Fantasy: One Effort, Ten Thousand Times Critical Hit Harvest!

Chapter 15: The Demon’s Stronghold

It was roughly around dusk.

Finally, they reached their destination.

Throughout the journey, Luo Mu learned a lot of critical information from the trio’s conversation.

Jiang Hai and Lin Rufen came from prominent families, but compared to Cheng Qingman, it was like night and day.

Cheng Qingman turned out to be the precious daughter of the renowned Bloodbrave Marquis!

In the seven counties of Changle, the name of Bloodbrave Marquis was known by all.

Even though the war from thirty years ago was long over, his deeds were still talked about with great interest; one could often overhear conversations about him while walking the streets.

“A few days ago, I heard a teacher mention that your father wiped out a major branch of the Crimson Moon Demon Sect, severely weakening them.”

“And the locations of these strongholds were found from that very branch.”

Jiang Hai looked at Cheng Qingman.

“How would I know?”

Cheng Qingman’s eyes showed helplessness.

Although the glory of her father’s achievements made things smoother for her, ensuring no obstacles in her way, she did not enjoy others constantly mentioning Bloodbrave Marquis.

As Luo Mu listened to their conversation, he looked ahead.

What lay before them was an expansive mountain range covered in dense greenery.

Towering trees stood firm, their branches and leaves thick and abundant.

Even in broad daylight, it felt slightly dark.

Indeed, this was a well-hidden location.

“Let’s go, let’s finish this quickly!” Lin Rufen unwrapped the cloth from his spear, excitement clearly visible on his face.

Hearing this, the two nodded in agreement.

They then charged forward, following the map’s guidance.

Luo Mu, on the other hand, followed calmly behind.

“Junior Brother Luo, after breaking through to the True Aperture Realm, have you gone to the Martial Scripture Tower to study any advanced martial techniques?”

As they ran, Cheng Qingman turned her head to look at Luo Mu.

This Luo Mu was really a reserved person.

Throughout the entire journey, he hadn’t uttered even half a word.

Hearing this, both Jiang Hai and Lin Rufen glanced back at him.

“Yes.”

Luo Mu hadn’t expected Cheng Qingman to suddenly direct her attention toward him, but he answered truthfully.

“Oh? What martial techniques did you learn?”

Cheng Qingman was curious.

With Luo Mu’s talent, he must have chosen some powerful martial techniques.

“The Deathless Blade Scripture, and the Xuan Yang Dominator Technique.”

Luo Mu thought for a moment and saw no reason to hide it.

Upon hearing this, the trio collectively took a sharp breath and stared at him in disbelief.

They, too, were geniuses within the inner sanctum, yet they only practiced lower-tier techniques.

It wasn’t that they weren’t interested in intermediate techniques, but rather that they were too challenging.

Given their current foundations, mastering such techniques would take years, and they weren’t willing to waste that much time.

It made more sense to wait until their cultivation was higher, when their understanding would be deeper, and progress would come much faster.

Yet, Luo Mu, who had just recently entered the True Aperture Realm, had chosen not just one but two intermediate-tier techniques, and difficult ones at that!

“Bold indeed,” Jiang Hai regained his composure and offered only these four words.

Even he hadn’t dared to attempt such a thing.

Much less a disciple from the outer sanctum.

He could already foresee Luo Mu spending years stuck with no progress, frustrated by the difficulty of the techniques.

In the inner sanctum, there were many geniuses.

After stepping into the True Aperture Realm, many would optimistically skip over low-tier techniques, aiming straight for the intermediate ones.

But months later, they’d give up in defeat.

Only the top-ranking prodigies had any chance of success.

“Keep at it, Junior Brother Luo,” Cheng Qingman’s thoughts differed from Jiang Hai’s. “How’s your progress with the two techniques so far?”

Luo Mu had mastered the Deadly Blade Technique in just half a month, a testament to his incredible comprehension.

It far surpassed most people in the inner sanctum.

He was likely already at the entry stage, maybe even progressing further.

Luo Mu didn’t intend to hide the truth.

Just as he was about to answer, Lin Rufen interrupted.

“Quiet, we’ve arrived!”

Lin Rufen came to a halt.

Cheng Qingman immediately turned her head to look forward.

In the distance, the faint glow of lamps flickered in the valley.

That was one of the small strongholds of the Demon Sect.

Amid the shadows, vague human figures could be seen.

“Junior Brother Lin, Junior Sister Cheng, let’s see who can claim the most kills this time!”

Jiang Hai drew the long sword from his waist and charged forward.

“I’m in!” Lin Rufen wasn’t one to be outdone and followed closely behind.

“Junior Brother Luo, you should stick to the perimeter of the stronghold. There are bound to be a few Demon Sect martial artists at the second or third stage of the True Aperture Realm.”

Cheng Qingman looked at Luo Mu seriously. “Don’t go too deep; your cultivation level is still too low.”

“Alright.”

Luo Mu smiled faintly and nodded.

Then, Cheng Qingman also headed toward the stronghold.

“It seems I’ve been underestimated.”

Luo Mu shook his head.

But it was understandable.

Aside from himself, no one else knew his true strength!

“Let’s hope there are plenty of True Aperture Realm Demon Sect martial artists around the perimeter.”

Luo Mu cracked his neck.

His aura gradually grew cold and murderous.

After all, having come all this way, how could he return empty-handed?

He needed to make a substantial gain!

However, since it was others who had brought him along, he couldn’t go too deep; it would seem as though he was stealing their targets.

So, he could only focus on the perimeter.

“A dark night, perfect for killing.”

A small smile played on Luo Mu’s lips.

His right hand rested on the hilt of the long blade at his waist.

Not long after Luo Mu left, a figure in a white robe appeared on the branch of a tree not far behind him.

The figure stood with hands clasped behind his back, his face bearing the look of a middle-aged man.

On his robe, two characters could be seen: Changle.

“Enemy attack!”

Soon after, the originally dim valley was ablaze with more lights.

Even though it was a small stronghold, it was well-defended.

Thus, Cheng Qingman and the others were quickly discovered upon entering.

However, the trio, with their superior skills, remained calm.

They launched their attack without hesitation.

As disciples of the inner sanctum, their strength was overwhelming, and the Demon Sect forces were quickly routed.

Swish! Swish! Swish!

The gleam of blades flashed repeatedly.

Six or seven Demon Sect martial artists of the Body Tempering Realm fell to the ground, their heads severed, blood gushing from their necks.

Luo Mu, of course, didn’t waste any time either.

He began his assault on the perimeter.

Ding!

“You’ve used the Deathless Blade Scripture to kill six living beings in an exhilarating battle, triggering a critical strike and earning ten times the rewards!”

The system’s voice echoed in Luo Mu’s mind.

He raised an eyebrow and slowly wiped the blood from his blade.

He couldn’t help but wonder—was it just his imagination, or did this tenfold reward feel even greater than the twentyfold rewards he had earned in the academy’s back mountain?

Could it be that the base rewards for killing people were higher than for killing monsters?

“Let’s find out!”

Luo Mu’s eyes deepened.

If killing people indeed gave more rewards, perhaps tonight he could fully master the blade technique!

No—perfect it!