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

On the island in the middle of the river, a thick fog hung like a veil.

Sun Yan led the team inward along the beach. The soil underfoot was soft, and there were messy footprints on the sand, extending towards the center of the island in the river.

"The footprints are very fresh, no more than two days old," said an experienced demon slayer after crouching down to examine them.

"Everyone be careful," Sun Yan warned.

Suddenly, a rustling sound came from deep within the dense forest. It wasn't the sound of wind blowing leaves, but rather the sound of something being dragged on the ground. The sound came from all around, quickly surrounding them.

"Form ranks!" Sun Yan shouted sharply.

The group of demon-suppressing envoys quickly drew their swords, scanning the dense forest shrouded in thick fog with vigilance.

Shen Lian held his sword and looked ahead; the [Combat Power Detection] was quietly activated.

In an instant, his brows furrowed.

Within a radius of thirty feet, there were more than a dozen fluctuations in combat power, all of which exceeded 40, with the highest reaching an astonishing 70, which was already the strength of the fifth level of heaven.

"There's an ambush!" Shen Lian roared.

Just then, a dozen dark figures rushed out of the thick fog. These figures were hunched over, covered in bluish-black scales, with bloodshot eyes and inhuman roars. They were the mutants who had been completely transformed by Xiao Shi!

"kill!"

With a roar, Sun Yan stepped forward, his long sword sweeping across the room, the blade energy like a rainbow, instantly slicing the two mutants at the front in half.

Black blood spurted out, splashing onto the ground and emitting a foul stench.

The other demon-suppressing envoys took action against these mutants.

Shen Lian was facing a mutant at the mid-stage of the fourth level of the Heavenly Realm. The mutant's arms had mutated into sharp claws, his entire body was covered in scales, and his speed was astonishing.

"Wave-Cutting Style!"

Shen Lian immediately unleashed the "Wave Slash" technique, unleashing three consecutive slashes with overwhelming force, heading straight for the mutant.

clang!clang!clang!

The mutant's claws clashed with the longsword, producing a metallic clang.

Shen Lian's eyes turned cold. The other party's scales were extremely hard, easily blocking his attacks. He activated the "Tiger Subduing Stance" footwork, his figure like a tiger pouncing on its prey, and charged towards the mutant with his knife.

"Mountain-splitting style!"

Shen Lian leaped up and slashed his long sword down at the mutant.

puff!

Shen Lian slashed down, splitting the mutant's head open with a single stroke. Black blood spurted out, and the corpse crashed to the ground.

Suddenly, a mutant rushed out from the thick fog on the right. This mutant was extremely fast and its right claw slashed down fiercely at Shen Lian's back.

"Senior Brother Shen, be careful!"

Chen Yun let out a low shout and darted forward like a swallow, unleashing a series of slashes with her long sword in the "Wave Slash" style, which directly forced the mutant back.

Shen Lian and Chen Yun stood side by side: "Thank you, Junior Sister Chen."

Chen Yun nodded and said, "There are quite a few mutants here. We need to finish this quickly and not waste time here."

The battle on the island in the middle of the river intensified, with mutants constantly emerging from the thick fog, and Sun Yan and the other demon-suppressing envoys were caught in a fierce struggle.

Sun Yan severed the mutant's arm with a single strike and shouted, "Signal for the commander-in-chief; we need to buy as much time as possible."

One of the demon-suppressing envoys acted decisively, igniting communication fireworks.

The next moment, a dazzling light shone above the island in the river.

On the other side, Zhao Shan and the others saw the signal coming from the island in the middle of the river and immediately realized that Sun Yan and the others had encountered trouble there.

"Land on the island!"

Zhao Shan immediately ordered all the demon-suppressing envoys to set out for Jiangxin Island.

At this moment, on Jiangxin Island, Sun Yan and other Demon Suppressors are engaged in a fierce battle with the mutants. Most of the mutants are not very strong, and they can deal with them easily. However, there is one mutant whose combat power is astonishingly high, ranging from 70 to 85. Even Sun Yan is no match for him.

Shen Lian held his knife and looked at the mutant. He was exceptionally burly, nearly nine feet tall, and covered in bluish-black scales. He exuded a terrifying aura. He swung his sharp claws, forcing the surrounding demon envoys to retreat repeatedly.

Now, the mutant shows no trace of humanity; influenced by the demon stone, it has become almost completely mutated.

Sun Yan's pupils contracted slightly, realizing that the mutant was almost completely transformed. He held his sword in front of him and said, "Shen Lian, Lin Feng, follow me and keep this fiend occupied. The rest of you, deal with the remaining mutants as quickly as possible."

"yes!"

Shen Lian and Lin Feng responded immediately, joining forces with Sun Yan to surround the mutant.

