A Demon's Path Chapter 43

The team battles finally came to an end after two days of intensive fighting. The contestants were whittled down with only the strongest 120 newcomers remaining. Ling Xiao, Cheng Yu, and Qian Hai were amongst them, along with the other preparatory team the Sunken Wind Valley had put forth.

Naturally, Li Yuanchong also made it to the solo eliminations. His performance in the second round of the team battles was even more frightening than the first. He'd actually watched as his opponents surrounded his two teammates and attacked them. Only after his teammates couldn't muster any strength anymore did he make his move. He killed the three opponents in the same fashion as he had done in the first round.

Everyone sighed with sorrow. Having to face Li Yuanchong was really the epitome of bad luck, but being his teammate was no easy task either.

There was only one explanation the disciples could think of for Li Yuanchong's behaviour. Li Yuanchong simply looked down on his two teammates and just took the opportunity to get rid of them. Even though those two moved on to the solo eliminations round, it was clearly impossible for them to recover their fighting strength in a mere three days.

Of the 120 contestants left, only 118 could compete.

Qian Hai's injuries weren't light either. However, thankfully he had Ling Xiao as his teammate. He was brilliant in the art of healing and showcased that by helping Qian Hai make a full recovery by improving his blood circulation. He also concocted a few tonics to help him recover his strength and vitality. Qian Hai made a full recovery within three days.

They could be matched against each other as early as the next match, but Ling Xiao only put a simple sentence out there. "Even if we meet in the later matches, I want you to embrace your loss wholeheartedly."

Qian Hai shook his head as he recalled Ling Xiao's strange tactic. Only then did he have no choice but to accept he wasn't Ling Xiao's opponent. It seemed as though he had no way of avenging himself for that horse lassoing incident at the teahouse.

The Celestial Soul Masters in Sunken Wind City explored the beauty of the place. The sects that got eliminated had cordial dealings with one another as they drank tea, listened to folk songs, and so on. There were some Celestial Soul Masters who brazenly went to brothels like Ling Xiao, but on the surface level of things, such impudent behaviour was reserved for the degenerates.

No one knew Ling Xiao only wanted to visit a brothel in the hopes of running into Tang Yingying. He knew very well that it was impossible, but he was willing to take the chance. He absurdly believed there was a possibility that a Celestial Soul Master had captured Tang Yingying once again and sold her off to a brothel in Sunken Wind City. Naturally, those were his egocentric thoughts. He didn't really wish for Tang Yingying to go through that horrifying experience again.

At the same time, the sects that had disciples progress to the solo eliminations started collecting information like their lives depended on it. They wanted to study every single competitor on the list.

After doing their research, they found there was another competitor who caused them endless headaches. Li Yuanchong was naturally the main target of their worries. But now it seemed there was another abnormal being, Ling Xiao!

All the information gathered on Ling Xiao indicated he was only a red ranked Celestial Soul Master. He was admitted into the Northern Jade Sect less than a year ago, but he was far stronger than Luo Feikai whose sole pride lay in his absurd strength. One of the skills Ling Xiao used in battle was a spatial technique from the Heavenly Soul called Spatial Alteration. In addition to that, reliable sources divulged there was a possibility he cultivated the Essence Soul and knew how to use talismans. He even grasped certain fighting techniques only pill cultivators knew. What was even more terrifying was that although Ling Xiao wasn't quite as ruthless as Li Yuanchong, he didn't bat an eye for killing either.

Everyone could only ruefully sigh. He's a perverted demon!

But in comparison, their countenance quickly changed when their gazes turned to Ling Xiao's teammates. They were slightly apprehensive about Qian Hai's Dual Blade Circular Slash, but no one thought he could fully recover from his sustained injuries in just three days. On the other hand, Cheng Yu was denoted the weakest of the lot.

In fact, many contestants hoped to draw Qian Hai or Cheng Yu, whereas they were terrified when they mused the possibility of drawing either Ling Xiao or Li Yuanchong.

During these three days, detailed information regarding the 120 newcomers was sold in the Sunken Wind City's black market for 10 yellow gems each. It was practically daylight robbery! If Ling Xiao possessed such information, he would've definitely went there to make a huge profit. The Ling Xiao of present was a wealthy man, but more often than not, the wealth he possessed couldn't be exposed to the public.

