The torrential rain continued for a full day before finally subsiding.
Chen Zong didn't hurry to leave the cave, as night had fallen. This was the domain of demon beasts under the cover of darkness. He carefully piled large stones at the cave entrance to prevent any nocturnal intruders.
He spent the night in a half-awake state, but everything remained peaceful.
Pushing aside the stones, Chen Zong stepped outside. The air was thick with moisture as the morning sun rose, its golden rays glistening off countless dewdrops on leaves and blades of grass. The refracted light created a dazzling, rainbow-like spectacle.
The fresh, damp air invigorated him with a deep breath.
Chen Zong retraced his steps from the previous day, slung his pack over his shoulder, and pressed onward.
Eventually, he reluctantly concluded that he was lost.
As far as the eye could see, dense vegetation stretched in all directions, making it impossible to discern his surroundings.
"I'll have to rely on luck," Chen Zong thought, knowing he had to remain vigilant. This was Subduing Dragon Mountain, home to countless demon beasts.
No sooner had the thought crossed his mind than a figure lunged at him from the side, sword flashing.
The strike was precise and fatal.
It was a half-meter-long mountain cat demon beast, classified as Low-Grade Level One.
Chen Zong ignored the corpse of the mountain cat demon beast and quickly moved on. The beast's blood carried a pungent odor that could attract other demon beasts.
Time flew by, and the morning sun transformed into a scorching midday sun.
When hunger struck and he couldn't find suitable food, Chen Zong would consume a Vitality Pill. By now, these pills had become nothing more than a means to stave off hunger.
Along the way, Chen Zong encountered three demon beasts. Fortunately, the strongest among them was only a Mid-Grade Level One, no match for a single strike of his sword. He dispatched it swiftly.
As the sun began its descent in the west, Chen Zong spotted a small, crimson tree in the distance. Three fruits hung from its branches: two green and one red, all covered in scaly skin. He recognized them as Grade Seven medicinal herbs: Fire Scale Fruits. One was nearly ripe, while the other two were still unripe.
Grade Seven medicinal herbs were highly valuable, and Chen Zong was deeply tempted. However, he dared not approach to harvest them. Beside the Fire Scale Fruit tree crouched a fire-red demon beast, resembling a jackal with a ferocious, bestial aura that radiated pure malice.
A Malicefire Jackal—a High-Grade Level Two Demon Beast.
Encountering such a creature, Chen Zong knew he should avoid it at all costs, leaving no room for recklessness. Even though he desperately wanted that ripe Fire Scale Fruit, he couldn't risk provoking the Malicefire Jackal.
Chen Zong carefully extricated himself, finally letting out a sigh of relief.
As the sun set and the sky darkened, he had to find another relatively open and safe place to spend the night.
The night was far from peaceful, with the roars of various demon beasts rising and falling.
Daring not to truly sleep, Chen Zong leaned against a rock, trying to rest as much as possible.
The mountain wind was bitterly cold, making Chen Zong shiver. He had to activate the True Sword Heavenly Extinction Technique to circulate his Qi Blood for warmth.
However, using the technique gradually consumed his Qi Blood Power. Though the drain was less than when using Human-Rank Martial Arts, he couldn't sustain it for long and had to stop periodically to let it recover.
In the dead of night, another demon beast approached Chen Zong, seeking an opportunity to ambush him.
It was an Ironback Azure Wolf, a common High-Grade Level One demon beast in Subduing Dragon Mountain.
Padding stealthily around to the side, the wolf closed the distance and leaped toward Chen Zong like a flash of lightning. Its razor-sharp claws aimed for Chen Zong's arms, while its fanged maw snapped at his neck.
Chen Zong's closed eyes suddenly snapped open. The Precious Iron Sword, which had been resting across his legs, rose without warning, its blade glinting with a light brighter than the moon itself.
With a single, razor-sharp strike, Chen Zong thrust his sword into the charging Ironback Azure Wolf, piercing through its gaping maw, severing its throat, and emerging through the back of its neck.
A flick of his wrist sent the longsword trembling, hurling the dying wolf dozens of meters away. The creature crashed to the ground and skidded another dozen meters before coming to a stop.
"More refined control of my power," Chen Zong thought to himself.
He knew that while his current strength made slaying a High-Grade Level One Demon Beast like the Ironback Azure Wolf no issue, he still couldn't kill it with a single strike. This time, luck had played a part.
Perhaps fortune was smiling on him. Chen Zong encountered no Level Two Demon Beasts that night, surviving the ordeal unscathed and continuing his journey.
The longer he remained in Subduing Dragon Mountain, the more his wilderness survival skills sharpened. If not for his still-inadequate cultivation base and strength, he wouldn't have been in such a hurry to leave.
On the third day, Chen Zong saved an injured martial artist and tended to his wounds. Then he learned what it meant to never judge a book by its cover. While Chen Zong's attention was elsewhere, the martial artist suddenly attacked, attempting to kill him. Fortunately, Chen Zong's heightened senses and keen intuition allowed him to react swiftly. Though the attacker's cultivation base was superior, his injuries were severe, and he had underestimated Chen Zong.
The surprise attack not only failed to kill Chen Zong, but also allowed him to evade and counterattack with a swift sword strike.
"Stop! I'll give you everything!" The martial artist, his cultivation base at the seventh layer of the Qi Blood Realm, clutched his chest, his face pale as he gasped repeatedly.
"Fine," Chen Zong replied coldly. His heart ached; he had kindly saved this man only to be betrayed and nearly killed.
"I'll toss it over. Catch it," the martial artist said, hurling the bundle toward Chen Zong. He staggered backward, as if preparing to flee.
