Great Wilderness Demon Lord

The wooden spear pierced Zhou Meng's shoulder blade with tremendous force, the sound of bones shattering clearly audible. Zhou Meng let out a miserable howl, staggered to the ground, and curled up, clutching his shoulder.

"You flatter me." Xiao Yunlan's breathing was slightly rapid as he suppressed the strange agitation in his heart caused by injuring someone. Fighting against such a skilled martial artist was helpful in controlling his sudden fighting instincts, but it also directly aroused his demonic desires.

Within his body, the Courageous Demon felt a sense of satisfaction from the battle just now, but in contrast, the Killing Demon's "hunger" not only did not ease, but became even more intense and restless due to the bloodshed and broken bones.

That urge to destroy, to end life, was stirring deep within my heart.

What's more troublesome is that the other two demonic thoughts were also "awakened" by this actual battle.

The cold logic of the strategist began to automatically deduce the opponent's tactics and weaknesses in his mind; while the cunning demon exuded a sinister aura full of doubts, making him involuntarily suspect whether the opponent had a backup plan or whether the onlookers had other intentions.

Several demonic thoughts were active at the same time, and various contradictory emotions, impulses, and suspicions intertwined and collided in his mind, making his thoughts somewhat chaotic and causing a dull ache in his temples.

He forcibly activated the calming and tranquilizing method of the "Nourishing Qi Technique," but the effect was minimal.

"Next." He regulated his breathing, his gaze sweeping across the sidelines, trying to remain calm.

This time, an old soldier from the private army stepped forward.

This man was in his forties, with a dark complexion and a taciturn demeanor. He also used a training wooden gun, but his grip on the gun was as steady as a mountain, subtly conveying the discipline and solemnity of military marksmanship.

The feeling was completely different when they fought each other.

This old soldier's spear technique was not as refined as Zhou Meng's, but it was powerful and heavy, methodical, and his offense and defense were tight. He paid more attention to teamwork and momentum.

When faced with this solid and methodical military formation spear technique, Xiao Yunlan's "unorthodox" spear technique, although he could still see the flaws with his extraordinary combat intuition, began to show his lack of physical strength, endurance and understanding of the basics of spear technique, making it quite difficult for him to fight.

After more than twenty exchanges, Xiao Yunlan found an opportunity and swept his spear shaft along the ground.

The old soldier raised his foot to dodge, but because his steps were not as quick as Xiao Yunlan's, which was slightly adjusted by the instinct of the Courageous Demon, he was a fraction of a second slower and was hit on the ankle, causing his body to sway.

"Good!" Xiao Yunlan voluntarily put away his gun and did not pursue. "Veteran, your gun is steady. I've learned a lot."

The old soldier steadied himself, his gaze towards Xiao Yunlan less distant and more approving, and silently clasped his hands in a fist salute as he withdrew.

Then, two more guards and a private soldier came on stage.

Xiao Yunlan fought with increasing ferocity, his stamina rapidly depleting, his clothes soaked with sweat, and a burning pain shooting through the web of his hand gripping the gun, but his spirit remained exceptionally high.

The resonance between the brave and the demon grew stronger and stronger, and a kind of fervent emotion, a desire for victory and conquest, flowed through his blood. His understanding of battle also rapidly settled and merged in one actual battle after another.

Accompanying him are the chaotic whispers of other demonic thoughts, some active and some hungry, which he must distract himself and try his best to suppress in order to maintain his clarity.

While engaged in a fierce battle with his fifth opponent, an agile guard wielding dual swords, Xiao Yunlan once again thrust his spear forward.

At that very instant, deep within his dantian, the incomplete rune pattern concerning the "Qi and Blood Resonance Technique" in the fragment of the "Secret Essentials of Military Strategy" suddenly lit up without warning, becoming incredibly clear!

With a sudden inspiration, Xiao Yunlan subtly guided the faint spiritual energy in his meridians away from the peaceful trajectory of the "Nourishing Qi Technique" and instead began to circulate along a more condensed and violent path indicated by the runes!

"laugh--"

The tip of the ash wood spear in his hand suddenly emitted a faint, crimson glow, as pale as dawn and as thin as a cicada's wing! Though it lasted only a moment, it was clearly visible!

Gun out!

