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

Chapter 77 First Battle Against the Heavenly Demon Cult

An hour later, the vehicle stopped outside the town.

By this time, it was already pitch black, and the town had fallen asleep, appearing unusually quiet. Ji Ming and his group got out of the car and waited for the situation to unfold.

Director Xu didn't speak again, and the woman began to give instructions, "Xiao Wen, prepare the sealing formation, and don't let them harm the people."

"Understood!" A gaunt man nodded.

"Ah Feng, you mentor the new guy; he's in your team."

Wang Li quickly made arrangements, and Ji Ming remained silent, following orders.

"Now, five people per team, enter the town!"

Not long after, Ji Ming, wearing headphones, arrived at the manor in a corner of the town with his teammates. They split into three teams, each surrounding the manor from a corner of the town.

"The Zhao family, a prominent family in the town, lives here. This family rose to prominence twenty years ago and produced several skilled spirit plant masters who provided raw materials to many pharmaceutical companies in the city. Later, they moved to this small town to focus on farming, but at some point they joined the Heavenly Demon Sect, and this place became one of the sect's strongholds."

Director Xu's explanation came through the earpiece.

Ji Ming looked at the manor, which was built in a very grand manner. Apart from the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, it was probably no less impressive than the mansions of some powerful figures. The Zhao family, on the other hand, had at most one or two second-level spirit plant masters. They would not have such a status in the city.

"These bastards really know how to enjoy themselves!" someone cursed in the mobile channel.

"Shut up!" Wang Li snapped.

"Ah Feng, sense what's going on inside!"

Ji Ming looked at his captain in surprise, only to see that the captain had closed his eyes and pressed himself to the ground to begin the examination. In his sense, the captain should be a martial artist like himself. He did not expect him to have such skills.

"Hey, the captain has an intermediate-level talent: super-distance perception, and he has developed it to its limit. No living being within a five-mile radius can escape his senses, and he can even analyze their strength," a middle-aged team member with a rough face laughed.

Ji Ming understood that the second group was not lacking in mages and cultivators. Whether it was the former's perception magic or the latter's divine sense perception, they were definitely stronger than martial artists, but they could never compare to talents who specialized in these areas.

Of course, Director Xu is an exception, but if Director Xu uses sensing magic, the people inside might be able to detect it. However, this is not a problem with talent, unless the other party's cultivation level is much higher. Otherwise, sensing talents are very secretive.

The main reason for Director Xu's presence is to prevent any accidents. He will not intervene if the opponent's strength does not exceed expectations.

"It's ready!"

Ah Feng suddenly opened his eyes and reported to the leader: "Xu's information is correct. There are a total of eight second-tier Heavenly Demon Disciples, three mid-stage, five early-stage, and about twenty first-tier Demon Disciples. Their specific professions cannot be determined."

"Good! Well done!"

Wang Li's voice of praise came through the headphones.

Meanwhile, Ji Ming saw his other three teammates breathe a sigh of relief; the actual situation matched the intelligence, which was the best possible outcome.

However, everyone remained tense. Although they were much stronger than their opponents, battle is unpredictable, and one careless move could result in injury or even death. They could not afford to be careless.

Ji Ming has calmed down now. Although he really wants to test the alignment values, he knows that this must be done under the premise of ensuring his own safety.

This isn't a friendly sparring match anymore!

Taking a deep breath, Ji Ming heard Wang Li's order through his earpiece: "Now, three teams, follow me inside. Stay alert and give warnings immediately!"

Ji Ming pressed his earpiece and followed his teammates fully armed.

Normally, a few people would be left outside, but with Director Xu in charge today, that's unnecessary.

In the center of the manor, a stone pool stands, its surface a deep crimson, with bubbling blood-red water inside, as if the entire pool had been boiled.

A gaunt old man sat cross-legged in the center of the blood pool. Black lines ran across his withered skin, and with each breath, he absorbed wisps of blood energy, gradually making his body fuller.

"Lord Captain!"

A man with a plump appearance, resembling an ancient wealthy man, walked to the edge of the stone pool and knelt down.

The old man opened his eyes. "How are the preparations going? I need more blood offerings!"

The wealthy landowner said with difficulty, "Reporting to the captain, the patrol officers outside are keeping a close watch, and the brothers can't find a chance to make a move."

"Then let's look in other counties and other towns!"

The old man said angrily, "How could they possibly lay a complete net over such a large city as Shirakawa?"

"Can----"

The portly man paused for a moment, then said, "Making moves so frequently might expose my identity."

"It's alright," the old man said calmly. "I've received word that the Holy Church has decided to abandon its plans around Baichuan City. Once I recover, I'll take you with me."

