Martial Dao: I Can Enhance My Talents

Fang Han's gaze swept over Lin Xiao and Yun Qianyue, then toward Li Feng and the others in the distance. After a moment of contemplation, he slowly spoke.

"Today, we've encountered a Cyan Armored Ox Demon and this Tiger Demon—Demons whose strength is beyond what an ordinary Seventh Grade Martial Artist can handle alone. This means the danger posed by the Demons we'll face from now on will increase dramatically."

He paused, then continued.

"From now on, we gather everyone and move as a single group."

Yun Qianyue nodded slightly, having no objections.

Lin Xiao nodded repeatedly. He had personally experienced the Tiger Demon's power and knew Fang Han was not exaggerating.

Fang Han said no more. He took a small Jade Whistle from his robes, brought it to his lips, and blew gently.

SHWEE—!

A sharp, piercing whistle echoed, traveling far through the silent mountain forest.

This was the prearranged signal for the Qingxuan Sect to assemble.

Before long, rustling sounds came from all around.

Li Feng was the first to arrive. Cradling his long blade, his figure moved like lightning, closing the distance in just a few leaps.

His eyes swept over the two halves of the Tiger Demon's corpse on the ground and then to the injuries on Lin Xiao. His brow furrowed slightly, but he didn't say anything, merely nodding at Fang Han.

Immediately after, Shi Hu's burly figure burst out from the woods.

The Ghost Head Saber on his back was still stained with blood, clear evidence he had just fought a Demon.

Seeing the Tiger Demon's corpse, he grinned.

"Senior Brother Fang, did you kill this Tiger Demon? Damn, split in two with one strike!"

Liu Qing arrived soon after. Her dual blades were already sheathed, and though there was a light sheen of sweat on her forehead, her spirits were high.

When she saw the Tiger Demon's corpse, a trace of shock flashed in her eyes. She then looked at Fang Han, her gaze now holding a hint of awe.

With all five assembled, Fang Han's gaze swept over them as he said in a low voice,

"The Demons we've encountered today are already beyond what an ordinary Seventh Grade Martial Artist can handle alone. From this point forward, we'll move together and watch each other's backs."

The five nodded in unison, their expressions solemn.

"Let's go."

Fang Han turned and led the way, with the other five following close behind.

Just as Fang Han had predicted, the Demons they encountered on the path ahead were noticeably stronger.

A Demon resembling a giant lizard, with tough, thick hide, could spit corrosive venom.

Li Feng and Shi Hu joined forces. Li Feng used his fast blade to keep it occupied while Shi Hu met it head-on with his Ghost Head Saber. It took them considerable effort to finally slay it.

A massive wild boar Demon with spear-like tusks charged with unstoppable Momentum.

Yun Qianyue and Lin Xiao coordinated their attack. Yun Qianyue moved with her agile Swordsmanship, while Lin Xiao used his swift Swordsmanship to strike at openings, finally killing it with a sword thrust into its eye socket.

A giant, pure-white Python Demon, as fast as lightning, could exhale an icy breath.

Liu Qing and Shi Hu teamed up. Liu Qing engaged it in close combat with her dual blades while Shi Hu relentlessly attacked its vital point with his Ghost Head Saber, eventually killing it.

Fang Han brought up the rear, only making a move when a team member was in danger.

As evening fell, the setting sun dyed the forest a warm gold.

A few clear bird calls sounded from the distance—the Qingxuan Sect's signal to gather.

"Time to rendezvous."

Fang Han identified the direction and led the five toward the meeting point.

Today's meeting point was in a relatively open valley.

As they stepped into the valley, the sight that greeted them made Fang Han's eyes flash.

Dozens of bonfires blazed within the valley, the leaping flames illuminating the entire area as if it were day.

Dense crowds of figures were gathered around the fires.

There were disciples from the Netherworld Pavilion in black robes, monks from the Vajra Temple in gray kasayas, female disciples from Baihua Valley in multi-colored dresses, disciples from the Lingyun Sword Sect in silver-white sword robes, disciples from the Overlord Blade Sect in bright yellow martial attire, and disciples from Tingyu Building in aquamarine martial attire.

There were also Martial Artists from the County Army clad in various types of armor.

The people of the Seven Sects and the County Army's Martial Artists were all gathered here.

Fang Han's group of six passed through the crowd, heading toward the area where the Qingxuan Sect was camped.

Along the way, gaze after gaze fell upon them.

Some were curious, others appraising.

"Is that Fang Han from the Qingxuan Sect?"

"The one ranked thirty-sixth on the Celestial Pride List?"

"That's him. I heard that back in the Commandery City, he exchanged a blow with Meng Xian of the Netherworld Pavilion and didn't lose any ground at all."

"Meng Xian is seventeenth on the Celestial Pride List. How could he not lose ground?"

"It's absolutely true. I saw it with my own eyes."

The hushed whispers reached their ears from time to time.

Fang Han walked on calmly, striding straight ahead.

Just then, he felt an icy gaze land on him.

The gaze was like a physical blade, carrying unconcealed hostility and a chilling aura.

Fang Han turned his head slightly and looked over.

In the Netherworld Pavilion's area, a figure in a black robe with dark silver patterns stood with his hands clasped behind his back. His face was handsome, but his brow carried a sinister air.

It was Meng Xian.

Their eyes met.

A cold glint flashed through Meng Xian's narrow eyes.

He didn't speak, but the corner of his mouth curved into a faint arc, one that held a touch of coldness and provocation.

Fang Han's expression was placid as he met the other's gaze, also remaining silent.

He simply watched Meng Xian quietly.

After a moment, he retracted his gaze and turned to continue walking.

Behind him, Yun Qianyue and the other four followed closely.

