Chapter 89 - 23-32

Chapter 23 ~ Dragon Skull Forest (9)

Liu Xing also noticed that the blue portal was outlined by a thin black thread, almost as fine as a thin rope. If he hadn't taken the time to observe closely, he might not have noticed it. This black thread could potentially be Ji Dongyang, and Liu Xing needed to investigate before jumping into the portal.

"Ji Dongyang, you think you can deceive me? I know you're still here," Liu Xing declared, pointing towards the portal.

It was a bluff, but if Ji Dongyang really was the black thread, Liu Xing wanted him to believe his disguise had been exposed.

The portal continued swirling without reaction. Seeing this, Liu Xing summoned his gun and made it invisible. He then activated the Lightning Palm technique, forming a blade of lightning.

When there was still no response, Liu Xing extended the blade and swung his ultra-long blade towards the portal. He knew from his knowledge of pocket dimensions that the portal itself couldn't be disrupted. So he wasn't concerned about destroying the portal and trapping Yan Yu and other cultivators inside. Typically, a portal would only close when its energy source was depleted, usually found within the pocket dimension itself.

As his blade almost touched the black thread, the skeleton with black bones under the tree suddenly charged at him. Liu Xing's eyes widened in surprise. He hadn't expected Ji Dongyang to still be here.

"Smart bastard. I didn't expect you to realize I was still here," a voice echoed from the portal.

Liu Xing ignored the comment and activated the Lightning Cloak technique. Electricity coated his body just as the skeleton closed in from behind.

Liu Xing canceled his Lightning Palm, spun around, and deflected the black skeleton hand with his gun. When the skeleton attempted to strike with its left hand, Liu Xing countered with a punch that exploded the skeleton's head into black powder. The black skeleton collapsed in front of him, darkness receding from its bones and transforming into black smoke that drifted upward.

Tilting his head, Liu Xing watched as the darkness gathered from the black skeleton and the black thread gathered into a single spot, forming a black sphere. From this sphere sprouted legs, arms, and a head—a skeletal cranium with glowing eye sockets. Four wings resembling dragonflies emerged from its back. It stood about a meter tall, and Liu Xing sensed it was at least at the sixth stage of the Lock Opening realm.

"It seems your cultivation advances each time you absorb that black smoke," Liu Xing observed.

"Hmph!" Ji Dongyang snorted. "A worm like you wouldn't understand the complexities of this shadow. Still, I must commend you for forcing me to transform into this form earlier than planned."

"You and I are both in the Lock Opening realm. I don't think you have the right to call me a worm," Liu Xing retorted. "However, since you are in the mood for conversation, why don't you enlighten me about this 'shadow'?"

"Hmph! As I said, a worm like you doesn't need to understand my shadow. In fact, I've changed my mind. You're not going anywhere. You'll die at my hands!" Ji Dongyang declared.

With that, Ji Dongyang flew towards a tree with black leaves in the center of the clearing and dove inside it, creating ripples as though the tree were a water surface.

For a moment, nothing happened. Then, the ground began to rumble, and the tree started shaking. Eventually, the tree uprooted itself. Some branches transformed into hands, and its roots morphed into two human legs. A face appeared in the bark, eye sockets ablaze with white fire.

Seeing this, Liu Xing licked his lips. Ji Dongyang had now possessed a tree, and its qi felt akin to that of a spirit beast.

Then Ji Dongyang screamed. The sound was so loud it stirred the wind. The scream lasted a full ten seconds, leaving Liu Xing with ringing ears.

"I admit my power is not as great as it once was, but I can still use this technique," the face in the bark sneered. "Let's see how you do."

Moments later, Liu Xing heard screeches, howls, stomps, and flaps all around the clearing. Spirit beasts came, gathering around. Liu Xing saw a white tiger with yellow eyes and blue flames around its ankles, a familiar mantis with a red body, a butterfly with a human torso and a cow's head, a wolf-like creature with eyes like wriggling worms, a gigantic bat the size of a boulder, three giant catfish of gold, red, and black swimming in the air, and many more spirit beasts. Each beast stared at Liu Xing as if he was an elixir of immortality.

Liu Xing's heart raced. Dozens of fifth stage spirit beasts were about to tear him apart. It seems like Ji Dongyang has a technique to command the spirit beasts! The good thing is that he only seems to be able to summon spirit beasts with a lower cultivation than his own.

"Attack!" shouted Ji Dongyang, and the spirit beasts rushed toward him.

The red mantis was the first to reach him. With the Lightning Cloak still active, Liu Xing aimed at its eyes and pulled the trigger twice. The first shot exploded the eye, the second the head. Blood and gore showered Liu Xing, and the stripes on his gun glowing faintly. Before he could wipe the blood from his face, a tiger pounces at him from the side.

Liu Xing moved like lightning, sliding under the tiger and firing bullets infused with beast core qi. When the bullets hit the tiger's belly, it exploded, leaving nothing but blood.

Liu Xing stopped sliding and jumped onto a tree branch. The spirit beasts rushed at him in a mad frenzy, but looking at his invisible gun, Liu Xing's lips formed a ferocious smile.

Every time he killed a spirit beast, his gun absorbed the beast core and infused it into the bullets. Normally, Liu Xing would absorb the energy to cultivate, but now he didn't have time. Instead, he needed to use the bullets to kill more spirit beasts. He had never tested how strong the bullets infused with beast cores were, but judging by the remains of the tiger, Liu Xing was confident each bullet could kill a spirit beast in a single shot.

Suddenly, being surrounded by spirit beasts didn't seem so terrifying.

"Alright, everyone. Let's dance!"

He flared his Lightning Cloak, creating a lightning blade, and leaped into the horde of spirit beasts.

The massacre began.

***

Lei Kun was a farmer of humble beginnings. Born in a small village, he grew up helping his father on the farm. He had the chance to marry a simple but lovely girl and envisioned a life of hard work and eventually succumbing to old age or illness.

Instead, a cultivator arrived in his village, declared Lei Kun his disciple, and kidnapped him to join a small sect in the northern section of the Dark Forest continent. In this sect, Lei Kun suffered. He was robbed, beaten, insulted, and even forced to grovel and kiss the feet of his enemies.

In this sect, Lei Kun learned the cruelty of the cultivation world, but he soon adapted to it and flourished in it.

Now he is not Lei Kun, but Ji Dongyang!

Unlike Lei Kun's pathetic life, Ji Dongyang's story was grandiose, the story of the birth of a future world ruler! Although he had to split his soul and need to start cultivating from scratch again, he was determined to impose his will on the world and ensure that his enemies met their end. Although these years were hard, once he found a great vessel, he would rise like a phoenix from the ashes.

Despite his unwavering belief in his eventual comeback, standing behind a mad horde of spirit beasts and witnessing his army obliterated caused a slight doubt in Ji Dongyang's heart.

That bastard Liu Xing is stronger than he looks. He is only a fifth-stage Lock Opening disciple, yet his power surpasses his cultivation. With that lightning enhancement technique, he moves as fast as real lightning. Every time he pauses, a spirit beast will explode, split in two, or lose its head.

Even with his spirit beast eyes, Ji Dongyang strained to follow Liu Xing's movements.

For a moment, Ji Dongyang considered transforming into a cloud and attacking. It seemed like his cloud form was a bad match for Liu Xing, but he rejected the idea. Even in that form, Liu Xing was still able to hurt him, and as a cloud, his attack options were limited. Possessing this spirit beast is the best strategy.

Liu Xing appeared under a spirit beast that resembled a giant golden catfish. He kicked the catfish into the air, raised his left arm, and fired an invisible bolt, causing the spirit beast to explode. Without pausing, he moved behind a giant butterfly and slashed at it with his lightning blade, splitting it in two. A giant worm tried to attack from below. Liu Xing pointed his left hand and shot an electric bolt at the worm. The worm shrieked as its body stiffened. Liu Xing then leapt into the sky and unleashed a barrage of invisible bolts that quickly killed it.

Chapter 24 ~ Dragon Skull Forest (10)

In the sky, a spirit beast resembling an almost human figure with chalk-white skin, a large eye covering its face, and a snake arms attempted to attack Liu Xing from behind. Liu Xing turned his head and casually raised his left hand. A bolt shot forth, causing the spirit beast to explode into green and yellow liquid that showered the area.

When Liu Xing landed, a spirit beast fired two beams of light from its eyes. Liu Xing suddenly vanished and reappeared beside this wolf swiftly beheading it with his lightning blade.

Growling, Ji Dongyang realized Liu Xing was a genuine threat, likely a star disciple from the Purple Moon Sect known for generating exceptional talent. He was probably a future candidate for their core disciples.

Anger welled in Ji Dongyang's heart. He had grown up in a small sect, obtaining every pill and resource through blood, sweat, and tears. He wouldn't let a pampered brat from a major sect ruin his plans. Despite the threat Liu Xing posed, Ji Dongyang hadn't lost yet. He needed to bide his time until a stronger spirit beast appeared that he could possess. For now, he would assist his army in eliminating this annoying bastard.

Ji Dongyang raised his two wooden arms, conjuring two red fruits surrounded by a greenish hue, and launched it toward Liu Xing.

Seeing the projectile, Liu Xing simply slashed it with his lightning blade, splitting these two fruits into four parts. Each part landed on a different spirit beasts—a giant red catfish, a three-legged creature with an eye in its center, a black jaguar with a snake for a tail, and humanoid spirit beast with red skin and dragonfly wings and a giant mouth in its stomach and a lump of flesh for a head.

