"But then again! I imagine your achievements must be closely tied to that sword of yours!" Lu Tong remarked, "Dong Guan said your progress in slaying monsters for cultivation is astonishing, easily more than ten times that of an ordinary person." As he spoke, Lu Tong glanced towards Dong Guan, who was chuckling awkwardly nearby. We, too, looked at Dong Guan with strange expressions; it seemed this fellow had laid bare almost all our secrets.

"Heh heh!" Lu Tong laughed, "Truthfully, when Dong Guan first told me about this, I thought he was exaggerating, but after meeting you, I realize Dong Guan was telling the truth. With the swordplay you've displayed, you truly can achieve that. It also explains how you possess such strength at your age." At this point, Lu Tong paused slightly, turning to me with a grave expression, "However, while this method aids rapid advancement, it will also cause unforeseen harm."

"Harm!" I gasped, "What kind of harm?"

"Because you slay monsters too quickly, it inevitably leads to an extreme accumulation of killing intent. You must know, the concept of condensed killing intent has existed on the continent since ancient times. The more monsters a person slays, the heavier the killing intent that builds up in their body. Ordinary people, because their slaying pace is balanced during cultivation, have time to buffer and dissipate this murderous thought. Therefore, the killing intent doesn't cause much harm to common martial artists. But it’s different for you. Due to the sheer speed of your monster slaying, the killing intent that has accumulated often hasn't dispersed before being overwhelmed by new killing energy. This inevitably causes the internal killing energy to stagnate and become unable to vent. Over time, this settled killing intent will harm you. This harm is terrifying; while it won't physically injure your body, it will inflict serious damage upon your spirit." Finishing this, Lu Tong looked at me with curiosity, "The ancients once said: one who slaughters a hundred men develops Intent-Kill; one who slaughters a thousand develops Bloodlust; one who slaughters ten thousand develops Rage-Kill. One who slaughters tens of millions achieves Nether-Kill! Yet, I see no strange reactions in you!"

"One who slaughters a hundred men develops Intent-Kill, one who slaughters a thousand develops Bloodlust, one who slaughters ten thousand develops Rage-Kill! One who slaughters tens of millions achieves Nether-Kill!" I murmured involuntarily, but what did these words truly mean?

"The killing intent in this world is divided into four types," Lu Tong stated somberly. "Intent-Kill: The ordinary martial artists on the continent who seek justice or revenge, drawing blades readily, but who do not easily take a life. Such people possess killing aura and intent, but they are not terrifying. This killing energy, controllable by thought, is called Intent-Kill.

Bloodlust: These individuals often treat slaughter as a pleasure and possess an intense desire to kill. They engage in life-or-death struggles instantly, fighting until one side is annihilated—extremely dangerous. Many on the continent who fall into heretical paths are often blinded by this Bloodlust, losing their true nature.

But compared to the third type, Rage-Kill, Bloodlust is insignificant. This is because Bloodlust is used to prove one's existence through slaughter. While such people are frightening, they also have a weakness—they still fear death.

But Bloodlust is different. The ancients said: slaughtering ten men forms Intent-Kill, slaughtering a hundred or a thousand forms Bloodlust, slaughtering ten thousand forms Rage-Kill, and slaughtering tens of millions forms Nether-Kill.

Rage-Killers: For them, killing or not killing holds little difference. In their eyes, the act of slaughter itself holds no special meaning; killing someone is no different from crushing an ant. They have become numb to killing; life and death are nearly the same. This is why such people are the most terrifying: they do not fear death, and facing life and death, they generate no negative emotions detrimental to combat. They have no weakness.

However, compared to Nether-Kill, Rage-Kill is nothing. Nether-Killers are the epitome of all killing intent in the world, possessing an aura capable of obliterating everything. Their very existence is dedicated to destruction. Over a thousand years ago, there was a man named Jiu You. He was originally an unknown nobody in the Demon Sealing Empire. But during one mission, he fell into a terrifying slaughter illusion. In that illusory world, he killed tens of millions of demons in just ten days. From then on, his killing intent condensed, and his temperament drastically changed. Upon leaving the illusion and returning to the continent, he unleashed a terrifying catastrophe.

