Chapter 94

Qi Guangcheng on the side also seemed to have a tacit understanding, borrowing the rebounding force to retreat rapidly.

After a few flashes, he disappeared from the battlefield.

"Withdraw."

A large group of black-clothed men all around immediately attacked with all their might, forcing back their respective opponents, and then retreated rapidly in all directions.

"Bastard."

Zhao Shuo was full of anger, with killing intent exposed in his eyes.

At this moment, he also wanted to retreat; the turtle shell in front of him was simply too hard, and it was impossible for them to break it.

However, the opponent had locked onto him firmly, and the blade light shuttled around his body, making it difficult for him to pull away and retreat.

"Slash."

Lu Zhangsheng's expression was cold and stern.

He channeled his Cloud Mist Step, moving like a ghost, shuttling around Zhao Shuo.

Every time he struck with his blade, it brought a powerful sense of oppression.

Endless cold light shone in the dark night, and bursts of sonic booms came from the void.

Today, he was going to kill this Blood Exchange expert right here.

"Kill."

Zhao Shuo attacked with all his might, his claws moving like ghost shadows as he met the long blade in front.

At this moment, he had no choice but to fight for his life; if it weren't for the two Soul Envoys suddenly withdrawing, he wouldn't have fallen into such a dangerous situation, which made him extremely dissatisfied with the Wenxiang Sect.

"Boom, boom, boom..."

Both sides were fighting fiercely in the courtyard, with layers of Qi energy sweeping in all directions, and the bricks and stones under their feet were all shattered, leaving the place in a mess.

The group from the Demon-Suppressing Division stared fixedly at the two people fighting.

Their strength was not at the Blood Exchange level, so they couldn't help much.

Seeing the mysterious strongman fight three people at once and even scare away two Soul Envoys, they couldn't help but be quite shocked.

The remaining strongman of the Black Mountain Bandits would likely not escape this disaster.

The subsequent development indeed did not exceed everyone's expectations.

As time passed.

Zhao Shuo's aura grew weaker and weaker, and his claw strikes no longer had their previous overbearing nature.

Clearly, after activating his secret technique for a long time, he could no longer hold on.

Seeing that the opponent's turtle shell remained as stable as Mount Tai, he couldn't help but feel a bit desperate.

This level of body-protection divine art was simply not something that martial artists of the same level could break.

In the entire Changping County, it had never been heard that anyone had cultivated this kind of technique to perfection.

This mysterious martial artist who had suddenly appeared was simply a monster.

Not only that, but the opponent's speed was also far above his own, making even a safe retreat a luxury for him.

Zhao Shuo looked sorrowful and indignant.

The two were still fighting.

Half a stick of incense later.

"Die."

Lu Zhangsheng caught a slight flaw in Zhao Shuo's defense and quickly slashed his blade forward horizontally.

The bright blade light tore through the void, as if a galaxy were pouring backward, with an astonishing momentum.

For this strike, he used his full strength; with his Perfect-grade blade technique and secret technique, he was already at his own peak state.

Zhao Shuo's face showed fear, and he struggled to stretch out his claws, grabbing forward.

"Bang, bang, bang..."

The violent collision sounds resounded throughout the entire courtyard, and Qi energy splashed wildly all around, kicking up bursts of smoke and clouds.

Lu Zhangsheng's slaughtering knife directly deflected the opponent's giant claws, and then slashed towards his chest without losing any momentum.

Before Zhao Shuo could react, a cold light instantly passed through his chest.

"Ah..."

Following a shrill scream, Zhao Shuo was directly slashed into two pieces, and a large amount of fresh blood gushed out, staining the ground bricks and stones red.

Zhao Shuo's upper torso was still crawling slowly on the ground, his face full of despair and pain.

With such injuries, it was likely impossible to survive.

Lu Zhangsheng quickly slashed his blade, cutting off the opponent's head and completely ending his life.

Then, after a brief search, he walked out of the courtyard under the awe-filled gazes of the people around.

Not long after, he disappeared into the night.

Tong Yuhua and the others watched Lu Zhangsheng's disappearing back in silence, the shock on their faces not subsiding for a long time.

