Chapter 68: The Seed of Divine Power

"Ah!"

After a prolonged and fierce struggle, the black wolf, caught off guard, had its paw—a size akin to a plantain leaf—struck by the blade. Under the immense force, it was no surprise when one of its paws was hacked off by Hu San.

Blood spurted forth. The black wolf, abandoning all concern for the future, forcibly circulated its demonic energy, suppressing the backlash with sheer willpower. A sudden surge of black mist erupted around its body.

"Ah! You whelp, I’ll flay you alive and tear out your sinews!"

Driven to madness, the black wolf recklessly drew upon its demonic power, leaving behind dire consequences. The injury was fundamental, and unless aided by a mighty power, not even the legendary thousand-year-old stalactite could help it form a demon core again, let alone reach the first realm of cultivation, the Earth Aperture stage.

The black mist churned. Now able to wield its full might, the black wolf’s body vanished, replaced before Hu San by a massive swirl of black wind.

Gradually, the black wind solidified, forming a towering, colossal wolf shadow.

A vile gale swept over. Hu San could barely open his eyes, and in the throes of terror, he felt his chest constrict. As he looked again, the spectral wolf was already swinging its enormous claw down upon him.

There was no time to think. Hu San drew from his robes the black sword he had never shown to anyone, slashing upward with a sudden motion. A tearing sound rang out, and the seemingly invincible claw was sliced clean in two.

“A treasure? How could you possibly possess a treasure? No, this is a divine weapon… or could it be an artifact? Damn it, what on earth is this thing?”

The black wolf’s cry of alarm echoed, and immediately, a paw the size of a millstone landed before Hu San.

Though unremarkable in appearance, the black sword’s power was truly formidable.

In that instant, Hu San had nearly been crushed into pulp, but such fearsome sorcery was rendered naught but dust beneath a single stroke of the black sword.

“What a marvelous treasure, what a marvelous treasure. Heaven has not forsaken me! With this in my grasp, what difficulty could there be in forming my demon core?”

Reinvigorated, the black wolf pressed the attack, shrouded in black winds, its covetous gaze fixed upon the black sword.

Yet, daunted by the sword’s might, the black wolf dared not engage Hu San head-on, instead casting spells in an attempt to kill him from afar.

“Earthspike technique, fireball technique, iceblade technique, entangling vines, quicksand technique.”

With a casual wave, the black wolf unleashed a barrage of spells, leaving Hu San astounded.

Ordinarily, Hu San would have been unable to evade such magic, but his fish-step evolved, always sensing the gaps within the barrage and slipping through with ease.

“What is this footwork? Why does it bear the mark of supernatural power?”

The black wolf roared, the black mist dissipating from its body, its bloodshot eyes fixed on Hu San, rasping, “If that’s the case, I have no choice but to risk everything. Behold my true power—Heavenly Wolf Claw Technique!”

A burst of blood-red light shot from the black wolf, then swiftly seeped back within. Its previously wan form swelled with renewed strength.

Just as Hu San thought the wolf was bluffing, his eyes widened as the black wolf split into two, then four, and in a blink, the entire cave was filled with the black wolf’s shadows.

Each shadow whirled its claws and floated toward Hu San at such speed that he had no time to react.

Off guard, Hu San felt a sharp pain in his back. Struggling to maneuver with his fish-step, he glanced back to find four deep, bone-revealing gashes, the wounds a mere inch from his heart.

Thus far, Hu San’s body was covered in scars, but never before had he suffered such a mortal wound.

Yet he had no time to dwell on it, for the countless black wolves were now weaving a storm of clawed wind. Wherever the tempest passed, even the toughest stalactites were shattered to dust.

“What is this? Is this the power of a demon?”

A bitter smile crept to Hu San’s lips. Unbeknownst to him, he was already encircled by the endless maelstrom.

He did not know: when a demon forms its core, it awakens its innate supernatural talent—a power whose rank depends on the demon’s potential, but without doubt, it is their greatest trump card and the basis for standing against powerful human cultivators.

Though the black wolf had not yet formed its core, it was blessed with extraordinary fortune and opportunity. Thus, its innate power had already taken shape, which was what Hu San now faced.

Against such power, not even a consummate master of qi could survive—this was a battle of unequal levels.

“How can I sit and await death? At worst, it’s only death.”

In the face of mortal peril, Hu San steeled himself, gritted his teeth, raised the black sword, and focused wholly on the approaching storm.

As the tempest swept in, Hu San leapt up, swinging the black sword with all his might. In that moment of life and death, all thoughts faded from his mind, leaving only perfect clarity.

Halfway through his strike, Hu San felt as though he transformed into a Kunpeng, with the black wolf a dragon hidden within the endless storm.

