Chapter 42

Sssss...

A python, about ten meters long and thicker than a water bucket, raised its head, its fragmented golden eyes fixed on Zhuge Xiang. Its tongue flicked out repeatedly, and it let out threatening hisses. On its body, there were no fewer than ten wounds. It was agitated and restless, wanting to turn and leave, but it knew very well that with its speed, it couldn't escape. Blood flowed, and demonic aura rolled, revealing that this python was a one-star mid-grade demonic beast.

With the Blood Refining Blade in hand, Zhuge Xiang stared intently at the demonic python, a smile appearing on his face. He crouched low, then suddenly charged out like a cheetah. The Blood Refining Blade swung, and the sound of wind and thunder erupted, which was precisely the Blood Thunder Slash.

Faced with Zhuge Xiang's Blood Thunder Slash, the demonic python clearly knew that it was a matter of life and death. It burst with demonic aura, its body arching and then springing forward with a speed that didn't match its massive size. Its huge mouth opened, revealing a cavernous maw large enough to swallow Zhuge Xiang whole.

"Oh? It actually has such hidden speed," Zhuge Xiang smiled calmly at the python's sudden burst of terrifying speed. Then, a loud explosion came from his feet, and his body vanished like a ghost.

The python's fragmented golden eyes flashed with surprise, clearly not understanding why the human who had charged straight at it suddenly disappeared. Just then, the python suddenly felt a dizzying sensation, and before it fell into eternal darkness, its eyes caught a glimpse of its own headless body, blood spraying everywhere.

The Blood Refining Blade trembled, shaking off the snake's blood, and Zhuge Xiang casually put it into his storage belt. At the critical moment, the Blood Thunder Slash combined with the Burst Step allowed Zhuge Xiang to slay the demonic python. A one-star mid-grade demonic beast, its strength was comparable to that of a Fifth Layer Qi Cultivation Realm cultivator. Zhuge Xiang didn't even need to activate the Bloodlust Technique to slay it. After all, with his equipment and skills like the Burst Step, Zhuge Xiang's strength was no joke.

"Ding, defeated a one-star mid-grade demonic python, gained 48 experience points."

"Ding, level up, current level: Fourth Layer Qi Cultivation Realm, gained 1 skill point."

A series of system prompts sounded in Zhuge Xiang's mind. Hearing this, a smile appeared on his face. Since coming to the base of the Aurora Asura Tower, it was already the fourth day. Compared to the disciples who were meditating and cultivating under the protection of the Aurora Asura Tower, Zhuge Xiang also needed to cultivate, and his method of cultivation was to kill monsters and level up.

Over these few days, Zhuge Xiang hadn't strayed too far from the Aurora Asura Tower. Relying on the effect of the Breath Concealing Jade, he roamed nearby, continuously hunting one-star mid-grade demonic beasts. Finally, he gained a thousand experience points, raising his cultivation to the Fourth Layer Qi Cultivation Realm.

Although teaming up to kill monsters would make gaining experience easier, Lu Yuling and the others needed to focus on their cultivation, and Zhuge Xiang couldn't suggest it. After all, he could level up by killing monsters, but others couldn't.

As a cultivator, cultivation was the primary focus. No matter how good a friend, once you affected their cultivation, the friendship would be over. As for Niu Geng? His current strength was still too dangerous, and Zhuge Xiang didn't want to disturb his cultivation. The rare Nine Apertures Mystic Pill had improved his talent, and to stand out in the sect, Niu Geng naturally needed to continuously cultivate and improve his own strength.

Whether it was the Blood Spirit Fruit or the Nine Apertures Mystic Pill, these were all external aids. To become strong, no matter how many external aids you had, they wouldn't help much. What was needed more was one's own effort. This was a lesson Zhuge Xiang had learned when he saw Lu Yuling diligently cultivating by the small lake, before he had comprehended the Qi Technique.

With the new skill point, Zhuge Xiang didn't hesitate much. He had already thought it through and didn't put the skill point into the Bloodlust Technique this time. Instead, he learned the Piercing Arrow skill book. With this skill, the effectiveness of the Hundred Tempered Bow as a killing tool could be fully utilized.

A two-star magical artifact, with an attack power increased by about 30 points and a special effect of ignoring 30 points of defense. After learning the Piercing Arrow, Zhuge Xiang's attack with this skill was no less powerful than the Blood Thunder Slash performed with the Blood Refining Blade under the Bloodlust Technique. If he returned to the headquarters and crafted the Wolf Fang Arrow, it would be even more formidable.

Piercing Arrow (Basic Level): Attack 20 + 10%, Ignore Defense + 30%, MP cost 15, Cooldown 8 seconds.

Zhuge Xiang was very satisfied with the Piercing Arrow skill. If the Wolf Fang Arrow was crafted, the combination of the bow and arrow would have an attack power of over 40, and the ability to ignore 35 points of defense. With the Piercing Arrow skill, which also increased the ability to ignore defense by 10%, this attack power was enough to make Zhuge Xiang feel excited.

