Chu Feng maintained his double-fisted stance, standing still where he was.
His massive body shimmered with an iron-gray gleam, and his knotted muscles twitched slightly, with thick veins bulging prominently.
Qi and blood steamed like smoke, presenting a terrifying visage of a flesh giant.
At his feet lay two decapitated corpses, still twitching slightly.
The exploded heads sprayed out in a fan-shaped pattern, with red and white scraps scattered all over the ground.
It was Chu Feng's first time killing a person, and his fists trembled slightly, a wave of nausea surging in his stomach.
He took a deep breath and said to himself:
"What are you panicking about? Protecting myself, eradicating evil for the people, I am on the right path.
"Those who should be killed and are not dead, all can be killed!"
Just then, a special prompt appeared before his eyes, attracting his attention.
[Encountered complete new corpse: Foundation Establishment Stage human martial artist, Attribute Points extractable: 3. Do you want to Include this race? Yes/No]
Chu Feng stared intently at the panel, the options "Yes/No" flickering with an unfathomable glow in his eyes.
Unbeknownst to him, a little demon bearing Chu Feng's face had crawled out over his head again.
It whispered enticingly into his ear:
"If you activate this new feature...
"The source of Attribute Points will no longer be limited to demons...
"Perhaps you will no longer need to worry about the shortage of Attribute Points.
"On the brutal Demon Battlefield, thousands of Junior Warriors die or disappear each year.
"Those plump corpses just lay on the blood-soaked soil, slowly decaying.
"Enriching the soil of the battlefield, or becoming food for the Demon and Demon Clan.
"This is a serious act of aiding the enemy!
"Why not take them, and use them for a bit?
"Become a part of my strength!
"Let me use them to kill more demons and bring a brighter future to the human race..."
...
The little angel did not appear this time, seemingly sensing the burgeoning desire stirring within Chu Feng.
Chu Feng's breathing grew more rapid, and visions of himself being immensely powerful,
admired and sought after by everyone, loved and pursued by young girls, and feared and lamented by enemies sprang to mind.
To become the strongest martial artist!
To become the war god of humanity!
To become...
Chu Feng, breathing heavily, suddenly hardened his gaze, making a certain decision!
In the delighted gaze of the little demon, he decisively chose without hesitation...
[No]!
In an instant, the little demon, as if struck by lightning, cried out in disbelief and exploded into a puff of blue smoke.
Watching the slowly fading and disappearing prompt before him, Chu Feng slumped to the ground as if he had lost all strength.
A sensation of weakness came over him—it wasn't just a sensation—
The duration of the [Attribute Burst] had ended.
His body felt progressively sore and tingling, but his face showed a satisfied smile of having overcome himself.
His eyes gleamed clearly and brightly under the moonlight.
"Extracting life force from demons and converting it into Attribute Points...
"In a sense, it's like eating demons, digesting their life force.
"Demons eat humans, so it's only natural for me to eat them.
"However, if I chose to extract human Attribute Points... wouldn't that mean I'm eating humans?
"There's a saying... Today you dare to eat an enemy, tomorrow you'll dare to eat the innocent!
"The more you obtain, the stronger the desire will become, the lower your moral standards will drop...
"And greed is endless!
"If today I dare to meddle with the corpses of fallen heroes, tomorrow I might start to actively kill people to extract Attribute Points!"If I really chose to take shortcuts and start targeting my own kind...
"How would I be any different from Jia Ren, that vile wolf?
"A brighter future? Ridiculous!
"Pursuing the light through dark means only leads to a darker abyss!"
Chu Feng, enduring the soreness all over his body, stood up, and looking down at Jia Ren's corpse, he thought to himself:
'Also, the dried corpses of demons from which I've extracted Attribute Points are too conspicuous.'
'As I grow stronger, more and more people will come to know about this.'
'Soon, someone will wonder if I can extract life force from humans.'
