The Awakening of the War God's Body

Xiao Ruobai had just stepped into the mountain range when the rotten leaves beneath his feet crunched loudly, startling several colorful-feathered birds into flight from the treetops.

A hissing sound came from the branches.

A silver-scaled snake was coiled on a bough, its triangular eyes gleaming with a sinister light, clearly having already marked him as its prey.

The snake's scales shimmered with a metallic sheen; it was unmistakably a Foundation Establishment stage Silver-Scale Snake.

Xiao Ruobai held his halberd horizontally before his chest, spiritual energy surging through his meridians. The Silver-Scale Snake lunged suddenly, its venomous fangs gleaming with a blue light aimed straight for his face.

As he sidestepped to avoid it, his long halberd swept out in a horizontal arc. The halberd's tip, accompanied by a sharp whistle that split the air, sliced across the snake's body, cleanly cutting it in two.

The two severed sections of the snake twitched on the ground, blood splattering and soaking the surrounding fallen leaves. He had already withdrawn his halberd and stepped back.

While he was pondering, rustling came from the shrubbery to his left. Three gray-furred wolves stepped out slowly, their green eyes fixed on him with greed.

The leader bore an old scar on its neck, and its aura had reached the late Foundation Establishment stage.

Xiao Ruobai pushed off the ground with his toes, leaping into the air as his long halberd traced a cold, sharp arc through the air.

In the instant the alpha wolf raised its paw to block, the halberd's tip had already pierced its throat. Dark blood gushed forth as its massive body crashed to the ground.

The other two wolves turned and fled in terror. He spun around and gave chase, his long halberd striking like a spirit snake emerging from its hole, piercing through their hearts one after the other.

The three wolf corpses soon lay stiff on the ground, their eyes still wide open, filled with undissipated horror.

Just as Xiao Ruobai finished tallying the count, heavy footsteps sounded in the distance, causing the ground to tremble slightly.

An Ironback Bear, two zhang tall, pushed through the thicket. The white fur on its chest formed the character for 'King'—a late Foundation Establishment stage demon beast.

This bear was more massive than any demon beast he had seen at the Qingxuan Sect. The dull thuds of its paws beating its chest made his eardrums ache.

Xiao Ruobai took a deep breath and advanced to meet it. The Ironback Bear roared and swung a massive paw at him.

His body swayed like willow catkins, evading the blow, while simultaneously reversing his halberd's grip and thrusting it upward, aiming straight for the bear's belly.

The halberd plunged deep into the Ironback Bear. A pained roar echoed, but the pain only drove the bear into a greater frenzy.

A sense of alarm shot through Xiao Ruobai. He swiftly changed tactics, channeling his spiritual energy with full force into the halberd. With a low shout of "Break!", the halberd transformed into a streak of light, shooting toward the bear's left eye.

The Ironback Bear frantically jerked its head to dodge but failed to avoid it completely. The halberd tip grazed past its eye socket and plunged in, bringing out a mass of crimson.

The giant bear roared in agony, its front paws madly swiping at Xiao Ruobai.

He used the force to leap backward, pulling the halberd free in the process, then immediately thrust it forward again, piercing precisely through the Ironback Bear's heart.

Warm bear blood splashed on his face. He wiped it away with his hand, his gaze unwavering.

From deep within the dense forest came a chorus of rising and falling beastly roars; clearly, the fight had disturbed the nearby demon beasts.

He tightened his grip on the halberd, looking at the several already cold corpses on the ground. Suddenly, he understood his master's intention—real combat was never play. Showing mercy to an enemy was being cruel to oneself.

As Xiao Ruobai ventured deeper, the demon beasts he faced grew increasingly powerful.

His battle robes were long soaked through with beast blood, his hair plastered to his forehead, yet his eyes grew ever sharper.

Xiao Ruobai gradually settled into the rhythm of battle. He had long since put away his Dragon Soul Halberd, opting instead to fight using only his physical body.

With every punch he threw, the Battle God bloodline within him boiled more fiercely. Faint sounds of clashing metal seemed to echo between his bones, as if ancient battle souls were awakening within his bloodline.

"Boom!"

A single punch blasted forth, piercing straight through the torso of an early Core Formation stage Blaze Tiger.

Scalding beast blood splattered his face, but Xiao Ruobai grinned—he could feel some kind of shackle shattering.

At that moment, a giant wolf with pure silver fur blocked his path, a vertical eye on its forehead glowing with a sinister light.

