Yet, Teng Qingshan possessed Dark Vision, allowing him to clearly discern what lay below. The tunnel was not a sheer drop but curved subtly, its width varying constantly, as if carved by a colossal beast slowly burrowing its way up from the earth’s depths—an irregular passage, at that. Because of its irregularity, some sections were inclined, others featured steep slopes. Teng Qingshan, his Reincarnation Spear shouldered, moved swiftly, finding purchase on the rock walls as he plunged deeper into the passage. The further he went, the deeper the tunnel descended.

“Look at these ravines etched into the stone walls within the mountain’s core,” Teng Qingshan’s gaze swept over the sheer surfaces. “With gullies this wide, if my guess is correct, this must be the path carved out by the Six-Legged Blade Demon as it moved through the mountain.” Teng Qingshan grew more certain. Below lay the Six-Legged Blade Demon’s lair.

“Hoo~~ hoo~~” It sounded like the wind, yet also like the deep, resonant snores of some immense demonic beast. As Teng Qingshan descended, the sound grew louder. “A demonic beast snoring? That’s quite rare.” “Besides, after being taught a lesson by Qingluan, the beast should have fled.”

Moments later, Teng Qingshan had reached an extreme depth: “If my estimation holds, I should now be at the same elevation as the base of the mountain, not exceeding three Zhang difference!” At this point, the cave ahead was no longer deep to Teng Qingshan’s sight… because the remaining depth of the passage was only five Zhang! A foul, pungent odor drifted up. “This smell…” Teng Qingshan’s heart quickened. Having fought the Six-Legged Blade Demon before, he instantly recognized the scent it carried. “It’s the Six-Legged Blade Demon’s scent!” “Its lair must be just below!” “I wonder if it’s still here.”

Teng Qingshan unslung the Reincarnation Spear from his back, held his breath completely, and proceeded with extreme caution, each step feather-light. Though only five Zhang long, Teng Qingshan traversed this segment slower than an ordinary person might. Standing at the edge of the passage, Teng Qingshan peered ahead. It opened into a vast chamber, spanning thirty Zhang in length and width, and rising seven or eight Zhang high. At first glance, it resembled the great arenas he had seen in his previous life. A unique, fetid stench permeated this cavernous space. The walls were heavily marked with numerous grooves. In the center of the cavern floor lay a terrifying demonic beast, over seven Zhang long (approximately eighteen meters). It possessed two pairs of colossal wings, thin as cicada wings yet incredibly resilient, its entire body encased in scales resembling golden steel armor. Its six legs, shaped like massive scythes, were tipped with sharp spikes, making the creature look utterly savage—it was the Six-Legged Blade Demon he had battled previously! The golden steel armor on the creature bore faint scorch marks, indicating the burns inflicted by Qingluan’s flames had not fully healed. “It’s actually still here!”

Teng Qingshan’s gaze fixed on the demon’s triangular head. Its pair of protruding, enormous eyes now stared back at him with icy malice! Within the huge golden orbs, the minuscule, almost negligible black pupils glinted with an eerie light. “As expected, sharp. Even with my caution, you detected me.” Teng Qingshan let out a hearty laugh, locking eyes with the enormous beast. “Roar~~” The Six-Legged Blade Demon emitted a piercing, furious bellow. In the beast’s view, it held neither the spear-wielding human (Teng Qingshan) nor the other blade-wielding human (the Great Elder Mu Wang) in any regard. Had it not been for Qingluan that day, the Six-Legged Blade Demon was confident it could have slain both Teng Qingshan and the Great Elder! It had never anticipated… That the human before it, having escaped death once, would dare to return!

“Boom!” The Six-Legged Blade Demon’s monstrous body sprang upright. Its pair of forelegs, five Zhang long (about twelve to thirteen meters) and resembling giant scythes, swung out to cleave at Teng Qingshan! The edges of those forelegs gleamed with a cold sheen, sharp as blades. “Good timing!” Teng Qingshan’s eyes lit up, and he laughed loudly. His form sliced through the air in a strange arc, as slippery as a loach in water. “You vile creature, I couldn't best you last time, but this time, I’ll show you my true power!” Having just mastered the seventh punch of the Earth-Wielding Fist, Teng Qingshan’s strength had surged, and he desperately craved a fight! “Clang!” “Clang!” Teng Qingshan’s Reincarnation Spear flashed like arcs of silver lightning, effortlessly parrying the two massive scythe-like strikes. With every impact, the raw power of the direct collision generated terrifying spatial ripples that shook the entire cave system with a deep rumble. “Crack, crack~~” Cracks spread across the mountain walls. “Boom! Thud!” Chunks of rock plummeted from above, striking the Six-Legged Blade Demon, yet they barely managed to disrupt the precision of its attacks. “Vile beast, do you think just these two blade-legs can stop me? Dream on!” Teng Qingshan laughed loudly, simultaneously blocking the descending blades and pressing closer toward the creature’s body, intending to strike the core of its physique. After all, the six blade-legs were too formidable. The enraged Six-Legged Blade Demon’s triangular head split open as its mouth gaped: “Roar~~”

