Chapter 119: with translation of chapter title

In the coming days.

The fighting between the two sides outside the city grew increasingly fierce, with the ten Guardians of the cult mobilizing one after another and clashing repeatedly with numerous government experts.

The area around the county town seemed to have turned into a meat grinder, with large numbers of martial artists falling each day.

Miao Qingfeng also repeatedly moved to intercept and kill government martial artists, slaughtering many Blood Exchange and Bone-forging Warriors, as if venting his inner anger.

The scent of gunpowder between the two sides grew ever stronger, and the final showdown could erupt at any moment.

Outside the county town.

Inside a luxurious room.

"My lord, I am incompetent; I failed to pursue and kill this person."

Miao Qingfeng clasped his fists, his face flushed with shame and anger.

"He had prepared for many days, yet despite his efforts he could not defeat his opponent, and even Mo Xueyou was beheaded before his eyes—utter disgrace."

"With your strength, plus the essence blood of demons, you still cannot slay this person?"

Zhao Yuanjing's eyes flickered slightly, her tone quite icy.

"This person is young, yet his strength has already reached the Embryonic Transformation stage, posing an enormous threat to the Holy Cult......"

Seeing the Venerable Lord's anger, Miao Qingfeng's face showed some panic.

"Go receive your punishment; I will handle this matter personally."

Zhao Yuanjing waved her hand, her expression calm.

"I obey your order."

Miao Qingfeng breathed a sigh of relief in his heart, then slowly retreated backward.

Watching Miao Qingfeng's retreating back, Zhao Yuanjing curled the corner of her mouth with an inexplicable smile.

"Interesting, the government actually produced such a genius, not even a whisper of news leaked out."

Her tone was faint and lingering.

She also felt somewhat incredulous in her heart.

Even my biggest trump card in the government doesn't know this person's identity; the other side is hiding too deeply.

At the same time.

Many martial artists inside the county town also learned of this mysterious martial artist's move, the news that he repelled Miao Qingfeng.

Countless people were greatly shocked in their hearts.

Regarding Mo Xueyou being decisively slain, they clapped and cheered, for these days the other side had slain many government martial artists and finally got their comeuppance.

For a time, this news spread throughout the city in an uproar, and everyone's curiosity was aroused once again.

After all, anyone able to repel the cult's Guardians must have reached the Embryonic Transformation stage.

Embryonic Transformation experts are few even in the whole county, and the government has only a tiny number of them.

DemonSubduingOffice, inside a great hall.

"Good thing this person is not a younger generation member inside the DemonSubduingOffice, otherwise you would have no chance at all."

HeChunlin said lightly to the two Zhu Houyu below.

Chen Zhanpeng and the other also looked embarrassed, unable to refute at all.

"That person's strength has increased terrifyingly; in less than two years he went from Bone-forging cultivation to Embryonic Transformation."

"Fortunately, this person is a strong one who operates outside the government."

Zhu Houyu and the other also felt quite relieved in their hearts.

Despite multiple covert investigations, they found no trace of this person within the government.

……

Inside the camp of the Xuanjia Army.

"Do I still need to covertly gather information about this person?"

A black-armored man knelt on one knee, his face full of respect.

"Continue the covert investigation; no need to make a fuss."

Wei Shaoxuan waved his hand, his expression indifferent.

"I obey your order."

After the man finished speaking, he rose and walked toward the hall's exit.

"Cough cough cough......"

After the man left, Wei Shaoxuan began to cough violently, streaks of bright red staining his white handkerchief.

He stared straight ahead into the void, his eyes seeming to carry a hint of eeriness.

These days, Lu Zhangsheng paid no heed to the outside turmoil, sinking once again into silence.

Each day, aside from drinking and practicing martial arts at home, he went to the Ten Thousand Great Mountains to dig up Spiritual Creatures, his life becoming ever more prosperous.

The Source Energy Points in his hand continued to rise incessantly.

Several times Tong Yuhua invited him to go out on a patrol together, but he refused each time.

Next, he prepared to settle down for a period of time in order to face the impending great battle.

Although his barely Embryonic Transformation-level combat strength is not bad, it is still far from enough.

