A Compendium of One Hundred Demons: My Path to Immortality in a World of Demons and Monsters

As midnight approaches, forty li outside Qingyang County lies Black Wind Ridge.

Black Wind Village is situated on a naturally formed platform halfway up the mountain, surrounded by cliffs on three sides, with only a narrow mountain path for people to walk together.

The stockade wall was built of rough wood and stones, about two zhang high, with watchtowers on top, from which one could vaguely see firelight and human figures.

At the foot of the mountain, in the dense forest.

General Chen, clad in black iron armor and with a long sword at his waist, gazed coldly at the distant village.

Behind him, three hundred elite soldiers stood silently in formation, all clad in black leather armor, wielding powerful crossbows and spears, exuding a murderous aura.

Xu Yuan stood beside Chen Hanchuan, also dressed in black, holding a fine steel longsword in his hand. He concealed all his aura, as if he had blended into the surrounding night.

"Xu Yuan, are you sure you want to go in with the vanguard?" Chen Hanchuan asked in a low voice.

"That's right!" Xu Yuan nodded. "I've dealt with bandits before, I have experience, and..." He paused, "I need real combat experience now."

Chen Hanchuan gave him a deep look: "Alright, the vanguard team of fifty men, led by Captain Zhang, will depart in a quarter of an hour. They will climb up the cliff behind the mountain, open the gate, and you will travel with them."

"yes!"

A quarter of an hour passed quickly. Led by Captain Zhang, fifty carefully selected soldiers silently infiltrated the mountains and forests, circling around to the back of Black Wind Stronghold. Xu Yuan followed in the group.

The back mountain of Black Wind Stronghold is a near-vertical cliff, about thirty feet high. It would be extremely difficult for ordinary people to climb, but the soldiers under Chen Hanchuan were clearly the elite of the elite. They took out the grappling hooks and ropes they carried with them and began to climb with nimble movements.

Xu Yuan did not use any tools; his fourth-level Blood Refinement realm made his physical abilities far surpass those of ordinary people.

With a deep breath, he used both hands and feet to climb up the rock face like a gecko, his speed even slightly faster than the soldiers using grappling hooks.

Upon seeing this, Captain Zhang's eyes flashed with surprise and admiration, but he said nothing.

Before long, everyone climbed up the cliff and hid in the shadow of the stockade wall.

There was a watchtower every ten zhang on the wall of Black Wind Stronghold, where bandits kept watch, but most of them were dozing off at the moment.

After all, Black Wind Stronghold had a strategic advantage in location, and they almost never thought that anyone could climb up from a place like the back mountain.

"Take care of the guards first, and open the gate as quickly as possible!" Captain Zhang gestured.

More than ten soldiers immediately moved like ghosts toward the nearest watchtower, and Xu Yuan quickly followed.

He now needs not only real combat experience, but also to accumulate bloodthirsty energy through killing.

In the first watchtower, two bandits were dozing off, clutching their spears. The soldiers crept up silently, covered their mouths, and with a dagger, silenced them.

Xu Yuan didn't try to compete with them; instead, he turned directly to the second watchtower.

There were three people in the tower. One of them seemed to hear the noise and groggily opened his eyes: "What was that sound...?"

Before he could finish speaking, Xu Yuan pounced like a cheetah, and with a flash of his blade, a head flew off.

The other two were awakened and were about to shout when Xu Yuan swept his sword across with his backhand, and both heads fell to the ground at the same time, blood splattering everywhere!

A faint aura of bloodlust emanated from the corpse and was absorbed into Xu Yuan's body. The Bloodlust Blade Technique automatically circulated along his meridians, refining and storing this aura.

"Not bad!" Captain Zhang, who witnessed everything from behind, praised in a low voice, a hint of approval in his eyes.

After clearing out all the bandits on guard duty, the well-trained soldiers lowered the drawbridge and opened the gates of Black Wind Stronghold.

Upon seeing this, Chen Hanchuan, who had been waiting on the mountain path for a long time, gave an order, and the remaining soldiers surged into Black Wind Stronghold like a tide.

"Fire! —!"

Finally, some bandits noticed the anomaly and sounded the alarm, but it was too late.

The entire Black Wind Stronghold instantly erupted in chaos. Disheveled bandits rushed out of the various wooden houses, wielding wooden sticks, knives, and spears, and charged into battle in a frenzy.

"Form ranks!" Chen Hanchuan shouted coldly.

Three hundred soldiers quickly formed a battle formation, with spears in front and crossbows behind.

Although the bandits outnumbered each other, they were just a motley crew and were no match for the well-trained officers and soldiers.

