Surviving in a world of demons and monsters to achieve martial arts sainthood

Chu Chunqiu's angry roar echoed through the forest, and the powerful aura of a peak fifth-level expert was released from his body. He scanned his surroundings with an unusually cold gaze.

"Join forces to trap him!" Shen Lian stepped forward and said.

Chen Yun and the others moved out one after another, surrounding Chu Chunqiu and staring at him with predatory eyes. Everyone looked wary and dared not underestimate Chu Chunqiu.

Qin Lie charged towards Chu Chunqiu with his sword, and the Azure Dragon Blade immediately swept out, carrying a powerful blade wind as it struck Chu Chunqiu, tearing a deep ravine in the ground.

Chu Chunqiu thrust his Overlord Spear forward, the tip aimed directly at Qin Lie.

clang!

The Overlord Spear struck hard against Qin Lie's Azure Dragon Blade, the powerful force forcing Qin Lie back.

At this moment, Shen Lian arrived, his long sword sweeping horizontally, using the "Wave-Slaying Style" from the "Demon-Subduing Sword Technique," unleashing three consecutive slashes at Chu Chunqiu.

Chu Chunqiu touched the ground with the tip of his spear, using the force to leap several feet into the air. While dodging Shen Lian's attack, he twisted his body in mid-air and thrust his Overlord Spear, with several spear shadows covering the area below.

Chu Chunqiu used "Overlord Descending from the Nine Heavens," a killing move from the "Overlord Spear Technique," which contained extremely strong power.

Faced with Chu Chunqiu's deadly move, Shen Lian dared not be careless in the slightest. He activated the "Tiger Subduing Stance" footwork and frantically dodged to the side.

Boom!

Chu Chunqiu unleashed a powerful shot, blasting a massive crater into the ground and instantly filling the sky with dust.

Shen Lian stopped a short distance away. He looked at the huge crater on the ground and his brows furrowed. The power contained in Chu Chunqiu's spear was indeed strong. If he had been hit by Chu Chunqiu, he would have been seriously injured even if he didn't die.

Chu Chunqiu held the gun in one hand, the tip pointing diagonally at the ground, and said arrogantly, "Is this all the skill you have? You dare to mess with me? Let me cripple you first."

Chu Chunqiu's figure suddenly blurred, Shen Lian's pupils shrank, and he instinctively activated the "Tiger-Taming Stance" footwork, taking several steps to dodge Chu Chunqiu's attack, the spear tip grazing his shoulder.

"So fast!" Shen Lian frowned, a sharp pain coming from his shoulder.

"Chu Chunqiu, stop your arrogance!" Qin Lie shouted, and his Azure Dragon Blade slashed straight at Chu Chunqiu with ferocious force.

clang!

Chu Chunqiu held the Overlord Spear horizontally in front of him to block Qin Lie's attack. He sneered and kicked out suddenly, forcing Qin Lie back.

Lin Qing'er held the jade flute to her lips, and a strange sound wave spread out. The sound wave was invisible and intangible, yet it made Chu Chunqiu's body pause slightly.

"Now!"

Shen Lian's longsword trembled as he unleashed the full power of the "Demon Subduing Sword Technique." He used the three techniques in succession: "Wave Slash," "Mountain Breaker," and "Mountain Splitter," and the sword light surged towards Chu Chunqiu like a tidal wave.

Chu Chunqiu frowned slightly. Shen Lian's swordsmanship was more troublesome than he had imagined. What was even more deadly was that Lin Qing'er's sonic attack was constantly interfering with his blood circulation.

"Break the sound first!" Chu Chunqiu's mind raced, and the Overlord Spear suddenly changed direction, unleashing a "Overlord Return Spear" towards Lin Qing'er.

Seeing Chu Chunqiu's attack, Lin Qing'er dared not be careless and quickly moved to dodge Chu Chunqiu's killing move.

Upon seeing this, Qin Lie immediately drew his sword and charged forward. His Azure Dragon Blade swept down, blocking Chu Chunqiu's attack, but he was still knocked back.

