Chapter Twenty-Eight: The Cunning Old Ox

The Sleepy Bug looked at the chaotic scene with a bewildered expression and asked, “Big brother, what’s wrong with them?”
“Little brother, it’s because our names are too notorious. The moment they hear them, they’re terrified,” Qin Chuan replied, jumping down from Sleepy Bug’s back and blocking the only escape route.

“Oh, so that’s why. But why do I feel a bit lightheaded?”
“Don’t get too cocky, little brother. You have to stay humble,” Qin Chuan admonished.
“Alright, alright.”

Their exchange drifted into the ears of the Purgatory Bull Lord, who was so furious he nearly coughed up blood. It was infuriating enough to be forced into such a corner, but to hear his enemies preaching humility while acting so brazenly made it even worse.

Unable to hold back, the Purgatory Bull Lord shouted, “Brother Black Iron Sword, we’ve never had any bad blood between us. Why do you insist on wiping us out?”
Qin Chuan chuckled, “Old Bull, you know how it goes—what goes around comes around. When you hunt, is it not a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood? Don’t be angry; I’m just hunting today, too.”
“You—!” The Purgatory Bull Lord was both furious and shocked. He had never imagined he’d one day become prey within Wind Spirit Valley.

“Brothers!” he roared, “That Black Iron Sword won’t let us go. Rather than wait to be slaughtered, let’s charge out together!”
“Yes! The lord is right—fight our way out!”
...

With their escape route cut off and no hope of survival, the entire herd of Purgatory Bulls mustered their courage for a desperate battle, unleashing their skills as they charged forward.

“Gallop a Thousand Miles!”
Fifty or sixty Purgatory Bulls launched their ultimate skills at once, surging forth like a tidal wave.

Instead of being intimidated, Qin Chuan was overjoyed. “Damn, here comes another wave of experience!”
He calculated his position, then unleashed a dazzling skill. Purple light flashed, and a hundred sword shadows descended from the sky.

“Heavenfall Slash!”
“Ding! You have slain 13 Purgatory Bulls. Gained 600 experience points.”
...

Though the Purgatory Bulls were tough, they couldn’t withstand Qin Chuan’s overwhelming sharpness. His ultimate skill covered a five-meter radius; the four or five bulls in the front were instantly killed as they entered his range, while those behind, unable to change course, charged straight to their doom.

“Ah, that’s satisfying. Thirteen kills in three seconds, ha!” Qin Chuan laughed heartily as the Black Iron Sword soared into the fray.

“Swift Strike!”
“Chiu!”
“Puff!”
Another bull fell to a single blow as Qin Chuan began a merciless performance. The Purgatory Bulls had no chance to resist; the system’s pleasant notifications rang in his mind, sending waves of exhilaration through him.

One bull broke through the blockade, charging at Sleepy Bug with a vicious gleam in its eyes.

“Die!”
Startled, Sleepy Bug hastily activated his newest skill.
“Damn, Harden!”

In an instant, Sleepy Bug’s body turned into a massive iron rod, which he swung hard at the oncoming bull.

“Bang!”
The two collided violently and tumbled apart, both left dizzy and disoriented.

Seeing this, Qin Chuan finished off the bull with a quick Swift Strike.
“Ding!...”
“Ding! Rage meter full.”

“Big brother, I’m dizzy!”
Sleepy Bug’s eyes spun in circles as his body wobbled.

“Haha, little brother, seems you’re still not tough enough!” Qin Chuan teased.

The entire battle, from start to finish, lasted barely ten seconds. The Purgatory Bull Lord hadn’t even recovered from his shock—in truth, he was paralyzed with fear. He never imagined he’d be trapped in his own lair with no escape. At this moment, he bitterly regretted not having prepared a secret escape tunnel.

With a thud, the Purgatory Bull Lord collapsed to his knees.
“Brother Black Iron Sword, please, spare me! I don’t want to die!” he pleaded.

