Chapter no.5

As the bell for the lesson to start rang, Shen Xiu twisted her waist and walked into the classroom. Unlike her usual arrogant attitude, the smile on her face looked like a chrysanthemum.

"The three of you return to your seats!" Shen Xiu said, looking at Nie Li, Du Ze, and Lu Piao. There are VIPs here to observe her lectures, so naturally, she wouldn't dare to be rash.

Lin Lingtian looked at Xiao Ning'er and said, "Well, I am going to go." 

Lin Lingtian jumped out of his seat and walked out of class.

Shen Xiu clenched her fist to suppress her anger, remembering what kind of talent Lin Lingtian had. 

" Class,  Today I'm going to talk about inscription patterns. Whether it's fighters or demon spiritists, inscription patterns are very important. Inscription Patterns are separated into two parts, respectively, the enchanting patterns and the battle patterns. Enchanting patterns can be inscribed on armour and weapons. As it can greatly enhance the combat abilities of those armours and weapons, especially if they're used by a demon spiritist, they can make use of weapons and armour with enchanting patterns on them to release far more power than their base strength. As for battle patterns, they are used with inscription pattern scrolls. "By inscribing it onto the scroll and then activating it, it can have a sudden burst of fighting power, so discuss among yourselves what you know about inscriptions while I check on Lin Lingtian. " 

Seeing the retreating form of Lin

Lingtian, the three old men commented.

One of the elderly men said with a frown, "Who was that rude brat?" The one who spoke was Ye Sheng, the vice principal of Holy Orchid Institute. 

Ye Sheng turned to the grey-robed, elderly man sitting beside them. Lu  You didn't know this grey-robed elder's identity. This grey-robed elder just casually sat down, but he gives off a

powerful, prestige-filled aura, causing Lu Ye to be careful with his words when he spoke. He didn't dare make a slight mistake with his speech.

"My apologies for the actions of a mere student. I will ask Teacher Shen Xiu to give a proper explanation for the behaviour of such a student." 

"The strong are allowed to act how they please." 

"I beg your pardon." 

"That boy is strong." Ye Sheng, I would like to ask you to send a letter to the young man, asking him to have a cup of tea with this old man.

Ye Sheng's eyes widened as he gulped and nodded.

As Lin Lingtian strode out of the classroom, he heard a familiar voice calling his name. He turned to see Shen Xiu, her features wreathed in a smile.

"Wait, Lin," she said, her voice honeyed with concern. "You had me so worried about you. "Why didn't you come to class all week?"

Lin felt a familiar stirring within him, the Heart Demon Soul Contract reacting to Shen Xiu's words. But he quickly quashed it, hitting the minus button before the status could solidify.

As he turned his head, his aura crackling with the lingering bloodlust of the demon beasts he had slain, he saw Shen Xiu's body begin to shake.

"I don't have the time," he said, his voice cold and dismissive.

Shen Xiu felt the bloodlust wash over her like a wave, her breath quickening in fear.

"No," she thought, "I must have angered him." "What do I do?"

Summoning all her wiles, she put on a submissive expression, her hand fluttering to her chest in a provocative gesture.

"I was just worried," she said, her voice trembling.

But Lin Lingtian was not moved by her act. He turned and walked away, leaving Shen Xiu seething with anger.

"How dare you dismiss me?" she thought, clenching her fists in fury. "I, Shen Xiu, swear. I will have you chasing after me if it is the last thing I do."

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[Lin Lingtian's POV]

Walking the streets of Glory City, I attempt to observe my surroundings. The calls from street peddlers trying to sell their wares The laughter of playing children as they scurry around adults The chatter of adults as they barter for goods or gossip amongst themselves The continuously changing smells on the breeze

These are real people merely trying to survive in a brutal and merciless world. Each one is experiencing their own story, like myself.

My goal was to get information about the locations of any Yin Wood attribute demon beasts, as with the amount of money I had, it was next to impossible to purchase the blood of a dual attribute demon beast through the Hunters Association.