Yet how could these storms obscure the Kunpeng’s gaze?

Without hesitation, Hu San—wielding the black sword as if it were the beak of a Kunpeng—twisted his blade. Under the black wolf’s incredulous gaze, he brought it down with a force that could shatter heaven and earth.

In that instant, the black wolf felt its demonic power suddenly stagnate, as though confronted by an absolute being—its powers ceased entirely. All it could do was await death.

“A seed of supernatural power—a true supernatural seed! You are a demon, not a human!”

The black wolf’s final howl rang out as the black sword split its massive body cleanly in two, as easily as slicing tofu.

The black wolf was dead. Its supernatural Heavenly Wolf Claw vanished, though in its final instant it had inflicted grievous wounds upon Hu San.

When Hu San landed, not a patch of unbroken flesh remained; his body was crisscrossed with wounds.

Were his body not so extraordinary, he would have suffocated and died on the spot. Even so, he now teetered on the brink of death. Though his inner breath circled continuously, mending his battered form, it was still not enough.

At that moment, Hu San ignored all else. He seized the black wolf’s bisected corpse and, pressing his mouth to it, drank greedily.

Within moments, he had drained the wolf’s blood. Without a pause, he crawled to the great pit and swallowed every piece of the thousand-year-old stalactite.

Throughout the battle, both Hu San and the black wolf had deliberately avoided the pit—each intending to claim the stalactite for themselves upon victory.

Now, barely able to remain upright, Hu San forced himself to sit, circulating his inner breath and rapidly absorbing the warmth surging through his body.

As the warm current continually mended his wounds, his injuries gradually improved.

Once his wounds had fully healed, Hu San began to channel the warmth to strengthen his body and advance his cultivation.

An hour later, Hu San opened his eyes. By then, his body was covered in scabs, which flaked off at a gentle shake, littering the ground.

He had now fully digested the thousand-year-old stalactite and the black wolf’s blood—a speed that would have startled anyone, though considering the unique violet space within his chest, it was not unthinkable.

Yet, to his chagrin, the stalactite brought him little benefit, for much of its essence had been absorbed by the violet space, only condensing the purple clouds within. There were no other significant changes.

By now, his inner breath had advanced to the sixth level, and his physical strength had surpassed the threshold of ten men, reaching the power of eleven. His strength was now immense, his skin like armor—truly beyond the human realm. Such were the effects of the black wolf’s blood and the stalactite.

“It’s true what they say—great fortune follows disaster. My strength now is more than three times what it once was.”

His clothes, shredded in battle, left him naked.

With no other choice, Hu San clothed himself in the black wolf’s cloak and donned its golden mask. Thus attired, he bore a striking resemblance to the former chieftain.

Gazing at the black wolf’s corpse on the ground, Hu San nudged it with his foot and sighed, “Who would have thought a demon could found the Wolfheart Stronghold and dwell here for six or seven years? Incredible.”

“This wolf flesh should be most beneficial to me, but there’s no need to eat it now. This cavern is an excellent place, though it’s a shame it’s been destroyed.”

“Hm? What’s this?”

As he looked around, Hu San suddenly exclaimed in surprise. Behind two massive stalactites, he noticed carvings upon the wall.

Looking closer, he saw lifelike figures, each wielding a long blade—thirty-six images in all, depicting thirty-six distinct moves.

Beneath each posture were small explanatory characters. Clearly, this was a blade technique.

“The Ten Paths of Mortal Slaughter, left by the peerless master Lin Yuan. I am the sect master of the Mortal Slaughter Sect of Nanlin Kingdom. Having placed trust in the wrong men, my foundation and family have been taken, and I was pursued alone into the Qilian Mountains.

Here, with over a dozen grievous wounds—each to the bone—and under the effects of the strange poison Heart-Phantasm, I was hunted by demons, my heart vessels severed. Though I found this thousand-year-old stalactite, my lifespan is nearly spent and I cannot recover. I now inscribe my life’s ultimate technique, the Ten Paths of Mortal Slaughter, upon this wall. Should a fated one master it in the future, I hope my remains may be returned to the Mortal Slaughter Sect. Lian Ba will be eternally grateful.”

Hu San stepped forward, reading the small line that introduced its origin. Another step revealed a shriveled corpse curled in a corner of the stone wall.

Though the body was desiccated, the abundance of spiritual energy in this place had prevented rot.

Pinching the corpse, Hu San estimated it had been dead for perhaps a decade, or even longer—likely before the black wolf arrived.

Perhaps it was in pursuit of this person that the black wolf found this cavern; after all, a peerless master is always enticing prey for a demon.