Are you afraid of monsters?
A chilling wind swept through the air.
A black shadow loomed like a storm cloud, its hands concealed within the sleeves of its robe, resembling venomous snakes slithering through the gloom, their movements serpentine and difficult to discern.
A continuous hissing filled the air, as if a snake were crawling across Chen Zong's neck, sending icy chills down his spine.
Chen Zong imagined a pitch-black python coiling and lunging toward him, an overwhelming sense of danger washing over him.
Afterimage!
He slashed out with his sword, its blade flashing brilliantly before fading into a shadow-shrouded attack. The sudden shift from light to darkness momentarily disoriented the Black Shadow, obscuring its vision.
Dividing Light Shadowing!
Eight sword beams materialized in a line, converging on the Black Shadow. But the shadow contorted grotesquely, its hands erupting with power. With uncanny precision, it shattered two of the beams, slithered through the gap, and then clasped its hands together like a serpent's jaws, striking Chen Zong's chest with a thunderous, wind-splitting force.
Horizontal Sword!
A flick of the wrist!
The sword trembled, its edge gleaming.
Blade met flesh, clashing briefly before darting back for another strike.
It seemed they were willing to trade injury for injury, life for life.
But the Black Shadow swiftly retreated, circling around to strike from the flank.
"Ruthlessness isn't just about decisive action and mercilessness towards enemies," Chen Zong realized, a sudden flash of insight illuminating his mind. "It's also about being ruthless with yourself—pushing yourself to the brink of death to emerge stronger." This epiphany deepened his understanding of the Four Sword Technique Principles, especially the Ruthless Principle, which embodied the perfect synthesis of Quick, Accurate, and Steady, granting him a profound grasp of its essence.
Sword! Sword! Sword!
Chen Zong focused entirely on offense. The Black Shadow hadn't unleashed Qi Blood Power even once, barely using it at all, and the strength of its attacks was noticeably diminished, confirming the severity of its injuries.
Under Chen Zong's sword, the Black Shadow could only evade or deflect, never daring to clash directly, a clear sign of its deep respect for the blade's sharpness.
Emboldened, Chen Zong pressed forward with renewed ferocity, determined to exploit his advantages to the fullest.
Afterimage!
Willow Sweep!
Eagle Strike!
True Sword Eight Forms!
The four Foundation Establishment Sword Techniques he had mastered to the Subtlety Realm flowed seamlessly together, each strike perfectly transitioning into the next.
The Black Shadow's cultivation base was far superior to Chen Zong's. Had it not been so gravely wounded, Chen Zong wouldn't have stood a chance against it.
Crippled by severe injuries, the Black Shadow could only unleash a fraction of its true strength. Unable to ignite its Qi Blood Power or execute Ranked Martial Arts, it was forced to rely solely on a single Foundation Establishment Martial Art honed to the Subtlety Realm. Yet its mastery of this art was astonishing, honed by a wealth of life-and-death combat experience—its greatest advantage.
Meanwhile, Chen Zong seized this opportunity to refine his own skills, drawing upon his opponent's combat expertise and exquisite application of martial arts. He honed his battle instincts, polished his techniques, and deepened his mastery of the sword.
A formidable adversary served as the perfect whetstone for his blade and an invaluable combat mentor. In the crucible of life-and-death struggle, Chen Zong tapped into his untapped potential, enhancing every aspect of his capabilities and etching every lesson into his memory.
As time flowed, the Black Shadow keenly observed Chen Zong's combat skills improving at an alarming rate.
Earlier, Chen Zong's display of profound sword technique and his mastery of several Foundation Establishment Sword Techniques at the Subtlety Realm had astonished the Black Shadow. Yet one thing remained certain: Chen Zong's actual combat skills still seemed surprisingly crude to it.
But now, Chen Zong's improvement was meteoric, rapidly closing the distance between them. The Black Shadow was astonished.
