This immortal was clearly ordinary, yet he was unusually confident.

“It was so delicious!”

Yang Xuri let out a satisfied exclamation as he finished the last sip of soup.

"I never imagined that such simple ingredients could be made into such a delicious dish. Mr. Zheng, if you opened a restaurant, your business would definitely be booming!" Ye Cangyue chimed in.

Ye Chuxue didn't comment, but subconsciously touched her slightly bloated stomach; she had indeed eaten a bit too much at this meal.

She had tried her best to control herself, but she still couldn't resist the temptation of the food.

The delicacies she had eaten before could not compare to these seemingly simple dishes.

The recipes for these dishes are not complicated, but Zheng Zhuang precisely controlled the heat and added some seasonings that did not exist in this world, so the taste was naturally extraordinary.

Zheng Zhuang was also very satisfied with his cooking skills. He was highly skilled and could control the heating area of ​​each ingredient and the distribution of seasonings, which allowed the flavors of the ingredients to be brought out to their fullest.

His pots were all made of special materials and even engraved with runes for refining magical artifacts. Even the bag of rice was infused with a small amount of spiritual energy, which is why it had such a unique taste.

"You're absolutely right! I do own a restaurant," Zheng Zhuang laughed.

Yang Xuri and Ye Cangyue were both taken aback. Seeing Ye Chuxue's respectful attitude towards Zheng Zhuang, they guessed that Zheng Zhuang might be a certain master of "Dark Moon" and that cooking was just a whim of his.

It's not uncommon for big shots to have one or two strange hobbies, but I never expected him to actually be a chef!

After everyone finished eating, Zheng Zhuang instructed Yang Xuri and Ye Cangyue to wash the pots and pans, while he leisurely sat down on a rock to rest.

After a satisfying meal, a nap would be perfect, but the conditions here don't allow for that, so we have to give up on that idea.

Before long, Yang Xuri and Ye Cangyue returned, having finished washing up.

Yang Xuri, carrying two pots, smiled and said, "Mr. Zheng, these pots are quite heavy. Would you like me to carry them for you?"

"Put them all there!" Zheng Zhuang pointed to a clean stone, then smiled slightly and said, "I'll perform a magic trick for you."

Yang Xuri and Ye Cangyue put their things away as instructed, then looked at Zheng Zhuang with puzzlement.

Zheng Zhuang solemnly took out a piece of red cloth, and the others stared intently as he slowly unfolded the cloth and then covered the pots and pans with it.

"Watch closely, don't blink!"

Zheng Zhuang pulled off the red cloth, and there was nothing underneath.

"This..." Ye Cangyue rubbed her eyes in disbelief.

Yang Xuri stared wide-eyed at Zheng Zhuang, trying to see where he had hidden those things.

Although Ye Chuxue was also surprised, she had already seen other strange things about Zhengzhuang, so her tolerance was much stronger.

In particular, she knew that this Peach Blossom Immortal liked to show off in front of others and was vain, so she would not make people feel that she was high and mighty, but rather more approachable.

Zheng Zhuang folded the red cloth in a mysterious way, then rubbed his hands together, and the red cloth disappeared.

"Mr. Zheng, what kind of magic trick is this? It's amazing!" Ye Cangyue said with admiration.

"Yes, yes, Mr. Zheng, could you teach me this trick?" Yang Xuri also flattered him.

"This move is called 'Hidden Universe in the Sleeve,' and you... probably can't learn it."

"What?"

Zheng Zhuang smiled without saying a word and strode forward.

……

Yongning City, Wu Family Residence.

The mansion was large, but empty, with only a mourning hall lit by candlelight in the back.

Inside the mourning hall, hundreds of memorial tablets were densely packed together. A figure held a memorial tablet in his hand, staring blankly into space, sometimes with a slight upturn of his lips, and sometimes with a look of pain on his face.

Outside the mourning hall, dozens of figures appeared silently, surrounding the hall completely. Judging from their agile movements, it was not hard to guess that they were all people with extraordinary martial arts skills.

The person inside seemed completely oblivious, still lost in their own thoughts.

"Is the Sword Demon really inside the mourning hall?" a dashing middle-aged man asked.

He was handsome, had a masculine air, and his eyebrows and eyes bore a slight resemblance to Ding Wu's.

"Reporting to the Commander, I have carefully compared the information and it is indeed Wu Dang! So many people have died in this house, and the people usually avoid it. Who else but him would stay inside for so many days?" A figure nearby immediately replied.

The middle-aged man snorted: "What audacity! You actually dare to come back? Do you really think 'Dark Moon' doesn't exist?"

