The Fate of a Simp! Slaying Demons!

The deafening scene of gongs and drums suddenly fell silent. Chu Yang had broken the move too cleanly, so cleanly that it sent chills down everyone’s spine.

That was the Lin Family’s unique secret technique!

And it had been broken so easily?

Lin Tiannan clenched his fists, staring fixedly at Chu Yang.

Where was he supposed to put his face now?

Chu Yang had not wanted to be so high-profile either, but Xu Changqing was right beside him, so he could not use other abilities to save someone.

He could not keep claiming it was a magic treasure given to him by the Sect Leader, could he?

If he said it too often, even someone as slow as Xu Changqing would realize something was off.

Chu Yang led Liu Jinyuan down from the platform and shook his head at Xu Changqing. "Senior Brother, reconciling is just wishful thinking on our part. Let’s forget it. We should head straight for Hidden Dragon Cave, deal with the Serpent Demon, and leave."

Xu Changqing nodded. Lin Yueru’s unruliness had far exceeded his expectations. She had not even given them a chance to explain.

Liu Jinyuan said with a face full of guilt, "The fault lies entirely with me. I hope everyone can forgive me."

Li Xiaoyao said impatiently, "What does it have to do with you? You’re not the one being unreasonable."

Liu Jinyuan wanted to explain further, but Chu Yang raised a hand to stop him, then shook his head. "Young Master Liu, let us part ways here."

Liu Jinyuan was deeply disappointed and could only sigh toward the heavens.

Just as the group was preparing to leave, Lin Tiannan could no longer sit still. He leaped down and landed before Chu Yang and the others.

This concerned the Lin Family Fortress’s reputation. How could he possibly let them leave so easily?

"This young hero wants to leave after winning the match? Do you take me, Lin Tiannan, for nothing?"

"Do you take my Lin Family Fortress for a joke?"

Lin Tiannan looked at them with displeasure.

Xu Changqing cupped his hands in salute and said solemnly, "Senior Lin, my junior brother was anxious to save someone. He had no intention of disrupting your daughter’s martial arts matchmaking contest. I hope you can forgive him."

Liu Jinyuan also bowed. "Uncle, if not for Daoist Chu… I would likely have been injured."

"I haven’t settled the score with you yet, and you’re already sticking your nose in this?!" The sight of Liu Jinyuan made Lin Tiannan furious. "Martial arts matchmaking is a matter of Jianghu. Why is a scholar like you joining the fun? Were you trying to embarrass me on purpose?"

Liu Jinyuan quickly waved his hands. "That was not my intention! I just really like my cousin…"

Lin Tiannan glared at him, his voice icy. "I’ve told you many times. The vast legacy of my Lin Family Fortress, and the position of Martial Arts Alliance Chief, can only be inherited by someone with exceptional martial arts. You will never have a chance in this lifetime!"

Liu Jinyuan was scolded until he looked utterly wretched. He did not dare answer and trembled with rage.

Chu Yang shook his head helplessly. Liu Jinyuan had a good temperament, but he truly had little talent on the path of martial arts. If Chu Yang were in Lin Tiannan’s position, he likewise would not choose him as a son-in-law.

"Wait! What did you just call him?"

After berating Liu Jinyuan for a while, Lin Tiannan suddenly noticed something was wrong.

Liu Jinyuan answered gloomily, "This is Daoist Chu… They are disciples of Shu Mountain Sect."

Lin Tiannan froze for a moment, then broke into a delighted smile. "The flood washed into the Dragon King’s temple—so we’re family after all! I am sworn brothers with the Sword Saint, the Sect Leader of your Shu Mountain. Surely you’ve heard of that…"

At those words, Xu Changqing’s expression turned stern. He said seriously, "Senior Lin, Sword Saint Martial Uncle is the Sect Leader of Xianjian Sect. My junior brother and I are disciples of Shu Mountain Sect. Please mind your words…"

Lin Tiannan’s laughter abruptly stopped, leaving nothing but awkwardness on his face.

As the Sword Saint’s sworn brother, he knew about Shu Mountain’s Sword Qi Competition.

