Chapter 40

Middle-aged man Liang Hu, a notorious bandit leader outside Songyan City, had only reached the peak of the Innate Realm in cultivation. However, his cunning and cautious nature had allowed him to survive and live a comfortable life up until now.

The key was that he never offended the disciples of famous clans, only robbing and killing those low-level, unaffiliated cultivators.

Three years ago, Liang Hu had participated in the Southern Barbarian Nether Realm trial, and he knew everything about the Southern Barbarian Nether Realm. He was aware that at the intersection of the Ash Nightmare Zone and the Blood Mountain Range, using the thick fog as cover for ambushes often yielded exceptionally rich rewards, without the need to hunt demonic beasts for demonic cores.

More importantly, conducting ambushes here, as long as he was careful, Liang Hu didn't have to worry about his identity being exposed. The deaths of those clan disciples would likely be attributed to demonic beasts, and no one would suspect him.

With this mindset, Liang Hu brought over a dozen subordinates, all at the Innate Realm, to participate in this Southern Barbarian Nether Realm trial, aiming to carry out a large-scale ambush.

Indeed, as Liang Hu had anticipated, in just a few hours, they had already ambushed and killed dozens of solitary cultivators, obtaining a large number of demonic cores.

However, Liang Hu didn't let victory cloud his judgment; he still cautiously chose solitary cultivators as his targets.

But at this moment, he suddenly realized that solitary individuals weren't necessarily weak, and young-looking youths weren't always easy prey.

Just like... Chen Xi in front of him.

From the moment Chen Xi moved to the moment Liang Hu noticed the calm and deadly look in Chen Xi's eyes, it was just an instant. In that instant, Liang Hu felt an intense sense of danger. Without hesitation, he stomped his right foot on the ground, using the recoil to twist his body and leap to the side.

However, it was already too late.

Swish!

A stunning sword light appeared out of nowhere, piercing with an incomprehensible speed, like a bolt of lightning.

While Liang Hu was still in mid-air, a sword hole suddenly appeared on his left abdomen, piercing through his back, and a thick stream of blood spurted out.

"How... is this possible? I reached the peak of the Innate Realm eight years ago, how could I not even block a single move?" Liang Hu fell to the ground, looking at the blood-soaked wound on his left abdomen, his face full of disbelief.

"Boss!"

"Boss is injured?"

"How is this possible!"

Seeing their leader fail to land a hit and instead be stabbed, Liang Hu's subordinates were stunned for a moment before they woke up and shouted in shock.

Liang Hu was their leader, and in the Southern Barbarian Nether Realm, his peak Innate Realm cultivation was already at the pinnacle. Yet, he was injured in a single move, which was simply an unbelievable event!

In that instant, in the eyes of these bandits who lived on the edge of death, the young man holding the sword seemed to transform from a small, fat sheep into a cold and ruthless powerhouse, making them feel a chill.

In fact, with Chen Xi's cultivation, if he truly fought Liang Hu, he couldn't guarantee injuring him in one move. This time, the ease of his success was due to his powerful divine soul.

Before hearing Liang Hu's group's shouts, Chen Xi had already used his divine soul to scan the surroundings. His mental power, comparable to that of a Purple Mansion Realm cultivator, had thoroughly investigated everything within a hundred miles, finding no trace of demonic beasts. How could he possibly fall for Liang Hu's trap?

Liang Hu, however, was completely unaware and treated Chen Xi as an inexperienced youth, leading to his麻痹大意 and being caught off guard by Chen Xi's preemptive strike.

Thud! Thud! Thud!

Steady, rhythmic footsteps sounded. Chen Xi's expression was cold, and he advanced with his sword, his heart filled with the intent to kill.

He had no good feelings towards these bandits who robbed and killed others. If not for his powerful divine soul detecting the danger, he might have fallen for their trap and lost his life. How could he let these guys off easily now?

"Brothers, attack! No matter how strong he is, he's just one person. Kill him, and the demonic cores on his body will be ours!" Liang Hu, enduring the intense pain, climbed to his feet and shouted loudly.

"Boss is right, he's just one person, what do we have to fear?"

"Right! This kid might be carrying a lot of demonic cores!"

"Kill!"

The bandits were successfully roused to their vicious nature, their eyes wild as they surrounded Chen Xi.

Chen Xi's expression remained unchanged, neither happy nor sad. Three months of intense training in the Southern Barbarian Mountains, battling life and death with powerful innate realm demons, had left him with countless injuries and spilled blood.

The combat experience honed through slaughter and bloodshed made Chen Xi enter a combat state the moment he decided to fight.

No hesitation, no delay, no nonsense. All his attention was focused on the impending slaughter, his mind calm and deadly.

"Die!"