"How can such a monster exist?" it muttered to itself. "To catch up to me after such a brief exchange... If he continues to grow, he will undoubtedly become a formidable enemy of our Sect." It immediately resolved to risk injury and eliminate Chen Zong before it was too late.
Its lithe body shuddered violently as it lunged forward. Its hands alternated like the snapping jaws of a viper, viciously tearing into the blinding sword light that slashed toward it.
Its legs, like coiled pythons, erupted from beneath its robe with explosive force, aiming a thunderous kick at Chen Zong's legs.
But the sword light was merely a feint. It dimmed abruptly, shattering into shadow beneath the Black Shadow's hands, then flared anew with terrifying intensity. The ear-splitting screech of its passage, capable of splitting metal and shattering stone, pierced its eardrums. An invisible edge of terrifying sharpness struck its body, leaving burning welts as if it had been sliced open.
The transformation was too swift, too sudden. The Black Shadow retreated urgently, but it was a fraction of a second too late.
With a tearing sound, its black robe ripped apart under the sword light, and its chest split open, blood gushing forth.
A flicker of horror flashed in Chen Zong's eyes. In that split second, he glimpsed the figure beneath the torn black robe—a body covered in fine, serpentine scales.
"You've truly angered me," the Black Shadow hissed, its body shuddering violently. The tattered robe fell away, revealing a lithe, elongated form. True to Chen Zong's suspicions, intricate snake scales marked its skin, appearing both painted on and grown from beneath the flesh, particularly distinct across its chest.
The figure's blurred face, now radiating icy malice, glared at Chen Zong with emerald-green eyes that seemed to chill the cavern's already frigid air.
"Demon Transformation!" A raspy, guttural voice growled directly in front of Chen Zong. The figure's body twisted grotesquely, contorting like a snake in motion, sending shivers down Chen Zong's spine.
With each serpentine coil, the scales became more pronounced, gradually spreading across its entire body. Its already sinister face stretched and morphed, becoming a grotesque hybrid of human and serpent, also sheathed in scales. A thin, forked tongue darted out, hissing like a venomous viper.
"Hiss... You've forced me to unleash my true form through Demon Transformation. You should be proud to die beneath it—consider yourself fortunate." The half-human, half-snake monster's voice was even more eerie now, its body writhing incessantly, its arms swaying like venomous serpents, making Chen Zong deeply uneasy.
This grotesque creature, neither human nor demon beast, but something in between, filled Chen Zong with revulsion and shock.
"What kind of monster are you?" Chen Zong's scalp tingled with dread as icy fear crawled down his spine. He took a deep breath, gripped his sword tighter, and forced himself to calm down. His gaze sharpened, piercing through the encroaching darkness.
"Monster... You lowly ant dare call me a monster? You deserve to die..." The shrill voice, like a Demonic Sound drilling into his mind, barely finished the word "die" before the Snake-Man erupted with astonishing speed. It closed the distance to Chen Zong, its arms striking like vipers emerging from their dens, unleashing a flurry of snake-like shadows. Its legs, thick as pythons, crashed down with devastating force.
The pressure intensified sharply.
The shadow of death loomed.
Having transformed into its half-human, half-snake form, the enemy's power had become truly terrifying.
The chilling aura suffocated Chen Zong, paralyzing his body.
Desperate, he pushed the first layer of the True Sword Heavenly Extinction Technique to its limit. Instantly, as if shattering an invisible barrier, his Qi Blood Power surged forth. Chen Zong immediately felt a deeper connection with the sword in his hand.
The first layer of the True Sword Heavenly Extinction Technique—mastered!
His sword strike now carried a razor-sharp edge, cleaving through the invisible pressure. Following the blade's trajectory, he unleashed a dozen sword lights that split vertically, simultaneously targeting the Snake-Man's arms and legs. His feet skittered backward in a rhythmic retreat.
Dividing Light Shadowing!
