Martial Saint with Passives

「The next day. Early morning.」

Outside the mountain gates of the Cangyun Sect, the morning mist had yet to disperse.

Jiang Che, dressed in black combat attire with the Star-Chasing Bow slung over his back, stood calmly by the side of the mountain path.

Behind him stood four other Inner Sect Disciples, also dressed in the attire of Yunhai Courtyard.

These disciples were all at the Late-stage Bone Forging Realm, their expressions tinged with excitement.

Before long, another group made their way slowly up the mountain path.

Leading them was none other than the chief disciple of Liufeng Courtyard, Fang Muye.

He too was dressed in sharp combat attire, but he had grown quiet and withdrawn, lacking his usual high spirits.

Behind him followed four elite disciples from Liufeng Courtyard.

The two groups met before the gate, and the atmosphere instantly became awkward and tense.

The disciples from Liufeng Courtyard looked at Jiang Che, their eyes filled with complex emotions.

There was awe, resentment, and a hint of hostility.

Meanwhile, the disciples of Yunhai Courtyard puffed out their chests and held their heads high, their gazes burning with boundless admiration and trust as they looked upon their own chief disciple.

"Senior Brother Fang, everyone is here. Let’s set out." Jiang Che paid no mind to the complicated stares, breaking the silence with his calm voice.

Fang Muye glanced at him, his lips moving. In the end, he just forced out a single word from his throat: "Right."

Then, without a backward glance, he took the lead and started down the mountain.

Unconcerned, Jiang Che waved to his fellow disciples. The group of ten then set off imposingly toward Wolf Fang Valley.

...

Wolf Fang Valley was located on the western side of the Black Wind Mountain Range.

By the time Jiang Che’s party reached the entrance to the valley, it was nearly dusk.

The afterglow of the setting sun dyed the entire valley an eerie, blood-red hue.

On both sides of the valley were countless jagged, bizarrely shaped black rocks, like ferocious wolf fangs stabbing toward the heavens.

The valley floor was rugged and filled with grotesque rock formations. The terrain was treacherous, with almost no discernible path.

The wind howled through the valley, an eerie sound like the wailing of ghosts and wolves that sent a chill down the spine.

"The smell of blood is so strong..." a disciple from Yunhai Courtyard murmured, frowning as he instinctively tightened his grip on his weapon.

Jiang Che’s True: All-Seeing Eye had already taken in everything around them.

He could clearly "see" several chaotic and sinister auras, flickering in and out of existence deep within the valley.

"Be careful, everyone," Jiang Che warned in a low voice. "There’s likely more than a few ’things’ inside."

Hearing this, everyone’s expression turned grim.

Fang Muye glanced at Jiang Che but said nothing, simply making a silent hand gesture.

The Liufeng Courtyard disciples behind him immediately fanned out, taking up a formation ideal for both defense and assault.

Seeing this, Jiang Che gestured for the Yunhai Courtyard disciples to take up a position on the flank of the Liufeng Courtyard group, providing mutual support.

Though the two squads were at odds, the moment they set foot in this perilous land, they began to cooperate.

The party advanced cautiously, slipping deep into Wolf Fang Valley.

The light within the valley was dim, and the path was rugged.

Before they had gone far, they discovered traces of the Demon Sect near a hidden cave.

"Kill!"

Without a moment’s hesitation, Jiang Che and Fang Muye exchanged a look and, almost simultaneously, gave the order to attack!

The disciples charged like tigers descending a mountain, instantly storming the poorly guarded cave!

A one-sided slaughter began!

Although there were several dozen Demon Sect members in the cave, the strongest among them were merely two leaders at the Early Stage of the Refining Organ Realm.

Facing two gods of slaughter like Jiang Che and Fang Muye, they were cut down effortlessly, unable to even mount a proper resistance before being completely annihilated.

After the battle, the disciples began to clear the battlefield.

"We’re rich! We’re rich! Chief Senior Brother, look! There’s a hidden compartment here, and it’s full of gold drafts!"

"And there are plenty of Elixir Pills over here!"

After a thorough search, the disciples had managed to loot valuables worth several thousand taels of Gold and a significant amount of Cultivation resources from this small outpost.

However, as Jiang Che looked at the rich spoils of war, his brow only furrowed more deeply.

’This is... too easy,’ he thought to himself. ’It’s like... someone served this up on a silver platter, just waiting for us to arrive!’

This feeling made him uneasy.

They continued deeper into the valley, taking out two more similar Demon Sect outposts in quick succession.

Each encounter was tense but ultimately posed no real danger, and each time they plundered a great deal of wealth.

The mood of the group gradually grew more relaxed and excited.

Only Jiang Che’s unease grew ever stronger.

After they had looted another outpost clean, Jiang Che looked at his map and addressed the others.

"Alright, the outer outposts have all been cleared. All that’s left is the core nest in the deepest part of the valley floor."

He glanced at the disciples, who were now laden with spoils but visibly fatigued, and said in a solemn tone:

"The area ahead is exceptionally dangerous, so you will all stay behind. Rest here, take stock of the loot, and guard the perimeter."

He wasn’t sure what enemies they might encounter ahead.

If things got too dangerous, he could use Shadow Escape to flee.

But these other disciples would be throwing their lives away for nothing, and that was not something he wanted to see.

"Yes, Chief Senior Brother!" Hearing his orders, they all breathed a collective sigh of relief and answered in unison.

Fang Muye glanced at Jiang Che and said nothing, simply giving a silent nod in clear agreement with the arrangement.

After seeing the others settled, Jiang Che and Fang Muye’s figures blurred, transforming into two streaks of light as they ventured stealthily into the deep, dark heart of the valley.