Night fell, and the waning moon ascended.
The nocturnal jungle, as if draped in a mysterious veil, inspired a sense of awe.
So refreshing.
Inside the cave, Qin Feiyang finally opened his eyes, got up, and stretched. Having slept soundly until now, his body felt completely relaxed, and his spirits had soared. He checked his wounds. Both the arrow wound and his broken thigh were almost completely healed.
"Alchemy... it truly is magical," Qin Feiyang murmured, his face full of longing.
Yes. He wanted to become an Alchemist.
After leaving the cave, he looked up at the waning moon, his eyes flashing with a cold light, and murmured, "That nightmare is far behind me. From now on, I, Qin Feiyang, will be *your* nightmare."
WHOOSH!
He took a step forward, darting into the jungle.
Huh? Was I seeing things?
Suddenly, he stopped near a large tree, scanning his surroundings in disbelief. Just now, he thought he'd vaguely seen a white wolf, but in the blink of an eye, it had vanished.
"I must be imagining things... Perhaps it's because I miss that White-Eyed Wolf," Qin Feiyang murmured to himself. "White-Eyed Wolf, thank you for your elixir. We'll meet again if fate allows." He then sped up, moving like a specter in the night, dashing silently onward.
In his hand, he still clutched those three arrows.
These three arrows, he couldn't bear to discard.
It wasn't because these three arrows were some kind of treasure.
He intended to give them a taste of their own medicine!
After Qin Feiyang left, a dozen white wolves gathered beneath that large tree.
AWOOO...
The Wolf King let out a few low growls. One of the white wolves immediately rushed off in the direction Qin Feiyang had disappeared. The Wolf King then led the other wolves back to Wolf Valley.
「...」
By the lake, Uncle Yuan stood on a large rock, looking towards the entrance, his old eyes filled with deep worry. "It's already dark, why hasn't Feiyang returned?"
Suddenly, a dark figure dashed through the entrance.
It's not Feiyang... it's him! Uncle Yuan's eyes narrowed, a trace of coldness appearing on his face.
WHOOSH!
The next moment, he leaped into the air, transforming into a streak of light that swiftly disappeared into the night.
Flying!
If Qin Feiyang had seen this, he would definitely have been astounded.
Because only powerhouses at the War Emperor realm could fly through the air!
In other words, Uncle Yuan was not as simple as he appeared.
A dozen breaths later, the dark figure stopped by the lake, surveying the ruins that had been burned to ashes.
Strange... Last night, I saw them perish in the sea of flames with my own eyes... But why would Elder Ma say they're still alive...? I don't see them now... the figure murmured.
Yes! He was the burly middle-aged man who had set the fire last night.
Since Elder Ma said so, I'll just have to search more carefully...
The burly man entered the ruins and began to search.
Soon, another dark figure, panting heavily, ran through the lake entrance.
It was Qin Feiyang. He was carrying a black ox on his shoulder. He had encountered it on his way, killed it swiftly, and was planning to take it back for a hearty dinner.
"Uncle Yuan, sorry to keep you waiting!" Qin Feiyang shouted.
Under the hazy moonlight, everything appeared rather indistinct. He thought the burly man in the ruins was Uncle Yuan.
"Qin Feiyang!"
Hearing the shout, the burly man spun around, his eyes filled with intense killing intent!
"You little beast! Even fire couldn't kill you. You're certainly hard to kill!" He gave a sinister smile and charged toward Qin Feiyang, radiating murderous intent.
Huh?
As the distance lessened, Qin Feiyang could gradually make out the figure.
Uncle Yuan isn't that burly! It's not Uncle Yuan!
He lowered the black ox from his shoulder, stuck the three arrows into the ground beside him, and stood his ground, asking in a deep voice, "Who are you? Why are you here?"
The burly man sneered, "I'm the one who's going to kill you!"
"It's you!" Murderous intent surged in Qin Feiyang's eyes. He had heard that voice just last night; how could he possibly forget it?
"Last night, you burned my and Uncle Yuan's home. Tonight, I'll take your life!" he spoke with chilling menace, then, like an enraged lion, charged toward the burly man.
Eh! The burly man was surprised. He dares to charge at me? Could this little beast have been driven mad by the fire last night? But this is exactly what I want. I'll finish him off quickly and give Elder Ma a satisfactory explanation sooner.
His right hand clenched tightly, ready to strike.
Qin Feiyang was also secretly gathering his strength!
"Die!"
Both radiated immense killing intent. As they neared each other, they roared almost simultaneously, shattering the tranquility of the night.
BANG!
THUD!!!
Their two fists collided fiercely.
Immediately, Qin Feiyang was blasted backward, a trickle of blood leaking from the corner of his mouth.
"How is this possible?" the burly man exclaimed in shock. Although he stood firm as a mountain, unmoved, his expression turned extremely grim.
"Aren't you unable to cultivate?"
"Then why is your power so strong?"
"How can an ordinary person possess the strength of six bears?"
He looked at Qin Feiyang incredulously.
Meanwhile, a white wolf appeared at the lake entrance. It stood on a massive boulder, its eyes emitting an eerie green glow in the darkness.
Why would a wolf appear? Uncle Yuan, hidden in the dark, furrowed his brows slightly.
The white wolf glanced at Qin Feiyang and the burly man, a ruthless glint flashing in its eyes. It then turned and sprinted away, quickly disappearing in the direction of the mountain stream.