A two-star magical artifact bow, paired with a powerful arrow and a formidable skill, Zhuge Xiang's ranged attack capabilities now surpassed his close combat abilities.

"It seems it's time to replace my Blood Refining Blade," Zhuge Xiang muttered to himself, thinking about the issue of his ranged attack and close combat capabilities.

The Blood Refining Blade had been obtained not long ago, and its 10% blood-sucking attribute was very practical. However, with his current strength, a one-star magical artifact seemed inadequate. Compared to the combination of the Hundred Tempered Bow and the Wolf Fang Arrow, it was clearly inferior, with the attack power being more than twice as low.

A black shadow suddenly enveloped Zhuge Xiang. Looking up, he saw a huge ship passing over his head. It was the Asura Warship. Zhuge Xiang knew that the five days since the Aurora Asura Tower had bloomed had passed, and it was time to leave.

After collecting some materials related to toxins from the python for Niu Geng, Zhuge Xiang ran toward the base of the Aurora Asura Tower. He hadn't strayed too far, and when he arrived, he saw the disciples boarding the Asura Warship in an orderly manner.

When the Asura Warship started moving, looking at the disciples on the deck, Zhuge Xiang sighed. Only about two thousand disciples boarded the Asura Warship, a far cry from the previous five thousand, as this attack by the demons had cost the lives of more than half of the disciples.

Originally, they had harbored dreams and worked hard for over a year, finally standing out from among ten thousand disciples. They thought they would become formal disciples of the Asura Sect, but most of them never even saw the headquarters of the sect, and were left forever in the Endless Mountains.

Zhuge Xiang felt a surge of emotion, once again realizing the fragility of life and the importance of strength. The scene of the old beggar being bitten to death by dogs set loose by a wealthy family flashed through his mind again.

Turning his head, looking at the Endless Mountains below, Zhuge Xiang shouted in his heart, "No, my strength is still far from enough. I need to become stronger. Body Tempering Realm, Meridian Unblocking Realm, Air Splitting Realm, Innate Realm, Reversion Realm, and finally, I need to transcend the Heavenly Tribulation and become a Qi Refining and Spirit Cultivation Realm existence. And, I need to become a great power of the Spirit Refining and Void Return Realm, capable of moving mountains and filling seas, chasing stars and catching the moon, and reversing the heavens and the earth. I need to become such a super-strong being..."

The journey of eight thousand miles, once the Asura Warship was at full speed, took only a short half-day. Soon, a loud cry attracted the attention of everyone on the Asura Warship, "Everyone, look, we've arrived at the headquarters."

The headquarters? This voice made everyone stir, all crowding to the ship's railings. Zhuge Xiang and the others were no exception. Although they had seen a virtual image of the headquarters on the destroyed Asura Warship, nothing could compare to seeing it with their own eyes. Zhuge Xiang stood at the railing, his eyes wide open...

A hundred mountains, each about a thousand zhang high, towering into the clouds, stretching endlessly. The tops of these mountains seemed to have been cut off by some sharp blade, revealing enormous platforms. Countless buildings were constructed on these mountain tops, and between the hundred mountains, one could see countless massive chains, with iron bridges connecting them.

Legend had it that these hundred mountains were moved by the great powers of the Asura Sect's predecessors using the technique of moving mountains, and then the peaks were cut off. Such a feat of altering the heavens and the earth could only be accomplished by great powers. If it were ordinary people, it might take thousands or even tens of thousands of years to complete...

Looking up, it was even more astonishing. The base of the hundred mountains already gave an incredibly awe-inspiring feeling, but above the headquarters of the Asura Sect, at a height of about a thousand zhang, over a hundred mountains floated, blocking out the sky...

"The areas below are where the formal disciples of the Asura Sect cultivate and live. The 108 floating mountains above are the training grounds of the 108 Void Realm great powers of the Asura Sect. Only disciples at the Spirit Cultivation Realm can formally join the Void Realm great powers and become true disciples, able to ride their magical artifacts and enter and exit the floating mountains..." Looking at the 108 floating mountains, all the disciples, including Niu Geng, who was muttering, had their eyes wide open. Although this information had been explained before, seeing the 108 floating mountains in the air was truly awe-inspiring.

"This is the Asura Sect!? 108 Void Realm great powers? This is where I will cultivate in the future? This is where I will grow in the future?" Zhuge Xiang's eyes were filled with determination.

Looking at the 108 floating mountains, Zhuge Xiang stretched out his hand toward them, clenching it tightly. He was determined that one day, there would be a mountain in the sky of the Asura Sect that belonged to him... (PS: No more words, I need recommendations to push for the front page of the new book list. Whether we can make it or not, at least we have to try...)

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