Chapter 116: Breaking through to Blood Transmutation Perfection!

Five days later.

At high noon, the warm sun hung high.

Lu Changsheng sat quietly on a stone stool in the courtyard, sipping spirit wine with a look of contentment.

In his mind, the system prompt sounds continued to ring incessantly.

【Source Energy Point +1.】

【Source Energy Point +1.】

……

After resolving the threat of the Bloodthirsty Rats, the Pangolin spent every day frantically mining on the outskirts of the mine. The harvest was endless, and the feeling of having wealth roll in while lying down made him feel quite refreshed.

At this rate, tonight would be the time he broke through to Blood Transmutation Perfection; by then, his strength would surely skyrocket once again.

The next time he met Mo Xueyou, he would be able to suppress and kill him within a few moves.

Meanwhile.

The activities of the cultist bandits outside the city were becoming increasingly rampant, launching intense defensive and offensive battles around the many small towns surrounding the county seat.

Quite a few small towns had even been breached, and the civilians were completely wiped out in bloodbaths, which was extremely tragic.

The two sides had turned the area outside the city into a meat grinder, and even Rebirth Realm powerhouses occasionally appeared.

The conflict had quietly escalated.

At this trend, the decisive battle would likely arrive soon.

A sense of urgency lingered in the hearts of every official martial artist.

With Lu Changsheng's current strength, he was only barely able to protect himself and could not afford to lower his guard.

However, with the massive resources of the Ten Thousand Mountains at his back, he was about to enter a period of rapid development.

Everything was slowly getting on the right track.

Just then.

Light footsteps sounded from outside the courtyard.

Tong Yuhua walked gracefully toward Lu Changsheng, a smile on her face that made one feel like they were bathed in a spring breeze.

"Patrol Envoy Lu is in such high spirits, drinking and making merry every day……"

She spoke softly, her voice melodious like an oriole.

"Is Hall Master Qin issuing a mission?"

Lu Changsheng smiled slightly.

Usually, when she came to find him, it was to convey some news; this had become a routine.

"Indeed, it likely concerns the increasingly intense confrontations outside the city."

Tong Yuhua smiled.

"Patrol Envoy Lu has just broken through to Blood Transmutation; that is indeed a great joyous event."

She had broken through to Blood Transmutation over ten days ago, and she was extremely surprised when she heard about Lu Changsheng suppressing and killing the Sanhe Gang leader.

Clearly, he had also successfully broken through to Blood Transmutation.

Otherwise, it would be impossible to have such strength.

Once this news broke, it triggered a heated discussion among the martial artists in the entire county seat.

It left many people astonished.

Breaking through to Blood Transmutation at such a young age already placed him at the level of a minor genius.

Even in the entire Qingning Prefecture City, he could be considered to have outstanding talent.

"Haha, congratulations to you too, though I am still a bit behind Patrol Envoy Tong……"

Lu Changsheng laughed heartily, his face full of humility.

The two had carried out many missions together, and their friendship had grown deeper.

Some small jokes were naturally harmless.

Then, Lu Changsheng stood up and walked out of the courtyard with Tong Yuhua.

After leaving the courtyard, they walked along the tidy streets, and the crowds on both sides scattered in awe.

Soon, the two arrived at the entrance of a magnificent hall.

They stepped inside.

They saw Qin Ruobing in a pink dress, sitting at a desk and working with a serious expression.

Seeing them arrive, Qin Ruobing put down her brush and smiled faintly: "It is quite rare that you both have broken through to Blood Transmutation recently."

"Work hard in the future; there is a glimmer of hope for Rebirth within three years, and perhaps even a chance to glimpse the Innate Martial Path……"

Seeing Lu Changsheng and Tong Yuhua rise through the ranks made her feel quite gratified.

"Hall Master is too kind."

The two bowed with smiles on their faces.

Lu Changsheng did not refute what she said; Rebirth in three years was no difficulty for him, and his goal was Innate in three years, though if he said that, Qin Ruobing would likely think he had gone insane.