The figure beside him hesitated for a moment and said, "My lord, you must not underestimate your enemy. The Wu family was once a famous martial arts family with many martial arts practitioners. However, the Sword Demon alone slaughtered the entire mansion. His martial arts skills have probably reached an unimaginable level."

The middle-aged man nodded. Of course he knew how powerful the Sword Demon was, after all, the other party was a recognized martial arts prodigy in the martial arts world.

“Sword Demon Wu Dang, I am Ding Wen, the commander of the ‘Dark Moon’ Greedy Wolf Division. You are bloodthirsty and suspected of committing several massacres. I advise you to surrender and I will still be able to leave you with a whole corpse.”

Wu Dang gradually came to his senses, gently stroked the spirit tablet in his hand, carefully placed it on the offering table, and then slowly picked up a precious sword in front of him.

He walked out of the mourning hall, turned around and quietly closed the door, as if afraid of disturbing the spirits inside.

Wu Dang simply turned his back to the members of the Greedy Wolf Division, but no one dared to make a move.

After closing the door, Wu Dang slowly looked at Ding Wen and said, "I know you. My family is very fortunate that you helped with their burial. Thank you!"

Ding Wen sneered: "No need for pretense. Family? They all died by your sword!"

Wu Dang sighed, his face filled with sorrow, and said, "That's right, they all died because of me, but there's more to the story."

Ding Wen said skeptically, "What? You still want to argue now? You were ruthless when you wielded your sword that day, showing no mercy to your own family."

Wu Dang smiled bitterly: "I know you won't believe anything I say, but I can prove it to you."

As he spoke, Wu Dang slowly drew his sword, and everyone felt as if they were facing a formidable enemy, instinctively taking two steps back.

Ding Wen also drew his sword, and said solemnly, "Let me test your swordsmanship!"

Wu Dang shook his head slightly: "I heard that your elder brother Ding Wu created a set of whip techniques that are unpredictable and strange. I would like to see them if I have the chance. However, my opponents today are not you."

Wu Dang suddenly turned to the side and called out to a dark corner in the courtyard, "Come out!"

"Hehe! Although I don't know how you killed Qin Ming, you are indeed quite capable."

A sinister voice came from the shadows, and then everyone saw a young man dressed in a black robe walk out.

Ding Wen was also taken aback; he, too, had not discovered anyone hiding there.

“Don’t be surprised! It’s not surprising that you didn’t notice; this guy is no longer human,” Wu Dang explained.

The black-robed youth laughed and said, "He's right. I am Lin Bao, the Leopard God Envoy under the Beast God. Otherwise, you'll die without knowing why."

"I've come here to eliminate you despicable spies. You're hard to find on ordinary days, and it's rare to see you all gathered together like this. It's the perfect opportunity to wipe you all out in one fell swoop."

"Are you from the Kingdom of Rising Sun?" Ding Wen asked.

Lin Bao stroked his chin, pondered for a moment, and said, "You could say that, or you could say that. I was originally a member of Cangyue, but now I follow Sang Qiu, the Grand Preceptor of the Rising Sun Kingdom. The Beast God Sect does not intend to participate in the war between the two countries, but it is not easy to refuse the Grand Preceptor's request."

Lin Bao looked at Wu Dang and said, "Meeting you is a pleasant surprise. If you hadn't brought back Qin Ming's head to pay homage, I might not have been able to find you. Qin Ming was a real piece of trash, actually dying at the hands of a mere mortal martial artist."

Wu Dang smiled with satisfaction: "Qin Ming did not die at my hands. I also feel it is a pity that I could not kill him with my own hands. However, killing you is the same, because you are just like him, a monster that is neither human nor demon."

Ding Wen was completely confused. Could it be that, as Wu Dang said, there was another hidden story behind it?

"If it wasn't you, then who killed him? Haha, you think you can kill me?" Lin Bao seemed to have heard a huge joke.

"You are not worthy to know my name, but killing you is enough for me. Today is the perfect day to test my sword!" Wu Dang tightened his grip on the sword.

Lin Bao seemed intrigued and counted on his fingers, saying, "Interesting! I'll give you a chance, but I'll deal with these little rats first."

As he spoke, his hands began to change, gradually transforming into two thick leopard claws.

"You all retreat quickly!" Wu Dang shouted.

The people from the Greedy Wolf Division were indeed elites; after a brief moment of stunned silence, they quickly dispersed.

But Lin Bao was faster, his whole body turning into a blur as he pounced in all directions.

As Ding Wen watched his subordinates fall one by one, he roared and charged towards Lin Bao.

