We're practicing all martial arts, so why did you switch to easy mode?

Chapter 209 The Path to Dragon Ascension, Divine Weapon Martial Arts (10,000 words)

The Ascending Dragon Path radiates outwards from Shouyang City in the Holy Yuan Kingdom.

The myriad paths are established by the Ziyang Sect to recruit disciples.

"Rising Dragon" means that by embarking on this path, one can leap over the Dragon Gate and ascend to heaven in one step.

Over thousands of years of development, the Ascending Dragon Path, besides being used by the Ziyang Sect to recruit disciples, has become a trade route between countries.

The path of Ascending Dragon is no longer limited to those of the Purple Sun Sect.

Three days had passed since Su Chen and Zhu Yan left the Great Qian Dynasty, and the two finally arrived at the Great Li Dynasty.

However, the Ascending Dragon Path is not within the territory of the Great Li Dynasty, but in the northern region outside the Great Li border.

They arrived at noon, and after a non-stop journey, they reached Thang Long Town in the evening.

This is a small town built because of the Rising Dragon Road. It does not belong to any of the surrounding dynasties. Various forces gather here, and it is a mixed bag of people.

It can be considered an initial supply point.

"It's so lively here!"

Despite being called a small town, it was just as bustling as the Great Qian Imperial City, and even the streets seemed unusually wide.

Even on such a wide street, there was a constant flow of people.

Every street seemed like a huge trading market, with vendors crowding both sides and pedestrians standing in rows.

Zhu Yan had never seen such a lively scene before. She was like Grandma Liu visiting the Grand View Garden, finding everything new and exciting.

Su Chen remained somewhat calm, but occasionally revealed his naiveté.

The street was lined with a dazzling array of goods, most of which Su Chen didn't recognize, making him somewhat overwhelmed.

These items can be considered specialties from various countries, and are now sold in Dali Shenglong Road.

To Su Chen's surprise, the currency used for trade here was not gold or silver, but a strange stone called Yuan Stone.

If Yuan Stones are considered the basic currency, equivalent to silver, then Spirit Yuan Pills are the advanced currency, equivalent to gold.

After making some inquiries, Su Chen learned that one Spirit Essence Pill was equivalent to one hundred and fifty Yuan Stones here.

The former can easily replace the latter, while replacing the latter will be more costly.

Su Chen currently had forty-five Spirit Essence Pills. He took out two Spirit Essence Pills and exchanged them for one hundred and fifty Yuan Stones each for himself and Zhu Yan.

There were so many things here that the two of them didn't know what to buy.

Elixirs, runes, weapons, cultivation techniques, arrays, pills, exotic beasts... everything is available.

The two strolled around, looking at things as they went. They spent nearly half an hour walking along the short street, asking questions at almost every stall they passed.

One hundred and fifty yuan stones are quite valuable; you can buy most things with them.

Unfortunately, none of these things are suitable for Su Chen.

For example, regarding cultivation techniques, Su Chen searched several stalls but couldn't find the Yuan Power Blade Technique he wanted.

There were a few incomplete Yuan Qi cultivation techniques, but they were useless to Su Chen.

As for the others, they are either incomplete, expensive, or unusable.

After wandering around for most of the time, the two discovered that what attracted them most was actually the meat of strange beasts.

There are no strange beasts within the Great Qian territory, but here, strange beasts can be seen everywhere.

Not only are exotic beast mounts for sale on the streets and alleys, but also all kinds of exotic beast meat.

Some taste delicious, some are aphrodisiacs and kidney tonics, and some enhance qi and blood...

With so many different kinds of exotic beasts, it's no wonder that exotic beast restaurants have sprung up.

After walking around for so long, the two of them were getting hungry, so they found a restaurant that looked nice and started eating and drinking to their hearts' content.

The meat of these strange beasts contained energy, and the two felt warm all over after eating it.

However, this didn't last long. With their strength, even if they ate a lot of alien beast meat, they wouldn't be overwhelmed by the energy.

In addition to a wide variety of goods, the town also has a charming street.

Inside, there are women with exotic charm from various countries who warmly welcome passing travelers every evening.

Neither Su Chen nor Zhu Yan were interested. After wandering around for a while, they found an inn.

Unlike other inns, this inn has superior rooms specifically for martial artists practicing Yuanli (元力) techniques.