Three days slipped away in such a bustling atmosphere.

The solo eliminations finally began on a beautiful sunny day at the same place the team battles were held.

The solo eliminations would progress at a much faster pace than the team battles. Where the contestants were given a day rest after each team battle, they would have to fight two battles on the same day in the solo eliminations. Those who made quick work of their opponents could rest and spectate the other matches. For the unlucky one whose fight lasted the longest, they would have to move into the next round without any rest.

From Ling Xiao's point of view, the Sunken Wind Valley seemed to be rushing for time with the way they organised the tournament. He more or less had a general idea as to why they were so keyed up. He didn't voice his worries to Cheng Qiantai, but rather told Big Zhu and Little Zhu about them.

Ling Xiao had eliminated the two brothers in the first round of the team battles. The Copper Leg Party was only here in the elimination matches to get in on the action, but they couldn't leave even if they wanted to. They could only leave after the tournament was over. This was the Sunken Wind Valley's rule.

No one knew what Ling Xiao could've said after their fight that caused such pale expressions of worry on the brothers' faces. But they looked revitalized on this sunny day. Through their heads ran the words their father had told them on that day. The person who dared to say those words to you harbours no ill intent. He is someone worthy of being friends with.

As such, Big Zhu and Little Zhu became Ling Xiao's loyal fans and were now sitting with his kith and kins.

Since the Northern Jade Sect had many empty seats, they found one and sat down. Cheng Qiantai didn't mind them.

Ling Xiao's first opponent was a small guy no older than 14. From Ling Xiao's point of view, that boy should be doing things like hiding in his mother's bosom, drinking milk, throwing a tantrum, occasionally wetting his bed, and so on and so forth.

Ling Xiao held a strong sense of pity toward the boy who had to partake in this kind of bloody battle at such a young age. "Little boy, who's your daddy? Is your mommy pretty? How can they bear to send you to your death? I think you'd better go back home. Big brother won't make things difficult for you."

"[email protected]#$! What's it to do with you? Take this!" screamed the little boy.

Even though the boy was small, he was fast and ruthless when he acted. He used a weapon called the nine-section whip which greatly made up for his short limbs.

The boy whirled the nine-section whip like a white silk ribbon and sent it flying in Ling Xiao's direction.

Ling Xiao didn't even retrieve his broom from his chain's depository, but rather dodged about the field in a flurry. He seemed to be in a sorry state. But if someone paid close attention to Ling Xiao's footsteps, they would notice there wasn't a trace of frenzied footsteps on the ground nor were his movements too large.

It just so happens I can use this boy to test out my Ghostly Transformation Step, Ling Xiao thought to himself as he lightly shifted his footsteps.

The nine-section whip cracked the ground 10 centimeters away from him. The techniques the boy used as he lashed out with his whip were rather impressive. He could rapidly pull his whip back after it failed to hit its target and launch another attack immediately after. The boy could continuously unleash his flurry of attacks because the whip's length ensured his opponent couldn't get close to him.

Ling Xiao didn't seem to want to get too close to the boy either as he maintained a whip's distance between them. This made it so that the whip's white shadow never left Ling Xiao's side, seemingly about to hit him at any moment.

The both of them continued fighting in such a roundabout manner for hundreds of moves. Ling Xiao originally thought the boy would tire himself to the point where he couldn't support himself anymore, but he never expected him to be a freak, too. The boy didn't show the slightest hint of his physical strength dwindling, but rather he increased the speed of his nine-section whip.

Forget it, I won't play with this boy any longer. Ling Xiao decided to kick this boy out of the solo eliminations after he felt he'd just about finished researching his Ghostly Transformation Step. After all, he still had to preserve his energy for the next match.

The boy seemed to think Ling Xiao would make a move on him so he hastily withdrew his nine-section whip and held it up above his head. His wrists rapidly danced until the whip swirled above his head like a propellor!

"Ling Xiao, let me show you Young Master Ma Chongyang's ultimate technique—The Golden Snake's Wild Dance! Take this!" The youngster let out a pained shout and released his grip on the whip. The nine-section whip was rotating so quickly that one could hear it cutting through the wind as it forcefully flew toward Ling Xiao.

Chapter end