In the game "High Martial Arts," players start with the blessing of the Martial God.

Chapter 104 Crimson Flame Demon

"Awoo!"

The gray wolf roared, a flash of anger in its eyes.

The other gray wolves whimpered and slowly retreated, their eyes filled with hatred as they stared at Ji Ming.

"Bang!"

The wolf king leaped directly down the hillside, his tall body moving with surprising lightness, without kicking up a speck of dust.

Ji Ming gripped his knife tightly, his aura rising. This level 24 wolf king was perfect for testing his true combat strength.

"boom!"

Without waiting, Ji Ming took the initiative, stomping his toes heavily on the ground, causing the soil to explode instantly. With the powerful reaction force, he had already reached the wolf king's side!

"Aww~"

The wolf king howled in alarm and anger, its body spinning with incredible agility as it lashed out at Ji Ming with its massive, mountain-like claws.

"clang!"

Ji Ming blocked with his sword, and the clash between the wolf's claws and the longsword produced a metallic clang. A tremendous force struck, and his body slid backward a great distance. The wolf king lost its balance and was also thrown to the ground.

"Sizzle!"

The moment the wolf lord steadied itself, its claws were enveloped in azure light, and a powerful wave of energy surged forth, unleashing several azure wind blades several meters long.

"Good heavens!"

Ji Ming was shocked. This wolf king actually had a bloodline talent? Had it mutated?

In the myriad worlds, bloodline talent is a symbol of a powerful race. How could a mere gray wolf possibly possess it?

"Good timing!"

Ji Ming's face lit up with joy. He took a deep breath and activated the Star King Body to its fullest extent. His majestic aura emerged, and the phantom of stars spun in his pupils. His body burst forth with the radiance of a king!

Stellar Transformation! The Wise King Descends!

"boom!"

He raised his sword and slashed out in succession, instantly shattering the several rapidly approaching cyan wind blades. Instead of retreating, he advanced, a dark intent bursting from his eyes, and an astonishing sharpness appeared on his long sword.

"Ugh!"

Upon seeing this, the wolf king took a few steps back, fear appearing in his eyes. His trick, which had always worked and even killed several great enemies, was now ineffective against these two-legged beasts.

Wolves are naturally bullies who prey on the weak and fear the strong. When the wolf king senses that the prey in front of him is not easy to deal with, he turns around and tries to run away.

"Sizzle!"

But it was too late!

Ji Ming's figure appeared in front of him, his long sword slashing horizontally. The wolf king raised his paw to block, but a dark blade light appeared with a tremor, and his hard and sharp paws were cut in half. The blade continued its momentum, and as their bodies intersected, a huge wolf head fell from the smooth cut on his neck.

"Bang!"

The wolf's head slammed to the ground with a dull thud, and its massive body, like a small building, collapsed, blood gushing out like a fountain, instantly soaking the ground.

"Awoo!"

Seeing their leader dead, the remaining wolves were filled with fear and scattered in all directions.

Ji Ming quickly gave chase and killed about ten more wolves before a few more disappeared from his sight. He shook his head regretfully and had no choice but to return.

As Ji Ming landed before the wolf king, a look of delight appeared in his eyes. He first pulled out a wolf tooth as proof, equivalent to a wolf king at the fourth level of the Divine Realm, worth fifty points. Add to that the wolf pack—

This wave of gains is approximately 600 points!

He touched the wolf corpse with both hands and activated the Blood Coagulation Curse. This wolf king was not weak; it should be comparable to a Star Palace student of the same realm. Moreover, it had awakened its bloodline talent, so it must have mutated and there was a high probability that its essence blood could be extracted.

As for the wolf pack, Ji Ming didn't even need to test them; they definitely didn't have any essence blood.

Soon, about ten seconds later, two drops of gray essence blood condensed in his hand. Ji Ming was overjoyed. This was essence blood from the mid-stage of the third rank, and each drop was worth at least twenty merit points!

Generally speaking, a powerful race in the myriad realms can condense 3-5 drops of essence blood from a single corpse. The higher the realm, the more drops there will be, but it will not exceed ten drops.

The wolf king only managed to condense two drops of essence blood, so it seems he still has some congenital deficiencies.

After carefully storing the essence blood, Ji Ming plucked a wolf tooth from each of the remaining wolf carcasses and put them all into his storage equipment.

It has to be said that the storage equipment given to him by his senior apprentice saved him a lot of trouble, at least he no longer had to frequently travel back and forth to the base.

Going back once a day?

No need!

To gain more points, one must venture deeper into the region, ideally within a thousand miles of the base. In this area, almost all low-level beasts have been wiped out by adventurers; this third-tier wolf king was the first time he had ever encountered one.

