"Senior Luo, after the recent battle, I've had some insights. I want to go into seclusion for a day or two. Could you help guard me during this time?" Jiang Heng collected the spoils from the other two and smiled.
"Insights?" Luo Wei's eyes widened in surprise and he thought to himself, "With such a crushing battle, he's still gaining insights? What kind of monstrous genius is Jiang Heng?"
"Senior Luo, how about we team up during the upcoming time and help each other?" Jiang Heng continued.
Luo Wei quickly nodded and said, "No problem, Junior Brother Jiang. You can close up with peace of mind!"
The two of them searched the mountain range and found a suitable cave for Jiang Heng to enter seclusion after about an hour.
Jiang Heng sat cross-legged inside the cave, once again immersing himself in cultivation.
Luo Wei concealed himself in the underbrush outside the cave, occasionally observing the situation outside.
With their martial arts realms and the nourishment of the Qi and Blood Pills, they could go without eating, bathing, or sleeping.
Two quiet days passed.
On the morning of the third day, inside the cave, Jiang Heng opened his eyes after consecutive sessions of meditation.
"Upgrade: Undying Heaven Technique!"
He had already thought about it and realized that among the major core techniques he had, the ones he could upgrade in the short term were the Undying Heaven Technique and the Great Shifting Technique.
Upgrading the "Annihilation Fist" would enhance his bursting power once again.
Upgrading the "Great Displacement" would further enhance his body technique.
Upgrading the "Undying Heaven Technique" would greatly increase his body's size, comprehensively improving his physical qualities, at least making him no weaker than any other true disciple.
So, for now, upgrading the "Undying Heaven Technique" was the most cost-effective choice!
"Ding! Consuming 10 million potential points. The technique is being upgraded; please wait."
"Ding! Upgrade successful. Please name the technique."
With the sound of these notifications, a surge of heat appeared within every part of Jiang Heng's body, instantly merging deeply with him.
"Boom!"
His blood flowed like a surging river.
His bones were like alloy forged through a thousand strikes.
His muscles were like meteoric iron forged through millennia.
From the outside to the inside, his body underwent a revolutionary change once again!
"Hu!"
Jiang Heng took a deep breath.
Suddenly, the entire cave seemed to be hit by a level-nine gale, blowing small rocks around wildly.
As he settled his breathing, the air inside the cave gradually calmed down.
Outside the cave, Luo Wei, who was sitting cross-legged in the underbrush, practicing while monitoring the surroundings, suddenly heard a ghostly howling wind from the cave and intermittent thunderous sounds.
His expression changed immediately, and he concentrated his gaze.
"What's causing such a terrifying disturbance? Wasn't Jiang Junior Brother in seclusion? Why are there these strange sounds coming from the cave?"
Before long, he saw Jiang Heng, who was brimming with energy, slowly walking out of the cave, and his gaze first fell on the location where Luo Wei was hiding.
It was worth noting that he hadn't informed Jiang Heng about his hiding spot in advance, yet even though he had taken care to conceal himself, Jiang Heng still discovered his presence immediately upon leaving seclusion.
This incredible perception left Luo Wei amazed.
Luo Wei stepped out from the underbrush and greeted him with a smile. "Junior Brother Jiang, did you make another breakthrough?"
Jiang Heng casually nodded. "Indeed, I've made some minor progress."
This left Luo Wei deeply shocked.
Following Jiang Heng's performance in the past two days, he was already considered the most powerful among the participants. Now, with another breakthrough, can he sweep the entire competition?
Jiang Heng paid no attention to his thoughts, glanced at the dew on his body, and said, "These past few days have been hard on you, Senior Luo! How about you take a day off first? Once you've rested, we can set off again. With our strength, a few days' delay won't make much of a difference."
Luo Wei was about to refuse but nodded in agreement upon hearing Jiang Heng's last two sentences.
Indeed, with Jiang Heng's strength, even if he found a place to sleep for half a month, he could still achieve excellent results in the remaining half a month.
Moreover, in these two days, he had been on high alert, and even at this level of martial artist, it was necessary to take breaks and rest every few days, despite not needing much sleep.
After Luo Wei entered the cave, Jiang Heng sat with crossed legs not far from the cave's entrance.
By noon, Luo Wei came out of the cave.
"Let's go! Today, we start a killing spree!" Jiang Heng grinned.
The two of them descended the mountain together.
Seeing that Jiang Heng showed no intention of concealing his presence, Luo Wei had no choice but to walk beside him, carefully observing their surroundings.
...
Behind three large trees, three people were hiding, pressed against the trunks.
One of them cautiously stuck their head out, watched the two approaching figures casually, then withdrew and made a 'two' gesture to their two companions before patiently waiting.
Soon, they peered out again to observe.
At this moment, something unexpected happened.
The younger of the two approaching individuals, with a noticeably youthful appearance, suddenly disappeared in place.
This person instinctively felt a chill in their heart.
But before they could react, they heard their two companions shouting in terror, "Run!"
Almost as soon as the words reached their ears, their head was gripped by a searing pain, and they lost consciousness entirely.
"Boom!"
Their head exploded, and a mix of red and white matter splattered out.
Their body slowly fell to the ground.
Meanwhile, Jiang Heng had reappeared beside the last remaining youth.
"Die!"
This was a young woman with exquisite facial features, and her face was now twisted in a mixture of horror and anger.
Her longsword had already left its sheath, and she had gathered an immense amount of true energy, shrouding the blade in a vivid orange glow.
Radiant and stunning, yet filled with a chilling intent, she swung the sword towards Jiang Heng.
Jiang Heng remained expressionless, and in the face of the oncoming blade, his right hand deftly moved aside, reaching forward.
With a nonchalant squeeze, he crushed the young woman's neck.
"Crack!"
Her slender, swan-like neck was instantly reduced to the thickness of a finger, and a gory, indistinct mix of flesh and blood sprayed out but was separated from Jiang Heng's body by his true energy.
The young woman, like a beheaded chicken, slumped lifelessly.
Jiang Heng withdrew his hand.
At this moment, the last remaining youth, who had witnessed the gruesome deaths of his companions, paid no heed to them and had already turned and desperately fled.
"It's terrifying! He's too terrifying!"
"Why is there such a powerful young man?"
The youth was filled with fear, and even his escape became somewhat chaotic.
"Senior Sister and Senior Brother had such formidable strength, and yet they were killed in an instant. Who is this devil-like young man?"
He was trembling unconsciously, even forgetting the distress signal charm in his embrace, only driven by instinct to escape.
The next moment.
The youth's instincts turned ice-cold, as if he were being targeted by some terrifying beast. Goosebumps erupted all over his body.
"Boom!"
The youth's head exploded, and his headless body collapsed.