This was a mid Core Formation stage Three-Eyed Silver Moon Wolf, a full major realm higher than Xiao Ruobai.

"Roar—"

The silver wolf let out a low growl, its body transforming into a silver lightning bolt as it pounced.

Xiao Ruobai neither dodged nor evaded. His fists shimmered with golden battle light as he met the silver wolf head-on.

Amidst the turbulence of their exchanged blows, ancient battle patterns surfaced around his body, each line seemingly breathing in and out the spiritual energy of heaven and earth.

Man and wolf clashed fiercely. Wherever they passed, ancient trees toppled and earth and stones flew.

The silver wolf's sharp claws tore through the air, while Xiao Ruobai responded with exquisite fist techniques, each strike carrying an indomitable, forward-pressing battle intent.

"Fight!"

Xiao Ruobai suddenly let out a long cry, the battle patterns all over his body blazing brightly.

Seizing an opening as the wolf pounced, he landed a heavy punch squarely on its abdomen. The silver wolf recoiled in pain, the ferocity in its eyes intensifying.

Xiao Ruobai fought with increasing vigor; his Battle God physique continuously transformed through combat.

He gradually deciphered the silver wolf's attack patterns and began to gain the upper hand.

"Break!"

Seizing the instant the wolf turned, Xiao Ruobai concentrated all his battle intent and threw a punch straight for the wolf's throat.

This punch was simple and unadorned, yet it contained the purest essence of battle intent.

"Thud!"

The silver wolf fell to the ground with the impact, struggled a few times, and then moved no more.

Xiao Ruobai let out a long sigh of relief, fine beads of sweat forming on his forehead, yet there wasn't a single wound on his body.

Sensing the surging battle intent within him, he realized his Battle God physique had broken through to a new level.

With every movement, he could now stir the resonance of the surrounding spiritual energy.

"Master was right. Real combat is the best cultivation."

Xiao Ruobai wiped his sweat and continued walking deeper into the dense forest.

Battle intent flowed around him, as if cloaking him in an intangible suit of armor.

The sun gradually slanted. Xiao Ruobai leaned against an ancient tree, panting. At his feet lay a pile of fifty-seven demon beast corpses.

The most troublesome had been a mid Core Formation stage Crimson-Eyed Leopard. When he had pierced its heart with his halberd, its claws had also slashed his arm. The wound burned fiercely, yet a resolute light burned in the depths of his eyes.

"Forty-three more to go."

He tore off a strip of cloth and tightly bound the wound, then clenched his fists once more.

In the distance, the mountain ridges faded into the twilight. His figure disappeared into the depths of the dense forest. The sharp whistles of his punches splitting the air intertwined with the death throes of demon beasts, weaving a tapestry of solemn slaughter in the dusk of the Hundred Thousand Mountains.

With every fall of his halberd tip, a life was extinguished. There was no pity, no hesitation—only an absolute obsession with the goal of 'slaying one hundred,' growing ever more fervent within this cruel proving ground.

Gu Changge watched Xiao Ruobai's performance from afar. Seeing Xiao Ruobai's transformation, he nodded in satisfaction.

He did not leave directly. Instead, he began walking toward the depths of the Hundred Thousand Mountains, his steps leisurely and unhurried, as if strolling through his own backyard.

"Let's go see if that old yellow ox has fattened up."

Gu Changge flicked his fingers as if tapping an invisible head, his tone carrying a hint of teasing.

As soon as the words left his mouth, a distant, mist-shrouded peak suddenly trembled violently. A faint, grief-stricken and indignant roar could be heard, so powerful it scattered the clouds slightly.

That roar was filled with utter despair.

"Don't you come any closer! My tenderloin just grew back yesterday!"

Gu Changge paid no heed. He casually drew a line in the void with his fingertip, causing ripples to appear in the space ahead. With a single step, he was already ten thousand miles away.

All along the path, demon beasts seemed to sense something, frantically scurrying into their caves. Even the most ferocious Bloodthirsty Demon Wolves tucked their tails and hid in rock crevices, afraid he might spare them a second glance.

He stopped before a mountain that was pitch-black from base to summit.

At the mountain's peak, a Azure Sky Bison, its body as large as a small hill, was pawing the ground with its front hooves. Its horns gathered the immense pressure of a Saint realm aura, yet it trembled like a leaf in an autumn wind.