After sorting through all his spoils, Ji Ming quickly calmed down, his nerves still on edge, and continued walking away from the base.

In the wild, caution is paramount, because you never know if you might encounter some strange beasts with special talents, and a single sneak attack could cost you your life.

Several hours later, on a cliff, Ji Ming stepped down the rock face until his figure was obscured by the clouds and mist. He then threw several punches at the cliff face, and a cave large enough to accommodate one person quickly formed.

Ji Ming went inside, leaned against the cave wall to catch his breath, took out a Rejuvenation Pill from his storage equipment and swallowed it. At times like this, he had to maintain a good condition.

He had been away from the base for more than ten hours. After crossing the mountain, he would be out of the map's range if he continued forward.

Along the way, he experienced several more battles, but none of them were as good as the gray wolf pack he fought that time. He estimated that he had accumulated about 2000 points in total, but that was not enough.

There are only a limited number of Tier 3 beasts within the map's area, and Tier 2 beasts are too inefficient to encounter unless you run into a group of them, so you still have to move forward.

There are three fourth-tier races, but who the hell dares to go there?

Adventurers who value money over life all kept their distance from those three places, not daring to approach within a hundred miles of them.

Ji Ming looked at the cliff. The area within the map could only be used as a training ground for wilderness experience. So much time had passed, it was about time to leave.

If we want to break into the top ten, we must leave the base and travel at least a thousand miles away!

Of course, he would first cultivate himself before doing so.

Ji Ming took out a mini device, like a power bank, into which he had already filled a seven-day supply of Heavenly Vein Ointment before coming here. Even in the Crimson Dragon Origin Realm, he would continue to cultivate.

[Cultivation Method: Yin Yang Meridian Opening Technique, Level 11 (70%)]

Looking at the progress, it's not far from the complete opening of the first Heavenly Vein. If nothing goes wrong, it should be able to break through on the fifth day of the assessment.

Because he possesses the [God of War's Blessing] talent, his daily progress from cultivation is consistently 7%, which is the maximum improvement achieved by using the Heavenly Vein Ointment once. This is impossible for other martial artists, whose progress fluctuates; today it might be 5%, but tomorrow it could be 2%.

"Start your training!"

Ji Ming took a deep breath; this place should be considered safe.

He placed the power bank device on his vest, turned it on, and the device extended several metal supports to firmly fix it to his back. A thin metal rod oozed golden ointment, which then traveled along his spine to help him quickly absorb the medicine.

Ji Ming closed his eyes and sat cross-legged, simultaneously activating the Jade Purity Ascension Technique and the Yin-Yang Meridian Opening Technique. The last Heavenly Meridian in his spine grew rapidly, almost reaching the same level as the other ten.

One hour later, [Cultivation Method: Yin Yang Meridian Opening Technique, Level 11 (77%)]

Having made a little progress, Ji Ming packed up all his things with satisfaction, walked out of the cave, and leaped onto the cliff.

Just as he was about to continue forward, his brows furrowed suddenly as he saw two bright black lights appear in the dense forest ahead!

alien race!

Having traveled for so long in the Crimson Dragon Origin Realm, Ji Ming had already discovered that the local races would not receive identity card notifications, so the two ahead of him must be alien races from the Myriad Realms Civilization!

"The Crimson Flame Demon?"

Ji Ming murmured to himself, "The Crimson Dragon Realm only connects to the two great worlds of Xuanhuang and the Abyss. The passage to the Abyss civilization is located within the territory of the Crimson Flame Demon Clan."

After thinking for a moment, he didn't overreact. He pretended to be nonchalant and walked towards the dense forest. Judging from the brightness of the light, the two Crimson Flame Demons should be around level 23, on par with him. So there was no need to run away; he could fight them.

Two crimson demons lay prone in a tree in the dense forest. They were about the same size as humans, except that they had fiery red keratinous layers growing on their shoulders, which was the source of their power. Their eyes were dark red, and their teeth were slightly longer.

Upon seeing Ji Mingchao and his group approach, the two Crimson Flame Demons revealed their excitement. Anyone who dared to come here to hunt alien beasts must be a top human genius, and killing them would be a great achievement.

They exchanged a glance, lowered their breathing, and the stratum corneum on their shoulders glowed slightly, becoming as clear and translucent as crystal. A surging, fiery aura rapidly expanded within their bodies, poised to erupt.

"Hmm? What about the humans?"

Suddenly, one of the Crimson Flame Demons paused for a moment. He blinked, and the human boy from before vanished.

"not good!"

Another Crimson Flame Demon suddenly sprang up, his power flowing from his shoulders to his fists, transforming his entire arm into a pillar of flame.

"boom!"

Right above the tree where they stood, a dark figure leaped down like lightning, and a dark blade of light slashed towards them.

"what!"