Fighting three people at once and even killing a Blood Exchange expert—this kind of strength already belonged to the top-tier strongmen in Changping County.

Except for a few Deputy Hall Masters, he could almost walk sideways.

Everyone also couldn't have imagined that this mysterious strongman had such an astonishing body-protection divine art.

…………

A few days later.

News about this battle gradually spread.

Countless martial artists in the city were extremely surprised, speculating one after another that it might have been the hidden foundation of the Demon-Suppressing Division that had taken action.

Ordinary martial artists only choose to cultivate body-protection techniques when they cannot break through their realm; those who can cultivate them to perfection are definitely not nameless people.

Many people were secretly inquiring.

As for the killing of the Blood Exchange strongman of the Black Mountain Bandits, they were also quite happy.

This battle also severely struck the arrogant momentum of the evil forces outside the city.

In a magnificent main hall of the Demon-Suppressing Division.

Tong Yuhua softly informed Hall Master Qin about the news of that battle.

Then she looked at the other person quietly, as if waiting for Qin Ruobing's reply.

She also suspected that it was the strongmen from the previous generations of the Demon-Suppressing Division who had taken action.

Otherwise, it would have been impossible for them to retreat unscathed.

"There is no one within the Demon-Suppressing Division who matches that."

Qin Ruobing spoke softly, her expression calm.

"This person is clearly from the government side; since the other party does not want to be exposed, there is no need to investigate too much."

Hearing this, the confusion on Tong Yuhua's face grew even deeper.

That day, the figure of the other party had a faint sense of familiarity; it was clearly the hidden foundation left within the organization that had taken action.

She also found it difficult to ask again, pressing her doubts firmly into the bottom of her heart.

In a mansion in the Inner City.

Xuanjia Army Commander Wei Shaoxuan looked at the intelligence in front of him, his eyes flickering slightly.

"Cough, cough, cough..."

At this moment, he suddenly began to cough violently, then wiped the corner of his mouth with a handkerchief, and a trace of bright red appeared on the white handkerchief.

"My Lord has rendered great service to the Demon-Suppressing Division and the Imperial Court, why..."

A middle-aged man in the hall was full of indignation.

"There is no need to say any more about this matter."

Wei Shaoxuan waved his hand, his eyes showing some desolation.

This was an old injury of his; the Imperial Court would not waste spirit medicine to support a useless person.

A trace of mockery appeared at the corner of his mouth.

…………

Black Mountain Stronghold.

Inside the main hall on the mountaintop.

"Clap..."

Su Qilong smashed the teacup in his hand fiercely onto the ground, his face full of anger.

As early as two days ago, he had received the news that his strongman had died.

Hearing that it was because the two people from the Wenxiang Sect had fled that this result occurred, he couldn't help but be extremely angry.

Cultivating a Blood Exchange strongman consumed a great deal; even the Black Mountain Stronghold did not have many such strongmen.

This kind of loss made his heart ache unbearably.

Third Master Liu Shiqi on the side also had cold light emerging in his eyes.

"Stronghold Leader, now is not the time to fall out."

"I know."

The flesh on Su Qilong's face twitched, his tone incomparably grim.

The government forces in Changping County were the strongest, so both sides could only choose to cooperate temporarily.

He naturally would not act on impulse.

"That woman probably has some astonishing conspiracy; what exactly is in the county city that attracts the other party?"

Liu Shiqi shook his white feather fan, his face calm.

He would not believe that the other party had gone to such great lengths to stir up trouble just to disrupt the situation around the county city.

There must be some secret in this.

"No need to worry about what conspiracy she has; when the time comes to break the county city, we will compete based on our own abilities."

Killing intent flashed across Su Qilong's eyes.

They and that group of heretic cultivators were merely using each other.

When the time came, a little "black eating black" would not be bad either.

"Stronghold Leader is wise; when the time comes, the three of us will take action together, and we won't fear her."

Liu Shiqi smiled faintly, and after the two looked at each other, they both understood in their hearts.

…………

Outside the city.

In an underground space.

"Reporting to the Venerable Lord, this person's strength is only at the Blood Exchange initial stage, but his body-protection divine art is extremely powerful, and the three of us were unable to break it..."

