Chapter 49: Bloody Battle

"Hehehe... Spirit restrained, flesh powerful and incomparably pure. Truly a fine seedling sent by the Heavens to this old woman..."

"Your flesh is not bad. This Seat will take it."

An evil light flared in the old woman's eyes, and a terrifying baleful aura erupted from her entire body.

Seeing the blade light strike, she felt not the slightest fear, extending her pitch-black right claw and thrusting it forward violently.

The fingernails on her hand were several inches long and shimmering with a ghostly light; even the void emitted bursts of sonic booms.

"Hmph... Just you?"

Lu Zhangsheng pushed the slaughtering knife in his hand to its limit, the cold light flickering in the void as if to sever everything.

"Boom, boom, boom..."

In an instant, the two sides collided fiercely.

A heaven-shaking, thunderous roar erupted in the air.

Massive force splashed wantonly, uprooting a large amount of vegetation in the surroundings, leaving the ground crisscrossed and in a state of utter ruin.

Lu Zhangsheng felt a massive force strike him, his entire body unable to stop from retreating several meters before landing steadily on the ground.

"This fiend is strong; she is likely approaching Bone Forging."

His heart tightened, his face full of gravity.

This strike just now was his full strength, excluding the fact that he hadn't activated the 【Blood Ignition Secret Art】.

He hadn't expected the opponent to receive it so steadily without suffering any injuries.

Conversely, the old woman also retreated several meters, her face full of surprise.

"Your strength is not bad, but it's a pity you must still die."

Her words were full of contempt, but her heart was incomparably vigilant.

The opponent's strength somewhat exceeded her imagination.

With her strength, which was infinitely close to Bone Forging, she hadn't gained the upper hand; this caused monstrous waves to rise in her heart.

One must know that to obtain this level of strength, she had drained the essence blood of countless martial artists to reach this realm today.

She hadn't expected a mere greenhorn to be able to stand toe-to-toe with her.

"Kill..."

Lu Zhangsheng didn't waste words, his expression cold and stern.

He raised the slaughtering knife directly, channeled the Spiral Nine Transformations, and charged forward violently.

His entire body transformed into several residual shadows, fast as a thunderbolt.

"Does this Seat fear you?"

Cao Shi extended her pitch-black sharp claws and met him head-on without showing any weakness.

"Boom, boom, boom..."

The two sides began a great battle in the back garden.

Piercing force splashed wantonly, stirring up sheets of green leaves, and the bricks on the ground cracked in succession.

After the two had battled for the time it takes to burn an incense stick.

A victor had still not been decided; they were still locked in a bloody battle.

Lu Zhangsheng's essence, Qi, and spirit were abundant; despite the long battle, he felt no fatigue, instead becoming more courageous the longer he fought, as if he were a God of War.

His blade strikes became increasingly casual, the blade light weaving wantonly through the void.

"Peng, peng, peng, peng, peng..."

The slaughtering knife struck her sharp claws, sparking a burst of fire.

Seeing Lu Zhangsheng becoming increasingly fierce, Cao Shi's face grew more and more solemn.

If she didn't fight for her life now, she would never be able to take this person down.

"Chi, chi..."

With a sharp shriek, the ground behind her suddenly collapsed, and a large number of corpses crawled out from underground, their faces bloodless and extremely ghastly.

Soon, a group of corpse puppets swarmed toward Lu Zhangsheng, baleful aura rolling in the surroundings.

Seeing this situation, Lu Zhangsheng's face was grave.

These corpse puppets were clearly refined from martial artists and possessed decent strength.

They were several grades stronger than the ones he had killed in the valley.

Clearly, these were all carefully cultivated by the opponent.

"Sever."

He no longer hesitated and directly activated the 【Blood Ignition Secret Art】.

"Boom, boom, boom..."

Inside his body, it felt as if a volcano were erupting; a large amount of Qi and blood surged crazily, and his own strength climbed step by step.

All of this was completed in an instant.

Through the amplification of the secret art, his strength had initially reached Bone Forging, and an incomparably powerful feeling lingered in his heart.

Following this, Lu Zhangsheng swung the slaughtering knife and swept it forward violently.

A blinding cold light flashed through the void, transforming into an arc and spreading forward.

"Pu-chi..."

A large number of corpse puppets were directly severed at the waist, emerald-green juice spraying all over the ground, looking extremely disgusting.

"Seeking death."

Cao Shi was instantly enraged; these were all her treasures, and she hadn't expected them all to be killed in a single strike.

"Roar, roar, roar..."