It really was a flood washing into the Dragon King’s temple—just the Dragon King’s temple next door…

He had danced right on someone else’s landmine. Even though Lin Tiannan had been in the right before, he could no longer bring himself to utter a single harsh word.

If it had been anyone other than Xu Changqing, any other Shu Mountain disciple would have fought Lin Tiannan on the spot.

Lin Tiannan held it in for a long while before finally saying, "I was discourteous. I hope you two young Daoists will not take it to heart."

Xu Changqing was no longer as respectful as before. He replied flatly, "You are our elder and sworn brothers with Sword Saint Martial Uncle, so discourtesy would be too strong a word."

"However, my junior brother is a man of the cloth. He only stepped onto the platform because he was eager to save someone. Even if he happened to defeat your daughter, it should not count. How about letting us juniors leave now?"

Since they were Shu Mountain disciples, Lin Yueru would not lose face even in defeat. It would not damage the Lin Family Fortress’s reputation in Jianghu.

Yet the move Chu Yang had used to break the Qi Sword Finger had truly astonished Lin Tiannan. Thinking of that, he became somewhat hesitant again.

Chu Yang noticed Lin Tiannan’s hesitation and smiled. "This junior has a few sword moves he wishes to seek guidance on from Senior. Why not borrow this place for a moment? Let us set aside the martial arts matchmaking contest for now."

"What does Senior think?"

Delight appeared on Lin Tiannan’s face, and he nodded cheerfully. "That will do."

A confused Xu Changqing walked over to Chu Yang and asked in a low voice, "What is Junior Brother doing?"

Chu Yang whispered, "I broke the Qi Sword Finger and made Lin Tiannan lose face. I have to give it back somehow."

"And while I’m at it… see the Lin Family’s true martial arts."

Only then did Xu Changqing understand. Chu Yang was planning to secretly learn Lin Tiannan’s martial arts!

"Junior Brother, that doesn’t seem right…"

"Senior Brother, the Sword Qi Competition is imminent. If we lose, we’ll become Xianjian Sect!"

At the mention of the Sword Qi Competition, Xu Changqing seemed like a different person. His eyes shone with righteousness. "It is only natural for a junior to seek guidance from a senior. Junior Brother need not worry!"

This proved that even a man with thick brows and big eyes could be black inside once cut open.

As Chu Yang and Lin Tiannan stepped onto the platform, the martial arts matchmaking contest transformed into the greatest martial arts tournament under heaven.

Lin Yueru was ruthlessly driven off the platform by her old father. She was still trapped in the shock of being defeated by Chu Yang in one move, wandering like a soulless corpse.

The simp Liu Jinyuan immediately went up to her and began fussing over her.

Lin Yueru was thoroughly annoyed by him and said firmly, "Cousin, we are not the same kind of people. Even if every man in the world died, I would never be with you."

Liu Jinyuan turned to stone on the spot. Compared with Lin Tiannan’s disdain, Lin Yueru’s attitude was the true declaration of his death sentence.

On the other side, Chu Yang and Lin Tiannan had already begun fighting. To show that this was a friendly spar, neither used a sword. Instead, they used their fingers as swords.

Lin Tiannan naturally used the Qi Sword Finger. His daughter had lost face, so as her father, he had to win it back.

Chu Yang fought with the Qi Breaking Stance from the Nine Swords of Dugu, mixed with a portion of Nameless Swordplay.

The two were evenly matched.

The spectators were thrilled and began shouting encouragement from below. They did not care whether today was a contest or a matchmaking event. As long as there was excitement to watch, that was enough.

Li Xiaoyao carefully observed their battle. He discovered that in Chu Yang’s hands, the Nine Swords of Dugu looked like an entirely different sword art from the one in his own hands.

If it were him, Lin Tiannan might have beaten him so badly that he would not know which way was north.

Chu Yang was completely composed on the platform. It was as though he could foresee Lin Tiannan’s moves in advance, always cutting off his attacks with perfect precision.

Lin Tiannan, meanwhile, became increasingly disordered. His attacking rhythm had been completely dragged along by Chu Yang.

If he did not reveal something real soon, the dignified Martial Arts Alliance Chief would truly lose all his prestige today!

