65: First Blood

Although the villagers were new to Cultivating, with the Power Of Faith bolstering them, they were able to contend with the Wang Family Martial Artists.

Qian Shi was even more ferocious; he wielded an iron rod, faintly wreathed in golden light, and actually forced a Martial Artist to retreat repeatedly.

The Wang Family Head's face grew increasingly grim as the prolonged attack failed to yield results.

He secretly pulled out a black Talisman from his sleeve.

"Liu Chunsheng, die!"

The Wang Family Head suddenly rushed out and threw the black Talisman at Liu Chunsheng. The Talisman transformed into a black streak of light in the air, and wherever it passed, the defenses constructed by the Power Of Faith melted away like snow.

Liu Chunsheng was shocked and tried to dodge, but it was too late.

Just as the black streak was about to hit him, a golden light shot out from the ancestral hall, scattering the black streak.

Lord Chuping's ethereal figure had, at some unknown point, floated above the ancestral hall, emitting a majestic Divine Light.

"Audacious Mortal, how dare you use evil sorcery!"

The ethereal figure spoke, its voice like thunder, shaking hearts.

The Wang Family Head's face was ashen, and his legs trembled uncontrollably, but he still forced himself to shout, "Playing the ghost! Watch me break your sorcery!"

As he spoke, he reached for something else.

"Stubborn fool!"

The divine statue's ethereal figure snorted coldly, and a golden Thunder Punishment descended from the sky, accurately striking the Wang Family Head's head.

"Boom—"

The golden Thunder Punishment descended at that moment.

There was no deafening explosion, only a pillar of light of extreme purity.

Everyone felt as if their eyes were going to be blinded.

After the dazzling lightning, the Wang Family Head had become a charred corpse, maintaining a standing posture before collapsing with a thud.

The entire scene was silent; everyone was awestruck by this miracle. The Wang Family Martial Artists, in particular, fell to their knees, kowtowing repeatedly and begging for mercy.

"Chuping, spare us! It was all that scoundrel of the Wang Family who forced us!"

"Lord Chuping, this humble one will never dare again."

"..."

Waves of voices rose and fell, and some of the more timid ones were so scared they wet themselves.

Lin Chuping did not soften; with a thought, he moved.

"Boom—"

Another clap of thunder struck, instantly killing more than half of the kneeling Martial Artists.

Wang Desheng was dead beyond dead.

The few remaining ones were not much better off.

They would tremble with fear at the sound of thunder for the rest of their lives.

In the temple, Wang Tu seemed to sense something and abruptly looked up towards the ancestral hall. He felt a vast Divine Power descend, and his heart was filled with both shock and sorrow: "Father..."

In front of the ancestral hall.

"Thunder Punishment, it's Thunder Punishment!"

"Greetings, Lord Chuping!"

"Believers greet Lord Chuping!"

"Chunsheng Ge, we won! Lord Chuping has manifested!"

The waves of sound surged, one after another, and all the dust settled.

***

Lin Chuping did not stay; after casting two bolts of lightning, he quietly returned to the temple.

His figure flickered in and out of sight in the temple's shadows, his steps seemingly steady, yet betraying a subtle, imperceptible disarray.

Returning to the inner hall where his divine statue was enshrined, Lin Chuping slowly sat on the meditation cushion, his expression complex.

This was his first time using such a decisive killing move, his first time truly taking a life.

There was no anxiety as he had imagined; instead, an excitement emanated from his very bones.

He had to use all his strength to suppress the trembling in his hands caused by excitement.

"Tong Ge, what's wrong with me?"

"Am I a pervert?"

This was absolutely not a normal reaction one should have after killing someone!

Shouldn't there be some kind of stress reaction after killing?

Why was he perfectly fine with it, and even more eager to try again?

【Host, this is an instinctive reaction brought by power. You are experiencing the powerful sensation of controlling life and death for the first time, and your body will secrete certain hormones that make you excited. This is not perversion; it is merely a normal stage of humanity colliding with power. However, you must remember, if you indulge in it, you will lose yourself.】

Lin Chuping: What hormones? Adrenaline?

"Anyway, thank you."

It's good that he's not a pervert!

It seemed this question was very much worth pondering, as the System was willing to give such a detailed explanation.

***

Not long after, a clamor of voices came from outside the temple. The villagers, surrounding Liu Chunsheng and others, arrived in front of the temple and immediately saw Wang Tu and the others who were worshiping something.

Lin Chuping did not pay attention to the subsequent events.

These minor matters, with Liu Chunsheng as the Temple Official, and Wang Tu not being a fool, would surely be resolved quickly.

What he was thinking about now was his other achievement—Blood Fiend!

He couldn't help it; he was too eager to improve!

When he died in his previous life, Lin Chuping was only 22 years old, a fresh-faced university graduate, newly minted as a workhorse, at the perfect age for striving—in a word, 'involution'!

Although Lin Chuping had now escaped the larger environment of his previous life, he still felt an inexplicable sense of guilt if he indulged even slightly.

This feeling clung to him like a ghost, it was simply terrifying!

If he ever had the ability to return to his old world, he would definitely change that environment, thoroughly.

Those so-called "chicken soup for the Soul" sayings he had once swallowed whole, such as "If one cannot change the environment, then one can only adapt to it," and "The environment will not change, the solution lies in changing oneself," were useless now!

Heh! He was going to change the environment, willfully!

Lin Chuping suppressed the strange thoughts in his mind.

"Forget it, let's think about Blood Fiend! I wonder if there's still hope of returning home in this life."

"There should be hope, after all, his life in this world is too long."

***

Blood Fiend was currently entrenched in the Prefecture City, with almost all the people and demons of Qingzhou under his control.

He wondered what Blood Fiend's strength was like now; his Rank 2 Thunder Punishment was definitely fine, but the small fries from Chang Sheng Village and Nan Shu Village would certainly not be enough.

"Tong Ge, open the System shop."

【Shop Rank: 1

Current Items:

1. Wind Control Art: Make your movements as light as a swallow!

Price: 100,000 Incense Points

2. Time Law Fragment: Although it's only a fingernail-sized fragment, who cares when it's a Time Law; you'll be secretly delighted if you can even find it!

Functions to be explored independently.

Price: 10,000,000 Incense Points

3. God Cultivation Art: A Divine Dao Cultivation Technique, of excellent quality, the best choice for Spirit Refining!

Price: 10,000,000 Incense Points

Note: Purchasable items refresh daily at midnight.】

"The ones I can afford, I don't want; the ones I want, I can't afford!"

What's going on!

What the heck is Wind Control Art? Wasn't he already light enough? His Soul could float on the wind at any time; how much lighter could it get?

Trash!

Lin Chuping cursed under his breath and silently closed the shop.