《Level Up in Martial World》


 Chapter 1: Transmigration (1)

    <h4>Chapter 1: Transmigration (1)</h4>


    The wind was icy and sharp, making it feel like des cutting through the air. Snowkes were swirling and falling to the ground, creating a white nket all around.


    Lu Zhen opened his eyes and found himself seated in a luxurious carriage.


    Outside the carriage, there was a lively chaos. Street sellers called out their goods, people chattered and fought, and children made noise and yed.


    Lu zhen heaved a deep sigh.


    "Looks like I have really transmigrated to this world."


    He knew he couldn''t go back to his own blue. He was originally aputer programmer who has just got his job at a bigpany but when he was celebrating he got too drunk.


    The next moment he knew he found himself in this guy body in this unfamiliar world.


    Having been an avid reader of novels, Lu Zhen was familiar with the concept of transmigration. After a full day of despair, he reluctantly came to terms with his new circumstances. All the hard work and effort he had put into securing his prestigious job as aputer programmer had gone to waste.


    And besides that he found these world was full of danger with martial arts being primary here and dangerous beasts and ghosts roaming around.


    He still remained hopeful about his future. After all, transmigrators usually get a system, and he did get a system. The moment he transmigrated, he received his system. The blue panel in front of him gave him the confidence to survive in this world.


    "Now, let''s see what this system can do," Lu Zhen thought, examining the panel. The words "LEVEL UP" were disyed in bold letters.


    "Well, ''Level Up,'' that must be its name," he mused. "Even though the system seems straightforward, I''m still excited. Regardless of how simple the cheat may be, I''ll still have an advantage over others, won''t I?"


    The panel before him seemed in.


    [LEVEL UP]


    --------


    [Name: Lu Zhen]


    --------


    [Race: Human]


    [Bloodline: Human/ Unawaken]


    [Lifespan left:61 years]


    --------


    [Attributes]


    [Constitution: Mortal(level 4)]


    [Charm: Mortal(level 4)]


    [Qi: Uninitiated (level 0)]


    ???


    --------


    [Cultivation manuals]


    [Cultivation technique: Not learned]


    --------


    [Skills]


    ???


    The panel had lots of information, but it was vague. It made him curious about his true capabilities. Questions about the system and how to level up and acquire new abilities filled his mind.


    As he pondered over several conjectures, trying to make sense of his current situation and the potential ways to progress within this system.


    While lost in his thoughts, the carriage suddenly came to a halt, interrupting his thoughts.


    "Young master, we have arrived at the estate," a deep and old voice resonated as the carriage came to a halt.


    Lu Zhen got out of the carriage and was met with the sight of a stunning mansion. It was decorated with rednterns, emanating an extravagant and spacious atmosphere.


    "Yu Bai, you can go and take some rest. You don''t have to apany me," Lu Zhen said.


    Yu Bai, an elderly man in his eighties, was the personal guard of his assigned by his mother and had taken care of Lu Zhen since his childhood.


    "But young master, I insist on staying by your side. It''s my duty to serve you," Yu Bai protested.


    "I appreciate your loyalty, Yu Bai, but I need some time alone," Lu Zhen replied firmly.


    Yu Bai was slightly taken aback by Lu Zhen''s words, as he had never experienced such kindness from him before. Nevertheless, he couldn''t help but feel a sense of happiness, believing that all his hard work had finally paid off and caught Lu Zhen''s attention. After all, he was frail and weak, barely a third stage martial artist who was ageing in Lu Zhen''s eyes.


    "Thank you, young master. I won''t be far if you need me," Yu Bai said, his voice filled with gratitude.


    After leaving Yu Bai, Lu Zhen made his way towards the backyard. As he arrived, Little Lily, his personal servant, leaped towards him with excitement.


    "Young master, you''re back! Madam and master were so worried about you." Little Lily eximed, her eyes sparkling with relief.


    Lu Zhen smiled warmly at her. "Thank you for letting them know I''m safe, Lily. I appreciate your concern."


    Little Lily, who was 18 years old, shared the same age as Lu Zhen. She possessed a petite yet well-proportioned figure, with curves in all the right ces. Her lustrous blue hair was elegantly tied up in a bun, adorned with a charming hair ornament.


    Little Lily embraced Lu Zhen, and he could feel her curves, which stirred a slight arousal within him. As a former virgin, hisck of experience with women was apparent. He had focused primarily on his career in his previous life and had little interaction with the opposite sex.


    Rtionships and romantic pursuits had held little interest for himpared to his drive for sess.


    "I couldn''t bear to see them so worried, young master. I''m just d you''re back unharmed," she replied, her voice filled with genuine care.


    Lu Zhen noticed the elegant hair ornament and couldn''t help butpliment her. "That hair ornament looks beautiful on you, Lily. It suits you perfectly."


    Blushing slightly, Little Lily thanked him. "Thank you, young master. It''s a gift from Madam. She thought it would bring me good luck."


    "Well, it certainly does. You always bring good luck to me," Lu Zhen said with a yful grin.


    Little Lily giggled, her cheeks turning a deeper shade of red. "Young master, you always know how to make me smile."


    Lu Zhen''s heart warmed at her genuine happiness. In this unfamiliar world, Little Lily''s presence provided him with a sense of familiarity andfort.


    "Sigh, Little Lily, I have contemted my situation, and I am determined to change my destiny by wholeheartedly practicing martial arts," Lu Zhen conveyed with a sigh.


    This was a cover-up Lu Zhen made, he wanted to disguise his sudden change in temperament.


    In the entire town, he had gained infamy for hiszy lifestyle and heavy drinking habits. The previous host of his body had given up on any ambitions, content with squandering his wealth and living a life of leisure.


    Lu Zhen refused to settle for a mediocre life.


    He has faced the life of an ordinary in his previous life which was filled with humiliation and bowing to almost everyone in the blue. So, he had always craved power and authority, but his averageness held him back.


    However, in this new world, a glimmer of hope emerged. With the cheat in his possession, he believed that he held the key to unlock limitless possibilities. After all, cheats were not named cheats for no reason.


    Little Lily was taken aback by Lu Zhen''s deration. After all, he had always been known for hisziness. However, with her pure heart and unwavering trust, she didn''t doubt his sudden change of behavior.


    "Young master, should I inform madam and master that you have decided to pursue martial arts?" Little Lily asked, her voice brimming with excitement.


    Lu Zhen paused for a moment before replying, "Hmm, I will personally inform them about my situation, so there''s no need for you to worry. But for now, let''s focus on my training. I have a long way to go, and every moment counts."


    When he first transmigrated, Lu Zhen felt disoriented and fearful.


    Memories from his new body''s previous host flooded his mind, but they were fragmented and iplete. In order to adjust to his new body and identity, he took the opportunity to travel for a day, using the excuse of needing fresh air.


    He was especially cautious when it came to encountering his biological parents, afraid that they might uncover the truth about his transmigration.


    After all, no matter how much he tried to white-wash his actions, he had indeed taken over someone else''s body. Although their names were the same, Lu Zhen still chose to distance himself from them for the time being.


    "Prepare some food for me. I''ll be there in a minute," he instructed Little Lily, signaling his need for food.

 Chapter 2: Transmigration (2)

    <h4>Chapter 2: Transmigration (2)</h4>


    "Hmm, now that I''ve gathered my thoughts, it''s finally time to focus on the system," Lu Zhen thought to himself as he sat cross-legged in his room.


    He extended his hand towards the blue panel, and as he expected, his hand passed right through it.


    However, he just noticed that the system panel opened and closed at hismand, granting him ess to its features. Excited by this newfound ability, Lu Shen began to experiment with the system''s functions.


    His first experiment involved the notion of gaining experience and levelling up by killing living beings, amon theme in the novels he had read.


    As a mosquito buzzed past Lu Zhen, itnded on his hand. Annoyed by the persistent insect, Lu Zhen reacted swiftly. Without a second thought, he pped his hand down, crushing the mosquito in one swift motion.


    A resounding p filled the air as Lu Zhen''s palm collided with his own skin. The impact echoed throughout his room. The lifeless body of the mosquitoy ttened against his hand, a small smear of its remains left behind.


    Lu Zhen''s eyes remained fixed upon the lifeless insect, a mixture of anticipation and hope welling up within him. He nced at his system, hoping to see some signs of progress or an increase in experience points.


    To his disappointment, the system remained unchanged, unaffected by the mosquito''s death. No notifications or advancements appeared on the blue panel.


    "What? That''s it?" Lu Zhen eximed in frustration. He had hoped that this simple act would yield some tangible results, but it seemed he was mistaken.


    The realization hit him that this world might not adhere to the rules he hade to expect from the novels he had read. Killing alone may not be enough to gain experience or level up.


    Sighing in resignation, Lu Zhen decided to reassess his approach. He would need to gather more information and experiment further to understand the intricacies of this new system and how it operated in this unfamiliar world.


    "Looks like it won''t be as straightforward as I thought," he muttered to himself.


    Lu Zhen tried every method he knew from the novels to level up, but to his despair, none of them seemed to work in this new world. Frustrated and seeking a breakthrough, his mind was consumed with calctions and strategies.


    Amidst his thoughts, his stomach growled loudly, reminding him of his hunger. The meagre meal of bread and butter he had eaten in the carriage did little to satisfy his appetite. Now, his hunger became more intense, urging him to find a proper meal.


    That''s why he had instructed his maid to prepare some food for him. After all, Lu Zhen was truly hungry. He had spent the entire day lost in thought, sitting around with only bread and butter from the carriage to rely on.


    If it was the previous greenhouse spoiled brat, the previous host of this body, he would probably be in despair right now if he only survived one whole day by only relying on bread and butter.


    Lu Zhen thought to himself, "She should have prepared the food." He realized that being hungry was hindering his ability to think, and he needed a clear mind to figure out how he levelled up using his cheat.


    As Lu Zhen left his room, the fragrant smell of food drifted to his nose. The food before him consisted of rice, meat, pulses, and soup, and its enticing aroma captivated his senses. Lu Zhen''s eyes zed over, drawn towards the mouthwatering scent.


    Little Lily, seeing Lu Zhen, was taken aback. "Young master, I was about to call you..."


    Lu Zhen paid no mind to Little Lily''s words,pletely entranced by the food in front of him. With a hypnotized, dazed expression, he walked his way towards the enticing feast.


    Grabbing the bowl, Lu Zhen filled it with rice and urgently took arge bite with his bare hands. Instantly, warm energy coursed through every part in his body, granting him a subtle physical enhancement, although with some energy wastage.


    The warm energy brought a sense of delight to Lu Zhen, encouraging him to grab a chicken leg and take a small bite. Once again, he felt the surge of warmth infusing his body, heightening his excitement.


    As Lu Zhen devoured his meal, Little Lily stood by, observing his ravenous appetite. Her thoughts raced as she watched him eat like there was no tomorrow. She couldn''t help but be astonished at the sight before her.


    "Wow, I''ve never seen the young master eat like this," she thought to herself, her eyebrows furrowing slightly. "He''s usually so picky and reserved when ites to food. But I suppose it makes sense. After all, he must have eaten less when he was travelling by carriage."


    Lu Zhen remained oblivious to Little Lily''s thoughts, and even if he were aware, he wouldn''t have cared. After all, she was merely his personal servant, bound to him as if she were a ve. Unlike Yu Bai, who held a higher position as a family servant, Little Lily''s opinion or suspicions held little importance to him.


    With an abyss like appetite, Lu Zhen devoured the food like there was no tomorrow. Time passed as he consumed everyst piece of food as he finished hisst piece of meat his stomach protruded slightly. He had eaten to his heart''s content, his body now full and unable to take another bite.


    [You have eaten the food to the limits of your current body limit.]


    [You have acquired the gluttony skill.]


    Lu Zhen''s eyes widened in surprise. He had unlocked a new skill through his excessive eating.


    "So, I can acquire skills by fulfilling certain conditions huh¡­" he thought, his curiosity piqued.


    In an instant, his body absorbed the previously wasted energy, restoring his belly to its normal state.


    Lu Zhen was even more ecstatic to see that these gluttony skill was helpful and practical already.


    Lu Zhen felt a surge of excitement as he contemted the conditions for obtaining different skills.


    "I wonder if fulfilling certain conditions can also grant me new attributes," he pondered.


    With his mind set on exploring this possibility, Lu Zhen instructed Little Lily, "I will be training in my room for the next two days. Leave the food outside the door."


    Little Lily was taken aback by her young master''s newfound determination. She had always known him to have a small appetite, but now he seemed capable of consuming an entire meal.


    As Little Lily observed his unwavering determination, she couldn''t help but be amazed by her young master''s transformation. It seemed that he was genuinely dedicated to his pursuit of martial arts, surprising her greatly.


    Even if Lu Zhen wasn''t innately talented, he had the vast resources avable to him as a member of the Lu family, there was no doubt that he had the potential to be a formidable powerhouse in the future.


    Although she had been initially content with her young master, deep down, Little Lily couldn''t help but feel a twinge of disappointment in Lu Zhen''sziness. With the abundant resources at his disposal, Lu Zhen had the potential to be a formidable martial artist with minimal effort. However, he seemed tock the motivation to practise and improve before.


    Now, seeing his newfound determination, Little Lily couldn''t help but entertain a thought that made her cheeks flush slightly. She knew her ce as a personal servant, and while Lu Zhen had never made any advances towards her, as a personal maid her destiny was to be a bed warmer of Lu Zhen.

 Chapter 3: Constitution

    <h4>Chapter 3: Constitution</h4>


    As Lu Zhen returned to his room to continue his cultivation, he began to ponder about the abilities of his system. He had observed that skills could be acquired by fulfilling certain conditions, and this led him to make an assumption that attribute levels could also be increased in a simr manner.


    However, it was merely an assumption he came up with on the spot. He still needed to verify it and the question remained: How could he meet the specific conditions to level up his attributes?


    Among the attributes, the one he found easiest toprehend was constitution. Lu Zhen believed that the constitution represented the overall strength and vitality of the body.


    To improve his constitution, Lu Zhen decided to start with a simple exercise: push-ups.


    With decisiveness, Lu Zhen positioned himself on the floor. He ced his hands firmly on the ground, shoulder-width apart, and straightened his body from head to toe.


    He took a deep breath and lowered his body towards the ground, feeling the strain on his muscles. His arms trembled a little, but he pushed through the difort and increased the number of push-ups he did.


    As he continued, sweat started to form on his forehead, reflecting the soft light in the room. His controlled breaths filled the air, apanied by the faint sound of his muscles working.


    As Lu Zhen continued his push-ups, he soon reached his limit by doing 190 repetitions.


    Despite the difort and muscle soreness, Lu Zhen remained determined to push himself further. He continued doing push-ups, feeling the strain on his muscles intensify. Every repetition brought him closer to his goal.


    His muscles began to ache, and the pain seemed almost unbearable. However, Lu Zhen''s unwavering resolve propelled him forward. He refused to sumb to the pain, knowing that pain is thedder to sess.


    With sheer willpower, he persevered,pleting the final 200 push-ups.


    As a surge of energy coursed through his body, a renewed vitality enveloped him. He felt his muscles pulsate with power, as if he were the ruler of this world. The sensation of strength and vigor filled every fiber of his being.


    In the corner of his vision, a notification from his system appeared, catching his attention.


    [You have exceeded your body limit.]


    [Constitution has levelled up from level 4 to level 5.]


    Lu Zhen''s face lit up with satisfaction and a sense of aplishment. He had sessfully tested his theory.


    Looks like he could indeed level up if he met certain conditions.


    However he didn''t know how to increase other attributes. Maybe charm needed him to do make up? He didn''t know much about anything so he decided to first max out his constitution to the limits first.


    With renewed vigor, Lu Zhen began his push-up routine once again. Time seemed to slip away as he dedicated himself to the exercise, pushing his body to its limit.


    As he reached his limit, a warm surge of energy coursed through his veins, revitalizing his body and making him feel invigorated. The appearance of a system prompt in the corner of his vision brought a sense of excitement and fulfilment.


    [You have reached your body''s limit.]


    [Your constitution has levelled up from level 5 to level 6.]


    A wave of aplishment washed over him, filling him with pride for the hard work he had put in and the rewards he had earned.


    Realizing the strain in his muscles, Lu Zhen wisely decided to take a break from his push-up session. He understood the importance of avoiding injury and didn''t want to push himself too hard, despite feeling stronger with the warm energy.


    Feeling the heat emanating from his exerted body, he removed his ck-coloured gown. His room contained arge mirror, from the previous owner of his body who had been quite narcissistic. Reflecting on this fact, Lu Zhen couldn''t help but let a bitter smile grace his lips.


    When Lu Zhen caught a glimpse of his shirtless body reflection in the mirror, he couldn''t help but be amazed by his transformed physique. His body now boasted defined six-pack abs, and though he was still lean, his muscles exuded a sense of power.


    Examining his appearance, Lu Zhen took note of his handsome face with red eyes, ck hair, and well-defined features. He couldn''t deny that he looked good, even more so with the added physical enhancements he had gained through his cheat.


    Lu Zhen swiftly changed his clothes and made his way outside to indulge in the delicious food that awaited him. As he arrived, Little Lily greeted him with excitement.


    "Young master, I have prepared the food for you, and the bath is ready." She said eagerly.


    Lu Zhen affectionately patted Little Lily''s head, causing a faint blush to rise on her cheeks. "Good job, Lily." he murmured, his tone slow and flirtatious. His words whispered seductively into her ear, leaving her facepletely flushed with embarrassment.


    The previous host had one good quality: he liked to bathe every day. Lu Zhen was naturally pleased with this, but he didn''t want to bathe in hot water.


    "Little Lily, prepare my bath with cold water."


    "Yes, young master." Little Lily responded while blushing.


    "I will go prepare the bath with cold water," Little Lily said, her voice filled with embarrassment, as she hurriedly went to make the necessary arrangements.


    Lu Zhen felt a sense of contentment with himself. Being a former virgin and still a virgin, he still had it in him to make girl blush.


    Little Lily who was sneakingly looked at Lu Zhen.


    "Young master has be more handsome for some reason..." She thought as her face was rosy red already.


    With a satisfied expression, Lu Zhen finished his meal, feeling a surge of energy coursing through his body once again.


    He couldn''t help but notice that this time, he absorbed the energy from the food more efficiently than before with almost no wastage to any of that warm mysterious energy.


    "Looks like this new skill I got increases my metabolism," he mused, intrigued by the unexpected enhancement.


    With that thought, Lu Zhen wasted no time and quickly proceeded to take a cold-water bath.

 Chapter 4: Constitution (2)

    <h4>Chapter 4: Constitution (2)</h4>


    As Lu Zhen entered the bathroom, he was greeted by a spacious room with a bathtub that resembled a swimming pool. Little Lily was diligently adding cold water to the tub.


    Slowly, Lu Zhen undressed, revealing his toned physique with defined muscles and a visible six-pack. Little Lily couldn''t help but be astonished at the transformation in his body. In just a day, he had gone from being rtively thin to bing muscr.


    Although she was a little suspicious but she was too distracted by Lu Zhen physique that she didn''t think much about it.


    As Lu Zhen undressed and stepped into the cold water, a refreshing sensation enveloped his body. The cool temperature stimted his blood cells, leaving him feeling more alert and rejuvenated.


    "A cold shower in the winter is the best¡­."


    Lu Zhen thought as he rxedpletely.


    After his bath, Lu Zhen returned to his room, leaving a slightly dazed Little Lily behind. While he had some thoughts about her, he knew that he needed to prioritize his strength in this dangerous world. Fun couldeter, especially since he was still a virgin. But for now, his focus was on gaining more power.


    As he entered his room, Lu Zhen first checked his status.


    [LEVEL UP]


    --------


    [Name: Lu Zhen]


    --------


    [Race: Human]


    [Bloodline: Human/ Unawaken]


    [Lifespan left: 62 years]


    --------


    [Attributes]


    [Constitution: Mortal(level 6)]


    [Charm: Mortal(level 4)]


    [Qi: Uninitiated (level 0)]


    ???


    --------


    [Cultivation manuals]


    [Cultivation technique: Not learned]


    --------


    [Skills]


    [Gluttony: level 1]


    He felt satisfied seeing that he has levelled up his constitution and gained a new skill and even gained a year of lifespan.


    As he was going to train again, a sudden realization struck him. If reaching his limit was the condition for improving his constitution, then there were other ways to achieve it beyond just doing push-ups. He could incorporate exercises like squats, lunges, pull-ups, and burpees to push his body to its limits.


    As he thought to that point, he felt stupid as if the day of his hard work was just for show. Though he felt the urge to hit his head against a wall in frustration, he managed to control his impulses. After all, only his training will be hindered If he did that.


    At that moment, a saying from his previous world came to mind: "Work smart, not hard." He now realized the true meaning of these words after he experienced it himself.


    With the lesson he learned, Lu Zhen diligently carried on with his intense training regimen. He incorporated various exercises to challenge his body to its fullest potential.


    Engrossed in his training, time seemed to slip away as he focused solely on honing his physical abilities. Each repetition, each movement was executed with precision and determination. He pushed himself beyond hisfort zone, striving to unlock the true potential of his body.


    Lost in the rhythm of his training, Lu Zhen forgot about the passage of time. The world around him faded into the background as he immersed himself in the pursuit of physical excellence. Nothing else mattered in that moment except for the burning desire to push his body to its limits.


    [You have reached your body limits.]


    [Constitution has levelled up from level 6 to level 7.]


    The system notification woke him up for his rhythm as the warm energy flooded his body tempering his body. Lu Zhen was still not satisfied with his progress and continued training like a mad man.


    [You have reached your body limit.]


    [Constitution has levelled up from level 7 to level 8.]


    Again a warm sensation flooded in his body although his rhythm was broken it wasn''t unpleasant as he started to feel the changes urring in his body. It was as if he was going to his most perfect state in his body.


    The strengthening he gained from level up has also increased. Which made Lu Zhen feel good but he still was not satisfied. So he continued his bitter training.


    As he persisted in his grueling training, the level up took longer than usual to appear. Exhausted, Lu Zhen could barely rely on his trembling hands to continue.


    Suddenly, a tremendous surge of energy engulfed Lu Zhen''s body, coursing through his veins and permeating every cell. It felt as if his entire being was being forged and tempered in the fires of transformation. Waves of pleasure washed over him, surpassing any sensation he had ever experienced before. In that moment, he felt as if he had achieved a state of perfect harmony, where mind, body, and spirit aligned in perfect synchronization. It was a feeling ofplete and utter fulfilment, as if he had unlocked the pinnacle of his potential. Lu Zhen felt invincible, as if he could conquer any challenge thaty before him.


    [You have reached your body limit.]


    [Constitution has levelled up from level 8 to level 9.]


    As Lu Zhen saw the notification, his mind was too consumed by the overwhelming pleasure he had experienced. It took him a full hour to regain control of his senses. However, he soon noticed a repugnant smell emanating from his body, causing him to feel disgusted.


    Realizing that the sticky and dirty smell came from his own body, Lu Zhen wasted no time and quickly left his room, heading straight to the bath. The moment he immersed himself in the refreshing cold water, a soothing sensation washed over him, relieving his senses. As he diligently cleansed himself, he could feel the grime and impurities being washed away, reced by a renewed sense of cleanliness.


    After the refreshing bath and a change of clothes, he finally feltfortable and ready to test his newfound strength.


    He found a dead wood piece about 20 inches thick wood in his room so he decided to test his strength on this. The wood in this world was many times harder than the wood that was in his previous life.


    Taking a deep breath to focus his energy, he positioned himself in front of the wooden target. The muscles in his arm tensed, ready to unleash the force within him.


    In one swift motion, heunched his fist forward, channeling all his strength into the punch. The impact echoed through the air as his fist collided with the wood, causing splinters to explode in all directions. The force of his blow was so immense that the wood shattered into countless pieces, scattering across the ground.


    Curiosity piqued, Lu Zhen decided to test his jumping ability. With a light and effortless leap, he soared into the air, reaching a height of 8 feet. He could have gone higher, but the low ceiling imposed a limitation on his vertical reach.

 Chapter 5: Verdant Blade

    <h4>Chapter 5: Verdant de</h4>


    "Sigh, I have reached level 9 in constitution, but I think I have reached my limit. Looks like I need to cultivate Qi now to further promote my growth," Lu Zhen sighed in realization. He had initially believed that he could infinitely level up, but he soon faced the cold reality that he had reached the limitations of his mortal body.


    After he reached level 9 in constitution, no matter how hard he trains his body seemed to have no improve whatsoever as if he has reached a bottleneck.


    Now, the only way to continue enhancing his physical abilities was through the tempering of Qi as he could only think of qi to strengthen his body more from his memories.


    And in order to sense and harness Qi, he needed a cultivation method.


    "I guess I''ll have to seek out my cheap father and mother for a cultivation method." Lu Zhen thought with a sigh.


    Lost in his thoughts, he was interrupted by a sweet and gentle voice.


    "Young master, the tea is ready." Little Lily said as she handed him a cup. The aroma of the tea wafted into Lu Zhen''s nostrils, bringing a sense of calmness and rity to his mind.


    The tea that Lu Zhen was served was made from rare and precious leaves infused with Qi, making it highly valuable. These special leaves required meticulous care and were incredibly expensive. In fact, the cost of the tea leaves alone could sustain a normal family for an entire month.


    The process of making this tea was not to be taken lightly. It demanded the expertise of skilled individuals who understood the intricacies of tea preparation. Patience and attention to detail were essential to bring out the full potential of the leaves. Any negligence in the process would result in wasted tea and the loss of its unique qualities.


    As Lu Zhen''s maid, Little Lily had been trained rigorously from a young age in the art of tea making. She had been taught the specific techniques needed to prepare the tea to perfection.


    "Your tea-making skill has improved, Little Lily." Lu Zhen remarked, satisfied with the quality of the tea. He then pulled Little Lily closer, cing his arm around her waist, which caused her to yelp in surprise and feel embarrassed.


    As Lu Zhen was flirting with his little maid, the door was suddenly swung open, revealing the presence of a beautiful woman. Despite her age, her beauty remained evident, and she exuded an aura of power that seemed capable of striking fear into mortal men. She had dark hair and captivating magenta eyes. Her facial features bore a resemnce to Lu Zhen, but with a more feminine touch.


    Lu Zhen was taken aback by the unexpected presence of his mother. He quickly greeted her with respect, releasing Little Lily from his grasp and bowing his head.


    "Greetings, Mother." Lu Zhen greeted her, trying to maintain aposed demeanor.


    His mother, noticing his previous interaction with Little Lily, couldn''t help but tease him.


    "Son, it seems you have made quite the progress." Mother Lu remarked with a yful tone.


    Unfazed by herment, Lu Zhen invited his mother to have tea, praising Little Lily''s improved tea-making skills.


    "Mother, please join us for tea. Little Lily''s tea-making skills have greatly improved," Lu Zhen said calmly, maintaining a poker face.


    "Son, it is time for you to stop making excuses and start taking martial arts seriously. No more cking off." Mother Lu said with a stern tone, dismissing Lu Zhen''s attempts at conversation.


    Lu Zhen wanted to say something in response, but Mother Lu paid no attention to him. Instead, she pulled out a book seemingly out of thin air and handed it to him.


    She took out a thick book, almost new, with the smell of ink still in it, and handed it to him.


    "This is the cultivation method of the Lu Family, The Verdant de. It is our family inheritance. Read it carefully," Mother Lu instructed, ignoring Lu Zhen as she walked away.


    As she turned to leave, Mother Lu paused suddenly,


    "Remember, my son, your destiny lies in your own hands." she said, her voiceced with hidden meaning. The words hung in the air, lingering in the air. With that final piece of advice, she resumed her departure, leaving Lu Zhen deep in thought.


    Although Lu Zhen felt somewhat wronged as it was the previous host of his body who was the good for nothing. But he didn''t take it to heart after all being indignant doesn''t do you shit.


    As Lu Zhen saw the book, aplex expression crossed his face. He had been contemting ways to ask for the cultivation method while concealing his abnormal behavior, but he hadn''t expected it to be in his hands so soon.


    A deep sense of gratitude welled up within Lu Zhen towards his parents in this new life. In his previous life, his relentless pursuit of sess had left little room for meaningful connection with them. He realized that he had neglected them, only offering asional financial support. Determined to rectify his past mistakes, he made a solemn vow to himself. In this life, he would ensure his parents'' protection and well-being.


    With renewed vigor he went towards his room again to train.


    As Lu Zhen delved into the pages of the book, his initial furrowed expression gradually rxed.


    The verdant art de had four stages in total.


    As long as Lu Zhen reaches the first stage the trainee level he could sense qi.


    Although some talents in this world can sense qi naturally, most rely on a martial technique to sense qi.


    Lu Zhen was not oblivious to that talent so he had only one option left to practice verdant de art.


    The verdant de art is a saber weapon martial art which allows the practitioner to convert the attrivutless qi into wood qi allowing countless benefits for the practitioner.


    Wood qi not only made the practitioner have more vitalitypared to the martial artist in the same realm it also granted higher healing and more lifespan to the practitioner.


    It was the core inheritance of the Lu family and Lu Zhen understood its true value. Although he was the young master of the family, he wasn''t allowed to get the technique without making any contribution but his mother just casually handed it to him.


    Which made Lu Zhen genuinely grateful to her.

 Chapter 6: Saber mastery

    <h4>Chapter 6: Saber mastery</h4>


    Lu Zhen stood tall, his posture upright and resolute. In his hand, he gripped a gleaming saber, its polished de reflecting the glint of determination in his eyes. With a swift and forceful motion, he swung the sabre, its path cutting through the air with a resounding whoosh.


    At first nce, the pattern of his swings may have appeared random, but for those keen enough to observe, a hidden rhythm emerged. Each movement flowed seamlessly into the next, an intricate dance of steel and skill.


    With every swing, Lu Zhen''s body harmonized with the saber, creating a symphony of motion and precision. His muscles tensed and released in perfect synchrony, generating a controlled force that propelled the de forward. The sound of the saber cleaving the air echoed like a battle cry.


    [You have practiced with your saber.]


    [You have acquired the saber mastery skill.]


    As Lu Zhen practiced with the verdant de art, a sudden notification prompted his excitement. Instantly, he felt information filling his mind, his body subtly attuning itself to the movements of the sabre.


    When he swung his saber again, he instantly felt a heightened connection, as if the weapon had be an extension of his own hand. The force behind his swings became more powerful, brimming with newfound strength.


    The saber mastery skill he just acquired brought about a profound change in Lu Zhen''s abilities. Each swing of his saber flowed effortlessly, guided by a muscle memory as if he had practiced the sabre for decades. His grasp on the weapon grew stronger, and his strikes gained precision and impact.


    "Hmm, not bad at all." Lu Zhen remarked with satisfaction. After just two days of practice, he had acquired his second skill, Saber Mastery. It lived up to its name, assisting him in mastering the art of the sabre and helping Lu Zhen to practice the verdant de art faster.


    It was as if a natural talent seemed to awaken within him as his body became morepatible with the saber. With each swing, he felt a deep sense of affinity and ease, as if the weapon and his body were in perfect harmony. It was as if he had been destined to wield the sabre with precision and grace.


    Though, Lu Zhen still was not satisfied with his current level of strength. After all, his goal was to be a ruler, which won''t be easy given the meager amount of strength he possesses.


    In fact, Lu Zhen''s speed can be considered monstrous. When he reached the peak of his constitution using his cheats he can be considered as a third tier martial artist without any Qi. This was an unprecedented achievement in this world. Unlike the majority of practitioners who focused primarily on qi cultivation.


    In this world, where qi could automatically strengthen the practitioner''s body, many overlooked the importance of physical training. Even those who did priorities physical constitution often found it to be a time-consuming and arduous process, with minimal gains to show for their efforts. Only Lu Zhen, with the aid of his cheat, had been able to push himself to the peak of his physical limits without relying on qi.


    Due to his strong physique, Lu Zhen''s progress in training the Verdant de Art was directly elerated, unlike most individuals who would quickly tire. With his strong body, he could train in the art without requiring breaks or rest, granting him the advantage of uninterrupted practice. This dedication and advantage was also the reason he so quickly acquired the de mastery skill.


    "Looks like having a strong constitution is quite important, huh?" Lu Zhen mused to himself as he continued his training.


    He felt like he was very close to reaching the first level of the verdant de art.


    In this world, the power system for martial artists was clearly defined. The trainee stage of martial arts training involved sensing qi into the body, marking the beginning of their journey. At this stage, the difference between an ordinary mortal and a martial arts trainee was minimal, with only a slight increase in attack power and a negligible increase in lifespan.


    As martial artists progressed, they focused on developing pathways for qi to flow through their bodies, achieving a all-round strengthening. This marked the realm of third-tier martial artists, where their true journey began. A mortal would stand no chance against a third-tier martial artist unless the martial artist''s qi was depleted. Their lifespan would experience a slight increase.


    Further advancement involved increasing the purity of their qi, solidifying and condensing it until they could create a shield solely with their strengthened and purified qi. This was the realm of second-tier martial artists. The gap between a third-tier martial artist and a second-tier martial artist was substantial. Unless the shield of a second-tier martial artist was broken, they would remain invincible. Mortals would not even be able to touch a second-tier martial artist. Their lifespan would experience a significant increase.


    Reaching the pinnacle of the martial technique, martial artists would give birth to a powerful intent that will integrate into their physical body. This marked their entry into the realm of first-tier martial artists, an almost immortal like state. First-tier martial artists experienced a nearly doubled lifespan, enabling them to achieve extraordinary feats. They gained the ability to fly, master the art of alchemy to concoct potent pills, and cast spells that defied themon sense of mortals.


    With a single gaze, a martial artist could extinguish the life of an ordinary mortal, reducing them to ashes. Mortals were like mere ants to first-tier martial artists.


    After the first tier, Lu Zhen didn''t know what was higher and the verdant de art only allowed him to reach first tier, the other realms were unknown to him for the time being.


    In truth, every martial technique had the potential to lead a martial artist to the first tier, but their individual strength varied based on theplexity and attributes of the arts, as well as the abilities of the practitioners themselves.


    The Verdant de Art, with its wood attribute, granted martial artists a significant amount of vitality, resulting in a longer lifespan and a stronger physical constitution. However, this did not mean that the wood attribute was inherently powerful. In fact, among the other basic attributes, it was considered the weakest in terms of strength.


    However wood qi granted the best body growth and resiliencepared to other elements which was undoubtedly suitable for Lu Zhen after all Lu Zhen have a strong physique. It undoubtedly suited him the most.

 Chapter 7: Constitution Evolving

    <h4>Chapter 7: Constitution Evolving</h4>


    Qi is an ethereal energy that permeates the world, much like air. It is present everywhere, but it is invisible to the ordinary eye. Only martial artists possess the ability to sense qi, in fact the beginning of martial art was formed through the discovery of qi.


    If Qi had not been discovered in this world, it might have followed a simr trajectory as Lu Zhen''s previous world, the blue. In that world, collective strength and conformity were prioritised, while individual strength and uniqueness were often suppressed. People spent their days immersed in virtual conversations, disconnected from the natural world and caught up in trivial matters.


    So qi was the base of all things in this world for martial artists.


    Lu Zhen dedicated himself to practising the Verdant Saber Art relentlessly, as if there was no tomorrow. The sound of metal cutting through the air echoed throughout the training room.


    [You have practised your sabre.]


    [Your sabre mastery has levelled up from level 1 to level 2.]


    [You have practised your sabre.]


    [Your sabre mastery has levelled up from level 2 to level 3.]


    After seven days of intense and grueling practice, Lu Zhen finally achieved the third level of de mastery. In that moment, he felt a profound connection to the world, as if an ethereal energy permeated the air. Although he couldn''t see it, he could sense its presence, as if he had unlocked a sixth sense. The world around him became much clearer, unveiling its hiddenyers and secrets.


    "Finally, I have reached the first level of the Verdant de Art." Lu Zhen thought with a mixture of excitement and satisfaction.


    However, before he could celebrate, a sudden change urred in his body.


    Suddenly, all the surrounding qi that was surrounding Lu Zhen was inexplicably sucked into his body, drawn by a powerful force like a vacuum. His body, which had already reached its limit, began undergoing further strengthening.


    [Your body has absorbed qi.]


    [Your physical constitution is evolving...]


    A sudden prompt appeared, leaving Lu Zhen confused. After all, this had never happened before in this world, at least from what Lu Zhen had heard.


    "Hmm, what is happening? I have never heard of a person being able to directly absorb qi into their body." Lu Zhen thought to himself.


    "Could it be that I have strengthened my body to the point where I can now directly absorb qi?" he contemted. However, Lu Zhen quickly dismissed that conjecture, although his body was strong, it was not unparalleled. There were many martial artists with stronger bodies than him.


    "Hmm, that leaves only two possible options: either my body, having reached its mortal limits, is now capable of absorbing qi directly, or it is due to my cheats."


    Martial artists in this world faced a peculiar phenomenon where their bodies naturally rejected qi, making it impossible to directly absorb and utilise it. Instead, they had to rely on the creation of qi pathways to strengthen and store qi within their bodies.


    However, Lu Zhen possessed the extraordinary ability to directly absorb qi into his body, bypassing the need for qi pathways. This unique advantage enabled him to skip the trainee stage of martial arts and directly enter the third stage martial realm. Although he still needed to gather more qi and his power was not yet sufficient, technically he had already reached the third stage of martial arts.


    What set Lu Zhen apart even further was his increased efficiency and control over qi. With the ability to absorb qi directly, he could harness its power more effectively and storerger quantities of qi in his entire body. This allowed him to tap into a greater reservoir of energy, enhancing his martial abilities and providing him with a superior level of controlpared to other martial artists who relied on their pathways.


    Although the advantage was huge, Lu Zhen still felt a little ufortable as he was not in control and was being carried along by the flow. Nheless, he continued his training After all, that was the nature of life.


    Life never unfolds exactly as one ns. No matter how meticulously one prepares, it always remains unpredictable. Lu Zhen had learned this from his previous life. He had never been academically exceptional, but his passion for exploring the virtual world led him to be a highly paidputer programmer, surpassing even his own expectations.


    As Lu Zhen pondered, a sudden surge of familiar pleasure coursed through his being. Though he had grown ustomed to such sensations, this time it enveloped him with an intensity beyond any he had experienced before. The sheer magnitude of the pleasure seemed to transcend his physical being, reaching deep into the depths of his soul.


    A profound sense of ecstasy washed over him, his face radiating with a blissful expression that reflected the overwhelming pleasure he felt within.


    He experienced a level of pleasure surpassing anything he had ever felt before.


    Overwhelmed by the sheer magnitude of the sensation, he directly fainted on the floor, unable to withstand the intensity of the pleasure.


    As he fainted, suddenly his little brother rose up like a mighty dragon, standing tall and proud. As if reaching heaven, the sheer size of his monstrosity would have made females wet but too bad there weren''t any females to watch his little brother or was there?


    Time flowed steadily like a river, with each passing minute bringing about subtle changes in lu shen''s body. A whole day had passed, yet Lu Zhen showed no signs of awakening from his slumber.


    Little Lily, filled with concern, walked around in circles, her worried expression evident. "What should I do now that the young master hasn''te to eat for a day?" she pondered.


    Over the past seven days, Lu Zhen had rarely gone outside, dedicating himself to intense training, emerging only to have meals twice a day and immerse himself in a cold water bath. The sound of metal cutting through the air resonated loudly from his training room, reaching the ears of Little Lily. She knew that her young master was training arduously, and she couldn''t help but admire his unwavering determination.


    In the past, Lu Zhen had been preupied with gambling and drinking, but now he devoted his entire day to training. This change brought joy to Little Lily''s heart. However, on this particr day, Lu Zhen remained confined to his room, leaving Little Lily perplexed and worried that something might have urred to her beloved young master.

 Chapter 8: Divine physique

    <h4>Chapter 8: Divine physique</h4>


    Little Lily, d in her usual vibrant purple qipao, approached Lu Zhen''s training room with a mixture of nervousness and hesitation. Standing in front of the door, she pondered whether she should enter or not, her heart filled with uncertainty.


    "Should I go in? What if I disturb the young master?" Little Lily''s mind was filled with worry, her thoughts swirling in a whirlwind of anxiety.


    "But what if something has happened to the young master? He hasn''te out of his room to eat all day," she pondered, her worry growing with each passing moment.


    As an orphan adopted into the Lu family, her loyalty to Lu Zhen ran deep. She had relied on him and trusted him since a young age, and her entire world revolved around him. The thought of disappointing him or incurring his displeasure was frightening to her.


    However, after taking a moment to gather her thoughts and muster up her courage, she made the decision to enter Lu Zhen''s training room.


    As she stepped into the room, her eyes widened at the sight before her. Lu Zhen was lying peacefully on the cold floor, as if he had fainted.


    His little brother is still standing tall like a giant dragon as if ready to pierce the heavens itself even after a day.


    Little Lily couldn''t help but feel a rush of embarrassment as her gaze met his little brother. The towering little brother made little Lily''s mind go haywire as dirty thoughts swirled in her mind.


    At that moment, a cracking sound resonated from Lu Zhen''s body, causing the entire room to vibrate. Slowly, he awakened from his sleep, feeling a surge of energy and vitality coursing through his veins. Filled with newfound power, he casually threw a punch.


    Swoosh! Swish!


    The sound of air being torn reverberated in the room as his fist sliced through the air causing a slight ripple effect as if the very air was being torn apart.


    "Oh, what are you doing here, Lily?" Lu Zhen finally noticed Little Lily, who appeared lost in a daze. Her face turned as red as a ripe tomato, as she looked very cute to Lu Zhen''s eyes.


    "Young master... That..." Little Lily stammered, her voice filled with fluster. She pointed with a trembling finger, unable to meet Lu Zhen''s gaze due to her overwhelming shyness.


    When Lu Zhen saw Little Lily pointing her finger downward, he followed her gaze and realized that his little brother was in full view, standing erect and proud.


    "You should prepare food for me. I''ll be right outside," Lu Zhen managed to say with a poker face, trying to divert the attention away from his current predicament.


    "Yes, young master." Little Lily replied hurriedly, her face still flushed with embarrassment. She hastily left the room.


    Ignoring his embarrassing situation, Lu Zhen checked his status.


    [LEVEL UP]


    --------


    [Name: Lu Zhen]


    --------


    [Race: Human]


    [Bloodline: Human/ Unawaken]


    [Lifespan left: 80 years]


    --------


    [Attributes]


    [Constitution: Divine physique(level 1)]


    [Charm: Mortal(level 4)]


    [Qi: (level 1)]


    ???


    --------


    [Cultivation manuals]


    [Cultivation technique: Verdant art(stage 1)]


    --------


    [Skills]


    [Gluttony: level 2]


    [de mastery: level 3]


    "Not bad. Not only has my body be stronger, but my lifespan has also increased. The Qi section, which was previously uninitiated, has now reached the first level although technically I am a third stage martial artist. However, the Qi in my body is still weak and insufficient, to the point where I cannot even be considered a third stage martial artist."


    "However, my constitution has evolved into a divine physique. Is this a unique power system of my cheat or something else?"


    Lu Zhen pondered for a moment, contemting the mysteries of the system. However, he quickly dismissed those thoughts, realizing that there was no point in getting lost in futile spection. As long as he continued to grow stronger, everything else would fall into ce in due time.


    With a decisive mindset, Lu Zhen left his room and made his way to the dining area and ate his dinner.


    While Little Lily continued to blush and her cheeks remained flushed, she tried her best topose herself in the presence of Lu Zhen. The embarrassment from their earlier encounter lingered, causing her heart to flutter whenever she caught a glimpse of him.


    She kept her gaze lowered, avoiding direct eye contact with Lu Zhen. Her inner emotion was filled with a mixture of shyness and nervousness, making it difficult for her to find the right words to say.


    Lu Zhen, oblivious to his little maids inner emotions kept eating his meal even if he knew he wouldn''t care much.


    As Lu Zhen consumed his meal, he couldn''t help but notice that despite levelling up his Gluttony skill, the nourishing effects of the food felt insufficient. It seemed as though the energy provided by the food was like a mere drop in the vast ocean of his strength, barely causing a ripple. No matter how hard he tried to absorb every bit of energy, it felt meagre and unsatisfying.


    "Seems like these meagre resources won''t be enough for my progress. I need ess to better resources if I want to elerate my growth," Lu Zhen thought to himself.


    "Let''s go, little lily." Lu Zhenmanded Little Lily who still had a red face like a tomato.


    With a decisive mindset, he left his residence, which resembled a grand pce in its own right, and made his way towards his mother''s chambers. The Lu Mansion was a colossal structure, with each family descendant having their own mansion within the estate.


    When the servants caught sight of Lu Zhen, their eyes widened in astonishment. The air around him seemed to crackle with an overwhelming aura, radiating a majestic andmanding presence.


    The ck robe, which was once loosely draped around Lu Zhen''s frame, now clung tightly to his chiseled physique. The fabric strained against his well-defined muscles, entuating every curve and bulge.


    When the servants saw Lu Zhen, they were stunned by the imposing aura he emanated. But not forgetting their ce, the servants quicklyposed themselves and bowed respectfully.


    "We greet the young master," they said in unison.


    Lu Zhen gave a casual nod as he walked towards the wife''s pce in the Lu family estate.


    "Did you feel the young master''s aura? It''s incredibly powerful now," murmured one of the maids in awe.


    "Yeah, I didn''t even dare to breathe in his presence. That domineering aura is truly something," added another servant, her voice filled with reverence.


    The servants murmured amongst themselves for a brief moment, but they soon returned to their duties.


    Lu Zhen didn''t find his mother in the wife''s pce so he became confused where she could have gone.


    Lu Zhen casually asked a guard, "Where is my mother?"


    The guard felt a little nervous but still replied, "Young master, madam should be in the patriarch hall right now."


    Lu Zhen nodded as he walked towards the most grand pce in the Lu family estate.

 Chapter 9: I have fiance now??

    <h4>Chapter 9: I have fiance now??</h4>


    As Lu Zhen made his way to the pce, he couldn''t help but overhear some murmurs among the servants.


    "Looks like the young master''s fianc¨¦e has arrived..."


    "Madam and master are weing them personally..."


    "I heard she is from the Jiang family... but they are just a second-rate family..."


    A frown appeared on Lu Zhen''s face as he heard the distant voices of the servants'' gossip. Ever since he reached the divine physique level in his constitution, all his senses had been enhanced to a superhuman level. He could now hear and perceive things that were previously beyond his grasp.


    After all the constitution is all rounded stats of Lu Zhen''s body he is probably past being the strongest man in his previous world by now.


    Not only did it grant lu zhen insane body strength it also enhanced lu zhens five senses.


    The guards of the pce were stunned when they saw Lu Zhen, but they maintained theirposure.


    "We greet the young master," the guards said respectfully as they opened the door of the pce.


    As Lu Zhen stepped inside, he was greeted by a simple yet spacious room with a brown marble-like object on the floor. The room had minimal furnishing, with only a few chairs ced around.


    In those chairs, two men were seated. One had a muscr build and emitted a terrifying aura, but his aged facecked vigor, bearing some resemnce to Lu Zhen. The other man had a leaner build and a weaker aura, but he appeared somewhat younger, disying a hint of vitality despite his aged appearance.


    Seated beside the muscr man was Lu Zhen''s mother, indicating that he was his cheap father in this world.


    On the other side, next to the lean man, sat a girl with an ethereal beauty. She exuded an aura of coldness, like an immortal princess untouched by the dirt of this world. Her skin was fair, with beautiful facial features, and she possessed dark, shiny, long hair. Simr to lu zhen''s ck hair. She had an indifferent expression on her face.


    "Greetings, mother and father," Lu Zhen said, bowing slightly in respect.


    The lean man, Jiang Lao, was taken aback when he sensed Lu Zhen''s powerful aura. He couldn''t help but express his surprise, "Brother lu, judging by Lu Zhen''s aura, he must have definitely practised martial arts and his achievements shouldn''t be small. It seems we should never believe in rumours, as they are often baseless. You have truly opened my eyes today."


    Even Lu Huang and Mother Lu aka lu ying were astonished by Lu Zhen''s newfound strength, but they epted thepliment happily. "Thank you, Brother Jiang," Lu Huang replied, with a smile on his face.


    Although they were unaware of the changes Lu Zhen had undergone, they were delighted to see their son''s progress. After all, what parents wouldn''t wish the best for their child?


    The woman with the cold aura aka Jiang Xue was also surprised for an instance before assuming her indifferent expression again.


    "Father, what is happening here?" Lu Zhen asked, his tone filled with curiosity. After spending a few days in this world, Lu Zhen had fully adapted to his new identity and could imitate the behaviours of the previous host effortlessly.


    After all, sudden strength can be exined but different behaviour would be suspicious. As it normally takes years to change anyone''s habit. If habits can be changed quickly they can''t be called habits.


    Lu Zhen''s question hung in the air as he awaited his father''s response. His eyes shifted from his father to the woman with the cold aura, as if trying to gauge the situation.


    He had an idea of what was happening from the murmurs he heard from the servants outside but he still kept an ignorant expression. After all, sometimes being ignorant is advantageous.


    His father, Lu Huang, let out a heartyugh, seemingly impressed by Lu Zhen''s directness. "Well, my boy, it seems that you''ve undergone quite a transformation. Judging from your aura, you must have at least entered the martial trainee realm already. I must admit, I underestimated you."


    "We have arranged this marriage, and if nothing goes wrong and you both are okay with it, you will be married together, strengthening our family bonds," Lu Huang said without keeping any suspense.


    "Father, I..." Lu Zhen began to speak, but his mother, Lu, interjected.


    "Son, we know you are not interested in marriage right now, but you should give it a try," she said, addressing Lu Zhen''s apparent disinterest in romantic rtionships. The previous host, known for his indulgent lifestyle, had shown little interest in women. Even until now, Lu Zhen was still a virgin, a fact that highlighted hisck of interest in the opposite sex.


    Lu Zhen couldn''t help but wonder about the previous host''s sexual preferences. However, he knew from his memories that an ident during his childhood had left the previous host with little interest in women. This exined his current disposition.


    "You should both spend time together; it will strengthen your bond, my son-inw," Jiang Lao said, causing a frown to appear on Jiang Xue''s face.


    Lu Zhen didn''t expect the old man to be so shameless, practically giving his daughter away on a silver tter. Nevertheless, he found himself slightly intrigued by this cold woman. Her beauty surpassed even that of Little Lily, with well-defined curves in all the right ces and a slim, graceful physique. It suited Lu Zhen''s taste.


    However, it was clear that Jiang Xue wasn''t happy with the arrangement, and Lu Zhen didn''t me her. His infamous reputation in the city made it a natural reaction for anyone to be hesitant about marrying him. Or it might be some other reason. Still, he was not one to be discouraged easily.


    Lu Zhen believed that feelings could be cultivated over time, and he had never tried courting a girl in his previous life. So he wanted to experience courting in this life. Despite being power-hungry, he still wanted to fulfil the regrets he had in his past life.


    With a little hesitation, Lu Zhen responded, "Of course, father-inw."

 Chapter 10: Jiang xue

    <h4>Chapter 10: Jiang xue</h4>


    "I wonder what Miss Jiang would like," Lu Zhen said with a calm tone as they walked in the backyard of the pce.


    "Young Master Lu, I don''t like you. I hope you will withdraw from this marriage," Jiang Xue said bluntly, her expression still indifferent.


    Lu Zhen was stunned by her directness. He didn''t expect Jiang Xue to be so straightforward. Still, since the marriage proposal came from the weak Jiang family, there must have been some problem they couldn''t handle, or they just wanted to rely on the Lu family. Either way, they needed something, so they came to the Lu family for the marriage proposal.


    "Alright, Miss Jiang. As a matter of fact, I also don''t like this marriage, so I will notify Jiang Lao about your withdrawal from the marriage," Lu Zhen said with an honest tone, as if he really wanted to withdraw from the marriage.


    Jiang Xue was stunned, and for the first time, a worried expression appeared on her cold face, making her even more beautiful.


    "No, wait, Young Master Lu, I hope you will say that you want to withdraw, not me," Jiang Xue said with a worried expression.


    Lu Zhen didn''t expect the girl to be so shameless. She wanted to withdraw from the marriage, but she wanted him to withdraw first, as if to save face or avoid taking responsibility for her decision. It was clear that she was trying to manipte the situation in her favor.


    Still, Lu Zhen respectfully said, "Miss Jiang, your family was the one to propose the marriage, and now¡­"


    "Yes, I am being shameless, Young Master, but I hope you understand my situation. I really don''t want to get married. I have ambitions and goals which have not been fulfilled."


    "Alright, Miss Jiang, since you are so adamant about it, let''s say we don''t like each other."


    Lu Zhen secretly sneered in his heart. This Jiang family was really something. He didn''t expect the father to already consider him a son-inw, but the daughter was adamant about breaking the marriage. Either way, Lu Zhen didn''t care; after all, he was determined to pursue this woman, by hook or crook. so he cooked up a n in his head.


    "However, Miss Jiang, it might be a little inappropriate if we simply say that we don''t like each other without any evidence. How about we go to a restaurant and spend some time together? After a while, we can convincingly tell them that we truly don''t like each other," Lu Zhen suggested, with a poker face.


    Jiang Xue was a little hesitant, but after contemting for a while, she agreed.


    "Prepare the carriage, Yu Bai."


    "Yes, young master."


    Yu Bai responded respectfully as he prepared the carriage.


    Lu Zhen sat in the carriage and, like a gentleman, gently helped Jiang Xue to sit beside him by guiding her into the carriage with his hand. Her tender hands, with silk-like smooth skin, made him reluctant to let go, but he eventually released her hand.


    As she got closer to Lu Zhen, the alluring aroma of orchids wafted into his nose, captivating him with its fragrance. He couldn''t help but be drawn to the enchanting scent.


    He also guided his little maid, Lily, to sit opposite them.


    "Start the carriage, Old Yu, and bring us to the Golden Restaurant," Lu Zhen instructed.


    The Golden Restaurant was the best establishment in the city, and it was one of the properties owned by the Lu family. As one of the four major families in Phoenix City, the Lu family had business interests in various sectors, but their most renowned business was in the restaurant industry.


    As the carriage moved slowly, Lu Zhen, Jiang Xue, and Little Lily sat quietly. The atmosphere was somewhat tense and awkward, as none of them were enthusiastic about the arranged meeting.


    Lu Zhen observed Jiang Xue for a moment before deciding to break the ice. "Miss Jiang, I wonder what dishes you like."


    "I like dumplings," Jiang Xue replied simply.


    "Oh, I also like dumplings, Miss Jiang. It looks like we have a lot inmon," Lu Zhen said, attempting to start a casual conversation and ease the tension.


    Although Jiang Xue was initially hesitant, she eventually warmed up to the conversation, and the atmosphere became less ufortable. Lu Zhen led the conversation in a friendly way with his sense of humor.


    Soon Lu Zhen''s effort bore fruit as Jiang Xue started opening up to Lu Zhen. They started conversing happily whileughing.


    Little Lily''s eyes narrowed slightly as she observed Lu Zhen and Jiang Xue engaged in conversation. A pout formed on her adorable face, and her cheeks seemed to puff up like a balloon, making her look even cuter. Her usual lively demeanor was momentarily overshadowed by a tinge of insecurity and a feeling of being left out.


    As Lu Zhen''s personal servant since childhood, Little Lily knew her ce, but she couldn''t help feeling a deep connection to him. She had be wholly dependent on Lu Zhen, and he was her everything.


    In the past, Lu Zhen had always been distant from other females, except for her and his mother. However, now she noticed a change in him as he began to flirt and interact with other women. It brought her happiness to see him opening up, but at the same time, a twinge of jealousy nagged at her heart.


    As countless emotions swirled deep down in Little Lily, she tried her best to hide her feelings and maintain a calm facade.


    Meanwhile, in a remote corner of the street, six men dressed in ck ninja attire anxiously awaited their next move. The leader of the group wore an elephant mask, while his subordinates donned monkey masks on their faces.


    "We have been given orders to assassinate the young miss of the Jiang family," the leader said in a grim tone as he closed the ck scroll. Suddenly, the ck scroll lit up with fire, and in an instant, it disappeared without leaving any trace behind.


    "But what about the young master of the Lu family?" asked another figure with the same dress but wearing a monkey mask. His voice was filled with respect, clearly indicating that he was a subordinate.


    "Monkey number 3, don''t kill the young master," the leader replied after a brief pause. "If he gets in the way, you can kill him."


    Upon hearing this, a glint of murderous intent shed in the eyes of the person with the monkey mask. He was one of five individuals in the group wearing monkey masks and ck ninja-like attire, and all of them exuded a chilling aura.

 Chapter 11: Assassin attack (1)

    <h4>Chapter 11: Assassin attack (1)</h4>


    "Miss Jiang¡­" Lu Zhen''s voice trailed off as he suddenly felt that something was amiss. The street, which was previously bustling, wentpletely silent. Although this street was rtively secr from the memories of the previous host, it wasn''t supposed to be this eerily silent to this extent.


    Before he could make sense of the situation, his heart pounded in terror as a deadly arrow shot forth with lightning speed. The arrow seemed to materialize from the shadows, heading straight for the carriage. Its ck color allowed it to blend seamlessly with the surroundings, making it nearly impossible to detect until it was toote.


    Lu Zhen''s mind raced, but he couldn''t react in time. The arrow whizzed past him with deadly uracy, heading directly for Jiang Xue''s head.


    Panic and fear gripped Lu Zhen''s heart as he anticipated the worst. However, the horrifying scene of the arrow piercing Jiang Xue''s head anding out the other side, with her brain matter stuck to the arrow and blood sttered, didn''t unfold.


    Instead, to his astonishment, a barrier seemingly materialized out of thin air, protecting Jiang Xue. The arrow collided with the barrier, creating a resonating ng that echoed through the carriage. The arrow created a ripple in the barrier before losing its momentum, but the barrier held strong, stopping the arrow in its tracks, leaving Jiang Xue unharmed.


    Lu Zhen didn''t think too much about it as there were more pressing matters at hand right now. After all, the assassins wouldn''t give up easily. Attacking the only young master of the Lu family in the city was akin to signing their own death warrant. The attackers must have been prepared for the consequences.


    As expected, this was just the beginning. Arrows rained down on them with lightning-fast speed, filling the air with deadly projectiles.


    However, the arrows were useless now; they were only effective when catching someone off guard. Any normal martial trainee could easily dodge and deflect the arrows if they were prepared.


    "How dare you try to attack the young master? Are you courting death?" Yu Bai said with anger. He casually waved his hand, and all the arrows, as if onmand, halted their momentum and fell to the ground.


    Yu Bai couldn''t respond in time previously because he, too, was caught off guard. The arrow was incredibly fast, and he feared that any harm to the young master would lead to the madam''s unforgiving wrath, not to mention the guilt he would feel himself. Fortunately, the arrow was aimed at Jiang Xue, sparing Lu Zhen from harm. As for jiang xue it was none of his business.


    Lu Zhen couldn''t help but be surprised by Yu Bai''s technique. After all, technically, he was also a third-stage martial artist, but he couldn''t pull off this feat due to his meager Qi, even though he was technically at the same stage.


    It wasn''t only because of this that Lu Zhen was surprised; it was also because Yu Bai could almost materialize Qi outside his body, a clear sign of a peak third-stage martial artist.


    He didn''t expect Yu Bai to be a peak third-stage martial artist. After all, from the memories he got, Yu Bai was a frail old man and barely a third-stage martial artist.


    "Oh, I didn''t expect a peak third-stage martial artist to be a mere coachman," a deep, cold tone resounded throughout the ce, showing no emotion in its tone.


    Although the voice was clearly heard, it seemed toe from all directions as if it were spoken by four different people with the same voice.


    "Hmph, petty tricks," Yu Bai snorted, punching to his left side.


    Suddenly, a person wearing a ck ninja dress with an elephant mask appeared right where Yu Bai had punched. The man barely managed to block Yu Bai''s punch, taking a step back to regain his bnce.


    "Dammit, this old man is strong," the assassin thought to himself as he stepped back to a safe distance before swiftly drawing the ck sword tied to his waist.


    The slight dy that it took to draw his sword was enough time to let Yu Bai close in on him as Yu Bai delivered a second punch with full power.


    "Elephant punch."


    The assassin felt a terrifying fist descend upon him. Luckily for him, his survival instinct kicked in as he used a sword technique to attack. After all, the best defense was offense.


    "Silent Death sword strike," the assassin muttered in his mind.


    The sword emanated a ck aura, rendering it almost invisible to the naked eye as the masked man counterattacked the old man.


    As the masked man''s sword shed with the old man''s fist, a unique and unsettlingbination of sounds filled the air. A sharp "nk" echoed as the cold, unforgiving metal of the sword collided with the old man''s hardened fist. Apanying it was a dull "thud," signifying the extraordinary force behind the old man''s strike.


    nk! Thud!!


    Yu Bai took a step back, while the masked man retreated two steps.


    "Looks like this won''t be an easy fight. I should let my subordinate carry out the assassination of the young miss from the Jiang family," the masked man thought, refusing to back down as he continued to fight the old man with all his might.


    The old man also fought with full power, taking the masked man''s attack seriously.


    Meanwhile, five men dressed in ck ninja attire, each wearing identical monkey masks, surrounded Lu Zhen, Jiang Xue, and Little Lily.


    "Young master Lu, please step aside. We are here to assassinate Miss Jiang, and you shouldn''t get involved," one of the men said in a seemingly respectful manner, but his tone carried a hint of rudeness and mockery.


    "Oh, then assassinate the Jiang family miss. It doesn''t concern us. Let''s go, Little Lily," Lu Zhen calmly instructed, stunning both the assassin and Jiang Xue.


    "Miss Jiang, our interactions may have been friendly during this chat, but in reality, we are still strangers. I respect the choice you''ve made to annual our marriage, and I believe it''s best if we part ways now. Goodbye," Lu Zhen said respectfully as he prepared to leave with Little Lily.


    The five masked men nced at each other, then one of them wearing a monkey mask spoke up, "What about the old man then?" He pointed in the direction the intense battle between their leader and Yu Bai.


    "I will allow him to withdraw from the battle," Lu Zhen replied in an emotionless tone.


    As he left with Little Lily, she hesitated for a moment but ultimately followed Lu Zhen''s orders. Hismands were absolute for her, and she trusted his judgementpletely.

 Chapter 12: Assassin attack (2)

    <h4>Chapter 12: Assassin attack (2)</h4>


    "Hahahaha, that coward really left the battle. Looks like the reputation of the young master of the Lu family as an ipetent was true," one of the men in the monkey mask said,ughing as they watched Lu Zhen and Little Lily leaving in the distance.


    "Be careful, Number 3. Although that brat has left, this young miss of the Jiang family is not easy to deal with," another masked man warned.


    Although they were initially stunned by Lu Zhen''s departure, they couldn''t help but feel relieved. Despite their bloodthirsty nature, they were not stupid. They knew that if anything had happened to Lu Zhen, the Lu family would pursue them relentlessly until they were eradicated.


    Moreover, their own backer had a simr background to the Lu family, which meant they couldn''t rely on them for support. If the situation turned sour, they would likely be used as sacrificialmbs to bear the brunt of the Lu family''s anger. Thus, they were cautious about their actions, especially when it came to dealing with the formidable Lu family.


    As for the matter of Lu Zhen tricking them or calling for backup, they didn''t consider these possibilities. After all, they believed that Lu Zhen hadn''t practised martial arts; he was recognized as trash throughout the city for a reason, despite the huge influence of the Lu family.


    As for any potential backup, they dismissed the idea, confident that they could deal with Jiang Xue swiftly before any reinforcements could arrive. The element of surprise and their swift assassination skills were their best allies. Little did they know that underestimating Lu Zhen was their demise.


    Meanwhile, Jiang Xue knew that she had refused the marriage, and it would be shameless of her to hope Lu Zhen would risk his life to save her. So, logically, she understood his decision. However, deep inside, she couldn''t help feeling a tinge of disappointment.


    Ignoring her inner feelings, she focused on how to defend against the five attackers until backup arrived as she swiftly took out her whip.


    After all, despite being a martial genius who reached the martial trainee realm at the age of 18, she was up against five assassins who were also in the martial trainee realm. It would be a challenging battle, but it was still not hopeless.


    "Silent death strike," a masked man muttered in his head as he sneakily attacked Jiang Xue from behind.


    The strike was executed with utter silence, requiring minimal movement, and the sword was barely visible to the untrained eye.


    However, Jiang Xue''s instincts kicked in, and she instantly felt the chilling presence behind her. Without a second thought, she swung the whip in her hand, using it to strike her behind her in a powerful sweep without looking.


    "Ice whip."


    In a swift transformation, the whip turned icy cold, but the strange thing was that it remained stic despite its coldness.


    The cold whip met the almost invisible de. A loud crack rang out as the whip shed with the de, and although the whip had a slight crack on it, the sword was sessfully pushed back by Jiang Xue''s skillful defense.


    At the same moment, four knives were thrown at Jiang Xue from four different directions, catching her off guard.


    The knives were on the verge of piercing Jiang Xue, but just in the nick of time, the barrier appeared again, firmly blocking the knives'' momentum and protecting her from harm.


    The assassins grew increasingly annoyed by the appearance of the barrier, realizing that their first attempt would have seeded if not for this unexpected hindrance.


    Jiang Xue''s heart raced as she bit her lip, feeling the weight of the situation. In a desperate attempt to maintain herposure, she tightly gripped a bracelet in her hand hidden under her sleeve. Upon closer inspection, one could notice a slight crack on it, barely noticeable, but it seemed to hold a hidden significance for her.


    "Humph, I don''t believe this barrier willst forever. Let''s all attack together," one of the assassins dered, his frustration evident in his voice.


    In a synchronized assault, the five assassinsunched their attacks simultaneously, leaving Jiang Xue with little room to dodge. The barrier appeared once again, hindering their attempts, but the assassins remained undeterred. They attacked relentlessly, throwing knives, bombs, and poisons at the barrier, determined to break through and reach their target.


    As the barrage of attacks continued, the barrier made ripples but stood firm, withstanding all the assaults thrown at it by the assassins.


    However, Jiang Xue''s anxiety grew with each passing moment as she felt the bracelet hidden under her sleeve cracking more and more. The once barely noticeable crack had widened, causing her heart to race with worry.


    At that very moment, the assassin positioned at the far end of the ambush felt an eerie chill crawling up his spine, causing the hair on the back of his neck to stand on end. Reacting swiftly, he turned around, his senses heightened to detect any lurking danger. With a precise motion, he swung his sword in a defensive arc.


    As the assassin turned around, a simple saber swing greeted his eyes, and he swiftly brought his sword to meet the attack. Initially, relief washed over him as he believed he had sessfully defended against the strike.


    Yet, when their weapons collided, an overwhelming force descended upon him, filling him with horror. Despite pushing with all his might, the sabre remained steady and unmoving, as if he were a mere bug. He couldn''t even budge the saber in the slightest direction.


    In the face of this terrifying strength, the assassin''s mind raced with countless possibilities, but he was granted no time for further contemtion.


    In the blink of an eye, the saber shed through his sword as if it were mere paper, leaving the assassin utterly defenseless.


    With horror-struck eyes, the assassin witnessed the unstoppable momentum of the saber. The de swiftly and cleanly sliced through his head from the upper part, leaving no chance for escape. The deadly path of the saber continued, mercilessly cutting through the assassin''s body, cleaving him into two halves with chilling precision.


    The blood of the assassin sshed onto the man holding the saber, revealing Lu Zhen with an emotionless face.


    Although the fight might have looked long, it happened in a split second, leaving the other assassins to not be able to react in time.


    They could only watch helplessly as theirrade died right in front of them split in half.

 Chapter 13: Assassin attack (3)

    <h4>Chapter 13: Assassin attack (3)</h4>


    There was an eerie silence for a moment.


    All four assassins had horror in their eyes, not because theirrade was split in two halves, but because of the terrifying strength Lu Zhen disyed. His power wasparable to that of a third-stage martial practitioner, which filled them with dread.


    As assassins, they were ustomed to witnessing theirrades die like grass, but the overwhelming strength Lu Zhen demonstrated left them shaken to the core, spiraling into despair. They knew they stood no chance against a third-stage martial artist. So the only thing they could do now was escape as far as possible from this monster.


    "Where do you think you are going?"


    Without dy, they all sprinted away in four different directions, desperately trying to escape.


    However, Lu Zhen was faster than them. Before they could make any significant distance, one of the assassins was already dead, his head cleanly severed by Lu Zhen''s swift and deadly sabre. Lu Zhen''s face remained emotionless, as if life was as insignificant as grass to him.


    The three remaining assassins were even more terrified now, running with all their might. But no matter how fast they ran, Lu Zhen was always ahead, reaching each one in an instant and swiftly dispatching them with a single swing of his sabre. Within moments, all four assassinsy dead, like insects crushed underfoot.


    He only used his raw strength with no tricks, simply shing with his sabre without any fancy techniques. After all, Lu Zhen''s body strength was at least that of a third-stage martial artist, even before his constitution broke through its mortal limits. Now, he didn''t even know what his raw strength level was. Lu Zhen directly overwhelmed the assassins, who were only martial trainees, with just his raw power alone.


    "Miss Jiang, are you alright?" Lu Zhen asked in his emotionless tone as he turned to face Jiang Xue, his whole body soaked in blood. His expression was devoid of any emotion, giving him the appearance of an asura. He crossed his arms behind him, making him look like an expert.


    Although in reality, Lu Zhen''s mind was in chaos, and his hands were shaking from the bloodshed he had justmitted by himself.


    Jiang Xue was frightened a little when she saw Lu Zhen''s body covered in blood, but she regained herposure soon after.


    "Thank you, young master, for your help," Jiang Xue said in an extremely grateful tone, but her face which was cold and indifferent expression carried a doubtful expression now.


    Jiang Xue''s mind was in turmoil as she tried to make sense of what she had just witnessed. The once infamous trash young master of Phoenix City, who had been considered weak and worthless, was now revealed to possess unimaginable power. At just 18 years old, he had already reached the third stage of martial arts, a level of talent that was both awe-inspiring and terrifying.


    As a martial prodigy herself, achieving the martial trainee realm at the age of 18, Jiang Xue couldn''t help but feel a pang of envy and insecurity. She had always taken pride in her abilities, but now, seeing Lu Zhen, she couldn''t help but feel inadequate inparison.


    For a brief moment, she even entertained the thought that Lu Zhen had been taken over by someone else. Could he have been possessed or controlled by another being? However, Jiang Xue quickly dismissed such childish thoughts, reminding herself that it was just her imagination running wild.


    Little did Jiang Xue know that she had hit the nail right on the head. As she was lost in her own thoughts, she was interrupted by a cold voice.


    "Miss Jiang, can you turn around?" Lu Zhen said with his cold tone. Although Jiang Xue was confused, she still turned around, facing away from Lu Zhen, feeling a little scared.


    Lu zhen wanted to gather his thoughts so he had asked jiang to turn around.


    Lu Zhen''s body trembled as he tried to control the urge to vomit.


    "Oh my god, did I really kill 5 men in cold blood¡­?" Lu Zhen thought to himself, trying to calm down. After all, he was from the blue and came from an average background, so he hadn''t even seen killing before. Although he didn''t want to admit it, he was influenced by society, making him not ept killing so easily.


    Suddenly, a notification prompted him to be happy, even though he was barely controlling himself to throw up.


    [You have adapted to killing.]


    [You have acquired a new skill: adaptability.]


    Suddenly, the urge to vomit went away, and Lu Zhen felt calm again. As he felt calm he looked at his body drenched with blood so he decided to change his clothes.


    He put on a fresh set of clothes taken from the carriage, making sure to clean off as much blood as possible.


    As Jiang Xue stood there, she heard some rustling sounds from behind her. As the saying goes "curiosity kills the cat", curiosity got the better of her, and she couldn''t resist taking a quick peek. What she saw left her stunned.


    Jiang Xue''s face flushed red as she saw Lu Zhen naked, about to put on his clothes. His body was on full disy, revealing well-defined six-pack abs and tightly-packed muscles without an ounce of fat. Although he was on the lean side, his muscles emitted a unique aura that made Jiang Xue feel like he was entirelyposed of pure muscle.


    Jiang Xue''s embarrassment intensified when she noticed that, in addition to Lu Zhen''s impressive physique, his "little brother" was also fully exposed. Despite its head being down, it was still considerablyrge, even in its slumbering state. The sight was enough to make her cheeks turn an even deeper shade of red, and she quickly averted her gaze.


    The situation became even more awkward for Jiang Xue as she struggled to keep herposure. She tried her best to forget what she had seen and focused on the fact that Lu Zhen had just saved her life. But the image of his muscr body and his "little brother" remained etched in her mind, leaving her feeling both flustered and embarrassed.


    Lu Zhen noticed Jiang Xue''s little peek, but he didn''t mind it much. He was proud of his body in this world, which he had achieved through his own "effort". In his previous life, he was jealous of bodybuilders who unted their physiques, but now he had a body that surpassed mortal limits. He was undoubtedly proud and didn''t mind showing it to Jiang Xue.


    After cleaning off the blood and changing his clothes, Lu Zhen started talking to the meek Jiang Xue, who still had her head down the previous indifferent expression was no more.


    "Miss Jiang, I hope you won''t be mad about my previous actions. I had to take care of Little Lily''s safety as well. Even though they were weak to me, they might somehow have harmed her. After all, she is just a mortal," Lu Zhen said, still maintaining his emotionless expression.


    He continued, ignoring the too-shy Jiang Xue, who had momentarily forgotten about the life-or-death battle she had just faced. In any case, having a near death experience is quite unpleasant.


    "And I also hope that you will keep my power a secret between ourselves." Lu Zhen waited for an answer from Jiang Xue.


    "Young master lu might have some secrets but I also have secrets," she thought as she gripped her bracelet and spoke.


    "Of course, young master, I will keep this a secret," Jiang Xue replied in a determined tone. In her mind, she felt a sense of gratitude for Lu Zhen. Despite her rejection of the marriage proposal, he had saved her life, and she felt indebted to him.


    Lu Zhen nodded satisfied with Jiang Xue although he didn''t know what was going on in the mind of these women but from the tone of it. It looks like his strength won''t be revealed anytime soon. So Lu Zhen was satisfied.

 Chapter 14: Adaptability

    <h4>Chapter 14: Adaptability</h4>


    Just as Lu Zhen and Jiang Xue finished their conversation, a loud sound was heard from where the battle between Yu Bai and the assassin leader had taken ce. They both hurriedly rushed towards the site of the fight.


    The location of the battle was quite far from where Lu Zhen had fought the assassins. As they ran towards the source of the sound, Lu Zhen noticed broken debris, with houses almost half destroyed and everything in disarray.


    A sense of unease washed over Lu Zhen. This secluded street was usually ignored and rarely visited, but even so, with so muchmotion, there should have been at least a few people around. Theplete absence of any witnesses made Lu Zhen feel like something was wrong.


    Not only did lu zhen feel that something was wrong Jiang Xue also felt that something was wrong however they still continued to walk.


    Just as they reached the scene, they heard a cold voice.


    "Old man, why are you blocking our way? We are not even here for your young master," the assassin leader said in misery. The remnants of his assassin mask hung loosely, revealing a face marred with swelling and bruises. Blood trickled from a cut on his forehead, mixing with the dirt on his face.


    His body, too, bore the scars of a fierce battle. Dark marks covered his exposed skin, indicating the impact of powerful strikes. His clothes were torn and stained with blood, a testament to the ferocity of the attack he had endured.


    "Hmph, how dare you try to court death by attacking the young master of the Lu family? If you wanted to assassinate the young miss of the Jiang family, you could have done it at any other time. Besides, the young Miss Jiang is going to be engaged to the young master soon, so how dare you even try to assassinate her?"


    When the assassin heard this, he felt somewhat wronged.


    "Bastard, I would have tried it already, but she never leaves the Jiang state, and even when she does, she is always apanied by her father. Wouldn''t I be counting death in front of the patriarch of the Jiang family if I attempted to assassinate his daughter in front of him? After all, he is a half-stage second-stage martial artist. When we finally got the chance, I met this monster," the assassin leader thought, clearly aware that he was no match for the old man from their earlier fight.


    Realising that escape was the best option, the assassin quickly turned and ran, leaving the old man stunned.


    As he ran, the assassin taunted, "Hmph, your effort is futile, old man. My subordinate should have already finished them." He let out a sinisterugh as he blended into the shadows, disappearing from sight.


    Although the old man wanted to chase after the assassin, he didn''t. Even though he was stronger than him, killing him won''t be easy; after all, they were both at the peak of the third stage martial realm. It was not easy to kill people of the same realm. Moreover, he was more worried about the young master, so he swiftly went to find him.


    However, to his astonishment, he heard the familiar voice.


    "Old Bai, we should leave. I am not in the mood for eating now," Lu Zhen signaled towards Jiang Xue and made a gesture.


    "Young master, I wonder what happened to the assassins who were after you?" Old Bai asked, with a doubtful expression on his face.


    After all, Lu Zhen has just started practising martial arts and has just entered the martial trainee realm, and Jiang Xue is also in the martial trainee stage. There was no possibility of them defeating five martial trainees all at once. Although the mob technique doesn''t work when you reach the higher stage of martial arts, in the early state (martial trainee), no matter how powerful you are, a hundred ordinary people can shred you to pieces. So old bai was doubtful about how could theye here safe and sound.


    "Oh, a mysterious person came to our rescue and killed all the assassins in a single sh," Lu Zhen winked at Jiang Xue. Although Jiang Xue knew that the mysterious person was Lu Zhen himself, since she promised to protect Lu Zhen''s secret, she nodded.


    "That mysterious person was terrifyingly powerful; he effortlessly killed all the assassins. He should be a third-stage martial artist," Jiang Xue chimed in.


    Old Bai nodded in agreement, still somewhat sceptical, but he trusted his young master''s judgement. "I''m d you both are safe. Let''s return to the estate and inform the family about what happened."


    With that said, they all quickly departed to where the carriage was. Little Lily had been hiding when Lu Zhen and she left. Lu Zhen ced Little Lily in the carriage and then went to help Jiang Xue. After all, Lu Zhen was a stubborn man; how could he watch a woman whom he found interesting die? Though that was a small part of the reason, the real motive was to test his own strength. Lu Zhen''s drive for strength was greater than anything.


    The results were quite satisfactory as well. Not only did he test his strength, but he also gained his third skill, Adaptability. From the name of the skill, it might sound simple, but if you look at it from a broader perspective, it was a god-like skill. After all, adaptation is the driving force of evolution.


    For example, if he stayed in fire for too long, he would adapt to fire, making him resistant. If he got poisoned and endured, he could potentially adapt to it. If he got punched repeatedly, he would eventually adapt to it, making him resistant to such attacks. The same applied to cuts, giving him resistance to sharp objects. All in all, this was a god-like skill that could potentially make Lu Zhen nearly invincible, but he knew there was no such thing as invincibility in the real world.


    "Let''s go, Old Bai," Lu Zhen said as they got on the carriage. However, after travelling for five miles, they encountered a strange thing.


    A ck barrier covered the outside world entirely.


    "Hmm, so this must be the reason that no one coulde even after this muchmotion, huh?" Lu Zhen thought as he frowned.


    Lu Zhen picked up a stone and threw it at the barrier. With a swoosh sound, the stone hit the barrier and created a slight ripple, as if disturbing the surface of water the barrier rippled. However, the stone quickly lost its momentum and fell back to the ground.

 Chapter 15: The assassin leader

    <h4>Chapter 15: The assassin leader</h4>


    "Old Bai, attack the barrier," Lu Zhen instructed.


    Yu Bai was a little surprised by the strength with which Lu Zhen threw the stone. It wasparable to the strength of a martial artist at the middle stage of the martial trainee level.


    Although from Lu Zhen''s aura, Yu Bai could tell that he had undoubtedly reached at least the martial trainee stage, he couldn''t determine the exact stage he was at. While one could sense if a martial artist was strong or not from their aura, it was challenging to discern their precise level until they demonstrated their strength or through the purity of their qi in the early stage.


    Yu Bai was quite astonished that Lu Zhen had achieved at least the middle stage of the martial trainee level in just a few days of practising martial arts. Nevertheless, he was delighted with his young master''s progress.


    "Yes, young master," Yu Bai responded respectfully as he lightly and slowly punched the barrier. Despite the seemingly simple and slow punch, a resounding "boom" filled the air when his fist met the barrier.


    However, to lu zhen''s surprise, the barrier remained still, without even a slight movement. Lu Zhen was puzzled, as a casual stone from him had caused ripples in the barrier, and Yu Bai''s punch should have been strong enough to break it.


    But Lu Zhen didn''t have to wait long for an exnation. Suddenly, cracks appeared on the surface of the barrier, resembling delicate spiderwebs spreading rapidly across its entire expanse. The cracking sound intensified, resonating like the shattering of ss. The barrier''s resistance was finally broken, and it shattered into countless pieces.


    The fragments of the barrier flew in all directions, glittering in the sunlight like a breathtaking disy of sparkling jewels. However, as the cracks fell down, they disappeared as if they were mere illusions. Lu Zhen touched the fragments, but to his disappointment, they passed through his hand before disappearing.


    "It looks like the barrier isn''t too powerful orplicated; it seems to be designed to cancel out sound," Lu Zhen thought, analysing the situation.


    Lu Zhen felt it was natural; after all, the barrier takes a lot of resources to make. Even this simple barrier, which could barely block a martial trainee''s attack, should have required quite a lot of resources to build. From the looks of things, they were quite determined to kill Jiang Xue, too bad they met Lu Zhen.


    However, he thought of an important point just now ¨C if the barrier blocked the outside world, then the assassin leader should still be nearby. After all, the barrier doesn''t identify friend and foe and simply traps all who were inside the barrier. When he thought of that point, he felt chills run down his back.


    As if his spection turned true, a shadow shed past Lu Zhen''s eyes, heading straight for Jiang Xue. Both Yu Bai and Lu Zhen couldn''t react in time as the assassin leader appeared from the shadows and shed at Jiang Xue with precision.


    "Shadowsword Dance."


    The sword in the assassin leader''s hand shattered into fragments, but instead of falling to the ground, they turned ck and blended into the shadows, bing invisible to the naked eye. As if defying gravity, the ck fragments swarmed towards Jiang Xue, drawn to her like a moth to fire.


    Jiang Xue felt chills, although she couldn''t see the fragments. She knew that if she was hit, she would die. So she ran at full speed, attempting to dodge the attack, but the sea of fragments surrounded her, attacking her from all directions.


    Once again, the barrier appeared in thin air, blocking the sea of fragments. Although the barrier stood firm, the bracelet hidden under her sleeve started to crack more and more, almost breaking. However, before it couldpletely break and shred Jiang Xue to mincemeat, the attack luckily ended.


    The assassin was stunned when he saw that Jiang Xue could block his attack from a peak third-stage martial artist with this barrier.


    "So, you can withstand my attack, huh? Then try this attack.."


    The assassin leader wanted to say something; however, a punch directly came towards his face, making him stunned. The punch connected to the assassin''s face, and his previously bruised face became even more bruised as Yu Bai struck him with full might.


    Suddenly, Lu Zhen came from the side and tightly caught the assassin in a grip from behind, restraining his body.


    "Attack, Old Bai."


    Although Yu Bai was momentarily stunned, heplied with Lu Zhen''s order.


    "Hmph, how dare these brat, a mere martial trainee try to stop me."