Lin Tiannan realized this as well. His body flickered, and he abruptly retreated, gathering all his true essence into his arms and fingertips.

Seven Severing Sword Qi!

The Lin Family Sword Formula was divided into three parts: the beginner-level Qi Sword Finger, the mid-stage Seven Severing Sword Qi, and the fully mastered Dragon Slaying Skill.

It also included commonplace moves like "Sweeping Through a Thousand Armies."

The instant Lin Tiannan unleashed Seven Severing Sword Qi, Chu Yang’s Rinnegan captured the path of true essence flowing through his body.

With Chu Yang’s current martial arts attainments, replicating it was extremely easy.

Seven terrifying streams of sword qi tore through the platform, destroying Chu Yang’s footing almost instantly.

Chu Yang leaped into the air as endless sword qi erupted around him, sweeping outward like a storm.

Since Lin Tiannan had brought out Seven Severing Sword Qi, Chu Yang switched to Ten Thousand Swords Return to Origin.

The storm of sword qi not only blocked the seven violent streams of sword qi, but also blasted Lin Tiannan several meters away. The platform completely collapsed, leaving only two flagpoles standing lonely in place.

Chu Yang and Lin Tiannan each landed atop one of the flagpoles.

"Young people are to be feared!"

Lin Tiannan sighed, his gaze burning as he looked at Chu Yang. "The technique you used does not seem to be Shu Mountain’s Sword Control Technique?"

Chu Yang smiled. "My aptitude is dull, and I have yet to enter the Dao. I can only practice some shallow skills."

Lin Tiannan caught the hidden meaning in Chu Yang’s words but did not get angry. Instead, he said in a strangely mocking tone, "Your words are sharp. You resemble the Sword Saint in his younger days. You should have joined Sword Sect."

Chu Yang replied blandly, "Senior is not bad either."

"Good boy. This is the final move, so be careful."

With that, Lin Tiannan unleashed the Dragon Slaying Skill. His true essence fused into one, and his aura instantly became tyrannical beyond compare. It no longer resembled sword qi, but rather the killing intent of a battlefield.

"So the Dragon Slaying Skill uses killing intent to fuse the seven streams of sword qi into one on the foundation of Seven Severing Sword Qi. Its sword intent is set on slaying dragons. So that’s how it is…"

Facing the might of the Dragon Slaying Skill, Chu Yang tested the sword with his own body without any defense at all, shocking everyone present.

Lin Tiannan’s face filled with horror. It was already too late for him to withdraw his move, and he could only shout, "Get out of the way!"

The vast aura of the Dragon Slaying Skill engulfed Chu Yang and even affected many spectators. It was as though a thick wall of air had slammed into them, instantly knocking down a large crowd.

Xu Changqing instinctively raised an arm to shield himself, then quickly lowered it out of worry for Chu Yang.

Chu Yang landed safely. His Daoist robe was somewhat damaged, but he did not appear injured, making Xu Changqing breathe a sigh of relief.

"Senior Lin’s martial arts are unparalleled. You truly deserve your title as Martial Arts Alliance Chief. This junior has lost. I am impressed!"

Chu Yang cupped his hands with a broad smile. Did he look like someone who had lost?

No one knew that he had gained a supreme art no weaker than Sword Twenty-Three for free, so naturally they could not understand why he was so happy.

Having regained his face, Lin Tiannan knew that Chu Yang had deliberately yielded, so he stopped pressing the matter.

After exchanging a few pleasantries and dismissing the spectators, he invited them into the Lin Family Fortress for a talk.

After sitting down, Lin Tiannan learned the full story and could not help reprimanding Lin Yueru.

The pampered Lin Yueru could not bear such a grievance. After arguing with Lin Tiannan through tears, she ran out of the main hall.

Lin Tiannan found this quite troublesome and smiled awkwardly. "Please excuse the spectacle."

"Fortress Master Lin is too polite." Xu Changqing smiled. "As we said earlier, we plan to go to Hidden Dragon Cave to slay demons. However, it would be inconvenient to bring Miss Ling’er with us. We hope Fortress Master Lin can look after her for us."

