Chapter 63: Overlord Saber Breaks Through Again!

Half a cup of tea passed.

"Clang… clang…"

On a patch of grass, a small hole suddenly burst open, and a white-robed man crawled out.

His body was caked in filthy dirt, yet it could not conceal his handsome features.

It was Lu Zhangsheng, who had dug his way up from the Underground Space.

Thanks to the Sharpness attribute of his Slaughtering Pig Blade, he quickly broke through the underground stone slabs and reached the surface without much effort.

For digging tunnels, he was a professional.

He had been controlling the Pangolin for nearly a year, so this distance was child's play.

Soon, Lu Zhangsheng tidied his appearance slightly and sprinted swiftly toward the County City.

………………

When Lu Zhangsheng returned to the Zhenyao Si Yamen's Main Hall, many others had already come back.

A group stood in the Main Hall, faces grim, the atmosphere heavy and oppressive.

Lu Zhangsheng scanned the surroundings and noticed several figures missing—mostly Skin Refining Martial Artists.

Indeed, many Martial Artists would never return.

Five went out, one came back—this scenario was not uncommon.

He noticed many official Zhenyao Si members were in the same state as himself.

Regarding this, Lu Changsheng also felt quite regretful, as there was nothing he could do about it.

Skin Refining Martial Artists faced the greatest danger during missions.

Once one entered Flesh Refining, safety improved dramatically.

At Bone Forging, as long as one was cautious, death was rare—unless facing an ultra-large-scale mission.

This mission as team leader further solidified Lu Zhangsheng's resolve to cultivate.

Only by advancing bravely and relentlessly could one survive well in this chaotic age.

Afterwards, Lu Zhangsheng reported his mission details and returned to his Courtyard.

For the next dozen days, Zhenyao Si personnel were deployed frequently, sweeping through Wenxiang Sect outposts near the County City and slaying many Heretic Cultivators, though their own losses were also heavy.

Many Apprentice Zhenyao Envoys perished on missions.

Lu Zhangsheng himself led five missions.

Only two of these saw all members return unharmed; the rest suffered casualties.

Other teams' situations were largely the same.

Meanwhile, due to Lu Zhangsheng's repeated actions, he gained considerable reputation within the Zhenyao Si.

His Overbearing swordplay left a deep impression and made him a sought-after target among Common Martial Artists.

Of course, Lu Zhangsheng always revealed only Flesh Refining Mid Stage—this level was merely above-average among promoted Zhenyao Envoys, not particularly striking.

This was exactly the effect he wanted.

He needed to avoid being underestimated, yet avoid standing out too much—to remain hidden.

One night, deep into the night.

The bright moon hung high, stars scattered across the sky.

Tree shadows on the ground flickered faintly; the Courtyard was utterly silent.

Lu Zhangsheng stood motionless in the center of the Courtyard, holding the Slaughtering Pig Blade.

Opened the Panel.

Source Energy Points: 190.

These days, his Beast Clone had not been idle, slowly advancing toward the Volcano Crater; the breeding of Blazing Fire Ants had also stabilized and begun to expand rapidly.

Their numbers were nearly equal to what he had encountered at first.

With the help of these Blazing Fire Ants, his speed of gathering Spiritual Objects increased dramatically.

He had finally gathered enough again for a new Martial Art.

He no longer hesitated—he prepared to upgrade immediately.

This time, he prioritized swordplay.

He wanted to see what changes the Overlord Saber would undergo after breaking through.

As for why he chose swordplay first, he had his own reasoning.

Since he first began cultivating, he had remembered this saying: offense is the best defense.

If your attack is strong enough, you kill the enemy—and survive yourself.

Only when you cannot win do you choose to flee.

So he planned to first invest in Overlord Saber, then in movement skills, and finally 【Tiger Roar Golden Bell Shield】.

This was the upgrade path Lu Zhangsheng had long decided upon.

"Panel, add points for me…"

Lu Zhangsheng no longer hesitated—he clicked the plus sign beside 【Overlord Saber】.

As 160 Source Energy Points decreased,

A mysterious vibration instantly descended into the depths of his mind—as if a master of swordplay had been practicing day and night in his mind for decades, ceaselessly.

