Chapter 148: Eighty‑Percent True Intent! Soaring Through the Sky!

Just as the crowd on the field cheered, a white figure suddenly flew in from the void ahead.

Moving as fast as lightning, it flickered a few times and arrived at the center of the square.

A youthful man with a handsome face and transcendent bearing was revealed.

The newcomer was Ye Yiyang, the first FuduDianZhu of the prefecture city, the mountain that suppresses all geniuses.

"What a fast speed."

Lu Zhangsheng's expression shifted slightly.

This person could, like a pre‑born strongman, fly through the air—truly terrifying to the extreme.

He is still only at the Birth Energy stage, relying on deep martial truth to achieve this.

Even I can only glide briefly.

His martial truth is probably ninety percent; true completion is just a step away.

Moreover, he can sense from him a round, unified breath.

That is beyond what Wan Houyu and his few companions can compare to.

Clearly the other side has also cultivated the flesh body to genuine completeness.

He is certainly not the fake Heavenly Pride that breaks through with Spiritual Medicine.

The people around them, seeing this, looked on the newcomer with full‑faced awe.

He has suppressed the younger generation of the prefecture city for over a decade, and has long been ingrained in people's hearts.

"You are impressive; I greatly look forward to sparring with you…"

Ye Yiyang crossed his arms, his eyes lingering.

The moment he first saw Lu Zhangsheng, he knew the other was a fellow traveler on the same path.

He is certainly not comparable to the worthless group of Wan Houyu.

Among the flesh‑body‑complete Heavenly Pride, only the two of them exist in the entire prefecture city.

For many years he has stood atop the mountain peak, yet has had no opponent, often feeling a hint of loneliness.

Today, hearing that a new Heavenly Pride has emerged, he could not help but leave the sect to see him.

Upon this meeting, he indeed was not disappointed.

"I am waiting for you ahead; before we reach pre‑born, the two of us can truly have a proper fight."

Having said that, without waiting for Lu Zhangsheng's reply, he leapt forward and flew toward the front.

In the blink of an eye he vanished above the square.

To Lu Zhangsheng now, he is still rather immature; he needs the strongest opponent to break through to a full hundred percent true intent, then step into pre‑born, the dragon entering the great sea.

From his entrance to his departure, he never even glanced at the crowd; his eyes were only on Lu Zhangsheng, utterly aloof to the extreme.

"Ye Wudi truly lives up to his reputation."

Lu Zhangsheng's eyes flickered.

This person's aura is as deep as an abyssal sea; his strength is absolutely astonishing.

He is probably not weak even among pre‑born strongmen.

With my current strength, I still cannot defeat him.

When I raise my Killing Intent to above ninety percent, that will be the day of our duel.

I am somewhat interested in the title of first FuduDianZhu.

Then Lu Zhangsheng slowly walked forward.

Amid the crowd's reverent gazes, he gradually disappeared from sight.

Wen family.

When Wen Changhe received the news, his eyes were filled with shock.

He never expected Lu Zhangsheng could successfully break through the Heavenly Pride; at this moment a trace of regret rose in his heart.

The chance to climb the great Celestial Tree was completely missed, and he indirectly offended the person, leaving him somewhat uneasy.

Such a figure is destined to break pre‑born and is among the strong; the Wen family cannot afford to offend him.

"You quickly go and ask Wen Zhiyuan to return to the family; remember to lower your posture a bit…"

Wen Changhe gritted his teeth and issued the order directly.

"I, the old one, respectfully obey."

The black‑clad elder nodded heavily.

……

The next month.

News that Lu Zhangsheng became the second Heavenly Pride of Qingning Prefecture instantly spread throughout Qingzhou.

Countless cultivators were astonished.

Qingzhou has twenty‑four prefectures in total, and only the capital city has ten Heavenly Pride‑level individuals.

Each other prefecture city has one; now Qingning Prefecture has two, which is unprecedented.

Even Liang Jinghui, when he went to the prefecture city on business, walked with wind at his heels.

He was even praised in person by the Grand Hall Master of Qingzhou.

With this, Lu Zhangsheng's name resonated throughout Qingzhou, and a group of capital city Heavenly Pride began eager to test this newly risen Heavenly Pride.

At the same time.

Lu Zhangsheng's benefits also rose like water lifting a boat, more than double what it was before.

Now he receives about 4,200 Source Energy Points each month from the court alone.

Over the years this is certainly a sizable profit.

Just as the whole prefectural city was abuzz with discussion.

Outside the city, several hundred li away, lay a dim underground cavern.

In the center, a large pool of blood was bubbling, and the air was filled with a sharp, pungent scent of blood.

A black‑clad elder sat upright on a high platform, his expression cold and fierce.

It was indeed Jiu Chen, a preternatural strongman of the Tianyao Gate.

Below, a group of Transcendent strongmen stood on the open ground, their faces full of awe.

Among them, Zhao Yuanjing and Wei Shaoxuan and others were prominently listed.