Lin Tiannan nodded and said righteously, "Speaking of Hidden Dragon Cave, it should have been handled by my Lin Family Fortress. Yet I have important matters to attend to, and I must trouble you all instead. This small favor is one I should help with."

Xu Changqing relaxed. "Then we can leave without worry."

A short while later, Li Xiaoyao and Zhao Ling’er reluctantly said their goodbyes and followed Chu Yang’s group out of Suzhou City.

Li Xiaoyao had already mastered the Sword Control Technique that the Drunken Sword Immortal had forcibly passed on to him. Seeing this, Xu Changqing did not hold back and took the opportunity to teach him the method of Sword Flight.

They had already learned it anyway. Xu Changqing and Chu Yang were not the ones who had broken the sect rules, so he felt no burden teaching it.

Since both could fly by sword, they directly carried Chu Yang toward Hidden Dragon Cave.

In the blink of an eye.

They had arrived at the entrance at the foot of the mountain.

The three were preparing to enter when Chu Yang suddenly said, "Let’s rest for a moment. There are many venomous snakes in the cave. Prepare some realgar before going in."

Li Xiaoyao, who was about to slay demons and eliminate evil for the first time, was excited. How could he be willing to stop? He quickly said, "Big Brother Chu, I feel great right now. I don’t need rest!"

Chu Yang ignored him completely and turned to Xu Changqing. "That Serpent Demon kidnapped many young women. Saving people must come first, slaying demons second. We need to proceed carefully. Senior Brother, talk some sense into him!"

Xu Changqing nodded and pulled Li Xiaoyao aside for a lesson in proper conduct. Li Xiaoyao’s face immediately fell.

Taking advantage of the moment, Chu Yang went somewhere deserted and entered the Soul Palace.

In the empty palace, Magic Chu Yang was still busy at work.

Since last night, he had been trying to create a Demon Devouring Gu.

He had initially thought it would be easy, but he had overlooked one key point. The Demon Devouring Gu itself possessed spiritual energy. Without spiritual energy, what he made would only be an ordinary gu insect.

Thus, the key once again became converting between Chakra and spiritual energy.

Magic Chu Yang and Hokage Chu Yang had worked through the night before finally creating one experimental specimen. It had survived, but they could not guarantee that its effects would match the original.

Xianxia Chu Yang could only return with a replica of the Demon Devouring Gu and continue experimenting.

After a brief while, Li Xiaoyao’s lesson in moral conduct was nearly over. He followed behind Xu Changqing with his head hanging low.

The three entered the cave together. Chu Yang used Observation Haki to search for the trapped young women. Although Hidden Dragon Cave was a maze of branching passages, it did not exceed the range of his Haki.

"Senior Brother, I can protect myself, but I cannot protect Xiaoyao. It would be best if you acted with him. I’ll rescue people on the other side. We’ll split into two groups."

After saying that, Chu Yang slipped into a passage, giving Xu Changqing no time to react.

"Junior Brother!"

Xu Changqing knew Chu Yang’s decision was appropriate. Speed was crucial in war. If they alerted the Serpent Demon, rescuing people would become difficult.

Thus, he no longer hesitated and quickly entered the cave with Li Xiaoyao.

Following the sounds, Chu Yang soon found the Serpent Demon.

The Serpent Demon stood roughly five or six meters tall. Its upper body was humanoid while its lower half was an enormous snake tail. Muscles bulged all over its body, making it seem overwhelmingly powerful even from afar.

Beside it was a Fox Demon in human form, slender and curvaceous. Brown tails protruded from her rear, and there were already three of them.

She was a Three-Tails Fox Demon!

The two demons were entwined together.

This snake and fox had at least several centuries of cultivation. To Chu Yang, they were excellent test subjects!

The Fox Demon had a keen sense of smell. The moment Chu Yang appeared, she caught the scent of a human.

Naturally cautious, she immediately spat a cloud of green Poisonous Mist toward where Chu Yang stood.

"No one is around, so I won’t go easy on you two!"

Chu Yang stepped forward. A faint golden glow radiated from his body, while an apparition of sun and moon rising together emerged behind him. Starlight glittered with every gesture.

Source Martial True Body!

How could two demons hiding in some remote ravine have ever seen such a sight?