She quickly took out a blood-red round bead; the bead was surrounded by blood light, its baleful aura piercing the sky.

Then she swallowed it violently.

In an instant, her momentum surged again by a notch, also reaching the Bone Forging stage.

"This Seat wants to see how long you can hold on."

Cao Shi extended her sharp claws and quickly met him head-on.

She also knew that the opponent had exploded his Qi and blood and surely could not last long; she was certain to win this battle.

Having the opponent's flesh to replenish her losses could be considered not a total loss.

"Boom, boom, boom..."

The two sides began to battle once again, several times more intensely than before.

After half an hour.

Cao Shi looked at Lu Zhangsheng, whose momentum was becoming increasingly fierce, her face full of disbelief. "This is simply impossible; your essence blood cannot be inexhaustible!"

Lu Zhangsheng smiled coldly.

He looked at the status on his panel.

Status: Weakened.

"Add points."

Following a silent thought, Source Energy Points -10.

Status: Good.

His Qi and blood returned to their peak once again, and his offensive became increasingly fierce.

After another incense stick of time.

Cao Shi went from shock to disbelief, and finally to despair.

Her internal defenses were destroyed step by step.

She couldn't understand where this freak had come from; his essence blood seemed inexhaustible.

A moment later.

She could no longer hold on, and her aura suddenly dropped by a grade.

"Sever."

Lu Zhangsheng seized the opportunity and quickly swung his blade to strike.

"Ka-cha..."

A bright light flickered in the void, directly slashing toward her neck.

Cao Shi's face was full of despair, and she hurriedly dodged to the side.

Although she dodged the fatal part, she still couldn't completely avoid it.

Her essence blood bead had already been exhausted, and her speed was far inferior to the opponent's, so naturally, she couldn't dodge.

"Ah... The Venerable Lord will avenge me..."

The next moment, her entire body was severed at the waist, transforming into two halves that rolled on the ground, dark green liquid scattering everywhere.

Just as Lu Zhangsheng was preparing to step forward to deliver the final blow, footsteps suddenly came from behind.

He turned his head to look.

He saw a man stumbling toward Cao Shi on the ground, his dull face covered in tear stains.

"Mother, what happened to you..."

The fool squatted on the ground, clutching Cao Shi's upper body tightly.

"My son... Mother has failed you..."

While speaking, Cao Shi suddenly extended her sharp claws and pierced through the fool's chest.

She knew that after she died, her son wouldn't be able to live either; it was better to go on the road together so he would have company.

So, she endured the pain and killed her own fool son with her own hands.

"Pu-chi..."

The fool fell straight into Cao Shi's embrace.

Before long, both had breathed their last.

Lu Zhangsheng looked at the scene before him, his expression quite grave.

Before the opponent died, the "Venerable Lord" had appeared in her mouth once again.

Who exactly was this "Venerable Lord" the opponent spoke of? The Wenxiang Sect, the Black Mountain Bandits, or perhaps an evil organization that bewitched martial artists?

Added to the fact that County Magistrate Du Wentao had taken revenge, the entire Changping County had fallen into a state of unpredictable turmoil.

A large number of doubts, like a tangled mess of hemp, lingered in his heart.

It made him extremely vigilant.

There was quite a feeling that a storm was coming.

A moment later, Lu Zhangsheng put away his thoughts, preparing to investigate the opponent's lair.

Just at this moment.

He suddenly spoke, his expression cold and stern.

"Come out."

When the words fell, there was not the slightest movement.

"Do you still need me to invite you personally?"

His voice rose another notch, his tone extremely sharp.

Several breaths later, a beautiful figure walked gracefully from the corridor behind.

It was precisely that missing Li family woman.

After the demon was killed, she had also recovered her ability to move.

"This concubine thanks you, Brother, for the rescue."

The woman bowed.

However, the moment she lowered her head, a cold light flashed in her eyes.

She had already heard the movement outside while in the room, and the moment she recovered her ability to move, she had hidden in the shadows to watch.

Her heart was even more terrified.

The opponent had such strength but didn't rescue her beforehand, which made her heart full of resentment.

She thought of notifying the experts in her family after returning...

Just at this moment.

A bright cold light flickered in the void, slashing across the woman's neck.

"Ka-cha..."

The woman clutched her neck, her face full of disbelief.

"Why... why..."

"Your eyes, I don't like them very much."

Lu Zhangsheng smiled coldly.

He could also guess some of the opponent's thoughts, so naturally, he wouldn't leave any hidden dangers.

For enemies, one must always use thunderous means to sever the source.

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 50 =====