From another section of the audience, another person stood up and declared, "I forfeit too!"It was clear that this was yet another challenger who, after seeing Chandler's defeat, decisively chose to forfeit.Skylar paused in surprise. "I just told you guys to tell me in advance, but now, you people are changing your minds again. Fine, I might as well ask outright," he muttered.Skylar then turned his gaze toward Herbert in the audience. "Herbert, are you going to forfeit too?"As soon as Skylar said this, everyone's eyes focused on Herbert."Herber Webert! It's really him! I didn't expect him to challenge Chase. But surely, he won't back down, right?""Herbert is one of the White Tiger Guards! He's supposedly one of the top-ranking members of the unit. No one but White Tiger himself can command him. Who would've thought that even someone from the White Tiger Guards would challenge Chase?""Yeah, White Tiger and Basalt are both part of Bactria's national defense forces. They're
In the end, Herbert gave up and chose to forfeit. This decision drew a chorus of boos from the audience."What a letdown! They promised three matches, but we only got one! This ticket wasn't worth it at all.""Well, you can't really blame Chase. Who could've predicted that the remaining two challengers would back out after seeing Chase fight? Who could've known they'd be too scared to even step onto the arena?""Exactly. I thought Herbert, one of the White Tiger Guards, would at least take his chance. But even he ended up too frightened to fight Chase!"The crowd's comments were filled with mockery, but Herbert paid no attention. He kept his head down as he walked out of Herb Hall, with Douglas trailing behind him. On the way out, Douglas could not stop complaining."Herbert, why did you forfeit? If you had stepped up and shown your true skills, you might not have lost!""And you have the nerve to talk!" Herbert retorted. "You told me Chase wasn't that strong, so I came here to p
The old man's voice carried the weight of countless years, like an ancient relic awakening."I'm indeed a descendant of the Collins family. Who might you be, sir?" Chase quickly paused, eager to engage now that the elder had finally spoken."Me... Just call me Murdoch," the elder started to introduce himself but suddenly changed his mind.Chase did not press further, instead responding in line with Murdoch's cue. "Murdoch, may I ask why you stopped me?"Chase had sensed that this elder had been awake for some time but had chosen to ignore him until now. The fact that Murdoch called out just as Chase was about to leave suggested he had something important to convey."Did you just have a fight?" Murdoch did not answer and instead posed a question of his own.Chase nodded without hesitation. "Yes.""And what level was your opponent?" Murdoch's gaze was fixed on the bloodstains still evident on Chase's clothing."He was a stage-nine martial lord," Chase replied with some pride."I
"I'll restrict my strength to that of an early-stage martial lord, but let me warn you, just because you're now a late-stage martial lord, don't think you can be complacent," Murdoch said with a sharp tone."I'll show you that the difference between stages and levels can be completely disregarded, especially since I sense an unusual life force within you. My strikes will be lethal, so from now on, you'd better remain vigilant at all times because I might attack suddenly."Now, let's see your strength," Murdoch continued. "Hit me with everything you've got. If you manage to make me take even half a step back, I'll count today as your win!"Chase hesitated at Murdoch's dismissive attitude. He could not quite grasp the situation. First, Murdoch claimed to know his father and offered to teach him some advanced techniques. Now, he wanted Chase to hit him?Chase could not help but wonder if this old man was a masochist.Murdoch's impatience flared. "You've got such a dull spirit! I told
Chase lay flat on the smooth, water-like surface, resting for a good one to two hours before he managed to muster enough strength to get up.With a thought, he exited the Dragon Vein Secret Realm and reappeared in Herb Hall, only to see Trek and a few other Basalt comrades staring at him in disbelief."Trek, go call Miracle Doctor Skylar," Chase ordered weakly, not wanting to move."No need, I'm already here. What on earth happened to you? Why do you look like this?" Skylar asked, his face filled with shock. As a skilled healer, he could easily tell that Chase had taken quite a beating.Chase did not bother explaining and simply asked Skylar if he had any medicinal herbs to help nourish his body."I do have them, but why do you need them? Did the battle with Chandler really injure you that badly?" Skylar asked curiously."Yes, a bit, but mostly, I need them for my closed-door cultivation," Chase replied evasively.This simple response caused Quinn, who had been standing nearby,
Stretching lazily, Chase sat in front of Trek and Quinn, taking sip after sip from the bottle of wine. Seeing their worried, long faces, he chuckled. "I'm fine, really. My strength is advancing by leaps and bounds."Hearing this, Trek and Quinn exchanged glances. It seemed Chase had somehow managed to gain insights even while getting beaten up.Once he felt a bit better, Chase sent Trek off first. Trek was only helping out at Herb Hall during the day and still needed to return to the base at night. Fortunately, his cultivation level made the distance easy to cover.The next day, Skylar told Chase that no one had signed up to challenge him. Without hesitation, Chase went straight into the Dragon Vein Secret Realm to continue his training.Before starting, he casually asked if he should practice some blade or sword techniques.Murdoch flew into a rage, scolding him about not even having learned how to walk properly yet and already wanting to run. After that, Murdoch used the pretens