It is said that there are array devices installed inside that can gather a certain amount of Yuan energy for martial artists to cultivate.

After inquiring about the price and learning that it would only cost one hundred yuan stones, the two decided to give it a try without hesitation.

Upon entering the room, Su Chen clearly sensed that the Yuan energy within had become much denser, with a faint mist lingering in the air above.

After closing the door, Su Chen sat cross-legged and began to cultivate using Yuan energy.

A short while later, he opened his eyes, a hint of disappointment in them.

"Although the concentration of Yuan energy is indeed higher compared to other places, it is still not enough for me to cultivate for the duration of an incense stick."

The mist in the room has now dissipated, and it's no different from the outside world.

After swallowing a Spirit Essence Pill, Su Chen began to refine it.

Silent all night.

The two did not plan to stay in Shenglong Town for long. Early in the morning, they went to the market and bought two white horses that could travel a thousand miles at night, ready to set off.

The reason Su Chen didn't go to the Ziyang Sect's headquarters was because he wanted to see Zhu Yan off.

Zhu Yan's destination was different from his. Although he also passed through Shenglong Road, he was not going to Shouyang City, but to Shenglong City.

After passing through Rising Dragon City, Zhu Yan then headed to the area where the Eight Desolations Palace was located.

The distance between Shenglong City and Dali Shenglong Road is only about 10,000 miles. Traveling day and night, it will only take about five days and won't delay you for long.

Zhu Yan had spent more than half a month with Su Chen, so it was not unreasonable for Su Chen to spend five days seeing Zhu Yan off.

Moreover, the Ziyang Sect also has a garrison in Shenglong City, which is the largest garrison among dozens of dynasties near Dali.

Even if we find the people from the Ziyang Sect now, they will eventually take Su Chen to Shenglong City, so it's better to go by ourselves.

After leaving Thang Long Town, the two raced along the Thang Long Road.

At first, there were many people, but as people moved further away from Shenglong Town, the number of people gradually decreased.

From here on, the two increased their speed.

……

Wild mountains and ridges.

"Brother, we've found out that the blue wolf demon passes through this forest every day at dawn to kidnap people from nearby villages."

A hoarse voice rang out, and two figures vaguely appeared from the low bushes swaying in the wind.

The owner of that voice spoke again: "As long as we wait here, we will be able to catch this blue wolf demon."

The speaker had a scar on his face, which made him look fierce.

Upon hearing his words, the gray-robed man beside him nodded: "Yes, although this blue wolf demon only has the strength of a second-level demon, it is still not to be underestimated."

"Don't worry, brother. This mere blue wolf demon is probably not even worth mentioning among the demons we've hunted!"

The scarred man spoke nonchalantly, but his deep-seated vigilance was evident in every aspect of his demeanor.

The man in gray knew his second brother's personality; he didn't care verbally, but he was always very careful in his actions.

"By the way, brother, I recently heard that a demon hunter has come to the area. He specializes in hunting demons. Based on the villagers' descriptions, I suspect that this person has a divine weapon!" The scarred man said in a low voice, as if he had thought of something.

"A divine weapon?" Upon hearing this, the gray-robed man couldn't help but reveal a hint of envy in his eyes.

They were just ordinary demon hunters, relying solely on their own martial prowess and years of accumulated experience to barely kill those low-level demons.

The Divine Weapon Exorcist is undoubtedly one of the most outstanding martial artists among exorcists.

With their divine weapons, they can easily slay demons, far surpassing them in both strength improvement and money-making speed.

The two worked hard for decades, slaying dozens, if not hundreds, of demons.

Unfortunately, I still can't afford a sub-divine weapon, let alone a basic divine weapon.

Unexpectedly, a demon slayer wielding a divine weapon would appear in this remote and impoverished place.

"It's a pity we're too weak; otherwise, we might have been able to snatch the divine weapon from this man," the scarred man sighed.

Shh, there's a demonic aura!

Just then, the man in gray lowered his voice and reminded him, and the scarred man immediately restrained his aura.

Following the gray-clad man's gaze, he quickly spotted the white mist spreading out in the distance.

Within this white mist, it seemed as if some terrifying monster was lurking, from which came bursts of ghostly wails and howls.

The two men stared intently at the hazy white mist, their faces grave, not daring to be careless.

