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Chapter 46 – Yin Xue

Yin Xue bent low, staring at the road that had been built. It was a strange thing, not the usual dirt road over paving stones or wooden slates that had been cut and laid flat, as temporary pathways. It was not even the compressed earth and gravel construction that was common in other estates, where building a berm and then adding the crushed gravel and compressed earth was sufficient in dryer conditions.

This was something else.

“It’s… sticky?” He prodded the black layer, broken into tiny stones covered in… “Is this tar? Or something similar, at least.” Yin Xue had seen something like this before, a version of this sticky substance as by product of apothecary cauldrons.

It might just be that, which was why he carefully wiped his fingers on the earth not far away to get rid of any residual. If it was byproduct, he did not wish to leave it on his fingers for too long, for they were often caustic or toxic.

“Demons are strange,” Yin Xue muttered to himself, stamping on the ground. It was quite firm but yielded a little to his actions, even uncompressing slowly after his stamping. Eyeing the way water had pooled down the sides of the road, the entire pathway slightly raised in the center so that the water slid off, he made a few assumptions.

Firstly, that the local demon populace was somewhat civilized and sophisticated. Secondly, since the condition of the road was decent, that it continued to function and that, more so, it had not fallen on hard times. Thirdly, that the kingdom was rather large to build such a complex roadway to progress mercantilism in this way.

Deciding on which direction to walk was easy – avoid the giant raincloud in the distance where Baihuan continued to cultivate. It was no surprise there was little commerce at the moment, the dragon’s presence and the changes to the environment likely forcing cities and merchants to route around him. No one would want to annoy the dragon or suffer through the wind, rain and cold.

Taking off, Yin Xue ran across the road, noting how it compressed beneath each push of his booted feet. He tore across the empty landscape, slowly building speed as he tested his newly reforged body. A smile, vicious and self-mocking at first, broke across his stern demeanor before eventually becoming something more genuine.

Not only was he free of the constant hunger and pain he had suffered for years now, he was stronger. Not at his peak strength yet for his body was still starved of nutrients and meat, nevermind the emptiness in his dantian. Still, stronger than he had been before.

Bounding along the road, reveling in his newfound strength and stage, a level that so many others had determined he would never reach, Yin Xue missed the creature’s emergence. It lurched out of the sandy dunes by the side, exploding from the earth, jaws unhinged.

Yin Xue spun on one foot, struck without thinking. His original demonic arm, still a deep maroon red unlike the more grey of his body, grew in size as he swung it. Clawed fingers stretched outwards, expanded and tore into the monster, throwing its body away and down the road even as the newly-formed demon skidded to a stop.

Eyes narrowed, Yin Xue stared at the body of the segmented worm-like creature that had emerged. Its head was closer to that of a centipede, able to split open in four parts with razor teeth within while tiny hairy legs were spread out across all its body to provide mobility.

Where the portions of its carapace had been struck, deep gouges from Yin Xue’s claws leaked orange blood onto the earth. The creature, too stupid to give up, reoriented on the demon and charged forwards, head opening.

“You are courting death…” Yin Xue sneered, forming an aura attack to aid his next swing.

Movement deep within the dark chasm of the creature’s mouth was all the warning he received. Yin Xue threw himself to the side even as a liquid spat out in a long stream. The white-yellow substance, when it struck, seemed to solidify in moments, meant to capture and hold prey than kill.

“Very well. Let me properly educate you.” He swung down, hard, hand splayed to rake the creature. He was too far away to strike it with his claws – even if he enlarged it – but the aura shadow that he created was more than sufficient. It tore into the monster, smashed it into the road and caused the creature to bounce, once and then again.

To Yin Xue’s surprise, rather than die, or retreat; it pulled back, unsteadily. Still ready to do battle. His eyes narrowed, Yin Xue debated ending the battle. It would be a simple matter to extend his aura further, crush the monster with it. The difference in cultivation levels was significant.

On the other hand, he was still testing his new body. And the beast had so kindly volunteered to be his test subject.

The grin that spread across Yin Xue’s face was wide and vicious, as the concept of testing all his skills and his reconfigured body appealed to him. Especially on a creature that was, frankly, so ugly.