Chapter 72: I Am No Longer Human.

Xu Ming and Wu Yanhan ate grilled fish bite by bite.

Both seemed somewhat silent.

It wasn't because Xu Ming had seen Wu Yanhan's body and was worried she'd notice.

Nor was it because Wu Yanhan suspected Xu Ming might have seen something he shouldn't have.

Rather, they were both concerned about Xiong Haizhi and the others.

Could Xiong Haizhi, leading two others, really escape the pursuit of that jiangshi?

As Xu Ming regained his composure, another string of text appeared in his mind:

[You have slain a Tier-4 magical beast, the Thunderstorm Bear. Vitality +100, Blood Energy +100, Intimidation +5.

Blood Rage (Basic) has evolved.

You have acquired Blood Rage (Intermediate).

Blood Rage (Intermediate): Allows you to exceed your physical limits for one minute, with the side effect of falling into a coma for a day and a night.

You have gained a new skill — Thunder Fist.]

[Thunder Fist: Passive skill. When punching, there is a 1% chance of triggering the might of thunder.]

Xu Ming hadn't expected such generous rewards for killing a Tier-4 magical beast.

Then again, if his teammates hadn't weakened the Thunderstorm Bear, if Wu Yanhan and Guang Yin hadn't kept it occupied, he knew he would have had no chance against it in a one-on-one brawl.

His defeat of the Thunderstorm Bear had clearly been over his own limits — essentially, a kill steal.

But a "1% chance to trigger the might of thunder"? That seemed... absurdly low.

Just as Xu Ming and Wu Yanhan finished eating and stood up to move forward, both their senses sharpened, and they instinctively leapt aside.

Two sharp icicles pierced the spot where they had just been standing.

"Cough, cough," a man hovered in mid-air, smiling as he said, "You two were not easy to find."

The man slowly descended, clasping his hands in a polite gesture. "A day has passed, and I still haven't learned your names. How rude of me. I am Shen Sheng."

"Was it you who attacked the villages around Xinping County with magical beasts?" Xu Ming stared directly into Shen Sheng's eyes.

"It was," Shen Sheng nodded calmly.

"Shen Sheng…" Wu Yanhan murmured the name, her gaze lingering on the jade pendant at his waist and his immaculate white scholar's robe. "You are the Shen Sheng ranked 50th on the Qingyun List?"

Shen Sheng paused, then smiled and nodded. "I didn't expect my humble reputation to precede me."

"Why did you do this?" Wu Yanhan asked, her voice sharp. "From what I know, the 'Cold Gentleman' Shen Sheng is a cultivator who punishes evil and upholds justice, widely respected."

Hearing this, Xu Ming also grew curious.

It was indeed surprising that a supposedly virtuous Qingyun List prodigy would commit such heinous acts.

Shen Sheng simply shook his head. "There's no need for you two to know. Tonight, both of you will rest here forever. I promise, I'll make your deaths painless."

Though Shen Sheng's words were arrogant, his tone carried a hint of pity.

But the moment his words fell, Wu Yanhan and Xu Ming charged forward without hesitation.

They had silently agreed to engage Shen Sheng in battle.

Even though Shen Sheng, ranked 50th on the Qingyun List, was undoubtedly extraordinary compared to ordinary Sea Observation Realm cultivators,

and even though their own strength was only at 60-70% of its peak,

Xu Ming and Wu Yanhan believed that together, they could win.

With each step Wu Yanhan took forward, Xu Ming could feel the ground tremble faintly. The indentations under her feet grew deeper with each stride.

Xu Ming, a frequent visitor to the martial arts pavilion, had never seen this kind of footwork before.

"Smack!"

Wu Yanhan's long leg whipped toward Shen Sheng's head.

Her strike shattered Shen Sheng's head, but unfortunately, what scattered wasn't blood—it was sparkling shards of ice.

The original Shen Sheng had turned into an ice statue.

At some point, Shen Sheng appeared behind Wu Yanhan, holding an icy dagger aimed directly at her heart.

But before it could connect, Xu Ming's foot pierced through Shen Sheng's chest.

Regrettably, this was yet another ice clone.

High above, Shen Sheng floated in the air, chanting a spell. He pressed his palm downward, and hundreds of icy spikes rained down like a torrential storm.

Wu Yanhan threw a punch, channeling her martial qi into a white dragon that dispersed the icy barrage.

Xu Ming leaped forward, swiftly trying to close the ten-meter gap between him and Shen Sheng to gain an overwhelming advantage.

But Shen Sheng wasn't a fool.

He threw out two iron spheres.

Earlier, one of his iron spheres had turned into an iron wall.

This time, the two spheres transformed into iron chains, hurtling toward Xu Ming and trying to entangle him.

As one chain wrapped around Xu Ming's right foot, Wu Yanhan sent a gust of fist wind that blasted the chains away.

"Just keep moving forward!" Wu Yanhan shouted.

Xu Ming understood her meaning and focused entirely on advancing, propelling himself forward like a cannonball.

One spell after another flew toward him, but Wu Yanhan intercepted and neutralized them all.

Her sole objective was to deliver a fearsome Mercury Realm Martial power directly to the face of an Sea Observation Realm opponent!

Ten meters.

Nine meters.

Six meters.

Three meters.

Two meters.

Xu Ming finally reached Shen Sheng.

At his feet, his blood energy and martial aura radiated outward, rippling like waves on a lake.

"What a powerful Mercury Realm Martial power," Shen Sheng remarked with deep admiration, as though admiring a perfect work of art.

"Xu Ming!!! Dodge!!!"

Just as Xu Ming raised his fist, ready to crush Shen Sheng's skull, Wu Yanhan screamed out.

She dashed toward Xu Ming, but it was already too late.

Centered around Shen Sheng, eight flags rose from the ground within a ten-meter radius.

The flags formed a barrier that trapped both Shen Sheng and Xu Ming inside.

Within the barrier, a thick mist obscured everything happening inside.

"Let him go!"

"Let him go!"

Wu Yanhan pounded the barrier repeatedly, her fists raining blow after blow, but it was useless.

Inside the barrier, Xu Ming stood facing Shen Sheng.

"Do you know what it means for a Qi Cultivator to be within ten meters of a martial artist?" Xu Ming asked coldly.

"I know," Shen Sheng coughed several times, blood seeping from his lips. "But, little friend, I am no longer human."

As he finished speaking, Shen Sheng's body began to swell, growing larger and larger.

From his back sprouted a pair of bony wings. Long, sharp horns emerged from his forehead. His hands became claws, his feet transformed into tiger-like talons, and his face contorted into a grotesque, gargoyle-like visage.

"Little friend, live on," Shen Sheng whispered.

With those final words, the light in his eyes faded into emptiness, and his consciousness completely descended into madness.