The Hunters Association, this organisation of Glory City, does not have much power and is only responsible for registering all of the common Fighters. This was to assist those who couldn't be recruited by a powerful family, as the association allowed them to have access to more cultivating resources as well as a more stable income for their families. 

It is located in the southern part of the Central District, so it's a bit of a walk from the Holy Orchid Institute. Looking at the building, I was a bit disappointed. While large and

formidable, but it lacked the artistic quality so common in the vast majority of the larger estates.

Readjusting the set of dark brown clothes and a cloak, I wore these clothes to not gain any attention while at the holy orchid. I could hear that old man saying he wanted to invite me to a cup of tea. With Shen Xiu's attitude earlier, he had deduced that the old man was from the Snow Wind Family. He had changed into a disguise to commission a mission at the Hunters Association to get information about the demon beast he wanted before Shen Xiu or someone like that old man annoyed him by offering him the things he wanted. While it would be ideal to use this to my advantage and gain as many resources as I want, the thing is that I don't want to deal with the politics of the upper class of Glory City. Yeah, having read many novels, watched many TV shows, and seen news reports on the disgusting world of politics, I know what would happen if I jumped into that hell hole. 

The three major families of Glory City were the Snow Wind Family, the Sacred Family, and the Divine Family.

With the memories of Lin Lingtian, he knew how disgusting the sacred family was.

While everyone praised the Snow Wind Family, he was sceptical about many things, like: did the legend rank Ye Mo do anything to make Glory City stronger, as according to them this is the last place humans are surviving at, then why didn't they do something to make this city stronger? Why didn't Ye Mo ever get a student? Why didn't Ye Mo ever bring corpses of legend-rank demon beasts to strengthen Glory City, as inscription arrays are made using the blood of demon beasts to strengthen Glory City, et cetera?

The Divine Family was the richest family in Glory City, as the saying that money corrupts is true.

Yeah, there was no way he was going to deal with them.

The addition of padding to the shoulders and chest area gave him the appearance of an extra 10 kilogrammes of mass. Boots with a raised heel give him several extra centimetres of height. 

I use a bit of homemade makeup to thicken my eyebrows and create the illusion of deep-set eyes. A bit of diluted ink rounded my face, and small pieces of cloth stuffed in my cheeks finished off the disguise.

Putting the cloak hood up, I use a handheld mirror to check out my new appearance. 

While not as efficient as I was hoping, it 

succeeds in making me look like a slightly dirty 17-year-old who's spent a lot of time in the sun. Regardless, it will get the job done.

I make my way into the entrance to the Fighter Association. The front lobby is surprisingly large, with many doors and hallways leading deeper into the building. In the centre of the room is a large reception desk with several people in blue uniforms working. I approach a young man standing at the reception desk who looks dreadfully bored. Stereotyping him as having a higher chance of not looking too closely at my disguise instead of a grey-haired lady waiting patiently behind the polished counter

It looks like the odds are in my favour because, after a brief introduction, the bored young man seems to lack any real interest in me. He was still diligent in giving me an introduction to the Fighter Association and adequately answering the few questions I had.

It seems the main use of the Fighter Association is to allow aristocratic, noble, and major families to recruit fighters and post missions. Even the weakest titled family still has several hundred fighters, and many still use the Fighter Association to boost their guard ranks or accomplish their purge missions.

Many titled families will post purge missions with the Fighter Association to fulfil their responsibilities without putting their family members in danger. This would typically allow the titled family to use its own forces to explore ruins and other more profitable tasks.

"I would like to post a mission." 

" Oh !  Then please come with me.

The bored young man escorted me to a room.

"Madame Yu, I have brought someone that wants to post a mission."

After that, the young man left, and Lin Lingtian stepped forward and said, "You must be Madam Yu. I would like to post a mission for any information about the locations of dual-attribute demon beasts, with the attributes being wood and yin. "

The fat woman clearly heard it, but her eyes drooped as she flipped through the papers on the table, as if she did not have the time to look at Lin Lingtian.

A few minutes go by in silence as Lin Lingtian gets more and more annoyed with the woman.