The experienced ones knew that the Blue Wolf Demon must be hiding in the white mist.

Outside the white mist, they couldn't find each other at all.

Therefore, they can only wait for the white mist to get closer and for them to enter the white mist themselves before they have a chance to find the Blue Wolf Demon.

However, this would also put them in danger. Once the Blue Wolf Demon discovers them, they will face the Blue Wolf Demon's revenge.

Fortune favors the bold, and this wasn't the first time the two of them had encountered such a situation.

The white mist at most obscured their vision and would not cause them any other harm.

As long as the two of them are careful, with their tacit understanding, dealing with a two-striped blue wolf demon will be a piece of cake.

As the white mist drew closer, a chilling aura swept through their bodies, and the two held their breath, their presence becoming increasingly restrained.

Before long, white mist drifted in, enveloping everything around it.

In the blink of an eye, their world turned into a vast expanse of white.

Faint footsteps could be heard in their ears, and through the thick white mist, the two seemed to see the blue wolf demon rushing towards them from afar.

The sound of footsteps tensed them up, and they focused intently, waiting for their chance to strike.

Suddenly.

The footsteps suddenly stopped.

This caused the two men to freeze in shock. The man in gray's expression changed drastically, and he immediately shouted, "Run!!"

boom!
As soon as the words were spoken, two figures darted out like rabbits, followed by a muffled sound.

Roar!
The blue wolf demon, hidden in the white mist, was somewhat annoyed that its prey had slipped away after its first attack failed.

The gray-clad man and the scarred man, still shaken, looked back and saw a massive body, three or four meters tall, come into view.

Their faces darkened. They thought they had hidden themselves well enough, but they never expected to be discovered by the Blue Wolf Demon in the end.

Fortunately, the two reacted in time and were not injured; otherwise, they would have been in grave danger today.

"Make your move!" The gray-clad man, having regained his composure, quickly said.

call out.

The scarred man reacted quickly, his scythe flashing out like lightning as he hurtled towards the blue wolf demon.

At the same time, the man in gray also drew his bow and shot an arrow, aiming at the huge body of the blue wolf demon.

Two fierce attacks arrived in the blink of an eye.

Just as it was about to strike the Azure Wolf Demon, a flash of azure light appeared, and the Azure Wolf Demon, which had been standing there, vanished in an instant.

Upon seeing this, the two moved closer back to back, their eyes scanning left and right with wary expressions.

The strength of this blue wolf demon today was unexpected, completely different from the information they had gathered, putting them under immense pressure.

In the past, they wouldn't have been discovered by the monsters so quickly.

Especially when the two attacked together, the wolf demon's astonishing speed made the gray-robed man uneasy.

The white mist seemed to freeze in this small space, enveloping the two men in gray.

Suddenly, the floating white mist gradually thickened, churning and spreading towards the direction where the two were.

"Oh no, we need to get out of here right now."

The gray-clad man immediately sensed something was wrong; the blue wolf demon wanted to completely trap the two of them and then surround and kill them.

“Alright!” The scarred man nodded, using his sickle to clear a path, leading the gray-clad man to one side.

To their horror, the white mist seemed to have eyes and feet, moving in the direction they were retreating.

As the white mist gradually condensed, the two people's field of vision decreased, and they could only vaguely see an area within one meter.

The sudden narrowing of their field of vision made their hearts sink.

The white mist provided cover for them, but not for the blue wolf demon. If the blue wolf demon seized the opportunity, both of them would be doomed.

"Brother, there's no way we can escape!"

The two had been running in the same direction for almost fifteen minutes, but the white fog still hadn't dissipated.

Upon hearing this, the gray-clad man, whose brows were furrowed, suddenly changed his expression and exclaimed, "Oh no, it's an illusion! These are all illusions! Quickly, cut me!"

hallucinations!

Upon hearing this, the scarred man beside him turned horrified and quickly drew his long sword from his waist, making a light slash on the back of the man in gray.

They had practiced this move many times in their daily activities.

It won't cause the other party too much injury, and it can also bring them back to their senses from the hallucination.

"Slash me with your sword!"

The gray-clad man's excited voice rang out again, and the scarred man's movements suddenly froze upon hearing it.

He desperately wanted to tell the man in gray that he had already made the cut, but his mouth seemed to be sewn shut with silver needles, and he couldn't utter a sound.

