Ch 129: The Emerging Martial Heart
Su Wen stood quietly within the white mist, maintaining a defensive stance. His perception reached its limit, searching for even the slightest disturbance.
Swish!
Without warning, a razor-sharp spiritual bullet shot through the mist straight towards his head. Its speed was so terrifying that it crossed the distance in the blink of an eye.
Cling!
Su Wen instantly raised his sword to intercept it.
A tremendous force travelled through the blade and into his arms, causing his entire body to shudder.
The attack had come from an Early Grade 3 Black-Tail Wolf.
Its snow-white fur blended perfectly with the surroundings, while its jet-black tail swayed behind it like a whip. Its fierce eyes and razor-sharp fangs gave it the appearance of a seasoned predator.
Taking advantage of the dense mist, the wolf lunged from behind, its jaws snapping viciously towards his neck.
Su Wen's danger sense erupted as his instincts screamed a warning.
He spun around without hesitation and met the wolf's fangs with his sword.
Clang!
Sword and fangs collided, sending sparks flying in every direction.
The overwhelming force pushed Su Wen backwards several metres. His muscles tensed as he twisted his body, borrowing the momentum to throw the wolf off balance.
Seizing the opening, Su Wen immediately wrapped his Spirit Qi around his leg before delivering a fierce kick into the wolf's abdomen.
Bang!
"Awoooo!"
The monster let out a pained howl as blood sprayed from its mouth.
Su Wen refused to give it any chance to recover.
He leapt into the air and swung his sword in a clean, decisive arc.
Slash!
The wolf's head cleanly separated from its body as blood gushed through the air before the headless corpse crashed heavily onto the snowy ground.
Su Wen flicked the blood from his sword before quietly regulating the Blood Qi within his body.
His Yang-attributed Blood Qi kept the biting cold at bay while gradually healing the cuts and bruises he'd accumulated throughout his battles.
His robes no longer carried the clean, scholarly appearance they once had. They were now torn in several places, stained with blood.
This was already the twenty-eighth Early Grade 3 monster he had slain since entering the fourth floor.
Du Yue calmly collected the wolf's corpse.
Before storing it away, she reached into its chest and gently retrieved a small, unstable pearl.
The pearl had already begun dissolving into gaseous spiritual energy, but with a flick of her finger, a thin layer of Snow Intent enveloped it, sealing the escaping Spiritual Qi inside.
The dark-blue pearl was a pseudo monster core formed within an Early Grade 3 monster.
"Wifey, your Snow Intent really is coming in handy." Su Wen smiled. "These monster cores will make excellent power sources for the formations around our farm. They'll also be invaluable ingredients for my alchemy."
"Without you, these would've gone to waste."
"Hmph." Du Yue folded her arms and slightly raised her chin, unable to hide the smug smile tugging at her lips. "Now you know what a good wife I am. So... what reward will I get?"
Su Wen rubbed his chin thoughtfully before his eyes lit up.
"Since my esteemed wife just used her precious Snow Intent, how about I make you something cold and delicious... bingsu?"
"Bin... su?" Du Yue blinked in confusion.
"Yeah." Su Wen smiled. "It's a dessert. Soft shaved ice with sweet milk, fruit, and whatever toppings you like."
Du Yue frowned.
"Husband... are you trying to feed me snow?"
Su Wen couldn't help but laugh.
"Pretty much... except it actually tastes good."
A trace of curiosity flashed across Du Yue's eyes before she quickly concealed it.
"Hmm... we'll see."
She slowly raised a slender finger.
Tiny snowflakes gathered at her fingertip, condensing into a sparkling snow crystal that slowly revolved between her fingers, releasing an icy chill.
"If this wife isn't satisfied..." she said sweetly, the tiny snow crystal dancing between her fingertips, "...then Husband can have a taste of my Snow Intent instead."
Su Wen could only smile wryly.
"Of course." He chuckled. "I'll do my very best to satisfy my lovely wife."
"You'd better."
Du Yue smiled with narrowed eyes before flicking the tiny snow crystal into the air, where it burst into countless glittering flakes.
Her gaze lingered on his handsome face, and her beautiful eyes gradually became hazy.
'Hmph! I'll only be satisfied when I can freeze you into a block of ice... and hide you away in that underground cellar forever...'
After an hour of exploring the fourth floor, they finally arrived at the staircase leading down to the fifth floor.
The moment they stepped onto the stairs, Su Wen felt an even fiercer wave of cold surge up from below, causing him to shiver involuntarily.
They descended slowly.
