Chapter 163: Union of Heaven, Earth, and Man (1)
As Wu Yuan's physical constitution grew stronger, his body’s consumption of the blood-red mist also rose. It was currently fueled by the astounding amount obtained from slaying Grandmaster Wang Huang and three Savant experts, and was still in abundant supply.
However, I must ensure that my stock of blood-red mist remains ample throughout my journey, rather than waiting until it runs low before seeking replenishment.
Who could foresee what lay ahead? Perhaps he would find himself clashing with a Grandmaster. Hence, it was necessary to maintain peak combat power at all times.
After numerous experiments, Wu Yuan also began to form a hypothesis about the origin of the blood-red mist. It seemed unlikely that it was produced by the deceased, and more likely the black pagoda itself.
As my power continues to grow, it is only when I encounter enemies with strength on par with mine that the blood-red mist emerges in significant quantities. Wu Yuan realized.
Weaker foes provided only meager amounts of the mist, as demonstrated by the slaying of a dozen bandits who were predominantly martial novices and martial virtuosos, with barely any third-rate Adepts among them. There was a stark difference in blood-red mist production compared to when Wu Yuan killed a third-rate Adept two years ago.
In essence, the amount of blood-red mist released depends on the human aspect of the equation. It factors in my own power and the strength of my adversaries.
The black pagoda's ability to discern the relative strength between Wu Yuan and his foes was truly mysterious.
This has the unmistakable touch of some higher-order existence. I suspect it is somehow linked to extremely powerful qi refiners.
He dismissed these thoughts for the time being. For a long time now, Wu Yuan had been diligently trying to decipher the secrets of the black pagoda and the blood-red mist. With his growing strength, he gradually unraveled more information.
I’ve only acquired a little blood-red mist so far, but there’s no need to rush. This Great Spirit Mountain Range stretches across hundreds of li, serving as an essential passage from the Yuan Continent, through Eastdream, and into the Jiang Continent. It's only natural that it attracts a horde of bandits. Wu Yuan smiled.
Certain conditions bred a hotbed for bandits: first, a constant flow of traveling merchants. Bandits were driven by greed, and their love for silver taels knew no bounds. Second, treacherous terrain that allowed for quick escapes. Plains were rarely favored by land bandits. Third, an area situated at the crossroads of various major powers. This often led to lax oversight and created fertile ground for banditry.
Given that the Great Spirit Mountain Range fulfilled all three of these conditions, it was no surprise that it was infested with bandits.
According to Wu Yuan's knowledge, there were seven notorious gangs that held significant sway in this region.
Given that he intended to keep his true identity concealed as he roamed the world, Wu Yuan had no interest in accepting missions from the Pleiades Guild, nor did he feel the need to decide who deserved to live or die. He devised a simple solution—eliminate anyone who came seeking his life!
This was where the Bluethunder Horses came into play. The mere presence of two Bluethunder Horses, valued at nearly 10,000 silver taels, was enough to lure any ordinary bandit.
...
The Great Spirit Mountain Range was a long stretch of majestic peaks and undulating terrain.
Wu Yuan, riding one of the two Bluethunder Horses, carried an ample supply of food and fodder in his storage ring, enough to last several months. Furthermore, Wu Yuan, having mastered qi consumption, did not require daily sustenance. Carrying food and seasonings was simply to satisfy his occasional cravings.
He traveled leisurely, covering distances that ranged from a few li to several dozen li each day. Wu Yuan traveled at his own pace along the mountainous official route, with the sky as his blanket and the earth as his bed. Occasionally, he would pause to refine his fist techniques and hone his techniques with the saber.
As he ventured forth on this journey of carefree abandon, his mind and heart grew increasingly tranquil.
Heaven and earth are vast and boundless!
Wu Yuan's soul swelled with power. With each passing moment, his perception of the world deepened and sharpened.
The weight of the earth, the expanse of the sky, and the vitality of nature began to resonate within his heart and soul. All weariness and concerns were discarded to the back of his mind.
Perhaps it was because Wu Yuan was too small a target, or because he didn’t strictly keep to the official route, but it wasn't until the sixth day of traveling through the Great Spirit Mountain that his desired prey finally appeared.
"Trash, leave those horses behind!"
"Two Bluethunder Horses, and the rider looks like a cavalier... I don’t think it’s a good idea to provoke him.”
"Who cares? How dare he pass through our Blackwind Fort’s territory without paying the toll?" Hundreds of bandits descended on Wu Yuan, charging down from the mountainside. Yet, none of them dared to release their arrows, fearful of harming the Bluethunder Horses.
Finally, they’re here. Wu Yuan smiled. After so many days, he was starting to get impatient.
"Where did this fool come from? He’s about to die, yet he’s smiling instead of running for his life," jeered the bandit leader. With a sudden leap, he swung his saber towards Wu Yuan's neck, confident that he could sever it in a single stroke. He could already visualize the blood splattering in his mind.
Bang! A loud crunch echoed through the air, sending shivers down the spines of the surrounding bandits.
The bandit leader’s chest was obliterated, leaving behind a gaping hole of mangled flesh and blood.
Boom~ The land bandit leader was sent flying eighteen meters back, crashing into two other bandits before colliding with a colossal tree. The tree snapped in half, collapsing onto the ground.
His eyes bulged, life extinguished. The two bandits struck by his lifeless body felt as though an unimaginable force slammed into them. Both fell to the ground, spitting out blood as they teetered on the edge of death.
