[Killed a Mid Skin-Refining Criminal: 60 Evil Slaying Points]
[Killed a Quasi Skin-Refining Criminal: 13 Evil Slaying Points]
[Killed 6 Ordinary Criminals: 9 Evil Slaying Points]
The system's barrage of messages echoed in Ye Yuan's mind.
Including the ten people he had killed earlier at their base – which had given him around ninety points – he had now accumulated more than a hundred Evil Slaying Points in total.
Adding the 6 remaining points from before, his current total stood at 178 Evil Slaying Points.
'System, conduct another Yellow Lottery,' Ye Yuan muttered calmly, his eyes fixed on the Third Leader standing before him.
The man's fiery gaze was locked on Ye Yuan, filled with both fury and excitement. Yet Ye Yuan didn't feel much threat from him, but from another unknown source, as a subtle, unsettling presence lingered in the air.
It was like being watched by a poisonous snake, waiting patiently to strike. Because of that, Ye Yuan decided not to attack first, instead using this brief pause to start another lottery and strengthen himself.
"Hahaha! I'm truly lucky to meet someone as strong as you just after being promoted to the Flesh Training Realm, thanks to elixirs provided by the Dragon Slaying Cult!" the Third Leader laughed wildly, his voice filled with arrogance.
Ye Yuan didn't reply. His expression remained calm, but his sharp, alert eyes scanned both the man and the surrounding forest carefully as the system began its process.
[Conducting a Yellow Grade Lottery…]
[Drawing...]
[Drawing...]
[Congratulations to the Host for obtaining: 'Wind and Dew Steps (Low Yellow Grade, Maximum Level)']
"Use it," Ye Yuan commanded before the system could even ask.
[Using 'Wind and Dew Steps (Low Yellow Grade, Maximum Level)']
As the prompt faded, Ye Yuan once again felt the familiar sensation spreading through his body, but this time it began from his legs.
His muscles tightened, strengthened, and lightened all at once. Although his realm didn't increase, his entire body felt lighter, sharper, and more refined.
If compared , he was now like an iron blade tempered a third time, to the previous state where it was like being tempered twice.
At the same time, countless memories and movements filled his mind, the intricate workings, stances, and variations of Wind and Dew Steps, as if he had practiced it for years and reached its peak.
He took a slow breath, grounding himself. He showed nothing extra on his face; only he knew that he had become much stronger in those few moments.
"Then be prepared, or I'll unknowingly tear your body into pieces!" the Third Leader shouted loudly, twisting his neck from side to side before charging toward Ye Yuan.
Dull Dull Dull
With each heavy step, the sound of his charge echoed through the forest. He was like a mad beast in human form, rushing forward with explosive force.
Ye Yuan placed one hand calmly on the hilt of his Tangdao as the Third Leader drew closer.
Just a few meters away, the flesh on the Third Leader's body began to tremble and bulge slightly — the clear sign of someone using power from the Flesh Training Realm.
"Die for me!" he roared in a hoarse, beastlike voice as his fist slammed forward, tearing through the air with a dull explosion.
Click
This time, Ye Yuan's expression hardened. His own flesh tightened, bulging faintly as his saber turned into a streak of light, slashing through the air as he passed by the Third Leader in one swift motion, passing through his chest.
Click
"Hahaha! Weak! Too weak!" the Third Leader burst into laughter as Ye Yuan stopped a few meters behind him. The slash had only left a half-finger-deep wound across his body – barely enough to draw a thin line of blood.
It didn't slow him down in the slightest.
"Tsk, defense-type martial art," Ye Yuan muttered with slight annoyance, sheathing his saber once more.
Although the Swift Saber Technique was fast and deadly, it depended heavily on the opponent. Against someone with a defense-focused martial art, its lethality was greatly reduced. The only way to win was to drag the fight out, slowly chipping away while exploiting their bulk and sluggishness.
And even if he attacked key parts like neck or head, Third leader will try his best to protect them, making it a game of endurance, where one hit from third leader is enough to serious injure him.
If he had much stronger saber, he could've had chance of killing third leader directly, as perfecting 3 yellow level martial arts is no small matter.
"Huh? Are you not fighting anymore?!" the Third Leader asked mockingly, blood still trickling down his body as he looked at Ye Yuan with a grin.
"You'll see for yourself," Ye Yuan replied, removing his hand from the sword and forming his fingers into a claw.
His nails hardened, gleaming faintly as his palm tightened. The stance he took was different from before – lower, sharper, more focused.
"Another martial art? Do you think it'll help you if your strongest one couldn't do anything to me?" the Third Leader scoffed. He took a few more steps forward before his body blurred into a shadow rushing toward Ye Yuan.
"Huwaa!!" he roared as his fist shot forward again.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
The heavy sound of metal clashing echoed through the clearing as Ye Yuan and the Third Leader collided. Ye Yuan's hardened claws met the man's fists head-on, parrying most of his attacks while leaving deep gashes across his arms and legs.
Feeling the sting of his wounds, the Third Leader quickly retreated a few steps, putting distance between them – his earlier arrogance now replaced with a trace of fear in his eyes.
"You've mastered two early Yellow-level martial skills to this extent?" the Third Leader said, his tone filled with disbelief as he looked down at his bleeding limbs.
"None of your business," Ye Yuan said coldly. He lunged forward again, his claws striking relentlessly.
Each movement carried speed and precision, slashing through the air and cutting open the Third Leader's flesh. His arms and chest were soon covered in deep wounds, though none fatal – yet.
But Ye Yuan knew it was only a matter of time.
The Third Leader seemed to realize it too. He tried to retreat, but didn't dare turn his back, his clumsy footwork making his condition worse instead of better. His expression twisted with frustration and panic.
"You bastard! When are you going to take action?! Do you plan to wait until I'm dead?!" he shouted suddenly – his words not meant for Ye Yuan, but for someone else hiding nearby.
No answer came, only silence.
"Heh, looks like you're on your own," Ye Yuan said with a faint smirk before dashing forward. His foot shot out suddenly, catching the Third Leader off guard and sending him flying backward. The man rolled several meters across the ground before crashing to a stop.
"N-no, d-don't come here!" a trembling voice cried out from the ground beneath him. The earth beneath the fallen Third Leader began to twist and ripple – until it shifted shape entirely, revealing the hidden figure beneath.
The camouflaged form solidified into a man's face – Ji Yao.
"You were hiding here while everyone else was fighting?" the Third Leader snarled, his bloodshot eyes glaring down at him. Ignoring his own injuries, he grabbed Ji Yao by the neck and lifted him into the air.
"N-no! Let me go!" Ji Yao struggled, kicking helplessly.
"Go and hold him down for me, you useless piece of shit!" the Third Leader bellowed, hurling Ji Yao's body toward Ye Yuan like a ball.