"Brother Qin!" Lin Qing'er exclaimed, quickly placing the jade flute to her lips, and unleashing an invisible sound wave that hurtled towards Chu Chunqiu.

Chu Chunqiu snorted coldly, his Overlord Spear trembled, his blood and qi surged, and he unleashed a powerful strike that shattered Lin Qing'er's sound waves.

"Mountain-splitting style!"

Just as Chu Chunqiu and Lin Qing'er were fighting, Shen Lian leaped up, wielding his sword and unleashing the "Mountain Splitting Style," slashing his long sword fiercely down at Chu Chunqiu.

clang!

Shen Lian slashed down with his sword, forcing Chu Chunqiu to retreat.

"Good lad, you do have some skill, but it's a pity you'll be defeated by me," Chu Chunqiu said coldly, pointing his Overlord Spear at Shen Lian.

The next moment, Chu Chunqiu burst out and rushed straight towards Shen Lian. This time he was completely enraged and determined to defeat Shen Lian.

"Shen Lian, prepare to die!"

Chu Chunqiu's Overlord Spear trembled at the tip, and as it swung, it resembled a raging dragon, charging madly towards Shen Lian.

Faced with Chu Chunqiu's thunderous attack, Shen Lian dared not be careless. He did not retreat, but held his long sword horizontally, ready to take Chu Chunqiu's attack head-on.

"Mountain-Slaying Style!"

Shen Lian roared and used the "Demon Subduing Blade Technique" to defend against Chu Chunqiu.

clang!

The deafening clang of metal echoed through the forest.

A powerful force emanated from the tip of the spear, causing Shen Lian's arms to tremble violently. The ground beneath his feet cracked inch by inch, and powerful energy overflowed.

Chu Chunqiu's body trembled slightly, and a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes. He did not expect that Shen Lian, who was only at the mid-stage of the fourth level of the Heavenly Realm, could withstand his attack.

Shen Lian said, "Chu Chunqiu, you are indeed very strong, but you are alone now. Even if we just wear you down, we can still wear you down."

After saying that, Qin Lie, Lin Qing'er and the others appeared around Chu Chunqiu. Although they were all injured to some extent, they were still able to continue fighting.

"Oh?" Chu Chunqiu sneered, "Then let's see how much strength this rabble of yours has."

In an instant, the battle was about to begin.

Shen Lian and the others simultaneously spurred their movements, launching a frenzied attack on Chu Chunqiu, employing a variety of techniques in succession.

Chu Chunqiu frowned. Facing the combined attack of Shen Lian and the others, he was also struggling for a moment, and his body kept retreating backward.

Tick ​​tock!

Tick ​​tock!

Chu Chunqiu knelt on the ground, blood dripping down his arm. His clothes were torn, his black hair was flying, and he looked extremely disheveled.

"Chu Chunqiu, you have lost!" Shen Lian said coldly, looking at Chu Chunqiu.

Chu Chunqiu looked at Shen Lian with resentment: "You're just relying on sheer numbers. If it were a one-on-one fight, could you be my match?"

Shen Lian laughed, "So what if it's a human wave tactic? If we're at the same cultivation level, I'm not afraid of you in a one-on-one fight. Now, hand over the jade talisman."

Chu Chunqiu snorted coldly, flicked his right hand, and threw the jade talisman to Shen Lian.

Shen Lian took it casually and checked Chu Chunqiu's competition points. They were a terrifying 1,900 or more, and he couldn't help but gasp.

"As expected of the strongest in the competition, his points are far beyond what we can compare to. It's just a pity..." Shen Lian smiled and crossed out Chu Chunqiu's points, then threw the jade talisman back to Chu Chunqiu. According to the competition rules, he could only take half of the points.

Chu Chunqiu gripped the jade talisman and coldly looked at Shen Lian, saying, "The 'New Talent Competition' is nothing. I admit defeat to you today. I, Chu Chunqiu, will get my revenge sooner or later."

"I'm waiting for you!" Shen Lian said without fear.

Chu Chunqiu is indeed very strong and deserves the title of the pride of Qingzhou Prefecture, but Shen Lian is still very confident in his own talent. Given enough time, he believes that surpassing Chu Chunqiu will not be a problem.

