The mountain wind howled, carrying a chilling draft.
Tall grasses swayed like ocean waves, stretching endlessly into the distance. The Red-Spotted Leopard remained motionless, while Chen Zong stood frozen like a statue, only his hair and the edges of his robes fluttering in the wind.
Breath after breath passed. Chen Zong grew increasingly calm, entering an indescribable state where the world seemed to shrink to just himself and the Red-Spotted Leopard before him. Everything else had vanished.
The leopard's form loomed larger and larger, filling Chen Zong's vision.
This was his first encounter with a demon beast. Even though it was a Low-Grade Level One Demon Beast, equivalent to the fourth layer of the Qi Blood Realm, Chen Zong dared not underestimate it. This was no sparring match, but a life-or-death battle. A single misstep could mean certain death.
The Red-Spotted Leopard moved, transforming into a bolt of lightning as it surged forward several meters. Its razor-sharp claws tore through the air with savage ferocity, slashing toward Chen Zong.
The leopard sensed both danger and irresistible temptation from the human before it—the allure of Qi Blood. Devouring him would undoubtedly make it stronger.
The tips of the claws gleamed with a chilling light, their sharpness honed to the extreme, like shooting stars hurtling down from the heavens, threatening to pierce Chen Zong's eyes. The terrifying coldness momentarily slowed his Qi Blood flow.
"So fast!" Chen Zong exclaimed in surprise. This speed surpassed even the fastest fourth-layer Qi Blood Realm cultivators he had faced.
Activating the Fierce Tiger Art, the aura of a Ferocious Tiger erupted from within him, accompanied by a thunderous roar that startled the Red-Spotted Leopard. The creature momentarily mistook the human before it for a tiger-like demon beast.
Channeling the Qi Blood Power of his fifth-layer Qi Blood Realm cultivation, Chen Zong's arm strength instantly surged by two thousand jin, reaching an astonishing three thousand jin.
This enhancement extended beyond mere strength, amplifying his speed as well.
His right hand snapped to the sword hilt, drawing the blade in a flash of lightning across the sky, its arc resembling a crescent moon.
Drawing Sword Stance!
The sword arced through the air like a crescent moon, its speed slicing through the air itself. The blade moved far faster than the Red-Spotted Leopard, striking with impeccable timing.
The Precious Iron Sword once again proved its razor-sharpness.
Chen Zong felt the blade cut through something, a strange sound echoing as crimson blood splattered across his vision. A figure plummeted to the ground.
Thud! Dust billowed into the air.
Blood dripped from the sword's blade. With a gentle flick, Chen Zong shook off the remaining blood, his gaze settling on the Red-Spotted Leopard before him.
A massive gash nearly severed the leopard's neck completely. Despite such a grievous wound, the creature still clung to life, its body convulsing in a desperate struggle, as if trying to rise.
"Truly astonishing vitality," Chen Zong murmured inwardly, a surge of excitement welling up from the depths of his heart.
Beneath the leopard's wound, a pool of crimson stained the ground, its pungent, metallic stench filling the air. Nearby, drops of scarlet blood fell like beads from a curtain, splattering onto the sandy ground.
Chen Zong glanced at the leopard's corpse, then at the sword in his hand. Instead of feeling revulsion, he felt a strange sense of satisfaction, as if the sword had only now been truly sharpened.
"At first, I thought that honing the blade was all it took to sharpen it," he murmured to himself, his expression slightly dazed. "But now I understand that wasn't the true Edge Sharpening. Only when it tastes blood does a sword truly come into its own."
"A sword is, by its very nature, an instrument of slaughter. Its sharpness, curvature, and resilience are meaningless without blood. A sword that never tastes blood, no matter how finely crafted, is nothing more than a decorative trinket."
The sudden clarity Chen Zong felt made him feel like he had grasped something, yet also like he had grasped nothing at all.
"No rush," he murmured to himself. "Now that this feeling has emerged, I'll grasp it sooner or later."
He grabbed the Red-Spotted Leopard's hind leg, which weighed several hundred kilograms, and dragged it back to the stronghold's courtyard.
"Brother Chen Zhong, we'll have demon beast meat to eat today!" Chen Zong called out with a smile.
"What a massive leopard! Is that... a Red-Spotted Leopard? A single sword strike to kill it? Clan Brother, your sword technique is truly remarkable!" Chen Zhong emerged at the sound of his voice, his gaze immediately falling on the leopard's corpse. He started in surprise, then exclaimed in admiration, "Judging by this, Clan Brother's strength is enough to sweep through most fourth-layer Qi Blood Realm cultivators!"
Chen Zhong was unaware that Chen Zong's cultivation base had already reached the fifth layer of the Qi Blood Realm.
The two men divided the tasks. They fetched fresh water from a nearby stream, skinned and cleaned the carcass, removed the unusable parts, and separated the bones from the meat. They set up two large cast iron pots, stretched the hide to dry, and chopped the meat into chunks, tossing them into one of the pots along with dried medicinal herbs that had aged less than ten years. They then lit a roaring fire to simmer the stew.
The bones were tossed into another large cast iron pot, covered with water, and left to simmer into bone glue.
For demon beasts, the flesh and blood of martial artists were a potent tonic. Conversely, the flesh and blood of demon beasts were equally nourishing for martial artists. The best way to consume it was raw, but neither Chen Zong nor Chen Zhong had acquired such a habit. They preferred the richer flavor of stewed meat.
The stew simmered for two hours over high heat, releasing a tantalizing aroma. But it wasn't enough. They reduced the heat to medium and continued simmering for another two hours, then switched to low heat for the final hour.
While the stew simmered, the two brothers cultivated their martial arts.