Eight dazzling sword lights blazed forth, crisscrossing in mid-air. A sudden realization flickered in his mind, but he had no time to ponder it.
Under the barrage of sword light, the Snake-Man twisted its body to evade.
Its illusory hand flashed out, slamming against the Precious Iron Sword with terrifying force. The blade trembled violently in Chen Zong's grip, the impact splitting the skin between his thumb and forefinger.
Second strike!
The Precious Iron Sword flew from his grasp, soaring upward.
The third blow crashed against Chen Zong's chest—unavoidable. He raised his right arm to block.
A crack echoed as the Heavy Iron gauntlet shattered instantly. The monstrous force sent Chen Zong staggering backward, his right arm throbbing. The gauntlet's shards deflected the Snake-Man's hand.
The Precious Iron Sword plummeted downward. Chen Zong's left hand shot out, seizing the hilt.
Chopping Sword Stance!
A single strike, capable of cleaving mountains and severing peaks.
"A left-handed sword!" the Snake-Man exclaimed in shock.
Chen Zong was barely in his teens. The fact that he had mastered right-handed sword techniques to such an astonishing degree was already shocking. Yet here he was, wielding a left-handed sword with equal proficiency, its power seemingly undiminished.
The sword descended with blinding speed, its radiance piercing, its momentum terrifying, its sharpness unmatched.
With no time to evade, the Snake-Man raised its arm in defense, channeling its strength until its forearm bulged.
The sword rose and fell without hesitation—ruthless, decisive, and unwavering.
The Precious Iron Sword's inherent sharpness, combined with Chen Zong's Subtlety Realm-level Chopping Sword Stance, amplified further by the first layer of the True Sword Heavenly Extinction Technique (granting a 10% power increase), brought the strike to its absolute limit.
As the blade met the Snake-Man's scales, Chen Zong immediately felt their slick resilience.
Press down!
The sword shattered the scales, slicing deep into the forearm and striking bone.
A sickening crack echoed as Chen Zong roared, channeling every ounce of strength into a final surge.
Break the bone! Sever the arm!
A grotesque spray of eerie green-tinged blood splattered, its rancid stench filling the air alongside the Snake-Man's piercing scream of agony.
Chen Zong's right leg lashed out, striking the Snake-Man's chest. The Precious Iron Sword shuddered violently, its chaotic light tearing through scales and flesh, leaving a trail of bleeding wounds.
Having lost an arm, the Snake-Man momentarily lost its balance. Overwhelmed by agony, its reactions dulled.
"Damn you... how dare you sever my arm?!" The Snake-Man's voice rose in a piercing shriek, like the lament of a ghost. Its remaining arm transformed into a flurry of serpentine shadows that lashed out as it retreated with astonishing speed, slithering out of the cave like a giant python.
Through the dim light, Chen Zong vaguely glimpsed what appeared to be a palm-shaped mark on the creature's back.
Chase!
The Snake-Man burst from the cave mouth into the torrential rain, vanishing into the dense undergrowth. Chen Zong pursued it for several dozen meters but found no trace of the creature and was forced to return to the cave.
Back inside, he noticed the severed arm lying on the ground. The snake scales had vanished, revealing a normal human arm beneath.
"What exactly is this thing?" Chen Zong stared at the limb, utterly perplexed.
He was certain the creature had once been human, but he couldn't fathom how it had transformed into such a monstrosity. Moreover, this transformation had granted it immense strength, far exceeding the thousand-pound standard, and its serpentine scales possessed astonishing defensive capabilities—likely impervious even to the keenest refined iron sword. Fortunately, Chen Zong wielded the Precious Iron Sword.
Kicking the severed arm into a corner, Chen Zong approached a stone slab. Beside it lay a bundle, which he pried open with his sword. A variety of items spilled out: an oiled paper package, five white porcelain bottles, over a dozen medicinal herbs, three books, and an irregularly triangular piece of black iron about the size of a fist.