    The assassin thought as he tried to throw Lu Zhen out with the back of his hands; however, to his horror, he found that he couldn''t even budge Lu Zhen in the slightest.


    Lu Zhen''s grip on the assassin leader tightened, and the assassin struggled in vain to free himself. He wanted to use more strength to break free, but before he could do anything, Yu Bai''s fists came raining down like a torrent.


    "Mammoth Mauler Strike."


    Old Bai''s fists struck the assassin repeatedly, creating afterimages as they pummelling him. The assassin could only watch with wide eyes as every fistnded on his body, mercilessly pummeling him. He couldn''t move his body due to Lu Zhen''s tight grip, leaving himpletely vulnerable.


    Helpless, the assassin could only watch as his body was utterly destroyed under the relentless barrage of blows. His consciousness wavered, and he sumbed to the overwhelming force of Lu Zhen and Yu Bai''s attacks.


    As for Lu Zhen, although he felt a slight rebound, it was nothing much considering his monstrously strong body. His physique had already reached an extraordinary level. After some time, he even gained an unexpected sense of joy as a system prompt appeared in the corner of his eyes.


    [You have adapted.]


    [Adaptability has levelled up from level 1 to 2.]


    Lu Zhen felt content upon seeing this notification, sensing something inside him had changed. Though he didn''t fullyprehend the change, his instinct told him it was a good thing, so he didn''t dwell on it.


    He shifted his focus to the man he had gripped. It was only then that he realised the man was already dead. Lu Zhen quickly let go of the lifeless body, and the once formidable assassin leader nowy defeated, motionless on the ground, his body battered and broken.


    To make sure the assassin was dead, with a swift and precise motion, Lu Zhen used the simple sabre he had to ensure the assassin leader was truly dead by slicing his head. Satisfied with himself, he nodded to himself.

 Chapter 16: Faking injury

    <h4>Chapter 16: Faking injury</h4>


    "Young master, are you alright?" Yu Bai asked with concern and doubt.


    Lu Zhen coughed violently, his face pale as he vomited a mouthful of blood as Yu Bai finished speaking, stunning both Yu Bai, Little Lily, and Jiang Xue.


    Jiang Xue was a little hesitant about what to do. As Jiang Xue was hesitating, Little Lily hurriedly went to the carriage and brought water and a towel with her.


    "Thank you, little Lily," Lu Zhen said as Little Lily fed him water and carefully cleaned his clothes. Tears welled up in her eyes.


    "Young master, you should not do such dangerous things. What if something had happened to you? What will happen to Madam and Master? What about me?" Little Lily said as she cried like a baby, hugging Lu Zhen tightly.


    "Ouch! Ouch!" Lu Zhen winced in pain.


    "Little Lily, are you trying to kill your young master?"


    Lu zhen said while screaming.


    "Young master sorry."


    Little lily said as her face was filled with tears. Lu zhen was truly hurt and it pained like hell for him not because of the rebound he took but because lu zhen harmed his body himself.


    That''s right, Lu Zhen possessed the unique ability to harm himself without causing permanent damage, thanks to attaining the divine physique. As his constitution levelled up into a divine physique, he could manipte his body to a certain degree. Although he couldn''t shape-shift or drastically increase his muscle strength, he could use precise vibrations to subtly control his body.


    In order to maintain the facade of being a mere martial trainee in front of Yu Bai, Lu Zhen intentionally inflicted harm upon himself. With immense focus and skill, he had subtly vibrated his muscles in such a way that they collided with each other internally, causing controlled internal injuries. It was an excruciatingly painful process, but Lu Zhen endured it, knowing that it was necessary to conceal his true abilities from Yu Bai.


    With each controlled collision, his body suffered internal injuries, causing him to vomit blood. Lu Zhen understood that merely acting injured would not fool someone like Yu Bai, who had taken care of him since childhood. If he suddenly revealed the strength of a third stage martial artist, it would undoubtedly raise suspicions about his true identity. Which may lead to his system being discovered.


    To avoid any doubts, Lu Zhen carefully nned this strategy to hide his true strength and maintain the facade of a martial artist who just entered martial trainee. He was determined to keep his cheat a secret.


    The only time he might reveal his system would be if he was truly invincible, which might never happen even with his cheat. After all, Lu Zhen never believed that he was unique; there might be talents who could rely on their sheer talent and background to surpass him. There was even a possibility of other transmigrators or reincarnators, just like him, who also had their cheats.


    The world was filled with endless possibilities, so he never underestimated his enemies and was determined to walk forward step by step, relying on his system.


    As he thought to that point, he suddenly felt a soft sensation on his cheeks. The lips that softly touched Lu Zhen''s cheeks were tender and gentle, like the petals of a blooming flower. They felt warm and inviting against his skin, leaving a tingling sensation in their wake.


    A subtle but familiar fragrance carrying a sense of freshness and purity, wafting into his nose leaving Lu Zhen mesmerised.


    It was a fleeting touch, but it left asting impression on Lu Zhen.


    "Young master, are you alright?" Little Lily said, her face flushed red as she had finished cleaning the blood from his clothes. Seeing Lu Zhen deep in thought, she just couldn''t resist the temptation and kissed him on the cheek.


    Lu Zhen was stunned by the unexpected boldness of this little girl. However, since she liked to y with fire, she had to face the consequences.


    Lu Zhen tried to bring Little Lily closer by putting his hands on her waist, but this time she avoided him.


    "Young master, I should bring some medicine," she said with a smile, her expression sweet and mischievous, as she ran towards the carriage, leaving Lu Zhen.


    Although he didn''t mind the kiss from Little Lily, her escaping after taking her kiss made Lu Zhen feel like he was taken advantage of. He decided to deal with this girlter for now, as he still needed to see if the old man bought his lie or not.


    Jiang Xue watched this little interaction between Lu Zhen and Little Lily with her standard indifferent expression. But deep down, she felt a twinge of jealousy as she observed the exchange. She didn''t know when she started feeling this way, but she couldn''t help it.


    She knew that Lu Zhen was acting with his injuries. After all, he could have easily defeated the five assassins with just his raw strength alone, so Lu Zhen was at least a third-stage martial artist or had the strength of one. His injuries shouldn''t have been so exaggerated. However, seeing his pale face and the blood he vomited, she couldn''t help but feel that Lu Zhen was genuinely hurt. It was a strange mix of emotions that she found strange.


    As for Yu Bai, he had a worried expression on his face, mixed with guilt. He knew that he should have stopped his young master from taking such a risky move. But he didn''t, and he even went along with it, making him feel even more guilty.


    When Lu Zhen first shouted to attack while gripping the assassin in a deadlock position, he felt blood boiling in him for the first time in a long while, making his instincts go wild. The aura that Lu Zhen emitted convinced him, and he punched with all his might, pummeling the assassin leader to a pulp.


    He thought since Lu Zhen was so confident he should have a back up to rely on. However seeing lu zhen''s miserable state now he knew lu zhen was just an ordinary martial trainee. Adding more to his guilt.

 Chapter 17: Benefits of divine physique

    <h4>Chapter 17: Benefits of divine physique</h4>


    "Sigh, looks like age is getting to me," Yu Bai thought with a mixture of emotions. He felt that Lu Zhen was taking too much of a risk. Lu Zhen still had a bright future ahead of him, and he shouldn''t risk his life to kill a mere assassin. After all, Lu Zhen had just begun his martial path, and just by solely relying on the abundant resources from the Lu family, he could easily reach the second stage of martial arts with a little effort.


    "Yu bai, you should¡­" Lu Zhen tried to say something, but he coughed up blood again.


    "Young master, you shouldn''t risk your life like that. You still have a bright future ahead," Yu Bai said with a guilty expression.


    "I just wanted to test my limits, Old Bai. Don''t worry," Lu Zhen said with a poker face, trying to reassure his loyal servant.


    "Young master, here are the medicines," Little Lily said as she brought some white ropes that looked like bandages but were smaller in size and thicker than themon bandages from Lu Zhen''s previous world. She also had a small porcin ss bottle filled with a blue liquid and some green paste in a bowl.


    Little Lily went towards Lu Zhen and applied the green paste to the bandage. Then, she carefully wrapped the bandage around Lu Zhen''s body.


    As she applied the bandage, Lu Zhen was shocked as he felt a slight pain when the green paste started to stick to his body. It was as if the paste had a corrosive property that could bypass his defense of his constitution and directly hurt him which shocked him to his core. After all, Lu Zhen didn''t feel pain even when he took all that rebound but these mere paste could make him feel pain.


    Slowly the paste seeped into his skin, he felt a stinging sensation. However, momentster, he felt the qi around him bing more abundant than before as the qi gathered and started sticking with the green paste. Lu Zhen was intrigued by the method.


    After some time, more qi gathered near him. He felt the urge to absorb the qi, but he resisted the temptation to do so directly into his body. After all, he wasn''t the only one who could sense qi here, as both Jiang Xue and Old Bai could sense it. Although he was confident he could hide this from Jiang Xue, it was almost impossible to hide it from Yu Bai, a genuine peak third-stage martial artist.


    He wasn''t confident enough to absorb Qi directly in front of Yu Bai and risk exposing his own secrets. He wasn''t a fan of revealing his secrets unless it benefited him. After all, the less people knew about his secret, the better it was.


    After some time, Little Lily said, "Young master, you have to drink this now," as she handed him the small porcin ss containing the blue liquid.


    From the memories of the previous host, Lu Zhen he knew the blue liquid could help him heal as he has used it countless time to heal himself however the previous host of the body was a weak mortal so he didn''t have much perception about the intricate of it but now that Lu Zhen was a martial trainee he could witness how these herbs works in this world.


    As he drank the blue liquid by removing the cork of the bottle, he felt a warm sensation as the qi sticking to the green paste became active. They gently vibrated and interacted with the surrounding qi, which all surrounded him and his body. After just a few moments, he felt all the internal injuries that he had caused himself slowly begin to recover. His pain lessened a little, and he started to feel better.


    Lu Zhen was intrigued by the method as an idea popped in his head on how to make use of it. However he needed some materials for that.


    "Let''s go now," Lu Zhen said as he had recovered enough to freely walk around.


    Yu Bai, Jiang Xue, and Little Lily were stunned again. Although the medicine was top-grade enough for healing injuries, he shouldn''t have recovered so fast.


    "Young master, you should take some more rest," Little Lily said worriedly, with concern evident in her tone.


    "Don''t worry, Little Lily, I am fine," Lu Zhen assured her as they all went toward the carriage.


    "Let''s go, Old Bai, back to our mansion again," Lu Zhen directed.


    Although Yu Bai was still hesitant to drive the carriage, heplied with his order, and they returned in the same direction.


    "Not bad, it looks like after attaining divine physique, it has granted me countless advantages. It not only enhanced my raw strength to beparable to a peak third stage martial artist, but it also allowed me perfect control over my body. It looks like I heal much faster than others because of the divine physique. It seems that the constitution is equal to the base stats of all my physical body," Lu Zhen thought as he contemted his situation and how to improve himself more.


    After all, seeing that even after realizing he was the young master of the Lu family, the assassins attacked them without a second thought made him consider his own safety.


    And seeing how the assassin attacked him without hesitation, they must have been given orders to kill him if he hindered them from killing Jiang Xue. So their backer must have an equal or even higher backgroundpared to him.


    And if they had a second stage martial artist, they would have ughtered them with the back of their hands. After all, despite his raw power beingparable to a peak third stage martial artist, it was just in raw strength.


    Any martial artist in the third peak stage could defeat him easily using some tricks. He couldn''t even defeat a third peak stage martial artist, and if a second stage martial artist attacked them, they would have died for sure. Lu Zhen felt chills as he thought to that point.


    So he was even more determined to level up in this world; after all, to fulfil his ambition, he needed to live first.


    In an unknown, luxurious mansion, the sound of cracking echoed as a table was destroyed by a furious youth. Veins popped on his head as he tightly clenched a scroll in his hand.


    "Dammit, the assassination failed!" the youth shouted at the top of his lungs.

 Chapter 18: Lu Ying

    <h4>Chapter 18: Lu Ying</h4>


    "I wonder if the engagement will happen or not," one of the guards mused.


    "Hmm, who knows the minds of people in high positions. We just have to do our jobs," replied another guard uncaringly.


    "I am just curious. When I saw the young master yesterday, I felt he was a little different than usual. His aura was terrifying, and his footsteps seem more determined than before," said the first guard, expressing his observations.


    The second guard raised an eyebrow, shocked. "Do you mean that the young master has at least reached the martial trainee level?"


    The first guard shrugged. "Who knows? Maybe his ipetent title will be gone soon..."


    As they were talking in the distance, they saw a luxurious carriage with four big, strong horses, each about 8 feet tall, advancing forward at a rapid pace. The horses had powerful shoulders and hindquarters,bined with a strong, broad back, well-sprung ribs, and thick mane and tails. The carriage was moving at a terrifying speed of about 5 miles per minute.


    They were stunned when they saw the symbol of the Lu family on the carriage¡ªa vibrant tree. Only direct descendants were allowed to sit in this carriage, and they knew that the old man driving it was Lu Zhen''s personal guard.


    "Isn''t the young master going to the Golden Restaurant? Why is he back again?"


    "Don''t ask me, just open the gates," the guard replied, and the two quickly opened the gates.


    The carriage went directly towards the main pce, and they caught a glimpse of Lu Zhen from the windows, which left them shocked.


    They saw Lu Zhen covered in bandages, but he had a calm expression.


    "Who¡­ Who dares to¡­ beat teh ung master liek that?" The guard said, visibly shocked to the core, unable to even pronounce the words properly.


    The other guard was even more afraid.


    The reason they were so shocked was that as the only heir of the Lu family, Lu Zhen had never been hurt before. As one of the four major families of Phoenix City, even martial artists had to bow before Lu Zhen, the heir of the Lu family.


    One day, a third-tier martial artist had disrespected Lu Zhen to his face while he was drinking in a bar. The next day, the third-stage martial artist was found dead with his head severed, and his family was all ughtered¡ª not even his chickens and dogs were left alive. However, everyone kept quiet about it.


    "A storm will brew again in Phoenix City¡­"


    Both guards thought in their minds at the same time.


    The carriage stopped at the entrance of the pce as Lu Zhen came out, still wrapped in bandages. He helped Jiang Xue get off, but this time, he became a little distant towards her. As he intimately assisted Little Lily in getting out of the carriage with grace.


    "Ouch," Lu Zhen eximed, as he ''identally'' let go of his hand which was supporting little lily. Caught off guard, she almost face-nted into the ground, but Lu Zhen swiftly saved her by carrying her in a princess carry style with his two hands.


    Little Lily blushed, feeling both embarrassed and flustered by the unexpected disy of closeness with Lu Zhen. Nevertheless, she felt happy in his arms, her heart beating faster than usual. Lu Zhen, still feigning his injuries, managed to maintain a calm and collected expression despite the closeness between him and Little Lily.


    Jiang Xue observed the scene with her usual indifferent expression, but deep down, she couldn''t help but feel a slight pang of jealousy. She quickly pushed the feeling aside, reminding herself that she shouldn''t be affected by such trivial matters and still have goals she wanted to fulfil.


    "Let''s go," Lu Zhen said, gently letting go of Little Lily and helping her stand steadily on the ground.


    As they entered the pce through the main door, the guards at the entrance were shocked to see Lu Zhen covered in bandages. The sight left them astonished and fearful.


    However, not forgetting their duties, they still opened the gates.


    As they opened the gates, Jiang Lao and Lu Huang were engaged in a conversation, but their voices couldn''t be heard, only their lip movements were visible. Jiang Lao had a frown on his face, while Lu Huang seemed to be in a cheerful mood. Mother Lu was sitting at the side, minding her own business.


    As the trio entered, Mother Lu aka Lu Ying noticed Lu Zhen covered in bandages, which caused anger to be visible on her face. Boiling rage took over her.


    "Who hurt you, my son? Tell me," Lu Ying said as a terrifying aura involuntarily spread from her body. The intensity of her aura was enough to make the hall feel as if it was shaking. Even Lu Huang and Jiang Lao''s auras weren''tparable to hers.


    Hearing the angry voice of Lu Ying, both Jiang Lao and Lu Huang were startled, realizing they had been too deep in their discussion to notice Lu Zhen''s arrival. They quickly turned their attention to the furious Mother Lu, unsure of what had happened. Her aurapared to theirs made them feel like chickenspared to her.


    Lu Zhen was stunned as he felt the terrifying aura emitted by his mother. Although his previous host of this body knew that his mother was a martial artist, he didn''t know how powerful she was. He was totally ignorant of the martial world. However, he knew that Lu Ying had always showered him with love and doting.


    Now looking at her aura, she should at least be a second stage martial artist, and she should be stronger than his cheap father, who is also at the second stage.


    "Mother, assassins attacked our carriage when we were going to the golden restaurant," Lu Zhen replied without keeping any suspense.


    "Oh, so some people have be really daring enough to assassinate my son in the city in broad daylight too," Lu Ying said, her anger boiling and the aura she emitted bing even more terrifying.


    "I think the assassination was for Jiang Xue," Lu Zhen said truthfully without hiding anything. He recounted the whole story, but he tweaked it a little, suggesting that he didn''t save Jiang Xue, but a mysterious expert intervened. He also downyed how he caught the assassin leader.


    After all, Yu Bai was a guard that Lu Ying had personally assigned to him for his safety. So there was no way that Yu Bai wouldn''t tell the whole story if asked. So, It was better to tell the truth first.


    "Son, you shouldn''t risk your life like this, especially when you have just started your martial journey. You should be more careful," Lu Ying said as her anger finally calmed down a little.

 Chapter 19: Jiang Lao

    <h4>Chapter 19: Jiang Lao</h4>


    "I will be more careful, mother," Lu Zhen said respectfully while secretly observing Jiang Lao''s expression. As he expected, a frown appeared on his already furrowed face, making him look even more ugly as he became even angrier and unhappier.


    "Brother Lu, I hope you will forgive me. I will take my leave then," Jiang Lao said with an ugly expression as he prepared to leave.


    "Let''s go, Jiang Xue," he said to his daughter, and the father and daughter duo hurriedly left.


    Jiang Xue wanted to say something, but Jiang Lao didn''t give her a chance as they both left.


    "Hmph, that old bastard knows he cannot withstand my anger, so he left," Lu Ying said as she stared at the back of Jiang Lao, which sent chills down his spine, making him hasten his pace as he left.


    As both father and daughter left, they hurried towards there carriage and departed from the Lu estate.


    When they got on the carriage, Jiang Xue had a confused expression on her face, wondering why her father was fleeing so quickly.


    Seeing Jiang Xue''s puzzled expression, Jiang Lao decided to rify things for his daughter.


    "Daughter, do you know why Lu Zhen is considered as the heir even though there are other direct descendants?"


    "No," Jiang Xue replied, her confusion growing as she thought about that point.


    "It is because of his mother. She is a peak second-stage martial artist andes from an unknown background," Jiang Lao said with some fear, as if he was searching his early memories, sweat forming on his face.


    "Isn''t Grandpa, the strongest expert in our Jiang family, also a peak second-stage martial artist?" she asked, shocked to the core.


    "That''s right. I don''t know how that bastard Lu Huang got such a powerful wife, but he did," Jiang Lao said with a hint of jealousy.


    "And she dotes on her son, Lu Zhen, very much. Do you know about the third stage martial artist incident?"


    When Jiang Xue heard this, she was even more shocked. "Father, do you mean that..."


    Jiang Lao interrupted her as he sighed and shook his head. "Some things are better left unsaid."


    "So, we don''t want to incur her wrath. After all, we already have an enemy, and if we provoke her too, it will be our doom," Jiang Lao said, his voice filled with concern.


    Jiang Xue still had a bitter expression on her face.


    "Although it was not our fault, what can we do? We are just a second-ss familypared to the Lu family, one of the major families of Phoenix City. I wanted to set up the marriage for you in exchange for the help of the Lu family in keeping ''that''...," He paused, as he avoided saying about ''that''.


    "Although I initially thought Lu Zhen was not worthy of you, but seeing his aura, I thought you two were a perfect match. However, these assassination attempts really foiled my n," Jiang Lao sighed again, feeling angered.


    "But, father, the Lu family also wants to benefit from ''that,'' so they shouldn''t annul our marriage," Jiang Xue said with some guilt.


    "You don''t understand theplexity of the power here, daughter. Even if they do nothing, they can gain some benefits just by staying neutral," Jiang Lao said with a heavy sigh. He felt like he had sighed more times than in his entire life.


    "It''s just a matter of how much they can gain. If they support us and stand up for us, they can reap huge benefits from ''that,'' leaving only some crumbs for us. However, if they choose to stay on the sidelines, our family will be devoured by those hounds, and the Lu family will still gain some benefits, although less..." Jiang Lao said with despair evident in his voice.


    "I am sorry, father," Jiang Xue said with a mixture of guilt as she felt that it was her fault too for rejecting the marriage with Lu Zhen.


    "Sigh, I can only hope to gain some alliance from my old friends," Jiang Lao said with some despair. "As for the Lu family, they probably won''t help us anymore unless you can somehow convince Lu Zhen."


    When Jiang Xue heard this, she knew what this old fox was implying - selling herself to be a pawn in an alliance by keeping Lu Zhen''s bed warm. The idea disgusted her to the core.


    Although Jiang Lao was talking in a miserable tone and was gathering pity on himself, he was still an old fox. He didn''t act like this just for the sake of it. He wanted to make Jiang Xue feel guilty and willingly sell herself to save the family.


    In this world where individual strength ruled, it was very difficult to find innocent souls. Jiang Lao, too, was not naive or good. The only way he thought of surviving the extermination of the Jiang family was to rely on the Lu family, and he was determined to save his family by hook or crook.


    However, seeing the cold expression of Jiang Xue as she avoided further speaking made him disappointed.


    "Oh daughter, even if you don''t agree, I have ways to make youply," Jiang Lao thought as sinister thoughts swirled in his mind. "As for the assassins, they must have been sent by another major family. If I can uncover the people who nned the assassination, I can manipte the Lu Family and force them to support us."


    Both father and daughter didn''t say a word after this for their entire journey.


    Meanwhile, in the Lu main pce...


    "Sigh, son, you shouldn''t have taken the risk just to kill that mere third-stage assassin," Lu Ying said with some worry.


    "Don''t worry, mother, I am fine, so it doesn''t matter," Lu Zhen replied in an uncaring manner.


    "It looks like you have not disappointed me, son. Although I don''t know how you reached the martial trainee level so early, I will help you keep your secret. Don''t worry about it."


    Lu Zhen was stunned as he heard Lu Ying''s voice directly in his head. It was a strange feeling to have as he felt that the sound might be unreal but it felt true at the same time. It felt like the sound came from all sides and reverberated in his head. It was just a strange thing to hear.

 Chapter 20: Cultivation Pills

    <h4>Chapter 20: Cultivation Pills</h4>


    Although Lu Zhen didn''t know what was going on in his mother''s head, he was happy that she did not question his abilities. If she did, he would have to cook up a more feasible lie to cover up, so he was relieved that she didn''t get suspicious of him.


    She evenmunicated through voice transmission to avoid revealing his secrets.


    Voice transmission was amon technique in the martial world. While theoretically even martial trainees could use it, the reality was quite different. The immense amount of qi required for effective voice transmission made it a challenging feat even for third-stage martial artists. Only second-stage martial artists could use it more casually.


    The technique utilized qi as the medium to create soundwave-like vibrations, storing them within the qi before releasing them directly to the intended person. The more qi released, the farther the qi could travel before disappearing, and the more sound waves you could transfer in the qi.


    While in theory, this technique could be used to attack enemies, it was quite impractical andplex to use inbat. Fights were often decided in mere moments, and even if a fight was somehow prolonged, using the transmission technique to hurt the enemy would consume an insane amount of qi, making it impractical.


    Thus, other techniques were more suitable forbating and transmission techniques were only used formunication.


    The technique was somon that even the previous host of the body who had utterck of interest in the martial world somehow knew about it.


    Lu Zhen was happy to see his mother being so supportive of him. However, he knew that if she really knew that her son''s body had been taken over by Lu Zhen, he would probably have died a miserable death by now.


    Lost in his thoughts, he felt a shiver down his spine, contemting the dire consequences if the truth was to be exposed.


    However, his thoughts were interrupted by a gentle voice, pulling him back to reality. Lu Ying''s soothing tone brought him out of his reverie, and he directed his attention to his caring mother, who held a small box about the size of a ring box.


    "Here, son," Lu Ying said as she handed him a small box about the size of a ring box.


    "What is this, mother?" Lu Zhen asked in a confused tone.


    "This is your gift for reaching the martial trainee level," Lu Ying exined, offering the box to Lu Zhen without any hesitation.


    Lu zhen caught the box, he observed the box. It was simply ck in colour, but the shade of ck seemed to have a mysterious depth, as if it absorbed all the light around it. The box was smooth to the touch, its surface polished to perfection, giving it a luxurious feel.


    Along the edges of the box were delicate gold patterns, expertly carved with meticulous precision. The golden designs depicted intricate swirls and graceful curves, resembling vines that entwined around the edges. Each line seemed to be purposefully ced, as if having a specific purpose to it.


    Seeing the box, Lu Huang was shocked to the core, unable to contain his surprise as he couldn''t help but exim, "Lu Ying, are you sure you want to give that? It was given by grandfather himself, who was greatly impressed by your talent."


    Lu Huang''s shock was evident as he observed the precious item his wife intended to bestow upon their son.


    Hearing her husband''s questioning tone, Mother Lu''s anger red up. "Hmph, what does it matter to you what I give to my son? This is my possession, and I choose to give it to Lu Zhen. Do you have a problem with that?" she retorted with a fierce glint in her eyes.


    A terrifying aura emanated from her, but this time, it was intentionally directed at Lu Huang, who felt the pressure and immediately regretted his words. He knew better than to question his wife''s choices, especially when it came to their beloved son.


    He knew his wife was crazy towards her son. Since Lu Zhen was born, he hadn''t had a single chance to do ''that'' with her. Her attention and love werepletely focused on their son, leaving little room for anything else.


    And he couldn''t even be forceful because he couldn''t. He was just too weakpared to lu ying. Thinking about this lu huang sighed, feeling a headache.


    Seeing Lu Huang''s over reaction, Lu Zhen knew that this box might contain something precious.


    "Mother..." Lu Zhen began to say, his voice tinged with a hint of guilt. Unlike the protagonist in novels, he was not thick-skinned and was just a regr human with a "little more yearning towards strength."


    Having taken over the body of this world''s Lu Zhen, he felt conflicted. Witnessing himself being showered with love, he couldn''t help but feel a sense of guilt. After all, he was not the original Lu Zhen, and his very existence felt like deception, causing a pang of guilt within him.


    This experience of guilt was amon human psychology shared by most people in the modern world, whether they acknowledged it or not. Living in thefort of society, Lu Zhen was no exception to this phenomenon, often referred to as "impostor syndrome" or "imposter phenomenon."


    However, just momentster, the feeling of guilt seemed to dissipate, almost as if it never existed. It was as if he had "adapted" to this psychology.


    "Son, you should take it as a gift from your dear mother," lu ying said in a stern and loving voice.


    Hearing the voice lu zhen might have refused previously but now he felt more inclined to it and didn''t hesitate to take it.


    "Then thank you, Mother. What is in the box?" Lu Zhen inquired with aposed expression.


    "This box contains a pill that can directly help you purify and condense qi to a certain degree without requiring any effort," she casually exined.


    Lu Zhen was shocked to hear this. After all, pills were rare treasures in this world, as only first stage martial artists or higher could create them. Regardless of the type of pill, they were sought after because of their heaven-defying effects.


    "Don''t open it now, or its medicinal properties will be lost. You should consume this pill only when you reach the third stage as a martial artist to achieve the best effect," Lu Ying patiently exined.


    "Thank you, mother," Lu Zhen said in an extremely grateful tone.


    Lu Zhen was genuinely thankful for her support. She had not only provided him with the perfect Verdant de Art for his cultivation but also gifted him these valuable pills, for which he felt immense gratitude towards his mother. After all, Lu Zhen wasn''t an ungrateful person; he believed in repaying kindness.

 Chapter 21: Secrets behind the Fiance

    <h4>Chapter 21: Secrets behind the Fiance</h4>


    "You should head to the library to practice somebat arts and enhance yourbat strength. Remember, you practice verdant de art with wood attribute qi, which has the lowest attack power," Lu Ying advised her son as he held the box.


    "Yes, Mother," Lu Zhen replied respectfully. However, he didn''t immediately leave; his facial expression reflected his confusion as a question lingered in his mind.


    Sensing his confusion, Lu Ying guessed something was bothering him. "Son, do you have a question?" she inquired.


    "Yes, Mother. I wonder about the engagement..." Lu Zhen was about to ask, but his words were interrupted by Lu Ying''s response.


    "Oh, the engagement was arranged because they discovered something that could potentially elevate their status to that of a major family. However, fortunate or not, this news got leaked and all the factions in Phoenix City are now aware of it."


    "From that moment, almost every family has been targeting the Jiangs. This onught has not only forced them to close their shops but also pushed them to the brink of survival. They need external assistance desperately, which is why they''re seeking an alliance to alleviate the mounting pressure. Due to their existing friendship with us, they''ve turned to us for support."


    "As for what ''that'' is, I won''t disclose it to you. You must attain at least the third stage of a martial artist''s strength to be qualified to learn about it."


    When Lu Zhen heard this, he felt a little indignation. After all, in terms of raw strength, he was technically a peak third stage martial artist, even though his qi level was that of a martial trainee.


    However, a sense of relief also washed over him, as it seemed she was unaware of his true abilities even though she might have guessed that he has some secrets and from the memories he got Lu Ying has always cared for him so she shouldn''t have thoughts towards his secrets from the looks of it.


    Lu Huang sneered as he chimed in, "The Jiang family is quite ignorant and arrogant; they think that just by marrying their daughter to us, they can gain our support to help them relieve some of their pressure."


    "Even if we want to help them, we can''t do so. After all, we aren''t the only major family in this city. There are still three others who have been eyeing the Jiang family for a long time. There is no way we will fight the entire city just for them. They have really overestimated us," Lu Huang said as he chuckled.


    "The most beneficial thing for the family to do is to drain them of benefits before letting them barely survive by making some agreements with the other families."


    Lu Zhen now understood this whole shenanigans of finance. It looks like a silent politics had urred for just this marriage. And from the looks of it, the family he was in now was evil, or should he say that the world itself is evil.


    Even in his previous world wherebined strength mattered, there was always a food chain where people at the top exploited people at the bottom, making them work like ves.


    In this world, where individual strength surpassed collective power, the cruelty was even more colder. It wasn''t much different from Lu Zhen''s previous world, but the exploitation was even bigger and much harsher ¨C cruel enough to make people''s lives feel like grass, casually cut by the strong at their whims. It was the survival of the fittest taken to the extreme.


    Looking at it from this perspective though his family might just be a little tiny bit kinder after all they at least left a path for survival for the Jiang family. If it was any other family they might have left with all the benefits and suck them dry too marking their total destruction.


    Thinking about it he felt it was natural and didn''t feel much emotion about it as if he "adapted" to this world.


    "Then I will take my leave, father and mother," Lu Zhen said decisively, leaving the pce as he headed towards the library, with little Lily closely following.


    "Looks like my son has really grown up," Lu Ying said proudly.


    "Did you give Lu Zhen our core cultivation technique?" Lu Huang asked.


    "Yes, I gave it. Do you have any problem with it?" Lu Ying said, her gaze fixed on Lu Huang.


    Seeing Lu Ying''s stern stare, sweat began to form on Lu Huang''s back. He held back from saying anything. The Verdant de Art was the primary inheritance of the Lu family, reserved solely for direct descendants who had made significant contributions to the family. It was a strict family rule, yet now Lu Zhen had obtained the martial arts technique seemingly without any effort.


    "Forget it," Lu Huang thought as he let out a sigh.


    As Lu Zhen was walking towards the library, he heard a familiar voice filled with respect.


    "We greet cousin," they chimed in unison.


    Lu Zhen turned to look at the boy and the girl who were twins.


    "Oh, it''s you two. What do you want?" Lu Zhen asked them as he noticed their almost identical faces.


    The only difference was that the young girl had a more feminine appearance and was slightly leaner, while the young boy had a more masculine face and was somewhat plumper.


    They both had blue eyes and green hair and looked identical to each other.


    They were even dressed in nearly identical white robes.


    Based on his memories, the twins held a very low status in the family due to their mother''s early death. Although their living conditions were better than those of most average people, they didn''t receive much importance within the family.


    They seemed noticeably nervous as they responded to him.


    "Cousin, we need your assistance with something. Can you help us? I will give you the monkey wine in return," the boy, also known as Lu Zhi, spoke with respect.

 Chapter 22: The Twins

    <h4>Chapter 22: The Twins</h4>


    "Oh, what kind of help do you need?" Lu Zhen inquired, his eyes lighting up with interest.


    Monkey wine was an exceptionally rare type of wine in this world, not due to its ingredients, but because of the meticulous preparation it required and the expertise in wine making.


    What made this wine special was that only martial artists could create it. During the fermentation process, martial artists had to utilize their control over Qi to carefully regte the temperature, humidity, and energy flows. It was a tedious and tiring process that needed a lot of patience to make and consumed a massive amount of qi.


    Even Lu Zhen hadn''t drank this wine much as it was rtively rare in the market that every time it showed up it would be instantly sold.


    Although wine didn''t particrly pique Lu Zhen''s interest, the previous host had a passion for it. Thus, he decided to y along with his character.


    "Brother Lu we need your help ¡­" Lu Zhi patterned on and on about a long a** story before finallypleting.


    Although Lu Zhen was a little bored, he still understood most of the important parts of the story.


    "Brother Lu, can you assist us?" Lu Zhi finally concluded after recounting the entire narrative.


    "Alright, I will offer my help," Lu Zhen replied simply, then left without paying much attention to it.


    Witnessing this, the twins were taken aback and filled with anxiety.


    "But we''re in urgent need of your assistance," Lu Zhi emphasized urgently, both twins wearing nervous expressions.


    Upon hearing this, Lu Zhen paused and stated, "Meet me in the library four days from now." With those words, he departed, leaving behind the anxious twins.


    "Brother what should we do?" Lu Qian asked her brother nervously.


    "Don''t worry, since Brother Lu has given his word, he will surely assist us. If not¡­" Lu Zhi''s eyes gleamed with determination, as he thought of something while clenching his fist.


    "Young master looks like they need help urgently¡­" As Lu Zhen went far from the twins, Little Lily said hesitantly.


    Hearing this Lu Zhen felt that he needed to educate the little innocent maid of his.


    "Little Lily, do you understand how to make things valuable in this world?" He interjected, turning towards her with a question.


    Little Lily appeared slightly perplexed by the unexpected query, wondering why he was asking a question when she was the one seeking answers. However since he was her young master she replied honestly.


    "No."


    "It''s all about ''rarity.'' If you wish to bestow value upon something, you must ensure its rarity. Just like my assistance¡ªseems they can only turn to me for help. By having them wait a while, my assistance will be more valuable to them," Lu Zhen exined, folding his arms looking like an expert.


    "I understand, young master." Little lily said as her eyes gained rity as if enlightened.


    Lu Zhen was stunned, he truly didn''t know what was going on in this girl''s head. He had been speaking nonsense to her, not expecting her to take it so seriously. The actual reason was that he wanted to see whether this so-calledbat arts could really help him or not.


    He couldn''t care less about others'' problems, despite the previous host having formed some friendships with them. He wasn''t the previous host, so he didn''t care. His sole focus was on bing stronger; other matters could be resolvedter.


    Lu Zhen and Little Lily soon reached the library.


    The Library wasn''t as big as other Lu estate pces, but it''s design was even more extravagant than the main pce.


    Lu Zhen wasn''t joking ¨C the entire pce was covered in a gold-like material, making it look really luxurious.


    The outside was full of intricate patterns that added to its beauty. It gave an aura of luxury and knowledge at the same time.


    The library was crowded with people who were entering and exiting the library mostly wearing white uniforms with tree shaped badges.


    When they saw Lu Zhen they were stunned as they hurriedly bowed towards Lu Zhen paying their respect.


    "We greet the young master." They all said in unison.


    "I wonder what this bastard is trying to do now."


    "He is again going to torment us even though he has be a martial artist. He must have be a martial artist with the help of the Lu family."


    "Now that he has be a martial artist he must havee to brag about himself."


    A person with green hair thought with some indignation as he too bowed. Almost all the external disciples thought the same way but they still bowed to Lu Zhen respectfully without a hint of disrespect.


    "Hmm you have all done a good job." Lu Zhen casuallymented as he approached therge library door.


    Upon hearing Lu Zhen''s praise, they were taken aback. After all, Lu Zhen had always used his status to bully them in the past.


    Being external disciples recruited from the outside world, they alle from very humble backgrounds. Despite their disadvantaged origins, their talents were exceptionally high, which allowed them the chance to join the Lu family. Their only chance to be stronger was by bing disciples of a prestigious family like the Lu family andplying with their demands to acquire resources for practicing martial arts.


    For countless generations, it has been the norm for individuals with exceptional talents among themon people to align themselves with prominent families or sects which mutually benefit them. As the big families gain new talents while themon people get to practice martial arts. Which has led to a tacit understanding among them.


    However, those who joined the families have always encountered discrimination from the direct descendants who held higher status than them. After all, families predominantly prioritize their bloodline, in contrast to sects which can essentially be described asrger mercenary groups.


    Lu Zhen also knew about this and so he decided to rectify the previous host''s mistake. At least he put a tiny effort into it.


    This thought went to the back of his mind, as he slowly entered the library.

 Chapter 23: Combat Arts

    <h4>Chapter 23: Combat Arts</h4>


    "Why have youe here, young master?" A white-bearded man with a bald head asked, his surprise evident.


    Draped in a ssic green robe, his weathered countenance indicated his old age.


    "Nothing in particr, just attending to my business, Elder," Lu Zhen responded respectfully, his gaze sweeping across the library.


    Although the library''s interior appeared smaller than its exterior, the space was impably clean, devoid of even a hint of dust.


    Books rested on metal shelves, protected by ss casings that created an atmosphere akin to a museum. His amazement deepened as his gaze fell upon the books; they were as thick as the heavens themselves.


    Some of the books were so thick that he bet that even the "Shree Haricharitramrut Sagar," considered the thickest book in his previous world, couldn''te close to the thickness of these volumes.


    Approaching a set of shelves disying the smallest books, he selected the thinnest one from among them. As he held the book, he noticed its weight, feeling the heft in his hands. The cover was crafted from the leather of an unknown animal, cold and yet surprisingly smooth to the touch.


    On the cover were the words "Cloud Steps" written. Turning the pages, he quickly nced at the contents, swiftly skimming through the less significant sections and focusing on the most crucial information.


    As he read the text, a clear understanding of thesebat techniques began to form in his mind.


    While the cultivation method itself had certain basic movements, it wasn''t as profound as thesebat arts. It was more closely rted to the understanding and principles of wood qi, whereas thesebat arts were crafted to fully utilize qi, thereby significantly enhancing thebat power of martial artists to a truly formidable degree.


    Essentially, these arts revolved around refining one''s body control to fight more efficiently. This concept was simr to the fighting techniques in his previous world. However, here there was a key distinction: while the previous world focused solely on muscle maniption, this world integrated both muscle and qi control.


    Although Lu Zhen could control his body after obtaining the divine physique, it was a tedious and slow process that required him to be active.


    Muscle memory was a thing in this world. Although thebat arts were nearly identical, Lu Zhen''s divine physique only enabled him to control his body, whereas thebat arts allowed martial artists to manage both their body and qi at a subconscious level, achieving a harmonious equilibrium.


    While he had an advantage due to his ability to manipte his body easily, allowing him to train in thebat arts more rapidly, he still required further practice.


    Thebat art he had read enabled him to manipte qi within his legs, exert control over his muscles, and redirect them to facilitate rapid movement on the ground.


    Thisbat art had a total of four mastery; they were collectively called beginners, middle, peak and the master realm. He slowly became engrossed in the book.


    However, his reading was suddenly interrupted.


    "Young master, you shouldn''t read this book unless you possess attributeless qi," the old man suddenly interjected, interrupting Lu Zhen''s thoughts.


    "Then, where can I findbat arts for wood attribute qi?" Lu Zhen inquired, a touch of annoyance in his voice, though he still listened.


    "Young master, for that, you need to head towards the green-coloured section of the library," the old man hurriedly directed, guiding Lu Zhen to the green section of the library.


    "Here are all thebat arts rted to wood attributes," the old man announced.


    "Thank you, Elder Tianming," Lu Zhen said respectfully, hurrying toward the shelves with a hint of impatience.


    The old man, known as Lu Tianming, felt pleased, thinking he had made a good impression on Lu Zhen, and left him to his own devices as he departed.


    Despite being an elder, his status was lower than that of the family heir. After all, the heir would be the family head, so he aimed to leave a positive impression on Lu Zhen.


    Lu Zhen immersed himself in the books, seeking ones suitable for him.


    "Hmm, let''s see now," Lu Zhen pondered as he began to choose.


    Observing the plethora of books around him, he thought, "I''m going to be here for a while."


    As Lu Zhen read through them, he felt a headache building as he searched through the options. He struggled with what to choose, knowing he couldn''t practice everything. After all, practicing abat technique took too long, and some were not even suitable for him at all.


    Finally, he chose 5 which were most suitable for him.


    [Whispering Shadow Steps: This technique enables a martial artist to gather wood qi in their feet, allowing them to move with remarkable swiftness, as light and agile as a falling leaf.]


    [Verdant Saber Whirlwind: This techniquebines the attributes of the wood qi with the prowess of a saber, creating a whirlwind of force that can overwhelm opponents.]


    [Cedarstrike Saber Surge: This technique focuses on infusing the strength and tenacity of wood qi into the saber creating a powerful strike.]


    [Verdant Grove Fist: The Bamboo Grove Fist technique draws inspiration from the wood element''s characteristics. It melds strength and suppleness to deliver a potent and impactful punch. By incorporating the qualities of wood qi, this fist technique bes a fusion of power and flexibility.]


    [Ancient Willow Palm: Simr to how a willow branch yields under pressure and redirects energy, practitioners of this technique skillfully manipte an opponent''s strikes or momentum. This redirection creates openings for precise and effective counterattacks.]


    All these techniques had a simr level of mastery simr to the cloud steps, starting from the beginner''s level to the master''s level.


    He chosebat arts that he felt were most suitable for him. However, he changed his mind as he decided not to get ahead of himself and finally settled on three martial arts that were to his liking. He decided to abandon the [Ancient Willow Palm] and [Cedarstrike Saber Surge], which he felt were not practical for him due to theirplexity. He preferred simpler techniques.


    In total, he had threebat arts to practice: one saber art, one fist art, and another movement art.


    "Let''s get started."

 Chapter 24: Verdant Saber Whirlwind

    <h4>Chapter 24: Verdant Saber Whirlwind</h4>


    Lu Zhen stood upright, clutching a simple saber in his hands. Across from him, a training dummy, about 2 feet thick, gleamed in the light.


    Closing his eyes, he appeared as though he was deeply asleep. Yet, his rhythmic breathing told a different story, Each inhale and exhale carried a rhythm of its own, an ebb and flow that mirrored the natural world around him.


    His breath synchronised with his body, and in a sudden motion, his eyes snapped open.


    With the opening of his eyes, a sh of green light streaked past his eyes as he swung the saber.


    As the saber moved, a meagre amount of wood qi within his body flowed towards it, converging upon the de. The contact of the qi with the saber generated a swirling force that spun, forming a small whirlwind directed towards the training dummy.


    The collision of the whirlwind with the dummy resonated with a distinct "ching" sound, echoing through the air.


    Instantly, the whirlwind engulfed the dummy, shing through it in all directions with a fierce intensity.


    Although the dummy sustained numerous deep cuts, it remained standing tall. Gradually, the hurricane subsided.


    Upon surveying the battered body of the dummy, marked with deep gashes, Lu Zhen''s face contorted into a frown of dissatisfaction.


    "Seems like my qi is too meagre to fully unleash the potential of thisbat art," Lu Zhen mused, his expression betraying a tinge of bitterness.


    "Although I have reached the beginning level of the [Verdant Saber Whirlwind], my power is quite meager; even my raw strength is more powerful than this," Lu Zhen thought with a tinge of bitterness.


    He wanted to practice the fist technique that perfectly integrated his raw strength first, but he possessed the de mastery skill.


    Therefore, he decided to practice the saberbat art first before delving into the fist technique, as relying solely on his talent would take too long for him to master the fist technique.


    This is why he quickly attained the beginning level of the saber technique ¨C thanks to his saber mastery skills, which alsoplemented his cultivation method.


    "I have to find a way to increase my qi. Is there no other way besides taking the cultivation pill?" Lu Zhen pondered.


    Despite having the Verdant de Art cultivation method, which included a meditation technique to gather wood attribute qi, he had only meditated for a short time, and the pace at which he gathered qi was as slow as a sloth. If he relied solely on meditation, substantial progress would take about four years ording to his estimation.


    His constitution hadn''t improved significantly after reaching the divine physique stage. Even though he exercised regrly, he hadn''t grown much. Unknowingly, Lu Zhen had hit a bottleneck in his progress. This was why he chose to focus onbat arts to swiftly enhance his strength.


    However, if martial artists heard Lu Zhen''s line of thinking, they would likely vomit blood right on the spot.


    Martial arts was a time-consuming process that progressed at a snail''s pace. Some cultivated so slowly that they couldn''t even be third-stage martial artists in their lifetimes.


    "Looks like I need to take the cultivation pill," Lu Zhen concluded.


    With determination, he reached for the box previously given to him by his mother. His fingers poised to open it, when a sound caught his attention.


    "Young master, the twins Lu Zhi and Lu Qian wish to see you," an aged voice announced with a hint of uncertainty from outside the training room.


    Upon hearing this, a subtle frown creased Lu Zhen''s brow.


    "Oh, I almost forgot about them¡­"


    He had been so absorbed in practising the [Verdant Saber Whirlwind] technique that he hadn''t even realised four days had passed.


    That''s right, Lu Zhen''s initial focus was on increasing his attacking prowess before delving into movementbat art. He firmly believed in cultivating absolute strength.


    While the [Whispering Shadow Steps]bat art might grant him greater mobility, his current priority was enhancing hisbat power. He was quite unsatisfied with his current level. He believed that speed, while advantageous, could be easily countered by tactics such as barriers and encirclements. If he encountered a stronger opponent, Lu Zhen wouldn''t even have the luxury of time to react before meeting his demise.


    So he believed that strength was the way to go. Other things could be consideredter.


    "I aming, Elder Tianming," Lu Zhen dered as he opened the door and was greeted by the familiar sight of the library.


    Lu Zhen had now understood why the library''s interior was smaller than its exterior ¨C there were secret rooms for direct descendants to practicebat arts.


    These rooms were especially prepared for higher-ranking family members and possessed sound-nullifying properties. They also featured wooden dummies, which were highly suitable for practice.


    As Lu Zhen exited the door, he saw Lu Tianming standing with a hint of hesitation.


    "Young master, I hope I didn''t disturb you," Lu Tianming said with a slight hesitation.


    "Elder Tianming, you didn''t disturb me. Thank you for informing me," Lu Zhen replied in a respectful tone.


    Despite being slightly annoyed by the twins'' persistence, he intended to keep his word to them. However, his main reason was his curiosity about the monkey wine. In the memories he had acquired, each time the previous host drank the wine, his body felt refreshed the next day.


    He wanted to test its effectiveness for himself. Considering its rarity in the market, he thought it better to acquire the wine now. From his recollections, he knew that although Lu Zhi was merely a martial trainee at the age of 26, he was also a master wine brewer ¨C a skill that very few in Phoenix City couldpete with.


    With that thought in mind, he followed Elder Lu Tianming''s guidance and approached them slowly.


    However, midway, Lu Zhen''s ears started twitching, and he heard some words.


    "Brother, do you think Lu Zhen will really help us? Even if he helps, can he really solve our problems?"


    This was followed by a thud and an angry voice.


    "Just shut up¡­"


    Hearing the squabbling between the two, Lu Zhen felt quite amused and intrigued by their argument.

 Chapter 25: Monkey Wine

    <h4>Chapter 25: Monkey Wine</h4>


    As Lu Zhen entered the room where the twins were, an unexpected silence fell upon them, almost as if the earlier quarrel had never urred. Lu Zhen found this situation somewhat amusing.


    "Brother Lu, about the..." Lu Zhi began, but Lu Zhen swiftly cut him off.


    "Alright, since I''ve given you my word, I will help you," Lu Zhen stated and turned to leave the room, leaving both Lu Zhi and Lu Qiang stunned by his sudden decision.


    "Brother lu, we apologize for troubling you, but the danger we''re facing is quite grave. If you were to just..." Lu Zhi''s words trailed off, as he refrained from uttering thetter part of his sentence, wary of offending Lu Zhen without cause.


    In essence, Lu Zhi was trying to convey that he believed Lu Zhen might not be capable of resolving their predicament alone and that they were seeking his assistance primarily due to his influential status.


    Lu Zhen understood this perfectly. From an outsider''s perspective, they only knew he had recently entered the martial realm. Yet, the truth remained hidden ¨C his actualbat prowess matched that of a peak third stage martial artist.


    Nobody was aware of this fact; even Jiang Xue, who believed he was merely a third stage martial artist, couldn''t fathom that Lu Zhen''s raw physical strength could rival that of a peak third stage martial artist.


    The desperation with which they sought his help wasn''t solely due to Lu Zhen himself, but rather the status and prestige associated with his identity as the heir of the Lu family.


    Based on the story Lu Zhi had recounted, Lu Zhen deduced they were facing trouble with a group of bandits in their wine business.


    Although they were abandoned members of the Lu family, the Lu family''s reputation alone was often sufficient to deter even third stage martial artists from taking action. So their opponent was not simple.


    "Do these bandits have a second stage martial artist among them?" Lu Zhen inquired.


    "To our knowledge, they do not, Brother," Lu Zhi responded respectfully, although a hint of confusion lingered in his expression.


    Lu Zhen felt slightly more assured upon hearing this, yet he remained cautious. After all, he wouldn''t jeopardise his safety for the sake of others. So he changed his mind as he wanted to maximise his benefits now.


    "Get me 100 jars of monkey wine," Lu Zhen demanded, his thoughts shifting as he realized the potential benefits he could gain even if he took advantage of the situation.


    Lu Zhi was surprised by the request. "Brother Lu, I only have 30 jars of wine. How can I provide you with 100?"


    "Then give me those 30 jars, and you''ll owe me the equivalent of 70 jars'' worth of monkey wine," Lu Zhen dered, his voice carrying a domineering tone. His aura expanded, filling the room, causing both twins to feel uneasy.


    While Lu Zhi appeared less affected, his twin sister, Lu Qiang, started to visibly sweat under the pressure.


    "Alright, I agree to your terms, Brother Lu," Lu Zhi conceded, as he gritted his teeth and agreed although with some hesitation.


    Though Lu Zhen was aware that his actions might seem like taking advantage of them, he dismissed the concern. To him, it was a fair exchange.


    As for Lu Zhi and Lu Qiang, they epted the agreement, despite lingering bitterness. Unlike Lu Zhen, who had grown up in a modern society, they had been toughened by the harsh reality of the martial world.


    The world itself isn''t fair, and they both knew it all too well.


    "Alright, let''s gather some intel first," Lu Zhen said as he left, apanied by the twins.


    However, upon exiting, before he could take another step, he spotted little Lily.


    "Young master, where are you going? Take me with you," Little Lily said, her tone tinged with uncertainty as she nced at the twins behind him.


    "No, Lily, you should stay here. I will be back soon," Lu Zhen reassured her, approaching Lily and nting a kiss on her lips.


    As his lips met Lily''s, a gentle sensation spread through him, prompting him to pry open her lips. With a little aggressive movement, he ventured into the embrace of her lips, his tongue engaging in a delicate dance of exploration. The intertwining of their mouths created an intimate connection. The softness of her lips against his, the warmth of her breath mingling with his own.


    Although little Lily resisted it at first eventually she stopped resisting as she also became more aggressive.


    Soon, they both engaged in a passionate kiss, ignoring the twins who watched with embarrassment.


    Lu Zhen thoroughly explored her mouth, getting engrossed in the kiss.


    Finally, after a while, they separated as Lu Zhen noticed that little Lily was almost out of breath.


    As they parted, Lily let out a gentle cough, her face flushed with a mix of emotions. Recovering her breath, her cheeks turned a shade of crimson, a visible manifestation of the intense moment they had shared.


    "Young master, you are bullying me," Lily eximed, her embarrassment evident as she quickly averted her gaze and hurriedly ran.


    Lu Zhen felt a sense of satisfaction seeing this. After all, he hadn''t forgotten about what she had done earlier, and now he had shown her what he could do.


    Lily, as she moved away from the twins'' presence, Lily felt dampness on her lower half which caused her face to turn even more red before she hurriedly changed her clothes.


    Lu zhen knew about her aroused state but he didn''t say much about it.


    "Cough! Cough!!"


    Lu Zhen coughed, noticing the twins standing there in a daze.


    "Haven''t you seen a man having some fun with his woman?" Lu Zhen said, a slightly disatisfied expression on his face.


    Hearing Lu Zhen''s stern tone, the twins finally snapped out of their daze.


    "Brother Lu, I was just surprised¡­" Lu Zhi hurriedly replied. Lu Qian remained silent, her face flushed with embarrassment.


    Lu Zhi felt a bit like an inexperienced youth* upon witnessing the passionate kiss. At his age, he had encountered numerous things, but the intensity of the kissing scene caught him off guard, as he had never before witnessed such an erotic disy before.


    Lu Qian was too flustered to form coherent thoughts. Her cheeks were crimson, and she kept her head lowered in embarrassment.


    "Now let''s get into our business."

 Chapter 26: Bandits

    <h4>Chapter 26: Bandits</h4>


    "Here''s the information you need, young master," a woman with striking purple hair purred, her voice a seductive whisper as she went towards him.


    Dressed in an alluring ck nightdress, her vibrant purple hair cascaded like a waterfall. Her regr-sized eyes held a captivating hint of mystery in their ck hue.


    Her lips, rosy as freshly bloomed rose petals,plemented her fair, snow-likeplexion. Her slender figure highlighted her slim waist, long supple legs, and perfect height, adding to her elegant presence.


    Approaching Lu Zhen with a deliberate sway of her hips, she leaned down to hand him the paper, her loose gown inadvertently revealing a mouth watering scene of her ample curves. The sight exuded an unmistakable air of mature allure, a captivating maism that could only be attributed to the realm of a MILF.


    Maintaining a poker face, Lu Zhen epted the paper, his gaze fixed on the information before him, seemingly ignoring the captivating presence beside him.


    As his eyes scanned the contents of the paper, a subtle furrow formed on his brow. "Hmm, this is strange. The bandits that targeted the twins have only recently be more active. They shouldn''t have the audacity to attack a member of the Lu family..."


    The attacks on the twins hadmenced a mere two months ago, specifically targeting their caravans.


    ording to the information presented, the leader of the bandits was a third stage martial artist, and the stronghold housed around 1000 individuals, most of whom were ordinary people. However, there were 20 individuals among them who were in the martial trainee realm excluding the leader. They were called as the silent vipers.


    "It looks like the twins are being targeted by someone," Lu Zhen mused to himself, his mind working to piece together the puzzle.


    He didn''t want to get into a fight yet, but when he had previously fought the assassin, he felt like he was levelling up faster and had acquired a skill quite easily. So, he wanted to test this theory of his to see if it was true or not. However, he didn''t have a hobby of seeking trouble.


    As a result, he had decided to help the twins, not only because of the monkey wine, but also because he wanted to put his theory to the test.


    "I will take my leave, Miss Li Jiao," Lu Zhen respectfully addressed the woman, his expression unwavering as he disregarded her alluring gestures and turned to depart.


    Observing Lu Zhen''s departure, Li Jiao was momentarily taken aback. However, a self-assured chuckle escaped her lips. "I can''t believe I didn''t manage to stir even a hint of desire..."


    Arrogance flickered in her thoughts as she revelled in her own beauty. Yet, an underlying unease simmered beneath the surface, ignited by the cold detachment she had witnessed in Lu Zhen''s demeanour.


    Although lu zhen felt a little aroused by the woman he wasn''t a person who only thought with his dick. His main priority was to get stronger, he could have some fun when he had free time.


    As Lu Zhen exited the opulent chamber, he found Lu Zhi and Lu Qian awaiting him, their expressions marked by a visible anxiety.


    "I''ve obtained the necessary information. Let''s proceed," Lu Zhen stated, his words carrying an air of determination.


    "But..."


    Lu Zhen interjected, offering reassurance. "Don''t worry, Old Bai is a peak third stage martial artist. We have the advantage."


    With his calm assurance, they left the grand pce behind, its walls adorned with erotic paintings. As they walked towards the exit, a cacophony of music andughter reached their ears, apanied by unmistakable sounds of pleasure.


    "Ahh! Ahh!"


    While Lu Zhen maintained hisposure, the twins'' expressions betrayed their difort. Lu Zhi and Lu Qian, being older, still felt a little difort after all they have never been to a brothel before.


    In contrast, Lu Zhen''s demeanour remained unchanged. After all, he had watched some porns in his previous life. The sound in the porn was even more intense than the sound that wereing so he didn''t care much about it.


    The trio left the brothel. Yes, a brothel ¨C the most useful ce to collect information.


    Every man and even some womene here to relieve their stress. Some of them have quite high status too.


    In their moments of pleasure, they would undoubtedly share important matters. Over time, the gathered information would be extensive. Concerned about information being fake? Byparing ovepping details, they could easily discern the truth.


    So, Lu Zhen took them both to the Lu family''s brothel to gather information, overseen by an external elder of the Lu family.


    Although the Lu family wasn''t prominent in this type of business, they had shops in almost every sector, including this one.


    The fact that an external elder headed the brothel indicates its lesser importance.


    External elders were ''external'',cking the family bloodline. They were recruited based on their talent. While most elders were at least third stage martial artists, external elders held a slightly lower status than the direct line.


    "Start the carriage, Old Bai," Lu Zhenmanded as he took a seat, with the twins seated opposite him.


    "Seems like today I didn''t encounter any trouble," Lu Zhen thought with a sigh. Unlike thest time he went out with Jiang Xue and encountered assassins, today he had managed to avoid any trouble. He didn''t want to be a trouble ma, stirring up chaos everywhere like those protagonists in the novels he had read.


    Gradually, the carriage made its way through the bustling streets. People would hush and step aside as the carriage passed by, creating a clear path.


    After a while, they arrived at the city gate, an enormous and impressive structure, to say the least. Lu Zhen couldn''t help butpare its size to the colossal walls from the "Attack on Giants" anime he had watched before. The walls were truly massive, beyond his expectations.


    No kidding it was really fucking huge.


    He bet that not even a second stage martial artist coulde close to breaking through these walls.


    As the guards at the gate noticed the carriage adorned with the tree symbol, they silently allowed its passage. The gate was opened, and they respectfully bowed to it.


    Even the people who had been waiting in line to enter the city let the carriage pass without anyints. Some even bowed as a sign of respect.


    Observing this, Lu Zhen felt quite content. Unlike the other protagonists he had read about in novels, who often had weak backgrounds orcked someone to rely on, Lu Zhen had a bed warmer, a great background and a cheat at the start.

 Chapter 27: Bandit Camp

    <h4>Chapter 27: Bandit Camp</h4>


    "I wonder what that bastard leader of ours is nning..." a bandit muttered in a hushed tone, his footsteps barely making a sound as he moved through the darkness.


    "That damn bastard targeted the Lu family. We''re as good as dead," another bandit growled with despair, lighting a dimly flickering stick that cast eerie shadows around them.


    The feeble light illuminated the dense forest that surrounded them. However, before they could even fullyprehend their surroundings, a sudden blur streaked through the darkness, hurtling straight toward them.


    In an instant, a gleaming sabre materialized from the shadows, as it swung in a horizontal swing. Directly aiming for their necks.


    Before either of them could gasp or flinch, the de made its brutal impact. It cleaved through flesh, sinew, and bone as if they were mere paper. One head cleanly separated from its body, thudding to the grassy floor, while crimson droplets sttered the ground in a gore sight.


    The other bandit''s eyes widened in stark horror as he watched hisrade''s life extinguish in an instant. The chilling de, still slick with fresh blood, still continuing its momentum, carved an arc of death that ended in a swift, gruesome beheading, matching the trajectory of the first strike with eerie precision.


    Thud! Thud!


    The two body without head fell down instantly to the grassy floor returning to the mother nature.


    With an air of indifference, Lu Zhen nonchntly retracted his saber, slipping it back into its sheath as if he had merelypleted a mundane chore.


    "Alright, I''m done here," he dered, his voice calm andposed.


    "Young master, your progress is astonishing," Yu Bai remarked in astonishment.


    The twins, Lu Zhi and Lu Qiang, exchanged surprised nces, they were awestruck as Lu Zhen had handled the bandit so quickly.


    Lu Zhen himself felt as though it was natural to kill these people, like mere bugs. Ever since he had obtained the adaptability skill, he felt as though his natural emotions that weighed him down had all disappeared.


    Although he felt as though he could be an emotionless monster, the skill only disabled the emotions that weighed him down, such as love, pity, andpassion. However, he still felt lustful, happy, greedy, and wrathful.


    So, he didn''t think too much about it for now, as he still had some work to do.


    "Let''s go."


    Lu zhen said in a silent tone as they all moved forward in the silence of the night.


    They soon arrived at the encampment where the bandits known as the silent vipers resided.


    The camp sprawled with a multitude of tents, numbering in the hundreds. However, most of them appeared weathered and ragged, almost as if a strong gust could easily whisk them away.


    Only a handful, about 20 or so, stood in slightly better condition, while one tent stood out conspicuously, catching the eye with itsrger size and striking appearance.


    This particr tent dwarfed the others, stretching about 20 feet in length ¨C akin to the dimensions of a one-story building. Illuminated by bright open lights, it cast an eerie glow across the camp.


    "Old Bai, scout the surroundings," Lu Zhenmanded.


    Without a word, Yu Bai swiftly went to investigate.


    "Let''s wait here for a while," Lu Zhen dered, sitting cross-legged on the ground and closing his eyes peacefully.


    Observing this, the twins moved quietly to a safe distance from Lu Zhen, where they felt their conversation wouldn''t reach him. Speaking in hushed tones, they exchanged words.


    "Brother, can we really defeat the bandits with just the three of us?" Lu Qiang''s voice carried a note of uncertainty.


    Lu Zhi sighed and responded, "I had the same thought. But considering his confidence, I chose to believe him. Besides, taking down a group of mere bandits should be easy for a third-stage peak-ranked martial artist."


    "We have no choice but to rely on him now, and I''ll still owe him the debt."


    "Damn it, that scoundrel took advantage of us," Lu Qiang muttered with resentment. Sometimes, regardless of rational understanding, the feeling of injustice lingers ¨C ming others for one''s weaknesses and nursing anger at being the supposed victim of their own shorings.


    Although Lu Qiang knew that Lu Zhen wasn''t to me for their predicament, and that their ownck of strength was the true issue, she couldn''t shake the sense of injustice towards him. It was as if he had forced her to sleep with him and abandoned her.


    This was a normal human emotion that everyone felt ¨C the impulse to hold others responsible for one''s own limitations and the stubborn anger of feeling victimized by their inadequacies, even when they knew deep down that it was their own fault.


    Lu Zhi wasn''t any better, but he still held it in him considering he was the big brother and it was his duty as an adult to educate his sister.


    "You shouldn''t think like that. Young master helped us solve our problem. If our business went down because of the bandits, do you think we can survive on our own? Although family resources can sustain us, they can''t cover the expenses of a martial artist. And you will soon reach the martial trainee stage, so we need even more resources now," Lu Zhi said in half false but half true words.


    Lu Zhen''s ears twitched as he listened to their conversation, unable to suppress a sneer that crossed his lips.


    These twins were quite intriguing, even though he didn''t care much about them. They had sought his help, yet they spoke as if he had taken advantage of them. Despite not attaching much importance to these two, as long as his work waspleted, he had decided to deal with them on his terms after the attack concluded.


    Meanwhile, in the most luxurious tent of the camp, a brawny man with a green robe and a striking scar on his face, which emanates an air of fierceness, paced back and forth. Clutched in his hand was a ck scroll, and his face was etched with a deep frown as he contemted his thoughts.

 Chapter 28: Killing to Level up?

    <h4>Chapter 28: Killing to Level up?</h4>


    "As long as I can ruin their business, I can obtain some contribution points from them," Chen Mo thought as he clenched the scroll.


    "Although I will undoubtedly offend the Lu family, I don''t care, as I will never advance without a cultivation method."


    His eyes glinted with determination. However, a sudden knock came, displeasing him.


    Knock! Knock!


    "Who is it?" Chen Mo''s face twisted with displeasure.


    "Boss, may Ie in?" he heard his subordinate''s voice, although tinged with a little dissatisfaction he said.


    "You cane in."


    "Master, it appears that the twins of the Lu family went to ask the young master of the family, Lu Zhen, for help," a man said with a respectful bow.


    The man had green hair, a half-ck skin tone, and a somewhat handsome face, although not as much as Lu Zhen.


    Hearing this, Chen Mo gritted his teeth and his frown deepened.


    "Damn it, I can''t deal with the Lu family if they take action. However, the twins are merely abandoned children, so it shouldn''t be difficult. Besides, the young master of the Lu family is a nobody who hasn''t even entered the martial trainee realm and is a drunkard. He should have just ignored the twins. In that case, I still have more time¡­"


    As he thought about that, his expression slightly eased.


    Chen Mo was a cautious man. Despite daring to meddle with members of the Lu family, even if they were abandoned, he decided to be prudent and nt some spies on them. Though risky, he was willing to take the chance.


    "Alright, just ignore them and continue targeting them. And if the twinse, kill them as well, Li Wei," Chen Mo said, a sneer recing his previous frown.


    "Alright, master," Li Wei bowed respectfully.


    Chen Mo wore a content expression as the subordinate left, though the subordinate himself had a frown on his face.


    "That bastard ns to sacrifice us after he''s used us¡­" Li Wei understood that Chen Mo would undoubtedly abandon them after they''d killed a member of the Lu family. After all, once theymitted such an act, the Lu family would chase them to the ends of the world to save their face.


    Although Chen Mo could run away as he was a third-stage martial artist, they couldn''t.


    "I must think of a way¡­" Li Wei''s eyes shed as he left.


    "What are you doing here, sweeping? You should do that at the outer camps," Lu Wei harshly reprimanded a random bandit whose hunched back was busy sweeping the floor.


    "Yes, second leader," the bandit hurriedly bowed and quickly left.


    Disgust filled Li Wei''s eyes as he watched the bandit leave in haste.


    He had always looked down on the othermon bandits, considering them nothing more thanmon fodder. They were mere ordinary men without a single ounce of qi.


    However he didn''t know that this was thest day he could breathe air.


    As themon bandit left, his hunched back suddenly straightened, and his hurried steps transformed into strong and firm strides. His clothes seemed to morph, revealing Yu Bai, as he left the bandit camp as stealthily as he had arrived.


    Meanwhile, the twins continued their conversation,pletely unaware that Lu Zhen was overhearing it all. Lu Zhen, bored of trying to meditate, decided to check his status as he had some spare time.


    [LEVEL UP]


    --------


    [Name: Lu Zhen]


    --------


    [Race: Human]


    [Bloodline: Human/ Unawaken]


    [Lifespan left: 81 years]


    --------


    [Attributes]


    [Constitution: Divine physique(level 1)]


    [Charm: Mortal(level 4)]


    [Qi: (level 1)]


    ???


    --------


    [Cultivation manuals]


    [Cultivation technique: Verdant art(stage 1)]


    --------


    [Skills]


    [Gluttony: level 2]


    [de mastery: level 3]


    [Adaptability: level 2]


    There wasn''t much change in his status; he had gained a year of lifespan and the adapt skill. Apart from those, he hadn''t acquired many other skills yet.


    Disappointed with himself, if he could level up faster he decided to go on a killing spree today.


    However, before he could ponder further, a ck silhouette shed before him.


    "Young master, here," Yu Bai respectfully said as he handed him a sheet of paper. As Lu Zhen took the paper andpared its contents with the information he had received from Li Jiao, he found them to be mostly simr, which put him at ease.


    The twins had also ceased their conversation.


    As hepared it, he found that it was mostly simr to what he had, which made him relieved.


    After all, he had read some tactics of war in his previous life, and one of the most famous sayings was, "Know yourself, know your enemy even better, and you shall win all battles." This quote was quite renowned in his world and was quite practical too.


    So, Lu Zhen knew the value of information very much. Seeing that the information was correct, he felt a little relieved.


    With the reassurance that the information was urate, Lu Zhen''s determination and a hint of murderous intent surged within him.


    "Alright, let''s go," he dered, ready to take action. He had no qualms about killing to level up faster and be stronger, especially when dealing with bandits who hadmitted numerous evil deeds. Although he was being a bit hypocritical, he paid little mind to it.


    It was their fault for being weak whilemitting crimes at the same time. After all, the truth was they were weak; that''s why they were resorting to robbing the poor. If they were strong, they could subjugate others to the point of willingly bing their ves *cough* subordinates.


    This was the harsh reality of the world, applicable in any world ¨C even the blue was no exception.


    The twins were a bit suspicious of Lu Zhen''s excitement. After all, it was their problem that was being solved, and some mere monkey wine, although rare, shouldn''t have made Lu Zhen so excited.


    Despite their suspicions about Lu Zhen''s motives, they didn''t care much. In fact, they were happy that their problem would be resolved, and they could resume their business again.

 Chapter 29: Physician

    <h4>Chapter 29: Physician</h4>


    The cold moon hung in the sky, casting its eerie darkness over the surroundings. From time to time, the croaking of frogs and the chirping of birds created intermittent sounds.


    At the sentry tower of the Silver Viper camp, three individuals were engrossed in a card game, enjoying themselves without a care for their surroundings.


    "We might get in trouble if the boss finds out¡­"


    "As if you care. We''re just mere mortals. What''s the use of us? We''re just decorations."


    "True."


    Laughter echoed as they continued their game.


    Swish! Swish!


    Suddenly, a chilling wind swept past them, causing a shiver to run down their spines.


    Before they could react, a cold saber materialized, swiftly ending their lives with a single stroke. They had no chance to defend themselves, their decapitated heads lying on the floor in a gruesome sight.


    "I will take care of them, Old Bai. You should handle the leader¡­" Lu Zhen instructed Yu Bai.


    "Young master, but¡­" Yu Bai''s voice carried worry.


    Even though Yu Bai considered Lu Zhen a genius, he found it hard to believe that Lu Zhen could defeat twenty martial trainee realm opponents. Even if he were highly skilled, he''d end up exhausted, with insufficient qi to continue, and any random bandit could easily kill him.


    "Don''t worry about it. Just go. I have my ways," Lu Zhen reassured Yu Bai.


    "Alright, young master," Yu Bai responded with a touch of anxiety before heading towards thergest camp within the stronghold.


    "Alright, let''s get started," Lu Zhen said, cracking his knuckles as he moved away to a random location, ignoring the twins.


    The twins silently followed him.


    Sensing this, Lu Zhen''s brows furrowed.


    "What are you doing?" Lu Zhen''s voice carried a frown.


    "We''re following you, young master," the twins replied with poker faces.


    "Huh? Who said you could follow me? Go away," Lu Zhen''s voice turned hoarse as he subtly released his aura, causing the twins to turn pale.


    "Alright, we''ll go away," Lu Zhi agreed quickly, carrying his sister and heading towards a lower-ranked bandit camp.


    Once they had distanced themselves enough, Lu Qian spoke up, "Don''t you think Brother Lu has changed so much?"


    Upon hearing this, Lu Zhi rolled his eyes. "Do you think I can''t see?" he retorted, flicking Lu Qian''s head with his finger.


    Seeing that Lu Zhi wasn''t in the mood for conversation, Lu Qian fell silent, focusing on the task at hand.


    "Lu Qian use your needles." Lu Zhi said as he saw five random bandits guarding.


    "Got it, brother," Lu Qian replied. She swiftly retrieved a bundle of 24 small needles from her pouch. With a precise and fluid motion, she sent them hurtling through the air towards the group of bandits.


    The needles zipped through the air with a soft "Wosh! Wosh!" sound.


    Caught off guard, the bandits felt the impact of the needles almost immediately. Their bodies stiffened as the needles struck them.


    While they remained alive, their movements werepletely halted. Their immobilized bodies slumped to the ground, devoid of any ability to move, not even a muscle.


    "Your skills have improved, Lu Qian," Lu Zhiplimented, giving her a pat on the head.


    "Hehehe, don''t pat me. I am not a child anymore." Despite her words, her beaming expression gave her away, revealing her happiness.


    "Now finish them off," Lu Zhi instructed, his voice now cold and resolute.


    Though Lu Qian hesitated briefly, she steeled herself and retrieved a small dagger from her waist. With determination, she swiftly put an end to their suffering. Her hand trembled as blood stained her fingers.


    "Don''t worry. When we gather enough resources, you''ll surely be a martial artist. Your knowledge and skills as a physician will help us earn enough, and Father won''t ignore us anymore," Lu Zhi dered, his eyes ame with a burning desire for revenge.


    Though Lu Qiang found these thoughts irrelevant and harbored no desire for vengeance, she held her tongue, choosing not to disrupt her brother''s reverie.


    Martial artists also had various upations; not all of them focused solely onbat, although the majority did. Some specialized in other fields, primarily due to theplexity and the time or talent required for progress, in contrast to fighting arts, which wereparatively straightforward.


    Lu Qing, for example, was a physician with exceptional potential, almost a heaven-defying talent in her field. If she managed to be a martial trainee, her medical skills would be highly valued.


    Even though they weren''tbat specialists, it didn''t mean theycked strength. In fact, they were often stronger than most martial artists. Take Lu Qing, for instance. Despite being a mortal, she could incapacitate four grown men using just a needle, targeting their pressure points to neutralize their strength.


    However, if these opponents were martial trainees, they could counter the needle''s effects, either evading its impact or utilizing their qi to quickly break free. This technique was effective against mortals, but not as effective against those with martial training.


    This was one reason why Lu Zhi had brought his sister along to this dangerous ce. Practical experience was crucial, and she could learn and improve her skills through exposure to real challenges.


    "Let''s continue," Lu Zhi said as the two moved on to search for another target.


    "Run¡­" a bandit screamed, but before he could finish, a swift saber stroke ended his life.


    "50," Lu Zhen said as he dispatched yet another bandit with a simple swing of his saber. His eyes started to turn golden with a mixture of red, and his already terrifying aura gained a hint of killing intent.


    His hands began to darken, his eyes became golden crimson, and his body grew even more imposing. His loose ck robe became taut, revealing his muscr form drenched in blood, giving him the appearance of a grim reaper. His eyes gradually lost their rationality.


    He emitted a chilling and terrifying aura.


    [You havemitted a ughter.]


    [You have acquired aura control.]


    A system prompt appeared at the corner of his eyes, but Lu Zhen had lost all sense of rationality. His mind was consumed by two words:


    "Kill! Mate! Kill! Mate! Kill! Mate! Kill! Mate! Kill! Mate! Kill! Mate!..."


    His thoughts were entirely consumed by the desire to kill and mate, to the point where he lost all his rationality.

 Chapter 30: Berserk

    <h4>Chapter 30: Berserk</h4>


    "Roar!"


    A powerful roar escaped from Lu Zhen''s mouth, creating shockwaves that rippled through the air. This sudden outburst caught the attention of almost everyone within the bandit stronghold, causing the camp to be illuminated in a dazzling glow.


    "Who are you? How dare youe to our Silver Viper hideout?" A man dashed forward like a cheetah, his voice dripping with arrogance, even though he didn''t bother to look.


    However, the moment his eyes fell upon the human-like monster, he was terrified. The creature''s blood-red eyes emitted a terrifying killing intent that left him petrified. His legs began to tremble uncontrobly, and his body shivered as he gazed at the massive, red-eyed being before him with muscle only.


    "Shit." At this moment he knew he fucked up.


    As if on cue, the enormous monster in front of him sprung into action. Before he could even react, it appeared before him in almost instantaneous speed which could even leave a third stage martial artist in shame. A colossal ck fist materialized, generating an intense air pressure that nearly immobilized him.


    Realizing he couldn''t dodge in time, his terror intensified, and a repugnant smell emanated from him. His fear reached an all-time high as his life shed before his eyes, filling him with tears and snouts.


    He managed to defend with his sword, but his sword, which was coated with qi and made with the finest material, was broken as easily as a rock hitting thin ss. It shattered due to the air pressure generated by the punch alone.


    However, the momentum of the punch showed no sign of waning. With an almost deafening tearing sound, the massive fist collided with his head.


    Upon impact, his head seemed to burst like an overfilled balloon, the excessive force causing his body to convulse in an explosion of gore.


    Blood and his organs spilled the ground tainting the ground which was already filled with blood to have even more blood.


    The other bandits soon arrived, including the 19 martial trainee bandits of now once 20 martial trainee stage bandits. However, they were unusually quiet, their eyes filled with horror as they watched their partner die right before their very eyes.


    "Hmph, he must be tired, attack him," Li Wei said, attempting to maintain their morale.


    However, nobody moved. After all, no one was stupid here.


    Observing this, Li Wei gritted his teeth and said, "Those who can kill him will receive a million gold coins."


    Hearing this, greed gleamed in the eyes of most ordinary bandits.


    "He must be tired. Let''s attack him together," a bandit suggested from within the crowd.


    "With 1 million gold, I can finally be a martial trainee."


    Upon hearing this, a burning passion ignited within everyone. The prospect of elevating themselves from their miserable lives filled them with hope.


    Hope is a powerful emotion that often leads people to act irrationally, disregarding their logic and reasoning.


    With that, they all lunged toward Lu Zhen like hounds toward meat, their eyes burning with greed. However, a few astute individuals hung back, silently watching theirpanions charge at Lu Zhen with smirks on their faces.


    The saying "Men die for wealth!" holds true in every world.


    "Why don''t you go?" Li Wei retorted, his frown deepening as he observed the martial trainees refraining from action.


    "Hmph, you think you can fool us, Li Wei," they sneered back.


    "If you want to fight that monster, go ahead." A bandit pointed toward Lu Zhen, who was already surrounded by ordinary bandits.


    "Hmph."


    Li Wei didn''t waste more words as he continued to watch the scene unfold.


    The bandits attacked with knives, stones, dust¡ªanything they could find¡ªbut their efforts had no effect on Lu Zhen. He effortlessly withstood all the hits without being harmed.


    "No way that monster survived all our attacks."


    Although nobody voiced it, the disbelief on their faces was in to see.


    Suddenly, Lu Zhen vanished from his spot.


    "Where did that monster go now?" someone eximed, only to witness the world spinning around them.


    "What''s happening¡­" That was hisst thought as his head fell to the ground, cleanly severed by a hand in a shing position.


    This time, Lu Zhen''s movement was more elegant, his hand sweeping through the air like a saber. With grace, he mutted numerous bandits in a single fluid swing of his hand.


    Almost instinctively, his hand mimicked the motion of wielding a saber, executing a shing movement as if he were wielding the weapon itself.


    A small whirlwind materialized, engulfing approximately ten bandits in an instant. Their bodies were shredded into pieces, reduced to a gruesome mess of flesh.


    Although the power of the whirlwind was not as potent as when he used an actual saber, it was still a technique that traditionally required a saber''s motion. Yet now, in his berserk state, Lu Zhen could execute it using only his hands.


    [Saber mastery has levelled up from level 3 to level 4.]


    Chaos erupted in the crowd as, one by one, people started dying, their heads decapitated and their bodies mutted.


    The 19 martial trainee bandits wore frowns on their faces, while Li Wei grew increasingly nervous. "Why hasn''t that bastard arrived yet?" he wondered, nervously awaiting the appearance of chen mo as he watched the massacre unfold.


    Little did they know, their leader was facing an even worse situation as he struggled against Yu Bai''s onught.


    "How about we stop fighting and have a chat, fellow warrior?" Chen Mo suggested. Despite his words, his actions betrayed his intentions. He discreetly drew a pair of knives and threw them at Yu Bai.


    Chen Mo''s body was battered, his clothes in tatters, bearing the marks of blunt hits.


    Yu Bai didn''t engage in much conversation, instead delivering a full-strength punch at the assassin. His expression remained cold and resolute.


    The knives were effortlessly deflected back at Chen Mo.


    "What was that roar?" Yu Bai wondered with a hint of concern. Nevertheless, he refocused on the fight, understanding that he couldn''t afford to be careless and let the bandit escape.


    As a peak third-stage martial artist himself, Yu Bai was surprised. The intel they had received suggested the bandit leader was merely a third-stage martial artist, yet seeing his strength now, Yu Bai was certain he was a peak third-stage martial artist.


    However he was the weakest peak third stage martial artist Yu bai has ever seen, he could absolutely destroy these guy unless he somehow escaped.


    "I hope the young master is alright." Yu Bai thought, filled with concern. He had no choice but to concentrate on the battle at hand, facing the bandit leader head-on.

 Chapter 31: Slaughter

    <h4>Chapter 31: ughter</h4>


    Swish! Swish!


    "Ahh¡­"


    The bandit let out a miserable scream as he was cut in half.


    Lu Zhen had finally managed to ughter all the bandits.


    Even in this berserk form, he panted a little, feeling tired due to the excessive use of qi, which helped him regain a sense of rity.


    However, this could be seen as a blessing in disguise. His previously golden with a mixture of red eyes now almost returned to normal, and a sense of rity emerged. His height decreased slightly, but he still stood tall at about 10 feet.


    "What just happened?" Lu Zhen wondered as he looked around at the gruesome scene, where bodies had been turned into a messy pile of flesh and blood.


    In the midst of this chaos, blood flowed like a river, creating pools of red liquid that reflected the darkness of the night. The strong smell of blood mixed with the awful stench of death, hitting Lu Zhen''s nose and creating an unpleasant odor in the air.


    The bodies were stacked on top of each other, creating a disturbing sight and a foul smell that lingered in the air.


    Although he was aware of his surroundings while in this berserk-like state, he couldn''t control his body much. He could only helplessly watch as his berserk form ruthlessly ughtered all the bandits.


    Initially, Lu Zhen had nned to discreetly eliminate the bandits one by one. However, when he killed the 50th bandit, an unknown change suddenly urred in his body. His blood started burning, apanied by a searing pain.


    In the next moment, his body expanded to a giant 12-foot size, and his muscles swelled dramatically.


    Lu Zhen''s expression turned somewhat bitter. However, in his current 10-foot hulking form, his face looked more and more like that of a devil.


    This unexpected statepletely caught him off guard. It stunned Lu Zhen to his core. Every time he thought things would go as expected, an unexpected variable appeared out of nowhere and disrupted his ns.


    However, this also had some advantages, as he now knew that he could level up faster through killing, and he now knew he could use his hands to imitate his saber and utilize saber techniques.


    In fact, using his bare hands was more powerful for Lu Zhen than using a saber. After all, he had too much raw strength, but he couldn''t fully harness it while wielding a saber. Even though he couldn''tpletely maximize the power of the saber technique with his bare fists, he could still tap into a certain level of its power.


