Chapter 3: Three Days of the Demon Record (Third Update)

Chapter 3: The Heavenly Demon Record (Third Update)

Amidst the excruciating pain, Ning Xuan’s thoughts suddenly stirred. He quickly plunged the dagger he had been swinging at the bear demon into his own throat.

In that instant, a line of blood-red text suddenly appeared before his eyes.

【3 of 10】

*Pfft!*

The dagger pierced his throat.

It was painful.

But it was nowhere near the agony of being gnawed on by a bear.

Ning Xuan gave a violent twist, and the sharp dagger sliced through his throat as if it were cutting through tofu.

He lay on the ground, blood gurgling out from his neck, his consciousness quickly fading into a blur.

When he opened his eyes again, he was much calmer.

He subconsciously touched his neck; it was as good as new.

He lay flat on the bed, staring at the white gauze canopy hanging above, then slowly sat up.

Inside the room, everything remained gray.

He muttered to himself

"If suicide works, at least I can alleviate the suffering of being devoured by the bear."

"But what is '3 of 10'?"

After a brief silence, he rushed out of the room to the guardroom, grabbed a dagger and a long saber, and quickly held the dagger to his throat.

The blood-red text appeared again

【4 of 10】.

He focused his gaze, and a line of small text slowly emerged beneath 【4 of 10】: If you do not succeed after seven more times, the outcome will become immutable, and the nightmare will never end.

So, "10" was the maximum number of cycles, and "4" represented the current cycle count. Whenever he intended to commit suicide, this information would appear to warn him against doing anything foolish.

A sense of powerlessness rose in Ning Xuan’s heart.

He couldn't imagine how he would succeed in the remaining seven cycles.

"At the very least, I have to wound that bear demon first."

Thinking this, Ning Xuan practiced with his long saber under the moonlight.

At first, his blade was dull and clumsy, but soon the long saber became nimble, and in one instance, it even erupted with the "brilliance" unique to a seasoned practitioner.

His body was as light as a swallow, and he struck out with a sudden, snow-scattering slash. As he retracted the blade, he traced a beautiful arc, like the trajectory of an elegant swallow returning in flight.

This was the *Swallow Chasing the Wind Saber*.

When Ning Xuan first transmigrated here, he had hoped that this world might possess extraordinary powers. He had pursued them and searched for them, but found nothing. Thus, he had devoted himself to martial arts—not to become a great master, but merely to ensure his own survival.

He had practiced the three core stances of the *Swallow Chasing the Wind Saber* quite well.

The first stance: *Flying Swallow Chasing the Wind*, which prioritizes speed. If one can kill with speed, why bother with a second strike?

The second stance: *Swallow Piercing the Raging Tide*, which prioritizes power. By layering the speed from the first stance with techniques for channeling strength, this strike becomes exceptionally heavy and forceful, just like a swallow piercing through a raging tide.

The third stance: *Clever Swallow Returning in Flight*, which prioritizes retreat. Even in retreat, it hides a killing intent—a "returning horse spear" or a "dragging saber" tactic, striking back while withdrawing to catch the opponent off guard.

He spent half an hour revisiting this nearly forgotten sword technique, effectively reactivating his "muscle memory," before hanging the saber at his waist.

Ning Xuan remembered that there was actually a master in this villa—an old man with a kind face. Yet, those fierce guards were terrified of him; it was a fear written plainly on their faces.

After a moment of recollection, he went to the old man's room and rummaged through his belongings.

An incense stick's time later, he held a dark, cold metal tube in his hand, found in a secret box under the old man's bed.

At the base of the black tube was a simple strap, clearly designed to be fixed to an arm, and the trigger was at the top, obviously operable with one hand.

Ning Xuan secured it to his left arm, flexed his arm to test it, and continued adjusting until he was certain it was perfectly positioned.

"Still not enough."

Ning Xuan recalled the previous attempts.

The first time, he hadn't taken a weapon, and the bear demon had started gnawing immediately.

But since the second time he took a weapon, the bear demon had always gnawed on him with its back turned.

The bear demon's hide was extremely thick, like heavy armor; even blades and spears could hardly penetrate it. Even if this metal tube contained powerful hidden weapons, he feared they wouldn't be able to pierce through.

The youth stood in the night-breezed courtyard, deep in thought. He looked up and saw the moon had passed its zenith; it wouldn't be long until dawn.

Suddenly, he had an idea.

At least it was worth a try.

In the hanging basket.

Ning Xuan stood quietly.

He had changed into a robe with wide sleeves.

He had done his utmost to calm himself and conserve his energy.

His eyes were filled with sharpness, focus, bloodlust, and madness.

There is great terror between life and death, and he had died three times!

Not just died, but been eaten alive!

Three times!!

The sky slowly brightened.

The pale sun cast a pale light, illuminating the mountains and the sea of fog in a deathly pallor.

A drop of foul-smelling bear saliva dripped from above.

Ning Xuan looked up and met the bear demon’s mocking grin.

The next instant, the bear demon grabbed the hemp rope of the hanging basket, and Ning Xuan jumped out.

