Chapter 56

The cold wind howled, and although it was just the beginning of autumn, the chill of early winter could already be felt in the Valley of Cold Winds. A cool breeze swept through, bringing a chill to the air.

Whistling sounds continued one after another, leaves fell from the trees, and fluttered through the sky, creating a beautiful scene.

"Kid, someone is after you!" The voice of Ling Zhan in his mind made Wang Chen's heart skip a beat. He frowned slightly and quickened his pace toward a secluded area.

The final three days had arrived, and the Starlight Sect had indeed entered its most frenzied period. In just the morning, Wang Chen had sensed dozens of battles breaking out. It seemed the final frenzied plundering had begun!

Now that he himself had been targeted, Wang Chen could only laugh bitterly. Carefully sensing, he indeed felt a presence several dozen meters behind him!

Fortunately, Ling Zhan had warned him; otherwise, he might have been ambushed.

"Hehe, don't worry, an Eighth Stage Body Tempering warrior can't trap you. It's a good opportunity to snatch his Starlight Pearl!" Ling Zhan's sly laughter made Wang Chen laugh bitterly.

Since the day he entered the Starlight Sect, this guy had been urging him to start plundering. However, to accumulate points faster and avoid injury, Wang Chen had never agreed. Now, it seemed he had no choice but to comply.

Quickly circling around the winding mountain path, Wang Chen stopped at the edge of a forest.

"You should come out now!" He said coldly to the air, his voice piercing.

"I didn't expect you to notice!" After a moment, a figure appeared before Wang Chen. The person was about seventeen or eighteen years old, with a robust build, clearly shaped by years of combat. A fierce scar ran across his face, likely from past battles.

"Are you Liu Yuan, the 91st on the ranking list, known as Scarface?" Wang Chen asked calmly. He knew almost everyone on the ranking list, especially Liu Yuan, whose nickname and scar were particularly noticeable.

"Newcomer, hand over your Starlight Pearl, or don't blame me for taking action!" The man said calmly as he walked up to Wang Chen. Having followed him for a while, he had a rough idea of Wang Chen's strength—Seventh Stage Body Tempering, which posed no threat to him.

"Come and get it if you can!" Wang Chen coldly retorted, suddenly exerting force with his feet and taking the initiative. He wouldn't wait passively for an attack.

Another condition for survival in the Starlight Sect was that if you encountered a fellow disciple trying to plunder you, you must quickly end the battle with the least cost. If you were no match, you should surrender immediately to preserve your energy and strength for the next battle, avoiding injury and attracting more enemies.

"Ha ha ha... Not bad, you've got some guts! Then don't blame me for being ruthless!" The man laughed loudly upon hearing Wang Chen's words.

He suddenly exerted force and lunged at Wang Chen.

"Earth Split!" From the start, Wang Chen used his strongest attack.

Having been at Seventh Stage Body Tempering for nearly a month, and with ten days of continuous hunting and training, Wang Chen no longer feared Eighth Stage Body Tempering warriors!

His fist suddenly seemed to grow several times in size, smashing toward Liu Yuan with a whistling wind. The force of the punch was nearly 2,300 pounds, far exceeding the strength of a Seventh Stage Body Tempering warrior, reaching the level of a Ninth Stage Body Tempering warrior.

Bang...

A dull collision sound echoed, and Liu Yuan grunted in shock, retreating hastily.

Wang Chen paused and pressed forward, seizing the opportunity to launch a fierce attack. His punches rained down like a storm, and for a moment, Liu Yuan could only defend himself in a狼狈 manner.

Liu Yuan's face was filled with shock. He had thought targeting a Seventh Stage Body Tempering warrior would be an easy way to get a Starlight Pearl, but the situation had turned so badly that he was now in a desperate position. Wang Chen's powerful attacks seemed to penetrate his defenses with each wave, and the overwhelming force made him suffer.

"Stone Shattering Leg!" Another kick landed heavily on Liu Yuan's thigh, causing him to stumble and fall to the ground, sliding away.

"I surrender!" Seeing Wang Chen charge at him again, Liu Yuan felt a chill and shouted loudly.

Hearing Liu Yuan's words, Wang Chen stopped his attack, took a deep breath, and accepted the Starlight Pearl Liu Yuan handed over, satisfied.

Defeating an Eighth Stage Body Tempering warrior was no longer a challenge for him. The intense battles over the past half month had significantly improved Wang Chen's skills. In the past, facing an Eighth Stage Body Tempering warrior would have been a tough fight.

Watching Wang Chen leave, Liu Yuan stood in place, feeling the burning pain on his body. He drew a deep breath, "Damn, is this guy really a Seventh Stage Body Tempering warrior?"

He muttered in disbelief. As a mid-level Eighth Stage Body Tempering warrior, he had been completely overpowered, which was too bizarre. Each punch had a force exceeding 2,000 pounds, and he was no match. Looking at Wang Chen's back, he felt a strange sense of unease.

"Damn it, forget it, I'll find someone else!" Checking the time, he saw it was already late. He spat and quickly moved to another area.

"Kid, how do you feel?" After Wang Chen had walked some distance, Ling Zhan's teasing voice echoed in his mind.

"Pretty good, I can now defeat Eighth Stage Body Tempering warriors!" Wang Chen replied quickly.

He didn't feel much about Liu Yuan's surrender; this was the survival rule in the Starlight Sect. To achieve a better ranking and better resources, sometimes one had to endure humiliation.

Like Liu Yuan, if he had continued to fight, he would have lost anyway. Wang Chen had taken the initiative and gained a decisive advantage. Even if Liu Yuan had fought to the death, he would have only caused some trouble or minor injuries, but he would have suffered much more. Once seriously injured, the consequences would be dire.

During these three frenzied days, he would face endless plundering. Even if he tried to return to the sect, his Starlight Pearl would likely be taken, leaving him with nothing at the end of the month. That would be a huge loss.

Therefore, in the Starlight Sect, when the outcome of a battle was clear, the losing side would usually surrender and hand over the Starlight Pearl, preserving their strength to find other opponents. This was their survival strategy.

Sometimes, Wang Chen wondered if he would do the same if he encountered an unbeatable opponent, but he never found an answer, always struggling with the dilemma.

"Kid, 300 meters to the right, there's another guy, a Seventh Stage Body Tempering warrior. Hehe, it's a good opportunity for you!" As Wang Chen was deep in thought, Ling Zhan's voice sounded.

Hearing this, Wang Chen's spirits lifted. A cold smile appeared on his lips, and he quickly moved forward.

Seventh Stage Body Tempering warriors were no match for Wang Chen now, so this battle ended quickly with the opponent surrendering and handing over the Starlight Pearl, leaving Wang Chen satisfied.

With Ling Zhan's help, Wang Chen had a very fruitful day. Given his current strength, he specifically targeted Seventh to Ninth Stage Body Tempering warriors, avoiding stronger opponents.

Relying on his significant advantage, he narrowly escaped several True Martial warriors' pursuits, making him sigh in relief. The Body Tempering stage and the True Martial stage were completely different. He had no chance against True Martial warriors, so he wouldn't be foolish enough to fight them, especially with the end of the month approaching, a critical time for accumulating points.

After a day of continuous battles, he had obtained six Starlight Pearls, more than any other day! The constant fighting made Wang Chen feel his blood boil, as if the crazy factor within him had been activated. He began to enjoy and love combat, finally adopting the characteristic of the Starlight Sect and even the Demon Sect—belligerence.

As the sky grew dim and he couldn't find any more suitable targets, Wang Chen set off on his journey back to the sect, marking the end of another day.

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