"What? Give up everything?" the wealthy man exclaimed, his eyes filled with disbelief.

"Of course we have to give up, after all—"

Fear flashed in the old man's eyes. "That person is far too powerful!"

Shirakawa City isn't a particularly important place, so the sect wouldn't send a fifth-tier or higher expert there. Naturally, they could only avoid it.

Fifth rank!

There's such a terrifyingly powerful person in Shirakawa City!

Even though a long time has passed, the old man could hardly breathe when he recalled that night. If he hadn't run fast, he would have surely died in the city!

With just one glance, he witnessed that invincible martial will, and he was directly knocked down from the third rank to the early stage of the second rank. He only recently recovered to the middle stage of the second rank.

terrible!

This is not a temporary drop in cultivation level after an injury, but a real drop in cultivation level that must be recovered. Of course, there is no bottleneck during this period, as their demonic cultivation techniques are quick to master, and consuming more blood food will be enough.

The wealthy man also held his breath. Although he did not participate in the operation that night, he later learned about the situation and was now terrified. If he could leave Shirakawa City, that would be the best outcome. He would rather give up the business he had accumulated over twenty years!

"Find enough blood and food as soon as possible. Once I recover to the third rank, I will be confident that I can break through the blockade of the three cities of Cold Moon," the old man urged.

"Yes! I understand!"

The wealthy-looking man bowed and said, just as he was about to leave, the old man suddenly stood up from the blood pool, exclaiming, "Oh no!"

"Idiot! You've been exposed!"

hum!

The moment he spoke, a sword's cry rang out in the night sky, and a magical sword as clear as autumn water slashed directly at the old man.

boom!

At the same time, a huge fireball crashed into the center of the manor, and the scorching heat wave leveled the artificial hills and flowers inside the manor.

"What happened?"

"Oh no! The Patrol Division is here!"

The violent fluctuations startled the rest of the Heavenly Demon Cult members, who immediately panicked.

"Shut up!"

The old man emerged from the sea of ​​fire, kicked the spirit sword away, and roared, "What's the panic? I'm here!"

"Come charge out with me!"

There's no way to fight them; the patrol bureau must have come prepared.

The old man forcibly formed hand seals and used a secret technique, and his aura gradually increased until he broke through to the late stage of the second tier. However, he turned into a dried-up corpse, and all his recovery efforts were in vain.

Unfortunately, he will be able to recover to the third tier in a while, and since there are no fourth-tier members in the Patrol Division, he doesn't need to be too afraid.

The old man led the other seven second-tier demon disciples straight into the sky, while the remaining first-tier demon disciples were naturally doomed.

"Trying to leave?"

With a shout from Wang Li, Ji Ming and his group quickly surrounded her.

The old man ignored them, but when he reached the edge of the manor, a layer of shimmering golden light blocked them from view.

"Damn it! It's a sealing formation!"

"snort!"

Wang Li rode her sword soaring into the sky, unleashing a massive mountain-shaped magical artifact.

boom-!

The old man unfurled a curtain to block them out, his eyes gleaming with a fierce light. "Since that's how it is, I'll fight you to the death!"

They had no intention of laying down their weapons and surrendering. In other countries, they might have been sent to the front lines to save their lives, but in Daxia, being captured meant certain death!

"kill!"

Wang Li faced off against the old man, while Ji Ming's team surrounded three early-stage second-tier Heavenly Demon Cult members.

"die!"

One of the middle-aged men, his face covered in stubble, gleamed with a fierce light in his eyes and swung his knife at Ji Ming. But upon seeing Ji Ming's youthful face, he was secretly pleased and sneered, "Where did this little brat come from?"

Even so, he did not let his guard down, and at the same time, his eyes kept darting around, thinking about where to escape to after opening this gap.

"Be careful!"

Captain A-Feng hurriedly shouted a reminder, but Ji Ming seemed to be stunned and stood still.

"Ha ha!"

The excitement in the big man's eyes grew even stronger.

Ji Ming drew his sword, his inner energy surging and turbulent. He unleashed the full power of the Stellar Transformation technique, and a startling sharpness appeared on the blade.

Sizzle—!

Ji Ming swung his sword, the blade slicing through the air with a hissing sound, and moonlight shone on the blade, solidifying into a tangible form.

Go all out!

He held nothing back, and this strike brought his spirit and energy to their peak!

"Well----"

The burly man's eyes widened, and an aura of death enveloped him. Before the blade even touched him, a thin line was already cut into his skin, and trickles of blood flowed out.

"How is that possible?"

boom!

