"There's no other way."
Huang Tingyu stood up, grabbed the amber on the table, and grinned, "My sword is called Amber, and it deserves the name 'Immortal Sword'. Those who wish to take it, go ahead and reach out."
"We've been waiting for you to say that!"
A six-realm wolf badger's eyes turned savage. It lunged forward in a flash, its palm condensing into sharp claws, like a sharp blade stabbing towards Huang Tingyu's heart. It sneered, "First, I'll disembowel you, you ungrateful wretch!"
Huang Tingyu sneered, and a chill surged out. In the next moment, the six-realm wolf badger's entire arm turned into a pile of rotten flesh. Its body was kicked out by Huang Tingyu, smashing the wine banner outside the tavern. After a few kicks, its life was extinguished.
"Be careful!"
Luo Huan's heart pounded violently. He roared, "Tough opponent, let's go together and slaughter them!"
From all directions, dozens of wolf badgers roared, their demonic energy overflowing as they charged together.
"Hmph..."
Lin Zhujie crossed his arms, his body drifting out of the tavern like an eel through a window. Since there was a massacre to be had, it certainly wasn't his concern. That group of demons was no match for Huang Tingyu alone.
"Boom—"
As Lin Zhujie retreated, hundreds of sharp sword lights erupted from the tavern. Huang Tingyu finally released a little of his sword intent. With a single sword strike, the bodies of dozens of wolf badgers were instantly reduced to a field of mangled limbs and broken bodies, including some in the Golden Core realm, Nascent Soul realm, who couldn't even withstand Huang Tingyu's sword.
"You..."
Luo Huan stood in the wind, his body trembling slightly. Looking at the tragic scene in the shattered tavern, he felt his hair stand on end. He had roamed this place for decades and had never witnessed such a tragedy. Dozens of the most outstanding individuals of the wolf badger tribe had been slaughtered without even touching the man's hair.
"How is it?"
Huang Tingyu held Amber horizontally across his chest and smiled meaningfully, "Luo Huan, do you still want my Amber?"
"You..."
Luo Huan's throat let out a hoarse sound, his soul trembling, "Who in the world are you? Why... why have you come to the ancestral land? Do you... do you have any hatred for my wolf badger tribe?"
"No enmity, no grudges."
Huang Tingyu narrowed his eyes and smiled, "Originally, I just wanted to have a drink and some meat. But you imbeciles, you insisted on trying to take my sword, Amber. There's nothing I can do about it. Whether human or demon, if you insist on courting death, no one can save you."
Luo Huan's face turned pale, "You... you want to kill me?"
"You guessed right."
Huang Tingyu sneered, "The moment you, Luo Huan, harbored murderous intent towards me, you were already a dead man."
"I am in the Star River Realm!"
Luo Huan let out a low growl, his demonic energy surging. Strands of bloody malevolence flowed, his eyes filled with ferocity. His back arched, and his fur stood on end, making him look extraordinarily ferocious. He roared at Huang Tingyu, "This area for hundreds of miles is the territory of my wolf badger tribe. If you dare to kill me... do you think the wolf badger tribe will let it go?"
"Too much talk."
Huang Tingyu swung his sword, and sword light descended from the sky.
Luo Huan's mind instantly went blank. His body was locked in place by the sword's aura, unable to move. The so-called Star River Realm was as fragile as a dry twig before Huang Tingyu. The moment the sword light fell, Luo Huan's body turned into a shower of blood, and he was instantly killed on the spot.
"Run!"
In the distance, the remaining wolf badgers fled.
"Brother Huang, don't let a single one escape," Lin Zhujie raised his hand and drew his sword, smiling, "Otherwise, these flies will keep pestering us, which is utterly annoying."
"Got it."
Huang Tingyu moved his thoughts, and his three natal flying swords shot out like streams of light, instantly killing dozens of wolf badgers. Lin Zhujie also flashed forward, and with a downward strike of his long sword, the bodies of several wolf badgers were cleaved in two. In a blink of an eye, all the wolf badgers near the tavern were wiped out, leaving only a ground covered in mangled remains.
"Let's go."
Huang Tingyu mounted his horse and continued his hurried journey with Lin Zhujie.
...
Half a day later, by the shore of a lake.
Huang Tingyu and Lin Zhujie slowly rode their horses. Looking up, a figure flew past. It was a young man in yellow, a yellow oriole demon in his true form. As he sped through the wind, he said in a low voice towards the depths of the ancestral mountain land, "The wolf badger tribe of the ancestral land has issued a kill order for two demons, an old man and a young man. Their whereabouts are strange, and both are sword cultivators. I implore my fellow brethren of the ancestral land to be vigilant. If their tracks are discovered, report it to the Wolf Badger Ancestor immediately!"
Huang Tingyu frowned and sneered. He raised his hand and unleashed a sword intent that formed a funnel in the wind. The yellow oriole demon, who was only in the fifth realm, suddenly sank downwards and was involuntarily apprehended before Huang Tingyu.
"Esteemed senior!"
The yellow oriole demon trembled and said, "Are you here to claim the bounty from the wolf badger tribe?"
"Of course!"
Huang Tingyu grinned and said, "Do we two look like the two described in the bounty? An old man and a young man?"
"..."
The yellow oriole demon's face turned ashen, "You..."
Before he could finish speaking, Huang Tingyu's sword fell. The yellow oriole demon instantly turned into a shower of blood and disappeared into the wind.