"Quickly, slash me!"

An anxious voice came again from the gray-clad man's throat, unusually hoarse.

"what!"

Just then, a shrill scream rang in his ears, followed by a warm sensation on his cheek.

This made the gray-clad man tremble, and the scene before him vanished instantly like a bubble.

He blinked and quickly realized he had come to his senses from the hallucination.

Although he was still surrounded by white mist, his field of vision had increased to five meters.

"Second brother!"

However, his joy was short-lived, for he soon saw a headless corpse lying in front of him, and judging from its attire, it was the scarred man.

It turns out that the second brother I just had a hallucination was an illusion.

What woke him up was not his second brother's knife, but his own hot blood.

"what!"

Upon witnessing his second brother's tragic death, the man in gray was filled with rage and roared repeatedly.

He put down his bow and arrows, drew his sword and slashed in all directions, but every strike missed its mark, and the figure of the blue wolf demon had already disappeared.

"Come out, you beast, come out here..."

The roar echoed throughout the entire forest as the gray-clad man screamed hysterically, his eyes bloodshot.

The gray-clad man, in a state of near-madness, was completely unaware that the massive figure above him was watching him intently.

Seeing his appearance, a bloodthirsty glint appeared in the eyes of the Green Wolf Demon.

After the gray-clad man swung his sword dozens of times, he gradually grew tired. Just then, the blue wolf demon pounced down.

Upon hearing the howling sound from above, the gray-clad man's face contorted with madness.

He suddenly looked up, gritting his teeth, and said, "You beast, you've finally shown yourself! I'll kill you!"

The blue wolf demon couldn't understand the gray-robed man's words, but it could tell from his actions that he seemed to have been prepared all along.

Facing the menacing blue wolf demon, the gray-clad man showed no fear. He gripped his long sword tightly, leaped into the air, and soared into the sky.

A fierce surge of Yuan energy erupted like a tidal wave, converging on the blade, allowing him to fully unleash the power of his perfected second meridian.

The power generated by extreme anger far exceeds the limits that this level of rage can display.

Zheng!
It sounded like striking steel or rock, followed by a crisp metallic clang.

"what?!"

Upon seeing this, the man in gray's expression changed drastically, and his heart trembled uncontrollably.

This blue wolf demon is not a two-striped demon, it's at least a three-striped demon!
Roar!
The blue wolf demon suddenly roared, its howl as loud as thunder, accompanied by a sound that seemed to tear through the air.

Snapped!
Just as the gray-clad man was momentarily distracted, a gigantic, pitch-black iron hand ripped through layers of air and suddenly attacked.

The violent force instantly struck his body, causing the gray-clad man's internal organs to be severely damaged. He coughed up a mouthful of blood and flew backward.

As the explosion occurred, the surrounding white mist dissipated somewhat, and several large trees fell along the way, eventually collapsing like mud ten meters away.

His chest heaved violently, his face flushed red, and another mouthful of blood gushed out.

The blue wolf demon pressed its advantage, letting out a low growl as it transformed into a blur, swiftly hurtling towards the gray-clad man.

The man in gray looked terrified, but his pupils were filled with deep resentment.

As the blue wolf demon drew closer, an aura of death permeated his entire body.

"cut!"

Just then, an ethereal voice drifted from the white mist, like the sound of a clear spring.

The next instant, the gray-clad man saw a dazzling sword light suddenly break through the thick white mist.

The Azure Wolf Demon, which he had once considered invincible, shattered into pieces like porcelain within the sword light.

Roar!
A painful sound came from the Blue Wolf Demon's mouth, causing his entire body to twist violently.

boom!
In the end, at the very moment the sword light fell, it completely exploded.

Blood, bits of flesh, and organs sprayed everywhere, turning into a shower of rain that drifted down.

Time, in the eyes of the man in gray, seemed to stand still.

Tapping.

The gray-clad man was brought back to his senses by the sound of footsteps.

He looked closely and saw a tall woman dressed in black, holding a sword, striding towards him through the white mist.

……

"Zhu Yan, this fog is strange, be careful."

After traveling for several days, Su Chen and Zhu Yan wanted to find a village or town nearby to rest and recuperate, but they accidentally wandered into a mountain forest. The forest itself was nothing special, until suddenly a large amount of fog appeared ahead, engulfing the two of them.