The fifth floor was much like the fourth, shrouded in dense white mist that concealed the surroundings and dulled his senses. Yet the biting cold was on an entirely different level.
Su Wen's Blood Qi circulated furiously through his body, desperately trying to keep him warm, yet it was no longer enough.
A thin layer of frost gradually formed over his robes and skin, causing his entire body to tremble from the cold.
He wasted no time, cloaking himself in a thin layer of Spirit Qi, which prevented the freezing aura from seeping into his body.
"Wife..." Su Wen spoke after a moment of silence. "We may encounter Mid Grade 3 monsters on this floor. I think I'll have to rely on you to deal with them."
Du Yue raised an eyebrow before replying in her usual cheerful tone.
"I think you'll be fine, Husband."
Su Wen blinked.
"I'll be fine? Wife... are you saying I should fight Mid Grade 3 monsters by myself?"
"Of course."
She looked at him calmly.
"You've already defeated so many Early Grade 3 monsters without even using your full strength. Why not challenge Mid Grade 3 instead?"
"I'm certain you're still not satisfied."
"The desire to challenge a stronger opponent... to defeat someone more powerful... that's what your heart truly longs for."
"You've fought hundreds of monsters on the previous floors, but none of them truly pushed you to your limits. Even the Early Grade 3 monsters were only barely enough."
"If you wish to grow stronger..."
"You must fight opponents who force you to surpass yourself."
Su Wen fell silent.
She was right.
He had never received such an opportunity before. Having a Golden Core cultivator personally watching over him while he fought life-and-death battles was a privilege usually reserved for the young masters of great clans and powerful sects.
He had to seize this opportunity.
Even if something went wrong...
Du Yue would still be there.
A faint excitement slowly ignited within his heart, as though a dormant fighting spirit had finally awakened.
"You're right, Wifey." A smile slowly spread across his face. "Without you, I would've chosen the safer path. But now... I can truly test my limits."
Something within him quietly changed.
The cautious vigilance that had accompanied him throughout the dungeon disappeared, replaced by unwavering confidence and an eager thirst for battle.
Without even considering removing his blindfold, Su Wen strode into the dense mist.
This time...
He was the one searching for battle.
Du Yue bent down and plucked a blue-white Mid Grade 3 spiritual herb growing from a crack in the dungeon wall.
She glanced towards her husband.
A faint smile rested on Su Wen's face as he stood surrounded by a group of ferocious Ice Goblins.
Watching him charge eagerly towards the monsters, she couldn't help but shake her head.
'Looks like Husband is getting closer to awakening his Martial Heart.'
Unaware of her thoughts, Su Wen fixed his attention on the four Early Grade 3 Ice Goblins and the fifteen Peak Grade 2 Ice Goblins before him.
He struck first.
Activating Celestial Void Steps together with the Grade 3 Cloud Step Sword Technique, his figure vanished from where he stood.
The next instant, he appeared behind one of the Early Grade 3 Ice Goblins.
Swish!
His sword flowed like water as it swept across the goblin's neck.
Its head flew into the air.
The goblin only saw the world spin before darkness consumed it, never realising how it had died.
Su Wen didn't stop.
His figure disappeared once more.
Like a phantom dancing through the battlefield, he flashed between the Peak Grade 2 Ice Goblins.
Swish! Swish! Swish!
Several sword flashes streaked through the mist.
By the time Su Wen reappeared, all fifteen Peak Grade 2 Ice Goblins had already collapsed, their bodies cleanly severed.
The remaining three Early Grade 3 Ice Goblins roared furiously before charging at him together.
Brandishing their massive icicle sickles, they slashed towards him from different directions.
Clang!
Su Wen calmly raised his sword and intercepted the attacks.
Unlike before, he merely took a single step backwards, firmly planting his feet against the overwhelming force.
Suddenly, his danger sense flared.
Without the slightest hesitation, he activated Celestial Void Steps.
Swish!
An enormous icicle tore through the space where he had been standing only a moment earlier.
The attack had come from another Early Grade 3 Ice Goblin hidden within the mist.
Su Wen seized the opportunity.
Appearing behind the monster in an instant, his sword pierced straight through its heart.
Puchi!
The goblin's body stiffened before collapsing lifelessly onto the snow.
The remaining two Early Grade 3 Ice Goblins attacked simultaneously, their icicle sickles crashing towards him from opposite directions.
Clang!
A violent shockwave erupted as both attacks collided with Su Wen's sword.
The impact made his arms tremble, but he held his ground.
Without retreating, Su Wen's sword suddenly changed from fierce to fluid.
