In reality, there was only one path here, blocked by the people of the Blood Demon Sect. Chen Ming could only move deeper inside, heading back to the cave where he encountered the Fire Bats earlier. Running into people in this place was all too common.

Besides the man who resembled Jiang Shihua in appearance and demeanor, there were another seven or eight people gathered in groups of three or two, keeping a certain distance from each other, clearly not from the same faction.

They most likely got separated from their companions during the chaos earlier and fled this way.

The man similar to Jiang Shihua shouted sternly, "Everyone heard it, this guy is fraternizing with the Blood Demon Sect people. He must also be of the demon kind."

Soon, two people chimed in, "That’s right, this person associates with demonic people from the Longevity Evil Cult, clearly his motives aren’t good. Everyone has witnessed it."

Upon hearing this, Deng Ziyang’s expression changed, staring intently at the three speakers.

Chen Ming knew he had been too dazzling in the Cyan Cloud Ranking battle, stealing the spotlight from the offspring of the noble families and sects. These people had long been displeased with him.

Now seizing the opportunity, they were trying to pin a hat on him.

Chen Ming glanced sidelong at the three of them, saying lightly, "Once you get out, you can spread rumors that I’m colluding with the Longevity Evil Cult, leaving me with nowhere to stand in Great Jin. If I’m really pushed to the edge, I’ll join the Demonic Sect. You guys better clean your necks and wait for me to come kill you."

The three furiously shouted, "How dare you threaten us!"

Almost simultaneously, the three attacked, one Fist Gang accompanied by two Sword Gangs hurled towards Chen Ming, their moves ruthless and lethal, clearly aiming to seize this rare opportunity to kill this guy on the spot.

It could only be said that the three of them had remarkable coordination.

Seeing Chen Ming standing still, seemingly unable to react, the three of them sneered inwardly. They didn’t expect this guy to be so foolish, daring to defy them, three Third Grade individuals, giving them the opening they were looking for.

They were careful to avoid Yu Haitang when they struck, lest they harm her and provoke Cangyue Sect.

"Stop—"

In the crowd, someone from Cangyue Sect was alarmed, fearing for Yu Haitang’s safety. If she were harmed, he couldn’t explain to the Sect Leader’s wife.

Seeing Chen Ming was about to perish on the spot.

Suddenly, a Gang Yuan Shield like a flame appeared out of thin air, the three Gang Yuan struck it, only causing mild ripples that quickly subsided.

"What?"

"Third Grade?"

"How is that possible?"

"..."

All those present were Third Grade or higher experts, with keen eyesight, naturally able to see that the Gang Yuan Shield was cast by Chen Ming.

This made not only the three attackers’ expressions change but also left the rest speechless with shock.

This isn’t right, is it?

The Cyan Cloud Ranking contest was merely two months ago, he was clearly Fifth Grade at that time, how suddenly is he Third Grade?

It’s common for someone to break through from Fifth Grade to Fourth Grade after the Cyan Cloud Ranking. Even if he had broken through to Fourth Grade at that time, how could he have advanced from Fourth to Third Grade in just a mere two months?

At that moment, all nine people present, no matter how experienced, were dumbfounded, as if dreaming.

"Fake, it must be fake!"

The man resembling Jiang Shihua’s face turned a bit sinister, drew his sword, his murderous intent boiling, "Chen Ming, you think using this Blinding Technique to masquerade as Third Grade scares me? Today, I will kill you."

When he attacked, it was with the Jiang Family’s swordsmanship, "Verdant Waves a Thousand Miles."

With Third Grade cultivation, displaying this swordsmanship exhibited a magnificent aura, far surpassing Jiang Shihua back in the day.

This strike already had the signs of Sword Intent.

Those present, evaluating the performance, knew he was not far from comprehending Sword Intent. Once he comprehends it, it means no threshold for the Second Grade! 𝗳𝐫𝚎𝗲𝚠𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝘃𝚎𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝗺

First Grade potential!

