Following the announcement of that news, the entire monastery’s atmosphere became extremely heavy. All the disciples felt pressure from the imminent future.

At this time, Long Chen had gathered all five of the Heaven Earth Alliance’s core disciples together.

For the core disciples, just thinking about such a fight would make their blood boil.

But not all people had such confidence.

Although most people were eagerly getting ready, there were some who were filled with fear. That shadow left in their hearts from the final part of the disciple trial had yet to fade even now. The miserable scene of those who had failed still replayed over and over in their minds.

“Long Chen, what should we be doing now?” asked Song Mingyuan.

Although Long Chen wasn’t a core disciple, they would follow him, supporting whatever Long Chen decided.

“Currently, the monastery is providing so many benefits to increase everyone’s strength.

“The monastery plans to send all us disciples to the border of the Corrupt path’s territory three months from now. Then we are to hunt the Corrupt path disciples, exchanging their heads for large amounts of points.

“This trial is a true life and death trial. It is no longer a game. There are no rules. The one thing you must do is keep yourself alive.

“That’s because the Corrupt path’s experts are vicious and sinister, with an unending number of tricks. To them, killing others is nothing out of the ordinary.

“Compared to them, the disciples from the monastery are just greenhouse flowers and will definitely end up suffering a disadvantage!” Long Chen was slightly worried.

Back when he had tricked Gui Sha into teaching him some of his techniques, he had learned that the majority of the Corrupt path’s Battle Skills were cruel and insidious to a terrifying degree.

Almost all their Battle Skills required them to kill others in order to gain a higher level of mastery. They would need to take other people’s lives in order to establish their own foundation. That was truly chilling.

In comparison, the monastery’s disciples were more proficient in making tiny little schemes and scuffles.

Once they encountered the Corrupt path’s disciples and their insidious means, Long Chen estimated that quite a few people would end up wetting their pants in fear.

That wasn’t the disciples’ fault. They were like that simply because their families’ grooming had raised them like that. These were the so-called ‘geniuses’ from their families.

But putting it bluntly, they might be able to get full marks on theory and little competitions, but in a life and death fight, they would be doomed.

So it could be said that talent was both useful and useless. That was also why Cang Ming scolded Ling Yunzi, saying that the monastery’s disciples were just whetstones to hone the Corrupt path’s disciples.

Although it wasn’t pleasant to hear, it was simply the truth. Otherwise, the Righteous path would not have been suppressed by the Corrupt path for so many years. The instigator of all the Righteous and Corrupt battles was always them, while they only passively defended.

This time, it seemed Cang Ming had struck a chord in Ling Yunzi’s heart, and he was preparing to completely change this conservative strategy.

“That’s just a fact. Quite a few people’s expressions sank when they heard this news. They still haven’t recovered from the impact of the disciple trial,” nodded Ye Zhiqiu.

Back when people had first heard this news, there had been quite a few people who had mocked those people for being cowards. Ye Zhiqiu had harshly berated them. Although she knew those people were joking, this kind of joke wasn’t appropriate.

A person’s confidence level was often the deciding factor of whether or not they would survive a battle. Long Chen’s fight with Wu Qi was an extremely obvious example.

Despite Wu Qi being much stronger, in front of Long Chen’s imposingness and life-risking attacks, his powerful cultivation base had been useless and he had been unable to bring out any of his true strength.

He hadn’t even had the chance to release one of his more powerful moves before he was killed by Long Chen. Just how depressed must he have been when he had died? But that was also normal.

According to the normal standards, as someone at the peak of the mid Tendon Transformation realm, not even ten ordinary mid Tendon Transformation experts would have necessarily been able to kill him.

Wu Qi’s strength had truly been much, much greater than Long Chen’s. But he had been the one to be defeated, and he was also defeated in such a quick manner. That was extremely thought-provoking.

It was precisely because of being stimulated by Long Chen’s display and Cang Ming’s reminder that Ling Yunzi had finally come to this decision to invade the Corrupt path.

This was something that was in contrary to the monastery’s regulations. If the higher-ups were to learn of it, he would probably lose his sect leader position.

But it was precisely like Cang Ming had said. If Ling Yunzi continued following the rules for his lifetime, his life would have no meaning in the end. Now he hoped to bet on Long Chen.

Long Chen was somewhat aware of what Ling Yunzi was thinking. That gave him an extremely great pressure. This plan had been suggested by him; if it failed, he would have caused many people to die.

“The reason I gathered you all today is because I hope for you to placate your people. Don’t let them be too nervous. It’d be best for them to just focus on cultivating as hard as possible. As for confidence, that isn’t their job, but yours.” Long Chen looked at them.

“Us?” They didn’t understand what he meant.

“Yes, you. As core disciples, you are the spirit of this monastery. Your display at that time will concern everyone’s life and death. You must all become much stronger during this short time and become more confident. When the trial begins, you’ll all have to show-off and display a beautiful victory over your opponents. Use your own actions to tell everyone that the Corrupt path’s experts aren’t terrifying. As long as you cut off their heads, they will also die,” laughed Long Chen.

