King of Ten Thousand Years

”ARGH! AHH!...”

The massive wave of Demon Beasts attacked, accompanied by lightning-fast sneak attacks from the Demon Birds in the sky. The Martial Artists and students from the various Wu Mansions defending the village were caught completely off guard.

For a moment, screams echoed incessantly as casualties continued to mount.

All five teams from the Sun Chasing Holy Mansion suffered casualties to varying degrees.

Li Hai’s team had it the worst.

The other teams had their Silver Captains and managed to avoid casualties.

But their captain, Li Hai, had run off to take a piss, resulting in one team member’s tragic death and two others being injured.

Luo Tian’s team, on the other hand, was in the best shape.

Luo Tian had acted a step ahead, getting his team into a battle-ready stance. They had successfully weathered the first and most difficult assault of the Beast Tide.

The other teams had spent the day bustling about, fighting over who killed which Demon Beast, leaving them mentally and physically exhausted.

Luo Tian’s team, however, had spent the day resting and conserving their strength. Now, they were brimming with energy and stamina.

SHINK! SHINK! SLICE!

With Luo Tian leading the charge like the tip of a spear, the five-person team hunted down one Demon Beast after another.

Luo Tian’s longsword unleashed streams of Starlight Sword Shadow. Each burst of starlight instantly killed a Mid-Low Tier One-star Demon Beast.

The number of One-star Middle Tier beasts had increased significantly in this wave of the Beast Tide.

Fortunately, Luo Tian’s teammates, whose Cultivation was between the fifth and Sixth Layer of Meridian Opening, were quite strong themselves.

After withstanding the initial impact of the Beast Tide, Luo Tian’s team found the fight much easier.

In just the time it takes to drink half a cup of tea, the Demon Beast corpses beside the team had already piled into a small mountain.

ROAR!

A giant purple leopard several meters tall, its body covered in shimmering purple markings, kicked up a cloud of dark sand as it pounced.

”A High Tier Demon Beast!”

The nearby Martial Artists and students scrambled to get out of its way.

SHRED!

The giant purple leopard was as fast as an arrow. In a single pounce, it tore through the chests of three or four Martial Artists in its path, killing them instantly.

”Let me handle it.”

Luo Tian stepped forward as the giant purple leopard charged right toward his team.

”Brother Luo, be careful!”

Chen Haofei and the other students looked on with concern.

Judging by the giant leopard’s speed and Attack, its combat power was close to the Eighth Layer of Meridian Opening. Even a weaker Silver Student would be no match for it.

WHOOSH!

Luo Tian executed the Cloud Traveling Step. He moved like a light feather—as fast as lightning, yet elegant and unhurried.

In the blink of an eye, he and the giant purple leopard crossed paths twice in quick succession, sparks flying as his longsword clashed with its claws.

”The Captain is so strong!”

”He’s fighting a High Tier Demon Beast head-on with just a Sixth Layer Cultivation and isn’t losing ground at all.”

His teammates exclaimed in amazement.

Leopard-type Demon Beasts were known for their explosive power, speed, and agility.

After a few exchanges...

SHLICK!

Luo Tian’s longsword swept out, a chilling Sword Light blossoming like a star. It carved a gash several inches deep into the giant leopard’s abdomen, sending blood spurting.

’Its explosive power and speed are impressive, but its Defense is just average,’ Luo Tian thought. Besides, his sword had struck one of the leopard’s most vulnerable areas.

A few breaths later, Luo Tian pierced the giant leopard’s head with his sword, killing it instantly.

”Congratulations, Captain, for killing a One-star High Tier Demon Beast.”

His teammates congratulated him one after another, their faces full of admiration and envy.

Killing a One-star Low Tier Demon Beast only gets you five Contribution Points.

Killing a One-star Middle Tier one gets you at most twenty Contribution Points.

Killing a One-star High Tier beast, however, awarded at least eighty Contribution Points, and sometimes well over a hundred.

Luo Tian smiled and, with a flick of his sword, retrieved the Demon Core from the giant leopard’s body. It would serve as proof of his kill.

The Demon Cores of One-star Demon Beasts were not very useful to Meridian Opening Martial Artists. They contained Demon Evil Power, which would erode a martial artist’s foundation if absorbed.

