On the sloping hillside, deep in the dense forest, a scene of devastation unfolded.
Broken tree trunks were scattered everywhere, the ground riddled with cracks, terrifying footprints, and large craters of fist-shaped marks.
Chen Ke lay in one of these craters, his lifeless eyes staring up at the night sky.
Not a single patch of his skin was intact; his right arm was completely shattered, and one leg was twisted and deformed like a pretzel.
The effects of the double berserk mode had worn off, leaving him utterly weak.
Killing the last three experts had exhausted all his strength; he was already quite fortunate to have survived.
Under the profound power of the "Death Devouring" technique, the life force of the three experts was being devoured by him, burning fiercely within his body, then transforming into wood-attribute spiritual energy that circulated throughout his body.
Chen Ke regained some vitality, but his entire body was also wracked with excruciating pain.
He gasped for breath, using his relatively intact left hand to straighten the dislocated bones, then setting the broken bones in his right hand.
The treatment left him drenched in sweat and convulsing with pain.
With his limbs finally able to move to a limited extent, Chen Ke breathed a long sigh of relief.
Now that he could move his limbs, he could summon the Soaring Divine Boat at any time and escape.
He had killed eight of the ten white-robed experts, and the other two were patrolling the outer perimeter, expected to return soon.
In fact, they might have already returned, but simply felt there was no need for them to intervene, hence their secrecy.
Thinking about it, it made sense. Of the eight, four were experts at the Spirit Refining Realm or higher, with cultivation levels exceeding fifty-four, and four were experts at the Soul Refining Realm or higher, with cultivation levels exceeding sixty-three.
Such a powerful lineup was like using a sledgehammer to crack a nut when dealing with a petty thief.
What did they have to worry about?
Thinking this, Chen Ke felt a little smug; he hadn't even realized he was so powerful, managing to kill all eight of them.
Of course, his victory was largely due to luck.
The biggest flaw of the eight experts was their underestimation of him; even at the very end, they didn't take him seriously.
It was their misjudgment that gave Chen Ke the opportunity to fight to the death.
Chen Ke wasn't afraid. He had the domineering True Dragon protecting him, he had terrifying self-healing power, and he could even replenish his depleted mental and spiritual energy by killing his opponents.
As long as his opponents couldn't kill him instantly, the longer the battle dragged on, the more advantageous it would be for him.
Moreover, Chen Ke had the Soaring Divine Boat, a life-saving escape tool.
In fact, when he activated his dual berserk mode and fought the strongest white-robed elder head-on, he had already planned to escape.
If his last resort also failed to kill the white-robed elder, he would activate the Soaring Divine Boat and flee in the next second.
Fortunately, the white-robed elder, underestimating his opponent, fell into his trap and suffered a crushing defeat. The last three experts were beaten to death by his chaotic punches.
The price was heavy, but the results were abundant.
Chen Ke blinked and opened his attribute panel.
Name: Chen Ke
Realm: Refining Mansion Level 3
Spirit Value: Death: 175/675; Wood: 220/820
Soul Value: 450/2650
Profound Techniques,
Beginner Level: "Withered Tree Rejuvenates," "Death Devouring," "True Dragon Protection," "Swallowing Mountains and Rivers"
Skills,
Mastery Level: "Photographic Memory"
Proficient: "Willow Clan Medical Techniques," "Divine Movement Illusion," "One Sword of Heaven and Earth"
Mastered: "Great Return to Emptiness True Scripture," "Haotian Divine Fist," "Ghost King Escape Technique"
Beginner Level: "Thousand-Faced Guanyin Technique," "Haotian Divine Sword," "Free and Easy Wandering," "Fish and Dragon Dance," "Bear Man Berserk Technique" "
..
Refining Mansion Level 3, I've advanced two levels?!" Chen Ke was overjoyed.
But thinking about it, it made sense. He had absorbed the blood and qi of eight experts and experienced such an extraordinary battle, greatly stimulating his potential.
Therefore, an increase in cultivation level was naturally expected.
The maximum spirit value of the death attribute increased by 300 points, all from the eight masters.
The maximum spirit value of the wood attribute increased by 400 points, most of which came from the eighteen low-grade spirit stones he had refined earlier, and a portion from the conversion of his blood and qi.
The Greedy Tooth Ring absorbed the souls of the eight masters, which also increased his maximum soul value by nearly 500 points.
Although the battle increased his consumption, the resulting improvement was also rapid.
Chen Ke pondered whether he should specifically seek out some masters to "prank" once his injuries healed.
At the very least, he should go to Jigong Mountain, which is eight hundred miles away, to specifically kill those big-time bandits.
However, looking at his "paralyzed" state, Chen Ke couldn't help but smile bitterly. It would take at least a month for his injuries to heal.
Lying in the pit, Chen Ke looked like a treasure just unearthed by tomb raiders, his whole body shimmering with a crystal-clear green light.
The souls and blood and qi from the three masters continuously entered his body, and his soul and spirit values steadily recovered.
The sound of wind breaking came from the night sky.
The two white-clad experts, who had been spying for some time, finally landed.
Just as Chen Ke had predicted, the two experts who had gone out on patrol had actually returned long ago.
They had also heard the commotion coming from the hillside, but assumed it was their companions chasing the intruders, so they didn't pay it any mind.
However, as the commotion grew louder, the two began to feel uneasy.
Finally, all the noise stopped, and none of their companions had returned, so the two couldn't sit still any longer.
After settling the more than a thousand people in the canyon, the two hurriedly came over.
Looking at the devastated clearing, the two experts were horrified; the battle was far more brutal than they had imagined.
But where were the people?
Apart from the half-dead man in the pit, where had everyone else gone?
After patrolling for a while, the two walked to the edge of the pit and looked at Chen Ke lying sprawled at the bottom with suspicion.
They could see that Chen Ke's injuries were severe; although he was receiving emergency treatment, it wouldn't be healed anytime soon.
"Boy, where are the others?" one of the white-clad men asked coldly.
"I'm going to chase after my master," Chen Ke said weakly, secretly chuckling to himself.
He had just tested it, and the mouse could actually open the skill attributes of the two men.
Surprising, wasn't it?
"Your master?!" The two men in white exchanged a shocked glance.
"Who is your master?"
"Ouyang Feng, the master of White Camel Manor."
Ouyang Feng?
Never heard of him. And where is White Camel Manor?
"How did you find this place?" the man in white continued to ask.
"Rong'er told us."
"And who is Rong'er?" The expressions of the two men in white grew increasingly serious and tense.
"She's Guo Jing's lover."
And who is Guo Jing?
Their faces were grave as they frowned and racked their brains. Suddenly, they saw the mocking smile on Chen Ke's lips and realized what was happening.
Kid, you dare to play us? You're asking for death!
With a whoosh, the two men swooped down and arrived in front of Chen Ke.
Format!
Format… never mind.
He originally wanted to format the second man in white as well, but then he decided against it.
If both of them died, the thousand-plus assassins in the canyon would be leaderless, all running away. How could he bombard them with cannon fire then?
Therefore, he had to leave one alive to gather everyone together.
A group of people should be kept together.
With a few clicks of the mouse, Chen Ke shattered all of the second man in white's skills.
*Thud!*
The blood-red bone sword pierced directly through the throat of the first man in white.
Under the horrified gaze of the second man in white, Chen Ke slowly stood up from the pit.