The fruits took root in their bodies, burrowing into their flesh and growing into small trees glowing with a dark hue. Ji Dongyang felt a mental connection with these four spirit beasts and began commanding them to attack. Despite their great numbers, his army of spirit beasts lacked cohesion and teamwork.

Glancing around, Ji Dongyang realized his army of spirit beasts lay in ruins. Only seven spirit beasts remained, including the four he controlled.

Liu Xing shot down the black catfish, leaving six spirit beasts, and then dispatched a flying giant eye spirit beast with an explosion, reducing their numbers to five. And when Liu Xing suddenly appeared behind a giant made from boulder and shot it until it exploded into rubble, only Ji Dongyang and his remaining four spirit beasts were left.

"Attack him!"

His red catfish spewed blue fire from its mouth. Liu Xing dodged the attack and appeared behind the jaguar with snake as its tail, lightning blade ready to decapitate it. Anticipating this move, Ji Dongyang controlled his last humanoid spirit beast to intercept. It spat acid from its stomach-mouth, sending a glob of green liquid hurtling toward Liu Xing.

Seeing the acid, Liu Xing halted his attack, appearing several meters from the humanoid spirit who spat acid and raised his left arm.

Before he could strike, Ji Dongyang willed the three-legged spirit beast to attack. It moved like a wheel, its speed incredible. In the blink of an eye, it rammed into Liu Xing, sending him flying through the air.

That was the only attack that landed on Liu Xing.

Ji Dongyang then instructed the catfish to attack. In mid-air, Liu Xing couldn't evade.

Seeing the impending attack, Liu Xing raised his left arm towards the blue fire and shot a bolt at it, causing it to explode and create a shockwave. Liu Xing landed and rolled over. The three-legged beast tried to ram him again, but he raised his left arm and fired a bolt. When the bolt hit, the three-legged spirit beast exploded, scattering its remains across the clearing. Only three spirit beasts remained.

Before Ji Dongyang could command his dwindling army to attack, Liu Xing rapidly fired shots in three different directions. Each shot aimed at his spirit beasts.

"Dodge!" Ji Dongyang shouted.

His giant black catfish exploded in a shower of blood. His jaguar spirit beast managed to jump and land safely a few meters away from the explosion, but his humanoid spirit beast wasn't so lucky. The explosion caught it off guard and sent it flying. Unfortunately, it flew towards Liu Xing and was sliced into three pieces by his lightning blade.

At this point, Ji Dongyang knew he was in trouble. Liu Xing solidified his belief by appearing atop the giant black catfish. He sliced the catfish in two and simultaneously fired rapidly at the jaguar until a bullet struck it, causing it to explode into smithereens.

When the giant catfish hit the ground, the night fell silent once more. Liu Xing stood at the center of the clearing, surrounded by body parts and blood flooding the ground. His clothes, hair, and face were smeared with blood.

As Liu Xing turned to face Ji Dongyang, the latter felt his nonexistent heart pounding with fear.

"Are you ready to talk about that 'shadow'?" asked Liu Xing.

That shadow was his greatest secret and the source of his power. Revealing it to his enemy would be akin to suicide, but he had no doubt Liu Xing would resort to torture and every heinous act to make him talk. After all, every cultivator was cruel, no matter how they claimed otherwise. That's what his suffering had taught him the hard way.

While Ji Dongyang was in this dilemma, a deafening screech rattled the world. He turned toward the sound and saw a glimmer of hope in this dire moment.

A two-legged monstrosity approached. Its skin was blood-red, its head resembled a deep-sea fish with razor-sharp teeth, soulless white eyes, and glowing lures on its forehead and beard formed by thousands of writhing tentacles. He had two clawed hands and feet like those of a gazelle. As the monstrous beast entered the clearing, the stench of rotten fish permeated the air, and Ji Dongyang smiled. His plan had succeeded!

While he could only summon spirit beasts of the same or lower realm than himself, gathering enough spirit beasts in one place increased the chance of attracting stronger ones. This spirit beast was at least seventh stage in strength, possibly on the cusp of achieving its Core Splitting realm. If Ji Dongyang could possess this monster, almost all the spirit beasts in the forest would gather here to ensure Liu Xing's demise.

Ji Dongyang hurled himself at the spirit beast. With his body of a walking tree, he moved slowly, and the monstrosity soon fixed its soulless white eyes on him.

The spirit beast roared and charged at him like a bull seeing red. In the blink of an eye, the giant was upon him. Its claw successfully split him in two, and Ji Dongyang felt his soul begin to unravel. But as several of his dark leaves brushed against its claw, he sensed a connection to its consciousness and seized the opportunity. He released the body he possessed and latched onto the consciousness of this spirit beast.

Soon, he entered its consciousness. It was dark and gloomy, with only a single point emitting light. Ji Dongyang rushed toward the light and seized it.

Suddenly, killing intent, hunger, hatred, arrogance, and numerous emotions assaulted his consciousness. Soul battles were always challenging, but spirit beasts, while typically stronger than humans, were also simpler. He attacked its basic instincts, convincing it that Ji Dongyang posed no threat. When the guard on its consciousness loosened, he squeezed himself into the white light. There was a sense of weightlessness, followed by pitch-black darkness, then light.

Ji Dongyang blinked several times. His viewpoint was now higher than before. His body felt lighter, his cultivation brimmed with power, and he felt like the world was his.

"Hahaha!" Ji Dongyang laughed, his voice deep and terrifying, reminiscent of a demon's laughter. "Let's see if you can handle this!"

Then he roared. His roar created a shock wave that uprooted the trees around him. This roar was imbued with his original technique, ensuring that many more spirit beasts would soon arrive.

***

Standing amidst the craters and scattered corpses of the spirit beasts, Liu Xing looked at the grotesque monster in front of him. It resembled a cross between an anglerfish and a minotaur, emitting a foul stench like rotting rat carcasses bloated with excrement until their bellies burst. Liu Xing felt nauseous, and he sensed that this monster was stronger than any spirit beast he had encountered in Dragon Skull Forest.

Even worse, it seemed Ji Dongyang had successfully possessed its body, and his ear-splitting roar had likely attracted even more spirit beasts.

Fighting a horde of spirit beasts wasn't as challenging as he had imagined. His gun could dispatch them with ease. However, it was wise to end this battle quickly while facing only one opponent. Liu Xing wanted to interrogate Ji Dongyang, but if circumstances didn't allow it, he would have no choice but to kill him and seek information about the darkness elsewhere.

"Come and fight me!" Liu Xing taunted.

Chapter 25 ~ Dragon Skull Forest (11)

Ji Dongyang roared again and charged toward him. Each step he took made the ground tremble.

He still had six bullets infused with beast cores. Despite the terrifying appearance of this spirit beast, he had a chance to defeat it.

Liu Xing raised his gun and pulled the trigger. The bullet was infused with Explosion Fist. When it struck the beast's chest, it blasted the creature into the air. Its chest only smoked and charred slightly, far from Liu Xing's expectation of a one-shot kill.

The spirit beast landed on its feet ,its gazelle-like legs kicking the ground as it lunged at him.

With Lightning Cloak still active, Liu Xing moved. The world blurred momentarily, and when he stopped, he was behind the spirit beast.

He pulled the trigger three times, shooting the beast in the back. The three bullets exploded simultaneously, slamming it into a tree and flattening it. Its back was charred, bleeding green blood from one or two spots, but otherwise, it remained intact.

"Two bullets left," muttered Liu Xing.

This spirit beast was entirely different from any others he had fought. Its defense was tough, as if its skin were made of iron.

"You can't defeat me!" Ji Dongyang shouted as he rose to his feet and lunged at Liu Xing once more. Tentacles sprouted from its back, resembling a pair of wings, and its speed suddenly doubled.

When its clawed hand almost reached his throat, Liu Xing stepped aside. From this close, Liu Xing could smell its foul smell, but Liu Xing ignored it and conjured a long lightning blade and swung at its neck.

When the blade touched its neck, Liu Xing felt that it had successfully pierced the skin. But after a few centimeters, the blade stopped, as if there was a hard steel beam inside the neck.

Ji Dongyang, who possessed the spirit beast, attempted to swat him, but Liu Xing used its large arm as a springboard to leap away. He flew through the air and landed in the center of the clearing.

Raising his left hand, Liu Xing aimed his gun. The Ji Dongyang lunged at him even faster than before. Liu Xing jumped back.

When he landed, the creature's clawed hand was only inches away from his face. Liu Xing infused the beast core bullet with Exploding Fist with as much qi as possible, more than normal, and pulled the trigger.

He aimed for its chest. The creature's clawed hand was moments away from ripping his face off when the bullet hit. The impact sent it flying, and as it sailed through the air, it exploded.

The explosion was so powerful that Liu Xing was pushed backwards, his feet leaving trails in the blood-soaked grass.

When the smoke cleared, he saw the spirit beast was still alive, but its left torso, arm, and part of its side were missing, as if someone had taken a bite out of a biscuit. It rose to its feet, tentacles and muscular strands wriggling and regenerating.

Liu Xing should have aimed for the head. He thought that targeting the charred chest would be more effective given the existing injury, but his judgment had been wrong.

A roar echoed in the distance, followed by screams, galloping, howling, and strange and menacing sounds.

