Jiang Che traversed the dim forest at high speed, like a phantom.
He followed the tracks on the beast trail to his left, pushing his Perception to its limit and remaining alert to every rustle and stir in his surroundings.
The deeper he went, the more pungent the stench of blood beca.
Signs of a fight began to appear on the ground.
Broken branches, upturned earth, and patches of congealed, dark-red blood all testified to the fierce battle that had taken place.
’Looks like they really ran into trouble.’
Jiang Che slowed his pace, his expression growing increasingly grave.
He continued to sneak forward for another half-mile or so when the faint sounds of piercing screams and bestial roars reached him from up ahead.
’Just ahead!’
A thought flashed through his mind. He instantly entered the Heart Stream state, pushing his Flying Swallow Step to its absolute limit. Like a wisp of smoke, he shot silently toward the source of the sounds.
Soon, he reached a small rise. Pushing aside the bushes, his pupils contracted at the sight before him.
In the clearing below, a dozen or so enormous Stone Skin Realm Black-toothed Pigs had ford an impenetrable, surging black tide, frantically assaulting the few Martial Artists trapped in their midst.
They stood back-to-back in a precarious little circle. Every one of them was wounded, their Qi Blood faint and unstable. They could only rely on their survival instincts, desperately swinging their weapons in a final, hopeless act of resistance.
Jiang Che was startled.
’At this rate, they’re all going to die!’
His gaze swept across the battlefield.
’Wait... where’s Xiong Hui? Why can’t I see him?’
Jiang Che quickly realized that the strongest of their party, the Peak of the Stone Skin Realm Martial Artist, was not among those trapped.
’Could it be... he’s already been killed?’
He dismissed the thought as soon as it ford.
’No, with Xiong Hui’s strength, even if he was outmatched, he wouldn’t have died this quickly without leaving so much as a corpse. It’s far more likely he just ran away on his own!’
A cold glint flashed in Jiang Che’s eyes at the thought.
’What a waste.’
His gaze returned to the battlefield. Watching his companions struggling to survive within the beast horde, liable to be killed at any mont, he frowned deeply.
Though they had been disrespectful to him before, they didn’t deserve to die.
’I have to find a way to save them...’
However, he was facing a dozen Stone Skin Realm Black Beasts! Several of them had even reached the Mid Stage!
Even he wouldn’t fare well if he charged in head-on.
’Unless... I use that power...’
Jiang Che’s eyes flickered as a bold idea surfaced in his mind.
He thought of the Heart of the Black Abyss within him.
’If I use my Transformation and enter my Black Abyss Form, dealing with these Stone Skin Realm brutes shouldn’t be hard!’
’Besides, we’re in the middle of nowhere. I can use my Transformation first and then go over. No one will know it was !’
’And more importantly...’
His gaze swept over the enormous, savage Black Beasts, and a fervent light ignited in his eyes.
’So many Stone Skin Realm Black Beasts... Just how many Black Crystals would that be?!’
It was practically a moving treasure trove!
If he could kill them all, he wouldn’t have to worry about Cultivation Resources for a long ti to co!
Save people, wipe out the threat, and get a huge payday!
Kill three birds with one stone!
Having figured it all out, Jiang Che no longer hesitated.
He quickly scanned his surroundings, found a massive, ancient tree with exceptionally dense foliage, and slipped over to it unnoticed.
Once at the base of the tree, he glanced around to confirm he was alone. He then quickly stripped off his martial attire and boots, carefully tucking them away with his bundle in a hidden hollow beneath the tree’s roots. He finished by covering the spot with a thick layer of fallen leaves and dirt.
’The Transformation will shred my clothes. Can’t let them go to waste.’
With that done, he took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and focused his will.
"Activate, Heart of the Black Abyss!"
Instantly, an overwhelmingly tyrannical power, saturated with an aura of destruction and chaos, erupted from the Heart of the Black Abyss beside his own heart. Like a bursting dam, it flooded into every corner of his being!
"GRRAAH..."
Jiang Che let out a suppressed growl as his body began to undergo a violent change.
A series of sharp CRACKS and POPS echoed from his skeleton as his fra grew taller and broader at a rate visible to the naked eye!
Beneath his skin, it felt as though so black fluid was churning. Thick, nacing black scales rapidly sprouted and covered his entire body, forming a suit of ferocious armor that possessed a raw, primal beauty.
His face was covered by a black, archaic-looking mask, revealing only a pair of eyes that burned with crimson flas!
His long, jet-black hair whipped wildly behind his head despite the lack of wind. The aura he now radiated was not that of a human Martial Artist, but of an ancient Demon God stepping forth from the abyss!
The Black-armored Giant glanced toward the horde of beasts, then shot forward like a cannonball!
...
The eyes of the Martial Arts Hall disciples trapped in the center of the beast horde were filled with despair. The arms holding their weapons trembled uncontrollably from sheer exhaustion.
"It’s over... We’re finished..."
one disciple muttered hoarsely, his face ashen.
He stared at the impenetrable wall of black beasts surrounding them, his will to fight completely shattered.
"If only I’d known... we should have listened to Jiang Che! It’s all my fault! I was blind!" another cried out, consud by regret.
If only they had chosen to trust Jiang Che, they never would have ended up in such a miserable state!
"I can’t believe it... that bastard Xiong Hui... he actually sold us out!"
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