    "Damn it, how could I do that with just my fist? I couldn''t before, but now in my berserk state I could do it¡­" Lu Zhen contemted the possibility, but he couldn''t make sense of it.


    Frustrated by theplexity, he decided to let it go. "Forget it," he muttered, inadvertently speaking aloud, though he was too preupied to notice.


    Before he could delve into the system notifications, a new prompt appeared like a pop-up ad on aputer screen.


    It disyed a blue panel with a single word and a cross symbol¡ªmuch like aputer file''s exit button.


    Intrigued, Lu Zhen clicked the log button, and the system prompts flooded his vision.


    [Your constitution has leveled up from Divine Physique: Level 1 to Level 2.]


    [Your de mastery has leveled up from Level 3 to Level 4.]


    [Your de mastery has leveled up from Level 4 to Level 5.]


    [You have acquired the skill "Aura Control."]


    [Your aura control has leveled up from Level 1 to Level 2.]


    A series of notifications overwhelmed Lu Zhen, leaving him struggling to absorb the information. However, his attention was primarily focused on the saber mastery skill.


    "Hmm, maybe after leveling up my saber mastery, I can use my saber techniques with just my hands."


    Casually shing his hands as if swinging a saber, Lu Zhen created a shing wind pressure identical to how he used a saber.


    "Not bad," he thought, satisfied with his aplishment.


    That sh with his hand contained the principles of the saber, which he could previously only execute with an actual saber. Now he could replicate it with his bare hands, and the power didn''t lose much of its momentum.


    Seeing the row of prompts, his expression finally brightened a bit. "Not bad. It''s really possible to level up faster and acquire skills by killing¡­" His mood lifted slightly at this revtion.


    However, he decided to set aside these notifications for now, since he was still drenched in blood and the odour was far from pleasant.


    Disregarding the notifications, he shifted his focus to the martial trainee stage bandits who had been present earlier.


    To his surprise, not a trace of them remained as a cold breeze swept through the scene, creating an awkward atmosphere.


    Although Lu Zhen could sense his surroundings in his berserk state, he could only vaguely detect people far away, unable to see the system for some inexplicable reason.


    "Humph."


    Lu Zhen''s annoyance was evident as he began to search for them with his still massive 10-foot body.


    He leaped, generating wind pressure thatunched him into the air.


    "Did he leave, brother?" Lu Qing whispered.


    "Yes, he''s gone," Lu Zhi replied, a mix of relief and lingering concern crossing his features. As they were out from their hiding ce.


    Seeing her brother''s furrowed brow, Lu Qing became confused.


    "Lu Qian, we only have two choices now," Lu Zhi dered with determination.


    "We either be Lu Zhen''s servantspletely or spend the rest of our lives hiding from him," he continued, his teeth gritted.


    Hearing this, her understanding deepened as bitterness crept into her expression.


    "I''m too tired. Let''s just run away."


    "Alright," Lu Zhi agreed with a knowing smile.


    However, his thoughts weren''t aligned with what he was saying.


    "I still haven''t proved father wrong yet," he thought to himself.


    He secretly clenched his hands.


    Meanwhile, Lu Zhen, who was in the air, sneered as his ears twitched, catching wind of the melodramatic conversation between the twins.


    "I almost forgot about them. Did they really think they could escape now?"


    "I will deal with them after I eliminate the 19 martial trainees. I can level up even more." Lu Zhen''s eyes gleamed with greed.

 Chapter 32: Aura

    <h4>Chapter 32: Aura</h4>


    Aura is a kind of invisible energy present in this world that nearly every creature has.


    The interesting part was that as a creature became stronger, its aura grew stronger too. Even regr folks gave off a bit of aura, but it was too faint to be detected.


    However, once someone bes a martial artist, their aura bes more powerful and starts to influence the world around them. They can even affect people''s minds with their aura. Advanced martial artists can project an aura so potent that it can overwhelm weaker individuals through aura alone.


    Moreover, there wasn''t just one type of aura. There could be various kinds - for instance, a distinctive killing aura or even a captivating beauty aura. The power of the aura remained the same, but depending on the creature''s strength, the emitted aura could differently affect the surroundings based on the type of aura they possessed.


    "Have we run far enough?"


    "Forget it, don''t bother asking me."


    "Why is that monster still chasing us?"


    "Who can say? And where the hell is the boss?"


    "How should I fucking know?"


    Five men exchanged curses while sprinting at their maximum speed. As the second most powerful individuals after their leader, they had always been arrogant within the stronghold. The five had formed their faction, aiming to secure more resources and power within the stronghold.


    Yet, now they were reduced to nothing more than mice fleeing from a predator.


    Suddenly, their eyes widened as they caught sight of a massive shadow looming over them. A chill ran down their spines.


    Before they could react, a colossal fist descended upon them.


    Whoosh! Woosh!


    The fist sliced through the air with a tearing force of pressure, almost bringing them to their knees.


    With despair etched on their faces, they could only watch as the colossal fist, resembling a meteor, closed in on them. Upon impact, a powerful burst of energy erupted, and the five were cleaved in half as if struck by a saber.


    Observing this, Lu Zhen felt a sense of satisfaction, seeing that he could now use a saber even with his hands.


    "So the 18th, I think there were 19. Where did the other one go?" Lu Zhen thought with a frown; however, he didn''t have time right now, as the twins could really escape if he dyed any longer.


    With a long jump that seemed as if he were flying, he took a huge leap and traveled at a rapid pace.


    Ever since he reached this berserk state, he could literally fly in the air with just a leap, which can only be possible for a first-stage martial artist with qi, but now he could do it with just his raw physical strength.


    But that doesn''t make him more powerful than a first stage martial artist. In fact, judging by the aura he sensed from his own father, who was just an ordinary second-stage martial artist, he was nowhere close to his level. He estimated his current strength to be around half a step away from second stage martial artist.


    Soon, Lu Zhen reached the previous location where he had heard the twins from and listened to the sounds. Even with his hearing in this berserk form, he could barely hear their whispers in the distance, stunning Lu Zhen.


    After all, it didn''t take long for Lu Zhen to defeat those bandit captains who are at the martial trainee level. He wasted a little time chasing them, but the time it took shouldn''t have led the twins so far away.


    With a swift pace, he went towards the source of heavy breathing and panting sounds.


    "Have we lost him? Does he even know that we have escaped?" Lu Qing asked multiple questions all at the same time, already back to her cheerful self as she felt that they were "totally" safe now.


    "You¡­" Lu Zhi was about toin; however, before he could say anything, he suddenly felt chills as they both heard a cold voice.


    "Where are you going?" Lu Zhen said with an expressionless face and a cold tone.


    "Brother Lu¡­" Lu Zhi started to stutter as he felt scared for some reason.


    Unexpectedly, Lu Qing was calm this time as she said in an emotionless tone, "What do you really want?"


    "Oh." Lu Zhen was surprised by the unexpected boldness of this girl. He started to like her after all, as those who can remain calm in dangerous situations are always the best of the best.


    If she were in his previous life, she might have be a leader, as Lu Zhen saw that although she acts cheerful and naive sometimes, she is always calm andposed even in the face of danger. Too bad this world was a cruel world; although it would benefit her a little, it wouldn''t be too much, as she needed strength first and foremost.


    "Alright, I''ll be straightforward with you. Either be my servant or die right now," Lu Zhen said with a smile on his face. If he were the previous him, he wouldn''t take life so lightly, but now that he had the adapt skill and had leveled up the skill a lot, he had be more and more of an emotionless monster, feeling no pity orpassion.


    They both felt a little nervous and gritted their teeth.


    After all, their lives were their most valuable possession, and no one wants to be someone''s servant, especially if their future is unknown and they don''t know how they might die in the future if they follow Lu Zhen.


    "Young master, we will ept; however, I would like to be presumptuous and ask for a condition," Lu Qing spoke up this time, while Lu Zhi was frowning in deep thought.


    "Oh, girl, you want a condition, huh?" Lu Zhen said as he revealed his aura.


    Instantly, Lu Qing started to feel a little nervous and scared, visibly sweating. Lu Zhi was no better.


    The aura he revealed now was even more terrifying than before, due to the aura control skill he now had. He could almost perfectly control his aura.


    His aura had also significantly changed; it now had a hint of killing aura mixed in, clouding the minds of people.


    As the aura was now concentrated on the twins with almost no wastage, their minds appeared cloudy, and their faces became pale. Although Lu Zhi wasn''t much affected, Lu Qing''s face turned pale.

 Chapter 33 Volgrith

    Chapter 33 Volgrith


    "Young master Lu, then go ahead and kill us if you don''t fulfil our condition," Lu Qing said, addressing him with a cold tone.


    Despite hearing this, Lu Zhen maintained a cold expression on his face, but his mind was troubled. He didn''t actually want to kill these twin siblings, considering their rare talents. Lu Zhi''s expertise in wine and Lu Qing''s skills as a physician could be valuable to him.


    With those thoughts in mind, Lu Zhen replied, "Alright, tell me your condition."


    Lu Qing seemed a bit relieved by his response. She continued, "Our first condition is that we won''t be a monster. The second condition is that we receive resources from you."


    Lu Zhen sneered inwardly but agreed readily, saying, "Alright, I agree."


    Hearing Lu Zhen''s quick agreement, the twins felt a sense of relief.


    "Very well, we will be your servants, young master," Lu Qing stated, bowing and signaling her brother to do the same.


    Understanding that this was the best oue they could hope for, Lu Zhi also bowed reluctantly.


    Seeing their submission, Lu Zhen felt satisfied. As for the deal they had made, it didn''t matter to him much; after all, they were just words. Lu Zhen had a tendency to forget things, especially conditions that needed to be remembered.


    Seeing their submission, Lu Zhen felt satisfied. As for the deal they had made, it didn''t matter to him much; after all, they were just words. Lu Zhen had a tendency to forget things, especially conditions that needed to be remembered.


    "Alright, let''s go," Lu Zhen said as he carried the two in his strong arms.


    With a whooshing sound, he leaped back to the stronghold.


    However, as he travelled, he thought of something important. Where did Yu Bai go? After the massacre he hadmitted, Yu Bai shouldn''t be unaware of it now, as Lu Zhen had caused enoughmotion to almost destroy the stronghold. Yu Bai should have noticed by now.


    What if his identity, which he himself didn''t know, was revealed? He could get into trouble due to this very reason, prompting him to make the twins his servants. Additionally, he was uncertain whether his current form could be considered taboo or not.


    This realisation caused worry to creep into Lu Zhen''s mind. He had no idea what form he was currently in or what kind of monstrous appearance he might have taken on. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    From his memories, he knew of vague tales about people who possessed bloodlines containing the power of powerful beasts like dragons and phoenixes. However, these were myths from what he had heard. He didn''t know if there even was a bloodline that could transform him into such a giant with ck steel-like hands.


    Suddenly, he felt a slight pain on his backside. Instinctively, he reached back and felt a thin, rope-like object. However he failed to notice that he had the twins in his two arms so where did the other arme from?


    "Could it be¡­" Lu Zhen thought to himself as he looked back slightly, and what he saw stunned him.


    A small ck tail had started growing on his back, seemingly out of nowhere. His face twisted into a bewildered expression as he tried to process this unexpected development.


    "What? How am I growing a tail?" Lu Zhen thought with bitterness.


    His expression turned into one of confusion, "What''s happening to me?"


    Distracted by this, his bnce in the air was disrupted, and he almost crashnded into a tree. Swiftly, he adjusted, crouching down and using his foot to strike the tree, preventing the crash.


    Therge tree, around 2000 metres tall, creaked under Lu Zhen''s impact, but it held strong.


    Using the momentum from the tree, Lu Zhen bounced back into the air with even greater force, propelling himself higher.


    Boom! Boom!


    Resounding booms echoed as Lu Zhen soared through the air with tremendous speed and momentum, going higher than before.


    As he ascended, the random tree, standing at a height of two thousand metres, made creaking noises, struggling to bear Lu Zhen''s weight and momentum, bending slightly.


    Lu Zhen didn''t pay much attention to it as he practically flew through the air at a rapid swiftness.


    The twins were visibly shaken by the crash,nding, and subsequent flight. Their hair was in disarray, and they felt ufortable being carried like children by Lu Zhen. Despite being older than him, they were embarrassed by the situation.


    Still failing to notice the two extra arms he had grown, Lu Zhen continued to ponder his situation.


    "Wait, since it is a bloodline¡­"


    Suddenly, realization struck him, and he swiftly summoned his system with a mere thought.


    [LEVEL UP]


    --------


    [Name: Lu Zhen]


    --------


    [Race: Human]


    [Bloodline: Human/ Volgrith]


    [Lifespan left: 120 years]


    --------


    [Attributes]


    [Constitution: Divine physique(level 2)]


    [Charm: Mortal(level 4)]


    [Qi: (level 1)]


    [Demonic qi: Uninitiated (level 0)]


    ???


    --------


    [Cultivation manuals]


    [Cultivation technique: Verdant art(stage 1)]


    --------


    [Skills]


    [Gluttony: level 2]


    [de mastery: level 5]


    [Adaptability: level 2]


    [Aura control: level 2]


    Lu Zhen finally noticed the alteration in his bloodline. It seemed that it had changed from "unawakened" to "Vorgrith." Additionally, there was a new section for attributes¡ªdemon qi¡ªbut some portions of it were still marked by question marks.


    Looking at this, Lu Zhen couldn''t help but feel a twinge of difort. As a modern man, he had always taken pride in being human and had held a certain belief in the supremacy of humanity.


    Fortunately, he still retained the human bloodline, somewhat appeasing his ego. After all, humans were genuinely fascinating creatures. They often spoke of love and kindness while living in society, yet their true nature could be incredibly cruel.


    Nevertheless, humans maintained a sense of unity and trust among themselves for the sake of survival. This was why, in his previous world, the blue, they managed to reign supreme despite them being almost the weakest in strength.


    Unlike other dominant species, humanscked strong limbs or paws; instead, they ruled through their intellect and the trust they formed with each other for the sole sake of survival. If it wasn''t for this goal, he bet that humanity wouldn''t have existed.


    Believe it or not, humans were the most adaptable creatures.


    He decided to check his status to gather more information. The question marks still lingered in the attribute and bloodline sections.


    From what he could deduce, the presence of question marks indicated the potential for further growth in skills and attributes. Apart from this, he found himself unable to make any further conclusions.


    As he examined the list of acquired skills, a sense of satisfaction washed over him.


    Finally, he returned back to the bandit camp, prompting him to stop his pondering.

 Chapter 34 Appraisal Eye

    Chapter 34 Appraisal Eye


    As Lu Zhen entered the stronghold, he noticed that the bodies, which had been piled together, had all been cleaned up, as if nothing had happened.


    "What happened here?" Lu Zhen thought to himself as he let the twins down from his arms.


    The twins were visibly confused; the blood had flowed like a river and the corpses of all the bandits had disappeared in moments. Since Lu Zhen had chased the bandits and caught the twins, it had been approximately about 2 hours, and aplishing this in such a short amount of time should not have been possible.


    If it weren''t for the clear signs of battle and the damages the stronghold had sustained, Lu Zhen might have doubted whether they were even in the same ce anymore.


    The only area he hadn''t explored was the centre of the camp, where Chen Mo, the leader of the Silver Vipers, resided.


    "I should head to the centre of the camp and see what''s going on," he mused to himself, prompting him to move with rapid speed.


    Leaving Lu Qing and Lu Zhi behind, Lu Zhen reached the camp''s centre, where he found Yu Bai standing with an assured smile before the den.


    However, an oddity caught his attention: Yu Bai resembled him in bulkiness, though there was no tail in sight. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Lu Zhen''s eyes widened in shock as he realized that Yu Bai''s appearance closely resembled his own, though Yu Bai was a bit smaller in stature. Yu Bai''s white beard, and bald head contrasted with his more muscr build and extra arms. In Yu Bai''s handsy the head of a person which he was carrying casually.


    Suddenly, Lu Zhen''s arms twitched involuntarily, drawing his focus. His eyes widened as he noticed that his arms had be four.


    A sense of bitterness washed over Lu Zhen; he was turning into more of a monster with each change.


    "Young master," Yu Bai spoke respectfully, bowing with excitement in his voice, "here."


    He handed Lu Zhen the head of Chen Mo.


    While Lu Zhen hadn''t seen Chen Mo personally, he recognized him from the information he had gathered.


    From the memories he has Lu Zhen has never seen Yu Bai so excited till now Although he was always warm and caring to Lu Zhen, he was always calm andposed.


    Before Lu Zhen could speak, Yu Bai intervened, "Young master, I know you have many questions, but I cannot exin. Madam will rify everything."


    The term ''madam'' left Lu Zhen in a state of astonishment. The only woman Yu Bai referred to as ''madam'' was his mother.


    "It could be that my bloodline originated from my mother," a realization dawned on Lu Zhen. After all, bloodlines didn''t materialize out of thin air; they were typically transnted artificially or inherited.


    "So that''s the case," Lu Zhen thought to himself.


    "Alright, we should leave now, Old Bai. But what about our appearances? Can we revert to our normal forms?" Lu Zhen inquired with a nervous undertone.


    "You just need to read this, young master," Yu Bai said, handing Lu Zhen a ck scroll.


    When Lu Zhen unrolled the scroll, he saw a picture of a strong-looking devil. This devil had long ck hair and golden eyes much like Lu Zhen however Lu Zhen had red eyes.


    What made him stand out were his four big arms and muscr body which made even Lu Zhen''s frame seem like a child. He had a thin tail that looked like a heart, and on his head were tough, dark horns that curved.


    In a way, the image resembled an older version of Lu Zhen, albeit with distinct features like horns, different facial attributes, and golden eyes. Lower on the picture was an unfamiliar row ofnguage that Lu Zhen had never seen before; it looked pretty gibberish to him.


    However, that stirred a strange sense of recognition within Lu Zhen although he didn''t know what it was. As he gazed upon it, his mind became calm and his originally boiling blood became calm again.


    Gradually, he reverted to his human form.


    "This¡­" Lu Zhen uttered in astonishment.


    "Young master, this painting depicts our ancestors," Yu Bai exined with deep reverence in his voice. However, Lu Zhen was so absorbed by thenguage that he remained still, his gaze fixed on the scroll.


    "Could you give it back, young master?" Yu Bai said, noticing Lu Zhen''s fixation. Yet, Lu Zhen remained unresponsive, his attention entirely captivated by the painting.


    After all, this picture was of their ancestor and held immense value to their race. Every individual, regardless of their status, was granted this image only once. If it was lost, they would likely forfeit the opportunity to transform into a human and be condemned to a life as a demon, with the risk of losing their sanity due to their demonic nature.


    Observing Lu Zhen''s motionless state as he stared at the painting, Yu Bai began to feel a sense of unease.


    "Could it be¡­" a realization struck Yu Bai, his eyes widening in shock. He hesitated, waiting with a mixture of doubt and anticipation.


    As time flowed by like a river, suddenly, Lu Zhen''s crimson eyes transformed, shifting into a brilliant shade of gold.


    Seeing this change, Yu Bai thought to himself, "Young master is truly a genius," a surge of excitement mixing with a tinge of guilt.


    Slowly emerging from his reverie, Lu Zhen''s attention turned to the system prompt that had appeared before him. As he thought of pressing the log button, the prompt opened.


    [You have experienced the intent of Volgrith Emperor.]


    [You have gained the Appraisal Eyes.]


    A sense of pleasant surprise washed over him as he read the notification. However, his confusion grew as he saw the unfamiliarnguage in the system prompt.


    While inheriting the previous host''s memories granted Lu Zhen knowledge of the world''snguage, the memory of this particrnguage was absent. It seemed almost as if something was obstructing him fromprehending the name associated with it.


    "Humph, you think you can stop me?" Lu Zhen thought resolutely.


    Attempting to focus on thenguage again, the characters seemed to blur and elude him, as if deliberately resisting his efforts to uncover their meaning, particrly the person''s name.


    Frustrated, he was about to try once more, but suddenly, he coughed up blood. His internal organs seemed to rupture, causing his blood to convulse, and he copsed unconscious.

 Chapter 35 Blacklash

    35 csh


    "Young master¡­" Yu Bai rushed to Lu Zhen''s side, his expression filled with worry. He hesitated for a moment before retrieving a pill from his possession. Gathering his thought''s, he decisively ced the pill in Lu Zhen''s mouth.


    As the pill entered Lu Zhen''s body, a remarkable transformation urred. The visible wounds within his internal organs began to heal at a rate perceptible to the naked eye, leaving Yu Bai stunned.


    Soon, Lu Zhen''s condition improved drastically, although he still remained in a state of sleep due to heavy loss of blood.


    Although the pill was a top life-saving elixir, it shouldn''t have healed him so fast in just a moment''s time. After all, no matter how good the medicine, it needed to be digested first before taking effect.


    Little did he know that Lu Zhen''s skill, Gluttony, increased his metabolism insanely, to the point that he could eat steel without batting an eye. He could basically convert anything into food and devour it as energy.


    Actually, Lu Zhen himself was unaware of the full potential of this skill. He had only begun to grasp its capabilities, which had yet to be fully explored.


    Yu Bai grounded some ginseng with his hands and quickly fed it to Lu Zhen, aiding in his recovery of lost blood.


    Finally, Lu Zhen woke up as Yu Bai was preparing the second ginseng again.


    "Young master, you are finally awake," Yu Bai said happily.


    Confusion clouded Lu Zhen''s thoughts as he spoke, his head still muddled. His sensation was akin to awakening from a drunken stupor after a night of partying.


    "What happened to me?" Lu Zhen questioned, his grogginess gradually subsiding.


    "Young master, how long did you stay in the Vorgrith form?" Yu Bai asked with uncertainty.


    "Hmm, I don''t know, but it should have been a long time," Lu Zhen said. As he spoke, his rity returned.


    "So you mean..."


    "Yes, young master. While the Vorgrith form grants immense power and the ability to contend against higher-level martial artists, it requires a fuel to operate¡ªblood serves as that fuel," Yu Bai exined.


    "What happens when all the blood burns out then?" Lu Zhen asked with a cold expression.


    "This¡­ you will die," Yu Bai said. However, he quickly changed the topic. n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "Young master, luckily it was only an internal organ rupture," Yu Bai said, relieved.


    "When you reverted back to your human form, you were being enlightened by the scroll. It must have dyed the injuries. Now that the scroll imparted the enlightenment, the injuries instantly took effect, so you just now took the bacsh of the bloodline," Yu Bai said, guessing the cause of Lu Zhen''s injuries


    "I can use this blood line for many things..."


    Lu Zhen thought excitedly. He wasn''t ignorant, He knew how to adapt to his environment and exploit every possible way to make himself stronger.


    "Let''s go." Lu Zhen said with a cold tone as he handed the scroll back to Yu Bai.


    Lu Zhen and Yu Bai soon went through the outer area where they met the twins sitting there obediently.


    "Young master, should I kill them?" Yu Bai asked as hemunicated with Lu Zhen with voice transmission.


    "Don''t. They are already my servants," Lu Zhen replied mentally. However, sending this voice transmission drained his qi almost dry.


    Nevertheless, he didn''t feel much strain, as Lu Zhen relied more on his physique than on qi. For anyone else in the martial trainee stage, they would be no different from a mortal without qi.


    Yu Bai nodded respectfully, his eyes showing understanding. However, he seemed to be thinking about something, which caused a frown to appear on his face.


    "Have you applied any method to control them?" Yu Bai asked through mentalmunication.


    Lu Zhen just shook his head.


    "Young master, should we¡­" Yu Bai sent his voice transmission again.


    However, Lu Zhen just shook his head again and sighed. He had learned about human psychology in his previous world and knew that when a person is restricted by something, they be more focused on those restrictions.


    The restriction bes their sole focus, and they might even be so obsessed with escaping it that they do anything and everything to break free, even when it seems hopeless.


    If they still don''t achieve their supposed freedom, they often give up, bing depressed to the point of losing the will to live. And Lu Zhen didn''t want hopeless people under his wing, he wanted people who have a me and a burning passion in their hearts.


    However, if he gave them no restrictions, it was inevitable that they would have other thoughts. Thus, Lu Zhen thought of a simple method that had been used frequently in his previous world: the carrot and stick trick.


    This method was quite famous in his previous world!


    "Don''t worry, Yu Bai. I trust them," Lu Zhen said loudly, stunning both the twins when they heard his voice.


    "Don''t you?" Lu Zhen added with a smile.


    However, the twins'' memories of the devil Lu Zhen had previously made them tremble uncontrobly, and they involuntarily bowed.


    "Yes, young master."


    Seeing this, Lu Zhen felt satisfied.


    "Let''s go now, Old Bai," Lu Zhen said as they left the stronghold, which was almost reduced to pieces.


    The path to their carriage was quite distant from the bandit stronghold, as they didn''t want to alert the bandits.


    Although Lu Zhen was confident in ughtering the bandits, he wasn''t certain he could prevent all of them from escaping. Hence, he had opted for an element of surprise.


    "There it is," Lu Zhen pointed to a spot filled with bushes.


    Old Bai approached the carriage with an uncertain expression, noticing that Lu Zhen was avoiding the topic.


    "Damn it," Yu Bai eximed as his eyes widened in anger.


    He saw the partially untied ropes that had been attached to the horses were now empty. The horses that were there previously were either stolen or had run away.


    Judging from the footsteps, there were no signs of human footprints¡ªonly the chaotic hoofprints of the horses were visible.


    Moreover, from the appearance of the scene, it was evident that the rope had been cut through brute force.


    Interestingly, the items within the carriage were not stolen, suggesting that the horses must have escaped rather than being stolen which made Yu Bai confused.


    Yu Bai respectfully reported as he returned, "Young master, the horses have run away," stunning Lu Zhen.

 Chapter 36 Gorgon snake

    36 Gorgon snake


    "Let''s take shelter somewhere," Lu Zhen said as he felt small water droplets staining his clothes. The cold moon hung high in the night sky, surrounded by sparkling stars.


    "Yes, young master," Yu Bai said as he immediately went in search of shelter.


    In the meantime, Lu Zhen brushed off a severed tree trunk, which served as a makeshift seat. Settling down, he made a contemtive sound, his gaze directed toward the twins who stood there, their nervousness palpable as they obediently followed his lead, resembling children dutifully following their guardian.


    "Come here, Lu Qing," Lu Zhen beckoned gently. Despite her evident fear, Lu Qingplied, cautiously moving closer to Lu Zhen.


    With a thoughtful expression, Lu Zhen retrieved a scroll from his bag, extending it toward Lu Qing. The moment her eyes fell upon the scroll, excitement lit up her face like a beacon.


    "It''s my end of the condition," Lu Zhen spoke in a warm tone.


    "Thank you young master." Lu Qing excitedly bowed as she took the scroll with her two hands and hurriedly read it.


    The scroll was green in color and the first page of the scroll had written "ANATOMY" in bold letters.


    Lu Zhi, observing this exchange and the joyful expression on Lu Qing''s face, he knew what the scroll was.


    "Thank you, young master," Lu Zhi''s voice echoed in the forest, also bowing.


    "Do not worry about it. When we return, I will provide you with the necessary ingredients to craft your wine," Lu Zhen assured, his words apanied by a kind smile.


    Hearing this, lu Zhi became even more happy.


    "As long as you fulfil the tasks I assign, I will not impose excessive restrictions on your freedom," Lu Zhen stated with closed eyes, settling into a moment of rest.


    "Thank you, young master," Lu Zhi conveyed his gratitude once again, bowing deeply before rejoining his sister to help her learn.


    "Using a few scrolls and resources to secure the loyalty of two talents isn''t a bad approach," Lu Zhen mused to himself.


    "Seems like the carrot and stick trick works quite effectively," Lu Zhen thought, as hesneered. Although he knew how its principles worked he didn''t know if it worked or not in real life but seeing the scene now he was quite confident it worked.


    The reason Lu Zhen possessed the scroll was due to his mother''s insistence that his previous host read it for potential benefits. However, the previous host had disregarded his mother''s advice, consumed by worldly pursuits. Lu Zhen had retained the scroll in his collection for quite some time. Reflecting on the memories of the past host, Lu Zhen felt a tinge of bitterness as the previous host was really ipetent through and through.


    Pitter-patter!


    Lu Zhen''s thoughts were interrupted by the increasing intensity of the rain. The light rain turned into heavy rain, and he soon saw Yu Bai approaching in the distance.


    "Young master, I''ve found a suitable ce for us to stay," Yu Bai informed as he arrived. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    With that, the group of four quickly headed in the direction Yu Bai indicated. Due to the rain, the ground had turned muddy, so as they hurriedly ran, their clothes became quite dirty. They maintained the same pace as they travelled through the muddy path.


    Rustle! Rustle!


    Lu Zhen''s ears twitched as a sudden rustling sound reached them. Suddenly, a massive snake, approximately 100 feet in length, emerged from the bushes, advancing toward them with hunger in its eyes.


    The snake exuded a dangerous vibe, its body covered in the usual light brown color. However, it was the way its muscles were structured that made it stand out. It seemed like it was made entirely of muscle. With a hiss that pierced the air, its sharp fangs were exposed, looking threatening.


    What really stood out were the tiny wings on its back. However, these wings seemed too small for its big body, almost like they were added as an afterthought. They looked more like decorations, as if the snake was pretending to attempt flying. It was like an anaconda that had been hitting the gym hard, with muscles bulging, and then someone jokingly attached small wings for a funny effect.


    When Lu Zhen saw this he was shocked however excitement came to his mind as he gazed upon the snake with greed..


    [Gorgon snake]


    [Power level: third stage martial artist]


    Before the snake could attack Lu Qing, the weakest member of the group, Lu Zhen reacted almost instantly with a little greed in his eyes. He moved towards the snake and attacked it barehanded with a shing motion.


    A tearing sound echoed as Lu Zhen shed downward with his hands.


    "Verdant Saber Whirlwind," Lu Zhen invoked mentally, channeling his energy. However, his limited qi reserves were swiftly depleted.


    A small whirlwind formed, dying the snake momentarily. However, it quickly overcame the gust of wind and opened its mouth wide, aiming to consume Lu Qing before making a hasty escape.


    Seeing this, Lu Zhen thought bitterly, "I really need to increase my qi."


    Lu Zhen however didn''t back away in the advance of the snake, but instead of retreating, he faced the approaching snake head-on, catching its jaws with his bare hands.


    The snake widened its eyes, astonished that a mere hairless monkey dared to catch its jaws with bare hands. It intended to teach Lu Zhen a lesson by mping its jaws shut. However, to its horror, the snake found that it couldn''t move its jaws anymore, and it was unable to close them, instead Lu Zhen''s grip tightened even more. However, the snake''s eyes were still calm andposed as it stared at the hairless monkey like an idiot.


    In retaliation, the serpent expelled a ckish liquid from its fangs, which came into contact with Lu Zhen''s hands. A triumphant hiss escaped the serpent, believing it had found a means of escape. However, much to its dismay, Lu Zhen''s grip ckened momentarily before intensifying further.


    [You have adapted to the poison of the Gorgon snake.]


    [You have gained Poison Resistance.]


    The snake was now filled with pure horror, realizing it was trapped. Despite its struggles, the grip didn''t yield.


    To the snake''s astonishment, Lu Zhen unexpectedly moved toward its open mouth, passing through its fangs and was directly swallowed by the snake. The snake''s eyes widened as it wiggled its tail in delight.


    "Finally the strong hairless monkey is dead."

 Chapter 37 Overpowered Gluttony

    37 Overpowered Gluttony


    Yu Bai and the twins were left stunned by Lu Zhen''s audacious actions. Although the encounter between Lu Zhen and the snake might have seemed prolonged, it transpired in mere moments.


    Despite the chance to react swiftly, Yu Bai hesitated, well aware of Lu Zhen''s prowess from his previous rampage. Oveing the snake shouldn''t have posed a significant challenge for him.


    Observing Lu Zhen''s fearless confrontation, Yu Bai couldn''t help but experience a blend of admiration and worry.


    The twins wore concerned expressions. Lu Zhen''s use of the carrot and stick trick seemed to have yielded results.


    The snake, its belly full, slithered away in a contented manner, with Yu Bai trailing closely behind. He resolved to give Lu Zhen half an hour before deciding to y the snake himself. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Lacking the speed to keep up, the twins took shelter beneath a tree, shielded from the continuing heavy rain.


    The snake''s expression radiated delight as it tried to shake off its pursuer.


    However, its happiness was short-lived as sudden agony erupted in its stomach.


    Boom! Boom!


    Echoes of crashing resounded as the snake, wracked with pain, copsed against a nearby tree. The impact sent the tree crashing to the ground.


    Frantically rubbing its belly in the mud in an attempt to alleviate the difort, the snake found no relief. A noticeable dent began forming in its muscr armour, its struggles proving futile.


    "Hmm, it''s rather cramped in here. How about I make some space?" Lu Zhen sneered as he unleashed a series of punches on the snake''s interior.


    Lu Zhen was indeed not lying. Imagine a dimly lit cavern, the air thick with humidity, and the scent of digestive acids hanging heavily. The walls were not the uniform, smooth surfaces of ordinary stomachs but a texturedposition of folds and ridges. It was truly an unpleasant experience for Lu Zhen, the stomach''s environment providing no sce, especially with all the snake''s writhing and attempts to soothe its pain.


    In addition to the difort, the acids were strong enough to cause slight damage to his divine physique.


    However, Lu Zhen didn''t care much as he could recover faster than the minor burns caused by the acid. He continued hammering the inner part of the snake with his palm in a shing movement.


    Time passed in a split blink of an eye, and ten minutes slipped by as Lu Zhen pounded the snake relentlessly, simultaneously practising his saber techniques with his bare hands.


    Growing impatient as the snake stubbornly refused to burst open, an idea sprang to Lu Zhen''s mind, causing a smirk to grace his lips.


    "Hmph, since you''re so stubborn, then don''t me me," Lu Zhen dered. Suddenly, he opened his mouth and took a bite out of the snake''s inner walls.


    The moment Lu Zhen took a bite, the snake''s struggles intensified, and its gaze turned to pure terror as it felt something tearing within him.


    With a "crunch" sound that mimicked biting into something hard, Lu Zhen consumed a small portion of the snake''s flesh. Lu zhen found it quite hard to eat but with a little effort he finally chewed it.


    "It tastes like chicken breast," Lu Zhen thought as he took a bite of the snake meat.


    It was a bit greasy, like a goat and tough like a ma. Its taste, however, was akin to chicken breast, except for the tiny, sharp bones that gave it a fish-like texture.


    Almost instantaneously, as the meat entered Lu Zhen''s body, it was devoured as if a ck hole had sucked it in. A warm sensation permeated Lu Zhen''s body, revitalising him from the fatigue. This sensation differed slightly from qi. He sensed that his body was satisfied, a feeling of fulfilment washing over him.


    In truth, while qi could enhance the body, nutrients and protein were still essential for its maintenance. Even high-tier martial artists required food to sustain their qi-reinforced bodies, and due to Lu Zhen''s robust physique, he needed even more protein and nutrients than his peers.


    That''s why every time Lu Zhen increased his constitution, he experienced intense hunger. Without the high-protein, nutrient-rich food he had ess to, he might have damaged his body, as the level-up process didn''t grant him energy;it merely umted energy to facilitate his advancement. Beyond that point, he was on his own. Sometimes, he pondered the grim possibility of overleveling andcking adequate sustenance, potentially leading to dire consequences. The thought sent a shiver down his spine, adding another near future problem.


    As Lu Zhen continued to grow in strength, his body''s demands for nutrients and protein would escte, potentially posing a challenge in the future.


    Lu Zhen had pondered this problem previously, acknowledging its potential challenges without an immediate solution. His approach was to confront the matter as it presented itself. However, seeing the potential of the gluttony skill, his satisfaction soared. Countless ideas bubbled forth, revealing numerous ways to exploit the skill which he previously almost forgot..


    "Let''s start the feist," Lu Zhen dered with an eager spark in his eyes. He moistened his parched lips and cast a gaze brimming with hunger upon the snake. He initiated by taking small, deliberate bites, gradually adapting to the taste and texture. As time progressed, his bites grewrger and bolder.


    Although system prompts intermittently appeared at the corner of his vision, Lu Zhen''s focus remained entrenched in the task at hand. His voracious consumption of the snake relegated these prompts to the system''s log, rather than capturing his immediate attention.


    A sharp "hiss" echoed through the air, akin to the death throes of the snake. As its eyes dimmed and its rity waned, it crumbled onto the muddy terrain.


    At the snake''s tail end, a cut materialized, revealing a blood-soaked figure clutching a massive heart that continued to pulse within his grasp. On the other hand, he held a gleaming pearl.


    "Hmm not bad." His fingers brushed against his abdomen, where his meticulously carved six-pack abs exuded an aura of pure, chiselled muscle. Despite his six packs, he felt an unexpected fullness, as if his stomach reached its capacity and couldn''t take anymore. He reluctantly looked at the corpse of the snake.


    "Young master," Yu Bai interjected, his voiceced with deep reverence. Bowing respectfully, his gaze held an unwavering admiration for Lu Zhen. Yu Bai had initially believed that Lu Zhen''s victory over the snake was dependent on his demon form. However, witnessing how Lu Zhen dispatched the snake with ease in a mere 25 minutes, without even resorting to his demonic state, left him awestruck and filled with reverence.

 Chapter 38 Meditation

    38 Meditation


    "Yu Bai, guard here," Lu Zhen said as he clenched the pearl in his hands, his body still marked with bloodstains. Luckily, the rain was gradually washing away the traces of blood.


    When Yu Bai saw the pearl, he was stunned, but it soon turned to happiness.


    "Young master, are you sure you want to cultivate that right now?" Yu Bai asked with an uncertain expression.


    "It will be fine, it doesn''t matter," Lu Zhen said as he waved Yu Bai away.


    "Alright, let''s get started," Lu Zhen said as he found arge tree that could shield him from the rain. He sat in a meditative position.


    He took deep breaths as he gradually sank deep into meditation. His long and ragged breathing gradually cooled down, falling into a strange rhythm.


    Lu Zhen''s mind soon became empty as he started to visualize a blurry picture that looked like a tree in his mind.


    The moment the tree appeared in Lu Zhen''s mind, the qi in the surroundings began to be slowly absorbed by him. The attributeless qi in his body followed a set pattern that resembled a tree as it circted in his body and converted to wood qi.


    Actually, only third stage martial artists could convert their qi to attribute qi through the qi pathways they had established and circte it. However, Lu Zhen could directly take in qi through his body, allowing him to convert attributeless qi to wood qi, even though his qi was still meagre even for a martial trainee stage martial artist.


    The rate, however, was slow and unprogressive. Suddenly, the pearl on top of his head shone with a green light, resonating with Lu Zhen. This caused almost all the qi in the surroundings to slowly convert from attributeless qi to wood qi.


    The rate at which Lu Zhen absorbed the wood qi grew faster and faster. Even the unconverted attributeless qi in his body quickly transformed into wood qi.


    As time passed, his storage of qi increased, and his visualisation of the tree became clearer.


    [You have meditated]


    [You have acquired the meditation skill] n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    A system prompt appeared, but Lu Zhen was so immersed in meditation that he didn''t even notice. The rate at which he visualized the tree became faster and faster, consequently increasing the rate at which he absorbed qi.


    Time slipped away as Lu Zhen meditated,pletely ignoring the sound of the heavy rain falling to the ground.


    Whoosh! Whoosh!


    Suddenly, Lu Zhen opened his eyes as a green light shed past his vision.


    "Hmm, sigh, it''s quite hard to reach the third stage," Lu Zhen said as he gazed at the remains of the pearl.


    Lu zhen only reached the middle stage of martial trainee with the help of this pearl.


    "Looks like I need more qi items like this to increase my qi storage," Lu Zhen sighed as he examined the pearl''s status.


    [Snake Neidan (used)]


    [Remarks: The catalyst of gorgon snake power can help cultivation if the user meditates near it.]


    "Hmm.." a log button caught lu zhen''s eyes.


    "Huh did i gain skill while just meditating?" Lu Zhen thought with excitement as he opened the long with a thought.


    [You have meditated]


    [You have acquired the meditation skill]


    [your meditation skill has levelled up from 1 to 2]


    Seeing the prompt lu zhen felt a little funny.


    "What the hell are these names? They''re literally the same as what I do. It''s as if the creator was too bored to name the skills and wrote them as they are¡­" Lu Zhen thought, but he decided to ignore it this time since they were useless to him.


    "Old Bai," Lu Zhen said as he got up from his meditative position.


    "Yes, young master?" Yu Bai responded, instantly appearing by Lu Zhen''s side. However, he was taken aback when he sensed Lu Zhen''s aura.


    "His aura hasn''t increased much?" Yu Bai thought, visibly frowning.


    After Lu Zhen acquired the aura control skill, he deliberately kept his aura weak, embracing the tactic of "y the pig, eat the tiger". He had read about protagonists using this strategy in many novels and was curious to test it himself.


    "Oh poor souls don''t meet me or I will ughter your whole generation." Lu zhen thought with an evil smirk.


    "Let''s go," Lu Zhen said, picking up the snake''s heart from the ground as they departed.


    Nearby, Lu Zhen had concealed the massive snake''s body in a makeshift cave created with Yu Bai''s assistance. Although not a perfect solution, considering the snake''s value and the scent it emitted, there was a risk of wild animals discovering and devouring it or even humans discovering it. Despite the imperfections, Lu Zhen had no better options at the moment. Without a storage bag or simr items, he could only hide the corpse and hope it remained untouched until an escort arrived.


    "Do you know how such a massive Qi beast can still exist in this forest, Old Bai?" Lu Zhen asked, a frown creasing his face as they continued to travel.


    "I don''t know, young master," Yu Bai replied with a matching frown.


    The Snake Forest, which they were currently in, was recognized for harbouring beasts no more advanced than the martial trainee stage. This was due to the depletion of resources caused by the constant hunting and resource plundering carried out by everyone who ventured into the forest. Even if there were third-stage martial beasts, they were quickly hunted down due to the value they held.


    Apart from martial cultivation andbat arts, beasts were highly prized resources. They provided a rich source of protein and nutrients, and countless treasures could be derived from them.


    Lu Zhen then proceeded to gather the twins and search for a ce to rest. His intention was to take a break, not due to physical exhaustion, but rather mental fatigue brought on by the encounters with the snakes and his cultivation efforts. The process had proven mentally taxing for him.


    "Master, over there," Yu Bai pointed towards an old, dpidated temple in the distance.


    The temple was constructed from bamboo and y, showing clear signs of age and decay, revealing its antiquity.


    "Huh, there''s smoke," Lu Zhen observed, narrowing his eyes.


    "There was none when I previously scouted the area, young master," Yu Bai stated, visibly shocked by Lu Zhen''s observation. Even he could only see the temple''s outline from here.

 Chapter 39 Xia Long

    39 Xia Long


    "Master, there are people," Xia Jiang whispered, his hand inching towards the hilt of his sword, and he gestured towards his neck with a slicing motion.


    With his hair bleached white by age, his countenance etched with deep wrinkles, and his hunched back giving him the appearance of one on the brink of death, he seemed frail at first nce. However, the passive aura he exuded was nothing short of terrifying, casting doubt on how the hell did he look like a man with half a foot in grave.


    "We are from the Xia n. How could we be so cruel to anyone?" Xia Long said, his voice oozing false charm as he opened his fans. They revealed a ck dragon picture, but his eyes told a different tale. They shed with a malevolent glint, clearly signalling Xia Jing''s ominous presence.


    With a ssical fake smile, he performed the action. His lips curved unnaturally, forming a smile that seemed polite on the surface but concealed hidden intentions. His gaze then turned to his left, fixing that same smile on his face as he looked at a beautiful woman seated cross-legged nearby, a hint of lust sparkling in his eyes.


    Her eyes, a deep shade of obsidian, held an enigmatic allure that seemed to prate one''s soul. Cascading down her back like a midnight waterfall, her hair flowed in a mesmerizing shade of blue, contrasting vividly against her snow white skin. Her lips, a vivid hue of crimson reminiscent of ripe peaches, added a touch of sensuality to her otherwise ethereal beauty.


    Seated gracefully with her legs crossed, she exuded an aura of poise and grace. Her slender form was nothing short of perfection, with a waist so delicate that even the slightest movement caused her twin mountainparable to mount everest to sway to gently rise and fall, captivating onlookers with their mesmerizing rhythm. The stark contrast of her ck qipao attire against her porcin skin only enhanced her seductive allure, leaving anyone who beheld her in a state of helpless fascination. She was the embodiment of every man''s most fervent and intoxicating dreams, a vision of temptation that was impossible to resist.


    "Sister, how about you give me the Eye of Maya?" Xia Long suggested a smile masking his lust.


    Hearing this Xia Mei frowned visible as she opened her eyes. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "When we reach there only then I will give you the eye of Maya." Xia Mei said with a harsh tone arrogantly.


    Although she spoke in a harsh tone, her seductive voice and lips added an alluring quality to her. In Xia Long''s eyes, it only made her more captivating in his lust filled brain.


    Her movement caused her bouncy twin mountain peaks to jiggle even more creating a mouth watering scene that left Xia Long''s eyes to be filled with lust.


    "I''ll follow my elder sister," Xia Long said as he bowed, his fake smile growing wider. His hidden left hand clenched tightly beneath his sleeves.


    20:45


    "Humph, this woman thinks highly of herself just because she joined the Pink Autumn Sect. Does she believe she can simply order me around due to her disciple status and slightly better talent?"


    However when he thought of the delicious body of his sister as soon her body would be moaning under him he couldn''t help but feel a sense of croaked satisfaction welling up in him. As he imagined the scenario that will be happening soon he was filled with impatience.


    His thoughts were interrupted by the footsteps of people that Xia Jiang told about. This interruption fueled his anger and resentment. Were it not for the need to maintain a facade of kindness in front of Xia Mei, he would have subjected them to excruciating torture, making them wish they had never been born into this world.


    However, masking his inner turmoil with a ssical smile, Xia Long instructed Xia Jiang, "Just inform them that we are present and gently persuade them to leave. In case of a genuine emergency, they may stay but must maintain a considerable distance from us."


    As he spoke with apparent magnanimity, a cruel smile danced on his lips. This smile conveyed an unspoken message to Xia Jiang about what should be done once they had sessfully discouraged the unwee guests.


    Xia Jiang grasped his young master''s intentions, as he had carried out such tasks countless times.


    After all, how could he simply allow some audaciousmoners to disturb him? He had always been one to seek revenge, and he had left many to die by torturing them just because they merely crossed his path. How could he let a random individual disrupt his delightful fantasy of filling his sister with his essence as she moaned beneath him?


    "Yes, young master," Xia Jiang replied, a smirk curling on his lips.


    However, before Xia Jiang could even rise, the footsteps hastened, and they quickly arrived, leaving no opportunity for Xia Jiang to ''drive them away.'' This caused a rare frown to mar Xia Long''s face, mixed with annoyance, as hisposed demeanor slipped.


    Yet, it disappeared the moment he saw who the man was. His face contorted into visible shock.


    A burly man, his clothes stained with dried blood, pushed open the half-broken door of the temple with a creaking sound. The man''s aura was rather ordinary, but the tattered robe he wore revealed his well-defined, muscle-bound physique devoid of excess fat. He carried a simple ck sabre in his waist, which appeared dusty, as if it hadn''t been used in a long while.


    Xia Long rubbed his eyes, but the sight remained unchanged.


    "This is Brother Lu?" Xia Long questioned in disbelief.


    "Let''s rest here," Lu Zhen dered as he entered, followed by Yu Bai and the twins, who ignored Xia Long.


    Upon entering, Lu Zhen''s gaze was captivated by a woman who stirred a desire within him, making him feel strangelypelled to make her hispletely his. Which made him feel strange. While he had always been drawn to beautiful women, this attraction felt deeper, as if originating from the very depths of his being.


    "Mate! Mate!..."


    Suddenly desires filled his mind that he felt previously opened up as his eyes lost rity for a split second. But thankfully it turned back to normal as he regained hisposure. However, unlike the previous incident, he managed to control his desire effectively, preventing himself from losing control.


    His face contorted into a frown as he thought, "I will have to get my hands on that ancestor''s scroll."


    "Looks like I have to ask my mother for it."


    This train of thought, though it may have seemed lengthy, took only a second for Lu Zhen. He sat down in a corner, meditating, with the trio following suit.


    "Brother Lu, how did you end up in such a dirty ce?" Xia Long inquired, his fake smile recing the momentary anger he felt at being ignored.


    "This guy ruined my n with that Jiang Xue assassination, and now he''s be a martial trainee," Xia Long seethed with anger, though he maintained hisposure. He still saw Lu Zhen as an inferior being.


    Lu Zhen continued to ignore him, sitting cross-legged with his eyes closed.


    Seeing this, Xia Long''s anger intensified. Even if Lu Zhen had be a martial trainee, what did it matter? Xia Long had been one for two years now and believed he could defeat Lu Zhen. As for the old protector, who was barely at the third stage of martial arts, Xia Jiang could handle him.


    Though he didn''t possess clear intelligence about how these individuals had thwarted his assassination squad, which he had established with vast resources, he assumed it was due to an external expert. Now that he knew they were alone, it was a chance for vengeance. He was confident he could deal with them.


    With this in mind, an idea formed to eliminate the person who dared to disrespect him and had foiled his ns before.


    "Young Master Lu, why don''t you apany us in the search for the treasure?" Xia Long inquired, his smirk harboring wicked intent.


    "Once you join, you won''t leave alive," he added silently, plotting his revenge.


    Lu Zhen finally opened his eyes, clearly interested.


    "What kind of treasure?" he inquired.


    Xia Mei frowned when she heard this but remained silent, allowing her brother to speak.


    "Young master, we are looking for a Delphinium, and I know the location of the ce. However, I will need some assistance. How about youe along with us?" Xia Long said with a smile.


    "Alright, I will help," Lu Zhen replied with a strange glint in his eyes.


    From the memories he had, Xia Long was a friend of his previous host who had pretended to be friendly while feeding him alcohol, which had led to the previous host''s addiction to gambling and alcohol. Now, sensing malicious intentions from Xia Long and drawing from his knowledge of novels, Lu Zhen had a gut feeling that this guy was a minor viin. He decided to eliminate him during the treasure hunt, to pay tribute to his previous host and whether or not the woman would meet the same fate depended on the situation.


    "Today will be yourst day. Act as pretentious as possible," he thought to himself.

 Chapter 40 Xia Mei

    40 Xia Mei


    "Alright then, Brother Lu, we will go after the rain ends," Xia Lao said as he looked at the rain still falling heavily, with thunderclouds forming and lightning asionally shing.


    The temple barely provided cover from the rain, with small water droplets leaking from the bamboo rooftop as they huddled near the fire, seeking warmth.


    Yu Bai and Xia Jiang stood alert, carefully sitting opposite each other.


    Xia mei kept her eyes closed, maintaining a meditative position, while Lu Zhen did the same.


    Xia Long and the twins sat across from the fire, sharing its warmth.


    There were silence which created an awards moment in the situation as no one talked however this time lu zhen couldn''t give a sh*t. He had a more important job as he looked at his blue panel.


    [LEVEL UP]


    ¡ª-----


    [Name: Lu Zhen]


    --------


    [Race: Human]


    [Bloodline: Human/ Volgrith]


    [Lifespan left: 120 years]


    --------


    [Attributes]


    [Constitution: Divine physique(level 2)]


    [Charm: Mortal(level 4)]


    [Qi: (level 1)]


    [Demonic qi: Uninitiated (level 0)]


    ???


    --------


    [Cultivation manuals]


    [Cultivation technique: Verdant art(stage 1)] n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    --------


    [Skills]


    [Gluttony: level 4]


    [de mastery: level 5]


    [Adaptability: level 2]


    [Aura control: level 2]


    "Oh, I forgot about the gluttony skill. It looks like it levelled up when I defeated the snake." Lu Zhen''s face contorted into a frown when he saw that three of his skills were capped at level 2.


    "Levelling up takes longer and longer as my level increases. I need to find an exploit to maintain a faster levelling speed¡­" Lu Zhen thought with bitterness.


    "Young Master Lu," Xia Mei said, looking at Lu Zhen with her abyss-like eyes.


    She, who had been sitting cross-legged, approached Lu Zhen.


    "Huh, what do you want?" Lu Zhen replied unpleasantly, irritated by Xia Mei''s sudden interruption.


    "Young Master, I am sorry if I offended you, but are you really a martial trainee martial artist?" Xia Mei asked, her tone filled with doubt.


    "Yes, I am," Lu Zhen replied, puzzled by her abrupt question.


    As his mind cleared a bit, he noticed the woman who had triggered his earlier outburst standing before him. She still stirred his lust, albeit to a lesser extent.


    "Miss, who are you?" Lu Zhen inquired, searching his memories for anyone resembling this woman, but he couldn''t recall anyone who matched her description.


    Xia Long was taken aback by Xia Mei''s unexpected politeness towards Lu Zhen.


    "What''s this bitch up to now?" he wondered but remained silent, listening attentively with a smile on his face, although he clenched his hands.


    Xia Mei''s eyes shed with a strange colour.


    "How can he be a martial trainee with the sense of danger I am feeling?" Xia Mei thought as her ck eyes sparkled with a golden glow. She observed a ck and strange golden fire with a hint of pink mixed in around Lu Zhen, burning like a beacon in the night.


    Xia Mei had a little secret she had never shared with anyone, not even her father: She could see a strange fire around people, which conveyed their rtive strength and danger level. The stronger someone was, the brighter their aura appeared.


    These colours of people varied depending on their nature. She had categorised them based on the colours they exhibited. ck usually means they are a cold person and a killer who has killed hundreds. Golden, on the other hand, signified individuals destined for greatness, rulers who could conquer even the heavens, at least as far as she could discern they were born conquerors.


    Turning her gaze to her brother, she noticed a pink aura surrounding him. However, her brother appeared quite weakpared to her; his aura was barely visible. Pink, in her observations, denoted those who were overly lustful, which was no surprise considering her brother''s reputation.


    She had always known her brother harboured an insatiable lust for her, even from their childhood. However, she had managed to escape his advances with him being the heir of xia family she couldn''t even do anything.


    Fortunately, she had earned an opportunity to join the Pink Autumn Sect due to her talent and hard work, which had helped her maintain her purity till now.


    And now, having be an inner disciple of the sect, she held the belief that her brother would finally stop pursuing her. As to not offend the sect however little she knew that her brother''s idiocy reached a level that she couldn''t evenprehend as all he thought about was lust.


    She joined this trip with Xia Long because she needed Delphinium, a vital ingredient for herbat skill, the [Ethereal Frostde]. This skill allowed a martial artist to release an icy cold temperature which could directly freeze the opponent; it didn''t even need a medium to travel. Once, a practitioner of thisbat art managed to defeat a third-stage martial artist while still at the martial trainee stage. Although the third-stage martial artist was heavily injured, this achievement was terrifying in itself.


    Mastering thisbat art would significantly enhance herbat prowess, boosting her overall abilities and greatly improving her odds of attaining the status of a core disciple.


    Core disciples were highly regarded in the sect, and attaining that status would grant her immense resources and prestige, even within her own family. Her family would have no choice but to respect her.


    At first, she had hoped to obtain it from the sect, but to her disappointment, the sect didn''t possess any Delphinium. Even if they did, it would have cost an exorbitant sum that she could barely afford, despite her careful budgeting from her cultivation savings. The demand for it was so high that any avable stock was quickly sold out, leaving her with no realistic chance of acquiring it.


    When she had returned home for a visit during the winter, she had informed her family about her need for Delphinium. She didn''t have high hopes, but she wanted to exhaust all possibilities. Unexpectedly, her brother Xia Long had imed to have found the Delphinium during his adventures, though it had not fully grown so he had drawn a map to get it when it fully matured. So she had made a deal to trade eye of Maya which was a precious cultivation item which could help to increase the cultivation speed for the delphinium.


    "Brother Lu, this is my sister, who joined the Pink Autumn Sect to cultivate," Xia Long introduced her, unable to hide his jealousy and anger as he watched her staring at Lu Zhen as if lovestruck.


    "I''ve heard about the talented individual who joined the Pink Autumn Sect to be their disciple," Lu Zhen remarked, extending a greeting.


    Xia Mei had a frown on her face when she noticed her brother''s disturbance. She red at Xia Long for a moment before turning her attention back to Lu Zhen.


    "Young Master Lu, I''ve heard great things about you. It is my honour to let Young Master Lu carry out our task," she said, her lips forming a seductive smile. Her body swayed slightly, causing her cleavage to move, and her voice took on a seductive tone.


    "As long as you can help us I can give you a qi item."


    She wanted to establish a friendship with Lu Zhen, as he was the heir of the Lu family. The Xia and Lu families were both major families in the city, alongside the Jia and Huang families. Based on what she had observed, Lu Zhen''s strength wasparable to that of a third stage martial artist, and he even surpassed most ordinary third-stage practitioners. Despite the rumours of him being a drunkard and a trash, which had left a bad impression on her, seeing him in person had made her doubt the authenticity of those rumors.


    This ignited a desire within Lu Zhen. However, he didn''t reply to her and remained silent, giving her a meaningful look.


    "Young master..." Xia Mei was about to continue, but she noticed that Lu Zhen was staring intently behind her, which stunned her.


    When she looked back, she saw the two twins cutting meat as they prepared food. Lu Zhen ignored her and, with a hint of curiosity, went to the twins, who were preparing wooden skewers and marinating the meat.


    She examined herself, but her confidence was slightly shaken when she realized that Lu Zhen waspletely ignoring her. She was ustomed to men lusting after her like dogs in heat, and she was confident in her beauty.


    Lu Zhi skillfully handled the task while Lu Qing assisted her brother with some activities.


    "Let me try," Lu Zhen asked as he observed them closely.


    Hearing their new master''s voice, the twins immediately stood up, bowed, and said, "Yes, Young Master," although they wore confused expressions.


    The twins had already prepared all the necessary steps for skewering the meat, so Lu Zhen only needed to ce the skewer on the rock and let it cook in the heat. However, he frowned when he only saw salt in the meat.


    "Where are the other seasonings?" Lu Zhen inquired.


    "Young Master, we don''t have the seasonings," the twins replied respectfully.


    "Actually, Young Master, even the salt was hard toe by. We only had some because Lu Zhi happened to have some in his pouch, allowing us to use it on the meat," Lu Qing added respectfully.

 Chapter 41 Cooking Skill?

    41 Cooking Skill?


    Lu Zhen looked around, his eyes shing with a golden hue simr to Xia Mei''s, but with a more foreboding intensity.


    As he gazed at his surroundings, a palpable aura of power began to radiate from him, causing Xia Mei, who stood nearby, to shudder involuntarily. The sensation was so overwhelming that her instincts kicked in, urging her to bow in reverence before him.


    A strange, familiar feeling surged within her. It was as if something deep within her recognized andpelled her to worship him. Her body trembled with the instinctual desire, but she fought it with all her strength. She stole a quick nce around, only to find that everyone else seemedpletely unaffected, leaving her in a state of bewilderment.


    "These eyes are simr to mine," Xia Mei thought, startled as she glimpsed Lu Zhen''s eyes in a corner.


    "This¡­ this¡­" Xia Mei was shaken to her core as she contemted the reason for this.


    "Is he also simr to me?" she pondered, a spark of genuine interest lighting up her eyes.


    Any resentment she harbored for Lu Zhen vanished, reced by a genuine interest and care for her newfound kin. She no longer felt like a freak; it was as if she had finally met her own kind.


    Xia Mei''s mother had passed away when she was young, causing her to mature more quickly than other children her age. She had been a precocious child who discovered her unique powers early, understanding the potential trouble they could bring. Xia Mei had always kept her abilities hidden from others, fearing that they might uncover her secrets. Consequently, she spent her childhood living alone in her now-deserted mother''s pce, with only a handful of servants to care for her. Lacking friends and any meaningful pursuits, she developed a deep fascination with martial arts, bing a devoted practitioner from a young age.


    Due to a stroke of luck and her unwavering dedication, she managed to join the Pink Autumn Sect. But this achievement came at a price ¨C herck of social skills. She had never been good at interacting with others and had never really had friends. She used to dismiss the need for friendship as mere vanity, but deep down, she yearned for apanion who shared her unique abilities.


    After all, this was human nature. Suppose when someone finds themselves in a foreign ce without any familiar faces, they naturally feel more anxious about interacting with the locals. However, if they encounter another neer who is in the same situation, they often find it easier to connect and form a friendship. Lu Zhen, unaware of the emotions stirring within Xia Mei, nced around his surroundings. Even if he were aware, he wouldn''t care, as long as his secret remained hidden. If it were exposed, he would have to deal with her even if she is a woman.


    [Bamboo (old)]


    [y (old)]


    [Remarks: trashes of trashest]


    Looking at this row of details, all of which conveyed the same message, Lu Zhen was disappointed with himself.


    "Looks like I need to level up my skill if I want it to be useful," Lu Zhen thought, hoping to find some seasoning for the meat, but his search yielded nothing.


    Lu Zhen sighed and turned his attention to Xia Mei, his eyes focused on her.


    [Xia Mei]


    [Race: ???]


    Lu Zhen remained disheartened, seeing all the question marks. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "How can I level up this appraisal skill?" wondered Lu Zhen, considering it was only his second time using it. "Maybe if I use it for an extended period, it will level up," he mused, a frown creasing his face. [You have used appraisal.]


    [Your appraisal skill has levelled up from level 1 to level 2.]


    As if on cue, a system prompt appeared, eliciting his excitement.


    "I''ve never seen a skill level up this quickly," Lu Zhen thought, contemting ways to exploit his appraisal skill and maximize its potential.


    However, before he could delve deeper into his thoughts, his eyes, which had previously shone gold, reverted to their normal red hue. A slight dizziness washed over him.


    "Huh," Lu Zhen thought, regaining hisposure and footing.


    "Why did my skill deactivate?" he pondered, checking his body. His eyes widened in shock. Nearly every trace of his qi had been drained.


    "So, the skill consumes my qi, huh?" Lu Zhen concluded to himself.


    Lu Zhen felt disappointed, as he had considered abusing this skill to level up his appraisal ability. However, knowing that it required qi to activate thwarted his ns. He had nned to endlessly maintain his appraisal skill and achieved infinite levelling if it didn''t need qi to activate, rendering his strategy futile.


    "Forget it," Lu Zhen thought bitterly as he ced the skewered meat over the fire to cook.


    The initial contact produced a sizzling symphony of sounds ¨C the unmistakable hiss and crackle of protein meeting the searing heat. It was as if the fire itself whispered secrets to the meat, infusing it with primal energy.


    Before his eyes, the meat gradually transformed as the relentless embrace of the mes bathed it in radiant warmth. The outeryers caramelized, forming a tantalizing crust that sealed in the meat''s natural juices. Colors shifted from raw pink to a rich, golden brown, creating a visual masterpiece that mirrored the fiery canvas below.


    With his unskilled movement Lu Zhen rotated the skewer. The sizzle intensified, sending aromatic tendrils of smoke spiraling upwards, leaving an indelible mark on the night air. You could almost taste the anticipation as the meat grew tender, its fibers surrendering to the relentless heat.


    Finally, when the meat was cooked ¨C tender yet slightly charred, smoky yet sulent ¨C Lu Zhen pulled it away from the fire. The sizzling subsided, reced by a little burnt smell.


    [You have cooked.]


    [You have acquired cooking skills.]


    Lu Zhen became pleasantly surprised, although he wasn''t perfect, at least the meat was edible.


    "Looks likebat skills aren''t the only ones I can gain; I could acquire some normal skills too," Lu Zhen thought as he skewered another batch of meat.


    "Looks like I was right, not bad," Lu Zhen said to himself. Although the skill seemed simple, Lu Zhen believed that every skill was useful, and he had sessfully tested his conjecture, so he was pretty happy with it.


    Although he wasn''t too optimistic about the skill, he was still happy to have it.


    With that thought, Lu Zhen prepared another batch of skewered meat and cooked it up.


    This time, Lu Zhen was even more skillful with the skewered meat, preparing it almost perfectly.


    Stunning Lu Zhi, who was watching this ¨C after all, Lu Zhi was essentially a cook, although he primarily focused on wine, he still knew a thing or two about cooking. Seeing Lu Zhen, whose movements were so unrefined previously, be skilled so soon shocked him to the core.


    [You have cooked.]


    [Your cooking skill has levelled up from level 1 to 2.]


    "Huh, just another batch of cooking has levelled up my cooking skills?" Lu Zhen thought to himself with some confusion.


    "Looks like supporting or seemingly useless skills like this are pretty easy to level up," Lu Zhen thought with some excitement.


    Once again, he prepared another batch of skewered meat, with his movements growing even more skillful.


    [You have cooked.]


    [Your cooking skill has levelled up from level 2 to 3.]


    "This..." Lu Zhen was now bbergasted, seeing that just one batch of cooking had allowed him to level up his cooking skill every time, and this was just skewered meat, which didn''t even take much effort.


    "Let''s go on then, let''s see how much I can level up," Lu Zhen thought as he finally found an exploit he could use, even if it might be the most useless one.


    [You have cooked.]


    [Your cooking skill has levelled up from level 3 to 4.]


    [You have cooked.]


    [Your cooking skill has levelled up from level 4 to 5.]


    [You have cooked.]


    [Your cooking skill has levelled up from level 5 to 6.]


    [You have cooked.]


    [Your cooking skill has levelled up from level 6 to 7.]


    [You have cooked.]


    [Your cooking skill has levelled up from level 7 to 8.]


    [You have cooked.]


    [Your cooking skill has levelled up from level 8 to 9.]


    [You have cooked.]


    [Your cooking skill has levelled up from level 9 to 10.]


    [Warning]


    [Your cooking skill is evolving; you need more energy.]


    A cold, emotionless voice entered his ears for the first time. However, the voice sounded a little like Lu Zhen himself, causing him to wake up from his reverie.


    "What, my system has a voice too?" Ever since he got the system, he had never heard the voice of his system before. He was undoubtedly stunned when he saw that he could now hear the voice of the system.


    However, seeing that the voice was quite cold and emotionless, as if it was pre-recorded, he felt a little relieved. Ignoring the fact that it was a little like Lu Zhen''s own voice, he felt somewhat reassured.


    After all, from the looks of it, his system wasn''t alive and didn''t possess any emotions, which alleviated some of the worries that Lu Zhen had about his system. It was better to have a dumb system than one with intelligence that could potentially betray him in the future.

 Chapter 42 Advancement

    42 Advancement


    "So it is like that, huh¡­" Lu Zhen thought as he looked at his system warning for the first time.


    [Warning: your energy is not enough to allow the host to advance this skill]


    [Do you still want to continue <yes> or <no>]


    A simple panel showed in front of Lu Zhen.


    "Hmm..." Lu Zhen contemted his chances but eventually chose "no."


    Although he was a little tempted and curious about what this so-called cooking skill could do for him, he wasn''t stupid; he knew the consequences of advancing right now. Since Lu Zhen had obtained the divine physique, he hadn''t felt any exhaustion, and he was confident that his qi and body strength should be high. However, it wasn''t enough that the system warned for the first time. From the looks of it, the requirements to advance the system skills were very high, and he didn''t have a correct solution for it. What if he gets drained dry just by advancing this skill? So he decided to do itter.


    Besides that, he stole a nce at Xia Long, who was just watching Lu Zhen cook with a smile on his face and even some concern. However, from his previous world experience, he knew these guys were the real ones who would stab you in the back at any moment ¨C pretentious individuals who were all shown. Although he might have believed him if he had seen this Xia Long for the first time, the malicious feeling he felt when Xia Mei came near him was undeniable. So this guy was undoubtedly an enemy of his. How could he be in a vulnerable state right in front of his enemy? So the best option was to find the most suitable moment.


    That''s why he wanted to kill this guy the very moment Lu Zhen saw this guy.


    With that thought, Lu Zhen imagined pressing the "no" button, and the system prompt disappeared.


    Lu Zhen was stunned.


    "How will I advance the skill again?" Lu Zhen thought.


    Lu Zhen hurriedly opened his system with a thought, feeling a little nervous and stupid.


    "What if it was a one-time thing only?" N?v(el)B\\jnn


    However, he was relieved when he saw the system panel.


    Everything was all pretty normal except for the new skill he gained, which was already level 10.


    [Cooking: level 10] (advance <yes><no>)


    Seeing this, he was pretty relieved. He had thought that this advance thing was only for one time, but seeing the option still provided to him, his relief washed over him.


    "Brother Lu, looks like the rain has stopped significantly. How about we go search for it now? We are very close to it," Xia Long said as he folded his fans into his two hands.


    "Alright, Brother Xia, I will follow you," Lu Zhen said as he saw Xia Mei staring at him with sparks of interest.


    He knew why she was like this; he had also seen her eyes when she came to check him out. They felt very simr to his own eyes but at the same time unfamiliar to him.


    He knew that these eyes were obtained from that scroll, and she might be like him, possessing a bloodline. Although he didn''t know all the details of the bloodline, he at least knew the basics that Yu Bai had given him.


    Bloodline martial practitioners were able toprehend different abilities from their ancestors if they were talented enough; apparently, Lu Zhen was also talented enough to gain bloodline abilities with a unique trait of his own.


    However, Lu Zhen himself doubted his talent in anything, even with all the resources provided by the Lu family. These resources were enough to produce ten martial trainees; however, Lu Zhen''s constitution was still at level 4, with almost no foundation to work on. So there was no possibility that he could be considered talented.


    Therefore, the ability was most likely due to his system, as he received the notification from it. However, since the system registered it as his skill, did that mean the skill was his unique bloodline ability that he had gained, and was there any difference between his ability and the one other bloodline user possessed?


    He didn''t know and didn''t contemte any longer as it was useless to him now. It has be a habit of his to analyse everything even if it was useless.


    "Sigh, only time will tell," Lu Zhen mused to himself, rising from his makeshift seat where he had prepared the skewered meat.


    The scent of his skewered meat attracted his attention.


    "Not bad, I really made this well," Lu Zhen thought as he examined the meat, which now had a pleasant smell.


    When he took a bite of the meat, a tantalizing crunch gave way to sulent and tender meat beneath.


    It was tender on the inside and crunchy on the outside, absolutely perfect. It filled Lu Zhen''s mouth with joy.


    "Let''s go," Lu Zhen said as he got up and looked outside.


    The nts and trees glistened under the soft, silvery shine of the waning moon, casting an ethereal glow over the surroundings. The rain had just stopped, leaving behind glistening raindrops on leaves and petals.


    Sounds of insects humming their nocturnal melodies and the asional calls of normal animals echoed through the tranquil forest however the roar and squeals of animals were heard from time to time as lu zhen could see blood from his superhuman eyes in the distance. However he decided to ignore these details for now.


    The surroundings resembled a natural paradise. Unlike his previous world, where pollution had reached an all-time high, and he didn''t venture outdoors much due to dedicating a significant portion of his life to learning coding, Lu Zhen now truly felt the beauty of nature at its finest. It refreshed his mind. Although ignoring the minor details.


    "Has this bastard gone crazy since I have not met him for a month? He''s cooking meat now?" Xia Long thought as he looked at the meat that Lu Zhen had grilled. It looked like the very definition of perfection, with an attention to detail that was truly impressive.


    "You can grill all you want, but you will die soon anyways," Xia Long sneered in his mind as he looked at his cousin. Her eyes were still on Lu Zhen the whole time.


    "I will punish her when she moans under me. That time she will regret even looking at the dead Lu Zhen by then," Xia Long thought as he narrowed his eyes.


    However, maintaining his forced smile, which looked fake through and through.


    "Let''s go now, sister," Xia Long said with a smile on his face as he extended his hand.


    However, Xia Mei didn''t listen to him as she stayed where she was.


    As Lu Zhen walked, Xia Mei also followed behind, looking like a hypnotized follower of Lu Zhen.


    Observing this scene, Xia Long became even more infuriated, to the point where his face flushed crimson. However, he swiftly opened his fan to conceal his anger.


    In the next moment, he made an effort to maintain aposed facade as he employed the fan to cool himself, pretending as if the heat was causing him some difort. However, his expression morphed into an unsettling blend of a forced smile and a frown, rendering his face to turn ugly.


    "Sister, why don''t you follow me? We''re going the same way," Xia Long said, causing a frown to appear on Xia Mei''s face.


    "What does that have to do with you?" Xia Mei responded with a domineering tone.


    Hearing this, Xia Long barely managed to control his anger. "Yes, sister," he said, bowing his head respectfully.


    "Soon," Xia Long thought.


    Hearing the interaction between the two, Lu Zhen was quite amused. He really liked this woman, Xia Mei.


    With that said, Lu Zhen left the temple with Xia Mei following behind him, just staring at him, followed by the twins who were basically sidelined, and the two old men, Yu Bai and Xia Jiang, staying alert as they both kept a watchful eye on the surroundings and the opposite side.


    As they exited the temple, none of them noticed an inconspicuous statue in a corner, its eyes subtly shifting as they moved farther away.


    When they reached a certain distance, the statue made a creaking sound as it started cracking.


    Creak! Creak!


    Cracks started appearing in the statue as they shattered, revealing a tiny white ball that looked like a floating baseball. The white ball suddenly transformed from its round shape into a humanoid form about the size of a child, with white hair that resembled an ordinary child. However, its eyes were pitch ck, which looked terrifying.


    The child-like figure moved its mouth as if attempting to speak, but only the rustling of the wind filled the air. It silently observed the departing group until they disappeared into the distance.


    After what seemed like an eternity of attempting to speak, the figure finally managed to utter a sentence.


    "You are all going to die," the child said in a hoarse voice, which sounded too old for his child''s body, as it followed them slowly.

 Chapter 43 Bloodline

    43 Bloodline


    "Urrrrrgh..." a deep, guttural sound resonated through the forest as the massive body of a bear copsed. The bear looked utterly wretched, its form battered, bearing a conspicuous punch mark on its body, and bleeding profusely from multiple injuries.


    With eyes full of terror, it began running, despite its massive 2200-pound body, moving with ferocious intensity as if its life depended on it, causing the ground to shake slightly.


    Its eyes remained wide open, filled with disbelief at what had just urred.


    [Cyclone bear]


    [Age: 30] [Normal beast] [Remark: a normal bear found in almost every forest; it could evolve into a great beast if it could evolve its bloodline to sense qi.]


    Lu Zhen observed the system prompt detailing the bear''s status as it disappeared into the distance. Since his appraisal eyes have levelled up, even though it was just a level, he could now see more information about any item when he needed it. However, he noticed that his qi was being drained faster than before, which left him somewhat puzzled. The new skill he had obtained, Appraisal eye, seemed to be the only one costing him qi, while others were passive and didn''t appear to consume his energy.


    Beasts had a ranking system simr to humans, with the distinction that they didn''t need to cultivate like humans. Instead, they could naturally break through with time. They didn''t require specific cultivation techniques; rather, the older they grew, the stronger they became, provided they had enough food.


    However, this didn''t mean they were stronger than humans. In fact, they were weaker due to theirck of intelligence in their early stages. They couldn''t endlessly be stronger; they eventually reached their sealing limits and died due to age. This is why lower-ranked beasts were often hunted for resources. Humans, always curious, sought to use everything to their advantage.


    The relentless growth of beasts, who primarily hunted and ate and just grew stronger from that, had made martial artists envious, leading to research on beasts.


    One should not underestimate the power of science and research in this world. Although itcked the unique technology of Lu Zhen''s previous world, it had developed unique approaches. Even the mostplex experiments, which would be challenging with modern technology, could be conducted with simple tools.


    It was discovered that beasts possessed a bloodline that integrated into their bodies as they grew older. This piqued human curiosity about whether these bloodlines could also be applied to humans. After countless decades of research, it was found that humans could indeed have bloodlines. In fact, humans had a bloodline within them all along, but it was considered the weakest in the world, albeit the most flexible. It could evolve endlessly but required external assistance to do so.


    They also found that other bloodlines could integrate into humans to make them stronger. That''s where the Bloodline warriors were born. However, there were very few bloodline martial artists in this world because the method to integrate the bloodline into a human was a veryplex process with a very low chance of sess. It delved into the study of genes, and the sess rate was so low that almost 99.99% of the people died during the transnt of their bloodline.


    This transnt could only be taken by higher-ranking martial artists; otherwise, the failure rate was 100%. So almost none of the martial artists were willing to integrate the bloodline of a beast. After all, although they would gain powers beyond their stage, they had the chance of dying. So most of them gave up, except those who were stuck at their old age and had no hope of breaking through their limits. Only those people tried to integrate a bloodline, as it was their only hope.


    In the history of the world, only eight people have been able to integrate their bloodline. At least that was what Lu Zhen knew. He didn''t know if there were others, from what Lu Zhen had heard from Yu Bai, who came to be known as the ancestors. This ancestor''sbat ability soared to new heights and they breakthrough and even their lifespan increased.


    They shockingly discovered that their bloodline also transferred to their descendants. From that moment, the eight high-tier martial artists intercourse frequently to produce countless descendants, and they established the eight great ns which almost ruled the world in their era. But, unfortunately, time was an ethereal thing. The eight kings even with their bloodline to help eventually died.


    Which led to the downfall of eight ns eventually due to ack of talented descendants. The descendants didn''t have a 100% chance of inheriting the bloodline. Even if they had the bloodline, some were just not talented enough to be martial artists, and their bloodline could only serve as external assistance.


    That''s why, with time, the eight families declined and were shattered ages ago. However, their descendant trail is still found till today. This was what Lu Zhen had heard from Yu Bai. He too was the descendant of a bloodline owner, but he didn''t know which one. When he asked Yu Bai the question, he just kept silent, refraining from answering it.


    "Brother Lu, you are truly impressive," Xia Longmented with a mocking tone on his face, sporting a smile, seeing that Lu Zhen couldn''t defeat an ordinary beast and had let it escape.


    "You can think whatever you want after you go to the grave," Lu Zhen thought with a sneer as he ignored Xia Long''s mocking tone.


    "So where are we going?" Lu Zhen said with an emotionless face.


    "We will be arriving soon, Brother Lu. I am sorry if I offended you," Xia Long said in a sincere tone, as if he really didn''t mean it, putting his hands at the back of his head.


    Lu Zhen just sneered in his mind as they continued to walk.


    Soon, they arrived at a big hill that looked just as average as all the hills surrounding it. When Lu Zhen looked up, he could see the hill ascend as if it didn''t even have an end to it.


    Xia Long stopped right there, putting his hand in front of his mouth and making a "shh" sound.


    "This is where I found the delphinium, but unfortunately, there was a snake beast in the third stage of the martial realm guarding it. I couldn''t take it out as I was alone at that time," Xia Long said with a smile still on his face, somehow recovering from the ugly expression he had made.


    "I have heard that Brother Lu has reached the martial trainee level, and seeing that you could chase away an ordinary beast with just a punch, how about you go and deal with the snake for experience? We wille to help you right away if anything happens," Xia Long suggested with a meaningful smile, pointing outward to a ce covered with leaves.


    Hearing this, Lu Zhen felt oddly familiar. Didn''t he just y the snake in the third stage of the martial realm just before? If that was the case, then Xia Long was really digging a grave for himself.


    "Alright, then, Brother Xia, I will go," Lu Zhen said with an emotionless face, although he was trying to hide his amusement internally. While he wanted to deal with these guys now, he didn''t want any witnesses to escape. He was sure that Yu Bai could easily take care of Xia Jing if he went into the bloodline form, but there was still a possibility of escape they had, which he didn''t like.


    Lu Zhen had a life principle: "Strike only when prepared." He wasn''t 100% sure that he could kill them all while capturing the woman, and he didn''t want to take chances. So he was waiting for the right opportunity to strike, unless he was 100% sure he wouldn''t strike, but he knew that this wasn''t always applicable in the real world. Countless variables coulde into y. What if a meteor fell from the sky or if someone heard themotion and came to help? There were countless possibilities, even though they might be unlikely, but there was always an off chance of them bing true.


    With that thought, he said, "Alright, Brother Xia," as he headed toward the hills.


    Xia Mei was stunned, hearing Lu Zhen being so agreeable to Xia Long, which left her confused. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "Am I wrong about him?" she thought to herself.


    "Brother, you should go help Lu Zhen," Xia Mei said as she stopped Lu Zhen from leaving. However, hearing this, Xia Long tightened his fist as if he was going to say something. Yet, before he could speak, Lu Zhen interrupted him.


    "Don''t worry about it, Miss Xia. I''ll be fine," Lu Zhen said in an uncaring manner as he went to the hill, stunning Xia Mei, who was trying to intervene. Although she felt that Lu Zhen was not simple, she didn''t want to take any chances and potentially lose someone who might know her what her true identity.

 Chapter 44 Qi Crystal

    44 Qi Crystal


    The hill was rocky and appeared inconspicuous among the other hills. However, the moment Lu Zhen touched the leaves, they crumbled, revealing a vast cave. Lu Zhen had expected this, but he was still stunned by the size of the cave.


    The cave was enormous, and Lu Zhen couldn''t help but wonder how the snake managed to conceal its entrance with leaves.


    Without looking back, Lu Zhen entered the cave.


    "Lu Zhen should be safe if he is so confident in himself," Xia Mei thought as she watched Lu Zhen enter the cave.


    "If something happens to him, you are dead," Xia Mei said domineeringly as she sat cross-legged.


    Hearing this, Xia Long just smiled.


    "Does this bitch think that she can give me a death warning? Our statuses are equal," Xia Long thought as he silently took out a bag.


    After all, although the pink autumn sect was powerful she was just an inner disciple, technically his and Xia Mei status were the same.


    He ate the pill hidden under his mouth and opened the bag; the moment it opened, an invisible substance began to spread.


    Meanwhile Lu Zhen who entered the cave, was met with dim darkness, with a long passage that he could barely see due to theck of light.


    He could hear water drops falling to the ground and strange noises.


    Although his diving physique had heightened his five senses, he still couldn''t see in the darkness. Noticing this, Lu Zhen frowned.


    "I will have to think of a better option for the future," Lu Zhen thought with a frown as he slowly walked along the passageway. Seeing in the darkness was amon skill among martial artists, but being new to the martial world, Lu Zhen hadn''t learned many techniques yet.


    The only techniques he had just begun to grasp were the [Verdant Whirlwind sh] and the cultivation technique, the Verdant Saber Art. Apart from these, he hadn''t acquired any other practical skills.


    This was a problem Lu Zhen had just noticed. He didn''t have the time to properly trainbat arts right now, as he was getting distracted by various factors.


    However, it wasn''t without benefits. His skills had improved, and he had levelled up significantlypared to staying in seclusion and focusing solely on martial arts. From his perspective, remaining in seclusion was worse; depending on his talent, he couldn''t trainbat arts effectively.


    Lu Zhen faced two choices: either remain secluded to learn more techniques while slowly leveling up, or level up rapidly with limitedbat skills and rely primarily on his innate abilities for killing.


    Of course, Lu Zhen chose both options. He wasn''t one to reject benefits. When the time was right, he would engage inbat, and when it was peaceful, he would focus on seclusion. From what Lu Zhen had seen, the higher his level, the faster he could train,bat and cultivate, so choosing both options was the way to go.


    Lu Zhen felt something in and smooth on the ground and looked down, which stunned him.


    The floor of the cave was actually made of marble, which surprised him. Lu Zhen crouched down to observe it and felt its smooth texture, causing him to frown.


    "Huh, this looks like a man-made cave for sure; it doesn''t look like a cave made by a snake," Lu Zhen thought with a frown, feeling confused.


