Swallowing the Stars: The Wind Sword Master.

Chapter 15 Bullets in Succession

In the darkness of night.

The hazy moonlight cast a silvery veil over the ground, and strange shadows appeared everywhere.

Deep, guttural roars echoed from one place to another, while the nearby bushes rustled.

"Swish, swish, swish!"

Several dark figures suddenly appeared, and then darted away a great distance.

"I just stayed home for a few days, and before I could even settle in, I have to come to this godforsaken place again," Xu Liang muttered.

Yang Chao looked as if he had just realized something. "No wonder your strength hasn't improved. It turns out you just lie down as soon as you get home and don't cultivate at all."

"Even though it's not long, it's still better than yours!"

"You've gained twenty pounds?"

"asshole!"

"Hahaha."

The members of the War Squad are all at least intermediate-level warriors. Now, at the limit of quasi-martial artists, they are moving forward at a constant speed of 25 m/s, covering 90 kilometers in an hour.

It takes more than three hours to reach city 096, so we have to find some fun while traveling.

After traveling some distance, a pair of eyes shining with a ghostly blue light appeared on the road in the distance.

As a mid-level warrior, Zuo Xingyuan's genes have evolved more perfectly, making him stronger.

Based on his vague assessment of the monster's size, he turned to the monster and said, "Kid, your meal's here. This blue-eyed cat monster should be a bit weaker than the last one. Go and take care of it."

Monsters are intelligent too. Many monsters like to live in cities that were once human settlements. Monsters that live alone in the wild are generally weaker. In addition, he can judge the strength of familiar species, so he felt at ease letting Ning Ze hone his skills.

"good!"

Ning Ze left the group without hesitation and rushed over, but he kept his speed at 25 m/s, otherwise he might have scared the monster away.

The blue-eyed cat-like monster ran a short distance ahead, but when it realized that Ning Ze's speed hadn't increased, it became ferocious and pounced.

Ning Ze smiled slightly. As he approached, he thrust his sword with all his might, channeling over 6000 kg of force into a single point, and with a whoosh, it pierced the monster's eye.

The silvery-white sword light was exceptionally bright, and a few drops of blood were reflected on the blade.

With a thud, the blue-eyed cat monster fell to the ground and lay motionless.

"So fast? Then this cat monster's strength must be very low." Zuo Xingyuan was somewhat surprised.

"However, Xiaoze's timing for that sword strike was also excellent, extremely sharp," Ma Yu commented fairly.

Ning Ze smiled slightly and said, "Then we don't need this monster. We should focus on getting on our way."

Based on the feel of it just now, this monster is close to the strength of a high-level beast soldier, which is a G-class monster.

High-level beast-soldier monsters can be easily killed with weapons, and their price is between 2000 and 10000 Chinese yuan. G-level monsters are even cheaper, so he's too lazy to collect them.

"If you don't want it, you don't want it. It's worthless. Let's move on."

Zuo Xingyuan and the others were somewhat surprised that Ning Ze resolved the matter so quickly, but they didn't pay much attention to it.

There are also differences in size among monsters; perhaps this monster is just bigger than others, but actually quite weak.

"Looks like you've been training diligently at home, managing to take down a cat-like monster so quickly," Xu Liang said jokingly.

Ning Ze smiled slightly, a hint of amusement in his eyes.

He knew he would need to train for a while longer before he could defeat his father, but the warrior-level uncles in front of him were already quite formidable.

They probably didn't expect this, did they?

The procession continued onward.

Zuo Xingyuan had Ning Ze take action several times along the way, and he usually finished them off with a single sword strike. Only a cautious black and white patterned snake took a little longer to kill, and Ning Ze took its fangs, eyes, skin, and gallbladder.

Around 3 a.m., they arrived at an abandoned villa, quickly cleaned up the spider webs, and prepared to rest for the time being before beginning the actual hunt.

"Have we turned our luck around? We haven't encountered a single F-rank (advanced beast soldier) monster along the way."

Zuo Xingyuan felt a little puzzled. The journey had been too smooth, with Ning Ze instantly defeating the monsters. It seemed that the monsters were all very weak.

"Perhaps Ozawa has improved?"