"What do you want?" The woman said it with such venom that Lin Lingtian wondered if he had accidentally killed her child or something else to explain the tone in her voice.

Taking a deep breath to calm himself that it was not work killing this fat pig .

"I want to post a mission about any information about the locations of a dual-yin wood attribute demon beast." 

The woman tapped her fingers on the table and said, "Hmm, the mission will be posted, and you can come back in a week to find out if someone responded to your mission." 

"May I ask if there is a record of any locations of the wood yin attribute demon beast?" 

" There may have or may not but .....

A moment later, she looked up.

"This matter is not easy to deal with."

She used the professional term for bribery.

Lin Lingtian took a deep breath and placed 4000 demon spirit coins on the table.

The fat woman huffed and looked at him with visible disgust.

She began tapping her fingers, expecting Lin Lingtian to pay more.

Lin Lingtian indifferently looked at her.

A few more minutes go by when the fat woman sighs, retrieves a scroll, and throws it towards him.

Anger was rising in Lin's heart, but he just picked up the scroll and left because if he stayed for even one more second, then that woman wouldn't have a head over her shoulders. 

Madam Yu, looked at the back of Lin Lingtian in disgust.

She was a 1-star bronze-rank demon spiritualist who got this position using the authority of her husband, the master of the Hunters Association, a gold-rank demon spiritualist. She personally selected this position because of the benefit it provided, as she could cheat commoners. The scroll she gave Lin Lingtian was just a scroll about the location of a common demon beast, the Fanged Panda Nest. 

"Hmph!  The one kid is so disrespectful that this is also a small punishment for him. Commoners don't even know how to greet their superiors. thinking that he can commission a mission even though he could only give up a mere 4000 demon spirit coins. "Hmmph, trash who doesn't know their place. " 

Madam Yu went back to work as She had scammed many commoners by providing them with fake information and getting bribes, e.t.c. Those commoners could only grit their teeth in anger because, thanks to the husband of Madam Yu, they couldn't complain. So what if she cheated them? Who would find trouble for her because of them?

<><><><><><><><><> 

(Lin Lingtian's POV) 

Walking through the streets of Glory City, I had changed into what I normally wear.

Looking at the scroll that the arrogant woman gave me

The demon beast I wanted to find was located in the southern Saint Ancestral Forest, but there was a nagging feeling in his heart.

Why was the location of a rare demon beast like the Dual Attribute Demon Beast so close to Glory City? 

Shrugging, Lin Lingtian bought a few sharpening soul crystals.

His axe and sword were getting dull from the constant battles he had.

The Sharpening Soul Crystals were a type of crystallised stone that used someone's soul force to sharpen the edge of any weapon.

Walking into a weapons shop, I pick up a few items like bolts of arrows, a crossbow, a vile of red oil, and a scroll that contained the Scarlet Sunburst Inscription array of the Sacred Family.

As a practitioner of the War God Technique, he naturally gained some basic knowledge on fighting demon beasts.

Demon beasts that had dual Yin-Wood attributes had one extreme weakness, and that was fire.

Fire, when touched, produces the Yang attribute, which neutralises the yin soul force.

Looking at the scroll, the 340% increase in enlightenment kicked in as he could imagine what the flow of a soul force through the 36 foundation patterns of the Inscription array was, but the problem was that he could clearly see restrictions on the power of the array as 2 foundation patterns were missing.

This inscription array should have been formed with 38 foundation patterns and 27 auxiliary patterns to complement its power.

Closing the scroll, he shook his head, thinking that rather than buying it, he could make a better array for fighting against the dual-attribute demon beasts.

I walked to the counter and paid for all the items, which brought my total to 14,677 demon spirit coins.

After quickly making a detour to the market to buy the blood of the fox-fire demon beast, I make my way to the Holy Orchid Dormitory.

.....

Holy Orchid Dormitory

Lin Lingtian strode into his dormitory, his mind deaf to the idle chatter of the gossiping teens. With an air of caution, he glanced about the room, his eyes aglow.

Someone is in there.

Taking a small dagger from his interspatial ring, he skillfully hid it between his sleeves.

