Shu Er’s neck had already been pierced through, blood foam bubbling from his mouth.
He twitched a few times, then stopped moving.
Lin Xue placed her foot on his back and pulled the Blood Fiend out from the back of his neck.
“Slayed a Jindan early-stage monster. Experience gained: 1000 points.”
Lin Xue’s heart skipped a beat.
A thousand points!
A great monster truly was a great monster—one actually gave a full thousand Experience!
This was simply too bountiful!
Earlier, when she killed Yang Yuting at Refining Qi Perfection, she only got three hundred Experience.
The difference was actually that vast.
Lin Xue opened her own status panel.
Name: Lin Xue
Race: Snake
Experience: 1080 points (Can Condense).
Can Condense?
A new function suddenly appeared on the panel, making Lin Xue pause in surprise.
What is this for? What effect does it have?
She hadn’t had time to study what this Condense meant when she suddenly felt a gaze filled with killing intent, icy and cold, sweep over her.
She looked up and saw Shu Da charging out from the circular passageway, glaring with bloodshot eyes.
He looked at Shu Er’s corpse, then at her, his gaze as if he wanted to devour her.
Lin Xue was startled.
After reaching Foundation Establishment, she could already discern the cultivation of monsters.
From the demonic aura around Shu Da, she could tell that his cultivation was far higher than Shu Er’s.
And Shu Er’s realm was similar to her own, meaning Shu Da’s cultivation was much greater than hers.
She had killed his little brother right in front of him; from the look in Shu Da’s eyes, he would stop at nothing to have her dead.
But her skills hadn’t leveled up yet. All her arts were still at the Refining Qi stage.
Can I take on this big rat?
Lin Xue felt a bit nervous, unconsciously gripping the Blood Fiend tighter in her hand.
She also noticed that Shu Da was covered in wounds, one arm hanging limply, clearly gravely injured.
At the same time, she heard faint shouts and sounds of battle coming from the corridor below.
Lin Xue’s heart was filled with suspicion.
Someone is actually attacking Luoyun Cave!
What force could it be? Friend or foe?
If they could injure Shu Da, their strength must be considerable.
If they were enemies, what should she do later?
She also didn’t know if there were any other exits in the cave, or if she could escape.
Lin Xue’s thoughts spun rapidly as she stared fixedly at Shu Da, considering her next move.
At this moment, Shu Da had already noticed the spiritual aura around Lin Xue.
He was both shocked and enraged.
Shocked because—how could this snake demon possess spiritual qi that only human cultivators should have, and she had even reached Foundation Establishment?
So, the frightening phenomenon in the cave earlier was actually caused by her!
How did she manage that?
And she dared to achieve Foundation Establishment right under his nose! What contempt!
He was angry because his little brother was killed right before his eyes.
Shu Er, that useless thing—he told him to recover, yet he couldn’t help but sneak out to find the snake demon,
And now, he died at the hands of that very demon, wasting all the effort he put in these days, using Wan Shu Chao Yuan to nurture him.
Shu Da was so furious, he nearly spat blood.
Shu Er was supposed to play a key role in his future plans.
That was why he hadn’t escaped the cave directly earlier, but instead rushed back in, hoping to take Shu Er with him.
But now, Shu Er had been slain by that snake demon.
All his years of plotting and hard work had been mostly ruined.
Shu Da’s eyes blazed with fury. He wanted nothing more than to rush up and beat the hateful snake demon into the ground, stomp on her hard, then kill her to vent his anger.
This snake demon was only at early Foundation Establishment, and after all, was a monster—not like a human cultivator, lacking talismans and magical artifacts.
Even in his poor state, he should be able to crush her with ease.
But right now, he was gravely injured, his meridians unstable, and with Lang Qianxing and Lang Buping still chasing from behind, he really didn’t dare linger in battle.
Shu Da gritted his teeth and made a decision.
He could come back for the snake demon later.
His own life came first!
Holding back his hatred, Shu Da gave Lin Xue a murderous glare, then turned and charged toward Hong Lao San’s cave, preparing to escape alone through the fissure.
Lin Xue saw that Shu Da didn’t come at her, but instead turned to run, and she couldn’t help but be surprised.
Watching Shu Da’s back, a surge of attack intent rose within her.
Only then did she notice that the cave was littered with mouse corpses, and some still struggled feebly, staggering around.
She suddenly remembered Zhang Zongnian.
Zhang Zongnian, to save her, had possessed an ordinary mouse.
After delivering her the cultivation method, he left her side and blended into the mouse horde, vanishing from sight.
In her eyes, all the mice looked the same; she simply couldn’t tell which one was Zhang Zongnian.
Looking at the countless dead and half-dead mice, Lin Xue felt as if something sharp and cold pricked her heart, making it ache.
Is Zhang Zongnian among all these mice?
Is he still alive?
Even if he survived, he’d probably spend the rest of his life as a mouse.
Lin Xue felt an even deeper sense of guilt toward Zhang Zongnian.