Because the killing energy accumulated within him could not be expelled, he fell under the control of the Nether-Kill inner demon and launched destructive attacks against every living creature he could see, causing widespread disaster. The Demon Sealing Empire deployed an elite squad of one thousand Scarlet Moon Warriors, the Scarlet Moon Death Squad, yet they were still no match for him and were all slaughtered.

Subsequently, the Demon Sealing Empire dispatched a kill team composed of ten Heaven Demon Warriors, two Flame Mages, and one Light Daoist. They engaged him in fierce battle at Demon Sealing City and finally managed to kill him. However, the only survivor of that battle was that Light Daoist. Everyone else was killed by Jiu You.

Later generations were bewildered by Jiu You's terrifying strength. Keep in mind, Jiu You was originally nothing more than an ordinary nobody of mediocre skill. It was only when the Great Sorcerer of Mo Luo at the time revealed the presence of an extremely terrifying killing aura on Jiu You that the world recalled the records of the Nether-Kill aura in ancient texts.

From then on, Jiu You became the first recorded Destroyer possessing the Nether-Kill aura in history, referred to by later martial artists as Jiu You the Nether-Killer." With that, Lu Tong stopped speaking.

"Jiu You the Nether-Killer," Long Xin gasped in horror, "Does such a terrifying killing aura truly exist in this world?"

"How is that possible? How could a person become that strong?" Long Zhan also looked utterly incredulous.

Vaguely, I recalled that terrifying killing thought in my mind; perhaps it had some connection to Nether-Kill.

"When Dong Guan told me about your cultivation progress being ten times that of ordinary people, I became even more eager to meet you. The purpose was to see if you exhibited any phenomenon of condensed killing energy caused by excessive slaughter," Lu Tong admitted, then looked at me with confusion, "However, upon meeting you, I didn't sense any heavily condensed killing aura, and your duel with Lu Zhao remained very rational, showing no negative signs of accumulated killing intent whatsoever."

"So that was the real reason you wanted to see me?" I asked, slightly surprised. "If I had shown negative effects from accumulated killing energy, what would you have done?"

"Rest assured," Lu Tong calmly replied, "Even if there were something amiss with you, I wouldn't do anything to you. However, the Nether-Kill aura shares many similarities with the terrifying demonic nature of the Scarlet Blood Demonic Sword. Therefore, if you possessed the characteristics of condensed killing energy, it would be of great help to my research on how to break the demonic nature of the Scarlet Blood Demonic Sword."

"Then Senior must be quite disappointed now?" I felt a twinge of unease.

"A little!" Lu Tong was direct.

"Heh heh, Senior is truly straightforward!" I replied guiltily. I felt an intense sense of unease now. Lu Tong's words had given me a preliminary understanding of that strange killing thought in my mind. It seemed the negative effects of condensed killing energy weren't absent in me, but rather existed in a subtle, concealed manner deep within my inner consciousness, which Lu Tong simply hadn't detected. But I was also curious why Lu Tong would tell me all this. If he wished, he didn't need to say a word.

"Senior, why tell me all this?" I voiced the question troubling my heart.

"Because you are Dong Guan's friend," Lu Tong replied. "Additionally, I hope that if you ever feel anything is wrong in the future, you will tell me. That would benefit both you and me. If the negative effects of condensed killing energy are not properly vented, it will cause your temperament to change drastically, leading you down the demonic path—a fate I doubt you wish to face."

Honestly, after hearing Lu Tong's explanation, I almost blurted out the existence of the killing thought within me. However, my overly suspicious nature from my previous life finally kept me silent. Subconsciously, I did not want anyone to know about this killing thought. Furthermore, I held an inexplicable wariness toward an iron-fisted figure like Lu Tong; this was ingrained from the countless dramas and movies of my past life. The words of powerful figures cannot easily be trusted, for the very reason they are powerful is often their profound depth of cunning.

"Thank you for your concern, Senior," I said, masking my wariness with an appearance of gratitude. "I will remember your words."

"Heh heh! Good!" Lu Tong chuckled, his expression turning benevolent, "However, this has made me realize something else."

"What? There's something else!" My heart tightened.

