North of Yan City.
The continuous mountain ranges resembled giant Dragons prostrating on the earth.
The Da Yuan Kingdom was surrounded by mountains on three sides, and the most famous among them was the Demonic Beast Mountain Range, which housed countless Demonic Beasts and was a favored training ground for some Disciples from Yan City.
Entering the mountain range allowed one to hunt Demonic Beasts, acquire Demonic Cores, and also improve one's strength, making it an excellent place for Martial Artist Cultivation.
Chen Zheng wanted to rapidly improve his strength, and entering the Demonic Beast Mountain Range was undoubtedly the best choice.
However, the Demonic Beast Mountain Range was full of countless dangers; many Martial Artists who entered were buried in the mouths of Demonic Beasts, becoming their food.
Danger also came with benefits; a first-tier Demonic Beast inner core could sell for one thousand gold coins, or even more.
"My life begins here!"
After speaking, he plunged into the Demonic Beast Mountain Range. He couldn't return to Yan City for now, so he aimed to Breakthrough to Acquired Eighth Realm as quickly as possible.
"Bang!"
He punched the head of a charging wild boar. It was a first-tier, first-level ordinary Yao Beast, very low in strength, equivalent to an Acquired First Realm Martial Artist.
He withdrew his fist, brains splattering. Chen Zheng's Physical Body had reached a terrifying degree.
The Chaos Divine Sky Art was transforming his body every day. The silt in his meridians was almost gone, and Spiritual Qi began to gather within them.
As long as he continuously Cultivated the Chaos Divine Sky Art, mysterious liquid would appear again in the mysterious small cauldron. In just one day, several more drops had accumulated.
After wandering for a day in the outer perimeter, he killed ten first-tier, first-level Demonic Beasts and obtained three Demonic Cores.
He drank a few sips of stream water, then continued deeper into the mountains, hoping to encounter some high-tier Yao Beasts.
About a hundred steps later, a rustling sound came, and a dense Demonic Qi assailed him. He immediately adopted a defensive stance.
He crouched low. A colorful tiger was foraging, its entire body blue, with a single horn on its head. If he were to be gored, his intestines would surely be ripped out.
"A first-tier, fourth-level Yao Beast!"
The colorful tiger also discovered the human in front of it, let out a roar, and charged towards Chen Zheng with all four paws.
Yao Beasts had tough hides and thick flesh, making it extremely difficult for humans to break through their defenses. Their sharp claws and fangs made one feel helpless.
He stomped his foot and dodged sideways. The colorful tiger missed, and Chen Zheng appeared on its right side, his fist power condensing into a vortex.
"Boom!"
A solid punch struck the colorful tiger's right lower abdomen, eliciting a shrill shriek. Although its fur was tough, its lower abdomen was still its weak point, which could serve as a Breakthrough.
The colorful tiger roared in pain and anger, suddenly leaping off the ground, its four paws spread, its gaping maw emitting a foul, fishy smell Qi, like a fierce tiger pouncing on its prey.
"Good timing!"
He stepped on the Seven Stars, suddenly squatting down. The colorful tiger missed, revealing a huge opening.
"Flowing Cloud Saber!"
The long saber appeared, emitting a whistling sound, condensing into vortices of Qi, and savagely slicing open the colorful tiger's belly.
"Woof..."
The colorful tiger drew an arc in the air, crashed heavily to the ground, twitched a few times, and then became still. A single saber strike had hit a vital spot.
He took out a pre-prepared dagger, sliced open the colorful tiger's belly, and found an egg-sized Demonic Core emitting a faint golden light.
He also skinned the colorful tiger; the hide could sell for a good amount of gold coins back in Yan City. After finishing everything, he sat cross-legged, preparing to Cultivate.
Through continuous combat, his Physical Body had been under high-intensity consumption, and his Realm was constantly climbing, getting closer and closer to Acquired Seventh Realm.
The Chaos Divine Sky Art circulated, and the surrounding Spiritual Qi rapidly converged, much denser than the Spiritual Qi in Yan City. It entered his meridians, continuing to clear the silt.
His power steadily increased, but his Realm remained stuck at Acquired Sixth Realm, not yet reaching its Peak.
Pain surged through his meridians, like countless knives, cleaning the impurities within them.
After a night of Cultivation, his Realm ascended to the Peak of Acquired Sixth Realm, just one step away from the Seventh Realm.
He opened his eyes, and a gleam of light shot out from them. At Acquired Sixth Realm, he possessed two thousand jin of Divine Power. If this news were to spread, it would surely shock all of Yan City.
The human body had strict limitations; once a certain critical point was reached, it was difficult to advance further, unless one Broke through their Cultivation.
With greatly increased strength, he continued deeper, killing all first-tier, fourth-level Yao Beasts he encountered.
Still as a virgin, swift as a rabbit, Chen Zheng lay hidden in a patch of grass. Dozens of meters in front of him, a giant snake, dozens of meters long, appeared.
"Stone Rock Serpent, a first-tier, seventh-level Yao Beast, prefers extremely yin places, and usually has yin spirit grass growing alongside it!"
A series of information popped into his mind; the Yao Beast Records had detailed descriptions.
A first-tier, seventh-level Yao Beast was comparable to an Acquired Seventh Realm Martial Artist, one Realm higher than Chen Zheng. Relying on the Ghost Shadow Seven Steps and the Flowing Cloud Saber, he had a high chance of winning.