"How is the matter progressing?"

Jiu Chen's gaze swept the whole scene with a chilling coldness.

It made everyone below tense, as if they could barely breathe.

"Report to the Guardian, everything is proceeding smoothly; those 'Holy Waters' have been poured by us into the ditches, irrigating the fields…"

Zhao Yuanjing clasped her hands and bowed, her face full of respect.

These days, they have been fully carrying out the plan.

Under everyone's careful watch, the court had not detected any irregularities.

Soon, they feared, the initial results would become visible.

"Very well, continue your assault on the county seat; it will draw considerable attention from the court."

Jiu Chen's tone was icy.

A few breaths later, he shifted his tone: "I hear Qingning Prefecture has produced another Heavenly Pride named Lu Zhangsheng, who hails from Changping County."

As he spoke, he glanced at Zhao Yuanjing and the others.

He seemed to want to hear their opinions on Lu Zhangsheng.

"This person is extremely odd; in just a few years he rose from a commoner to a Heavenly Pride, and every time my subordinates encounter him, they are humiliated by his hand…"

Zhao Yuanjing's face was full of grievance.

A faint sense of helplessness rose in her heart.

The gap between the two grew larger, and the hope of revenge became extremely slim.

With her current strength, she feared she couldn't even block a single move of Lu Zhangsheng.

"Only those who can rise are geniuses; I will dispatch a preternatural strongman to eliminate this person."

Killer intent flared in Jiu Chen's eyes.

If the chance arises, he will also act personally, hunting the government's talented figure.

……

The days that followed.

Lu Zhangsheng's life returned to tranquility once more.

Each day, aside from training and overseeing some important matters of the Second Sub Hall, he excavated Spiritual Creatures deep within the Hundred Thousand Mountains.

Occasionally, he would visit a tavern to sit for a while.

These days, he perused a great deal of intelligence from Qingning Prefecture and discovered a faint, unusual trace.

The Tianyao Gate disciples still attacked the county seat, but their offensive had weakened considerably, as if they were making futile efforts.

"Could the other side have another scheme?"

Lu Zhangsheng felt a bit puzzled.

Such attacks on the county seat brought little impact to the court.

On the contrary, those demon people suffered considerable losses.

It was a complete loss.

As both forces clashed outside the city, the atmosphere across Qingzhou grew increasingly turbulent and ominous.

……

Night fell, the moon and stars were sparse.

Lu Zhangsheng lay on his bed, sending a wisp of thought into the Pangolin.

"Bzz…"

With a surge of fluctuation, he returned to that familiar cave.

Looking around, shattered stones still littered the ground, and the air was filled with an earthy smell.

After this period of strenuous digging, the mine was almost exhausted.

Moreover, the deeper into the Hundred Thousand Mountains, the stronger the encountered exotic beasts became.

This avatar's strength was also lagging, and he intended to boost it.

He opened the panel.

A blue light barrier appeared in the void ahead.

Source Energy Points: 12000.

The plus sign behind the exotic beast glowed bright white.

Lu Zhangsheng no longer hesitated, and immediately clicked the plus sign repeatedly.

【Pangolin level +1.】

【Pangolin level +1.】…

As the Prompt Sound in his mind rang wildly, the Pangolin's level surged rapidly.

Meanwhile.

"Boom Boom Boom…"

His body's Qi and blood roared within him like great rivers, and even his own scales began to undergo Metamorphosis.

Golden radiance spread over his entire body, exceedingly wondrous.

Even his pair of claws grew sharper, flashing with cold light.

Before long, this enhancement formally concluded.

Lu Zhangsheng slowly opened his eyes, a precise beam piercing the void.

Open the panel.

Bound Exotic Beast: Intermediate Mountain Lord (Level 7).

Level: 70.

Innate Divine Skills: 【Domination】 (Perfect), 【Soul Strike】 (Perfect), 【Godslayer】 (Excellent).

Skills: 【Earth Drilling】 (Perfect), 【Underwater Breathing】 (Perfect), 【Armor Reinforcement】 (Perfect).

Divine Bloodline: 1%.

Source Energy Points: 7000.

Note: A creature possessing a mysterious bloodline is awakening...

This enhancement was enormous, consuming a total of 5,000 Source Energy Points.

Besides strength, speed, and armor, even Qi, blood, and scale durability surged.

The rank also changed from Mountain Lord to Intermediate Mountain Lord.

The powerful bloodline within his body continues to awaken further.

Lu Zhangsheng swung his claws forcefully, and bursts of sound explosions echoed through the void.

Only streaks of afterimages were seen darting, their speed as swift as thunderclap.

With the Pangolin's current strength, further exploration is now possible.

Lu Zhangsheng no longer hesitated, digging again toward the depths of the Hundred Thousand Great Mountains.

Clang clang clang…

The broken stones above were quickly scooped into the tunnel, resembling tofu dregs.

