Chapter 29: Clearing the Dungeon

“Who gave you the courage to make a scene before the strong while being nothing but a weakling yourself?” Li Ju stared at Gao Bo, whom he held tightly in his grasp, his face devoid of expression.

“You… you…” Gao Bo struggled in terror, only now realizing that he was nothing more than a crippled inner disciple without any internal energy. Compared to Li Ju, who was at full strength, the disparity between them was like heaven and earth.

“Li Ju, spare his life! He’s backed by the most powerful sect of the righteous path, the Seven Three Sect…” Du Tianyou saw Li Ju’s movement and panicked, hastily trying to stop him.

At the same time, several righteous experts drew their weapons and charged at Li Ju.

Bang!

Like crushing a watermelon, Gao Bo’s head was shattered in Li Ju’s palm. Blood and other fluids splattered everywhere, even staining the shocked martial experts nearby.

Clang!

Several weapons struck Li Ju’s body, but none could pierce even his skin.

“Hmph!” With a cold snort, Li Ju waved his hand, sending the bold attackers flying.

“Li Ju, you…” Du Tianyou’s attempt to intervene froze midair.

“Gao Bo was the son of the Seven Three Sect’s leader. You’ve made a mortal enemy of them now! First you offend the Demon Sect, then the greatest sect of the righteous path. Neither side will tolerate you. Are you seeking to cut yourself off from the world entirely?!”

Du Tianyou sighed in frustration as he spoke.

In this land, only the righteous path and the Demon Sect dominate. While some wanderers neither join the righteous nor the demonic, none survive after offending both factions.

Such people are swiftly eliminated by their combined forces.

“Senior Du, you’re mistaken.” Li Ju shook off the red and white fluids from his palm, then looked at Du Tianyou and said, word by word, “In this martial world, only the weak are cut off from the world. The strong never suffer such a fate…”

“For the strong themselves are the world!”

“And I am the strong.”

With that, Li Ju strode away toward Wang Lu, leaving behind a crowd stirred by his words.

“Brother Wang, take care of yourself.”

Li Ju patted Wang Lu’s shoulder. Having killed a righteous path expert, he could no longer return with Wang Lu and the others.

Wang Lu tried to speak but was struck by Li Ju’s palm, causing him to vomit blood.

He collapsed to the ground, blood gushing from his mouth.

Li Ju’s hand paused awkwardly in midair.

He hesitated for a moment, but finally turned away without looking back, knowing that staying would only worsen things.

“Master Wang!”

As the cries sounded behind him, Li Ju’s figure flickered and vanished.

The stars were sparse in the night sky.

Li Ju sat by a campfire, eyes closed, resting.

“Objective accomplished. Sword and Wind Chronicle (2/10) completed.”

“Finally done.” Li Ju opened his eyes and watched the surrounding scenery fade, his vision sinking into blurriness.

This three-day dungeon had given him far greater insight than the first.

When he could see clearly again, he found himself once more in reality.

“Detected temporary dungeon skill: Hundred Poisons Vajra Body, Fragment…”

“Lost temporary dungeon skill: Hundred Poisons Vajra Body, Fragment.”

“Second Stage: Demon Sect’s Poison (Completed)
Objective: 1. Survive until the end (Completed)
Reward calculation in progress…”

“Rewards acquired: Character Du Tianyou – Skill: Waterflow Blade Technique (1), Character Lin Musheng – Specialty: Agile Physique.”

“Skill: Waterflow Blade Technique (1): The signature blade technique of ‘Demon Slayer’ Du Tianyou in Sword and Wind Chronicle, inspired by the flowing streams, regarded as a rare top-tier blade technique in the martial world. (Source: Sword and Wind Chronicle, ‘Demon Slayer’ Du Tianyou)”

“Specialty: Agile Physique: Grants enhanced bodily agility. (Source: Sword and Wind Chronicle, ‘One of Four Evils of the Demon Sect’ Lin Musheng)”

“Waterflow Blade Technique, Agile Physique…”

Li Ju sprang to his feet. Compared to before entering the dungeon, his posture was now light and swift. He drew the long blade from its sheath and slashed several times, the wind from his blade even stirring the campfire.

Swish, swish, swish!

Blade shadows flowed in the darkness like streams, gleaming brightly.

“Name: Li Ju”
“Level: 0 (0/10)”
“Skills: Idle Master (1), Ghost Bat Art (2), Waterflow Blade Technique (1), Hundred Poisons Vajra Body, Fragment – Poison Pool Creation Method”
“Specialties: Agile Physique, Inferior Martial Talent”

“The Waterflow Blade Technique isn’t particularly impressive for me, since my cultivation relies mostly on the Ghost Bat Art. But Agile Physique has boosted my bodily speed by at least fifty percent, and my control over my body has reached a new level!”

Li Ju summarized his gains from this dungeon.

“But the greatest harvest is, of course…”

“Hundred Poisons Vajra Body, Fragment – Poison Pool Creation Method.”

Li Ju grinned widely at the skill entry.

Having just experienced the formidable Hundred Poisons Vajra Body in the dungeon, his real body now felt weak by comparison.

After having been able to crush inner disciples with a single hand, he could hardly tolerate his own frail form.

But with the method to craft a poison pool, he could now forge his own Hundred Poisons Vajra Body in reality!

“All that remains is to gather silver and funds to prepare the materials for the Hundred Poisons Vajra Body,” Li Ju mused.

Constructing a poison pool for the Hundred Poisons Vajra Body would require a significant sum. In the dungeon, the Demon Sect had provided every resource, but now he’d need to procure everything himself.

“Due to the rapid increase in the player’s strength, subsequent dungeons will be merged into an open world dungeon…”

Just as Li Ju was contemplating, a panel message appeared before him.

“Sword and Wind Chronicle (Difficulty: Easy) (Open World Dungeon)
Summary: The greatest sect of Lingnan, Sword Gate, has been exterminated by the Demon Sect. Wang Lu, the inner disciple, survives the massacre and, in pursuit of vengeance, sets out to become the supreme master of the martial world…”

“Objective: ??? (Can be viewed upon entering)”

“Note: Upon entry, regardless of completion, open world dungeons will be sealed and cannot be re-entered.”