"Mmm, that smells delicious! What are you cooking?" Chen Waixiu sauntered over, sniffing the air.
"None of your business," Chen Zhong snapped coldly.
"Oh, is that... the skin of a Red-Spotted Leopard? Could that be Red-Spotted Leopard meat in the pot?" Chen Waixiu's eyes gleamed with anticipation.
While demon beast meat was available in the Clan Hall, the journey from the mountains inevitably diminished its freshness, and the supply was limited.
"Get lost!" Chen Zhong snarled, driving him away. Chen Zong shared his brother's disdain for Chen Waixiu.
"You two are being so stingy," Chen Waixiu said, his thick skin unyielding. "That Red-Spotted Leopard is huge—you can't possibly finish it all yourselves. Besides, as fellow clansmen, shouldn't you share a little with me?" He strode toward the Cast Iron Pot, reaching for the lid when a sharp, cold light flashed before his eyes. The chilling aura made his entire body numb, forcing him to retreat hastily.
"Chen Zong... what's the meaning of this? Would you really kill me over a bit of demon beast meat?" Chen Waixiu demanded, his voice trembling with anger.
"Pathetic," Chen Zhong scoffed. "If you want demon beast meat, hunt it yourself."
"It's just some demon beast meat! I wouldn't even want it if you offered it to me," Chen Waixiu retorted, his face flushed with humiliation. As he pretended to turn away, he suddenly kicked a stone, sending it hurtling like a meteor toward the Cast Iron Pot, aiming to knock it over.
If I can't have it, neither will they.
"You—!" Chen Zhong reacted too late.
But a sword flashed, shattering the stone into fine particles. Some of the fragments ricocheted back, striking Chen Waixiu and causing him sharp pain.
"Chen Waixiu, you really deserve a beating!" Chen Zhong roared, charging forward with a fist raised. Chen Waixiu turned tail and fled.
"Just a demon beast? I can hunt it down myself!" Chen Waixiu shouted as he fled.
"What a petty man," Chen Zhong sneered, not bothering to give chase.
"Forget about him, Clan Brother. The stew's almost ready. Let's eat!" Chen Zong said with a smile, dismissing Chen Waixiu from his mind.
Lifting the pot lid, an indescribably rich aroma filled the air, making their mouths water.
The thick broth had barely any oil, with large chunks of demon beast meat floating enticingly within. Meanwhile, the other cast iron pot continued to simmer, extracting every last bit of essence from the bones to solidify into a gelatinous broth.
The two began to eat.
After discarding the inedible parts and bones, the remaining meat still weighed over a hundred pounds—enough to feed them for two or three days.
They resumed their routine of taking turns patrolling the perimeter.
Chen Zong's patrols grew increasingly daring, venturing farther afield and encountering demon beasts more frequently. After his first bloody battle, he no longer felt any nervousness when facing demon beasts, even Mid-Grade Level One Demon Beasts. He could now unleash his full strength in combat.
However, a Mid-Grade Level One Demon Beast was roughly equivalent to a fifth-layer Qi Blood Realm martial artist, yet far more formidable than an ordinary martial artist of that realm. During their first encounter, Chen Zong had barely managed to kill one, sustaining minor injuries himself—mainly due to his lack of experience in life-or-death combat with demon beasts.
As Chen Zong engaged in more life-or-death battles with demon beasts, he felt his sword growing increasingly sharp.
He knew this was merely a sensation; the sword remained unchanged. What had transformed was his own mindset and resolve.
A month had passed since his arrival. During that time, Chen Zong had slain eight Low-Grade Level One Demon Beasts and three Mid-Grade Level One Demon Beasts. He was no longer the novice he once was.
"I feel like I'm about to grasp the Subtlety of the True Sword Eight Forms," Chen Zong murmured as he continued his patrol.
Each life-or-death battle with demon beasts had honed his skills in every aspect.
He delved deeper into the Dao.
Suddenly, Chen Zong was locked in place by an overwhelmingly terrifying aura, sending a chill down his spine.
"Such a terrifying aura!"
"This aura far surpasses that of a Mid-Grade Level One Demon Beast. Could it be a High-Grade Level One Demon Beast?"
If it were indeed a High-Grade Level One Demon Beast, he wouldn't know whether to consider himself lucky or unlucky.
The stronger demon beasts near the mine had either been slain or driven away, leaving mostly Low-Grade Level One Demon Beasts. Encounters with Mid-Grade Level One Demon Beasts were occasional, while High-Grade Level One Demon Beasts were exceedingly rare.
A spine-chilling growl echoed through the air, rumbling from deep within its throat like muffled thunder, surging in waves into Chen Zong's ears.
Chen Zong's eyes narrowed, his gaze piercing as he stared in the direction of the sound. From behind a massive tree, its trunk requiring two people to encircle, a figure slowly emerged.
It wasn't particularly tall, standing about 1.8 meters without its tail and less than a meter at the shoulder. Its entire body was covered in smooth, glossy azure fur that billowed in the wind, giving it a strikingly robust and agile appearance.
Its emerald eyes, gleaming with an almost luminous intensity, radiated cold, savage cunning. Chen Zong instinctively felt unease under its gaze. The exposed fangs glinted with a chilling light, utterly terrifying.
Its back arched slightly, as if its spine were protruding like cast iron.
This was a wolf—an Ironback Azure Wolf.
"Ironback Azure Wolf... High-Grade Level One Demon Beast..." Chen Zong murmured, taking a deep breath. He activated the second stage of Fierce Tiger Art, circulating his Qi Blood Power at an accelerated rate. His strength surged, and a tiger-like aura erupted from within him, as if the roars of a tiger echoed through the air.