Buzzing~~~ Its two pairs of giant wings vibrated slightly, and the Six-Legged Blade Demon immediately hovered in mid-air, freeing its middle and rear legs from supporting its weight. Instantly, all six massive scythe-like legs whipped toward Teng Qingshan in a flurry of strikes. The terrifying speed of the legs transformed them, in a flash, into shadows of a thousand threads! “Bring it on!” Teng Qingshan shouted in excitement instead. What was the point of simply killing the Six-Legged Blade Demon? Teng Qingshan intended to use it to hone his spear techniques. It was proving exceedingly difficult to find a suitable sparring partner at his level. Take Qingluan, for instance; her flames were devastating, but if he couldn't block them, the result was certain severe injury or death—offering no benefit to his spear mastery. The Six-Legged Blade Demon was different. The shadows of its six legs attacked simultaneously, like six immense blades! Furthermore, its blade artistry was incredibly refined! “Clang clang clang clang~~” A cacophony of piercing clashes erupted. Teng Qingshan was momentarily enveloped by the shadows of a thousand legs, and his Reincarnation Spear likewise dissolved into countless phantom strikes. A hemispherical shield, composed entirely of dense spear shadows, materialized around Teng Qingshan’s body. “This monster’s strength is immense.” Teng Qingshan’s hands felt a dull numbness. The stones beneath his feet completely fractured. Under the fierce exchange, any shattered rock fragments that collided were instantly pulverized into dust. “My spear technique is still not perfect.” “My previous ‘Primordial One Energy’ spear technique had sufficient speed. But now, not only must the speed be fast, but every thrust must also guard against these blade strikes, each weighing at least hundreds of thousands of jin.” Each blade strike weighed hundreds of thousands of jin, and six attacked simultaneously at terrifying velocity. In the midst of this intense analysis, Teng Qingshan subtly adjusted his spear art. Practice, after all, was the ultimate test of validity. Battling the Six-Legged Blade Demon allowed him to pinpoint the flaws in his technique. This brief, intense engagement yielded him immense gains.

Ten breaths passed! The man and the demon had exchanged tens of thousands of blows. “Roar~~” The Six-Legged Blade Demon suddenly ascended higher. “What is it doing?” Teng Qingshan paused. “Trying to escape?” The airborne Six-Legged Blade Demon violently flapped its two pairs of wings and dove downward at a terrifying velocity! The beast’s inherent strength already surpassed Teng Qingshan’s. Now, capitalizing on the momentum of its winged dive, all six terrifying blade-legs struck simultaneously—the resulting might was unimaginable! “It really wants me dead!” Teng Qingshan’s eyes shone brighter. With a low hum, he exerted tremendous force, causing the spear shaft to bend. His entire spear launched out like a massive dragon breaking free. “Whoosh!” The spearhead instantly became a blur of motion. “Boom!” The six giant blade-edges combined, ignoring all nuance, and delivered a crushing downward chop! Aided by the four-winged dive, even Teng Qingshan could not withstand this assault. A terrifying explosion ripped through the air. The floor of the cavern, thirty Zhang wide and long, fractured completely with intersecting cracks. Simultaneously, where Teng Qingshan had stood, a massive sinkhole seven or eight Zhang across opened up, and Teng Qingshan himself vanished entirely. “Roar~~~” The Six-Legged Blade Demon roared a cry of arrogant victory. Then, its protruding, icy golden eyes swept the surroundings. It knew that a human capable of normally parrying the simultaneous attack of its six legs would not die so easily! “Hiss hiss~~” Faint, subtle sounds could be heard. The Six-Legged Blade Demon remained wary, knowing… that human had hidden himself inside the stone structure. “Boom!” A terrible sound erupted. “Roar!” The Six-Legged Blade Demon instantly pinpointed Teng Qingshan’s location. It immediately pushed off with its rear legs, rising onto its massive hindquarters, and lunged its forelegs straight toward the identified spot! A water-blue spear shadow pierced the ceiling rock wall and shot directly toward the Six-Legged Blade Demon. “Snap!” On another section of the upper stone ceiling, a simultaneous crack appeared. Teng Qingshan plunged down, holding the Reincarnation Spear, his gaze sharp. His right arm appeared thicker than before, and through his tattered garments, the dense, steel-cable-like power of his bicep was clearly visible! The Reincarnation Spear twisted outward, generating a piercing, high-pitched whistle! Ang~~~ Space seemed to be drilled through! The silver meteor darted straight toward the Six-Legged Blade Demon’s back. “Poison Dragon Drill!” “Roar~~~” A piercing, frenzied roar suddenly erupted. Realizing he had fallen for Teng Qingshan’s diversionary tactic, the Six-Legged Blade Demon spread its four wings wide, instantly enclosing its entire body in a protective shell. “Chhh chhh~~” The tip of Teng Qingshan’s spear labored, yet it managed to bore through the wing membrane, then strike the somewhat charred scales. Unfortunately, the wing penetration had already sapped seven or eight-tenths of the spear’s power, leaving only a very shallow dent on the scales—the thrust was spent. “Hoo~~” The Six-Legged Blade Demon let out a piercing shriek. Its pair of forelegs tore through the rock, actually plunging into the stone, and the creature rapidly retreated. “That fellow.”

Teng Qingshan landed on the ground, momentarily stunned. “It’s actually quite cowardly!” “But it’s also smart.” Teng Qingshan revealed a faint smile. “In a confined space like this mountain core, its sheer size prevents it from using its full capabilities. I, however, can utilize the space to avoid its strengths and attack its weaknesses. It probably understood that and chose to flee.” “Hoo~ hoo hoo~~” The sound, like the wind, yet also like snoring, continued to resonate. Teng Qingshan turned his head toward the source of the sound.

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