After a night of Cultivation, Ye Wushuang's Cultivation advanced another step thanks to the heaven-defying absorption speed of his Heaven-Devouring Dragon Technique.
The next day, he was interrupted by a commotion.
He walked out of his room and happened to run into Yangg Qing'er, who was also stepping out, clearly disturbed by the noise as well.
The two of them walked toward the grand plaza, the source of the clamor.
At this moment, figures in tattered clothes, both old and young, were streaming across the grand plaza, heading out of the valley.
"What's going on?"
Ye Wushuang asked, grabbing a Disciple.
The Disciple said, "Today is the monthly Fierce Beast hunt. Those are prisoners. They have to hunt enough Fierce Beasts to reduce their sentences."
"Aren't you afraid they'll escape?"
Ye Wushuang was curious. He noticed that these people had no handcuffs or leg chains—nothing was restraining them at all. Once they were let out, what was to stop them from running?
"That's where you're wrong!" the Disciple chuckled. "They can't escape. They're wearing First-Grade Spiritual Artifacts refined by the Sect—Slave Lock Chains—around their necks. A poisonous Inscription is carved on each one. If they run and don't have it removed within a month, the poison Inscription will burrow into their bodies and kill them."
'Spiritual Artifacts?'
A thought stirred in Ye Wushuang's mind.
He knew about Spiritual Artifacts. They were powerful items that could help a Cultivator increase their Combat Power many times over!
They were divided into nine grades, with higher grades providing a greater boost to Combat Power. Legend had it that above them were the fabled Spirit Communication Treasures—Spiritual Artifacts that had gained sentience.
Once activated, a single strike could destroy a city, possessing unparalleled, terrifying power.
Spiritual Artifacts were incredibly precious. Even the Ye Family, where Ye Wushuang came from, didn't possess a single Ninth-Grade Spiritual Artifact, let alone a terrifying Spirit Communication Treasure. He figured only a Major Sect like the Ancient Spirit Sect would have such things.
"Let's go take a look!"
Calling out to Yangg Qing'er over his shoulder, Ye Wushuang headed toward the grand plaza.
'Hunting Fierce Beasts!'
'Isn't this the very reason I came to the Fierce Demon Cave?'
"Good morning, Miss Yangg!"
Seeing Ye Wushuang and Yangg Qing'er arrive, Yuncheng ignored Ye Wushuang and walked toward Yangg Qing'er with a smile, clasping his fist in greeting.
Yangg Qing'er, however, paid him no mind, leaving Yuncheng extremely embarrassed. His warm gesture had been met with a cold shoulder.
Ye Wushuang, however, just smiled meaningfully.
'You bitch. Just wait until I kill Ye Wushuang. I'll show you how I play!'
Suppressing his anger, Yuncheng turned to Ye Wushuang and asked, "Brother Ye, today is the Fierce Demon Cave's monthly hunt. Are you interested in checking it out?"
"I'd be delighted!"
Ye Wushuang sneered internally but agreed out loud.
"Excellent!"
Yuncheng laughed as well, thinking to himself, 'Laugh all you want now, Ye Wushuang. Once we're out of this valley, I'll make you kneel and beg for mercy like a dog.'
"Brother Cheng, it's getting late. We should get going!"
Off to the side, a young man who saw Ye Wushuang agree to go out immediately shot Yuncheng a look.
"Brother Ye, something's come up over there. I'll be right back."
Understanding the signal, Yuncheng said this to Ye Wushuang before walking over to the young man.
"You should stay here," Ye Wushuang said to Yangg Qing'er.
"I'm going with you!"
Yangg Qing'er refused. Of course, it wasn't that she was shamelessly insisting on going, but that Senior Sister Qingxue had ordered her to follow Ye Wushuang at all times.
Hearing this, Ye Wushuang frowned and gave Yangg Qing'er a profound look. Seeing her determination, he hesitated for a moment before finally nodding.
The two of them then followed the crowd, leaving through the valley entrance and heading east of the Fierce Demon Cave.
About an hour later, Ye Wushuang entered an Ancient Forest. Towering Ancient Trees, so thick it would take four or five people to encircle one, filled the woods. Old vines coiled around their trunks like Flood Dragons, forming a continuous canopy. Combined with the thick mist, the path was difficult to traverse.
"Stay close to me later, understand?"
