Chapter 88

For the next few days, Lu Zhangsheng stayed at home, living a leisurely life of mining at night and drinking during the day.

Ever since the Patrol Envoy under Xiao Tianci was beheaded, the situation had become more and more intense.

The surroundings of the county city were like a powder keg, ready to explode at any time.

That group of Soul Envoys became increasingly rampant, making moves wantonly outside the city, and countless commoners suffered from it.

The martial artists in the city were all filled with righteous indignation, hoping that the strongmen of the Demon-Suppressing Division could behead that group of Soul Envoys.

This day, early morning.

After Lu Zhangsheng got up, he stretched his muscles and bones in the courtyard.

Bursts of light footsteps suddenly came from outside his courtyard.

He turned his head to look.

Only to see a beautiful woman dressed in a white dress walking over slowly, her face quite cold.

It was exactly this woman, Tong Yuhua.

Seeing the visitor, Lu Zhangsheng was stunned; he did not have a deep friendship with this woman, and he did not know why she came to find him today.

Tong Yuhua walked up to Lu Zhangsheng and smiled slightly: "Patrol Envoy Lu, how about teaming up with me to patrol outside the city tomorrow? The safety will also be improved a lot."

In her view, Lu Zhangsheng had the weakest strength, so naturally, he had no reason to refuse her.

These past few days, the other party had been staying in the city, presumably because the Patrol Envoys had fallen one after another, and he was somewhat "scared."

Therefore, she came to invite him specially today.

"Many thanks, Patrol Envoy Tong."

Lu Zhangsheng smiled slightly.

He also guessed the other party's thoughts in his heart, but he did not explain anything; instead, he agreed immediately.

He suspected that this might be Qin Ruobing's intention, thinking that he had retreated somewhat, so she let the other party take him along.

These past few days, because he was too leisurely, he must have been seen by many people.

It just so happened that he was getting tired of staying in the city, so going out for a walk was also good; with his own speed, almost no Soul Envoy could catch up with him.

Afterward, the two agreed on a time, and Tong Yuhua turned and left the courtyard.

Lu Zhangsheng also kept practicing martial arts in the courtyard until lunchtime.

Fang Qing and her younger brother were already waiting at the dining table.

Seeing Lu Zhangsheng walk over, Fang Tao couldn't help but mutter: "It's so dangerous outside the city; it's quite good for Brother Changsheng to stay at home all the time."

Evidently, he also knew that Lu Zhangsheng was going to go out of the city to perform tasks again, and he was quite reluctant.

Two Patrol Envoys had died one after another, making him extremely worried.

"Bang..."

Before he finished speaking, Fang Qing's chopsticks knocked on Fang Tao's forehead.

"Your Brother Changsheng is on official business; if everyone thought like you, the Imperial Court would have collapsed long ago. There are countless demons and evils entrenched outside the city; where else would there be a way for us to live..."

Fang Qing's tone was gentle, her eyes glancing over Lu Zhangsheng, carrying a hint of worry.

The two had long become martial artists and also had their own small circle in the city.

The outside world was spreading rumors that Lu Zhangsheng became a Patrol Envoy because of his speed and his relationship with Hall Master Qin, and his strength was almost at the bottom.

It was highly likely that he would fall outside the city; these remarks made the two of them somewhat restless.

"Don't worry, I will retreat immediately if the situation is not right."

Lu Zhangsheng smiled slightly and did not explain too much.

He also knew that some remarks in the outside world must have affected the two of them.

Upon hearing this, Fang Qing and her brother stopped talking.

The atmosphere at the scene was quite oppressive.

"If you have time, just dig a cellar in the bedroom, and build it entirely with refined iron..."

At this moment, Lu Zhangsheng seemed to have remembered something and spoke faintly.

That "Du Ling" time bomb had been developing silently all along and could explode at any time; he had to take precautions.

Fang Qing and the other were stunned at first, then agreed immediately.

"We will take action immediately."

They also knew that Lu Zhangsheng was not someone who would speak without reason; evidently, he knew something, and the two did not ask much.

Just as the few were eating, a strong man wearing black armor walked slowly toward the courtyard.

"Reporting to Lord Lu, there is a person at the street corner claiming to be a Protector of the Sanhe Gang asking to see you..."

The strong man cupped his hands, his face full of respect.

For this Patrol Envoy Lu, he was not someone a small soldier like him could afford to neglect.

"Don't see them."

Lu Zhangsheng's expression was cold, and he refused without hesitation.

He could also guess the other party's purpose, which was nothing more than sending some spirit medicines and wanting to reconcile with him.

