Chapter 124: Chapter 124: What Kind of Monster Are You!
WHIZZ, WHIZZ...
Two agile figures darted through the dense forest, as swift as cheetahs. After a brief rest, Luo Feng and Bing Ruolan followed the trail of blood to track Ji Wuchang.
"Ruolan, what is this Heavenly Demon Sect you spoke of earlier?" Luo Feng recalled the conversation Bing Ruolan and Ji Wuchang had, and asked aloud.
Bing Ruolan walked beside Luo Feng, her delicate eyebrows furrowed slightly. "The West Desert Demon Realm has six major Demon Sects, and the Heavenly Demon Sect is one of them. It is equivalent to the Martial Arts holy land in our Canglan Dynasty."
A Martial Arts holy land... Luo Feng was a little taken aback.
Nodding her head, Bing Ruolan continued, "The Martial Arts of the Heavenly Demon Sect are mostly cruel and wicked. The Disciples under its banner are nefarious characters. They are a common enemy of all countries. Since a major war a hundred years ago, the Disciples of the Heavenly Demon Sect have vanished for decades. I wonder how this Ji Wuchang managed to learn the Black Dark Claw."
"We’ll find out once we capture him." Luo Feng’s gaze moved forward, and he suddenly slowed down his pace. "Be careful, we’re here."
The surrounding forest gradually thinned out. Ahead was a long, winding gorge filled with a thick, gray miasma. The terrain was rugged, and the gorge was surrounded by weirdly shaped rocks, making it extremely treacherous.
"I didn’t expect such a place in the Misty Swamp. It’s the first time I’ve seen it." Bing Ruolan looked at the gorge, a hint of surprise in her beautiful eyes.
"Ji Wuchang is in the gorge. Let’s move. Be wary of traps." Seeing the bloodstains on the ground, Luo Feng didn’t hesitate and walked directly toward the heart of the gorge.
Bing Ruolan followed by his side, the two of them cautiously approaching the gorge.
A moment after their figures disappeared into the gorge’s fog, a gust of wind suddenly blew, and five sword-wielding youths emerged at the entrance. These youths wore jade-colored, cloud-patterned uniforms; all were students from the Tianlan School, one of the four major academies. They exuded powerful vitality, and their running caused the air to whistle sharply, marking them as experts.
"Junior Brother Nan, is Ji Wuchang really here?" The leading sixteen or seventeen-year-old youth, looking at the gorge with a sharp light flashing in his eyes, turned his gaze to a person by his side.
The youth addressed as Junior Brother Nan had a cold, murderous look on his face and respectfully replied, "Senior Brother Xiao, it’s indeed here! Last time, when I was in the Misty Swamp on a mission, I accidentally saw him clashing with several Martial Artists. He claimed to be Ji Wuchang. Moreover, the Martial Art he demonstrated was a ruthless Claw Technique. Any Martial Artist hit by it immediately turned black—it was definitely the Black Dark Claw."
"Black Dark Claw? Isn’t that the Martial Art of the Heavenly Demon Sect? If we can obtain the Secret Manual and present it to the academy, we’ll definitely earn a considerable amount of academic credits! Worth more than Ji Wuchang’s head!" another youth exclaimed in surprise.
If Luo Feng were here, he would recognize this youth as Yuan Jiankong from the Tianlan School, whom he had met at the Sky Wolf Camp!
"However, Ji Wuchang is a mid-stage expert in the seventh stage of the Essence storage Realm, and he’s cultivated that malicious demonic Martial Art, the Black Dark Claw. I’m afraid he won’t be easy to deal with," a calm-looking youth frowned as he cautioned.
Yuan Jiankong simply smiled. "What does it matter that he’s a mid-stage practitioner of the seventh stage of the Essence storage Realm? Senior Brother Xiao is also at the same level. With Senior Brother Xiao and the four of us, isn’t Ji Wuchang a sitting duck?"