Even after the head fell to the ground, the burly man's eyes still held a lingering sense of horror. His body collapsed to the ground a few seconds later, and bright red blood gushed out like a fountain.

Ji Ming took a deep breath, gripped the knife handle tightly, and tried to remain calm as he inhaled the smell of blood.

"Good lad!"

Captain A-Feng rushed over and exclaimed, "Decisive and efficient, with formidable strength. It seems that the young master who came here to gain experience is no ordinary person!"

He glanced at Ji Ming, and seeing his dazed state, he didn't scold him. Everyone has a first time.

But he was wrong. A message was flashing in Ji Ming's eyes:

[Slayed one early-stage Tier 2 enemy, faction value +0.5]

really!

Ji Ming snapped back to his senses, his eyes burning with fervor as he looked at the Heavenly Demon Cult members in the arena.

"Don't rush, take a rest first!" Ah Feng patted Ji Ming on the shoulder to comfort him. Back when he killed someone for the first time, it took him a long time to recover. In his opinion, Ji Ming's performance was already quite good.

"kill!"

Ji Ming raised his knife, gave it a slight shake, and the remaining blood gushed down. He then charged directly at another member of the Heavenly Demon Cult.

As for the corpses he had killed on the ground, he didn't even glance at them. They were too weak. At the second level, first stage, what kind of genius could they be if they joined the Heavenly Demon Sect? It was normal that they couldn't even withstand one of his strikes.

A life-or-death battle is different from a regular sparring match. It involves going all out and should end quickly. There's no time for testing each other.

"what?"

Ah Feng scratched his head. "Is this kid really that adaptable?"

The encirclement was as expected from the start. They far surpassed the Heavenly Demon Sect in both numbers and strength. Ji Ming acted swiftly, but in the end he only managed to get two kills. One of them was a mid-stage second-tier cultivator, equal to Gu Yi, but far weaker.

In the end, only the old man who had forcibly recovered to the late stage of the second tier was still struggling. After resting for a while, they went to provide support.

Ji Ming was still dressed in white, imbued with source energy, spotless, his sword and man unchanged!

His teammates looked at him with a sense of awe, not only for his strength, but also because he was so ruthless, not at all like someone who was experiencing such a life-or-death battle for the first time.

But based on their experience, everyone was quite certain that this was Ji Ming's first time having such an experience, which was truly remarkable!

Ji Ming ignored the strange looks; he had no time to think about such things. His eyes were full of joy—one point of faction value for mid-stage second tier!

What about the later stages of the second tier?

His gaze instantly fell on the old man, like a hungry wolf finally spotting delicious food.

Before he could rush forward, the old man saw himself surrounded, despair flashed in his eyes, then turned to resentment, "You forced me into this!"

"Ah! Heavenly Demon Technique!"

The old man was enveloped in black energy, his body was as thin as a skeleton, blood was flowing from his ears and nose, and he looked like he was about to die, but his aura suddenly increased significantly.

He was, after all, a third-tier demonic warrior who had undergone the baptism of the Heavenly Demon. His methods were incomparable to those of a second-tier warrior. When demonic warriors fight desperately, everyone has to temporarily avoid their sharp edge.

"Oh no! Tier 3?!"

Wang Li was startled, and the patrol officers retreated in fear. Ji Ming, disregarding the need to secure a kill, activated his Tai Xu Escape technique to its maximum.

There were too many third-tier experts like them; Ji Ming estimated that his Star King Body probably couldn't even withstand a single blow.

"Go to hell!"

The old man was filled with malice. Having unleashed the "Heavenly Demon Technique," he had no way out and would surely take several more with him before he died.

He instantly locked his gaze on Ji Ming; he had witnessed the kid's performance firsthand. "A genius? I'm the one who kills geniuses!"

boom-!

The old man transformed into a streak of black flame and crashed towards Ji Ming like a meteor. Ji Ming's face turned pale, and he hurriedly retreated, but he was not panicked.

"Hmph! A crippled body, yet you dare to be so arrogant?!"

Director Xu's voice rang out from outside the manor. An earthen shield rose in front of Ji Ming. The old man's fiery meteor struck it but only swayed slightly, a few bits of earth fell off, and it remained standing.

"Third tier?"

The old man was filled with despair, but at that moment a dark thundercloud had formed above the manor, and a silver-white lightning bolt as thick as a bucket struck him instantly.

"what!"

The old man let out a scream as his entire body was charred and black smoke billowed from his mouth as he collapsed to the ground, but he still clung to life.

Ji Ming was not far from him. His eyes lit up and with a flash of his blade, he beheaded him.