Regarding this matter, it was impossible for him to agree; the moment he stepped into Blood Exchange would be the other party's death date.

After destroying the Sanhe Gang, those spiritual objects would all be his.

Not to mention that the other party might also have collusion with demons and evils.

"Subordinate obeys the order."

The strong man's expression was solemn, and he turned and left the courtyard.

Demon-Suppressing Division Family Compound, street corner.

An old man in black was standing in a corner, his face quite restless.

Seeing the black-armored strong man coming from ahead, his eyes lit up.

"How is it? Did Lord Lu agree to see me?"

The old man in black's tone was quite expectant.

"Lord Lu has no time to see you."

The black-armored strong man's face sank, and he stood quietly on the flat ground, blocking the entire intersection.

The old man in black smiled sheepishly, then turned and left this place.

A moment later.

The old man passed through street after street and arrived at the Gathering Righteousness Hall of the Sanhe Gang.

At this time, Gang Leader Huang Tianba and the two Deputy Gang Leaders were all waiting in the main hall.

"Reporting to the Gang Leader, the other party refused to meet with the subordinate."

The old man in black was full of resentment.

"Hmph... this person really doesn't know what's good for him."

Cold light flickered in Huang Tianba's eyes.

"Don't worry about him; this person's strength is at the bottom among the Patrol Envoys, and sooner or later he will fall into the hands of the Soul Envoys..."

"Gang Leader is wise; the two Patrol Envoys who fell had strength even above the other party's, and facing the increasingly intense conflicts that follow, the other party may not necessarily be able to retreat unscathed."

The old man nodded in agreement.

…………

Demon-Suppressing Division, inside a magnificent main hall.

He Chunlin and Chen Zhanpeng stood in the center of the main hall.

"Do you have any confidence in defeating the First Soul Envoy?"

"Hall Master, don't worry; the subordinate will definitely be able to defeat the other party."

Chen Zhanpeng was full of arrogance.

As long as he could defeat the First Soul Envoy, his prestige would definitely surge.

He was determined to get the position of Deputy Hall Master.

"Having this ambition is good."

He Chunlin smiled faintly.

Being able to produce a Deputy Hall Master under his command also made him look good.

"The two under Hall Master Xiao are not as good as you, and the ones under Hall Master Qin are just making up the numbers; your chance of promotion this time is very high, so grasp it well."

"Subordinate obeys the order."

Chen Zhanpeng cupped his hands confidently.

…………

The next day, early morning.

Early in the morning, Lu Zhangsheng rushed to the location agreed upon with Tong Yuhua.

He stood at a street corner and waited quietly.

Before long, a woman in white walked slowly from the street corner in the distance.

It was exactly this woman, Tong Yuhua.

"Patrol Envoy Lu arrived early."

After Tong Yuhua walked closer, she greeted him.

Lu Zhangsheng smiled, and the two walked toward the outside of the city together.

After leaving the city gate, they ran rapidly toward the official road in the distance.

For the next few days.

Lu Zhangsheng and the other had been patrolling outside the city, beheading quite a few heretic cultists.

With the two of them joining forces, when they encountered a lone Soul Envoy, the other party also had to flee in panic.

For a time, the news of the two of them making moves at the same time also spread nearby.

At the same time, some heretic cultists also dispatched quite a few strongmen to snipe at the two.

All of them were easily dodged by Lu Zhangsheng and the other.

Of course, Lu Zhangsheng never exposed his true strength.

In a flash, another five days passed.

This day, at noon.

"Boom, boom, boom..."

Lu Zhangsheng and Tong Yuhua were walking on the official road when they suddenly heard bursts of rumbling sounds and shouting from not far away.

The two looked at each other and immediately rushed toward the location of the sound.

Before long, the two arrived at the edge of a huge forest.

At this time, on the entire battlefield, the people of the government and the heretic cult bandits were killing each other, and the baleful aura was rolling like smoke.

The ground was covered with all kinds of corpses, and the blood had soaked the lawn into a deep red.

In the center of the battlefield, two very powerful auras were confronting each other.

Lu Zhangsheng looked closely; it was exactly Chen Zhanpeng and a young man in black.

This person was also the First Soul Envoy of the Wenxiang Sect, Zuo Jiliang.

Unexpectedly, the two sides actually ran into each other here.

Chen Zhanpeng also discovered the arrival of Tong Yuhua and the other, but did not pay attention to them.

"It's the First Soul Envoy."

Cold light flashed in Tong Yuhua's eyes.

Just at this moment, two blood-red figures rushed out from the jungle in the distance again.