A giant black wolf with yellow eyes emerged first. Its ferocious face and pitch-black fur glowed under the moonlight. Soon, many monsters surrounded him. It was a repeat of the earlier fight, but with slightly different details. Firstly, there were many seventh-stage creatures here, and secondly, the arrival of the spirit beasts showed no signs of stopping. In the sky, dozens of flying spirit beasts circled him, ranging from groups of lions with eagle wings and monkey heads to the flying horse with only bones left.

Liu Xing's heart raced. The howling, screeching, galloping, and strange noises continued unabated, as if every spirit beast in Dragon Skull Forest was converging on this spot. Liu Xing guessed that if he were to fly high into the sky, he would see hundreds of spirit beasts climbing, running, and flying toward the hill, like ants swarming an anthill.

Ji Dongyang's laughter reverberated through the clearing. His sinister chuckles were accompanied by growls, howls, and screeches from the surrounding spirit beasts, creating a cacophony that sent shivers down Liu Xing's spine.

"Attack!"

A massive wolf-like spirit beast opened its jaws, unleashing a red pillar of light that streaked toward Liu Xing like a laser beam. Rolling to the side, Liu Xing narrowly avoided being struck as a giant flying sword with a serpent's eye on its hilt attempted to skewer him. Swiftly evading, he used a giant grasshopper spirit beast as a springboard to dodge a swooping eagle.

From there, Liu Xing moved frantically. The world blurred around him, every corner filled with danger. Dodging left and right, he desperately evaded thorn missiles shot by a horde of giant cacti, deflected strikes from a seemingly ordinary tiger, and sliced his way through a group of worm-like creatures, each with grotesque monkey heads on their tips.

Cold sweat ran down his back, adrenaline pumping through his veins. His heart raced, demanding solutions in the face of imminent danger. Amidst lightning fast movements, Liu Xing racked his brain, searching for a way to turn the tide. The simplest and most effective approach would be to eliminate a seventh-level spirit beast, but with the clearing teeming with deadly enemies, stopping was not an option. With only one bullet left, his next move had to count.

Gritting his teeth, Liu Xing wielded his lightning blade while slashing at any spirit beast within reach, searching for the most weak seventh stage spirit beast. A colossal wooden golem attempted to stomp him, but Liu Xing rolled under its foot, slashing its leg with his lightning blade, which sliced effortlessly through the wood, leaving a deep mark.

Seeing this, Liu Xing realized that this golem was the softest of the bunch. This was his opening.

As the golem slammed its foot down, Liu Xing rolled behind it, swiftly taking aim at its exposed back. Adrenaline slowed time around him. Amidst the chaos of a lion pouncing, a flying sword lunging, and claws ripping towards him, Liu Xing squeezed the trigger.

Bullets flew, striking the golem's back until it exploded into fragments. Shrapnel scattered, hitting nearby spirit beasts.

Liu Xing leaped and dodged most of the blows, though one lucky claw left a long, gaping wound on his back. Still, he soared upwards, a ferocious grin on his lips, his gun aimed down at a group of encroaching spirit beasts. His gun was now charged with the beast core qi of a seventh stage spirit beast.

"Eat this!"

Liu Xing unleashed rapid shots, his bullets finding their target amidst the chaos. Six spirit beasts exploded in a bloody spectacle, limbs and entrails flying. His gun, once again filled with bullets infused with the beast cores of seventh stage spirit beasts, continued to fire.

He took aim at every spirit beast in sight. Previously overwhelming in numbers, they now struggled to maneuver in the midst of the battle. Taking advantage of their confusion, Liu Xing fired with unerring accuracy. His gun seemed endless, his movements fluid as he darted from one target to the next. Though his lightning blade couldn't sever the head of a seventh stage spirit beasts, he aimed for their eyes or limbs to slow their movement.

Liu Xing danced through the battlefield, relentless in his onslaught. Spirit beasts fell with each passing second, painting the ground in shades of red, yellow, and green. His relentless assault continued unabated. The world blurred around him, yet every action was clear and purposeful.

He fell into a rhythm: move, shoot, another spirit beast exploded. Slash, slash, shoot—roll away. He kicked aside a diving eagle, pulling the trigger to detonate a giant worm.

The battle was relentless. And as the moon set and the sun rose, Liu Xing continued to fight. The once serene clearing below the portal was now a wasteland of blood and countless craters. Limbs, heads, and body parts were strewn about, trampled by the relentless stampede of the spirit beasts.

Skull Hill slowly lost its shape under the onslaught. If the battle persisted, it might be flattened altogether.

Occasionally, Ji Dongyang would appear, orchestrating sneak attacks by controlling certain spirit beasts with lure-like antennae growing from their bodies, while other times he hid in the shadows. But he couldn't flee. He had opened a portal to a pocket dimension, preparing to possess another cultivator. Seeing his anglerfish-gazelle-humanoid hybrid melting like a candle, Liu Xing knew he needed to find a new vessel soon.

He jumped towards a sixth stage walking flower spirit beast and sliced it in two, while simultaneously shooting a vase-shaped spirit beast that spat out several snake-like creatures, causing it to explode spectacularly.

Liu Xing kicked off the ground and soared towards a giant dragonfly. The creature tried to intercept him in mid-air, but a single bullet from Liu Xing's gun shattered it into a thousand pieces.

Chapter 26 ~ Dragon Skull Forest (12)

As he descended from the air, Liu Xing surveyed his surroundings. The number of spirit beasts was dwindling. Although there were still hundreds of them, it was only a matter of time before he would be able to defeat them all.

Firing rapidly at the spirit beasts gathering below, Liu Xing pondered how many he had dispatched. Hundreds, perhaps thousands. If he could absorb the energy from the bullets created from all the beast cores, he might advance to the seventh stage or even reach the Core Splitting realm, potentially completing two or three cores. It was frustrating that he couldn't cultivate while moving.

Upon landing amidst the remains of spirit beasts, Liu Xing scanned for Ji Dongyang.

There had been no sign of him for hours, and Liu Xing was afraid that Ji Dongyang might have fled. The only reason Liu Xing didn't run away himself was because he wanted to find out the truth about Ji Dongyang's shadow.

Suddenly, the ground trembled beneath Liu Xing's feet, and he watched in horror as a massive centipede emerged from the ground, its roar echoing in his ears like the scraping of glass against glass. This colossal creature was so huge that Liu Xing felt dwarfed, as if he were standing in front of a skyscraper.

Upon closer inspection, Liu Xing realized it wasn't a single centipede but a conglomeration of thousands of spirit beasts forming a gigantic centipede. Every inch of its body, from its myriad feet to its torso and even its face, was composed of spirit beasts. It appeared as though a child, bored with countless spirit beast dolls, had glued them together to create this monstrous amalgamation. The only genuine centipede features were its two enormous fangs.

Jutting from its forehead was a single figure—Ji Dongyang.

"Liu Xing!" Ji Dongyang shouted. "You forced my hand! The Purple Moon Sect will be my enemy, and I will hunt down your clan and slaughter your entire family!"

A cacophony of roars, screams, and growls erupted from each head of the giant centipede. As if accusing Liu Xing of Ji Dongyang's creation of this monstrous form, all eyes were fixed on Liu Xing.

Liu Xing gulped. The centipede cast a shadow that obscured half of Skull Hill, eclipsing the sun. Initially, the thought of fleeing crossed his mind. After all, battling a horde of spirit beasts was vastly different from confronting a colossal single entity. His gun was better suited for hordes rather than singular titans.

However, he couldn't escape. He had to find out the truth about Ji Dongyang's shadow. What if Nui, Joni, and Mamat suffered because he ran away from that giant spirit beast? He couldn't forgive himself for letting them down. They were his friends, and the mission to fight the darkness was the most important task in his life. He wasn't going to give up on that mission. He had to try to defeat this creature and force Ji Dongyang to reveal the truth.

The centipede shrieked, and the rest of the spirit beasts rushed towards the centipede, seemingly wanting to merge with it to make it bigger, and when all of the spirit beasts merged with it, it lunged its head at Liu Xing.

Quickly dodging, Liu Xing watched as the centipede burrowed into the ground, raising a cloud of dust that billowed into the sky. It dug a tunnel, causing the earth to tremble.

Moments later, the centipede emerged from beneath him. Ji Dongyang was sticking out of the centipede's forehead, his anglerfish face melting away, leaving only bones and slimy appendages with a pink hue. His eyes glowed crimson red like pools of glowing blood.

Liu Xing fired at Ji Dongyang three times, each bullet infused with beast core qi and Exploding Fist Technique. Several spirit beast heads moved, forming a shield in front of Ji Dongyang, and exploded. For a brief moment, Liu Xing saw the raw red flesh beneath the decimated heads, a gush of red blood flowing like a waterfall, before new heads sprouted and sealed the wounds, and Ji Dongyang sank into the flesh of this monster.

It seemed that while each individual head remained intact, the rest of their bodies melded into a single mass of flesh. Every head on its body resembled a living tumor.

Seeing this regenerative ability, Liu Xing grimaced. If every wound on his body could regenerate, what chance did he have of winning?

However, his focus quickly returned to his gun. He had fired three bullets just now, leaving him with three remaining. Yet, he now realized his gun was once again loaded with six bullets.

The centipede monster opened its massive maw wide, attempting to devour Liu Xing. He leaped aside as the centipede burrow underground again, the creature body arched through the sky before completely disappearing into the earth.

Feeling the bullets in his gun, Liu Xing's heart raced with excitement.