( Click ) 

Opening the door, Lin Lingtian saw no one in his room.

Taking out a few bolts of arrows, he placed them on the table.

"There is no use hiding; I know you are here." 

Lin Lingtian felt it, a presence behind him.

Feeling the aura, he had deduced that the intruder was of black gold rank. Rather than being afraid, he used the War God Technique in his soul sea to begin to circulate as his muscles tensed up, ready to fight, even if the chances of him winning were extremely low.

" ho ,  "Don't be so tense, young one. I would like to invite you to have some tea with me.

Hearing the familiar voice, Lin Lingtian turned as he was greeted by the sight of the one of three old men that had sat in the back of the class and whom he had speculated was a part of the Snow Wind Family.

Lin Lingtian sat on the table and said, "I don't like tea." 

" Oh !  Then what do you like to drink with this old man?

Lin Lingtian narrowed his eyes when he glanced at the clock on his wall and looked at the elder.

"I am not hungry." 

"Oh, the brats of the younger generation are quite rude; they can't even show respect to their elders." 

"Respect is earned, old man, not given." 

"Hahaha, I guess that is true." 

Lin Lingtian went to the side of the wall and picked up his axe and sword, and his eyes again narrowed.

"A word of advice, you may get quite lucky if you come to have some tea with this old man." 

Lin Lingtian raised an eyebrow and began to leave the room.

"Snow Wind Family." 

Lin Lingtian stopped just as he was about to open the door.

"So it looks like my guess was true."

"I would like to offer you, Lin Lingtian, a chance to become my disciple, the disciple of Ye Shuo, a black gold rank demon spiritualist." 

Ye Shuo said with a proud smile, thinking that what he offered had left Lin speechless.

Lin Lingtian opened the door and said, "Then, mister Ye Shuo, I have to decline your tea offer because I am going to leave." 

"Wait, I don't think you understand what I am saying. "I am an elder of the Snow Wind Family, one of the 3 major families of Glory, and as a 4 star black gold rank, I am offering you to be my student." 

"Can you move my clock 2° to the right?" "Word of advice: when you want to go through someone else's stuff, at least place things back in their rightful positions," Lin Lingtian stated coolly, his voice devoid of emotion.

The old man sputtered, taken aback by the younger man's audacity. But Lin Lingtian could sense that someone had searched through his belongings, thanks to his 340% increased enlightenment. He was not about to let anyone violate his privacy and get away with it.

"Wait!" the old man exclaimed, his voice laced with irritation. But Lin Lingtian merely flipped him off and strode out of the room, leaving the old man behind.

The old man sneered, muttering under his breath, "Arrogant brat." Just because you have talent, you think you'll rise to the top. (Huff) You will soon beg to be my student.

Lin Lingtian rolled his eyes at the old man's arrogance. He knew that joining the Snow Wind Family would have opened up many doors for others, but to him, it was just another restriction. He valued his freedom above all else, and he knew that the resources he sought could be attained just as easily on his own. Joining the Snow Wind Family would have been a means to an end, but to him, it was not worth the sacrifice of his independence.

With a resolute spirit, Lin Lingtian left the old man's presence and set out on his own path, determined to carve out his destiny on his own terms.

.

.

.

[12 hours later]

Within the confines of a ten-metre radius, the forest floor was littered with various branches of different shapes and sizes. The scent of burnt wood hung heavily in the air, a testament to the recent use of fire.

Seated on a stump, Lin Lingtian inspected his axe, an inscription array etched into its surface with the Scarlet Sun Burst as the basis. The array was composed of 38 foundation patterns, still unstable due to the purity of his soul force.

With the flick of his wrist, he produced a sword, and with a deft swipe, a small cut formed on his thumb. Blood trickled down, and he took a deep breath. Pushing his soul force into the blood, he began to draw a pattern reminiscent of the circumpunct, the symbol of the sun, and the triskelion, the symbol of Hecate.

Satisfied with his work, his soul force flowed through the axe, igniting it with a crimson fire. He cancelled the flow and stretched, then proceeded to inscribe his sword with his personal Saint Fire Inscription Array.

