A Demon's Path Chapter 75

Seadragon City was a large city built by the sea. A high wall encompassed the city for more than 10 kilometers. Outside the city walls lay a beautiful beach. At least, that was if it wasn't littered with the blood and corpses of both humans and beasts. This ghastly sight in combination with the terrible stench thoroughly shocked the newcomers of the Sunken Wind Valley.

These disciples would occasionally see people dying or being killed. But this was the first time they were eyewitnesses to the remains of a battlefield. A large number of badly mutilated and incomplete corpses lay scattered wherever they looked. Broken hands, broken legs, necks being bitten off, chests being pierced through, and so on and so forth. There were all kinds of deaths. Any kind one could think of, they were all present on site.

The dead were wearing grey battlegear, the uniform Sunken Wind Valley apparel. Their clothes were no different than the ones Li Yuanchong and the others were wearing.

A wave of disgust rolled over everyone when they saw the many corpses of the demonic beasts. These corpses either had human limbs or resembled mermaids with a human torso and head and a fish's lower body. The decapitated limbs of demonic beasts and humans were muddled together. There were many instances where it was unclear what body part belonged to who.

The large amount of blood had started turning black and drying up. The corpses were rotting in the sun, a terrible stench wafting in the wind. It became clear this intense battle was fought a day or two ago.

Liu Xintang made it very obvious why he didn't clean up the battlefield. It was to give this bunch of newcomers that came to Seadragon City to gain experience a reality check. They weren't here to have fun and play games! The expressions they wore wasn't anything new to Liu Xintang, it was similar to the ones the previous batches showed. These disciples of the Sunken Wind Valley would rush up excitedly, only to be tormented by what they saw. Their expressions would quickly dim.

Every year Liu Xintang had to pay the price of more than 1,000 red and orange ranked Celestial Soul Masters in order to keep the newcomers from the Sunken Wind Valley safe. Shen Nanfeng sent them here to gain experience, not to die. So Liu Xintang had to ensure they came out alive, even if at the cost of his own men.

Liu Xintang didn't report the true state of affairs to Valley Master Shen Nanfeng. Shen Nanfeng would invest a large amount of gems every year in Seadragon City. The intention behind the gems was probably nothing more than for Liu Xintang to increase the protection in the city. But Liu Xintang couldn't keep closing his eyes as batches of his new recruits died. They were all people within the borders of the Sunken Wind Valley. They deserved protection too!

Liu Xintang finally couldn't hold himself back any longer. So, he purposely left these corpses rotting in the sun for Shen Xuan to get an understanding of the true situation.

Liu Xintang felt gratified when he looked at the solemn expressions everyone wore. On the whole, he'd achieved a portion of the intended effect.

Shen Xuan closed his eyes. He mourned the deaths of the Sunken Wind Valley disciples who had perished in battle. After which he deeply bowed toward the pile of corpses. The others quickly followed suit in paying their respects to the dead.

Thankfully Valley Master Jr. isn't some ignorant rich Young Master. Liu Xintang was immensely pleased with Shen Xuan's move. As for the group of disciples behind Shen Xuan, they gave him an entirely different feeling from the previous batches. This was especially so for Li Yuanchong. He didn't even frown looking at the bloodbath. Liu Xintang could tell this youngster had a strong will and couldn't be compared to ordinary cultivators.

The disciple Liu Xintang was most dissatisfied with was naturally none other than the sleeping Ling Xiao. But Ling Xiao wasn't actually sleeping. He was counting his spoils. There were large amounts of gems, weapons, and medicinal ingredients in the chain depository Qian Gui left him and in the one he robbed off Hua Que. Not that any of this could compare to what was stored in the Demonic Seven Souls Chain; they were but a drop in the ocean.

To Ling Xiao, the more the merrier when it came to gems and medicinal ingredients. Besides, he now had two green ranked soul stones; one Strength Soul Stone and one Elemental Soul Stone. Most pill cultivators were Elemental Soul Masters because they had to control the fire needed to concoct medicine. It was impossible to do so without the power of the five elements.

Ling Xiao sighed sorrowfully as he looked at the two green ranked soul chains in his hands. He couldn't use them for now, nor could he sell them. Or at least, he couldn't sell Qian Gui's. With regards to Hua Que's, he would leave it be for the time being. He might find a use for it some day.

At this time, a thought suddenly flashed through Ling Xiao's mind. He recalled the scene where Ancestor Qi Mo self-destructed his soul chain. What would the effect be if he exploded these two soul chains? Could it kill a green ranked Chain Soul Master? A thrill coursed through his body when these crazy thoughts ran through his mind.