The thought flashed through the minds of those present, causing mixed feelings.

At the same time, they were also very concerned, "How will Chen Ming respond to this strike?"

Buzz!

Only to see the "Mingfeng Sword" hanging at Chen Ming’s waist unsheathed itself, emitting a dazzling light.

After reaching Third Grade, he could finally unleash the true power of this Unparalleled Divine Weapon.

Those present felt as if their heartstrings were plucked, involuntarily evoking a tender, waterlike affection, once more seeing the deepest figure in their hearts, unable to control their emotions—

Boom!

A loud noise pulled them back to reality. Jiang Youtang was sent flying, crashing into the wall, embedded and unconscious on the ground.

"Sword Intent!"

Someone muttered almost dreamily.

Everyone present felt their hair stand on end, scalp tingling, looking at that towering figure, speechless for the moment.

This young man not only advanced to Third Grade but also comprehended Sword Intent. Even if it was achieved with the help of the Unparalleled Divine Weapon, it was an extremely terrifying feat.

This meant his strength was top-notch even among the Third Grade.

Too terrifying!

Chen Ming no longer looked at them, walking step by step towards the passage.

Everyone tacitly made way for him to pass.

Especially the two who had just attacked, felt chilled to the bone by his glance, not daring to move, having seen Jiang Youtang’s miserable state.

Suddenly, they recalled Chen Ming’s earlier words, feeling inexplicably cold in their hearts.

They thought it was a joke, how could a mere Fourth Grade dare threaten them?

Now, they were truly afraid, such exceptional talent, not even Shang Jianfei, who once, with an invincible posture, almost swept through the entire Jiangzhou’s peers, could compare.

How high will this young man’s future accomplishments reach?

If, as he said, he truly joins the Demonic Sect in a fit of rage, achieving great power and returning for revenge...

...

After a while, Chen Ming, along with Deng Ziyang and Yu Haitang, arrived at the previous cave, only to find it in disarray.

Only a few Fire Bats were circling in the air.

There were no bodies on the ground; the strength of this group was still too much, mere Fire Bats couldn’t hold them back.

The one truly severely injured was only Chen Ming.

Who made his strength the weakest?

Deng Ziyang had already regained his mobility; not only had his injuries greatly improved, but even his aura had strengthened significantly. He probably absorbed Gao Chen’s cultivation within the "Blood God Pearl".

It must be said, this Blood Demon Sect’s cultivation technique is just too much of a cheat.

Such severe injuries, if it were an ordinary person, would require lying down for one or two months at least.

Deng Ziyang said worriedly, "The further inside we go, I’m afraid the demon beasts will be even stronger. With your strength, getting through this sprawling cavern isn’t difficult, but after that, it will be too dangerous. At that point, there will be demon beasts ahead, and pursuers behind, making it troublesome."

Since Senior Brother Zhu knows the Blood God Pearl is on him, he will never rest until relieved and will definitely pursue relentlessly.

The other party is a First Grade expert, which is practically unsolvable.

Danger?

Chen Ming placed Yu Haitang on the ground, raised the "Mingfeng Sword", and said, "Let me take care of these beasts. You help watch over her."

Saying so, he sped up, his body technique almost on par with those Fire Bats.

With a single sword strike, he killed the nearest Fire Bat; immediately, the remaining Fire Bats, provoked, swarmed toward him.

In the air, Chen Ming twisted and maneuvered, like a flying bird, often able to dodge the Fire Bats’ attacks at the most incredible moments.

Whenever he thrusts his sword, a Fire Bat’s corpse would fall.

In no time, he had already slain more than a dozen Fire Bats.

Watching him unleash his might in the passage, Deng Ziyang felt an extraordinarily complex emotion. Unexpectedly, he had fallen into the Demonic Dao, cultivated Demon Skills, presuming his strength had progressed rapidly each day.

In just a few years, he had stepped into Fourth Grade, which is already rare in the world.

