Kill, Kill, Kill!

"Kill!" "A mere human, nothing more than our rations, dares act so insolent!" More than three hundred demon soldiers surged forward. Meeting them was a brutal, overbearing sweep of a staff. Tyrannical Strength! Heaven-Cleaving Sword-Drawing Technique! Dying Radiance! With all three grand skills activated, Qi Yuan renounced all mercy, transforming into the God of Death walking out from the underworld. A blood-red robe paired with a blood-red wooden stick. With a single strike, four or five demon soldiers were instantly sent flying, their bodies shattered, dead as dead could be. Qi Yuan's combat skill and combat awareness were terrifyingly acute—or rather, fighting had already become his second nature. He plunged into the midst of the three hundred demon soldiers as if entering an empty field. Wherever his staff fell, demon soldiers perished. "He's too strong!" Zhou Yuan trembled all over. The strategist's eyes also flickered with an abnormal light. "If he ever enters the Wuying Realm, who could possibly stand against him!" Peacock hovered in midair, radiating green light, utterly infuriated. "Take a blow from me if you dare!" Humiliation turned into blazing fury. This was the first time she had ever encountered such an enemy. Qi Yuan moved through the horde of demon soldiers like an eel. Her attacks could not hit him at all. Nor could she strike freely, for if she missed Qi Yuan, she would slaughter her own soldiers instead! She possessed immense power, yet had nowhere to unleash it! Otherwise, with her strength at the Demon Hero rank, she was confident she could chop that hateful human below into minced meat. "Aaaah!" At this moment, she could endure it no longer. Powerful blood-martial qi erupted from her. The feathers on her back transformed into a curtain of green swords, furiously shooting toward Qi Yuan's position. "Too slow." Darting through the battlefield like a swimming dragon, Qi Yuan cast an indifferent glance at Peacock. With a twist of his body, he vaulted across the battlefield like an Azure Dragon, dashing toward another sector. The curtain of green swords hissed down, immediately wiping out five unfortunate demon soldiers. Seeing this, Peacock's eyes nearly split with rage. "Stop dodging if you have any backbone—face me head-on!" Peacock shrieked. She was furious, and full of regret. Fearing that Qi Yuan might hold other trump cards, she had dispatched the demon soldiers to surround him while she looked for an opportunity to strike him dead. Yet who could have anticipated that Qi Yuan would be so fast and agile? Now, she was the one constrained. If this continued, they might eventually wear Qi Yuan down, but her demon soldiers would suffer catastrophic casualties. At this point, she could not even order the demon soldiers to pull back. Qi Yuan clung to them like maggots to a bone. As for using the suona player as a hostage? The thought never crossed her mind. How could a powerhouse like this be swayed by such a threat? Of course, even if she abandoned the battlefield to search for Huo Mushi, she would not succeed. From the moment Qi Yuan stepped foot into this place, the surrounding world had become a cage centered on him. There was no escaping it. Qi Yuan paused mid-stride in the battlefield, his blood-red wooden stick smashing an old ape demon to death. He looked up at Peacock in the sky, a smile playing in his eyes. "An ordinary person wouldn't fall for your provocation. "But I'm different. My favorite thing in the world is giving an enemy hope... only to crush it underfoot." As Qi Yuan spoke, he stepped on a wild boar demon's tusk, snapping it clean off. Using the rebound force, he leapt straight into the sky. Delight bloomed across Peacock's face. "Today, I'll show you the chasm between the Demon Hero Realm and the Jade-Blood Realm!" she roared. Her ultimate attack was already brewing at breakneck speed. The moment it finished gathering and crashed onto Qi Yuan, he would die without a doubt! That was what she believed. Yet the smile on her face froze that very instant. A blinding streak of light flashed with incomprehensible speed. She could not react in time. A sudden sensation of choking fullness and tearing pain erupted from her mouth. Before she could even comprehend what had happened, a voice drifted into her ear. "Don't open your mouth so wide when you talk in the future... look, even a