My Journey to Immortality Begins with Hunting-Chapter 097 – City Toppler - Part 1

The following day, Li Yuan didn’t return to the demon enclosure. He had already formed all the spiritual connections he could, and his Wilderness Demon Taming skill was already maxed out, so his taming work was effectively complete.

He’d also come to understand why the overall combat power of the demonic beasts fluctuated so widely. They needed specific trigger conditions to unleash their full power. Once a demonic beast was provoked in the right way, its inner demon blood flared up, unleashing its strongest might.

Having reached seventh rank in Wilderness Demon Taming, Li Yuan was keenly aware of the triggers for his demon dogs. They had three—

The first was if their master was in danger. The second was if an enemy with malicious intent invaded their master’s home. The third was if they received a direct command from their master.

While demon dogs weren’t the absolute strongest among demonic beasts, they were extremely loyal. Thanks to his efforts, Li Yuan now commanded three seventh rank ebony marquises, five eighth rank oddstrider hounds, and seven ninth rank blackrock mastiffs—an impressive pack of ferocious canines, to say the least.

˙·٠✧🐗➶➴🏹✧٠·˙

That morning, Li Yuan stood in the courtyard, fingers wrapped around his horse butchering blade.

Yan Yu had planted all kinds of flowers and greenery there; in late spring, the garden brimmed with lush emerald foliage. The previous night’s rain still clung to the leaves, and gusts of wind now sent droplets scattering through shafts of sunlight.

SHING! He drew the blade just an inch from its scabbard. Harsh light flared along the steel. Then he paused, leaving the blade half-sheathed. He wasn’t yet sure how he wanted to unleash that strike.

“Senior Li once said if I wanted to combine the three moves of the Spring–Autumn Blade, I’d need each form to be at perfection. Only then would there be a chance to fuse them into a single strike—an entirely new creation, shaped by each person’s own insight. By the looks of it, even my master never fully figured it out himself.

“I’ve already maxed out Spring Awakening and Leaping Abyss but not Spring Thunder. Initially, I held off on investing my skill points to save them for something else. But now that I don’t have any immediate breakthroughs lined up, I might as well finish maxing it out.”

His mind flashed to the uneasy talk from the night before—about the mounting chaos in the Jade Capital, and the new wave of violence rippling toward Gemhill County. The turmoil might soon be knocking at their gates; it was only a matter of time.

Li Yuan glanced at his skill list. Thanks to consistent practice, Spring Thunder had reached (107/160). He placed his finger on the + symbol beside it.

Master Spring Thunder (107/160) ➔ Master Spring Thunder(160/160)

In an instant, fresh insights flooded his mind. He closed his eyes for a moment. Then, abruptly, he flicked the scabbard, gripped the blade, raised it high, and brought it down.

A peal of thunder boomed through the courtyard, like the cries of a thousand scattering birds.

He struck again. The air itself seemed to tear, and all the raindrops glimmering around him froze in midair, then reversed course as if blown away by a sudden gust, pelting the ground in a pitter-patter of droplets.

A third motion, a swift upward slash—an elegant upward arc that melded perfectly with the previous two. Three moves in one, seamless and complete, performed at a level unmatched by anyone else.

Lowering the blade, Li Yuan exhaled in satisfaction.

“And again.” He repeated the merged strike, each time increasing his speed—faster, and faster still. Unlike a standard martial art, this strike had no dedicated entry level to grind or skill points to spend on it. One either grasped it or didn’t.

At midday, he paused to grab a quick bite, then resumed practicing.

˙·٠✧🐗➶➴🏹✧٠·˙

While Li Yuan trained, a carriage pulled up outside his residence, delivering this month’s allotment of eighth rank demonic beast meat.

As usual, he instructed Xiao Zhu and Xiao Ju to carry it over to Zhao Chunxin’s place. But by evening, Zhao Chunxin herself turned up at his door, the same crate in hand.

Li Yuan, fresh from bathing and dressed in loose robes, greeted her with a smile.

“Senior Sister, you didn’t have to bring the whole box back. Are we strangers now?”

She set the crate down, then stepped closer, keeping her voice low.

“Junior Brother, I managed to get my own supply of meat.”

Li Yuan was taken aback. Any meat of that quality was incredibly rare these days.

“That’s fantastic news,” he said.

Read 𝓁atest chapters at fгeewёbnoѵel.cσm Only.

She explained quietly, “There’s a new underground market outside the county. They sell a fair amount of eighth rank meat, but they’re constantly on the move. Today the market might be here; tomorrow it’s somewhere else. Without a referral, you can’t get in. I was just lucky enough to find a way.”

“An underground market?” Li Yuan asked. “Something like a ghost market?”

Zhao Chunxin shook her head. “I’ve never been to a ghost market, but from what I hear, those places are gloomy, lit by only a few candles, and full of masked figures reeking of death.

