Chapter 17: The Night of Slaughter

Since the first body appeared on a stall in the Market, the security of the Market had sharply declined, with several bodies showing up in the Market every day.

Zhao Yu stayed hidden inside his home, daring not to go out at random, but continued to diligently practice his martial arts in seclusion.

Seven days later, in the dead of night, three monks dressed in black, blending with the darkness, silently moved towards the small courtyard where Zhao Yu resided.

"Robbers?"

Leaning against a big tree in the courtyard, Zhao Yu, with his keen perception surpassing that of a Great Grandmaster of the Martial Path, detected the three black-clad cultivators when they were about ten meters away from his courtyard.

He who strikes first prevails, he who strikes late fails. They were sneaking around and clearly didn't look like good people, so kill first and ask questions later!

A cold light flashed in Zhao Yu's eyes, and with a wave of his hand, a Flying Dagger shot out like lightning, instantly piercing through the head of one of the black-clad cultivators.

The black-clad cultivator was a formidable individual at the Fifth Level of Qi Refinement, with a life force much stronger than that of ordinary people. Though a dagger was nailed into his forehead, he still struggled for a moment before falling to the ground, lifeless.

Zhao Yu immediately took out a Golden Light Talisman and crushed it, producing a light yellow Spiritual Power Protective Shield around him. He then displayed the master-level Phantom Step Technique, vanishing from the top of the tree in a flash, appearing beside another black-clad cultivator like a phantom, sword in hand, harshly chopping down.

The face of that black-clad cultivator drastically changed as he too crushed a Golden Light Talisman; a light yellow Spiritual Power Protective Shield materialized around him.

As Zhao Yu's blade came down, it met with great resistance upon striking the light yellow Spiritual Power Protective Shield. However, powered by the terrifying force of his Twentieth Level Vajra Dragon Elephant Art and Twentieth Level Earth Elemental Skill, the sword cleaved through the light yellow shield, cutting the black-clad cultivator in half.

"Old second, old third!!"

The lead black-clad cultivator at the Sixth Level of Qi Refinement, with bloodshot eyes, let out an enraged roar as he simultaneously crushed a Golden Light Talisman, forming a light yellow shield around himself, and directed a mid-grade magic instrument level Flying Harpoon, radiating grey-black Spiritual Light, towards Zhao Yu.

The Flying Harpoon was incredibly fast, striking Zhao Yu's light yellow Spiritual Power Protective Shield, bursting with pitch-black Spiritual Light. Zhao Yu's shield rapidly began to dim.

The cold light in Zhao Yu's eyes crazily rotated as he channeled his Mana, wielding his master-level Flying Dagger Technique. With a wave of his hand, his Mana-infused Low-grade magic instrument level Bronze Awl smashed against the assailant's light yellow Spiritual Power Protective Shield, effortlessly piercing through it, blowing the Sixth Level black-clad cultivator's head apart.

"I seem to be quite strong!"

Looking at the three Mid Qi Refining Cultivator's corpses on the ground, Zhao Yu's tightly wound spirit finally relaxed slightly. Looking at the cultivators' bodies, he felt waves of nausea.

"This world is just so, if I don't kill people, they will kill me. I, a straightforward Pill Master, just want to cultivate peacefully and become an immortal. Since you wanted to kill me, dying by my hand is a fate you brought upon yourselves!!"

Zhao Yu talked to himself for a while, forcefully holding back his nausea, put on his leather gloves, activated his Vajra Dragon Elephant Art, and started to search the bodies of the three Mid Qi Refining Cultivators.

From the three Mid Qi Refining Cultivators, Zhao Yu found a total of four Low-grade Spirit Stones, five Featherweight Talismans, five Golden Light Talismans, two Low-grade magic instruments, and that mid-grade magic instrument level Flying Harpoon.

Looking at his spoils of war, the corners of Zhao Yu's mouth curled slightly, revealing a hint of a smile: "Being a robber really does make money! This definitely isn't all their possessions!"