With his equipment in hand, Lin Lingtian set out towards the location marked on his scroll, prepared to face any wood yin demon beasts that crossed his path.

.....

What is war?

By definition, war is an intense conflict between societies, governments, states, and paramilitary groups such as insurgents, mercenaries, and militias. It is generally characterised by extreme 

aggression, destruction, violence, and mortality, using regular or irregular military forces.

Why are wars fought? 

There are many potential reasons, including: competition over territory and resources, historical rivalries and grievances, and in self-defence against an aggressor or a perceived potential aggressor.

These two questions form the basis of the War God Technique.

In times of war and intense conflict, his powers bloom.

But for a war, an army was required.

As per the War God Technique's esoteric tenets, the formation of his army necessitated the formation of a second heart or core. This core would bind his soul to that of his soldiers, forging an unbreakable bond of unswerving loyalty. At his behest, the army would rise from the abyss to execute his every command with resolute conviction.

But to attain this power, he needed the blood of a dual-attribute wood-yin demon beast, which would serve as the foundation for his second heart.

Such was the arcane nature of this art that there existed three distinct methods for forming a second heart. One such way involved utilising blood imbued with attributes corresponding to the soul form—in this case, the wooden yin lotus—and requiring blood with the yin and wood attributes.

The second technique was the Nether Blood ritual, a macabre rite that demanded the creation of a head. The head was to be constructed from the flesh of eight disparate individuals, including men, women, the elderly, children, and all others, each imbuing the head with their unique essence.

The head must bear the weight of rage, the poison of greed, the intoxicating delusions of grandeur, the fleeting pleasure of hedonism, the crushing emptiness of existence, the face of terror, the icy grip of despair, the persisting nihilism, and the ever-present fear of death. Only then could the heads be stitched together, the result a grotesque amalgamation of human emotion.

The War  God's next step demanded seven days of unyielding effort, channelling his soul force into the newly created head. It was through this prolonged effort that the Egg of Nether would be born, a dark and foreboding entity that would draw the wandering souls of the dead into its grasp.

With the army's foundation now laid, the final method was to employ a medium to house the spirits of his soldiers. 

( Roar ! ) 

Hearing the roars , Lin Lingtian frowned , this was not right .

A demon beast having yin and wood attribute never roared .

As it was their nature to fight using illusions .

Something was not right .

His mind flashed back to fat woman ,' Did she rip me off with fake info ?' 

Taking a deep breath , Lin Lingtian gazed hardened as he walked towards the sounds of the roars of the demon beasts .

' For the sake of your head remaining on your shoulders , this place must hold a demon beast with a dual yin wood attribute or else .' 

Climbing up into the trees , Lin Lingtian closed his eyes and produces a clicking sound using his tongue and listened to the reflected sound using his enhanced hearing.

He was using essentially using echolocation to determine how many enemies were around the forest .

An embarrassment of Fanged Pandas were feasting of Sky Imperial Grass .

A frown made it's way on Lin Lingtian's face as he tried to positively think , maybe a yin wood demon beast was allowing the Fanged panda to live in it's territory as a source of food or to attract other demon beasts .

He crouched down slowly as soul force began to flow to his legs , and then in a blink he pushed off shoot up through the air. A loud crack rang out behind him as the branch he was on splintered into chunks and fell to the ground.

By the time it hit the ground not two seconds later, he had already cleared three hundred feet of distance. Nimbly slashing each Fanged Panda he passed by too fast for them to react.

Five fell to his blade, then ten, and four as he leapt up towards the demon beast that charged at him with a roar far faster than any of its brethren could have hoped to match.

( Roar ! ) 

With a thunderous roar the Fanged panda brought it's lightning covered palms towards Lin Lingtian .

Lin Lingtian's eyes glowed red as he felt the War God Technique circulate .

Red Soul force covered the axe in his left hand as he intercepted the lightning covered palm .

( Swish ! ) 

Like a hot knife through butter , his axe dismembered the palm of the hands .

Before the beast could even feel the pain , it's head went flying through the air as Lin Lingtian's eyes glanced over the other demon beasts .