Chu Chunqiu slowly stood up, put away his Overlord Spear, and turned to leave. Although half of his points had been taken by Shen Lian, with his current score, making it into the top ten of the "Rookie Competition" was still no problem. Now that the other side had the upper hand, he naturally didn't need to fight them; there would be plenty of opportunities in the future.

After Chu Chunqiu left, everyone slumped down, letting out a complete sigh of relief.

"We...won!" Lin Feng collapsed to the ground, panting heavily, his flying fish suit covered in blood.

"Fortunately, we defeated Chu Chunqiu with sheer numbers." Qin Lie grinned, then couldn't help but look at Shen Lian: "Shen Lian, you've been hiding your strength well, facing Chu Chunqiu's Overlord Spear at the mid-stage of the fourth level of the Heavenly Realm."

Shen Lian laughed and said, "I'm alright. Everyone, focus on recovering from your injuries. The Rookie Showdown will be over soon."

Everyone nodded and began to recover from their injuries.

Several hours later, everyone's injuries had recovered considerably.

"It's time to leave the Black Mist Forest," Qin Lie said, standing up. After some healing, everyone had recovered somewhat.

"Let's go!" Shen Lian rushed out first.

The Rookie Challenge is coming to an end, and almost everyone's ranking is already set. It's time to leave.

More than an hour later, the group emerged from the Black Mist Forest.

A group of people stood not far away, led by Wei Tong, with the others being members of the Demon Suppression Division of Qingzhou Prefecture. They were waiting for the participants of the "New Talent Competition".

At this moment, quite a few participants have already left the Black Mist Forest.

Upon seeing Shen Lian and the others appear, Wei Tong smiled and said, "The Rising Star Competition is over. It's time to return to Qingzhou Prefecture. The rankings for the Rising Star Competition will be released soon. Let's go back to Qingzhou Prefecture."

Shen Lian felt a gaze and looked to the side, where he met Chu Chunqiu's eyes. The other man's eyes were cold, and he let out a cold snort.

Chu Chunqiu was extremely unwilling to accept his defeat at the hands of Shen Lian. He knew that with Shen Lian's performance, he would definitely be taken seriously by the Demon Suppression Division of Qingzhou Prefecture, and he would have another chance to fight Shen Lian. Next time, he would make sure that Shen Lian would suffer a crushing defeat.

At Wei Tong's signal, everyone immediately returned to Qingzhou Prefecture.

……

Several hours later, the contestants arrived in Qingzhou Prefecture.

After several days of competition, everyone was exhausted. Wei Tong ordered everyone to rest and announced the rankings of the "Rookie Competition" the next day.

Guesthouse.

When Shen Lian, Lin Feng, and Chen Yun returned, Zhao Shan felt a little relieved to see that the three of them had come back alive.

The trial battlefield for the "Demon Hunting Trial" is located in the Black Mist Forest, where powerful demonic beasts abound. Every "Demon Hunting Trial" results in significant casualties, and returning alive is no easy feat.

"Brother Lian, you're back!" Li Hu walked forward with a smile.

"Tiger!" Shen Lian patted Li Hu on the shoulder with a smile.

Wang Lin looked at Shen Lian and the other two and asked, "Are you all alright?"

"I sustained some injuries, but nothing serious," Shen Lian replied.

Chen Yun laughed and said, "It's fortunate that Senior Brother Shen was here for this 'Demon Hunting Trial,' otherwise we would have been eliminated long ago."

Zhao Shan, Li Hu, and Wang Lin looked at Shen Lian.

In the following time, Shen Lian recounted the recent events that had occurred in the Black Mist Forest.

Zhao Shan frowned and said, "I didn't expect Chu Chunqiu to be so bold as to attack the Demon Suppressors of other counties. Fortunately, you joined forces and prevented Chu Chunqiu and his group from succeeding, otherwise the consequences would have been unimaginable."

Li Hu asked, "Isn't what Chu Chunqiu did a violation of the rules?"