"Mountain-splitting style".

Sun Yan struck first, his long sword slashing down fiercely towards the mutant's head.

clang!

Sun Yan slashed the mutant's head with his sword. With a clang, a flash of fire was heard, leaving only a white mark.

The mutant's eyes were bloodshot as it coldly stared at Sun Yan.

The next moment, the mutant suddenly launched an attack, raising its hand and slapping Sun Yan's chest with a palm strike. The sound of bones shattering rang out, and Sun Yan was sent flying.

"Sun Xiaoqi!"

Shen Lian and Lin Feng were both shocked to see this.

Sun Yan crashed heavily into an ancient tree, the sound of the trunk breaking echoing. He groaned as his chest protector shattered and blood trickled from the corner of his mouth.

"Let's do it!"

Shen Lian and Lin Feng exchanged a glance, and immediately charged toward the mutant with their knives.

Shen Lian activated the "Tiger Subduing Stance" footwork, his figure leaping like a tiger across a ravine, his long sword drawing an arc as it slashed straight at the mutant.

The mutant neither dodged nor evaded, but swept its right claw down.

clang!

The mutant slammed its right claw down on the longsword. Shen Lian felt a tremendous force coming from the blade, which made his hand go numb. He used the force to pull back.

"Such powerful strength." Shen Lian was shocked.

Since participating in the "Rising Star Competition", he has broken through to the fifth level of the realm, but now he is finding it very difficult to face this mutant.

"Prepare to die!"

Lin Feng shouted sharply, his figure shooting out like an arrow released from a bow. He then leaped up and slashed his long sword fiercely down at the mutant.

The mutant raised his hand to block Lin Feng's slash, and a clang resounded. He then unleashed another attack, forcing Lin Feng back.

Lin Feng steadied himself, his right hand holding the knife trembling uncontrollably.

The next instant, the mutant charged at Lin Feng, its right claw slamming down towards him, intending to finish him off.

"Mountain-Slaying Style!"

Shen Lian slashed horizontally with his longsword, the force of which was as heavy as a collapsing mountain; it was the strongest move in the "Demon Subduing Sword Technique".

The claws slammed into the longsword, sending sparks flying everywhere.

Shen Lian's feet sank several inches into the ground, his arm muscles bulged, and his blood and qi circulated wildly as he withstood the attack.

We can't confront them head-on!

Shen Lian frowned slightly. The mutant was too strong. Even if all the Demon Suppressors present joined forces to attack it, they might not be able to defeat it.

"Retreat first!" Shen Lian shouted.

The many demon-suppressing envoys present nodded and retreated at an extremely fast speed.

Sun Yan stood up and moved away.

Upon seeing Sun Yan and Shen Lian about to retreat, the mutant flew into a rage, unleashing an extremely strong aura of malevolence.

The group of demon-suppressing envoys fought and retreated, heading towards the beach.

But those mutants clung to us like maggots.

"We can't let them hold us back; we have to get back to the ship," Sun Yan said through gritted teeth, clutching his chest.

"I'll lure them away!" Shen Lian said decisively.

"This is too dangerous," Chen Yun said worriedly.

Shen Lian said, "We don't have time to hesitate. Once we're entangled with them, none of us will be able to leave. I'm confident we can get away."

After saying that, Shen Lian's figure blurred, and he rushed towards the direction of the thick fog.

"Walk!"

Sun Yan ordered the other demon-suppressing envoys to retreat.

Those mutants are too powerful. They cannot act rashly before Zhao Shan arrives, otherwise they may be wiped out.

"Mountain-splitting style!"

Shen Lian stepped forward and immediately unleashed the "Demon-Subduing Blade Technique," slashing fiercely at one of the mutants.

The long sword fell, killing him instantly.

Come and chase me!

Shen Lian shouted and activated the "Tiger Subduing Stance" footwork, running wildly along the beach towards the east side of the island in the middle of the river.

The mutants were drawn to Shen Lian and followed him in pursuit.

Shen Lian ran as fast as he could, not daring to be careless at all.

His current situation is extremely dangerous.

He was followed by seven or eight mutants, the strongest of whom had a strength of 70-85. Once he was entangled by them, he would not be able to escape.

Ahead lay a rocky area, filled with jagged, strangely shaped rocks, perfect for shaking off his pursuers. He leaped onto a rock three zhang high.

The mutant seemed to have gone mad, closely following behind Shen Lian, each landing sending debris flying everywhere.

The remaining mutants scattered and tried to trap Shen Lian in this area.

The rocks stand tall, and the fog rolls in.

Shen Lian stood atop the reef, his gaze sweeping over his surroundings. He looked at the strongest mutant, whose crimson eyes were fixed on him.