Before the two could retreat, the thick fog blocked their escape route.

As the space they found themselves in gradually narrowed, both Su Chen and Zhu Yan realized the strangeness of the fog in front of them.

Upon hearing Su Chen's words, Zhu Yan nodded solemnly.

In that instant, Su Chen's eyes seemed to be covered by a white veil, becoming a vast expanse of white.

The world seemed to suddenly become quiet.

"Demon mist?" Su Chen exclaimed in surprise.

Information about demons flashed through his mind; some demons could trap martial artists through mist.

A martial artist could be ambushed and killed by a demon if he was not careful.

However, there are many demons with such methods, and Su Chen couldn't determine what kind of demon it was for the time being.

While remaining vigilant, he was also slightly excited, after all, this was a demon that surpassed even mythical beasts.

This was the first time he had ever seen a demon, and he didn't know if it looked as alluring and captivating as the legends from his previous life.

If she were truly that beautiful, he might hesitate for a second before slashing her to death.

That one second of hesitation was his respect for the beautiful and alluring woman; not a second longer would be acceptable.

Various thoughts swirled in his mind, but eventually calmed down. Su Chen calmed himself down, determined to dispel the white mist as soon as possible.

"Strange, why do I always feel like someone is tickling me?"

Su Chen touched his chest. Because he was worried about being attacked by demons, he had stacked more than a hundred layers of Yuan Power armor on himself.

Most of the Yuan energy in his body was concentrated in this Yuan energy armor.

Even a single layer is enough to withstand the full force of a beginner martial artist. More than a hundred layers—even Zhu Yan might not be able to break through them in one strike.

His idea was simple: since he couldn't find the monster, he would just wait for it to come to him.

As long as the demon makes a move, he has a way to find it.

To Su Chen's surprise, he waited for a long time but did not notice the demon making a move.

Apart from the occasional tickling sensation, there was nothing else in my body.

"Did they realize my intentions, or are they going to make a move against Zhu Yan?"

Su Chen's expression changed slightly, and golden needles condensed around him, rising up and floating around him.

The golden needles slowly spread outwards.

He dared not go too fast, in case Zhu Yan was nearby, he might hurt him.

"cut!"

Suddenly, a clear and melodious voice rang out, and then Su Chen discovered that all the golden needles he had just condensed had vanished.

The world witnessed a revolutionary change at this moment.

"Ok?"

Su Chen exclaimed in surprise, opening his eyes and realizing something was wrong.

The surrounding white mist quickly dissipated, and a man and a woman with strange expressions slowly walked towards him.

There's not much to say about the man, so Su Chen's eyes fell on the woman.

A young woman in black emerged gracefully from the white mist. She was extremely beautiful, with deep, sculpted features. Her hair was tied up high, like fine gold threads that reached the ground, but a few strands of black hair were messy on her forehead. Her thin, golden eyebrows flew diagonally into her temples, naturally exuding a vigorous and heroic spirit.

What is most eye-catching is the giant sword in her hand, which is three feet long and half a foot wide, almost taking up half of her body.

Just by looking at the size of the giant sword, one can feel its weight, yet in the woman's hands, it was lifted with ease, as if it were nothing.

Su Chen's gaze did not linger on the woman for long, but instead shifted to the huge wolf carcass not far ahead.

"Is this a blue wolf demon?"

Looking at the blue wolf demon that had been cut in half, Su Chen's expression shifted slightly.

Judging from the injuries of the Azure Wolf Demon, the person who attacked should be the woman in black in front of us.

So, she saved us.

"What a huge blue wolf demon!" Zhu Yan exclaimed as he woke up from his hallucination and saw the blue wolf demon.

Su Chen stepped forward, cupped his hands in thanks to the two men, and said, "Thank you both for saving me."

If it weren't for the two of them, he and Zhu Yan probably wouldn't have woken up from the illusion so quickly, and would have definitely suffered a bloody attack from the Blue Wolf Demon.

"Don't mention it. You'll be fine even without me." The woman's voice was light and melodious, like a mountain spring.

These words surprised Su Chen and Zhu Yan.

The gray-clad man standing nearby twitched at the corner of his mouth upon seeing the two men's bewildered expressions.

After the woman in black rescued him, she took him to this place.