Who knew, it still didn’t compare to Chen Ming, who left him far behind.

Recently, Deng Ziyang heard that Chen Ming had made a great impression in the Cyan Cloud Ranking contest, ranking sixth, already astonishing enough.

Seeing him outside earlier, he even had Fourth Grade cultivation.

Now, he broke through to Third Grade.

At such speed, even he, a demon child who practiced the "Blood God Technique", couldn’t match.

He’s well aware that even if he swallowed the origin of several Third Grade experts, breaking into Third Grade, he’s still far from being Chen Ming’s opponent.

Not to mention that unparalleled divine weapon, just the Sword Intent he mastered would take him ten years and may still be unattainable.

Deng Ziyang has self-awareness of his comprehension skills.

Nevertheless, watching Chen Ming unleash his might, slaughtering those Fire Bats as easily as killing chickens, he couldn’t help but worry that the depletion was too great.

After reaching Third Grade, it’s not easy to restore consumed Gang Yuan. Unlike Fourth Grade, which can recover after meditating for a night.

Third Grade’s consumed Gang Yuan either requires the power of elixirs or treasures like the Fire Element Pearl to recover quickly.

Therefore, unless necessary, Third Grade experts rarely make moves, cherishing their Gang Yuan, fearing excessive depletion and inability to recover quickly, which could prove fatal when faced with a strong enemy.

However, at this moment, Chen Ming just broke through to Third Grade, so his enthusiasm was understandable.

Deng Ziyang watched him slaughter all the Fire Bats within the cavern.

...

[You killed a Level 69 Fire Bat, gaining 10,000 experience points.]

[You killed a Level 69 Fire Bat, gaining 10,000 experience points.]

[...]

Chen Ming finally returned satisfied after slaying the last Fire Bat.

Before breaking through, he had already noticed that this type of demon beast provided him with significantly less experience points compared to defeating "Human-shaped Monster".

During Fourth Grade, it was 50,000 points, and now it’s only 10,000.

Still not bad; altogether twenty-three Fire Bats equals 230,000.

Along with defeating that Third Grade of the Jiang Family earlier, earning 45,000.

[Level: 70]

[Current Points: 449896]

[Cultivation Technique: "Iron Horse Stance" (Fifth Level Perfection), "Five Elements True Skill (Missing)" (Seventh Level 178/10000000)]

[Martial Skill: "Three Talents Fist" (Mastery), Eight Trigrams Saber Technique (Mastery), Zhuang’s Flying Knife (Mastery), Swallow Returning Sword Technique (Mastery), "Vermilion Bird Swordsmanship" (Mastery), "Phoenix Dance of Nine Heavens" (Third Level 1322/300000)]

[Secret Technique: "Disguise Technique" (Mastery)]

"Add points!"

Chen Ming immediately upgraded the "Phoenix Dance of Nine Heavens" to the fourth level.

With a boom.

He felt his body undergoing some peculiar transformation, the change seemingly emanating from the deepest part of his body, mysteriously.

It felt as if wings had grown on his back.

He even had an illusion of being able to fly now.

The control over Gang Yuan had improved qualitatively as well.

Now, Chen Ming finally felt he possessed a certain ability for self-preservation, even when facing a First Grade expert. In such an environment, he felt confident he could escape.

Next, it’s time to survive strategically.

Anyhow, others would remove those Fire Element Pearls. As for that key, given his current strength, attempting to snatch it would be akin to seeking death.

He knows that his strength is significantly inferior even compared to Second Grade, let alone First Grade.

Now he should consider both evading the pursuit of the Blood Demon Sect First Grade and searching within this cavern for other demon beasts to farm experience from.

"Who’s there?"

A sudden warning arose in Chen Ming’s heart. He turned to see a man sneaking behind him.

"Hold your hand."

The man hurriedly stepped forward and said, "I’m Xu Liangchen, a disciple of the Cangyue Sect, tasked by the Sect Leader to find Miss Yu."