Cultivation System: Stronger with Age
Chapter 53 - 46: There’s Always Someone Stronger

Chapter 53: Chapter 46: There’s Always Someone Stronger

In the mountain forest, inside a dilapidated temple, two black-clad, masked Martial Cultivators sat on the fallen head of a deity statue, looking toward the entrance of the ruined temple.

One man, broad-shouldered with phoenix eyes, spoke, "Damn it, what bad luck! In the third warehouse of the Yin Talisman Sect, there wasn’t a single herb for the Nine Revolutions Qi Replenishing Soup. If I had known, I wouldn’t have taken such a big risk!"

The slender man responded, "Second Brother, why dwell on it! With our Late Stage Second Layer cultivation and expert Darts Skill, not even the esteemed Stewards and Deputy Stewards of the Yin Talisman Sect and the Black Tiger Gang can stop us. Once we leave Great Marsh Prefecture, with our strength, we’ll find a good path anywhere!"

The man with phoenix eyes frowned. "The Yin Talisman Sect has gone all out. We don’t know when we’ll be out of danger!"

The slender man knit his brows. "So what if the Yin Talisman Sect has gone all out? If it weren’t for hearing that Zhao Yufei used the Dragon Blood Treasure Dog, we wouldn’t have had to flee to this desolate countryside. We would have long gone to Qiuyu Tower to enjoy the top entertainers! Damn it, when I reach Perfection in the Third Layer, I’m going to sleep with that slut Daoist Nun Zhao Yufei, and we’ll share her—me first, you next!"

The man with phoenix eyes furrowed his brows tightly. Third Layer Perfection? Easier said than done. He and his Big Brother had cultivated hard for eighteen years, yet only reached the Late Stage of the Second Layer. Even aiming for Second Layer Perfection would take another one or two years! As for the Third Layer... Though such cultivation speed is already top-notch among Independent Martial Cultivators, it’s still far, far from sleeping with the beautiful Daoist Nun Zhao Yufei! Although, the goal does sound enticing and arousing!

He shook his head, dispelling the images and wild thoughts from his mind. "Big Brother, are you sure the buyer you contacted is reliable? Two hundred and ten complete Essence Blood Pearls, two hundred precious Forehead Scales, plus other supplies, all for just two hundred sets of Qi Replenishing Soup herbs—that’s too cutthroat!"

The slender man said, "Nowadays, the price of Qi Replenishing Soup herbs in Great Marsh Prefecture has skyrocketed. Plus, our goods are hot and illegal. Getting two hundred sets is already very good!"

At this moment, footsteps sounded outside the temple.

A nine-foot-tall, extremely burly man entered, wearing a Black Iron Mask. Some knotted black beard was visible on either side of the mask. In his extremely broad hands, he held a large wooden box.

Entering the ruined temple, he spoke in a deep voice, "You two from the Tao Family certainly know how to pick a spot. This place is right next to the Demon Fox’s territory, where the Black Tiger Gang rarely patrols!"

"Where’s the medicine?" The slender man, upon seeing the masked man, involuntarily reached for the dart pouch at his waist.

"Here it is!" The masked man waved his hand and opened the box.

The wooden box opened, revealing various herbs for the Nine Revolutions Qi Replenishing Soup. A strong medicinal aroma immediately filled the surroundings.

The slender man’s eyes gleamed at the sight of the herbs. "Friend, you’re quite capable, managing to get two hundred sets in Great Marsh Prefecture where herbs are so scarce!"

"Where are the goods!" the masked man ignored his chatter.

The slender man smiled. "I’ll get them for you right now..."

He took a single step forward but suddenly felt dizzy. His expression changed as he recalled the medicinal scent he had just smelled.

His face fell, and he shouted, "No, there’s Enchanting Fragrance! Damn it, masked man, you tricked me!"