His strength had already surpassed that of an Acquired Seventh Realm Martial Artist.
"Whoosh!"
When the distance closed to about ten meters, Chen Zheng moved, like a startled rabbit, appearing before the Stone Rock Serpent. The Flowing Cloud Saber let out a hum.
The Stone Rock Serpent reacted too slowly; it was too late to dodge. It could only turn its body to avoid the vital spot on its head, exposing its neck.
"Bang!"
A saber strike pierced it, bringing forth a spray of blood. The dozens of meters long Stone Rock Serpent was sent flying by Chen Zheng's saber, crashing against a distant cliff face.
A first-tier, seventh-level Yao Beast's Physical Body was much stronger than a first-tier, fourth-level one. One saber strike only pierced its body; it couldn't kill it.
With a leap, like an arrow released from a bow, he suddenly pressed down from mid-air. The Stone Rock Serpent was about to raise its head when the Flowing Cloud Saber struck a second time, even more cunningly.
Terrifying Saber Qi materialized, appearing before the Stone Rock Serpent. Before its fangs could open, the long saber plunged into its head. Everything was completed in a flash of lightning.
"Boom!"
The Stone Rock Serpent's head suddenly exploded.
Through continuous battles, his Physical Body was compressed to its limit, and his Martial Veins were forcefully opened one by one.
"Combat truly is the best way to improve!"
A surging sensation came from his meridians—this was another sign of an impending Breakthrough. The power of the Chaos Divine Sky Art far exceeded Chen Zheng's expectations; it was definitely not just Yellow Rank, it might even reach Profound Rank.
He excitedly wanted to shout but dared not hesitate. This was an excellent opportunity for a Breakthrough.
"Rumble!"
The barrier was broken, reaching the Acquired Seventh Realm. His power continued to climb, and his torn cells rapidly reorganized, approaching a state of near perfection.
At the Acquired Seventh Realm, the limit of strength was between two thousand and two thousand five hundred jin, but Chen Zheng far exceeded this figure, his face filled with disbelief.
Every line on his body was perfect. Stripped of his clothes, his not-too-strong body showed no excess fat.
He took a deep breath, slowly exhaled, letting out a tiger's roar. His internal organs became as hard as iron. Against an Acquired Eighth Realm Martial Artist, he could instantly kill them with a single move.
He performed the Flowing Cloud Saber once, stabilizing his Acquired Seventh Realm. After cleaning the Stone Rock Serpent's hide, he searched for yin spirit grass.
Most Yao Beasts would have accompanying Spirit Medicine. A first-tier, seventh-level Yao Beast had a certain level of Dao. In such an extremely yin place, yin spirit grass would definitely appear.
After searching a hundred-meter radius, he finally found a half-foot tall Spirit Medicine in a crevice beneath the cliff face.
"Good, one hundred and twenty years old!"
The older the Spirit Medicine, the higher its price. Fifty-year-old ones were rarely encountered, and a hundred-year-old one was even rarer.
It had six leaves, and its roots were embedded in the rock wall below. He would have to break the cliff to dig it out.
He squatted down, preparing to dig out the yin spirit grass.
"Whoosh!"
A cold arrow suddenly shot towards Chen Zheng's back. Fortunately, he had been constantly on guard, and with a sideways dodge, he avoided the cold arrow, which struck the cliff face.
"Clang!"
The cold arrow snapped in half. Behind him, two men and one woman appeared. One of them held a short bow, and the cold arrow had been shot from his hand.
A surge of Killing Intent emerged. The three must have just arrived, hiding in the dark, and ambushed him when he wasn't paying attention. Their intentions were truly malicious.
In the Demonic Beast Mountain Range, one not only had to guard against Yao Beasts but also, more terrifyingly, against humans. Murders, robberies, and snatching treasures were common occurrences.
The three had also set their sights on the yin spirit grass. A hundred-year-old specimen was worth thirty thousand gold coins—an amount an ordinary Family might never earn in a lifetime.
"Who are you!"
Chen Zheng's voice was cold. Fortunately, his Soul was strong, and after five days of intense Cultivation, his mental state was constantly taut. Otherwise, the cold arrow just now would surely have killed him. The three had truly vicious hearts.
"Kid, obediently kneel here, and we might spare your life. The yin spirit grass is ours!"
Putting down his short bow, the man on the right spoke with a cold voice, as if looking at a dead person, completely disregarding Chen Zheng. After all, their strength difference was vast.
The speaking man wore a purple robe and was at the Acquired Eighth Realm. The man on the left wore a green robe and was at the Acquired Ninth Realm, extremely strong, on par with Shi Qing. The woman in the middle wore a white robe and was at the Acquired Eighth Realm.
They were strangers, not from Yan City, and likely came from some large Family, training in this place.
The three had no unnecessary words; they demanded the yin spirit grass immediately.
"You're not qualified enough to want the yin spirit grass!"
Chen Zheng's expression darkened. He had guarded this place for half a day, successfully killing the Stone Rock Serpent. How could he easily hand over the yin spirit grass to them?
Judging by their stance, the three intended to kill him to silence him.
The white-robed woman glanced at Chen Zheng indifferently, her eyes devoid of any emotion. The Purple-robed Youth understood, and with a burst of movement, he appeared before Chen Zheng.