Senior Brother Xiao was quite pleased with Yuan Jiankong’s words. He nodded with a smile, saying, "Let’s go inside. Be careful not to let him escape. Once we complete this three-star mission, I can exchange it for a third-grade Spirit Pill, which will solidify my Cultivation at the mid-stage of the seventh stage of the Essence storage Realm. I am determined to make it into the top four in this New Talent Tournament!"
SWOOSH, SWOOSH, SWOOSH...
All of them pulled out their swords, formed a semi-circle, and headed towards the gorge.
By this time, Luo Feng and Bing Ruolan had already ventured deep into the gorge. It was incredibly deep. Even after they used Light Martial Arts and traveled for a good half-incense stick’s burning time, they still couldn’t see the end of it.
"Luo Feng, look over there!" Bing Ruolan suddenly stopped and pointed ahead at a pile of rocks in the gorge.
A cave was hidden among the rugged rocks. If one didn’t look carefully, it would be hard to spot.
Seeing the blood on the ground, Luo Feng nodded. "Looks like Ji Wuchang is inside. Let’s go in."
They reached the cave opening, tread lightly, and entered.
The cave entrance was very narrow, just wide enough for two people to walk in side by side. However, once inside, the space opened up unexpectedly. The interior had been artificially excavated; it was as if another courtyard had been carved out within the cliff face.
Ji Wuchang was sitting in the middle of the cave. His wounds had been quickly bandaged, but his face was terribly pale. "Damn thieves, daring to hurt me! Once I recover from this injury and perfect my Black Dark Claw, I’ll make sure both of you die without a burial place!" Ji Wuchang’s voice was heavy and cold, a hint of killing intent in his eyes.
"I’m afraid you won’t get the chance."
At that moment, a chilling voice suddenly echoed in the cave. Ji Wuchang was startled. He raised his eyes and saw Luo Feng and Bing Ruolan standing there. His face changed drastically.
"Ah! You dare to chase me here!"
Luo Feng held his saber and sneered. "You hurt someone and thought you could just walk away? Did you expect us to wait for you to find us instead of us coming after you?"
"HUMPH! You think I, Ji Wuchang, will just sit here and wait for death! Today, even if I die, I will take you down with me!" Ji Wuchang’s eyes were fierce. With a battle cry, his Gang Qi began to circulate. His skin gradually turned a strange shade of black, and a mist-like layer of Gang Qi formed around it. His left hand transformed into a mass of claw shadows, fiercely striking at Luo Feng and Bing Ruolan.
"Be careful! This is Black Dark Gang Qi; it’s extremely toxic!" Bing Ruolan’s voice revealed a hint of gravity.
Luo Feng nodded. A tiger’s roar sounded from his Tiger Soul Saber as it transformed into numerous dark saber shadows, continuously slashing towards Ji Wuchang.
CLANG, CLANG, CLANG, CLANG...
The saber and claw shadows collided, exploding in mid-air. The entire cave trembled slightly, and the smooth rock walls were torn to shreds by the Gang Qi! Luo Feng was forced back by the immense force transmitted through his saber, retreating nearly ten steps before he stopped.
Ji Wuchang was in no better condition. The wounds on his body, which had just stopped bleeding, burst open again. Blood gushed out as he was thrown back fifteen steps before he could stop! "What kind of monster are you?! With merely peak Cultivation at the sixth stage of the God Bravery Realm, how can you consecutively execute such powerful Martial Arts in such a short period?" Ji Wuchang looked at Luo Feng, his face filled with terror.
He was a Martial Artist in the mid-stage of the seventh stage of the Essence storage Realm. Although injured, his strength was not something an ordinary sixth-stage God Bravery Realm Martial Artist could match. He had originally intended to break through Luo Feng’s defenses and kill him in one go. Yet, he hadn’t expected his attack to be completely blocked; his opponent had even gained the upper hand!
"Flowing Cloud Crosses the Peak!"