"Two more Soul Envoys."

Seeing this situation, Lu Zhangsheng's expression moved slightly.

He somewhat suspected whether this was a trap left by the other party.

If there was anything slightly wrong, he was prepared to retreat immediately.

"Kill."

At this moment, Chen Zhanpeng raised his blade and killed his way toward Zuo Jiliang, his momentum fierce and peerless.

He was already somewhat impatient to suppress the other party; this person would only be his stepping stone.

"Slash." Zuo Jiliang did not show any weakness and also killed his way up.

"Boom, boom, boom..."

The two sides fought violently in the center of the battlefield, bursts of air waves swept in all directions, and cracks on the ground crisscrossed.

"Quickly go and behead those two."

Bu Chicong and another Soul Envoy looked at each other.

Then they quickly killed their way toward Lu Zhangsheng and the other.

The two kicked their feet, and they were several meters away, moving as fast as flying, and in the blink of an eye, they arrived in front of Lu Zhangsheng and the other.

"Kill."

Lu Zhangsheng drew his transformed slaughtering knife and met Bu Chicong.

Tong Yuhua fought another Soul Envoy.

"Bang, bang, bang..."

For a time, the two sides fought fiercely on the edge of the dense forest.

The shouting sounds all around were earth-shaking, and the battle situation became more and more intense.

Lu Zhangsheng was "fiercely" fighting with Bu Chicong while staring at the battlefield of Chen Zhanpeng and the other.

He knew that the outcome of this battle did not depend on others.

If Chen Zhanpeng won, that would be fine; otherwise, he would only have to retreat.

With his current strength, he was still unable to behead a Blood Exchange strongman.

Time flowed slowly.

One hour passed.

The people of both sides were still fighting to the death, only their faces had a bit more fatigue.

Lu Zhangsheng always maintained an invincible posture in Bu Chicong's hands, which made him quite puzzled.

No matter how Bu Chicong activated his secret techniques, he could not behead Lu Zhangsheng.

As time went on, Bu Chicong also gave up the idea of beheading Lu Zhangsheng; the two of them fought feignedly while staring tightly at the central battlefield.

Just at this moment, a sudden change occurred.

"Slash."

Zuo Jiliang's expression was incomparably solemn; under the full activation of his secret techniques, the long blade in his hand erupted with astonishing cold light.

The long blade was like Mount Tai pressing down, slashing fiercely toward Chen Zhanpeng.

"Die."

Chen Zhanpeng also did not dare to neglect; he knew that the other party was going to decide the outcome with one move.

He mobilized the Qi and Blood in his body with all his strength and slashed forward with his blade.

The long blade rubbed against the void, making a harsh whistling sound.

"Boom, boom, boom..."

The two sides collided violently.

Violent air waves swept in all directions, dust and smoke rolled all around, and it was a mess.

Under one strike.

Chen Zhanpeng's face turned pale, and his aura became somewhat unstable.

"Not good."

He looked horrified; in the peak strike of both sides, he had clearly lost.

Just at this moment, Zuo Jiliang killed his way toward Chen Zhanpeng again, seemingly wanting to leave him here completely.

Chen Zhanpeng deflected the other party's long blade with one strike and retreated toward the rear quickly.

"Retreat."

Lu Zhangsheng also retreated at the first moment.

He kicked his feet and was ten or so meters away; after flashing several times.

In the blink of an eye, he had disappeared without a trace.

As early as when Chen Zhanpeng fell into a disadvantage, he had prepared to retreat.

The government martial artists around also ran toward the rear quickly, and the scene was once very chaotic.

Tong Yuhua also fled the scene toward the rear at the first moment.

She also did not expect that Chen Zhanpeng, this First Patrol Envoy, would actually lose.

A group of heretic cult bandits also followed closely behind, chasing and killing the government martial artists.

The shouting sounds resounded through the clouds.

…………

A few days later.

The matter of Chen Zhanpeng losing to the First Soul Envoy also spread throughout the city.

Countless martial artists were astonished.

Everyone did not expect that the First Patrol Envoy of this generation would actually lose.

And under the chase of the other party, he fled in a panic; it is said that he also suffered some injuries, and even quite a few government martial artists were beheaded outside the city.

For a time, Chen Zhanpeng's prestige decreased greatly, and countless people were disappointed.

After this defeat, coupled with the matter of the Patrol Envoy being beheaded a few days ago, the martial artists of the entire Changping County became somewhat pessimistic.

The atmosphere in the city was quite oppressive, as if a storm was about to arrive.

There were even quite a few martial artists who hoped that the mysterious strongman would make a move, behead a few more Soul Envoys, and win back a game for the county city.