Zuo Jiliang and Qi Guangcheng stood quietly in the center of the main hall, their faces full of shame.

Thinking back to before, when the two had sworn to suppress and kill the opponent, only to retreat in a sorry state, their faces couldn't help but burn.

"Body-protection divine art?"

The red-robed woman in front was also quite surprised; she hadn't expected the county government to have such a martial artist.

Then, she took out a small black wooden box and placed it on the table.

"This item is called the Shadow Needle, specifically for breaking body-protection divine arts."

Her tone was very cold.

"With this item, the subordinate will definitely be able to kill this person."

Zuo Jiliang nodded heavily, his eyes filled with stern killing intent.

He had long wanted to wash away his previous shame.

However, the opponent was always elusive, so he could only wait for the opportunity.

One day, the two sides would meet again.

…………

For the next period of time, Lu Zhangsheng's life gradually returned to peace. He ignored the disturbances of the outside world and did not associate with others, simply immersing himself in the world of blade practice.

Except for occasionally going out of the city to patrol, he practiced his blade technique in the courtyard every day.

As time passed, he gained a deeper understanding of the true intent of top-tier blade techniques.

When he struck with his blade, the blade light became even more subtle and elegant, as if snowflakes were dancing in the void.

Practicing the blade had become a part of his life.

Practicing the blade, drinking wine, going out of the city to kill demons and evil creatures—life had returned to the starting point.

However, during this time, the Source Energy Points in his hands had slowed down a bit; he suspected that the treasures by the lava river had been somewhat cleaned out.

Lu Zhangsheng prepared to launch an operation at night.

……

Night, stars dotted the sky.

By the lava river, on a giant stone platform.

Lu Zhangsheng slowly opened his eyes, a ray of wisdom shining in them.

The surroundings were still the original environment, and the air was full of heat.

A large number of Blazing Fire Ants were exploring outward continuously.

The temperature here was very high, quite suitable for the breeding of the Blazing Fire Ant swarm.

On the gravel ground, countless ant eggs were also hatching.

Everything appeared orderly.

However, these days, the speed at which the ant swarm collected Fire Crystal Stones had slowed down a lot.

Often they could only collect a few pieces a day, which was somewhat unable to keep up with his needs.

Lu Zhangsheng began to order the Ant Queen to let the ant swarm explore further away.

Following his order.

"Zzz..."

A large number of the ant tribe immediately took action, surging towards the cave entrance in a mighty force.

Time passed.

In a flash, six days went by.

On this day, at noon.

Lu Zhangsheng was lying on the giant stone resting when he suddenly saw a Blazing Fire Ant crawling towards him rapidly.

In its mouth, it was carrying a pale purple stone.

The stone was smooth and delicate, and it seemed to have fluorescence shining on it.

"Eh?"

Lu Zhangsheng felt a bit curious; these ant tribes generally would not bring back objects without spirituality.

He immediately ran towards this Blazing Fire Ant.

He placed his claw on this stone.

【Discovered a piece of low-grade Purple Cold Jade Spirit Mine, absorb it?】

A crisp prompt sounded in his mind.

"Absorb."

Lu Zhangsheng thought to himself.

【Source Energy Points +1.】

Seeing the Source Energy Points on the panel increase by another point, Lu Zhangsheng was quite happy.

It was impossible for there to be only one piece of this kind of spirit mine; often there existed a mine vein, and if he could find it, the resources would definitely be endless.

Thinking of this, he immediately began to take action.

Lu Zhangsheng controlled the Ant Queen, leading the ant army to charge out of the volcano crater.

After exiting the volcano crater, he headed east all the way.

Under the guidance of the ant tribe, Lu Zhangsheng soon arrived in front of a large mountain fifty miles east of the volcano crater.

"Could it be here?"

Lu Zhangsheng immediately ran to the foot of the mountain and began to dig.

"Boom, boom, boom..."

As the gravel slowly peeled off, a small hole quickly took shape.

Ever since he broke through to the fourth-order Mountain Spirit, his sharp claws had also become much harder, and digging through these mountain bodies was effortless.