    "There must have been humans living in the cave before the snake made its den," Lu Zhen thought while rubbing his hands.


    "Let''s explore," Lu Zhen thought as he walked along the long passageway of the cave.


    Since the snake had managed to hide here for so long, there must be a secret within that allowed it to remain concealed and grow stronger.


    Thak! Thak!


    Footsteps resounded in the cave as Lu Zhen made his way along the passageway. After a short two-minute journey, he noticed the passage was getting bigger, and there was faint lighting from the other end, which he could barely see as he walked quickly while staying alert to any danger. He saw a faint light in the distance, prompting him to run faster.


    He also observed that the passageway was getting wider as he travelled. Finally, after five minutes of travel, he reached the light. What greeted his eyes was a ce filled with crystals that glittered in the light.


    Seeing this, Lu Zhen''s eyes sparkled with greed upon reading the description of the crystals.


    [Qi Crystal]


    [Remark: An ore that has absorbed qi and beenpressed in stone for so long that the qi became trapped in the stone, turning it into a qi stone. Can be used as currency.]


    When Lu Zhen saw the description, he was undoubtedly surprised. Qi crystals were a very rare resource in this world, used by martial artists for trade and cultivation. Gold and other ordinary materials were useless to martial artists, so they used qi crystals as currency. Even if they didn''t use them for trading, they could use them to aid in cultivation, as third-stage martial artists or higher could directly absorb the dense, attributeless qi through their qi pathways, greatly increasing their cultivation speed.


    Lu Zhen, even as the heir of the Lu family, didn''t get many qi crystals, only five per year, which was the same as the sry of an ordinary family elder. Seeing an entire mine of crystals was undoubtedly a cause for joy, even if the mine was rtively small, containing around 500 to 800 qi crystals based on his knowledge.


    Lu Zhen, ignoring his happiness, looked around and found some snake-shedded skin on the floor next to a small pond.


    [Shedded Skin of Gorgon Snake]


    [Remarks: What more do you want?]


    Seeing the status of the shedded skin of the gorgon snake, Lu Zhen knew that the snake Xia Long was talking about must be the gorgon snake he had just defeated. Thinking of this, Lu Zhen smirked a little.


    "Pretentious bastard is going to die soon," Lu Zhen thought.


    Lu Zhen undoubtedly found it amusing and was curious about who was writing these descriptions for him.


    However, the way of speaking was a little too simr to the way Lu Zhen had trolled some newbies when he had identally modded his favorite game or when he had created a game that flopped and was abandoned before it even started.


    Lu Zhen, ignoring his amusing thoughts, looked at the pool that was oozing a meager amount of qi.


    [Qi Pool]


    [Remark: The dense qi from the qi crystals made the surrounding qi so abundant that it formed in a liquid state. However, there are six eggs in the pond, which has caused the pool''s qi to be less than it was supposed to be.]


    Seeing this, Lu Zhen was a little angry.


    "So, these little eggs¡­" Lu Zhen was about to continue, but he thought of something. He jumped into the pool and took the six eggs out to examine their status.


    [Gorgon Egg]


    [State: Fetus]


    [Remarks: Stronger than other gorgon snakes]


    Hearing the remarks, Lu Zhen almost threw the eggs in a fit of rage, but he restrained himself. It would be a waste to throw them away, so he held onto them.


    Suddenly, he thought of something. Since Xia Long said that he had the flower, why hadn''t Lu Zhen found it at all?


    Lu Zhen found this strange.


    He decided to go back but, before doing so, he looked at the mine onest time with a greedy look and then continued.


    "I wille for you again, my treasure," Lu Zhen said as he reluctantly left the ce, stashing the eggs in his pouch.


    Lu Zhen carefully looked all the way back but didn''t find a single trace of any flower as he retraced his steps.


    "So he was lying, huh¡­" Lu Zhen thought.


    "What is he nning to do?" Lu Zhen said as he returned. As he was returning, he sensed a fishy smell in the air. The moment he inhaled the air, he, who was perfectly fit, suddenly started feeling dizzy.


    [You have been affected by poison.]


    Lu Zhen''s eyes began to shut as he tried to stay awake; however, he just couldn''t even stand still. As he fell to the floor with his eyes half closed, the sudden pain from having his head hit the floor woke him up from his sleep.


    [You have adapted to grinwar poison.] N?v(el)B\\jnn


    [Your adapt skill has levelled up from level 2 to level 3]


    Seeing the prompt lu zhen was terrified. Just taking a whiff almost knocked me out cold? Lu zhen thought with shock.


    In this world, poison is pretty useless unless you want to kill a mortal or a martial trainee because, after one bes a third-stage martial artist, they basically be immune to most of the poisons in this world. Even if there were poisons, they were expensive to make, as they needed countless resources to even be created, which could very well nurture a first-stage martial artist just to kill a third-stage martial artist, and there were countless methods to counter poisons, so poisons were rarely used in anything.

 Chapter 45 Muscle Aura

    45 Muscle Aura


    Lu Zhen slowly inhaled and exhaled the air as he walked forward.


    [You have adapted to Grimgar poisons.]


    [Your Adapt skill has levelled up from Level 3 to Level 4.]


    Seeing the level-up prompt, Lu Zhen felt satisfied. However, nothing happened after the prompt. No matter how hard he inhaled the poison, he couldn''t level up at all.


    Lu Zhen frowned as he sensed that the poison no longer affected him in any way. Whenever he inhaled the poison, it felt like air to him, and his body showed no reaction, preventing him from leveling up.


    "Looks like I can''t level up at all with this poison now," Lu Zhen thought with some disappointment. He had thought that since the system prompt even showed the name of the poison, it was special. However, only levelling up his Adapt skill twice with it left him feeling a little disappointed.


    "Weak poison, I thought it was special," Lu Zhen said, pausing for a second.


    "Since I can''t level up my Adapt skill, it would be useless to me now." Looking at the colourless poison in the air as if he could see the poison, Lu Zhen felt a little disappointed. However, he suddenly thought of a way to make use of this poison.


    "Oh, Xia Long, you are going to die a miserable death today," Lu Zhen sneered. Although he didn''t know who had caused this poison, his hunch told him it must have been Xia Long.


    Lu Zhen took a deep breath, exhaling for a full two minutes before stopping. He felt that he had reached his limits.


    In the dim cave, he nced at his reflection, which was barely visible. His body appeared a bit weaker than before, but his muscles emanated a terrifying aura. His abs were defined pure muscle, and his slightly smaller biceps had a more profound and menacing shape. Even his legs were more muscr, though slightly deted.


    Lu Zhen found himself taken aback as he detected a significant change in his aura. It was a transformation he hadn''t anticipated. Without a moment''s hesitation, he decided to release it, wanting to understand the extent of this newfound power.


    As he let his aura spill out, a dense and imposing atmosphere began to pervade the surroundings. Rocks in the cave started to emit eerie creaking sounds, as if they were bearing the weight of an immense force. The sensation coursing through him was unusual and exhrating.


    In particr, he noticed his deted muscles responding to this release of aura. They seemed to resonate with it, pulsating with newfound strength. A pleasurable sensation washed over him, and he couldn''t help but marvel at the transformation happening within him. His deted muscles resonated with his aura.


    Gradually, the creaking sounds echoed beneath Lu Zhen as rocks cracked due to the influence of his aura. He was amazed but promptly ceased releasing his aura, returning the surroundings to stillness.


    "Could my aura have reached a level where it can materialize?" Lu Zhen contemted this thought. Typically, one''s aura could affect the surroundings only when they had reached the first rank of martial arts or an equivalentbat power level. Considering his strength, he doubted that he had reached thebat strength of a second-stage martial artist or higher. Comparing his aura to other martial artists, there was no indication of such a significant leap.


    Lu Zhen spected that it might be due to his deted muscles causing his aura to behave unusually. However, he couldn''t delve into this mystery at the moment. His body was barely holding on without any air, and while he supplemented it with his qi, it wasn''t enough to sustain him.


    Despite this, Lu Zhen refrained from inhaling. Instead, he opened his mouth and began vacuuming all the air and poison from his surroundings.


    As he did so, his deted body quickly returned to its original form. But he didn''t stop there; he absorbed all the air and poison like a ck hole.


    With every breath, his metabolism worked wonders, converting the poison into qi, which his body absorbed. His qi storage gradually increased, and his body expanded from the influx of air. His muscles grew slightly, though there were no significant changes.


    The qi strengthened his body, while the energy nurtured it. After a considerable time, almost all the poison had been absorbed, and his body had reached a towering height of 15 feet. He then exhaled all the air he had taken in, returning to his normal state. N?v(el)B\\jnn


    [You have consumed poison.]


    [Gluttony skill has leveled up from level 5 to level 6.]


    Seeing the prompt, Lu Zhen had sessfully tested his conjecture.


    "Looks like the Gluttony skill only increases my metabolism to an insane level, allowing me to eat anything I want with it," Lu Zhen thought with satisfaction. However, he now knew that the skill wasn''t too heaven-defying, as he wasn''t immune to anything outside his stomach. It only affected his metabolism, and there should be a limit to his gluttony too. If there was no limitation lu zhen could very well be invincible.


    "I will grant you an excruciating death for helping me test my skills, Xia Long," Lu Zhen sneered to himself as he quickly made his way out of the cave as his footstep quickened.


    Meanwhile, Xia Long''s face contorted with disbelief as he stood outside the cave, his senses tingling with an odd sensation. He could clearly perceive that all the poison in the air was being sucked dry by something within the cave. Despite the poison being colourless, Xia Long wasn''t stupid to not even have a technique to sense the poison. Especially after going through so much trouble to just get the poison.


    And the fact that every trace of poison was vanishing into the cave''s depths, as if it were a bottomless void, filled him with an overwhelming sense of disbelief. He couldn''tprehend how this was happening, and his mind raced to make sense of the impossible.

 Chapter 46 Xia Long Plans

    Chapter 46 Xia Long ns


    Xia Long looked around as he spotted the bodies of the five people, all of whom were unconscious. Actually, the poison wasn''t harmful; it was just designed to make the martial artists sleep. He had concocted it using almost all the resources he had received from his mother. He had always wanted to teach his bratty cousin, who had rejected his advances and be a disciple of the Pind Autumn Sect. After she joined the sect, he knew he had almost no chance of touching her. However, the sight of his cousin''s body had driven him to be horny again as she had a beauty that xiao long just couldn''t resist anymore when she again visited the family in the previous winter. His desire has driven him to spend all the resources his mother had given him on concocting a poison that could even affect third-stage martial artists by finding a poison master and making a deal with him he was so horny that he even negting martial arts.


    When he heard that his cousin was searching for a flower, Xia Long finally knew that his chance hade. So he fabricated a story to trick her. After all, he wasn''t stupid.


    If she had truly be a core disciple of the sect, he would have been at her mercy for the rest of his life. But as she was only an inner disciple for now, he could still escape that fate by convincing his mother and her associates.


    So, he had created a poison to incapacitate her temporarily, nning to savour her beauty before killing her and eliminating this threat once and for all.


    As he contemted this, his treacherous little brother, barely more than a worm, stirred, growing slightlyrger.


    As for the cave, he had discovered it by chance, but he fabricated the story. He wanted to explore the cave himself, but he refrained because he had seen a snake guarding it, one that could rival a third-stage martial artist. He had no intention of sharing such a valuable find with anyone. He kept it a secret because if word got out about a third-stage beast in the forest, martial artists woulde rushing to im the resource. As for Lu Zhen and the others, he sought revenge for their thwarted ns involving the assassin his mother had specifically instructed him to send after the Jiang family''s young miss. Although he was reluctant to part with such a beauty, he bore with it and dispatched the assassin, fully aware of how terrifying his mother could be. He had the n to obtain xia mei so he didn''t care about the other beauty.


    Moreover, he had a chance to earn some contribution. However, when he saw that everything had gone awry because of Lu Zhen, he was undoubtedly infuriated. In fact, he was grounded by his mother for a week as a result of this failure.


    However, as he looked at the nearly finished poison, he felt a growing unease. Even though the poison was effective, it had a time limit. He couldn''t underestimate third-stage martial artists; they could awaken at any moment.


    He had no knowledge of what was happening in the cave, but given the strangeness of the situation, Lu Zhen should have died by now. A martial trainee like him couldn''t have survived such a concentrated dose of poison. If, by some chance, Lu Zhen had survived, he would have been unconscious for weeks at least he thought he had died. With determination in his eyes, he approached Xia Jiang and, without a hint of pity, slit his throat using the sword at his waist. Although it felt like cutting through metal, he managed to do it with the help of hisbat art.


    "Wind sh."


    Yet, he still wasn''t satisfied. Although blood gushed profusely, he had to be cautious. Third-stage martial artists and above could recover from mortal wounds in seconds if they had the necessary qi. With a cold expression, he severed the neck of his former servant, Xia Jiang, who had cared for him since childhood.


    With a sickening sound, Xia Jiang''s head was decapitated, but Xia Long continued to strike until Xia Jiang was mutted in his sleep.


    "Old Jiang, you will be remembered," Xia Long thought, fake tears in his eyes. Although he would lose a trusted third-stage martial artist, it was better than leaving any witnesses who might uncover his crimes and lead to his downfall. Even his mother''s forces might abandon him in such a scenario.


    Unbeknownst to him, at the cave entrance, Lu Zhen stared at him, thinking, "What an idiot." He sneered as he watched Xia Long kill Xia Jiang, the only one who had a slim chance of protecting him.


    However, Lu Zhen was somewhat puzzled by Xia Long''s extreme actions. True, he had made Xia Long look like a fool and had ignored him, but it shouldn''t warrant such a drastic response.


    "These shouldn''t be the reasons why..." Lu Zhen pondered as he observed the situation.


    Regarding why Xia Long hadn''t killed Old Bai first, Lu Zhen had a theory. Perhaps it was because Yu Bai had always been known as a sick, frail old man, seemingly on the brink of death. In the public eye, he had barely entered the third stage of martial arts. From Xia Long''s perspective, eliminating his own follower first was undoubtedly the wisest choice, considering his determination to leave no witnesses.


    "The moment Xia Long touches any of my followers, his fate is sealed," Lu Zhen thought as he carefully observed Xia Long, as if watching a great disy of "how to be foolish."


    "Wait, could it be..." Lu Zhen contemted as he noticed a pathetic little worm standing up in Xia Long''s crotch area. Upon this realization, Lu Zhen was disgusted, yet his eyes widened as he considered his conjecture.


    He looked at Xia Mei and then back at Xia Long. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "So that''s it, huh?" Lu Zhen thought, disgust evident in his eyes.

 Chapter 47 White Haired Girl

    Chapter 47 White Haired Girl


    Lu Zhen''s expression twisted into one of pure disdain as he watched Xia Long''s antics.


    "Weakling," Lu Zhen''s only word was that. Seeing Xia Long go through so much trouble just toy with Xia Mei, Lu Zhen felt pure disgust. However, at least he was smart, seeing how he had nned everything so seamlessly. If Lu Zhen had not been around, Xia Long''s n might seed, but that is an "if," and this has not happened since he was here.


    Lu Zhen had always been a firm believer in the power of strength. In his view, strength could make everything fall into ce, like gifts. That''s why he had focused on his career before anything else, knowing that as long as he achieved sess, he could attract any woman he desired with just a little effort. However, after his transmigration, he became a bit arrogant and decided to try something new by pursuing a girl. It turned out to be a disastrous endeavour, and things could have been even worse if he didn''t have the strength to protect himself.


    However, he never forgot his true pursuit: strength. He believed that as long as he continued on the path of strength, everything else would eventually fall into ce. This had been his belief in the past, and it remained true for him now. He couldn''t predict the future, but as long as he was Lu Zhen, he would never stray from the pursuit of strength.


    Lu Zhen sneered as he was about to make a move but suddenly heard a voice transmission.


    "Young master, should I kill him now?" Lu Zhen heard the voice of Yu Bai in his head.


    Lu Zhen''s eyes widened as he saw Yu Bai sleeping.


    "Young master, I was awake previously. Our bloodline gives us better resistance to poison. Although it affected me a little, it didn''t make me go to sleep." Lu Zhen heard this word, and he felt it was understandable. From the first time Lu Zhen had seen the form of Yu Bai, he was 50% sure that he could defeat some ordinary second-stage martial artist. So it shouldn''t have affected Yu Bai as much.


    "Let''s kill him now," Lu Zhen sent a voice transmission to Yu Bai, as there was nothing to watch now. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Xia Long, who was still not aware of his doom, was going towards Yu Bai.


    Lu Zhen was about to speed off to kill Xia Long in one strike; however, he felt something that sent shivers down his spine as his instinct acted up warning him about something he looked left and right but he couldn''t find anything making him confused.


    The moment he was looking for the danger that his senses tingle with danger he suddenly felt an icy-cold hand rest on his shoulder, and a sudden chill swept over him. It was a sensation he couldn''t ignore.


    "Brother, brother, can you please give me some candy?" The voice was childlike, innocent, and carefree, echoing in Lu Zhen''s ears. However, Lu Zhen frowned upon hearing the voice.


    The moment he turned around, he saw a little girl with a white kimono on her body with white hair. With an innocent smile that a child has, she was smiling.


    The kimono was a little ragged, and the girl was a little dirty, but she appeared quite clean. She was holding a bag in her hand which was ragged and torn.


    However, the moment Lu Zhen saw the girl''s eyes, his frown deepened. The girl''s eyes were pitch ck. As Lu Zhen attempted to maintain eye contact, he began to feel a bit dizzy and overwhelmed. It was almost as if the girl''s pitch-ck eyes were trying to invade his mind, hypnotizing him and making him feel drowsy.


    However, ignoring the feeling, Lu Zhen remained silent as he just stared at the girl for a moment, and his frown intensified.


    "Big brother, please give me some candy," the child said again as she extended a bag which she was holding with lots of candy.


    Lu Zhen remained emotionless as he stared at her.


    "Oh so you want some candy."


    In an instant, Lu Zhen sneered and, without a second thought, swung a punch at the girl''s face.


    Lu Zhen was expecting some resistance; however, the punch cleanly connected with the girl''s face in a second as she was sent flying.


    Her body, like a ragged doll, was sent flying to the walls of the cave.


    A dong sound resounded as the girl crashed into the wall.


    Lu Zhen was quite shocked seeing this as he looked at his hands. He had full-powered punch the girl, but it felt like he was hitting the air, as his punch couldn''t connect properly for some reason. This was barely 1% of his power; if it was 100%, the girl would have burst like a balloon.


    However, that was not the reason he was shocked. The reason he was shocked was that the girl felt normal to him, like an ordinary girl, except for the damage reduction. Lu Zhen felt that the girl was totally ordinary.


    He wasn''t stupid; there was no way an ordinary person can sneak up behind him without him even noticing, even as he was on high alert, and his five senses were superhuman. There was no absolute way that anyone could sneak up on him, and she was a little girl no less. So without a shred of hesitation, Lu Zhen punched the girl in the face.


    "So what is this girl about?" Lu Zhen thought as he tried to search in his memories for a phenomenon which was quite simr to it. However, he couldn''t find anything simr.


    At a loss, Lu Zhen simply gave up.


    "Oh well, she is dead anyway," Lu Zhen said as he was again going to attack Xia Long. However, suddenly his vision blurred for a second before he could evenprehend the situation. He once again saw the girl in front of him, still there with the same get-up.


    "Big brother, can you give me some candy?" the girl said again in her same voice as previously.

 Chapter 48 Punch

    48 Punch


    Lu Zhen narrowed his eyes to thin slits as he witnessed the girl''s miraculous recovery, baffled by her apparent resilience to his attack. She appearedpletely unharmed, as if nothing had happened, and repeated her request for candy as if on a loop.


    "Big brother, can you give me some candy?" The girl''s words sounded almost mechanical in their repetition.


    Lu Zhen stood there, his mind racing as he contemted the bizarre situation. "Since she can somehow revert back to normal and even temporarily blur my vision as she recovers..." Lu Zhen sneered, his voice dripping with skepticism as he voiced his thoughts aloud.


    "Lets see how many times you can take this," Lu Zhen challenged as he unleashed another punch at the girl.


    The girl, like a ragdoll, was sent flying once more, and as expected, his vision blurred momentarily, only for the girl to reappear in her unharmed state. n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "I can keep this up all day, but can you?" Lu Zhen taunted the unseen entity as he continued his relentless assault.


    "Three¡­ hundred¡­ two hundred ... Three hundred..." Lu Zhen counted the strikes, his brow furrowing with determination.


    "I can keep going like this forever," Lu Zhen said loudly as his blood began to boil.


    Although he could feel something sapping his physical strength away, he didn''t care since the stamina drain was pitiful. With Lu Zhen''s divine physique, he could recover faster than the absorption rate. He pummelling the creature with punch after punch.


    "Four hundred," Lu Zhen shouted loudly as he punched the creature again. However, this time, he began to notice visible nervousness on the girl''s face as she reappeared. Although she still wore a kind smile, her face was glistening with sweat against her cold whiteplexion.


    In reality, Lu Zhen was growing mentally tired of this relentless battle because he also had to restrain his demonic form, which could go out of control at any moment. Seeing the girl''s unwavering persistence was driving him to the brink of insanity.


    Despite the constant struggle to keep his demonic urges in check, Lu Zhen continued punching even faster.


    "Five hundred," Lu Zhen punched the girl one hundred more times. Finally, the girl began to break down, melting into the darkness and disappearing from the cave as if she had never existed.


    As she disappeared, her mouth moved, though no sound emerged. In the dimness, Lu Zhen strained to decipher her silent message. His eyes widened as he interpreted her final words, a mixture of anger and humiliation swelling within him.


    Unbeknownst to him, a strange butterfly-shaped mark materialised seemingly out of thin air. It clung to his skin like a persistent insect, its presence concealed as it silently syphoned away his strength, like a parasite it slowly started draining Lu Zhen''s strength.


    "You''re lucky... until next time," Lu Zhen repeated those words to himself, mimicking the subtle mouth movements of the girl just before she disappeared into the darkness. As he deciphered her silent message, he felt a little irritated for being looked down upon. It gnawed at his pride, leaving a lingering sense of annoyance and determination in its wake.


    "Next time, you''re definitely going to meet your end, whoever you are," Lu Zhen dered with a cold and determined tone. His eyes radiated a chilling resolve, as if he had already pronounced a death sentence upon the mysterious creature.


    Lu Zhen''s mood had soured considerably. Even creatures as insignificant as cats and dogs had dared to challenge him, and it deeply irritated him. Despite having a gut feeling that the entity had not revealed her full power, he remained unfazed. In his mind, he held unwavering confidence, for he, too, had concealed his true potential. With numerous skills and the untapped might of his bloodline, he possessed an arsenal of power. If all else failed, he was convinced he could consume her entirely, absorbing her strength and erasing her existence. After all, Lu Zhen, who had considered gluttony the weakest skill previously, had actually discovered that it was the one of the most powerful skills he possessed up to till this point.


    Moreover, since the creature had fled while mocking him, it was even more beneficial for Lu Zhen. He believed he would be even stronger than it in the future. With the system in hand, Lu Zhen felt it was easy to gain more power, and at that point, he could confront and defeat the girl or whatever it was. Despite his irritation, he decided not to chase after the fleeing creature.


    Even if he wanted to chase, he couldn''t find any traces of where she had gone.


    "You won''t get away next time," Lu Zhen said with a sneer as he thought of that.


    However, this irritating feeling was still bothering him.


    "I need to vent on something," Lu Zhen thought as he searched for a way to release his pent-up frustration. Although he could almost perfectly suppress this feeling with the Adapt skill, it was still annoying to have.


    Lu Zhen looked at Xia Long as he was about to strike Yu Bai, which made Lu Zhen light up with excitement as he found the perfect target, soon to be dead in his eyes.


    Although the fight, or Lu Zhen punching the creature as a sandbag, might have seemed to take a long time, it really didn''t take that long. Lu Zhen could strike about 50 punches per second, so it took only about 10 seconds, which was just enough time for Xia Long to reach Yu Bai.


    "Die," Lu Zhen said aloud as he moved with the speed of a cheetah, catching up to Xia Long in seconds.


    Meanwhile, Xia Long, gleefully fantasizing about having fun with his sister, was just about to strike Yu Bai. Seeing Xia Long''s expression, even Yu Bai felt one thing.


    "Idiot," Yu Bai thought as he prepared to make a move. His young master still hadn''t arrived, which left him quite worried about Lu Zhen. After all, Lu Zhen had finally awakened his bloodline. Without dy, Yu Bai was about to kill Xia Long on the spot, but before he could even move, Lu Zhen came in a sh and kicked Xia Long, causing him to fall to the ground.

 Chapter 49 Mark

    49 Mark


    Meanwhile, the girl seemed to move with the wind as she ran. Her movements appeared almost like teleportation as she travelled, leaving afterimages of herself. With each step, she raised one leg, and the next moment, she would reappear in the distance.


    The expression on her face remained cold and emotionless, like a porcin doll. But despite her stoic exterior, her body told a different story. Beads of sweat clung to her skin, trickling down her brow and glistening like tiny diamonds under the sunlight.


    Finally, she arrived back at the old, crumbling bamboo and y temple. The moment she returned, she copsed onto the cold, hard temple floor.


    Her face turned visibly pale, and her body showed signs of being drained. Yet, after some time, she somehow managed to gather her strength and stand up.


    However, As if like a miracle her body started being healed little by Little and her pale face regained her cold white colour and her body started to be nourished again.


    "Finally, the mark has taken effect," the girl thought to herself as she located the corner where the statue''s broken partsy.


    She closed her eyes as she sensed her surroundings.


    "Looks like there is nobody," she thought to herself as she felt a bit of relief.


    With a little effort, she walked towards it and pressed a stone that was slightly sticking out of the floor.


    The moment she pressed the stone, a cracking sound echoed as a small entrance opened in the dpidated temple.


    Without hesitation, she jumped into the hole.


    Her eyes were filled with darkness as she dived down into the hole. However, she didn''t seem to care much as she remained upright, defying gravity with her head held high.


    She fell for a good 3 to 5 minutes before finally, dim light appeared in the corner of her eyes.


    Finally, shended with a resounding "dong" sound on a metallic floor.


    The moment shended, she immediately bowed and said, "I greet master."


    In the dimly lit room, everything appeared to be metallic, and it had a somewhat futuristic vibe. There were devices that resembled mobile phones on the walls, and somefortable-looking sofas. There were some neatly arranged shelves.


    If Lu Zhen had seen this, he would undoubtedly be shocked because the room gave off a modern vibe rather than the ancient world Lu Zhen thought it was.


    Contrasting with the modern room was a single, huge icebox stored in a ss case, resembling a coffin.


    "Why have youe, Ju Ji?" a cold voice rang out. The gender of the voice was unclear, but it held an eerie quality, as if the person had just awoken.


    "Master, I have found a person with a physique simr to the ancient warriors," Ju Ji replied.


    The room suddenly fell silent for a moment, filled with a chilling aura. However, breaking the stillness, a faintughter was heard, and the room seemed to brim with life again.


    "Finally, where is it?" the voice inquired once more, this time seeminglying from all directions.


    However, upon hearing this, Ju Ji trembled, her nervousness evident through her sweating and silence.


    In response to her silence, the voice continued, "So you haven''t brought him," with a hint of disappointment in its tone.


    "Yes, master. I have lost too much energy, but I have marked him," Ju Ji said with anxiety.


    Hearing this, the voice sounded a bit relieved, albeit still somewhat disappointed. "Give it to me."


    "Yes, master," Ju Ji replied as she produced a golden ring with a metallic shine from seemingly nowhere and threw it toward the ss covering the grave.


    The ring, made of pure gold with a mark resembling the one on Lu Zhen''s, smoothly passed through the ss and into the ice.


    "Finally, I have found a suitable body," the voice resonated with joy, but before it could revel any longer, a cracking sound echoed throughout the room, and the ring shattered, sending fragments scattering. N?v(el)B\\jnn


    "This¡­" the voice uttered with disbelief, as if it couldn''t believe its own senses.


    The coffin-like structure expelled the broken ring as if it were vomiting as itnded in ji ju''s hand.


    "Who can do this?" the voice erupted with anger, apanied by an incredulous tone.


    After a moment of contemtion, it resumed, but this time with its emotionless coldness, "Take my bird and give it to that person."


    A mechanical bird, resembling the one from earlier, flew to the girl''s shoulder.


    "Yes, master," Ju Ji replied with a happy bow however seeing the broken ring she was shocked to the core.


    "A person who can escape the mark... interesting," a feminine voice echoed within the ice-like coffin, its human skin wrapped around a skeletal body smirking with amusement.


    16:34


    "We mages will rise again," the voice proimed with arrogance and a stubborn resolve.


    "Now, leave," the voicemanded once more, and the room descended into silence again.


    Ju Ji transformed into a white ball and ascended, exiting through the hole she had previously entered.


    "A person who can escape the mark... interesting," a feminine voice echoed within the ice-like coffin, its human skin wrapped around a skeletal body smirking with amusement.


    "We mages will rise again," the voice proimed with arrogance and a stubborn resolve.


    Meanwhile, Lu Zhen continued to torment Xia Long.


    "How interesting to find you here, Xia Long," Lu Zhen remarked, a smirk ying on his lips as he observed Xia Long lying on the ground.


    "You¡­ you¡­" Xia Long stammered, his eyes wide with disbelief, unable toprehend what he was witnessing.


    "How can you be fine?" Xia Long eximed loudly, his shock palpable.


    Lu Zhen remained silent, gazing at Xia Long with an amused expression.


    Gradually, Xia Long''s frantic gaze shifted to his surroundings, and a realization seemed to dawn upon him. His eyes regained rity.


    "So, that''s it, huh¡­" Xia Long muttered as understanding washed over him, followed by a bout ofughter.


    He opened his mouth, as if about to speak, but no words escaped.


    Suddenly, Xia Long sprang to his feet andunched an attack at Lu Zhen, swinging his sword in a swift, rightward motion. The motion created a gust of wind as Xia Long channeled his full power.


    "Wind sh."


    However, Lu Zhen, upon seeing the attack, felt a tinge of disappointment.


    "Wind attribute, huh," Lu Zhen thought, sensing the faint qi surrounding Xia Long as he executed his sh.


    "Let''s get this over with."

 Chapter 50 Kidnap?

    50 Kidnap?


    Lu Zhen was bored of toying with Xia Long, and he decided to put an end to their encounter. He raised his hand and executed a shing motion. The mere movement of his hand triggered a powerful force that mimicked the swing of a saber swing as if lu zhen had really swung a saber.


    With a mocking tone, Lu Zhen taunted Xia Long, "This is what is called a wind sh."


    In this world,bat arts were essentially a fusion of physics and superhuman abilities. If one possessed enough raw strength, they could replicate the techniques ofbat arts without the need for formal training in those arts.


    Lu Zhen, despitecking knowledge ofbat arts simr to Xia Long''s, could rely on his immense strength to produce simr moves. Although the efficiency of this conversion was highly unequal and could be considered trash even, Lu Zhen''s sheer power advantage over Xia Long was staggering. Whenpared, the wind-qi-enhancedbat art that Xia Long employed seemed feeble next to the raw strength Lu Zhen could produce by just applying his saber mastery to his skill.


    Xia Long''s eyes widened in horror as he witnessed the colossal wind sh bearing down on him. It appeared as though a domineering saber strike was homing in on him. The wind current generated by Lu Zhen''s attack surpassed Xia Long''s own by at least tenfold.


    As expected, Xia Long was filled with dread, and his eyes portrayed his terror. He could only helplessly watch as the wind sh he had unleashed was obliterated, while Lu Zhen''s attack continued its inexorable trajectory. Xia Long desperately sought an escape route, but an overwhelming pressure ced him in ce. His body became almost immovable, and he found himself incapable of lifting even a finger.


    The approaching sh rapidly closed the distance, and in his final moments, tears and mucus mingled on his terrified face.


    "I don''t want to die..." were Xia Long''sst thoughts as Lu Zhen''s merciless attack cleaved his body into two.


    Xia Long''s body, cleaved in two by Lu Zhen''s merciless attack, presented a gruesome and horrifying sight. The sh had torn through his flesh, muscles, and bones with incredible force, leaving behind a gruesome scene.


    At the point of impact, there was a jagged, gaping wound where his body was severed, with torn and shredded tissue around the edges. Blood, still warm and vibrant, sprayed out from the wound in all directions, forming a crimson arc around the point of impact. The viscera and internal organs within his abdomen were exposed and torn apart.


    The two halves of Xia Long''s body were disconnected, with each side lying lifelessly on the ground. His limbs syed out in unnatural positions. His life force rapidly faded as blood continued to pour from the grievous wound, staining the grassynd beneath him a dark, crimson red. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    His lifeless eyes lost their lustre, staring vacantly into the abyss.


    Seeing Xia Long die so quickly, although it might seem like Xia Long was as weak as a chicken, which he was, and Lu Zhen was bullying a Level 10 viin while he was at Level 100, which was exactly what he was doing, it may seem useless. But at least Lu Zhen got to test his new aura after it resonated with his muscles. So, Lu Zhen was a pretty happy camper.


    Of course, Lu Zhen would prefer facing opponents weaker than him at every turn. ughtering his way to the top sounded like an efficient path to power. However, he knew that not everyone would be as recklessly self-destructive as Xia Long, who was essentially courting death.


    With this in mind, Lu Zhen began contemting strategies for dealing with the more formidable adversaries he would inevitably face in the future, all with the goal of levelling up faster.


    "Let''s go now," Lu Zhen said as he looked at the three people who were still fast asleep with a hint of bitterness.


    "What should I do with her?" Lu Zhen pondered with some trouble. Now he was facing a dilemma with this girl.


    He couldn''t simply let her go. Killing her was out of the question because, regardless of the circumstances, he had ended her cousin''s life.


    Although Xia Mei might choose to keep this incident to herself, it was likely that she would still need to exin Xia Long''s death. Lu Zhen was reluctant to leave any potential evidence behind that could lead to unforeseen trouble he didn''t ask for.


    The Xia family, like the Lu family, was one of the major families, and they would likely employ their full resources to avenge their young master if they discovered what happened. They wouldn''t hesitate to confront the Lu family, as not taking action would be a matter of losing face. And a matter of losing face means that they might start to decline.


    While Lu Zhen wasn''t afraid of them, he considered the possibility of them sending their ancestor, a first-rank martial artist, after him if they somehow became brain dead. In such a scenario, his life would be in danger because although the Lu family also had a first-rank martial artist, idents could happen, and he didn''t want to live in fear. Therefore, it was crucial not to be discovered.


    And it wasn''t pleasant for Lu Zhen to leave such evidence, even if he wasn''t discovered. How could he trust someone he had just met, even if she was a beauty? It didn''t mean anything to him if she didn''t have real value.


    After all, the world was vast, and there were countless beauties among them.


    However, there was a problem: he couldn''t kill her. Unlike the lustful Xia Long, who had failed to recognize the biggest loophole, Lu Zhen understood that killing her would inevitably leave traces, no matter how meticulous he was. From what he remembered, Inner disciples were still valued in any sect, and they received teachings from at least second-stage martial artists. The sect was sure to investigate if one of its disciples went missing, especially if it involved an inner disciple. The Pink Autumn Sect was evenrger than the Lu family, and Lu Zhen had no desire to invite further trouble.


    Lu Zhen knew that until he became a first-ss martial artist, he had to act cautiously. Only then could he act without hesitation.


    Pondering his options, Lu Zhen frowned, realizing that there was no easy solution to this troublesome matter.


    "Women really bring me trouble," Lu Zhen mused bitterly.


    After contemting for some time, Lu Zhen finally had a simple idea of what to do.


    "Let''s kidnap her," Lu Zhen decided. It wasn''t an ideal solution, but it seemed to be the best option avable.


    Without hesitation, he instructed Yu Bai as he pointed at Xia Mei, "Old Bai, go gather a rope and somerge leaves, about the size of her."


    Hearing this, Yu Bai was taken aback and asked, "Young Master, do you mean..."


    Lu Zhen simply nodded, and Yu Bai left to procure the items Lu Zhen needed with hints of reluctancy.

 Chapter 51 Mark (2)

    51 Mark (2)


    Swish!


    With a swishing sound, Yu Bai disappeared from his spot as he went in search of it.


    The moment Yu Bai left, Lu Zhen examined the mark that was printed on the back of his hand.


    The mark resembled that of a butterfly and was pitch ck in color, although not as dark as the girl''s eyes, which seemed to be imprable to light. Somehow, she had marked Lu Zhen with this butterfly mark.


    The colour of the mark was an intense ck, and it bore a simple butterfly design, resembling a tattoo, albeit entirely ck.


    As Lu Zhen observed the tattoo, he inexplicably felt slight movements, as if the butterfly were alive, though it appeared to be devoid of vitality.


    A thin, thread-like aura was connected to the tattoo. However, this connection was obstructed by Lu Zhen''s own aura, creating a domain-like barrier. Lu Zhen continued to supply his aura to the tattoo, which seemed to consume it like a voracious ck hole.


    The tattoo was slowly sapping his strength away, although it was even more meagre than when Lu Zhen fought with the girl. It was subtle, barely noticeable with Lu Zhen''s divine physique. This subtle drain of strength sent a shiver down his spine, but a peculiar smile still yed on his face.


    "How interesting, huh," Lu Zhen mused aloud. He ceased supplying his aura to the mark. As he did, the tattoo began to fade, almost as if it were dying. However, Lu Zhen quickly resumed supplying his aura to the tattoo, and in an instant, it regained its vibrant, almost revitalized appearance.


    "This connection," Lu Zhen thought, his brows furrowing as he examined the long thread, its pitch-ck colour pointing toward the direction that they were previously in the old temple. Pondering this, his frown deepened.


    "Did I miss something in the temple?" Lu Zhen thought as he had examined nearly half of the temple''s contents with his appraisal eyes. However, Lu Zhen felt it was natural to miss such a thing, considering that the girl had approached him from behind without him even noticing her presence. There must be something which he doesn''t know about that allows such a phenomenon for them to do so.


    Thinking of this Lu Zhen tightened his fist he still has a lot to learn.


    In reality, during his battle with the girl, Lu Zhen hadn''t even noticed that he had been marked by something peculiar. However, after the fight, he began to sense a strange aura slowly sapping his strength. Fortunately, his mastery of the aura control skill allowed him to detect such changes in his aura effortlessly. With this skill, he promptly isted the tattoo by cocooning it within his own aura, preventing its insidious influence.


    With his aura control skill levelled up so high, he could now change his aura into different forms.


    "Let''s sever this connection," Lu Zhen thought, as he had an idea about how to remove the pesky thread''s connection.


    After all, he was still interested in this butterfly tattoo and wanted to unravel its mystery. He had never heard of such a heaven-defying thing that could sap an enemy''s physical strength. If he could harness this power, he could potentially exhaust enemies to death without even lifting a finger.


    "Let''s do this," Lu Zhen thought as he slowly closed his crimson eyes.


    As Lu Zhen closed his eyes, he began to visualize a saber. He tried to shape a small portion of his aura ordingly.


    Slowly, an invisible force materialized in Lu Zhen''s hand, forming into the semnce of a handle.


    However, Lu Zhen began to sweat after the handle was constructed. It felt challenging to create, but he didn''t give up; he persisted.


    Gradually, a de began to grow from the handle. But this time, when the de was halfway formed, a cracking sound echoed in the surroundings.


    Creak!


    With a creaking sound, the aura in the shape of a saber copsed, causing Lu Zhen to feel dizzy.


    "Sigh, my aura control skill isn''t sufficient," Lu Zhen thought with bitterness. He had no choice but to continue. Although his aura control skill could shape into various forms, it couldn''t replicate the physics of a saber urately, as neither his aura control nor his saber mastery skills were advanced enough to imprint his aura with the characteristics of a saber.


    Thinking this through, Lu Zhen decided to opt for an easier approach.


    He closed his eyes once again, visualizing a saber. However, this time, the saber was peculiar; itcked a handle, consisting only of the de with one side sharp and the other t. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Gradually, a small portion of Lu Zhen''s aura separated from him, materializing into the shape of a de. Lu Zhen meticulously imagined the de''s form, height, length, weight, temperature, and nearly all its attributes. The aura gradually took on the de''s unusual shape.


    Yet, when Lu Zhen sensed the final form of the de, he was nearly repulsed. The saber de he had envisioned had turned into something resembling a blender de, almost taking on the form of a snake. Its de tip was sharp on both sides, although the sharpness seemed barely enough to cut through paper, let alone harm a person.


    Suppressing his disappointment, Lu Zhen had to give it a try. He thought, "Will this de even work?" as he swung the invisible aura de at the string.


    The moment the de sliced through the string, like a sharp knife cutting through paper, it effortlessly severed the string into two pieces, leaving Lu Zhen stunned.


    Meanwhile, Ji Ju, who was sprinting at top speed while carrying the remnants of the ring, noticed that the broken ring parts all turned to dust as they were carried away by the wind.


    "This shouldn''t be possible," Ji Ju thought in shock, but it only fueled her determination to find the mysterious person.


    "It seems the string is quite fragile," Lu Zhen mused as he felt the mark that had been draining his strength beginning to go dormant. He sensed the pulsating sensation fading away, reced by stillness, as if the mark had fallen asleep.


    Sensing this change, Lu Zhen couldn''t help but feel relieved.


    "It looks like it works," he said, staring at the mark with a greedy expression.


    "Don''t worry, I''ll make better use of you than your previous owner," Lu Zhen thought with a confident smirk.


    Although Lu Zhen wasn''t certain whether this strange mark was truly alive or not, he had a gut feeling that it could prove quite beneficial in the future. Thus, he decided to keep it with him for now.


    "Young master, I have found the rope and the leaves," Yu Bai said respectfully as he appeared beside Lu Zhen, handing over the materials.


    "Oh, then let''s go quickly," Lu Zhen responded decisively. Since he had severed the string that connected the mark, its owner might have already noticed. He didn''t want to face these an unknown emeies without understanding what he wes dealing with.


    "Know yourself, know your enemy, and you will win every war." The saying of Lao Zhu, which Lu Zhen had enjoyed reading in his past life for fun, was somethinge Lu Zhen knew by heart.


    Lu Zhen grasped the thick twisted rope that Yu Bai had found and couldn''t help but marvel at its sheer size. The rope was about 2 inches thick. When Lu Zhen gave it a gentle pull, it didn''t break, which greatly satisfied him. Even that casual tug had the power of an average martial trainee, so the rope''s durability impressed him.


    Curiously, he asked Yu Bai, "Where did you get this, Old Bai?"


    "Young master, you can easily obtain this from those ancient trees," Yu Bai exined, pointing at the towering trees that almost seemed to touch the heavens.


    "Oh, I see," Lu Zhen replied, understanding the source.


    The trees in this world were incredibly oversized. Even ordinary trees were around two kilometres tall, and the ancient tree Yu Bai was indicating exceeded that height. Wild beasts, in contrast, hadn''t increased in size to match the trees. Lu Zhen hadn''t yet known any wild beasts that were 2 kilometres tall. Typically, as beasts grew stronger, their size increased, but not to the exaggerated extent of these trees.


    Lu Zhen wagered that if one of these ancient trees were to fall, even a first-rank martial artist might not survive.


    Without further dy, Lu Zhen used the rope to bind Xia Mei in a restraining fashion. He began by securing both her hands behind her back in a tight zigzag pattern. As he did so, He could feel her soft skin against his arms, although in some areas, it seemed rough, likely from fighting all day.


    Seeing the tightly twisted rope bound to her skin as her mountain peaks poked out of the rope, even Lu Zhen couldn''t help but gulp. He felt a strong desire to im this woman for himself, but the owner of the mysterious mark might arrive at any moment. Suppressing his emotions, he continued to wrap the rope around her body until she waspletely encased in it.


    After doing that lu zhen took the leaves which were as big as jiang xue and enloped her in it.


    "Let''s go now, Old Bai," Lu Zhen said as he darted off carrying Xia Mei on his shoulder, while Yu Bai carried the twins, maintaining the same swift pace as they raced through the forest.

 Chapter 52 Sufferings

    52 Sufferings


    "We''re finally here," Lu Zhen dered upon spotting the enormous wall in the distance. Seeing this, Lu Zhen couldn''t help but feel a slight sense of relief. He had been quite anxious about whether the creature, or whatever it was, behind him was still in pursuit.


    However, it seemed that the creature had either given up the chase or couldn''t locate them after Lu Zhen severed the string connection. Either way, Lu Zhen was relieved that they had avoided further trouble. Dealing with an unknown entity, especially one he had no knowledge about, had been far from pleasant.


    "Let''s pick up the pace," Lu Zhen urged as he quickened his stride while carrying Xia Mei.


    Lu Zhen could hear Xia Mei''s breathing, indicating that she was already awake. However, since she chose to remain silent for the time being, Lu Zhen decided not to speak either. He remained vignt, ready to react if she made any sudden movements.


    With Xia Mei securely bound by ropes and concealed with leaves, he felt confident that he could react swiftly if she made any sudden movements. And it was even better if she was so obedient. Lu Zhen increased his pace even faster.


    Seeing the increased pace of Lu Zhen, Yu Bai also sped up.


    The dim sun rays fell on Lu Zhen and Yu Bai. It was still winter; however, it wasn''t that cold for Lu Zhen. n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "Not bad. We reached here in one day," Lu Zhen mused to himself. After all, on foot, it would have taken approximately three days to just reach the city. However, since Lu Zhen and Yu Bai were going at their full speed, they took only a day to arrive.


    Lu Zhen saw the long line of people all waiting to enter the city gate.


    "Cough, cough... Mom, when will I get to eat?" A malnourished child weakly asked. She had barely any energy left and couldn''t even cry, appearing to be close to death.


    "Don''t worry, my daughter; we will soon," the mother said as she sobbed. However, the mother didn''t waste even her tears; she fed them to her daughter, providing the child with a little satisfaction for her thirst.


    Lu Zhen''s ears twitched as he observed the crowd of people lining up, all of whom seemed famished. There were numerous people in the crowd like the mother and daughter.


    Seeing this, Lu Zhen sighed but didn''t take any action. He knew he was no saviour and had no ns to be one.


    Lu Zhen recognized himself as very selfish, and this would never change. He considered his own life above all else, so he had no intention of trying to be a saviour.


    After all, Lu Zhen understood the truth: being a saviour was only ideal in fantasies. If you truly became a hero, you would live a short life, and Lu Zhen had no interest in a short life. He wanted to live a long, self-fulfilling one, and anyone who tried to disrupt that was undoubtedly his enemy.


    However, Lu Zhen found it strange that so many people hade to the city this time. He was certain that when he had left the city, although there were some refugees, there weren''t as many as there were now lining up in the crowd. It was strange that in just the few days he was gone, such arge influx of people had already crowded the area.


    "There must be a war somewhere," Lu Zhen thought, as there were far too many refugees to count.


    There weren''t any kingdoms or rules in this ce, unlike the novels Lu Zhen had read. There were only cities like Phoenix City, which were ruled by major families, or there were sects that held territories evenrger than the families. There was no such thing as royalty, and nobody ruled an exaggerated ce. Lu Zhen wasn''t certain about the reasons behind this arrangement, but he understood that such a structure often led to conflicts. In many ces, especially those without even a single first-stage martial artist, disputes and battles were asmon as daily meals, fueled by human greed.


    In fact, Phoenix City was quite a peaceful cepared to those other ces. The city was stabilized by the four first-rank martial artists that the four major families possessed, which kept each other in check. However, seeing the fragile bnce that was preventing the four major families from breaking apart, Lu Zhen knew that a war would likely start soon if things continued this way. It seemed inevitable.


    "I must reach the first stage martial artist before the war starts," Lu Zhen thought with determination.


    However, before he could focus on that goal, he had to navigate through the sea of people blocking his way.


    Since Lu Zhen first exited the carriage, which bore the symbolic symbol of the Lu family, he was easily allowed to leave. However, now that he was barefooted, people wouldn''t recognize him, so he would have to navigate through the sea of these people before reaching the gate, which was quite a tedious process through and through.


    Thinking quickly, Lu Zhen said to Yu Bai, "Let''s just jump."


    Hepressed his powerful muscles, generating an explosive surge of energy that coursed through his body and into the ground. Then, with a forceful push, he propelled himself into the air using his sheer strength.


    Stunned by his young master''s actions, Yu Bai realized that navigating through the crowd would be a lengthy process. He decided to follow Lu Zhen''s lead and jumped, utilizing his qi to assist him.


    "Mother, look up," a child eximed, her hungry eyes filled with curiosity.


    The mother followed her daughter''s gaze and saw people flying through the air. She immediately bowed, taking her daughter''s head and bowing as well.


    "I am sorry, Immortal, for looking up to you," the woman said, her face disying nervousness and panic.


    Others in the crowd also noticed the two individuals in the air and followed suit, bowing in fear.


    Observing the crowd''s worship for no apparent reason, Lu Zhen found it a bit strange. "Are themon people in this world ignorant of martial artists?" he wondered.


    Ignoring the bowing crowd, Lu Zhen and Yu Bainded directly in front of the city gate.


    A resounding boom echoed as Lu Zhen touched down, and Yu Bainded beside him. However, before they could take another step, a spear was pointed at them, and a self-righteous voice demanded, "Halt! Who are you, and what are you carrying?"

 Chapter 53 Fe Cai

    53 Fe Cai


    Lu Zhen looked at the person who was pointing his spear at him with an emotionless expression; however, Lu Zhen''s crimson eyes had an amused glint, as if he was watching an idiot.


    There were two guards there: one was pointing the spear at Lu Zhen, and the other was just standing there with a smirk on his face.


    The guy pointing the spear at Lu Zhen had golden hair and a lean physique, with blue eyes that made him quite handsome enough topare to Lu Zhen. However, he had a feminine charm, whereas Lu Zhen''s charm was muscr. He wore the ssical captain guard uniform of Phoenix City, with a metal bracelet entuating his green robes and pants.


    However, Lu Zhen didn''t reply; he just stared at the person as if looking at an idiot.


    Seeing this, the spearman pointing his spear at Lu Zhen frowned.


    "Fei Cai, are you trying to catch another fat sheep?" the other person besides him said in a whisper, smirking with knowing eyes.


    There were always some fat sheeps who were refugee martial trainees who became arrogant because they thought they could be of importance here. They were called fat sheep because they could be sent to the mines as punishment, which would always earn them quite a bonus in their sry. These arrogant martial trainees were always the fattest sheep that a guard could get and delighted the guards when they showed themselves. After all, although it might seem like jumping that high was a great feat for an ordinary person, any martial trainee could aplish such a thing if they were willing to work for it. Seeing the ragged clothes of the two, the guard was sure that they were just refugee martial trainees.


    However, Fei Cai frowned upon hearing this. "It is our duty to guard here. How can we add personal interest here?" Fei Cai said with a frown on his face when he heard the guy, as he stopped the two people who were one young and another old, but they both were muscr.


    Lu Zhen''s ears twitched when he heard this, and his amusing eyes became even more so.


    "Didn''t you hear me? Who are you?" Fei Cai said as his spear went even closer to Lu Zhen.


    Seeing no reply, Fei Cai became a little confused as he saw the young man in front of him looking at him with even more amusement, as if watching a great show called "I am an idiot."


    Fei Cai narrowed his eyes as he looked at the two more carefully. The old guy was carrying two people in his arms, walking casually with his clothes dirty from all the mud, and his clothes were a little tattered. He had a muscr build. The young man was carrying a leaf loaded with something, although Fei Cai didn''t know what it was. The young man was handsome, with ck long hair and red crimson eyes.


    Still, they shouldn''t be good people if they are carrying people and being so audacious. However, before he could stop them, the other guard caught a glimpse of Lu Zhen, which made his eyes widen with pure horror, and his body started shaking uncontrobly. He hurriedly stopped Fei Cai by lowering the spear. n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "What''s the matter with you?" Fei Cai said as he turned back to see the trembling guard with terrified eyes.


    "This¡­this¡­" the guard couldn''t utter a word, knowing that he had messed up. However, an insidious n came to his mind to save his life as his brain worked faster than ever before. "Fei Cai, are you crazy? That''s the young master of the Lu family," the guard said with a cold tone, although there were beads of sweat on his body, visible if you looked closely.


    When Fei Cai heard this, his eyes widened, and he gritted his teeth but immediately put down his spear as he bowed with reluctance. "I am sorry, young master," Fei Cai said respectfully, though there was a hint of indignation in his tone.


    The other guard also immediately bowed and said, "Young master, I am extremely sorry because of my idiot friend here, you have been disturbed." The guard said with a smirk on his face, thinking he had put all the me on his friend.


    Hearing the betrayal of his so-called friend in just a moment, Fei Cai couldn''t help but feel bitter. He knew that the guy was a faker who would stab you in the back as long as it benefited him. However, he didn''t feel any remorse for his actions, as he believed he was just doing his job.


    Nevertheless, Lu Zhen remained in ce, simply gazing at them. With no response forting, the two guards exchanged furtive nces. Upon catching sight of Lu Zhen''s piercing crimson eyes, an unexinable mental pressure descended upon them, causing them to inexplicably break into a sweat. Although Fei Cai was fine, the other guard''s uniform was already soaked with sweat.


    Fei Cai became even more bitter when he saw no reply from Lu Zhen. Actually, the guards guarding the gates were a collective group of people directly under the four major families. So, they could be arrogant to anyone except the direct descendants of the family or anyone rted to the four major families, who were like novelties to them - nothing more than dogs to the four major families. Offending the infamous young master of the Lu family was like a death sentence to them, although they had heard that the Lu family young master had considerably improved and had be friendlier, they didn''t know the authenticity of the rumour. Actually, it wasn''t even their fault that Lu Zhen was stopped; after all, the direct descendants had their special carriage that they always travelled in, so they couldn''t even dare to imagine that Lu Zhen could appear barefooted and with his clothes messed up too.


    "Open the gates," Lu Zhen finally said after a long silence.


    "Yes, young master," the subordinates of Fei Cai and the other guard quickly said with panic as they pulled the lever.


    "If you can survive this, we will meet again in the future," Lu Zhen said as he looked at Fei Cai before leaving with Yu Bai, wearing a mysterious smile.


    Hearing this, Fei Cai''s eyes widened.

 Chapter 54 Adapt with Bloodline

    54 Adapt with Bloodline


    "Interesting, so that Fe Cai guy has a simr aura to Xia Mei," Lu Zhen thought as he sensed the instinctual urge to kill gradually subside.


    "That guy must also have a Bloodline," Lu Zhen spected with a furrowed brow.


    When he had first encountered Xia Mei, he had felt an instinctual desire to mate. This time, when he met the golden-haired guy, the same murderous instinct had welled up.


    However, Lu Zhen had grown more ustomed to these emotions originating from his bloodline, allowing him to control them better.


    "It seems like the Adapt skill is doing its job well," Lu Zhen thought with satisfaction. He could now almost entirely manage the urges stemming from his bloodline. As his Adapt skill continued to level up, he believed he would gain full mastery over his bloodline. When that day came, he might be able to harness the full power of the Vulgrith form without losing control of his mind.


    Reflecting on this, Lu Zhen felt content that he had another card in his arsenal. He didn''t consider the Vulgrith form a hidden trump card previously because it was an unstable factor. Even if he were to obtain the scroll, he wouldn''t use it recklessly. The form wasrgely impractical. Although he could sense that in the Vulgrith form, he might hold his own against a second-stage martial artist in a direct confrontation, that was a big "if." In that form, Lu Zhen was still not fully awakened, and his mind was clouded. Even after ughtering an entire camp, his berserk state had only been momentarily sated. However, if Lu Zhen could gainplete control over this form, it could be his second most powerful trump card, right behind Gluttony.


    Thinking about this matter left him somewhat satisfied. However, he couldn''t help but ponder an essential point that Yu Bai had mentioned.


    "Aren''t Bloodline users supposed to be rare?" Lu Zhen furrowed his brows.


    Yu Bai had emphasized that Bloodline users were exceedingly umon. They were like hidden gems scattered throughout the vast world, most of them choosing to live reclusive lives, hidden away in remote corners, in order to control their instincts. Yet, here was Lu Zhen, who had already encountered at least two of them.


    Lu Zhen wanted to discuss this with Yu Bai, but the bustling street was hardly the right ce for such a conversation. He decided to leave it forter, to be discussed when they returned to the Lu estate.


    As he looked at his shoulder, where Xia Mei was securely tied up in ropes and concealed with leaves, a wicked curiosity sparked in Lu Zhen''s eyes.


    "How does this Bloodline actually work?" he thought with an evil smirk on his face which looked like a viin''s smile.


    Underneath the leafy coverings, Xia Mei shivered as she felt chills at her back for some reasons she couldn''t quite understand.


    Lu Zhen and Yu Bai continued their journey through the bustling streets, where the cacophony of voices and the hustle and bustle of people filled the air.


    "The crowd here is overwhelming," Lu Zhen thought to himself. He was greeted by a sea of people moving about, each engrossed in their own activities.


    Children yed gleefully on the streets, hawkers loudly advertised their wares, and lu zhen could smell the tantalising aromas wafted from nearby food stalls. Almost everyone seemed to be wearing smiles, content in their daily routines.


    Since Lu Zhen had always travelled in the carriage, he had never seen the sheer intensity of people. But now, seeing the bustling street filled with people, Lu Zhen was undoubtedly shocked.


    Amidst the crowd of people, Lu Zhen and Yu Bai made their way toward the Lu family estate. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    However, as they continued to travel, lu zhen heard a peculiar sound.


    "Myra Fangs, said to grant an ordinary person the ability to be a martial artist instantly!"


    "Get it today for a discounted price of just ten gold biscuits!"


    Lu Zhen''s ears twitched at the mention of "Myra Fangs." He regarded the hawker with a funny expression.


    Since he was already here, Lu Zhen decided to give it a try.


    Lu Zhen closed his eyes, and when he opened them again, they turned golden. But when he gazed upon it once more, his eyes widened in shock.


    "This... this can''t be..." Lu Zhen thought in disbelief, rubbing his eyes and scrutinising the item again.


    The same prompt appeared as he continued to examine the item.


    "Let''s go there, Old Bai," Lu Zhen said, as he swung his right hand pushing a person who was in front of him.


    The person was angry as he was about to curse however when the person saw lu zhen his eyes tuned terrified as he took back his word with a gulp swallowing his own saliva.


    "Of course, young master," Yu Bai replied as they manoeuvred through the bustling crowd toward the vendor who was lu zhen saw fro previously.


    "Old Yao, you can''t seriously expect people to believe this nonsense," a child chimed in, overhearing the hawker''s speech as he took the ball which mistakenly was thrown in the shop.


    "Hmph, what do you know, kid? Everything in my shop is authentic! You want a spanking, is that it?" Old Yao retorted, shooing away the child who had retrieved a ball near his stall.


    "I don''t believe your stories for a second. Do you think anyone would fall for this?" the child taunted, a smirk on his face. His teeth appeared to have gone without washing for quite some time, emitting a foul odour that filled the shop.


    Old Yao considered this briefly before his smirk turned into a confident smile. Leaning closer to the child''s ear, he whispered, "You''d be surprised, kid. There are more gullible people in this world than you think."


    The child raised an incredulous eyebrow. "You can''t be serious."


    With a sly smile, Old Yao responded, "Heheheh... trust me, I am." Upon catching a whiff of the unpleasant smell, Old Yao quickly covered his nose with two fingers and eximed, "Get lost, you little brat! This is bad for my business."


    "Alright, I''ll go," the child conceded, his tone lightening. He quickly made his exit, muttering, "Kids these days."


    Old Yao, still exasperated, shook his head and returned to hawking his unusual wares.

 Chapter 55 Bargaining

    55 Bargaining


    "The business should be fine as long as I find an idiot like thest time," Old Yao thought as his voice increased.


    He finally saw two people who were slowly walking towards him.


    "Finally, idiots," Old Yao thought; however, seeing their muscle frame, he was a little afraid.


    "How much for this?" Lu Zhen asked as he pointed at the item, which was what Old Yao was over exaggerating.


    "One gold biscuits, nothing more, nothing less," Old Yao said as he huffed and sat back in the chair arrogantly. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    Hearing this, Lu Zhen frowned a little. The currency for mortals was divided into iron, silver, and gold.


    An iron coin could buy you a dark bread, which was eaten by the poor and was as cold and hard as rock. A normal person''s average ie was about one silver coin, equivalent to 100 iron coins, and one golden biscuit was equivalent to 100 silver coins.


    A normal family couldst a month with just 10 silver coins, and the old man asking for one golden biscuit was like asking for 10 months of ordinary family expenses.


    Although this amount was nothing for Lu Zhen, asking him this much for a shady scam item the old man probably got from shady scam deals was a little too much. Lu Zhen felt like he was being taken advantage of, and he didn''t like this feeling as he got no benefits whatsoever.


    If he got benefits, he wouldn''t mind, but since the old man was just taking advantage of Lu Zhen, he had an idea of what to do.


    Although he could just kill the old man and get whatever he wanted, as his family basically owned 1/4 of the entire city, it didn''t mean he could do whatever he wanted. He had worked very hard to gain a little reputation after his small acts. However, if he really killed the old man, he would lose all that reputation.


    He still considered reputation a little, after all, sometimes reputation was even mightier than strength, and Lu Zhen wasn''t one to neglect anything that could potentially benefit him. These meager money offerings weren''t even worth a nce.


    "Give me all these items for one gold biscuit. Deal or no deal?" Lu Zhen said casually as he swept his hand over everything in the old man''s shop.


    Hearing this, the old man''s eyes widened as he said, "Young master, can you really do this to this poor old man? I am just an ordinary man trying to make a living in his old age. Every item here is genuine and can be sold for at least one gold biscuit. Aren''t you being too overbearing?" The old man said with puppy eyes filled with tears, looking at Lu Zhen as if he were a victim.


    Hearing this, Lu Zhen just sneered.


    "Alright, no deal," Lu Zhen said as he walked away with Yu Bai.


    Seeing this, Old Yao just watched in despair as his money-making bank was going away.


    However, he continued to stare at Lu Zhen''s back, desperately hoping that Lu Zhen would turn around. Yet, as he observed that Lu Zhen remained unmoved, the old man''s eyes filled with despair.


    He hurriedly stood up from his seat and ran as fast as he could, as if his life depended on it.


    "Young master, please wait, I am willing," the old man said with some panic.


    Hearing this, Lu Zhen sneered inwardly. However, he had a thoughtful expression on his face.


    Seeing the thoughtful expression of Lu Zhen, the old man panicked as he said, "What happened, young master?" The old man said hurriedly.


    "Hmm, seeing you readily agree, I will also agree," Lu Zhen said as they all returned to the shop again.


    After they arrived in the shop, however, Lu Zhen had a confused expression on his face.


    "Young master?" The old man asked as he somehow started to sweat buckets for no reason.


    "I changed my mind. I will only buy these goods if you tell me how you got these goods. If you tell me honestly, I will give you two gold biscuits," Lu Zhen said, with an unclear expression on his face as if he were hesitating.


    "If you tell me a lie, you know the consequences," Lu Zhen said as he paused. "So where is your son?"


    20:49


    "Young master, I will tell you; it was..." Old Yao gulped hearing two gold biscuits as he started talking. However, before he could continue.


    "If you don''t tell me the truth, there will be consequences," Lu Zhen said as he stared at the old man with his crimson red eyes.


    Seeing the eyes of Lu Zhen, Old Yao started to feel pressure out of nowhere as he started to sweat even more profusely just from Lu Zhen''s stare.


    Gulp!


    A gulp sound resounded as the old man felt pressure like never before, as if he uttered even one false word, his neck would be severed right there.


    "Sigh," Old Yao sighed as he started to tell the truth, as he could tell that these people were not someone he could mess with, even though they wore ragged clothes.


    "Young master, this was given to me by my son, Yao Yi. He picked it from somewhere," Old Yao said with some resignation.


    "Where?" Lu Zhen said with a cold tone.


    "Please forgive me, young master. I don''t know," Old Yao said with bitterness.


    Hearing this, Lu Zhen found it to be likely.


    "If you tell me a lie, you know the consequences," Lu Zhen said as he paused. "So where is your son?"


    "Young master, my son is an adventurer who likes to go everywhere. He is out of this city," Old Yao hurriedly replied.


    Hearing this, Lu Zhen frowned. However, since it was the case, he could only go with it for now.


    "Alright, give me all these items for now," Lu Zhen said as he took out two gold biscuits from his pouch and handed them to the old man.


    "After hees back, you shoulde to the Lu mansion," Lu Zhen said with amanding tone.


    Hearing the Lu family name, the old man''s eyes widened as he hurriedly bowed and didn''t take the gold biscuits from Lu Zhen.


    "Young master, I don''t dare," Old Yao said with fear in his eyes as he trembled uncontrobly.


    "Pack all these things up," Lu Zhen said as he ced the gold in the old man''s hand.


    "Yes, Young Master," Old Yao hurriedly packed all the things he had into a ck sack he had at the corner of the makeshift table. He handed it to Lu Zhen.


    However, before Lu Zhen could take the sack, he heard the loud noise of a carriage.


    "Wait."

 Chapter 56 Cliche

    56 Cliche


    Lu Zhen heard the noise as he looked at the one causing such trouble. When he saw the insignia of the Huang family, a boar, he frowned.


    "Our Miss hase to this shop," a servant exited the carriage, and the crowd cleared the way for the Huang family.


    Lu Zhen could see a purple slithoulite in the carriage as he narrowed his eyes.


    "We are going to buy everything you have. How much do you want for it?" the guard said with an arrogant smirk.


    However, seeing all the goods in Lu Zhen''s hands, the guard frowned a little.


    "Whoever you are, since you took all the goods, name your price. Our Miss will give it to you," the guard said arrogantly.


    Hearing this, Lu Zhen just smirked as he slowly positioned his hands for a fight.


    "Don''t move, Old Bai," Lu Zhen telepathicallymunicated to Yu Bai.


    "Yes, Young Master," Yu Bai replied, sending his voice transmission to Lu Zhen as he kept the weapon he was about to withdraw.


    The servant narrowed his eyes when he saw that Lu Zhen was ready to fight.


    "We are the Huang family," the servant announced loudly. However, Lu Zhen still stayed in a fighting position, confusing the servant. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    A silence permeated the surroundings as nobody talked for minutes.


    "Young Master, I wonder if you have any demands. I will fulfill them as long as you can give those items to us," Lu Zhen heard a female voice from inside the carriage where he could see the purple slithoulite of the woman.


    "Young Miss, this is just a co¡­" the servant was about to say something; however, Lu Zhen wasn''t in the mood to listen to a servant''s ttery, so he immediately interrupted.


    "Oh, then how much can you give me for this?" Lu Zhen said as he stared at the carriage, as if he could see the young Miss behind it.


    "State your price," the female behind the carriage said with a cold voice.


    Hearing this, Lu Zhen sneered.


    "Alright, how about a qi stone mine?" Lu Zhen said with an expressionless face.


    Hearing about a mine, the whole ce went silent for a moment.


    "How dare you¡­" the female resounded; however, Lu Zhen again interrupted.


    "Didn''t you say I can name my price? If you can''t give me this price, then I''m not selling it," Lu Zhen said as he sneered.


    Hearing this, the woman behind the carriage vaguely made some hand signs, which Lu Zhen could see vaguely.


    The moment she did the hand sign, all the 20 to 30 guards moved toward Lu Zhen, surrounding him in moments.


    However, Lu Zhen wasn''t an idiot. Why would he stay still while his enemy was preparing?


    With a swish sound, Lu Zhen just swiped his hands. The moment he did, a tearing sound spread as two people who were hit were split, sttering blood and organs on the ground.


    "This¡­" the guards of the Huang family had widened eyes as they saw Lu Zhen killing them almost effortlessly.


    The crowd who saw the scene of Lu Zhen killing the two people.


    Some ran faster than they ever could to their ce, and some just stared at the people Lu Zhen killed with curiosity and interest.


    "Is he an idiot? Does he really think he can get away now that he has killed two servants?" a person said in the crowd while smirking.


    "If it were me, I would ask for 10 gol¡­ No, 100 gold biscuits," another person said with envy in his eyes.


    "We are going to watch a show this time."


    Some people had their own thoughts as they stayed there, watching the unfolding events of the two who were confronting the Huang family.


    "Get out of the way," a voice resounded as a person sidelined the guards and came.


    The person wore yellow clothes with an insignia of a boar on his clothes.


    "So you are also a martial artist, huh? Then take my qiang (spear)," the person said as all the ordinary guards in ck uniforms let him enter with a smirk on their faces.


    "Boss is going to teach him a lesson to the grave," the guards thought as they looked at Lu Zhen with pure anger and disgust.


    "How clich¨¦," Lu Zhen thought as he stared at the man without making any moves.


    "Sigh, I have gotten quite used to killing, huh¡­" Lu Zhen thought as he looked at the cold corpses of the two on the ground.


    He couldn''t feel much emotion killing them, like cutting grass, and he had adapted to these feelings long ago.


    During fights, it was bound to happen that someone might die, and Lu Zhen sneered, as this would be his life from now on. Although he hoped it wouldn''t, it would always be the case because, no matter how you hid, as long as you got stronger, you would eventually be found out one way or another.


    So it was better to fight for benefits than sit around all day long, hoping for enlightenment that might nevere, and you could die with regrets at the meager achievements you had made.


    As he was contemting, his ears twitched as he heard the sound of the spear swoosh, which made him frown.


    "I almost forgot about this guy," Lu Zhen thought.


    Almost instinctively, Lu Zhen caught the spear''s tip with his finger.


    Feeling unpleasant about being disturbed, he casually swung his right hand in a hook towards his attacker.


    Before the spear man could react, Lu Zhen''s punch connected with the man''s head.


    The spear man''s eyes widened as he witnessed the lightning-fast swing of Lu Zhen''s attack. Horror overtook him as he felt the devastating impact of the fist.


    With a puncturing sound, Lu Zhen''s punch directly connected with the head, and like a hammer hitting a watermelon, it burst like a watermelon.


    His vision went nk as the headless body of the man fell to the ground.


    Pitch!


    With a pitch sound the blood of the person dyed the ground red.


    A silence permeated the surroundings as an angry voice erupted with anger, from inside the carriage.


    "You dare."


    "Why wouldn''t I dare?" Lu Zhen said casually.

 Chapter 57 Huang li

    57 Huang li


    "Let''s go now," Lu Zhen said as he carried the bag in his other arm.


    "Oh, as for you, know what to do¡­" Lu Zhen said as he looked to his right, where the old man was hurriedly trying to escape without making a sound.


    "Yes, Young Master," the old man bowed in embarrassment. There was a deep fear in his eyes.


    "You will die for sure for doing this," the angry voice resounded with some anger.


    However, hearing this, Lu Zhen replied, "Sure, you can try," as he walked off.


    "You¡­" Lu Zhen could hear the ragged breathing of the girl from inside the carriage.


    Suddenly, he heard a rustling sound, which made him smirk internally. "Finally took the bait," Lu Zhen thought as he smirked.


    "Here, carry this," Lu Zhen said as he handed the sack containing all the items from the old man''s shop to Yu Bai.


    "Yes, Young Master," Yu Bai said, confused. However, he couldn''t be confused for long as his eyes widened with realization when he saw the woman getting out of her carriage with nunchucks in her hands.


    She quickly covered the distance between Lu Zhen and her as she took the right side of the nunchucks in her hands and swung it to the right.


    The moment she swung, Lu Zhen''s smirk widened into a grin as he thought, "She took the bait."


    As her nunchucks'' right handle was about to make contact with Lu Zhen''s back, a small smirk appeared behind the veil she was wearing.


    However, before she could be any more triumphant, suddenly, Lu Zhen turned around and effortlessly caught the right handle of the nunchucks.


    Her momentum caused her to momentarily lose her bnce and almost fall to the ground.


    However before she could fall further, Lu Zhen pulled the nunchucks, causing her toe towards him, and he caught her by the waist.


    Her face flushed with embarrassment as she said, "You¡­"


    Lu Zhen could feel her butter like waist of her, but hearing the anger in her voice, he let go, and she fell face-first into the muddy ground.


    "Bastard¡­" She said as she turned around to see the cold crimson eyes of Lu Zhen, who was watching her like prey.


    Instantly, her back went cold as she started to tremble uncontrobly. She could feel an aura around Lu Zhen that made her extremely terrified.


    Huang li felt like he would really kill her in moments if she didn''t do exactly what he wanted, which made her survival instinct kick in.


    She immediately sat with her legs in front, in a seiza sitting style.


    Seeing the obedient girl, Lu Zhen patted her crimson hair. "Good girl, what''s your name?" he asked with a smirk on his face, noticing her trembling.


    "My¡­ my name is Huang Li," Lu Zhen heard her trembling voice.


    "Am I that scary?" He thought to himself, but then realized he had unknowingly released a sliver of his aura. "I need to control my urges," Lu Zhen thought with a frown. However, not forgetting about the girl, he said, "You just have to follow me, alright?" with a pause, "or else¡­"


    Huang Li immediately nodded her head.


    "Good," Lu Zhen nodded, satisfied, as he patted the girl''s head. "Come, follow me," Lu Zhen said as he took her hand.


    As they left, people made way for Lu Zhen, their eyes filled with fear.


    Old Bai carried the two Lu Zhi and Lu Qing in one arm and the goods in the other as he followed Lu Zhen.


    "You can''t take Miss away¡­" a guard said to Lu Zhen, but he and Yu Bai just ignored the servant as they made their way.


    Seeing this, the servants were filled with disbelief as they watched Lu Zhen leave with their young Miss. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    "Old Master is going to kill me," the servant shouted out loud as he cried. The other servants'' expressions were also bitter.


    The people who watched were all terrified.


    "My god, did he really kill a martial trainee so easily?"


    "He must be a third-stage martial artist."


    "Isn''t he too young?"


    "There has never been such a young third-stage martial artist in our city, have there been any?"


    "But too bad¡­" some people just shook their heads.


    "Since he has offended the Huang family, even if that young person is a third-stage martial artist, he will die miserably." Some people just sighed hearing this.


    Meanwhile, Lu Zhen and Yu Bai made their way to the Lu family estate.


    "Not bad, the first time I went out, I have two beauties in my arms," Lu Zhen thought as he tightened his hold on the leaf-covered Xia Mei, faintly feeling her ass. He then eyed Huang Li, who was following him like a little kitten.


    Altought she was dirty from all the mud in her body. However, she was an attractive woman for sure.


    With a crimson hair and her slims smooth like butter waist and her long legs and her medium sized ass and big breast.


    Lu Zhen could give her a rating of 10 out of 12.


    Actually this was not the reason while he captured the girl cough¡­ this was not the only reason he captured the girl.


    There was another reason; Lu Zhen had the appraisal skill, so he could see the value of these items. However, how did Huang Li know about these treasures? That was what he was curious about.


    As for offending the Huangs, he didn''t mind, as he had already offended them the moment he took the goods they were eyeing. Given that situation, Lu Zhen thought, "Why not go all the way?"


    "It will be fun interrogating her¡­" Lu Zhen thought, an evil smirk stered on his face.


    "Young Master, we have arrived," Yu Bai said.


    Lu Zhen woke up from his contemtion as he looked at the Lu family estate, still radiating a luxurious aura that gave off a luxurious vibe.


    "Let''s go," Lu Zhen said as they made their way inside.

 Chapter 58 Hidden Room

    58 Hidden Room


    "We greet the Young master," the guards said respectfully as they opened the gates for Lu Zhen and Yu Bai, wearing strange expressions.


    Their ragged clothes caught their attention as they found both lu zhen and yu bai with dirty clothes. And the carriage was nowhere to be seen as they couldn''t find a single trace of it which made them confused and a little terrified.


    Yu Bai carrying two people and a bag caught the guards'' attention.


    As they saw Lu Zhen, their eyes widened. They could see a woman obediently following him, holding her hands with one hand and a leaf-wrapped package in his other hand.


    However they were justmon guards guarding the estate. So how could they even dare to think that they could interrogate their young master?


    "Isn''t that the young miss of the Huang family?" the guards thought with shock. They were filled with questions but didn''t dare ask as they obediently opened the gates.


    "Young master, we should separate for now..." Yu Bai suggested as he handed the sack containing the items to a servant.


    "Alright," Lu Zhen replied, eyeing his dirty clothes and the two women.


    He noticed the terrified look in Huang Li''s eyes.


    "Did you really think I was an ordinarymoner?" Lu Zhen asked Huang Li.


    Hearing his cold voice, Huang Li snapped out of her thoughts. Though bitterness still marked her expression, a faint glimmer of hope appeared in her eyes.


    "Even if you''re from the Lu family, so what? Our Huang family is also one of the four major families of the city," Huang Li said with newfound courage, facing Lu Zhen''s emotionless gaze.


    "Are you trying to incite a war by capturing me?" Huang Li continued to provoke, growing bolder.


    "Miss Li really thinks highly of me. I was just acting in self-defence. After all, you attacked me first like a mindless fool who only has beauty for show," Lu Zhen said, stating the facts with a sincere expression.


    "You¡­" Huang Li was about to retort but found herself speechless as Lu Zhen was telling the truth.


    Her foolish decision to attack Lu Zhen, even after witnessing him effortlessly kill a martial trainee, hadnded her in this predicament. Recognizing her own foolishness, she fell into silence.


    Seeing her silenced, Lu Zhen smirked. "This girl isn''t very smart," he thought.


    "Miss Li, I wonder why you were so adamant about buying the goods so much that you came to amoner''s shop personally," Lu Zhen inquired, his face revealing confusion.


    16:05


    Huang Li''s continued silence led to Lu Zhen''s frown deepening. "I will make you regret not telling me now," he whispered as he got close to her ears, sending a shiver down her spine.


    "I should keep them in the dungeon for now," Lu Zhen thought as he began heading toward his pce.


    "Follow me," he instructed the servant carrying the sack, and they separated.


    Lu Zhen knew that Yu Bai was going to his mother, which didn''t bother him because he had achieved what he wanted to show. It was better to have Yu Bai report to his mother rather than doing it himself.


    Navigating through the Lu family state where he could see every single servant now and then, all of whom bowed upon seeing him, Lu Zhen reached his pce.


    "You can leave the sack here," Lu Zhen told the servant, who respectfully nodded and gently ced the sack on the ground.


    "Then I will take my leave, young master," the servant said.


    "Go," Lu Zhen said, handing the servant a golden biscuit.


    Upon receiving the golden biscuit, the servant''s eyes widened with excitement. He wholeheartedly bowed 44 times straight, saying, "Thank you, young master," before departing.


    Lu Zhen opened the luxurious door, decorated with pure gold carvings. There was no lock on it because he didn''t need one.


    "Young master!" The moment Lu Zhen opened the door, Little Lily came running and hugged him tightly.


    Feeling her embrace, a small smile formed on Lu Zhen''s face as he affectionately patted her head.


    "Lily, you should prepare some food as I am hungry," Lu Zhen said.


    "Yes, young master."


    Little Lily''s expression turned slightly puzzled when she noticed the women behind Lu Zhen.


    "Don''t worry about her; she''s a prisoner," Lu Zhen said loudly to Little Lily, making Huang Li clench her fists in frustration.


    Lu Zhen led them both to his room. The room was quite simple, but spacious, with arge bed and tasteful furnishings, neither extravagant nor empty.


    There were some woods at the corner of the room.


    There was a huge bed in the middle where lu zhen slept with the symbol of dragons carved on it.


    He looked to his left side of the bed where there was a strange statue of a bonsai on a table.


    The bonsai statue was made of bronze and copper, vividly detailed down to every single curve. It could be said to be a masterpiece with every single detail.


    Lu Zhen touched the surface of the statue, feeling its smoothness, as he turned the statue around, under the witness of huang lu''s surprised gaze the statue actually turned around.


    Creak!


    The moment he did, a door opened in his room, and a dirty and rusty smell immediately filled the room.


    Smelling the rusty odour, Lu Zhen frowned; however, he wasn''t going to stay there anyway.


    "Whatever," Lu Zhen thought as he tightly gripped Huang Li''s hands and went inside the room.


    The room was quite simple, with bookshelves that appeared to be too old.


    "Hmm, these will do for now," Lu Zhen thought to himself as he ced the leaf containing Xia Mei on a nearby table.


    As he tapped his foot on the ground, he could feel a slimy texture in the ground. It was so sticky that even Lu Zhen''s foot got stuck quite a lot.


    The smell became even more disgusting as Lu Zhen entered, especially with his heightened senses due to his superhuman abilities; his sense of smell was even stronger, making Lu Zhen feel disgusted.


    However, the smell slowly started to decrease as Lu Zhen felt that he was slowly adapting to the odor.


    "Adapt skill," Lu Zhen thought with excitement. The smell was still there, and he could still clearly detect it, but it didn''t seem to be as disgusting now. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om

 Chapter 59 Secrets

    Chapter59 Secrets


    "Not bad," Lu Zhen thought with satisfaction.


    Suddenly, his ears twitched as he heard a rustling sound from beneath him.


    "Oh, I almost forgot to untie her," Lu Zhen thought as he unwrapped therge leaf covering Xia Mei.


    The moment he did, his eyes widened with a lustful glint as he saw her. Xia Mei, wrapped up in the ropes, had all her curves highlighted by the ropes, and her qipao had be nearly see-through due to the glistening sweat.


    Lu zhen eyes glinted with lust as he saw her ck garment underneath her qipao making his eyes lustful.


    "This woman is really seductive¡­" lu zhen thought as he could feel some resonation with xia long however he will never do such a disgusting thing as in*est ever in his life. Maybe Because of his culture in his previous life he was a firm believer of non-in*est as he found this act disgusting.


    "Ah¡­" a scream resounded, stunning Lu Zhen as he looked at Huang Li.


    "This girl¡­" Huang Li pointed at Xia Mei with disbelief.


    "Oh, you didn''t know about that," Lu Zhen said with a smirk. He just realised this girl huang li didn''t know that xia mei was in the leaf wrapped in the huge leaf.


    "How interesting," Lu Zhen said as he closed in on the girl.


    "This will be your new home for quite some time now," Lu Zhen said as he paused, "and this will be your partner from now on."


    "So have fun, you two," Lu Zhen said as he was about to leave but stopped.


    "Oh, I almost forgot," Lu Zhen said as he returned and cut a small rope from Xia Mei, who was staring at Lu Zhen with hatred.


    He then bound Huang Li''s hands with ropes.


    Huang Li just stared nkly at Lu Zhen as he tied the rope around her hands; she seemed stunned, processing everything.


    "Well, good luck, girls. I will be back in a day," Lu Zhen said as he left the room. The two girls watched with horror as Lu Zhen left them in this filthy room.


    As Lu Zhen left the room, he turned the statue back to its original ce, and the room closed with a rumbling sound, leaving the two girls with terrified eyes.


    "This¡­ this bastard really left us in this godforsaken ce¡­" Huang Li screamed out loud as she tried to escape the ropes, but they were too thick for a martial trainee to tear.


    "Do you have a way to get out?" Huang Li asked Xia Mei, who was just in a daze.


    "No," Xia Mei said with a cold, straight tone.


    "Do we have to stay here until that bastardes back to this disgusting ce¡­" Huang Li roared like a cat as she jumped around the sticky floor. However, as she jumped around, she stumbled and fell to the ground, covering her body with dirt and mucus, which brought her face to face with the harsh reality.


    This realisation silenced her, and she sat on the cold, dirty, and sticky floor. In her newfound silence, she gazed up at the dark ceiling, consumed by despair.


