Chapter Fifty-Eight: Annihilation by a Single Word

Feeling the resistance on the long blade vanish, Chen Qi did not immediately withdraw or turn to face his enemies. Instead, he drove the entire blade deeper, plunging it fully into the Scarlet Flame Beast’s throat. By now, the attacks of the other beasts were almost upon him; his skin tingled with the chill of their claws, as if the next instant he would be torn open.

Confronted with this peril, his expression finally shifted from indifferent apathy to something feverish and bloodthirsty. The long blade in his grip quivered minutely, his right hand flushed crimson from surging blood. With a sharp exhale, white breath streaming from his lips, Chen Qi raised his right arm and, incredibly, lifted the impaled beast into the air.

An adult Scarlet Flame Beast weighed more than two hundred jin, much like a jaguar from Earth. For someone of Chen Qi’s superhuman strength, this feat appeared effortless, but one should not forget—the beast was still struggling violently, its life not yet extinguished. The wounds from the blade had not drained all its blood in a few heartbeats; if anything, the pain made it more ferocious, convulsing and wrenching with all its might.

The oncoming beasts made an instant decision, ignoring their airborne companion, and lunged straight for Chen Qi’s vital points. As a red shadow lunged for his throat, Chen Qi swung his right arm horizontally; the impaled beast became a meteor, crashing into the attacker. In that instant, the two beasts collided savagely, blood bursting forth in every direction.

He paid no heed to the beast sent flying. Advancing half a step with his right foot, his left quickly followed, turning his body ninety degrees as his right arm swept out. The long blade, bearing the body of the beast, described a semicircle; the massive corpse spun with it, extending the arc of the blade and sending incoming enemies rebounding, their bodies tossed and battered.

Using the momentum of the collisions, Chen Qi thrust the long blade deeper, burying it completely in the beast until only the hilt protruded from its jaws. The Scarlet Flame Beast, its viscera torn, died instantly; its struggles ceased, and Chen Qi’s strikes grew even faster.

Haunted by an unshakable sense of peril, he desperately needed a channel for this turmoil; the battle before him offered precisely that outlet. Seeing the remaining beasts writhing on the ground, still dazed by the violent blows, he abandoned all pretense of technique. Brandishing his blade—now a makeshift hammer with the beast’s corpse impaled upon it—he began to smash and hew with wild abandon.

In that moment, Chen Qi unleashed all the power in his right arm. The long blade, swinging the beast’s body, struck blow after blow, sending dust swirling and rocks shattering. The distant beasts recoiled in terror, unwilling to draw near; those close by convulsed helplessly as they were struck.

Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

He poured all his vital energy into his arm; for an instant, it seemed swollen with strength, the blade and corpse crashing down again and again with thunderous force. One beast, already dead, had its once-tough skull split open by the blows, revealing a mixture of red and white brain matter.

But Chen Qi did not stop—he only increased his strength. His right hand, nearly at its limit, was swollen from the rush of blood, but his speed did not falter. At last, after a series of relentless strikes, the corpse was reduced to a pulp, and the other body on the ground was unrecognizable.

Satisfied, Chen Qi dragged his blade free, harvesting the lives of the wounded beasts nearby.

The battle not far away had long since ended. A few outer sect disciples were still gathering materials from the Scarlet Flame Beasts, while the inner sect disciples watched Chen Qi with a leisurely air.

Witnessing such savagery, the team’s senior sister—who led them—couldn’t help but speak up. “I’ve faced death many times myself, but junior brother, isn’t this a bit much...?”

By now, Chen Qi had regained his composure. With a sheepish laugh he replied, “I have a bad feeling about this deeper journey ahead. Isn’t it best to soak myself in a little more blood to ward off misfortune?”

The round-faced inner sect girl beside him feigned surprise. “Even so, you don’t have to act like a demon! I thought you’d gone mad for that prize.”

Chen Qi was embarrassed for a moment, then set about collecting the bodies of the slain beasts. Given his ferocious fighting style, most of the corpses were badly damaged, their material value diminished, making him regret his recklessness.

Fortunately, from these remains emerged a green treasure chest, its glow soothing Chen Qi’s wounded spirit—reminding him of the beauty of green.

Without hesitation, he chose to open it. He was no longer the kind of person who needed a whole ritual of prayers before opening a green chest.

[You have opened a Green Treasure Chest and received the following items:]

[Universal Points x700]

[Damaged Beast Bone]

He glanced at the Damaged Beast Bone—it was a white-quality material, rated only 4 points. Instantly, his interest faded, and he began to doubt his luck in life.

“One shouldn’t get carried away. Next time, I’ll wash my hands before opening a treasure chest,” he grumbled inwardly, then rejoined his companions.

All visible Scarlet Flame Beasts in the area had been exterminated; the mountain stream was littered with their mangled corpses, stripped of valuable parts. The air was thick with the stench of blood, though the mountain wind was beginning to carry it away.

Chen Qi gazed at the scene, his heart stirred. He hadn’t expected that a single offhand remark would spell the end for an entire tribe. Power, he realized, is truly an addictive poison—the feeling of holding others’ lives in one’s hands was not something ordinary people could ever comprehend.

So this is the sword in a man’s hand that can kill at will—the dream of every man! A surge of heroic spirit welled in his chest.

...

After a few minutes’ rest, the team headed down the mountain. Chen Qi walked in their midst, eyes half-closed, savoring the gains from the battle. Through this bloody, brutal fight, he found his path of forceful blade techniques had improved slightly. A few more such battles, and his Basic Blade Art at level 3 would soon break through.

This was a different direction from the blade deflection technique he’d grasped earlier—his swordsmanship was still raw, with much room for growth and inspiration everywhere.

As for the prize for slaying the Scarlet Flame Beasts, how could Chen Qi compare with the inner disciples? The round-faced inner sect girl had acted ruthlessly and reclaimed her prize. Although Chen Qi had drawn nearly ten beasts upon himself with his title, how could that compare to her—striking down one with each blow, crushing the leader in a few moves?

He stole a glance at her back, grumbling inwardly: “I didn’t realize this little girl was so savage against weaklings. How come I didn’t see it in the cave?”

As if sensing his gaze, the round-faced girl turned, her chubby cheeks quivering slightly, her large eyes blinking in confusion as she looked around.

Chen Qi, of course, put on a composed expression and pretended to be studying the surroundings.

Following the foot of Scarlet Flame Mountain southwest, the vegetation returned to its normal green, though unusually lush, with no clear paths—a place seldom visited by man. The team leader at the front activated her internal energy, clearing rocks, trees, and earth from the way so the group could pass.

Perhaps due to the scent of blood on them, not a single beast dared to block their path. Chen Qi only sensed a few distant beasts before they quickly retreated, clearly unwilling to provoke the group.

The afternoon passed swiftly; as they lifted their eyes, the stars were already sparse in the moonlit sky. The group chose a sheltered mountain valley to make camp for the night.

The mountains at night were treacherous—many beasts could see far better than humans in the dark, and their nocturnal habits made even inner disciples unwilling to take risks. Chen Qi sat cross-legged in his close friend’s tent and took another dose of Black Jade Royal Jelly.