I Grind to Martial Saint

Amidst the dead silence of the desolate ancient city ruins, the bloodcurdling scream was exceptionally piercing.

It was so loud that Han Yuan and Ding Zihu couldn’t have ignored it even if they wanted to.

The two of them didn’t rush over immediately. Instead, they began to discuss the situation.

”Brother Han, that scream... there’s something strange about it...”

Ding Zihu looked as skittish as a frightened mouse, a panicked expression on his face.

”Who do you think is in danger?”

Han Yuan asked calmly.

”I can’t tell.”

”Should we go take a look?”

Ding Zihu asked.

He couldn’t make up his mind either.

Although they hadn’t encountered anything strange in these ancient city ruins so far, that didn’t mean the place was safe.

He had a persistent feeling that these ruins were filled with unknown dangers.

”Let’s go take a look.”

Han Yuan said in a deep voice.

After walking through this ancient city for so long without incident, he naturally wanted to investigate now that someone was clearly in trouble.

”Then I’ll go with you,”

Ding Zihu said immediately.

He felt that staying by Han Yuan’s side was the safest place to be.

Without another word, Han Yuan headed in the direction of the scream.

But just as Han Yuan neared the source of the scream, it strangely vanished.

He cautiously scanned his surroundings.

He spotted a deep, dark alley ahead.

A glance inside revealed only pitch-black darkness; he couldn’t see what lay within.

”Brother Han... you’re not thinking of going in there, are you?”

Ding Zihu, following behind Han Yuan, seemed to have guessed his intentions.

”Yes... That scream was probably meant to lure us here.”

Han Yuan said calmly.

”Then why are you still planning to walk into the alley?”

Ding Zihu asked with a frown.

”Nothing ventured, nothing gained.”

”You always have to take some risks.”

”Besides, I want to see for myself just what kind of monster is hiding in these ancient ruins.”

Han Yuan said calmly.

Hearing this, Ding Zihu didn’t try to talk him out of it.

If anyone else had said that, he would have thought it was foolish.

But since it was Han Yuan, he believed the man actually had the skill to back it up.

Still, he cautiously took out a Compass.

But then, something surprising happened.

The Compass needle showed no reaction at all.

’But what kind of place is this?’

’How could there be no reaction whatsoever?’

Ding Zihu’s expression grew even more grave, and he told Han Yuan about the situation.

After listening, Han Yuan said in a deep voice, ”Be extra careful from now on.”

Ding Zihu put the Compass away and took out his Dharma Artifact, an Eight Trigrams Mirror, hanging it on his chest.

Only after Ding Zihu finished did Han Yuan step into the narrow alley.

The dim, dark alley was quite narrow, flanked by ancient stone walls, wide enough for only one person to pass through.

He took the lead, circulating his Innate Great Demon Gang Essence to protect his body.

After their fall, without the interference of the Spiritual Qi Storm, he could naturally use the Gang Essence in his body again.

This was the source of Han Yuan’s confidence in daring to enter the alley.

If he couldn’t use his Great Demon Gang Essence and was still being battered by the Spiritual Qi Storm, he might not have chosen to enter.

The alley wasn’t as deep as Han Yuan had imagined.

As he stepped out, his pupils instantly dilated.

”What’s wrong?”

Following behind, Ding Zihu saw Han Yuan frozen at the alley’s exit and asked in surprise and doubt.

”We have a situation.”

Han Yuan said in a low voice.

With that, he stepped out of the alley’s mouth, clearing a space.

Ding Zihu could finally see the scene ahead.

In front of the alley was a dark, open area, flanked on the left and right by the rubble of collapsed buildings.

But standing alone in front of them was a dark Stone Hall.

In front of the entrance to the dark Stone Hall, a withered, blackened old tree stood silently.

The old tree had lost all its leaves, and its branches were twisted and grotesque.

A bloody corpse was hanging among the branches of this old tree.

”Brother Han... that looks like a Demon Exterminator from your Observatory.”

Ding Zihu said in a low voice, narrowing his eyes.

”That’s right...”

”It seems he was attacked.”

Han Yuan quietly approached the withered black tree.

His steps were slow as he drew closer, one by one.

Meanwhile, Ding Zihu watched from a distance, his nerves stretched taut, afraid that something strange might happen.

However, even when Han Yuan was two meters from the old tree, nothing had happened yet.

And at this distance, Han Yuan could finally get a clear look at the Demon Exterminator hanging from the old tree.

Dark branches extending from the withered black tree were wrapped around the Demon Exterminator’s neck. There was a bloody hole in his chest.

It looked as if it had been gouged out by some sharp claws.

In short, the state of his death was exceptionally gruesome.

Even Han Yuan couldn’t help but frown at the sight.

’The scream from before must have come from this Demon Exterminator.’

’I just don’t know what attacked him.’

Han Yuan’s gaze locked completely onto the withered black tree.

He felt there was something strange about this tree.

After all, according to Ding Zihu, these ancient city ruins were supposed to be from the Chaotic Ancient Era. For this withered black tree to have survived such a vast span of time, and to be standing here without collapsing even while holding a body... there was definitely something wrong with it.

”Brother Han... be careful of that tree!”

Ding Zihu called out a reminder from a distance.

At that very moment.

The corpse of the Demon Exterminator hanging in the old tree suddenly snapped its head up, transformed into a black shadow, and lunged viciously at Han Yuan!

”Watch out!”

Ding Zihu shouted in alarm!

Han Yuan’s reaction was far faster than Ding Zihu had imagined.

The instant the figure lunged, he threw a punch!

BOOM!

The stone tiles on the ground exploded!

The two figures were suddenly blown more than ten meters apart.