The Innate Martial Path was a bottleneck for every martial artist, trapping countless ordinary ones.

Such martial artists were considered top-tier powerhouses even in Qingning Prefecture, enough to act without restraint.

It was not until Lu Changsheng reached the late stage of Blood Transmutation that he faintly sensed Qin Ruobing's strength.

It was likely around the perfection of Rebirth, which was extremely terrifying.

Presumably, those top powerhouses were mostly similar.

At this time, Qin Ruobing spoke again: "I summoned you two today mainly for two things."

"Now that you have both broken through to Blood Transmutation, you naturally must compete for the position of Deputy Hall Master."

"Chen Zhanpeng and the other are only at the mid-stage of Blood Transmutation, so you have a great chance."

"Now, due to the large number of powerhouses falling in Qingning Prefecture City, there is a significant shortage even of Deputy Hall Masters, so the assessment criteria for each county will likely be greatly increased."

"Does Hall Master Qin mean that many people might be able to participate in the assessment this time?"

Tong Yuhua looked somewhat puzzled.

According to custom, every three to five years, only one person from a county could go to the Prefecture City to participate in the assessment.

She did not expect there to be so many more this time; it seemed it would be even livelier then.

Lu Changsheng's thoughts stirred slightly.

His contribution points were almost enough, and Chen Zhanpeng and the other could not be his opponents; he had this position in the bag.

This reform would not affect him.

"Indeed, I will notify you of the specific situation when the time comes; you two must go all out to push your martial arts realm in these three years……"

Qin Ruobing smiled faintly.

"The second thing concerns those cultists outside the city."

"In a few days, the government will send a large number of powerhouses to intercept and kill those demons outside the city; if you encounter towns being besieged, you will also be contacted to provide rescue. Your strength is not considered strong, so remember to act according to your ability……"

"We understand."

The two bowed respectfully.

They naturally knew what she meant: if they encountered a Rebirth Realm cultist, they should stay away immediately.

Afterward, the few exchanged some insights on martial arts, and Lu Changsheng and Tong Yuhua rose to leave.

……

Inside a magnificent hall of the Demon Subduing Office.

Chen Zhanpeng and Zhu Houyu stood in the open space, looking at HeChunlin with respect.

"Now that the two under Hall Master Qin have also broken through to Blood Transmutation, you must not slack off."

"Although the number of assessment spots will increase, only one person can become the Deputy Hall Master in the end."

HeChunlin stood with his hands behind his back, his tone carrying a hint of warning.

"We understand."

The two shouted loudly, their voices echoing through the hall.

However, Zhu Houyu and the other did not take it to heart.

Those two were not qualified to be their opponents; they could suppress them with a flip of their hands.

The gap between the mid-stage and early stage of Blood Transmutation was not small, and on top of that, they were martial artists from aristocratic families, having been soaked in medicinal baths since childhood.

Naturally, they were not comparable to the other side.

"Although Lu Changsheng and the other are much weaker than you, do not be careless."

HeChunlin waved his hand.

Afterward, the few discussed some mission details, and Zhu Houyu and the other turned and left.

……

Outside Changping County.

In a certain desolate mountain, in an underground space.

Mo Xueyou sat cross-legged beside a large blood pool, his face full of pain.

Sweat the size of beans streamed down from his forehead.

His brows were tightly furrowed, and he gritted his teeth.

Blood-red baleful energy surged frantically around his body.

I don't know how much time passed.

The expression on Mo Xueyou's face relaxed, and his eyes were full of joy.

"Haha…… Ye Chen, you are dead this time; don't let me catch you……"

He had spent many days and endured countless pains to finally increase the compatibility of the demon power within his body once again.

It had reached as much as twenty percent, directly doubling from the previous ten percent.

For ordinary martial artists, taking demon blood essence was a life-of-nine-deaths gamble, and they had to constantly strengthen the compatibility in the later stages to exert its maximum power.

"Hum……"

Gently channeling the demon power in his body, a powerful baleful energy burst forth, and the momentum was astonishing.

