The crisp morning air, typically carrying the gentle warmth of the rising sun and sweet fragrances of blooming flowers, was instead tainted with the metallic scent of spilled blood.
The once peaceful village square echoed with the frenzied clashes of steel against steel and the haunting shrieks of wounded goblins. Streaks of sickly green blood painted the dusty ground.
In the eye of this violent storm stood Ji Wuye, clad in pristine white martial robes that billowed around him like ghostly apparitions with each calculated movement. His feet remained firmly planted, unwavering amidst the carnage swirling around him.
But then...
SWOOSH-!
The jian gripped tightly in his hand became a blur of glinting steel, finding its mark with lethal precision.
STAB-!
A goblin lunged at him, its twisted features contorted in a feral snarl, only to be impaled mid-air by Ji Wuye's blade.
With an almost nonchalant flick of his wrist, the jian surged upward, cleaving through flesh and bone with a sickening sound akin to tearing cloth.
"SHREEEEE!" The goblin's anguished shrieks pierced the air as its body split open, thick ropes of viscous green blood raining down upon the earth like grotesque ribbons.
Yet Ji Wuye's expression remained utterly impassive, his crimson eyes devoid of even a flicker of emotion as he coolly surveyed the havoc unfolding around him.
But on the other hand, the eyes of surviving villagers and the remaining goblins alike were drawn towards this unflinching figure.
In the next breath, a subtle twitch at the corner of Ji Wuye's eye was the only warning before his body tensed, muscles coiling like a serpent poised to strike.
SWOOSH-!
The jian, still dripping with the goblin's foul ichor, became a whirling vortex of steel, scattering droplets of emerald blood in its wake.
CLANK-!
The harsh clang of metal against metal rang out as another goblin attempted a cowardly strike from behind, only to be deftly parried by Ji Wuye's blade.
Transparent screens flickered at the periphery of his vision, but his focus remained unwavering as the jian effortlessly overpowered the goblin's crude dagger.
STAB-!
"UWaaaaaaagh!" With a feral cry, the hapless creature found itself impaled upon the unyielding length of Ji Wuye's sword, its piercing wails of agony joining the discordant symphony of battle.
Once more, the sickening sound of sundered flesh filled the air as the goblin's life essence poured forth, staining the already blood-soaked earth.
On the other hand, realizing the dire nature of their situation, the remaining goblins shifted their collective focus towards Ji Wuye, their beady eyes glinting with a mixture of fear and desperation.
Yet, no matter how many of the wretched creatures hurled themselves at him in frenzied attacks, the outcome remained utterly unchanged.
Ji Wuye stood resolute amidst the churning chaos.
STAB-!
His movements were precise, economical, each step carrying him mere inches from his original position before he would pivot gracefully, returning to the eye of the maelstrom.
With an almost supernatural ease, his jian danced through the air, felling goblin after goblin behind the impenetrable mask of his dispassionate crimson gaze.
His pristine white hair and robes seemed to glow with an ethereal radiance, highlighting his lithe form like a ghostly specter as they billowed and flowed around him.
"Hissshh!"
"T-that..."
To the terrified onlookers, both villager and goblin alike, he appeared as a wrathful spirit of vengeance, striking fear into their hearts with each seemingly effortless execution.
At times, Ji Wuye would slay one of the foul creatures, his body briefly twisting in a manner that seemed to leave his back and flanks exposed to attack.
Of course, the goblins, their tiny minds consumed by bloodlust and desperation, saw these brief openings as opportunities, only to find themselves ensnared in his deadly trap.
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Like flies drawn to a spider's web, they threw themselves upon his blade, each one becoming another corpse to add to the ever-growing mound of their fallen kin.
This macabre cycle continued unabated until at last, only a single, trembling goblin remained, standing atop the small mountain of twisted bodies.
Only then did the realization dawn upon the pitiful creature – the human before it had never truly lowered his guard, not even for an instant.
The entire display had been but a ruse, a masterful manipulation designed to lure the goblins to their inevitable demise.
But then, as this terrible understanding blossomed within its tiny mind, a blur of movement caught the goblin's eye –
SWOOSH-!