As he watched the centipede monster, he understood Ji Dongyang's plan. Although the creature was large and formidable, it wasn't particularly fast, and it didn't have any apparent special abilities beyond ramming or trying to eat him.

Liu Xing was faster, and as long as he didn't make any mistakes, he could easily dodge his attacks. However, he had no way to harm this colossal opponent - this was Ji Dongyang's strategy. His goal was to discourage Liu Xing from fighting, to convince him that there was no way to win, while still leaving a tempting escape route.

Liu Xing's main concern was that he wasn't fit to fight one big monster. His gun was more suited to fighting hordes of spirit beasts, as it could essentially create infinite bullets as long as there were enemies. But this big centipede didn't count as one enemy. Each and every head on its body was counted as a separate spirit beast, possibly because each head still contained a beast core. This meant Liu Xing wasn't fighting one monster, but a horde of monsters moving as one. 

"Alright!" Confidence began to grow in his heart. He would defeat Ji Dongyang and make him talk. He would chip away at that giant centipede and win.

When the giant centipede burst from below his feet with its mouth wide open, Liu Xing jumped away, aiming towards the six spirit beasts in its heads and shot rapidly. Each head exploded, and his gun refilled with bullets again, which he fired once more.

The centipede roared, rising to the sky like a tower and crashing down towards him. Liu Xing jumped backward several times. When it hit the ground, the entirety of Skull Hill trembled and some ground started to cave away.

Jumping lightly into the sky, Liu Xing shot six more bullets, again and again. When he landed, the giant centipede burst from the ground and tried to devour him once more.

Liu Xing started running downhill. The centipede chased him, and Liu Xing turned around several times to shoot its heads, creating wounds that always closed after several seconds.

When the centipede tried to crash into him again, Liu Xing moved, and so the dance began anew.

Liu Xing dashed forward, firing relentlessly. For now, every head he shot was soon replaced by another, but he knew that sooner or later, it would run out of spirit beasts to regenerate.

From a distance, Skull Hill began to lose its shape. Before, it resembled a giant lizard's head, but with so many holes and destruction around it, it now looked like a fragile mound of dirt full of holes. And after Liu Xing ran around the hill and the centipede tunneled inside, the hill began to collapse.

Liu Xing ran and fired amidst huge boulders, stones, and debris flying around. The centipede destroyed what remained of Skull Hill like a drill piercing tofu. Since the centipede mainly attacked from underground, Liu Xing's bullets also exploded what was left of Skull Hill, flattening Skull Hill until it changed from a fierce-looking hill to a wide, flat bowl full of holes made by the centipede and craters from explosions.

As a cultivator at the fifth stage, his stamina was tremendous but not monstrous. If he fought normally with his own qi, Liu Xing would be half-dead after half a day. However, since all his attacks used energy from the beast cores, he only used his qi to maintain the Lightning Cloak.

Liu Xing felt very familiar with this technique now, as if he had used it since birth. But what amazed him was how ridiculously efficient this Lightning Cloak was. The qi intake was so efficient that Liu Xing felt he could maintain this technique nonstop for a week, which again made him realize how amazing his gun was.

Like that, several days passed.

Chapter 27 ~ Black Bird (1)

Liu Xing was busy shooting at his enemy. He ran around in the forest while shooting. Sometimes he used the remaining trees to maneuver, sometimes he ran on the centipede's spine while shooting it. Throughout the entire battle, his most serious injuries were on his back, and the bleeding had already stopped thanks to his vitality.

The centipede was not ridiculously large now. Liu Xing had successfully chipped away at the beast little by little.

As the sun began to rise, the centipede had shrunk to the size of a large shipping container, with fewer feet and significantly smaller heads and fangs. Liu Xing felt that the time for chipping away was over; now he could defeat Ji Dongyang.

The area around Liu Xing for hundreds of meters was now flat. There were no trees, mushrooms, or anything else—just numerous holes and craters from his explosive bullets and the centipede's attempts to ram itself into the ground.

The centipede now moved like a train toward Liu Xing, its many heads staring at him with rage, as if all of them wanted to tear him apart. Its many feet propelled the giant body forward.

Liu Xing stood his ground and started shooting rapidly. Each bullet hit the centipede perfectly, blowing away several heads only to have them replaced by others.

As the centipede approached, Liu Xing jumped into the sky and turned his body in mid-air. Now with his feet pointing to the sky and his face downward, Liu Xing shot rapidly, destroying the centipede's spine, making it look as though a giant were taking bites out of it like a cookie.

The wound soon regenerated, but Liu Xing glimpsed something strange inside its body. Instead of flesh or bone, in one part of the body, there was a brown shell resembling a chicken egg. Liu Xing didn't know the anatomy of a giant centipede made from thousands of spirit beasts, but that thing was certainly not normal. Liu Xing suspected that was where Ji Dongyang was hiding.

Nodding to himself, Liu Xing made that shell his target.

After deciding on his course of action, Liu Xing landed on the ground. As soon as his feet touched down, he kicked off the ground and appeared on top of the giant centipede. Standing on a head resembling that of a giant wolf, Liu Xing watched the world rush by around him, as if he were a stuntman performing atop a speeding train.

Pointing his gun at several heads in front of him, Liu Xing pulled the trigger several times, creating holes in the centipede's body. Finding no shell where he shot, he moved forward and fired again.

By now, the centipede had realized he was on its back, so it stopped moving forward and began burrowing into the ground. Liu Xing knew he didn't want to ride it while it tunneled, so he shot frantically, searching for the shell where Ji Dongyang was hiding.

After shooting the head of a bear spirit beast, causing it to explode into smithereens and create a hole in the centipede's body, Liu Xing saw the edge of the brown shell.

"There you are!" Liu Xing shouted.

He rushed toward the shell. Another head tried to close the hole, but Liu Xing shot it again. When he reached the blast hole, Liu Xing spun like a whirlwind, digging into the centipede flesh with a lightning blade. After a moment, Liu Xing stood inside the centipede with a half-buried shell that looked like a giant chicken egg in front of him.

"Ji Dongyang, come out!" Liu Xing slashed at the egg in front of him. A slimy liquid gushed out, and the giant centipede roared so loudly it created a shockwave. The roar sounded like that of a wounded beast, as if his slash had struck the most painful nerve.

Liu Xing slashed relentlessly, shattering the shell until he faced a monstrous creature with the face of an angler fish. Its form melted away, leaving only the skull of an angler fish with red light for eyes.

When their eyes met, Ji Dongyang lunged at him, claws aimed for Liu Xing's neck. Quickly dodging, Liu Xing unleashed his Lightning Palm Technique and struck the angler fish's skull. Instantly, the skull shattered into dust.

The centipede emitted a piercing roar, its every fiber vibrating as it disintegrated into a writhing mass of flesh and sinew, the amalgamation of many spirit beasts' heads. Seems like Ji Dongyang is the center of this centipede beast. Defeating him automatically makes the centipede monster lose its form. The head and flash around him start to fall. Amidst the falling flesh, Liu Xing grabbed a writhing white snake that was slithering out of the shattered skull. It bore a human head with bushy eyebrows and a bushy mustache.

"Now," Liu Xing declared, "are you ready to talk, Ji Dongyang?"

The head grimaced, unable to flee, defeated and at Liu Xing's mercy.

***

Liu Xing emerged from the melting flesh. He stood atop a mound of severed limbs and heads, looking like a hero who had slain a beast terrorizing the world. Surveying the area, Liu Xing realized their battle had forever altered the Dragon Skull Forest.

"Will this place still be called Dragon Skull Forest?" Liu Xing muttered. The Skull Hill, the forest's main landmark, was now leveled. Instead of a hill, a shallow crater remained, filled with giant holes created by the centipede. Blood and spirit beast heads littered every inch of the crater, like remnants of a demonic ritual.

Tilting his head, Liu Xing noticed he was directly beneath the blue portal. Initially hovering a few meters above the ground, the portal now floated hundreds of meters above since the Skull Hill was gone. The cultivators inside would fall upon exiting the pocket dimension, but they would likely survive the descent.

Liu Xing turned his attention to the white snake with a human head clenched in his right fist. Ji Dongyang struggled and tried to bite his hand, but his small snake body and human head is weak, barely stronger than a five-year-old. The bites wouldn't even scratch Liu Xing's skin.

Liu Xing squeezed his hand, making Ji Dongyang grimace.

"I'll talk. Please stop hurting me!"

Liu Xing loosened his grip and sat cross-legged atop a giant wolf head.

"Wasn't that easy? If you had agreed to chat earlier, we wouldn't have fought for three days and two nights. Look what you did to Skull Hill." Liu Xing pointed behind him.

Ji Dongyang looked like he wanted to pounce on Liu Xing and slap him, but he swallowed his emotions.

"What do you want to know?" Ji Dongyang asked.

"What is the 'shadow' you use? Is it your technique, a byproduct of your cultivation, or something else?"

Ji Dongyang remained silent. When Liu Xing squeezed again, he finally spoke. "The shadow is two things: my technique and something else."

"Explain," demanded Liu Xing.

Ji Dongyang grimaced, reluctant to explain. "I obtained the shadow around three or four hundred years ago. At that time, I was a Sun Refining cultivator. I had a... disagreement with my sect, resulting in its disbandment."

Liu Xing raised an eyebrow. If Liu Xing is right, then what really happened is Ji Dongyang picked a fight with his sect and in the end annihilated them.

"What's your sect's name?"

"Blood Wing Sect, a small sect in the north. Our cultivation technique was... unorthodox, and we didn't get along with other sects."