The quick-reacting Crimson Flame Demon blocked the blade's edge with his arm, but the other demon didn't react in time. The long blade sliced ​​a bloody gash across the demon's chest, revealing his internal organs churning inside.

"boom!"

"retreat!"

The Crimson Demon grabbed its injured companion and retreated rapidly, simultaneously unleashing a fiery shockwave with a punch that shattered the tree instantly, filling the air with the pungent smell of burning wood.

Ji Ming's eyes were cold, and he was naturally unwilling to let them off so easily. He pointed his long sword high, and after a brief moment of charging up, he unleashed his source power. A golden sun slashed out like a meteor and crashed down on them.

"drink!"

Sensing the astonishing fluctuations behind them, the two Crimson Flame Demons dared not flee any longer. They hurriedly stopped and joined forces to defend themselves. The crystalline keratin on their shoulders swirled, and as they clasped their hands together, a ten-meter-high wall of flames appeared before them.

boom!!

A deafening explosion rang out as the blade's edge and the wall of flames clashed and eroded each other, creating a series of circular shockwaves that spread outwards from the center. The surrounding trees were reduced to dust, grass flew everywhere, and a clearing was created.

At the center of the shockwave, a golden-red energy tornado raged wildly, leaving a deep crater in the ground when it dissipated.

pit.

"Ah! You deserve to die!"

Two Crimson Flame Demons knelt in the center of the pit, their bodies covered in knife wounds and blood flowing out continuously. The Crimson Flame Demon, who was already injured, was in even worse condition, with a large part of his upper body sliced ​​off!

"Wow! That's really tough!"

Ji Ming shook his head. If it were a native race from the Origin Realm, that move, "Radiant Sun," would have been enough to shred them into pieces!

Especially his initial sneak attack—the Crimson Flame Demon, caught off guard, actually withstood it with his bare body; the other races would have been instantly cleaved in two.

"Crimson Flame Demon—"

This is not the strongest race of the Abyss Civilization; the Destruction Demons are. It is said that the Destruction Demons are truly capable of directly clashing with the Heavenly Demons of the same level.

"Human genius, prepare to face the wrath of Chirba!" The Crimson Flame Demon, in excellent condition, stood up angrily and roared in the universal language of all worlds.

The universal language was a required course, so Ji Ming naturally understood it. He chuckled and waved to the Crimson Flame Demon.

"what!"

The excruciating pain clouded his reason. The Crimson Flame Demon raised his hand, and the crystalline keratin on his shoulders flew out, merged, and finally transformed into a giant hammer. With a gentle swing, the air seemed to vibrate.

Ji Ming's expression turned serious. The Crimson Flame Demon Clan had a god overseeing them and an orderly lineage. As one of their archenemies, the human race knew a great deal about them. When they removed their Crimson Crystal Armor, it meant they were about to fight to the death!

"boom!"

The Crimson Flame Demon grew much taller, and with a stomp of its feet, spiderweb-like cracks appeared on the ground. It then swung its giant hammer down at Ji Ming.

Ji Ming raised his sword to block, his body retreating rapidly, crashing through several giant trees, and a heavy feeling settled in his chest.

"Oh!"

Such brute force!

"Thump!"

"Snap!"

The Crimson Flame Demon wielded its giant hammer and kept pounding down on Ji Ming. Ji Ming tried to block and dodge, but he was overwhelmed and could hardly breathe. He looked quite disheveled.

"Hahaha! Human geniuses are nothing special!" The Crimson Flame Demon laughed wildly.

Ji Ming was blasted back again, his grip on the hilt of his sword tightened, and his source energy flowed like a surging river. His gaze turned cold; it was about time.

Besides gaining points and competing for rankings, this trip is also more about training. Since it's the first time encountering the Crimson Flame Demon, it's natural to get familiar with it properly. After all, no matter how much you learn from books, nothing beats a real battle.

This kind of real combat is very beneficial to him. His progress in various martial arts skills is far faster than when he was training on his own at the academy. Moreover, it can also broaden his horizons.

That's why he didn't unleash his full power to defeat him.

But that's about it now; he has a very clear understanding of the Crimson Flame Demon's strength.

"die!"

His thoughts raced, but the Crimson Flame Demon charged again, its giant hammer blasting the vegetation to smithereens with its immense pressure!

Ji Ming's gaze was calm, and starlight shone on him. His indifferent temperament, looking down on mortals, emerged. With one hand, he grabbed and stopped the giant hammer that was about to fall on his head. The air surged and his green robe swayed, but he did not move an inch.

"This—you—"

The Crimson Flame Demon was startled. Before he could react, Ji Ming swung his arm, and his giant hammer flew out of his hand. The force of the outburst twisted his finger bones into chicken claws.

"boom!"

