The cold moon hung in the sky, casting its eerie darkness over the surroundings. From time to time, the croaking of frogs and the chirping of birds created intermittent sounds.
At the sentry tower of the Silver Viper camp, three individuals were engrossed in a card game, enjoying themselves without a care for their surroundings.
"We might get in trouble if the boss finds out…"
"As if you care. We're just mere mortals. What's the use of us? We're just decorations."
"True."
Laughter echoed as they continued their game.
Swish! Swish!
Suddenly, a chilling wind swept past them, causing a shiver to run down their spines.
Before they could react, a cold saber materialized, swiftly ending their lives with a single stroke. They had no chance to defend themselves, their decapitated heads lying on the floor in a gruesome sight.
"I will take care of them, Old Bai. You should handle the leader…" Lu Zhen instructed Yu Bai.
"Young master, but…" Yu Bai's voice carried worry.
Even though Yu Bai considered Lu Zhen a genius, he found it hard to believe that Lu Zhen could defeat twenty martial trainee realm opponents. Even if he were highly skilled, he'd end up exhausted, with insufficient qi to continue, and any random bandit could easily kill him.
"Don't worry about it. Just go. I have my ways," Lu Zhen reassured Yu Bai.
"Alright, young master," Yu Bai responded with a touch of anxiety before heading towards the largest camp within the stronghold.
"Alright, let's get started," Lu Zhen said, cracking his knuckles as he moved away to a random location, ignoring the twins.
The twins silently followed him.
Sensing this, Lu Zhen's brows furrowed.
"What are you doing?" Lu Zhen's voice carried a frown.
"We're following you, young master," the twins replied with poker faces.
"Huh? Who said you could follow me? Go away," Lu Zhen's voice turned hoarse as he subtly released his aura, causing the twins to turn pale.
"Alright, we'll go away," Lu Zhi agreed quickly, carrying his sister and heading towards a lower-ranked bandit camp.
Once they had distanced themselves enough, Lu Qian spoke up, "Don't you think Brother Lu has changed so much?"
Upon hearing this, Lu Zhi rolled his eyes. "Do you think I can't see?" he retorted, flicking Lu Qian's head with his finger.
Seeing that Lu Zhi wasn't in the mood for conversation, Lu Qian fell silent, focusing on the task at hand.
"Lu Qian use your needles." Lu Zhi said as he saw five random bandits guarding.
"Got it, brother," Lu Qian replied. She swiftly retrieved a bundle of 24 small needles from her pouch. With a precise and fluid motion, she sent them hurtling through the air towards the group of bandits.
The needles zipped through the air with a soft "Wosh! Wosh!" sound.
Caught off guard, the bandits felt the impact of the needles almost immediately. Their bodies stiffened as the needles struck them.
While they remained alive, their movements were completely halted. Their immobilized bodies slumped to the ground, devoid of any ability to move, not even a muscle.
"Your skills have improved, Lu Qian," Lu Zhi complimented, giving her a pat on the head.
"Hehehe, don't pat me. I am not a child anymore." Despite her words, her beaming expression gave her away, revealing her happiness.
"Now finish them off," Lu Zhi instructed, his voice now cold and resolute.
Though Lu Qian hesitated briefly, she steeled herself and retrieved a small dagger from her waist. With determination, she swiftly put an end to their suffering. Her hand trembled as blood stained her fingers.
"Don't worry. When we gather enough resources, you'll surely become a martial artist. Your knowledge and skills as a physician will help us earn enough, and Father won't ignore us anymore," Lu Zhi declared, his eyes aflame with a burning desire for revenge.
Though Lu Qiang found these thoughts irrelevant and harbored no desire for vengeance, she held her tongue, choosing not to disrupt her brother's reverie.
Martial artists also had various occupations; not all of them focused solely on combat, although the majority did. Some specialized in other fields, primarily due to the complexity and the time or talent required for progress, in contrast to fighting arts, which were comparatively straightforward.
Lu Qing, for example, was a physician with exceptional potential, almost a heaven-defying talent in her field. If she managed to become a martial trainee, her medical skills would be highly valued.
Even though they weren't combat specialists, it didn't mean they lacked strength. In fact, they were often stronger than most martial artists. Take Lu Qing, for instance. Despite being a mortal, she could incapacitate four grown men using just a needle, targeting their pressure points to neutralize their strength.
However, if these opponents were martial trainees, they could counter the needle's effects, either evading its impact or utilizing their qi to quickly break free. This technique was effective against mortals, but not as effective against those with martial training.
This was one reason why Lu Zhi had brought his sister along to this dangerous place. Practical experience was crucial, and she could learn and improve her skills through exposure to real challenges.
"Let's continue," Lu Zhi said as the two moved on to search for another target.
"Run…" a bandit screamed, but before he could finish, a swift saber stroke ended his life.
"50," Lu Zhen said as he dispatched yet another bandit with a simple swing of his saber. His eyes started to turn golden with a mixture of red, and his already terrifying aura gained a hint of killing intent.
His hands began to darken, his eyes became golden crimson, and his body grew even more imposing. His loose black robe became taut, revealing his muscular form drenched in blood, giving him the appearance of a grim reaper. His eyes gradually lost their rationality.
He emitted a chilling and terrifying aura.
[You have committed a slaughter.]
[You have acquired aura control.]
A system prompt appeared at the corner of his eyes, but Lu Zhen had lost all sense of rationality. His mind was consumed by two words:
"Kill! Mate! Kill! Mate! Kill! Mate! Kill! Mate! Kill! Mate! Kill! Mate!..."
His thoughts were entirely consumed by the desire to kill and mate, to the point where he lost all his rationality.