These Demon Cores could, however, be used in Alchemy, though they required a complex refining process.

’It’d be great if I could kill a few more High Tier Demon Beasts,’ Luo Tian thought, still eager for more.

This wave of the assault only included ten or twenty One-star High Tier Demon Beasts, all of which were quickly claimed by the stationed Martial Artists and the experts above the Seventh Layer of Meridian Opening from the various Wu Mansions.

Huh?

Luo Tian’s gaze shifted, and he noticed that Li Hai’s team nearby was battling a High Tier Demon Beast.

It was a large, crimson bird with a wingspan of seven or eight meters.

WHOOSH! WHOOSH!

As the great crimson bird flapped its wings, it generated waves of fiery wind that left everything in their wake scorched black.

Several charred corpses lay nearby.

”This big bird’s attacks are too strong!”

The three remaining members of Li Hai’s team, all at the Sixth Layer of Meridian Opening—some even at the Peak of that layer—could only skirmish from the sidelines.

”Hold your ground!”

Li Hai’s face was flushed as he thrust out his palms, unleashing blasts of dark Palm Light that clashed with the fiery gales from the great bird’s wings.

This great bird was equivalent to a human Martial Artist at the Eighth Layer of Meridian Opening.

With Li Hai leading three at the Sixth Layer, they were barely able to contend with it, and the fight was still incredibly dangerous.

”Die!”

Li Hai found an opportunity, and a dark, cold gleam shot out from his sleeve.

Luo Tian’s Spiritual Sense picked it up—it was a Poison Needle, half a foot long, fired from a tube-like mechanism hidden in his sleeve.

TCH!

The dark, cold gleam, fast as lightning, pierced the great bird’s wing.

The great crimson bird shrieked as the wing struck by the Poison Needle went stiff with excruciating pain.

FLAP! FLAP! FLAP!

It could only manage to fly low to the ground as it tried to escape to the other side.

’Hmph! My Flying Poison Needle Tube can only fire three times in total. How could I let you get away?’ Li Hai sneered.

He had paid a hefty price for this item. He’d intended to use it not only for the Beast Tide but also to deal with Luo Tian.

What Li Hai didn’t know was that his every move, including the Flying Poison Needle Tube in his sleeve, had been perfectly clear to Luo Tian’s Spiritual Sense.

As Li Hai and his teammates gave chase...

”Senior Li! You’re badly injured. Allow me to lighten your load...” a familiar, cheerful voice called out.

Hmm?

Li Hai froze, realizing the voice was coming from above and ahead of him.

WHOOSH!

A handsome youth in a Silver-White Robe vaulted off a nearby building, soaring more than twenty-three meters into the air—as high as a ten-story building—as lightly as a floating feather.

”So high! It’s Luo Tian!”

The members of Li Hai’s team were stunned.

”Damn it! The brat is trying to steal our kill...”

Li Hai’s expression changed as he watched Luo Tian soar directly above the great crimson bird.

An ordinary Body Technique would never allow for such a feat.

This was one of the specialties of the Cloud Traveling Step: its excellence at leaping and using leverage.

”Chasing Stars and Catching the Moon!”

Luo Tian’s longsword thrust out, creating a brilliant Sword Light like a star. In the same instant, it surged forward twice more.

SHINK! SHINK! SHINK!

In the air, three brilliant bursts of Starlight Sword Qi blossomed, one after another, each one faster and more powerful than the last.

The great crimson bird’s injured wing was pierced straight through.

Immediately after, the starlight from the second and third strikes exploded, piercing and cleaving open the great crimson bird’s chest.

Guided by his Spiritual Sense, Luo Tian located the Demon Core and, with a flick of his sword, expertly plucked it from the bird’s body at incredible speed.

The move was so fast that the people below couldn’t see it clearly.

Without Spiritual Sense, it would be impossible to accomplish this in mid-air, even for someone at the Ninth Layer of Meridian Opening.

”Luo Tian! You dare kill-steal my Demon Beast!”

Li Hai was furious.

They had fought long and hard to deal with this beast that was comparable to an Eighth Layer expert, and every one of them was wounded.

He had even been forced to use one of his trump cards.

