Chapter 56

The black-clothed youth standing in the middle of Huo Family Village was older than the two whom Ning Yue had killed. He let out three loud, evil laughs, filled with no joy but rather a deep-seated hatred.

After the black-clothed youth's laughter subsided, his face was full of resentment as he muttered to himself, "If it weren't for that ice-light wolf being impossible to find, how could my Moon Wolf Battle Spirit only be at this level? I had my eye on that wolf long ago, but now I can't find it. It must be because you deliberately ruined my plans."

The black-clothed youth twisted his neck, emitting a wolf-like howl, and suddenly leaped into the sky, jumping nearly ten zhang high.

Ning Yue saw this from a distance and was greatly startled. To prevent him from attacking the people of Huo Family Village, he quickly came up with a plan. He pretended to be out of breath and ran into the village, shouting before he even saw anyone, "Grandpa Huo, I saw an expert who can summon a Battle Spirit! I saw an expert who can summon a Battle Spirit..."

He called out several times, and a figure flew over like the wind, grabbing Ning Yue, who felt his body become light as he was lifted by the black-clothed youth.

"Speak quickly! Who did you encounter?"

Ning Yue, stuttering and speaking unclearly, was already in the black-clothed youth's mind. The youth added a few questions, making the matter seem increasingly clear.

"It's indeed the Fourth and Sixth Senior Brothers. They ruined my big plans and even guided the villagers to trap these wolf demons. This time, after I complete the Moon Wolf Sword and condense my Battle Spirit, I will return to the sect and seek revenge on them."

The black-clothed youth had not previously asked who had guided the Huo Family Village to build the inner walls and trap the wolf demons. Now, mixing all his suspicions together, he suspected his fellow disciples.

After "clarifying" his suspicions, he immediately shouted, "Do you know where those people are?"

Ning Yue pointed and mumbled a few words. The black-clothed youth ordered, "Lead me there. If I can't find them, I'll kill you immediately."

Ning Yue nodded repeatedly, and the black-clothed youth, carrying him, left without a second thought, ignoring the people of Huo Family Village.

The black-clothed youth increased his speed to the extreme, faster than a galloping horse. Ning Yue, hearing the wind in his ears, thought to himself, "This person's martial arts aren't that great; I can easily kill him. But there seems to be something big happening behind him. I'll play along for now and investigate further before making any plans."

Ning Yue had already devised six or seven plans by the time he tricked the black-clothed youth into leaving Huo Family Village.

Under the black-clothed youth's questioning, Ning Yue pointed the way, and in no time, they had traveled dozens of miles. Strangely, whether by coincidence or divine intervention, Ning Yue actually discovered several "clues" and pointed them out.

The black-clothed youth, not being meticulous, would not have noticed these traces without Ning Yue's guidance. He began to trust Ning Yue more and followed his directions.

As they traveled, Ning Yue gradually became suspicious. Some of the traces he found were based on his experience, turning ordinary animal tracks into those of martial experts, but others were clearly not from animals but from highly skilled martial artists.

Ning Yue thought to himself, "Could there be other experts near Huo Family Village besides these three black-clothed youths? There's nothing valuable around here, so why would they come? Could they also be after the Moon Wolf demons?"

Although the black-clothed youth's martial arts were high, his experience and wisdom were far inferior to Ning Yue's. On the journey, he had already revealed that he came to Huo Family Village because the Moon Wolf demons had suddenly gathered there to practice the Moon Wolf Sword.

The black-clothed youth didn't know why the Moon Wolf demons had suddenly appeared in such numbers.

Ning Yue pieced together various signs and felt a growing unease, sensing that something significant was about to happen. However, he was not afraid because he had already mastered the eighteen killing moves of the Ten Directions Illusionary Destruction Technique and had a Fifth Stage Void Dragon Phantom. Even if he encountered the pursuing monks from the Temple of Ten Thousand Armies, he would not be afraid.

After a day of tracking, Ning Yue suddenly heard the sounds of a struggle ahead. Just as he was about to warn the black-clothed youth, the youth suddenly threw him to the ground, shouting, "Stay here, don't run away. I'll go check it out!"

Ning Yue had always acted honestly and obediently, like a typical peasant child, and had shown some skill in tracking, earning the black-clothed youth's "trust."

After leaving Ning Yue, the black-clothed youth sped forward.

Ning Yue, seeing him go, sat down in meditation. He couldn't practice martial arts in front of the black-clothed youth, but now that he had some free time, he decided to continue his efforts. To become an unparalleled martial arts master, one needed not only exceptional talent but also ten times, even a hundred times more effort than others. Even a slight improvement in martial arts could give one more control over the situation.

Although Ning Yue had gained some trust from the black-clothed youth, he had judged from the youth's words and actions that he treated people like grass and killed as easily as breathing, with no psychological burden. If Ning Yue showed any disobedience or became a hindrance, he would be killed without hesitation. Therefore, he was not worried about the youth's safety.

Ning Yue practiced for two to three hours, and then he heard a whistle in the distance. He knew this was the black-clothed youth's method of summoning the wolf demons and thought to himself, "What has happened that he needs to summon the wolf demons?"

Ning Yue followed the sound and, after about half an hour, saw two people sitting on the ground, while another lay motionless.

The black-clothed youth had seven or eight wounds, some deep to the bone, clearly severely injured. The other person had been cut across the waist, with a deep wound in the chest and abdomen, exposing his internal organs, even more severely injured than the black-clothed youth.

Six or seven Moon Wolf demons, summoned by someone, were being controlled by both men, circling the area. Both men's methods of controlling the wolves were equally matched, so the wolves were hesitant, moving back and forth. Both men were frantically whistling, clearly using their last resort.

As soon as Ning Yue appeared, the black-clothed youth showed a look of relief and shouted from a distance, "Quick, kill this person, and I will reward you heavily!"

Ning Yue's expression turned cautious, and he pointed at the fallen man, saying, "This person is still alive."

Although he pretended to be timid, his words made the black-clothed youth slightly uneasy. Ning Yue had discovered several subtle clues on the journey, and though he spoke little, his words were always accurate, earning the youth's trust. When Ning Yue said the fallen man was still alive, the youth became extremely anxious.

"Trouble! If the Sixth Senior Brother still has strength left, and the Fourth Senior Brother and I are both severely injured, won't he benefit from our conflict?"

The fallen man suddenly laughed loudly, stood up, and with a kick, sent Ning Yue flying into the air. Then he smiled at the black-clothed youth, "Seventh Junior Brother's attendant is quite perceptive, able to detect that I was feigning death. Unfortunately, he followed such a master, destined for a hundred deaths and no life. Now that you two have fought to this extent, why don't you both hand over your condensed Life Souls to me? Let me, Xu Fengzi, stand out among the disciples. If I can become the top disciple of our generation, it will also bring glory to our master."

The black-clothed youth, who knew Ning Yue's martial arts "inside and out," believed that the peasant child from Huo Family Village would be kicked to death by the Sixth Senior Brother, with his internal organs shattered and bones broken, leaving no chance of survival. He became even more determined and shouted, "You want to kill me, but it won't be that easy!"