The War God Technique had stopped circulating .

Thirty three Fanged Panda corpses littered the ground behind him, and his blade found the neck of a fanged panda that towered over fifteen feet tall.

His crimson red aura to dispersed as he hung from the sword jammed in the beasts throat, blood beginning to stain the white of its fur. 

The War God Technique was stimulated only for a few seconds .

With a deep breath, Lin Lingtian pulled his 

blade form the massive demon beasts throat and allowed its massive corpse to drop to the ground with a loud, ground shaking thud.

Behind him, he heard the others of its species begin to roar in anger as his battle had attracted quite the audience .

A pressure descended upon him , no rather gravity was increasing around him .

The Fanged Pandas seeing their kin dead , attacked Lin Lingtian with their gravity field as a single demon beasts gathered soul force in its mouth as Two spheres of power vibrated into existence within its mouth, one a blinding white and the other a deep, dark black that seemed to 

suck the light all around within it.

The two spheres converged into one as a beam tore through the air .

Seeing the extremely fast beam of light ,his heart sank in as his intense emotions began stimulating the War God's Chant .

 A crimson aura enveloped his body as the soul force enforced his body with soul force according to the War God's Technique on instinct 

[ War God's Body Strengthening : Soul Force has enforced the body according to War God's Technique . Increasing strength , durability , agility and stamina by 100% ] [ Duration : 1 minute ] ( + - ) 

( Boom ! ) 

Lin Lingtian's body flung through the trees .

( Boom ! ) 

Breaking the bark of multiple trees , Lin Lingtian's body crashed on the ground 

Lin Lingtian stood up as blood dripped down his busted lip , nothing more .

Lin Lingtian had overestimated the power of yin Yang blast .

Even without the reinforcement of the soul force , he would have not been damaged by the yin Yang blast but seeing the beam of light his mind had assumed that he had a chance of dying causing the War God Technique to reinforce his body .

Wiping the blood of his lip he pushed the plus button .

[ War God's Body Strengthening : Soul Force has enforced the body according to War God's Technique . Increasing strength , durability , agility and stamina by 100% ] [ Duration : ∞] ( - ) 

Looking at the Fanged panda a grin made it's way to his face .

" Thanks for the status , this would help in fighting whatever dual attribute demon beasts in this place ."

Red Soul force covered his sword and axe as he rushed the group of Fanged Pandas .

.

.

.

.

At the stroke of midnight, a palpable silence had descended upon the forest, an uneasy stillness that belied the carnage soon to come. The air was thick with the bloodlust of thousands of Demon Beasts, a frenzied hunger that suffused every inch of the land.

Even the slightest movement seemed to draw the attention of the predators, their instincts honed to a razor's edge by a lifetime of survival in this unforgiving landscape. The water grasshopper and the dark owl, amongst others, hid in the shadows, knowing that even a single misstep could spell their doom.

And there, amidst the chaos, sat Lin Lingtian, the source of the bloodlust that had overtaken the Demon Beasts. His fury was palpable, a tempestuous force that threatened to rend the very fabric of the forest. 

2478 of the Fanged Pandas had fallen to his blade, their blood staining the ground a deep crimson. And yet, despite his efforts, he had failed to find what he was looking for - the elusive Dual Attribute Wood Yin Demon Beast.

A sense of betrayal gnawed at his gut, a feeling that he had been swindled by the unscrupulous merchants who had sold him a false bill of goods. He stared into the flickering flames before him, his eyes alight with a fierce determination.

For Lin Lingtian, the hunt was not just a matter of survival, but a matter of pride. He was a physical fighter, a warrior who thrived on the rush of battle. And the prospect of facing off against a Wood Yin attributed Demon Beast, with their powerful illusions and unpredictable tactics, was a challenge he relished.

He knew that if he could triumph over such a formidable foe, it would elevate him to a level beyond his wildest dreams - from a humble 3-star Bronze Rank to a lofty 4-star Bronze Rank.

And so, with a deep breath, Lin Lingtian rose to his feet and set off towards Glory City, his eyes fixed on the horizon and his heart ablaze with the fire of battle.