"They will naturally begin to doubt me, guard against me, observe me.
'Who would want to be killed and then turned into a dried corpse?'
'No wall is impervious to air...'
'If I truly dare to do so, I would have to become an absolute lone wolf...'
"Every time I commit a crime, I must kill all witnesses and eliminate all clues completely.
'If discovered even once, I will face resistance and pursuit from all over Longhua and even Blue Star, and I will never have a peaceful day!'
Chu Feng smiled faintly, slowly crouched down, and searched Jia Ren and Big Beard for any items:
'I, a genius martial artist with a boundless future, why should I follow such an inhuman and evil path?
'The right path in the human world is full of vicissitudes!'
After a rustling sound, Chu Feng casually pocketed the miscellaneous items he found on Jia Ren and Big Beard.
He then dragged their corpses to a pit in the small grove.
With humans receding from the outskirts, wild beasts reclaimed the area, and they would completely clean up the remains of the two men.
The breeze became alluring, and the moonlight also turned tender.
Chu Feng turned around and slowly walked in the direction of home.
Like an ordinary person, he stepped onto the street under the living moon, his face wearing a relaxed and happy smile.
With Jia Ren gone, he suddenly felt the world had broadened!
From now on, there will be one less evil wolf constantly preying on his secrets and life!
From today onwards, he can live securely and grow powerful freely!
Exhibiting just a bit more strength than others, passing the best college.
Embarking on the rapid path to becoming distinguished and suppressing the world!
Perfect plan, at a considerable expense!
...
The next day, inside the refurbished Martial Arts Hall.
Chu Feng's face beamed with a bright smile as he brandished a Tang Sword, practicing the Demon-Slaying Saber Technique move by move.
The saber was as quick as lightning, with the edge creating a roaring wind wherever it passed, its force impenetrable, making it difficult for anyone to get within three meters of him.
Stepping through the Rapid Wind Steps, he weaved through the dense saber light, as if his body was wrapped in a magnificent circle of sabers.
The more relaxed his mood, the better he practiced the technique.
He felt as though the Tang Sword in his hand was gradually becoming as light as a feather, moving with the wind, following his heart.
As he progressed through the moves, he faintly sensed the long-sought pulse of the saber!
He thought with pleasure:
'Indeed, once the pressure in my heart is relieved,
"With my talent, it's easy to immerse myself entirely in practicing martial techniques and reach the mysterious Dao realm!
His powerful demonstration of the saber technique made his classmates stop their practice.
They watched spellbound as the set of standard techniques became more skilled and powerful in his hands, unable to resist whispering among themselves.
With admiration:
—"No doubt about it, it's Chu Feng, his progress with the saber technique is too fast!
"Just yesterday, he was quite unskilled, but today he flows extremely smoothly!"
—"How do I see it, this saber technique is about to achieve minor achievement, soon to surpass me?
"I specialize in saber techniques, yet he's such a freak..."
And there were those smitten, staring at Chu Feng's eyes and practically sparkling:
—"Chu Feng looks so handsome wielding the saber! I wish he could hold me and dance together~"
—"Do you want to dance with him, or are you just longing for his body?
"But his physique really is great, perfect arms, a slender waist, and legs like a praying mantis!"
—"You little minx, go up there and say you want to touch his abs!"
—"Little hussy, I'll tear your mouth off!"
But there were also many unpleasant rumors...
Several people crossed their arms, slouching there with looks of jealousy, loudly mocking:
"I remember Chu Feng majors in swordsmanship, right? What use is training so hard in saber techniques? Isn't the major subject what counts in the exams?"
"Hmph, just showing off! Martial artists have limited energy; being so distracted and lacking focus is simply wasting his talent.
"I bet he won't score well in the major exam!"
"Tsk, just a showpiece, looks good but isn't practical, only good for deceiving those girls.
"Once he gets on the platform, it won't take more than ten moves before he's beaten down!"