Liang Tianye was about to interfere when the mortal shocked him once more. He couldn't believe his eyes at the sight that was in front of him. If he hadn't seen it with his own eyes, he wouldn't even believe that such a thing was possible.
Now, the desire in him to obtain this seedling began to burn brighter than ever before.
All along, he had prepared himself to interfere in the battle when the madness that took over the mortal left him and he ended up exhausted. But, from what was happening at the moment over there, it looked like the mortal didn't need him at all.
A smile formed on Liang Tianye's face as he looked at the mortal and the demonic beast which was now in a standoff. It looked like the mortal's actions not only surprised him but the beast as well.
In that case…
Liang Tianye looked over at the distance and found the two juniors were still present. He scoffed at their shocked expression and turned his attention towards the battle.
This was turning out to be a very surprising trip for him. And he was liking it more and more…
*****
Duncan felt as if he was a kid bashing against a wall. No matter how hard he hit, the strength exhibited by him was just not enough to do any damage to the beast. His sword was suddenly like a blunt object, unable to cut through the beast's thick and powerful hide.
And the impact from each collision jarred his bones more than anything. As for the damage he did to the beast, it was pitifully low. For the first time, he truly realized the terror of a demonic beast for a mortal like him.
The demonic beast was stronger, tougher, and faster than him. Many times he had barely escaped its claws. Earlier, while battling the wild beasts, Duncan had felt that the beasts weren't that fast and his reaction time was enough to handle them easily.
Even the little kid from the Wang clan had better speed compared to the wild beasts he faced earlier. That was one of the reasons for him to kill them effortlessly despite being surrounded by them.
But now, the demonic beast's speed was far faster than the wild beasts he had faced. It was not just an increase in a straight line. The demonic beast was able to evade all his attacks easily. Its reaction time was also a lot faster than his.
This proved to be a huge challenge for Duncan. He had to increase the speed at which he attacked without sacrificing his attack power. Even his full attack power wasn't enough to damage the beast, not to mention if his attack power lowered.
However, such a challenge was what Duncan needed to take the next step.
His whole body was bleeding profusely. He was battered, bruised, and bleeding. But, he still kept going not willing to concede. His reaction time improved tremendously as he knew that being hit by the beast would mean his death.
So, Duncan dodged and also attacked without backing down at all.
It seemed as if the beast was taking it easy on him initially. But as time progressed, it began to display its true strength. Each time they collided, Duncan was the one that was sent flying away.
The beast was ragdolling him, to be honest. But, Duncan wasn't idle either. Duncan fought back with everything he had. He wasn't just taking the beating. No, he was dishing out attacks as well.
But, the problem was that none of his attacks made an impact on the beast.
Its thick hide and powerful body made sure that Duncan's attack bounced off and did very little damage. It was honestly frustrating for Duncan to repeatedly see his attacks bounce off the beast's hide leaving not even a scratch.
It was truly disheartening to anyone. But, Duncan wasn't just anyone. He was someone who thought it would be a good idea to wade into a beast tide all alone. He was someone who rushed towards a demonic beast eagerly.
In short, the Duncan that was fighting at this moment wasn't any ordinary man. He was much more. His conviction was much more than what an ordinary mortal possessed.
That was the reason he could form the black aura that was emanating from his body. The more setbacks he faced against the beast, the more Duncan's conviction to cut this beast open and kill it grew.
He refused to believe that his sword couldn't cut a mere beast in front of him. Be it demonic or wild beast, nothing mattered to him. All he wanted to do was to cut open the beast and kill it.
That refusal to believe, that desire to split open the beast's skin, that conviction that he could kill the beast, all combined to provide fuel for Duncan. And with it, his rage at himself grew in leaps and bounds.
Duncan was angry that he couldn't cut open the beast; that he had to get stuck in this shitty beast tide; that the bandits made him unable to pass through the grasslands safely.
Duncan was angry that someone had tipped off the bandits; that he had to flee the city to escape the clutches of the Wang clan; that a mere kid was able to truly push him to the edge during that spar.
Duncan was angry that he was stupid enough to walk into the Wang Clan; that he needed money so badly that he ignored his instincts and took on a job that almost had him killed.
Duncan was angry that cultivation resources weren't available to normal people like him; that he had a fixation on cultivation; that the old coot played a trick on him that led to this moment.
Duncan was angry that he didn't have a drink now; that he hadn't bedded a woman in a month; and his sword wasn't cutting the beast.
In short, Duncan was angry with every little thing in the world. Everything that happened to him since he met that old coot angered him. It was as if the entire world offended him.
This all-consuming rage took over his already insane mind, and Duncan truly lost any semblance of coherent thought. All he wanted to do was cut open the damned beast and feast on its insides.
As this rage took over Duncan's mind, two things happened.
Duncan stopped trying to escape or dodge the beast's attacks. He didn't care anymore about getting injured. His entire thought was focused on one single thing – making that beast bleed.
Also, as the rage took control, the black aura he emanated underwent a qualitative change. It didn't increase in density; rather it started condensing further and formed a single thin layer all over his body.
The red hue emanating from the blade also changed into a slightly blackish hue tinged with red all over. The new aura condensed entirely on his sword leaving the black aura to be the only one covering his body at the moment.
Deep in his heart, the embryonic form of Heart of Killing stabilized itself, and change happened all over Duncan's body. The black aura that was emanating from his body now had a sinister aspect to it.
It was as if Duncan was a true demon who was emanating a demonic aura instead of a killing aura. If one were to take a deep look at his black aura, one would feel as if they were being watched back by a sinister demon with a malevolent appearance.
The black aura now had an air of malevolence to it. It was as if anything that came into contact with it would be torn into shreds and annihilated.
And the next attack Duncan executed with a roar carved into the demonic beast like its hide was made of paper.
The demonic beast howled in surprise and pain and backed away from Duncan fearfully. It watched Duncan warily from the distance with confusion present in its eyes.
Its eyes also had a slight fear in them.
Duncan growled menacingly at the demonic beast and the surroundings went entirely silent. The wild beasts that were spectating started to whimper and rush away from the scene in droves.
Duncan stood right in front of the demonic beast with a blackish-red hue emanating from his sword and looked at the demonic beast hungrily.
Duncan's stare now had a predatory quality to it. When his eyes landed upon the cut that had opened on the hide of the demonic beast, a sinister smile formed on his face.
He smiled in a deranged way at first, but that smile turned into a chuckle, which, in turn, became full-blown laughter. Duncan laughed loudly and proudly looking at the demonic beast's bleeding shoulders.
"Not so tough now are you?" Duncan mocked the demonic beast.
Duncan's voice now had a menacing edge to it. There was an innate sinisterness to the sound that emanated from his mouth. It was hoarse, yet incredibly magnetic in the silence that was engulfing the duo.
The demonic beast growled in reply.
"Come, you pathetic worm, I am going to carve you into million pieces and roast you in my campfire," Duncan said in a deranged manner before rushing at the demonic beast.
*****
A/N: Hey folks!
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