"That your body constitution, to reach this realm, is indeed incredible, though not entirely without reason," Lu Tong mused. "By conventional methods, given your physique, even practicing for another ten years would, at best, only bring you to the level of an Intermediate Warrior. But you mastered that sword technique, greatly accelerating your monster-slaying progress and vastly increasing your promotion speed compared to others. The most direct consequence is that your fragile body is bearing the burden of powerful Dou Qi energy, directly resulting in your current state. This is a miracle rarely seen in martial arts history! The condensation of killing energy hasn't affected your spirit, but it has maximized the potential of your body—you could consider this your good fortune!" Lu Tong couldn't help but express envy, "You are truly a lucky one, rarely seen in a century. I suspect that hidden recluse master saw this very quality in you when passing down that sword technique and that life-saving sword technique."

"Heh heh, yes! Perhaps!" I could only offer a dry laugh, fearful of the conversation drifting back to that non-existent master. "It's just that compared to opponents of the same rank, my strength still seems overly weak."

"That is unavoidable. Innate weakness remains a difficult defect to mend," Lu Tong chuckled lightly. "But you should be content."

The meal lasted a full two hours. Lu Tong seemed very pleased, and Madam Lu also appeared fond of us young people, perhaps because of Dong Guan.

Even after we were full, Lu Tong's desire to converse did not wane. We followed him back to the training hall.

"Can you tell me your plans now?" Lu Tong casually drew a replica of the Scarlet Blood Demonic Sword.

"I plan to visit the Madman Ying Zhen." This had actually been planned back in the Death Coffin, but I now had a new priority: I needed to return home before seeing Ying Zhen: "It is rumored that Madman Ying Zhen is the top-ranked fast-sword master among the younger generation. I wish to witness his skill; perhaps it will assist my future improvement."

"Oh? Is that so?" Lu Tong nodded slightly. "That's good. Mutual learning is indeed very helpful for improving strength. However, that fellow is notoriously arrogant, not even holding Lu Zhao in high regard. I estimate it will be difficult for you to meet him, and even if you do, he might not pay you much attention."

"I've considered that, Youngster," I replied, "I just plan to try my luck and see just how fast his sword is!" I had long anticipated Lu Tong’s words. Of course, I never intended to forge any connections with Ying Zhen; after all, I am just an obscure figure.

"Actually, Ying Zhen isn't the only master of the fast sword in the world!" Lu Tong continued. "There is Bi He from the Elephant Alliance Academy, Gao Huan from the White Sun Heaven Gate, and Jian Li from Bi Qi—all renowned fast-sword masters. Gaining guidance from any one of them would be immensely beneficial."

"But they are all peerless masters of our time. As an ordinary youth from a common background, how could I possibly get close to them, let alone receive their guidance?" I asked helplessly.

"Heh heh, who says you won't have a chance? I dare say if they knew your talent, they'd be fighting to snatch you up!" Lu Zhao retorted sharply, "Don't let the fame of those old guys intimidate you. They are all utter scoundrels."

"Ah." To everyone's surprise, the usually composed Lu Zhao reacted so passionately upon hearing those names.

"Er... well, this is..." Dong Guan chuckled awkwardly. "Brother Lu Zhao once received instruction from them and is familiar with them."

"I see." Although Dong Guan was vague, I caught the drift. It seemed Lu Zhao had suffered quite a bit under those famous swordsmen.

"Heh heh, Lu Zhao isn't entirely wrong about that," Lu Tong said, unperturbed by Lu Zhao's reaction. "The world knows it's hard to find a master, but they don't realize that a renowned master also finds it hard to find a disciple with good enough aptitude. Many masters with peerless skills take their knowledge to the grave because they can't find suitable successors. Given your skill and talent, becoming their disciple would not be difficult; however, the test of character must be passed." Lu Tong smiled faintly as he said this, "I believe you have already passed this test."

"Senior praises me too highly," I bowed respectfully. "But why do you say I have passed?"

"Respecting one's teacher and keeping one's promises are the most fundamental requirements for a martial artist. Having achieved this, as long as one is not a person of extreme malice, one meets their criteria!" Lu Tong revealed a slight smile. "You have already proven through your actions that you are a martial artist who respects his teachers and keeps his word. And I believe someone who has come this far for his mother cannot be a truly wicked man, can he?"

"I am ashamed," I felt a chill crawl down my spine.

"With your aptitude, receiving guidance from a renowned master would certainly open up greater potential for improvement. And I am unwilling to see such talent wasted!" Lu Tong then looked at me, "I have some acquaintance with these individuals. If you are willing, I can recommend you to them. This would be a rare and wonderful thing for both you and them. What do you say?"