Lin Zhujie smiled faintly, finding it interesting. Old Huang's killing intent was growing stronger and stronger, like a dammed river about to break its banks. Perhaps only then could he truly probe the source of his bloodline and break through that barrier to become a legendary thirteen-realm demon sword cultivator. How many years had it been since a new thirteen-realm demon sword cultivator had appeared? Would Old Huang be the next?
...
North of the Snow Domain Heavenly Pool, the Northern Region chaotic zone.
This area was a mix of powers. Not only were there patrols of Snow Domain cavalry, but there were also demon cultivators, and even the demon cavalry of the Bright Silk Heaven would send out scouts to patrol this area. This contested territory seemed to be claimed by everyone, yet no single force could fully establish itself.
At this moment, a hundred-person team from the Star River Guild was grinding monsters here.
The wind and snow swirled, and a group of players shivered. Fortunately, the snow monsters spawned in this area were high-level and dropped high-quality loot. Overall, the leveling environment was harsh, but the rewards were quite generous. Among the crowd, the leaders of the hundred-person team were a pair of siblings: the older brother was a level 174 sword cultivator, and the younger sister was a level 175 divine archer. They were the Rong Hang and Ai Chi Ren Xin (Goblin Who Eats People's Hearts) siblings, who had abandoned the Scarlet Moon Knights and joined the Star River Guild.
"Brother, be careful!"
Ai Chi Ren Xin (Goblin Who Eats People's Hearts) nocked an arrow and fired rapidly, depleting the HP of the snow monsters while also suppressing their counter-attacks, slightly reducing the damage taken by the front-line players. Her beautiful eyes glanced into the distance, "Let's withdraw after leveling until five in the afternoon. The players from Bright Silk Heaven are getting restless. I heard that Sheng Shi Mu Dan (Peony of Flourishing Ages) ate a 50-person team from Xin Huo Xiang Chuan (Passing Down the Flame) ten minutes ago. They might be targeting us next."
"No need to worry."
Rong Hang sneered, "Even if Ghost King has the guts, he wouldn't dare provoke Star River, right? Sheng Shi Mu Dan's development strategy is still a bit too conservative. If they provoke Star River, they might as well not bother playing in the Northern Region anymore."
"Be careful anyway."
Ai Chi Ren Xin (Goblin Who Eats People's Hearts) frowned. Lately, she had felt that her brother had changed. He had become too focused on levels, equipment, and skills. It seemed that playing the game had become a burden for him, and he no longer enjoyed it at all. However, she could understand. The livelihood of their family depended entirely on the game accounts of the two siblings. If they couldn't earn money, the whole family would be left with nothing.
As evening approached, the snow in the Northern Region grew heavier. When they looked back, the Snow Domain Heavenly Pool had disappeared, leaving only a hazy silhouette, indistinguishable.
"Tok, tok, tok~~~"
In the distance, the sound of horse hooves suddenly rang out.
"Hmm?"
An assassin from the squad appeared on the snow with twin blades, frowning, "Boss Rong Hang, Sheng Shi Mu Dan guild's Sword Immortal Cavalry has appeared within 500 yards. They seem to be coming for us."
"Impossible."
Rong Hang frowned, "Even if Ghost King had ten times the guts, he wouldn't dare declare war on our Star River Guild. Everyone, no need to panic, continue leveling."
"Alright~~~"
However, half a minute later, figures suddenly appeared in the woods, all of them Sword Immortal Cavalry riding fierce horses. Just as Rong Hang turned around to ask, several Sword Immortal Cavalrymen suddenly accelerated, and successive sword energy strikes crashed down!
"You!"
Rong Hang roared in anger, "Brothers, defend yourselves! The people from Sheng Shi Mu Dan have gone mad!"
In the distance, groups of Sword Immortal Cavalry appeared within sight. A thousand-person team leader raised his weapon and shouted, "My King has issued the Peony Imperial Order, clearing the area east of Jiuzhangyuan. We kindly request friends from major guilds in the national server to move aside. Otherwise, you will bear the consequences for any losses incurred!"
With that, a group of people swept past.
Rong Hang was furious, drawing his sword and fighting back with all his might. But how could he withstand their onslaught? In a flash, several Sword Immortal Cavalrymen focused their attacks and instantly killed him. Ai Chi Ren Xin (Goblin Who Eats People's Hearts) was also quickly slaughtered by their cavalry. The entire hundred-person team from Star River, lasting less than a minute, was directly crushed by hundreds of Sword Immortal Cavalrymen.
...
"Damn it!"
Nearby, in a graveyard.
After Rong Hang revived, he slammed his fist on the tombstone in extreme indignation. He sent a message to the Deputy Alliance Leader, Feng Bing Cao Jia (Wind Soldier Grass Armor), frowning, "Deputy Alliance Leader Feng, half a minute ago, Sheng Shi Mu Dan ambushed our team. Our hundred people were almost completely annihilated. They used at least a thousand cavalry players and came with great force!"
"Oh?"
Feng Bing Cao Jia frowned and asked, "Rong Hang, where were you ambushed?"
"Around Jiuzhangyuan."
"Jiuzhangyuan?"
Feng Bing Cao Jia's expression was complicated, "Our Star River main alliance's current focus is on dealing with the harassment from the Cold Night Grand Duke's guild in Queyu Lake. Let's not send more troops. Bring your people to Queyu Lake. If you want to fight, there are plenty of fights here."
"But..."
Rong Hang was stunned for a moment, "Were our deaths by Sheng Shi Mu Dan in vain?"