Without the bead of life and death, perhaps he would have led an ordinary life, never getting entangled in the many grudges and emotions among martial cultivators. Maybe he would have spent his days in the small village of Pan Shi Town, raising children. In this world, there are too many maybes and too many possibilities, but with the fusion of the bead of life and death, Luo Xi's fate was beyond choice. Having chosen the path of martial cultivation, he was destined for a path of slaughter. Either he would march forward over a mountain of bones in triumph, or be trodden underfoot and forgotten like countless others. Once, the great martial master of innate level nine, Zhang Lü Liang, filled him with a sense of danger, spurring him to cultivate desperately. Now, he slays those of innate level nine as though they are nothing, and even Gou Hongyi of martial king cultivation level has been marked with a bounty for termination, at the great expense of ten terrestrial low-grade war swords! Yet, never before has he felt as small and insignificant as he does at this moment. Not all enemies can be eliminated through the bounties of the Hunter's Guild. Figures like Lei Weilong and Gongsun Qianji, strong martial kings far beyond the likes of Gou Hongyi, are well out of Luo Xi's ability to afford a bounty for. ... On the outskirts of the Guanlei Mountain Range, the battles of martial king-level mighty figures spread like a tempest. Having swallowed and refined all seventeen divine blood pearls, Luo Xi's flesh had finally reached the limit of an advanced battle body. Just a hair's breadth away from breaking through to the pinnacle battle body, if he could cultivate his flesh to this level, with physical strength alone, he could withstand a late-phase martial grandmaster! Now at innate level six cultivation, with the advanced battle body he could contend with early-phase divine cultivators. If you add Violent Yuan Dan, Xuantian Change, and All-Heaven Life and Death Stamp, even when facing a fourth phase divine cultivator, he would be able to ensure his safety. For a martial master of innate level six, such strength is considered defiant of the heavens, but Luo Xi felt it far from sufficient—he needed more power! Luo Xi didn't leave the Guanlei Mountain Range but proceeded directly to the heart of this forest, the Guanlei Temple! Near the Guanlei Temple, a large number of warriors gathered every day, each one above innate level sharpening their martial skills with the pervasive sword intent of the place. Just entering the area, the sharp sword intent assaulted him, and if unable to withstand this pressure, a martial cultivator's will would collapse, resulting in death on the spot. Any martial cultivator who has cultivated to the innate realm possesses an exceptional will. By honing it under the pressure of the sword intent, one can break through the limits and perceive higher realms. Here lies a precious site for understanding martial realms, yet equally fraught with dangers. Venturing too deep without measuring one's strength, the increasingly severe sword intent could tear a martial cultivator to pieces. Typically, innate martial masters can only stop at the outermost layer, only divine martial masters may reach the foot of the mountain, and martial kings can comprehend the sword intent on the mountainside. As for the Guanlei Temple at the peak, it is said that only martial lords and a few powerful martial kings can enter. Luo Xi did not linger in the outer area, making his way directly to the foot of the mountain where the Guanlei Temple was situated. Seeing Luo Xi's action, many martial cultivators contemplating the sword intent in the vicinity showed surprise, disdain, mockery, or schadenfreude. "Halt, our young master is cultivating the sword intent here and must not be disturbed!" Seven or eight martial cultivators blocked the way, one of them speaking coldly to Luo Xi who approached. These individuals each had the cultivation of innate martial masters. Behind them, a young man in blue was sitting cross-legged, with faint blue lightning flashing around him, clearly cultivating thunder true qi. Within Douhai County, only those from the Lei Martial Sect cultivate thunder true qi. Luo Xi slightly narrowed his eyes, involuntarily recalling the scene from the previous night when the master of Lei Martial Sect, Lei Weilong, surrounded by thunder arcs, injured Yan Yue'er. A flash of sharp killing intent flickered in his eyes. Any other cultivator might have chosen to skirt around them, unwilling to offend the people of Lei Martial Sect, but Luo Xi ignored the veiled threat in their words and continued forward. "Presumptuous!" Ahead, an innate level seven martial master with a stern face drew his waist falchion, "If you step further, don't blame us for striking." Anyone below a divine martial master, they wouldn't dare to stop; but a mere innate level six martial master, how dare he be so brazen? "Scram!" Luo Xi's figure flashed, leaving behind nine afterimages, almost instantaneously appearing in front of the speaking innate level seven martial master, pointing a finger. Shocked and with a face of alarm, the martial master saw an apparently simple finger point he couldn't resist. However, he instantly responded with a shout, swinging his falchion at Luo Xi's finger. With a cold expression, Luo Xi watched the martial master and his companions nearby jeering—the young man would surely have his finger cut off if he didn't retreat. "Cling!" Finger met falchion, and instead of a burst of blood, there was a sound of metal striking stone, sparks flying everywhere. A crack sounded, and the mid-grade human falchion crumbled, the innate level seven martial master spewing blood, his face filled with horror. This scene happened in an instant, astonishing the many witnesses. A body-cultivating martial artist with an advanced battle body! Only one with an advanced battle body could shatter a mid-grade human falchion with a single finger point, capable of contending against a divine martial master with his body alone. These seven or eight martial artists, relying on their identity as disciples of Lei Martial Sect, blocked other cultivators with arrogance. But now, someone boldly disregarded Lei Martial Sect's authority, dealing a merciless blow. Here