Bing Ruolan responded with her Floating Cloud Sword Technique. Her footsteps tapped lightly on the ground, her delicate figure as light as a floating cloud, silently drawing near. The cold sword edge transformed into continuous Sword Shadows, attacking Ji Wuchang.
Ji Wuchang knew he couldn’t escape his doom today. His eyes flashed with a fierce light, and instead of dodging, he pounced directly at Bing Ruolan. "Die! Black Dark Blood Rain!"
Black Qi Force, a foot long, burst from his five fingers, resembling the fangs of a Demon Beast. Ji Wuchang’s left hand became a myriad of claw shadows, blanketing the area as they surged towards Bing Ruolan. The cave suddenly filled with a bloody stench.
"HAHAHAHA... Die with me!" Ji Wuchang laughed wildly, his expression grim, clearly intending to take Bing Ruolan down with him.
"In your dreams!" Luo Feng snorted coldly. Strength concentrated in his right foot, a violent Qi vortex swirled beneath it, and then he stomped down.
BOOM!
This seemingly casual step made the entire cave tremble. The hard rock ground rippled like a wave, and several huge cracks, like giant sea serpents, surged towards Ji Wuchang!
Ji Wuchang’s footing became unsteady from the sudden shockwave. At this moment, Bing Ruolan seized the opportunity. Her figure suddenly accelerated, and she leaped up, the sword in her hand striking like a lightning bolt towards Ji Wuchang’s throat!
"AH!" Ji Wuchang screamed, watching wide-eyed as the cold sword edge penetrated his body. He wanted to resist with his Gang Qi, but the continuous, surging force from beneath the ground slowed his reaction by half a beat.
SQUIRT!
Blood bloomed. The tip of the sword protruded from the back of Ji Wuchang’s neck, trailing a few strands of blood. "I severed all my emotions, practiced the Black Dark Claw for years, only to be defeated by you two juniors..." Ji Wuchang stared at Luo Feng and Bing Ruolan, his eyes wide with unwillingness. He forced out a few words before his neck went limp, and he died.
PHEW...
Bing Ruolan sighed in relief, withdrew her sword, and carefully wiped off the bloodstains. She then prodded open Ji Wuchang’s clothes with the tip of her sword, and a pitch-black book fell out with a thud.
Black Dark Claw Technique... Bing Ruolan picked up the Secret Manual, glanced at it, then shifted her gaze to Ji Wuchang’s corpse on the ground, shaking her head slightly.
"What’s wrong with this Martial Art?" Luo Feng approached. Seeing the peculiar look in Bing Ruolan’s eyes, he couldn’t help but ask.
Bing Ruolan explained, "The Martial Arts of the Demon Sect are not only vicious to enemies but also to the practitioner. This particular Martial Art requires one to sever all emotions. He must have personally slaughtered all his loved ones."
Luo Feng clicked his tongue. He had just seen how fierce this Claw Technique was and had even considered learning it. He hadn’t expected this Martial Art to be so vicious.
Bing Ruolan handed the Secret Manual to Luo Feng, a smile appearing on her face as she said, "But our gains this time are quite significant. This Black Dark Claw Technique is a top-tier Yellow Grade Martial Art. If we bring it back to the academy, we will definitely receive a lot of credits.
"Ji Wuchang has slain many students from the four major academies in this Misty Swamp. Taking his head back to the academy is a three-star academy mission and will also yield quite a few rewards."
Luo Feng nodded. He put away the Secret Manual, then severed Ji Wuchang’s head, placing both items in his storage ring.
The two explored the cave but found no other valuable items, so they left.
"QUICK, QUICK, QUICK! There was such a loud commotion in the gorge just now! Students from other academies must have gotten here first. We have to go in and get Ji Wuchang’s head!"
Just as Luo Feng and Bing Ruolan walked out of the cave, a voice suddenly drifted over. Many figures then abruptly appeared in the gorge.