In midair,
Chen Yu gripped the Wind Singing Sword tightly, slashing down with great force as he descended to the ground.
Thud!
Landing alongside him was a severed human arm.
Tong Yuling leaned against a large tree, her lips slightly parted, her exquisite face filled with shock and awe.
The young man in her sight appeared like a stern, divine judge descending from the heavens, and with a single strike, severed Blood-Handed Bald's arm.
"Ah!"
Blood-Handed Bald screamed, confronting the harsh reality.
His face turned deathly pale as he stared at his fallen arm in terrified disbelief.
"T-treasure," he stammered, fixating on the Wind Singing Sword in Chen Yu's hand.
His Blood Hand Technique not only had unique internal energy but also possessed a formidable effect, capable of withstanding weapons of the same level.
Only a treasure could effortlessly sever his arm with one strike.
At the same time,
from the corner of his eye, he noticed the scattered bodies of his four subordinates near the courtyard and felt a chill in his heart.
All this within a few moments?
The youth had slain all four of his men with one breath, then descended like a deity, crippling him with a single sword blow.
"This kid, even without the treasure, his strength is comparable to mine. In terms of movement speed, he surpasses me..."
Blood-Handed Bald felt his heart plummet to an abyss.
The scariest aspect was Chen Yu's superior movement speed.
This meant he couldn't escape, especially with an arm lost.
Run!
Yet, Blood-Handed Bald still chose to flee for his life. A head-on confrontation would only end in a more gruesome death!
Whoosh!
Chen Yu moved with his footwork, mirroring his shadow, and within a breath, he blocked his escape.
This speed plunged Blood-Handed Bald into despair.
Thud!
Blood-Handed Bald knelt to the ground, "Spare me, young hero! I have a few treasures and rare materials, all of which I'll offer to you."
Such a shameless sight left Chen Yu momentarily taken aback.
Treasures and rare materials?
Chen Yu felt a slight temptation in that regard.
He had used up the Body Refining prescription he gathered last time and was now as poor as a church mouse.
"Blood Hand Piercing Shadow!"
Suddenly, Blood-Handed Bald, who had been kneeling, erupted with a red hand, emanating a heat wave, aimed directly at Chen Yu's groin.
At such close range, this attack, combined with a crouching leap, released his peak speed.
"Watch out!"
Tong Yuling exclaimed in surprise. Even in a dire situation, Blood-Handed Bald could execute such a vile underhanded move.
Chen Yu had a mocking smile on his lips.
Copper Foot!
Instead of dodging, he activated the Copper Statue Technique, lifting a heavy foot that felt as solid as copper.
Thump!
Blood-Handed Bald's strike felt like hitting a copper wall, his sinister smile freezing on his face.
His entire hand tingled with a burning sensation, and he felt a tremendous force pouring forth.
"Down!"
With a single exertion, Chen Yu stomped Blood-Handed Bald onto the ground.
Wow!
Blood-Handed Bald spat out a mouthful of blood, feeling as though a copper statue weighing a thousand pounds was pressing on him.
No matter how much he struggled, he couldn't budge an inch.
After advancing to the Copper Tendon level in the Copper Statue Technique, Chen Yu's power had vastly increased, making it difficult for someone in the Meridian Passage Stage to contend with him.
"Junior Brother Chen, let me finish off this scoundrel," Tong Yuling said with a face full of hatred.
After she spoke,
she flashed over, pulled out a dagger, and personally severed Blood-Handed Bald's head.
Chen Yu stood still, lost in thought.
Earlier, his Cloud Stepping had unexpectedly reached Great Success, which was a pleasant surprise.
However, in that moment of lunging at Blood-Handed Bald, a mysterious surge of strength welled up in his heart, unleashing speed beyond the level of Great Success in Cloud Stepping.
This he couldn't comprehend.
...
After slaying Blood-Handed Bald, the two did not leave immediately.
Often, targets of such a kill held considerable value. Sometimes, the spoils from the target's body could exceed the bounty itself.
Not long after,
the two found a manual of Blood Hand Technique, two bottles of elixirs, and dozens of Grade Essence Stones on Blood-Handed Bald's body.
"This time, defeating the villain is all thanks to Junior Brother Chen. Yuling even owes you a life. Aside from one item from my family, the rest of the spoils go to Junior Brother Chen," Tong Yuling declared earnestly.
Chen Yu did not refuse. The date for the Outer Sect Competition was drawing near, and he was in urgent need of resources.
He collected all the spoils from Blood-Handed Bald.
The Blood Hand Technique seemed to be a mid-grade martial art. If the Heavenly Martial Pavilion of the Yunyue Sect hadn't yet acquired it, it could be exchanged for some contribution points.
Afterward,
they searched through the Four Blood Sons, only finding a dozen or so Grade Essence Stones on the female blood-robed figure, the rest being mundane items.
"This harvest seems not to match the renown of Blood-Handed Bald," Chen Yu expressed with some disappointment.
The two then entered the courtyard where Blood-Handed Bald had stayed.
Soon enough,
they discovered a Blood Ganoderma of decent maturity on a fertile patch of soil.
"I heard that Blood-Handed Bald annihilated a declining minor family and obtained several spirit materials, including an eighty-year-old Blood Ganoderma," Tong Yuling's eyes lit up.
However, according to their previous agreement, the Blood Ganoderma also belonged to Chen Yu.
Though tempted by the item, she did not regret it. Without Chen Yu, she couldn't imagine what her fate might have been.
They searched around the house for a while.
At a certain moment,
Tong Yuling tapped on a section of the wall, noticing an unusual sound.
Click!
Pressing a picture frame on the wall, a mechanism clicked into action.
