After being reborn, all I want to do is run away.

Chapter 20 The Wandering Dragon

"Sorry, I don't have that many Qi Nourishing Pills." Shen Xu couldn't help but sigh at the elder's ruthlessness. It was clearly his duty, but he turned it into a paid service, and the amount he charged was so outrageous. You should know that he only got a hundred Qi Nourishing Pills after breaking through to the fifth level.

"Well, there's nothing I can do about it then. Good luck, junior brother!" The young man sighed, as if he were feeling sorry for Shen Xu.

"That tinderbox?"

"What did the elder say? Are you deaf?" the young man said impatiently.

"I understand, goodbye!" Shen Xu turned and left the room.

"A penniless wretch! It would be best if he died in there." The young man muttered to himself after Shen Xu left.

"You should leave tomorrow! Let the sect send someone else," the young elder suddenly said.

Beyond the open space lies the entrance to the Crimson Valley. A stone gate connects the open space to the valley. Some dark red bloodstains seem to have been intentionally preserved on the stone gate. With his blood essence, he could easily sense the pent-up frenzy and power within the blood. It was likely that the owner of that blood was not a simple demon beast in life.

As you enter the valley, although the mountains on both sides are still lush and green, the valley is called Blood Valley because a great battle between humans and monsters a hundred years ago turned it blood red.

Even today, traces of that great battle are still preserved in the valley. Although a hundred years have passed since that battle, a faint smell of blood still lingers in the air.

Ordinary cultivators might not realize it, but for him, that aura was all too familiar, even arousing a slight excitement in him. His bloodlust stirred, as if constantly urging him to kill and savor the blood of his enemies.

Shen Xu had to divert his attention to suppress this desire. The Blood Intent could be used as a trump card, but it absolutely could not be revealed in ordinary times. Firstly, it would be intolerable to the righteous sects, and secondly, he was afraid that he would lose control of his bloodlust when using the Blood Intent.

In his previous life, he made many mistakes because he couldn't fully control his bloodlust. He doesn't want to repeat the same mistakes this time around.

As they ventured deeper into the valley, the forest grew increasingly dense and dark. The thick trees obscured the sky above, with only sparse sunlight filtering through the gaps in the canopy to reach the valley floor. Occasionally, they could hear the roars of beasts, some loud and some soft, from afar, keeping Shen Xu on high alert and heightened his vigilance regarding his surroundings.

Before arriving, Shen Xu had already purchased information about Crimson Valley through the Outer Sect's Hall of Affairs. Looking at the surrounding scenery, Shen Xu realized that he should still be in the outer forest swamp.

The main water snake living in the swamp is the swamp snake, whose strength is roughly equivalent to the sixth level of the Qi Cultivation Realm, but Shen Xu's target is not it.

But since they had to cross the swamp, they were bound to encounter it. Shen Xu drew his sword and stared at the dim water ahead. The power of water told him that the flow of the water ahead was not right.

As Shen Xu drew his sword, the creatures in the swamp seemed to sense the threat emanating from him and fell silent. But Shen Xu had no faith in such cunning creatures as snakes, and he unleashed a devastating wave of energy.

Amidst the splashing black water, a gray figure as thick as a bowl burst through the water curtain and shot towards Shen Xu, its gaping maw aimed directly at his head. He could even smell a strong, pungent stench emanating from it.

"Pine breeze through the forest!" Shen Xu pierced the gray figure's head through its mouth with his sword, then took the opportunity to slice off its head completely.

"Good speed, but unfortunately not very bright." A swamp snake about three meters long, covered with fine gray scales, lay at Shen Xu's feet, its body twisting and turning instinctively.

The swamp snake's skin and gall bladder were good materials, but Shen Xu didn't want to spend the time and effort to process them, and he had nowhere to carry them, so he had no choice but to abandon the snake body and continue on his way.

What Shen Xu didn't know was that the Swamp Serpent's greatest attack method was to ambush from within the swamp. Its perfect camouflage and silent movement made it a nightmare for many low-level disciples.

However, for Shen Xu, who possessed the power of water, the swamp snake's greatest attack method became useless. The swamp snake, which had been discovered in advance, was nothing more than a target with only a few attack methods.

Not wanting to waste time, Shen Xu used the power of water to successfully avoid the swamp snakes that were lying in ambush along the way and successfully entered the next area, Blood Wolf Mountain.

Upon entering Blood Wolf Mountain, a strong, pungent smell of blood assaults the senses, sending chills down one's spine.

The ground was covered with dark red bloodstains, as if telling the story of a fierce battle that had taken place here. The bloodstains had dried, but they still emitted a nauseating stench.

The steep mountain walls were covered with thorns and strange rocks, and the mountain peaks were dark red, as if they had been stained with blood.

Shen Xu came here mainly to use the Blood Wolf's speed to help him master a human-level movement technique—"Soaring Dragon Body."

The Qingfeng Step he had practiced before was only a footwork technique for those below the Human Rank, and it could no longer keep up with his progress, so he needed a better alternative.

Shen Xu didn't want to come here, but after eliminating the fast-moving monsters in the Blood Valley that he couldn't handle right now, the Blood Wolf was the only option left.

Shen Xu was quite familiar with blood wolves; in his previous life, he had kept several as pets. However, for him now, even a single blood wolf could cost him dearly if he wasn't careful.

The Soaring Dragon Body was a movement technique he accidentally obtained when he was in the Qi Sea Realm in his previous life. It was also one of the few things he could use at his current stage that he could find in his memories.

Even for him at the time, this movement technique was considered precious and quite unique, so he spent some time specifically practicing it and thus it left a deep impression on him.

Although the Swimming Dragon Body only has one move, it is said to be a simplified version of the Heavenly Rank Body Technique Nine Revolutions Swimming Dragon Body. Legend has it that when the Nine Revolutions Swimming Dragon Body is mastered, one can even transform into a swimming dragon, rise with the wind, roam the nine heavens, and remain untouched by the mortal world.

Of course, the Dragon Body Technique that Shen Xu obtained could not possibly have the power of the legendary Nine-Turn Dragon Body Technique, but the fact that it was associated with the word "dragon" was enough to demonstrate its extraordinary nature. According to the book, when the Dragon Body Technique is mastered, the body is like a dragon, soaring through the air without form, unrestrained, and carefree.

Although Shen Xu had practiced this movement technique in his previous life, he had forced it upon himself using his Qi Sea Realm strength, only grasping its form but not its essence. Now, he naturally couldn't just practice the formless Swimming Dragon Body anymore, as that wouldn't be of much help to him.

He still vividly remembered how he spent so much time in his past life trying to master that sword technique, so naturally he wouldn't choose to work in isolation and bury himself in hard work now.

Special methods are needed to accomplish special things. Only by seizing that fleeting moment of inspiration can he truly enter the realm of movement techniques at the human level in the Qi Cultivation stage.

He came to Blood Wolf Mountain to practice the Dragon Body technique by using the speed of the Blood Wolves. After all, there is nothing that can improve faster than through practice. Moreover, the Blood Wolves are as strong as him and are very fast, which can put enough pressure on him.