Yang Chao also felt something was strange. His reaction speed was fast, but his physical fitness was the lowest in the team except for Ning Ze. He vaguely felt that Ning Ze's attacks had become very fierce, which might be related to the sword technique he had just practiced.

Just then, Zhang Chen, who was usually quiet, spoke up, "Xiao Ze, bring me the venomous fangs you removed."

Ning Ze was slightly surprised, feeling that he was about to be exposed, but he didn't intend to hide it forever, so he simply took the venomous fang out of the backpack compartment and handed it over.

Under the dim moonlight, Zhang Chen's pupils suddenly contracted, and the two gleaming white fangs, each about ten centimeters long, in Ning Ze's hand reflected a faint light.

He said in a deep voice, "This monster is F-rank!" Then he turned to look at Ning Ze.

Upon hearing this, the remaining four also turned to look, their eyes filled with shock.

Zuo Xingyuan said in a sinister tone, "Kid, don't you have any explanation? I kept asking you on the way here how strong this monster was. What did you tell me?"

"Barely passable, not particularly strong, easily dealt with. This monster is rather interesting."

"Now you're telling me this is an F-class monster?"

Ning Ze spread his hands and said innocently, "Uncle Zuo, I didn't lie to you. I used seven swords on this monster, and only one sword on the others. It's not that strong, and I dealt with it very easily."

Zuo Xingyuan was slightly taken aback, then shouted even more angrily, "Then what about your strength? You easily dealt with F-rank monsters, but you didn't even mention improving your strength?"

Ning Ze silently put away the venomous fangs, muttering under his breath, "I told you."

"Um?"

Zuo Xingyuan's eyes widened, and he asked, "When did you say that?"

"When we eat."

Ning Ze repeated what he had said before, "My training over the past half month has been relatively smooth. My movement techniques are quite proficient, and the Wind Slash is also doing well. My strength has increased a bit."

Zuo Xingyuan looked completely astonished.

In his mind, this sentence meant that his cultivation was normal, progressing steadily, and without any slackening.

Ma Yu asked, his voice trembling slightly, "You mean, you've mastered the first level of 'Wind Slash'?"

Ning Ze nodded seriously and said, "Yes, I have successfully cultivated it."

He didn't intend to hide too much of his strength. He came out to hunt monsters, not to put on an act. His actual combat power wouldn't be apparent at night, but it would be exposed during the day.

He also needs to fight monsters of similar strength. These uncles are all trustworthy, and knowing his strength, they need to rearrange their battle plans.

The wilderness is not a place for jokes; even if no one finds out, he will make a statement.

Upon receiving confirmation, Ma Yu gasped in shock, and the others stared in disbelief.

After ten days apart, they returned to the base city in a sorry state from City 022, where they learned the ultimate secret technique!

Zhang Chen frowned slightly and said, "The first level of the 'Wind Slash' technique involves the superposition of power from the two levels. The first level is 70% of the power, and the second level is 140%. Your base strength is 2300kg, and your strongest strength should be 3200kg."

"This monster's teeth are over ten centimeters long, which is not weak even among F-class monsters. Its strength is at least 5000 kg, or even 6000 kg. Now that it's nighttime, which is not conducive to fighting, it shouldn't have been dealt with so easily."

Ning Ze replied honestly, "After I successfully mastered the Wind Slash, my cultivation speed increased significantly! It increased by at least several times, and my current strength should exceed 3000 kg."

This was a pre-prepared explanation, and it made perfect sense.

After others learn how to exert force, the corresponding guiding technique becomes more effective, their cells have a larger capacity to absorb more cosmic energy, which does indeed accelerate their cultivation speed. As for how much faster, he doesn't know.

The guiding techniques that could generate power were useless to him. He had never experienced what it felt like to have a guiding technique that could multiply the cell volume, because his cells were not hungry now.

This made him feel a little strange. Perhaps geniuses just don't understand the different levels of cultivation among martial artists. These are two different levels. He has already adapted to it and doesn't feel there's anything wrong with it.

"hiss!"

"hiss!"

"hiss!"