Not daring to be careless, he circulated his Qi Blood frantically to suppress the poison of the Enchanting Fragrance while simultaneously waving his hands. A barrage of darts, whistling sharply, flew towards the masked man. The phoenix-eyed man beside him also launched his darts in a rapid series.

The air in the ruined temple instantly filled with the sound of darts piercing through the air, cold light flashing. Their Darts Skill was far superior to that of Hu Lin from the Black Tiger Gang, whom Lin Xuankong had killed. Each time they raised their hands, four darts flew out simultaneously, as fast as lightning! An ordinary Early Stage or Mid-grade Second Layer Martial Cultivator facing such terrifying Darts Skill would undoubtedly be killed or severely injured!

The masked man, however, extended silver claws over a foot long from his palms. He moved his hands so quickly they formed an impenetrable barrier, warding off countless darts as he walked toward the two men, laughing loudly. "As expected of seasoned veterans, your reactions are quick! But so what if you detected the Enchanting Fragrance? With your Late Stage Second Layer cultivation, how could you possibly be my match!"

"Black Tiger Shattering Golden Claw! You bastard, you’re from the Black Tiger Gang!" The phoenix-eyed man’s face paled.

"We’ve traded so many times, and you never noticed, did you? Quite the surprise!" The masked man strode towards the phoenix-eyed man.

At this moment, the masked man’s hands twirled like wheels, blocking countless darts, but some still struck him. The Tao Family Brothers’ Darts Skill was, after all, second only to Lin Xuankong’s, far beyond what a Martial Cultivator could block with bare hands!

In just several breaths, nearly a hundred Flying Sabers had struck the masked man’s knees, crotch, throat, and mask. The sound of CLANG! CLANG! CLANG! CLANG! was incessant as the darts struck. The darts pierced his clothes and riddled his Black Iron Mask with holes; even his eyes were hit by several darts. Yet, the masked man’s defense was so strong that even when his eyes were struck, he didn’t flinch, his eyelids remaining intact. He was clearly already an expert at the Perfection Stage of the Second Layer!

"Second Layer Perfection!" The phoenix-eyed man’s face changed, and he retreated.

The slender man’s face also changed drastically. He wanted to retreat, but as he lifted his leg, he discovered that his legs were soundlessly and invisibly entangled by some long, delicate, strange grass! He circulated his Qi Blood and exerted all his strength to pull his legs, trying to break free from the grass. However, to his astonishment, he, a dignified Late Stage Second Layer Martial Cultivator, couldn’t break even a single strand of the seemingly fragile strange grass.

Not far away, the Masked Guest had already engaged in close combat with the phoenix-eyed man. The phoenix-eyed man’s Darts Skill was exquisite, but his close combat skills were no match for the Black Tiger Claw. After fighting for only seven or eight breaths, his body had already endured hundreds of claws from the Masked Guest. The black clothes he wore were completely torn apart, revealing his body covered with white claw marks. If he hadn’t been in the Late Stage of the Second Layer, those hundreds of claws would have already torn him to shreds!

Unfortunately, although the phoenix-eyed man’s defense was strong, his Qi Blood was ultimately limited. He wasn’t Lin Xuankong, who had a vast amount of Qi Blood to squander at will. Under the Masked Guest’s relentless attack, ten breaths later, the phoenix-eyed man had already consumed half his Qi Blood.

Feeling the rapid consumption of his Qi Blood, the fear in his eyes became more and more apparent. He knew that if he continued fighting like this, he would die on the spot within ten more breaths at most!

Seizing an opening, he shouted towards the slender man, "Big Brother, what are you standing around for? Come and help me fight him!"

The slender man’s face was full of anger, his voice rising. "I don’t want to just stand here either! My legs are entangled by some strange grass; I can’t move at all! What the hell is this thing!"

Seeing this, a ruthless glint flashed in the phoenix-eyed man’s eyes. He dodged an attack and then turned to run, intending to escape alone.

What he didn’t expect was that just as he turned, the Masked Guest suddenly burst out with unprecedented speed, clawing at his buttocks.