“Damn! You call yourself a lord, yet you lack even the courage to fight? You’re worse than your own underlings! I despise you!” Qin Chuan was utterly dumbfounded by the bull’s cowardice.

“Big brother, I beg you, don’t kill me. I’ll follow you forever!”
Qin Chuan bounced closer, stopping five meters away.

“Follow me? Ha! You’re dreaming. I have no need for you!”
Qin Chuan had no intention of accepting such a shameless follower. This bull would say anything to survive—a fickle and unreliable character.

“So... let’s end this!”
Just as Qin Chuan prepared to finish him, a sudden change occurred.

The Purgatory Bull Lord, who had been lying prone, suddenly slammed his front hooves into the ground, his eyes flashing with a savage red light.

“Purgatory Shockwave!”
“Gallop a Thousand Miles!”
“Army-Cleaving Sweep!”

In that instant, the Purgatory Bull Lord unleashed a devastating combo. Denied surrender, he had no way out. His earlier act of weakness had been to lure Qin Chuan closer, then trap him with a five-meter control skill—Purgatory Shockwave. Even if it didn’t kill, it might allow him to escape.

It was a cunning plan, but Qin Chuan blinked back five meters with his level-three Teleport, escaping the control zone. The Teleport skill was truly divine, saving him from countless attacks.

“Damn, old bull, you’re sly as a fox! But I saw right through you; you’re not clever enough to trick me!”

With all his skills missing, the Purgatory Bull Lord charged headlong at Qin Chuan.

“Haha, here comes another lovely head for me!”

Qin Chuan was ready. He raised his hand and unleashed Swift Strike.

“Chiu!”
“Puff!”
Though the Purgatory Bull Lord was extremely resilient, Qin Chuan’s attack broke through his defenses in a single blow.

“Ding! Critical hit triggered; knockback effect activated.”
The system’s irresistible force canceled out the bull’s ultimate, sending his massive body hurtling backward, completely out of his control.

“No! How could this happen?”
The savagery in the bull’s eyes vanished, replaced by utter terror.

Qin Chuan wasn’t about to let such a chance slip by. He followed up with several basic attacks, slowing the bull and dealing explosive damage.

“Ding! Freeze effect triggered.”

A rare system prompt sounded in Qin Chuan’s ears.

“Damn! Old bull, your luck really ran out. Farewell!”
As soon as the Purgatory Bull Lord hit the ground, he was frozen solid. Qin Chuan finished him off with a powerful strike.

“Puff!”
“Ding! Fatal blow triggered.”
“Ding! You have slain a level-14 superior mutated Purgatory Bull Lord. Gained 10,500 experience points. Over-level kill: 100% bonus. Congratulations, host, you have gained 21,000 experience points.”

The hapless Purgatory Bull Lord died without even a chance to scream.

“Devour Essence!”
“Ding! Essence devoured successfully. Gained 1,575 evolution points.”
“Ding! Gained 130 evolution points.”
...
“Ding! Evolution points full. You may now choose mutation evolution or quality enhancement.”
“Ding!...”
“Aha, full evolution points again!”
Qin Chuan happily checked his attribute panel. “Damn! Mutation chance is only 50%, and quality upgrade chance is just 13%. That’s a bit rough!”

“Could it be the source is too mixed?”
After thinking it over, Qin Chuan could only reach this conclusion. If not for a permanent 10% bonus, his quality evolution chance would be just 3%.

The main issue was that the Black Iron Sword itself was already a grade higher than other spirit items, so quality upgrades helped very little.

“I must find higher-grade ores to boost my chances—at least something like Spirit Iron Stone,” Qin Chuan muttered to himself. In the end, he decided to take a gamble; after all, it was a fifty-fifty chance.

“Mutate and evolve!”
“Ding! Mutation evolution successful. Please wait.”

Though only a few seconds passed, Qin Chuan’s heart surged with anticipation.