After entering the Ancient Forest, Ye Wushuang reminded Yangg Qing'er. He had noticed Yuncheng and a few other young men sizing him up with malicious intent from time to time, which gave him a strong sense of mortal danger.
"Mhm!"
Yangg Qing'er nodded affirmatively.
After walking for a few more minutes, Ye Wushuang suddenly pulled Yangg Qing'er aside, and their figures vanished from the back of the crowd.
"Brother Cheng, Ye Wushuang escaped!"
A young man hurriedly ran to the front and whispered in Yuncheng's ear.
'What!'
'He ran!'
'Does he know I'm trying to kill him?'
At this thought, Yuncheng's gaze hardened. He suddenly shouted, "Everyone, stop! Remember your mission: hunt Fierce Beasts and collect their Beast Bones, and search for Spirit Medicine at the same time. Whoever has the biggest haul has the best hope of leaving the Fierce Demon Cave!"
SWISH SWISH SWISH!
Hearing this, the prisoners seemed to know exactly what to do. They formed groups of four or five and began to run off in different directions.
"After them!"
With a wave of his hand, Yuncheng had a dozen or so young men gather by his side, and they rushed toward the place where Ye Wushuang had disappeared.
SWISH SWISH!
Ye Wushuang moved as nimbly as an ape, weaving through the Ancient Forest in search of Fierce Beast tracks.
Yangg Qing'er followed closely behind, her body wreathed in True Qi, making it look effortless. Ye Wushuang was stunned, sighing to himself, 'The Body Tempering Tenth Layer really is something else.'
"There's a Fierce Beast up ahead!"
Yangg Qing'er suddenly shouted.
'A Fierce Beast?'
Confused, Ye Wushuang stopped under a large tree, turned to Yangg Qing'er behind him, and asked, "What's wrong?"
"A Fierce Beast is coming this way!" Yangg Qing'er cried out anxiously.
"A Fierce Beast? I was just looking for one."
Hearing this, Ye Wushuang gave a cold smile. Far from being afraid, his eyes filled with excitement. His blood boiled, and a terrifying Devouring Power emanated from his body, consuming all the surrounding Spiritual Qi.
Yangg Qing'er didn't know what Ye Wushuang was planning and thought he didn't believe her. She hurriedly explained, "I have Divine Sense, you have to believe me!"
"BOOM!"
The moment Yangg Qing'er's voice fell, a colossal shadow flickered to their right. It swept aside everything in its path as it charged toward Ye Wushuang and her.
"Let's get out of here!"
Yangg Qing'er yelled urgently.
BOOM!
Ye Wushuang did indeed move, but he wasn't running away. Instead, a look of excitement on his face, he charged toward the colossal shadow.
AWOO!
A series of savage howls tore through the sky.
A dozen or so elephant-sized dire wolves came stampeding toward them. They were covered in long fur like sharp needles, cold and menacing. Their wolf eyes glowed with a cyan light, eerie and terrifying.
"Cyan-Eyed Demon Wolves!"
The excitement vanished from Ye Wushuang's face, replaced by a grave expression. Cyan-Eyed Demon Wolves were pack animals, and bloodthirsty by nature.
'My luck seems a little off!'
Ye Wushuang smiled wryly. There were over a dozen Cyan-Eyed Demon Wolves; the weakest among them was a Sixth-Level Fierce Beast, and there was even a Ninth-Level Fierce Beast. The slightest mistake, and this would be his grave.
They moved quickly, surrounding him and Yangg Qing'er. They stared at the pair, a bloodthirsty light glinting in their eyes!
"I told you to run! What do we do now?" Yangg Qing'er's face was pale with fright.
"If you want to live, we kill them," Ye Wushuang said solemnly.
"But..."
"No buts. Kill!"
In this moment of crisis, Ye Wushuang couldn't be bothered to explain. With a furious roar, he unleashed the Eight Kills of Battle. A Violent Ape Shadow flickered into existence behind him as he charged a Cyan-Eyed Demon Wolf.
"AWOO!"
The Cyan-Eyed Demon Wolf leaped through the air, its sharp claws glinting with a cold light as they swiped at Ye Wushuang.
Ye Wushuang met the Cyan-Eyed Demon Wolf head-on, but just as he closed in, he spun his body, leaped high into the air, and slammed a fist down onto its skull.
CRACK!
A gruesome sound of bone shattering rang out.
Ye Wushuang's fist, like a lump of Refined Iron, smashed into the Cyan-Eyed Demon Wolf's head. With a heavy thud, he slammed its body to the ground, sending blood spurting everywhere.