With just one volley of crossbow bolts and a thrust of spears, dozens of people fell in the blink of an eye.

Xu Yuan did not deliberately follow the main force to wipe out those ordinary bandits. His primary targets were the martial artists—Chen Bao, the second-in-command of Black Wind Stronghold, and... Zhang Biao, the leader!

Based on the information he had previously obtained from the ghost, Xu Yuan did not delay and headed straight for the Hall of Righteousness in the center of Black Wind Stronghold.

That's the heart of the entire Black Wind Stronghold; the bandit leaders should be there.

Along the way, they encountered bandits who tried to stop them. Xu Yuan showed no mercy with his sword, unleashing his Blood Fiend Sword Technique, his blade striking with deadly force.

Most of these ordinary bandits weren't even martial artists; they were like clay chickens and earthen dogs in front of him.

The more Xu Yuan killed, the faster his bloodthirsty aura accumulated, the more intense the crimson light on his blade became, and the stronger his swordsmanship grew.

After slaying several bandits with a single strike, Xu Yuan was suddenly inspired and was finally able to unleash the ninth move of the Blood Fiend Blade Technique, "Boundless Blood Sea"!

"Those who block my way shall die!"

With a roar, Xu Yuan swung his longsword horizontally, unleashing a surge of crimson light that cleaved five or six bandits in half at the waist.

Blood splattered, turning into a tragic rain of blood under the moonlight.

The power of this strike terrified the surrounding bandits, who retreated in panic.

Xu Yuan seized the opportunity to rush forward and kicked open the wooden door of the Gathering Hall.

The hall was brightly lit.

A scarred man with a face full of scars was discussing something with several leaders with a ferocious expression. He was Chen Bao, the second-in-command of Black Wind Stronghold.

When Xu Yuan burst through the door, Chen Bao was taken aback at first, but then recognized him.

"It's you!" A venomous glint flashed in Chen Bao's eyes. "You brat who killed my fourth brother and ruined my plans!"

Xu Yuan remained unmoved, standing with his sword drawn: "Further words are useless, let's fight!"

"You arrogant brat!" Chen Bao roared in fury, grabbed the broadsword on the table, leaped up, and swung it down at Xu Yuan's head.

This strike was powerful and heavy, with a whistling wind, revealing the strength of a fifth-level Blood Refinement cultivator.

Xu Yuan showed no fear, neither dodging nor avoiding, and met the attack with his own blade.

"clang---!"

The two swords clashed, sparks flying. Chen Bao was jolted back three steps, his hands tingling, and his eyes widened in shock: "Fourth level of Blood Refinement? How is this possible!"

Xu Yuan remained silent, raised his hand, and slashed again, giving his opponent no chance to catch his breath.

The swordsmanship unfolded, attacking like a raging storm, a bloodbath raging in all directions, a blood shadow chasing the wind...

One sword move after another followed incessantly, each strike carrying a blood-red blade light and a murderous aura.

Chen Bao was initially confident that he could barely hold his own, but the more he fought, the more frightened he became.

Xu Yuan's swordsmanship was not only powerful and heavy, but also carried a strange corrosive force. Every time their weapons clashed, a cold aura would emanate from the blade, constantly eroding his blood and qi.

"What kind of evil technique is this!" Chen Bao exclaimed in shock and anger.

Xu Yuan remained silent, but his sword movements became even more rapid. Once the bloodthirsty aura had accumulated to a certain level, he unleashed a slash without hesitation.

"A sea of ​​blood...boundless!"

The long sword was raised high, and a blood-red blade light shot into the sky, transforming into a blood-red wave that instantly enveloped the entire hall.

Chen Bao felt a blood-red blur before his eyes, with blades flashing all around him, leaving him with no way to avoid them.

"No---!"

Amidst a piercing scream, Chen Bao was engulfed by the flash of the blade. When the bloodstains faded, only a mangled body remained.

Xu Yuan leaned on his sword, panting. This move had consumed a great deal of energy, but its power was equally astonishing. However, after killing Chen Bao, the Hungry Ghost Compendium quickly absorbed a dense aura of bloodlust into his body, raising the level of his Blood Fiend Sword Technique to a new level.

"The second-in-command is dead!"

"Run!"

The remaining leaders were terrified and turned to flee.

Xu Yuan did not let his guard down. After casually taking off the heads with a few slashes, he began to carefully examine the Black Wind Stronghold's Hall of Righteousness in front of him.

This was because his primary target for this trip—Zhang Biao, the leader of Black Wind Stronghold—did not appear!