Both demons were horrified beyond measure!

Without another word, they turned and ran!

Chu Yang reached out and grabbed. Banshō Ten’in dragged both demons toward him, while the sun and moon behind him shone brightly, freezing them in midair and leaving them unable to move.

Source Breathing, Second Form!

A sharp light flashed in Chu Yang’s eyes. The apparition of sun and moon behind him gradually transformed into an enormous millstone.

The two lights fused together and shone upon the demons, making them howl in agony as though their bodies were being ground into nothingness.

Chu Yang quickly dismissed the apparition, allowing them to finally catch their breath!

"Immortal, spare us! My husband and I do not know how we have offended you. We beg the immortal for mercy!"

The Fox Demon was quick-witted. Seeing Chu Yang in Daoist robes and realizing the situation was dire, she hurriedly begged for mercy with an exceedingly flattering attitude.

"Immortal, spare us! Please spare us, Immortal!"

The Serpent Demon was not very intelligent and could only shout along with the Fox Demon.

"If I spared you, did you ever spare those innocent villagers and young girls?"

Chu Yang sneered as he tossed the Demon Devouring Gu onto the Serpent Demon. The previously unresponsive gu insect seemed to have been activated, becoming restless and excited.

"What the hell is this thing?"

"Ahhh!!!"

As the gu insect crawled into the Serpent Demon’s body, it began letting out bloodcurdling screams. Fortunately, Hidden Dragon Cave was vast and deep enough that no one could hear its cries.

Just like those innocent villagers!

The Demon Devouring Gu began by consuming a demon’s vital essence, followed by its flesh and blood. With a demon’s formidable vitality, it would not die quickly, so the process was agonizing.

Seeing the Serpent Demon in such pain, the Fox Demon immediately tore off her disguise and began cursing Chu Yang viciously.

The angrier they became, the better Chu Yang felt.

The bones scattered all along the way here had been a horrifying sight.

"This is what you deserve. No need to thank me!"

"Take your time. You’ll be next soon enough!"

Chu Yang smiled pleasantly amid the Fox Demon’s curses.

She had never seen such a cold-blooded human before. All her venomous words caught in her throat, and she no longer dared to utter them.

The Serpent Demon’s aura grew weaker and weaker, until its screams could no longer be heard.

The Fox Demon burst into tears. She knew what that meant, and began begging again. "Immortal, kill me instead! Take my life as payment and spare my husband!"

Chu Yang shook his head with a laugh. "You’re not worthy! Savor your pain. I’ll say it again: you deserve this."

The Fox Demon finally fell into complete despair.

After a while, the Serpent Demon’s enormous body was reduced to nothing but a thin layer of skin. Seeing that the Demon Devouring Gu had eaten nearly enough, Chu Yang drew it out.

The Demon Devouring Gu’s white surface had turned blood-red, and its body had grown a full size larger.

Delight appeared on Chu Yang’s face. The cultivation result should have been a success.

"Seeing you in such unbearable misery, I’ll be merciful and send you to join your Serpent Demon husband."

With that, Chu Yang tossed the Demon Devouring Gu onto the Fox Demon. She closed her eyes and willingly accepted death.

Not a single cry escaped her throughout the entire process.

Just as the old saying went.

There was no sorrow greater than a heart that had died.

The fully fed Demon Devouring Gu fell into slumber. Chu Yang put it away, intending to ask Zhao Ling’er how to use it after returning.

Devouring demons was the Demon Devouring Gu’s instinct, but turning that into cultivation and power required human control.

In a corner, a tiny fox was glaring viciously at Chu Yang.

Chu Yang reached out and pulled it over, then erased its memories with Obliviate. "Since you’re young and haven’t harmed anyone, I’ll spare you this once. But who knows whether you’ll hurt people in the future?"

"I’ll have to take you away and find a chance to release you in Inner Shu Mountain. That place is full of demon clans."

The little fox vanished as Chu Yang placed it within the space of the Undetectable Extension Charm, which could store living creatures, such as certain Magical Creatures.

After finishing all that, Chu Yang wandered around and found some Forget-Soul Flowers, then dug out the serpent gallbladder as well.