[Slayed one early-stage Tier 3 (crippled), faction value +1]

What?

Ji Ming was taken aback. It seemed that the acquisition of faction points was based on contribution. His finishing move was not recognized. Otherwise, a half-crippled third-tier Heavenly Demon Cult member would definitely have more than a few faction points.

The mid-stage second-tier enemy he just killed relied almost entirely on his own efforts, which is why he obtained all the faction points.

But at least it's something, better than nothing.

Ji Ming cheered up again. He already had three faction points, and it looked like he wasn't far from one hundred!

Suddenly, the earthen shield in front of him disintegrated, and Director Xu stepped in, his eyes filled with complex emotions. "You—have a grudge against the Heavenly Demon Sect?"

That shouldn't be the case. Judging from the information he got, this kid has basically never cooperated with the Heavenly Demon Sect. Why is he acting like he's encountered his father's killer, even going so far as to finish off someone who's about to die?

Ji Ming's expression turned serious. "I am irreconcilably opposed to traitors!"

"good!"

Wang Li walked over and exclaimed, "These traitors deserve to die! They're more hateful than the foreign tribes!"

"Good riddance! They should all have been chopped into mincemeat!"

"Ahem! Wang Li!"

Director Xu coughed helplessly, "Don't corrupt the children. Being too bloodthirsty is not good!"

"What? Xu Kaiming, are you questioning whether what I said is right?" Wang Li roared in anger.

"No! Fine, whatever you want!" Director Xu's face trembled.

Ji Ming's eyes darted back and forth between the two of them; there was more to this than met the eye!

"Let's go, mission accomplished!"

Director Xu waved his hand, "The merit points for this will be credited to your account tomorrow. By the way, you probably don't have a merit card yet, right? Go back and ask Old Wang from logistics to get one."

"This time you killed two early-stage Tier 2 enemies and one late-stage Tier 2 enemy, for a total of 5 merit points. But this was a team operation, so what you'll get is—well, including that old Tier 3 guy, I'll still give you 5 merit points!"

Ji Ming shook his head. "It's what it is!"

The third-tier Heavenly Demon Cult member he killed had nothing to do with him. He was already a little embarrassed to have stolen the kill, so how could he take the merit points as well?

"Take it!"

Director Xu laughed, "A third-tier rank is worth twenty merit points! This wasn't originally just Wang Li and my achievement; everyone gets a share. Besides, these merit points earned from killing enemies count towards your accumulated merit points, which can increase your authority. It will be very important when you go to university!"

Upon hearing his words, everyone, including Wang Li, looked at Ji Ming in surprise. Although he looked very young, no one expected that he was still a high school student.

The qualifications for a sacred site, or even a star palace!

This was the thought that popped into their minds, and their expressions immediately became enthusiastic.

"Yes, that's right! Everyone needs a share, so you can keep it!"

Seeing everyone nod in agreement, Ji Ming took a deep breath and didn't refuse any longer, "Then thank you very much!"

"You're welcome, you deserve it!"

Director Xu smiled, then became serious again. "Don't be fooled by how easy this time seems. Searching for the Heavenly Demon Sect is a life-or-death struggle. You don't know what kind of ruthless methods they have. Sometimes, you might even run into a fourth-tier Heavenly Demon Envoy! If that happens, it's a total annihilation!"

"I understand." Ji Ming nodded seriously, then asked, "When is the next operation?"

Director Xu couldn't help but roll his eyes. Did you even take what I said to heart?

Ji Ming was also helpless. He had to activate the fourth characteristic. Searching for the Heavenly Demon Cult members in the rear was a hundred times safer than risking his life on the front line, right?

"What's the rush?"

Director Xu rubbed his temples. "Do you think the Heavenly Demon Sect is like cabbage in a field, something you can harvest again and again? They get scared too!"

"As far as I know, many of the Heavenly Demon Cult's strongholds have already secretly withdrawn from the vicinity of Shirakawa City, and such operations will only become less and less frequent."

""

Ji Ming was somewhat disappointed, but the Heavenly Demon Sect's withdrawal was a good thing, so he couldn't say anything.

"Just wait! The next operation could take three to five days, or even half a month!" Director Xu said irritably.

"Get on the bus! Let's go home!"

"Alas!"

The patrol officers cheered. Seeing this, Ji Ming seemed to understand. Indeed, he couldn't impose his own goals on this team. For them, members of the Heavenly Demon Cult of the same rank were not so easy to deal with; a single careless move could easily cost them their lives!

As for faction value—we'll figure out a solution later!

After they left, a corner of the manor sky seemed to float away, revealing a robe fluttering in the air.