After this improvement, his speed and strength skyrocketed again, enough to suppress and kill this "Ye Chen".

He had firmly kept the grudge from last time in his heart.

……At night, the moon was bright and the stars were sparse.

Lu Changsheng stood in the center of the courtyard, his feet spread apart, exuding a sense of being as immovable as a mountain.

A gentle breeze blew, rustling the green leaves in the courtyard.

Under the moonlight, it seemed like mottled spots were dotted across the night sky.

Open the panel.

A blue light screen appeared in the void in front of him.

Source Energy Points: 4200.

After these days of mining every moment, he had finally gathered enough to improve his realm tonight.

Seeing that the plus sign behind 【Golden Body Art】 had lit up again, he was quite happy.

Lu Changsheng did not hesitate; with a thought, he clicked it immediately.

As the Source Energy Points decreased by 3500 instantly.

"Hum……"

A fluctuation from the unknown descended deep into his mind again, as if a supreme powerhouse was practicing day and night.

The Qi and blood in Lu Changsheng's body surged frantically, like a roaring river.

Wisps of golden radiance also appeared on his skin, and even the blood in his body was stained with a hint of radiance, which was extremely miraculous.

Blood Transmutation was a crucial link in the entire martial arts realm.

It stripped away the impurities from the entire body's blood, laying a solid foundation for the next step of Rebirth.

Ordinary martial artists could not completely strip away the impurities from their blood, almost losing the hope of becoming an Innate martial artist.

But Lu Changsheng was different; every time he broke through, it was perfect.

The blood essence had already begun to boil in his body, and wisps of impurities were directly evaporated.

He suspected that the next time he broke through to the pinnacle, his entire body's blood would undergo some kind of magical metamorphosis.

That wisp of golden radiance seemed to have been reflected deep into his bloodline.

【After years of hard cultivation, you have finally cultivated the Golden Body Art to perfection.】

With a crisp prompt sound ringing in his mind, it marked the official end of this improvement.

Lu Changsheng slowly opened his eyes, a sharp light piercing into the void.

His entire body exuded a powerful sense of oppression.

It was like a towering mountain.

This kind of momentum already had a hint of the demeanor of a Rebirth Realm powerhouse.

At this moment, he suspected that after his breakthrough, he already had the strength of an ordinary Rebirth Realm powerhouse.

However, if it were that kind of Rebirth Realm powerhouse with demon blood essence, he would probably only be able to retreat temporarily.

Demon power was still too powerful for ordinary humans.

That kind of all-around power was truly heaven-sent.

Lu Changsheng clenched his fists, and a sense of power that seemed capable of shattering the void surged into his heart.

This breakthrough increased his own strength by more than double, which was a huge improvement.

Even the speed, blade technique, and body-protecting Qi have all improved by a significant margin.

This made him more confident in his next plan.

He planned to hunt down Mo Xueyou after perfecting his three martial arts skills; this time, he would never give the other party any chance to escape, directly suppressing him with thunderous means.

……

Time flew by, and half a month passed.

Since these days, Lu Changsheng had been drinking and making merry in his courtyard at home, completely ignoring the disturbances outside, living extremely comfortably.

The numerous battles of powerhouses outside the city did not affect him.

Even when Tong Yuhua invited him several times to go out of the city to perform missions, he politely declined.

However, Qin Ruobing had no opinion on Lu Changsheng's "laziness," and others were even less qualified to blame him.

The way of cultivation lies in a balance of tension and relaxation.

Not to mention that he was at a critical period of strength improvement, so he naturally would not strike rashly.

The Pangolin was still digging mines every day without stopping.

Massive amounts of Origin Stones were continuously turned into resources.

Finally, on an evening more than ten days later, the Source Energy Points were gathered again.

This day, late at night.

Lu Changsheng stood in the courtyard.

Open the panel.

Source Energy Points: 2700.

Seeing that the plus signs behind the skills were all lit up, he did not hesitate and clicked them immediately.

"Add points, add them all……"

Lu Changsheng clicked three times in a row; as the Source Energy Points decreased by 2100, a fluctuation from the unknown descended again.