"Chu Chunqiu is a local prodigy of Qingzhou Prefecture, and the power behind him is not small. Moreover, it is difficult to put him on trial without causing any casualties," Wang Lin analyzed carefully.

Zhao Shan nodded slightly: "Wang Lin is right. Although Chu Chunqiu was defeated, I estimate that he can still make it into the top ten of the 'New Talent Competition'. Given what happened, the Demon Suppression Division of Qingzhou Prefecture will probably turn a blind eye. There's no need for us to offend the Chu family of Qingzhou Prefecture."

Li Hu said indignantly, "This is really infuriating."

Shen Lian laughed and said, "There's nothing we can do about it. The Chu family still has a lot of influence in Qingzhou Prefecture, and we don't need to provoke them."

"Senior Brother Shen is right. We just need to do our own thing." Chen Yun said softly.

Zhao Shan said with his hands behind his back, "Let's not discuss this matter anymore. Everyone should go and rest. The rankings for the 'Rookie Competition' will be announced tomorrow."

"yes!"

Inside the room, Shen Lian sat cross-legged. He had been seriously injured in his battle with Chu Chunqiu and had not yet fully recovered.

Shen Lian clenched his fist and said, "Chu Chunqiu truly deserves to be called the pride of Qingzhou Prefecture. With my current strength, I am indeed no match for him in a one-on-one fight. But Chu Chunqiu is not insurmountable, and I will surpass him sooner or later."

His battle with Chu Chunqiu in the Black Mist Forest made him realize the gap between himself and top geniuses, but this gap was not insurmountable.

He only needs a little time to surpass Chu Chunqiu.

[Host]: Shen Lian

[Realm]: Body Tempering Realm (4/10)

[Combat Strength]: 42~54

[Martial Arts]: Tiger-Taming Stance (Perfect) (2/10), Demon-Subduing Blade Technique (Perfect) (1/10)

Skill Points: 0

Having undergone the trials of the "Demon Hunting Trial," Shen Lian has now mastered both the "Tiger Subduing Stake" and the "Demon Subduing Blade Technique" to perfection, significantly enhancing his combat strength. Otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to withstand Chu Chunqiu.

The night passed quickly.

Shen Lian cultivated alone for a whole night, and his injuries recovered considerably, but the broken ribs in his chest would still need some time to heal.

"Brother Lian!"

Shen Lian ran into Li Hu as soon as he stepped out of the room, and he greeted him with a smile.

"Today is the day the rankings for the 'Rookie Showdown' will be announced. I wonder where Lian-ge will rank?" Li Hu asked curiously.

Shen Lian smiled and said, "I don't know yet, but I estimate that making it into the top ten shouldn't be a problem."

Top ten!

Li Hu licked his lips, a look of envy on his face: "The top ten in the 'New Talent Competition' are highly regarded by the Qingzhou Prefecture Demon Suppression Division. They might even be directly recruited into the Qingzhou Prefecture Demon Suppression Division. This is a great opportunity."

"We still don't know what's going on," Shen Lian said.

The top ten spots in the "Rising Star Competition" will naturally attract considerable attention, and entering the Demon Suppression Division of Qingzhou Prefecture is an opportunity that many people desire.

Shen Lian naturally wanted such an opportunity as well.

"I believe Brother Lian will be fine," Li Hu said, clenching his fist.

Raymond Lam and Chen Yun also appeared at this time.

Lin Feng maintained a cold expression, as if everything was irrelevant to him, but Chen Yun's face was full of anticipation. The rankings of the "Rookie Competition" were about to be announced, and breaking into the top ten would be a completely different story.

"Senior Brother Shen!" Chen Yun greeted Shen Lian.

Shen Lian nodded to the two of them, indicating, "You've arrived."

Chen Yun said, "This time, Senior Brother Shen will definitely be in the top ten of the 'New Talent Competition,' but I don't know where he will rank."

Shen Lian smiled and shook his head, saying nothing.

"It seems you're all ready."

Just then, Zhao Shan's voice rang out.

"Commander Zhao!"

Upon seeing Zhao Shan arrive, Shen Lian and the others clasped their hands in greeting.