Apart from Uncle Yuan, neither Qin Feiyang nor the burly man noticed the white wolf's appearance.
After stabilizing himself, Qin Feiyang wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and said with a defiant smirk, "Surprised already? It's still early!"
He took out the ten Body-refining Elixirs and stuffed them all into his mouth at once. A vast surge of energy immediately began to course through him, rapidly tempering his physical body.
Qin Feiyang calmly said, "Your strength isn't much greater than mine. If I'm not mistaken, you're only a Seven-star Martial Artist."
"Only?" The burly man paused, then sneered, "Listening to you, it sounds like you look down on me quite a bit?"
Qin Feiyang grinned. "It doesn't just sound like it. I do."
"Haha..." The burly man burst into laughter. "Little beast, arrogance comes with a price!"
He suddenly let out a fierce roar, his aura surging, as his fan-like hand slapped violently toward Qin Feiyang.
"Who's afraid of whom!" Qin Feiyang laughed aloud, rushing forward fearlessly to engage the burly man.
In the beginning, Qin Feiyang was at a disadvantage, suppressed and beaten by the burly man. But like an unkillable cockroach, every time he was sent flying, every time he was knocked down, he would get back up and continue to fight!
He fought with increasing valor. His aura grew stronger and stronger!
In contrast, the burly man was beginning to show signs of faltering.
Not good! What he just took must have been Body-refining Elixirs! He's trying to use this fight to rapidly absorb their energy and break through to become a Seven-star Martial Artist! The burly man finally realized Qin Feiyang's objective.
"I won't let you succeed!" He was seething with rage. With all his might, he threw a punch toward Qin Feiyang's face.
BOOM!
At the same time, Qin Feiyang's aura, like an erupting volcano, surged unstoppably, instantly reaching a new peak!
Seven-star Martial Artist!
"The real battle starts now!" His aura was imposing, his gaze as sharp as two bolts of lightning. He didn't dodge or evade but threw a punch of his own. Their fists met with a thunderous CRASH!
BANG!
Both were thrown back simultaneously, spraying blood from their mouths.
"Little beast, I'll kill you!" The burly man was utterly enraged. His every punch was unleashed with the deafening sound of wind and thunder.
Qin Feiyang remained silent, a faint, mocking smirk playing on his lips. No matter how powerful the burly man's punches were, he didn't yield an inch, meeting force with force!
Unable to kill Qin Feiyang, the burly man grew anxious. His carelessness began to show, and his openings became more frequent with each passing breath.
Several hundred breaths later, both of them were bathed in blood. But most of the blood on Qin Feiyang belonged to the burly man.
One was growing impatient, even contemplating retreat; the other remained calm and composed, his will to fight seemingly inexhaustible.
The outcome of this battle was already clear.
BANG!
Finally, Qin Feiyang slapped the burly man's chest. CRACK! Several of his ribs instantly shattered.
SPURT!
The burly man spat out a mouthful of blood, flew several meters backward, and collapsed on the ground.
Qin Feiyang, his eyes glinting fiercely, strode to the burly man's side and stomped hard on his chest.
This time, his entire chest caved in!
"AHHH..." The burly man's agonizing screams tore through the night sky, lingering for a long time.
Qin Feiyang looked down at him and said coldly, "Uncle Yuan said last night that I would kill you within three days. I always keep my word!"
"Don't... don't... don't..."
"Don't kill me! I was just following orders to kill you! Please, spare my life, please?" The burly man coughed up blood, begging intermittently.
Qin Feiyang asked, "Ma Hongmei's orders?"
The burly man replied, "It's true that Ma Hongmei wants you dead, but I also have superiors. As long as you promise not to kill me, I'll tell you everything."
"You, I must kill. As for your superiors, if one comes, I'll kill one. If a pair comes, I'll kill a pair!"
Qin Feiyang, exuding an imperious aura, stomped down. With a squelch, the burly man's heart exploded, splattering blood everywhere.
"Feiyang, Uncle Yuan can finally say for certain that you've truly grown up." Uncle Yuan's voice echoed in the darkness.
Qin Feiyang looked towards the sound and saw a dark silhouette emerging from behind a bush.
"Uncle Yuan!" Overjoyed, he hurried towards him. Just moments ago, he had been terrified that something had happened to Uncle Yuan. Seeing him safe and sound now, he finally felt relieved.
Qin Feiyang lowered his head, saying guiltily, "Uncle Yuan, I'm sorry. I made you worry again."
Uncle Yuan chuckled. "Silly boy, why are you apologizing to me? You were late because you had your own matters to attend to. I don't blame you."
Qin Feiyang scratched his head. "Thank you, Uncle Yuan."
Uncle Yuan shook his head with a slight smile. Looking at the corpse of the burly man, he said gravely, "Feiyang, he was from the Black Magic Camp. It's an organization specializing in assassination. Every member is a desperado; as long as there are enough Gold Coins, there's no one they won't dare to kill."
"Black Magic Camp?" Qin Feiyang raised an eyebrow. "Uncle Yuan, are you saying Ma Hongmei paid the Black Magic Camp?"
"Undoubtedly. The people from the Black Magic Camp are ruthless characters solely interested in profit." Uncle Yuan smiled faintly, then continued, "However, the Black Magic Camp is extremely particular about upholding its agreements. They have a rule: if an assassin fails a mission, they will continue to dispatch others until the target is dead!"