Ever since Zhang Zongnian saved her, he seemed to have had nothing but misfortune, plagued by disaster after disaster.
To save her from Yang Yuhai, he was gravely wounded and almost killed, and was framed by the Yang Family for colluding with demons, killing comrades, and slaughtering the innocent.
She tried to repay his kindness by saving his mother, but that only drew the Yang Family’s Ancestor, resulting in his mother’s death at the hands of the Ancestor of the Yang Family.
Later, in order to escape, she brought him to this demon lair, and Zhang Zongnian ended up being tormented by monsters day after day, always injured.
Now, he had even given up his original body to save her, possessing a mouse.
Lin Xue’s heart felt heavy, full of remorse.
She wanted so much to do something for Zhang Zongnian, to make up for all she owed him.
She stared at Shu Da, killing intent in her eyes.
Hong Yanzhi had told her earlier that Shu Da had risen to become a great demon precisely by controlling rats.
This time, in order to help Shu Er advance, Shu Da had used that method again.
And Zhang Zongnian’s wretched fate—becoming a mouse—was all because of Shu Da.
Shu Da was the true culprit.
Lin Xue decided to kill Shu Da and avenge him.
After all, she had already slain Shu Er, making herself and Shu Da sworn enemies.
For herself, and for Zhang Zongnian, she had to kill this big rat.
If she let him go this time, who knew when she would ever get another chance.
But her skill level was too low—could she really beat Shu Da? Lin Xue herself wasn’t confident.
She glanced at the Blood Fiend in her hand, and suddenly an idea struck her.
She remembered—the Blood Fiend could absorb flesh and blood, greatly boosting its power!
And the spells infused in the blade could also help her.
Even if she couldn’t defeat Shu Da, with Blood Mist and the Swiftwind Sword Manual’s movement techniques, she could still escape with her life.
Lin Xue immediately stabbed the Blood Fiend into Shu Er’s corpse.
Shu Er’s body rapidly shriveled, becoming a dried husk.
The Blood Fiend, having feasted on the flesh and blood of a Jindan-stage great monster, was instantly brimming with power.
To Lin Xue’s delight, the third-tier spell “Corpse Poison” that had always been gray and unusable, now became available.
This spell, when used together with the second-tier spell Blood Mist, would poison enemies within the mist—lowering their defense and attack, slowing their movements, while enhancing the user’s own defense and attack.
With this skill, Lin Xue immediately felt confident.
She quickly channeled her spiritual power. The blade of the Blood Fiend flashed red, emitting an extremely shrill Ghost Howl toward Shu Da.
Shu Da was struggling to flee when he suddenly heard the soul-shattering wail. His head spun, eyes blackening, and with a muffled grunt he staggered several steps, legs giving out, and collapsed to his knees.
Lin Xue, now at Foundation Establishment, unleashed the Blood Fiend’s Ghost Howl, making it far more powerful than when she was in the Refining Qi stage.
And Shu Da was already badly wounded and unprepared—he suffered a serious loss in an instant.
At the very first moment the Ghost Howl sounded, Lin Xue had already activated Blood Mist and used the Swiftwind Sword Manual’s movement technique, and in a blink, she was behind Shu Da.
She raised her blade, wielded a technique from the Swiftwind Sword Manual, and slashed directly at Shu Da.
A continuous flow of sword moves poured toward Shu Da like splashed ink.
Shu Da raged.
You, a mere little snake demon, dare target me, Shu Da?!
Even if you had some rare opportunity and cultivated human techniques, even established your Foundation, you’re still a whole minor realm below me!
I, Shu Da, blessed by Heaven, who mastered Wan Shu Chao Yuan—destined to become a Demon King, a Demon Lord, even a Demon Emperor—what are you in comparison?
Killing you is as easy as killing that old cat Hong Lao San!
He wanted to turn and fight Lin Xue for a few rounds, pin her down and humiliate her, then kill her—let her regret ever provoking him, let her know the consequences, let her know what a Jindan mid-stage great demon was.
But then he thought of the Lang father and son chasing close behind and, suppressing his fury, decided to let Lin Xue go for now.
Survival first!
He struggled to dodge Lin Xue’s attack.
Suddenly, he realized he was surrounded by red mist.
He could already feel the blade’s sharpness at his back, and his mind gave the order to dodge.
But his body felt sluggish, limbs unable to keep up, every movement a fraction too slow.
That tiny delay proved fatal.
In a flash, the Blood Fiend pierced his back.
In an instant, Shu Da was struck several times.
He let out a miserable scream.
At this moment, Hong Yanzhi had just finished dressing and rushed out from her room. Seeing this, she was stunned.
Shu Da—who once slapped her father Hong Lao San to death, a dignified Jindan mid-stage great demon—was now utterly defenseless before Lin Xue, allowing her to slash wound after wound on his back.
And just last night, even up to a moment ago, Lin Xue had been, like her, merely a late Body Tempering minor demon.
Now, in the blink of an eye, Lin Xue could slay two great demons with her own hands.
Hong Yanzhi was even more certain that she had chosen the right master!
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