A fleeting shadow that heralded the swift descent of Ji Wuye's jian as it plunged, with merciless precision, into the creature's temple.
"That should be the last one," Ji Wuye's voice rang out, devoid of any inflection as he approached the fallen goblin to retrieve his blade. With a dismissive flick of his wrist, he slashed the jian through the air, letting the gentle morning breeze whisk away the streaks of viscous green ichor that clung to its gleaming length.
'That's a good exercise,' he thought to himself. Eventually, he didn't need to use the Slash Breaker, realizing at some point how pointless it was and that hidden dangers still existed, such as another dungeon break.
Thus, conserving energy as much as he could was the best way.
Or rather...
'Though I have no problem using it all, but well...' he actually forgot. The adrenaline and excitement rush, the feeling of combined skill Qi Training and the newly opened Upper Dantian made him excited enough to forget activating the Slash Breaker Skill.
Eventually, he only realized this when the last goblins remained alive.
Yet, as Ji Wuye's gaze roamed over the carnage surrounding him, his brow furrowed ever so slightly at the conspicuous absence of the transparent screen that should have materialized before him.
'It's not yet?' he pondered inwardly. 'How much more proficiency is needed to advance?'
Raising his eyes, he could not fail to notice the uneasy expressions adorning the faces of the villagers who had born witness to his deadly display.
'Ah...'
...
As the light of day slowly banished the dusty pall that had settled over the village, the mingled scents of goblin blood and the earthy tang of freshly overturned soil gave way to the sweet fragrance of blooming flowers and clean, crisp air.
Beneath the shroud of violence and death, the village's pastoral beauty had remained, merely concealed for a time like a gemstone swathed in grime.
Now, the villagers could be seen diligently repairing their homes, clearing away the remnants of battle, and gathering materials from the nearby bamboo groves to rebuild what had been lost.
While the villagers were busy, Ji Wuye's group was occupied with another matter...
"Thank you! Heroes of Kunlun!"
"Thank you, Masters!"
"I'm truly grateful, young heroes. I wish my child could grow to be brave like you and join Kunlun."
Wave after wave of heartfelt praise and gratitude washed over Ji Wuye and Song Jia as the villagers lined up, one by one, to offer their humble gifts and express their boundless appreciation.
Standing beside Ji Wuye was Song Jia, who looked very exhausted. Her already worn-out white martial robe was drenched with many green blood stains, and her long maple-colored hair was so messed up that she had even tied her jian using it.
Yet she still smiled, as radiant as the morning sun peeking over the horizon. She seemed almost frozen in place by sheer force of will, the faint lines at the corners of her mouth betraying the strain of maintaining such a beatific expression for so long.
Yet, despite the weariness that must have tugged at her features, an aura of gentle charm and warmth suffused her every word and gesture, instantly putting the villagers at ease.
"It's our duty, everyone. Please keep your gifts; you are the ones who badly need these items," she spoke, her voice as soft and soothing as a summer breeze, eyes barely open in an expression of serenity.
For in that moment, she was the embodiment of everything society deemed worthy of admiration – a young, beautiful woman possessed of otherworldly power and grace, her sacred ties to the mighty Kunlun sect rendering her all the more captivating.
Such attributes were always welcomed and revered, especially when coupled with an air of unassuming innocence that belied the steel lying beneath.
"Sister Song is right. Please keep your belongings. It's our duty as members of Kunlun and as martial artists to protect the common people," Ji Wuye added.
Yet, as he spoke, a palpable unease seemed to ripple through the gathered crowd, eyes averting and bodies shifting in subtle displays of discomfort and trepidation.
For those who had borne witness to Ji Wuye's gruesome display against the goblins, the memory of his cold, merciless efficiency was still fresh, a specter of savagery lurking behind his noble words and impassive countenance.
Although many had survived up to the 5th floor of the Tower of Gods, they doubted their ability to match Ji Wuye's feat, especially considering the number of goblins he had killed without rest.
The sheer number of lives he had extinguished without rest, all while encircled by the grisly remains of his victims, struck a primal chord of fear within their hearts, no matter how justified his actions may have been.