"We can't be trapped here."

Shen Lian looked into the depths of the reef area, where strange rocks were intertwined with vines in the crevices, and the terrain was very complex, which could be used to deal with those mutants.

A furious shout rang out; it came from the leader of the mutants.

He suddenly sprang up, leaping into the air and chasing after Shen Lian, slamming a palm down hard on Shen Lian.

Shen Lian leaped backward like a tiger leaping across a ravine, simultaneously holding his long sword horizontally in front of him.

boom!

The mutant slammed its palm down, striking Shen Lian's longsword with tremendous force, forcing Shen Lian back.

Shen Lian used the momentum to retreat and landed steadily on another reef.

so close!

If he hadn't cultivated the "Tiger-Taming Stance" to perfection and possessed abundant qi and blood, he would never have been able to withstand the opponent's attack.

Before he could catch his breath, the other mutants surrounded and attacked him.

"Wave-Cutting Style!"

Shen Lian's longsword trembled as he unleashed three consecutive slashes, the blade light flowing like a tide, instantly forcing the three mutants in front of him back.

A mutant on the left took the opportunity to launch a sneak attack on Shen Lian.

Shen Lian twisted his waist to avoid the opponent's attack, and his right leg swept across like a whip, kicking the mutant's knee hard.

Click!

The sound of bones shattering was clearly audible, and the mutant immediately knelt on the ground.

Shen Lian swept his long sword horizontally, severing the opponent's head in one stroke.

The leader mutant arrived in an instant, his sharp claws slashing down at Shen Lian's head, the fierce claw wind whistling down.

"Mountain-Slaying Style!"

Shen Lian gritted his teeth and immediately unleashed the "Mountain-Splitting Style," facing the mutated leader's claws with unwavering determination.

clang!

A deafening explosion echoed throughout the space.

A powerful force flowed through the blade into Shen Lian's arms, and he took advantage of the momentum to retreat backward.

Shen Lian then ran wildly, moving quickly through the rocky area.

He had no intention of getting entangled with these mutants any longer.

Meanwhile, Sun Yan and the others safely evacuated to the ship.

It was only because Shen Lian lured all the mutants away that they were able to evacuate safely.

Chen Yun asked worriedly, "Those mutants are very strong. Will something unexpected happen if Senior Brother Shen leads them away?"

"Probably not," Wang Lin said. "Brother Shen is very strong. Even if he can't defeat those mutants, it shouldn't be difficult for him to escape."

Sun Yan clutched his chest, his face slightly pale.

Among those mutants, the strongest one was someone even he couldn't defeat. Although Shen Lian was strong, he was still somewhat worried.

"Sun Yan!"

Just then, several boats slowly approached the island in the middle of the river.

The leader was Zhao Shan.

"Commander-in-Chief!"

Sun Yan and the other demon-suppressing envoys clasped their hands in greeting to Zhao Shan.

Zhao Shan nodded slightly: "How is the situation?"

Sun Yan clutched his chest and said, "There are many mutants on the island. The weakest of them are at least at the third level of the Heavenly Realm. The one we just encountered was at the sixth level of the Heavenly Realm."

Sixth Heaven?

Zhao Shan frowned. Even he hadn't expected that there would be such a powerful mutant on Jiangxin Island.

He said in a deep voice, "It seems that things on the island are far beyond my expectations."

Sun Yan gritted his teeth and said, "Shen Lian and Feng Qi are still on the island, their whereabouts are currently unknown. We request that you, Commander, take action."

Feng Qi and the other demon-suppressing envoys followed Sun Yan's orders and entered Jiangxin Island from the other side. They still do not know what the situation is.

Shen Lian lured away the mutants to cover everyone's retreat, and it's still unknown whether they are still alive.

"Walk!"

Zhao Shan made a decisive move and led a group of demon-suppressing envoys to set out.

On the west side of the island in the river, deep in the dense forest.

Feng Qi stared at the scene before him with a grim face. The corpses of three demon-suppressing envoys lay in pools of blood, their bodies covered in claw marks and teeth marks. Of the ten-man squad he had brought, only he and two wounded companions remained.

"Brother Feng... let's retreat." A young demon slayer with a gash in his arm said in a trembling voice, "We can't kill all these monsters. There were even fifth-level demons in that last wave..."

"Shut up!" Feng Qi hissed. He wanted to retreat, too, but as the deputy commander, he had to find out the situation on the island and provide intelligence for subsequent support.

"Take inventory of the equipment," Feng Qi said in a deep voice. "How many crossbow bolts do we have left?"

"I...I have five left."

"Three."

Feng Qi had seven crossbow bolts, three short swords, and a warning firework left—his last resort. He gritted his teeth: "Keep heading west. There are building remains in the center of the island; we must find out what's there."