With a sickening RIP, the phoenix-eyed man’s body stiffened, and he screamed loudly. The Masked Guest then cruelly withdrew his Black Tiger Shattering Golden Claw, pulling out a large section of the phoenix-eyed man’s intestines from behind.

He waved off the filth and continued to claw at the phoenix-eyed man, who was disoriented by the severe pain. After a breath, the phoenix-eyed man’s body stiffened and collapsed to the ground!

"Second Brother!" The slender man’s eyes burned with rage.

The Masked Guest then looked at the Manluo Demon Grass entangling the slender man. His face showed a hint of caution as he scanned the ruined temple, but the surroundings were silent except for the sound of the mountain wind rustling through the grass and trees.

A Demon? A Grass Demon? It seems like it can only restrain and has no real offensive power!

The Masked Guest removed his tattered Black Iron Mask. After looking warily at the Manluo Demon Grass for a long moment, he then, ignoring the CLINKING and CLANKING of darts striking him, walked towards Eldest Tao.

A breath later, Eldest Tao, trapped and unable to dodge, slumped to the ground.

After killing Eldest Tao, the Masked Guest cautiously retreated a good distance. Only when he saw the Demon Grass disappear did he finally relax. He warily leaped out of the ruined temple and carefully observed his surroundings for nearly a quarter of an hour. Seeing no movement, he furrowed his brows and walked into the depths of the temple.

A moment later, the Masked Guest emerged from the depths of the temple, holding a large black box, a hint of excitement on his face. If it weren’t for that strange Grass Demon, I would have had to expend more effort and use other means!

At this moment, soft footsteps sounded at the entrance of the temple.

The Masked Guest’s expression changed, and he quickly turned his head to see an old man with white hair walking in.

Standing at the entrance of the temple, Lin Xuankong looked at the Bearded Guest before him with a slight sense of nostalgia.

This Bearded Martial Cultivator, a dog-eat-dog type even more ferocious than the Tao Family Brothers, was actually the Black Tiger Gang Steward he had encountered outside the herbal shop back then. Over the past month or so, he had always regarded this Black Tiger Gang Bearded Martial Cultivator as his cultivation target. Because when he first saw him, the scene of this Bearded Martial Cultivator being invulnerable had given him, at that time, a great shock! A powerful Martial Cultivator who could kill an Early Stage Second Layer expert in one strike and intimidate dozens of other experts... However, just a month later, seeing this Bearded Martial Cultivator who could easily kill the Tao Family Brothers, he no longer felt any tension!

At this moment, the Bearded Guest’s eyes flickered continuously. This old fellow suddenly showed up now... He’s a cunning old fox, sitting on the mountain watching the tigers fight! Since he dared to come out after seeing me kill the Tao Family Brothers, he must be pretty strong, or maybe he has some trump card? That Grass Demon just now wasn’t very aggressive... But, with my Second Layer Perfection and invincible defense, many methods, and the fierceness of the Black Tiger Technique yet to be used, why should I fear him? I just need to find a way to kill him first!

Thinking of this, his expression changed, and he pointed to the box at his feet. "Friend, since you’ve come out now, it seems you intend to take a share? I don’t know if you’re interested in the herbs or the Tao Family Brothers’ belongings. How about this, I’ll give you a few dozen sets of herbs, and we two..."

While speaking, he suddenly raised his hand, flinging a large cloud of lime powder straight at Lin Xuankong’s face. At the same time, he kicked off powerfully with his feet. His entire body emitted a series of tiger-like roars as his bones CRACKED and POPPED, and he charged at Lin Xuankong with a speed far surpassing what he had shown before!

A lion uses its full strength even when hunting a rabbit!

At this moment, the Bearded Martial Cultivator did not hesitate, unleashing the Fierce Tiger Roar Bone Technique from his Black Tiger Shattering Golden Claw to instantly boost his combat power, determined to kill Lin Xuankong in a single second!