”Senior Li, Luo Tian flew so high. Even if he doesn’t die from the fall, he’ll lose half his life,” a student beside him snickered.

”Hmph.”

Li Hai regained his composure, the corner of his mouth curling into a cold smile.

’Jumping down from the height of a ten-story building... no matter how he tries to break his fall, even if he survives, he’ll be crippled. When that happens, we’ll see how I deal with you.’

WHOOSH!

Standing on the great bird’s corpse, Luo Tian plummeted toward the ground, accelerating rapidly under the pull of gravity.

When he was just over ten meters from the ground...

STOMP!

Luo Tian stomped hard on the bird’s corpse, launching himself like a light feather toward the wall of a nearby building.

He kicked off the wall, simultaneously dispersing his momentum and using it to propel himself again.

WHOOSH!

After a few graceful spins in the air, he landed elegantly on the ground, completely unharmed.

Li Hai and his men stared, dumbfounded by the sight.

”Quick, get to the corpse!”

Li Hai and his men scrambled over to the great bird’s corpse.

But their expressions changed. They found that the Demon Core had already been carved out of the great bird’s body.

It was definitely taken by Luo Tian!

But how had Luo Tian managed to extract the Demon Core so quickly and precisely while he was still in the air?

This Demon Core was the very item needed to exchange for Contribution Points.

”Luo Tian! Hand over the Demon Core,” Li Hai roared, his face ashen.

”I’m the one who killed the great bird. That’s an undeniable fact,” Luo Tian replied with a faint smile.

”Besides, I was kind enough to step in and help you, to relieve your burden. And you still have the nerve to ask for the Demon Core!” Luo Tian raised his voice, speaking with righteous indignation.

Hearing this, many of the nearby Martial Artists turned to look.

”That’s right. It was Luo Tian who killed the great bird.”

Some eyewitnesses murmured among themselves. Even some Martial Artists who didn’t know him spoke up to confirm it.

Luo Tian’s actions—leaping so high and killing the great bird—had been too conspicuous.

He now had a crowd of on-the-spot ”witnesses.”

As for Li Hai, he had used his insidious Flying Poison Needle Tube secretively, not wanting anyone to see.

”You... you...”

Li Hai was so enraged he nearly spat blood, his fury boiling over.

Luo Tian’s line, ”And you still have the nerve to ask for the Demon Core?” in particular, made his lungs nearly explode with rage.

’How can such a shameless person exist in this world?!’

He had worked so hard and paid a heavy price to injure the great bird, only for Luo Tian to steal it. And now, he was the one being vilified for it!

Luo Tian was using an overt scheme.

He had snatched the Demon Beast kill openly and was forcing Li Hai to swallow his anger and suffer in silence.

As for trying to take the Demon Core back from Luo Tian?

Li Hai knew he wasn’t confident he could win. Besides, the battle had taken a lot out of him, and he was injured.

”Not bad,” Luo Tian said with a satisfied look. ”This great bird’s Demon Core should be worth at least a hundred-some Contribution Points.”

”Luo Tian! Just you wait... With our plan this time, you won’t be able to escape even if you sprout wings!”

Li Hai’s eyes burned with murderous intent and venomous hatred.

Just as he finished speaking...

WHOOSH WHOOSH RUMBLE—

In the distant sky, dark clouds gathered, and a swarm of black dots appeared.

Luo Tian focused his gaze and his expression changed dramatically.

SWOOSH! SWOOSH! SWOOSH!

A massive flock of Demon Birds was flying toward the village. In an instant, all sorts of sharp, piercing cries echoed for miles around.

”What’s going on?!”

”Why are there so many Demon Birds in this year’s Beast Tide?”

The expressions of the leaders in charge of the village’s defense all changed.

What was even more terrifying was that, surrounded by the flock of Demon Birds, was a gigantic, green-feathered Demon Bird. Its wingspan was over ten meters, and it radiated a vast, immense pressure.

”A Two-star Demon Beast! A Spirit Level Demon Beast!”

The alarm bells rang throughout the entire village, plunging it into a panic.

What no one noticed was...

”Aiyaya... Somebody save me...”

At the very front of the avian tide, a crow, charred black and smoking, shrieked wretchedly as it was attacked and pursued by the other Demon Birds.