The three of them carefully made their way through the dense forest. The deeper they went, the thicker the fog became, reducing visibility to less than ten feet. Dragging marks and scattered scales appeared on the ground from time to time, and a faint, fishy stench filled the air.

Suddenly, the sound of water came from ahead.

Feng Qi made a gesture, and the three of them crouched down and pushed aside the bushes.

Before us was a clearing in the woods, with an ancient well in the center. The wellhead was made of bluestone and covered with moss.

Two mutants are drawing water at the well.

"Are they...fetching water?" the young demon lord asked in a low voice.

Feng Qi stared ahead, his eyes narrowing slightly.

Not far from the well, there was a simple shed with dozens of dark blue stones piled up underneath.

It's a demon stone!

"Are they stockpiling demon stones?" Feng Qi's heart raced. If these demon stones were released into Qinghe County, the consequences would be unimaginable.

Just as he was thinking of a solution, the two mutants suddenly stopped and turned in unison towards the direction where the three were hiding, their crimson eyes fixed on the bushes.

"We've been discovered!" Feng Qi thought to himself, realizing the danger. He immediately ordered, "Retreat!"

The young demon slayer hurriedly retreated, but a dark shadow descended from the sky, its sharp claws ripping off his arm, causing blood to spurt out.

"what……"

Feng Qi saw the attacker clearly; it was a thin mutant, on all fours, with bone spurs protruding from its back, and moving incredibly fast.

After striking successfully, it turned and pounced on another demon-suppressing envoy.

"You beast, you're asking for death!"

Feng Qi roared, drew his long sword from his waist, and unleashed the full power of his "Demon Subduing Sword Technique," which was at the peak of its power. The sword light flashed like a bolt of lightning as it slashed towards the mutant.

The mutant neither dodged nor evaded, taking Feng Qi's blade head-on, and then reached out to grab Feng Qi, tearing open the leather armor on Feng Qi's chest with a single claw.

"puff!"

Feng Qi coughed up blood and flew backward, crashing into a tree trunk. He struggled to get up, but the mutant was already pouncing on him, its claws aimed at his head.

Am I going to die?

At the critical moment, a blade of light, like a silver crescent moon, pierced through the mist!

"Wave-Cutting Style!"

The blade precisely sliced ​​into the gaps in the mutant's neck scales, and dark green blood gushed upwards. The mutant's corpse crashed to the ground, revealing a figure standing behind it, holding a knife.

It was Shen Lian!

"Deputy Commander Feng, can you still walk?" Shen Lian wiped the blood off his knife and quickly stepped forward to help him up.

Feng Qi exclaimed in surprise, "Shen Lian, what are you doing here?"

Shen Lian's gaze swept over the pile of demon stones and the ancient well beside the well, and he said solemnly, "These demon stones must be destroyed. You all retreat first, I'll cover your retreat."

"No, it's too dangerous for you to go alone," Feng Qi said urgently.

Shen Lian took out a fire and thunder talisman from his pocket. This was the treasure that Old Xu had given him before he left. Its power was enough to blow up a house.

"I have this. You all hurry and go to the east coast to meet up with Commander Zhao. Tell him there's a storage point for demon stones on the island, and there might be even more mutants there."

Seeing that Feng Qi was still hesitating, Shen Lian said sternly, "Go quickly! You're injured; staying will only be a burden to me!"

Feng Qi gritted his teeth, glanced at his dead companion and the young demon envoy wailing with his severed arm, and finally nodded emphatically: "Take care!"

He helped the two up and quickly evacuated towards the east bank.

"Next, it's your turn, the two of you."

Shen Lian looked at the remaining two mutants.

[Combat Strength]: 34~42

[Combat Strength]: 36~44

These two mutants are not particularly strong.

The two mutants immediately pounced on Shen Lian, but he killed them with two slashes, leaving their bodies lying on the ground with black blood gushing out.

He walked to the pile of demon stones, stuck the fire and thunder talisman on the largest demon stone, and then took out a fire folding stick from his pocket.

Just as the fuse was about to be lit, a strange sound of water suddenly came from the ancient well.

"Gurgle... gurgle..."

Shen Lian felt a sudden sense of alarm. Something was rapidly rising from the bottom of the well. He activated [Combat Power Detection], and his combat power value soared from 50 to 90, 100... and finally settled at 120!

"Are you kidding me?!"

Shen Lian's expression changed drastically. A combat power of 120 is at the level of the seventh or even eighth level of the Body Tempering Realm!

It's definitely not someone he can handle.

Without hesitation, he lit the fuse, turned and fled. The fuse of the fire and thunder talisman hissed and burned, and it would explode in three breaths.