Seeing the unusual momentum of this shot, the guard on the opposite side dared not be careless, and crossed his two swords to block it with all his might.

"Snap!"

With a sickeningly sharp crack, the sturdy wooden sword in the guard's hand snapped in two! The crimson spear tip, still sharp, gently touched the leather armor on his chest, leaving a clear, circular scorch mark!

The entire room fell silent.

All eyes were fixed on the ordinary training wooden gun in Xiao Yunlan's hand.

Instructor Chen rushed forward, first examining the broken wooden sword and the scorch mark on the guard's chest, then staring intently at Xiao Yunlan, his voice dry and filled with disbelief and excitement: "Battle...Battle Qi?! Second Young Master, you...you've condensed Battle Qi?!"

"Battle Qi?" Xiao Yunlan gasped slightly, looking at the spear tip that had returned to normal, his heart also trembling.

"Ancient military strategists and generals used secret methods to condense military spirit, blood energy, and their own will into a special spiritual energy, which is called battle energy." Instructor Chen took a deep breath, his eyes complex and unfathomable. "It can enhance weapons, making them incomparably sharp; it can infuse armor, making it indestructible; and it can even draw upon the energy of military formations, making it infinitely powerful..."

But this method has long since declined along with military strategists, and hasn't appeared in the world for many years. Second Young Master, where did you come from…?”

Xiao Yunlan shook his head, offering no explanation. He himself had only stumbled upon it by chance.

But he could clearly sense that the will of the valiant demon Huo Biaoyao within him had reached a euphoric peak due to this first successful activation of "Battle Qi," and that crimson light was leaping and surging with joy.

However, almost simultaneously, another cold, lifeless, and destructive dark red will suddenly boiled over!

The killing demon's "hunger," like an ice dam bursting, instantly swept over his consciousness.

The raw, unbridled desire for blood and the withering of life is stronger and more difficult to contain than ever before!

Meanwhile, the strategist continued his cold deductions, the cunning demon's suspicions deepened, and other demonic thoughts began to stir... All sorts of contradictory impulses and emotions overwhelmed his reason like a tide, causing his vision to go slightly black.

He looked up at the people in the training ground.

At this moment, the soaring fighting spirit of the Courageous Demon and the chilling thirst of the Slaughter Demon intertwined eerily.

In his "eyes," those vivid human figures seemed to lose their color and emotion, turning into moving objects with clearly marked "vulnerability points"—throat, heart, temple... Where to shoot the fastest, where to use the least force, almost instinctively surfaced in his mind.

Cold sweat instantly soaked through my back.

We must leave here immediately.

"That's all for today. Thank you, Instructor Chen, and thank you all." Xiao Yunlan forced down his turbulent emotions, handed the wooden spear back to Instructor Chen, and tried his best to keep his voice calm. He gave Tieshan a wink, then turned and walked out of the training ground, his pace much faster than when he arrived.

Tieshan remained silent, following closely behind, his imposing figure intentionally or unintentionally blocking some of the possible gazes directed at him.

The journey back to Tingzhu Pavilion from the training ground was not long, but Xiao Yunlan found it exceptionally difficult.

The killing demon's hunger did not lessen when it left the crowd; on the contrary, it became even more agitated because it had no outlet for its thirst.

When he sees a sparrow hopping on a branch, his fingers unconsciously twitch; when he glimpses a koi swimming in a pond, a cold thought flashes through his mind. These violent impulses, like maggots clinging to his bones, constantly tear at his reason.

He knew this situation was extremely dangerous. Xuan Chengzi's warning still echoed in his ears: "When you use your strength, you must maintain balance."

The Courageous Demon has already "fed" its fill of battle intent and the joy of its newly formed battle aura. If it is not "fed" the Slaughter Demon, the consequences of imbalance will be unimaginable.

But within the Xiao residence, within the capital city, he couldn't just take lives without cause in order to balance out the demon.

We must come up with a feasible solution as soon as possible.

He knew that the brief period of peace had ended with this actual combat confrontation.

The road ahead may be fraught with unpredictable dangers at every step, and the eight "demonic thoughts" within the body are both a power that can be relied upon and an abyss that must be guarded against at all times.

He must find a way to get along with these "tenants" as soon as possible—before they completely take over.