The three Mid Qi Refining Robbers carried only the essentials for battle. They surely had many more hidden assets, but even so, taking them down had been a lucrative haul for Zhao Yu.

Zhao Yu picked up a Mid-grade Spirit Stone, activated his Earth Elemental Skill, absorbed the Spiritual Power inside, and quickly restored his own Mana.

Two hours later.

Zhao Yu suddenly opened his eyes, and with his enhanced perception, he saw clusters of flames rising in the distance towards the direction of Duo Bao Building, then bursting apart.

"Kill all the Cang Ling dogs!"

"Kill! Kill! Kill!"

". . . . ."

Roars and sounds of fierce fighting reached him from the direction of the Duo Bao Building, Hundred Flowers Building, Spiritual Instrument Pavilion, and other core areas where the Cang Ling Sect was based.

A figure darted out from a nearby courtyard, rushing recklessly towards the area where the fight was most intense.

"That's Xiong Zhenye! The always cautious Xiong Zhenye is also going to take a chance? That means there must be something there that attracts him. Only a few things can attract a Qi Refining Great Perfection Cultivator like him, either a Lifespan Extension Pill or a Foundation Establishment Pill!"

Zhao Yu watched Xiong Zhenye's receding figure, vaguely guessing the latter's intentions.

Xiong Zhenye was already in his seventies, past the prime age for Foundation Establishment. However, with a Lifespan Extension Pill and a Foundation Establishment Pill, he still had a chance to succeed in Foundation Establishment. If Xiong Zhenye managed to establish his foundation, he would be able to extend his lifespan by over a hundred years, practically living a second life; thus, it was worth risking his life for.

"Foundation Establishment Techniques! Spirit Stones! Magic Artifacts! Lifespan Extension Pills! Foundation Establishment Pills! How enticing! This is indeed an opportunity for low-level loose cultivators! If I hadn't consumed the Dao Fruit, I probably would have taken the risk as well!"

Zhao Yu took a deep look at the core area where the Cang Ling Sect was based, went straight inside to wake Li Xianjiao, told her to pack up the baggage they had prepared earlier, and then fled towards the outskirts of the Market.

"Stop! Hand over all your valuables!"

A large number of cultivators in night clothes, wrapped up like shadowy figures, dashed towards the Market Center District. Zhao Yu and Li Xianjiao, moving against the tide, immediately attracted the attention of four cultivators. A Sixth Level Qi Refining Cultivator shouted fiercely.

A fierce light flashed in Zhao Yu's eyes as he executed master-level Flying Dagger Technique. With a wave of his hand, the low-grade magical instrument—the Bronze Awl—emitted a faint spiritual light and instantly struck the forehead of the Sixth Level Qi Refining Cultivator, smashing his forehead to pieces.

Li Xianjiao crushed a Golden Light Talisman, creating a faint golden protective shield around her body.

Zhao Yu also crushed a Golden Light Talisman, used master-level Phantom Step Technique, and appeared instantly in front of another Mid Qi Refining Cultivator, cutting the cultivator in two with a single sword stroke.

Seeing how ruthless Zhao Yu was, the remaining two Fourth Level Qi Refining Cultivators were filled with terror. They each crushed a small Spirit Light Shield talisman, a thin layer of spiritual light shield appeared on their bodies, and they turned to flee.

Zhao Yu used Phantom Step, appearing like a phantom behind a Fourth Level Qi Refining Cultivator, sliced that cultivator in two, and then launched the Flying Dagger Technique. With a flick of his wrist, a mid-grade magical instrument level Flying Harpoon shot out, piercing through the skull of another Fourth Level Qi Refining Cultivator.

"That guy is vicious!"

"To take on four and kill them all! That's a dangerous person!"

". . . . ."

Cultivators in the distance, like ferocious hyenas, felt a chill in their hearts at the scene, and quickly left the area.