They were all excellent ingredients for alchemy. Once back at Shu Mountain, he could ask fellow disciples skilled in refining pills for help.

"A xianxia world really is great. Killing monsters lets you level up, and dungeon runs get you treasures."

Chu Yang left Hidden Dragon Cave, thoroughly satisfied.

Xu Changqing and Li Xiaoyao had been waiting outside with the abducted girls for quite some time. Just as they were preparing to head back in search of Chu Yang, they saw him stride out.

"Junior Brother, did you encounter the Serpent Demon?"

"Don’t worry. I’ve already slain those two demons."

"Two?!"

"One Serpent Demon and one Fox Demon. But the Fox Demon’s cultivation was much weaker. She only took a single strike."

Xu Changqing nodded approvingly. "Junior Brother, your cultivation has improved again."

Chu Yang smiled. "It’s thanks to the teachings of Senior Mo and Senior Lin. Combined with that battle just now, I made a breakthrough between life and death and have reached the realm of Refining Essence into Qi."

The realm classifications in the Legend of Sword and Fairy were ancient and vague, with only four levels.

Refining Essence into Qi, Refining Qi into Spirit, Refining Spirit to Emptiness, and Refining Emptiness to Dao.

Among them, Refining Spirit to Emptiness was known as the realm of Half-Immortals, while Refining Emptiness to Dao was the realm of True Immortals of the Earth.

Beyond that lay ascension to the Immortal Realm.

Most of the strongest fighters in the mortal world were Half-Immortals in the realm of Refining Spirit to Emptiness.

Ninety-nine percent of people would be stuck at the first great threshold, the realm of "Refining Essence into Qi," which was also what Xu Changqing often meant when he said, "My junior brother has yet to complete Qi Refining."

After successfully Refining Essence into Qi, spiritual energy would arise within one’s body. If a martial artist entered the Dao through martial arts, their spiritual energy would merge with their internal energy to form true essence, a variant of spiritual energy.

It was worth noting that because the realms were so broad and there were only four levels, people within the same realm could still differ vastly in combat strength.

Xu Changqing was both shocked and overjoyed. He sprang before Chu Yang in a few steps and placed one hand on him. After a long while, he said softly, "You truly have true essence now."

"Junior Brother, once you have entered the Dao, the road ahead will be smooth. The Sect Leader and the elders will surely be delighted when they learn of this!"

Xu Changqing excitedly gripped Chu Yang’s shoulders, unable to contain his joy. His eyes shone brightly.

Li Xiaoyao was happy for Chu Yang as well. In truth, he had already condensed true essence, but he did not know whether he should mention it, fearing it might affect Chu Yang’s state of mind.

The three of them led the girls down the mountain. Before long, the news spread from one person to ten, and from ten to a hundred.

Many villagers came to claim their daughters.

For a time, the sounds of tearful reunions and wailing filled the air.

The villagers who had not found their family members repeatedly came to ask Xu Changqing, then stared blankly in the direction of Hidden Dragon Cave.

Seeing this, Li Xiaoyao felt terrible. He growled in a low voice, "I should have gone with Brother Chu. Only by killing those two demons could I have eased the hatred in my heart!"

Xu Changqing patted his shoulder and sighed.

As time passed, most of the villagers had already left, leaving behind only one lonely girl.

Xu Changqing suggested, "This girl’s family still hasn’t come. They probably believe she died in that demon den. Why don’t we take her home ourselves?"

Chu Yang looked at the girl, a teasing smile appearing at the corner of his lips. "No rush. Let’s wait a little longer."

Xu Changqing was somewhat surprised, but he still nodded in agreement.

Since Junior Brother said so, he must have had his reasons!

Before long, an old man leaning on a cane came trembling over from the distance.

"Grandfather!"

The girl threw herself into the old man’s arms and burst into tears.

Xu Changqing smiled and was just about to say something when a streak of sword light shot into the sky beside him!

The grandfather and granddaughter’s heads were swept up by the sword light and sent flying high into the air.

Their two pale faces were filled with shock.

Li Xiaoyao’s eyes widened.

Xu Changqing looked at Chu Yang in utter horror!