One punch, and the Cyan-Eyed Demon Wolf was brutally killed!
BUZZ BUZZ!
Activating the Heaven-Devouring Dragon Technique, he devoured surging waves of the Power of Fierce Beast Essence Blood, which continuously tempered the bones in his body.
In just a few moments, several of Ye Wushuang's bones had been tempered.
'This is great! Hunting Fierce Beasts really can help me increase my strength quickly! Oh, Heaven-Devouring Dragon Technique, with you, I, Ye Wushuang, will definitely reach the pinnacle of power in this life!'
Ye Wushuang joyfully savored the benefits of the Heaven-Devouring Dragon Technique. Not only did his Cultivation improve, but his physical strength grew as well.
AWOO!
The death of one Cyan-Eyed Demon Wolf completely enraged the rest of the pack, and they charged the pair with frenzied madness.
Among them, a seventh-level Cyan-Eyed Demon Wolf transformed into a gray blur and lunged at Yangg Qing'er.
Yangg Qing'er's pretty face contorted in fear as she stumbled backward.
"Kill it!"
Seeing this, Ye Wushuang shouted urgently.
"I've never killed before! I... I don't dare!" Yangg Qing'er cried out, her voice tinged with tears.
"You don't dare?"
Hearing this, Ye Wushuang wanted to vomit blood. She had the Cultivation of the Body Tempering Tenth Layer right there, and she didn't dare?
AWOO!
But just then, another Cyan-Eyed Demon Wolf pounced at Yangg Qing'er from behind.
And Yangg Qing'er was still backing away!
Left with no choice, Ye Wushuang had to temporarily abandon his hunt. He blasted a path with the Eight Kills of Battle, appeared behind Yangg Qing'er in the blink of an eye, and killed the charging wolf with a single punch.
"Yangg Qing'er, what are you doing?! This isn't the Sect! You're fighting for your life!"
"If you don't kill it, it will kill you!"
Ye Wushuang turned his head and roared, absolutely furious. Cowering in the face of the enemy was just dragging him down. At this rate, they would both die here. How could he not be angry?
"I... I..."
Yangg Qing'er was on the verge of tears. She had always been with Dii Qingxue, under Dii Qingxue's protection. She had never faced real danger, let alone been stained by blood.
"You what? You think crying will solve anything? You're just a pretty vase, a useless decoration! Dammit, get the hell out of my way! I knew I shouldn't have brought you!"
Seeing Yangg Qing'er actually start to cry, Ye Wushuang's fury skyrocketed. His merciless words stunned Yangg Qing'er, leaving her frozen in place.
"Forget it!"
"Maybe I shouldn't have forced you!"
"I'll handle it!"
Looking at the tear-streaked Yangg Qing'er, Ye Wushuang shook his head and turned to charge the onrushing wolf.
"Wait! Let me do it myself! I'm not a pretty vase! I'm not!"
Suddenly, Yangg Qing'er wiped away her tears, stepped forward, and a crazed look appeared on her face.
To Ye Wushuang's astonishment, she let out a yell and charged the wolf. Powerful True Qi surged from her body, and she actually killed the Fierce Demon with a single palm strike, sending blood flying. It was an extremely ruthless move.
'Eh!'
'This girl is pretty fierce after all!'
Seeing that his "tutelage" had yielded results, Ye Wushuang was satisfied.
AWOO!
The scent of blood drove the Cyan-Eyed Demon Wolves into an even greater frenzy. Ye Wushuang looked away and rejoined the battle, practicing the Eight Kills of Battle while simultaneously devouring the Blood of Fierce Beasts to cultivate.
With a Body Tempering Tenth Layer expert like Yangg Qing'er joining in, the ground was littered with wolf corpses in just over ten minutes.
Yangg Qing'er's fair, pretty face was splattered with blood.
Staring at the corpses at her feet, she couldn't believe she was the one who had done this.
She looked up at the approaching Ye Wushuang, then suddenly threw herself into his arms and burst into tears. WAHHH!
"You bastard, you bastard..."
No longer afraid of him, she even started pounding on his chest with her fists.
It was as if Ye Wushuang had done "that sort of thing" to her!
It was so misleading!
Ye Wushuang was speechless, and even felt quite innocent. This girl was powerful, she just lacked experience. If he hadn't trained her a little, she really would have been a useless pretty vase.