Stepping the Eight Steps of the Heavenly Dragon, Chen Xi's wrist rotated flexibly, turning the Qingchong Sword into a storm of countless sword shadows, fierce and swift.

In their field of vision, the bandits were horrified to find that the countless sword lights were like a vast net of sharp blades, arriving in an instant, leaving them no place to hide.

Plop! Plop! Plop!

In the air, a series of blood splashes erupted like molten lava, thick blood spraying out.

Three months of diligent training had brought Chen Xi's "Chaotic Wind Sword Technique" to the "Subtle" level. In terms of sword technique, he was on par with Purple Mansion Realm cultivators, far surpassing these bandits.

In Chen Xi's daily "Self-Reflection Record," when assessing his combat strength, he had already marked "Unmatched Below the Purple Mansion Realm." Even the discerning eyes of Ji Yu, a cave spirit who had lived for nearly a million years, had no objections, showing how strong Chen Xi's combat strength had become.

Clunk... Clunk...

The eyes of the six bandits widened in shock, their expressions twisted and stiff, their throats pierced with bloody holes, emitting hoarse, terrifying screams before collapsing to the ground.

Until their deaths, they never imagined that Chen Xi's sword technique could be so fast, so fast that they were killed before they could even make a move.

The remaining five bandits, their weapons raised in mid-air, stared in shock at their fallen comrades, a wave of immense fear overwhelming them, as if an invisible hand had gripped their throats, making them forget to breathe!

Though they were bandits, all of them had reached the Innate Realm. In the Southern Barbarian Nether Realm, they had encountered tough opponents before, but with their numbers, they often emerged victorious. However, facing Chen Xi, whose eyes were filled with a deadly calm, they realized the vast gap between Innate Realm cultivators.

Dead!

In the blink of an eye, six Innate Realm companions were all dead...

Their fighting spirit collapsed like a snow-capped mountain, and the five bandits, seeing Chen Xi like a demon, let out terrified screams and tried to flee.

Swish! Swish! Swish!

The Qingchong Sword, like a wisp of smoke, its sword light sharp and swift, easily pierced through the backs of the five bandits, blood splattering everywhere.

Three months of life-and-death battles with vicious and cunning innate realm demons had taught Chen Xi an important lesson: never hold back against any enemy; the fastest way to kill an enemy is always the safest.

He didn't hold back; in his eyes, these vicious bandits were nothing but beasts, not worth pitying!

"I'll hand over all the demonic cores, please don't kill me!"

Liang Hu was stunned by everything he saw. When he saw Chen Xi approaching with the blood-dripping Qingchong Sword, his legs trembled, and he fell to his knees, screaming in terror.

Chen Xi remained unmoved, his expression cold.

"I'll fight you to the death!"

Seeing Chen Xi's resolve, Liang Hu let out a bitter laugh. Driven by the fear of death, he suddenly lunged forward, a black dagger in his hand, aiming for Chen Xi's dantian.

Swish!

The sword light flashed, and Liang Hu's head separated from his body, flying into the air. A thick stream of blood spurted from his severed neck, splattering the ground.

Thus, Liang Hu and his bandits were all killed on the spot!

If someone had seen this, they would have been shocked by Chen Xi's ruthless and decisive actions.

"There are actually more than ten thousand demonic cores. These guys must have ambushed many cultivators here, truly deserving their fate."

Taking out the treasure pouch from Liang Hu's body, Chen Xi was amazed by the number of demonic cores, his disgust for these sinful bandits growing.

"In the Southern Barbarian Nether Realm, even the most powerful cultivators are limited to the peak of the Innate Realm. Su Jiao and Li Huai are likely the same. However, as Purple Mansion Realm cultivators from prominent clans, they must have many powerful trump cards. If I encounter them, it's hard to say who will win..."

Putting the demonic cores into his storage ring, Chen Xi pondered for a moment, shook his head, and left.

Returning to the campsite, Du Qingxi and the others had just finished eating. Seeing Chen Xi return, they didn't realize he had just been in a bloody battle. They greeted him and set off.

Chen Xi naturally didn't mention the incident, following behind them. After walking for about an incense stick's time, the surroundings suddenly changed.

The originally leaden sky turned dark red, and a stifling, violent aura mixed with hot air rushed towards them.

There was no longer any thick fog, and the view was extremely wide, allowing them to see the jagged mountains and bizarre, massive rocks in the distance. The ground was still covered in sand and gravel, with no vegetation.

In the distance, terrifying roars could be faintly heard, mingling with the dark red sky, creating a sense of oppression.

"From this moment on, we will enter the Blood Mountain Range. The real danger and slaughter are about to begin. Everyone, be careful."

Du Qingxi's clear, cold voice echoed, her expression serious as she looked at the blood-red world in the distance.