Lu Zhangsheng followed the cave entrance, digging into the mountain body all the way.

Not long after, a ray of light came from ahead.

"Something's up?"

His expression flickered slightly, and he ran towards the light source rapidly.

Soon he arrived in front of a large giant stone.

The entire giant stone presented a pale purple luster, clearly the same as the spirit mine he had just absorbed.

He immediately began to dig.

"Clang, clang, clang..."

A large number of stones were dug out, and soon they filled the entire cave.

【Discovered low-grade Purple Cold Jade Spirit Mine, absorb it?】

"Absorb."

"Source Energy Points +1."

"Source Energy Points +1."

……

Lu Zhangsheng began to dig crazily, and the Source Energy Points were also rising rapidly.

Before long, this giant stone was completely absorbed by him.

Open the panel.

Source Energy Points: 350.

This entire piece of cold jade mine had added over a hundred points for him.

It was simply a windfall from heaven.

There were likely quite a few more in this large mountain; if he could dig it clean, it would be enough to make his cultivation soar.

He directly gave the order to the Ant Queen, letting the entire ant swarm take action rapidly.

"Buzz..."

A large number of the ant tribe gathered in all directions, crazily gnawing at the mountain body.

Lu Zhangsheng found a mountain cave and lay down to rest; he could just have the ant swarm send the Purple Cold Jade over.

For the next half day.

His entire mind was filled with panel prompt sounds.

"Source Energy Points +1."

"Source Energy Points +1."

……

Endless, as if it would never stop.

Watching the resources in his hands rise crazily, she was quite happy.

【Discovered a piece of intermediate Purple Cold Jade, absorb it?】

At this moment, another voice sounded.

"Absorb."

"Source Energy Points +5."

Sure enough, this mountain still had higher-grade spirit jade.

His heart was filled with even more motivation.

For the next few days, Lu Zhangsheng had been collecting spirit jade, and the resources in his hands were increasing every moment.

……

Late night.

Changping County.

Source Energy Points: 1200.

Lu Zhangsheng stood in the courtyard, watching the Source Energy Points in his hands break a thousand for the first time, which made him very satisfied.

The plus sign behind the cultivation technique also lit up again.

He did not hesitate anymore and immediately began to upgrade.

"Add points."

Following the thought, he clicked.

Inside his body, it felt like a volcano erupting, and he began a violent transformation.

A fluctuation from the void descended into the depths of his mind again, as if he were practicing the technique day and night without stopping.

【After years of your hard cultivation, the Silver Arm Art has finally broken through to the Transcendent Realm.】

Note: This technique has been upgraded to the limit, surpassing the creator, reaching an unimaginable peak, and cannot be further upgraded.

【Panel upgrading...】

Lu Zhangsheng looked at the prompt, quite puzzled.

He hadn't expected that after this upgrade, the panel would also begin to change.

A moment later, the changes to the Attribute Modifier were finally completed.

He saw that a "Deduction" button had actually appeared behind the cultivation technique.

However, it was still gray for the time being, clearly because resources were insufficient.

Lu Zhangsheng guessed that in the future, even without fusion, he would be able to continue upgrading the technique level.

As long as resources were sufficient, the technique could be deduced to the limit.

As for where the limit was, he didn't know either.

Then, Lu Zhangsheng began to feel his own changes.

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

It was about double what it was before the breakthrough.

He gently channeled the Qi and blood in his body.

"Boom, boom, boom..."

It was as if great rivers were flowing within his body, and a powerful Qi and blood instantly circulated throughout his entire body.

"So strong."

This upgrade more than doubled his strength.

If he were to encounter that kind of three-person encirclement again, he would be able to kill the opponent very quickly.

At this moment, the strength he could explode with at full power had likely reached the Blood Exchange mid-stage.

With his speed, even a Blood Exchange perfection expert wouldn't be able to easily keep him behind.

After years of hard cultivation, he had finally stepped into the ranks of top-tier strongmen.

With that Purple Cold Jade mine in hand, next, as long as he broke through all his techniques, he would be able to immediately charge towards Blood Exchange, and at that time, his strength would definitely soar again.

Everything was already on the right track.

(End of chapter)