*Whoosh!!*

The bear demon yanked the basket upward. The empty basket flew backward like a stone thrown from a catapult.

Ning Xuan’s left hand moved, plunging his dagger into a crevice in the cliff. The dagger was extremely fast; he had tested it repeatedly and had already chosen the crevice.

Man and demon stared at each other from a distance once more.

The bear demon’s mockery froze, turning into rage.

Ning Xuan hung in mid-air, gripping the dagger with one hand.

Another instant.

*Snap!*

The empty basket hit the ground. The bear demon hunched over, its two hind legs wrapped around an old tree, and its two claws reached down fiercely like it was trying to scoop the moon. It stood a zhang tall; logically, it should have been able to reach Ning Xuan.

Unfortunately, this time, Ning Xuan had lowered the basket very deep.

He had lowered himself down the cliff, seemingly never intending to go back up.

However, if he wanted to return, he only needed to leap into the cliff.

The bear demon, it seemed, did not know this.

It reached down repeatedly but couldn't catch Ning Xuan.

Man and demon locked eyes again as they swayed.

The bear demon said, "Such a clever brain must be delicious. Such a sturdy body must be chewy."

Ning Xuan reminded it, "This cliff is very deep."

The bear demon said, with a very human-like tone, "How deep?"

Ning Xuan said, "Jump down and you'll find out."

Just then, the bear demon suddenly jumped. It dove downward headfirst, its sharp claws suddenly shooting out, several inches long, as if it were equipped with steel-claw weapons.

*Sshhh!!*

The claws hooked into the cliff wall.

The bear demon re-anchored itself, hanging upside down on the cliff like a giant gecko. It was now very close to Ning Xuan.

"Fool, bears can climb trees. I’ve already cultivated into a spirit; how could I not know how to climb this kind of mountain?"

As it spoke, it crawled rapidly toward Ning Xuan.

Its massive, fat, armored body exuded a terrifying pressure. Its face drew closer and closer, its eyes flashing with cold light.

And those eyes were getting closer and closer to Ning Xuan’s hanging hand.

When it was close enough...

Ning Xuan suddenly let go with his left hand.

The bear demon was startled. It didn't want its prey to escape, so it quickly reached down with both hands like it was scooping the moon.

Its face drew even closer. Ning Xuan, facing upward, flipped his sleeve open, revealing the dark, cold metal tube, aimed directly at the bear demon’s face—or rather, the bear demon’s face was lunging toward his left hand.

He pulled the trigger.

In an instant, like a sudden summer downpour, a barrage of long and short needles swept upward, covering the sky. These were specially made pear-blossom needles, and they now transformed into a sudden, violent rain, enveloping the bear demon’s entire face.

The bear demon didn't have time to close its eyes, and its pupils were instantly pierced by the needles.

But Ning Xuan’s waist was also severely struck by the bear demon’s swipe.

Sharp claws dug into his flesh.

Ning Xuan let out a muffled groan of pain, then grabbed his long saber with his right hand and swung it. This strike landed heavily on the bear demon’s face.

The bear demon cried out in pain, "Awoo!" Wisps of black smoke drifted from the wound and onto Ning Xuan, while the bear demon itself appeared slightly weaker.

Its claws loosened, letting Ning Xuan fall toward the depths below.

*Boom!*

Ning Xuan landed back in his bedroom.

He felt a burning sensation at his waist, but suddenly, he was astonished to discover that his arms had thickened, transforming from the thin arms of a "pretty boy" into the muscular arms of a "strong man."

"The bear demon’s power was transferred through the black smoke. As long as I can wound it, I can plunder its power. Although I don't understand what this is, this nightmare cycle is inherently bizarre. This... must be the key to breaking the loop." Ning Xuan understood.

Just then, an angry roar echoed from afar.

The house began to collapse, walls shattered, and the pitch-black bear demon charged over like a black whirlwind, crushing everything in its path.

Ning Xuan gripped his long saber, walked out of the bedroom, and stood in the courtyard.

His speed and strength were still far inferior to the bear demon’s.

However, he at least had the resolve to fight to the death.

"Flying Swallow Chasing the Wind, Swallow Piercing the Raging Tide!"

He charged toward the bear demon, swinging that most fierce and violent strike toward death.

This strike, bolstered by the power he had just acquired, actually exploded with the sound of thunder in mid-air.

【5 of 10】

On the bed, when Ning Xuan clamped his five fingers around his throat, text flashed before his eyes.

He glanced sideways at his strong arms.

The enhancement gained from the bear demon’s blood did not seem to have disappeared due to the cycle.

Then,

Lines of information abruptly emerged before his eyes

【Ning Xuan】

【Heavenly Demon Record: Mountain-Crashing Bear (7/100)】

【Life (Constitution): 1】

【Nature (Spirit): 1】

And just then, the "1" in the 【Life】 column slowly moved forward, becoming "1 (1.1)", with a small note attached: "Additional increase from Heavenly Demon Record."

(End of chapter)