If the opponent were at the Nascent Soul Realm, I'd have to think twice.
But since they're at the Golden Core Realm, it's not impossible to kill them.
Back during the battle in the Lava Heart Cave, Xu Ming fought against a branch leader of the Black God Sect, which gave him a pretty clear understanding of his own strength.
Now, with his current Heroic Soul martial Realm and Cave Mansion Realm cultivation levels, defeating opponents of the same rank is almost effortless. Most of them couldn't last a single exchange against him.
Against Sea Observation Realm cultivators, they could put up some resistance, but even then, they wouldn't last for long.
Dragon Gate Realm cultivators were more on par with him in strength, but even then, defeating most of them wasn't particularly difficult.
It was only against Golden Core Realm cultivators that he could say the fight was evenly matched.
Frankly, Xu Ming was somewhat startled by his own power.
For most cultivators, defeating an opponent two ranks higher is already considered extraordinary, often requiring exceptional talent or rare treasures.
Yet here he was, relying solely on a basic inner sect sword technique from the Wanjian Sect and his bare fists, able to defeat enemies three ranks above him without the aid of any treasures. It was absurd, to say the least.
Of course, much of this was thanks to the system and the incredibly useful attribute points it provided.
It also helped that the power gap between ranks below the Nascent Soul Realm wasn't as insurmountable as the chasm between Furnace Foundation and Cave Mansion Realms.
Once he reached the higher five ranks and faced opponents from those levels, even a single rank difference would likely become a significant challenge.
"The Higher Five Ranks."
Xu Ming softly repeated the phrase in his heart, a small smile forming on his lips.
The Higher Five Ranks... that was still far away for him. He'd deal with it when the time came.
---
After Xu Ming bid farewell, he turned to head back, making his way to Luo Sanniang's residence.
Sure enough, when Xu Ming arrived outside Luo Sanniang's house, he saw a group of burly men from the village banging on the door.
"Sanniang! Open the door! Locking it won't help, Sanniang!"
The leader of the group looked hesitant, but still pressed forward.
One villager muttered, "Sanniang only has one daughter. If her daughter is taken, isn't that too cruel?"
Another villager shot him a glare. "Then why don't you offer up your daughter instead?"
The first villager immediately shut his mouth, too afraid to speak further.
"Sanniang, if you don't open up, we're going to break down the door!"
The burly man knocking on the door issued a final warning.
Still, there was no response from within the courtyard.
The group exchanged glances and nodded to each other.
Bang!
The wooden door of Luo Sanniang's courtyard was kicked open.
"Let's see who dares to lay a hand on my daughter!"
"Sanniang! Calm down!"
"Sanniang, put the knife down first!"
As the crowd rushed into the courtyard, they saw Luo Sanniang standing there with a kitchen knife in her hand, facing them defiantly.
Nobody dared to step closer, afraid she might do something drastic.
"I know times are tough for everyone, and I understand it's our family's turn this year!" Luo Sanniang gripped the knife tightly, her voice trembling. "But she's my only daughter! If you want to take her, you'll have to step over my dead body first!"
"Sanniang... you..."
The village chief hesitated, unsure of how to respond.
Given her temper, it was clear that she was more than capable of following through on her threat.
Just as the standoff between Sanniang and the villagers reached its peak, Xu Ming walked into the courtyard and headed toward Luo Sanniang.
Luo Sanniang's attention shifted to Xu Ming, her eyes blinking in surprise.
"This guest already left, didn't he? Why is he back?" Luo Sanniang wondered, her heart filling with doubt.
Wary that Xu Ming might be colluding with the villagers, she took two steps back, uncertain about his intentions.
Xu Ming walked to the space between the villagers and Luo Sanniang. Turning to face the crowd, he clasped his hands in a polite bow and spoke directly, without any pretense:
"If you trust me, I can help you eliminate the Yellow Sand River Dragon King. From then on, you'll no longer need to sacrifice boys and girls to that so-called dragon king."
The moment Xu Ming finished speaking, the crowd fell into stunned silence, as though they hadn't processed what he'd just said.
"What did he say?"
"He said he can kill that wicked dragon?"
"How could that be? That's a dragon we're talking about!"
"If he can kill it, great. But if he fails, that dragon will unleash its fury, and our entire village will be wiped out!"
Before long, everyone began chattering, their doubts about Xu Ming's claim filling the air.
"Quiet!"
The village chief's shout silenced the crowd. He stepped forward, his brow furrowed, and looked at Xu Ming.
"We appreciate your good intentions, hero," the chief said. "But that Yellow Sand River Dragon King is incredibly powerful. How do you plan to kill it?
If you fail, not only would you lose your life in vain, but the dragon king would surely take its anger out on us. At that point, we'll all be dead."
"I understand, and your concerns are valid." Xu Ming nodded calmly.
"That's why this is something you'll have to think carefully about.
In this world, there's no such thing as a perfect solution.
I will do my best to help you, but you must also bear the associated risks. If you trust me, then cooperate with me—I'll have a much better chance of succeeding.
If you don't trust me, I won't intervene, and your village will have to continue as it has.
However, Luo Sanniang allowed me to stay for a night, and I consider that a kind of fate. If you want to sacrifice the children of other families, that's none of my business. But this little girl—you won't touch her. I will take Luo Sanniang and her daughter away."
"You..."
The village chief was momentarily at a loss for words.
How should he describe this warrior? He was willing to risk his life to slay the Yellow Sand River Dragon King, which was undeniably courageous and noble.
But at the same time, he was only willing to save Luo Sanniang's daughter, indifferent to the fate of others. Was this truly "righteousness"?
Or perhaps, put another way, Xu Ming was only willing to save the people he cared about.
As Xu Ming's words settled, a wave of unease swept through the villagers.
This man claimed he could kill the Yellow Sand River Dragon King, which meant he was clearly no ordinary person. If someone like him wanted to protect Luo Sanniang's daughter, what could they do? In other words, Luo Sanniang's daughter was untouchable. That much was clear.
But that meant they would have to choose another girl from another family to take her place. Yet who would willingly send their own child to die?
Xu Ming gazed at the crowd indifferently and said, "I will remain here until noon. If you decide, let me know. If not, once noon passes, I'll leave with Luo Sanniang and her daughter."