Zhao Shan nodded slightly: "The rankings for the 'Rookie Showdown' are about to be announced. It's time for us to set off."

"yes!"

Led by Zhao Shan, Shen Lian and the others left the guesthouse and headed to the square.

The square was now bustling with people. After seven days of the "Demon Hunting Trial," the "Newcomer Competition" had come to a successful conclusion. The surviving contestants had gathered here to await the final results.

Shen Lian and the others arrived at the square, with Chen Yun, Lin Feng and others beside them. Zhao Shan was the one who led them there.

"Brother Shen!"

Soon, Chu Wen from Baiyun County appeared. He smiled and greeted Shen Lian.

"Brother Chu has arrived as well," Shen Lian replied with a smile.

Chu Wen nodded: "The rankings for the 'Rookie Showdown' are about to be released, and I certainly can't be absent. I wonder if I can break into the top ten."

Shen Lian said, "If nothing unexpected happens, breaking into the top ten shouldn't be a problem."

In the past few days of the "Demon Hunting Trial", Chu Wen has defeated many participants, grabbed a lot of points, and has a chance to break into the top ten.

Chu Wen suddenly gestured to Shen Lian, who looked in the direction Chu Wen was looking and saw a familiar figure.

It was Chu Chunqiu of the Chu family.

Chu Chunqiu's gaze met Shen Lian's, his eyes filled with an intense coldness, as if he wanted to freeze Shen Lian.

Shen Lian faced Chu Chunqiu's icy gaze without the slightest fear.

Li Hu whispered, "Brother Lian, Chu Chunqiu's aura is really strong. No wonder he is a genius at the peak of the fifth level of heaven."

Shen Lian said, "Chu Chunqiu comes from the Chu family of Qingzhou Prefecture. He is naturally very talented, and with the Chu family's full support, his strength is naturally strong enough."

Wang Lin stepped forward and said, "So what if Chu Chunqiu is strong? He still lost to Brother Shen."

Shen Lian shook his head: "I didn't defeat him in a one-on-one fight. He is indeed stronger than me now, but I believe that it won't be long before I can surpass him."

Chu Wen, Lin Feng, and the others all looked at Shen Lian. It has to be said that Shen Lian was very confident and was now thinking about surpassing Chu Chunqiu.

Zhao Shan gave Shen Lian an approving look. As a martial artist, one must have a resilient heart; otherwise, it will be difficult to achieve great success on the path of martial arts.

Several people dressed in the uniforms of the Demon Suppression Division stood on the high platform. The leader was Wei Tong, the deputy commander of Qingzhou Prefecture. He looked solemn and his gaze swept over the crowd below the platform. The noisy square immediately quieted down.

"After seven days of trials in the Black Mist Forest, the Rookie Competition has officially concluded," Wei Tong announced loudly. "The top ten rankings and their scores will now be announced. The top ten will directly enter the Qingzhou Prefecture Demon Suppression Division, while those ranked 20th to 30th will enter the Qingzhou Prefecture Demon Suppression Division's preparatory camp. An assessment will be conducted one year later, and those who pass will become official Demon Suppression Envoys of the Qingzhou Prefecture Demon Suppression Division."

Upon hearing Wei Tong's words, the crowd below the stage became excited.

The top ten will be directly admitted to the Demon Suppression Division of Qingzhou Prefecture, while those ranked 20th to 30th will enter the Demon Suppression Division's preparatory camp and have the opportunity to become official Demon Suppression Envoys of Qingzhou Prefecture.

Chen Yun, Lin Feng, and the others began to breathe heavily. They might not have a chance to get into the top ten of the "New Talent Competition," but they did have a chance to get into the top thirty. As long as they could enter the Qingzhou Prefecture Demon Suppression Division's preparatory camp and pass the assessment a year later, they could also become official Demon Suppression Envoys of Qingzhou Prefecture.

Everyone looked at Wei Tong on the high platform, waiting for him to announce the rankings of the "Rookie Competition". Under the expectant gazes of the crowd, Wei Tong slowly opened the scroll in his hand, which contained the rankings of this "Rookie Competition".