Even now, as he addressed them, not a single outward sign of fatigue marred his features or bearing – he may as well have been carved from unyielding stone, implacable and immovable despite the horrors he had wrought.
"T-thank you, handsome Big Brother!" The hesitant silence was broken by the innocent voices of children, too young to have witnessed the that scene.
With bright, guileless smiles, they flocked towards him, seemingly entranced by his handsome visage and the pristine white robes that so closely mirrored Song Jia's own raiment, marking them both as esteemed members of the vaunted Kunlun sect.
"You look so handsome, and the Big Sister looks so beautiful. Are you married?" One audacious little girl, her hair tied back in a jaunty ponytail, gazed up at the pair with wide, curious eyes, tilting her head in an expression of pure, childlike wonder.
Yet, even as the question left her innocent lips, her gaze remained fixed squarely upon Song Jia, as if conveying jealousy toward her.
Confused by what those gaze meant coming from a child like her, Song Jia, still with her stiffened smile, only wondered, "Ahaha, what do you mean by that, Little Girl? We are just friends." Though she replied as softly as possible, there was a clear and strong rejection in her tone.
"Hush! Ling'er, go inside!" The girl's innocent query proved to be the final tipping point, shattering the tenuous calm that had blanketed the gathered villagers.
Realizing Song Jia's modd, her parents, previously held at bay by their own hesitation towards Ji Wuye, now sprang into action – rushing forth to corral their errant child before she could give further voice to her childish musings.
Yet, before they could reach her, Ji Wuye raised a calming hand, intervening with a gentleness, "It's okay, Aunty, Uncle."
Kneeling to bring himself level with the young girl's bright, inquisitive gaze, he spoke in soothing tones as he gently patted her head. "Of course not, Little one. Like that Big Sister just said, we're just friends from the same sect."
Even as the words left his lips, Ji Wuye could hear the audible gulps of the nearby parents, could feel the weight of their intense, scrutinizing stares boring into him.
Raising his head, he offered them a faint, reassuring smile. "It's okay, I'm not a beast or monster."
The simple gesture, coupled with his soft-spoken words, seemed to relieve some of the villagers' lingering trepidation, though a palpable undercurrent of caution remained.
After all, the memories of his brutal efficiency were not so easily dispelled, no matter how disarming his present demeanor might appear.
But then, Ji Wuye was confused. Was his killing of those goblins too much for them? Why? Hadn't all of them witnessed how they survived on floor 3? And even passed floor 5?
In those scenes, goblins and even villagers were massacred more brutally than this, but now?
'Ah, maybe because it happened inside the Tower?' Ji Wuye pondered inwardly. Then it would make sense, as it seemed they treated the Tower as a dream, not reality.
...
"Ah! I see!" On the other hand, the young girl, however, remained blissfully unaware of the complex undercurrents swirling around her, her features lighting up with relief at Ji Wuye's gentle explanation. Yet, in the next breath, her gaze refocused upon him with an intensity that belied her tender years. "Then will you marry me, Big Brother?"
The unexpected question hung in the air like a lead weight, catching everyone present utterly off-guard.
"Cough... Cough..."
"Old Yu, bring her back home now..."
"Cough... Sister Gu, that's too much..."
A series of shocked coughs and sputters rippled through the assembled villagers as they struggled to process the audacious query.
The girl's parents, finally jolted from their stupor, could no longer hide their mortification – reaching out with burning faces to physically drag their impetuous child away from Ji Wuye's side.
"What are y-you doing, mother!" The girl's indignant cries and fierce resistance did little to deter her shame-faced parents, who could only offer Ji Wuye a profusion of flustered apologies as they hastily retreated, stern glares quelling their daughter's protests.
With a dismissive wave of his hand, Ji Wuye accepted their apologies, seemingly unfazed by the entire bemusing encounter.
…
Moments later, having received the heartfelt gratitude of the villagers gathered in the central square, Ji Wuye and Song Jia found themselves ushered towards the guest residence, where the village chief awaited their arrival.
"Welcome to our little Tianmu Village," the village chief greeted them, cupping his hand in a gesture of profound respect. "Please forgive us for greeting the heroes of Kunlun with such a sight."