Chapter 52

Just as Wang Chen left the clearing, two figures darted past swiftly, appearing on the ground in the blink of an eye.

Looking at the mangled saber-toothed beast, the two men were dumbfounded.

"Who did this?" One of them walked up to the saber-toothed beast, examined the dented and crushed body, and asked with a look of shock.

"Probably that brutal guy, only he would do something like this!" The other person said with a bitter smile, pursing his lips.

"The madman ranked seventh on the list?" The first person muttered in surprise.

They had hunted saber-toothed beasts before, but never seen such a savage slaughter. The entire body was crushed, unrecognizable, and looked like a pile of meat on the ground. It was clear how brutal the person who killed it was, almost like a madman. To turn a saber-toothed beast, known for its terrifying strength, speed, and defense, into this state, there might be a few people capable of it, but only a few would do it. The first person who came to their minds was Lei Ming, the seventh-ranked madman on the list.

After a moment, the two men looked at each other, their eyes no longer filled with shock but turned cold.

"That guy is around here. You're lucky today, keep your Star Pearl for now!" The first person looked around, speaking with a hint of fear and a cold smile. He then quickly moved away into the distance.

"Who will take whose, we'll see! You don't know your limits!" The remaining person sneered, then glanced at the saber-toothed beast on the ground, his eyes flashing with a hint of fear before he quickly left the area.

From the temperature of the saber-toothed beast, it was clear the battle had ended not long ago, meaning the person who did this was likely nearby. If it was the madman, staying here would be courting death.

...

After an unknown amount of time spent cultivating, Wang Chen opened his eyes when his internal true essence was full. He exhaled a breath, a smile appearing on his lips.

It had been about half a month since he reached the seventh stage of Body Tempering. Although he had been busy traveling during this half month and had little time to cultivate, after today's battle, he found his true essence had become more condensed, and he had taken another step forward. He was now closer to the eighth stage of Body Tempering.

Looking at the pair of long fangs on his waist, he nodded in satisfaction, even though they were a bit cumbersome. This pair of fangs, if nothing went wrong, should earn him 3 points! More importantly, even if someone discovered his whereabouts, they couldn't take these fangs, which were his trophies.

According to the rules of the Star Sect, one could plunder Star Pearls but not the trophies, which were the evidence and materials from hunting beasts.

With a sudden burst of strength in his legs, his body sprang up from the ground. After recovering, Wang Chen began searching for his next prey.

It was now noon, and the scorching sun hung high in the sky, finally bringing light and a bit of warmth to the Yin Wind Valley, making the presence of summer felt.

Time slowly passed, and the Yin Wind Valley was occasionally filled with the roars and howls of beasts.

...

As the sun set, the last rays of twilight cast a rosy glow into the Yin Wind Valley.

At a desolate clearing, thick smoke billowed, and a human and a beast were engaged in a fierce battle. The twilight brought a dim light, and the wind howled fiercely, making it feel like early winter.

A black figure moved so fast it was hard to see, occasionally flashing a cold, icy light. Trees it touched crumbled and fell, and rocks were sliced like tofu, leaving smooth, flat surfaces!

Debris and broken trees were scattered across the clearing!

The battle became faster and more intense, with the human figure dodging rapidly. Even with his strange movements, he seemed to be at a disadvantage, struggling to avoid attacks. The situation was perilous!

"Earth Split!" With a roar, his ghostly steps flickered, and his speed doubled. He made a strange half-turn and finally found an opportunity to move to the other side of the beast. He punched with all his might, 2,000 pounds of force, and the roar of his attack hit the head of the thunder leopard.

A howl of pain and the sound of bones breaking echoed as the black figure gradually revealed itself, lying still, lifeless. Seeing this, Wang Chen let out a long sigh of relief.

He quickly pulled out a dagger and harvested the fangs and claws of the high-level first-stage beast, the thunder leopard, completely ignoring the blood on his body!

Without lingering, Wang Chen quickly fled, his waist and pockets filled with today's trophies.

The thunder leopard, a high-level first-stage beast, had the strength equivalent to an eighth-stage Body Tempering warrior, excelling in speed, which even a ninth-stage Body Tempering warrior could not match. It was light and agile, making it one of the most difficult beasts to deal with!