These people called out from afar again, requesting the other party to make a move.

…………

After Lu Zhangsheng returned home, he turned a deaf ear to this matter.

He urgently hoped to improve his strength again; he prepared to talk about hunting the Soul Envoys after a while.

Demon-Suppressing Division, inside a magnificent main hall.

Chen Zhanpeng and He Chunlin stood in the center, and the atmosphere at the scene was quite solemn.

"I lost."

After a long while, Chen Zhanpeng spoke slowly, his face full of unwillingness.

Both sides used their full strength in one strike, but he could not defeat the other party.

There was no reason to argue about this matter.

This failure could be considered to have completely put an end to his nomination for Deputy Hall Master.

The family had prepared for so long, only to end up in such a situation, which made his heart full of bitterness.

"Sigh... you should recuperate well first."

He Chunlin sighed softly and did not say too much.

Soon, the scene returned to calm again.

…………

Zhu Family Courtyard.

"Chen Zhanpeng lost; my chance has come."

"As long as I can suppress Zuo Jiliang, my prestige will definitely surge, and then the position of Deputy Hall Master will be within my grasp."

Light flickered in Zhu Houyu's eyes.

He had endured for so many years just to wait for this moment.

Everyone in the world thought that his strength and talent were a notch weaker than Chen Zhanpeng's, but in the dark, he had long broken through to Blood Exchange, and even a top-tier blade technique had been cultivated to the Great Completion realm.

"My child will definitely be able to defeat Zuo Jiliang."

The old man in green was full of excitement.

…………

Inside a dim main hall.

A group of Soul Envoys gathered together, and there were also quite a few Wenxiang Sect members around.

Numerous sect members were all surrounding Zuo Jiliang in the center with flattering faces.

"The younger generation of the Demon-Suppressing Division of this generation are all people of mediocre strength."

"That Chen Zhanpeng is boasted to be miraculous, but in reality, he is nothing more than this."

Zuo Jiliang carried his hands on his back, his face full of arrogance.

Under his full-strength move, he clearly suppressed Chen Zhanpeng.

Naturally, he dared to speak wildly today.

"Next, we will attack with all our strength for the sake of the Venerable Lord's grand plan..."

Zuo Jiliang spoke in an unquestionable tone.

…………

In a flash, another month passed.

Over the past month, the situation outside the city had become increasingly severe, and the conflicts between the two sides had intensified.

Zhu Houyu, however, rose abruptly, being extremely eye-catching on the battlefield, and his limelight completely overshadowed Chen Zhanpeng.

For a time, there were even signs of him becoming the First Patrol Envoy.

Countless martial artists were extremely surprised.

They did not expect that the other party had hidden so deeply; clearly having the strength, yet never exposing it.

This scheming was too deep.

Ever since Lu Zhangsheng returned, he had been staying at home and had not gone out.

Others seemed to have forgotten him.

Lu Zhangsheng was also happy to be so, becoming increasingly low-key.

Every day, besides drinking wine and tasting tea, he was frantically mining.

Under the continuous efforts of one month, the Source Energy Points finally met the requirements.

Open the panel.

Source Energy Points: 780.

The plus sign behind 【Silver Arm Art】 lit up again.

He did not hesitate anymore, his mind moved, and he clicked immediately.

As the Source Energy Points decreased by six hundred.

"Hum..."

A fluctuation from the netherworld descended into the depths of his mind again, as if a strongman was practicing day and night without stopping.

A powerful surge of Qi and Blood surged wildly in his body, and a wolf smoke of blood Qi also formed around his body.

The bone marrow inside his bones was also undergoing violent transformation, and strands of impurities were squeezed out of his bones.

【After years of hard practice, the Silver Arm Art has finally reached Perfection.】

A crisp prompt sound came from his mind, marking the official end of this upgrade.

Lu Zhangsheng slowly opened his eyes, and a sharp glint pierced directly into the void.

He clenched his fists tightly, and a powerful force surged into his heart.

It was as if he could break the void with one punch; this was because his strength had increased too much.

This upgrade brought an extremely huge increase in strength.

He could be considered to have initially stepped into the Blood Exchange realm, and he belonged to the strongmen in the entire county city.

If he could break through to the Transcendent realm again, he would likely be able to behead an ordinary Blood Exchange Initial Stage expert.

After years of experience, Lu Zhangsheng finally reached this step, and his own safety finally had a hint of guarantee.

Next was Blood Exchange and Tuotai, and even that Innate Martial Dao that people yearned for.

(End of chapter)