Soon, a concealed door opened where the frame had been.
A secret chamber appeared before them.
"Heh, so Blood-Handed Bald had hidden treasures," Chen Yu remarked in wonder.
Inside the secret chamber, there were a few dimly lit Luminous Pearls.
Within, they found over two hundred Grade Essence Stones and several manuals.
Additionally, there were several rare items:
A blood-red, odd stone bamboo, a beast claw the size of a palm fan, and two scales as large as an adult's palm.
"Found it," Tong Yuling said joyously, grabbing the blood-red stone bamboo.
Apparently,
this was something that belonged to her family.
Regardless, Chen Yu didn't care. He had come to provide aid and had gained numerous other spoils, which was already an unexpected pleasure.
"Congratulations, Junior Brother Chen. That beast claw and the scales likely came from a vicious beast at the Organ Refining Stage. Each piece could rival the value of Wild Ox Marrow," Tong Yuling said with a smile.
Having obtained the Blood Stone Bamboo, she considered herself lucky, achieved her goal.
"This haul really is impressive. No wonder the 'Kill List' attracts so many people," Chen Yu said, smiling ear to ear.
He sorted through his acquisitions.
Cultivation Technique manuals: He obtained six in total, with Blood Hand Technique being the main one—potentially exchangeable for contribution points upon submission to the sect.
Rare materials: Included Blood Ganoderma, a beast claw, and two scales. These were invaluable treasures.
Grade Essence Stones: About two hundred and seventy.
Additionally, a few bottles of elixirs for healing and Qi replenishing, which he could use personally.
These gains might well have exceeded the original bounty on the "Kill List."
After organizing their haul,
the two left the estate.
"If we return to the sect, we can stop by my family. If Junior Brother Chen still needs Wild Ox Marrow, you can trade some other rare materials with my family," Tong Yuling said with a smile.
Following this mission, she viewed Chen Yu in a different light.
She had thought his strength was at most equal to the "Outer Sect's top ten," but his performance suggested he could conservatively rank in the top five, possibly even top three.
"Wild Ox Marrow? That would be just perfect," Chen Yu felt a surge of joy.
He was contemplating how to convert his resources into currency to acquire Wild Ox Marrow.
In the Body Refining prescription, Wild Ox Marrow was the most valuable and hardest to obtain.
Two days later,
Chen Yu followed Tong Yuling to her family's location in Fengyang City.
In Fengyang City, the Tong family, where Tong Yuling lived, was one of the two major families there.
In terms of family strength, the Tong family also surpassed Chen Yu's own family.
This time, with Tong Yuling bringing back Blood-Handed Bald's head, she received unanimous acclaim and praise from the upper echelons of the Tong family.
Seeing Tong Yuling, revered and admired within the crowd, Chen Yu compared it to his treatment in his own family, and felt a little disheartened.
In terms of threat,
the Honghu Three Killers were likely even more formidable than the likes of Blood-Handed Bald. When Chen Yu eliminated the Three Killers, it only created a rift with his family.
That evening,
through Tong Yuling's introduction, Chen Yu traded the beast claw and two scales he had acquired to the Tong family.
The Organ Refining Stage's beast claw and scales naturally held great value and were highly versatile for medicine brewing, elixir crafting, and creating divine weapons and armor.
From the Tong family, Chen Yu obtained four bottles of Wild Ox Marrow.
Both parties were naturally pleased.
Chen Yu still held onto his Blood Ganoderma, although members of the Tong family were very interested.
However, Chen Yu did not sell it.
The Blood Ganoderma, as a rare treasure aged eighty years, holds immense value whether consumed directly or used in alchemy.
Even someone in the Organ Refining Stage could gain power from consuming this ganoderma.
The two did not linger long in the Tong family and soon set out again.
Three days later,
at the Yunyue Sect's Sect Affairs Hall, in a side chamber.
"Of these manuals, three can be added to the Heavenly Martial Pavilion. The Blood Hand Technique, as a boutique mid-grade martial art, can be exchanged for one thousand contribution points, and the other two... well, that's a total of two thousand contribution points for all three," declared an elder with floral whiskers, putting the manuals away.
Two thousand contribution points?
Chen Yu was very satisfied with this acquisition.
With two thousand contribution points, plus some Grade Essence Stones on hand, he could easily gather the remaining auxiliary spirit materials for the Body Refining prescription with ample quantities.
Tong Yuling also completed the Blood-Handed Bald assassination mission, earning several thousand contribution points, along with a reward of some Grade Essence Stones.
Overall,
this outing resulted in abundant returns and fruitful achievements for both of them.
Upon returning to the sect,
Chen Yu and Tong Yuling learned a significant piece of news,
"One month from now, the 'Outer Sect Competition' will begin. The top ten will receive rewards, with the first place winning 'thirty thousand contribution points, a treasure, a Qi Storage Pill,' and access to the third floor of the Heavenly Martial Pavilion to choose a 'sacred martial art.'"
The news of the competition swept through the entire outer sect.
A treasure, Qi Storage Pill, and sacred martial art.
When Chen Yu heard these terms, his heart raced with excitement.
The treasure and thirty thousand contribution points spoke for themselves, the former's mighty power and the latter's widespread utility in the sect, were known and desperately needed by all.
"A Qi Storage Pill? That's an elixir that even those in the Organ Refining Stage covet, to prepare for breaking through to the Qi Transformation Realm..." Tong Yuling exclaimed in disbelief.
As for sacred martial arts, these exceeded high-grade martial arts and were extraordinary cultivation techniques truly establishing one's footing in the world of the sect, enabling cultivation to reach higher into the Qi Transformation Realm.
The first prize was indeed tempting enough to make inner sect disciples envious.