    Xia Mei chuckled slightly at Huang Li''s antics, but since she was in the same situation, she, too, ended up staring nkly at the ceiling.


    Meanwhile, Lu Zhen made his way to his mother''s pce.


    "Looks like the previous host of this body had quite strange habits," Lu Zhen thought with a frown. The room where the two girls were imprisoned was built when Lu Zhen was a child, and he practised martial arts there. The previous host was a martial arts fanatic in his childhood, but despite all his hard work, he had made no progress.


    Eventually, he gave up martial arts and as he grew older he was influenced by simr people like Xia Long, eventually bing a drunkard and a good-for-nothing. After all, everyone is a hard worker if they see results from their work. However, when they don''t see any visible progress despite working hard, they will eventually give up. This was also the case for the young Lu Zhen.


    Lu Zhen never practised martial arts there because the young Lu Zhen had given up on practising martial arts, abandoning the room for decades. Naturally, there would be such a disgusting smell in the room.


    However, Lu Zhen found this strange, as there should have been some progress in his martial arts even if the previous host was untalented. Martial arts weren''t solely about talent; although it helped, anyone could learn martial arts as long as their foundation was strong enough and they had ess to sufficient resources.


    Lu Zhen frowned as he thought about it.


    "Young master," the guard said when he noticed Lu Zhen just staring at the door with a frown.


    "Oh, cough, cough¡­" Lu Zhen said as he went to open the door.


    Lu Zhen was about to knock on the door, but he heard an affectionate voice. n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "Come in, my son."


    Lu Zhen was quite surprised by his mother''s senses as he entered the room.


    "So, what do you want, my son?" Mother Lu said with an ignorant expression on her face.


    Lu Zhen smiled internally, observing his mother''s peculiar antiques.


    "You know why I''m here, mother," Lu Zhen said with an expressionless face.


    "Shh, you''re no fun now¡­" Mother Lu said as she stared at Lu Zhen.


    Lu Zhen returned the stare as they both locked eyes in a strange silence.


    Finally, after a long time, Mother Luughed.


    "My son has finally grown up," Mother Lu said as sheughed, tears welling up in her eyes.


    "Mother," Lu Zhen didn''t expect his mother to be so emotional.


    "My son, it''s time I tell you the truth about your bloodline¡­" Mother Lu said, her tone turning serious.


    Hearing the word "bloodline," Lu Zhen became attentive, actively listening.


    "Son, do you know why you couldn''t make much progress in your martial arts and didn''t feel much attraction to women until you showed signs of awakening?" Mother Lu said, her voice pausing.


    "Yes, Mother, I don''t know," Lu Zhen said with a puzzled expression. However, he had already guessed that such things happened because of his bloodline, as Lu Zhen was quite normal in every area except for the bloodline part when he first transmigrated to this world.

 Chapter 60 Demonic Qi

    Chapter 60 Demonic Qi


    "I assume Yu Bai has already informed you about the basics," Mother Lu said with a serious tone.


    Lu Zhen nodded in response.


    "Very well, then I will exin your condition," she continued.


    "Son, you were born with a deficit in your bloodline, which causes you to exhibit certain symptoms."


    "You see, our n, along with most other bloodline ns, awakens their abilities around the age of 12. The faster they awaken their bloodline, the more beneficial it is. However, if you don''t awaken by the age of 12, your chances of awakening your bloodline diminish as you age."


    "In fact, this is quitemon among our descendants. Some awaken their bloodline, while others don''t."


    "This is also the reason our rule over the world eventually crumbled. Those descendants who didn''t awaken their bloodlines had no talent for martial arts, as they could never make progress with any martial art." n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "Since their bloodline purity was very weak, it affected their five senses, making them weaker than others. This hindered their progress in martial arts significantly. Although their bodies remained normal, their limited five senses prevented them from making any substantial progress in martial arts."


    "Since you started practising martial arts at a young age but didn''t make any progress, it''s because your five senses were suppressed due to your unawakened bloodline."


    Hearing this, Lu Zhen felt it was natural after all, since this body previously almost had no talent for martial arts. However, after Lu Zhen had strengthened his physique, he was able to make rapid progress in martial arts, reaching the level of martial trainee in weeks. His saber mastery skill also aided in practising the martial art.


    However, Lu Zhen could bet that he wouldn''t have made any progress in his martial arts if he hadn''t strengthened his constitution, which enhanced his five senses.


    "Seems like strengthening my constitution early on was the right choice," Lu Zhen thought with satisfaction as he continued to listen to Mother Lu.


    "You didn''t feel much attraction to females when you were younger because you couldn''t awaken your bloodline, which suppressed those feelings," she continued.


    "When you first awakened, you must have gone berserk, right?" Mother Lu asked, pausing.


    "Yes, Mother," Lu Zhen confirmed.


    Mother Lu nodded in understanding. "That''s because when you first awakened, all the desires you had suppressed erupted like a volcano, causing you to go berserk. After ughtering those bandits, you must have gained some rity, right?"


    Lu Zhen nodded in agreement.


    "Seeing you awaken at the age of 18 is quite unusual because it bes increasingly difficult to awaken as you age," Mother Lu remarked with a frown.


    "However, you aren''t a rarity. Someone even awakened in their 30s, but the chances of that are even slimmer than yours."


    "Reaching the level of a martial trainee without awakening your bloodline is quite astonishing. It shouldn''t be possible based on my understanding," Mother Lu added, looking at Lu Zhen with uncertainty.


    "Mother, this is because of my physique. I was able to train my physical body using exercises I found in an old book," Lu Zhen exined.


    Mother Lu looked at her son for a moment before bursting intoughter.


    "Hahahaha¡­ Son, if you didn''t want to tell me, you didn''t have to force yourself," she said with amusement, herughter echoing in the room as Lu Zhen maintained a poker face.


    "Son, if you ever change your mind, it''s fine. You don''t have to keep secrets from me," she said, then handed him a scroll.


    Lu Zhen''s eyes lit up at the sight of the scroll. He knew that this scroll was essential for him to revert to his human form. Although the Adapt skill suppressed his desires, it didn''t allow him to turn back into a human form without the scroll. Plus, he was still curious about the skill he gained from the scroll, hoping to acquire another skill with it.


    Who knows? Maybe he could get another skill from it again although the chances were small. It was certainly worth researching.


    Mother Lu noticed her son''s excitement and smiled. "Son, did you gain any special abilities when you looked at the scroll?"


    "Yes, Mother," Lu Zhen replied, closing his eyes. When he opened them again, a golden hue shone in his eyes.


    Seeing his golden eyes, Mother Lu''s smile grew broader.


    "Son, I thought you might never get to practice martial arts in your life, so I allowed you to drink and gamble as much as you wanted, thinking you were hopeless. But seeing how strong you''ve be..."


    "It''s alright, Mother," Lu Zhen interrupted.


    Mother Lu gazed at her grown-up son, who now stood at a towering seven feet with a muscr frame. She remembered him as a crying child, and now, she felt a sense of safety just looking at him.


    She sighed with contentment.


    "I will find you a cultivation method to cultivate demonic qi soon," she announced, causing Lu Zhen to be stunned. Although he had seen the demonic qi attribute in the system panel, he didn''t fully understand it or know what benefits it could provide.


    "Demonic qi is just like a unique qi that a martial artist can convert from attributeless qi; however, instead of a cultivation technique this needs a bloodline to convert from attributeless to demonic." Mother Lu exined. "As for its benefits, it can significantly increase yourbat power to astonishing levels by increasing the strength of your body and qi temporarily."


    "Demonic qiplements most of the other attributes; you can use it in conjunction with other forms of qi," Mother Lu said, pausing. "It also operates on a simr system to the ordinary martial artist power system, but with different names."


    "Martial trainees are referred to as Demonic Soldiers, third-stage martial artists be Demonic Captains, second-stage martial artists are known as Demonic Generals, and first-stage practitioners are called Demonic Emperors."


    "You should cultivate as quickly as possible. I won''t inquire about what your golden eyes can do," Mother Lu said, her gaze filled with meaning, as she looked at Lu Zhen.

 Chapter 61 Dynamic push-up

    61 Dynamic push-up


    Lu Zhen walked out of the pce with a mixture of expressions, but after a few steps, his face became expressionless again.


    "Whatever," he thought, his expression turning cold and impassive as he returned to his pce.


    Suddenly, as he walked casually, he felt a familiar chill, causing his senses to tingle with danger for a few seconds before it disappeared as if it hadn''t happened.


    Lu Zhen looked around to his right and left, but he couldn''t see anyone, which left him confused. If it weren''t for his keen senses and the sweat dripping from his back, he might have thought it was a dream.


    "Could it be¡­" Lu Zhen thought, realizing something, and he just stood there, waiting.


    Tick, tick.


    Time passed as Lu Zhen stood there for a straight ten minutes. However, the white-haired figure he had sensed still didn''t appear.


    "As expected¡­" Lu Zhen sneered in his thoughts.


    "Better luck next time, whoever you are," Lu Zhen said in an almost whisper-like sound as he continued walking.


    At the unassuming corner outside of Lu''s estate, a bird chirped loudly as Lu Zhen uttered those words, as if it could understand him. The bird perched on the shoulder of Ji Ju, the white-haired girl, and wagged its tail in anger, a faint red color visible in its dark eyes. Eventually, the bird settled down with a huffing sound.


    "Damn it, if it weren''t for that first-stage martial artist I sensed in that house, I would have shredded that kid to pieces by now. No, if I was in my prime, I could have ughtered that kid and his entire family if he had disrespected me so much," a voice echoed from underground,ing from an old dpidated temple in the forest where a crack appeared in a coffin-like iceberg covered with ss.


    "You can''t stay there forever. When youe out, you will be dead for sure," the voice grew even angrier.


    "At that time, I will boil you alive," it echoed in the metallic room before gradually bing silent, looking at all the cracks it had created in the iceberg.


    Achoo! Achoo!


    Lu Zhen rubbed his nose a little.


    "Oh, did someone remember me¡­" Lu Zhen thought as he opened his door immediately. The soft aroma of delicious food entered his nose.


    "Young master, you''re here," Little Lily said excitedly, proud of herself for seeing Lu Zhen''s hungry eyes.


    Lu Zhen just nodded as he ate until he was full. However, even after consuming 30 kg of meat and rice, he still didn''t feel full, which caused him to frown.


    "Young master, this is all," Little Lily said, a bit surprised to see Lu Zhen''s enormous appetite. She checked the bowl containing all the meat and rice. n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "What should I do now¡­" Lu Zhen could still taste the food, but the energy he gained from it felt meager. It barely satisfied his appetite.


    Actually, this amount of food should be enough to satisfy even a third-stage martial artist''s appetite. But Lu Zhen barely felt any satiety with just this much food.


    If it weren''t for Lu Zhen''s incredibly powerful physique, he wouldn''t have needed so much more nutrition than others to maintain his physique.


    Thinking about this, Lu Zhen frowned.


    "Little Lily, Old Bai should being back from the forest soon. When he returns or if any trouble arises, contact me," Lu Zhen said as he entered his room with an unsatisfied expression.


    When Lu Zhen and Yu Bai had separated, he had instructed Yu Bai to return the snake using the escort of the Lu family.


    The true value of a third-stage beasty in its meat, as it contained invaluable energy that could greatly help martial artists maintain their bodies.


    Although even second-stage martial artists didn''t need the meat of a third-stage beast, they could still satisfy themselves with the meat of regr martial trainee beasts grown in the forest, personally owned by the Lu family.


    This forest was a breeding ground personally owned by the Lu family, where rare animals and nts were bred for consumption. The forest also contained some third-stage martial beasts.


    However, even Lu Zhen needed contribution points, and even the Patriarch of the family needed contribution points to obtain the meat of a third-stage martial beast.


    That''s how rare the resources for these beasts were,ing second only to cultivation techniques andbat arts.


    And it was even more critical for Lu Zhen, who desperately needed meat to maintain his robust body.


    As he returned to his room, he sighed, but then he cracked his knuckles.


    "Let''s train, and then I will deal with those two girls," Lu Zhen thought with an evil smirk as he started doing push-ups. However, he didn''t do ordinary push-ups since he hardly sweated after reaching divine physique. So, he did dynamic push-ups, also known as explosive push-ups.


    Lu Zhen positioned himself on the floor, ced his hands firmly on the ground, shoulder-width apart, and straightened his body from head to toe. He took a deep breath and lowered his body towards the ground. With each explosive motion, the muscles in his arms, shoulders, and chest rippled. His chest nearly grazed the floor, and then, in an instant, he exploded upward with a burst of power that sent him soaring into the air.


    1


    8


    17


    29


    "This should be quite helpful for building my muscle memory as well as warming up my body," Lu Zhen thought, satisfied by the pressure he felt in his body. He hadn''t felt pressure like this in a long time since reaching the divine physique constitution.


    "One thousand... Two thousand... Three thousand... Four thousand and ny-nine," Lu Zhen said, sweating profusely as even his clothes were soaked from the pressure he experienced.


    Looking at his sweat, Lu Zhen felt satisfied, he has always considering sweat as the path to his power.


    "Let''s stop for now," Lu Zhen thought with some satisfaction.


    "That''s enough warm-up for the main event," Lu Zhen said as he stretched his warmed-up, sweat-covered body.


    He turned the statue, and a rumbling sound filled the room as the door opened. However, he could smell that the disgusting odor from before had lessened somewhat.

 Chapter 62 Resonation

    62 Resonation


    "What did those two girls do?" Lu Zhen thought, stunned for a moment.


    Lu Zhen entered the room and noticed that the disgusting smell had lessened, and the rusty odour had significantly diminished.


    While he could adapt to such smells, the improvement was a pleasant surprise, putting him in a good mood.


    In the dimly lit room, illuminated only by the light spilling in from his own room, he saw two girls working diligently.


    Huang Li was cleaning stools from a run down rag which could hardly qualify as a wiping towel she probably retrieved from the shelves.


    Xia Mei, on the other hand, opened her mouth, and a small frost appeared, scattering on the ground. After a while, it transformed into water, assisting Huang Li in her cleaning task. Lu Zhen was left stunned by this unexpected disy of abilities.


    "Women are really thorough when ites to cleaning," Lu Zhen thought, his mood lifting as he observed them.


    "I thought you would be gone for a day," Xia Mei asked coldly, locking eyes with Lu Zhen.


    "Oh, I changed my ns," Lu Zhen replied casually, walking over and taking a seat that Huang Li had just cleaned.


    Huang Li stared at Lu Zhen with a mix of anger and hatred in her eyes as he sat down.


    "So how about we make a deal with each other?" Lu Zhen said as he looked at Xia Mei, locking eyes with her and ignoring Huang Li for now. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    "How about you free me, and I won''t tell anything about what happened?" Xia Mei suggested.


    "Do you think that will be possible?" Lu Zhen sneered.


    "Then what do you want, then?" Xia Mei asked impatiently.


    "Do you know about your eyes?" Lu Zhen inquired as he stood up from his seat and slowly walked towards Xia Mei.


    "That... how..." Xia Mei began, her eyes widening with disbelief.


    "Did you really think you would notice my golden eyes, but I wouldn''t notice yours?" Lu Zhen released a shiver of his aura, creating pressure that made Xia Mei''s brain struggle to process things properly.


    "No," Xia Mei managed to say, her sweat making her already see-through qipao even more revealing as Lu Zhen finally reached her and lifted her head, locking eyes with her.


    Lu Zhen closed his eyes for a moment, and when he opened them again, his crimson-red eyes had turned golden. Strangely, Xia Mei closed her eyes at the same time, and her eyes also transformed into golden hue.


    A resonance urred as their auras synchronized, and both of them entered a dazed state for a moment.


    From their bodies, strange blood-red avatars appeared, one resembling Lu Zhen and the other Xia Mei. These avatars swirled around, seemingly locked in a battle for dominance.


    However, the instant the avatars collided, Lu Zhen''s avatar shattered Xia Mei''s, establishing its dominance over her as it entered her body. She remained in aplete daze.


    Yet, Lu Zhen abruptly snapped out of his dazed state, looking at Xia Mei with a surprised and stunned expression. He felt a little groggy as his vision began to blur, and his blood started to boil once more.


    "You stay here for a while," Lu Zhen told Huang Li, who had a confused expression due to the strange interaction between Lu Zhen and Xia Mei.


    Lu Zhen then carried Xia Mei in a princess carry style as he left the room, leaving Huang Li in stunned silence. He closed the door behind him with a "rumble" sound as he turned the bonsai statue in it''s rightful ce, throwing Xia Mei onto hisrge bed.


    "Mate! Mate! Mate! Mate! Mate!....."


    Lu Zhen''s mind was overwhelmed by these thoughts as his eyes began to lose rity, and his body started shifting into his Vulgrith form once more.


    "I thought I could control the instinct of the volgrith form from adapt skill, so what''s going on¡­" Lu Zhen thought bitterly as he nearly fell to the floor.


    His blood boiled, and his body temperature rose, much like a beast in heat.


    "Thankfully there is a female right in front of me," Lu Zhen thought as he allowed the Volgrith form to take over, though he still maintained a sliver of consciousness.


    "Let''s look at my transformation now," Lu Zhen thought with a hint of excitement. After all, he hadn''t seen his transformation clearly before. While he could make out some parts, it was unclear, especially as he went berserk previously.


    Lu Zhen turned to the mirror in his room, deciding to carefully observe his transformation this time.


    His ck robe tore again as his body increased in muscle mass.


    His hands swelled to about 10 inches thick, and veins popped up on his already muscr arms. His legs also erged, with visible veins appearing.


    His red eyes shifted slightly toward golden, although they still had a strange mixture of red and gold, creating an odd effect.


    A ck horn slowly grew on Lu Zhen''s forehead, gradually reaching a length of 4 inches. Lu Zhen touched the horn, feeling a slight pain.


    "What¡­" Lu Zhen thought, looking at his thick hands and noticing a small cut. His blood seemed more golden than red, and it resembled the mixture of red and gold in his eyes, shocking him.


    "These horns are sharper than my skin in my Vulgrith form?" Lu thought in disbelief. Even in his normal form, his skin was thick enough to withstand attacks from third-stage martial artists, and in his transformed state, he should be able to contend with second-stage martial artists. Thus, the fact that his skin was cut by a mere touch of his horn was astonishing.


    "I thought these horns were just for show¡­" Lu Zhen thought, considering the possibility of using them as a hidden weapon to surprise his enemies, although it wasn''t very convenient.


    "Wait¡­" Lu Zhen thought, realizing something as he turned to look at his thin tail behind him in the mirror. At the tip of his tail was a heart-shaped appendage that was prominently on disy.


    "This¡­" Lu Zhen thought, rendered almost speechless. While his transformation seemed impressive overall, he wasn''t particrly fond of this heart-shaped addition.


    His body was covered in veins, and his muscles had basically been bulged to their full height making Lu Zhen 12 feet tall.


    Before he could explore his transformation further, his blood surged with desire, and he could feel the overwhelming urge building within him.


    Lu Zhen looked at Xia Mei, who was still in a daze, staring at the ceiling with drool forming at the corner of her mouth.


    "Let''s get started," Lu Zhen thought as he pounced on Xia Mei, like a beast sumbing to its instincts.

 Chapter 63 Xia Mei ***

    63 Xia Mei ***


    Roar!


    A roar inadvertently left Lu Zhen''s mouth, resounding throughout the room with a fury like never before.


    His ragged clothes were on the way, as his pants were still intact; however, they were quite tattered.


    With his hands on both sides of his pants, there was a "tearing" sound as he ripped them in two. His instincts took over, and he couldn''t care less about his pants.


    His inner garment had already burned due to the sheer heat that his little monster produced. With a plucking sound, his little monster revealed itself in full glory. A giant dragon revealed itself as if it were awakening from its slumber.


    Lu Zhen couldn''t care less about her qipao; however, when he lifted it, he became infuriated, letting out another roar due to the obstruction of her inner garment.


    With fury, Lu Zhen swiftly tore away Xia Mei''s inner garment, aligning his colossal member with Xia Mei''s pussy.


    He caught her two back legs and lifted them, catching the full sight of her pussy.


    Seeing the virgin pussy, his eyes turned even more lustful which increased his giant little brother even more.


    With a swift motion, Lu Zhen directly entered Xia Mei with his hunger-filled eyes. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    A tearing sound echoed as Lu Zhen had directly torn Xia Mei''s hymen as his little brother directly prated her virgin hole.


    He could feel some resistance. However, with Lu Zhen''s strength, he effortlessly and directly prated it as his little brother reached her womb.


    However, his little brother was just half in; there was still half that was to go; despite that the tightness he felt from the walls of Xia Mei''s pussy was enough to bring him to euphoria after all, Lu Zhen was still a virgin.


    "Tight." That was the only thought of Lu Zhen''s senses that was almost driven by instinct.


    Her pussy was like a ck hole who was trying to suck his little brother in.


    Blood started to leak from her pussy as Xia Mei''s eyes opened and she felt pain like never before. Her eyes turned terrified when she saw a monster right after she woke up from her dazed state.


    However, she wasn''t given any time to contemte as she felt a tearing pain as something had entered her and her body felt plugged up.


    "Ahh..." A little scream resounded in the room as Xia Mei screamed due to the sheer pain she felt.


    Lu Zhen looked at Xia Mei''s mouth wide open from her scream, so he directly bent down to steal a kiss from her mouth by forcefully entering her mouth with his tongue.


    Which directly shut her up as a muffled sound resounded in the room. Lu Zhen felt the tightness of her pussy and the plump lips of xia mei, and his little brother Girth increased even more inside xia mei, which caused her pussy to stretch even more as her muffled voice became even louder as her eyes widened with terror.


    However, Lu Zhen was a little caring or was in a euphoria, as he just stayed still like that for a moment until her pussy stretched enough to take the shape of his little brother.


    As if it were marking her as his territory.


    Lu Zhen made sure that Xia Mei''s pussy took the shape of his little brother; however, his tongue became even more aggressive inside Xia Mei''s mouth as it forcefully explored every part of her mouth.


    "Finally¡­" Lu Zhen thought as he could feel Xia Mei pussy took the shape of Lu Zhen''s little brother as it stretched and stretched till its limit.


    Lu Zhen slowly started to move his dick with Xia Mei in a submissive position with her leg lifted and him in a sleeping position piledriving her.


    "mmmph¡­"


    Xia Mei''s eyes widened even more when she felt the giant monster inside her start to move, which caused her to scream even louder, but only a muffled sound was heard.


    Lu Zhen moved his hips up and down with only his half-little brother still inserted into her.


    This caused Lu Zhen to roar in anger as he couldn''t fit inside even after her pussy was stretched.


    His tongue became even more aggressive, and his hip''s pace started to increase even more as Lu Zhen couldn''t feel full yet with only half of his little brother entering her pussy.


    Xia Mei''s muffled scream resounded in the room as Lu Zhen''s pace started to increase even more.


    p! p! p! p! p! p! p! p!


    pping sounds resounded in the room as Lu Zhen''s pace increased even more, and the muffled scream of Xia Mei soon turned into the pleasurable moans of Xia Mei, whose eyes, which had previously gained rity, turned to pure lust.


    With the bed wet from all the orgasms that Xia Mei had, her face had turned into an ahegao as she became nk.


    However, Lu Zhen was still not satisfied, as his little brother had not reached his peak of satisfaction, prompting him to increase his pace even more.


    Finally, as Xia Mei''s pussy took on the total shape of Lu Zhen, he could fit even more of his little brother into her pussy.


    Lu Zhen became even more wild as his thrusts became even more wild.


    Lu Zhen''s little brother went in and out of her pussy, and every time it reached the limit, he could see a little dent in her stomach.


    Finally, Lu Zhen could feel a deep yang essence build up inside him as his little brother pulsated with power like never before.


    With a final thrust that reached deep inside Xia Mei. He thrusted his little brother as deep as possible.


    Finally he reached climax as he released a huge and thick amount of his essence directly inside her, filling her up full of his essence.


    "Ahhhh¡­."


    Xia Mei''s eyes widened as she felt the sheer amount of his essence filling her up with Lu Zhen''s monstrous little brother.


    She could feel her womb full of only his essence as it threatened toe out, but since Lu Zhen''s little brother was blocking the way, it just stayed there.


    Finally, Lu Zhen reluctantly let go as his blood started to cool down a bit, but he still had the desire for more.


    With a "plop" sound lu zhen barely took out his little brother as if xia mei''s pussy was trying to suck him dry.


    The moment he took out his little brother his essence flowed out of Xia Mei. Her body started to shake as her body shot upward as she orgasmed again.


    "Let''s start round 2."


    When Xia Mei heard this, her expression changed to one of pure horror even in her half sleep state.

 Chapter 64 Xia Mei Transformed.***

    64 Xia Mei Transformed.***


    Xei Mei''s face morphed into an expression of terror; however, something strange happened.


    Roar!


    Lu Zhen''s ears twitched when he heard the same roar that he did when he was in volgrith form.


    He looked at Xei Mei with surprise as her body temperature suddenly started to boil, and the bloodline avatar of Lu Zhen got out of her body as it entered his body again.


    With the stunned eyes of Lu Zhen, Xia Mei transformed just like Lu Zhen; however, her transformation was rather unique as she grew long ears and her hair turned blond.


    Her height increased a little, and a small horn started to grow from her forehead; however, the horns were a little too small, barely reaching two inches, and they were pink in color.


    Although her height increased a little, her body became more slender. Her breasts and ass increased in size as they at least reached h-cup size.


    Suddenly her eyes snapped open as a pure golden hue reflected in her eyes, which felt a little different from Lu Zhen''s, as if Lu Zhen''s were impure and Xie Mei''s were pure.


    Xie Mei stood up from her bed and stared at Lu Zhen, who was butt naked right now.


    Lu Zhen looked at her eyes without flinching a little. Although his back sweated just from the stare of the woman, he didn''t care much as he didn''t feel much threat from it.


    "Something is wrong with this woman now," Lu Zhen thought as he felt her strange behavior. The pressure she emitted changed a lot, as if she had be a powerhouse who had ruled for eons. Although her eyes seem to reflect a hint of mockery, Lu Zhen couldn''t care less since he didn''t feel any danger from this woman.


    As long as his life wasn''t in danger, he was a happy camper, even if someone mocked him every day because he couldn''t care less unless they got in his way in pursuit of power.


    She looked down, where her pussy juice was still leaking the essence of Lu Zhen.


    "The descendant of the volgrith has be quite arrogant..." Xia Mei said with a frown as she was about to continue. Suddenly, her eyes shut almost instantly, and the frown on her face became more and more until her expression suddenlypletely eased.


    Hearing this, Lu Zhen just narrowed his eyes as he carefully looked at Xia Mei. Prepared to escape or fight if whatever the thing possessing her or she herself was, however, this didn''t happen, as the moment Xiao Mei opened her eyes again, although her eyes still possessed the same pure golden color, he got a different vibe from her now.


    "This... what happened?" Xia Mei said as she looked left and right, confused.


    Seeing this, Lu Zhen heaved a sigh of relief, though he was still confused: who the fuck was the other bitch? But since he escaped the unknown, he felt relieved.


    No matter how strong you are, facing an unknown thing is undoubtedly hard and could even be terrifying.


    "You¡­ you¡­" Lu Zhen heard the voice of Xie Mei, who was looking at him with a little horror.


    "Oh..." Lu Zhen almost forgot that when he was in the volgrith form, Xia Mei was in a dazed state, so she shouldn''t have seen his transformation previously.


    Thinking of this, Lu Zhen smirked.


    "Girl, do you know who I am?" Lu Zhen spoke with a mysterious tone.


    "Umm..." seeing the tone of Xiao Mei and the hulky form of Lu Zhen. She actually felt a bit funny.


    "Pftt¡­."


    However, before she couldugh, a sharp pain came from her crotch area, which shocked her as she fell to the bed again.


    Her eyes widened as she spoke with an almost whisper-like sound.


    "So it wasn''t a dream..." she thought as her beautiful, pure golden eyes became a little dull.


    "Cough..." Lu Zhen looked at Xia Mie, whose eyes became dull.


    Xia Mei just looked at Lu Zhen at a nce before she continued to have a dull stare.


    "Aren''t you curious who I am?" Lu Zhen asked Xia Mei.


    "What does it even matter since you have done the deed already?" Xia Mei shouted at the top of her lungs as she stared dead in the eyes of Lu Zhen.


    "I guess you are right." Lu Zhen said as he chuckled.


    "You¡­" Xia Mei looked at Lu Zhen speechlessly as she looked at Lu Zhen grantly.


    After a while, she heaved a deep sigh.


    "Since I have already done it. How about we do some more?" Lu Zhen licked his lips as he stared at the new transformation of Xia Mei, who became even more seductive with her h-cup breasts and her golden hair and eyes with slender, long ears.


    It reminded him of the most sexy character he had thought of while he was reading those novels: "Elf.".


    Lu Zhen''s little brother, which hasn''t gone limp even after its first release, still stood tall as a towering tower increased in size even more.


    Although Lu Zhen could now pretty much control the volgrith form, he still wanted more, as the pleasure of mating was really additive.


    "Bas¡­" Xie Mei was about to deny it; however, before she could, she suddenly felt a desire build up in her as her body went into heat.


    Before Lu Zhen could even react Xie Mei''s eyes turned lustful as she jumped at Lu Zhen. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    She aggressively went towards Lu Zhen''s mouth as she kissed him with fury.


    "This girl¡­"


    Seeing this, Lu Zhen was a little stunned, but he still weed the change by opening his mouth and allowing her to kiss him.


    Although Lu Zhen wouldn''t let her dominate him, his tongue also entered Xia Mei''s mouth as their tongues danced and intertwined for dominance.


    Lu Zhen He suddenly felt a small, smooth hand gently rubbing his monster, which caused him to be a little distracted.


    The moment Lu Zhen was distracted, Xia Mei''s tongue became even more aggressive, and she almost won.


    However, Lu Zhen, seeing the antique of the girl, just smirked as he gently put his hands on her huge knockers and felt the warm and smooth texture of it.

 Chapter 65 Pleasure***

    65 Pleasure***


    Xia Mei''s eyes widened when she felt the soft sensation of her breast. Her slender hands jacked Lu Zhen''s little monster of a little brother even faster. However, she was still doing fine, with some asional moaning.


    Lu Zhen''s pleasure increased even more as he moaned in pleasure.


    He gently rubbed her entire breast as his hands slowly explored every nook and cranny of her knockers.


    "Soft." Lu Zhen thought as he felt pleasure from the soft hands of Xia Mei rubbing his little monster.


    He gently reached the tip of her breast.


    "Th¡­is¡­" Xei Mie''s eyes widened when she felt the smooth sensation at the tip of her breasts reaching her nipple.


    Lu Zhen smirked evilly as he did exactly what Xia Mei expected: he gently pinched her nipple.


    The moment he pinched, Xie Mei''s face turned red as she desperately tried to free herself from Lu Zhen''s gentle pinched. However, how could he let her go?


    "I found her weak spot."


    Lu Zhen used his other hand to hug her, which effectively trapped her in his hulking body.


    The muffled moan of Xia Mei resounded in the room as it reverberated.


    Taking advantage of this, Lu Zhen''s tongue reached a dominant position as he became more aggressive.


    Xia Mei wanted to flee, but she was firmly locked in her position, as her tiny form of about 7 foot was nothingparable to Lu Zhen''s height, which has increased to 12 foot in his volgrith form.


    "If you y with fire, you will hurt yourself." Lu Zhen spoke in a deep voice, but it was barely audible to Even Xie Mie as he was still locked in a kissing battle with her.


    However, she was still hand job Lu Zhen desperately.


    Finally, a loud, muffled moan of Xia Mei resounded as she directly orgasmed with just a kiss and a gentle pinch to her nipple.


    Lu Zhen let go of her as she almost fell to the ground, but somehow she managed to save herself even in her orgasmic state.


    Seeing this, Lu Zhen just patted her.


    "It looks like our pretty princess is only talks and no power at all." Lu Zhen said it with a mocking tone, which made her grit her teeth in anger.


    "Don''t touch me." Xie Mie huffed as she managed to stay standing.


    "Hmm, how about you give me a blowjob and let''s see if you can win me or not?" Lu Zhen said with a poker. However, he was silently smirking in his mind.


    "What''s that?" Xia Mei asked with an ignorant expression on her face.


    "Eh, you don''t know about blowjobs?" Lu Zhen said as he looked at her strangely.


    "Yeah, is that a problem?" She said it with a confused expression.


    Since she was young, she has always been a martial arts fanatic and hasn''t learned about worldly things since she has devoted her life to martial arts.


    However, that doesn''t men she was totally unknown to mating, although she wasn''t ignorant about it, she hasn''t gone to too much depth before.


    "Oh, just open your mouth a little, and I will do the job for you," Lu Zhen said as he sighed as if he were doing a great favor for her.


    With a confused expression, she opened her mouth as she strangely epted Lu Zhen''s nonsense.


    "It will be even better if you close your eyes." He said he was still maintaining his poker face.


    "Alright." She said this as she closed her eyes with her mouth wide open.


    Lu Zhen held her head in ce as he warned her of one thing before he forgot.


    "Remember, don''t bite it." Lu Zhen said


    However, Lu Zhen didn''t directly plunge in this time, as he first rested his little brother on her face andpared it with her face.


    He could see that his little brother was really bigger than her entire head.


    Xia Mei felt strange feeling the heat from his little brother on her face, but she just remained silent, waiting for what he was going to say with some of his essence still stuck to his little brother. n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Although the smell from Lu Zhen''s brother strangely made her wet.


    Seeing this, Lu Zhen chuckled.


    "Didn''t you just cry before about that?" Lu Zhen said as he just stood there with his little brother still on her face.


    "Well, that''s because..." Xia Mei was speechless, as she had no idea why she was even doing this.


    Although Lu Zhen could guess that it was probably because of her bloodline, he wouldn''t tell her. Why would he even bother?


    Without giving the confused Xiao Mei time to think, he aligned his little monster with her small, delicate mouth and inserted his little brother inside her mouth.


    His little brother slowly made his way into the unexplored mouth of Xei Mei and slowly reached deeper into her mouth.


    The tight wall of Xei Mei Lu Zhen''s face morphed into pure pleasure as he slowly enjoyed his moment.


    Gag!


    Suddenly he heard a choking sound as her hands were trying to stop him from going any deeper, so he immediately stopped inserting. However, he was satisfied with the depth he reached, as it almost engulfed his entire little brother.


    "It looks like your form is quite useful." Lu Zhen said as he firmly held his head, which was trying to escape.


    Slowly, Lu Zhen started to make Xei Mei move to and fro by using his hands.


    However, to Lu Zhen''s excitement, Xei Mei also cooperated, as she also started to suck his little brother intensely.


    After she was used to his size.


    Slurp! Slurp! Slurp!


    As Xie Mei''s pace increased, Lu Zhen felt like he was on cloud nine as his pleasure increased as she sucked him like a vacuum.


    "Is it really her first time, or is every woman fierce like this?" Lu Zhen thought, but he couldn''t care less as he moaned with pleasure.


    Hearing the pleasurable sound of Lu Zhen Xei Mei, she became excited as she increased her speed.


    Lu Zhen reached his limits soon, and with a pleasurable grunt, he suddenly forced her head deep inside his little as her mouth touched his balls.


    His thick essence directly entered her stomach through his little brother, as he just stayed still like that, releasing his thick essence.


    Xie Mei''s tears threatened toe out as she felt her air block because of hisrge brother blocking her pipe.


    Finally, Lu Zhen released her as he noticed all the floor was wet from Xie Mei''s orgasm.


    Cough! Cough!


    Xie Mei coughed a little as she finally found respite.


    "You aren''t tired, are you?" Lu Zhen said as he looked at Xia Mei, who was huffing and puffing.


    "Hmph." She just huffed, as she was still fine even with the rough treatment of Lu Zhen.


    "Let''s get started. I will only let you go when I am satisfied." Xia Mei spoke arrogantly as she stared at Lu Zhen.


    "The pleasure is mine."

 Chapter 66 Bloodline Possession**

    66 Bloodline Possession**


    Chirp! Chirp!


    Lu Zhen''s ears twitched as he heard the sound of birds chirping in his ears. A faint beam of sunlight came from the window and shined in his face, which caused him to frown while slowly opening his crimson eyes.


    "Sigh." Lu Zhen sighed as he slowly opened his eyes.


    The moment he opened his eyes, the face of the beautiful woman with golden hair appeared, sleeping peacefully in his arms.


    Her face was peaceful with a happy smile as her breathing touched his skin.


    "This woman is really..." Lu Zhen was speechless, but a little smile appeared on his face.


    However, before he dealt with the little girl, he looked at himself in the mirror with the corner of his eyes.


    "hmm¡­" Lu Zhen''s face morphed into a frown when he looked at himself. He was still in his volgrith form; however, his height seemed to have decreased and reached almost the same height as Xie Mei, and his horns, which were previously 4 inches, decreased, and he could feel a little dullness in the horns.


    As expected, when his hands touched his horn, it couldn''t even make a single scratch.


    He was still muscr, but it seemed depleted, as if it had reached its limits.


    "It looks like my bloodline is really weak." Since Lu Zhen didn''t have the scroll, he couldn''t transform back to his human form without it, and after staying in this form for a long time, Lu Zhen''s bloodline was naturally exhausted.


    He looked at Xie Mei, who was still in her transformation, who still had long ears and long blond hair, and whose height hadn''t decreased at all.


    "It looks like her bloodline is very purepared to mine." Lu Zhen thought. Actually, Lu Zhen could guess that much, seeing the pure golden eyes of Xie Meipared to his eyes, which were a mixture of red and golden.


    Although Lu Zhen could guess that Xie Mei''s golden hair was mostly because of her race, however the eyes indicated the purity of bloodline that one holds when a bloodline user transforms, and this was true for all the bloodline users who had obtained special abelites from the scroll of the ancestor.


    Because this only happened to bloodline users who had a unique ability obtained from the scroll of the ancestor, only then will the bloodline user''s eyes transform to golden when they are in their transformed state.


    And depending on how much their eye colour changes to golden, their purity of the bloodline is reflected. Normal members still had their normal eyes when they transformed.


    And Lu Zhen, having a mixture of red and golden, could be said to be average at most. But Xie Mei, whose eyes had totally transformed to golden, could be said to have the purest bloodline, ording to what he heard from his mother.


    "So that''s why her ancestor could use that as a medium to attain a shiver of consciousness, huh?" Lu Zhen thought.


    Actually, the ancestor, the very founder who established their bloodline ns, left countless backup ns for their n to survive even after they died. And one of the mostmon backup ns that almost everyone knew in the bloodline family was to use the person who had obtained the the unique abilities of there and had the purest form of there bloodline.


    Ancestors could use that medium for temporarily transferring their consciousness over, but only their consciousness, with no medium for their power except for the power that the pure Bloodline user had previously.


    So these pure bloodline martial artists were held in high regard in the n to the point they were called as saintness and saint in the n.


    After all if they are stronger the ancestor can stay longer and more power to leverage the n of it''s cmity.


    This was what he heard from his mother, which made him a little weary of his bloodline thing; however, since only pure Bloodline users were affected and he wasn''t one, he was pretty satisfied.


    However, there was still a lingering feeling of uncertainty in his mind as Lu Zhen considered the possibility of them harming him and such from just this bloodline.


    However, since he had the system, he had an idea to modify his bloodline to make it truly his and discover if there was any backhand they left in the bloodline, as he always contemted hidden dangers that could potentially kill him without him even knowing how. n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "Sigh, that will be for the future," Lu Zhen thought. After all, he still had mountains of work, and the first thing to do was to get stronger.


    Suddenly, he felt a little pleasure as his little brother felt a little tight.


    He looked down to see his little brother still in Xie Mei''s pussy, with a little dent still on her stomach due to the sheer size of Lu Zhen''s little brother.


    As her tight pussy tried to suck his little brother as if like a ck hole, Lu Zhen couldn''t help but moan a little.


    "This hole is really sucking me hard," Lu Zhen thought as he noticed Xie Mei''s eyes snap open just then.


    Xie Mei, with a loud sound, just moaned when she felt his little brother deep inside her.


    "Ahem, how about we do it onest time before we go?" Lu Zhen said as he looked at Xie Mei with pure lust in his eyes.


    Xie Mei''s eyes also glinted with pure lust as she also nodded.


    With that said, Lu Zhen and Xie Mei aggressively fondled each other''s bodies as they mated like animals in heat.


    Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah!


    The sounds of Xie Mei''s and Lu Zhen''s moans became louder and louder as they enjoyed their sick pleasure together.


    Little Lily, who was listening to all this, made her face blush with a shade of red as she humped.


    "Didn''t the young master say she was only a prisoner?" Little Lily said with a huff as she heard the moans of the two, who were mating like two.


    Her eyes had dark circles as she attentively listen while just circling around while she asionally blushed and sometimes huffed with anger at Lu Zhen.


    "They are still going even after half a day."

 Chapter 67: Strange

    Lu Zhen held a scroll in his hand as he gazed at the symbol below the photo of the handsome man who bore a striking resemnce to him.


    The symbol''s resonance with his bloodline was both strange and captivating. Slowly, his body began to revert to its normal state. The once-prominent horns on his head retracted seamlessly into his skull, leaving no trace of their existence. His thin tail, adorned with a heart-shaped tip, started to dissolve into his body, as if it had never been a part of him.


    The eyes that had previously been a mesmerizing mix of golden and red transformed back to their original, striking crimson hue. Simultaneously, his bulging muscles slightly reduced in size, and his towering stature diminished to its original seven feet.


    "How interesting," Xie Mie remarked, her tone filled with fascination but her eyes betraying a hint of mockery.


    Seeing Xie Mei, Lu Zhen frowned slightly.


    "Did you know who I am?" he asked, his expression showing confusion.


    "No, I didn''t, but after we did it multiple times, I could discern you from your voice, and your facial features hadn''t changed much, so I could tell," Xie Mei replied with lustful eyes and a lick of her lips.


    "Oh, is that it, huh?" Lu Zhen mumbled, thinking, "This girl has be lustful in just moments."


    "Watch this," she said, closing her eyes and making a mocking gesture.


    Xie Mei''s slender, long ears reverted back to normal, her hair returned to its original color, her increased height normalized, and her breasts and bust size returned from H-cup to a smaller size, which left Lu Zhen slightly regretful.


    She transformed into her ordinary body, leaving Lu Zhen wide-eyed with shock.


    "This..." Lu Zhen stared speechless at Xie Mei as he lost his cool for a moment.


    "How did you do it?" Lu Zhen said as he stared at Xie Mei with a peculiar glint in his eyes as he regained his calm in a blink of an eye.


    Hearing this, mei felt a little ominous.


    "I could freely transform into this form since my childhood." She said as she puffed her chest, proud of hers held for beating Lu Zhen.


    "It''s just that the feeling of my blood boiling as I wanted to mate was my first." Xie Mei said as she stared at Lu Zhen.


    "Oh, that is it, huh?" Lu Zhen said as he suddenly thought of something.


    "So you don''t have any scrolls like this." Lu Zhen said as he pointed at his scroll given to him by his mother.


    "No." Xie Mei replied, a little confused by Lu Zhen.


    "Then where did you get your unique ability from?" Lu Zhen''s eyes widened when he thought of that.


    "Oh, I have had it since the age of 12." Xie Mei said as she looked at Lu Zhen like an idiot.


    "This¡­" Lu Zhen just stared at Xie Mei; however, his little brother stood up again just from looking at her.


    "This girl is a freaking seductress," Lu Zhen thought as he hurriedly went to get a pair of dresses from his closet, ignoring Xie Mei.


    As he changed his dress, Xie Mei just stood quietly staring at him with a drool on her face.


    Seeing Xie Mei just staring at his body as he changed his clothes, Lu Zhen felt a little taken advantage of.


    "I will get back at her." He thought to himself as he finished changing his clothes into his ssy ck robe.


    It wasn''t that Lu Zhen didn''t want to change his clothes to something new, even though he liked the attire. However, that didn''t mean he wanted to wear it every day; it was because all the clothes he had were ck with his ssical attire and nothing else.


    Thinking of these, Lu Zhen just sighed.


    "So what now?" Xie Mei said, as she now had a confused expression on her face as Lu Zhen had finished changing his clothes.


    "Ahem, I will be very clear with you, even though I forced myself on you. You still joined me to do itter." Lu Zhen paused as he nced at her.


    Xie Mei had a peculiar expression, as she seemed to be having a mixture of expressions.


    Seeing the mixture of emotions in Xie Mei, Lu Zhen quickly changed the topic, as it was better to change the topic for now.


    "You still have to stay here." Lu Zhen said as he stared at Xie Mei with an expressionless face.


    "You¡­" Xie Mei stared at Lu Zhen as her eyes turned to pure hatred.


    However, Lu Zhen continued.


    "Don''t worry, I will provide you with all the resources you need and give you all the freedom you want." Lu Zhen said, which made Xie Mei nod in agreement.


    "How long?" Xie Mei asked, her expression softening slightly.


    "And you still want to know about your origin, right?" Lu Zhen said, a sly smirk appearing on his face as he ignored her question.


    Hearing this, Mei became desperate and nodded enthusiastically.


    "Then you will have to stay here with me until I be a first-stage martial artist," Lu Zhen dered, maintaining a poker face as he looked at her.


    Xie Mei regarded Lu Zhen with a cold stare when he mentioned "first-stage martial artist."


    "And when will that be?" She inquired, her expression taking on a questioning tone.


    "I can guarantee it will be within a year," Lu Zhen replied confidently, causing Xie Mei''s eyes to widen.


    However, upon hearing the seemingly short timeframe, sheughed.


    "Are you joking with me?" Xie Mei locked eyes with Lu Zhen.


    "How about you see it for yourself?" Lu Zhen retorted, then promptly walked to the exit of his room without waiting for her response.


    Before he left, he paused for a moment.


    "Remember, from now on, you are my woman, and wherever you go, you will always be mine," Lu Zhen stated with a domineering tone, turning towards Xie Mei, who wore a contemtive expression.


    "And about Huang Li, give her some food; she must not have eaten anything. You two should get some food as well. Ask Little Lily, my maid, for it," Lu Zhen instructed, then added, "You will face consequences if you try anything funny."


    Lu Zhen released his aura fully, causing Xie Mei to sweat and tremble as his gaze turned icy.


    "I will mostly be in my training room for a week," he informed her before leaving.

 Chapter 68: Skill Detail

    "I must reach the third stage as a martial artist." Lu Zhen thought with determination as he checked his body.


    He felt a strange refreshment for some reason. However, there was nothing wrong with his body except the strange power that made him refreshed for some reason.


    "Hmm..." Lu Zhen contemted hard; however, he had no answer for the reason behind this.


    "Maybe it is because of..." Lu Zhen thought as his eyes widened with realization.


    With a thought, he opened his system, and a blue panel opened in front of his eyes with a [log] button on it.


    "So..." Lu Zhen thought with a strange expression on his face as he imagined pressing the button.


    With a swish as if looking at a presentation.


    [You have mated for the first time.]


    [You have acquired the dual cultivation skill.]


    "This is true." Lu Zhen thought with widened eyes as he looked at the skill in front of him with some shock.


    "This," he thought as his face turned to a mixture of emotion.


    From his understanding, dual cultivation was a mating skill.


    "Forget it; it is better anyway." Lu Zhen thought as he examined his body more carefully again; however, he found that nothing had increased much as his qi was still in the middle stage of martial training and his body strength hadn''t increased much.


    "This dual cultivation skill only refreshed me." Lu Zhen thought with a little question mark on his face.


    "Wait maybe¡­" Lu Zhen checked his bloodline; however, he didn''t feel much change in his bloodline either, which caused a frown to appear on Lu Zhen''s face.


    Since Lu Zhen has gotten his system, he has never been able to get the full exnation of his skill and has only been helplessly able to test it on his own with the skills that he got.


    "Sigh," Lu Zhen thought as he found no way to know the details of his skills.


    "Wait, what about appraisal? Can I appraise my own skill?" Lu Zhen suddenly thought of this as if a light bulb lit in his eyes.


    It was not like he had not tried before to check his skill; in fact, when he very first got the appraisal skill, he had checked his skill. However, at that time, nothing happened, but Lu Zhen had a gut feeling that it would work now since he had the skill that leveled so much.


    With a thought, he opened the blue panel, and his system panel opened.


    [LEVEL UP]


    ¡ª-----


    [Name: Lu Zhen]


    --------


    [Race: Human]


    [Bloodline: Human/Volgrith]


    [Lifespan left: 125 years]


    --------


    [Attributes]


    [Constitution: Divine physique (level 2)]


    [Charm: Mortal (Level 4)]


    [Wood Qi: (level 1)]


    [Demonic Qi: Uninitiated (Level 0)]


    ???


    --------


    [Cultivation manuals]


    [Cultivation technique: verdant art (stage 1)]


    --------


    [Skills]


    [Gluttony: level 6]


    [Appraisal eye: level 4]


    [Saber mastery: level 5]


    [Adaptability: level 4]


    [Aura control: level 5]


    [Meditation: level 2]


    [Dual cultivation: level 1]


    [Cooking skill: level 10] <no>


    Lu Zhen closed his crimson eyes and opened them again as his eyes turned golden as he carefully looked at his skill.


    [Gluttony: increases metabolism to the point where you can]


    [Saber mastery: increases the understanding of saber]


    [Adaptability: helps to adapt]


    [Meditation increases the efficiency of meditation to increase its productivity.]


    [Dual cultivation: when the host mates with other partners, he will circte the partners qi with the host and interchange among themselves as the host and the partner will feel refreshed.]


    [Cooking: increases the proficiency of the cooking skill]


    [Aura control: helps the host manipte his aura]


    Lu Zhen looked at all the skills with widened eyes as he felt happy that he could now see the full details of the skill.


    Although the skill was not detailed enough, seeing it and getting the general was good either way. However, when Lu Zhen looked at his newly acquired skill, he couldn''t help but be disappointed, seeing it as quite useless, with no use other thansting longer, and it was even meagre in effect.


    However, Lu Zhen He didn''t give up as he looked at his attributes.


    [Constitution: overall strength of your physical body, everything]


    [Charm: how much charisma do you have?]


    [Wood Qi: wood attributed to Qi]


    [Demonic Qi: qi obtained from the bloodline]


    Seeing all these, Lu Zhen felt it was natural, as he expected it to be; these were things he had already pretty much guessed.


    However, before Lu Zhen could contemte any longer, his eyes shut off as his qi was exhausted.


    He felt a little headache, but he recovered in almost an instant.


    "Let''s meditate first to recover my qi before I train." Lu Zhen thought as he sat cross-legged as he slowly visualized a tree.


    Although meditation only increased his qi, resting was an optimal way to recover it if he meditated with it.


    There will be two benefits with one arrow. He could recover his qi as well as increase his qi at the same time.


    Slowly, Lu Zhen''s visualization of the tree became a little clearer as he opened his eyes.


    Lu Zhen looked at the time-hourss at the side.


    "Sigh, 3 hours just passed like this." Lu Zhen thought with a bitter expression as he opened his system with a thought and saw his qi level.


    [Wood Qi: (level 1)]


    "Well, at least my qi increased by a percent at least," Lu Zhen thought as he stood up, stretching his body because of a little muscle soreness.


    "But it will take too long for me to reach third ce as a martial artist if I go at this pace." Lu Zhen thought as he could feel that the increase in his qi was bing more and more difficult.


    Actually, it was very easy for Lu Zhen to be a third-stage martial artistpared to others, as he just needed enough qi to store in his body. Unlike others who needed to go through the tedious process of having to create Qi pathways to reach the third stage, Lu Zhen didn''t need to, as he could directly absorb Qi in his body.


    So the only thing stopping him from doing so was theck of qi he had.


    He thought he could gain qi just by meditating ording to the [verdant art] by visualizing the tree, but the rate was too low.


    "Let''s just eat the pill now." Lu Zhen thought as he looked at the box in his hand.

 Chapter 69: Third-stage Martial Artist

    Since Lu Zhen was disrupted by the twins previously, he couldn''t take the cultivation pill.


    Lu Zhen suddenly thought of something as he closed his eyes and opened them again.


    Lu Zhen''s eyes turned bright gold as he started to lose his qi rapidly.


    [Lingyin]


    [Grade: Qi item]


    [Remark: You can store things in it without losing their properties for a long time.]


    "As expected of pills that can only be made by first-stage martial artists, even the box that is used to store them is a Qi-grade item." Lu Zhen has only seen this grade very few times; in fact, he has only seen it one time when he got pearl, and this helped Lu Zhen increase his qi so significantly that he directly reached the middle stage as a martial trainee.


    "I should fight for more resources in the family." Although Lu Zhen was the young master of the family, that doesn''t mean he has solidified his position yet. Due to the ipetence of his previous host, even with the power of her mother, he hadn''t been able to properly solidify his power, and he wasn''t interested in it either way because he hadpletely given up on martial arts.


    Even if he wanted to solidify his position previously, what can he do? He was just a normal person with a little stronger body gained from all the countless resources spent on him.


    Though everyone acknowledged him as the young master, it was inevitably to leave a sense of ipetence in the hearts of others.


    Although the servants and Lu Zhi and Lu Qing, who had lower status, still respected him, the direct descendant still had a sense of injustice in them, so Lu Zhen couldn''t procure as much resource as he wanted to.


    Lu Zhen just sighed as he slowly opened the box.


    The moment he opened the lid of the box a pungent, repulsive, and unpleasant smell wafted in the air.


    Lu Zhen''s nose twitched when he smelled the smell, and he almost vomited right on the floor.


    The smell was really disgusting enough to make even Lu Zhen have the urge to puke; however, slowly Lu Zhen recovered from it as he felt a little better.


    "The best skill is definitely the adapting skill." Lu Zhen thought pleasantly.


    He looked at the pill carefully as he was slowly recovering from its disgusting smell.


    Unlike the dirty smell of the pill, the pill looked majestic as it shone in a golden colour. It was about half an inch in diameter.


    It had a strange symbol around the middle of the pill, like a belt.


    Lu Zhen looked carefully at the symbol, but he couldn''t understand anything, just like the symbol on the scroll.


    Although the symbol on the scroll and the symbol on these pills were different, Lu Zhen felt they originated from the same and looked a little simr to anguage.


    Which caused him to frown.


    "Since this pill can only be created by first-stage martial artists, Is thisnguage or something?" Lu Zhen thought as he connected the dots.


    Lu Zhen eyes turned golden as he once again looked at the pill.


    [Attribute-less qi refining pill]


    [Grade: intent item]


    [Remarks: ????]


    "Oh well, I will know it when I reach the first stage as a martial artist." Lu Zhen just mused to himself as he took the pill in one go with decisiveness.


    The moment the pill passed through Lu Zhen''s throat, it travelled down his esophagus and reached his stomach.


    The moment it did, the pill instantly disintegrated and turned into a mysterious energy in his body.


    Some of the strange energy resonated with his wood qi and started converting to wood qi, which was instantly absorbed by Lu Zhen''s body, and some of this energy provided warmth to Lu Zhen''s body.


    Lu Zhen felt his body blot up as his muscles started expanding a little and his veins started showing up.


    Seeing this, Lu Zhen was a little surprised.


    "Can''t third-stage martial artists normally take this pill?" After all, Lu Zhen''s body could beparable to that of a peak third-stage martial artist, so he should have undoubtedly easily taken the effect of the pill.


    [Your have eaten to your full]


    [Your Gluttony skill has levelled up from level 6 to level 7].


    [You have eaten your fill.]


    [Your Gluttony skill has levelled up from level 7 to level 8].


    Suddenly two prompts caught his attention; however, before he could properly check the prompt, he felt his muscles thicken even more as his body felt stuffed for some reason.


    His qi almost reached an all-time high, and he directly broke through as a third-stage martial artist. However, there wasn''t much substantial change in Lu Zhen''s body.


    The energy became a little less, but there was still more conversion from the mysterious energy, which made Lu Zhen feel bloated again.


    "Ah¡­.." Lu Zhen screamed out loud from the pain he felt from being stuffed to the brim with energy.


    Although Lu Zhen was adapting to the energy and his body was gradually being strengthened, it was still not enough to resist the sheer amount of energy that Lu Zhen was getting from the pill.


    "If these go on, I might die from overload," Lu Zhen thought as he fell to the floor. As he couldn''t even walk, his mind raced to see any possibility of surviving these.


    "Wait, I have that." Lu Zhen thought as he opened the system panel with a thought and focused his eyes on the cooking skill.


    [Energy sufficient!]


    [Do you want to upgrade your cooking skill? ]


    Lu Zhen''s eyes widen when he sees this; however, he is a little reluctant to waste this useless cooking skill; however, he has no choice after all; he will probably st from overload if this goes on.


    As his muscle swelled and visible red colour appeared in his body unlike the transformation where lu zhen was filled with power these was more like a feeling of being full to the brim with energy with no outlet.


    "Yes." Lu Zhen thought as he imagined pressing the yes button n his mind.

 Chapter 70: Alchemy Skill

    The swelling of Lu Zhen''s muscles abruptly halted, and the mysterious energy within his body dissipated as if it had never been there.


    His veins slowly returned to their normal state, and the sense of being overly bloated vanished as his body returned to its usual form.


    Lu Zhen''s eyes widened in surprise as he carefully sensed the energy''s disappearance. It appeared as though all the energy had travelled upward to his brain before vanishing, leaving no trace.


    "Hmm, could my system be located near or inside my brain?" Lu Zhen pondered, scrutinising the energy''s vanishing act after an extended period of examination.


    He eventually shook his head.


    "Let''s find out," Lu Zhen mused as he summoned his system with a mere thought.


    Upon opening the panel, he noticed a loading screen that immediately grabbed his attention.


    [Cooking skill is evolving]


    [1%.....4%....19%...]


    Lu Zhen watched as a green progress bar gradually filled up, indicating the advancement of his cooking skill.


    Interestingly, the more the mysterious energy dissipated after reaching his brain, the faster the progress bar advanced.


    After two minutes of patient waiting, the progress bar swiftly reached 100%. Lu Zhen could feel that only a minuscule amount of energy remained within him.


    However, this residual energy didn''t concern him much, as he continued to adapt to it with his "Adaptability" skill, gradually strengthening his constitution.


    Then, a notification appeared at the corner of his vision.


    [Your physique has been strengthened.]


    [Your constitution has levelled up from divine physique level 2 to level 3]


    The moment the prompt appeared he felt a warm energy that was slowly strengthening his physique as he felt his body filled to power.


    His muscles became morepact and his height increased a little.


    Lu zhen looked at his panel again and three options appeared for him.


    [Cooking skill]


    [Advancement options]


    [Ingredients Mastery: Know all ingredients inside out like you have spent days studying.


    Blessing of Hand: Gives an inherent talent for making better food. Your hands are blessed.


    Material Mastery: Selecting this option empowers you to perform material extraction and fusion.


    Culinary Insight: You can think of a taste and you will be able to figure out the recipe. Insight as deep as the greatest chefs.]


    Lu Zhen''s eyes turned from crimson red to a golden hue as he looked at all the options.


    "Well, the first and second options are out of my consideration," Lu Zhen never wanted to be a cook or something as it was pretty useless to him, and these options were pretty much making him a cook.


    And why the heck would Lu Zhen want to be a cook? In a normal and peaceful world, it wouldn''t be a bad choice, but in this harsh and unforgiving world where might is right, it made no sense.


    That was a resounding "no" for Lu Zhen, and this was the reason he was reluctant to invest the mysterious energy just to waste it on his cooking skill, which might prove to be useless in the future.


    "Wait¡­" Lu Zhen''s eyes widened as he thought of the third option.


    "This could be useful." Lu Zhen slowly closed his eyes and then reopened them.


    The moment he did, his eyes turned from golden to crimson red once again.


    He decisively imagined pressing the third option, "Material Mastery." The moment he did, the prompt disappeared, and a new one appeared in front of his eyes.


    [Wait]


    [Advancementpleting]


    Seeing this, he patiently waited, but he got bored and checked his condition after bing a third-stage martial artist.


    His qi storage was now high enough for him to maintain appraisal skill longer since he had reached the third stage as a martial artist.


    In fact, his qi storage was higher than that of other third-stage martial artists because he could use his entire body to store qi, whereas others needed to store it in the qi pathways they had constructed.


    Besides the change in Lu Zhen''s qi storage, there wasn''t much change in his body, as it continued to be strengthened by qi even when he was a martial trainee.


    Thinking about this, Lu Zhen smiled bitterly.


    "Now I need to condense and strengthen the qi in my body," Lu Zhen thought.


    To be a second-stage martial artist, one had to condense and purify their qi, making it stronger until it could materialize outside one''s body. Only then could one be a martial artist.


    Even though Lu Zhen''s qi storage had increased, it didn''t mean it was entirely useless.


    He could now enhance hisbat strength because he had more qi, which, in turn, increased the power of hisbat art.


    Although his understanding remained the same, hisbat art''s power would increase exponentially due to having more qi.


    [Updated]


    [Congrattions! Cooking skill has advanced to alchemy skill.]


    When Lu Zhen saw the blue prompt in front of him, a sly smirk appeared on his face.


    "Yes!" Lu Zhen shouted out loud with joy.


    "Wait, since I still haven''t even reached the first rank, can I even use the skill?" Lu Zhen thought, and a frown appeared on his face.


    "Let''s see," Lu Zhen thought as he opened his panel.


    [LEVEL UP]


    ¡ª-----


    [Name: Lu Zhen]


    --------


    [Race: Human]


    [Bloodline: Human/Volgrith]


    [Lifespan left: 140 years]


    --------


    [Attributes]


    [Constitution: Divine physique (level 3)]


    [Charm: Mortal (Level 4)]


    [Wood Qi: (level 2)]


    [Demonic Qi: Uninitiated (Level 0)]


    ???


    --------


    [Cultivation manuals]


    [Cultivation technique: verdant art (stage 2)]


    --------


    [Skills]


    [Gluttony: level 8]


    [Appraisal eye: level 4]


    [Saber mastery: level 5]


    [Adaptability: level 4]


    [Aura control: level 5]


    [Meditation: level 2]


    [Dual cultivation: level 1]


    [Alchemy: level 1]


    Lu Zhen used his appraisal eyes on the Alchemy skill.


    [Alchemy: allows the host to extract the essence of materials and fuse them together.]


    "Hmm," Lu Zhen thought with a frown. Although the Alchemy skill seemed like it could help him make pills, he knew that making a pill was not easy. If it were so easy, it wouldn''t be restricted to only first-stage martial artists or higher to create pills.


    "Let me experiment and practice thebat art left behind previous because of the disturbance," Lu Zhen thought as he looked tr the books which contained thebat arts.


    He knew he was going to be busy for a long time.

 Chapter 71: Mastery in all combat arts

    Whosh! Wosh!


    The tearing sound of wind being torn appeared as Lu Zhen punched the air as if the air was his greatest enemy.


    He was shirtless, and his twelve-pack abs were disyed in full glory.


    His punch synchronized with his breathing, following a distinct rhythm. A strange pattern resembling a tree appeared whenever he punched in rhythm.


    "One million!" Lu Zhen eximed as he delivered his final punch, creating a sharp wind pressure that seemed capable of tearing the very fabric of the void itself. The wall opposite bore a clear dent of a print of a punch.


    "Hmm¡­" Lu Zhen nodded in satisfaction at the result as he took a simple step forward.


    However, the seemingly simple step he tookunched him forward by at least 20 steps, and he reached the wall in the blink of an eye.


    He leaped into the air, quickly reaching the ceiling. However, instead of falling back down immediately he remained suspended in the air as if he was defying gravity for a split second. Then, he started to descend slowly, moving as gently as a feather falling from the sky. It was an incredibly slow fall, as if Lu Zhen had no weight at all.


    "Hmm, this is satisfactory¡­" he thought to himself, clearly pleased with his newfound ability.


    "But it might take me a little longer to reach the ground like this," Lu Zhen considered, realizing that the slow descent could be a hindrance. He decided to increase his weight slightly and stopped supplying his wood qi.


    With a resounding "boom," Lu Zhen instantly plummeted to the floor, creating a visible dent in the ground upon impact.


    Lu Zhen casually shed his hands through the air, and suddenly, a small whirlwind began to form. It grewrger andrger, intensifying into a full-fledged storm.


    Without hesitation, he walked straight into the eye of the storm. His ck robe fluttered in the violent winds, and the sharp gusts cut through his clothing like a hot knife through butter.


    He felt a slight stinging sensation and looked at his body. There were clear cut marks all over him, visible through the tattered robe.


    Seeing this, Lu Zhen became pleasantly surprised.


    "Looks like the power of my [Verdant Whirlwind] has increased," Lu Zhen thought, realizing he could now imitatebat techniques that initially required a saber with just simple hand swipes.


    However, suddenly, a heavy wooden object fell directly above Lu Zhen''s head. He reacted quickly, sidestepping just in time to avoid being hit.


    Looking around, he saw that his training room was in shambles, destroyed by his own training.


    "I need a bigger room," Lu Zhen thought, a mixture of happiness and speechlessness in his expression.


    Lu Zhen raised his hand, gathering his wood qi into a fist. He visualized a tree in his mind and struck the center of the storm and then in the opposite direction. The storm died down quickly, leaving behind a severely damaged training room that could hardly be called a training room anymore.


    "Looks like I''ve pretty much mastered [Verdant Whirlwind], [Whispering Shadow Step], and [Verdant Grove Fist]. I''ve reached almost a master level of mastery in all of them," Lu Zhen thought, satisfied with his progress.


    .In fact, practicing the  and  was even easier for him than the saber art. He could control his body very easily, especially since he had reached the Divine Physique in his constitution and had leveled it up to 3. This high level of constitution granted him precise control over his body. As a result, Lu Zhen quickly achieved mastery in these arts.


    As for the , since his saber mastery had reached such a high level, he practically mastered it in just moments of practice.


    "Young master, I have prepared the furnace," Lu Zhen heard the uncertain voice of Little Lily as she knocked on his door.


    "Oh, I can finally test if I can do alchemy or not," Lu Zhen thought as he stretched his body.


    He walked toward the door and opened it.


    "So, has Xia Mei given you any trouble?" Lu Zhen said as he stared at Little Lily, who appeared to be in a daze.


    "Ah... No, young master," Little Lily said, her face turning bright red.


    Observing her blush, Lu Zhen couldn''t help but feel confused about why Little Lily was embarrassed.


    "Oh," Lu Zhen put on a poker face as he realized what she was so embarrassed about, seeing his tattered clothes.


    "Where is it?" he asked, quickly shifting the conversation back to the main topic.


    "Young master, it is being delivered by Old Bai," Little Lily replied, still flustered by the sight of Lu Zhen''s muscr physique with his 12-pack abs.


    "Did the young master''s muscles increase, and when did he grow a 12-pack?" She wondered, with a question mark in her head.


    However, she wasn''t given much time to contemte as her thoughts were interrupted by the mischievous hands of Lu Zhen, who caught her by the waist and pulled her closer to him.


    "A¡­" Little Lily was quite confused as to what happened as she was about to speak; however, before she could speak, Lu Zhen kissed her in the mouth as he explored her mouth with his tongue.


    "Mpph..." little lily eyes widened as her face turned bright red by the unexpected French kiss of Lu Zhen.


    However, Lu Zhen still continued to French kiss her.


    Feeling Lu Zhen''s strong body, she was also turned on as little Lily tightly hugged his strong, muscle-filled body as she enjoyed Lu Zhen''s tongue exploring her.


    Her crotch area was already wet as she cried a little from the tears of happiness.


    "Young master hasn''t forgotten me." She thought as a muffled moan escaped her lips.


    Seeing this, Lu Zhen was a little stunned; however, he didn''t stop as he kissed her very deeply in French style.


    He could feel her smooth lips, which touched his own, and his tongue intertwined with her''s, as Lu Zhen too felt a little horny from the butter-like mouth as he explored every part of it.


    Finally, after a whole five minutes of the kiss, Lu Zhen could feel that little Lily was a little out of breath, so he finally let go.


    As their lips separated, a thin line of saliva formed.


    Little Lily''s face was a little red as she huffed, finally breathing air properly.


    "You should rest her lily," Lu Zhen said as he looked at the panting little lily.


    Hearing this little lily was a little disappointing as she wanted more; however, she knew Lu Zhen did it for her as she was already out of breath.


    Little Lily watched Lu Zhen leave as she stayed to rest a little.


    "I must get stronger in the future." She thought with determination in her eyes.

 Chapter 72: Verdant body-refining pill

    "I wonder why the young master has called to take a furnace?" Yu Bai thought, feeling a little confused.


    "Isn''t the young master just at the martial trainee level?" A frown appeared on his face as he contemted.


    "Is he trying to be a pill apprentice?" Actually, since the pills were so rare and sacred and could only be made by first-stage martial artists, there was a profession that specialized in creating an inferior version of pills which could be made by any martial artist who had Qi. However, it was a very tedious process that needed to be carefully done with meticulous preparation.


    The study should be thorough because they could create a paste with a simr effect to pills, but the effectiveness was at least 100 times lower than a pill.


    Even if some martial artists devoted their entire lives to studying materials and the process, only then could any effective result be produced. It had nothing to do with talent, so there were rarely any pill apprentices in a generation.


    Lu Zhen, who had never heard of such things, shouldn''t even be able to get any result, even if he was talented in pill refinement, unless he was a first-stage martial artist, which was impossible.


    "Young master must want to try new things. Awakening a bloodline really changes the whole personality of a person," Yu Bai thought with a sigh.


    "Step! Step!"


    The sound of approaching footsteps suddenly caught Yu Bai''s attention, causing him to straighten up.


    The door creaked open, and he was about to greet the person entering when he saw Lu Zhen''s transformed physique.


    He was left stunned, his gaze fixed on Lu Zhen''s hulking body. Yu Bai could sense a significant increase in Lu Zhen''s aura, and an unusual image of a tree mixed with a feeling of muscle shed through his mind as he observed him.


    "Don''t worry about it. I just had a breakthrough in my cultivation," Lu Zhen exined, snapping Yu Bai out of his daze as he waved his hands.


    Lu Zhen then turned his attention to the alchemy furnace in the room. "So this is the alchemy furnace, huh?" he remarked, his gaze fixed on the in ck cauldron covered with a simple lid.


    "Yes, young master," Yu Bai confirmed, patting the furnace while trying to maintain hisposure.


    He continued, "And the meat of the third-stage beast has been delivered, young master, but¡­" Yu Bai hesitated, a look of concern on his face.


    "But what?" Lu Zhen questioned, his eyes locked onto Yu Bai.


    Yu Bai couldn''t help but start sweating, feeling nervous under Lu Zhen''s intense gaze. "It might be a little difficult for us to mine the qi stone secretly. If the other three major families discover it, they will undoubtedly want a piece of the pie," he exined with uncertainty.


    "The three other major families, huh..." Lu Zhen thought, wearing a pensive expression.


    "I will have to fight them eventually." Since Lu Zhen ughtered the young master of the Xia family and kidnapped the young miss of the Huang family in broad daylight, nheless, he knew he had to confront the Huang family eventually.


    For the Xia family, Lu Zhen was nning to hide Xia Long''s death until forever, or when he became a first-stage martial artist. At that time, even if the Xia family wanted to do anything, they had to swallow their anger if they were brain dead enough to offend him. Lu Zhen wouldn''t mind the four families bing three major families.


    "Alright, you can go, old bai." Lu Zhen said as he waved his hands.


    Yu Bai nodded his head; however, he had a little hesitating expression on his face.


    "Are you sure you would not need any pill techniques?" Yu Bai asked.


    Lu Zhen just shook his head.


    "I already have some technique; you don''t have to give me old bai."


    "Alright, young master." Yu Bai said as he left the room.


    Yu Bai just sighed when he left the room.


    "Young Master has be a grown man."


    Lu Zhen just watched Yu Bai leave.


    "So let''s see." Lu Zhen said as he touched the cauldron that it was rather rough to the touch.


    "Let''s get started," Lu Zhen thought as he moved towards the corner of the room where the ck sack was, for which he had gone to the trouble of kidnapping the Huang family.


    [Verdant body-refining pill]


    [Grade: Qi item]


    [Remark: a book that has the perfect recording and teaching of wood qi paste and pill technique, which is tailor-made for wood attribute practitioners. It can help wood qi attributed martial artist to refine their body with wood qi faster.]


    Lu Zhen casually took out a thick book from the book, which wasparable to the thickness of thebat art books, and looked at it with his golden eyes.


    "This is exactly what I needed." Lu Zhen thought to himself as he flipped open the book.


    The first thing he saw was a picture of a long list of details about herbs and extraction methods.


    Seeing this, Lu Zhen frowned and just skipped the entire part, which was practically more than half the book.


    And the other half or less was a long page of hand-drawn pictures that showed the details of the fusion process of the pills and the pastes.


    The paste was quiteplex to make, whereas the pill appeared to be somewhat simple to make, which stunned Lu Zhen. Although he couldn''t understand what thest step of the pill was, it was undoubtedly more simple than the paste.


    "A... why is it so easy to create the pills than the paste?" Lu Zhen thought as he carefully remembered the details of the pill.


    "Wait, is it because of those strange symbols?" Lu Zhen thought as his expression morphed into a contemtive expression. As he thought more about it, Lu Zhen was pretty much 99% sure it was because of those strange symbols.


    "Forget it then."

 Chapter 73: Refining

    Lu Zhen looked at the herbs and carefully selected the ones that needed to be used for the paste, following the instructions from the book.


    Actually, the herbs used for most of the paste were verymon herbs that could be found everywhere. However, the most tedious thing was the extraction process, as any mistake in it could lead to the failure of the fusion of these herbs. It required extensive research and care, as any mistake in the process would result in aplete failure of the fusion process of the paste.


    And the same applied to pills, but the consequences were even harsher since there was a chance of them exploding.


    "Hmm¡­" Lu Zhen took onest look at the book to check if it was in line with his ingredients, confirming that it was.


    Lu Zhen ced the book on the table and exited the room. As he stepped outside, he encountered Lily walking towards him.


    "Lily, do not allow anyone to enter this room for now," Lu Zhen instructed with a firm tone.


    "Yes, young master," Little Lily replied, bowing in acknowledgment.


    "And Old Bai should send meat over, cook it up for me," Lu Zhen added before shutting the door.


    Little Lily left to inform the guards to secure Lu Zhen''s room.


    "Yawn! What are we eating for lunch today?" one of the guards inquired, showing signs of boredom from the monotonous duty of standing guard with a spear. He stood there with drooping eyelids, appearing almost half-asleep.


    "I think it was sweet and sour pork," the other guard mentioned, also standingzily without proper posture.


    At the mention of sweet and sour pork, the first guard''s sleepy eyes widened, and he seemed to visibly drool in anticipation of the meal.


    "Today''s going to be a feast!" he eximed excitedly in a loud voice, eliciting sighs from the other guards.


    "You two, go to the room and guard it diligently. Don''t let anyone in until the young masteres out," a cold voice suddenly cut through the guard''s excitement, causing them to shiver and snap out of their drowsiness.


    When the two guards saw that it was Little Lily, they immediately started sweating in cold sweat as they said in unison, "Yes," and hurriedly went to guard.


    The other guards seeing little lily were also in cold sweat as thye became more active in their duty.


    Little Lily made her way to the kitchen to prepare the meat, her cold expression transforming into a happy smile.


    La! La!


    She sang as she was ready to prepare the best meal for her young master to enjoy with the meat of the Third-stage martial beast.


    Meanwhile, Lu Zhen carefully extracted the essence of the herbs while forming numerous hand signs to allow qi to extract the medicinal properties of the herbs.


    A green light shed past as Lu Zhen fully concentrated to extract the essence of the herbs.


    His mind was filled with the information about these herbs, almost as natural as the back of his hand, as he extracted their essence. He calcted the temperature of the ingredients, their height, length, and breadth, and carefully smelled all the ingredients.


    Slowly, all the herbs floated in the air as Lu Zhen''s wood qi started to crush the herbs and turn them into a greenish liquid, which fell into a big bowl that Lu Zhen had ced underneath.


    However, Lu Zhen''s qi wasn''t strong enough, and the process was too slow.


    "Hmm, my qi isn''t strong enough," Lu Zhen thought, but he was distracted for a split second, causing all the herbs to fall.


    A frown appeared on his face as he saw all his work go to waste.


    "Let''s try again," Lu Zhen thought as he went through the whole process once more.


    Finally, after the fifth attempt, Lu Zhen seeded.


    Lu Zhen looked at the big bowl filled with the green liquid with a proud expression.


    "Well, I finally seeded!" Lu Zhen eximed with joy.


    He summoned his system with a thought.


    [Log]


    "Oh, Alchemy must have levelled up¡­" Lu Zhen thought with even more excitement.


    [You have practised with the saber.]


    [Your saber mastery has levelled up from level 5 to level 6]


    "Eh, hasn''t my alchemy levelled up?" Lu Zhen was stunned.


    "This should be from my previous training," his face morphed into a frown.


    Lu Zhen had always felt that his skills levelled up as easily as taking a walk, although the speed had slowed down significantly as he reached higher level, it was still fast enough.


    "It''s going to be hard to level up the skill¡­" Lu Zhen thought to himself.


    "Hmm¡­ it has a bit of a sweet smell to it," Lu Zhen thought as he held the bowl and poured the greenish liquid into the furnace.


    After pouring the greenish liquid, he closed the lid of the furnace.


    "Let''s start," Lu Zhen thought to himself as he began the fire.


    "Hmm¡­" he just let the cauldron heat to the right temperature before he slowly started to control the liquid inside the container with his hands, just enough to prevent it from burning.


    To Lu Zhen''s surprise, unlike the extraction process which took too long, hepleted the refining process without fail as the process took a short time.


    "Let''s see now," Lu Zhen thought excitedly to himself as he took out the lid of the piping hot furnace.


    The moment he took out the lid, a burnt smell wafted into the air, which made Lu Zhen frown.


    A gooey greenish liquid was stuck to the cauldron.


    "Oh well, as long as it works¡­" Lu Zhen thought to himself as he took out the gooey liquid from the bowl.


    "Here goes nothing," Lu Zhen thought as he closed his nose and drank the liquid in one go.


    The moment he did, the gooey liquid instantly melted when it reached his stomach, and warm, mysterious energy spread throughout his body.


    However, unlike previously, the mysterious energy was quite meager, and it acted differently. The energy dispersed to all parts of Lu Zhen''s body, and the wood qi within him became strangely active.


    Lu Zhen could feel the strengthening process of his wood qi powering his body increase, although it was still quite modest.


    "Better than nothing," he thought with a bitter expression.

 Chapter 74: Perfect Paste

    Lu Zhen made numerous hand signs as green light asionally appeared in his hand, which then travelled through the cauldron.


    "It''s time," Lu Zhen thought as he carefully extinguished the fire while ensuring the herbs didn''t get burnt up.


    "Let''s see now," Lu Zhen said as he rubbed his hands together and removed the lid from the cauldron.


    The moment he did, a woody scent filled the room, carrying a sense of pureness with it.


    Taking in the scent, Lu Zhen felt even more excited as he examined the final product. Thin green powders remained in the cauldron.


    Lu Zhen carefully collected the powder in a bowl.


    His eyes turned golden as he looked at it.


    [Verdant body-refining paste]


    [Grade: qi item]


    [Remarks- the perfect version of the paste which has almost double the effect of normal paste.]


    "Not bad." Lu zhen thought satisfied with himself.


    "The perfect grade is new, does it only appear when I can make the perfect grade?" Lu zhen thought to himself as he looked at the rows of bowls which all contained the paste.


    Lu Zhen examined the paste with his golden eyes.


    [Common healing paste]


    [Grade: Half Qi item]


    [Remarks: The paste used for healing and the easiest to make.]


    [Qi gathering paste]


    [Grade: Half Qi item]


    [Remarks: The paste that helps the practitioner gather more attributeless Qi.


    Note: The martial artist still has to convert it to their attribute.]


    Seeing the results of the hard work Lu Zhen put into making these piles of paste, he couldn''t help but feel content with his achievement.


    "Let me try," Lu Zhen took the perfect-grade paste in his hand and consumed it.


    The same thing happened, but this time, the efficiency increased. Lu Zhen could feel his wood Qi strengthening his body even more, but it was fleeting, disappearing as quickly as it appeared.


    The same thing happened; however, the efficiency this time increased, as Lu Zhen could feel that his wood Qi strengthened his body even more. He could feel a slight enhancement of his body, but it disappeared the moment it appeared.


    "My body is too strong to be strengthened any further by these meager pastes, and the pill might make me explode, honestly," Lu Zhen had some guesses as to why even a simple pill, which an ordinary third-stage martial artist could take, made Lu Zhen almost explode.


    With a body strong enough topete with a third-stage peak martial artist or even higher. Lu Zhen had a hunch that it was because of his gluttony skill, which digested the pill almost instantly. So, all the mysterious energy inside the pill wasn''t wasted, unlike others who took it, needing to digest the pill over a long time, inevitably losing most of the pill''s effects.


    "Let''s take a look," Lu Zhen thought as he opened his system hopefully.


    [Log]


    Seeing the log button, Lu Zhen was undoubtedly excited as he opened it with a thought.


    [You have sessfully created your perfect paste]


    [Your Alchemy skill has leveled up from level 1 to level 2]


    "Now I can make better paste," Lu Zhen thought as he rubbed his hands together.


    Knock! Knock!


    Suddenly, Lu Zhen heard a knock which caused him to frown with displeasure.


    "Young master, the patriarch has called for you¡­" he heard an expressionless old voice.


    "Why did my cheap father call for me?" He thought to himself as he opened the door.


    "Oh, Elder Yao, what did my father call me for?" Lu Zhen asked as he stared at the man who had a ssical elderly look with long white hair and a small white beard. He was wearing the ssical robe of an elder.


    "Young master, you will find out in the hall," Lu Yao said with a strange expression on his face.


    "Oh, alright," Lu Zhen said as he nodded.


    "But let''s wait for a moment," Lu Zhen added, thinking of something.


    At that perfect timing, Little Lily approached Lu Zhen.


    "Eh, young master, the food is ready," she said, her surprise evident when she noticed the elder present.


    "Let''s wait until I finish eating before we go, Elder," Lu Zhen suggested.


    "But¡­" Elder Yao began to say something, but Lu Zhen interrupted him.


    "It''s the meat of a third-stage martial beast." When Elder Yao heard this, a drool formed on his face as he swallowed his saliva.


    "This... alright, young master," the elder agreed, clearly swayed by his hunger.


    "I heard that the Patriarch''s wife spoils her son too much, and it seems to be true," Elder Yao thought to himself as he followed Lu Zhen, a hint of envy shing in his eyes.


    As they entered the dining room, the fresh aroma wafted into Lu Zhen''s nose, and heid his eyes on the tenderly cooked meat with a hungry expression.


    "Let''s eat, Elder," Lu Zhen said, then headed straight to the table and began eating without any semnce of manners.


    "This Lu Zhen is really ill-mannered," Elder Yao thought to himself as he watched Lu Zhen devour the meat.


    "Let me see how much he can eat," the elder decided to wait, believing that Lu Zhen could not finish all the meat, which was at least 50 kg.


    As even if he couldn''t devour that much with the pure nutrients in the meat he would most likely be sick for days as he couldn''t digest it.


    However, much to his despair, he could only watch with wide eyes as Lu Zhen continued to eat the meat like a bottomless pit, without showing any signs of slowing down.