at the periphery of Guanlei Temple, many innate martial artists looked on, the atmosphere tense and silent. "How dare you strike a member of Lei Martial Sect, are you seeking death?" The nearby martial masters reacted, glaring with ferocious expressions at Luo Xi. "What of it?" Luo Xi's cold gaze swept over, "The one I struck is indeed from your Lei Martial Sect!" The young man in blue, who was not far off cultivating sword intent, opened his eyes and frowned, "Disturbing my sword contemplation, kill him!" With an air of arrogance and annoyance from being disturbed, the young man casually ordered murder. At his command, several innate martial masters immediately revealed killing intent, unsheathing their swords, and attacked Luo Xi. At that moment, there was no talk of a fair duel—the spectacle of a single finger shattering a mid-grade falchion showed this man was extraordinary. They had to join forces to kill him. A sardonic smile crossed Luo Xi's lips, disdainful. These people were a mere rabble, not even deserving to force him to draw his sword. "Decahedron Shadow!" Luo Xi's movements appeared light and fleeting, and his nine afterimages made it impossible to discern his real body. "Wham!" He kicked an innate martial master in the chest, the dark flames of the netherworld rending the life channels, causing his chest to explode and blood to fly as he was flung away. Then, Luo Xi swung his hand, and black flame sword qi swept out, causing several innate martial masters to spit blood as they were flung away. Alone yet like a tiger among sheep, he effortlessly defeated seven or eight innate level seven masters! The young man in blue stiffened at this scene. He glanced at his subordinates scattered across the ground and still sat cross-legged, speaking coldly, "You dare ignore the Lei Martial Sect just because you're quite powerful?" "So what if I do?" Luo Xi's reply remained the same. Infuriated by the contempt and disdain in Luo Xi's words, the youth in blue showed anger, "Do you know my surname is Lei?" The Lei surname belongs to the core lineage of the Lei Martial Sect, and historically, the sect masters have also borne the Lei surname! In Douhai County, no one dares to provoke the disciples of the Lei family as they control the Lei Martial Sect. When the youth in blue revealed his Lei surname, the many innate martial artists in the periphery all showed fear, indicating the Lei family's deep-rooted influence in Douhai County. Just when the Lei-surnamed youth thought his background would make Luo Xi fear, Luo Xi suddenly laughed. "People of the Lei family? Good, I'll kill you first as a way to reclaim some interest!" Luo Xi didn't conceal the murder in his voice as he stepped toward the young man in blue. The young man in blue finally changed color. Who was this cloaked youth who dared to ignore the Lei family and truly dared to kill him? Luo Xi's figure flashed, and in the blink of an eye, he was in front of the young man, palm striking down at his head, unyielding. "Die!" The young man in blue summoned a falchion in his hand, bringing with it a whistling gust. Faint lightning flashed as he aimed to slice Luo Xi's palm. "Cling!" The clash of palm and blade rang out. A massive surge of force transmitted through the blade, staggering the youth as he retreated several steps, his palm split open, blood oozing out. The falchion in the young man's hand was of human-level superior grade and was not shattered by Luo Xi's palm. A simple strike left only a white mark. Luo Xi advanced, finger as a sword condensing the dark flames of the netherworld. The youth in blue raised his blade to block the finger sword, another massive force came, the blade vibrated loose and flew from his grip, his palm streaked with blood. This left the young man in blue with an expression of shock as he rapidly retreated, Luo Xi's sword finger, however, was relentless and unavoidable. "Who are you? Why do you want to kill me? What enmity do I have with you?" he roared. But Luo Xi did not reply, his eyes only harbored cold killing intent. The youth in blue's gaze turned to the crowd, eyes shifting as he shouted, "My father is a protector of Lei Martial Sect, whoever can slay this man and save me will be greatly rewarded by Lei Mu Yan!" Knowing he was no match for this cloaked youth, he sought help through his identity as a Lei family disciple. "Halt!" With the promise of a reward from Lei Mu Yan, someone stepped forward, revealing the cultivation of a great martial master. Below divine cultivation, great martial masters dominate with innate level nine. Yet Luo Xi ignored this, his sword finger emitting death flame-filled qi, piercing through Lei Mu Yan's brow with a "pfft". A small hole appeared in the center of his forehead, Lei Mu Yan's movements stopping abruptly as he fell to the ground with a thud. The rushing innate level nine martial master was a middle-aged man with a rough beard. Seeing Lei Mu Yan killed, his expression soured. As Luo Xi's chilly gaze swept over him, the great martial master snorted, "Having killed a Lei family disciple, dare you leave a name?" In his view, this person dared to kill a Lei family member, surely possessing a remarkable identity. "Scram!" Luo Xi coldly shouted, his murderous aura surging forth with a dreadful tinge of blood. Intimidated by Luo Xi's killing intent, the great martial master's complexion changed dramatically. Such terrifying killing aura meant this man must have slain countless innates! The greater the number of masters killed, the more terrifying the aura. Luo Xi had not slain many people, but in the Secret Realm of a Thousand Demons, he had nearly a thousand innates and demon beasts to his name, thus cultivating a deadly aura. "The slayer, Asura!" His chill gaze swept over everyone present, Luo Xi coldly proclaimed, "Tell the Lei family, one day, I will break through the Lei Martial Sect and take Lei Weilong's head!" To break through the Lei Martial Sect and claim the sect master's head? These words, laden with murderous intent spoken by a mere teenager, made the many cultivators present feel it was utterly—absurd! It was not just arrogance or madness. The lord of Lei Martial Sect was a martial king, a lofty existence in Douhai County, and this youth was clearly out of his depth, spouting wild words.