stick this thick fits right inside!" Qi Yuan thrust the wooden stick forward with violent force. The staff tore down her throat, piercing straight into Peacock's stomach. "Ah!" Peacock screamed, but no clear sound could escape her throat. Utter shock and fury convulsed her mind. Her ultimate attack had not finished gathering! Had it gone off, he would surely have died. Yet now, skewered by the stick, she had lost all ability to resist, dangling like a small yellow croaker on a bamboo skewer. She was furious, and drowned in regret. "Too weak... In my eyes, you aren't any different from those demon soldiers. "No, wait, there is a difference. You yield quite a bit more demon essence blood." Qi Yuan waved his hand, and the demon essence blood within Peacock's body was slowly stripped away. Peacock's eyes widened, her vitality scattering. "If... if you hadn't ambushed me... you would... die without a doubt today!" "How laughable," Qi Yuan chuckled. "In honor of you providing me with so much demon essence blood, I won't shatter your delusion. You may die clinging to your regrets." Even if Peacock had unleashed her ultimate move, Qi Yuan could have suppressed her with ease. With a downward push of his hand, one of the Demon Camp's Three Great Generals fell. The surviving demon soldiers looked on in terror and dismay. For the first time, a chill of dread crept into Zhou Yuan's heart. Looking at the demon soldiers, Qi Yuan lamented from the air, "If only I had an emotional points system. They get shocked every single day—I'd be rolling in wealth!" Saying so, Qi Yuan dropped back to the ground. His wooden stick struck down with thunderous force, felling another seven or eight demons. At this point, the strategist could no longer hold his composure. "Flee! Run, quickly!" The strategist bellowed and turned to sprint away. Seeing this, Zhou Yuan didn't hesitate for a moment, bolting outward as well. As for the demon soldiers, their courage had shattered long ago. Even a great general like Peacock was dead. What did they have left to fight with? Yet very quickly, the strategist's expression froze. "What is this?" He discovered to his horror that a barrier blocked his path ahead, barring his escape. He frantically unleashed all his might to strike the barrier, but it did not budge an inch. Watching the scattering demon soldiers, Qi Yuan remained completely calm. "From the moment I stepped into this valley, your fates were sealed—you could only serve as substitutes for my white moonlight! "Unfortunately, my heart is ruthless. I won't pray to the heavens: 'Resurrect, my white moonlight!'" With those words, Qi Yuan tore into the demon soldiers once more like a demon god. Screams of slaughter, weeping, and pleas for mercy blended together. Not a single demon could withstand a single blow from Qi Yuan. Zhou Yuan roared as he charged toward Qi Yuan. The soul inhabiting his body flared with immense power, unexpectedly stepping into the Wuying Realm. "I've already given you my body! Help me survive this!" "Ahhh, can we not fight? Beg for mercy! This kid looks way too strong!" "No! It's him or us!" In that desperate moment, he surrendered his physical body entirely to the remnant soul dwelling inside him. Unfortunately, that very remnant soul—once so desperately coveting control of this body—was terrified out of its wits. Letting out a ghostly screech, it fled in panic, scrambling straight off to reincarnate in the underworld. Today's suona music was exceptionally merry. All three hundred demon soldiers became souls under Qi Yuan's staff. In the end, looking at Qi Yuan standing in the distance draped in blood-red robes like a demon god, the strategist said with a bleak, desolate expression, "If the imperial court had possessed a hero like you earlier, why would we ever have suffered the humiliation of retreating south?" Finishing his words, the strategist drew his blade across his neck and died. Gripping his wooden stick, Qi Yuan looked at the corpse. "Your ambitions are far too small. With me around, all you can think of is not having to flee south? "What you should be considering is ascension." Qi Yuan looked over the valley, now reduced to ruins. His expression was calm, showing little joy. After all, killing monsters at this scale really wasn't anything special. "As expected, games where you just kill monsters are the best. Investigating cases and