    "This... let me have some," the elder hastily joined Lu Zhen at the table to share in the meal, as the meat was disappearing faster than ever.


    After all, the elder had only eaten the meat of a third-stage beast once in his lifetime.


    *Burp!*


    With a satisfied sound, Lu Zhen patted his non-existent inted belly.


    "Have you had your fill, Elder?" Lu Zhen asked, patting his belly.


    Feeling his unsatisfied stomach, the elder felt a tinge of regret as he realized the sheer amount of food he had consumed.


    "The rumours were true," the elder thought with a bitter sigh.


    "Alright, let''s go," the elder said, leaving with a regretful expression.


    As the two made their way to the hall, Lu Zhen could see a crowd of people gathered there in the distance, thanks to his superhuman sight.


    "What''s going on?" Lu Zhen wondered, a curious expression on his face.

 Chapter 75: Huang Family

    "Where is my daughter? If you don''t bring her to me right now¡­"


    Lu Zhen''s ears twitched when he heard the angry voice.


    "Oh¡­," Lu Zhen smirked as he could already guess who the person was.


    Lu Zhen could hear a lot of whispers from the servants who were talking about him and seeing Lu Zhen in a new light.


    "Did he really kidnap the young miss of the Huang family?"


    "I heard that the young master defeated a martial trainee with a simple flick of his wrist."


    Some servants watched Lu Zhen with reverence, while others with jealous eyes and some with uncertain eyes.


    As Lu Zhen and the elder made their way, the servants cleared the way and bowed simultaneously.


    The guards pushed open the door.


    "Oh, let''s calm down for a second since we are all civil. How about we talk?" An elderly man said as he hurriedly stopped his patriarch.


    "Patriarch, we are not in our territory," the old man whispered to a bulky man.


    "So when will that bastarde?" The patriarch said as his face became red from anger. With his red hair, he looked like an angry bob.


    "Young master hase." At that moment, an announcement was made as the door opened.


    "So you are the bastard who kidnap¡­" he said as he looked over. However, his throat was stuck in his neck as he saw the hulking man who was even greater than him by a small margin.


    "Pfp¡­." Lu Zhenughed a little as he saw the red-haired old man''s words stuck in his throat.


    "Being bulky has a lot of benefits," Lu Zhen thought to himself as the old man''s face became red from anger.


    "You¡­" Suddenly, the old man''s anger reached an all-time high as he was about to make a move.


    "Huang Kai." Mother Lu suddenly intervened as she released her aura.


    "This¡­" Huang Kai''s eyes widened, and he felt a terrifying pressure engulfing him.


    "It''s almost as powerful as a first stage martial artist," he thought as the overwhelming aura clouded his mind, and he felt a terrifying killing intent engulf him.


    Huang Kai quickly withdrew and sat back in his seat.


    Seeing this, Lu Zhen internally heaved a sigh of relief as his back was already cold with sweat.


    "Second stage martial artists are that terrifying," Lu Zhen thought to himself as he clenched his fist, hiding it from view.


    The terrifying stare of Huang Kai was enough to make Lu Zhen feel as if he were a mouse being stared at by a lion.


    Although Lu Zhen''s constitution had improved significantly and his physique should now beparable to a legit peak third stage powerhouse, and he had be a third-stage martial artist, he was no match for a second-stage martial artist.


    "I must be more careful in the future," Lu Zhen thought to himself as he looked at the old man who had calmed down a bit.


    "So why have I been summoned?" Lu Zhen said respectfully as he joined his hands into a cup,pletely changing his demeanor.


    "Son, the Huang family has some business with you," Mother Lu said, a mysterious smile appearing on her face.


    Lu Zhen had a confused expression as he looked to his right and left; almost all the elders were present, and mainline descendants were there too. He could see Lu Zhi and Lu Qing at the corner of the ce, barely visible, with a mixture of emotions on their faces.


    "Return Huang Li, my daughter, right now," Huang Kai demanded as he clenched his fist.


    "What does that have to do with me?" Lu Zhen replied innocently.


    "You¡­ you¡­" Hearing this, Huang Kai became angry and pointed at Lu Zhen with fury in his eyes. However, he took a deep breath to calm himself.


    "The entire city already knows about it; do you think we wouldn''t know?" Huang Kai said, taking long, deep breaths.


    Hearing this, Lu Zhen narrowed his eyes. "Oh," he said, nodding his head in understanding, but maintaining an ignorant expression.


    "But why should I give her back to you?" Lu Zhen continued with a tone of justice. "She attacked me first, and I just acted in self-defense," he added, watching Huang Kai, who was trying to barely control his anger.


    "Don''t y tricks with me. Are you willing to give back Huang Li or not?" Huang Kai''s expression turned cold as he stared at Lu Zhen.


    "And the items you stole from us in the vendor," Huang Kai sent a voice transmission to Lu Zhen.


    Hearing about the items, Lu Zhen''s eyes shed with realization.


    "So these guys know the value of those items, huh..." Lu Zhen thought as he cooked up an evil n in his head.


    If it was just about giving Huang Li back, he wouldn''t care much, as she had no benefits for Lu Zhen. Although she knew about Xia Mei, she didn''t know her identity, from what Lu Zhen could observe. However, the item from the stall was undoubtedly the most valuable thing he had seen, so he wouldn''t give it up, even if he had to fight the entire Huang family.


    "No," Lu Zhen said loudly and clearly enough for everyone to hear.


    The entire venue fell into silence, and everyone just kept quiet.


    "Does this bastard think that just because he killed a martial trainee he''s a big shot?" Lu Yuan thought as he stayed in the seat of the direct descendant. He conversed with other descendants through voice transmission.


    "What do you think, brother?"


    "He''s a fool."


    "Do we want to start a war with the Huang family for just this?"


    The elders also sighed when they heard the stubborn tone of Lu Zhen.


    "You bastard, give my sister back!" An angry voice sounded as the man with simr features to Huang Kai stepped up from behind him.


    Seeing this, Lu Zhen''s eyes shed with a strange light.


    "We warriors have always believed that the bigger fist wins. How about we duel? If I lose, I will give everything back, however..."


    "That won''t be necessary, as you will never win," the man sneered.

 Chapter 76: Huang Yi

    "If you lose, you have to silently leave while giving me your daughter''s hand in marriage. How about we forget everything and be friends?" Lu Zhen said, a friendly smile stered on his face as he disregarded the man''s words.


    The man''s expression transformed from a sneer to sheer astonishment as he nced at his father.


    "Yin''r should be able to face him; after all, he has already reached that realm," Huang Kai thought to himself, calcting the possibilities. He reluctantly nodded with clenched fists.


    "If we were in our territory, I would have torn that bastard to pieces, consequences be damned, even if it meant starting a war with the Lu family," he dered, his anger evident as he gazed at Lu Zhen.


    As the patriarch of the Huang family, Huang Kai had not been subjected to such mockery in ages. Those who had disrespected him in his early years had long since be fertiliser for Mother Nature.


    Although he was initially taken aback by Lu Zhen''s towering stature, he couldn''t care less, especially since those valuable items were in Lu Zhen''s possession.


    "Don''t kill him, Yin''r," Huang Kai sent a voice transmission, nodding his head in confirmation.


    Upon receiving his father''s approval, a sneer appeared on Huang Yin''s face as he approached Lu Zhen.


    "Should we intervene, dear?" Father Lu frowned and sent a voice transmission to Mother Lu.


    "No," Mother Lu shook her head, watching silently. "My son can never be a coward. He needs to face things like a man," she thought to herself. However, she was prepared to take immediate action if anything went awry, even if she had to confront the Huang family.


    "Do you really think that just because you got lucky and killed a martial trainee, you''re powerful?" Huang Yi sneered, shaking his head.


    "Oh, how interesting. Aren''t you also a martial trainee?" Lu Zhen watched Huang Yi approach him,pletely rxed and casual.


    "This..." Huang Yi''s face flushed red with embarrassment, and it seemed like he might spit fire at any time due to his anger.


    Observing this, Lu Zhen mused to himself, "The Huang family is really a family of hotheads, huh?"


    "You''ll find out if I''m a martial trainee or not," Huang Yi sneered as he suddenly released his aura, causing everyone below the third stage martial realm to feel a bit hazy in their minds.


    "This..."


    "How terrifying."


    "This aura might be a third-stage martial artist."


    The elders shook their heads when they heard their children''s reactions.


    "No, it''s not at the Third-stage martial realm yet, but it''s very close," one of the elders stood up and said to the others.


    Seeing this, Mother Lu frowned a little, while Huang Kai smirked.


    "No, he should be a half-step third-stage martial artist," Mother Lu said aloud as she stared at Huang Kai.


    Sighing, Father Lu was about to make a move, but Mother Lu still shook her head, remaining silent.


    "He should be able to contend with him if he went Vulgrith form, but it can''t be done here, so I''ll let him gain experience until he''s about to turn into his Vulgrith form. Only then will I step in," Mother Lu thought as she nned everything.


    "So, Lu Zhen, how about you give up now?" Huang Yi smirked.


    "Why would I? Are you an idiot?" Lu Zhen gave Huang Yi a strange look.


    "Eh, you aren''t affected by my aura?" Huang Yi was slightly shocked.


    "This aura won''t affect even a chicken," Lu Zhen replied nonchntly.


    "Alright, how about we fight already? I have more important things to do," Lu Zhen impatiently waved his hands.


    "You''re gonna regret this, you bastard."


    Visible veins popped in Huang Yi''s head as his eyes turned to pure red due to his anger as his steps quickened to an exaggerated degree, reaching Lu Zhen in a matter of seconds.


    "Ignis fist," Huang Yi roared with fury, his fist igniting into mes as he unleashed a zing punch aimed straight at Lu Zhen''s chest.


    Lu Zhen, seemingly unfazed, stood his ground and allowed the fiery punch to strike him directly.


    Huang Yi''s confidence surged as he saw lu zhen unable to move because he mustn''t be able react.


    "This should severely injure you, you bastard," he thought as his fiery fist connected with Lu Zhen''s chest. But the instant his fists collided with lu zhen''s chest, a resounding crack echoed through the air.


    "Ah!"


    A painful scream erupted as a billowing cloud of smoke enveloped both Lu Zhen and Huang Yi.


    Seeing this, Mother Lu''s eyes lit up with astonishment, while Father Lu wore a strange expression on his face. Huang Kai''s face twisted into a strange frown.


    On the sidelines, Lu Yuan looked confused as the smoke covered the area. He turned toward his father with questioning eyes. However, his father just shook his head and sent a voice transmission.


    "I don''t know," Lu Yuan heard this, but he pretty much knew the result already, so he didn''t care much now. "He could only me himself for it."


    The other descendants and the elders also had the same understanding. Some shook their heads, while others gleamed in Lu Zhen''s misfortune.


    The dust slowly lifted. However, once it did, everyone''s eyes widened with astonishment. Huang Yi was writhing on the ground in pain as he clutched his hand, while Lu Zhen stood still without making a move.


    "No¡­ I am not convinced," Huang Yi roared in anger as he struggled to stand up and attacked Lu Zhen once more.


    "Oh, you''re not convinced? Then I will make you convinced," Lu Zhen sneered as he took a step forward. Huang Yi''s eyes widened as Lu Zhen reached him in just a single step.


    "Here, take this," Lu Zhen flicked his middle finger against Huang Yi''s forehead. Suddenly, Huang Yi felt chills down his spine, but as he was on the ground, he couldn''t dodge.


    As Lu Zhen''s finger connected with Huang Yi, he was instantly flung into the air and crashed directly into the wall.

 Chapter 77: Cheat Useless?

    A half-step third-stage martial artist is a realm that is stronger than a martial trainee, but it is like a bugpared to a true third-stage martial artist.


    When martial trainees draw qi from the air and slowly umte enough using their cultivation technique to create qi pathways through their bodies for travelling their qi, they reach the third stage martial realm, which strengthens their bodies beyond mortal bodies.


    However, if the qi pathways are only half-constructed, it can only partially or even less effectively strengthen their bodies, and this state is called a half-step, as the martial artist could neither be called a martial trainee nor a third-stage martial artist.


    But Lu Zhen didn''t need any qi pathways because his qi could freely enter his body and strengthen it.


    That''s why Lu Zhen didn''t need to go through the tedious process of constructing qi pathways. However, he still needed to umte qi to reach the third stage of a martial artist. There was no half-step third-stage martial realm for him.


    "Are you still not convinced?" Lu Zhen sneered as he looked at Huang Yi, who crashed into the wall.


    "You¡­" Huang Yi stared at Lu Zhen with disbelief in his face; however, he gritted his teeth and stood up again.


    "No, I am not convinced." Huang Yi roared with anger.


    "That''s enough." He heard a cold voice as he looked up to see his disappointed father''s face.


    Seeing this, he roared in anger once more.


    "Oh, he is still not convinced though," Lu Zhen said as he reached the ce of Huang Li instantly as he kept his hands on Huang Li''s head.


    The moment he did, Huang Li felt a terrifying instinct take over him as he felt scared for the first time in his life.


    With a ssh sound, Lu Zhen tightened his fist, which made Huang Li''s head explode as blood sshed all over the floor. Dying the floor red with blood.


    "I am going to die." The only thought of Huang Li was that he became nk, he felt his life shing through his eyes.


    However, this didn''t happen, as Lu Zhen just patted Huang Li in the head.


    "Did you think I was going to kill you? We are going to be rtives in the future, so you will be calling me brother-inw in the future. Don''t worry, I won''t kill you." Lu Zhen said with a friendly smile as he patted him.


    "You bastard," Huang Kai roared in anger and embarrassment, seeing Lu Zhen toying with Huang Yi.


    "Father-inw, are you going back on your word?" Lu Zhen said with an expressionless face as he redirected his attention to Huang Kai.


    "This¡­ this¡­" Huang Kai was left speechless.


    His reputation would be ruined if he went back on his word, and he didn''t have the authority to start a war with the Lu family over this matter. Only one person had the authority: the ancestor, a first-stage martial artist guarding the Huang family.


    "Alright, you win, kid," Huang Kai finally relented, his expression turning cold and emotionless.


    "However, remember one thing, kid. If I ever encounter you outside, I''m going toe for you," he warned. The moment he said this, he felt a chill down his spine and turned around to see the dead-eyed stare of Mother Lu.


    "Huang Kai!" Mother Lu released her aura in full force, and the hall was engulfed in her killing intent.


    Instantly, almost everyone''s minds were clouded by the aura. Martial artists below the third stage of the martial realm fell into an illusion, while the others were in a trance.


    Lu Zhen''s eyes widened as the aura of death overwhelmed him, putting him into a trance.


    "You''re crazy..." Huang Kai muttered as he stared at her, his disbelief evident on his face. Although he wasn''t affected as much by Mother Lu''s aura, he could still feel the terrifying killing intent she emanated, which clouded his mind to some extent.


    "Lu Ying, do you really want to go to war with our Huang family?" He looked at Mother Lu, who continued to gaze at him with pure killing intent.


    "Yes," she said as she was about to make a move.


    "Sigh, that''s enough." Suddenly, a voice was heard as Mother Lu''s aura decreased slightly.


    "Greetings, ancestor," Mother Lu said with her fist cupped as shepletely retracted her aura.


    All the people in the hall woke from their trance and regained their consciousness. The hall became silent as their brains were still processing what had just urred.


    Lu Zhen also woke up from his trance, and the first thing he saw was a system prompt.


    [You failed to resist the aura.]


    [Adapting to the aura.]


    [Failed¡­ failed¡­.]


    [Trying again]


    [Failed too high level]


    Seeing this prompt for the first time, Lu Zhen was stunned.


    "I can''t adapt to her aura?" Lu Zhen was shocked, as he had never felt that he couldn''t adapt to anything before.


    "Is the gap between second stage and third stage martial artists that big?" Lu Zhen was terrified. Although Lu Ying most likely a peak second-stage martial artist, rendering his cheat useless was a first for Lu Zhen, which shocked him to the core.


    However before he could contemte any longe he heard a "whooshing" sound, which made him snap out of his shocked state. A young man in a green robe appeared out of nowhere.


    The young man had a ssical business smile on his face, and his clothes seemed to be made with the finest silk possible, with literal gold attached to his robe. He had short ck hair and crimson eyes, just like Lu Zhen.


    "You should stop here, Lu Ying," the young man said, looking at Mother Lu.


    "Yes, ancestor," Mother Lu bowed.


    "I greet the ancestors of the Lu family," Huang Kai bowed, showing respect to one of the only four first-stage martial artists in the city.


    "And being friends is even better for you, isn''t it? Besides, having a son-inw who can defeat a half-step third-stage martial artist is quite helpful for ''that'' fight, isn''t it?" The ancestor looked at Huang Kai.


    Hearing this, Huang Kai was rendered speechless. He had no option. He couldn''t reveal that what he was really after were those items. However, it wasn''t currently worth going to war with the Lu family for those things, as the ancestor would never agree.


    "Yes, ancestor," Huang Kai managed to say those words with difficulty.

 Chapter 78: Ancient Warrior

    "So we are going to be inws soon. You should be happy," Ancestor Lu walked to Huang Kai and patted him on his shoulder.


    "Oh, and send my greetings to Huang Wei," Huang Kai bowed when he heard this.


    "Yes, Ancestor Lu." Huang Wei was their ancestor''s name. First-ss martial artists were the absolute powerhouse of the city, and nobody could say their name as a sign of respect except the first-stage martial artists themselves.


    "You can leave now." Ancestor Lu just waved his hands, and all the dizziness of all the people in the hall disappeared in a blink of an eye as they became active again.


    "Let''s go," Huang Kai said as the Huang family just left.


    "You have to be careful on your way as I will soon be your brother-inw," Lu Zhen said as he helped Huang Yi stand up and patted him on the back.


    "You¡­"


    "Let''s go," Huang Kai said in a cold tone which woke up Huang Yi, who was again trying to fight Lu Zhen.


    "Yes, Father," he said as he bowed.


    With that said, the party of the Huang family all left the lu family estate


    As they left the Lu estate,


    "Patriarch, are we really leaving those items in Lu Zhen''s hands?" The old man who previously whispered to Huang Kai to be careful asked with an unsatisfied expression.


    "What can we do then? Fight that crazy mother? Or should we wage war, which is unlikely since the ancestors won''t agree." Huang Kai had a cold expression.


    The old man was left speechless.


    "Huang Yi, your training will be doubled from tomorrow." Huang Kai looked at his son, whose head was down, with a cold gaze.


    Suddenly, Huang Yi felt chills as he hurriedly replied.


    "Yes, Father." He bowed.


    Meanwhile, inside the Lu estate,


    Ancestor Lu looked at Lu Ying with a sigh.


    "Why are you always hot-headed when ites to your son? You are quite intelligent when other thingse up, however, you be a¡­" Ancestor Lu coughed a little as he refrained from saying anything, seeing the stare of Lu Ying.


    "Ancestor Lu, you know my son¡­" Lu Ying was suddenly interrupted by Ancestor Lu.


    "Yeah! Yeah! I understand." Ancestor Lu waved his hand dismissively as he suddenly looked at Lu Zhen.


    Lu Zhen felt like an ant being stared down by a god, as he experienced a strange pressure that even caused his mind to slow down.


    Lu zhen blinked his eyes and the next moment he knew ancestor lu was already near him.


    "How interesting," Ancestor Lu slowly scrutinized Lu Zhen with eyes filled with interest.


    "You are clearly only a third-stage martial artist. However, your body should beparable to a true third-stage peak martial artist, no, maybe even stronger than most ordinary third-stage peak martial artists," Ancestor Lu said as he simply flicked his fingers on Lu Zhen''s body.


    When the elders and the direct descendants heard this, their eyes widened.


    "Lu Zhen has hidden it really deep."


    "An 18-year-old third-stage martial artist. This has never been heard of before in our town."


    "How terrifying."


    "Maybe that is why he acted like a waste, to hide his talent." Some of the people''s eyes lit up with realization as they could only think of these reasons why Lu Zhen would hide.


    "We have wronged Lu Zhen." The elder heaved a sigh as they had never respected him due to him being a waste, but now that he was suddenly revealed as a third-stage martial artist, it was a different thing.


    Lu Zhen''s position as the next patriarch will now be guaranteed, and all the resources will be poured into him, even if he makes no contribution points.


    "This¡­" Lu Zhen could feel a strange vibration on his body, as if it were detecting his physique.


    He tried to manipte his body to stop the vibration, but it felt ethereal. Every time he attempted to cease it, the sensation effortlessly passed through, as if Lu Zhen were merely imagining things.


    "Wait, you possess the physique of an ancient warrior¡­" the ancestor''s eyes widened as he probed Lu Zhen''s body. However, he looked around cautiously.


    "Sigh," Ancestor Lu sighed as he gazed at Lu Zhen and sent a voice transmission.


    "Do you wish to understand the reason behind your physique and how it enables the direct absorption of qi into your body?"


    Hearing this, Lu Zhen''s eyes widened as he nodded.


    "First-stage martial artists are truly formidable," he thought to himself. However, since the ancestor hadn''t mentioned his unique abilities yet and appeared to be unaware of them, Lu Zhen inwardly breathed a sigh of relief.


    "Ancestor Lu¡­" Mother Lu spoke loudly when she saw him probing Lu Zhen. Although she was somewhat surprised when the ancestor mentioned "ancient warrior."


    "Alright, alright, I won''t do anything to your son," he sighed.


    "You may all disperse now." Ancestor Lu addressed the elders and disciples, who had expressions filled with admiration.


    "Yes, Ancestor." Everyone responded unanimously, their voices filled with reverence.


    "It appears that Lu Zhen has truly gained the favor of the Ancestor."


    "Sigh, it will be beneficial for the family, as we will acquire a genius who can help us obtain more resources."


    "It''s for the best." The elders excitedlymunicated with each other via voice transmission as they respectfully departed.


    Soon, the hall was empty, with only the ancestor, Mother Lu, Father Lu, and Lu Zhen left behind.


    "Does he know about ''that''?" Ancestor Lu said as he looked at Mother Lu.


    Mother Lu just shook her head, indicating that she hadn''t told him about it yet.


    Ahem!


    "Alright, then this will be a lengthy exnation," Ancestor Lu said as he coughed a little.


    "Do you know the history of this world, my boy?" Ancestor Lu looked at Lu Zhen and asked.


    "No," Lu Zhen shook his head. He was genuinely clueless about these matters, as the previous host had not been interested in them, so there were no memories about it in Lu Zhen''s mind.


    Ancestor Lu was left speechless.

 Chapter 79: Mages and Ancient Warrior

    "Oh, well, I will tell you what I know about the history of this world," Ancestor Lu sighed due to Lu Zhen''sck of knowledge.


    "It wasn''t that we martial artists previously ruled the world. In fact, there were mages who were much more advanced than us in technology, and they followed a different power system than us."


    "While we martial artists harness qi in our bodies, and almost every advancement is rted to our own bodies, mages cultivate qi outside of their bodies."


    "They had a different power system than us, as they controlled qi to interact with nature, creating miraculous things like a fireball in thin air called a spell. This could only be done by a first-stage martial artist, even at the beginning of their journey."


    "They were a terrifying force of destruction, and their technology advanced far too much. They even ruled many othernds apart from ours. However, sigh..." Ancestor Lu continued, sighing, "they eventually copsed because they became too outdated, too arrogant, fought many internal wars, and a discovery was made that acted as a catalyst for the destruction of the mages."


    "The catalyst was due to one particr weakness: they were weak in closebat and could be considered very weak if a person could get near them. Although mages had various backups to ensure that theirbat power didn''t diminish, this didn''t change the fact that they were too weak at close range."


    "When the other races found out about this, they immediately capitalized on it, and a war ensued. After all, they weren''t foolish, and nobody wants to be a ve. With the internal struggles of the mages still ongoing, they eventually lost the war and were destroyed along with their legacy."


    "However, all the races that the mages fought with were also damaged to the point of almost no return, causing them to be weak and backward."


    "All technology of the mages was either lost or buried, and our means of traveling through thend were no more, causing us to be restricted to our own ne."


    "That is how the mage''s era ended," Ancestor Lu sighed as he looked at Lu Zhen, finishing his exnation.


    "But what does this have to do with ancient warrior ancestors?" Lu Zhen asked with a confused expression.


    "After that, ancient martial artists or warriors were born, who primarily focused on their bodies and had a technique simr to ours. However, their bodies didn''t reject qi like ours do. The condition for bing an ancient martial artist was extremely harsh."


    "They trained their bodies to the limits and beyond before cultivating even a shred of qi, which people barely did in that era. Most of them died trying, and as time passed, ancient martial artists became fewer in number."


    "To reduce the chances of people dying, the cultivation techniques were modified and made new. It worked. However, unlike ancient martial artists who could directly take in qi into their bodies, we normal martial artists had to form qi pathways to strengthen our bodies with qi."


    "As time passed, ancient martial artists were forgotten, as they eventually died due to their small numbers, fading away through time."


    "However, this doesn''t mean they were weaker than ordinary martial artists. In fact, they were several times stronger than normal martial artists of the same rank, to the point where they could be called invincible within their own rank. They also didn''t have to go through the tedious process of constructing qi pathways."


    Ancestor Lu stared at Lu Zhen, who was listening carefully to his exnation.


    "So how did you get an ancient warrior physique?" Hearing this, Lu Zhen snapped out of his concentration.


    "Umm¡­ to be honest, Ancestor, I don''t know," Lu Zhen replied, wearing a confused expression.


    "Hmm¡­" Ancestor Lu''s gaze deepened as he continued to stare at Lu Zhen.


    However, Lu Zhen didn''t even blink his eyes; he just stared back at him.


    "Hahahaha, my boy, whatever you did, since you have acquired the ancient warrior physique, you are definitely the most suitable heir to prosper our Lu family," Ancestor Lu said as he patted Lu Zhen and took out two boxes seemingly out of nowhere.


    "This¡­" Lu Zhen''s eyes widened when he saw a box simr to the one given by his mother.


    "There are some body-refining pills and divine healing pills in the box." Lu Zhen epted the box without hesitation.


    "Hohohoho," Ancestor Lu chuckled. "Oh, I forgot that I have be younger."


    "Anyway, you should know about bloodlines though, right?" He stared at Lu Zhen with a peculiar glint in his eyes.


    "Ah, yes, Ancestor," Lu Zhen answered as he woke up from tightly hugging the two boxes.


    However, Mother Lu had a frown on her face when she heard this, looking at her husband who had a strange expression on his face.


    "Ance¡­"


    "Aye, I know, I know, Lu Ying."


    "Ancestor, I have another request that will not only help me but also might interest you," Lu Zhen looked at Ancestor Lu with a peculiar glint in his eyes.


    "Just call me Lu Ming," Ancestor Lu said warmly to Lu Zhen.


    "So, what kind of thing is it that can interest me?"


    "I know the location of a crystal mine," Lu Zhen said respectfully.


    "Oh, that is undoubtedly still beneficial to me; however, if the mine is small, it isn''t much," Ancestor Lu replied as he considered something.


    "Ancestor, how about I take 60% of the mine, as I will give 40% of the mine to the family?"


    "Boy, you are quite ambitious, huh?"


    "However, since you found the mine, I will give you a 50-50 split; nothing more and nothing less will be divided, as the mine is truly too valuable, especially since our previous mine will be drained soon."


    "Alright, Ancestor," Lu Zhen agreed, still addressing him as "Ancestor" and not "Lu Ming."


    "You are a smart boy," Lu Ming smiled as he heard Lu Zhen.


    "You might also be curious about ''that'' we were talking about?"

 Chapter 80: Inheritance Cave

    "As martial artists were very scarce previously, resources were in abundance, and there were no shortages."


    "However, since the cultivation techniques were modified to help the martial artist cultivate, martial arts started to be more and moremon, which led to the consumption of the resources."


    "Over time, many resources were lost, and many things changed as there were no mediums for us to travel to othernds like the mages."


    "Although, with time, martial artists were still able to explore higher realms, the resources became even scarcer. You should know how scarce the resources are here right now."


    When Lu Zhen heard this, he nodded his head.


    "The ''that'' we were talking about is an inheritance cave left by martial artists in the ancient times, which contains invaluable and rare resources of forces from the previous era who couldn''t, until now, either due to offending high-level enemies or perishing because ofpetition."


    "Although their martial techniques won''t be of much use to us, it should contain some valuable resources that we can''t normally find here."


    "At the time when you were in your training, we have already reached an agreement to organize apetition for the younger generations. We could see other forces from other citiese here to join in on taking the inheritance cave."


    Lu Zhen''s eyes widened with understanding. He pretty much understood everything now. As for the Jiang family, their opinion didn''t matter much, as the four major families had already agreed upon it. As the matter had gotten too out of hand for them even if they wanted to do anything about it.


    "However, we four major families are already granted 5% each of the resources that will be taken out from the inheritance cave, and the rest will be fought for by our younger generation, those less than the age of 30." A small frown of displeasure appeared on the ancestor''s face as he continued.


    "We have also allowed other families, apart from ours, to participate as well, but they will be given only 1 seat. That means they can only send one to participate, and we have given 3 seats for rogue warriors who can join. The seats will be decided by a deathpetition."


    The ancestor''s eyes glinted as he looked at Lu Zhen.


    "You will be leading our Lu family," as he handed Lu Zhen a scroll.


    "These are the details of the tournament. You have one month to prepare."


    "Yes, ancestor."


    Lu Zhen nodded in understanding as he took the scroll.


    "You should cultivate in our privately-owned forest, as your visualization of the tree will be faster that way. And it is better for a wood-attributed martial artist to practise there."


    Ancestor Lu paused for a second, hesitating about something; however, he finally relented.


    "Here." Ancestor Lu touched Lu Zhen''s forehead, and a green light shed in the hall.


    Instantly, Lu Zhen''s mind was filled with a mantra that seemed to strangely resonate with him. After hepleted memorizing the mantra...


    Suddenly, an avatar appeared in his mind, performing strange movements.


    The avatar wore a heavy bracer and carried two huge sticks in both hands, which seemed to be too heavy, causing cracks to appear in the ground as he held them.


    The avatar chanted the mantra that Lu Zhen had just learned and performed some strange body movements that made Lu Zhen''s eyes widen.


    "Is it even possible for a human body to do this?" Lu Zhen wondered, his eyes widened in amazement.


    As the avatar trained with the sticks, a strange rhythm built up in the air, making Lu Zhen feel a little heavy.


    "Hmm, this seems simr to my aura after it resonates with my muscles..." Lu Zhen thought as he stared at the avatar,pletely entranced while trying toprehend the movements.


    In the real world, his eyes turned blurry as his mind was entirely consumed by the peculiar movements of the avatar, attempting toprehend its intricacies.


    "Hmm, not bad," the ancestor nodded in satisfaction upon seeing this.


    "Ancestor Lu, what did you do?" Lu Ying asked with a concerned tone about her son''s condition.


    "Don''t worry, I am giving him a body cultivation technique," he replied, then vanished from the hall, leaving Lu Zhen in his trance, along with Lu Ying and Lu Huang.


    "I have matters to attend to, as I will have to deal with that old foggy from the Huang family, so I will be leaving," his voice echoed in the air as he departed.


    "Husband, he should be okay, right?" Lu Ying asked with a worried tone, carefully watching Lu Zhen''s trance-like state.


    "How would I know?" Lu Huang was initially speechless but then widened his eyes as he remembered something.


    "Ahem, yes, Lu Zhen should be fine," he quickly assured her, taking a quick nce at him with cold eyes. After saying that, his expression seemed to soften a little.


    "Sigh, I was saved from the cmity," Lu Huang heaved a sigh of relief, also watching Lu Zhen with a concerned look, imitating Lu Ying''s gaze.


    Time passed slowly as Lu Zhen remained in a trance.


    "It''s already been an hour. Why isn''t he waking up yet?" she thought to herself, carefully monitoring Lu Zhen.


    "If that old foggy did anything to my son, then..." she tightened her fist in rage, boiling with anger.


    "Lu Ying," suddenly, she heard Lu Huang''s voice, causing her to turn towards him.


    "What?!" Lu Ying replied with fury.


    "Your aura," Lu Huang gulped.


    "Oh," Lu Ying said as she retracted her aura, which she had identally started to emit.


    Suddenly, they felt a heavy aura permeating the surroundings, with a hint of killing intent. Although the aura was too weak to affect their minds, it still weighed heavily.


    Lu Ying looked at her son, who slowly opened his eyes, surprise in her gaze.


    "His aura not only carries this heavy intent but also a hint of killing intent. That means he has killed before. As expected of my son," she thought with excitement.


    Lu Huang''s eyes also widened when he sensed the aura from Lu Zhen.


    "The brat has grown up," he thought.

 Chapter 81: Body Cultivation Technique

    "Father, mother," Lu Zhen greeted Lu Ying and Lu Huang the moment he opened his eyes.


    "Where is the ancestor?" He was quite confused about where the ancestor had gone, as he still wanted to thank him for letting him gain a body cultivation method.


    "He has already left, as he has important matters to attend to," Lu Huang said, staring at Lu Zhen with pride evident on his face.


    "Since you have earned the Ancestor''s permission, you can go to the private forest of our Lu family to train there." Lu Huang moved his mouth as if he were speaking, but not a single sound came out, as suddenly a person appeared out of nowhere.


    The person wore a ck dress, fully covering her body and face like a ninja, with only her crystal-clear blue eyes visible.


    "She will guide you."


    "Alright, father," Lu Zhen said as he bowed.


    "Remember, son, to meet me after two weeks," Mother Lu sent a voice transmission to Lu Zhen. Although he was a little stunned, he nodded his head.


    "Young master, please." The girl bowed and almost instantly reached the gate.


    "This girl is quite interesting." When Lu Zhen saw her footwork, he was definitely interested, as her speed wasparable to his when he was usingbat arts.


    "She should be a third-stage martial artist, huh?" Lu Zhen thought to himself as she opened the door for him and led the way.


    "How interesting, why did you give him your personal guard?" Lu Ying asked, her eyes gentle as she watched Lu Zhen leave.


    "You know our son has be an adult, so you know *cough*..." Lu Huang looked at Lu Ying, who still had a smile on her face.


    "It would have been better if he were a virgin, but he probably isn''t now," Lu Ying replied with a mysterious smile.


    "Ah, he isn''t? Wasn''t he before?"


    "Yes, but it seems like he''s already had his experiences."


    "But with who?"


    "Don''t you know how the Huang family came to seek us out?" Lu Ying looked at Lu Huang as if he were an idiot.


    Lu Huang''s eyes widened with realization, and he nodded his head.


    "He might have had encounters with the other girl as well, but it''s better not to mention her name since it could be troublesome," she thought to herself.


    "My son kidnapped two women and is no longer a virgin; he might forget about me soon," Lu Ying thought with some regret as she closed her eyes to rest.


    Lu Zhen and the girl walked through the Lu family estate.


    He could see the almost fanatical reverence of the servants, all of them bowing before Lu Zhen.


    "With strength, even my reputation increases a lot, huh?" Lu Zhen mused to himself.


    "Alright, so what should I call you, girl?" He looked at the girl in ck.


    The girl suddenly flinched a little when she heard Lu Zhen, as if she was deep in thought. However, she quickly recovered and bowed.


    "My name is Li Nan, young master."


    "So, you''re not from the Lu family?"


    "No, young master. We are orphan children who are adopted from a young age to be guards for direct descendants."


    Lu Zhen could hear the tone of respect and reverence in her voice.


    "Hmm, well, the tactic of taking orphaned children is quitemon in this world, huh?" he thought to himself. Initially, Lu Zhen had wanted to recruit orphans for his forces, but seeing that the Lu family and likely almost every family adopted these strategies, he decided to reconsider.


    After all, people from orphanages were usually those who had suffered hardships, which made them mature quickly. If given the chance to practise martial arts and change their destinies, they would undoubtedly make rapid progress and be loyal.


    The forces in this world were not stupid.


    "Hmm, let''s see what this girl is about..." Lu Zhen''s eyes turned golden as he examined her.


    [Li Nan]


    [Cultivation: Third-stage martial realm]


    [Constitution: ????]


    Lu Zhen could barely see any additional information beyond her cultivation level and name, which was pretty useless to him since he already knew those.


    "Sigh, when will my appraisal skill be useful?" Lu Zhen sighed as he looked at his system with a thought.


    [Log]


    Lu Zhen opened the log with a thought.


    [You have used Appraisal Eyes]


    [Appraisal Eyes has levelled up from level 4 to level 5]


    "Well, since I''ve been using Appraisal Eyes so often, it''s natural it should level up. However, even with Appraisal Eyes , it''s pretty useless." Lu Zhen''s mood soured as he nced at his stats.


    [LEVEL UP]


    ¡ª-----


    [Name: Lu Zhen]


    --------


    [Race: Human]


    [Bloodline: Human/Volgrith]


    [Lifespan left: 130 years]


    --------


    [Attributes]


    [Constitution: Divine physique (level 3)]


    [Charm: Mortal (Level 4)]


    [Wood Qi: (level 2)]


    [Demonic Qi: Uninitiated (Level 0)]


    ???


    --------


    [Cultivation manuals]


    [Cultivation technique: verdant art (stage 2)]


    --------


    [Skills]


    [Gluttony: level 8]


    [Appraisal eye: level 5]


    [Saber mastery: level 6]


    [Adaptability: level 4]


    [Aura control: level 5]


    [Meditation: level 2]


    [Dual cultivation: level 1]


    [Alchemy: level 2]


    "The only things that have increased in my stats are my lifespan and Appraisal Eyes, huh..." Lu Zhen thought with some bitterness.


    "Let''s train as hard as possible in this one month." Lu Zhen flexed his muscles. After all, he hadn''t forgotten about that strange creature that chased him even to here in the Lu estate. However, the creature was most likely scared of Lu Ming, who was in the family, so it didn''t dare to enter.


    "Young master, we have arrived." Lu Zhen heard the voice as he ended his contemtion, looking at the vast greenery of the forest.


    "The forest is really inside the Lu family estate, huh..." Lu Zhen was a little shocked, although he had heard about this, seeing and hearing were different things.


    "Maybe that is the reason the estate is so huge," Lu Zhen thought. It felt natural since the whole estate was as big as any normal city in Lu Zhen''s previous world.


    "Li Nan, please get me a brush and some paper. I need to order some instruments for practice."


    "Yes, young master," she said as she bowed.

 Chapter 82: Demonic Bow

    [Qian]


    [Grade: Normal]


    [Remark: A heavy spear crafted with the literal blood and sweat of the craftsman.]


    [Chain]


    [Grade: Normal]


    [Remark: Four inches thick and about 6 feet in width, it''s a heavy weapon made using precious materials.]


    [Staff]


    [Grade: Normal]


    [Remark: A very heavy staff intentionally designed to be weighty by the craftsman.]


    [Sword]


    [Grade: Half Qi]


    [Remark: A sharp de prepared by Ouyang Fei, a master craftsman, after ten days of work.]


    "Not bad," Lu Zhen looked at the pile of weapons neatly organized on the ground with his Appraisal Eyes.


    He felt a little weighed down as he wore a big metal bracelet that must have weighed at least 500 kg. It took Lu Zhen some time to adjust to the bracelet''s weight and make movements.


    "You can leave now," Lu Zhen said to Li Nan, who was bowing to him with reverence.


    "Young master, there''s another weapon that madam has specially given to you." Li Nan pped her hands, and two strong men, sweating and visibly red-faced, came carrying a huge box.


    The two men were struggling to carry the box, and Lu Zhen could see faint cracks forming in the ground as they stepped on it.


    As Lu Zhen observed the two strong men carrying the box, he was a little surprised. He sensed their cultivation levels through their aura, which intrigued him.


    Thud!


    The two men finally managed to put down the box on the ground, and Lu Zhen could feel the ground shaking slightly, sparking his interest even more.


    "Young master, may we leave?" the two men asked, panting heavily.


    Lu Zhen simply nodded in response.


    With curiosity-filled eyes, he closed his eyes for a brief moment and then opened them, causing his eyes to turn golden. He examined the box closely.


    [Lightweight Box]


    [Grade: Half-Qi Item]


    [Remark: A box specially designed to make the items inside lighter.]


    "Even with this box, the thing inside is so heavy?" Lu Zhen''s eyes widened in astonishment. However, a frown creased his brows as he realised that he couldn''t see what was inside the box.


    "I guess this is a limitation of my Appraisal eyes. I can only see things my eyes can see," Lu Zhen pondered, feeling a touch impatient about the contents of the box.


    He turned his attention back to Li Nan, who was still bowing before him.


    "What is in the box?"


    "Young master, there is a bow especially given by madam."


    "A bow can be this heavy?" Lu Zhen''s eyes widened with intrigue.


    Without hesitation, he approached the box and touched it, noting the smooth texture.


    "No lock, huh..." Lu Zhen decided to open the chest.


    Inside the box, he found an enormous and thick ck longbow. The bow emitted a strangely familiar aura, one that seemed simr to Lu Zhen''s own.


    "Isn''t this a little too huge? What arrows will I even use?" Lu Zhen asked Li Nan.


    "Young master, I don''t know," she replied obediently.


    Lu Zhen sighed, feeling like he was talking to an obedient ve whenever he conversed with Li Nan.


    His golden eyes remained fixated on the bow.


    [Demonic Bow]


    [Grade: Intent Item]


    [Remark: A very heavy bow that requires demonic qi to use. Origins unknown.]


    "Huh, I don''t have demonic qi anyway, so why did she give me the Demonic Bow?" Lu Zhen wondered aloud. He attempted to lift the bow, but to his surprise, it felt incredibly heavy.


    Huff!


    Lu Zhen took a deep breath and tried to lift it again. He managed to do so with great effort, feeling the strain in his hands.


    "How heavy," Lu Zhen thought to himself as he examined the massive bow.


    "This might be even more suitable than the staff for me to cultivate the body cultivation method," Lu Zhen contemted as he nced at Li Nan.


    "Let''s spar." He noticed a clear hint of hesitation in Li Nan''s eyes for the first time.


    "Young master, hurting you will..." Li Nan began to voice her concern, but suddenly, she felt a rush of air against her skin. Instinctively, she retreated about ten steps, sensing the imminent danger.


    When she felt a little safer, she looked at Lu Zhen, who had just swung the bow at her.


    "Let''s fight to our hearts'' content," Lu Zhenughed heartily and lunged at Li Nan, the heavy bow still in his hand.


    He fully released his terrifying aura as he swung the bow like a domineering saber.


    Li Nan felt a heavy sensation as her thoughts seemed to slow down, and her mind was clouded by Lu Zhen''s killing intent.


    Seeing this, however, Lu Zhen didn''t slow down. Instead, his speed increased as he swiftly used the bow to swing.


    Li Nan instinctively dodged to the left, narrowly avoiding the bow. With astonished eyes, she watched Lu Zhen''s bow strike the ground.


    Boom!


    Like a bomb, a deafening sound echoed in the surroundings as dust and debris spread everywhere, clouding the vision of Lu Zhen and Li Nan.


    "We''re not done yet," Li Nan heard a voice from behind, causing her danger instinct to skyrocket.


    "I''m going to die," was the only thought in her mind.


    A serious expression morphed on her face as her eyes glinted with determination.


    With a speed that Lu Zhen could barely see, she appeared behind him in a matter of moments and used a small knife to sh at his back.


    "Sigh, my weapon and the bracelet are too heavy," Lu Zhen thought, wanting to turn around. However, his speed barely kept up with Li Nan.


    Her knife shed at Lu Zhen, but to her astonishment, it cracked like ss hitting a rock, leaving not a single scratch on Lu Zhen''s skin.


    "You win, let''s start round 2," Lu Zhen said as he stretched his body.


    He was pretty satisfied with the fight. Not only did he test the effectiveness of his aura in battle, but he was also training his body cultivation technique by fighting with the heavy bracers on both his arms and legs, along with the heavy bow.


    Li Nan''s eyes turned cold.


    "Good girl, that''s what I wanted."

 Chapter 83: Mastery

    Huff! Huff!


    "Young master, how much longer?"


    "Just one more round."


    "Alright."


    Lu Zhen smiled as he noticed Li Nan''s cold demeanour cracking.


    However, when he got slightly distracted, a dagger came at him from the side.


    "You took the bait." Lu Zhen smirked as he released his aura fully, focusing it on Li Nan.


    "This¡­" Li Nan also released her aura, which had a hint of killing intent, much like Lu Zhen.


    As their auras shed, Lu Zhen''s aura almost instantly overwhelmed hers, clouding her mind with his killing intent and making her feel a heavy sensation.


    In that split second, Lu Zhen''s bow closed the distance with Li Nan in the blink of an eye, almost striking her. However, he forcefully halted his momentum, causing the bow to make slight contact with her forehead.


    Whosh!


    Her mask tore as if sliced by a saber with the sheer wind pressure, revealing her glistening, sweat-covered face.


    "How beautiful," Lu Zhen couldn''t help but exim, truly admiring her beauty. While Lu Zhen could see her figure, he couldn''t be certain about her face until now. Seeing her revealed, he could now certify her as a beauty.


    "787-724," she stated, ignoring Lu Zhen, who had exposed her disguise, as she reported the total matches.


    Being an assassin and a servant of the Lu family, it was inevitable that she would serve under Lu Zhen. Considering the old Master''s tone, she was most likely assigned to him already. She was a smart girl.


    "Young master, you have won," Li Nan said, panting.


    Lu Zhen nodded as he gazed at the scorching sun.


    "Summer has arrived, huh," Lu Zhen couldn''t help but exim, noticing how the forest had be more vibrant.


    "How many days has it been?"


    "It should be 2 days since we started, young master."


    "Sigh, time passes in the blink of an eye," Lu Zhen said, releasing the bow from his tightly gripped hands.


    Thud!


    The bow fell to the ground with a "thud" sound making the soil sump up a little.


    Lu Zhen inspected his hands, which bore imprints from gripping the bow so tightly.


    He could feel his body was exhausted.


    "It should be the perfect time," Lu Zhen thought as he tossed his ck robes onto the ground.


    The body cultivation method the ancestor had bestowed upon him allowed him to strengthen his body, but there was a crucial prerequisite ¨C he needed to be thoroughly exhausted before attempting this cultivation technique.


    His body was covered in sweat, his muscles sculpted to near-perfection, resembling the handiwork of a divine craftsman.


    "Give me the staff," he requested.


    "Yes, young master," Li Nan responded with curiosity, handing him the staff.


    Lu Zhen stood tall, his posture erect, as he began to chant the strange mantra while clutching the staff.


    Slowly but surely, he grew ustomed to the mantra. As he got used to the mantra he swung the staff performing intricate body movements.


    At times, he swung the staff in sharp right angles, only to change positions swiftly in the next movement, pushing the staff in a different direction.


    Li nan watched all this with a strange expression.


    "Young master looks like a monkey performing those moves." She couldn''t help but think in her head.


    As Lu Zhen continued to practice, exhaustion gradually overtook him. Yet, with each repetition of the technique, he could feel his body growing slightly stronger. His excitement intensified as he witnessed the tangible progress in his physical strength.


    However, after two hours of practice, a furrow appeared on Lu Zhen''s brow. His face contorted into an expression of frustration as his body appeared to reach the limits of the strengthening the cultivation technique could provide.


    "Sigh, I had my hopes up for no reason," he muttered aloud. It was bing apparent that body cultivation was not as simple as he had initially hoped. If it were, the ancient martial artists would still exist today.


    Lu Zhen casually threw a punch into the air, creating a "Whoosh" sound that seemed to tear the very fabric of the air.


    Despite the impressive disy of force, Lu Zhen found himself unsatisfied.


    "My strength has barely increased," he reflected with a tinge of frustration, his brows furrowing in thought as he carefully examined his body.


    After a moment, he decided to shift his focus to other ns he had in mind. Turning his gaze towards Li Nan, who stood there obediently, he pondered his next steps.


    "Eh you won''t be leaving?"


    "No, young master, it seems like the old master has made me your personal guard," she said with a strange expression on her face.


    Actually, when she returned, the old master reprimanded her harshly, telling her that she would be his personal guard from that day.


    However, it wasn''t that she didn''t want to be Lu Zhen''s guard. In fact, she considered herself fortunate to be the personal guard of a monstrous genius who had reached the third-stage martial realm at the age of 18, an unprecedented achievement in the city.


    "Oh," Lu Zhen simply nodded his head. "Then give me the sword over there."


    "Yes, young master," she replied and fetched the sword.


    As she picked up the sword, she could feel an imprint of Lu Zhen''s hand on the handle.


    "Let''s start where we left off," Lu Zhen said as he took the sword and began to swing it.


    "He should have a high understanding of the saber, so why is he using a sword?" Li Nan thought as she watched Lu Zhen swinging the sword with reverence in her eyes.


    Actually, it wasn''t umon in the martial world for someone to use a different weapon while applying their understanding of another weapon''s principles. However, the power of the weapon would often be greatly diminished.


    But it was the first time Li Nan had seen someone with such a high understanding of the saber that they could use a bow as a saber without a significant decrease in power.


    "He might even be able to reach that legendary realm of saber intent if he practises," she thought with some pride, considering him her master now.


    What puzzled her was that Lu Zhen was practicing with a sword, not a saber, and without applying the principles of the saber. He was simply swinging it without apparent purpose.


    As Lu Nan remained puzzled, Lu Zhen looked at his system prompt with excitement.


    [You have practiced with the sword.]


    [You have acquired sword mastery.]


    Lu Zhen''s n was to integrate all the mastery into his fists, turning him into a killing machine capable of cutting, smashing, shing, and applying every principle of various weapons with his body alone.

 Chapter 84: Weapon Mastery

    Lu Zhen swung his sword in a very simple manner as he continued to train with the sword.


    However, his swings had evolved into something more; they were now precise and perfectly synchronized with his every breath, making it appear as if the sword were an extension of his own body.


    Lu Nan''s eyes widened when she saw this.


    "Wasn''t he a total beginner with the sword? How did he be so skilled in just moments?" she thought, feeling her worldview shattering as she observed him.


    Lu Zhen''s connection with the sword deepened with each passing moment, his swings growing faster and more fluid, as if the sword had be a natural part of him.


    "This should be enough for now," Lu Zhen thought as he extended his hands. The moment he did, Lu Nan appeared from the shadows and handed him a towel.


    Lu Zhen wiped his sweat-filled body with the towel as he summoned his system with a thought.


    [Log]


    He imagined pressing the log button, and the system prompt filled his vision.


    [You have practiced with the sword.]


    [Your sword mastery has leveled up from level 1 to level 2.]


    "Hmm, it might take me a long time if I want to level up my skill. It should be better for me to acquire the other weapon mastery and then I should cultivate," Lu Zhen thought as he remembered his mother had asked him toe to her after two weeks.


    Although Lu Zhen was quite confused about why she asked this of him, she must have her reasons.


    "Forget it. It is better to train than to dwell on these unnecessary things without meaning," Lu Zhen thought as he looked at all the weapons he had to practise with, sighing.


    [You have practised with the staff.]


    [You have acquired staff mastery.]


    [You have practised with the qian.]


    [You have acquired qian mastery.]


    [You have practised with the chain.]


    [You have acquired chain mastery.]


    "Hmm, these should be enough," Lu Zhen thought as he looked at the rows of notifications indicating his acquisition of weapon mastery.


    "I quite like this chain; I will keep it," he thought as he tossed the chain and bound it to the tree.


    With a tug of force, Lu Zhen pulled the chain. There was a "Crack" sound, and the tree appeared as if it had been uprooted from the ground. However, Lu Zhen didn''t exert more force to pull it. Instead, he sent a small vibration through the chain, creating ripples that caused it to unhinge itself from the tree. Lu Zhen deftly caught the chain as it returned to him.


    "Not bad. With enough refining, it will be quite useful in the future," Lu Zhen nodded with satisfaction on his face.


    "You can return these weapons except for the chains," Lu Zhen said aloud.


    "Yes, young master."


    "Sigh, a week has passed just like this," Lu Zhen thought as he sat down on the ground, and Li Nan disappeared as he carried the weapon.


    "Let me meditate now," Lu Zhen whispered softly as he slowly closed his crimson eyes, entering a state of deep concentration. In his mind''s eye, he visualized the tree.


    Since reaching the third-stage martial realm, Lu Zhen''s visualization of the tree had be remarkably clearer and more vivid. As the blurry image sharpened, he was taken aback to see a strange mangrove tree in his mentalndscape.


    This mangrove tree was massive, emitting an aura that closely resembled Lu Zhen''s own. As he studied the tree more closely, he noticed that some of its branches had peculiar shapes.


    "Saber, sword, staff, chain," Lu Zhen murmured as he observed branches that mirrored the forms of the weapons he had acquired mastery skills for.


    "The tree is quite simr to me, huh?" A small smile graced Lu Zhen''s face as he began to draw in the attributeless qi from the air and convert it into wood qi through his visualization.


    His qi refining speed elerated, surpassing his previous efforts by a considerable margin. Unlike before, Lu Zhen''s cultivation proceeded smoothly, his focus reached an all-time high.


    Time passed as Lu Zhen became fully absorbed in his meditation. Unbeknownst to him, he inadvertently released green lights, which flickered like lightning, enveloping the meditating figure of Lu Zhen.


    He took a deep breath and slowly opened his eyes, revealing a satisfied expression.


    He tightened his fist as he could feel his body filling with qi.


    "Hmm, I have finally reached the full capacity of my body to store qi. Now, I can condense qi to the limits." Although Lu Zhen had already reached the third stage of the martial realm even in qi, he could still store some extra qi in his body.


    Lu Zhen didn''t want to leave that extra space wasted, which is why he hasn''t started to condense the qi. Now that he has fully stored the qi in his body to the limit it was time to condense it.


    "Not bad," Lu Zhen remarked as he awakened from his meditation, although he instantly felt stiffness in his body.


    Hup!


    He managed to rise from the ground with some effort, experiencing muscle soreness, as he moved. Lu Zhen stretched his body. He felt the stiffness dissipate.


    "Li Nan."


    "Yes, young master."


    "How many days has it been?"


    "It''s been three days, young master."


    Lu Zhen''s eyes widened in astonishment. "I''ve only been meditating for such a short time?" he thought, recalling the sensation of a decade passing during his meditation.


    "Novels are a lie. Didn''t they say meditation is addictive, and people can stay in meditation for a long time?" Lu Zhen muttered, feeling the soreness in his muscles.


    "Let''s find something else to do," he decided, no longer interested in meditation due to his boredom.


    "Young master, food," at that moment, Little Lily approached happily, bringing food with her.


    "Oh, food," Lu Zhen''s eyes lit up with hunger.


    "Speaking of food, I forgot about Huang Li," he realised as he devoured the meat prepared by Little Lily. Since he started training, meat had be the mainstay of his diet, as it was the only thing that could satisfy his appetite now.


    "So, how are those two girls doing now, Little Lily?" Lu Zhen inquired casually after finishing his meal.


    "The girl in the purple dress seems quite disturbed; sometimes she stares at the wall and appears vacant. Once, she even ran away, but she returned after about ten minutes," Little Lily reported.


    "As for the girl in the ck dress, she''s be my friend. She chats with me all day," she added with a smile.


    "It''s good that you two have be friends," Lu Zhen said, patting Little Lily affectionately.

 Chapter 85: Huang Li (edited)

    "Sigh," Huang Liy on Lu Zhen''srge bed, dressed in casual clothes with nkets covering her. Her eyes had dark circles beneath them.


    "Am I doomed to be Lu Zhen''s fianc¨¦e?" She pondered with a clenched fist.


    In reality, she had managed to escape when she had the opportunity. However, upon overhearing the servants'' conversation, her hopeful expression turned into one of despair, and she obediently returned to Lu Zhen''s room.


    "That bastard defeated my brother, a half-step third-stage martial artist, with a simple flick of his finger?" She questioned her reality, filled with regret.


    Initially, Huang Li had held onto hope, believing that her family would safely retrieve her, after which she could find numerous ways to deal with Lu Zhen, even if he was a martial arts genius at the peak of martial trainees.


    However, upon learning that Lu Zhen was a third-stage martial artist and her family had already given up on her, she felt utterly hopeless.


    "Why did I foolishly attack Lu Zhen?" She berated herself as regret washed over her.


    "That bastard will probably force himself upon me," her anger reached its peak when she thought of this, and her face turned rosy with embarrassment.


    Her pride couldn''t bear such humiliation, but her mind was filled with scenarios that made her question her own morality. She could feel her crotch was already wet.


    *Tap! Tap!*


    Huang Li suddenly heard footsteps, causing her eyes to widen. She hurriedly closed her eyes and tightened her nket around herself.


    With a ''swish'' sound, she heard the door open.


    Lu Zhen frowned when he sensed that Huang Li was in his bed. Even though she was covered by the nket, his superhuman senses allowed him to deduce as much.


    "Who told you to leave the room?" Lu Zhen said with an amused tone.


    Hearing the amused voice of Lu Zhen however Huang Li''s instincts warned her, and her body started to tremble.


    "Me¡­ I¡­" Lu Zhen could hear the fear in Huang Li''s voice as she struggled to speak.


    "Just get out of the bed for now," Lu Zhen said casually.


    Though trembling, Huang Li managed to summon the strength to stand up. She obediently walked toward Lu Zhen with her head down.


    Honestly she somehow always felt an instinctive fear when huang li looked at lu Zhen making her submissive towards him.


    "Remember that you''ll only be my fianc¨¦e if you prove yourself useful to me," he said, his eyes turning to an amused glint as he patted her red hair.


    With his imposing figure towering over her, she appeared fragile, like a red rabbit in the presence of Lu Zhen, who resembled a beast entirelyposed of muscles.


    "And do you know what I do to those who are not useful?"


    Huang Li felt chills running down her spine upon hearing Lu Zhen''s words, causing her trembling to intensify. Her fear was palpable, and the "tak-tak" sound of her shaking on the floor echoed in the room.


    Lu Zhen just watched her with amused eyes staring deeply at her with an expressionless face.


    However he was a little confused why she was being so sacred.


    "How can I be useful to you then?" She asked as she tightened her hidden fist.


    She bowed deeply, lowering her head to the ground, and thoughts raced through her mind.


    "Hmm, tell me about how you obtained those items, and I will let you go," Lu Zhen casually said, his eyes showing little interest.


    "This¡­"


    "You don''t want to?" Lu Zhen remarked, and with a sudden release of his aura, Huang Li''s eyes went nk for a moment, her mind clouded by his terrifying killing intent.


    "The Huang family has already given up on you, and you know they won''te to save you anytime, right?" Lu Zhen''s voice was like a whisper, delivered like a devil.


    "They have already abandoned you."


    Hearing this, Huang Li''s eyes widened as the harsh reality of her situation set in.


    "I can do whatever I want with you, and nobody can do anything to me. So, does the family matter to you now?"


    "So, will you tell me or not?" Lu Zhen had a sly smile as he saw her hesitating expression.


    "Alright, I will tell you, but I have some conditions," Huang Li said, trying to maintain herposure.


    "Tell me," Lu Zhen responded, a hint of annoyance in his tone.


    "My condition is that you take me as your main wife," she said, her eyes gleaming with determination.


    "Since the family has already abandoned me, I might as well offer them information," Huang Li thought with resolve.


    "Young master, I can provide you with details about how I obtained information regarding the items, as long as you can fulfill my single condition," she proposed.


    Since Lu Zhen was a Third-stage martial artist and was guaranteed to be a patriarch, she wanted to have a higher status. Being called the main wife could undoubtedly elevate her position significantly. Then, she could do many things she couldn''t before. The status of the young miss of the family was certainly lower than that of the wife of the patriarch.


    She had her own ambitions.


    When Lu Zhen heard this, he sneered.


    "No," he responded, shaking his head.


    "Then¡­"


    "Sigh, I was doing you a little favour, little girl, you wanted to return previously no? Why are you asking me to make you my bride now?" Lu Zhen said with a cold expression.


    "However, you want to be my main wife now, huh?" Lu Zhen had no intention of marrying a bratty girl like her, especially when it offered him no benefits whatsoever.


    "What do you want, then?" she asked, her voice trembling with embarrassment.


    "What will it take for me to be your main wife then?"


    "Hmm, let me think," Lu Zhen mused, his eyes glinting with interest. However, after a moment, he shook his head.


    "You have no use for me."


    Huang Li frowned when she heard this. As her anger red.


    "How cute!" Lu Zhen chuckled as he gently patted the red kitten.


    "How about I offer you my body?"


    "What would I even get from that?" Lu Zhen''s gaze turned peculiar as he observed her.


    "This... didn''t you kidnap me to get my body?"


    "What the hell are you thinking in your head, women? Why would I do that? I can have as many women as I want, considering my status. Why would I even need you?"


    "I can¡­ I can¡­" Huang Lu was left without words.

 Chapter 86: Threesome? **

    Lu Zhen''s gaze hardened as he locked eyes with Huang Li, who stood before him, her hesitation palpable and tears welling up in her eyes. His mood took a sharp downturn as he observed her, his expression growing colder by the moment.


    "Forget it," he said, his voice dripping with annoyance.


    "Just tell me what you know about those goods." His face had darkened considerably.


    "Aye," she fumbled as her brain processed things, however Lu Zhen didn''t gave her anytime as he released his aura again. "Oh yes, yes."


    Huang Li, who was still on the ground, found herself considerably confused by this situation.


    Sighing in frustration, Lu Zhen told her, "Stand up."


    "Yes," she replied, scrambling to her feet barely.


    "Tell me what you already know," Lu Zhen instructed, his patience wearing thin, his anger simmering.


    Huang Li hesitated as she tried to speak.


    "If you tell me now," Lu Zhen said, his tone somewhat grew sharp.


    With those words, he began to slowly loosen his robes, revealing his sweat-slicked, muscr body.


    Huang Li''s face reddened upon seeing Lu Zhen''s muscr physique, with veins visible on his body.


    "My head is probablyparable to his arms," she thought to herself, a strange mix of emotions flooding her mind.


    She could also see his little brother hiding in his underwear, still in its slumber. However, the underwear was visibly torn due to the sheer size of his monster, even though it was dormant for now.


    "Didn''t you hear me?" Lu Zhen said firmly as he wiped the sweat from his training and meditation with a towel.


    "Will you make me your main wife then?"


    "You don''t have a choice, my dear," Lu Zhen chuckled as he retrieved fresh clothes from the closet and dressed.


    "This¡­" Huang Li''s fists clenched.


    "Alright, I will tell you. We don''t actually know what those items are, but we have intel that theye from the inheritance cave."


    Lu Zhen''s eyes widened with astonishment upon hearing this.


    "So that''s why, huh¡­" he nodded with deep contemtion, as if he had just been enlightened.


    Huang Li stood there, perplexed by Lu Zhen''s reaction, her silence hanging awkwardly in the air.


    Cough!


    She awkwardly coughed.


    "Huh, what the hell are you doing here now?" Lu Zhen said with a frown on his face.


    "Well, what am I supposed to do then?"


    "You''re free now. I have nothing to do with you, and our marriage is cancelled as well. You can go now," Lu Zhen stated with a cold tone.


    "This¡­" Huang Li just stood there, processing the situation. She felt like she was scammed and which she was.


    "Did I say that I will make you one?"


    "Now, you can get the hell out," Lu Zhen said as he swiped his hand, generating a wind pressure that sent Huang Li out of the door almost instantly.


    "You really don''t know how to treat ady, you bastard," Lu Zhen''s ears twitched when he heard this, but he didn''t care as he rubbed his ears.


    "What is this girl talking about? Wasn''t she the one hesitating and crying over it? Now I let her go, and she''s still cursing me. Women are really difficult to handle," Lu Zhen thought as he decided to practise alchemy instead in the remaining time.


    "Since the girl doesn''t want to do it, I won''t force her. I can get any woman I want; why the hell would I want her?" With that said, Lu Zhen began his alchemical work.


    Meanwhile, Huang Li, who had been kicked out of the room, wore an uncertain expression on her face.


    "What should I do now?" Although she was happy, deep down, she felt somewhat disappointed.


    "No, what are you thinking, Huang Li?" She used her two hands to p her own cheeks.


    She had heard the loud moans of Xia Mei when she was in the dungeon, rotting away. To be honest, she was a little jealous of her, but she still held strong as she felt a strong disgust, ignoring her wet crotch area.


    "Sigh, I should return back to my family. They shouldn''t have abandoned me," Huang Li thought with some hope.


    "Oh, so you are running away, huh¡­" Suddenly, she heard a cold, mocking tone.


    "You, what are you doing here? I thought you left," Huang Li said as she stared at her with some shock.


    "What do you mean? I never left this ce. Especially after I tested him," she said as she licked her lips with lust glinting in her eyes.


    "You¡­" Huang Li had a red face as she was a little speechless in front of Xia Mei.


    "Poor you. If you could get him inside you to fill you up, you will feel like you have gone to heaven," Xia Mei looked at her with eyes of genuine pity. Ever since she awakened her bloodline, her personality had subtly changed.


    "Is he really that good?" She asked with genuine curiosity.


    Xia Mei just nodded her head as a sly smirk appeared on her face.


    "So, do you want to do it or not?"


    Hearing this, Huang Li''s mind was again filled with dirty thoughts that made her imagine things that made her crotch wet.


    Seeing this, Xia Mei''s smirk widened as she thought to herself.


    However, since she was bored herself, she decided to teach the poor little girl about things she should know about.


    "Let me teach you something, girl," she said seductively, licking her lips as she gracefully walked toward the door of Lu Zhen''s room. Her every step exuded a seductive allure, her ample bosom bouncing with every movement.


    She knocked on the door with a charming smile and patiently waited, but when no response came after a long pause, frustration began to show on her face.


    "Hmm, he might not have heard it," Xia Mei mused, ncing at Huang Li, who wore a perplexed expression.


    "Let me help him open the door," Xia Mei suggested, raising her foot and delivering a gentle kick to the door. The result was a resounding "boom" as the door flew open, revealing Lu Zhen inside the room.


    "See, I helped him to open the door."


    She said this as she looked at Lu Zhen with lust.


    "Why the hell did you break my door?" Lu Zhen said as he looked up; however, the moment he did, he gulped.


    "What you bastard after taking my first time? I can''t even break your door." Xia Mei retorted.


    "Huh, what do you mean by that? Your pussy sucked my little brother like a vacuum, and was I the one who said ''more,, ah! Ah! Ah!'' Huh¡­" Lu Zhen said it with an innocent face.


    Xia Mei''s face flushed with a red hue as she heard this.


    "This bastard always wins me." She thought to herself as she seductively started stripping stunning Lu Zhen.


    "Let''s have some fun then." She said this as she licked her lips.


    "Look woman." Lu Zhen said as he looked at the broken door where he could see Huang Li stalking them.


    "Oh, that," she chuckled as she continued, "I am surprised that you didn''t do anything to the girl yet."


    "I wanted to, but seeing the winhy girl, my mood soured, so I didn''t do it. Besides, are you fine with me having other women''s?" Lu Zhen said as he looked at Xia Mei with a strange expression.


    "Oh, I am fine with that, as I already belong to you, and now my pussy has already taken the shape of you. And as long as you fill me up regrly, it''s nothing of my concern then." Xia Mei said it casually.


    She fully stripped herself of her ck qipao.


    Lu Zhen gulped a little from seeing the beauty in front of him as his blood started to boil.


    However, Lu Zhen still shook his head. He wasn''t into others seeing him do it while he was almostpletely vulnerable, as he would be in deep pleasure. Although it was highly unlikely, he still didn''t want to.


    Besides, he wasn''t an exhibitionist to show it to others.


    "Oh." Xia Mei said as she suddenly transformed into her elf-like appearance.


    "What about that girl, then?" Lu Zhen resisted the urge to jump on her and mat like an animal.


    "Huang li." Xia Mei spoke in a loud voice as the sneaky Huang Li was stunned.


    "What do you want now? I was just going to leave." Huang Li said as she acted like a cat whose tail was stepped on.


    "Juste here, girl. I am doing your favor to go to cloud nine heaven." She said this as she looked at Lu Zhen.


    Lu Zhen''s lust came out as he nodded his head.


    He immediately stripped down his new robes, which he had just worn, as he removed his underwear. Exposing his monstrous little brother, who has woken up from it''s slumber already.


    "Alright, let''s get started." Xia Mei said as she looked at Huang Li, who wasing with an uncertain expression.


    "As your big sister, I will teach you what to do." She said this as she went towards Lu Zhen and started to gently stroke Lu Zhen''s little brother.

 Chapter 87: Dual Cultivation (Level 2)***

    "You have to give his little brother a gentle stroke like this," Xia Mei said as she gently started to stroke his little brother.


    Lu Zhen could feel the soft hands of Xia Mei gently stroking him. His face turned blessed as his little brother became bigger and bigger.


    "Not bad; you have gotten quite good with it." Lu Zhen couldn''t help but say as he took her by the waist.


    "As for you, I have already given you the option to escape and return to your own home if you do not do it. You should be prepared for the consequences." Huang Li flinched when she heard this.


    Huang Li just nodded her head as she closed her eyes.


    "What are you doing? I am not the one to beg for  something."Lu Zhen said as he looked at Huang Li like an idiot.


    "You..." Huang Li''s face turned red.


    "Stop teasing the girl already." Xia Mei chuckled as her stroke became apparent.


    However, Lu Zhen didn''t have much reaction.


    "How about we do a blowjob?" Lu Zhen said it with an expressionless face.


    "Alright. But let me teach the other girl as well." She said this as she looked at Huang Li, who was fuming with anger.


    "Come." Xia Mei beckoned Huang Li.


    "This¡­ alright." Huang Li said as she came towards Lu Zhen.


    "Open your mouth till you reach the limit." Xia Mei said it with a mysterious smirk on her face.


    "Umm¡­"


    "Don''t you want to experience Cloud 9?"


    "Alright." Xia Mei said it with a weird expression as she stretched her mouth wide open.


    "Girl, it will hurt a lot to bear with it." Lu Zhen looked at Xia Mei. With a strange expression, as if she were forcing him to do it. He directly grabbed Huang Li''s hair by hand.


    And he shoved his little brother directly inside her throat.


    Lu Zhen''s little brother directly prated her mouth like a pussycat as he reached until he heard some gagging sound.


    He held back his moan as he experienced pleasure from the high hole of her mouth, pussytrapping his little brother in pleasure.


    He looked down to see the teary eyes of Huang Li.


    "Weren''t you the one who chose this? Now you have to take the consequences of your action."


    When Huang Li heard this, she tightened her fist as she was about to bite his little brother.


    However, Lu Zhen didn''t give her a chance as his little brother traveled deep inside her mouth, blocking her from taking a bite as it went too deep inside her.


    "I will move now if you try to bite again." Lu Zhen didn''t continue as he slowly started to move.


    He firmly held her head, which allowed her no movement to back out.


    As his little brother slowly moved, he also forced her head to move with his own rhythm.


    "This bastard, let me also y with you," she thought as she also actively started to lick his little brother from her tongue.


    Lu Zhen''s expression became even more blissful when he felt the sucking force of Huang Li as she sucked him.


    Slurp! Slurp! Slurp!


    The sound echoed in the room as Lu Zhen moved faster and faster, while Huang Li also became more and more aggressive.


    Lu Zhen could see the visible bump of his dick in her neck whoever he reached her gaging limit.


    Finally, with one final thrust of his hips, he went as deep inside of her as possible.


    Huang Li''s eyes widen when she feels Lu Zhen''s little brother go balls deep inside her, even after she reaches her gag reflex. She felt around as tears threatened toe out of her eyes.


    However, Lu Zhen didn''t give her a chance, as he firmly locked her head with his hand, fully releasing his essence inside her.


    However, to Huang Li''s horror, she found herself tightly locked by Lu Zhen as he was still releasing his essence. His hands firmly locked her.


    She patted Lu Zhen to let go; however, he didn''t relent.


    Lu Zhen''s face turned blissful as he literally stayed like this for 2 minutes before finally letting go.


    The moment he let go, a "plop" sound resounded in the room as Huang Li coughed as she sensed a little of his essence on the ground.


    Lu Zhen suddenly caught a nce at his system prompt, stunning him.


    [You have released your essence inside a virgin girl for the second time.]


    [Your dual cultivation has leveled up from level 1 to level 2].


    When Lu Zhen saw this, his eyes widened with excitement.


    He quickly closed his eyes and opened them again, revealing his golden eyes as he looked carefully at the skill.


    [Dual cultivation: when the host mates with other partners, he will circte the partners qi with the host and interchange among themselves as the host and the partner will feel refreshed. It also allows the host to condense qi by copting with a martial artist partner with the interchange of the partner''s qi.


    Lu Zhen''s eyes widen when he sees the detail of the skill, although it is almost the same as previously. However, thest part of the detail shocks him to the core.


    Condensing qi to make it purer and more powerful was a time-consuming process that took a long amount of time. Since third-stage martial artists needed to condense their qi to breakthrough and reach the second-stage martial realm,


    There wasn''t much talent involved in these. In theory, as long as they have enough time, any third-stage martial artist can break through with time. However, this is only theory; this doesn''t mean every third-stage martial artist can reach the second-stage martial realm. If it were so easy, almost all the elders in the Lu family wouldn''t have been third-stage martial artists only.


    That is because the condensation of qi took too long. Some third stage martial artists couldn''t even condense their qi enough in their lifetime to reach a second stage martial artist as their lifespan will end but their qi will barely be condensed enough.


    Lu Zhen''s dual cultivation skill could be considered god-like if you looked at it from that perspective.


    "Let''s not get ahead of myself." Lu Zhen thought, as he still needed to check how much he could strengthen his qi by using dual cultivation skills.


    He looked at the panting of Huang Li whose lips were still stained with his essence.


    "Now let''s go for the main dish." Lu Zhen said as he looked at Huang Li, whose eyes widened.


    "I give you pleasure that you can''t even imagine." He patted the red kitty.


    This girl reminded him of his pet cat from his previous life, who had died in his childhood. Although the cat died, it left a longsting memory on him that he still remembers to this day.


    Huang Li looked up at the figure of Lu Zhen, who stood like a towering giant. His little brother still hasn''t gone limp, standing like a dragon reaching the heavens.


    She could feel his little brother pulsate with power as it throbbed with veins all over it.


    Her crotch area was already wet from imagining it.


    With a red face, she stood up as she nodded her head.


    "Hmm, so what do you want?" Lu Zhen asked with an awkward face.


    "This¡­"


    "Say it."


    "I want your thick little brother." She spoke barely in a whisper as her eyes glinted with lust.


    "I can''t hear you."


    "I want your giant little brother!" Huang Li shouted at the top of her lungs; she was already wet underneath.


    "Alright." Lu Zhen nodded his head as he directly tore the clothes of Huang Li in moments.


    He aligned his giant little brother with Huang Li''s pussy.


    With a single thrust, he directly entered her breaking her virgin hole in one go.


    The moment he entered, he was consumed by pleasure as a blissful expression appeared in Lu Zhen''s face.


    Ah!


    Huang Li''s face morphed into an expression of pure terror.


    "It hurts," she said. She struggled to escape from the writhing pain, blooding out of her pussy.


    "Don''t worry, it will go away soon." Lu Zhen gently whispered in her ears seductively.


    He just stood there as he waited patiently for her to adapt to his monstrous little brother as his little brother stretched her pussy to take his shape.


    As if marking her as his territory.


    "From this moment on, you are mine forever. Remember that." Lu Zhen said it in a domineering tone with a hint of possessiveness.


    He could feel his strand of Wood Qi slowly going towards Huang Li from the connected parts as it considerably strengthened her physique before returning to him in condensed form; however, it was in a lesser amount by at least four times.


    Her Fire Qi also came towards him as it tried to strengthen his physique; however, it was too meagre to do anything as it returned to Huang li''s body again.


    Seeing this, he was a little disappointed.


    "Her qi can do nothing to strengthen my physique."


    And the condensed amount of qi he could gain from the skill was too little to have any effect for now.


    "Let me level up my skill more," he thought as his eyes shine with lust.


    Lu Zhen suddenly felt Huan Li''s pussy tighten.


    Although it wasn''tpared to xia mei, it was considerably tight enough to make Lu zhen lust satisfied a little.


    Suddenly, he felt pleasure from his ball as he looked down.


    "Eh." Xia Mei was there, licking his balls, and Lu Zhen''s little brother inside the tight pussycat of Huang Li increased.


    Her eyes widened when she felt Lu Zhen''s little brother''s girth increase.


    "How huge is his thing going to get?" She wondered aloud.

 Chapter 88: Tasty?***

    Lu Zhen smirked evilly when he heard this.


    "Much bigger," Lu Zhen said as he slowly started to move.


    Huang Li, who was getting used to his monstrous little brother as her pussy took his shape, screamed even louder when she felt the movement of his little brother.


    Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah!


    Huang Li screamed as her eyes morphed into terror, feeling Lu Zhen''s little brother exploring her insides as it moved in and out.


    However, Lu Zhen didn''t give her a chance, as he firmly locked her body as he slowly started to increase his pace while thrusting.


    Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah!~ ??


    Slowly, Huang Li''s scream turned to moans as her face turned to pure ecstasy. Lu Zhen''s pace increased as he thrusted faster and faster.


    He could still feel his balls being licked by Xia Mei, who was doing her duty very diligently; however, she soon left licking him.


    "Hmm..." Lu Zhen looked at her standing up while his thrust became a little slower.


    "Finger me." She said as she tried to move his big, strong arms towards her pussy.


    "Oh. What should you call me?" Lu Zhen said it with a smirk.


    "Umm¡­."


    "Call me, husband."


    "Alright, husband~" Xia Mei said as her eyes glinted with lust.


    Lu Zhen entered her pussy with his thick finger and started to finger her to the cloud nine.


    Her eyes turned to lust as she couldn''t help but moan.


    Ah~!


    Hearing the moan, Lu Zhen''s pace increased as his little brother''s pace increased.


    Lu Zhen dominated the twodies in bed as his little brother went in and out of Huang Li as he fingered Xia Mei.


    A small puddle formed under the twodies as they orgasm to the limit; however, Lu Zhen still hasn''t released his essence till now.


    Ah~ Ah~


    Huang Li has an ahegao face as she reaches the peak of her pleasure and reaches another orgasm. Her eyes rolled up with her tongue out with an expression of pure bliss firmly blocked by Lu Zhen.


    However, Lu Zhen has a frown on his face.


    "Since my constitution has levelled up, my pleasure seems to be building up, and my stamina has reached an all-time high peak," Lu Zhen mused to himself as he finally felt the pleasure build up inside him.


    However, instead of releasing his essence directly inside her, he pulled his little brother out of her and shoved it into the throat of Huang Li.


    As he tightly held down her head. Releasing his essence deep down her throat his fingering Xia Mei also became faster and faster.


    He didn''t want to impregnate her, and since she was just a normal martial artist, she had a higher chance of being impregnated than Xia Mei, who was a pure bloodline martial artist.


    In fact, the chance of Lu Zhen impregnating Xia Mei was almost zero, as they both were in their bloodline form when they did it; however, Lu Zhen was still not certain if he had really impregnated her or not, as his blood boiled and lust consumed his mind at that time.


    Learning from his mistake, Lu Zhen didn''t want to do it inside Huang Li anymore, as it was quite risky, and the amount of his essence he realized would almost guarantee her being knocked, which Lu Zhen didn''t want to do.


    Maybe in the future he might consider it, but for now he has no interest in having children.


    After his little brother reached deep down her throat, he unloaded his essence in full. Huang Li''s eyes widen as she recovers from her mind-broken state as she feels Lu Zhen''s little brother reaching deep inside her.


    However, he was quite unsatisfied. With it, an idea suddenly appeared in his mind, which made Lu Zhen smirk.


    "Let''s do it." Lu Zhen thought as he took back his little brother, who was still spraying his essence inside her mouth.


    Once his little brother was outside, he directed all his essence in her face.


    That''s right, Lu Zhen wanted to make a cream pie.


    With a "ssh" sound, the thick and huge amount of his liquid of Lu Zhen was spread all over Huang Li''s body, stunning her.


    "What a waste." Her eyes were full of lust however she had a disappointed expression on her face.


    Huang Li, with lustful eyes, actually collected his essence in her hand as she drank it with a gulp.


    Xia Mei also followed suit, as she also collected from Huang Li''s body and drank stunning Lu Zhen.


    "Is my essence so tasty?" Lu Zhen couldn''t help but say, as he was stunned by the two.


    Huang Li was so busy with his essence that she didn''t speak, and Xia Mei just nodded her head as she savoured his essence as if it were the single most delicious thing in this world.


    Lu Zhen frowned when he saw this; however, he was a little proud of himself as a man.


    "Alright girls, we have a long night ahead of us." Lu Zhen said as he looked at the sun, who was fading the distance through the corner of his eyes.


    "Let''s get started." Lu Zhen said as the two girls'' eyes lit up with lust as they both positioned themselves on the bed, disying their pussycats to Lu Zhen.


    Their eyes were filled with lust, as they could only think about Lu Zhen''s little brother now.


    He was a little stunned by the unexpected disy of their lust.


    "Hmm, it might be because of my constitution levelling up." Since Lu Zhen levels up his constitution, almost everything physical rted to it also levels up. That might mean that his little brother might also improve, with his essence being tastier.


    This thought crossed his mind, but he shook his head.


    "What am I thinking about? I should enjoy myself here." Lu Zhen said as he made his way to the two girls who were in the bed, patiently waiting like obedient girls.


    "Let''s start the second round." Lu Zhen directly went towards Xia Mei and started to ravage her with the disappointed eyes of Huang Li, who was watching this.


    "Master, give me love too." Huang Li said as her lust shot up as she tightly hugged him from behind.


    "Alright." Lu Zhen chuckled. Although he was a little stunned by the "master" word, he didn''t mind it one bit. In fact, it turned him on a little as his little brother''s girth increased a little.


    He spent the night ravaging the girls like animals. Although he was still careful about releasing his essence inside Huang Li. But he moulded their pussy to his shape. Throughly owning them.

 Chapter 89: Aura (2)

    [LEVEL UP]


    ¡ª-----


    [Name: Lu Zhen]


    --------


    [Race: Human]


    [Bloodline: Human/Volgrith]


    [Lifespan left: 145 years]


    --------


    [Attributes]


    [Constitution: Divine physique (level 3)]


    [Charm: Mortal (Level 4)]


    [Wood Qi: (level 2) ]


    [Demonic Qi: Uninitiated (Level 0)]


    ???


    --------


    [Cultivation manuals]


    [Cultivation technique: verdant art (stage 2)]


    --------


    [Skills]


    [Gluttony: level 8]


    [Appraisal eye: level 4]


    [Saber mastery: level 6]


    [Adaptability: level 4]


    [Aura control: level 5]


    [Meditation: level 2]


    [Dual cultivation: level 2]


    [Alchemy: level 2]


    Lu Zhen looked at his skill with a satisfied expression, and his lifespan had increased considerablypared to before.


    However, when he examined his progress, he frowned.


    [Wood Qi: (level 2) ]


    "Sigh, I''ve only progressed this much even after three days of continuous dual cultivation," Lu Zhenmented with bitterness.


    He could feel that his qi in his body had considerably lessened, to at least 70%. That meant that Lu Zhen could only condense his qi by 2%, while converting 30% of his qi in total which was an despairingly miserable amount to start.


    "That must be why other martial artists spend so much time reaching the second stage martial realm. Well, I won''t be reaching the realm anytime soon anyway," Lu Zhen muttered as he dressed himself.


    "You''re already leaving?" Suddenly, Lu Zhen heard the gentle voice of Xia Mei, which snapped him out of his contemtion.