"Blood Wing Sect," Liu Xing muttered. He tried to recall the name but had never heard of it. Probably because Ji Dongyang annihilated them, or because they are probably a demonic sect, and demonic sects tend to hide themselves.

Demonic sects are the enemy of mankind. They justify any means to achieve immortality. Some refine pills from humans, some sacrifice other cultivators, and some possess others for strength. When Ji Dongyang possessed Mo Yan, Liu Xing suspected him of being a demonic cultivator but didn't dwell on it.

"All right, let's not beat around the bush. You're a demonic cultivator. Hundreds of years ago, you annihilated the Blood Wing Sect. Is that correct?"

Ji Dongyang's lips formed a straight line, then he nodded.

"I don't know if what you did was good or bad. On one hand, you annihilated a sect; on the other, the sect you annihilated was demonic."

Ji Dongyang snorted. "You don't need to think too much about it. You Purple Moon Sect disciples think there's a difference between demonic and righteous cultivators, but in reality, every cultivator is the same. Have you heard of the Jade Palace Sect's destruction? The one who destroyed it is called a sage, even though he did the same thing I did."

Chapter 28 ~ Black Bird (2)

Liu Xing didn't fully agree but saw no need to debate right and wrong with Ji Dongyang. He knew not all so-called righteous cultivators were good, and some demonic cultivators advanced without harming people. In this xianxia world, might makes right, and the last one standing writes history and paints themselves however they want.

"The most despicable aren't us demonic cultivators, but those who claim to tread the righteous path while doing despicable things in secret. The Heavenly Thunder Sect is the worst offender. They are the most despicable sect in the world!"

The Heavenly Thunder Sect was one of the five great sects on the continent, on par or stronger than the Purple Moon Sect. They were famous for their explosive power and ruthlessness. Liu Xing remembered people died on missions after crossing paths with them. However, he wouldn't judge them based on Ji Dongyang's words.

"Don't stray from the topic. What about your shadow?"

"I'm getting there. You are the one who strayed from the topic. So, the shadow. It's actually why I annihilated my sect. When I became a new elder, a disciple interested me. He had no talent, resources, or connections but stumbled upon fortune as if the world favored him. Once, on a mission to pick a herb, he found a stone that speed up cultivation. Another time, he found a pocket dimension filled with spirit stones. Everywhere he went, there was treasure. It was ridiculous."

Liu Xing pinched his chin. This story reminded him of generic xianxia web novels where protagonists had heaven-defying luck, finding gold even when taking a shit.

"Who is he? Is he still alive?" Liu Xing asked.

"You don't need to know his name. He's already dead. Anyway, this guy stumbled upon a black bird. It was so small it could fit in your palm. The black bird seemed normal, and he brought it back to the sect, but I knew he wouldn't pick up an ordinary thing, so I retrieved the bird."

"You bullied him?" Liu Xing asked.

Ji Dongyang snorted. "I didn't need to bully him. I was an elder. He got plenty of spirit stones in the exchange, so our transaction was fair."

Liu Xing doubted it, but he let Ji Dongyang continue to talk.

"After doing some experiments on the bird, I realized that this bird is not a black bird, but a white parakeet. There's a thing that clung to its feathers, making it look like a black bird."

"That's your shadow," Liu Xing said.

"Indeed, that is my shadow."

Liu Xing remained silent, waiting for Ji Dongyang to contiune, but he seemed content to stay quiet, likely because he didn't want to reveal his secret. Liu Xing raised his left hand toward Ji Dongyang, the hand holding an invisible gun. Ji Dongyang's face suddenly paled, and he hurriedly began to talk.

"I don't know where the shadow comes from, but it has several... interesting properties."

"Such as?" Liu Xing prompted.

"It can enhance techniques. Any Base Grade technique would become an Earth Grade Technique, and any Earth Grade Technique would become a Heaven Grade technique if enhanced with the shadow."

"That's a strong property. What if you enhance a Heaven Grade technique? What would it become?" Liu Xing asked.

Ji Dongyang grimaced. "It enhances the overall power, but it's still a Heaven Grade technique. If I had a technique stronger than Heaven Grade, then I wouldn't end up like this."

Ji Dongyang spoke as if techniques higher than Heaven Grade existed, which wasn't surprising, but it broadened Liu Xing's horizons.

Are there also hidden cultivation realms? In this world, there are seven stages of cultivation: Lock Opening, Core Spliting, Sun Refining, Sun Collapsing, and three other realms that Liu Xing still didn't know the names of. Usually, xianxia worlds have nine realms, with each realm having nine stages because in Chinese culture, nine is the highest number. But in this world, there are only seven stages.

Is it possible there are nine realms in this world? Liu Xing wasn't sure, but at the very least, if someone crossed into the seventh realm, they would become immortal.

"What's the second property of the shadow?" Liu Xing asked.

"It can also refine impure qi and accelerate your cultivation slightly."

That property seemed normal; after all, there are many treasures and techniques that can refine impure qi. Impure qi usually comes from sources like beast cores or qi extracted from other people. But Ji Dongyang mentioned it as if he wanted Liu Xing to think this ability wasn't very special. The shadow is probably phenomenal as a cultivation aid.

"The last property is if I absorb the shadow, then I become a black cloud like what you saw. Although you are the first one who can actually see my form. Everyone else thinks I just vanished."

Liu Xing's eyebrow rose. "Is that so?"

"Yes. When I possessed that robber's body, didn't his friends fail to see the shadow I emitted? Only you can see it, which is a mystery. If our positions were reversed, I would want to dissect your body and experiment on you."

Liu Xing squeezed his hand, and Ji Dongyang apologized for his rude comment. Liu Xing didn't mind too much; he was thinking about why he could see the shadow while Pu He and Han Zhong couldn't. Liu Xing was, for all intents and purposes, a normal cultivator. He practiced a normal cultivation scripture and had normal techniques. The only difference was that he now had a gun, and others didn't.

"Wait a minute," Liu Xing muttered.

He glanced at his invisible gun. Didn't his gun have similar properties to the shadow?

His gun absorbed techniques he used, but when Liu Xing reabsorbed the technique, it became stronger. His Lightning Cloak was only a Base Grade, yet its effect was beyond a Base Grade technique.

His gun could also refine impure qi. If he killed a spirit beast, the gun absorbed the spirit beast's core, and Liu Xing could then absorb it and advance his cultivation really fast.

Lastly, while the gun didn't make Liu Xing a mist, it did grant him invisibility.

Suddenly, Liu Xing's heart started racing. Is it possible that his gun is also created from the shadow? Is it all merely coincidence?

Liu Xing thought for a moment, then decided to test a conjecture. He glanced at his invisible gun and deactivated the invisibility. His black gun gleamed in the sun.

"Ji Dongyang, do you see the weapon in my hand?" Liu Xing asked.

Ji Dongyang glanced at Liu Xing's left hand and shook his head. "I don't. Is your weapon some kind of artifact?"

"Are you sure you don't see it? Are you messing with me?" Liu Xing squeezed harder, and Ji Dongyang panicked, insisting he didn't see it. After confirming this, Liu Xing loosened his grip and made the gun invisible again.

So, the gun is actually invisible from the start, which is odd. If this gun is already invisible to others, why does it have the ability to become more invisible? It's like having a black wall and adding another layer of black paint to it. It doesn't make sense. But Liu Xing soon found two possible explanations. Nui might have made the gun doubly invisible to ensure it couldn't be perceived by others. The first layer makes it invisible to normal people, while the second layer hides it from his main enemy—the true darkness he needs to defeat.

The second possibility is that the invisibility is needed so it can spread to his body.

Perhaps the truth is a mix of both, or maybe another reason entirely. Whatever the answer, the main thing is that his gun has similar properties to Ji Dongyang's shadow.

"Alright, any other interesting information about your shadow? Another property you're hiding, perhaps?"

Ji Dongyang shook his head. "No, I don't hide anything else."

"What about your possession technique? Is that also the effect of your shadow?"

"No, this technique is mine. Well, it's mine now. In the past, it was a unique technique of the Blood Wing sect, but now they are in the depths of hell, and the only one who knows this technique is me." He snorted. "This technique is Heaven Grade, although with my current power, it's only at the level of Earth Grade." Ji Dongyang smiled then. "How about I teach you this technique? Combine it with your power, and you could achieve immortality in less than a thousand years!"

Chapter 29 ~ Black Bird (3)

"I'm not interested," said Liu Xing.

It's a demonic technique. Although Liu Xing understands that you can't be soft in this world, he doesn't want to kill people unnecessarily, let alone steal other people's bodies.

"Five hundred years!" shouted Ji Dongyang. "I can guide you to achieve immortality in five hundred years. Trust me, I'm a good mentor."

"A mentor who would bully his disciple and annihilated his sect. More importantly, I want to know everything about that shadow of yours. Tell me your story from start to finish."

Ji Dongyang offered his shadow, his mentorship, even his treasure to bargain for his life, but Liu Xing squeezed Ji Dongyang and declined. He only wanted information.

Understanding that Liu Xing couldn't be easily swayed, Ji Dongyang sighed and told him about the man so lucky it made Ji Dongyang disgusted with him and about the black bird.

Liu Xing asked what experiments he did to the black bird. Ji Dongyang said he dissected it, made it swallow many herbs, and even tried to breed it. In the end, Ji Dongyang successfully extracted the shadow and made it a part of him.