“This one seems more like a legitimate merchant group that fled the Central Plains. Their boss died, and now the underlings are selling off the goods to split up the estate. They have hidden warehouses but reveal them only bit by bit. They sold elsewhere first; we’re just the latest stop on their route.”

“You think it’s a scam?”

“Enforcer Gongshu and Elder Dugu from our sect have both bought from them. If it were a trap, I’m sure our superiors would’ve noticed.”

It did seem plausible enough. With chaos in the heartland, it was no surprise that merchants were trying to unload stock wherever they could.

“Anyway,” Zhao Chunxin continued, “if I’d had no other source, I’d keep accepting your meat. But now that I have an alternative, I just can’t take yours for free.”

Li Yuan thought for a moment. “So, how much does this underground market charge for eighth rank meat?”

“It’s 100 taels of silver for every five kilograms,” she replied. “Everyone’s tightening their belts to buy. Many are even taking loans.”

Li Yuan smiled. “Then how about I sell mine to you at that price? Saves you a trip, right?”

“Junior Brother...you should keep it for yourself. You’ve got your taming to master and the blade too,” she said, concern clear on her broad face.

He chuckled. “I’m pretty much done with taming for now, and anyway, if you don’t buy it, I’ll just sell it to someone else.”

Zhao Chunxin gave in with a wry grin. “Fine. I’ll buy.”

She hauled the crate away. Late that night, she sent over 3,000 taels of silver—real, heavy ingots, since moneylenders were scarce and silver notes were becoming less common.

The maid who delivered it added, “There are 600 more taels coming. Madam Zhao will bring it by later.”

Li Yuan smiled ruefully. “No rush. Whenever she has it is fine.”

The maid left, and Xue Ning happened to pass by.

Li Yuan called out, “Xue Ning.”

She strolled over, took one look at the silver, and grinned. “Struck it rich, have we?”

“This is payment from Zhao Chunxin. Listen, for now, don’t expand the tavern business any further. Focus on stockpiling grain.”

“We already have some in the cellar at Ginger Tavern—about 15,000 kg. It’s not a big grain store, but it’s decent.”

“Keep stocking up,” he said, then paused. “By the way, how’s Tang Qiu doing lately?”

Xue Ning laughed. “He’s like Old Zhou, quiet and keeps to himself. Except while Old Zhou stares off into space all day, Tang Qiu’s busy tinkering with who-knows-what. Looks like some kind of hidden weapon.”

“Ask him if he’d like to bring his daughter here to the inner district. She could spend time with Auntie Wang’s children or play with other kids. Might be good for her.”

“I’m sure he’d welcome it,” Xue Ning said. “He worries that if she stays by his side too much, she’ll end up inheriting his quirks.”

˙·٠✧🐗➶➴🏹✧٠·˙

Three months later...

One morning, Li Yuan stood in his courtyard as usual, blade in hand. But today was different. The blade hadn’t even left its scabbard, yet it vibrated, humming as though alive.

A sound like chanting monks, roaring dragons, and wailing ghosts surged in waves, as if the blade harbored its own spirit longing to be unleashed. The trembling traveled up Li Yuan’s arm, resonating through his muscles. His blood began to quake in tandem.

Seizing on that sensation, he activated the Spirit-Release Technique and drew in a long breath. Leaves, half-yellowed and clinging to the branches, suddenly tore free, spinning around him in a whirlwind. And the breath just kept going.

Under mounting pressure, shadow blood coursed to the surface of his skin. His muscles clenched with explosive power. The blade’s tremors intensified until it let out a sharp, piercing cry.

Li Yuan released his grip. The blade twitched like boiling water, thumping and nearly jumping from its scabbard on its own. He closed his eyes, immersed in the moment, then slowly exhaled and laid his palm gently on the hilt. The clamor died away.

“I’ve done it,” he murmured, a faint smile curving his lips.

He hadn’t drawn the blade, but in his mind, he’d executed that strike countless times. His entire being was ready to unleash it at any moment.

For an instant, he felt like a mother who’d just carried and delivered a child. This strike was his own creation.

He could tell its power was immense, likely one of the most formidable seventh rank killing moves imaginable, exceeding even the Master level Leaping Abyss. All the practice had finally paid off.

Glancing at his skill list, he saw a brand-new entry.

NEW! Unnamed Ultimate Skill (1/1)

“An ultimate skill...and it doesn’t need any skill points? So it’s different from ordinary skills or cultivation techniques, huh?

“Unnamed too... Well, I suppose this blade has yet to prove itself to the world. Since it’s essentially my own creation, I might as well name it.

“They say a single slash can devour the horizons like a tiger. This one comes roaring from the west to topple cities. Let it be called...City Toppler.”

He kept the blade sheathed, and the courtyard remained as tranquil as ever.

Glancing at himself, he saw his overall combat power had risen to 305¬455!

He exhaled slowly. Without realizing it, he was nearly twice as strong as Tie Sha. In a full-on burst, he could probably take Tie Sha’s head in a single slash.