Everyone nodded. Long Chen’s words made sense. But they all felt the pressure on themselves increase.

Li Qi bitterly smiled, “Putting it like that, I really feel worried. If I end up making a mistake, wouldn’t I have ended up taking down ninety-nine of my brother’s lives with me?”

The others also forced a bitter smile. Only Tang Wan-er didn’t feel any pressure. That was because her Heaven Earth Faction had Long Chen; with him present, nothing could reduce the Heaven Earth Faction’s morale.

“You’re only worried because you aren’t confident enough. You haven’t gone through any true life and death experiences, so how could you have obtained unrivaled confidence? That’s why, right now, I’ll give you some life and death tempering,” said Long Chen solemnly.

“Life and death tempering? You’re joking.” Everyone was shocked.

“Looks like you guys still don’t understand me. When you think I’m serious, I’m actually just joking, but when I’m serious, you think I’m joking. Right now I’m completely serious.

“In a bit, Song Mingyuan, Li Qi, and Luo Cang, you three will attack me together. Remember that this won’t be some martial competition, but a slaughterfest. I will push you to the edge of death to awaken your ancestral marks,” said Long Chen.

“Will that be of any use? It’s not like you’ll really kill us,” said Luo Cang with some confusion.

His family had long since tried that on him countless times, trying to get him to activate his ancestral mark from the brink of death. But they had failed time and time again.

Furthermore, they hadn’t even known that it had been fake back then. They had thought that those ‘assassins’ their family had set up were all real.

But now Long Chen just directly told them this. This wouldn’t have any meaning. Without fear, how could they activate their ancestral marks?

“You’re wrong. If you can’t block my attacks, I really will kill you.” Long Chen icily looked at the three of them. “I would rather you die by my hands than by the hands of those Corrupt path disciples. At the very least, if you die by my hands, you’ll be able to keep your corpses intact.”

The three of their hearts jumped. Long Chen was serious? Looking at his eyes, there was not even the slightest emotion in them. He looked just like he had when he had fought with Wu Qi, filled with a desire for slaughter.

Sweat dripped down their necks, and their hair stood on end. This current Long Chen was practically a demon king.

They could tell Long Chen was being serious. If they couldn’t stop him, they would die.

“Let’s go.”

Long Chen got up. The five of them didn’t say a word as they followed behind him. They left the monastery and arrived at a valley. Long Chen faced off against Song Mingyuan, Li Qi, and Luo Cang.

“Think about this for a moment. The people beside you could be your family, your parents, or your lover. They could be the most precious existence to you. Treat me as a cruel killer of the Corrupt path. If someone goes to mercilessly cut down those closest to you, how would you feel? Ok, let’s begin!”

Long Chen directly sent his bone blade stabbing towards the still stupefied Song Mingyuan. He was like a bolt of lightning, going directly for Song Mingyuan’s throat. At the very start, he already aimed for the vitals.

Song Mingyuan was horrified. By the time he realized what was going on, Long Chen’s bone blade had already reached his throat, and it was already too late to dodge.

Long Chen’s bone blade possessed a mountain-splitting, ocean-flipping strength. Song Mingyuan could practically already see the scene of his throat being pierced.

BOOM!

The instant that bone blade was about to pierce through Song Mingyuan’s throat, Luo Cang’s staff struck out, smashing aside Long Chen’s bone blade.

Although the bone blade missed, that earth-shattering power still exploded out, sending the two of them flying.

Tang Wan-er and Ye Zhiqiu almost both cried out. Long Chen didn’t have any misgivings. If it weren’t for Luo Cang, Song Mingyuan would already have become a dead man!

“Long Chen’s really planning on killing them?”

“For the first attack, I purposely kept it a bit slower. Next time I won’t. Maybe if I change faces you’ll realize this is no game.”

Long Chen put on a sinister mask. It looked like a malicious devil, and with that on his face, he once more charged forward with his bone blade, this time at Li Qi.

Li Qi roared and slashed his saber onto Long Chen’s bone blade. But Long Chen’s strength was too terrifying, and he directly vomited blood and was sent flying.

But as he shot through the air, Long Chen followed him. His bone blade slashed down at his throat.

“Li Qi!”

Luo Cang and Song Mingyuan roared. Li Qi was powerless to resist this next attack. If that bone blade reached him, he would definitely die.

The two of them ignored their own injuries. It was already too late for them to reach Li Qi at that point. The two of them stabbed their weapons straight towards Long Chen.

Long Chen coldly snorted and waved his bone blade, knocking away their two weapons. The two of them received a heavy impact and once more vomited blood.

Long Chen’s bone blade was like the Grim Reaper’s sickle, slashing down on both of their necks. His speed was so fast that neither of them could dodge.

“Go to hell!” Li Qi roared and charged at Long Chen. He was actually still weaponless, and grabbing onto Long Chen’s arm, he bit down hard.

Long Chen didn’t continue attacking. Taking off his mask, he looked at the crazy Li Qi who was still biting his arm and smiled.

“Congratulations on awakening your ancestral marks.”