That day, deep into the night, the moon was bright and the stars sparse.

The entire courtyard was utterly silent.

Lu Zhangsheng lay quietly on the wooden bed in the bedroom, his mind quite tranquil.

He opened the panel.

Source Energy Points: 1200.

After the previous bloody battle's consumption, plus these days' digging, he again had quite a few resource points.

According to his estimate, breaking through to the Illustrious Void Stage requires at least several thousand points, and he is still far short.

He prepared to control the strange beast again and began to speed up digging.

Now the situation is becoming increasingly tense, allowing no slack.

With a thought.

Lu Zhangsheng sent a thread of thought into the pangolin's body.

Humm—

A wave of dizziness swept over him, and the surroundings instantly changed to a different scene.

Looking around, it was still that familiar cave, the floor littered with rubble, and the air gave off a foul odor.

Clang clang clang—

Lu Zhangsheng waved his claws, quickly digging forward.

Since breaking through to the fifth stage, his claw power has greatly increased; ordinary stones before him are like tofu, crumbling at a touch.

He proceeded deep into the mine all the way.

Time flowed slowly.

After an hour.

Ahead suddenly appeared a deep cavern, its opening about a zhang in diameter, smooth all around, as if carved by some creature.

Whoosh—

Lu Zhangsheng pushed off with his legs and darted out quickly.

Above him hung a large expanse of stalactites, the space quite cramped.

He proceeded along the cavern, and at a turn he suddenly saw faint light ahead.

Something's up.

He exerted force with his legs and rushed toward the light source.

Not long after, he arrived before a huge rock wall.

A large number of source stones were densely embedded in the rock wall ahead, emitting a faint glow.

Medium-grade source stones?

Lu Zhangsheng's face lit with joy; he rushed over and began digging with his claws.

Clang clang clang—

The source stones were dug out one by one and piled into small heaps on the ground.

Soon, he had hollowed out the entire jade slab ahead, revealing a large cavity.

Afterwards, Lu Zhangsheng immediately placed his claws on the source stones.

【Medium-grade source stone detected. Absorb?】

In his mind, a clear prompt sound rang.

Absorb.

Lu Zhangsheng silently chanted in his heart.

【Source Energy Points +5.】

【Source Energy Points +5.】

……

As the source stones on the ground gradually disappeared, the source energy points in his hand rose rapidly.

Soon, all the source stones were completely absorbed.

He opened the interface.

Source Energy Points: 2400.

This harvest was huge; a large chunk of source stone ore brought him over a thousand resource points, and if he found a few more batches, he would likely be able to break through the Golden Body Technique.

Lu Zhangsheng felt full of vigor.

Just as he was preparing to search for Spiritual Creature again, an abrupt change occurred.

Sizzle—

From the distant cavern entrance came a rustling sound, which stood out sharply in the confined space.

Lu Zhangsheng turned his head to look.

He saw a huge snake, its body dark as night, crawling swiftly toward him, flicking its tongue, eyes icy cold.

A fifth-stage giant snake? There are actually snake tribes underground.

Lu Zhangsheng was quite surprised.

Its aura was not weak, far stronger than those bloodthirsty rats by several times.

This was the first time he had encountered such an astonishing strange beast.

Indeed, deep in the Hundred Thousand Mountains there are many species with exceptionally gifted bloodlines.

Whoosh—

At that moment, the giant snake suddenly lunged at Lu Zhangsheng, killing intent permeating its body.

After a few sweeps of its massive tail, it reached Lu Zhangsheng and viciously bit at his back.

Its sharp teeth flashed with a cold light, and a bloody stench assailed his nostrils.

Exhale—

Lu Zhangsheng pushed off with his legs and darted sideways like a thunderclap.

He directly dodged the opponent's lethal strike.

Immediately after, a talent skill 【Soul Pain Strike】 surged toward the opponent.

"Buzz…" As eerie ripples formed in the void, they coalesced into a mysterious rune that suddenly plunged into the giant snake's mind.

"Aaa…"

The giant snake suddenly wailed, rolling wildly on the ground, with shattered stones flying around in a mess.