"That's right. The most powerful person must be an elite from the sects and clans. At the very least, it would be a successor from an influential family, not people like us. That's the last fight. There's no need to be impatient. We should focus on what's happening now and decide on who to bet on and earn some extra money." "Yeah. I heard that Bactria Express wants to turn this into the match of the century. They're working with the Two Sects, Three Schools, and Four Clans, as well as the Eight Influential Families to organize this. They even prepared extravagant prizes for the top three fighters. I heard that the strongest among them will receive a spiritual treasure!""A spiritual treasure?! I can't believe a treasure like that would exist in this world!"…The streets and alleys of Capital City were filled with such rumors, and everyone was talking about them. Even ordinary people who were not martial artists knew about them.Despite this, ordinary people did not think much of
Chase's cultivation this time was a rare opportunity for him as Murdoch was quite brutal and strict with his training. Even so, Chase had never once thought about giving up. He was not only training his divine abilities, he was also training to be resilient.When it came to passing down knowledge and answering questions, a knowing teacher was better than a renowned teacher. Murdoch was a knowing teacher who knew exactly how to teach despite never explaining or preaching much to Chase.His teachings somehow influenced Chase subtly and unknowingly.That was the reason why Chase was willing to let Murdoch train him however deemed fit.There was another reason for that. After the first time Chase was beaten up, the divine Black Turtle suddenly contacted Chase. He specifically informed Chase to learn from Murdoch without worry. He even advised Chase not to be in a hurry to meld his realms. Chase could sense that the divine Black Turtle was being very serious about this and took the ad
Fern spat out a mouthful of blood. His face turned deathly pale as he staggered backward, and he barely kept himself from collapsing."This… This is impossible!" His eyes widened in disbelief, filled with both unwillingness and sheer terror.As a proud disciple of the Ghost Palace from the nether realm, how could he lose to a mere country bumpkin?Shame and rage burned within him. Grinding his teeth, he roared, "Chase Collins! You dare wound me?! You're dead!""Oh? Is that so?" Chase's eyes narrowed slightly.Without another word, he slowly drew his sword.With a swift swing, the blade slashed through the air, sending a brilliant arc of sword light sweeping forward like a cascading ribbon.Fern's expression twisted in horror. He scrambled to evade, but he was a fraction too slow. A deep gash tore across his chest, blood spilling down in crimson streaks.Sucking in a sharp breath, Fern clutched his wound. His face was drained of color, and sweat beaded on his forehead as he star
The next day, the sky was just beginning to brighten.Chase sat cross-legged, regulating his blood flow while sensing the vast and surging demonic energy within his body."The demon blood contains immense and pure energy. If I can refine it perfectly, my physical strength might break through its current limits and reach the peak!"His eyes narrowed, a sharp gleam flashing within them."Hmm? They found me this quickly?" Just as he was about to continue his training, he sensed something and looked outside.A sword hummed through the valley. A young man in black stood atop a cliff with a sword in hand."A martial artist… His energy is thick and powerful, far beyond others of his level. No wonder he was able to kill that beast. He truly lives up to the title of a top-tier genius."The young man's sharp gaze flickered with a trace of wariness. He was clearly shaken by the sheer strength Chase had displayed.He had just slain a demon wolf and reaped a bountiful reward. Yet now, he ha
Chase released his grip.The Black Fiend Bow returned to his grasp, and he swiftly nocked another arrow.The piercing sound of the arrow cutting through the air echoed as it tore through the night sky, carrying a terrifying force as it pursued its target.Blood splattered as a severed leg fell to the ground.A chilling scream rang through the forest as a shadowy figure plummeted from above.Chase's gaze remained cold as he stepped forward, closing the distance.When he got a clear look at the figure's face, his eyes narrowed in surprise. It was the old crone from the river's source!She was still alive!"You little bastard! You deserve to die! You should be dead!" The old woman, who had disheveled hair, glared at Chase with venomous hatred."Is that so?"Chase grinned while raising his arm. With a flick of his wrist, three more arrows shot out in rapid succession. In the blink of an eye, they shattered the old crone's remaining limbs, crushing her bones completely.The woman