【After fifty years of arduous cultivation, you have refined the essence of countless sword arts and finally grasped a thread of the true essence of swordplay—you have forged your own path…】

【Overlord Saber has been cultivated to Transcendent Mastery—there is no further room for improvement.】

Note: This skill has surpassed its creator, reaching a realm unprecedented in history—its cutting power rises with your will…

A series of crisp notification chimes echoed through his mind.

Lu Zhangsheng had finally elevated his saber technique to Transcendent Mastery.

He seemed to feel the Slaughtering Pig Blade in his hand breathing, as if it had come alive.

The Long Blade hummed softly in his hand, cheering, thirsting for a blood-soaked campaign.

At that moment, a withered leaf drifted slowly down from midair.

"Whoosh…"

A flash of dazzling cold light swept past, and the Slaughtering Pig Blade in his hand returned to its sheath, as if it had never moved at all.

The withered leaf in the air was split cleanly in two, down to the finest detail, without even disturbing the veins on its surface—terrifyingly precise.

If such a strike landed on an enemy, it could easily sever their meridians.

This was the Overlord Saber at Transcendent Mastery.

It had already reached the realm of Return to Simplicity.

Moreover, Lu Zhangsheng felt that the might of his own saber technique had risen once more by roughly thirty percent.

Don't underestimate that thirty percent—at his current realm, every ten-percent increase was already terrifying, let alone a thirty-percent boost in attack power.

If he were to face Zheng Tu now, he could slay the man without even resorting to the Blood Ignition Secret Art.

This was the most striking, most tangible change.

Now, among his several key Cultivation Techniques, only his movement technique and defensive technique had yet to break through.

He wasn't far from his own breakthrough to Bone Forging.

Then Lu Zhangsheng gathered his thoughts and walked slowly toward the bedroom.

…………

Time slipped by, and another ten days passed.

These past few days, the County Government Office had gone mad, searching everywhere for traces of Du Ling.

The Town Demon Suppression Bureau was also cooperating with them at full strength.

Both sides' intelligence networks began operating at top speed—an enormous force.

Finally, more than ten days later, the matter seemed to take a new turn.

That day, early morning.

Lu Zhangsheng had just arrived at the Town Demon Suppression Envoy Yamen when he saw many figures standing inside.

Seeing Lu Zhangsheng arrive, quite a few people nodded in greeting.

Especially some Common Martial Artists, who were full of goodwill.

Yue Shulan also gave Lu Zhangsheng a charming smile.

Lu Zhangsheng gave a slight nod to his colleagues all around, then walked over to stand beside Yue Shulan.

"Do you know why we've been summoned today, Brother Lu?"

Yue Shulan's tone was gentle, her eyes flickering.

"I've been at home practicing martial arts these past days, so I'm afraid I don't know."

Lu Zhangsheng didn't hide anything and spoke up directly.

"Brother Lu is diligent indeed—no wonder he could stand out among so many Common Martial Artists."

Yue Shulan smiled faintly.

Then, in a wistful tone, she said: "They say there's been word on the location where Du Ling is being held, though I don't know if it's true—or perhaps it's a trap?"

"The Town Demon Suppression Bureau and the County Government Office should have confirmed this matter, surely."

Lu Zhangsheng's expression shifted slightly.

These Martial Artists sitting in high positions were none of them easy marks.

He didn't believe for a second they couldn't guess it might be a trap.

"Who knows—nothing's been leaked yet. But some are guessing that this time, three Strong Persons at the Deputy Hall Master level will make a move, or perhaps the Commander of the Xuanjia Army…"

Yue Shulan glanced at Lu Zhangsheng.

"When the time comes, Brother Lu must act with caution—stay as far from them as possible, so you don't get caught up in the clash between Strong Persons…"

"Thank you for the warning, Miss Yue."

Lu Zhangsheng smiled faintly.

As for the Commander of the Xuanjia Army she mentioned, he had seen the man once himself at the Execution Ground—an extremely powerful Martial Artist.

This man was named Wei Shaoxuan, Commander of the Xuanjia Army, County Lieutenant, a man of upright bearing, and in the mouths of the common folk, a guardian deity.

He had once been their colleague as well, but after being injured once, he had stepped down.

(End of this chapter)