It turned out that there was not just one blue wolf demon here, but two. The one that Su Chen and Zhu Yan encountered was the one that he and the scarred man wanted to kill.

The two blue wolf demons, one was a two-striped demon, equivalent to a two-meridian martial artist, and the other was a three-striped demon, equivalent to a three-meridian martial artist.

Although Su Chen and his companion encountered this two-striped demon, its strength was by no means weak.

He has clearly reached the perfection of the second meridian and is about to enter the Yuan Demon level, where demonic power will be born.

Unlike martial artists who have mastered meridians, demons determine their bloodline and strength based on the demonic markings on their bodies.

Although the two-striped demon was inferior to the three-striped demon in terms of bloodline, it far surpassed the three-striped demon in terms of realm and strength.

Referring to martial artists, one has reached the perfection of two meridians, while the other has only achieved minor success in three meridians; clearly, the former is stronger than the latter.

Logically speaking, any martial artist who has reached the Qi Refining stage would be extremely cautious when encountering such a two-patterned demon.

Moreover, this blue wolf demon's illusion skills far surpass those of the three-striped demon; even a Qi Gathering Warrior could be deceived.

But when he and the woman in black arrived, they witnessed an astonishing scene.

Su Chen and Zhu Yan stood rooted to the spot like logs, motionless, as if they were waiting for the Azure Wolf Demon to attack.

The performance of Su Chen and the other person was enough to surprise him and the woman in black.

When they saw the two-striped blue wolf demon next to them, panting heavily, they were stunned.

It's unclear how long the two stood there, but the Green Wolf Demon attacked Su Chen one moment and Zhu Yan the next.

However, no matter who it attacks, it is always the one that gets hurt in the end.

It was completely unable to break through the Yuan Power armor on Su Chen and Zhu Yan, and instead made itself look extremely disheveled.

This was the first time the gray-clad man had encountered such a situation. There was actually a martial artist whose defenses the Azure Wolf Demon couldn't break through. It was truly a case of biting off more than one could chew.

This is why the two of them looked strange.

And just as the woman in black said, even without the two of them, the blue wolf demon could not harm Su Chen and Zhu Yan.

In the end, they might give up while still attacking.

However, the man in gray did not explain the matter, and Su Chen and his companion were naturally unaware that things would turn out so dramatically.

Under the watchful eyes of the three, the woman in black placed the greatsword on the corpse of the blue wolf demon.

In an instant, a faint black light shone from the giant sword, and the demon blood on the corpse of the blue wolf demon suddenly surged towards the giant sword.

Upon seeing this, Su Chen and Zhu Yan exchanged a glance, both seeing surprise in each other's eyes.

After absorbing most of the demon blood of the Azure Wolf Demon, the black light on the giant sword intensified, but quickly returned to calm.

The woman in black sheathed her greatsword, carried it on her back, and turned to leave without even glancing at the three of them.

"Do you want this monster?"

After the woman in black had left, the man in gray looked at the corpse of the blue wolf demon and asked with an embarrassed expression.

Su Chen and Zhu Yan both shook their heads: "No need."

Both of them could tell from what they had just witnessed that the woman in black and the man in gray were not working together.

Upon hearing this, the gray-clad man nodded to the two of them, then went to the corpse of the blue wolf demon and began to collect the spoils.

Although the blue wolf demon was hacked to a pulp, it was still a considerable income for him.

After asking the gray-clad man about nearby towns, Su Chen and his companion took their leave.

“My benefactor, the weapon in that woman’s hand must be a divine weapon.”

On the way, the two were still thinking about what had just happened when Zhu Yan revealed the origin of the woman's giant sword.

Su Chen nodded. What concerned him was that when the black-clad woman's giant sword absorbed the demon blood, he had actually felt a slight palpitation.

"I have a feeling that if I were to fight her, I might not be her match," Zhu Yan said again, his expression grave.

Clearly, the woman in black's strength had given him quite a shock.

The two appeared to be around the same age, yet the other easily defeated the Blue Wolf Demon.

In contrast, he and Su Chen were trapped in the illusion created by the Azure Wolf Demon.

Although it's unclear why the Blue Wolf Demon didn't attack them, it gives a sense of the gap between the two sides.

If even a woman encountered along the way possesses such formidable strength, then how many geniuses reside within the Eight Desolations Palace?