Chase's face turned pale, his heart pounding wildly."This is…"He felt his entire body surging with boundless true essence, flowing like a relentless tidal wave.A strange and eerie aura surrounded him, shrouding him in a mist-like energy that made it impossible to see through or fully comprehend."Gosh!" Chase stood frozen in shock.For a moment, he felt as if he had become someone else entirely."Could it be…"A chilling thought flashed through his mind."The trace of demonic energy I absorbed… Was it carrying remnants of the Demon Ancestor's will?"He quickly pieced it together."The Demon Ancestor may have perished long ago, but fragments of his will must still linger. If I transfer that lingering consciousness into this purple skull emblem, then…"Chase took a deep breath. "That would be equivalent to having two lives."His luck this time was truly extraordinary. Not only had he discovered the Devouring Sky Demon Art, but he had also unexpectedly absorbed a remnant of
Chase furrowed his brows as he got lost deep in thought. "Could it be that the demonic race never truly perished but instead went into hiding, secretly passing down this forbidden art? First, I need to fully understand the Devouring Sky Demon Art before investigating that secret."With that decision made, Chase immediately began his closed-door training.Once cultivated to its peak, the Devouring Sky Demon Art could consume souls and refine them into demonic puppets with terrifying combat power.For Chase, this technique was a perfect match. "Devouring Sky Demon Art, First Layer!"With a single thought, new information flooded his mind.This was the fundamental incantation of the technique—nothing too obscure. After a quick review, Chase grasped it with ease.He extended his finger, allowing a drop of blood essence to fall onto the purple skull emblem.In an instant, blinding crimson light erupted from the emblem. It trembled violently, letting out sharp, anguished wails, as if
In just a matter of moments, the androgynous young man was dead. His corpse lay motionless amid the blood-soaked ground.His final curses and hatred meant nothing to Chase, who remained indifferent and showed no reaction.Chase withdrew his hand with a calm expression. Every strike he delivered was absolute—he never left his enemies a chance to recover."This technique of his is rather unique. It absorbs the life essence of others to enhance one's own power." Chase rubbed his chin, lost in thought."Unfortunately, it has a fatal flaw. The more one absorbs, the stronger the backlash. If not controlled properly, the user ultimately loses themselves, becoming neither human nor ghost."He sighed inwardly."This sinister martial art must have been created by a powerful demonic sect figure. It's a flawed version, but it's still highly dangerous. If left unchecked, it could bring disaster to the world."A chilling glint flashed through Chase's eyes. Demonic arts were forbidden as they
The moment the words left his mouth, the androgynous young man lunged at Chase with a dagger in hand. He closed the distance between them at an alarming speed.In an instant, his energy surged, and the aura radiating from his body grew even more intense.This was the power of a stage-nine martial god!"Hah! You dare act so arrogantly in front of me? One hand is all I need to deal with you. Now, let me show you my strength!"Chase sneered, extending a single hand toward the approaching, black-robed young man."An ant trying to stop a giant?"The young man smirked. He flicked his wrist, sending his dagger slicing through the air while gleaming coldly.The dagger struck the back of Chase's hand, but instead of cutting through, it shattered on impact, producing a metallic ringing sound.The young man stumbled backward, his face twisted in shock."How… How is this possible?"His eyes widened in disbelief as he stared at Chase, who remained completely unharmed. His skin was untouch
"Regardless, this demon beast's corpse is incredibly valuable. Whether it's the demon core, demon blood, or even its tendons and bones, all can be refined into powerful weapons."Chase licked the corner of his lips.A demon core was the essence of an innate demon beast, brimming with potent lifeblood energy.Meanwhile, demon blood was the condensed essence of the beast's body, holding immense power. If used for cultivation, it could accelerate training speed multiple times over. Not only that, demon blood also had the astonishing ability to purify impurities within the body."This demon beast is a treasure trove. If I hunt one and sell it, I could make an absolute fortune."Chase licked his lips once more, making up his mind. Under the cover of night, he would launch a sneak attack on this powerful demon beast lord.Besides, since this demon had lived in the valley for so long, it was likely a native of the area.If Chase wanted to explore the valley, clashing with these creatur
'My body is strong, but it still has its limits. If I can absorb some Blood Vein Ginthera, I should be able to enhance my physical strength!' Chase thought.If his physique could undergo a transformation and reach martial nirvana, what would happen then?A martial nirvana-level martial artist possessed a reborn body. Their skin itself could serve as armor, and a single punch could shatter steel. They could even withstand direct attacks from spiritual artifacts, making them nearly indestructible.If he could strengthen his body just a bit more, he would be able to practice martial nirvana techniques and unleash their full might with just a simple movement. He would be capable of destroying mountains and rivers in an instant."Blood Vein Ginthera is indeed a great option for tempering the body, but with my current level, I need to at least reach the martial nirvana realm before I can withstand its medicinal power. Otherwise, consuming it would cause my body to collapse instantly."S