With a muffled grunt, the young man in blue was sent flying backward, landing ten meters away. He spat out a mouthful of blood, clearly severely injured and unconscious.
"Seeking death!" The other three youths, seeing this, drew their swords and charged towards Zhou Yan. Sharp sword energies whistled through the air, aimed at Zhou Yan, tearing through the void with astonishing power.
A cold, cruel smile played on Zhou Yan's lips. His figure flickered hundreds of times, each movement leaving behind a faint afterimage. All the attacks missed, and the sword energies of the three youths instead struck a tree trunk, instantly severing the ancient, towering wood in half.
"How is this possible?" The remaining five youths, seeing Zhou Yan so eerily dodge all their sword moves, wore expressions of shock.
"Did you really think you were invincible?" Zhou Yan sneered, staring at the remaining five youths.
"Kid, don't be arrogant. You've only just entered the Divine King realm, and your foundation isn't stable yet. Once we beat you down, we'll send you to the underworld." The companions of the blue-shirted youth exchanged glances, reading ruthlessness in each other's eyes, and then charged at Zhou Yan together.
"Trash, do you dare to contend with me with just this strength?" Zhou Yan sneered, vanishing in a flash. The next moment, a terrifying gust of wind swept out.
Immediately after, a blue-shirted youth cried out in pain and was sent flying backward, crashing through two large rocks and lying on the ground, unable to get up for a long time.
With another roll, Zhou Yan’s figure appeared behind another youth. He then kicked out, hitting the youth squarely on the backside and forcing him to kneel on the ground.
Zhou Yan’s backhand whip kick struck the man’s head, causing it to explode on the spot. Red and white matter splattered, blood spraying and staining the ground.
"Bastard!" The remaining three youths roared in anger and attacked Zhou Yan wildly. Sword energies crisscrossed, sword glows dazzling, sealing off Zhou Yan's retreat.
Zhou Yan snorted coldly and used both palms to strike at the long swords of two youths, forcing their weapons to the ground.
"It's my turn now, isn't it?" A cold, bloodthirsty smile flickered on Zhou Yan's lips. Then, his figure flashed, and he slapped a youth's shoulder.
A crisp cracking sound echoed. The youth let out a shrill scream, his entire arm hanging limply, completely disabled.
On the other side, Zhou Yan met the sword of another youth with his bare palm. With lightning speed, he grabbed the youth's wrist and then pulled backward, dislocating the man's arm.
"Ah..."
A piercing scream rang out. The youth's wrist was snapped by Zhou Yan, and his long sword fell to the ground.
"You..." The last remaining youth trembled with fear at Zhou Yan's actions. He couldn't understand how Zhou Yan could be so powerful. Six of them had joined forces and were utterly helpless against him. It was simply unbelievable. Endless regret welled up in his heart. If he had known Zhou Yan was so formidable, he would never have provoked him.
"I said I wouldn't let any of you go, because you will all die." Zhou Yan stared at the last youth with grim eyes.
*Poof!*
Before Zhou Yan could finish speaking, a blood hole appeared in the center of the last youth's forehead. Blood flowed profusely. He stared with wide, hateful eyes at Zhou Yan before his body went limp and collapsed to the ground.
After dealing with these six individuals, Zhou Yan continued deeper into the mountain range in search of spiritual herbs. The spiritual energy in this area was abundant, and herbs were plentiful. Although the danger was no less than in the outer areas, it still couldn't deter the greed of those who yearned for powerful divine techniques, further fueling their desire to obtain treasures. Da Feng Novel Network.
"Hmm?" Just as Zhou Yan was about to traverse this area, a gentle breeze blew past, and a peculiar flower caught his attention. This flower was dark purple, as if cast from dark gold, emitting a faint fragrance. Its petals were covered in dense, fine lines, seemingly imbued with some profound Daoist charm.
Zhou Yan's eyes blazed with excitement. Soul Gathering Flower, a precious ingredient for refining the Spirit Nurturing Pill, was priceless and extremely rare, only found in ancient ruins.
Zhou Yan carefully plucked a petal, wrapped it in cloth, and placed it in his embrace to prevent it from being blown away by the wind. After all, this thing was too valuable; if it were damaged, he would have nowhere to cry.
After collecting enough flowers and soil, Zhou Yan left the area and returned to his room. He took out a Spirit Nurturing Pill and consumed it.
The Spirit Nurturing Pill dissolved in his stomach, transforming into pure energy that surged into Zhou Yan's mind, cleansing his meridians and refining his vital energy.
About half an hour later, Zhou Yan opened his eyes, a smile on his face. His vital energy had increased significantly, reaching the early stage of the second level of the Divine King realm.
Subsequently, Zhou Yan continued his cultivation until nightfall. Only then did he stop, leave his room, and step out. The night was clear with a bright moon and a tranquil silence.
"Little Yan Ge, time to eat." Suddenly, a pleasant girl's voice sounded from the living room.
Upon hearing this, Zhou Yan's face bloomed into a brilliant smile. He quickly walked towards the dining table and saw Lin Xue sitting there, serving soup. She was wearing a loose nightgown, the hem of which barely covered her hips, vaguely revealing the voluptuous, rounded curve of her buttocks.
Looking at this graceful and alluring figure, Zhou Yan felt his throat grow a little dry. He quickly lowered his head, concealing his fervent, burning gaze.
"Little Yan Ge, why aren't you eating?" Lin Xue asked, confused.
"Oh, I'll be right there. I'm going to brush my teeth and change my clothes first." Zhou Yan hurried into the bathroom and closed the door, wiping the sweat from his forehead.
He had almost been exposed just now. Fortunately, his self-control was good.
A moment later, Zhou Yan emerged from the bathroom. Lin Xue immediately stood up and served him food: "Little Yan Ge, try this. This dish is delicious."
"Thank you," Zhou Yan smiled.
After eating his fill, Lin Xue cleared the dishes while Zhou Yan sat cross-legged in the courtyard, circulating the "Heavenly Demon Art" to absorb the surrounding spiritual energy.
Time slowly passed, and a day was gone in a blink.
The next morning, the sun was bright, and the air was fresh. Zhou Yan stretched with a smile on his face, feeling the abundant vital energy surging within him. His efforts last night had not been in vain.
He was now an expert at the second level of the Qi Refining realm.
"However, I'm still a little short of the third level of the Divine King realm," Zhou Yan frowned. He now possessed the strength of two hundred jin, equivalent to the strength of a thousand jin for an ordinary strong man, but he couldn't break through to the third level of the Divine King realm. It was clear that the speed at which he cultivated the Heavenly Demon Art was far too slow.