At this moment, Zhu Yan suddenly realized that he had been too lax in his training and that he must work harder in the future to become stronger.

Strive to avenge my master as soon as possible.

Su Chen stopped and suddenly looked at Zhu Yan, a hint of surprise in his eyes.

This guy broke through to a higher level just by walking!
……

buzzing.

The woman in black, having parted ways with Su Chen and the other two, embarked on her journey alone, the giant sword on her back emitting a booming sound.

Then, as if it had gained sentience, it detached itself from its scabbard and hovered in front of the woman in black.

Upon seeing this, the woman in black remained expressionless, but her delicate brows furrowed slightly.

Zheng.

The greatsword emitted a clanging sound, as if it were conversing with the woman in black—this was the way divine weapons communicated with their masters.

"no!"

It's unclear what she heard, but the woman in black raised her eyebrows and refused sharply.

"Why not? Their blood and energy are definitely those of the most suitable warriors I've ever seen for the Demon-Slaying Sword to devour. As long as I devour their blood and energy, I might be able to transform into a Five-Element Divine Weapon, greatly increasing my potential. This would benefit both of us!"

The Demon-Slaying Sword expresses its dissatisfaction through a unique form of communication.

It had already sensed the special nature of Su Chen and Zhu Yan when it rescued them earlier.

Although they are both martial artists at the Meridian Opening Realm, their blood and qi are stronger than those of a martial artist at the Qi Gathering Realm.

Especially that handsome man, whose vitality was astonishing.

The fact that these two possessed such extraordinary vitality at their age and level made it realize that their talents were definitely not simple.

It can enhance its strength by consuming demon blood, while consuming human blood, especially the blood of a martial artist with extraordinary talent, can transform it.

Just like how demons enhance their bloodlines, it is equally difficult for divine weapons to upgrade their rank.

Now that it has finally found an opportunity, it naturally doesn't want to give it up.

Moreover, doing so would also help the women in black increase their strength; they needed to become stronger.

Seeing that the woman in black did not speak, the Demon-Slaying Sword pressed on, saying, "Mu'e, once I transform into a Five Profound Divine Weapon, I will be able to increase my strength even faster. At that time, we can kill that jackal demon as soon as possible to avenge our parents."

These persuasive words did not win Li Mu'e's consent; instead, she refused without hesitation: "Sister, if you want me to transform a divine weapon with human blood, I cannot do it."

The martial arts I practice are for eliminating violence and upholding justice, for promoting good and punishing evil. The sword I wield is for slaying demons and monsters and upholding righteousness. How can I indiscriminately kill the innocent?

"Well, whatever you want."

Upon hearing Li Mu'e's words, the sister in the Demon-Slaying Sword gave up trying to persuade her. After a soft sigh, she returned to her scabbard.

……

Su Chen and Zhu Yan rested for one night in a nearby town before setting off.

This mountain forest is vast, stretching for hundreds of miles, making even the Ascending Dragon Road much narrower, and there are not many caravans coming and going.

As noon approached, the two slowed down slightly.

"Xu."

Suddenly, Su Chen pulled on the reins and gazed ahead.

Upon seeing this, Zhu Yan looked up and saw a black light streak across the sky, hurtling towards the two of them.

"This sword looks so familiar!" As the black light drew closer, Zhu Yan noticed a giant sword encased within it and was taken aback.

Su Chen recognized the sword and said softly, "It's that woman in black's sword."

His gaze did not linger on the greatsword for long, but instead fell on the dark figure that was chasing closely behind it.

Zheng!
The elder sister in the Demon-Slaying Sword seemed to see Su Chen and Zhu Yan not far away, paused for a moment, and then changed direction and flew towards the two of them.

"Save Mu'e!"

It tried its best to make a clanging sound to express its meaning, but Su Chen and the other person could not understand it at all.

The Demon-Slaying Sword quickly realized what was happening and wrote two words on the ground.

Although this was not the script of the Great Qian Dynasty, the two had studied such scripts and immediately deciphered its meaning.

"Help!"

Both of them were taken aback when they saw this. Was the divine weapon imbued with a spirit?

"A broken weapon, yet it runs pretty fast!"

At that moment, the black shadow behind the Demon-Slaying Sword came flying through the air.

Just as he was about to seize the Demon-Slaying Sword, he inadvertently caught a glimpse of Su Chen and Zhu Yan below.