    "You are already awake?" Lu Zhen looked at Huang Li, who was sleeping peacefully, while the bed was stained with his essence and the two girls had fluids.


    "Oh, it was tiring, but it was fun¡­" Xia Mei said as she licked her lips.


    "I will be doing alchemy for now; don''t disturb me." Lu Zhen shook his head. He had initially nned to do alchemy, but since he had been disturbed by them for three days straight, he couldn''t do anything about it for now.


    "Oh, I have a question for you. Why has my body strangely strengthened after I did it with you?" She asked with a confused expression.


    Lu Zhen chuckled with a mysterious smile when he heard this.


    Seeing this, Xia Mei huffed a little.


    "Hmph, acting all mysterious." However, Xia Mei also had a smirk on her face as she called out Lu Zhen.


    "Either way, I am very soon going to be a third-stage martial artist." She said this with a proud expression, puffing her chest revealing her bouncing mountain peak.


    When Lu Zhen heard this, he looked at her with a strange expression on his face, ignoring the seductress'' enchanting body.


    "Aye, what are you looking at?"


    A knowing face appeared to Lu Zhen as he nodded to himself.


    Since Lu Zhen has perfectly disyed his aura as a normal martial trainee even after reaching the third stage of the martial realm, Xia Mei must have thought Lu Zhen was at most only a peak martial trainee.


    Although martial artists could subtly control their aura and contain it in themselves to release it whenever they wanted, the moment one reveals their aura, almost any martial artist could tell their level.


    However, Lu Zhen could manipte his aura however he liked and manipte the strength of his aura to disy his cultivation as whatever he liked, but it was limited by his cultivation level.


    For example, Lu Zhen couldn''t disy the aura of a second-stage martial artist, but he could disguise as a martial trainee, a mortal, or even a rock and hide himself from the senses of the martial artist even if he fully released his aura.


    His aura couldn''t go higher than his rank, but it could go as low as possible.


    He could shape his aura as a weapons to fight against the external influence, as previously he used it to cut the thread of aura connecting to his tattoo of the butterfly, and he could basically neglect higher-level aura by using his aura as a weapon.


    Although he would still get destroyed if the gap between Lu Zhen and the other person was toorge, even if Lu Zhen could condense an aura weapon to resist external aura.


    "So, you really thought I was only a martial trainee, huh?" Lu Zhen shook his head, a smirk appearing on his face.


    "Then wh¡ª?" Xia Mei''s eyes widened when she felt Lu Zhen''s aura change as he released it again.


    "How... how could...?" She felt her worldview copse.


    ording to her understanding, even first-stage martial artists couldn''t change their aura once released.


    While they could perfectly hide it to appear as ordinary mortals, the moment they released their aura, any martial artist could discern their true level.


    "Did you think you could surpass your man? I didn''t lie to you when I said that I will reach the first stage of a martial artist soon," Lu Zhen said with a smirk as he walked out, leaving behind the cute, puffed-up face of Xia Mei and Huang Li.


    However, when Lu Zhen came out of his room, he was a little stunned to find Little Lily sleeping peacefully in the doorway, with her crotch area already wet.


    "This little girl," Lu Zhen muttered with a bitter expression as he carried Little Lily in his big, strong arms and took her to her room.


    "Hmm, this looks pretty simple." When Lu Zhen entered her room, he was quite surprised to find that itcked any girlish decor.


    The room contained only a single bed, a table with some stools, a small mirror, and arge painting of Lu Zhen. Aside from these items, there was minimal furnishings in the room.


    Lu Zhen gently let the girl sleep in her bed and then decided to explore the room, feeling a bit curious.


    "This girl..." Lu Zhen was somewhat speechless when he saw therge painting of himself from when he was skinny hanging high on the wall.


    In the portrait, he looked malnourished and pale, as if he had been sick for decades.


    "I have improved a lot since then, huh..." Lu Zhen''s attention was suddenly drawn to an open book on the table.

 Chapter 90: Scam

    Lu Zhen looked at the book. He was stunned when he saw that the book had muscr men doing various postures and training.


    He looked at the cover of the book.


    {Nine Heavens body-refining Art}


    When Lu Zhen saw the title, he had a strange expression as he gazed at the sleeping figure of Little Lily.


    "If this girl wanted to practise martial arts, she could have asked me," Lu Zhen shook his head. Altough the name sounded like it was a supreme practise which could make you invincible these were actually verymon martial arts, which could even be bought in a mortal''s market if they were rich enough.


    It was amon martial art given to the lowest-ranking servants of the family to make them a little stronger than ordinary people but not too strong that they are out of control.


    It basically taught about muscle control and how to increase one''s muscles.


    Lu Zhen''s eyes widened when he thought about the potential effect of the book.


    "This could be helpful to me¡­" Lu Zhen''s eyes turned golden as he looked at the book.


    [Bodybuilding Practice]


    [Grade: Normal Item]


    [Remark: A verymon martial art that helps one to control their body, build muscle memory, and develop muscles, making an average person stronger than average. It cannot even be considered a low-tier cultivation technique and neither abat art.]


    When Lu Zhen saw this, he shook his head as a single thought appeared on his head "scam" and he started to read the entire book, refusing to believe that there wasn''t anything useful for him.


    Lu Zhen''s eyes turned focused as he read the book carefully, word by word and picture by picture.


    "Sigh¡­" Lu Zhen frowned as he closed the book. There was only one little trick that might be helpful to him; other than that, they were all pretty useless.


    "I was hopeful for nothing," Lu Zhen thought as he left the room, taking the book with him.


    He wouldn''t allow his personal maid to practise these types of low-grade techniques, which were very hard to practise, but the results could be said to be despairing with meagre strength.


    The maximum strength the technique could give wasparable to a seasoned veteran fighter from Lu Zhen''s previous world, which wasn''t bad for his previous world.


    However, in this world, even the previous skinny Lu Zhen had that much strength just from consuming high-quality food.


    That''s how low-grade the technique was.


    Meanwhile, Yu Bai sat in his backyard.


    "Sigh," Yu Bai sighed as he sat in his seat, reminiscent of Lu Zhen''s Vulgrith form.


    "We might be able to return to our family soon if the young master grows up," his eyes glinted with a fiery determination as he sat, rocking back and forth in his backyard chair.


    He gazed at the sky, savouring his old age.


    Suddenly, he heard a knocking sound from the door, which woke him up from his contemtion.


    "What is it, Lu Zhao?" Yu Bai had a frown on his face as he asked harshly. The only one who visited him was the little boy who frequently came to his small, humble house.


    "Yu Bai, it''s me." When Yu Bai heard Lu Zhen''s voice, he almost jumped up from his chair and nearly fell off.


    "Young¡­ young master, why are you here?" Yu Bai hurriedly ran to open the door for Lu Zhen and let him enter.


    "Oh, it''s about some herbs that I will be needing, and I need a cultivation technique suitable for a woman." Lu Zhen didn''t mind the rude tone Yu Bai had used previously, as he had thought of him as the other person.


    "This¡­ Young master, herbs you can take however much you want, but a cultivation technique." Yu Bai had a difficult expression on his face.


    "It might be hard for me to get it, and even if I get it, it will definitely be a low-grade one, so..." Yu Bai didn''t continue as he just patiently waited.


    Lu Zhen had a frown on his face when he heard this.


    "Cultivation techniques are really difficult to get in this world." There was an entire building for thebat arts; however, there were almost no such things for cultivation technique.


    The method to harness qi was a secret that no family wanted to share easily, and there was always the possibility of it being leaked out, so they were hidden mostly in family vaults, and only those who made a contribution to the family or progressed while practisingbat arts could get it.


    "But I should be able to get it pretty easily." Lu Zhen thought as he left Yu Bai''s ce and went towards his mother''s pce.


    His figure turned blurry as he took a step and reached a hundred steps in moments of time, leaving the servants who saw Lu Zhen feel like he was a ghost as their eyes widened with awe.


    He reached his mother''s pce in just under a minute, which could be considered insane as it usually takes about an hour for a normal person to run just to reach his mother''s pce from Lu Zhen''s pce.


    If you look at the entire ce the Lu family upied, it could be considered thergest city in Lu Zhen''s previous world, so the distance between the pces was terrifying.


    Even the Phoenix City could bepared to a continent of Lu Zhen''s previous world; that was how big the Phoenix City was. And most of the things in this world were way bigger in this world; even people''s heights were bigger.


    "Young master, you may enter." A cold female voice sounded from a feminine figure who wore samurai armour.


    "However, you can''t enter." She said this as she looked behind Lu Zhen.


    "Li nan, stay here; I will be right back." Lu Zhen said as he looked back and entered the pce.


    "Son, why did youe at this time? I still haven''t prepared my surprise gift for you."


    "Is it the demonic cultivation technique?" Lu Zhen said as he looked at her.


    "I guess it was already obvious." Mother Lu chuckled as she looked at her son.


    "So what are you here for? The cultivation technique should be delivered to me after three days."


    "I am here to ask you for a cultivation technique, mother."


    "Don''t you already have one?"


    "I need it for my maid."


    "You can''t be serious, right?" She smiled as she stared at Lu Zhen.


    Lu Zhen just stood, maintaining eye contact as he patiently waited for an answer.


    "Alright, I will give it to you." She said with a little proud tone as she searched for something in her chest, which she had at a corner.


    "Here I have three, which are suitable." She said as she handed it to him with pride evident in her eyes.


    "Here are three books. However, they don''t have attributes; they are amon cultivation technique that allows the practitioner to harness attributeless qi." She said this, which made Lu Zhen frown.


    Since Lily was Lu Zhen''s maid, she needed to have the strength to keep that title, and these cultivation techniques were not enough.


    "Wait, I have another one that might be helpful." She said as a small smirk appeared on her face as she took out another book. However, the book had a symbol on it, which made Lu Zhen''s eyes widen.

 Chapter 91: Xia Family Hatred

    The book bore a small symbol: that of a small bird, which was the emblem of the Xia family.


    Lu Zhen''s eyes widened upon seeing the symbol. "Mother, where did you get this book from?"


    "Oh, I obtained it from the corpse of an anonymous individual," Mother Lu replied with a smirk, her eyes gleaming with a hint of murderous intent.


    Lu Zhen nodded in understanding as he observed her closely. "Mother, do you have a feud with the Xia family?" he asked.


    "Of course, I do. That''s why I didn''t reprimand you when I heard from Yu Bai that you had killed their family''s young master and kidnapped the young genius of the family," she chuckled.


    "If it were any other family, I might have, but not the Xia family," she added, her eyes burning with hatred.


    Lu Zhen had a perplexed expression as he observed the intensity of his mother''s animosity.


    "Do you know why I had to marry your father?" She continued, and Lu Zhen shook his head.


    "You see, I was injured by the ancestor of the Xia family when I was living a secluded life in a vige. I had been fighting for rare treasure in the forest and had umted a huge amount of resources from it. However, my location somehow got exposed, and I was relentlessly pursued by the Xia family, who wanted the resources I possessed."


    Her eyes burned with even more hatred as she continued the story.


    "They burned down the entire vige, which included innocent children, and took away half of my resources."


    When Lu Zhen heard thest part of his mother''s tale, he could see her eyes burning even more fiercely with fury.


    "Although I managed to escape with half of my resources, I was injured in the process. However, I did seed in killing the new patriarch of the Xia family and two third-stage martial realm elders. I also found these five martial cultivation techniques in the patriarch''s storage bag."


    "But because of my injuries, I had to make a deal with the Ancestor of the Lu family, who had some connections with our bloodline family. We signed an agreement, and the rest is history," she said, leaning backfortably in her chair, which resembled a throne.


    "So, will you give these cultivation techniques to the little girl or not? It allows the person to harness wind qi."


    "Alright, I will be going then," Lu Zhen nodded as he left the pce.


    He was in a hurry to train himself. While he was confident that he could win the tournament, there were always variables, and he wasn''t interested in being less prepared and dying with regrets because he didn''t give his all in training.


    Lu Zhen still moved at full speed as his figure became blurry.


    "Big brother Lu Zhen." Suddenly, he heard the voice of Lu Qing, which made him stop in his tracks. He turned around to see the two twins.


    "Master," they both bowed and whispered in a barely audible tone.


    Lu Zhen nodded upon seeing them.


    "I have a task for you guys," Lu Zhen said, carefully observing their expressions.


    They both had understanding expressions on their faces.


    "The task is to build an organisation for me. This organisation will consist entirely of orphaned children who have lost their homes in their viges due to bandits and other reasons." When Lu Zhi and Lu Qing heard this, their faces registered shock.


    "Don''t worry about the other families, Li Nan," Lu Zhen said.


    A girl maternalizes in a ninja-like ck dress seemingly maternalizing from the shadows of Lu Zhen.


    When the twins saw Li Nan, their eyes widened in astonishment.


    "She is a third-stage martial artist, and you will be going out into the wilderness to search for orphaned children." Lu Zhen wasn''t delusional enough to think that recruiting talented children within the city would go unnoticed.


    It could potentially offend many individuals in the process, especially since the orphan trade in the city was quite popr for creating deadly soldiers and assassins like Li Nan. This wouldn''t align with his n. While he wasn''t afraid of trouble, he preferred to avoid unnecessary difficulties when he had a simpler solution.


    Most of the families in the city only recruited people from within its walls, deeming it sufficient. They didn''t want to bother going outside the city to procure more ves. Such efforts were beneath them, and the cost and effectiveness might not justify the trouble, as these ves would still require extensive training and numerous resources.


    As for the possibility of Li Nan leaking information to his father, Lu Zhen didn''t care much. The organization he was building had a different purpose, and even if he wanted to keep itpletely hidden, he couldn''t afford to do so. Building it himself would take up valuable training time.


    However, he had a n to gain control over Li Nan after her return, which made him smirk with evil intent in his mind.


    "Yes, young master," the twins said, bowing with surprised expressions.


    Lu Zhi couldn''t help but feel shocked. He had initially assumed Lu Zhen to be a fool who only knew how to drink. Jealousy began to grow within him, wondering if Lu Zhen possessed some hidden treasures that allowed him to defeat a half-step third-stage martial artist.


    On the other hand, Lu Qing maintained a satisfied expression. As long as she could save her life and potentially gain resources to grow stronger, she was content. She had a simpler outlook on thingspared to Lu Zhi and wasn''t interested in theplexities he was pondering.


    Lu Zhen looked at the twins, bowing with a mysterious smile on his face.


    "Lu Zhi I will be meeting you in three days." Lu Zhen said as he left, leaving the two twins stunned as he went back to his ce.


    "Brother, why did he invite you?" Lu Qing asked with a mischievous smile on her face.


    "This little girl." Lu Zhi shook his head as he flicked her on the head with his finger.


    "Oww! What did you do that for?" She said as she touched her head as if she were really hurt.


    "You should focus on cultivation, as you are finally going to be a martial artist, instead of listening to stories." Lu Zhi shook his head as his mind was consumed by questions, and he was a little afraid of what Lu Zhen was trying to do.


    Meanwhile, Lu Zhen returned to the pce.


    "How interesting." Lu Zhen rolled up his right-hand sleeve and deeply looked at the tattoo of the butterfly.


    "You might finally be of some use as I will have twombs to experiment on." He thought to himself as he returned to his training room.

 Chapter 92: Making Pills

    Lu Zhen slowly inhaled and exhaled as he slowly gathered qi and converted it into wood qi.


    Slowly, he opened his eyes as he shook.


    "Finally, I have recovered 28% of my qi, and now I can strengthen my qi again." Lu Zhen said as he stretched his body.


    He unexpectedly felt light, and as he casually jumped up.


    Lu Zhen felt his body filled with power as he casually made a grabbing motion.


    Whosh!


    A green light shed as the wall cracked slightly; it was barely visible and superficial at most, however Lu Zhen could still see it from his super human eyes.


    "Hmm, just these 2% of my strengthened qi allowed me to crack a wall with just my qi from a distance of about ten metres?" He was shocked.


    Since he had only strengthened 2% of his qi, only that much coulde out of his body; however, he was a little shocked to find that just this meagre amount of qi could already bring out power.


    "Now I know how terrifying second-stage martial artists are." Since Lu Zhen had never seen a second-stage martial artist fight, he had no idea about their strength.


    However, he knew that he would get squashed like a bug since the fully refined qi of a martial artist could attack him even from a distance.


    It was likeparing a gun and bare fist fighting each other.


    "For the remaining time, I should practise some alchemy. I wonder what I would get after practising demonic qi?" He wondered as he left his training room.


    "Young master," Little Lily bowed gracefully to Lu Zhen as she held a book in her hand.


    "What''s wrong?"


    "Young master, are you the one who left this book on my table, recing the other exercise?"


    "Hmm, who knows, maybe I did, or maybe I didn''t," Lu Zhen said with a mysterious expression.


    "Young master, from looking at the book, I know this is valuable, and seeing the¡­"


    "By the way, Little Lily, what were you doing sleeping at the door while you were all wet?"


    Hearing this, Little Lily''s face turned red with embarrassment.


    "Young master, don''t change the topic," she hurriedly said as she put her head down due to her embarrassment.


    "Sigh, Lily, as my maid, you can''t practice such scammy techniques, which are only made for the lowest people. Do you want to get stronger or not?" Lu Zhen asked as he looked at Little Lily with a harsh tone.


    "But... but..."


    "Do you want to or not?" Lu Zhen''s eyes turned colder as he repeated again.


    "Yes, Young master." Lily''s eyes turned determined as she nodded her head with a resolute expression.


    Seeing this, Lu Zhen nodded.


    "Then you have to practise it properly," he said as he left Little Lily.


    "I must be stronger." She steeled herself as she tightly gripped the book, her eyes burning with determination.


    "Let''s practise first."


    Lu Zhen made his way to his alchemy room, which he had built previously to practice alchemy.


    It only took about half an hour for the entire room to be built, which was incredibly fast.


    This could be said to be an extraordinary achievement in his previous world, but in this world, it was quitemon since even the normal humans of this world were a little stronger than ordinary humans in Lu Zhen''s previous world.


    Especially the ingredients here were incredibly goodpared to his previous world, and even literal pces could be built in a day if the workers were martial artists.


    Lu Zhen entered his simple alchemy room.


    "It''s time to do alchemy." He rubbed his hands, as he somehow always felt a little excited when doing alchemy.


    However, he had a little n in his mind.


    "Let''s try to make pills," he thought to himself as he took out all the necessary ingredients required to make them.


    He had always been curious about why only first-stage martial artists or higher could make pills, and martial artists lower than first-stage martial realm couldn''t make them.


    Lu Zhen wanted to experiment himself.


    The ingredients for the pills were quite simr to the paste Lu Zhen had made, and the ingredients were incrediblymon, with the age of the herbs only needing to be slightly older and more potent.


    Lu Zhen flipped open the book and double-checked the ingredients, ensuring that everything was in order.


    He took a deep breath, mentally preparing himself for the task ahead.


    "Let''s start," Lu Zhen thought as he began the process of extracting the materials carefully. A soft green light surrounded him as the herbs floated up slowly.


    An orangeish liquid started to emerge from them, smoothly falling into the container Lu Zhen had ced below the herbs. The extraction process was both smooth and efficient.


    Lu Zhen remained focused and careful as he continued the procedure. To his surprise, he noticed that almost all the herbs were extracted smoothly, and the process was even quicker than before.


    "Hmm, my stronger qi must be the reason it''s faster, but..." Lu Zhen shook his head and proceeded to light the fire for the cauldron, cing all the ingredients into it. He slowly closed the lid and began the process of shaping the liquid into spherical pills.


    Closing his eyes, Lu Zhen touched the cauldron carefully, preparing the pills. The fusion process for pills was a bit different from paste.


    While for paste, he primarily had to concentrate on trapping the medicinal properties without letting them burn through his qi, making pills required an extra step. He needed tobine all the extracted liquid into a solid, ball-shaped form.


    Lu Zhen''s mind worked tirelessly, making countless calctions as his eyes shed with determination. He could sense the pill forming inside the cauldron. Yet, he remained alert, carefully monitoring the process by sending his qi into the cauldron.


    Suddenly, Lu Zhen''s eyes widened in as he quickly took backed away while he had a peculiar expression on his face.

 Chapter 93: Explosion

    Boom!


    A deafening explosive sound echoed in the room as the furnace exploded, covering the whole room in dust.


    Suddenly, a whirlwind erupted, sweeping away the dust outside the window and destroying the window of the alchemy room, revealing Lu Zhen, who was covered in dust.


    "Sigh, what went wrong?" He questioned himself as a frown appeared on his face.


    Lu Zhen recounted his whole process; however, he couldn''t find anything wrong with it. The process was all smooth, to the point where Lu Zhen felt it was even easier than making paste, but thest part felt off, as if he had missed a crucial point.


    "How do I form that symbol? Can I only form it when I be a first-stage Martial artist?" Lu Zhen had many questions in his head that hadn''t been answered until now.


    "Forget it; I will make paste for now," Lu Zhen thought as he took out another cauldron from the shelves.


    Since Lu Zhen was expecting an explosion, he had prepared hundreds of cauldrons because they were all cheap and easy to make anyway. He didn''t care how much he wasted as long as he could learn to make pills.


    But seeing thest process, Lu Zhen knew he couldn''t make the pill, so he decisively gave up.


    "Let''s make another paste for now," Lu Zhen said as he took out rows of books, all of which were alchemy books and other tactical books.


    His eyes turned golden as he carefully looked at each and every single book.


    [Ten Arts of War]


    [Grade: Half Qi Item]


    [Remark: A rare book detailing strategies of warfare.]


    [Thousand Men Formation]


    [Grade: Half Intent Item]


    [Remark: Teaches a formation capable of trapping a first-stage martial artist for an hour and potentially killing a third-stage martial artist if caught off-guard, even with a mortal army.]


    [Wood Element Barrier]


    [Grade: Intent Item]


    [Remark: Teaches the practitioner to set up a barrier using wood element resources capable of withstanding ten attacks from a second-stage martial artist.]


    [Body-Refining Form]


    [Grade: Half Intent Item]


    [Remark: Instructs the practitioner in refining paste and pills that elerate the process of attributeless qi conversion in the body, strengthening it.]


    [Food Form]


    [Grade: Qi Item]


    [Remark: Provides guidance on refining paste and pills that store valuable nutrition and proteins, aiding in body growth.]


    [Qi-Refining Form]


    [Grade: Half Intent Item]


    [Remark: Details the process of refining paste and pills that enhance a martial artist''s ability to condense and refine qi, increasing its efficiency and speed of condensing qi.]


    "Hmm, it seems I can categorise the grades into three different levels. ''Normal'' should be for things only useful for mortals, ''Qi items'' are likely for martial artists, and ''Intent items''..." Lu Zhen paused, deep in thought. "They''re probably meant for first-stage martial artists or higher."


    Here''s the conclusion he reached after analyzing the grades provided by his Appraisal Eyes:


    Normal item = Mortal use.


    Half-Qi item = Suitable for martial artists.


    Qi item = Suitable for third-stage martial artists.


    Half-Intent item = Suitable for second-stage martial artists.


    Intent item = Suitable for first-stage martial artists.


    Looking at the books before him, Lu Zhen felt a wave of both excitement and overwhelm. However, he quickly regained hisposure and sneered as he flexed his muscle.


    "I am not going back to my mediocre life like before."


    "I still have more books, but they aren''t useful to me," he thought, ncing at the various items he had obtained from the sack he acquired from the old man.


    "What a steal for just a gold coin," he mused, a smirk forming on his face. While the old man''s exaggerated ims weren''t the same as what he had told, each item he had acquired was indeed valuable to the bones.


    Lu Zhen doubted if the inheritance cave even had any treasure left, except for the natural resources it contained. Hearing about the intel from Huang Li, he was 90% sure that everything here came from the inheritance cave.


    Everything within the cave possessed the potential to cause a bloodbath if it were to be leaked into the outside world. However, now it all belonged to Lu Zhen.


    "Poor Huang family," he mused. "They had the opportunity to rise to power with these treasures and be the overlords of the town. However, as a dutiful son-inw, I''ll consider these treasures as my wedding gift."


    Lu Zhen couldn''t help but chuckle as he contemted how the old man''s son had managed to stumble upon such a treasure trove. He wasn''t concerned about the Huang family seeking retribution because they were preupied with nursing their wounds and preparing for the inheritance cave tournament.


    Furthermore, their suspicions were vague, and they couldn''t be entirely certain that Lu Zhen had acquired the treasures from the cave. If that were the case, the Huang family''s ancestor would have personally intervened instead of sending the young girl.


    To be certain, Lu Zhen decided that he would pay a visit to the old man and his son after he had finished dealing with the current matters.


    After washing his face with cold water and feeling refreshed, he turned his attention to the study of formations for the first time. However, as he delved into the subject, he found it iprehensible. The writings appeared as gibberish to him, making no sense at all.


    While he could understand the basic concepts of circles and images, it didn''te to him as naturally as alchemy did. The study of formations felt unproductive and confusing.


    "Well, what was I expecting? People literally spend their entire lives devoted to them but barely get any results. How would I get any results after just seeing it for a moment?" Lu Zhen could bet that if he hadn''t acquired the alchemy skill, he would have to suffer like ordinary people while practicing martial arts.


    He had no delusion that he was a super genius or something; he was just a normal, ambitious man who had transmigrated to this world with a cheat.


    With that thought, Lu Zhen put the formation and the barrier book aside and started to read the alchemy book again, asionally skimming through the art of war book to refresh his memory.

 Chapter 94: Talking system?

    "Hmm, this should be alright," Lu Zhen thought as he took the paste.


    The moment he ingested the paste, it almost instantly dissolved. Lu Zhen felt a huge amount of strange energy permeate his body, yet this energy remained stationary, not moving a single bit as if lost, and he could feel that the energy was being wasted as time passed.


    "Let''s start," Lu Zhen thought as he sat cross-legged and closed his eyes.


    Slowly, he began to visualize a tree in his mind, but the tree in his visualization was emitting a green light.


    And Lu Zhen, instead of typically absorbing attributeless qi from the air, instead emitted cracking sounds.


    Crack!


    The wood qi within his body suddenly became violent, attempting to escape. However, with no way out, it could only be contained within him. Lu Zhen''s body shook violently, but this was no challenge for him; he stood firm like a rock.


    Gradually, the qi began to merge and refine itself. Suddenly, the mysterious energy moved toward the merging qi, directly assisting Lu Zhen in condensing his qi and making it purer.


    Like a hammer ironing out impurities from iron, making it purer and denser, Lu Zhen''s wood qi was being refined. In the visualization of the tree that Lu Zhen had in his mind, green light shed past, covering himpletely.


    The process elerated like a rocket as the strands of his wood qi became purer and purer while his qi storage decreased.


    Time passed like a flowing river.


    Lu Zhen slowly opened his eyes, a frown appearing on his face.


    "Sigh," Lu Zhen muttered as he looked at his stats, summoning his system with a thought.


    [LEVEL UP]


    ¡ª-----


    [Name: Lu Zhen]


    --------


    [Race: Human]


    [Bloodline: Human/Volgrith]


    [Lifespan left: 145 years]


    --------


    [Attributes]


    [Constitution: Divine physique (level 3)]


    [Charm: Mortal (Level 4)]


    [Wood Qi: (level 2)]


    [Demonic Qi: Uninitiated (Level 0)]


    ???


    --------


    [Cultivation manuals]


    [Cultivation technique: verdant art (stage 2)]


    --------


    [Skills]


    [Gluttony: level 8]


    [Appraisal eye: level 4]


    [Saber mastery: level 6]


    [Adaptability: level 4]


    [Aura control: level 5]


    [Meditation: level 2]


    [Dual cultivation: level 2]


    [Alchemy: level 2]


    [Sword mastery: level 2]


    [Qian mastery: level 1]


    [Staff master: level 1]


    [Chain mastery: level 1]


    Lu Zhen sighed, looked up at the broken window, and could see that it was already nighttime.


    "My strengthening process only increased by 1% even after cultivating for the entire day, even with the help of the paste, which elerated my speed by at least ten times." He could only feel bitterness for this.


    If you look at his cultivation skill, it was definitely worthless for him to use the dual cultivation skill, as it took him three days to strengthen his qi by 2%, whereas cultivating for just a day yielded him 1%.


    However, Lu Zhen had the paste as a supplement, and the dual cultivation skill could still be leveled up to produce more results, so it was definitely better to use this skill ever so often rather than sitting tieredly in the room.


    If he calcted it with time, if Lu Zhen could cultivate it for about a hundred days, he could be a second-stage martial artist. However, it wasn''t so simple, as the more one progressed, the slower speed was.


    He checked his body, and sure enough, he had lost about 16% of his qi.


    "Sigh, it will be harder and harder in the future," Lu Zhen thought to himself as he shook his head.


    However, Lu Zhen''s attention was drawn to the skill section, which caused him to frown when he saw the cluttered-up chunks of skill.


    "Will the screen ever reach the limit? How can I focus on one thing when I see my status is so cluttered up?" He sighed to himself helplessly. Although he was happy to have gotten all the skills, it was a little overwhelming, and he was quite confident in himself that he would get many new skills in the future, which he didn''t know where he could see in the future.


    Lu Zhen suddenly thought of something as he tried to contact the cold and emotionless voice that he had previously heard when he tried to evolve the cooking skill.


    "Are you there, system?" Lu Zhen thought to himself in his head doubtfully, but to his surprise, he saw a system prompt.


    [Host wants to talk to the system]


    [Permission=Error¡­.. Granted]


    When Lu Zhen saw this, his eyes widened with astonishment.


    <Yes, what may you inquire?


    Lu Zhen suddenly heard the voice he had previously heard, which was still cold and emotionless; however, it was a little simr to Lu Zhen''s previous life voice.


    "Eh, you couldmunicate with me?"


    The system replied without a hint of emotion.


    "Then why didn''t you tell me before?"


    <You never asked the host.


    "Wait, didn''t I ask you to talk when I first transmigrated to this world?"


    <That time I didn''t have energy to talk.


    "Now you have it?"


    <Yes, since you have reached a bio-level human, or in this world, a third-stage martial artist, I have gained enough power tomunicate with you.


    "Cough," Lu Zhen coughed a little when hearing this. It was true that Lu Zhen had pretty much never tried tomunicate with his system after he became a third-stage martial artist.


    He wasn''t at fault for asking the same thing again and again just to hear no response.


    Suddenly, he thought of something.


    "Can you answer my question that I would like to ask?" Lu Zhen said uncertainly as he expected the system to reject those crappy things almost all the novel had in his previous world, "permission denied" or other simr things, which Fei stated to him countless times as a novel reader.


    As long as the answers are in my database, I can answer whatever.


    However, to his surprise, he got a positive answer, which made him quite happy.


    "System, my first question is, What are you?" Lu Zhen hurriedly asked, afraid that the system would take back its words.

 Chapter 95: System details

    The system replied in its usual cold tone; however, Lu Zhen''s eyes widened when he heard this, as he couldn''t believe that he made this system.


    "Oh, when did I make you?" Lu Zhen replied calmly as he tried to maintain his cool.


    When Lu Zhen heard this, his bad memory of his previous world surfaced. He remembered staying in his slums, barely making ends meet while he focused on making his first game with his crappyputer, which crashed ever so often. Still, it was the only property he had.


    The homelessness and the minimal food had made Lu Zhen skinny and malnourished to the point where he felt it was better to die than live in a condition way worse than in this world. Those memories were not pleasant to remember.


    However, he knew it was his fault for leaving his home and deciding to live on his own, believing that he could earn for himself.


    "Wait, are you¡­" Lu Zhen''s eyes widened with realization.


    "But I don''t remember coding you like this," Lu Zhen almost instantly retorted, although he was quite sure that he had added the system interface and voice of himself in the game. The mechanics of the game were totally different from this.


    "I was hopeful for nothing," he thought to himself as he sighed.


    "Forget it then," Lu Zhen shook his head with resignation, as he had been hoping to find at least a clue as to why he had transmigrated here.


    When Lu Zhen heard this, he heaved a sigh of relief.


    "System, can you change your voice to something else? It feels weird hearing my previous world''s voice."


    "Then don''t do it. I can cope with it for now," Lu Zhen shook his head, as he had other pressing questions, and he couldn''t be bothered with the hassle if it was such trouble.


    "Alright, so how does this energy thing work?"


    Lu Zhen nodded when he heard this, although he was quite surprised by the system''s honest tone.


    "Do you have any emotions, and can you think independently?" Lu Zhen asked with a stern expression.


    Hearing this, Lu Zhen was quite relieved. Having an independent thinking system was never a good thing, and it often ended up causing problems in the novels and anime he had read and watched in his previous life.


    "The important question then. Where are you located in my body?"


    "Do you mean that you are physically attached to my brain?" Lu Zhen''s eyes widened when he heard this, and he instinctively touched his head.


    This simple answer shocked him to the core.


    "So, if my brain is destroyed physically, do you also die with me?" Lu Zhen asked, his unease growing.


    "What if it was slightly grazed or had too high a temperature?"


    Lu Zhen nodded when he heard this, though he remained ufortable with the idea.


    "Sigh, is the brain my biggest weakness? I must protect my brain more," Lu Zhen thought. He decided to be more careful in the future, especially with things rted to his head. He couldn''t let anybody get near it.


    "Alright, I have another question. Can you help me manage my skills?"


    Lu Zhen nodded to himself, feeling a bit more reassured now that he had a direct line to his system.


    "Do it, then."


    "Huh, why does it need to shut down?" Lu Zhen asked with a perplexed expression.


    "Why didn''t it upgrade previously, then?"


    When Lu Zhen heard this, he nodded with a satisfied expression. However, he had another important question.


    "How long will it take? And can I use all the skills of the system while it''s shut down?"


    Lu Zhen decisively imagined pressing the "Yes" button in the prompt.


    The moment he did, the entire screen snapped off, disying a nk screen.


    "System," Lu Zhen tried to summon it, but nothing happened.


    "Whelp, I won''t be able to contact the system for a while now, huh¡­" Lu Zhen thought to himself.


    "Let''s just cultivate for the remaining time as I still have a day to go before I can get my hands on the demonic qi cultivation method." Actually, Lu Zhen was quite curious about the benefits he could gain from cultivating demonic qi. However, now that he knew his weakness, he needed a solution to protect his head as much as possible while carefully threading.


    He looked at the rows of bowls, each containing paste.


    [Body-refining paste]


    [Grade: Qi item]


    [Remark: elerates the process of attributeless qi conversion in the body, strengthening one''s body in the process.]


    [Qi-refining paste]


    [Grade: Qi item]


    [Remark: Enhances a martial artist''s ability to condense and refine qi, increasing its efficiency and speed of condensing qi.]


    Lu Zhen decided not to cultivate his qi since it took too much time, so he opted to refine his body first. He could feel that he was very close to breaking the bottleneck he had for his body cultivation. So, he took the body-refining paste and began to practice.

 Chapter 96: Vision

    "Looks like Lu Zhen will really be a super genius of the family," a guy wearing the ssical green robe, usually with a tree logo embroidered on his uniform, which is casually worn by the direct family descendant, said.


    "Of course, brother, we have underestimated him greatly." The others, also wearing the same uniform, nodded as they sighed.


    "What do you think about it, Brother Zhao?" Suddenly, Lu Xin asked Lu Zhao, who had dark circles under his eyes.


    Hearing this, he said hurriedly, "Yes, yes, Lu Zhen is a genius."


    Ever since Lu Zhao had seen the fight between Lu Zhen and Huang Yi, he had been jealous to the point that he couldn''t sleep at night every time he thought of Lu Zhen''s smug face, who seemingly out of nowhere gained the strength to defeat a half-step third-stage martial artist so easily. He hadn''t been able to sleep at all.


    "Look, it''s Young Master Lu Zhen." Suddenly, the girl who asked Lu Zhao pointed her fingers.


    Lu Zhao''s eyes widened when he saw Lu Zhen casually walking.


    "This bastard seems to have be a little imposing," he thought with astonishment.


    "Young Master Lu Zhen." All of the direct descendants bowed as they respectfully greeted him, reverence in their eyes as Lu Zhen nodded his head, feeling a strange shift in their demeanor.


    If it were the previous Lu Zhen, they would have greeted him with less formality, but now they almost immediately bowed with reverence in their eyes, as if he were their god.


    "Strength is the way to go," Lu Zhen couldn''t help but think as he made his way towards his mother''s pce.


    "Brother Lu, I am sorry for any disrespect, but we are having a little banquet at our Golden Restaurant. Would you like to join us?" Suddenly, a handsome youth approached and invited Lu Zhen, drawing astonished looks from Lu Zhao.


    "Sure, I will go," Lu Zhen simply said as he left the ce.


    "I thought he would have be arrogant since his fame has spread far and wide. However, he is quite sociable."


    "He is so handsome."


    "What are you saying, sister? He is our cousin," Lu Zhao retorted with anger when he heard his sister''sment.


    "What does it have to do with you? I am just appreciating my idol," the girl immediately countered with a retort.


    "Damn that bastard, basking in all that glory and fame," Lu Zhao couldn''t help but think as his hatred for Lu Zhen deepened with jealousy.


    "How interesting to sense such resentment for me," Lu Zhen thought intriguingly as he turned back, narrowing his eyes into a slit.


    "Should I finish him off? Hmm, I will spare you this time. However, I won''t kill you unless you get in my way. If you do¡­" Lu Zhen chuckled and continued on his way.


    "My son, there might be a problem," Mother Lu said, her eyes shimmering with anger as sat in her ssical stool which wasparable to a throne as she gazed at Lu Zhen.


    "What happened, Mother?"


    "I have an agent who contacts the branch of my family, and I can asionally trade through the agent. However, the agent hasn''t returned until now, even though the usual timing for her return has passed," Mother Lu exined, her face furrowing with concern.


    "She might have been dyed," Lu Zhen guessed.


    "No, if she had been dyed, she should have sent me a message. But she hasn''t, and I have other messages that she hasn''t replied to. I''ve lost all connection with her," Mother Lu said, her anger palpable.


    "I should send a search team. Don''t worry, Lu Zhen. You will get the cultivation technique after some days."


    Lu Zhen nodded with an understanding expression, having no interest in going on a rescue mission. He believed it was better to focus on his cultivation.


    "You must practise well for thepetition," Mother Lu said, her tone strict but filled with concern.


    "Yes, Mother. However, I am pretty confident that I can win easily. I am 98% sure," Lu Zhen replied confidently.


    "Oh, how will you win so easily?" Mother Lu questioned.


    Lu Zhen didn''t say a word, but his aura surged forth, enveloping the room in a palpable pressure. Mother Lu felt herself sumbing to a strange influence. In an instant, her eyes turned a shimmering shade of golden. It was as if she had been transported to another realm.


    In this surreal vision, she witnessed a person standing on a gruesome battlefield, bathed in the blood of countless foes. Thousands of others bowed before him as if he were a deity. This seemingly ordinary human figure seemed to defy all logic, stretching to the heavens, towering over everything. Yet his normal height was about 7 feet, he emanated an overwhelming presence thatmanded submission.


    "What... What is this?" Mother Lu''s voice trembled as she muttered to herself in disbelief. Her gaze remained locked on the chilling sight before her. Piles of strange creaturesy beneath this figure, forming a nightmarish ground of corpses from foreign races.


    Her eyes widened further as she scrutinised the creatures. "Aren''t they the foreign races I''ve read about in books?"


    Suddenly, her attention was drawn to Lu Zhen''s actions. He rose and hurled a spear into what appeared to be a void. As he did, the void tore open, and the spear traversed an inconceivable distance beyond herprehension.


    A resounding "tear" echoed through the air, and she instinctively looked up at the sun.


    Crack! Crack!


    Her heart pounded wildly as she saw the impossible: the sun itself seemed to shatter like fragile ss.


    "This... It couldn''t be..."


    Her eyes widened to their limits as astonishment coursed through her veins. She watched in awe as the sun broke apart, and a chorus of voices, iprehensible to her, cried out in unison.


    "Long live the human em****!"


    However, amidst the grandeur of this surreal vision, the person at the centre of it all caught her attention. His face, obscured by the blood and chaos of battle, seemed oddly familiar, resembling Lu Zhen. Yet, the carnage obscured her view.


    The person moved his mouth as if trying to speak, and Mother Lu strained to hear his words. But in an instant, a searing pain gripped her head, and her eyes began to bleed.


    "Mother, what happened to you?" Mother Lu''s eyes snapped open suddenly as she drew a sharp breath.


    Ah!


    A scream of agony escaped her lips as she clutched her head tightly. Blood began to trickle from her eyes.


    Lu Zhen was left utterly stunned by this shocking turn of events.

 Chapter 97: Cost

    Lu Zhen was stunned by Mother Lu''s painful scream, realising that her body had been injured. Her eyes bled as she clutched her head. In an instant, he moved at an unbelievable speed, reaching her within a picosecond.


    Hurriedly, he delved into his sleeves and retrieved some paste.


    "I guess practising with various pastes was useful, huh?" Lu Zhen immediately ced the paste in her mouth, gently forcing her to swallow it.


    "Sigh, forgive me," Lu Zhen uttered, the best he could offer. He patiently waited for the paste to take effect. After two to three minutes, Mother Lu''s screams gradually subsided, and her eyes stopped bleeding.


    Huff! Huff!


    Taking deep breaths, Mother Lu calmed herself. "Thank you," she managed to say before closing her eyes and sitting cross-legged on the ground.


    "Sigh," Lu Zhen sighed with relief when he saw her condition stabilise. He stood there, carefully watching his mother''s closed eyes as she meditated.


    "Sigh," Lu Zhen sighed with relief when he saw her condition stabilise.


    He stood there, carefully watching his mother''s closed eyes as she meditated, gradually recovering slowly from the internal wounds.


    Suddenly, Mother Lu''s eyes opened, and she vomited blood.


    "Congrattions on bing a third-stage martial artist, my son," she said, ignoring the blood on her dress.


    "Mother, what happened to you?" Lu Zhen asked, a confused expression on his face.


    Uncertain, he had noticed her golden eyes when she looked at him, and suddenly she nked out for a split second. The next moment, Lu Zhen saw her somehow injured, leaving him astounded and speechless.


    As a peak second stage martial artist there were very few things that could affect her and now with just a blink of an eye Lu Ying was seriously injured just LIKE THAT.


    It was beyondmon sense!


    "It''s my special ability gained from the ancestor scroll, which helps me see far into the future," Lu Ying said as she gathered her energy.


    Lu Zhen''s eyes widened upon hearing this, and he nodded in understanding.


    "I didn''t know such a thing could be possible," he thought to himself. "But why did you use it on me?"


    "I don''t know; I almost instinctively used my eyes, and the vision I saw was..." Mother Lu had a strange expression on her face as she looked at Lu Zhen with an odd expression.


    "Eh, what are you looking at me for?"


    "I saw you in my vision, or at least someone simr to you, bathed in a river of blood with a mountain of corpses from strange creatures that resembled different races fromnds I''ve read about in the book. Thousands of people were bowing to you as if you were their sole god, and you were..." She said this, pausing.


    "And?" Lu Zhen asked curiously.


    "You threw a spear that destroyed the sun."


    "The sun!!!" Lu Zhen eximed.


    "Yes," Mother Lu nodded her head.


    "Sigh, how are you injured?"


    "I should be fine, but my lifespan has decreased by at least 10 years."


    "Ten years? Does using that ability cost you your lifespan, and are you sure the vision you saw is true?" Lu Zhen frowned.


    "Yes." Lu Ying nodded her head.


    "Nevermind, the ability is the most useless skill," Lu Zhen had always considered lifespan as strength.


    Losing lifespan to glimpse into the future was definitely not worth it. Even if Lu Zhen could conquer all and achieve everything, with a short lifespan, what could he enjoy? He could only die, which was not in his consideration at the moment.


    Having a longer lifespan was always important to him since fighting wasn''t the only option.


    If he ever encountered an enemy he couldn''t defeat, he could simply go into hiding and outlive the enemy; fighting was never the only solution.


    That''s why Lu Zhen considered having a longer lifespan more critical. It was also why he was so invested in upgrading his constitution, as he found that it could increase his lifespan.


    His lifespan had increased more from his constitution levelling up than from his breakthroughs in Qi cultivation until now.


    "Yes, it cost me my lifespan; however, I have only used it two times; now it should be three times," Mother Lu chuckled.


    "Is this aughing matter?"


    "Fine, fine, my cute son, you can leave now. I will recover, and I will send the rescue team. They should be able to solve it," she said with some concern on her face.


    "Was the agent someone you know?"


    "Yes, I have some friendship with her," she said.


    "Are your injuries really fine?"


    "Yes, they are. You can go."


    "I won''t," Lu Zhen shook his head sternly as he stood still.


    However, upon seeing this, Mother Lu frowned.


    "You little brat." Suddenly, Mother Lu made a sweeping hand motion. The moment she did, wind pressure was generated, and Lu Zhen could feel the qi seemingly pushing him.


    Lu Zhen blinked his eyes, and the next moment, he found himself outside the pce.


    "Young master," the guards greeted him with reverence.


    "This..." Lu Zhen ignored the guards, as he couldn''t believe his eyes.


    He stared at the door, still processing what had just happened to him. The moment his mother made a move, he felt like a helpless insect blown away by the wind.


    The force was so intense that the stinging sensation lingered on his skin, a result of the rapid air pressure she generated while at a terrifying speed he couldn''t evenprehend.


    Lu Zhen couldn''t even see how she moved so swiftly that she could make him leave the room almost instantly without him even knowing how.


    "I am really an insectpared to a peak second-stage martial artist," Lu Zhen thought with a sigh as he returned to his pce.


    As Lu Zhen made his way towards his pce, he saw a little Lily pacing around.


    "What are you doing, little Lily?"


    Hearing Lu Zhen''s sudden voice, she was a little stunned, but her eyes lit up when she saw him.


    "Young Master, Lu Zhi and the assassin girl havee."


    "Oh, I can finally do my experiment now," his eyes glinted.

 Chapter 98: Mark (3)

    "Why do you think the Young master has invited us for?" Lu Zhi said as he awkwardly broke the silence between them.


    He looked at the quiet and cold girl who stood like a stone.


    "Sigh, why did that bastard Lu Zhen bring me here with the assassin girl¡­" he thought bitterly when they went out of the city to look for the abandoned children. They barely found a group of ten children with their father and mother; aside from them, they weren''t able to find anyone.


    However, the reason he was so awkward was because of this girl, who basically only acted when they were in life-threatening conditions. Except for that, she hadn''t helped them whatsoever, and because she was there, the two twins felt quite awkward.


    "Lu Zhen, you bastard,e already," Lu Zhi thought with rage.


    Suddenly, he heard a footstep.


    "Has hee already?" Lu Zhi thought with some impatience.


    The door was opened, revealing Lu Zhen in his ssical ck robe and his muscr body.


    "Young master." Lu Zhi quickly stood up and bowed to Lu Zhen.


    Lu Zhen simply nodded his head as he closed the door and locked it.


    Seeing this, Lu Zhi frowned as he suddenly felt a bad feeling.


    Lu Zhen put on his ssical smile as he looked at Li Nan.


    "Young master, why did you lock the door?" He questioned with a perplexed expression.


    Lu Zhen''s ssical smile grew as he looked at Li Nan silently.


    Lu Zhi frowned when he heard no reply from Lu Zhen, as he ignored himpletely and focused on Li Nan.


    Suddenly, he felt a terrifying pressure being emitted. Before he could even react, he felt his head being hit by something that knocked him unconscious. He fell to the cold, hard floor with a "thud," as Lu Zhen stood behind him.


    "How interesting," Lu Zhen calmly remarked as he gracefully sidestepped, evading countless tiny, nearly imperceptible knives that whizzed through the air towards him.


    Emerging from the shadows, Li Nan questioned him, "How did you know?"


    "I had a hunch right from the start¡­" Lu Zhen chuckled softly as he unleashed a casual, yet powerful punch.


    Boom!


    An explosive rush of wind pressure followed the trajectory of his punch, homing in on Li Nan.


    Her eyes widened, registering the immense force of Lu Zhen''s seemingly effortless strike. However, the moment his fist should have connected with her...


    She disintegrated into shadows.


    Lu Zhen''s expression shifted to one of amusement as he watched her dissolve before him.


    Suddenly, with a swift motion, Lu Zhen turned and delivered a casual kick, seemingly into thin air.


    The instant he did, Li Nan was flung into the air, crashing forcefully into the wall. Oddly, she wore a strange expression, as if she believed she had triumphed.


    In a swift manoeuvre, Lu Zhen appeared behind Li Nan, preventing her from being pushed any further.


    "How interesting," Lu Zhen''s eyes gleamed with curiosity as he sensed Li Nan''s heartbeat growing faster and faster.


    She opened her mouth suddenly, as if trying to bite something, but Lu Zhen acted swiftly, catching her by her jaws.


    "So you were a spy nted by my dad, huh?" Lu Zhen said as he tightly held onto the iling girl who was trying to escape with all her might but couldn''t, as Lu Zhen overpowered herpletely.


    Seeing the struggle of the girl as she remained silent, Lu Zhen frowned.


    "Are you going to talk or not?"


    "Mph¡­"


    "Oh right." Lu Zhen let go of the girl; however, the moment he did, the girl almost bit something in her mouth.


    "This troublesome woman." Lu Zhen sighed as he caught her mouth again, tightly gripping her jaw, making it impossible for her to move her mouth.


    "I have the perfect solution for you," he said as he took out a tape from his pouch and some ropes.


    He first put the tape on the iling figure of Li Nan before tightly binding her with the rope.


    "This way you shouldn''t be able to do much." Lu Zhen could see the stare of Li Nan, who was looking at him with a peculiar glint in her eyes. However, she stopped iling around and remained silent.


    "So, you''re not going to talk, huh¡­" Lu Zhen frowned, a sly smirk curling at the corner of his lips.


    "That''s probably for the better," he mumbled to himself, rolling up his right sleeve and fixating his gaze on his butterfly tattoo.


    "I wonder if it will work or not," Lu Zhen contemted aloud as he slowly withdrew the aura he had been channeling into the tattoo.


    The moment he did, an inexplicable connection seemed to form between him and the tattoo.


    "Looks like the mark has been sessfully refined, and its owner has changed," Lu Zhen noted. After severing the connection between the mark and its previous owner and infusing it with his aura, he began to sense that his aura was refining the mark further. As time passed, the amount of aura he needed to supply to the mark lessened.


    Lu Zhen had continued this process for days until he finally decided to cut off the supply altogether. The result left him satisfied; he had sessfully taken control of whatever this mysterious mark was.


    His eyes abruptly turned a striking shade of gold as he meticulously examined the mark.


    [Mark of Gu]


    [Grade: Intert item]


    [Remark: A parasite which can be refined and uses the user''s aura to function.######. Its features are:


    1. Can enve others by connecting the owner''s aura to the other person and creating a baby gu.


    ???


    ???


    ???


    ]


    As Lu Zhen read this, he frowned.


    "My Appraisal level is still not enough," he thought to himself with a touch of frustration. Nevertheless, the first feature intrigued him enough.


    Lu Zhen willed the mark, and a crimson light shed as he directed it toward Li Nan, who red at him with intense hatred for reasons known only to her.


    When he activated the mark, the light resonated oddly with Li Nan''s aura and merged into her body. Quickly, Lu Zhen pried open her mouth, removing the tape, and retrieved an object from the mark, which he promptly shoved down her throat.


    He grasped her throat firmly to ensure she swallowed the mysterious object and waited patiently.


    Li Nan''s eyes widened as she felt an unfamiliar object being inserted into her throat.


    Buzz!


    A buzzing noise, reminiscent of a bee, filled her ears, causing her eyes to widen even further in astonishment. She could do nothing but helplessly swallow it as it slid down her throat.


    The moment the peculiar object entered her body, she sensed an unusual connection forming. Although she couldn''t see it, Lu Zhen could feel a thread-like aura linking him to Li Nan.


    He let go of her as she fell to the floor with a thud.


    "Hmm..." Lu Zhen slightly pulled the string, and Li Nan, who was on the floor tied up, screamed loudly.


    Ah!


    She screamed from the bottom of her soul, which echoed as it resounded in the room.


    Lu Zhen was stunned by the reaction of Li Nan as he hurriedly let go of the string. The moment he did, Huang Li''s scream stopped.


    Sheid down on the ground with lifeless eyes.


    Lu Zhen was shocked to see her state.


    "The pain is enough to make a seasoned assassin feel so much pain." Lu Zhen could see the small tears of Li Nan falling down on her mask.


    He carefully looked at the string and could feel that it was a little different from the one that Lu Zhen had from the previously connected string of his mark.


    The aura-like string that Lu Zhen previously cut with his saber was more profound and dense; however, this one was totally different from it.


    The one that was connected to Lu Zhen''s mark was weak, only being able to sap his strength at most, and it was carefully hidden so that the person wouldn''t notice.


    The one Lu Zhen directly connected to Li Nan was strong, as it directly affected her as it could give her enough pain to make a third-stage martial artist cry in pain.


    "Sigh. You forced me, you little girl." Lu Zhen said to the crying Li Nan.


    "Now will you kill yourself?" He asked with an expressionless face.


    "Life is a precious thing, little girl; learn to appreciate it," Lu Zhen told Li Nan, but she remained silent, unresponsive.


    "Forget it," he muttered, shaking his head. His attention shifted to Lu Zhi, who was peacefully sleeping without a care in the world.


    Lu Zhen''s mark emitted a red light and enveloped Lu Zhi, just like it had done with Li Nan.


    From the mark, he extracted a grotesque-looking bug. It had 16 legs and a worm-like body with a bone structure reminiscent of a bee''s stinger but white as bone in one-side. Its skin colour made it appear utterly repulsive.


    Li Nan''s eyes widened in horror as she gazed at the repugnant creature, feeling a wave of nausea wash over her.


    She stammered, "This thing...is inside me?"

 Chapter 99: Mark (4)

    Lu Zhen, just like Li Nan, shoved down the insect inside the throat of Lu Zhi.


    The moment he did, Lu Zhen could feel another string-like aura attached to Lu Zhi from his mark.


    "Hmm, not bad." Lu Zhen nodded his head with a satisfied expression.


    "Hey, wake up." He said as he lightly pped Lu Zhi.


    However, Lu Zhen frowned when he saw that he didn''t wake up even after this.


    Lu Zhen had a smirk on his face as he again pped him, but this time he used a little more strength.


    Boom!


    A resounding boom sounded in the room as dust from the floor flew up in the air.


    Ah!


    Lu Zhi cried painfully as he iled around as he tightly caught his cheeks, which were already inted red.


    "So are you awake now?"


    "You..." Lu Zhi looked at the hulking figure of Lu Zhen, bbergasted.


    "Why did you knock me out?" He asked with a confused expression on his face as he tried to calm down to relieve himself of the searing pain he felt in his cheeks.


    "Did you really think I would trust you two to stay loyal to me, sensing the malicious thoughts from you?" Lu Zhen''s face morphed into a sneer.


    "If it was previously, I would let you go. However, since I have something that will be quite useful for my endeavor¡­" Lu Zhen paused as he looked at Lu Zhi.


    "Sigh. Bastard, what about my sister then?"


    "Well, since I haven''t felt any malicious intent from her, I will spare her. However, if I do¡­" Lu Zhen''s sneer widened. He always considered those who attacked him as his enemies, no matter who they were. As long as they showed hostility towards him, he considered how to deal with them.


    You can call him petty and narrow-minded, but that''s how he was!


    "You can feel it, right?" Lu Zhen''s eyes glinted as he pointed at him.


    "No," Lu Zhi said. However, he had a bad premonition, and suddenly his eyes went nk as he screamed.


    Ah!


    Lu Zhen quickly let go of the string, and the painful scream of Lu Zhi stopped.


    "You know now, right?"


    "You bastard¡­" Lu Zhi screamed as his face morphed into pure anger.


    "Why?"


    "Do you really think I am stupid? Will I keep someone who has malicious intent as my subordinate and can potentially stab me in the back in the future?" Lu Zhen''s eyes turned cold as he asked.


    Suddenly, upon hearing this, Lu Zhi fell silent, his snarky demeanor giving way to uncertainty.


    "Kukuku... kill me then. Since you haven''t killed me until now, it means you have ns for me, right?" Lu Zhi''s voice wavered as he confronted the situation.


    "So, you can''t kill me."


    Lu Zhen, however, wore an amused expression upon his face as he replied, "When did I say I was going to kill you?" His eyes sparkled with a peculiar light as he stared at Lu Zhi.


    "Eh, then what do you want?" Lu Zhi inquired, still puzzled.


    "You see, since I''ve just refined this thing," Lu Zhen revealed his tattoo, showing it to Lu Zhi.


    Lu Zhi''s eyes widened as he beheld the pitch-ck butterfly tattoo. It appeared so dark that it seemed to absorb all light, resembling a void.


    "So, let''s start the experiment. If you can''t survive this, I have a n that will ensure Lu Qing still follows me. However, if you live," Lu Zhen paused, a sly smirk forming, "it''s even better."


    He said as he carried Lu Zhi, who now had horror-stricken eyes, having shifted from a glimmer of hope to helplessness.


    Li Nan''s eyes widened as she observed what Lu Zhen was doing to Lu Zhi, and she felt chills run down her spine.


    Her back went cold with sweat as her horrified expression intensified with every passing moment.


    "I wonder what the young master is doing to make so much noise," Little Lily mused, pacing around the room. The screams emanating from the room Lu Zhen had entered, along with the previous booming sounds, left her feeling restless.


    However, Lu Zhen had instructed her not to allow anyone to enter, regardless of the soundsing from the room.


    "Just ignore it," Lu Zhen had told her as he made his way toward the room.


    "Sigh, I should practice more to be even more helpful to the young master," Little Lily thought to herself. She retrieved a paste from her pouch, one that was red in color with dark streaks mixed in.


    "This should be helpful for my cultivation, right?" She thought to herself. This was a gift that Lu Zhen had casually given to Li Nan, who said to cultivate it with the cultivation technique.


    She took hold of a weapon that resembled a sword, but it was distinctively different. The de measured approximately 70 centimeters in length, and it possessed a subtle, elegant curve.


    The de surface was intricately carved with a unique pattern, and the hand guard was crafted with two metals.


    The hilt was wrapped in supple, deep ck leather. At the end of the hilt was a small, circr pommel, which was used for bnce.


    As she held the katana, she could feel thefortable and secure grip.


    It was basically a katana.


    "Not bad," she nodded her head as she began to practice with the katana.


    First, she retracted the katana into its scabbard, taking a deep breath.


    "Let''s start," she said, and with lightning speed, she drew the saber from its sheath.


    The moment it was unsheathed, she executed a horizontal strike with incredible swiftness, the de cutting through the air in a fluid slicing motion.


    Then, smoothly transitioning to her next move, the katana descended in a vertical sh, its edge descending like a guillotine. If any mortal man had been here, he would have been sliced in half by her katana.


    She immediately retracted the katana and thrust forward like a viper''s strike, stabbing the air with unerring uracy.


    She practiced the basics of these steps diligently until she became familiar with them.

 Chapter 100: Terrifying Talent

    Huff! Huff!


    Lily took long, deep breaths as her body glistened with sweat.


    She shed her katana again, and with a "swoosh" sound, the katana sliced through the air with a smoother flow, feeling more natural, as if her katana was tearing through the air.


    "My familiarity with the katana has increased by a lot. I should be able to reach the first level soon," Lily thought. However, she had a frown on her face.


    "Wasn''t bing a martial artist very hard?" However, when she thought about how Lu Zhen quickly became a martial artist and reached the Third stage in a month, she felt that she stillcked talent as Lily continued to practise.


    "Since Young Master was able to reach it in such a short time, my talent is still not enough. I must practise harder," Lily thought as her grip on the katana tightened.


    However, if the world knew that a girl who had just started practising martial arts was close to bing a martial trainee in just moments, an undeniable shock woulde to them, and they would feel their lives were wasted.


    After all, no matter how heaven-defying the cultivation technique was, it always depended on the martial practitioners themselves.


    It was like giving a child a calculus book and telling them to read it. The child would undoubtedly not understand a single number and would give up. That was also true here in this world.


    There were no shortcuts in this world!


    So, Lily achieving such feats was an indescribable shock. After all, most people practised their whole lives, dedicating themselves to martial arts. However, in the end, they wouldn''t even be able to reach the level of a martial trainee, even if they had the rich resources to cultivate.


    "Let''s cook dinner for Young Master now before starting to train again," Lily sang happily as she made her way to the kitchen.


    Since Lu Zhen had previously forbidden himself from meeting with other women, she was the only one allowed to stay in Lu Zhen''s pce. Except for her, the other servants were mostly in the kitchen to help her prepare food and asionally to help her clean the pce to keep it spotless.


    The guards mostly stayed outside, with a very low number, but they were all at the martial trainee level in their cultivation.


    Meanwhile, in the room, another scream echoed as Lu Zhi fainted on the floor.


    Lu Zhen looked at the tattoo with a satisfied expression.


    "You can get up now," Lu Zhen said as he manipted the string intricately. The moment he did, Lu Zhi, as if controlled by a puppet attached to a string, stood up.


    "Huh..." Lu Zhi''s eyes awakened as if by magic.


    "Hmm..." Lu Zhen went into deep contemtion as he had experimented with everything the mark could do except for one crucial thing: the distance over which it could operate.


    "Lu Zhi."


    "Yes, Master." Lu Zhi immediately bowed respectfully.


    "How interesting. You are a smart guy. Don''t worry; I won''t restrict your freedom or anything, and you will still be my servant. I won''t kill you."


    "However, don''t call me ''Master''; just call me ''Young Master.''" Lu Zhen had no interest in being called master as long as they did their job he had no interest in what they think.


    "Thank you, Young Master."


    "Remember, if your sister has any thoughts about¡ª" Suddenly, Lu Zhi felt a chill down his spine. He hurriedly nodded his head.


    Lu Zhen patted Lu Zhi''s back with a satisfied expression.


    "Now, thest experiment: get as far away from me as you can." He waved his hand, and a small whirlwind generated, which opened the door.


    Since he has fully mastered thebat art he could control the intensity and the direction of the whirlwind and could even cancel it in thin air. The skill has be quite practical for Lu Zhen.


    Lu Zhi nodded with full submission as he left the room.


    "Ho, he still has some other thoughts in his head, huh..." Lu Zhen looked amusedly at Lu Zhi, who was clearly walking away.


    "Hmm, now I have to deal with you." He looked at Li Nan, who had dark circles under her eyes.


    "So, why did that old man send you to spy on me?" Lu Zhen asked as he casually sat.


    Li Nan remained silent, closing her eyes.


    Seeing this, Lu Zhen frowned.


    "You know what I could do with this already, right? After all, you''ve already experienced it firsthand," he casually remarked.


    "The old master has some resentment for you," Li Nan hurriedly said with a hoarse voice.


    "Huh, why does he have resentment towards me?" Lu Zhen had a confused expression.


    "The thing is, Lu Ying, your mother, has never given the old man any attention after you were born. However, seeing that you were born as a waste with no interest in martial arts, he took pity and didn''t try anything on you. But seeing your recent martial arts achievements..."


    Lu Zhen suddenly interrupted her.


    "How do you know?"


    Li Nan sneered.


    "We are the personal guards of the old master; how wouldn''t I know? It''s no secret among our guard group."


    Lu Zhen fell into deep contemtion as he absorbed this information.


    "Then, what were your instructions given by the old man?"


    Li Nan hesitated for a moment before reluctantly speaking.


    "I was instructed to spy on you only. I was not allowed to take any action and to try to seduce you if possible."


    "How interesting," Lu Zhen chuckled upon hearing this.


    "I didn''t expect the old man to be so..." However, Lu Zhen didn''t have any way to deal with the old man, and he hadn''t targeted his life yet. Although the spy might not have harmful intentions, hearing Li Nan''s admission removed that possibility.


    "Now, you will be working for me. You will provide me with the information I want," Lu Zhen dered, his eyes glinting with a strange determination.


    Li nan''s eyes widened when she heard Lu Zhen.


    Since the old Man nted a spy on Lu Zhen he will use that to his advantage.

 Chapter 101: Shadow Veil

    Lu Zhen carefully felt the string and could approximately determine Lu Zhi''s location.


    "Hmm, this works," Lu Zhen thought as he tried to control Lu Zhi like a puppet, just as he had done previously. However, a small frown appeared on his face.


    "So that''s not possible, huh?" He stroked his chin in thought.


    "Let''s try this," he decided, reconnecting his connection with Lu Zhi.


    "Can you hear me?"


    "Yes, young master," Lu Zhi, who was walking around in the pce, answered, stunned by the unexpectedmunication with Lu Zhen.


    "Hmm, I canmunicate as well even over this long distance. Then how about this?" Lu Zhen thought as he lightly tugged on the string-like aura for a fraction of a second.


    "Ah!"


    "Looks like it does work," Lu Zhen nodded to himself as he carefully sensed Lu Zhi''s condition.


    "Why did that bastard do that?" Lu Zhi tightened his fist, but he wore a terrified expression.


    "Young master¡­"


    "I''m just testing things; I won''t use it again," Lu Zhen reassured as he cut off the connection.


    "Hmm, it can also drain the strength of the person and convert it into energy, huh¡­" Lu Zhen felt the slight drain of energy from Lu Zhi and the girl who was beside him. His body absorbed a small but steady amount of energy.


    Since the drain was so subtle, even someone with a divine physique like Lu Zhen couldn''t notice it, so there was no way the two of them could either. This discovery sparked countless ideas about how Lu Zhen could use this to his advantage.


    "So, are you doing it or not?"


    "But¡­" Since Li Nan had been trained from childhood to be a guard, her loyalty to the family was deeply ingrained in her. While she had reported to Lu Huang, the family''s patriarch, it was to the Young Master, so she still held onto a false hope that she hadn''t betrayed the family yet.


    "Don''t worry. I will be the patriarch of the family soon, so you don''t have to worry about betraying the family. Just tell the old man what I want him to hear, understand?" Lu Zhen said as he casually flexed his mark.


    Seeing the mark, her back turned cold and her face disyed a mixture of emotions. Her body started to sweat as felt fear from the bottom of her heart.


    Li Nan obediently nodded her head.


    "Good girl," Lu Zhen said as he patted her with a smile on his face.


    "You can get out of the rope now."


    "How did you know?" Li Nan looked at Lu Zhen with astonishment.


    "There aren''t many things that can trap a third-stage martial artist, and these ropes can, at most, trap a martial trainee. Since you were previously a little injured, you didn''t make a move. But now you can easily make a move, but..." Lu Zhen paused as he looked at her.


    "Yes, young master, I will follow you," Li Nan said as she effortlessly broke the rope and bowed to Lu Zhen.


    Lu Zhen nodded his head in satisfaction.


    "One more thing. How did you disappear previously?" Lu Zhen asked with a confused expression.


    He had seen the same trick when the assassins attacked his carriage, and Yu Bai faced the assassin leader. However, he never knew how the trick to be seemingly invisible worked.


    "Young master, this is a secretbat art of assassins, which is verymon in the world. However, it has one major weakness: an expert can easily notice it by sensing, as it can only make you invisible to the naked eye. The other senses can still detect it, so it is useless against a true expert." Lu Zhen nodded in understanding when he heard this.


    Indeed, since he had superhuman senses due to his constitution, he could sense Li Nan even with his eyes closed. Suddenly, he took out some brushes and paper and gave them to her.


    "Write it down for me, the important points and how it works."


    "Yes, young master," she nodded obediently as she immediately started to write.


    Lu Zhen sat down, took the paste from his pouch, and began to cultivate while Li Nan wrote down lengthy details.


    His qi had been strengthened to a whopping 3%, which was a lot, but he still wasn''t satisfied with this speed.


    He slowly visualised the tree, which glowed with a green hue as his qi was gradually bing more condensed and refined. The mysterious energy from the paste directly elerated the progress.


    Time passed as Lu Zhen cultivated, and Li Nan wrote down every single detail meticulously.


    Suddenly, Lu Zhen felt the moment of Li Nan and stopped his cultivation as he looked at her.


    "Have youpleted it?"


    "Yes, young master." She handed him the papers.


    "You can stay in the shadows for now," he said as Li Nan vanished like a shadow.


    "Now, let''s see the mystery here." Lu Zhen carefully read the words one by one. There were about only 6 pages, and the details were surprisingly simple, which surprised Lu Zhen.


    Lu Zhen quickly scanned all the information and understood how the trick worked.


    "This seems more like a parlour trick than abat art," Lu Zhen chuckled. The name of thisbat art was [Shadow Veil Technique].


    His eyes turned golden as he wanted to see the system evaluation of it.


    [Shadow Veil Technique]


    [Grade: Half-Qi Item]


    [Remarks: Thisbat art allows the martial artist to manipte light rays and blend into the shadows, making them almost invisible to the naked eye.]


    When he saw the appraisal, he nodded to himself. It pretty much confirmed what he had gathered from reading it.


    "Hmm, so it''s iplete, huh?" Since Li Nan had written the technique on the spot, it was inevitable that some details would be left out. That was understandable.


    "This might be useful to me," Lu Zhen thought. He stretched his body, preparing to practise the art.


    "After that, I should visit the old man from the vendor shop from which i brought those items from."

 Chapter 102: The Duo

    "Xiaoer, what are you doing here?"


    "Eh, Father, I bought the food and money for¡­"


    "Didn''t I say not toe?" The old man harshly interrupted him, his face disying a stern expression.


    "Eh, but what will you eat then, father?"


    "I can eat whatever I want, but why did youe back?" The old man''s face turned cold.


    "Why can''t Ie back to my own home, Old Man Yao?" Hearing this, Ji Hua retorted with a frown on his face.


    "Sigh." The old man shook his head when he heard this, letting out a sigh.


    "Why can''t Ie home? Can you tell me the real reason, Old Man Yao?" The boy''s voice grew softer as he asked.


    "It''s because of those items you took. Can you tell me where you got those?"


    "Eh, why?" The boy was stunned.


    "Because we got in trouble because of those items. Now, the young master of the Lu family wants to know where we got them from. So, tell me, where did you get them?"


    "I think I got those from¡­"


    Suddenly, he was interrupted as they heard footsteps.


    "Who could it be?" Old Yao whispered so quietly that the boy could barely hear him, his eyes reflecting nervousness as he stared at the door.


    He looked at his son, and the son looked at his father, both nervous.


    Knock! Knock!


    The knocking on the wooden door of their thatched house sounded suddenly.


    Old Yao started to sweat, his clothes bing stained with his own perspiration.


    The boy also felt nervous, a mixture of uncertainty filling him as he stared at the door.


    The old man gulped down his saliva, mustering the courage to speak.


    "Who is it?"


    However, the knocking sound didn''t stop.


    Hearing this, Old Man Yao didn''t even have the courage to speak; he remained silent.


    "Father, why do you always speak like a scaredy-cat? You weren''t like this when you were doing your scammy hawking." When Old Yao heard this, he wore a frown on his face.


    "What do you know, kid? This is how we stir the fire in our kitchen. How dare you say that?" he couldn''t help but retort, even though deep down, he knew the truth.


    "Alright, alright," the kid said as he rubbed his ears.


    "Old Yao, open the door."


    Suddenly, Old Yao heard the cold voice, which made his eyes widen.


    "Yes, young master," he hurriedly said as he went to open the door and did so as if his life depended on it.


    "It really is the young master. If we did displease him, we two could be ughtered," he thought to himself with terrified eyes, and his heartbeat started to increase while he sweated.


    The moment he opened the door, he immediately bowed.


    "Young master, why did youe to such a disgusting ce? We two, father and son, were about toe to you." He just stood bowing to Lu Zhen as he remained silent. However, not hearing any response, he nced up.


    He couldn''t find anyone there.


    "Eh?"


    Old Yao was dumbfounded.


    "There is no one?" Old Yao was filled with question marks in his head.


    "So you know the location, right?" Suddenly, he heard the cold voice of Lu Zhen behind his back, which made his back feel chilly.


    "I know it, young master."


    "Alright, then we will be going on a trip to that ce, and if that ce is really there, I am going to reward you." Lu Zhen said as he casually took out two gold biscuits and gave them to him.


    The boy nodded his head with understanding as his eyes shined with the prospect of money!


    "What is your name, by the way?"


    "Xiao Yun," he replied respectfully.


    "You are a smart kid, boy. Don''t let your old man do something stupid."


    "Yes, young master."


    "Young mas..." Old Yao wanted to say something; however, when Lu Zhen suddenly turned around, he saw the cold death stare in his eyes.


    "I thought you were a smart man. Looks like age really gets to people," Lu Zhen shook his head.


    "This..." Old Yao was speechless and couldn''t say anything more.


    "Let''s go now, Xiao Yun," Lu Zhen said as he walked away.


    Xiao Yun quickly followed behind Lu Zhen like an obedient kid.


    "Wait, you can''t take my kid! What if..."


    "Do you really think I can''t kill you?" Lu Zhen''s eyes turned cold as he looked back. His time was precious, and he couldn''t waste it bickering with the old man. If it were any other young master in his ce, they would have killed the old man and tortured the boy to reveal his location.


    Nobody would care if a random old man and his child died, especially if the person who killed them was a high-position individual.


    The cruelty of the world had made these things clear. Strength was what mattered the most!


    So he was really speechless about how the old man could gather the determination to disturb Lu Zhen.


    Old Yao hurriedly bowed with tears and snot on his face.


    "Young master, can I also go with you?"


    Lu Zhen was really speechless when he saw the old man. He wasn''t taking his boy to a battlefield or something; why was the old man being so emotional?


    "Yes, you cane," Lu Zhen said in an uncaring manner as he walked out of the house.


    His nose was immediately assaulted by the foul smell of the alley they were currently in. Fortunately, Lu Zhen had already adapted to it.


    "Father, why are you evening?" Xiao Yun frowned and whispered.


    "Kid, what do you know? You could risk your life because of this."


    "And will it help if you tag along?" Xiao Yun retorted.


    "What do you know, kid? I once practiced martial arts," Old Yao said as he hurriedly followed Lu Zhen, ignoring Xiao Yun''s stare.


    Xiao Yun could only watch the old man helplessly as he also hurriedly followed Lu Zhen.

 Chapter 103: Fe Cai (2)

    Lu Zhen looked at the slums where the houses were made of thatches that barely provided shelter from the rain, and the elderly residents all had despair-filled eyes as they remained in their see-through houses.


    Only disabled children were there, talking among themselves in hushed whispers.


    Every time Lu Zhen walked by, they bowed to him with respect in their eyes, even in their disabled state.


    However, their eyes revealed the deep terror and fear that was rooted inside them.


    Lu Zhen just shook his head and sighed when he saw this.


    "Eh, Father, why is everyone bowing to that person?" A child pointed towards Lu Zhen in the distance. Lu Zhen''s ears twitched when he heard this.


    "What are you doing, you rascal? Judging by his clothes, he must be a noble. Do you know the consequences of disrespecting a noble?" The famished man, holding a pot full of rum, hurriedly said as he forced his child to bow, bowing himself as well.


    Lu Zhen''s eyes and ears twitched when he heard this. These people were at the bottom of society.


    "The difference between the lower ss and the upper ss is truly stark and disheartening in this world¡­" Lu Zhen thought that if he ever had the power, he would work to address these issues.


    He wasn''t a saint, but he was dissatisfied with how things operated. If people could have more dignified jobs and opportunities, there would be greater prosperity.


    The individuals who were wasting their lives here could be valuable human resources if they were given opportunities.


    Lu Zhen walked out of the slums and entered the bustling streets, which were filled with energy, in stark contrast to the depleted and lifeless atmosphere in the slums.


    "Let''s hurry up," Lu Zhen said, unsatisfied with their speed.


    Lu Zhen and the duo quickly entered the carriage.


    "Yu Bai, drive at full speed."


    "Are you sure, young master?" he asked, uncertain and not believing his ears.


    "Yes."


    "Alright." Yu Bai nodded his head as he took the reins over the horse.


    He beat the horse with his whip. The moment he did, the horse''s eyes turned red as it sped up to full speed.


    The carriage quickly made its way to the city gates.


    "These walls always surprise me whenever I see them. I might not be able to jump that high," Lu Zhen thought as he calcted the speed.


    The guards hurriedly opened the city gates as they bowed upon seeing Lu Zhen''s carriage.


    "Oh, how interesting." Suddenly, from the corner of his eye, he caught sight of a girl and a boy with golden hair, which piqued his interest.


    The boy was respectfully bowing, while the girl had a stubborn expression on her face as she stared at the carriage with hatred.


    The girl had purple hair and wore a matching long purple skirt. Her facial features weren''t bad, to be honest.


    "Oh, wasn''t that the boy who stopped me previously? He''s still alive? Not bad," Lu Zhen thought with a glint in his eyes.


    "Stop for a moment, yu bai."


    "Yes, young master."


    Lu Zhen got out of the carriage with the surprised eyes of the father and son.


    "Wasn''t he in a hurry previously?" They both thought the same thing, almost at the same time.


    Lu Zhen slowly made his way out of the carriage with the stunned eyes of the guards and the people there.


    As he made his way towards the boy and the girl.


    "Oh, I am d you are alright, kid." Lu Zhen said as he looked at the boy, ignoring the death stare that the girl gave him.


    The girl looked a little familiar to him, but since he didn''t remember, the person should not be important to him in any way.


    Fe Cai was stunned as he nced up to see Lu Zhen, which made his eyes full of anger at injustice, but he still respectfully replied to him.


    "I greet the young master."


    "It looks like you have grown a lot." Lu Zhen could feel the slight aura that was radiating, which had already increased by a lotpared to previously.


    "Hmph, what are you acting high and mighty for? Aren''t you that trashy young master of the Lu family? Even if your family is one of the major families, so what?" Before Fe Cai could even speak, the girl beside him arrogantly spoke with arrogance.


    "Miss, you''re?"


    "I am also a member of one of the major families."


    Lu Zhen''s eyes gleamed with a peculiar light upon hearing this.


    "Which family do you belong to?"


    "Why do you want to know? I''m from the Xia family, hmph."


    Lu Zhen maintained a calm expression, but his mind was swirling with ideas. After all, it was the Xia family that had dared to harm his mother, and they should face the consequences of their actions by facing their entire destruction..


    "Why do you call me trash?" He inquired with a polite tone, though his eyes held a glimmer of mockery.


    "Because you don''t practise martial arts and haven''t even reached the level of a martial trainee, despite having ess to countless resources. You might be able to deceive others by faking your fake reputation, but you can''t fool me."


    Fe Cai couldn''t help but disy a peculiar expression. He vividly remembered how Lu Zhen had effortlessly caught his spear with just two fingers during their previous encounter.


    "I, Xia Yun''er, can''t be fooled by your petty tricks," she dered with a cold expression.


    "How about I kill you with a punch? Would you believe me then?" Lu Zhen''s eyes gleamed with a cold light.


    "This¡­" Xia Yun''er suddenly felt a chill run down her spine. Her instincts screamed danger.


    "How about it? Since I''m trash, can you take a punch from me? If you can''t even withstand a punch from trash, then you''re an even bigger piece of trash."


    "You...you..." She looked at Lu Zhen, trying to maintain herposure while taking deep breaths to calm herself.


    "Very well," Xia Yun''er managed to muster the courage to reply, though uncertainty lingered in her voice.


    Lu Zhen smirked in response.

 Chapter 104: Sword Principle

    "Alright, then," Lu Zhen said as he withdrew his hand to gain momentum.


    "Wait, are you really going to hit me? How can you call yourself a man?" Xia Yun''er protested as her back was already wet with sweat.


    Lu Zhen ignored her words. His eyes turned cold as he punched with power.


    Swoosh!


    The sound of tearing air resonated as if Lu Zhen''s fist was cutting through the very fabric of void itself.


    Xia Yun''er felt her life sh before her eyes as her instincts screamed at her to dodge.


    However, the fist was just too fast.


    Boom!


    A deafening explosion shattered the silence, sending shockwaves through the surroundings. Dust and dirt billowed into the air, creating a hazy screen that obscured the vision of onlookers who stood by, astounded and amazed.


    "My God, did the young master of the Lu family really...?" The sentence remained unfinished, hanging in the air as if waiting for someone toprehend the impossible.


    Within the swirling cloud of dust, Lu Zhen couldn''t help but release a subtle chuckle.


    "Seems like the guards of the young miss are rather... so-so," hemented, his voice tinged with mockery as he nced at the guard who had rushed to protect Xia Yun''er. His hands were stained with blood.


    "You¡­" The guard stared at Lu Zhen, eyes filled with sheer horror and disbelief.


    Cough! Cough!


    Violent coughs wracked his body, and he involuntarily spewed blood as his two hands, which had been used to shield against Lu Zhen''s attack, were now severed.


    With a "ssh" sound, his two hands fell to the ground. Blood gushed from the gruesome wounds, staining the ground crimson and sttering Xia Yun''er in the process. It was a horrific scene that left everyone stunned.


    Ah!


    The guard cried out loudly, his voice filled with agony as the pain overwhelmed him.


    Xia Yun''er''s eyes revealed deep terror as she couldn''t believe what Lu Zhen had done.


    "Not bad; the sword mastery skill is quite useful..." Although it seemed Lu Zhen had used his fist, he had actually employed his sword principles in the attack. This was why the guard''s hands were severed. While the saber mastery skill and sword mastery skill principles might appear simr, there was a crucial difference between them.


    The sword principle made Lu Zhen''s fist more elegant and fast, whereas the saber principle was more domineering with greater power and shing force.


    "Bastard!" Xia Yun''er fell to the floor, witnessing the sight of blood for the first time, and began to panic.


    "Didn''t you say you could take my punch, so why did you back away now?" Lu Zhen said as he casually wiped his hands.


    Lu Zhen looked at Xia Yun''er with some pity. He had actually considered killing the little girl right here, right now, as he had already dered the Xia family dead. They would be destroyed as long as Lu Zhen had the power to kill the Xia family ancestor or if their ancestor died for some reason.


    However, he changed his mind when the guard blocked his attack. There were no benefits to killing Xia Yun''er right now.


    "Sigh, when can I control my impulsiveness..." Lu Zhen looked at the guard who had taken some medicine to stop his bleeding for now.


    "So where were we?" He turned his attention to Fe Cai, the golden-haired boy.


    "I''m really curious. How did you survive even after trying to block me? I assumed that countless people would have given me your head to impress me by now."


    Fe Cai nced at Xia Yun''er.


    "So, you were also the one who was giving trouble to Brother Fei?" Xia Yun''er barely managed to calm down as she looked at Lu Zhen with even more hatred.


    "Oh, I get it. So love at first sight?" Lu Zhen chuckled as he patted Fe Cai on the back. However, he leaned in closer to him and whispered something in his ear.


    "You''re going to be killed if you stay with the Xia family. You have good talent, kid. Stay as far away from them as possible." Lu Zhen wore a friendly yet ominous smile.


    He patted Fe Cai on the back again and turned to leave.


    "Wait, what about my guards with sliced arms?" Xia Yun''er demanded.


    "What of it?" Lu Zhen looked at Xia Yun''er with cold eyes, that seemed to tell the tale that she will be dead if she spoke another word.


    She clenched her fists, taking deep breaths to control herself.


    "I swear, you''ll be dead soon, you bastard Lu Zhen."


    Without another word, Lu Zhen returned to the carriage, leaving Xia Yun''er seething with anger.


    "Let''s go quickly, Yu Bai," Lu Zhen said as the carriage sped off at full speed, faster than any modern car in Lu Zhen''s previous world.