Like drifting clouds carried by the wind, the blade slipped between the two icicles before flashing across one goblin's throat.
Swish!
A thin line of blood appeared across its neck.
The goblin staggered forward a few steps before collapsing onto the snow, its body twitching as life rapidly faded from its eyes.
Su Wen turned towards the last remaining goblin.
Just as he was about to finish it, an unprecedented sense of danger flooded his body.
Every instinct he possessed screamed in warning.
His perception caught only a dark blur rushing towards him.
Without thinking, he brought his sword up above his head.
Cling!
A pitch-black icicle wrapped in dense Dark Qi smashed into his blade.
The impact was impossibly heavy.
It felt as though an enormous mountain had crashed down upon him.
The terrifying force travelled through his sword, causing every bone in his body to creak as he was sent skidding dozens of metres across the snowy ground.
His muscles screamed in pain, and the metallic taste of blood instantly filled his mouth.
"Ke... ke... ke..."
A sinister laugh echoed through the mist.
Riding atop an Early Grade 3 Black-Tail Wolf, a dark-blue Mid Grade 3 Ice Goblin slowly emerged.
Its aura dwarfed every monster Su Wen had faced so far.
The dense malicious intent radiating from its body was enough to make one's scalp go numb.
Yet instead of fear...
Su Wen smiled.
A fierce battle intent erupted from him as excitement burned within his eyes.
The wolf slowly lowered its body, bending its powerful hind legs.
As the goblin urged it forward, the beast lunged towards Su Wen like an arrow released from its bow.
Su Wen wrapped his sword in Grade 3 Sword Intent and once again met the goblin's icicle head-on.
Boom!
A violent shockwave rippled through the surroundings.
This time, the force was even greater. It surged through his body, threatening to tear apart his muscles and meridians. He immediately circulated Spirit Qi through his meridians, dispersing the invading force before it could inflict serious internal injuries.
At the same time, the wolf lashed out with its razor-sharp claws.
Su Wen shifted a single step to the side, narrowly avoiding the attack.
His sword flashed.
Slash!
One of the wolf's forelegs was severed.
Without giving it a chance to react, Su Wen activated Celestial Void Steps.
His figure disappeared before instantly reappearing behind the wolf.
Another slash followed.
The wolf's hind leg was cleanly severed.
Unable to support its body any longer, the wolf collapsed heavily onto the snow, hurling the goblin from its back.
Just as Su Wen was about to finish the fallen goblin, the remaining Early Grade 3 Ice Goblin attacked from behind.
Clang!
Su Wen spun around and intercepted the attack.
Using the Cloud Step Sword Technique, his blade flowed like a gentle stream before cleanly slicing through the goblin's body.
The monster was cut in two as effortlessly as splitting a piece of wood.
The Mid Grade 3 Ice Goblin finally climbed to its feet.
Its eyes burned with fury as it looked at its fallen companions.
Without the slightest hesitation, it thrust its icicle into the wounded wolf's head, putting it out of its misery before turning its murderous gaze towards Su Wen.
Roar!
Dark Qi wrapped around its icicle as it charged forward with a furious roar.
Su Wen showed no intention of retreating.
He tightened every muscle in his body and rushed forward to clash with it.
Cling!
Sword and icicle collided.
A deafening metallic clang echoed across the battlefield as sparks scattered in every direction.
The violent impact shook Su Wen's entire body, his organs feeling as though they were about to rupture, yet he gritted his teeth and refused to yield.
Holding his sword in both hands, he unleashed a relentless barrage of strikes, each one colliding with the goblin's icicle.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Malevolent Dark Qi coiled around the goblin's icicle, and every clash forced Su Wen another step backwards.
Refusing to yield, Su Wen pushed his Spirit Qi to its limits, dramatically increasing its consumption as he matched the goblin blow for blow.
Amidst the relentless exchange, Su Wen seized an opening. Twisting his wrist, he knocked the icicle aside and exposed the goblin's chest.
His sword shot forward like a bolt of lightning.
Puchi!
The blade pierced straight through the goblin's heart.
Without giving it a chance to retaliate, Su Wen poured his Grade 3 Sword Intent into the blade.
Swish!
A strand of silver Sword Qi erupted from the sword and rampaged through the goblin's body, tearing apart its organs and meridians from within.
The Mid Grade 3 Ice Goblin's eyes widened in disbelief.
Dark blood poured from its mouth as the light in its crimson eyes rapidly faded.
Thud!
Its body collapsed heavily onto the snow, completely devoid of life.