Ling Xiao could only kill Hua Que because he didn't notice he'd been poisoned. But now with these soul chains, Ling Xiao would have some form of protection if he ran into someone a little craftier. With his current abnormally strong mental strength, he couldn't instantly explode a green ranked soul stone without conducting a month's worth of sacrificial refinement. But after he did, he could detonate it whenever he so wished.

Amongst the many items stored in the Demonic Seven Souls Chain was also the method of sacrificially refining soul stones. The more important factor was that it didn't require the cultivator to be at a specific rank. Rather, it depended on their mental strength. The stronger the mental strength, the faster one could conduct the sacrificial refinement of soul stones.

The average red ranked Celestial Soul Master couldn't sacrificially refine a green ranked soul stone within a year and a half. But Ling Xiao was different. Mental strength? That was his forte!

Ling Xiao set his mind to it and was about to start sacrificially refining the soul stones when the noise outside broke his concentration.

"Are they back already? So quickly? How come?" Ling Xiao resentfully complained out loud. He opened the door and walked out.

There was a large, empty space outside the guest rooms. The 100 disciples that were on this demon exterminating excursion were all gathered here. They were practicing various Strength Soul techniques with full dedication.

Ling Xiao was stunned. No way. It's almost lunch time. They're not back to eat, but to practice their techniques? What the fuck?! When did this bunch of young masters and young ladies become so hard working?

The effort they put in was almost on the same level as Ling Xiao's back when he was sweeping the Northern Jade Sect clean with his broom. Li Yuanchong was the only normal looking person out of the abnormal bunch. He was daydreaming as he dumbly stood there. He didn't know where to look.

Ling Xiao walked up to him and patted him on the shoulder. "Hey, are you thinking about your Elder Sister Cheng Yu?"

With Cheng Yu establishing a relationship between the two men, Li Yuanchong had started to dislike Ling Xiao a little less. Even so, he had an annoyed look on his face when Ling Xiao broke his train of thought. "You're really a hateful fellow. I'm analysing these corpses-"

"Tsk!" Ling Xiao clicked his tongue disapprovingly. "What's good about analysing corpses?"

Once the topic of analysing corpses was brought to the table, an unconcealable zeal burned in Li Yuanchong's eyes. "Corpses are the best kind of material to do research on. We can deduce the opponents' method of attack and weapon of choice from the appropriateness and direction of the corpse's wounds to the degree of damage done to their bones and organs. Once we deduce the opponent's style of combat, we can make accurate preparations to catch them off guard and kill them!" Seeing as Ling Xiao was staring at him blankly, Li Yuanchong complacently continued his explanation, "For example, there were a few people whose wounds start from their right shoulder down to the left side of their body. A large section was torn open, but the depths of their injuries differed substantially. This indicates that there's a portion amongst the enemy that is left-handed. They're most likely using machetes or a similar weapon and they don't fight with any special techniques whatsoever. They're completely relying on their strength and speed alone…"

Ling Xiao was dumbstruck listening to Li Yuanchong's analysis. He could only give Li Yuanchong a thumbs up and praise him, Pro, you're really a pro! Ling Xiao really did have to admire Li Yuanchong. Never had he thought this youngster would have such a move up his sleeve. And at such a young age no less!

With regards to that, Ling Xiao really did win the newcomers tournament by a slight fluke. The real champion should be this little brother Li Yuanchong right here!

Shen Xuan walked over to them, laughing. He asked in an amicable manner, "Elder Ling, did you sleep well?"

Fuck you too? Ling Xiao greeted Shen Xuan in his mind before he put up a facade. He stretched his body and yawned. "Pretty well."

Liu Yue's ice-cold voice rang out behind Ling Xiao, "It's lunch time. Everyone, please enjoy your meal."

"It's time for lunch! Yay!" Ling Xiao ran like the wind, only to return a moment later. He tugged on Liu Yue's sleeve and asked, "Excuse me, where are we having lunch?"

Everyone was rendered speechless.

…

"I really want to beat that son of a bitch up!" Liu Yue was in his father's study. He was fuming with anger, nearly smashing the tea set and other items in the room to bits.

Liu Xintang was deep in thought. After a long time, he said, "My child, you have to learn from that boy. You'll never be a capable person by being so flighty and impatient. He's right. You judge a person on their appearance alone. You're nothing special."

Liu Yue never expected his father to speak up on Ling Xiao's behalf. He couldn't help but feel a little unhappy. "What's so great about him?! He can concoct pills, so what?! Didn't he win the newcomers tournament through some unscrupulous means?! Father, you didn't let me participate in the newcomers tournament. If I had, I would've been the champion! I'm an orange ranked Celestial Soul Master who cultivates five souls!"

Chapter end