"Thank you for your generosity, Senior," In that moment, I was truly grateful to Lu Tong from the bottom of my heart. Gaining guidance from these senior masters would be an immeasurable help to me.

"Work hard," Lu Zhao said with a sour expression, "You enviable Pseudo-Martial Artist."

"Heh heh!" This fellow was certainly direct.

"This sword, I give to you," Lu Tong said, handing the replica Scarlet Blood Demonic Sword to me. "If you meet them, simply showing this sword will make them understand your purpose!"

"Senior!" I was utterly astonished. "How can this be? This sword is too precious; I cannot accept it." I knew that the material of this sword was forged from the exact same components as the Scarlet Blood Demonic Sword. That fact alone left me aghast.

"Even the finest sword is a waste if it just sits on a rack. Furthermore, although I haven't seen your sword technique, I imagine since it focuses on direct thrusts, it must follow some extreme path. Remember, sometimes excess is counterproductive; extremes invite reversal. An overly simple attack style can easily be seen through. This sword, however, not only has a sharper edge than your fencing sword but its blade surpasses your Hundred Battles Long Saber. If used well, it can fully exploit the characteristics of both your saber and sword techniques—it is the most suitable weapon to complement both your fighting styles," Lu Tong stated earnestly. "So, please, accept it."

A gift from an elder cannot be refused! "This junior accepts it!" I took the sword, though inside, I was absolutely thrilled.

"That's better," Lu Zhao smiled faintly. "But let me remind you, don't even think about selling this sword for money."

"Ah!" I froze momentarily. Sell it for money? Hmm, that wasn't a bad idea. If this sword could truly be sold, it would fetch an astronomical price. However, considering it was a gift from Lu Tong, I wouldn't dare even if I wanted to! "Brother Lu, how could I possibly dare?" This fellow was clearly harboring raw jealousy.

"Others might not, but it’s hard to say with you Pseudo-Martial Artists," Lu Zhao continued with a smile.

"Heh heh, this, Brother Lu is truly direct!" I was defeated by him. Others at least try to hide their jealousy slightly, but this guy was so open about it, showing me absolutely no face.

"Mm! Very good!" Lu Tong also showed a look of satisfaction. "I hope you treat this sword well."

"This junior will certainly cherish it," I replied respectfully.

"Alright, I have some matters to attend to, so I won't keep you company!" Lu Tong announced. "If you wish, you can stay a few more days at Azure Dragon Fortress, but I won't have time to entertain you. I hope you don't mind."

"Not at all, Senior, you are too kind," I replied respectfully.

"Stop calling me 'Senior, Senior.' It makes me sound like some ancient old man," Lu Tong said. "From now on, just call me Uncle Lu. It sounds much more pleasant."

"Yes, Uncle Lu," I was overjoyed. The difference between 'Senior' and 'Uncle' was vast. This meant Lu Tong had accepted us. Gaining the approval of such a powerful figure as Lu Tong was a monumental stroke of fortune.

Long Xin and the others, being from noble families, instantly realized this and were ecstatic. They quickly chorused, "Uncle Lu."

"Hahahaha." Lu Tong seemed genuinely happy. "I feel quite a bit younger now." Lu Tong continued, "Since you are all from noble backgrounds and lack nothing, I couldn't think of anything else to give you." Lu Tong then looked at me, "If you are willing, you can enter the Alliance Academy with Dong Guan to study. I believe it will greatly benefit your future. Consider this your meeting gift."

"Alliance Academy," Long Xin gasped in shock, then broke into an expression of overwhelming joy. "Thank you, Uncle Lu!" The Alliance Academy was the highest-ranked educational institution on the continent. Entering it was impossible without a certain status and talent. Even Long Xin and the others, with their background from the Long family of Beichuan, did not qualify to enter. It was a true noble academy; without significant standing or an introduction from someone as influential as Lu Tong, entry was impossible.

It was no wonder Long Xin and the others were so ecstatic. Entering the Alliance Academy was tantamount to having one foot already planted in the top echelons of the nobility on the Mafa Continent. Upon graduation, they would certainly become sought-after figures, rich or noble. However, I didn't pay much mind to this. After all, I had spent over a decade studying in my previous life; being forced into a school setting again would surely suffocate me. Moreover, my cultivation could not be completed in an academy.

"Work hard," Lu Tong said, then turned and left the hall, clearly busy with matters.