Suddenly, the man pivoted, his retreat becoming an advance. A blur of motion carried him to Chen Zong's left flank, where he thrust his dagger viciously at Chen Zong's throat.
The blade struck empty air. A sense of dread flashed through the man's mind, but it was too late.
Chen Zong activated his Wind-Treading Steps, evading the strike and closing the distance in an instant. His Precious Iron Sword pierced the man's heart from behind, ending his life with a single, fatal thrust.
Truth be told, even if the man had surrendered everything, Chen Zong had never intended to let him go.
A sword is a weapon of slaughter. It should never be used to slay the innocent, but it must be wielded against those who deserve death.
The short sword was a refined iron artifact, worth a decent amount of jade coins. Chen Zong carried it at his waist. Inside the bundle were seven Grade Three and Grade Four medicinal herbs, a few Vitality Pills and Beast Blood Pills, some dry rations, and fire sticks.
After searching the martial artist's body, Chen Zong found a money note and ten violet jade coins.
Jade coins were the circulating currency, divided into white, red, and violet denominations. A white jade coin had the lowest value; one red jade coin equaled ten white jade coins; one violet jade coin equaled ten red jade coins; and a money note was worth a thousand white jade coins. Altogether, this amounted to two thousand white jade coins. For Chen Zong, who had rarely handled even a few jade coins in his life, this was undoubtedly a vast sum.
On the fourth day, Chen Zong was chased by a Low-Grade Level Two demon beast. He repeatedly used the Wind-Treading Steps and barely managed to escape.
By the fifth day, Chen Zong was disheveled and exhausted, yet his eyes remained sharp and focused.
I must leave Subduing Dragon Mountain as soon as possible. If I stay any longer, I won't be able to hold on, Chen Zong thought, choosing a new direction.
Five days of surviving in the mountains had given him some experience. He would rely on that experience to make judgments, and the rest would be up to luck.
He hoped his luck wouldn't be too bad.
But soon, Chen Zong would learn that his luck was abysmal.
Run! Run! Run!
A desperate flight for survival!
A race against death!
Behind Chen Zong, twelve Ironback Azure Wolves gave chase in unison.
One-on-one, even two or three against one, he was confident he could slay an Ironback Azure Wolf. But twelve against one was no different from offering himself as easy prey.
Great Mastery Realm Wind-Treading Steps!
One step, two steps, three steps!
Each step covered three meters. In an instant, three steps spanned nine meters as he continued his frantic sprint.
His feet moved with the rapidity of rolling wheels, his figure swift as the wind, leaping over grass, brush, and boulders.
Chen Zong wished fervently for a stroke of luck to escape the twelve pursuing Ironback Azure Wolves. But cruel reality struck again, reminding him that relying on luck was futile.
Ahead, a sheer mountain wall loomed, thirty to forty meters high, its damp, moss-covered surface making it nearly impassable. To the left, a precipice dropped a hundred meters—leap down there and he'd be smashed to pulp.
Behind him, the twelve Ironback Azure Wolves closed in.
With his back against the cliff, Chen Zong slowly shifted his stance, his eyes sharp as a sword, fixed on the wolves. They had ceased their chase, forming a fan-shaped encirclement as they gradually advanced.
Demon beasts possessed a certain level of intelligence, and Ironback Azure Wolves were particularly cunning.
No retreat left? Then I won't retreat. A desperate fight might still offer a sliver of hope, Chen Zong thought, his resolve firm.
The Ruthless Principle wasn't just about being merciless to one's enemies; it was about being merciless to oneself as well.
Twelve Ironback Azure Wolves advanced step by step, the pressure they exerted on Chen Zong growing with each movement. He slowly paced, adjusting his aura to maintain the upper hand.
Under this intense pressure, the True Sword Heavenly Extinction Technique accelerated, operating faster than usual.
Chen Zong's gaze swept back and forth over the twelve wolves as he gradually shifted his position to the junction of the two mountain walls, hoping to reduce the number of simultaneous attacks he would face.
Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed a recess in the left-hand wall. Its flat, unnatural shape gave him a sense of déjà vu, as if he'd seen it somewhere before.
Fortune struck. Chen Zong recalled the black iron fragment he'd obtained after repelling the Snake-Man. Wasn't its shape strikingly similar to this wall recess?
A surge of hope welled up within him. Keeping his eyes fixed on the wolves, he held his sword in his right hand, while his left hand untied the bundle and retrieved the black iron fragment. With nothing to lose, he pressed the irregular triangular piece into the recess.
It fit!
It fit perfectly!
A wave of unexpected joy crashed into Chen Zong's heart, but he dared not lower his guard. He took a deep breath to steady himself.
One breath, two breaths, three breaths passed, and nothing happened.
Could this be just a coincidence? Chen Zong thought to himself. It seems I really have to fight for my life now.
His gaze turned even colder and sharper.
At that moment, the mountain wall embedded with black iron plates trembled slightly, emitting a series of grating, metallic groans. The wall split inward, revealing a passage half a meter wide and two meters high.
Without hesitation, Chen Zong darted into the opening.
Twelve Ironback Azure Wolves charged after him with howls, but the entrance slammed shut, leaving the wolves to bay furiously in impotent rage.
Where am I? Chen Zong thought as he stepped into the pitch-black tunnel. He quickly lit a firestarter, and the flame grew steadily brighter, illuminating several meters around him.
Sword in one hand and firestarter in the other, he proceeded cautiously forward. The walls on either side were smooth, like the corridor of a secret chamber. Fire basins hung along the walls, containing only scraps of animal fat, a common kindling material.
He lit the remaining fat in each basin, and the flames blazed brightly, filling the corridor with light.