Chapter 90: First Steps on the Demonic Path (2) |
Han Shi's face turned livid. He had just received terrible news.
"Boss… Zhou Chen's body… It's gone!"
One of his lackeys spoke in a trembling voice, as though he had seen a ghost.
"Of course, I know the damn body is gone! I'm not blind!"
Han Shi snapped irritably. "The real question is—where the hell did it go?"
The lackey ventured, "Boss, maybe some demon beast ate it?"
Han Shi stared at him like he was an idiot.
"A demon beast that only eats Zhou Chen's corpse and leaves everything else untouched?"
He narrowed his eyes. "That commotion just now… Zhou Chen wasn't fully dead. We were tricked!"
A chill crawled up Han Shi's spine. Still, a man who had made a name for himself among the outer disciples of the Sun-Devouring Sacred Land was not about to stand there and die without a fight.
"Rending Void Palm!"
He whirled and unleashed his strongest technique with every ounce of strength he possessed. Yet the move he prided himself on was effortlessly caught in a single hand.
Han Shi turned his head. Those eyes—pitch-black, bottomless—stared straight into him, as though they would devour his very soul.
Terrifying. He had never seen eyes like that.
"Zhou… Chen…"
Fear drenched Han Shi in cold sweat. He could not comprehend how Zhou Chen had appeared behind him without the slightest sound or warning.
Su Chen tightened his grip. Agonizing pain shot through Han Shi's wrist. His face paled; he dropped to one knee.
Su Chen looked down at him coldly. "Tell me where Han Fei and Xie Liuli are."
Han Shi raised his head and gave a miserable laugh. "Zhou Chen… do you really think I'll tell you?"
Su Chen's expression remained calm. He lifted five fingers and gave a gentle squeeze.
In Han Shi's horrified, disbelieving gaze, the man's head exploded.
Han Shi died. Even in death, he could not believe Zhou Chen would kill him so ruthlessly.
Seeing their boss fall, the remaining lackeys panicked and scattered in every direction. They never stood a chance.
Su Chen stripped every last resource from their corpses. Han Fei and Xie Liuli—both were Zhou Chen's enemies.
Han Fei served as Ye Wushang's blade, the one who had nearly ended Zhou Chen's life. Xie Liuli was a venomous beauty who had lured Zhou Chen into a death trap, leading to his encirclement and near demise.
Yes… perfectly in line with demonic sect behavior.
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Zhou Chen had simply been too naive.
"The secret realm isn't that big… and there's still a month left. I don't mind playing with you all for a while."
A faint, inscrutable smile curved Su Chen's lips. The roles of hunter and prey had just reversed. He only hoped the two of them would last long enough to make it interesting.
…
One week later.
A graceful woman clad in seductive foreign garments fled through the dense jungle, as though pursued by some ancient ferocious beast.
"Damn it… How could that person still be alive?"
Xie Liuli's face was deathly pale as she recalled the horrifying scene from moments ago. The thirty Spirit Vein geniuses she had painstakingly recruited—dead in a single exchange! And the one who killed them was Zhou Chen!
Suddenly, she glimpsed a familiar silhouette ahead. Before she could dodge, a hand clamped around her throat.
"Zhou… Chen… let me go… I'll do anything for you… I can be your servant, your slave… whatever you want, I'll give it to you. Please, just let me live!"
Xie Liuli begged desperately. She did not want to die.
Su Chen gazed at the renowned beauty without a flicker of hesitation. With a crisp twist, he snapped her neck. The woman once celebrated across the outer sect fell lifeless to the ground like a discarded rag, her beauty extinguished. Only one conspirator remained.
After learning of Xie Liuli's death—and of Zhou Chen's inexplicable resurrection—Han Fei immediately went into hiding. He was no fool. Something was clearly wrong.
"As long as I survive until the outer sect trial ends… whether that kid is human or ghost, Senior Brother Ye will never let him live!"
Han Fei thought viciously. Not only had Zhou Chen killed his younger brother Han Shi, but he had also slaughtered the woman Han Fei had just claimed for himself. Now Han Fei himself was reduced to skulking like a cornered rat. How could he not hate?
Suddenly, Han Fei sniffed the air. His heart stuttered.
"The smell of blood… why is there blood here…"
A very bad premonition gripped him.
Outside the cave, a familiar voice rang out.
"Little rat, I've found you."
The wall collapsed with a thunderous crash. Han Fei caught sight of the face he least wanted to see. And then… he died instantly.
After dispatching his final enemy, Su Chen sat quietly and waited for the outer sect trial to conclude. At last, the trial ended. A thousand disciples had entered the ruins. Fewer than ten walked out alive.
Such was the cruelty of the Sun-Devouring Sacred Land: a relentless process of raising venomous insects, where only the strongest king gu could emerge to lead the sect to greater power.
Su Chen stepped out of the trial ruins. The elder stationed outside registered a flash of surprise upon seeing him alive. The surprise quickly gave way to approval. Ruthless enough. Strong enough. That was the only law of survival in the Sun-Devouring Sacred Land.
"You have passed the assessment. One month from now, you may enter the inner sect to cultivate."
Su Chen gave a slight nod. The greatest strength of the Sun-Devouring Sacred Land lay in its fairness. The path of advancement was utterly impartial—even those blessed with divine or sacred physiques had to claw their way up from the bottom through bloodshed.
But before entering the inner sect, Su Chen still had one matter to attend to. He returned to his former residence.
"Brother, you're back?"
A delicate girl of fourteen or fifteen years rushed forward the moment she saw him. The worry on her face vanished, replaced by pure delight.
Su Chen smiled and nodded. Her name was Zhou Hanchan—his younger sister, the only family he had left in this life.
"Your big brother passed the inner sect assessment. From now on, I'll take you into the inner sect to eat well and live comfortably!"
He reached out and gently pinched her soft, bun-like cheeks, grinning as he spoke.
Zhou Hanchan's eyes sparkled like stars. She threw herself happily into his arms.
"Brother, you're amazing!"
Su Chen took out several spirit stones and pressed them into her hand. "Today, go buy some demon beast meat. We'll make a big feast to celebrate my entry into the inner sect."
Zhou Hanchan nodded eagerly like a pecking chick. The mention of food instantly transformed her into a little glutton. She dashed off at once to purchase the meat.
The moment she left, the black-and-white clarity of Su Chen's pupils was swallowed entirely by inky darkness. The surrounding space seemed to freeze. Every blade of grass, every leaf, every bird—all motion halted.
"As expected… the Primordial Taotie Physique."
A figure shrouded entirely in black mist appeared before Su Chen.
"Nirvana Realm… no, this one has already stepped half into the Saint realm. A quasi-Saint!"
Su Chen's pupils contracted sharply.
"Who exactly are you, and why are you here inside the Sun-Devouring Sacred Land?"
He asked warily.
In response to Su Chen's question, the figure in the black mist suddenly dropped to one knee and spoke with deep respect.
"Primordial Remnant Clan, Zhou Yi, pays respects to the Sovereign!"