This was the fourth beast Wang Chen had hunted, and the second high-level first-stage beast! Compared to the saber-toothed beast, the battle was more difficult. This time, he was on the defensive, having been ambushed by the thunder leopard while he was still recovering, putting him at a disadvantage from the start.

His speed was suppressed, leading to two wounds on his body, but fortunately, they were not deep and not a major issue.

After a hard-fought battle, he managed to kill the thunder leopard, which provided some comfort.

The sky was gradually darkening, and in the Yin Wind Valley, due to the terrain, it became dark much earlier than outside. Once night fell, this place would become the most dangerous, with groups of beasts moving in large numbers. Staying here would be courting death. After quickly tidying up, he headed back to the Star Sect.

The day's hunt had been quite fruitful.

The wind whistled in his ears, and the scenery rushed past, but Wang Chen's mind was tense, his alertness at its highest.

He needed to return to the sect as quickly as possible and try to avoid other sect members to prevent any trouble. The most dangerous time was often just before the end of the day!

Everyone was likely cautious and had used up a lot of their true essence and energy, making it a prime time for some to ambush and plunder Star Pearls!

Wang Chen did not take the main path but followed a rugged mountain trail back to the sect. Along the way, he encountered several figures, including some strong ones, but fortunately, no conflicts arose. After a long journey, he finally returned to the square of the sect, which was considered a safe zone where plundering did not occur.

Entering the main hall, which was usually quiet, it was now bustling with activity, with people coming and going, exchanging their day's achievements!

Seeing Wang Chen arrive, Elder Huang Ya, who had received him yesterday, was slightly surprised and then smiled, asking, "So, you got the hang of it so quickly?"

Wang Chen nodded slightly and took out his trophies from his waist and pockets, placing them in front of Elder Huang Ya.

Looking at Wang Chen's trophies, Elder Huang Ya's eyes first showed surprise, then he looked at them seriously. "Not bad, two high-level first-stage beasts for 6 points, one mid-level first-stage beast for 2 points, and one low-level first-stage beast for 1 point! A total of 9 points!"

"Do you need to replenish your Star Pearls?" Elder Huang Ya looked up at Wang Chen and asked.

"No need!" Wang Chen knew he didn't need to replenish his Star Pearls, as he still had the original ten.

Even if he did, it wouldn't help. The elders would count the Star Pearls every day, and any discrepancies would be recorded. This was to prevent people from hiding their Star Pearls.

"Really? Alright, I've recorded your points on your waist tag. Keep it safe!" Elder Huang Ya picked up Wang Chen's waist tag and used special materials to inscribe the points on it, a bit surprised and with a hint of a bitter smile.

The waist tag, also known as the points tag, was used to record points and was divided into two parts: one kept by the individual and the other stored in the main hall. Everyone who entered the Star Sect received one, but Wang Chen only learned of its purpose today.

Carefully putting away the points tag, Wang Chen smiled in satisfaction and turned to leave the main hall. The points tag in his pocket was a testament to his achievements, and at the end of each day, any points earned beyond the original ten Star Pearls would be recorded on the tag.

Before leaving, he glanced at the black board in the center, which was densely covered with points tags.

This was the Star Board, listing the points tags and names of the top 100 members of the outer sect. With 9 points, he still had a long way to go, but if he accumulated enough points to enter the top 100, his name would be listed there.

"Seventh stage of Body Tempering, kid, I underestimated you! Heh, it seems the second elder brought back a good seedling!" After Wang Chen left, Elder Huang Ya looked at his departing figure, playing with Wang Chen's points tag, his eyes gleaming with excitement. He was still a bit surprised.

Ordinary disciples entering the outer sect usually had no achievements for the first three days. He had thought this kid would be the same, but he was pleasantly surprised by his performance in just one day.

Especially with his seventh stage of Body Tempering, he had earned 9 points on the first day, hunting two high-level first-stage beasts, the most difficult ones, the saber-toothed beast and the thunder leopard. Even many veteran members would find it hard to achieve such results.

More importantly, his Star Pearls were not plundered! How long had it been since a new disciple had such a performance? The elder recalled, and after a moment, his eyes flashed with shock, remembering someone from the past!

...