Yang Chao and the others all gasped. They were shocked when they heard that Ning Ze had comprehended the "Wind Slash," but at least they were mentally prepared, since Ning Ze had already purchased the manual, so it was possible for him to master it.

But now, she gained 700kg in ten days!

That's 7000 kg in 100 days!

That's 70000 kg in 1000 days!

It took more than two months to reach the general!

You can become a War God in just three years!

This kind of improvement is completely illogical!

A simple calculation shows that their worldview has been completely shattered!

"Is the power exertion in 'Wind Slash' really that miraculous?" Zuo Xingyuan muttered to himself, secretly wishing he could switch to swordsmanship.

But reason told him that even if he switched to Buddhism, he could not achieve such terrifying growth.

silence.

Apart from Zuo Xingyuan saying a sentence, everyone else looked somewhat lost, even questioning their existence.

For over ten or twenty years, they were still struggling at the warrior level. Even the talented Zuo Xingyuan could only barely reach the intermediate warrior level. They only needed to cultivate for a year or two to surpass everyone else.

Soon, everyone turned to look at Ning Ze, their eyes filled with the same disdain they had for a monster.

Ning Ze felt a chill run down his spine under that intense gaze and said softly, "My dad says I have a rather special talent."

"How could Boss Ning bear to let you out?" Xu Liang's words were like the taste of ten pounds of lemons.

Ning Ze: ? ? ?

He replied earnestly, "I'm out here to hone my skills."

"Do you need to hone your skills?" Xu Liang replied with a bitter face, his tone dripping with sarcasm. "You can gain 50kg a day, you've mastered swordsmanship, and your movement techniques have reached the microscopic level. You can even train at home!"

Ning Ze paused for a moment, then whispered, "Perhaps you can cultivate faster through combat."

silence.

The two words echoing in Zuo Xingyuan and the others' minds were: hurry up.

Yes, fighting in the wilderness can indeed increase cultivation speed.

It was these words coming from Ning Ze's mouth that made them feel awkward and uncomfortable.

Is it slow now?

It's incredibly fast!

Looking at his silent uncles, Ning Ze felt he should give them some time to adjust, since these people weren't beneficiaries like him.

"Um, Uncle Zuo, I've started cultivating."

After speaking, Ning Ze slowly closed his eyes, crossed his legs so that the soles of his feet faced upwards, placed his hands on his lap with his palms facing upwards, and straightened his back.

With his mind and body relaxed, his mood was like a calm lake. In the near-meditational stillness of his mind, Ningze's thoughts also slowed down.

soon.

In this almost meditative state with his eyes closed, Ning Ze still harbored a sliver of longing in his heart—a longing to sense the energy of the universe.

In a state between sleep and wakefulness, he sensed strands of energy flowing into his body, gradually strengthening his skin, bones, muscles, and brain...

Ning Ze had fully entered a state of cultivation, retaining only a small amount of consciousness.

Zuo Xingyuan and the others were shocked for a long time, and their hearts gradually calmed down. Turning to look at that youthful face, their feelings were very complicated.

At first, they just thought he was a hardworking and outstanding junior who could become a martial artist at the age of nineteen. They were even prepared to temper the boy's mind and body.

Later, when they entered the wilderness area, they felt that they were doing alright. Although they were inexperienced, their basic skills were solid enough, and with some guidance, they could pass the test.

Then they discovered that this junior was a little genius who had actually grasped the subtlety! They were instead quite taken aback.

Now, they seem to be seeing a martial arts giant slowly awakening.

Aside from those who initially came into contact with the ruins and were able to reach the God of War level in just one or two years, no martial artist on Earth has ever been seen cultivating at such a rapid pace.

They had never even heard of it. Perhaps it existed in the elite training camp, but they had never seen it... much less had any contact with it.

Now, his own descendants are such geniuses!

The people were more than just excited!

If Ning Ze becomes a God of War, or even a powerful one among the Gods of War, they will be the first to benefit.

It's not that they're being pragmatic. Friendships without mutual benefit, and social interactions where people are not on equal footing, are all draining and hard to maintain. People change too.

It would be foolish not to maintain such a great relationship that's right in front of you.

They exchanged glances, and their thoughts were now in complete agreement.