"It's nestled in my consciousness now, although it's so thin I can barely see it, thanks to some busybody," he grumbled while glancing at Liu Xing.

Liu Xing asked for more information, but the only interesting thing was where the Blood Wing Sect and that black bird came from. The location is on the northern side of the Dark Forest Continent, in a small empire called Blue Wind Empire. Liu Xing had never heard of this empire, which means either this empire had no connection to the five great sects or it was merely isolated.

Liu Xing decided to visit that empire someday. He needed to trace back the black bird. It would probably be hard. After all, he needed to trace a single black bird that lived hundreds of years ago, but Liu Xing couldn't ignore the possibility that the darkness was nestled in this little empire.

Liu Xing tried to squeeze more information, but after talking for hours with Ji Dongyang, Liu Xing realized he had already gotten the most meaningful information from him. Which meant it was time to end this.

"Ji Dongyang," Liu Xing said while pointing his gun at him. "Anything else you want to say?"

Seeing his left hand raised, Ji Dongyang became pale. "W-wait a minute. Aren't I useful to you? Didn't I give you all the information you wanted? Surely you would reward me for my cooperation."

Liu Xing remained silent. There was nothing more to say to Ji Dongyang.

"I promise you would benefit greatly if you keep me alive! I can be your informant, your executioner, or your slave! I will work for you and serve you. M-master. Please spare this Ji Dongyang's life."

"Ji Dongyang, I want to say that I'm a righteous cultivator. But you did speak a glimmer of truth. In this world, whether you are a demonic cultivator or a righteous cultivator, people still do bad things. Whether someone is treading a righteous path or a demonic path, there are moments that force them to dirty their hands. I too have killed people, and I would do so again if my judgment tells me it's the right decision."

Liu Xing rested his hand on the trigger.

"Wait, wait, wait. You bastard! I told you everything, and you want to kill me? I retract my statement. Heavenly Thunder Sect is not the most despicable. You are! So let me free. Let me free!"

Liu Xing didn't waver. If Ji Dongyang lived, how many people would he possess and kill in the process?

"Please, I'm begging you. I want to live. I promise to leave my demonic path and start anew. Please, please, I don't want to die."

Liu Xing pulled the trigger. The moment he did, Ji Dongyang's head exploded into smithereens, leaving a wriggling snake body that soon lay still.

His bullets now had six glowing stripes, and a little black smoke floated in the air before being sucked by the gun.

Seeing this, Liu Xing raised an eyebrow. He then checked his gun, looking for differences. But aside from the six glowing stripes, there was nothing different.

"Is the gun absorbing Ji Dongyang's shadow? Will every darkness I encounter be absorbed by the gun?" Liu Xing wondered. Aside from encountering another darkness to see if the gun absorbed it, there was no other way to test it.

Observing the six strips, Liu Xing's lips formed a thin line. He expected he could absorb energy by killing people, and he didn't know how to think about this particular property.

Tossing Ji Dongyang's remains, Liu Xing pondered the nature of a demonic cultivator. If it's someone who kills to advance, does Liu Xing fit that criteria?

"Am I a demonic cultivator?"

Before he could think about it, the portal above suddenly spat out a cultivator. Then another, and another, until dozens of people fell out of the portal. Like a man eating a watermelon and spitting out the seeds.

Liu Xing observed them. Liu Xing spotted Han Zhong among the many falling cultivators. He flailed his left arm, his right arm missing, his face pale as paper.

Yan Yu, with a stoic expression, didn't seem to mind falling, her robe and hair fluttered in the sky, and she wielded a thin black sword in her right hand. The sword was pitch black, and Liu Xing realized that if Ji Dongyang were alive, he would try to possess Yan Yu using that black sword.

Soon, they landed. Some landed on their feet, some, like Han Zhong, tried to reduce the impact by rolling, and some fell like sacks of rice, creating dust clouds that made Liu Xing worry about their survival.

A particular group landed smoothly together. This group consisted of five people, each wearing black and red clothes. They looked battered, with wounds and dried blood on their faces and torn clothes. One man held a giant fan that looked torn into several parts. None carried gourds. Instead, their backs were covered by thin sheets of ice. The white-haired man in front had a large slash wound on his right arm, fresh and still dripping blood.

Seeing this, Liu Xing realized Yan Yu had hindered them. They had fought, and judging by the group's appearance and Yan Yu's pristine look, Yan Yu had won.

After they all landed, they looked around, checking the crater and the hole where Skull Hill once stood. They were probably confused about why they emerged from a pocket dimension into seemingly foreign land.

Then, they looked at him in unison.

Liu Xing stood atop the remains of a giant centipede, now a mountain of flesh and spirit beast heads. He looked like a deranged person who enjoyed killing spirit beasts and creating hills from their heads. Moreover, Liu Xing's entire body was stained with dirt and dried blood, making him look like someone who had dived into a sea of blood, emerged from it, and rolled around in the mud.

Seeing him, some of them looked pale, some trembled, and all widened their eyes, even Yan Yu, the stoic one.

For a moment, Liu Xing wanted to check if they were possessed by Ji Dongyang, but he soon realized it wasn't necessary. He could confirm Ji Dongyang's death because his gun had absorbed Ji Dongyang's qi. No one emitted black smoke, so Liu Xing was pretty certain Ji Dongyang was truly dead and not possessing anyone else. The most likely person to be possessed was Yan Yu, who wielded the black sword. Since she was from the same sect, he could check on her later and monitor her periodically.

Liu Xing realized he might look scary, so he clasped his hands, did a slight bow, and jumped away.

For now, he wanted to find a secluded place to absorb qi from the gun. With that amount of qi, Liu Xing would surely advance to Lock Opening's sixth stage!

Although the events were unexpected and he wasted many bullets, the result was still bountiful.

With that in mind, Liu Xing went deeper into the Dragon Skull Forest, leaving behind destruction so wide a hill was destroyed, thousands of spirit beast heads, and dozens of cultivators with wide eyes full of surprise and fear.

Chapter 30 ~ Black Bird (4)

Han Zhong, for all intents and purposes, was a lousy cultivator. He knew it, Mo Yan knew it, and even Pu He knew it. His talent was so meager that he wouldn't go beyond the Lock Opening's fifth stage; he might be stuck at the peak of the fourth stage forever. That's why he followed Mo Yan, who was more talented, hardworking, and cunning.

He wanted to be like Mo Yan. Well, not exactly like him—Mo Yan was rather ugly and had a hard time with ladies—but he had dreams, goals, and seemed to have control of his life. While he wasn't a shining beacon of charisma, he was the one Han Zhong chose to follow.

When he was possessed, Han Zhong genuinely wanted to help him. He owed him. He was his friend, his sworn brother, and he would take care of him if Mo Yan truly went mad.

But when he saw the portal to the pocket dimension, he chose to leave Mo Yan in Pu He's hands and tried to seek fortune.

Han Zhong was a normal guy. Normally, he wouldn't even get a chance to glimpse a portal to a pocket dimension, but his chance finally arrived, and he took it.

In his heart, he wanted to find a treasure so he could turn his life around. Perhaps he would find a treasure that would help him cultivate faster and soar like a phoenix reborn from its ashes, or even a mountain of spirit stones so he wouldn't need to work forever.

He justified this decision by thinking that if he became stronger or richer, he could take care of Mo Yan easier.

And indeed, in the pocket dimension, he glimpsed these two things: a stone that would help him cultivate faster and a gourd so ancient and mystical that if he sold it, he would have a mountain of spirit stones.

But the heavens did not favor Han Zhong. In the first trial, everyone needed to comprehend a single technique. This fist technique activated by following a complex qi cycling pattern that enhanced not only his right hand but also his heart and spine.

Other people successfully learned this technique in a couple of minutes. The Purple Moon Sect girl mastered it in just a second. Yet, Han Zhong needed almost a day to memorize all the qi cycling patterns. The result was also disastrous. His right hand exploded, and he barely succeeded in using the fist technique with his left hand.

When Han Zhong started the second trial, the others had already completed the fourth and fifth trials. At this moment, he realized he would gain nothing in this pocket dimension, but he still wanted to try his luck.

In the second trial, he needed to fight a single big dog with black fur, a white nose, and ferocious eyes, and it regenerated every time it was wounded.

It was obvious this dog needed to be defeated with the fist technique from the first trial, but Han Zhong hesitated. He lacked confidence in using the fist technique again, afraid his remaining hand would also explode. So he used his brain. He hid, he schemed, and in the end, that black dog got stuck between two boulders and he punched at the dog hundreds, maybe thousands of times, to overwhelm its ability to regenerate.

Han Zhong felt pretty good about it. He thought that while he had meager talent, with hard work he could achieve something. Hell, perhaps he would become immortal. All he needed to do was work as hard as possible and get lucky once.

But in the middle of the third trial—he had to find the right door out of three in front of him—he was suddenly expelled from the pocket dimension and fell from the sky. He flailed his arms, his eyes focused on the brown ground that looked like a crater full of holes below.

Around him, he saw dozens of cultivators falling like him and suddenly realized that the trial was over, and he got nothing and lost an arm because of it.

Profound sadness flooded his heart.

That was the first and possibly last chance to get treasures, but because of his meager talent, he got nothing there.

He wondered what if Mo Yan had entered the pocket dimension. Han Zhong was pretty sure he would have gotten something out of it. Mo Yan would boast to Pu He and Han Zhong, claiming that he defeated a cultivator to get this treasure. Han Zhong would admire him and also feel a little jealous of him.