The claws after the breakthrough became increasingly sharp.

In the dim cave, only Lu Zhangsheng's digging sounds remained.

…

Seven days later.

Hundred Thousand Great Mountains, a secluded underground space.

Lu Zhangsheng dug toward the south for several days.

During that time he also encountered some scattered Spiritual Creatures, with little gain.

Just as he was about to change direction, his right claw suddenly sensed a hint of anomaly.

A hard lump?

Lu Zhangsheng's expression shifted slightly.

His claw strength is astonishing; aside from Spiritual Creatures, ordinary stones cannot impede it at all.

He then began to dig with all his might.

Clang clang clang…

Soon, a crimson wall appeared ahead.

Is this a spiritual ore?

Lu Zhangsheng's face lit up with joy.

He immediately placed his claw onto it.

【Discovered Spiritual Ore Crimson Essence Golden Mother.】

A crisp Prompt Sound rang out.

It gave Lu Zhangsheng a sudden jolt of spirit.

He no longer hesitated, instantly swinging both claws, digging with full force.

Digging while absorbing.

【Source Energy Points +1.】

【Source Energy Points +1.】

…

The resources in his hand surged rapidly; after digging for several hours, the ore vein's boundary remained unseen.

"This is at least a medium-sized spiritual ore."

Such a discovery made Lu Zhangsheng quite excited.

With these Spiritual Creatures, his strength will surely advance further.

…

Time passed.

Two months later.

At noon, the sun shone brightly.

Lu Zhangsheng sat upright on a chair in the courtyard, sipping spiritual wine, his face full of contentment.

These days, the tense situation outside has not affected him at all.

After attaining a high position, everything is handled by subordinates, and only when faced with thorny tasks does he act himself.

The Pangolin Clone continues to dig ore day and night.

In addition to the imperial court's endowment, the resources at hand are rapidly increasing.

Open the panel.

Source Energy Points: 30000.

After several days of gathering, the resources at hand finally become abundant again.

He no longer hesitated, immediately went to the plus sign point behind the Killing True Intent.

Source Energy Points instantly decreased by twenty-five thousand.

Om——

With a buzzing sound echoing in his mind, a vague fluctuation descended again.

It seemed as if a supreme expert was displaying the Dao of Killing in his mind.

His understanding of Killing rapidly increased.

【After your days of arduous cultivation, the Killing True Intent has finally risen to eighty percent.】

Boom boom boom——

His qi and blood surged wildly, gang qi erupted around his body forming a thick gang qi shield, then his whole body began to float up, gradually rising into the sky.

Not long after, Lu Zhangsheng arrived at a height of several tens of meters in midair, looking around, the entire prefecture city was in full view.

Many porters and vendors walked the streets, filled with a sense of harmony.

Is this flight? It is one of the marks of an innate expert.

Lu Zhangsheng felt quite delighted.

He did not expect that after breaking through eighty percent in true intent, he already possessed the traits of an innate expert.

Killing True Intent spread throughout his body, beginning to spontaneously resist the world's gravity.

At this moment, he fundamentally differed from ordinary geniuses.

Afterwards, Lu Zhangsheng slowly descended to the ground.

After this true intent increase, his strength grew again by several tenths.

Ordinary geniuses often need several years or even over a decade to raise true intent to ten layers.

While Lu Zhangsheng only needs to pile up resources all the way.

The distance to him becoming an innate expert is not far.

……

The next day, early morning.

Lu Zhangsheng received the summons from the Chief Hall Master; when he entered the main hall, several FuduDianZhu were already present.

Ye Yiyang saw Lu Zhangsheng, his expression very solemn.

He felt a strong sense of threat.

The opponent's strength had obviously increased again, making him pay even more attention.

At the same time, a hint of competitiveness arose in his heart.

In the entire prefecture city's younger generation, only Lu Zhangsheng is qualified to be his opponent.

Nangong Lei and others also looked at Lu Zhangsheng with apprehension.

Wan Houyu's eyes darted about, his face full of shame and anger.

The incident of being knocked out by a punch seemed like a spell, impossible to dispel.

On the stage, Liang Jinghui smiled and nodded at Lu Zhangsheng.

Afterwards he said: "Today I summon you all; there is an urgent mission."

"Recently, a large amount of farmland outside the city actually cannot grow seedlings, very strange."

"I suspect the Tianyao Gate is behind this; go investigate."

His tone was extremely solemn.

Grain is the foundation of the imperial court; it must not be lost at all costs.

"We obey your command."

Lu Zhangsheng and others clasped their hands and directly accepted.

Afterwards everyone discussed the mission details, then each went their separate ways.

……

After returning, Lu Zhangsheng immediately gathered troops and headed outside the city.

He let Qin Ruobing lead the team, while he hid in the dark to investigate together.

A group of people mightily surged toward Baiyun County.

This county, as Lu Zhangsheng's jurisdiction, is naturally the primary investigation target.

(End of chapter)