In one punch, three lives were snuffed out!
Without using my Soul Force or saber, I managed to subtly harness heaven and earth's power. Wu Yuan's eyes were bright with excitement. Just as The Sword Hierarch advised, attuning myself to the world is highly effective.
Wu Yuan paid no mind to the bandits surrounding him. Just the sight of the punch he had just delivered was enough to petrify them. The strongest among them, the Ninth Leader, had been dispatched in a single blow?
"Is that all you can do?" Wu Yuan casually asked. His gaze was completely calm, surveying the hundreds of bandits on both sides. He concealed his aura flawlessly.
"Kill! Avenge Ninth Leader!" A furious roar echoed through the air.
"Kill him!"
"Kill!" With Wu Yuan's provocation, the land bandits, who were well-accustomed to bloodshed, could no longer hold themselves back. They surged towards him from all directions, like a tidal wave intent on swallowing him whole.
They believed that by relying on overwhelming numbers, they could exhaust the seemingly indomitable martial artist standing in their way.
Boom! Boom! Boom! The echoing impact of fists meeting flesh reverberated through the air as the bandits surrounding Wu Yuan were sent flying in all directions. Some were left with shattered limbs, while the unfortunate ones had their heads launched into the distance or chests punctured!
In an instant, more than ten figures were hurled nearly 30 zhangs away, no longer breathing as they crashed to the ground. The sight of this spectacle finally instilled genuine fear in the hearts of these merciless bandits.
"Damn it! We're dealing with an expert!"
"Run." Gripped by panic, the surviving bandits fled, abandoning all hope of victory against Wu Yuan. Their group scattered completely.
As bandits, they did not fear death, having long prepared themselves for such an outcome. However, the absence of hope could fracture even the sturdiest wills.
But how could Wu Yuan allow them to escape?
Boom! Boom! Boom! Each earth-shaking impact sent a bandit crashing to the ground.
"Have mercy!"
"Run!" Desperate cries filled the air as the bandits sprinted even faster, cursing their ancestors for not bestowing them with an extra pair of legs.
In the end, out of the hundreds who challenged Wu Yuan, only a meager dozen or so managed to flee. This was largely due to Wu Yuan testing out the new concepts he had learned on them rather than focusing on massacring them. Otherwise, none of these bandits would have survived.
Immersing myself in the vastness of the world, attuning my soul to the rhythms of nature, and trekking through majestic mountains and winding rivers truly works. If I continue to improve at this rate, it won't be long before I can harness spiritual qi.
Wu Yuan was filled with anticipation. This result was not solely from the journey this past half a month. It was also the result of a year's worth of tireless exploration through the Jiang Continent, as well as the accumulation of many sessions of contemplating the majesty of the world on Cloudhill.
"Let's continue," Wu Yuan declared, urging his horse forward. The act of eliminating these bandits didn't stir any emotions within him.
Little did he know that by leaving a dozen or so survivors, he had unwittingly provoked the wrath of a formidable foe.
Blackwind Fort, the dominant force in the vast Great Spirit Mountain Range, was shaken to its core by the heavy casualties inflicted upon its bandit brethren. The survivors, having witnessed their leader's demise and the suffering of their comrades, wasted no time in reporting the incident.
The head boss of Blackwind Fort seethed with anger. "How dare some trash run amok in my territory! Even if he’s a Savant expert, he’s dead meat!"
"Contact the other major factions immediately!" he commanded. "We must put an end to this farce. The reputation of the Great Spirit Mountain Range is at stake!"
Despite their internal rivalries, the seven major bandit groups of the Great Spirit Mountain Range unified in the face of external threats. Swiftly, messages were exchanged, and scouts from Blackwind Fort reported back that they had found traces of Wu Yuan.
This development was to be expected. Wu Yuan, who was focused on his cultivation and traveled unhurriedly, did not go out of his way to conceal his whereabouts.
With the Blackwind Fort as the core fighting force, the head bosses of three prominent bandit groups had gathered their main forces. In addition, three other head bosses, though absent, had sent a formidable contingent of their elite bandits. Their combined strength amounted to nearly 10,000 land bandits, including hundreds of Adept experts. This massive ambush was set up for a single Wu Yuan.
Unbeknownst to them, Wu Yuan had long detected the presence of these land bandit scouts through his soul sense. However, he paid them no heed, utterly devoted to his cultivation. It was only when the 10,000 bandits launched their all-out assault that Wu Yuan finally halted his cultivation and opened his eyes.
He adhered to a simple creed: should anyone seek to harm him, he would retaliate without hesitation. He would feel no remorse in slaughtering these bandits.
“Kill him!” The thunderous battle cries of the almost 10,000 land bandits reverberated through the forest, echoing through tens of li.
A colossal clash erupted, soon descending into a one-sided massacre. It was a scene of bloodshed and brutality.
Wu Yuan did not rush his killing spree; he was not concerned with the number of enemies he dispatched. Rather, he utilized these bandits as a means to validate his epiphanies.
There’s no need to wield the saber. My fists can also harness spiritual qi. There wasn’t a ripple of emotion in Wu Yuan as he engaged in the carnage with unparalleled focus.
One punch, one kill! Regardless of whether they were martial novices, martial virtuosos, second-rate Adepts, or first-rate Adepts, anyone foolish enough to charge at Wu Yuan would swiftly meet their demise.
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