【After years of hard cultivation, the Absolute Spirit Slash, Stepping on Snow Without a Trace, and Protective True Aura have finally been cultivated to the realm of perfection by you.】

Crispy prompt sounds echoed in his mind one after another, and this improvement ended perfectly.

A moment later.

Lu Changsheng took out his Killing Pig Knife and slashed forward.

"Whoosh……"

A bright cold light flickered in the void, as if even the moonlight from the high sky was overshadowed, containing an incomparably sharp killing intent.

As he slashed continuously.

Gradually, countless blade lights intertwined in the void, forming a dense blade net.

Lu Changsheng flashed his footsteps, moving through the courtyard; in an instant, the blade lights and afterimages shuttled nearby, making it impossible for people to distinguish.

Immediately after.

A pure white aura shield appeared around his body, exuding a jade-like radiance, as if waves of light were flowing on it.

Lu Changsheng slashed quickly at his own protective aura.

"Boom boom……"

Roaring sounds echoed through the courtyard, but the protective aura did not even show a ripple, as stable as Mount Tai.

"Such strong defense."

For this slash, he had already used several tenths of his strength, but he did not expect that it could not shake it in the slightest.

At this rate, his own safety would skyrocket again.

Not only that, but his speed had also increased a lot this time.

Most Rebirth Realm powerhouses would find it difficult to catch up to him.

Unless it was some powerhouse containing special demon power.

Lu Changsheng was quite happy in his heart.

After years of hard cultivation, he finally stood at the peak of the entire Changping County.

Rebirth-level combat power was considered a powerhouse even in the Prefecture City, and there would never be a situation where Rebirth was not as good as a dog.

Innate martial artists had long lifespans, and many were hidden among the human race, silently guarding the safety of the human race, which ordinary people found difficult to come into contact with.

Most ordinary missions were carried out by Rebirth Realm powerhouses.

Even the group of Deputy Hall Masters in the Prefecture City were only at the Rebirth Perfection strength, and some were just pseudo-Innate.

He had learned the term pseudo-Innate from Qin Ruobing.

Those who failed to break through to Innate but used spiritual medicine to save their lives became so-called pseudo-Innate.

Their bodies had been baptized by the spiritual energy of heaven and earth and became very powerful, but they had not completely opened the bridge of heaven and earth, making them much weaker than true Innate powerhouses.

But for Lu Changsheng, there was no such thing as failure.

As long as the resources were sufficient, he could pile his way to the peak of the martial path.

He would walk the martial path more and more steadily.

……

The next day, early morning.

Early in the morning, after Lu Changsheng got up and washed, he walked out of the courtyard.

He wore a long white robe, walking through the crowd with his hands behind his back like an peerless noble young master, drawing frequent side-glances from the surrounding noble young ladies.

Some civilians all avoided him in awe.

As for Lu Changsheng, this rising genius, his great name had long spread throughout the city.

After being silent at home for nearly a month, Lu Changsheng was ready to leave the city today to execute his own plan.

This person, Mo Xueyou, was already on his must-kill list.

He could not let the other party keep jumping around outside.

He went east and left the city gate.

Lu Changsheng walked quickly into a dense forest and channeled the Shrink Bone Skill.

"Crack crack crack……"

His entire body changed rapidly, and his bones and muscles were cracking.

Not long after, he turned into a cold-faced middle-aged man.

Then he even changed his robe to a black one.

The whole person looked gloomy, quite like a cultist.

Lu Changsheng's appearance was exactly that of Zhang Ji, the cultist, on the day the city was breached.

Even his cultivation was suppressed to Bone-forging.

After he used the Soul-Bewitching Great Art to confuse him that day, he considered the situation that might happen in the future, and now it finally came in handy.

Then, Lu Changsheng channeled Stepping on Snow Without a Trace and rushed forward quickly.

An afterimage shuttled wantonly between the vast heaven and earth, flashing more than ten meters at a time, which was extremely astonishing.

(End of chapter)