After only a few breaths, the giant snake recovered, its eyes flashing blood‑red, and murderous intent surged around its body.

"Huh?"

Seeing this, Lu Zhangsheng's expression grew somewhat puzzled.

This was still his first time encountering an exotic beast that could hard‑counter his own talent skill with a single hit.

Moreover, the opponent's consciousness seemed unharmed.

He feared the beast harbored some ancient bloodline, quite similar to his own mysterious lineage.

Otherwise it couldn't have blocked his attack.

At that moment, the giant snake lunged again, its ferocity unmatched.

Even the stones that had been shielding were smashed apart by the impact.

"Kill."

Lu Zhangsheng showed no weakness, leapt out suddenly, extending his claws to thrust forward swiftly.

His speed was so great that afterimages already formed.

"Boom boom boom…"

The claws collided with the snake's head, emitting a series of booming sounds, and sparks burst from its dark scales.

"What hard scales."

Lu Zhangsheng felt his claws hit like a mountain, accompanied by a strange recoil force.

This giant snake's strength was absolutely top‑tier among Fifth‑rank exotic beasts.

"Bang bang bang…"

Both sides engaged in a bloody battle within the cavern, fierce shockwaves sweeping all directions, with shattered stones swirling and raising layers of smoke.

Although Lu Zhangsheng had just broken through to the Fifth Rank, his hard scales and claws gave him no disadvantage.

On the contrary, he gradually suppressed the giant snake.

"Aaa aa…"

Endless roars echoed throughout the cavern, yet they could not alter the giant snake's decline.

After a tea‑time's worth of time.

Lu Zhangsheng seized a slight opening and launched another 【Soul Pain Strike】.

As the eerie ripple entered the giant snake's mind, it began to roll violently, wailing repeatedly.

Seizing the chance, Lu Zhangsheng gave his all, slashing his claws hard toward the giant snake's eyeball.

"Aaa aa…"

A sound of an eyeball bursting rang out; the giant snake thrashed wildly, but Lu Zhangsheng held it firmly to the ground, unable to escape.

It was unclear how long had passed.

The giant snake gradually fell still, lying motionless on the ground, its blood staining the surrounding stones red.

Lu Zhangsheng focused his thoughts, and a crisp Prompt Sound rang through his mind.

Species: 【Shadow Snake】

Rank: Fifth Tier.

An underground snake clan, a social species containing a trace of ancient lineage, formidable in strength, led by a Snake King.

As expected, the beast indeed harbored an ancient bloodline.

No wonder its power was so terrifying, hard‑countering his own talent skill.

This world still holds many unknown secrets, even creatures bearing ancient bloodlines have emerged.

Lu Zhangsheng has always liked reading, especially biographies and historical records.

In nearly ten thousand years, no ancient creatures have appeared in human history.

As for where they went, it is impossible to know.

Even the origin of demons remains ambiguous.

However, it is certain that demons are not the result of mountain exotic beasts' Metamorphosis; demons are foreign species.

These mountain exotic beasts belong to this world's living beings.

This is also the conclusion Lu Zhangsheng drew after combing through numerous ancient records.

Then, Lu Zhangsheng stored the giant snake's corpse into panel space.

The beast's ancient bloodline made it perfect for feeding the Ant Queen.

After completing all this, Lu Zhangsheng rushed again toward the distant cave entrance.

………….

Half a month later.

At noon.

Changping County, Drunken Immortal Pavilion, second floor, in an elegant room by the window.

Lu Zhangsheng sat upright in his chair, quietly watching the bustling crowd outside the window, his mind seeming much clearer.

The malice accumulated from prolonged battles gradually faded.

He spent each day either training at home or sitting in a tavern, leading a very simple life.

"This bustling scene, we still don't know how long it can last."

Lu Zhangsheng's gaze was faintly distant.

That demoness Zhao Yuanjing planted two timed bombs that could explode at any moment; when they do, a torrent of blood and carnage is destined to erupt throughout the county town.

As for who the other person was, he had been watching from the shadows.