Meng Xian stood his ground, watching Fang Han's departing back, the coldness in his eyes growing more intense.

"Senior Brother Meng, that Fang Han…"

a Netherworld Pavilion disciple beside him whispered.

Meng Xian waved his hand, cutting him off.

"No rush,"

he said faintly, his voice deep.

"The Cloud Mist Mountain Range is vast. There will be plenty of opportunities."

…

The Qingxuan Sect was camped on the eastern side of the valley, on a patch of higher ground near the cliff wall.

The tents of Chen Wanjun and the five Elders were pitched in the very center, surrounded by the tents of the various teams, which spread out in a fan shape.

Fang Han's group of six collected their tents and quickly set up camp.

A bonfire was lit, and Shi Hu, having hunted a wild boar from who knows where, skinned and cleaned it before setting it to roast over the fire.

The rich aroma of roasting meat wafted through the air, causing members of several other Qingxuan Sect teams to look over.

As night deepened, the clamor in the valley gradually subsided.

Aside from the disciples on night watch, most had already retired to their tents to rest.

A Qingxuan Sect disciple hurried over and bowed.

"Senior Brother Fang, Vice Hall Master Chen requests your presence."

Fang Han nodded slightly and rose, walking toward Chen Wanjun's tent.

Inside the tent, more than twenty team leaders had already gathered. Chen Wanjun sat at the head, his expression grave.

Fang Han took a seat on an empty cattail mat.

Chen Wanjun's gaze swept over the crowd as he slowly began to speak:

"How did each team fare in the Demon Hunting today? Were there any casualties?"

The leaders spoke one after another, reporting their gains and losses for the day.

Overall, although some disciples were injured, there were no deaths, which was a good result.

After listening to the reports, Chen Wanjun nodded, his expression then turning serious.

"The Demons you encountered today were clearly much stronger. If we continue deeper, the ordinary disciples will not be able to cope."

He paused, then continued,

"After discussion, the Seven Sects have decided that for the subsequent Demon Hunting operations, the ordinary disciples will no longer venture deeper. They will remain behind to handle logistics, such as transporting Demon Corpses and setting up camp."

At these words, the team leaders exchanged glances, none of them surprised.

The Demons they encountered today had already pushed many ordinary disciples to their limits. Venturing deeper would likely result in casualties.

Chen Wanjun continued,

"Starting tomorrow, the main force for the Demon Hunting will be you, the leaders of the Seven Sects, and the Middle Third-Grade Martial Artists from the County Army."

His gaze swept across the crowd, his voice low.

"You will spread out and venture deep into the Cloud Mist Mountain Range individually to search for and hunt Demons. Maintain a certain distance from one another, enough to provide support if needed, but not so close that you interfere with each other's hunting efficiency."

"If you encounter danger, immediately fire a Signal Flare for help."

"Yes."

The twenty or so people responded in unison.

Chen Wanjun added a few more instructions, then waved his hand to dismiss them.

Fang Han returned to his tent and sat down cross-legged.

'Starting tomorrow, I'll be on my own. That's exactly what I wanted.'

'When I was moving with Yun Qianyue and the others, it was inconvenient to convert the Demon Corpses into funds for the system panel.'

'Now that I'll be alone, I can use the Demon Corpses to increase my system's wealth and accumulate the funds needed to unlock higher levels of Talent Amplification.'

'I hope these Demon Corpses are valuable.'

He closed his eyes, circulated the Profound Wind Technique, and began to meditate and cultivate.

…

The next day, at the crack of dawn.

Fang Han, the other team leaders from the Seven Sects, and the Middle Third-Grade Martial Artists from the army began preparing to head deeper into the Cloud Mist Mountain Range.

Fang Han slung the Cloud Splitting Sword onto his back, double-checked the Elixirs and Signal Flares he carried, and once he confirmed everything was in order, he prepared to set out.

"Senior Brother Fang."

Yun Qianyue's cool voice came from behind him.

Fang Han turned to see his five teammates standing a short distance away.

Yun Qianyue's bright eyes, visible above her purple veil, watched Fang Han with a hint of concern.

"Be careful,"

she said softly.

Fang Han nodded slightly:

"You too."

"Understood,"

Li Feng said, clasping his fist.

Fang Han said no more. He turned, and his figure soon vanished into the mist-shrouded morning forest.

…

As he ventured deeper into the Cloud Mist Mountain Range, the terrain grew steeper and the forest denser.

Fang Han moved through it all, employing the Wind and Cloud Escape. His body was like a wisp of intangible smoke, weaving nimbly between ancient trees and jagged rocks, landing without a sound.

HUMMM—

He pushed his Spirit Smelling Technique to its limit, and all the auras within a radius of several miles appeared in his perception.

He sensed the auras of Demon Beasts, one after another. They were incredibly dense in this area.

'The more powerful the Demon Beast, the more valuable its corpse must be.' Fang Han headed straight for the strongest Demon Beast aura.

The aura was cold and tinged with savagery, exuding a faint, oppressive pressure unlike that of any ordinary Demon.

After passing through a dense thicket of trees, a relatively open, rock-strewn slope appeared ahead.

In the center of the slope, a massive Demon was sprawled across a huge, dark green rock, seemingly dozing.

The Demon resembled a giant wolf magnified several times over, but its fur wasn't the typical gray-black of a common wolf. Instead, it was a strange, dark silver that glinted with a metallic luster under the mottled sunlight filtering through the canopy.

It was even larger than the Tiger Demon from yesterday, standing five feet tall at the shoulder and measuring about forty feet from head to tail. Lying there, it looked like a small hill.

The most eye-catching feature was its back—from its neck to the base of its tail grew a row of ghastly white bone spikes. Each spike was about a foot long, like inverted swords, and they gleamed with a cold light in the sun.