Fei Duan had been wandering through the forest for an unknown amount of time. The decaying leaves under his feet collapsed with a soft, wet sound, emitting the damp, rotten stench of decay.
Finally, ahead, there came the sounds of fierce fighting and painful screeches.
He quickened his pace, and soon, a tense scene unfolded before his eyes:
A small team of three was facing off against two large, muscular Black Tooth Pigs.
The team consisted of two men and one woman. Their clothes were tattered, their bodies covered in blood, and their cultivation was at the 9th level of Qi Refining.
In front of them, the two Black Tooth Pigs emanated the aura of Foundation Establishment cultivators, their sharp tusks gleaming coldly in the dim light.
One of the men had already fallen, gravely wounded. His thigh was a mangled mess, a large chunk of flesh having been torn off by the Black Tooth Pig.
The pig raised its head and swallowed the bloody piece of meat whole, emitting a satisfied grunt from its throat.
After consuming the flesh, the Black Tooth Pig became even more frenzied. Its originally ferocious little eyes now gleamed with bloodlust.
With a forceful scrape of its front hooves, dust flew up as it charged toward the three humans.
"Damn it, is this where I die? I won't accept it!"
The man named Lu Li's face was filled with despair and unwillingness. He was the second son of the Xuanxi Lu Family's head, and his voice trembled with fear.
The other two, Ye Chen, tightly gripping his sword, his veins bulging and sweat rolling down his forehead, and Bai Yu Mo from the Bai family, her hair disheveled, her body trembling, still forced herself to gather spiritual power.
The Black Tooth Pig locked onto Lu Li again, charging at him like an arrow released from a bow, its gaping mouth emitting a foul stench.
Lu Li's eyes widened in terror as he stumbled backward, almost falling.
He regretted it deeply, thinking that he shouldn't have ventured so recklessly into the forest, but now, it was too late to turn back.
Just as the Black Tooth Pig was less than a meter away, its sharp tusks about to pierce his chest,
A cold light flashed through the air. A large scythe, enveloped with a sharp force, flew toward the Black Tooth Pig, and with a "thud," it plunged deep into its body.
The Black Tooth Pig let out a painful roar, its massive body being yanked away with great force.
The group stared in shock, seeing Fei Duan holding a pitch-black long spear, standing not far away.
With a fierce thrust, he drove the spear through the Black Tooth Pig's body. The pig struggled for a few moments before collapsing to the ground, its blood spilling across the forest floor.
The other Black Tooth Pig, seeing this, bristled its fur and kicked up a storm of dust as it turned to flee toward the deeper, denser forest.
Fei Duan simply stood still, watching the retreating pig with cold eyes, not intending to pursue.
After dealing with one of the pigs, Fei Duan slowly turned his gaze toward the three humans.
They, in turn, eyed him warily. Fei Duan's exaggerated slicked-back hairstyle made him look like a bad person from the start.
Their hearts raced with unease as a sense of foreboding spread through them.
Fei Duan grinned, quickly closing the distance, and casually threw an arm around Ye Chen's shoulders.
"Bro, how about joining the Evil God Sect?"
Fei Duan's voice rang out in their ears.
Ye Chen was stunned, his face full of confusion and bewilderment. What in the world was the Evil God Sect?
He had never heard of such a thing in his entire life, and looking at Fei Duan, whose mannerisms were strange and whose eyes held a terrifying madness, he could tell this man wasn't normal.
"Ah, senior, please don't joke," Ye Chen tried to calm himself, forcing a smile, hoping to quickly escape from this creepy person.
However, after hearing Ye Chen's words, Fei Duan's expression darkened.
He had wandered aimlessly in this vast forest all night, and he had been hoping to recruit some members for the Evil God Sect. But now, his offer had been rejected, and he could no longer contain his anger.
"Since that's the case, I'll just have to offer you all up to the Evil God!"
Fei Duan's voice turned icy, his eyes flashing with a bloodthirsty light.
With a swift motion, he drew out his bloody "Three-Month Scythe," its sharp blade glinting coldly under the dim light, aimed directly at the three of them.
The trio was horrified, especially Lu Li and Bai Yu Mo, whose minds were in turmoil.
They silently cursed Ye Chen in their hearts, as Ye Chen had always seemed clever and quick-witted. How could he make such a foolish mistake at such a critical moment?
Fei Duan was clearly no ordinary person. This situation was bad, very bad.
Fei Duan didn't give them much time to think. With a howl, he swung his scythe like a ferocious beast aiming for Ye Chen.
Ye Chen's heart clenched. He instinctively tried to retreat to avoid the attack.
However, the disparity in their strengths was like an insurmountable chasm, and his movements appeared sluggish and powerless in front of Fei Duan.
In the blink of an eye, the sharp scythe slashed through Ye Chen's clothes and wounded his body.
Seeing the blood drip down from the scythe, Fei Duan's eyes gleamed with uncontrollable excitement.
He extended his tongue and began slowly licking the blood off the blade, savoring it as if it were the finest delicacy.
Then, something strange happened. His body began to change.
His once normal skin quickly lost its color, turning into a bizarre black-and-white hue. He looked like a demon from the depths of hell.
The three of them watched in horror, their scalps tingling, their legs weak, not daring to make a move.
They could only stare, eyes wide open, watching Fei Duan cautiously, wondering what he would do next.
Fei Duan took out a pitch-black long spear from his waist with an eerie, almost manic expression, and without warning, stabbed it forcefully into his own thigh.
The spear pierced his entire thigh, and blood flowed freely down the shaft.
The three of them stood dumbfounded, their minds blank, unable to comprehend why Fei Duan would harm himself so.
Just as Lu Li and Bai Yu Mo were still in shock, Ye Chen suddenly let out a heart-wrenching scream.
Both turned in panic, only to see a blood hole forming in Ye Chen's thigh, with crimson blood gushing out and soaking his pants.
Realization hit them like a thunderclap, and they exclaimed in horror,
"WTF, he's hurting himself to transfer damage to others? What kind of bizarre ability is this?!"
As Fei Duan slowly aimed the dark spear at his heart, preparing to launch another attack, Ye Chen could no longer hold back. He hastily interrupted:
"Wait, I'll join the Evil God Sect! I've long admired the Evil God's power!"
Ye Chen's face was filled with terror, his voice trembling. If he didn't agree now, it seemed like he would never leave this place alive.