A powerful kick, amplified by gravity, struck him in the chest. Just as he was about to fly backward, a figure appeared behind him and punched him back, sending fragments of his internal organs flying. With a flash of light, a head with sharp fangs fell to the ground.

"call!"

Ji Ming breathed a sigh of relief. After this battle, he had a complete understanding of his own strength. Using all his methods, he should have barely reached the threshold of level 25.

This is thanks to two mastered martial arts techniques. At this level, apart from a few extremely rare geniuses, no one generally possesses such martial arts prowess.

He flashed again, appearing before the heavily wounded Crimson Flame Demon, his longsword pointing coldly, "Speak! How did you find me!"

"Pooh!"

The Crimson Demon raised its head, looking as if it would rather die than submit.

Ji Ming laughed, "Fine, let me see how much you can handle?"

A wisp of dark sword energy appeared between his fingers, seemingly containing the will of a trembling spirit. The Heaven-Shattering Killing Sword Energy possessed the nature of annihilation and was extremely painful. He had wanted to test its effects for a long time.

"Sizzle!"

Ji Ming flicked his finger, and the sword energy shot into the body of the Crimson Flame Demon. Then it moved around like an earthworm. The Crimson Flame Demon was fine at first, but after only half a minute, it started sweating and its expression became dull.

"what!"

Burning, stinging, itching!

It's like having your skin ripped off and hot water poured over your body. The itch comes from the bottom of your heart. It extinguishes your will, wears down your resistance, and over time, it will destroy your willpower!

"Ah! I'll talk! I'll talk—"

The Crimson Flame Demon howled in agony on the ground, and Ji Ming smiled.

A few minutes later, Ji Ming killed him with a single slash, revealing two spherical storage devices in his hand and a mirror with a glaring red dot on it in his other hand.

"The Tracking Mirror —"

This is why the two Crimson Flame Demons were able to find him; the mirror could detect the presence of humans and display it on its surface. Fortunately, the range was not large, only about five miles in radius.

He also received bad news from the Crimson Flame Demon: the Crimson Flame Base had learned that these trainees had come for training and was hunting them down. The tracking mirrors were transported from the Crimson Flame Demon territory. They were in groups of two to five, searching the world for talented trainees.

However, the Crimson Dragon Realm is very large, and even with a mirror, it's not easy to find people. These two guys just happened to run into Ji Ming by chance.

"Crimson Demon Base —"

Ji Ming murmured to himself, "There's no reason why our human base wouldn't have received the news of such a big commotion. So, is this also part of the assessment?"

They really think highly of them!

No wonder the rewards for this assessment were so generous!

Ji Ming looked into the distance, his mind racing, and finally made a decision: "Back to base first!"

A wise man does not stand under a crumbling wall. This tracking mirror is too unsettling. He is not used to the feeling of being watched from behind. If there is no other way, he can let it go, but he has a way to solve it.

He will go back and exchange some weaker race blood essence. After he uses the Myriad Manifestations to load his identity, the human aura on his body will disappear, and the tracking mirror will only show the human aura. At that time, he will not be discovered even if he is within its range.

If you play it right, you might even be able to hunt down the Crimson Demons!

Searching for strange beasts is too much trouble; he still prefers being a fisherman!

Ji Ming placed the two corpses of the Crimson Flame Demon Clan together, activated the Blood Coagulation Curse, and the last six drops of essence blood hovered in his palm, surrounded by flames.

He nodded in satisfaction. Yes, this is the amount that a normal, powerful bloodline should produce.

These six drops of essence blood are only at the early stage of the third tier, but they are more valuable than the essence blood of a gray wolf at the mid-stage of the third tier. Twenty-five merit points should be enough for one drop.

And that's not all the gains we've made!

Four more dark red crystals appeared in Ji Ming's hand, resembling a curved suit of armor. These were the core of power of the Crimson Flame Demon Clan. Most of the materials from the alien beasts were not worth much money, and since his storage space was limited, he could only pick up the most valuable items.

But these four pieces of crimson crystal armor are different; the materials of his entire storage equipment probably don't even compare to these four pieces of crystal armor.

Besides, there should be quite a few things in the storage equipment of the two Crimson Flame Demons, but unfortunately he can't open them and can only deal with them when he gets back to the base.

These are all the results from this trip. It has to be said that there's a reason why many people enjoy adventure. If you can get this kind of result over seven days, it might be even more than the assessment reward.

However, he estimated that he was probably benefiting from the protagonist's halo, as he only encountered enemies he could handle. If the one who discovered him earlier was a mid-stage third-tier Crimson Flame Demon, he would have had to flee in panic.

It's impossible for everyone to have the same kind of success as him; otherwise, adventurers wouldn't be living such a dangerous and dangerous profession.