ferreting out the truth is utterly boring," Qi Yuan remarked. With a wave of his hand, nearly three thousand drops of demon essence blood were collected. Not far away, Huo Mushi's face was flushed red, panting heavily. Well, panting from blowing the suona. Anyone happening upon this scene would have thought Huo Mushi had been the one slaying demons while Qi Yuan was the one playing music. "My lord... you truly are a God of War!" Huo Mushi could not help saying. Those three hundred demon soldiers plus Great General Peacock would have been enough to slaughter all of Zhenyang City. Right now, his heart was both exhilarated and worried. Qi Yuan was unimaginably powerful. To cause such a massive disturbance... The demon chieftain of Mount Shuyao would certainly not sit still. He would undoubtedly mobilize every last demon soldier and lead them in person to eradicate Lord Qi. What awaited them next was probably a desperate, massive flight for their lives! His mind was a tangled knot of thrills and excitement. Qi Yuan looked at Huo Mushi with a nonchalant expression. "Can you still blow?" "Huh?" Huo Mushi froze, unsure what Lord Qi meant. Did "blow" mean playing the suona, or something else? "I feel like this dream stick has a really nice heft to it. So... no day like today. Let's go wipe out the demon camp," Qi Yuan said casually. "Huh?!" Huo Mushi's eyes widened, thinking his ears were playing tricks on him. "Right now... go slaughter the demon camp?" Shouldn't they be running away for a grand escape? Charging straight into their stronghold? Was this a joke? "Yeah. But it's a bit tricky—can you still play the suona? If you can't keep playing right when I'm having fun killing, what am I supposed to do?" Qi Yuan looked at Huo Mushi with a troubled expression. Huo Mushi's heart thudded against his ribs. He stared at Qi Yuan in his blood-red robes, and finally nodded firmly. "I can still play!" "In that case, let's go... and wipe out... all of Mount Shuyao." Gripping the wooden stick, a faint smile surfaced on Qi Yuan's face. "Understood!" Huo Mushi's expression hardened with resolute determination. No matter the outcome, he had to follow through with this battle. Night fell, and the moon rose. Across the mountain ranges, two silhouettes—one tall, one short—cast long shadows behind them. The wind whipped Qi Yuan's blood-red robes, snapping them loudly in the breeze. From within the demon camp, a loud shout rang out: "Who goes there!" At that moment, Huo Mushi raised the suona, his expression solemn, prepared to face death. Today... even if he fell in battle here, his name would surely go down in history. Ahead of him, the blood-red figure wore an indifferent expression, yet spoke in an exceedingly tender voice: "Xiao Jia, Share the Same Robe!" The god-of-war-like figure surged upward. Blood-red armor manifested, completely encasing his tall, imposing frame. The blood-red barbs on his shoulders looked as if fresh blood flowed across them, terrifying to behold. Like a demon god walking out of the underworld, he advanced in silence. The mountains and valleys trembled at this moment. Those blood-red eyes gleamed with an eerie light. "Kill!" Tonight was destined to be a night bathed in blood. Tonight, countless demons were destined never to see tomorrow's sun. Three thousand demon soldiers... was that supposed to be a lot? The massive, blood-red form slammed into the demon camp. The curtain rose... on total slaughter. *** Zhenyang City. Atop the city wall, Yang Guang wore an anxious expression. "Zhou Yuan is gone." "What?" An Qiao was slightly startled, immediately catching the scent of a conspiracy. "Could he have gone to cause trouble for Mr. Qi?" The worry on Yang Guang's face deepened. "If I recall correctly, he has an item on him that can detect the precise locations of people nearby. "If..." Zhou Yuan was utterly fickle; there was nothing he wouldn't do. It was entirely possible he might even collaborate with the demons. "Given Mr. Qi's strength, as long as he doesn't get bogged down in combat and keeps moving, no one can pin him down unless all three thousand demon soldiers mobilize. "We must hurry and finish our quest so we can take Mr. Qi away!" An Qiao said earnestly. As long as the quest was completed and they met up with Qi Yuan, they could leave at any moment. Even if the demon soldiers encircled them, they could easily depart. Yang