As soon as they got close, Lin Bao's sharp claws appeared on Ding Wen's chest with incredible speed.

Ding Wen quickly used his knife to defend himself. With a "bang," a tremendous force came from the blade, and he was sent flying backward. Then, he felt a sweet taste in his chest and spat out a mouthful of blood.

Wu Dang seemed oblivious to everything around him. He held his breath and focused all his attention on the sword, frantically pouring his true energy into it.

He recalled Zheng Zhuang's words: "When a common man is angry, blood will splatter five steps away; when his hair stands on end in anger, he will charge forward without hesitation!"

Wu Dang suddenly looked up, his eyes lighting up, and raised his sword, roaring:

"Lin Bao, take this sword!"

Lin Bao was enjoying the thrill of indiscriminate killing when he suddenly sensed a dangerous aura coming from behind him.

Without hesitation, he turned around quickly and swung his sharp claws at Wu Dang.

Moreover, during the attack, Lin Bao's arm continued to grow longer, and he was confident that he could pierce Wu Dang's chest before the sword arrived.

In this situation, Wu Dang could only change his move to defend, but once his sword missed, he would not have another chance.

Wu Dang seemed to ignore Lin Bao's sharp claws and continued to thrust forward recklessly.

"Bah..."

The claws pierced Wu Dang's chest as if he had offered himself up.

A slight smile appeared on Lin Bao's lips, but it froze instantly.

A dazzling white light suddenly shot out from the sword and instantly headed towards Lin Bao's brow.

"Sword light!"

Ding Wen was shocked. There was a legend circulating among martial artists that the Grandmaster realm was not the end. Above the Grandmaster realm was a realm called "Innate"!

It is said that after a martial artist breaks through to the Innate Realm, their strength will experience a qualitative leap, and their lifespan will be greatly extended. The sign of the Innate Realm is the release of true qi!

Lin Bao was equally horrified, but could only watch helplessly as the sword light rapidly approached, with no time to dodge.

Although his physical body was strengthened after fusing with demonic power, and his vitality was much stronger than that of an ordinary person, he would still die if his brow was pierced.

At this critical moment, Lin Bao roared and instantly transformed into a ferocious leopard.

"Bah!"

At that moment, the sword's edge pierced his brow, and a trickle of blood slid down from his brow, flowing across his face and dripping to the ground, making him look even more ferocious and terrifying.

But Lin Bao laughed: "It was just a little short! Just a tiny bit short!"

Ding Wen smiled sadly. Had he failed? Even a cultivator at the Innate Realm was no match for this monster?

He couldn't help but feel despair, not because Wu Dang was no match for them and they were all going to die, but because he seemed to see the end of the road for martial artists!

But at that moment, Wu Dang also laughed, though his laughter carried a hint of mockery.

"Is that so? I think it's just right!"

No one understood what he meant. Lin Bao was even preparing to take the opportunity to dig out Wu Dang's heart with his claws, but as soon as he had this thought, his claws could not go any further.

With a scream, Lin Bao's head exploded like a watermelon in an instant, splattering blood and brain matter all over the ground.

When the common man was angry, blood spattered five steps forward!

Enraged, yet fearless, we charged forward!

That sliver of sword light wasn't actually the real killing move. What was truly deadly was the rage within it, an unyielding will to move forward. Only in this way could one unleash their fury and cause it to erupt!

Lin Bao's body collapsed to the ground, gradually transforming into a headless human form.

Ding Wen was trembling with excitement. He had won!

The person in front of them, a martial artist, had killed the demons they could not resist. Martial artists could be this powerful!

Those still alive around them seemed to wake from a dream, exchanged glances, and saw in each other's eyes the relief of surviving a disaster.

Then, everyone looked at Wu Dang in unison, their eyes revealing an undisguised fervor!

If a cultivator like Chen Chui had killed Lin Bao, the crowd wouldn't have reacted this way.

But Wu Dang is a martial artist, simply because he is a martial artist!

Wu Dang sheathed his sword, clutched his still-bleeding chest, and sighed with a pained expression:

"Once a commoner draws his sword, life and death become unpredictable! So close, so very close! But I did it!"

Everyone looked concerned and gathered around.

"Master Wu, are you alright?"

"Master Wu, what kind of sword technique was that just now?"

"That sword beam was absolutely amazing!"

"..."

A smile involuntarily crept onto Wu Dang's lips, and then he made a gesture that puzzled everyone.

He clasped his hands in a respectful gesture and solemnly bowed in the direction of Qiuming Mountain:

"Thank you for teaching me the sword, sir!"