Bitterness over his incompetence surged in his heart, but Han Zhong calmed his mind and tried to land safely.

After landing, Han Zhong looked around. He saw blood, corpses, and heads of spirit beasts scattered in a large crater around him. Each of the holes was big enough for dozens of people to fall through together. Obviously, a big battle had happened here, perhaps seniors from the Core Creation or even Sun Refining realm fought here. Han Zhong decided he needed to run from here. He needed to find Pu He and Mo Yan.

"After that, what do I do?" he wondered. Would he truly just take care of Mo Yan? He didn't mind, but doing so would mean he stopped following Mo Yan. He would become the one in charge, and he felt insecure about it.

"W-what is that?" someone said.

Han Zhong instinctively searched for the speaker and soon realized that it was a woman in a blue robe. She was pretty, though not as pretty as Yan Yu of Purple Moon Sect. She pointed at something, and Han Zhong turned his head to see what it was.

There, hundreds of meters from their position, was a little hill full of spirit beast heads. Most of them were intact. There's a boar head, a lion head, a giant fly head, some boneless head that looked like a slab of meat with eyes, a giant hand with fingers as their hair and two red eyes, and many, many more. It was like an army of cultivators waged a war with these spirit beasts, and each cultivator gained a trophy in the form of a head, which was thrown into a giant and snaking pile.

Atop it stood a man. From the top of his head to the tips of his toes, dry blood and mud clung to him. He looked like a beggar who rolled around in a pool of blood and mud, but his eyes and his stance reminded Han Zhong of an emperor. He was probably the one who killed all the spirit beasts.

Realizing this, Han Zhong trembled, his eyes wide. The scale of this fight was immense. In front of this man, Han Zhong felt like an ant. He observed the man more carefully, trying to carve his image into his heart, but then another realization made his heart race like a herd of galloping horses.

"Isn't he Liu Xing?" he muttered.

Amidst the mud and blood, Han Zhong saw purple. His face was also covered in mud and blood, but the shape of it, the black eyes, and the expression were strikingly familiar. This was the man they had tried to rob, the one who spared them, and even helped subdue Mo Yan.

The last time Han Zhong saw him was when he entered the portal.

A thought suddenly occurred to him, and Han Zhong scanned everything around him. He didn't recognize the area, but beyond the destruction, there was greenery everywhere—a sign they were near a forest. Seeing several giant mushrooms in the distance, he was pretty sure they were still in the Dragon Skull Forest.

Han Zhong then looked for Skull Hill, but when he didn't see it, understanding dawned on him.

"This place is Skull Hill; it's been destroyed!"

Han Zhong focused his eyes on Liu Xing again, his heart beating wildly. Liu Xing was only at the sixth stage, yet he was undoubtedly strong. Han Zhong accepted that a disciple from the Purple Moon Sect was superior to a loose cultivator like him, but Liu Xing's power was beyond his imagination.

"Is this what talent is?" Han Zhong thought. He had considered his talent trash, but now he realized he was below trash. He was just a speck of dust.

Liu Xing suddenly clasped his hands and bowed, striking fear into Han Zhong's heart. Why did he show respect? Didn't he realize that Han Zhong and the other cultivators should be the ones bowing to him? Looking around, Han Zhong saw confusion, fear, and trembling hands and legs. They also realized that if they did something wrong, their lives would be forfeited.

Liu Xing jumped without a word, leaving them in the center of the crater.

For several moments, no one spoke, as if everyone was afraid to offend Liu Xing and be killed. But the silence was soon broken by a shout from a man in a black and red robe. He carried a torn-up giant fan. Han Zhong realized he was from the Red Desert Sect.

"Now that your fellow sect members have abandoned you, I will make sure you pay for what you did. That black sword belongs to senior Chen Wen Hao!" He pointed at Yan Yu.

The man with white hair and a long gash on his hand nodded. "That sword is mine. Give it, and you can live."

Yan Yu just stared at them, as if she didn't hear what they said.

"Take it yourself," she finally said.

Han Zhong sensed a fight would break out, so he wisely turned around and started to run.

As he ran, Han Zhong reflected on what he had experienced in the past few days. The most prominent realization was that he was only a speck of dust in the cultivation world. He was not favored by heaven and seemed unlikely to create a significant change in the world.

"Maybe, Pu He is on the correct path."

As he ran amidst trees and mushrooms, Han Zhong wondered if being a farmer was more fitting for him. If he became a farmer, he wanted to raise livestock, such as chickens and pigs. He also wanted a pet, so he would probably adopt a cat.

"Being a farmer isn't so bad," he muttered.

Chapter 31 ~ Sixth Stage (1)

After running for half a day, Liu Xing finally finds a perfect place to cultivate. After washing himself, he sits in a large tree half-submerged in water. This tree has so many hanging roots that it almost looks like it was made of thousands of green snakes. Liu Xing cuts some roots, makes a hole high up in the tree, and sits down.

From his position, Liu Xing can see a wetland in front of him. The place is serene. Dragonflies flit around, birds tweet, frogs croak as if they are in paradise, and crocodiles and hippopotamuses swim with obvious happiness.

Many fallen trees look like a horde of bulldozers ran through the swamp, creating paths like highways. These paths lead to Skull Hill, and it's clear the spirit beasts that live in the swamp are rushing there, leaving a mess in their wake.

At first, he stares anxiously at the path the spirit beasts left. What if all the Purple Tailed Lizards are gone? After all, the swamp is now peaceful. Not a single spirit beast shows its head. But then, he just sighs. After all, there's nothing he can do. If no Purple Tailed Lizards remain, then so be it. His points would still be in the negative, but at least he would return as a sixth stage cultivator.

Thinking of advancing his cultivation, Liu Xing grinned, then he sat cross-legged.

"Alright, let's breakthrough!"

He closed his eyes, and not long after, he woke in his consciousness.

Seeing the white around him, Liu Xing suddenly remembered that pitch-black place where he met Nui. The feeling of loneliness crept into his heart, but he crushed that feeling and tried to calm his mind.

After calming down, Liu Xing observed the ball of lightning that flew in front of him. This ball of lightning was tied with a silver chain, and seven locks dangled from the chain. Five were already opened, and the last two were still locked.

Liu Xing willed his ball of lightning to rotate and stopped it when the sixth lock was right in front of him. Liu Xing knew that this lock was almost full. If he absorbed the energy from his bullets, then he would have the energy to open the sixth lock.

To open his lock, he needs to fill it to the brink with qi, and then fight a mental battle to open it. Hopefully, this sixth lock will be easier than the fifth. Opening the fifth lock was the most agonizing experience in his life, it felt like pulling a boulder with his teeth, but that was partially because he swallowed so many pills to finally fill the fifth lock with qi. Cultivation with pills, while faster, can lead to a bottleneck.

"I hope that my new way of cultivation will not lead me into an agonizing bottleneck."

Liu Xing cleared his mind and started to feel the qi around him. The swamp had a higher density of qi compared to Skull Hill but not as dense as in the Purple Moon Sect. Ignoring the qi around him, he focused on the gun in his lap. The gun felt like an ordinary object, just metal shaped into a specific form. It didn't emit an aura that felt dangerous, but Liu Xing knew better.

After a moment, Liu Xing sensed the six bullets inside the gun. Each bullet emitted light in his perception, almost like stars.

He pulled the energy from a bullet into his body. Instantly, his muscles tensed with energy, and he felt an urge to run around the world. Liu Xing resisted the temptation and absorbed all this energy into his consciousness. When the energy entered his white space, it looked like glittering water being poured in.

Normally, this glittering energy would be converted by the lightning ball first, but it flowed straight into the keyhole, filling the qi inside the lock. The qi settled within the lock without vibration or rejection, as though it didn't realize the qi was trying to fill it to the brim and open it. Before obtaining the gun, Liu Xing had to stabilize the qi he inserted into the lock. Some qi would pour out, rejected by the lock, and Liu Xing would have to force it inside. Now, with the gun, filling the lock with qi was effortless.

After the energy from the first bullet fully settled inside the lock, he repeated the process four more times.

Now, the lock vibrated slightly, emitting a ripple of energy.

Liu Xing inhaled deeply, both in reality and within his consciousness. He knew this lock only needed a little more push, and he had one last bullet to guarantee his advancement.

His heart was pounding with excitement, anticipation, and fear. Liu Xing was confident that he could advance, but he couldn't help but fear complications. He had never progressed smoothly before.

"Don't think too much, just do it," he muttered.

Liu Xing absorbed the last bullet into his body, then into his consciousness. The energy poured into his consciousness, eager to reach the sixth lock. Liu Xing allowed the energy to fly toward the keyhole and braced himself for what would happen next.

As the last drop of qi entered the keyhole, Liu Xing heard a faint click.

"No way," muttered Liu Xing.

He decided to test his conjecture and reached for the lock. The lock was red, like a padlock made of solidified blood. Its surface felt cool yet hot, solid yet ethereal, as if his hand might pass through it.

Liu Xing held the lock with both hands and pulled the shackle. It came undone easily. Instantly, the silver chain around the lock loosened, and the ball of electricity vibrated happily.

Liu Xing felt the qi inside his body increase greatly, filling him with energy like when he absorbed the bullets. He smiled, opened his eyes in the real world, and stood up.

"I'm finally a sixth stage Lock Opening realm cultivator!"

He expects his progress to be more groundbreaking, or full of hardships. Instead, he advances so easily that if it weren't for the large amount of qi in his body, he would think he was still at the fifth stage.