The Demon-Slaying Sword seemed to recognize the two of them, hovering around them as if pleading for help.

"Heh, two busybodies. Fine, I'll take care of you first."

Without asking any questions, the dark figure struck Su Chen and Zhu Yan with a palm strike, unleashing a torrent of powerful Yuan energy from his hand.

boom!
A palm print landed directly where the two were, smashing the ground into a huge crater half a meter deep.

Su Chen and Zhu Yan, having already noticed the shadowy figure's attack, easily avoided it.

"My benefactor, let me do it!"

Before Su Chen could make a move, Zhu Yan, who had just broken through to the next level, stared at the dark figure with a fierce expression.

This guy would resort to violence at the slightest provocation, which annoyed him greatly.

Zhu Yan snorted coldly, leaped into the air, and as he soared into the sky, flames instantly condensed around his body.

Their number is as many as a thousand!
During this time, apart from traveling, he did not neglect his cultivation.

As his Yuan Power improved, the speed at which he condensed Flame Flowers increased, and now he has condensed a thousand Flame Flowers.

A thousand flame flowers floated around, causing the surrounding air to boil and sizzle.

"Ok?"

Upon seeing this, the dark figure exclaimed in surprise, and then ran away without even turning its head.

Zhu Yan: "???"

what's the situation?
He didn't even make a move, so how did this guy run away?
"Where to run!"

Zhu Yan quickly realized what was happening, and with a shout, he stepped onto the treetop and gave chase.

"Be careful." Su Chen, worried that it might be a trap, warned him, then leaped into the air and followed closely behind.

One man and one sword quickly headed in the direction the shadowy figure had fled.

"Hmph, looking for death!"

The shadowy figure caught a glimpse of Zhu Yan and Su Chen behind him out of the corner of his eye, and a cold smile crept onto his lips.

Just then, he turned around and suddenly struck out with a palm.

The surging Yuan energy instantly detached from his palm, transforming into an incomparably sharp spear that swept through the air like a tidal wave.

Seeing this, Zhu Yan was not afraid at all. He snorted coldly, and the flower of flame instantly condensed, directly shattering the Yuan Power Spear.

The Yuanli spear was broken, and the black figure's pupils narrowed slightly, but he did not panic.

"Big brother, help!"

He shouted and quickly disappeared into the forest, rushing towards the three people who were fighting Li Mu'e not far away.

"This guy actually likes calling for reinforcements even more than I do!"

Zhu Yan cursed under his breath, slightly dissatisfied. He had only asked for one reinforcement, but this guy had asked for three.

However, this was not the time to worry about such things; Zhu Yan's attention was quickly drawn to Li Mu'e below.

When Zhu Yan saw three burly men bullying an unarmed woman, he turned around and shouted to Su Chen, "My benefactor, the divine soldier woman is here."

Upon hearing this, Su Chen looked closely and indeed saw Li Mu'e being besieged.

Upon seeing Li Mu'e, the Demon-Slaying Sword transformed into a streak of light and hurtled towards the battlefield.

"Didn't I tell you to leave immediately? Why did you bring them along?"

At this moment, Li Mu'e was covered in injuries, and without her divine weapon, she was no match for these three.

Seeing the demon-slaying sword return, Li Mu'e smiled bitterly.

These three are all at the Gathering Yuan Realm, and even she is no match for them. Bringing Su Chen and Zhu Yan here with the Demon-Slaying Sword is just courting death.

"Third brother, you go help fourth brother deal with them. We'll take care of this woman," the leader said in a deep voice.

The burly man known as the Third Brother stepped forward, sword in hand, and stood beside the Fourth Brother, watching Zhu Yan intently.

"Quick victory!"

Without wasting words, he said something to the fourth brother, then moved and charged out.

The fourth brother nodded and then made his move.

The two moved with incredible speed, entangling Zhu Yan from the left and right. Zhu Yan remained calm and shouted, "My benefactor, leave these two weaklings to me."

Before he could finish speaking, he saw Su Chen's figure disappear from the spot and appear in front of Li Mu'e in the blink of an eye.

Seeing this, he quickly withdrew his gaze and looked ahead, releasing a dangerous and chilling aura around him.

The flame that was about to be extinguished suddenly burst into flames, igniting the surrounding air and causing it to boil instantly!

(End of this chapter)