.....

The deafening roar of thunder echoed throughout Glory City, as the torrential downpour pounded against the cobblestone streets. Within the confines of the Hunters Association Building, a young man sat slumped over his desk, stifling a yawn.

Suddenly, the creaking of the entrance door interrupted the monotony of the otherwise silent room. A darkly cloaked figure strode in, shrouded in an air of mystery. The young man barely registered the newcomer's presence until the hooded figure addressed him.

"Is Madam Yu available for a private audience?" The stranger inquired in a low, ominous voice.

The young man hesitated for a moment, unsure of how to proceed. "No, she's currently in a meeting with the guild master," he replied, trying to sound confident despite his nerves.

Without warning, the hooded figure began to make his way towards Madam Yu's office. The young man jumped up from his stool, frantically shouting at the stranger to halt.

"Stop! It's strictly forbidden to approach Madam Yu's office when she's in a meeting with her husband, a powerful 3-star Gold rank Demon Spiritualist," he warned, his voice shaking with fear.

But the hooded figure merely grinned, his pearly white teeth gleaming in the dim light. His crimson eyes glowed with a sinister intensity as he strode purposefully towards the forbidden door.

A little creeped out by the hooded figure , the bored young man couldn't say anything before his heart beat began to fasten .

The pupils in his eyes dilated .

His skin showed a pale complexion .

( Thud ! ) 

( Thud ! ) 

( Thud ! ) 

Hearing the sounds of bodies dropping , the young man could only look in fear as the hooded man came near him .

" Bo ! " 

Then he felt the bloodlust of thousands of demon beasts .

His brain out of shock and fear blacked out .

( ~Crack~ )

( ~Boom~ ) 

( ~ Clap ~ ) 

The thunderclap lightning illuminated the hooded figure showing a grin on the face of Lin lingtian who had knocked everyone out using the bloodlust that lingered in him from all the 4000 or so demon beasts he had killed with his hands .

Then, he kicked open the door .

However, Lin lingtian had just taken a step 

forward when an unpleasant roar 

sounded.

"Bastard! How dare you force your way in! Acting atrociously in the Hunters Association , Do you want to die?! Dear , throw him out ! "

The fat on her body shook, and the scene 

made people feel uncomfortable.

Lin Lingtian noticed the fat woman's hair in a mess and a red hickey on her neck .

Beside her was a 40 year old man looking at him with a frown .

Lin lingtian almost gaged at the thought of the sack of lard and that old man having it on .

"You are ....."

The plump woman's sentence was abruptly cut short, her head cleanly separated from her corpulent body. The old man stood there, stunned and unable to react as his beloved wife was mercilessly slain before him.

A primal, raw energy erupted from deep within him, his soul force surging forth with an intensity he had never felt before. His entire being became engulfed in a fiery golden aura, as scales rapidly formed on his skin. The man's legs fused together, transforming into a serpentine tail.

As the metamorphosis reached its culmination, his once familiar features twisted and contorted, his face taking on a distinctly reptilian aspect. The old man had become one with his demon beast spirit, the fabled Scarlet Snake.

"I'll kill you!" he roared, his voice barely recognizable as his own. With lightning speed, he lunged towards Lin Lingtian, his razor-sharp claws extending in a deadly arc towards his foe.

With the status [ War Gods Body Strengthening ] Lin lingtian saw the old man's attack from a mile away .

( Stttttttsssss ) 

Lin lingtian's Axe produced sparks as it blocked the claws of the old man .

( Thud ! ) 

Lin lingtian followed up by kicking the old man through the room. 

Lin lingtian could feel it , the war God technique was being stimulated by this battle .

( Sniff ) 

Lin lingtian looked down and saw his shoe soles were burnt .

The old man looked at him in hatred and smoke began releasing from his mouth covering the room .

Lin lingtian closed his eyes and used his enhanced hearing ,' So what if he could see with the smoke he could still perceive the attacks with his hearing .' 

The old man released a flame as the smoke began to spontaneously combust and an explosion ran throughout the room .

