CHAPTER 36: CHAPTER 36: DEMON-SLAYING BLADE

The sun-like energy burst forth from the black blade, scorching hot like a fierce sun.

The elder monkey’s heart skipped a beat, Qin An’s voice echoed in his ears, as he raised the blade defensively in front of his chest.

"Clang!"

The sound of metal clashing resonated, and the elder monkey felt the scorching heat rushing towards him.

"A sword technique beyond the Body Storage Realm?"

The long sword and the black blade collided, the long sword completely shattered, fragments flying everywhere.

The black blade carried a sharp gust as it pierced into the elder monkey’s chest.

Blood flowed along the black blade, mixed with rainwater, spilling down.

Through the curtain of rain, the elder monkey saw a pair of calm eyes.

"With this power, why did you run?"

He couldn’t understand.

Just this single slash beyond the Body Storage Realm was enough to publicly execute him.

Why pretend to be weaker, did it seem amusing?

Qin An’s eyes were calm, withdrawing the blade, letting the blood drip, his expression indifferent: "Not stable."

The elder monkey heard the implication in his words, his eyes widened.

A sword technique beyond the Body Storage Realm, yet claimed to be unstable, something that would drop jaws.

"I still have a trump card!"

The elder monkey gritted his teeth, his tail behind him rapidly expanding.

After reaching the Body Storage Realm, creatures can cultivate parts of themselves.

He cultivated his tail, and once it expanded, it weighed as much as a thousand pounds, capable of splitting mountains and stones.

If it hit Qin An, it would definitely bury Qin An alongside him in the soil.

Qin An clenched his left fist, enveloped in scorching energy, and punched the elder monkey’s face.

The elder monkey’s face took the hit, rapidly bending backward, only feeling a sharp pain.

Before he could react, a chill swept across his neck, and his sight tilted to the ground.

His head fell to the ground, rain mercilessly pounding on the elder monkey’s features.

The elder monkey stared wide-eyed, unable to fathom how he fell to the hands of this young brat.

Qin An wiped the black blade on the elder monkey’s body, calmly saying: "The startup was too long."

This isn’t a game; it’s a battle to the death.

If such a big move isn’t used at the start, it won’t be used anymore.

Who would give a creature a chance to use a big move?

Qin An crouched down, skilfully carving up the elder monkey’s corpse.

A moment later, a blood crystal the size of a fist was gripped in his hand.

Qin An circulated his internal energy, absorbing the blood crystal: "I really am perfectly suited for the Evil Extermination Bureau."

Butchering creatures can increase the proficiency of the butcher’s profession, while the scholar profession requires reading, and the bureau’s cultivation techniques can be exchanged for merits.

A win-win situation.

As for whether butchering creatures is troublesome, with the gain of blood crystals, Qin An didn’t find it troublesome.

The rain began to lessen, the mist still lingering.

Qin An lifted the black blade, kicking the elder monkey’s corpse aside, heading towards the village.

...

In the village.

Tang Lingwei spat out a mouthful of blood, spraying it on the long blade, her face cold as she looked ahead.

Gao Quan and Yao Feng sat slumped on the ground, their bodies battered and covered in wounds.

The other state officials from the Evil Extermination Bureau lay crookedly, faces pale as paper, bodies drenched in blood.

The old tree waved its branches, cracking its dry bark: "You can’t hold on, why persist? Let grandpa tree suck you dry, to spare you the suffering."

Tang Lingwei gritted her teeth, her body teetering on the brink.

This old tree’s strength was at most Body Realm Perfection, the same level as her.

Originally, with her subordinates, Tang Lingwei was confident she could cut down the old tree.

But for some reason, the old tree seemed to have an endless supply, continuously fighting her at peak capacity.

She was depleting herself, while the old tree only grew stronger.

At this moment, Tang Lingwei’s body was empty, unable to draw out any True Qi.

They all feared they would fall here.

A root brushed in front of Tang Lingwei, parting the hair on her forehead.

Tang Lingwei wanted to raise her blade, but a sharp pain immediately coursed through her body.

"If you can’t hold on, then don’t pretend, this life of yours, grandpa tree will take it."

The old tree suddenly straightened a branch, aiming to stab it into Tang Lingwei’s eyes.

If this strike landed, it would pierce through Tang Lingwei’s skull.

Tang Lingwei stared with rage burning in her eyes.

She started from the grassroots, joined the Evil Extermination Bureau, wholly focused on strengthening her team.

All for the purpose of slaying demons and exterminating evil.

In her childhood, her entire family was slaughtered by creatures, leaving hatred in her heart.

Even amid the bureau’s intrigue and backstabbing for promising talents, Tang Lingwei persevered.

Yet today, she was facing death.

Besides anger, Tang Lingwei felt a ting of guilt.

The brothers from the bureau were unwanted by others but gathered by her.

She thought they could pursue a future together, but now they faced dying together.

Especially the newly recruited Qin An, who hadn’t even enjoyed a benefit from the bureau.

With such thoughts, despair deepened in Tang Lingwei’s heart.

At that moment, the taut root suddenly trembled.

Tang Lingwei’s eyes widened, seeing a black blade descending from the sky.

Simultaneously, behind the black blade was a young man dressed in dark robes.

The man had a stern face, eyes as calm as a lake, yet the blade he wielded sliced through the root like a furnace.

Tang Lingwei gasped: "Qin An?"

She never expected that Qin An had survived.

Chased by a long-cultivated monkey demon at Body Perfection, yet still alive.

Back then in Ding County, the young lord slain was strong, but merely elevated to Body Perfection through a secret technique, just a silver spear tip.

The elder monkey was a true Body Perfection, yet failed to kill Qin An?

In her shock, Tang Lingwei saw Qin An toss something from his left hand.

Tang Lingwei instinctively reached out to catch it, a wave of pain coursing through her.

Once she saw what it was, she forgot the pain entirely.

The elder monkey’s head drenched in blood, eyes wide, in death’s reluctance.

He killed the monkey demon?

Tang Lingwei’s face went blank, standing as if carved from wood.

A big foot shattered Tang Lingwei’s thoughts.

Qin An kicked Tang Lingwei in the chest, sending her flying afar.

Tang Lingwei felt sharp pain throughout her body, and before she could react, she heard Qin An’s voice.

"Everyone retreat to a distance."

"If you can move, you live."

"If you can’t, you die."

With those words, the severely injured state officials, unsure why, followed Qin An’s command, retreating to safety.

Qin An, wielding the black blade, turned to the old tree: "Try killing one for me."

The dense roots all froze.

The old tree spoke coldly: "How did you discover it?"

Qin An replied slowly: "The further away, the weaker your roots’ power, and you’ve never moved, so your range is limited."

The old tree’s voice turned grim: "So what, you can’t kill me, and by the time you reach the bureau and return, there will be nothing left."

He hadn’t imagined his weakness completely exposed to Qin An.

Qin An brushed his finger over the black blade, eyes scanning the old tree: "Why go back?"

The old tree was slightly stunned.

Tang Lingwei also looked at Qin An, puzzled by his intent.

Qin An raised the black blade, aiming at the old tree: "Why not kill you instead?"