Atchoo!
"Who's badmouthing me behind my back?"
In a secluded forest, Zhuo Fan scratched his nose and set his eyes on a 100-meter-tall rock.
He suddenly flexed his legs and jumped, with the wings behind him flashing with lightning.
"Wraith Style 1st move, Soaring Demonic Dragon!"
Roar!
A black draconic image flashed with him at its center. The dragon intertwined with the lightning and smashed into the rock.
Boom!
The rock crumbled like a stack of cards and Zhuo Fan came out with a flash. Then he turned around and unleashed a black claw at the rubble.
"Wraith Style 2nd move, Ghostly Dragon Claw!"
It was lackluster compared to the previous thundering explosion but it made up for it with visual impact, turning the rubble to sand.
The tremors even frightened the birds away. Zhuo Fan gasped as he continued sweating, but his hands kept dancing through gestures, aiming for the flock of birds.
"Wraith Style 3rd move, Necro Dragon's Screech!"
Roar!
The sound was eerie, akin to a demon. Zhuo Fan's wail even made ripples through the air as it swept the flock of birds.
The birds froze mid-air, their eyes blanked, and fell dead. One look would spot thousands of dead birds.
Zhuo Fan was now reduced to a gasping mess, crouching down with a downcast look.
This low profound ranked martial art matched the Wraith Art. Each strike held enough power to shake the earth and kill instantly. Although ranked low, it was nonetheless strong as a mid profound ranked martial art.
The problem was the high requirement these moves had on the body, making it viable only to Wraith Art cultivators. But with Zhuo Fan's refined body, he long surpassed it.
In theory, these moves should've been easy for him to execute.
Yet the fact remained, only after training in them for a month did he realize that he didn't lack in the body department, but in the soul. He was in the 1st layer of Bone Tempering Stage and using profound ranked martial art almost exhausted his Yuan Qi.
The last move, in particular, Necro Dragon's Screech, was a soul attack that could only be trained when one was in the Radiant Stage.
With his body and soul refined, his soul power shot up, and even with the added benefit of the azure flame, he just barely succeeded. But it didn't stop him from feeling his vision swoon and collapse.
"Goddamit! These moves will be the death of me. If I don't kill my enemy with these, he will kill me."
Zhuo Fan sighed and sat cross-legged to recover his Yuan Qi.
Killing You Guiqi stirred up a hornet nest. He was bound to stumble on a far stronger opponent and needed to protect himself by training powerful martial arts.
As a consequence, he hid for over a month in the mountains to practice, yet the outcome wasn't in the least bit reassuring.
Half a day later, Zhuo Fan stood up with a rosy complexion, having recovered.
His hand flashed and was now holding a large egg. He looked at the singed marks on the egg with worry.
The Thunder Skylark egg was still alive thanks to its mother's spiritual energy. But this only put a delay on things. If he wanted to hatch it, he'd first have to restore its vitality.
[Just where am I supposed to look for the needed spiritual herbs in this vast world?]
The egg wasn't fully developed yet and common herbs wouldn't do any good. He'd need those rare treasures capable of snatching a man's life from the jaws of imminent death.
Zhuo Fan couldn't help but frown at this thought.
"Song Yu, hand over the Body Tempering Pill if you know what's good for you."
A sudden shout interrupted Zhuo Fan's musings. His face darkened and walked over.
[Who's the bastard that dares disturb my peace?]
Pushing a branch aside, Zhuo Fan saw a man and a woman driving a carriage. The man was around 20 with fine features and at 1st layer of Bone Tempering Stage cultivation, while the woman was of similar age, charming complexion, and in the 2nd layer.
They were surrounded by six men, of who five where in the 8-9th layer of Bone Tempering Stage and the last one, an old man, was in the 6th.
The pair was now staring daggers at the old man.
"Humph, the Body Tempering Pill was made by us, the Song clan, through a secret formula to join in the Hundred Pill Meeting. You think I'm just going to give it away?" The man snorted and a 1st-grade spiritual weapon appeared in his hand.
Zhuo Fan smiled in derision.
The Body Tempering Pill was a 4th-grade pill, useful in tempering one's bones, and also useful in aiding a 9th layer Qi Condensation cultivator in breaking through to the Bone Tempering Stage. The only downside was that it could only be used once.
For the genius Zhuo Fan, who was worry-free about breaking through to Bone Tempering Stage, this pill was garbage. [And this crappy pill was made from a secret formula; what a bunch of weaklings.]
But the bloodshot-eyed old man thought otherwise.
"Ha-ha-ha, Song Yu, Song Qian, aren't the two of you in the Bone Tempering Stage at such a young age thanks to it? Your third-rate clan, which seized the secret formula for a 4th-grade pill, is being too greedy. It's best if you just hand it over."
"Humph, we would rather die!"
Song Qian and Song Yu charged at the old man who did the same.
Bam!
From just a single palm attack, both of them drew wide arcs in the air trailed by their blood. Despite being in the same stage, the difference of 5-6 layers wasn't something they could overcome.
"He-he-he, miss Song Qian, is this necessary? Be good and hand the pill and its formula. Are you going to force this old man into patting down the both of you?"
The old man eyed Song Qian's enticing curves and let out lascivious laughter.
Song Qian glared with hatred but then sighed and looked at her brother, "Are you scared?"
"I am not!" Song Yu's steeled himself.
"Then let us die together. At least the clan's formula won't land in that old bastard's hands." Song Qian made a downcast smile and raised Song Yu's spiritual weapon to their necks.
This scene stirred Zhuo Fan's heart, his mind drifting to the siblings in the Windgaze City. [They would've had the same ending if I wasn't compelled by the heart demon at that time.]
Sighing, Zhuo Fan shot a leaf at the pair.
Whoosh!
Just when it was about to slit their throats, the weapon fell off her hands.
"Who's there?" Both the siblings and the old man shouted anxiously.
"Is it really necessary to kill them over a 4th-grade pill?" Zhuo Fan stepped out of the tree line. The old man laughed, "Here I was nervous who might come, and it's only a brat fresh into the Bone Tempering Stage." He mocked Zhuo Fan.
"Kid, aren't you a demonic cultivator? Everyone knows demonic cultivators are the most savage and ruthless bunch out there, and you have the cheek to preach me on mercy?"
"I'm not preaching mercy, but power."
Zhuo Fan sneered, "Now that I have witnessed this matter, you can't kill them."
"Humph, with just you?"
The old man's eyes glinted with malice as Song Qian shouted anxiously, "Little brother, run! Save yourself and forget about us!"
"Run? Too late."
While Song Qian was urging him, the old man charged at Zhuo Fan with a snicker, "Kid, you only got yourself to blame for poking your nose where it does not belong."
The siblings could only close their eyes to be spared of the horror.
Yet with a crisp sound, Zhuo Fan stood unfazed while the old man fell in a pool of blood, headless.
The laughing old man was dead in an instant and despite the others having smiles on their faces, their eyes were filled with terror.
They clearly saw how Zhuo Fan made a casual attack and popped the old man's head.
"Monster!"
A scream echoed and the others ran for their lives. Zhuo Fan didn't care about them and turned to leave.
"Wait!"
Song Qian called. Her eyes were in shock of Zhuo Fan's immense strength despite similar cultivation levels.
It was as different as heaven and earth…