( BOOM! ) 

An explosion occurred as the side of the building showed a charred room .

The old man huffed as the other hunters came to help him up .

" Guild Master Shu Long , what happened ? " 

" Guild Master Shu , are you OK ? " 

The old man still in his scarlet snake form looked at the burnt and charred and couldn't help but grit his teeth , not only had the corpse of his beloved turned to ash but he couldn't torture that trash for his sin .

" Don't worry I'll handled it ." Said the old man .

" Can ou now ?" 

Hearing the voice the old man looked up .

From the residual dust and some , a figure with glowing red eyes could be seen .

[ Demon Spiritualist : 4 star bronze rank ] 

" Thanks " 

Lin lingtian said as crouched down and focused all the soul force that was enhancing his entire body into his legs .

His figure disappeared and appeared in front of the old man .

Then they all felt it the monstrous bloodlust of Lin lingtian .

Before the old man could react he felt his jaw break as Lin Lingtian used the momentum of his body to deliver a palm attack to the old man's jaw .

( Boom ! ) 

The Old man crashed through the walls of the Hunter's Association Building.

Looking up from his position the old man could see Lin Lingtian cutting through the bodies of the Hunters like they were made of paper .

The Bloodlust of Lin Lingtian effected their senses cause them to make simple mistakes that were exploited by Lin Lingtian .

Anger and fury exploded from his heart .

" You killed my men ; You killed my wife ; You destroyed everything I built ." 

Standing over the mound of corpses , Lin Lingtian glanced at him .

Red crimson soul force covered his axe and sword .

In a split second, a burst of scarlet streaked past the old man, leaving him scarcely a moment to register what had transpired. And then, the agony came crashing down upon him like a hammer blow - Lin Lingtian's wicked axe had found its mark, lodging deep within his right arm. 

"My condolences..." came the voice of his assailant, a mocking tone dripping with disdain. The old man struggled to keep his vision from fading as he lifted his gaze, only to be met with the ominous gleam of a crimson blade. And then, all was darkness.

.

.

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[ Hours Later ] 

The City Lord's Mansion was a grand edifice made of marble, standing tall in the heart of Glory City. The walls were adorned with intricate carvings depicting the history of the city, while the floors were made of polished granite. The air was thick with the smell of incense, and the soft sound of a waterfall could be heard in the distance.

In the main hall of the mansion, City Lord Ye Zong sat behind a large wooden desk, surrounded by his most trusted advisors. His long black robes were adorned with golden embroidery, and a silver sword was strapped to his waist. His eyes were dark and serious as he looked up at the man standing before him.

Ye Shuo was a member of the Snow Wind Family, a powerful organization that held great influence in Glory City. He was dressed in black from head to toe, with a silver dagger hanging at his side. His expression was grim as he relayed the news of the recent massacre of the Hunters Association.

"What was the cause of the massacre of the Hunters Association?" Ye Zong asked, his voice low and measured.

"Unknown," Ye Shuo replied. "I personally went there and I can say this with certainty that Shuo Long was easily killed by the culprit."

"Was this done by the dark guild?" Ye Zong inquired.

"Yes," Ye Shuo confirmed. "We found the symbol of the dark guild carved into the headless corpse of Shuo Long."

Ye Zong leaned forward in his chair, his brow furrowed. "Headless?"

"Yes," Ye Shuo said gravely. "Shuo Long and his wife Shuo Yu both were found without their heads."

Ye Zong's eyes narrowed. "Ye Shuo, increase the amount of guards and security around the Alchemist Association, Holy Orchid, The Mansion, and do everything in your power to find out where the members of the dark guild are."

"Yes, but..." Ye Shuo hesitated.

"But what?!" Ye Zong's voice was sharp.

"Something is bugging me," Ye Shuo said. "Why were the files and all records that were written in the Hunters Association missing?"

Ye Zong stroked his chin thoughtfully. "Hmm, start your investigation from there."

With a nod, Ye Shuo got up and left the hall. He knew that the city was in great danger, and that it was up to him to find out who was responsible for the massacre. 

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