreed!"
The seven were merely a makeshift group, and upon seeing Luo Cheng, greed surged in each of their gazes.
Luo Cheng frowned. Somehow, their attitudes made it seem as though they had already decided he was easy prey.
Slash!
With a single swift motion, Luo Cheng thrust out his sword. The Meteor Sword pierced through three falling leaves before boring a hole straight through a tree that required the embrace of two men to surround.
Retracting his blade, Luo Cheng swept a cold gaze over the group:
"Those who don’t want to die, leave now!"
"Haha! Who do you think you are? Since when do you get a say in this?" The scar-faced youth burst into mocking laughter.
Among the seven, a young swordsman’s face suddenly changed. His complexion turned pale as he stammered:
"I...I’ll leave! I’m leaving right now!"
Without another word, the young swordsman fled into the forest without looking back.
He had once seen an Outer Sect Sword Dao genius who reached the Sword Heart Realm, but even that genius’s swordsmanship wasn’t as effortlessly sharp as Luo Cheng’s!
A swordsman who had achieved the Sword Heart Realm was undeniably a terrifying existence, their combat power far surpassing other martial artists on the same level!
"Coward!"
The scar-faced youth spat in contempt before sneering: "Leaving is better—it reduces the competition..."
Slash!
A flash of sword light abruptly ended the scar-faced youth’s sentence.
A sword had pierced straight through his forehead.
"Since you refuse to leave, I’ll personally send you on your way!"
Luo Cheng fixed his gaze on the remaining five.
The smiles plastered across their faces instantly froze, as terror crept into their eyes.
Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah!
Within just a few breaths, five more corpses lay strewn across the forest.
After stripping their belongings clean, Luo Cheng devoured their martial souls before diving deeper into the forest.
This night was destined to be a night of slaughter.
The entire Qingyun Island resounded with the cries of demon beasts and the clashes of combat. Even the icy night wind carried the stench of blood.
Slash!
Another flash of sword light, and a servant disciple fell lifelessly before Luo Cheng.
Scattered nearby were several additional corpses!
Two of the bodies had collapsed chests, their eyes and ears bleeding, while the rest were killed by a single strike.
Clang!
Luo Cheng sheathed his sword and exhaled deeply.
Night had already passed for three hours, yet he still hadn’t found a suitable place to hide.
During these three hours, Luo Cheng had lost count of how many ambushes he survived, how many people he killed, and how many demon beasts fell to his sword!
If not for the beast souls and martial souls he devoured replenishing his vitality, even he wouldn’t have endured such prolonged combat.
Yet even so, he could feel the fatigue creeping into his spirit and body.
"Hmm, this place seems good!"
After walking several miles, Luo Cheng suddenly noticed a small hill.
The hill was covered in lush vegetation and jagged rocks, with a hidden cave in the center, its entrance mostly concealed by thick vines—making it hard to spot.
Cautiously entering the cave, Luo Cheng found it dry and empty.
"What a perfect place for cultivation!"
Having devoured so many beast souls and martial souls!
The immense essence energy stored within his body made his blood feel scalding, compelling him to refine it immediately.
Using a massive rock, Luo Cheng sealed the cave entrance before sitting inside. 𝙣𝒐𝙫𝙥𝙪𝙗.𝙘𝙤𝙢
"Tonight, I devoured at least forty to fifty beast souls! And the same number of martial souls. The True Dragon Technique will undoubtedly break through to the third level! Once that happens, my combat power will reach an entirely new level!"
His eyes sparkled with intensity as he immediately began cultivation.
Meanwhile, several miles away, a figure appeared at the spot where Luo Cheng had slain others.
It was a resolute young man in a blue robe, a sword strapped to his waist.
If any other servant disciples were present, they could have identified him with a single glance:
This was none other than Gu Lingfeng, the top candidate among the Qingyun Trial’s ten strongest contenders!
"Every kill is with a single sword stroke! Each strike precisely targets vital spots, giving no chance to react at all! What exquisite swordsmanship!"
Gu Lingfeng examined the scattered corpses with admiration gleaming in his eyes, muttering to himself:
"There doesn’t seem to be such a formidable swordsman among the servant disciples..."
Falling into contemplation, Gu Lingfeng was about to investigate further when he suddenly turned his head to gaze into the dense forest beside him:
"Who’s there?"
Ha-ha!
A coquettish laugh echoed as someone emerged from the woods.
The newcomer was a charming woman dressed in a blue silk gown. Her black hair cascaded like a waterfall, her face radiant, and her beautiful eyes fixed on Gu Lingfeng as she laughed enchantingly:
"Gu Lingfeng, I thought you’d already gone to the main peak area at the island’s center. I didn’t expect to find you here. Seems like you’ve also heard the rumors about Luo Cheng in this area."
Gu Lingfeng recognized the woman as Yuan Zhilan, whose fame was second only to his own. He responded with a faint smile:
"And aren’t you here for the same reason?"
Yuan Zhilan twirled a strand of hair around her finger and replied with a smile: "I’m simply curious about the man Yun Mengli personally recommended—someone with a Wasted Martial Soul, who was taken into the Xuanyuan Sect, then sparked such a commotion. I wonder what makes him so special."
"Oh, by the way, I’ve heard he possesses the ancient bloodline of the Ji Family. So, have you seen him? Is he dead or alive?"
"I haven’t seen him."
Gu Lingfeng shook his head slightly before adding, "But I believe he’s still alive..."
"Oh? Why do you think so?"
Gu Lingfeng didn’t answer directly. Instead, his gaze fell upon the corpses nearby.
"Look at their expressions—they’re filled with excitement and greed, as if they encountered something remarkable, yet they were killed before they even had a chance to react, struck down with a single sword stroke!"
Yuan Zhilan raised an eyebrow. "What does that have to do with Luo Cheng?"
Gu Lingfeng replied indifferently: "As far as I know, Luo Cheng is also a swordsman."
Hearing this, Yuan Zhilan’s expression shifted:
"You suspect Luo Cheng killed these people? Impossible—these were all martial artists at the Fourth Layer of the Transcendence Realm!"
Gu Lingfeng shook his head. "I’ve seen identical scenes in three different places now. Whoever killed them, it’s evident they were slain by the same individual. This explanation seems most plausible. I hope it’s not true, but if it is, we undoubtedly have gained an extraordinarily fearsome competitor."
Hiss!
Yuan Zhilan drew in a sharp breath, the cold night air biting deep into her lungs.
If that were true, then it was terrifying indeed!