Guang nodded, agreeing with An Qiao's words. Yet looking down at the boy soldiers and white-haired elders on the city wall, his expression grew somber. "It's a pity. Even if we finish the quest, it won't do the people of Zhenyang City any good. Those demon soldiers..." Yang Guang's voice was desolate and helpless. Once they left, the people of Zhenyang City would continue to suffer under the ravages of the demon horde. The inhabitants of this city were treated like cattle raised for slaughter. An Qiao's expression softened with sympathy. When they had returned earlier with the carcasses of demon beasts, the soldiers' reactions had made her heart ache. In particular, the County Commandant had stepped forward in person to apologize and make amends. She knew the commandant simply refused to give up, clinging to the hope of securing aid from the imperial court's Demon Suppression Division. Yet... they weren't truly from the imperial court's Demon Suppression Division at all, and had no way of lending a hand to the mortals of this world. "Let's head out first thing tomorrow morning, finish the quest... and leave," Yang Guang said. "Before we go, we'll slay a few more demons—consider it doing a little something for them." *** "My lord, up ahead is Fenghua Cave!" Huo Mushi looked at the man walking before him, his eyes filled with awe. The scenes from last night remained etched deep within his memory. This man was like a heavenly god descended to earth. A single warrior charging straight into the demon camp. Facing the siege of three thousand demon soldiers, he grew stronger the more he killed, like an invincible god of death. All three thousand demon soldiers had perished by his hand. Not a single one had managed to flee. After all, Qi Yuan's combat skill was far too terrifying. His three skills—Tyrannical Strength, the Heaven-Cleaving Sword-Drawing Technique, and Dying Radiance—were utterly absurd. Especially Dying Radiance, which practically granted infinite health regeneration, making him even stronger the lower his health dropped. Among those three thousand demon soldiers, not a single one was a major realm above Qi Yuan; all he needed to do was kill, kill, and kill. The Devouring Primordial Physique from the Holy Mother of Inedia also allowed Qi Yuan to continually enhance himself during the slaughter. It was fair to say he grew stronger with every kill. Through this slaughter, Qi Yuan had finally realized the correct way to play this game. The truth... what was that? He should just kill, kill, kill. Thus, he had come to Fenghua Cave not to complete the quest, but to... take the quest targets away. Otherwise... if someone else completed the quest, wouldn't that mean he had to return? Therefore, the best method was not to complete the quest. Take the quest targets... and go kill, kill, kill! The world was vast—how many demons were out there? In these Northern Lands alone, the demons numbered well over ten thousand. If he obtained all of their demon essence blood... his strength would surely skyrocket! Of course, while this made him happy, the people participating in the quest alongside him would probably curse his name to the heavens. At this moment, Qi Yuan looked at Fenghua Cave ahead, an excited grin spreading across his face. "Close for me! Shroud for me!" He instantly unleashed his Dao technique, binding the two presences he sensed inside Fenghua Cave. Right—mouths shut, bodies veiled. If he couldn't hear their voices and couldn't see their faces... then that didn't count as learning the truth or finding the quest targets, right? Instantly, the human and the demon inside Fenghua Cave showed expressions of terror and shock. They struggled desperately, but to no avail. Footsteps echoed as Qi Yuan approached. "Yep, it really is the two of them. Alright, I'm going to take them on a journey to roam to the ends of the earth. "Little Mushi, are you heading back to Zhenyang City, or coming with me to blow the suona? "Let me be blunt upfront: I'm strapped for cash right now, so I won't be paying you a wage." According to the notifications in his eyes, the two figures wrapped in black cloth were indeed the people he sought. Qi Yuan also stopped thinking. Otherwise, if he deduced the truth and the quest finished, that would be terrible. Hearing Qi Yuan's words, Huo Mushi's eyes lit up with sheer delight. "I am willing to follow you, my lord!"