Based on his own conjecture, the opponent's hidden hand must be at least a Transcendent Stronger; otherwise it wouldn't be of much use.

Lu Zhangsheng combed through all the information on Transcendent Strongers within the DemonSubduingOffice, yet found no irregularities.

He therefore abandoned the idea of further investigation.

Continuing the search would likely alert others.

Lu Zhangsheng lifted the wine flask, downed a sip of spirit wine, and felt waves of warmth surge within his body, quite refreshing.

【Source Energy Points +1.】

【Source Energy Points +1.】

…

A steady stream of panel Prompt Sound echoed in his mind, and his resources were rapidly increasing.

After half a month of digging, his Source Energy Points were nearing the four‑thousand mark; tonight might be the moment of his breakthrough.

With power comes the confidence to face the upcoming turmoil.

…

Night, silent as water.

Lu Zhangsheng spread his feet and stood quietly in the center of the courtyard.

Moonlight from the high sky fell upon his body, as if coating him with a layer of silver sand.

He opened the panel.

Source Energy Points: 4400.

【Golden Body Technique】's plus sign lit up again, and Lu Zhangsheng knew the breakthrough was at this moment.

"Add point."

He no longer hesitated and immediately directed his focus to the Golden Body Technique point.

Source Energy Points instantly dropped by four thousand.

"Boom—boom—boom…"

A series of booming sounds rang in his mind, as if dusk drums and morning bells were striking.

A subtle wave descended again into the depths of his mind, countless insights surged to his heart, and his entire qi and blood roiled wildly.

Deep in his heart, ninety‑nine droplets of refined blood reached the pinnacle of sublimation, emitting faint golden radiance.

Gradually.

The hundredth droplet of refined blood seemed to be gestating, growing from a faint wisp of blood qi; at this moment, his internal qi and blood surged instantly.

That droplet also expanded rapidly.

"Sss…"

After an unknown span, the hundredth droplet had solidified, and a powerful aura burst from Lu Zhangsheng's body.

This aura was indistinguishable from that of a Transcendent Stronger.

【After years of arduous cultivation, you have finally refined the Golden Body Technique to a transcendent state.】

The crisp panel Prompt Sound echoed again in his mind.

This enhancement formally concluded.

Lu Zhangsheng gazed at the hundred droplets of golden‑shimmering refined blood within him, his eyes flickering slightly.

The warrior's path of Blood Replacement reaches its apex at nine.

Ordinary warriors possess only nine droplets deep within, whereas after perfect Refining Skin and Bone-forging, he has ninety‑nine droplets.

Today, after another flawless Blood Replacement breakthrough, his refined blood exceeded ninety‑nine droplets, reaching a terrifying, unparalleled hundred.

Do not underestimate the addition of this single droplet; it is a fundamental breakthrough, a transcendence born of shattering limits.

This is also the confidence behind his defiance of Transcendent Strongers.

Moreover, he suspects that the reason demons are so powerful must lie in an essential difference from the human race.

Only through continual flawless breakthroughs can one eventually subdue demons of equal rank.

This is also the martial path he has always practiced.

Lu Zhangsheng clenched his fist, and a force that seemed capable of tearing the void surged to his heart.

After this enhancement, his strength increased by several folds.

If he were to encounter Miao Qingfeng again, he was confident he could instantly subdue the foe on the spot.

Then, Lu Zhangsheng began testing his Sword Technique and Protective Aura.

"Whoosh…"

Countless afterimages darted across the courtyard, blade light interweaving like drifting snowflakes.

A transparent aura instantly enveloped his whole body, surrounded by flowing light, exceedingly wondrous.

A moment later.

Lu Zhangsheng returned to his spot and slowly exhaled a breath of foul air.

A glint of brilliance flickered in his eyes.

With this cultivation breakthrough, his Protective Aura and Sword Technique each strengthened further, and his power surged dramatically.

Next, by methodically upgrading several martial skills, he can reach the ultimate of Blood Replacement.

From antiquity to the present, this is the true limit of all Blood‑Replacing warriors!

After another brief trial, Lu Zhangsheng put away his long blade and slowly walked toward the bedroom.

(End of chapter)