Zuo Xingyuan made a gesture, and Xu Liang, Zhang Chen, and Ma Yu slightly adjusted their positions to form a defensive formation.

Night passed by silently.

The next day, Zuo Xingyuan arranged for Ning Ze to kill another F-class monster.

With a single sword strike, the monster was slain.

At this point, they fully acknowledged Ning Ze's strength.

The hunt in the wilderness area has now gotten back on track.

a few days later.

The rooftop of an old nine-story building.

Zuo Xingyuan lay on the rooftop, using binoculars to search for Beast General-level monsters.

After searching for fifteen minutes, he suddenly spoke up: "Old Yang, about three kilometers away in the fifteen o'clock direction. Good heavens! This time the target is a big one, a high-level beast general-level Black Tide Bull, and two low-level beast generals. Are you confident you can take down the big one?"

Yang Chao frowned and said, "A high-level beast general? I can only try my best. These kinds of guys are very clever. It's all down to luck."

Ning Ze was very curious, so he took out his binoculars and looked in the direction of fifteen o'clock.

He kept adjusting the distance, and finally spotted a large, dark mass at a distance of about three kilometers.

Upon closer inspection, it turned out to be a herd of bovine monsters, densely packed together, one after another.

Ning Ze adjusted his perspective and increased the magnification, and the monster's figure gradually became clearer.

Its entire body is covered in dark fur, with sharp, curved horns pointing towards the sky, and its powerful muscles exuding a ferocious strength; it looks like a force to be reckoned with.

"Old Yang, have you found it yet?"

"Found it."

"How are you feeling?"

"The Black Tide Bull has ear bones inside its ears, and my machine gun isn't powerful enough to guarantee a kill by shooting through the ear canal. I can only try to get it through the eyes. It's sleeping right now, I think that should be enough."

"Alright, let's give it a try. We'll be prepared. If it doesn't work, we'll retreat immediately. There are quite a few of them. If a high-level beast general leads the charge, we won't be able to handle it."

Ning Ze's search for technology was still not very proficient, and his experience was not very sufficient. Because of the multiplier issue, he was unable to make a judgment.

After confirming the attack, he found a monster that looked somewhat similar, or more precisely, a larger Black Tide Bull.

It lay there peacefully asleep, its size three times that of the other monsters, lying there like an oval obsidian.

The erect horns were even thicker and longer, making it look quite terrifying. Based on a rough estimate, its body length should be around 5 meters.

After finding his target, Ning Ze kept his upper body still and turned his head to look to his side.

Yang Chao lay prone on the edge of the rooftop, setting up a black weapon that resembled both a gun and a sniper rifle. The black barrel reflected a faint light under the sunlight.

He stretched out his palm to sense the wind direction, conducted careful tests and calculations, and adjusted the aiming optics.

Ning Ze didn't dare to make a sound and leaned over the binoculars again. He felt that the one he had found should be the monster leader.

Time passed slowly, and no one spoke, giving Yang Chao the quietest possible aiming environment.

suddenly!

"Boom!" An extremely explosive sound rang out beside me.

The sound of the bullet far exceeded the speed of sound, as if it had traversed space, arriving almost instantly.

Ning Ze endured the discomfort in his ears, and after about two or three seconds, he saw the left eye of the Black Tide Bull in his sight explode instantly.

Not only that, the next second blood also flowed from the Black Tide Bull's ear.

Zuo Xingyuan shouted excitedly, "Let's go! It's our turn! Two junior warriors, Lao Ma and I will each take one, and Lao Yang will support us. The three of you will make sure Lao Yang fires."

Just then, Yang Chao shouted with a serious expression, "Don't go yet! There's a martial arts squad here! It's not just us shooting!"

Zuo Xingyuan's smile gradually froze.

Ning Ze turned his head and asked in confusion, "Is it blood from inside the ear?"

Yang Chao nodded and said seriously, "Yes, they must have used powerful armor-piercing rounds, and they chose the ears because of the different angle. This prey is in trouble."

"Damn it! What a coincidence! How could something like this happen!" Zuo Xingyuan cursed, then fell into deep thought.

(End of this chapter)