Starting as The Young Master of A Pharmacy, He Trained Swordsmanship in Seclusion For Twenty Years - Chapter 31

A mysterious energy flowed through Lu Xuan’s body, making him light as a feather. With barely any effort, he darted swiftly through the dense forest.

A shadowy figure leaped between the towering trees, moving like a ghost.

However, as Lu Xuan reached the mountainside, several wild beasts blocked his path.

Three wild dogs, each nearly a meter tall, snarled at him, baring rows of jagged teeth.

Before they could react, sharp whistling sounds cut through the air—three stones shot out like bullets.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

The dogs’ heads exploded, splattering blood and brain matter across the ground.

Lu Xuan cast an indifferent glance at the twitching corpses before continuing his ascent.

Just as Zhang Dachun had warned, the mountain was teeming with vicious beasts. By the time he reached the midway point, Lu Xuan had already slain over a dozen of them.

…..

Summit of Tongling Peak

After an uninterrupted sprint, Lu Xuan finally arrived at the summit. Strangely, the higher he climbed, the fewer beasts he encountered. Now, there were none in sight.

Is it because of that thing?

His gaze fell upon the enormous footprints left by some mysterious creature. Without dwelling on it, he followed the directions Zhang Heng had given him.

Soon, he stopped at a clearing covered in massive claw marks. The footprints were growing more numerous.

But Lu Xuan paid them no mind. Instead, his attention fixed on a tree ahead—a rusted short sword was embedded in its trunk, its blade nearly consumed by moss and lichen.

This is the place.

The hidden marker left by Zhang Heng years ago confirmed it—the rumors about the Purple Blood Spirit Mushroom were true.

Lu Xuan’s eyes burned with anticipation. Just a hundred meters ahead lay the cave where the treasure grew.

Whoosh!

A foul stench assaulted his senses.

His ears twitched, detecting movement. In an instant, he vanished from his spot.

BOOM!

A massive beast, standing over two meters tall, landed where he had just stood.

Its body was covered in black-and-white fur, its eyes a sinister blood-red. Long fangs protruded from its maw, and its muscular limbs ended in claws as long as a human forearm. A serpentine tail, several meters in length, lashed behind it.

What the hell is this thing?
A mutant beast?

Lu Xuan reappeared a short distance away, studying the creature with narrowed eyes. It bore traits of tigers, leopards, and wolves—yet it was none of them.

ROAR!

The beast lunged again. This time, Lu Xuan didn’t dodge.

Channeling his inner energy into his palm, he moved faster than the beast, evaded its claws, and struck mid-air.

CRACK!

The mutant beast howled in agony as the force sent it hurtling backward, smashing through trees like paper. It finally crashed against an ancient trunk fifty meters away before collapsing to the ground.

Huh?
It’s still alive?

Interesting.

Even from this distance, Lu Xuan could hear its heartbeat. Since leaving the city, nothing had survived a single blow from him.

The energy he’d unleashed had ravaged the beast’s insides, shredding flesh and bone.

A mutant beast with strength comparable to Marrow-Forging Realm?

Moreover, he sensed a faint, mysterious energy within it—similar to his own inner power. Though weak, it had somehow allowed the creature to endure his strike.

As Lu Xuan pieced this together, the beast staggered to its feet, limbs trembling. Despite surviving, its body was wrecked beyond repair.

Then, its crimson eyes flickered with something disturbingly human—fear.

In an instant, it turned and fled.

The sight sent a chill down Lu Xuan’s spine. His calm demeanor fractured as he cursed inwardly.

Damn it!
This thing’s evolved into a spirit beast!

Recent county records had hinted at this: the world held not only supernatural horrors but also yao beasts—wildlife that had gained sentience.

Wait…

A realization struck him. His pupils blazed with excitement as he stared at the fleeing creature like it was a rare treasure.

If slaying supernatural entities granted him system points, what about these spirit beasts—their counterparts?

Oh no you don’t!

Suddenly, even the Purple Blood Spirit Mushroom paled in importance. His focus locked onto the mutant beast.

BOOM!

Lu Xuan stomped the ground. A gale erupted, sending dead leaves swirling into the air.

For the first time, he unleashed his full power as an Inner Energy Realm cultivator.

The earth beneath him cratered as he launched forward, leaving afterimages in his wake. In seconds, he closed the gap to twenty meters.

A fiery glint flashed in his eyes. His face glowed crimson as heat radiated from his body.

“Blazing Saber Art!”

The air warped. A searing wave erupted as a massive blade of flame—several meters wide—materialized mid-air. It sliced through everything in its path before engulfing the fleeing beast.

The creature writhed briefly before the inferno reduced it to ashes.

Surveying the devastation, Lu Xuan exhaled.

Using inner energy amplifies the Blazing Saber Art’s power tenfold.

Then—a pulse in his mind.

The system panel materialized before him:

Host: Lu Xuan
Realm: Inner Energy Realm
Techniques: Blazing Saber Art (2/9), Gale-Step Technique (0/9)
Points: 17

His eyes widened.

Just as I thought!