Still, this means that his weapon is really, really great. Smooth advancement means that his foundation is stable, and stable foundation means that it would be easier for him to advance to the next realm.

Liu Xing grinned. Only one lock remained. Once he opened this lock and released the orb of electricity from the silver chain, he would have a single core and could officially be called a cultivator of the Core Splitting realm.

In the Purple Moon Sect, the Lock Opening stage was considered the beginning. One could only become a true cultivator when he reached the Core Splitting realm. That's why only Core Splitting cultivators can be accepted as inner disciples.

Liu Xing doubts that he can achieve the Core Splitting realm before his twentieth birthday. However, his prospects are good. Sooner or later, he will advance, and with his gun, Liu Xing is confident that an elder will notice him.

He observes his surroundings, eager to hunt more and reach the seventh stage faster. The Dragon Skull Forest is now a haven for ordinary animals. He has already slaughtered most of the spirit beasts here. Those that remain are either hiding or weak. Since he's at the sixth stage, he needs to kill spirit beasts with at least the same stage as himself.

Jumping from the tree, Liu Xing landed on the shallow water, his feet submerged in the water. Liu Xing started to walk around, checking his surroundings. Since he's already reached the sixth stage, it's time to complete the mission, go home, and get another mission. With his sect point now, he can't afford another technique, but he wants to have several techniques and cultivation methods later.

Jumping onto the crocodile's back, Liu Xing let the crocodile carry him and thought about what technique he would get when he had enough sect points.

First, he wants a technique that allows him to maneuver in the air. The fight with Jid Dongyang made him realize that even though he can move so fast, he needs something to launch himself. He can't do that in the air, and that makes him vulnerable in the air. The second thing he wants is a way to cultivate while moving.

He has heard this method before, and if he is not mistaken, this method is considered a joke. He has heard that this cultivation method is a hundred times slower than normal cultivation methods. Why would anyone want to move while cultivating? When normal cultivation is hundreds of times more effective?

Chapter 32 ~ Sixth Stage (2)

Liu Xing's condition is slightly different. He wasted so much beast core qi when he fought the horde of spirit beasts. True, the bullets are used to kill other spirit beasts, but if Liu Xing can mooch off a fraction of the energy from the bullets, he would advance faster. Not that he wanted to fight a horde of monsters again. If the situation allows it, he prefers to kill spirit beasts silently.

Pinching his chin, Liu Xing considered his options. Right now, he can't afford both the maneuvering technique and the cultivation method, but if he had enough points, what would he prioritize?

After thinking for some moment, letting the crocodile give him tour of this swamp, Liu Xing decide the most important is the manuevre technique.

"What kind of technique fits my Lightning Cloak Technique?"

Immediately, he thought about solidifying the air under his feet, creating a platform for him to jump off of. This technique would improve his movement, as he would no longer need the ground, and he could move in three dimensions.

It's cool, and this technique isn't out of the realm of possibility. The Purple Moon sect has many, many techniques, and one of them must be this Air Step Technique. Even if it's not similar to his imagination, there's probably a similar technique in the library.

"All right, it's decided. I have to grind more points to be able to afford this technique."

Liu Xing decides to jump off the crocodile and start looking for the Purple Tailed Lizard all over the swamp. He searches the whole swamp for the lizard, and he finds it, although it's a tiny one with so many black dots in its tail. Not what his mission needs.

He wasted several days searching for the right Purple Tailed Lizard. As time passed, he began to grow anxious. Maybe the perfect lizard is buried under the remains of the centipede.

Deciding to look for more, he sweeps the swamp clean. There's no leave he didn't check and no stone he didn't leave unturned, but he didn't find the other Purple Tailed Lizard.

When the time came to return, Liu Xing just sighed and ran towards the Purple Moon Sect. He accepted that he would fail this mission.

"Whatever, I'll grind some more missions."

Liu Xing activates his Lightning Cloak Technique and jumps from tree to tree. After leaving the swamp, he jumped between mushrooms and tall trees, and soon arrived at the remains of the centipede beast he killed. The rotten smell filled the air, and many critters, animals, and birds ate the flesh and head of these spirit beasts.

Liu Xing had the urge to check the remains, thinking that he might be able to find a perfect tail of the Purple Tailed Lizard, but then he decided against it. The chances are slim, and he would waste more time looking for it.

He soon arrived at the clearing where Mo Yan, Pu He, and Han Zhong tried to rob him. He can see a human-shaped mark on the face of the cliff where either Han Zhong or Mo Yan crashed into it.

He almost jumps to climb the cliff when he suddenly stops himself.

At the edge of his vision, a twisted foot sticks out of a bush. Seeing that feet bend unnaturally makes him flinch. Liu Xing soon realized that feet were kinda small and wearing a woman's shoes, and although he didn't see it clearly, he could see a hint of purple inside the bush.

He raised an eyebrow, and a thought popped into his head.

"There's no way, right?"

Liu Xing decided to approach the bush and check it out. After opening the bush, he saw Yan Yu lying on the ground, her right hand drenched in blood, her left hand bent in an unnatural way, and a bloody slash mark on her torso still gushing blood.

Seeing Yan Yu's condition, Liu Xing's eyes widened.

Yan Yu opened her eyes and looked at Liu Xing calmly, as if she was chilling in the bush of her own free will.

"Are you okay?" Liu Xing asked.

Liu Xing did not like Yan Yu. His first impression of her was that she was a bully. And he did not want to get involved with a bully, considering his past, but she is from the same sect, and perhaps ignoring her would breed enmity between them.

"I'm fine," she said.

Liu Xing raised his eyebrow. He once again observed her bent feet, her robe drenched with blood from the large slash wound on her torso. Normally, a wound like that would be life changing for an ordinary person, but she's a cultivator, and cultivators have high vitality.

"All right, take care of yourself." If she was all right, then there was no need for him to help her.

He turned around and took one step, two steps, and three steps. Liu Xing suspects that she is proud and would not want to be helped, especially by Liu Xing who once defeated her. If that is the case, then it is okay for him not to interfere. But if she asked, Liu Xing would not mind helping her.

"Wait."

A quiet sound was heard from behind, and Liu Xing turned around. Yan Yu still looked calm, her electric blue eyes perfectly controlled, as if she did not feel the pain in her body.

"You can take me to a safer place. I'm poisoned."

Liu Xing nodded. Although her words sounded like an order, Liu Xing understood that she was asking for help. Liu Xing still has a bad impression of her for when he tried to make his cave hers, but Liu Xing can't ignore a fellow sect member. He also thought that if he helped her, he might win some goodwill, and maybe one day, if he helped her, she would help him. After all, Liu Xing is now living in the xianxia world, and the threads of fate and karma probably exist.

"Wait a minute, I'll make a shelter."

Liu Xing walked over to the cliff. He was looking for a suitable place to carve a simple cave. The place must be hidden, but still easily accessible. Soon, he found two trees that were growing tall right in front of the cliff. One of them sprouted from the ground, and the other one sprouted from the face of the cliff, bent a little, and then grew tall. Liu Xing jumps onto a branch, moves around the tree, and with his lightning blade, Liu Xing starts slashing the cliff. His lightning blade is so sharp that he feels like he is cutting a jelly. Soon, a shallow cave was created behind the two trees.

Liu Xing then goes back to where Yan Yu is. She is now closing her eyes, probably trying to recover her poisoned body.

"I have secured a place," Liu Xing said.

Yan Yu nodded without opening her eyes, and Liu Xing carried her in a princess carry. While he was carrying her, Liu Xing's mind flew elsewhere.

On Earth, while there are several girls who are interested in him, he didn't have time nor interest to start dating. In this world, Liu Xing also did not have much opportunity to interact with the opposite sex.

When he still wants to live happily in the backwater country, he entertains the idea to marry and have children, but with his mission now, he is pessimistic he can find a time to date. Nevertheless, he is still attracted to a girl. On the way from the sect to here, he met cute attractive girls several times.

Glancing at Yan Yu in his hand, Liu Xing realized that Yan Yu is the most attractive girl he has met in this world, yet he did not have any interest for her, even when he was carrying her.

Soon, they arrived at the cave Liu Xing created, and Liu Xing laid her down in the middle of this cave.

"Thank you," Yan Yu said without opening her eyes.

"You're welcome."

He wondered what had happened to her. The last time he saw her was when she came out of the pocket dimension with the black sword. Since there are other cultivators there, they'll probably team up against her and try to steal the black sword. Yan Yu is strong. She probably killed a lot of them, but he did not see the black sword.

"My sword is safe." She said as if she knew what Liu Xing was thinking.

"I see," Liu Xing said.

"Do you want it?" Yan Yu opened her eyes. Electric blue eyes pierced him.

Liu Xing shook his head. "I don't need it, I already have a blade."

Although the lightning blade isn't really a blade, it's enough for Liu Xing.

She nodded, seemingly satisfied with the answer, and closed her eyes again. Liu Xing then offered her his Blood Pill and Restoration Pill. She accepted both pills, and since she cannot move her hands, Liu Xing fed the pills to Yan Yu.

After that, she closed her eyes again, her qi recovered, and her wound and mangled limb slowly recovered. Seeing this, Liu Xing realized that she only needed a few hours before she could move again.

Since there was nothing more he could do, Liu Xing stood up. "It looks like you will recover soon. I'll excuse myself."

Liu Xing turned around and started to leave, but Yan Yu spoke.

"I will give you information."