    "That bastard seems to have grown stronger," Fe Cai thought as he watched the carriage disappear into the distance.


    "He definitely has a bloodline and should have noticed me by now, but he shouldn''t know my true identity," Fe Cai mused as he nced at Xia Yun''er, who had a dark expression with a murderous glint in her eyes.


    "Sister Yun''er, are you alright?"


    Hearing Fe Cai''s sweet voice, she snapped out of her reverie.


    "Yes, Brother Fei, I am alright now. That bastard will die soon¡­" she said with a determined look in her eyes.


    Fe Cai just shook his head when he heard this. Although he also wanted to beat that bastard Lu Zhen, he still wished to defeat him with his own strength, and he still had a trump card he hadn''t shown yet.


    If he could use the Trump card, he could beat Lu Zhen in a matter of seconds, and since he was also a Bloodline user, it would be even easier.


    He had an evil smile on his mind as he thought of deafening that high and mighty bastard to the ground.


    However, he had a ssical smile on his face as he looked at Xia Yun''er.

 Chapter 105: White Haired Girl

    "Sister Yun''er, about me joining the Xia family..."


    "Oh yes, brother Fei, you can join the family, but there is a condition." Xia Yun''er said as she put her head down, acting cute.


    "What condition?" Fe Cai frowned when he heard this.


    "You have to marry a woman of our family and change your family name."


    When Fe Cai heard that he needed to change his family name, he tightened his fist hidden by his sleeve; however, he needed the resources really badly right now.


    "Alright." Fe Cai agreed with an expressionless face.


    "This woman should be useful to me for now, so it is best for me to have a good rtionship with her." He thought as he looked at the blushing Xia Yun''er.


    "How interesting this guy is talented enough, but he doesn''t qualify as my husband. His status isn''t enough. But why did my father tell me to make him fall in love with me?" A glint passed through her eyes as she acted shy towards Fe Cai.


    "As for Lu Zhen, he will be dead soon. It was true that he defeated a half-step third-stage martial artist. Since he was able to beat my guard, who was a peak martial trainee," she thought to herself as she wrote a note on a small piece of paper.


    "Send it to the family," Xia Yun''er instructed her injured guard with a cold gaze.


    "Yes, young miss," he barely managed to say, breathing heavily with despair in his eyes. Although he had recovered considerably, he was still mutted and would be forever scarred.


    She ced the paper in his pocket, and the guard hurried away towards the Xia family.


    "I hope you can survive, Lu Zhen," she thought with an evil smirk on her face.


    "What did you send, Yun''er?" Fe Cai asked, curious.


    "Oh, it''s nothing, Brother Fei. Since my guard was injured, I sent him to get medicinal aid and sent a letter to ensure he will be given the best treatment," Xia Yun''er through her teeth. How can she care about a mere guard?


    "How about we go now, Brother Fei?"


    Fe Cai simply nodded as they both walked away towards the Xia family, their hands slowly joining.


    "Kid, guide Yu Bai well," Lu Zhen instructed as he looked at Xiao Yun, who was in the front seat, giving directions to Old Bai.


    He leaned back in his seat and tried to summon his system with a thought, but no prompt appeared.


    "Oh, I forgot the system was shut down," Lu Zhen realised with some disappointment.


    As he patiently waited in the carriage, a sense of unease began to build within him.


    "Did I forget something?" Lu Zhen thought to himself as he looked around, but everything seemed normal, with Xiao Yun guiding Old Bai and the old man sitting opposite to him.


    Lu Zhen carefully used his five senses outside of the carriage to detect any anomalies, but he couldn''t sense anything out of the ordinary.


    "Wait." Suddenly, Lu Zhen''s eyes widened as he rolled up his right sleeve, revealing the tattoo of the butterfly, which had previously been pitch ck but was now glowing with a red light.


    "What is this thing reacting to?" Lu Zhen wondered aloud.


    Since he had stolen the tattoo from that white-haired girl and essentially made it his own through refinement, he had never experienced such a reaction from it. Even his appraisal skill had only shown one use for it, leaving many aspects of its power unknown to him.


    His eyes widened further with realisation as he felt a familiar sensation, as if time itself was slowing down around him.


    The old man sitting opposite him had be a statue, and Lu Zhen couldn''t even hear the old man''s heart beating. He remained as still as a stone.


    Yu Bai and Xiao Yun were also frozen in the same eerie stillness.


    Even the horses pulling the carriage had stopped mid-stride, frozen in a strange running position as the carriage itself came to a halt.


    Then, Lu Zhen felt the touch of a small, icy-cold hand on his shoulder. It sent chills down his spine.


    Almost instinctively, without looking back, he executed a powerful back-kick, breaking the carriages apart, and attempted to make his escape.


    However, almost instantly, he sensed those small, icy hands closing around him from behind.


    Lu Zhen let out a sigh as he stepped back, slowly turning back.


    "Yo, little girl, how are you doing?" Lu Zhen addressed the white-haired girl, who still wore the same dress as before and had deep, dark-colored eyes, although they couldn''tpare to his tattoo.


    Frowning slightly, he noticed a small bird on the girl''s shoulder now.


    The girl remained silent, staring deeply at Lu Zhen.


    Lu Zhen stared right back at her, meeting her pitch-ck eyes with an expressionless face.


    Time passed, and an awkward silence enveloped Lu Zhen and the girl as they engaged in their intense stare-down.


    Suddenly, the bird on the girl''s shoulder seemed to lose its patience and chirped loudly.


    "So, you''re the one with the ancient warrior physique," the bird spoke with a hoarse voice, opening its beak.


    Lu Zhen was stunned by this revtion.


    "You can speak?" he blurted out, though the bird''s ability was not entirely surprising after witnessing the girl''s earlier revival when he first met her.


    "Answer my question."


    "So what if I am?" Lu Zhen cautiously responded, adopting a fighting stance.


    "I would have previously taken over your body, but since you possess the ancient warrior psyche, I have a deal to propose," the bird spoke casually, looking at Lu Zhen with sparkling eyes.


    "What kind of deal?" Lu Zhen''s expression seemed to rx.


    "But before that, I need to determine if you''re qualified or not¡­"


    Suddenly, Lu Zhen''s instincts red with danger. He quickly sidestepped to the left.


    In his previous position, an ice spear was shot, passing through and hitting a tree. It prated the tree within seconds and continued on its path, unobstructed.


    Lu Zhen''s eyes widened as he watched the ice spear move along. Its momentum didn''t slow down in the slightest as it pierced through trees along its path until it disappeared from his sight.


    "This could cut through my skin like butter."


    However before he could even think he suddenly felt the temperature rising as his body felt heavy for some reason.


    Lu Zhen instinctively looked up which made his eyes widened with pure horror.


    "That''s a f*cking meteor..."

 Chapter 106: Mages

    Lu Zhen''s eyes widened as he spotted a gigantic stone hurtling toward them at an unimaginable speed. The stone, a perfectly round, in ck object.


    It descended gracefully, trailing a fiery tail that painted a surreal picture against the sky.


    Shock gripped Lu Zhen to his core. With lightning speed, he hastily backstepped, took a deep, calming breath, and positioned his left leg as he crouched slightly. His thoughts raced, contemting how to deal with this impending threat.


    "I have to destroy it," he determined, his fist clenching tightly.


    In a burst of determination, he leaped into the air, poised to strike the iing stone.


    "What a fool¡­" The white-haired girl observed Lu Zhen''s actions with a hint of disdain. However, her expression shifted abruptly as Lu Zhen seemed to vanish into thin air. Her sense of dread intensified.


    She turned to look behind her, only to find Lu Zhen there, waving at her casually. Before she could process this bewildering turn of events, Lu Zhen had captured her in a firm grip. She felt as though strong, unyielding chains had ensnared her, rendering her helpless.


    Although she possessed special powers and other abilities, her body was still that of a little girl.


    "Let''s die together," Lu Zhen roared as he jumped.


    Hearing this, the little girl''s facial expression turned strange.


    "Are you an idiot? I''m just testing you. Why are you so serious? And do you really think this meteor can kill me?" She sneered as she looked at Lu Zhen with an uncaring gaze.


    However, Lu Zhen didn''t say a word as his grip on the white-haired girl tightened even more.


    "Let''s see how long you can endure and run away. Even if you have the physique of an ancient warrior, only a first-stage martial artist can endure this," she confidently thought as she patiently waited.


    But she became a little nervous when Lu Zhen didn''t slow down even a bit and continued to approach the meteor.


    Nervously watching the meteor closing in on them while locked in a tight hug, she couldn''t help but scream, "Are you crazy?" However, Lu Zhen wore an expressionless face and remained unmoved.


    With horrified eyes, the girl witnessed Lu Zhen crash directly into the meteor without even flinching.


    In the intense moments just before Lu Zhen could make contact with the plummeting meteor, he abruptly released his grip on the white-haired girl. In a nimble and seemingly impossible maneuver, he leaped into the air, deftly altering his trajectory in a heartbeat.


    "Whispering Shadow Step," Lu Zhen thought to himself, and in response, his speed increased dramatically mid-air.


    As Lu Zhen distanced himself from the perilous meteor, the girl below watched with an enraged expression. She remained suspended in mid-air, utterly powerless to change her fate as the meteor continued its relentless descent.


    As the meteor''s force pushed Lu Zhen even further, he felt pain in his back.


    "Hmm¡­" Lu Zhen touched his back, sensing the fiery heat of the dead skin.


    "Could just a slight graze do this to me?" he wondered, a hint of relief mixing with his surprise.


    Carefully sensing his surroundings, he quickly detected a bird attempting to escape. The bird had managed to flee previously when Lu Zhen employed his chain principles to ensnare the young girl. Unfortunately, his low-level chain mastery skill had limited him to capturing only the girl at that time.


    Although Lu Zhen could have easily caught the girl in a conventional manner, he wanted to test the skill he had acquired.


    ""Kukuku. Do you think you can escape?" Lu Zhenughed loudly as his speed increased in the air, leaving afterimages behind.


    "Whispering Shadow Step."


    He seemed to vanish into thin air as he blended into the shadows.


    On the ground, the bird flew at a low altitude, pping its wings hurriedly.


    "Damn it, I didn''t expect things to go this way¡­" the bird muttered as it increased its wing pping speed.


    Suddenly, Lu Zhen materialised in front of the bird, attempting to catch it. However, the bird swiftly escaped, just as it had done before.


    "Wait, that was just a test. Now we can talk about our business¡­" the bird urgently opened its beak to speak.


    "Why should I do that? You are weak and can''t do anything to me. Previously, I might have entertained this, but now..." Lu Zhen''s eyes gleamed with a sinister smirk.


    "Do you really think I''m an easy target?" the bird''s voice turned cold in an instant.


    "Oh, you mean this." Lu Zhen side-stepped and kicked the girl who was attempting to attack him with a knife.


    The girl was sent flying and crashed into a tree.


    The white-haired girl was now broken, with her legs twisted in the opposite direction and blood gushing from her mouth, staining her white robe.


    Lu Zhen turned his attention back to the bird, which was now utterly silent.


    "The deal can greatly benefit you; however, are you really unwilling to listen?"


    Lu Zhen suddenly felt a sense of foreboding but remained silent.


    "The deal is that you can gain ess to ancient knowledge of the ancient martial artists."


    Lu Zhen''s eyes lit up when he heard this. He had always been interested in how martial artists from previous eras cultivated. However, he had a frown on his face.


    "What do I have to give?"


    "You have to give me your blood essence."


    Lu Zhen sneered when he heard this.


    "Do you really think I will give my blood essence to a mage?"


    "How did you know?" The bird spoke with some surprise.


    "Your strength is so weak, yet you seem to defy logic. Only mages could do that," Lu Zhen said as his eyes turned cold.


    "You know about us? How interesting. So, will you make the deal or not?"


    "No." Lu Zhen simply answered in a cold tone.


    Although Lu Zhen was interested in the knowledge of the ancient warriors, he wasn''t foolish enough to give out his blood essence, which could potentially be used against him in the future.


    The bird flinched when it heard this.


    "Got you." Lu Zhen suddenly sneered as he skillfully threw his chain around the bird.


    Caught off guard, the bird was directly bound by the chain.


    Lu Zhen pulled the chain and captured the little bird.


    "Do you really want to be our enemy?"


    "No, I don''t want to be. But something tells me you''re going to be a problem in the future. It''s a gut feeling of a man; you won''t understand. So either you mages bepletely be my servants, or I will¡­" Lu Zhen''s eyes turned cold.


    "How daring! Do you really think a mere Third-stage martial artist can fight us? In ancient times, even my servants could kill you, even if you have the physique of an ancient martial artist."


    Lu Zhen was a little stunned when he heard this, but his expression didn''t change.


    "Are you threatening me?" His voice turned cold as he started to release his aura.


    "Are you stupid or something? If you just give me your blood essence, you won''t have to have a blood feud with us, and I will even give you knowledge enough to make you even stronger than a first-stage martial artist. Why don''t we reach an agreement?" The bird opened its beak as it spoke in a calm tone.


    When Lu Zhen considered it, he was tempted by the offer. Not only would he avoid a feud with the mages, but he would also acquire information that could make him stronger than a first-stage martial artist. It was an enticing offer that almost no martial artist could refuse.


    However, he still shook his head, his eyes radiating pure killing intent as his expression became cold. The bird looked at Lu Zhen''s facial expression and knew he didn''t buy it.


    "Wait¡­" before it couldplete its sentence, it was directly crushed by Lu Zhen, like an insect.


    Like a bug, it was instantly reduced to a wooden paste, which astonished Lu Zhen greatly.


    "I thought it was a real bird," he shook his head.


    Lu Zhen rubbed the wood paste as he ground it continuously.


    However, he was still not satisfied. He took two stones from the ground and rubbed them together to create friction.


    Lu Zhen aligned the spark created by the rubbing of the two stones with the wood paste as he watched coldly as it burned to ashes.


    "Not bad," he nodded to himself, finally feeling safe enough.


    Lu Zhen vanished from his location, reappearing where the injured white-haired girly unconscious. Her injuries were severe, but she was slowly healing.


    "I knew it. How could something be infinite?" Lu Zhen didn''t believe that the girl could revive endlessly. If that were the case, she would have already dominated the world. Why would they care about a minor character like him? In the grand scale of things, he was just a weakling.


    As per his understanding nothing could be infinite and everything had to end someday. However that didn''t mean you rot away at a ce cursing your fate that god gave you an unfair life or just give up on life.


    That was just the thinking of a loser.


    If you want to be a great person in life you have to truly work hard without bingzy.


    He dragged the injured girl with blood wetting the ground. Back to his carriage.


    "You will be useful to me." His eyes glinted with a cruel light.


    "If it wasn''t for not having enough mana¡­" a roar echoed in the room under the dpidated temple.


    "I swear I will kill you, Lu Zhen."

 Chapter 107: Mana

    Mana was simr to Qi, but their nature and characteristics were different.


    In the era of the mages, instead of Qi, there was mana, a crucial element that defined the mages.


    Without mana, mages couldn''t have interacted with nature and bent it to their will, producing heaven-defying effects that could render even a first-stage martial artist insignificant.


    Mana was essential for forming a mana heart, the source of a mage''s strength, yet also their greatest weakness.


    Simr to a martial artist without a Qi, mage was nothing without mana. In fact, they were even more miserable than martial artists, as martial artists have stronger bodies strengthened by Qi, but mana didn''t strengthen one''s body.


    However, with the fall of the mage era, humanity had to adapt, and mana underwent a strange mutation.


    Its properties changed significantly, making it unsuitable for giving birth to mages and instead paving the way for martial artists to rise.


    This transformation led to the birth of what was known as qi in the present day.


    "Young master, who is this girl?" The old man asked, respectful yet uncertain, as he looked at the white-haired girl whose clothes were soaked in blood.


    Lu Zhen closed the book with a sigh. "The era of the mages was really interesting," he thought to himself, interest gleaming in his eyes as he looked at the obedient girl who was silently sitting there.


    "So this is the history, huh?"


    "Yes, this is history. Now, can you let me go?" the girl asked.


    "Nope," Lu Zhen chuckled.


    The girl remained silent once again.


    Seeing this, Lu Zhen shook his head. "It might be more difficult to extract more information from her in the future," he thought with some pity.


    The carriage continued forward, and the journey remained silent, with neither Lu Zhen nor the girl paying much attention to the old man.


    "Young master, we have arrived," Yu Bai informed.


    "Finally, let''s go," However, he had a frown on his face as he looked at the white-haired girl.


    Suddenly, Lu Zhen caught the girl and effortlessly ced her on his shoulder.


    "Whatever," he muttered as he looked at the girl, whose face was red with embarrassment.


    "I''m not a kid. Put me down," she demanded.


    "Why should I? You might escape again," Lu Zhen replied. Earlier, when he was a bit distracted, she had nearly managed to get away. Thankfully, he had implemented countermeasures, allowing him to quickly recapture her.


    "Let''s go. Old man, stay in the carriage," Lu Zhen instructed.


    "Why shouldn''t I?" the old man inquired.


    Lu Zhen''s eyes turned cold as he simply stared at the old man. The old man hastily avoided eye contact.


    "Yes, young master," he hurriedly nodded.


    "Sigh, am I going senile in my old age?" For some reason, he''s been quite bold with Lu Zhen, even though he knows that their lives are in Lu Zhen''s hands, and he could die at any moment if he annoys him too much.


    He silently stayed in his seat.


    As Lu Zhen exited the carriage, he looked around and found himself surrounded by a forest with a small pond.


    "So, where is this ce..." Lu Zhen nced around, feeling like everything was quite ordinary and unspectacr.


    He closed his eyes to rely on his five senses, attempting to detect any extraordinary phenomena, but he came up empty-handed. The most he could discern were the chirping of birds and various animal sounds.


    "Young master, I stumbled upon this ce identally..."


    "Is it in the pond?"


    "Yes, young master."


    Lu Zhen nodded and picked up a rock, tossing it into the pond.


    Ssh!


    The water sshed up briefly before settling down, creating a ripple that spread across the surface.


    Lu Zhen intently focused on the sound of the vibrations the rock had caused as he carefully examined the surroundings.


    Suddenly, the vibrations ceased as they reached a particr depth within the pond.


    "Hmm, a regr pond shouldn''t be this small, especially in a world where everything can be found inrger quantities," Lu Zhen confirmed his suspicion as he patted Xiao Yun on the back.


    "You can enter the pond now..." Lu Zhen said casually as he made way for Xiao Yun.


    "I can go, young master, but..."


    Lu Zhen chuckled when he saw this.


    "You truly are a smart kid, never doing free work without any rewards. Here." He handed him 10 gold biscuits.


    "You might be wondering why I didn''t give you a qi stone? That''s because you might not survive it."


    Xiao Yun nodded, understanding Lu Zhen''s point. He took the gold biscuits and, with determination in his eyes, jumped into the water without hesitation.


    "Stay here, Yu Bai." Yu Bai nodded, wearing a peculiar expression.


    "Wait, are you jumping into the wa..."


    Lu Zhen didn''t let the white-haired girl finish her sentence as he jumped into the water, taking her with him.


    Soon they reached a dome that seemed to havepletely sealed off water. It was strange to see water isted in thin air.


    Lu Zhen made hand signs saying, "is this it?"


    Xiao Yu nodded his head as he entered, and Lu Zhen followed suit.


    With a "plop" sound, Xiao Yu entered the dome, and a vibration was created as he entered it.


    As Lu Zhen reached the dome, he found a structure that isted all the water. He could not help but experiment with it.


    He lightly touched the dome, his hands directly passing through the water as he expected it to be.


    "Hmm..." Lu Zhen took back his fist as he lightly punched the dome. However, the simple punch contained at least 50% of his raw strength.


    Even his punch directly passed through the dome, which made him lose his footing a little.


    However, luckily, he stabilised quickly.


    "How meaningless." Suddenly, the white-haired girl smirked on the shoulders of Lu Zhen, as she had a smug face.


    "Then do you know what this is?" His eyes lit up.


    "I don''t know."


    Lu Zhen deeply looked at her as his eyes radiated killing intent, but he decided to forgive this girl as he could deal with herter.


    First, he needed to know what this thing was.


    Lu Zhen looked at the dome as he turned to golden hue.


    [???]


    [Grade: ???]


    [Remark: ???]


    Lu Zhen was a bit disappointed by this appraisal result. He realized he needed to improve his Appraisal skill further. Although his system had shut down, it didn''t mean he couldn''t use his skills anymore; everything was functional except for his status.


    "I wonder how these were made," Lu Zhen thought as he examined his surroundings. However, he couldn''t find anything that confirmed his suspicions. With an unsatisfied expression, Lu Zhen entered the dome.


    Inside, he was greeted by a bright light to which he quickly adapted. He looked around and couldn''t identify the source of the light, as all he saw was a in white ceiling.


    Lu Zhen gently set down the girl from his shoulder and began to explore the area. Then, he heard a hoarse voice.


    "Young master, this is where I found the items." Lu Zhen turned to see Xiao Yun pointing at a in white bowl.


    "What''s wrong, young master? Why aren''t you responding? It''s right here." Xiao Yun looked at Lu Zhen with anxious eyes, waving to get his attention. However, Lu Zhen remained motionless, lost in thought.


    "Huh, what happened? Young Master?" Xiao Yu came near Lu Zhen as he casually almost touched him.


    However, suddenly, Lu Zhen''s face turned into a pure sneer as he punched Xiao Yu in the face.


    With a "whoosh" sound, he directly punched the face of Xia Yu.


    Boom!


    Xia Yu''s head directly exploded into a million pieces.


    Blood sttered all over the ce, staining Lu Zhen''s ssical ck robe in the process.


    However, Lu Zhen''s eyes widened as he dodged to the right by side-stepping. With lightning-fast speed, a sh of light passed through as it directly went past him, slightly grazing Lu Zhen in the process.


    "Hmm," he said, looking at Xiao Yu''s corpse, which had melted to the ground already the ground made sizzling melting sound as the very ground melted.


    Lu Zhen''s eyes turned golden as he surveyed his surroundings. However, he couldn''t detect anything out of the ordinary in this ce that might have attacked him.


    "Ssss!" Suddenly, countless needles with terrifying auras surrounded Lu Zhen, all converting towards him nearly simultaneously, in a terrifying speed.


    "This¡­" Lu Zhen observed the onught with a bitter expression, carefully evading, countering with punches and kicks, or moving with acrobatic dexterity.


    Yet, in a moment of distraction, Lu Zhen missed a small dart that hit him directly in the body. He promptly removed the dart and saw greenish-tinted blood gushing from the wound.


    "Poison." Lu Zhen felt a growing dizziness in his head, rendering him lethargic.


    His vision dimmed, but he continued to evade and counter the countless darts, each carrying an auraparable to a Third-stage martial artist.

 Chapter 108: Tiger

    [You have adapted to the ### poison]


    [Your adaptability has leveled up from level 4 to level 5]


    Lu Zhen felt much better as his dizziness went away; however, he still felt a little pain where the wound was.


    "I am getting tired of this¡­" he punched at the dart and backed away to dodge two more darts.


    He raised his hand, and instantly all the qi he had stored up in his body rushed to his hands.


    "Verdant Whirlwind."


    Lu Zhen roared as he swiped his hands like a saber.


    A rotating wind force generated, growingrger by the moment until it became a huge whirlwind, swiping away all the darts.


    "Got you, you bastard." A red-haired man smirked as he sat on a throne, watching Lu Zhen fend off the terrifying darts.


    "Even if you are a third-stage martial artist, you are nothingpared to me."


    He crossed his legs on the throne as his face twisted into a cruel smirk.


    Suddenly, his facial expression changed as he looked up, ignoring the screen.


    "What are you here for, Ju Ji? Has your master awakened yet?" The man asked with a strange expression as he saw the white-haired girl.


    Ju Ji simply shook her head as she also stared at the screen of Lu Zhen sting all the darts.


    "He will be done soon," the manmented with an uncaring expression.


    "Are you sure, Bai Yun?" Ju Jimented, and a smirk appeared on her face.


    "How many times have I said not to say my name." The man released his aura as he was about to make a small hand movement.


    "Are you sure about that? After all, you must be running out of mana after creating those terrifying objects," Ju Ji''s expression changed as she hurriedly stated, all the while carefully watching the man''s reaction.


    "Hahahahah, you are right¡­" the manid down on his back, an intrigued glint in his eyes as he watched Lu Zhen''s intense battle.


    On the screen, Lu Zhen''s whirlwindsted for about two hours, covering all the darts as it rampaged around before it finally died down.


    "Hahaha, finally the brat''s qi is drained¡­" the man smirked with excitement. However, his inner thoughts were different.


    "Damn it, I am left with a meager amount of mana. This will be difficult. However, it is worth it since I was able to defeat this bastard. I will make him my fine specimen in my experiment¡­" his thoughts bing increasingly sinister.


    "Are you sure?" Ju Ji said again, her smile widening.


    "What do you mean? Although he might be a little more skilled than other third-stage martial artists, he is still nothing without his qi. Without qi, martial artists have stronger bodies than mortals but theirbat strength goes down to at least 95%."


    "You will know¡­" Ji Ju said as she silently watched.


    The man frowned when he heard this.


    "You are pushing your luck." His eyes turned cold as he sneered.


    Suddenly, Ji Ju felt chills which sent a shiver down her spine. She looked back to see a huge, spiked club being swung at her.


    With a "boom" sound, she was directly thrown into the wall.


    Heavily injuring her, her blood stained the ground, knocking her unconscious.


    "Good job. She is not worthy of me to waste my mana on her. I am very close to converting qi to mana. If that happens, I will go on a conquest to rule this world from those barbarians." The man nodded with a smile on his face as he looked at the screen where Lu Zhen had a tired expression, puffing and panting.


    "Yes, master." A butler with purple hair and purple eyes bowed respectfully, putting his hands on his chest.


    Lu Zhen sat in a cross-legged position as he started to meditate.


    The man''s eyebrows twitched when he saw this.


    "Is this kid crazy? He is meditating now. Either way, you are going to the graves. I guess yourst moments will be these."


    "Send those animals out. That should take care of the kid." His smirk widened as he saw the girl recovering.


    "Lock her up in a cage as well. Her body is just that of a child''s, and she doesn''t have much strength left, with her mana drained."


    "Yes, master." The butler politely bowed as he nodded in understanding and dragged the injured girl away.


    Lu Zhen carefully used his five senses; however, he couldn''t find anything.


    "Did I walk into a trap, huh¡­" He had already noticed that the white-haired girl had disappeared from this ce.


    "This will be troublesome. I need an exit right now." His eyes darted around, and his expression turned uneasy.


    Suddenly, Lu Zhen heard the roar of an animal, and his ears twitched.


    Roar!


    "How interesting¡­" Lu Zhen''s eyes lit up as he saw a massive tiger charging toward him at full speed. The tiger resembled an ordinary one, but it was enormous and had a muscr physique that made it look terrifying.


    The aura it emitted from time to time hinted at a formidable an almost Peak third-stage martial realm realm.


    "Do you really think a mere tiger can kill me?" Lu Zhen sneered as he sidestepped, narrowly avoiding the charging beast.


    Quickly, Lu Zhen punched the huge lion in the gut as itnded.


    The lion was sent five feet backward, barely maintaining its bnce.


    "This could be a healthy meal," Lu Zhen thought as he gazed at the lion with hunger in his eyes. Given the tiger''s enormous size and its Peak Third-stage martial beast status, it would undoubtedly satisfy Lu Zhen''s appetite.


    With a leap that appeared even more berserk than the tiger itself, he pounced on the lion.


    Roar!


    Lu Zhen let out a deafening roar, sending shockwaves that startled the lion itself.


    He unleashed his bloodline form.


    His height increased, and his muscles swelled to an unprecedented size. He grew to a height of about 14 feet with bulging viens muscles that seemed like armour itself.


    His sharp horns emerged from his head, and a small tail sprouted from his tailbone. Although his height was still notparable to the lion before him, even in his Vulgrith form.


    "Let''s fight."


    The tiger roared back with pure anger, charging at him.


    Both of them charged and collided with a resounding boom.


    Lu Zhen had a surprised expression when he saw the lion still standing even after crashing into him at full strength. Suddenly, the tiger pushed harder, sending Lu Zhen back a step.


    Like a human, the tiger stood up, its eyes glinting with a hint of mockery. With its front paws, it crashed down on Lu Zhen, applying its entire body weight to him.


    Although this action might seem like it took a long time, it happened in just a second, catching Lu Zhen off guard. However, his eyes revealed a determination even greater than that of the lion as he caught the tiger''s two front paws.


    "Heavy," was his thought as he felt the tiger pushing him toward the ground. The ground visibly sank under the pressure of Lu Zhen.


    The tiger opened its mouth, saliva dripping from it as it looked at Lu Zhen with hunger-filled eyes.


    "You want to eat me?" Lu Zhen''s eyes turned even more ferocious, his eye color a mix of red and gold. "Let''s see who can eat who."


    His expression turned ferocious as he used his two sharp horns to attack the right paw of the tiger.


    The tiger''s eyes widened as it felt an instinctual sense of danger when Lu Zhen swung his head towards its legs.


    The tiger wanted to retract its ws and escape, but Lu Zhen tightly caught it and sneered.


    As the horn met the paw of the tiger, it was like a knife cutting through butter, cleanly slicing the lion''s paw.


    With a crying roar, the tiger''s limbless right limb separated, causing it to lose its bnce.


    However, Lu Zhen didn''t relent and almost instantly severed the other limb as well, mutting the tiger''s front limbs.


    With a thud, the tiger fell down, its eyes filled with despair.


    "Didn''t you want to fight where djd your bravado go?" Lu Zhen sneered as he jumped on the tiger.


    Lu Zhen opened his mouth revealing his big canine teeth as he took a bite of the tiger.


    Crunch!


    He took a deeper bite directly reaching its bone with some efforts and jaws strength lu zhen directly crunch down on the tiger.


    The tiger cried in agony as it felt the tearing pair.


    Lu Zhen chewed the meat of the lion as his mouth was covered in blood with reliesh.


    The tiger watched with widened eyes as his eyes turned red from seeing lu Zhen eat his own meat.


    "What didn''t you want to eat me? Now I am returning the favour by eating you." Lu Zhenughed out loud with madness reflecting in his as he chowed down on the tiger.

 Chapter 109: Eating

    In a dimly lit, dark room, there were many statues of alien-like creatures. One of them depicted the body and head of a man with horse legs as his lower limbs and horns growing from his head.


    Another statue was of an elf-like woman with golden hair, golden eyes, and facial features so perfect that she resembled Xia Mei.


    However, the statue that stood out the most was thergest one in the room, depicting a giant man with long ck hair, golden eyes, and veiny muscles that could be considered a form of armour.


    He had long, sharp, elegant ck horns and a thin tail with a heart at the end, positioned at the back of the statue.


    Lu Zhen would have been shocked to see this, as it looked exactly the same as the ancestor in the scroll. There were eleven statues like this, all ced along the walls of the room, with the eleventh one being obscured in fog.


    At the centre of the room, there was a grand throne grandly ced, with dragon carvings on the backrest, and arge TV-like monitor screen positioned in front of the throne.


    The man with the red hair sat on his throne, his eyes filled with excitement as he watched the screen.


    "This¡­ Bloodline martial artist!" A loud voice resounded in the room.


    "And the descendant of the finest specimen Vulgrith, the strongest among them."


    His eyes glinted with excitement as he observed Lu Zhen''s transformation into his Vulgrith form.


    "That must be why that Ji Ju girl was so confident in Lu Zhen," he muttered, nodding his head in understanding. However, a sneer crossed his face as he calcted the reasons for the girl being with Lu Zhen.


    "That old hag will definitely not let go of such a valuable piece that only provides one option¡­" His eyes lit up with anticipation. "That woman''s trump card must be running out soon if even a mere third-stage martial artist could escape from her grasp."


    "Not only did he escape, but he also captured her personal servant," he added with a fake hint of pity for the old hag.


    "Now, all your efforts will not only be wasted, you old hag, but they will alle to me," he dered with a triumphant sneer.


    After all, he believed that the beast was enough for Lu Zhen since the tiger was a peak third-stage martial beast, and the beast''s body strength was very close to reaching the second-stage martial realm.


    "Even if you are a bloodline martial artist, with your qi exhausted, you still cannot defeat my pet. Once you are defeated, I will make you my finest specimen. I''ll dice you to pieces..." The man watched the fight between Lu Zhen and the tiger with a confident expression.


    However, as the fight continued, his expression morphed into one of twisted disbelief.


    "Impossible!!"


    He shouted at the top of his lungs as he witnessed his beast being brutally dismantled by Lu Zhen.


    "This is going to be troublesome..." His expression twisted further. It simply didn''t make sense that Lu Zhen could so easily defeat the beast.


    Even in his wildest imagination, he couldn''t have envisioned Lu Zhen beating the beast with such ease.


    "Those horns... are they really that sharp? I know vulgrith horns are known for their sharpness, but they shouldn''t possess more power than a martial artist."


    Suddenly, his eyes shifted from disgust to sheer horror as he observed the gruesome scene of Lu Zhen devouring the still-breathing tiger-like creature.


    With crunching sounds filling the air, he was forced to watch as Lu Zhen consumed the beast with an utterly expressionless face.


    "This... this..." The man''s eyes transformed from pure disgust to intense horror, and they narrowed into a sinister gaze.


    He could feel Lu Zhen''s qi recovering as he savoured the meat of the tiger. His face was soaked in blood and the previous blood was still there making him feel as if he bathed in blood itself.


    "Monster," was the only word he could muster for Lu Zhen. An ability to gain energy and qi right after eating was unheard of, even in the mage era.


    If one could instantly gain energy by eating, it was akin to ying a game with a hack for infinite mana.


    "What should I do now?" He stood up from his chair, pacing around the room, pure terror in his eyes.


    "If that bastard is this powerful, I need to find a solution for it. If I could obtain his power, I could rule this world with a mere flick of my finger. But first, I must capture him."


    Suddenly, he felt a chill running down his spine, sending shivers through him. He quickly nced at the screen, where Lu Zhen was looking at him with a sinister sneer, as if he could see right through him.


    "He shouldn''t know, right?" Fear and unease built within him.


    In an instant, Lu Zhen moved with lightning-fast speed and punched a certain spot in the wall. The wall resounded with a deafening "boom" as it copsed.


    "How did that bastard know?" The red-haired man''s expression twisted with confusion when he saw Lu Zhen target the weakest point of the wall, which wasn''t protected by the barrier. To teleport the tiger, he had spent a bit of mana and used the gap in the barrier to send it. If Lu Zhen had struck anywhere else but that point, it wouldn''t have been so easily destroyed.


    Panic began to creep into the throne room as the man contemted his next moves. "I will have to prepare," he muttered with determination.


    Meanwhile, Lu Zhen''s eyes were met with a dark passageway. However, this time, he was prepared. He slowly closed his eyes and opened them again, adjusting his vision. His pupils dted, and his corneas expanded, allowing him to see clearly.


    "It worked," he thought to himself, his satisfaction evident. He proceeded cautiously through the passage.


    "How interesting. After sending that beast, did they really think I wouldn''t notice?" A sneer crept onto his face the moment he saw the beast materialize in that room.


    Although it might seem like an ordinary passage, Lu Zhen could detect faint fluctuations in the air using his heightened senses, allowing him to identify the room''s weak point easily.


    "Now, where is this ce?" He moved forward cautiously while remaining alert, but at the same time, his speed increased. He left afterimages behind as he ran as fast as possible.


    "Whispering Shadow Step."


    With this skill, his speed increased further, and he seemingly blended into the shadows, bing invisible to the naked eye. Not only had he be invisible, but he also minimised his scent by using his divine physique and controlled his aura, effectively making himself nearly imperceptible.


    "This art from the assassin girl is quite useful," he thought to himself with a satisfied expression.


    Having acquired the ability to blend into the shadows from the assassin girl, Lu Zhen had considered various ways to use it. After employing his divine physique and aura control, he became nearly invisible to the point that even some experts couldn''t detect him. Lu Zhen had noticed that mages often relied heavily on aura, and this ability to manipte it was a significant advantage.


    Since aura couldn''t be manipted, it must have been extensively used in the mage era, as even the mark that Lu Zhen got was connected to and grown by aura.


    If that were the case, Lu Zhen could be god to the mages as he could manipte his aura from his aura control. Of course, it was only his theory, and it might not be true considering how advanced the mage civilization was, but he felt that it was true.


    Lu Zhen swiftly reached a huge gate made of wood.


    "Hmm..." Lu Zhen frowned a little, but without even a shred of histation, he directly kicked the door.


    The moment Lu Zhen''s kick connected, he felt as if he were hitting a rock, as it didn''t move in the slightest as he bounced back from the barrier to the floor again.


    "This. It didn''t move in the  slightest.


    Lu Zhen was shocked.


    Inside the grand throne room, a deep, earth-shaking rumble reverberated through the room. The floor beneath quivered as a visible crack snaked its way towards the imposing throne where the man with fiery red hair was seated.


    A perplexed look crossed his face as he observed the watch-like object clutched in his pale, snow-white hand. The disy was nk, and the frustration etched into his features was palpable.


    "Why can''t I track him?" he muttered under his breath. His voice had a tinge of annoyance.


    In the dimly lit chamber, his thoughts wandered to a time long past. "My barrier has be too old now," hemented with a hint of nostalgia. "I miss those old days when I was a king,manding vast territories, and surrounded by a bevy of beautiful women to warm my bed." His voice grew distant, his eyes unfocused, and he momentarily indulged in a reverie of bygone glory.


    However, he abruptly snapped out of his reverie, a wry grin on his face. "I still have a little more mana left," he mumbled, determination recing his nostalgia. With purpose in his eyes, he moved to a particr section of the room and swung open a concealed door that led to his bedroom.


    Lu Zhen, on the other hand, encountered a seemingly imprable barrier. He nonchntly hurled a stone at it, and as the stone came into contact with the barrier, a thin, invisibleyer materialised and absorbed its momentum.


    Lu Zhen observed with a hint of understanding, "I knew it, a barrier, huh..."

 Chapter 110: Light Armour

    Lu Zhen attacked the barrier again with full force, delivering a powerful right hook punch.


    With a "boom" sound, it created ripples, but the barrier still stood tall.


    His face contorted into a sneer.


    "No matter how strong it is, as long as I keep attacking it, nothing can be infinite," Lu Zhen dered, preparing for another assault.


    "Wait, fellow martial artist."


    Suddenly, Lu Zhen heard a hoarse voice that seemed to have been silent for ages.


    "What is it?" he inquired.


    "Could you stop attacking the barrier, and let''s sit down and talk?"


    Lu Zhen''s eyes narrowed when he heard this.


    "No," he firmly responded. As he prepared to attack again, the red-haired man was stunned.


    "Alright, fellow martial artist, we can talk things out and gain some benefits together. It won''t be advantageous if we both fight and someone else reaps the rewards."


    Lu Zhen still didn''t halt his attack as he gathered his qi in his hands.


    Sensing this, the man gritted his teeth.


    "What do you want? I''ll give it to you. Just stop attacking."


    Lu Zhen hesitated for a moment before he reluctantly ceased his attack.


    "I can ask for whatever I want, correct?"


    "Yes, but don''t go too far." Suddenly, Lu Zhen felt an aura pressing down on him, causing him to nk out for a moment.


    Secretly, he sneered in his mind, knowing that he could easily counter that aura using his aura control ability. Still, he remained silent while his eyes widened.


    The man inside nodded, his once-strong demeanor deting slightly. "Sure, I won''t go too far. I just want your life," Lu Zhen dered as he immediatelyunched an attack.


    He punched with all his wood qi, focusing on his fist.


    "Verdant Grove Fist."


    His form resembled a sturdy tree as he punched with full power, and the wood qi in his body circted in the shape of a tree with thousands of small branches branching out of the trunk.


    It was like a hammer striking ss.


    With a "crack" sound, cracks spread in the dome from the point Lu Zhen punched, extending in all directions like a spiderweb before shattering it entirely within seconds.


    Lu Zhen swiftly destroyed the door by punching it again.


    He quickly entered the room, greeted by the dimly lit space, with 11 statues and a grand throne at the front. The red-haired man was circling the room, holding a tube filled with red liquid.


    "You¡­" the red-haired man appeared stunned when Lu Zhen barged in without warning.


    The man made a hasty attempt to defend himself, but Lu Zhen appeared in front of him within seconds. A left hook punch wasing at him.


    "Don''t underestimate me, you bastard," Lu Zhen roared in his mind as he calcted numerous ways to escape from Lu Zhen''s fist in an instant, quicker than the punch itself.


    The man swiftly turned to the side, narrowly avoiding the punch.


    Boom!


    Lu Zhen''s punch generated such air pressure that it grazed the man slightly, and the ground beneath him caved in. Blood gushed from the graze, and he experienced pain that he hadn''t felt in centuries.


    The pain sharpened his senses, and his sea-like blue eyes began to clear. His pupils turned red, revealing deep anger toward himself.


    "You know what, screw it¡­" he muttered, his eyes reflecting his madness. "Hahaha, if you want to fight so badly, you bastard, then a fight you shall get!"


    He took a step back, but before he could regain his footing, Lu Zhen didn''t give him a chance. Lu Zhen attacked with full strength, quickly reaching him and delivering a powerful kick with his right leg aimed at the man''s knee.


    "Light Armour."


    Suddenly, the entire room was engulfed in a blinding, bright light. Lu Zhen closed his eyes in response to the intense illumination, and upon making contact with his kick, he felt as if he had struck a solid, metallic object. His leg throbbed with pain.


    As he side-stepped in the dazzling light, he heard a swishing sound pass by him.


    "Do you think I''m soft meat? I earned the title ''Combat God'' for a reason during the mage era," the man''s shrillughter echoed in the room as he grabbed Lu Zhen by the waist.


    As the confrontation unfolded, Lu Zhen began to perceive soft whispers in his ears. Strangely, thenguage of these whispers seemed strangely familiar, as if his mind held a vague understanding of them, but they appeared too intricate and multifaceted for him to truly grasp.


    Theplexity of these whispers began to baffle him, and he felt as if his own cognitive abilities were inadequate to decode their meaning.


    Gradually, these enigmatic utterances began to exert an unusual influence on him. His thought processes started to slow down, almost as if a fog had descended upon his brain, obscuring his mental faculties. His ability to think and react with his usual precision waspromised, making him vulnerable to any assant.


    The red-haired man overseeing this oddity seized the opportunity and wore a triumphant smirk.


    "I''ve got you now, you barbarian bastard," the man jeered with a slight grin. With a swift motion, he leaned forward, using his centre of gravity to lift Lu Zhen from the ground and held him aloft, bending backward with his captive.


    The world seemed to move in slow motion as Lu Zhen''s face barely contorted into a frown, a futile gesture in the face of his captor''s strength. He hung helplessly in the man''s grip, like a rag doll, as they descended.


    Boom!


    Their fall culminated in a thunderous collision with the ground, causing shockwaves to ripple outwards. The impact reverberated through the earth, sending clouds of dust into the air, marking their tumultuous encounter.


    The red-haired man released Lu Zhen and rose from the ground, wearing a self-satisfied smirk.


    "This should make yo..." he began to say, but suddenly, Lu Zhen vanished from his previous position. A sense of dread gripped the red-haired man, causing his instincts to go haywire.


    He lifted his head just in time to see Lu Zhen''s fist hurtling towards his face.

 Chapter 111: Light Armour (2)

    When Lu Zhen''s fist and the armored figure collided, the red-haired man, despite the protection of his armor, was sent hurtling through the air. He crashed into the wall, narrowly avoiding the destruction of one of the statues. A cloud of dust billowed up from the impact, obscuring the man.


    "Hmm..." Lu Zhen couldn''t hide his dissatisfaction with the punch.


    "It felt soft, as if I had hit a feather," he muttered. His frown deepened as he gradually reopened his eyes.


    The light in the room was blinding, which made the adjustment challenging for Lu Zhen. Not only was it because of the man''s brilliance, but Lu Zhen''s enhanced senses, though advantageous, also came with disadvantages. His heightened sensitivity to light and smell was one such drawback.


    As his crimson eyes gradually adjusted to the brightness, Lu Zhen was stunned when he gazed at the man.


    The man was d in a knight-like armour that covered his entire body, with only his face visible within the armour. What made this armour stand out was the fact that it emitted a dazzling, almost blinding light, as if it were made from pure light itself.


    "Fully covered in armour made out of light? Mages can truly work wonders," Lu Zhen remarked as he peered through the dust, his gaze focused on the enigmatic figure.


    Unwilling to stay idle, he made a swift motion with his hand, like a saber''s sh, conjuring a rotating whirlwind of force that expanded rapidly, hurtling toward the mage.


    "Verdant Whirlwind."


    However, even as the whirlwind encircled the mage, Lu Zhen noticed something. His internal qi was depleting at an rming rate. The verdant whirlwind consumed a considerable amount of his energy, making it hard to sustain.


    As the whirlwind swirled and engulfed the armoured mage, Lu Zhen closely observed the situation, his heightened senses on high alert.


    But then, his eyes widened in astonishment at what he witnessed.


    "Not even a dent in his armor?" Lu Zhen thought, perplexed.


    "Hahaha, no matter how strong you are, I have preserved and maintained this armor from my era. Although it took me a lot of resources, you can''t even make a dent in my armor. It was worth it," the man stated with confidence as he struggled to stand.


    "Even a first-stage martial artist can''t do anything against my armor," he proimed confidently.


    Lu Zhen sneered, determined to challenge this notion. "There is no such thing as invincible armor, and I will prove it."


    In a swift move, Lu Zhen vanished from his position, narrowly avoiding a small arrow that flew past him. The mage muttered something in a strange whisper, which Lu Zhen overheard.


    "This won''t work again," Lu Zhen sneered as he transformed into his Vulgrith form, enhancing his speed dramatically. He reached the man almost instantly and delivered a powerful punch to the mage''s gut, sending him tumbling and disrupting his spell.


    The mage''s eyes narrowed as he struggled toprehend how Lu Zhen had be so incredibly powerful, even in his Vulgrith form. The situation had defied his calctions.


    A barely visible dent appeared in the armor as a result of Lu Zhen''s powerful punch. It was so minuscule that an ordinary person wouldn''t have even noticed it.


    Ignoring the man''s words, Lu Zhen contemted why he possessed such incredible strength. It wasn''t merely due to the Vulgrith form; it was also his divine physique, which significantly enhanced his physical abilities. Combined with his mastery of wood qi, which was renowned for its body-refining qualities, his raw strength had reached astonishing levels.


    Thus, his immense strength was entirely justified.


    "You can still feel the rebounding force, can''t you?" Lu Zhen inquired, noting the man''s difort despite his shining armor.


    The man remained silent, his expression darkening.


    "Do you really want to push m..."


    Lu Zhen didn''t let him finish his sentence. Without hesitation, he attacked, taking advantage of an opening.


    "You bastard. I''ve had enough," the man roared. His eyes turnedpletely red from the pain and frustration, and veins popped on his forehead under the armor.


    "Let''s die..."


    With a resounding crack, Lu Zhennded a forceful strike to the man''s head while firmly holding his body in ce. The man''s head momentarily snapped out of its neck, stretching slightly before returning to its proper position thanks to the armour.


    "You¡­" The man''s trembling fingers lifted slightly toward Lu Zhen, regret filling his eyes.


    "I still had a little more mana left..." was hisst thought as his eyes lost their spark.


    "You talk too much." Lu Zhen tightly gripped the man''s body, ensuring that he broke every bone within it, fully destroying his body, leaving it fully broken to the bones.


    "This poor guy didn''t understand that even with the strongest armour, you still need joints to move around, and that is the greatest weakness. The rebounding force can still be felt," Lu Zhen sneered as he looked at the caved-in corpse of the man.


    "What should I do with him now?" He examined the lifeless body with a peculiar expression.


    The man''s armour still shone brightly, filling the room with a brilliant light. Although Lu Zhen could destroy every single bone of the man and could strike him with ease, he still couldn''t make even the slightest dent in his armour.


    "What the hell is this armour made of?" Lu Zhen thought, frustration tinged with anger.


    "Hmm¡­" Lu Zhen suddenly turned back as he lightly raised his hand and tightly caught his head.


    Revealing an old man dressed like a butler with a vile that the red-haired man was previously carrying.


    The man had a terrified expression as he wanted to say something, but Lu Zhen didn''t give the man any chance.


    "Did you think I would not see you?" Lu Zhen had an amused face as he tightened the hold on the butler.


    With a pop sound, the man''s head directly exploded into a million pieces.


    As a river of blood gushed out of his head like a foutain.

 Chapter 112: Harmony Sapping Scarlet Essence

    Lu Zhen stared at the lifeless butler''s corpse with a sneer.


    However, he didn''t move from his position. He reached for the chain at his waist and swung it with precision.


    As the chain touched the man''s lifeless body, a ssh of ink spread from it, causing the body to merge into the shadows.


    "I knew it. A servant of a mage can''t be so easy," Lu Zhen mused to himself. He clenched his fist and struck to the left.


    This time, his punch hit a balloon that had appeared out of nowhere. The balloon burst, releasing a red liquid that sttered onto Lu Zhen.


    He was taken aback, his instincts ring with danger as he observed the red liquid. Quickly, he dodged, but not before a few droplets stained his clothes.


    The butler who was carefully blending in the surroundings using the ce as his hiding spot, harboured sinister thoughts, "Kukuku, you bastard, thank you for killing my master. Now that you''re infected with this virus, you''re as good as dead unless you beg me for my antidote. I''ll make you my ve then..."


    "That bastard has abused me ever since he was in that state where he could only roam around this ce. Now that he has died and my restriction on my mage heart is gone, I can freely work again," he sneered as he momentarily let his guard down..


    Lu Zhen''s face turned expression as his eyes suddenly narrowed as he rotated his chain and threw it into thin air.


    The chain directly towards the ce the butler was stunning the man as itpletely trapped him..


    "Now, it''s useless as you have got¡­"


    "Go on," Lu Zhen said with an amused look, intrigued.


    "Either way, you are infected, and no one knows the cure for this virus except me. If you kill me..." Suddenly the butler felt sweat rise as he hurriedly chanted a spell with what little mana he had left.


    Bang!


    Lu Zhen crushed the butler''s body into smithereens, obliterating himpletely.


    "Like master, like servant, they talk too much... huh."


    However, he didn''t let his guard down as he carefully sensed his surroundings using his five senses.


    "Is he dead?" Lu Zhen closed his eyes as he stood there waiting patiently; however, nothing came at him.


    "He should be dead now." Lu Zhen''s eyes turned golden as he looked at the crushed corpse of the butler.


    Lu Zhen''s eyes widened when he saw the status.


    "My appraisal skill has improved a lot," he nodded with a satisfied expression.


    "This seems to be the system mages use. For my qi, it was levels, and for these circle hearts?" Although Lu Zhen could vaguely guess what those were, it was still his guess, not the actual theory.


    Unless he has the full details for the mages, but he wouldn''t be interested in such a thing as the mages are too old. They used mana, which had entirely different properties than qi, and it wouldn''t work for Lu Zhen either way.


    "Huh."


    Lu Zhen''s vision blurred as he lost all his strength and copsed to the ground.


    "What''s happening..." Lu Zhen''s mind raced as fast as he could, looking left and right where all the blood was littered from the butler''s body.


    Lu Zhen''s vision blurred, and his strength waned as he tumbled to the ground, bewildered by the sudden onset of this strange state.


    "What''s happening..." Lu Zhen''s mind raced, pushing through the fog as he struggled to keep his eyes open. He looked around, searching for any clues in his surroundings.


    "This is no time for sleep," he muttered to himself, the frustration evident in his bloodshot eyes. With a burst of desperation, he jabbed his foot with a finger, the sharp pain snapping his mind to attention.


    He strained to remain awake, the weight on his eyelids feeling insurmountable, as if two million tons pressed down on them, urging him to surrender to sleep. Lu Zhen''s willpower fought against the inexorable pull of slumber, resisting the urge to close his eyes.


    A deep, guttural roar emanated from within him as he struggled to unleash his Vulgrith form, but exhaustion enveloped him, draining him of the necessary energy.


    "Enough of this," he growled through gritted teeth, digging his fingers into his legs with all his might, tearing into his own flesh to keep himself awake.


    The agony he inflicted upon himself granted him a momentary reprieve from the encroaching slumber, but as he battled to maintain consciousness, the loud rumbling of his stomach reminded him of an even more pressing concern.


    Lu Zhen chewed on the delicious, chewy meat, savoring every bite as his lethargy seemed to evaporate with each mouthful. The food infused him with a newfound vitality, and his senses sharpened.


    "Interesting," he thought, a glint of excitement in his eyes. As he continued eating, his strength gradually returned to him, and he felt more invigorated with every bite.


    Lu Zhen consumed more and more of the meat, but as he finished thest piece, a sudden wave of fatigue washed over him once more.


    "What''s happening here?" Lu Zhen questioned himself, his brows furrowing as he chewed on a handful of jerky, trying to maintain his energy.


    He reached into his pouch to grab more jerky, but his fingers only met empty air. His eyes widened in disbelief as he realized that the meat he had consumed had somehow vanished from his pouch.


    Now, hunger gnawed at him, and his strength rapidly waned, reced by a debilitating exhaustion.


    "Didn''t I already devour that third-stage martial beast and replenish my qi reserves?" he muttered in frustration, his expression bitter as he scoured his pouch, finding nothing but herbs inside.


    "It should be helpful to me," Lu Zhen thought as he emptied his pouch of herbs.


    With swift determination, he devoured all the herbs in a matter of seconds. The herbs rapidly traveled down his throat, and they were digested in the blink of an eye. As they were consumed, a strange but violent energy surged within his body, resisting digestion and churning chaotically as it coursed through him.


    Lu Zhen''s belly swelled and he felt a sense of fullness.


    Cough!


    However, the sensation was immediately followed by coughing as he brought up a small amount of blood. The chaotic energy, which felt oddly familiar, now appeared untamed and wild, disying violent characteristics. Instead of helping Lu Zhen, it wreaked havoc on his body, causing internal injuries.


    The injuries were painful, and Lu Zhen vomited blood again. Although his body was slowly healing, the chaotic energy continued to rampage, impeding the rate of his recovery.


    Suddenly, a prompt appeared in the corner of his eyes.


    [You have fulfilled the condition]


    [Gluttony has leveled up from level 8 to level 9]


    All the chaotic energy in his body vanished, seemingly melting within him. The internal injuries caused by the chaotic energy were instantly healed within seconds.


    However, it didn''t stop there; his body felt even more strengthened. Energy surged through him, and Lu Zhen''s senses became even more enhanced. His height slightly increased by an inch or so.


    A pure bliss welled up from the depths of his heart, as if he had broken free from shackles that had long restricted his body.


    Lu Zhen felt like he was in a state of bliss.


    [Your body has broken through the shackles]


    [Your constitution has levelled up from Divine Physique level 3 to level 4]


    However, Lu Zhen was too unfocused to care about it. He simplyy on the cold floor with his eyes closed, wearing a blissful expression, as if he had reached a state of profound rity.


    Time passed as he remained on the gruesome floor, where the blood of the butler and the red-haired man had fully stained the ground.


    Finally, after an unknown amount of time, Lu Zhen slowly opened his eyes. However, a frown creased his face.


    "Hmm¡­" He could feel that returning lethargic feeling that seemed to break his sense of pleasure.


    "Even with my adapt skill, I couldn''t adapt to this pleasure and this lethargy... I need to level up more. But before that..." Lu Zhen looked at his clothes, where the reddish liquid had soaked in.


    His eyes turned golden as he carefully examined the red liquid stain on him.


    Lu Zhen looked at this with a bitter expression.


    "I knew it." He sighed with remorse.


    Lu Zhen stood up from the ground and searched for the body of the butler.


    "A book, huh¡­" The only thing he found was a book from the crushed remains of the butler.


    As Lu Zhen''s fingers brushed against the book, an unexpected searing heat emanated from its surface. His finger made a burning noise as some smoke came from his hand.


    However, Lu Zhen sneered that this much heat was nothing for him, although he was a little surprised, but he could regenerate faster than this, so he had no problem.


    He ignored the searing heat and curiously inspected the book. Its cover, crafted from supple animal skin, felt extraordinarily smooth, with a slippery texture that allowed his hand to glide effortlessly across it.


    The centre of the cover was adorned with arge, eye-catching word engraved in bold letters: "NOTE." The word seemed to beckon him, its significance unclear yet brimming with an air of mystery.

 Chapter 113: Harmony Sapping Scarlet Essence (2)

    "Hmm¡­" Lu Zhen curiously opened the book and began looking through its contents.


    Lu Zhen frowned as he examined the pages. The text was written in a strange, unfamiliarnguage that he couldn''t understand.


    "Hmm¡­" Lu Zhen gazed at the book again with his golden eyes, his curiosity piqued.


    To his amazement, as he stared at the text once more, he somehow began toprehend the words on the pages.


    Even though he couldn''t fully understand thenguage, he had an innate sense of what he was looking at. His brain seemed to absorb the information directly from the text.


    [You have fulfilled the condition for the Appraisal skill]


    [Your Appraisal skill has leveled up from level 4 to level 5]


    Lu Zhen''s eyes widened with excitement upon seeing this.


    He returned to the book, his gaze now more focused, and he carefully read its contents.


    Skipping the numerous pages detailing the butler''s mundane daily life, Lu Zhen searched for anything that might be useful to him.


    <Imperial year 1089.


    Finally, I have entered the fire academy. I can be a mage, Mom...>


    Lu Zhen''s eyes lit up as he carefully read the words, paying close attention to each one.


    There was some bloodstains on the page after.


    "Hmm¡­" Lu Zhen frowned as he carefully examined the words hidden by the blood, and his brain absorbed the information, helping himprehend the text.


    Suddenly, he noticed that his Qi was rapidly draining, like a waterfall, and his previously full reserves were depleting swiftly.


    "So the appraisal skill uses my Qi toprehend these words," Lu Zhen concluded. He nodded in understanding and continued reading, now with a sense of urgency.


    Blood covered the entire bottom half of the page, making the text beneath it invisible due to the mixture of dark and red colours.


    Lu Zhen rapidly flipped through the pages as his vision started to blur once more.


    "Is this thing acting up again? Even after my physique had a breakthrough, it''s still so effective." Lu Zhen sensed that the effects of the disease, or whatever it was, were slowly sapping his strength again, bringing a creeping lethargy from deep within him.


    He frantically turned through all the pages of the book, heading straight for thest pages, searching for one word in particr.


    Although he was interested in the mage system, even though it might be entirely useless to him, he could examine those aspectster when he had free time. For now, he needed to find a cure for this strange condition that was affecting him like an annoying bug.


    The solution might not be in the book, but Lu Zhen had no better option, so he reluctantly searched the book in hopes of finding answers.


    However, he had no regrets about killing the butler. He believed that the butler would have caused more trouble if he were left alive. Lu Zhen thought it was better to eliminate that threat now rather than allowing the butler to control his life and potentially create future problems.


    Lu Zhen had never underestimated the resources of mages. While they might be weaker than martial artists in directbat, they possessed numerous means to solve various challenges.


    Suddenly, he spotted a word written in bold letters.


    "Finally," Lu Zhen thought to himself, his anticipation growing as he focused on the topic of that word in the book.


    "So where is the solution¡­" Lu Zhen skipped over the details as he desperately searched for the cure.


    His expression soured as he read the text.


    The solution presented in the book was to consume a dragon fruit, a term Lu Zhen had never heard of before. While he might have been able to find it by searching extensively, the likelihood of such a rare fruit still existing in this post-mage era was slim. Besides, time was not on his side, and he couldn''t afford to embark on a fruitless quest.


    The other option was to construct a mana heart, which supposedly would cure the illness. This solution also appeared impractical. Lu Zhen''s face contorted with frustration as he considered both options. They might have seemed rtively simple in theory, but in practice, they were far from it.


    Time was slipping away, and the lethargic feeling that kept creeping over him gave him a sense of impending doom. If he sumbed to this feeling and fell unconscious, he feared he might never wake up again.


    Constructing a mana heart, the supposed source of a mage''s power, was an even more daunting task. Firstly, he had no knowledge of how to construct one, and secondly, there was no mana in the air, which had long since mutated into qi with entirely different attributes and properties.


    Lu Zhen sneered, starting toprehend why the butler had been so confident when he imed that only he held the cure for this infection.


    Lu Zhen''s mind was filled with a sense of dread as he considered the possibility that the butler''s words had been nothing more than a ploy to buy time, to weaken him, and then finish him off. A shiver ran down his spine as he thought about the treacherous nature of the man.


    "Killing him was the right thing to do," Lu Zhen concluded, his resolve to be more decisive growing stronger.


    Although facing this life-threatening situation, he didn''t give in to despair. Instead, he dragged the intact armour-d corpse across the room. As he did, his eyes glowed with a golden light, searching for any hiddenpartments or secret passages in the grand chamber.


    "Surely, he wouldn''t confine himself to just this throne room only, would he?" Lu Zhen pondered aloud as he examined his surroundings. His eyes fell upon two statues that caught his attention. One bore a striking resemnce to his Ancestor, while the other was an uncanny likeness of Xia Mei.


    The statue of Xia Mei was a perfect replica, down to every detail, leaving Lu Zhen in awe. As for the Ancestor, there was a familial resemnce, particrly in the presence of horns and a tail.


    "Hmm, so mages are also connected to the bloodline of martial artists," Lu Zhen mused, beginning to see the possibilities of such a link.


    "It might be one of the experiments of the mages." A terrifying possibility emerged from the mind, which made Lu Zhen ufortable for some reason as unease built up on him as he looked around the room carefully, searching for the door.


    If the conjecture that Lu Zhen thought was right, even if that was the case, Lu Zhen still had to solve his condition before thinking about other things. He could worry about thatter.


    Suddenly, Lu Zhen''s golden eyes caught something in the wall that piqued his interest.


    Without hesitation, he dragged the mage''s lifeless body and struck the wall at the specific spot.


    "It''s quite hard," Lu Zhen mused as he felt the wall''s resistance against his punch. However, his expression shifted to a smile as he sensed the rebounding force, indicating an emptiness inside the wall.


    He knew he didn''t have time to carefully look for the secret entrance. Lu Zhen decided to deactivate his appraisal skill. He took a deep breath, gathering his raw strength, and then withdrew his hand to gain momentum.


    In one powerful, resolute move, he aimed his punch at the wall, seeking to break through and reveal what was hidden beyond.


    Lu Zhen opted not to use hisbat art, conserving his limited qi as he didn''t want to waste it in this situation.


    With a resolute "woosh" sound, it felt as if the very fabric of the air was being torn apart. Lu Zhen unleashed a punch with his full strength.


    Boom!


    The room was filled with a resounding boom as the walls developed a spider-likework of cracks and shattered into pieces.


    "This looks more like ss than a wall..." Lu Zhen mused to himself as he cautiously entered the space, still dragging the lifeless corpse.


    As he stepped further into the room, he was greeted by an extraordinary sight. It resembled a futuristicboratory, the domain of a mad scientist. Countless test tubes of various sizes filled the space, each containing empty vessels connected to aputer-like terminal with rows of screens.


    There was a massive bed situated to one side, and a series ofplex test tubes, some filled with peculiar liquids. One of these test tubes appeared simr to the one that had affected Lu Zhen.

 Chapter 114: Possession

    This must be the . Lu Zhen''s eyes turned golden as he observed the liquid.


    "Just as I expected, it was indeed the Harmony Sapping Scarlet Essence."


    "I was correct to catch this guy off guard..." Lu Zhen gazed at the armour as if he could sense the despair and reluctance to die within it.


    As Lu Zhen was entirely invisible to the mage''s radar and moved swiftly, he didn''t provide the red-haired mage any chance to prepare, catching him off guard. This was why he was able to defeat the mage so easily.


    Even the mage''s butler had posed a significant challenge to Lu Zhen, nearly killing him. If he had been indecisive or given the red-haired mage enough time, he would be dead without a doubt.


    Lu Zhen had no doubts about that. The conversation that had urred before he broke through the barrier earlier might have been nothing more than a ploy by the mage to buy time, allowing him to prepare. It was all empty talk, after all.


    Words have absolutely no value!


    No matter what you say, as long as something doesn''t bind you, it''s empty talk at most. That doesn''t mean words can''t be taken advantage of. They can be used to stall for time, as the mage did, or to make an impression on people.


    The first thing someone notices is your appearance, but the second thing they judge is your voice. So, although words may not have intrinsic value, they are still useful for many things.


    Although Lu Zhen had a certain bottom line, he didn''t care much about what he said as long as he aplished his task. This approach was rooted in his experiences from the slums of his previous world, the lowest point in his life.


    However, Lu Zhen didn''t focus much on the tube with the red liquid. Instead, he turned his attention to the left, where there were two cages.


    "It''s a pleasure seeing you again, Ju Ji, right? You can stop pretending to be asleep; I know you''re not," Lu Zhen''s cold voice resonated as the white-haired girl''s body trembled, and she let out a resigned sigh.


    "What do you want?" She opened her eyes and turned, meeting Lu Zhen''s crimson eyes with her abyss-like ck ones.


    "I want to know about this," Lu Zhen pointed at the red liquid in the ss tube to his right.


    Ju Ji frowned visibly when she saw Lu Zhen pointing at the red liquid, but soon her expression shifted into a smirk.


    "I don''t know."


    "I''m not talking to you; I''m talking to your master," Lu Zhen said with an amused smile as he looked at her. "You have some form of connection with her, right? Tell her that I have a proposal for her."


    Ju Ji''s eyes widened when she heard this and regarded Lu Zhen in a new light.


    "How did you know?"


    "You don''t need to know. Just contact her first," Lu Zhen said, his stare icy and threatening. It was as if he would kill her at any moment if she didn''tply.


    Suddenly, Ju Ji''s abyss-like eyes transformed into white, ghostly eyes, and her demeanour underwent aplete shift as her aura surged to a terrifying level.


    "Oh, it''s like a possession, simr to what happened with Xia Mei before," Lu Zhen observed carefully, noting the changes urring. He imprinted these observations in his memory, as it was a valuable opportunity for him.


    He hadn''t forgotten the dramatic transformation Xia Mei underwent when they first made a connection. It had been enough to make his heart race with just a nce. From the demeanour of the Ancestor, Lu Zhen had a feeling that Ju Ji''s master might not be as formidable as Xia Mei''s Ancestor.


    "So, what do you want?" Ju Ji''s white eyes were now focused on Lu Zhen, an amused expression on her face.


    "Cut to the point. I know you already know what my condition is now. Tell me the solution," Lu Zhen''s eyes turned cold as he stared at her.


    "Weren''t you the one who broke our deal previously? What if I don''t help you?" Ju Ji questioned.


    "If you don''t help me, I will kill this girl," Lu Zhen looked at the girl who didn''t even flinch, then continued, "You will make an eternal enemy out of me. I will chase you to the ends of the earth to kill you."


    Ju Ji was taken aback slightly, looking at Lu Zhen with more consideration.


    "You will die. Why should I care about revenge from a dead soul?"


    "Are you sure?" Lu Zhen asked her with a confident smirk.


    "Don''t forget, I have the ancient warrior physique," Lu Zhen remarked.


    "That won''t help you for long..."


    "So, you won''t help me?"


    "No."


    "Okay," Lu Zhen nodded in understanding as he walked away, dragging the corpse with him.


    "Wait, are you just walking away? Don''t you want to live?" the girl eximed loudly as she saw that Lu Zhen didn''t seem to care about her.


    "I can just find the solution here," Lu Zhen responded without looking back as he searched the bookshelves one by one.


    He looked at theplex titles which eventually decided to pick a book at random, and began to read it.


    "Do you even know any magenguages?" the girl asked, her voice quivering, as she watched Lu Zhen reading the book.


    "Yes," Lu Zhen replied simply, without looking away from the book.


    "I can tell you the cure as long as you be my servant."


    "Who would ept your offer?" Lu Zhen replied with an expressionless face.


    "What the hell is thisnguage?" While Lu Zhen''s brain couldprehend the words, he couldn''t make sense of the content. It appeared far moreplex than even advanced mathematics like calculus in his previous world.


    The content was more about science and thews of physics, which were entirely different from his previous world and far too vast for Lu Zhen toprehend fully.

 Chapter 115: Blood Contract

    Lu Zhen looked at the book with an expressionless face while using his five senses to carefully observe the girl.


    The white-haired girl stared at Lu Zhen with a frown.


    Time passed as Lu Zhen tried to understand the book, and the girl simply watched him.


    Finally, after a long time, she opened her mouth, her eyes filled with disbelief.


    "How can you be alive even after getting infected by it? Even with the ancient martial physique, there is no way you can reach that realm so easily," the girl stated, her disbelief evident in her eyes.


    Lu Zhen finally put down the book with an expressionless face and started to select another book. However, unlike before, he carefully examined all the books with his golden eyes. When his eyes lit up, he thought to himself, "Finally, I''ve got one."


    "I should have done this previously as well," he thought, his expression turning bitter as he took the book in his hands. Upon seeing this book, the white-haired girl''s eyes widened.


    "Does he really know ournguage?" she thought to herself, feeling somewhat uncertain. However, it was quite possible, as the magenguage was nothing special. It had been lost in time after the destruction of the mages, but some of it might have survived to this day.


    Her fist tightened as she considered this. With determination, she looked at Lu Zhen and thought, "I need his help very badly right now."


    Lu Zhen paid no attention to the girl''s stare as he focused on the book.


    The front page of the book disyed a title in bold letters: "Encyclopedia of the Curse Elixir."


    "So, these infected-like things must be a curse elixir?" Lu Zhen wondered curiously. He opened the book and examined the front page, which resembled a table of contents with the names of various elixirs and brief descriptions of their effects.


    "How neatly organised," Lu Zhen mused to himself, unable to suppress his wonder about the level of advancement during the mage era, which appeared to surpass his previous world.


    He found a word that excited him even more: "Harmony Sapping Scarlet Essence." His eyes lit up as he quickly turned to the page, carefully reading every word.


    Lu Zhen''s expression shifted from happiness at first to something more peculiar as he reached the end of the passage. He sighed and closed the book.


    "So, do you know..." The girl''s voice interrupted his thoughts. Lu Zhen closed his book and looked at her with narrowed eyes, releasing his aura.


    A heavy atmosphere settled in the air, making it difficult for the girl to draw a full breath inside her cage. The room seemed to tremble as cracks formed in the ss tubes, creating the illusion of an earthquake shaking the chamber.


    The girl sweated profusely, her mind clouded by the overwhelming and terrifying aura of impending doom. She felt a pressing weight bearing down on her.


    "Not bad. My aura seems to have increased in strength again," Lu Zhen noted, his recent leveling up of the divine physique contributing to this newfound power.


    The girl, still inhabiting her servant''s body, couldn''t help but wonder why this man was so intimidating. She realized that his aura had an underlying hint of killing intent, yet it resonated with another quality she couldn''t quite ce.


    "It has a strange resonance, too. Strength?" Her current form was far from powerful, even with the boost from her possession. Lu Zhen''s aura suppressed her, and she felt dwarfed by his presence.


    "Even if you know the cure, you''ll still need my help to be healed. After all, only a mage can cure you," the girl remarked with a strange smirk on her face.


    Lu Zhen frowned upon hearing the girl''s exnation. Her words were consistent with what he had learned about the curse ¨C it required the infusion of mana into the body for a cure.


    "This curse is indeed peculiar," the girl continued, exuding confidence. "It was rare in the mage world, considering most people were mages. However, in this world, it''s considered a potent poison, especially for martial artists like you. Your high resistance tomon poisons developed in the mage era doesn''t help."


    Lu Zhen processed this information and was already feeling the effects of the curse. His head was spinning.


    "But," the girl continued, "this curse can only be cured through the consumption of mana fruits or by bing a mage, neither of which is feasible in this era."


    "How interesting," Lu Zhen thought, his mind calcting how to navigate this dire situation, even as his dizziness increased.


    "So, will you ept my offer?" the girl inquired.


    "What do you want in return?" Lu Zhen asked, trying to understand her terms.


    "I want your assistance in obtaining a suitable body for my possession," she exined.


    Lu Zhen raised an eyebrow. "Can''t you find one yourself?"


    "No," she replied. "I need a living, first-stage martial artist body to revive myself."


    "Hmm, why me then?" Lu Zhen inquired, genuinely curious about the girl''s choice.


    "Because you possess the ancient martial physique," she exined. "My best chance of reviving myself is to rely on you." Her expression conveyed that this was the most logical choice.


    "You really overestimate me," Lu Zhen chuckled.


    "Looking at you, you must be very close to a second-stage martial artist, so..." the girl said with shining eyes.


    "Okay, I agree," he said after a moment of thought.


    The girl reached out, and a paper appeared out of thin air in her hands. She handed it to Lu Zhen, who tentatively approached the cage and epted the paper.


    "Hmm," Lu Zhen murmured as he examined the contract carefully. The first page bore bold letters and simple words: Blood Contract.


    "Eh a contract¡­"


    "Do you think words will give any validation?" she sneered.


    Lu Zhen continued flipping through the pages of the contract. Thenguage was unknown to him, but strangely, heprehended the essence of the document even without using his Appraisal skill.

 Chapter 116: Blood Essence

    "Blood essence!!" Lu Zhen''s eyes widened when he heard this.


    Blood essence is a vital energy that flows through one''s body. It is basically the vital energy contained within one''s blood. Since blood essence contains one''s vitality, which is their life force, even giving a drop of blood essence could make one''s lifespan decrease by a little.


    So, Lu Zhen was shocked when he heard that he needed to give his blood essence.


    "What''s the guarantee that it works?" Lu Zhen said with a sneer on his face.


    "You must have felt thenguage, right? This contract is a special one that binds one with their blood, and if anyone breaks it, the breaker''s lifespan will decrease by at least 50%..."


    Lu Zhen frowned when he heard this. Actually, even if the lifespan of the person decreased, it wasn''t a fully binding contract since the person would still be alive, and it didn''t have much binding power either. But that wasn''t the main problem.


    Lu Zhen''s eyes turned golden as he looked at the contract again.


    [Blood Contract]


    [Grade: ???]


    [Remark: A contract that binds one with their blood essence, and once it is broken, the person who broke it will have their blood essence drained, causing permanent damage to one''s blood, decreasing the lifespan of the person who broke the contract by at least half.]


    Lu Zhen was a little surprised by its rank since the contract as he has seen the "???" in grades when the thing is too far away from Lu Zhen''s realm it meant that the contract was higher than intent grade, which means it is in a higher realm than even a first stage martial artist. However, since the contract details weren''t much different from what the girl had told him, he nodded his head.


    Still, he needed to verify one thing.


    "What about your blood essence?" Lu Zhen looked strangely at the girl. Since she was possessing Ju Ji''s body, it should not be possible for her to give her blood. He spotted a simple loophole in the contract after briefly contemting it.


    Both persons had to give their blood essence, which meant that if one gave another''s blood essence, it would still work. It was a loophole that could be easily exploited to the max.


    Lu Zhen quickly grasped the potential loopholes in the contract ¨C a person could use the blood essence of a different being to bind the contract, thus making them free from the contract''s binding force. This realisation made him feel a sense of freedom.


    The girl''s white eyes quivered slightly as she retrieved a vial from thin air. The vial was crystal clear and see-through, but it wasn''t made of ss. Inside the vial was a ckish liquid that seemed to teem with vitality, and the aura it emitted conveyed a sense of life force.


    Lu Zhen''s eyes widened as he saw the vial materialise before him. He began to realise that this girl might have nned everything from the beginning, and this sent a shiver down his spine. He couldn''t underestimate the calctions of a mage.


    "I must never underestimate the calctions of a mage," Lu Zhen thought as he examined the vial with his golden eyes.


    **[Blood Essence of Elv]**


    **[Grade: ???]**


    **[Remark: Blood essence from a powerhouse that has lived for at least an era.]**


    "Since we are partners now, what is your name?" Lu Zhen said with a peculiar smile on his face as he looked at her.


    "The sorceress of death."


    "I mean your real name," Lu Zhen said as his eyes shined.


    "Why do you need my real name..." the girl responded, but she was cut off by Lu Zhen.


    "Just tell me. Since we need to form trust if we want to work together," Lu Zhen thought with a sneer.


    "Elv," she simply responded with a confused expression.


    "Alright, we have a deal," Lu Zhen nodded decisively, closing his eyes as he sensed his blood essence circting through his body from his heart.


    He moved his hands as if holding a sword, then shed at his wrist.


    Elv''s eyes widened when she saw Lu Zhen''s hand movement almost like an image of a sword.


    "Wasn''t he previously proficient in the art of the saber? Is he also skilled in swordsmanship?" she thought with shock. Although she was not a martial artist, she wasn''t totally ignorant about the martial arts realms. After spending an entire era in seclusion, her servant asionally went out in search of information.


    Elv knew how hard martial artists had to train to master their weapons, gaining proficiency in the principles of using their weapons imaginatively. This realm was quite different from one''s cultivation, as it involved understanding the weapon. In the mage era, this was rarely used, as primitive weapons were no longer inmon use.


    As his hands, swinging like a sword, met his wrist, he could barely cut his skin by a small amount before his momentum died down.


    He focused on the wound, closed his eyes, and subtly manipted his body, stopping all the blood flow before forcing out a drop of his golden blood from his heart.


    Under the widened eyes of Elv. Instead of blood gushing out, a small drop of goldenish blood emerged.


    "This... how is this possible?" her eyes widened in disbelief. Extracting blood essence was aplex procedure that required careful handling. It wasn''t easy to extract blood essence like that. Even in the mage era, various technologies were used to extract blood essence easily without harming the person. What Lu Zhen had just done was truly remarkable.


    "Has his level of body control reached such a high level?" The girl''s white eyes fluctuated with a strange light.


    "So, are we in agreement?" Lu Zhen''s cold voice brought her back to the moment. She looked directly into Lu Zhen''s eyes and nodded.


    "Let me out."


    "Okay." Lu Zhen shed with his hands, creating a wind pressure that sliced through the cage revealing Elv unharmed.

 Chapter 117: Blood Essence (2)

    "Oh, I forgot about the boy. Since you''ve helped me find this ce, I won''t be ungrateful." Suddenly, Lu Zhen turned his attention to the second cage where Xiao Yu was lying unconscious. He shed with his hands and, like with Elv, broke the cage without harming Xiao Yu.


    "The previous dummy I killed must have been a clown or something," Lu Zhen thought to himself as he observed the unconscious boy.


    "He was a dummy," the girl said, her eyes filled with a glint of knowing.


    "Did you already know?"


    "No."


    "Why did you kill the dummy without flinching then?"


    "That''s because he was in my way. If he had been real and stabbed me in the back, he would have died. Even if he was a dummy, he would have still died. I don''t care what people do as long as they don''t get in my way, and since he wanted to kill me, it''s my principle to kill him back," Lu Zhen exined in a cold voice as he once again reviewed the contract.


    "This man is a maniac," the girl thought to herself as she looked at her hands, where there was the vial. "Sigh, I''m running out of time. This guy is my best bet."


    "Alright, let''s get started." The girl broke the vial and put a drop of her blood into the contract. Lu Zhen, who had collected the blood essence in his hand as well, dropped it into the contract.


    Lu Zhen carefully observed with narrowed eyes.


    The moment the two blood essences connected within the contract, a sizzling sound resounded, as if the blood essence was being burned by the contract.


    The two drops of blood essence literally started to boil before smoke began to rise from them, and they started to burn. Even the contract itself seemed to ignite under the watchful, narrowed eyes of Lu Zhen.


    Finally, the blood essence began to burn away. Lu Zhen could feel some strange connection to his blood essence being established.


    "Is the contract done?" Lu Zhen asked as he looked at the girl.


    Elv nodded with a smile on her face.


    "Give me the book now."


    "Okay." A book appeared in her hands, and she gave it to Lu Zhen. When he touched the book, it felt smooth to the touch.


    "This book can help you be a mage, well, technically a mage. You won''t gain any power or benefits of a full-fledged mage, even with very little mana required," Elv exined casually as she stretched her body.


    "Will you provide me with the mana for that?" Lu Zhen asked.


    "Oh," Elv smirked as she nced at the corpse of the man Lu Zhen had brought.


    "There is a mana storage function on that armour, which should provide enough mana for you to construct a mana heart using this technique. You see, there are many ways to create mana hearts, and the more mana it consumes, the more powerful it bes. Since your technique requires very little mana, you can imagine the power your mana heart will have.


    It might not even reach the first circle," Elv exined with a smirk on her face.


    Lu Zhen simply nodded with an expressionless face and began flipping through the book to examine its contents.


    Noticing his golden eyes scanning the text, Elv nodded with satisfaction.


    "It seems like he does know how to read ournguage. If he didn''t, well..." A small smirk appeared on Elv''s face.


    Elv hadn''t lost anything in this deal. The method she provided to Lu Zhen was the most basic and lowest-tier way to establish a mana heart. It was rather useless for anyone aiming to be a mage, as the resulting mana heart would be far too weak for anything a mage could do. In exchange, she secured a living first-stage martial artist, which was a significant gain on her part.


    However, this didn''t mean Lu Zhen didn''t benefit. He could now address his immediate problem, the curse that had been guing him.


    Lu Zhen read through the book, gaining insights about mana hearts. After finishing, he closed the book and turned to Elv with a puzzled expression.


    "How can I extract mana from the armour?" he asked.


    Elv shook her head. "You can''t. You need my help." She walked over to the armour, touching it with her hand and closing her eyes.


    After a moment, she withdrew her hand, holding a bluish energy-like ball.


    Lu Zhen''s eyes widened as he saw this.


    "Mana is not invisible?" Lu Zhen couldn''t help but exim.


    "No, only when it mutates does it be invisible," Elv exined, shaking her head.


    Lu Zhen nodded as he curiously looked at the bluish energy-like ball. He reached out and took it from Elv before swallowing the ball directly.


    The ball entered Lu Zhen''s body and began to disperse.


    "Huh, you''re taking it directly?" Elv inquired, her expression somewhat curious.


    Lu Zhen replied, "Yeah, is there a problem?"


    "If you can digest that, then there''s no problem," Elv replied, continuing to observe Lu Zhen.


    Lu Zhen turned the pages of the book as he guided the mana into his heart, following a simple cirction method written in the book. The instructions in the book were rtively straightforward, almost crude. Lu Zhen found them easy to grasp, and he could have learned the method just by reading through the book once.


    As the mana was guided into his heart, he sat down on the floor, assuming a cross-legged position.


    Lu Zhen methodically guided the mana into an infinity circle, carefully circting it around that shape, back and forth. As he did so, the mana began to take on a slightly purer quality.


    He continued the process, gradually guiding the mana into two circr patterns connecting the two circles.


    Lu Zhen slowly separated a little of the mana as he started to construct symbols ording to the book, making the symbol of the two water elements inside both circles.

 Chapter 118: Mana Heart

    The intricate mana infinity circle and the elemental symbol melded seamlessly into a self-sustaining loop within Lu Zhen''s heart, eliminating the need for his constant guidance. Mana coursed through this loop, like an ever-flowing river, generating a single strand of pure condensed mana.


    This newly formed mana possessed an unparalleled level of purity and density, setting it apart from the previous unrefined mana. Its most remarkable quality, however, was its transparency, akin to liquid water, exuding the inherent essence of the water element as it appeared quite tame.


    Lu Zhen''s clothing clung to his body, thoroughly soaked in the perspiration brought about by his strenuous efforts. His ragged breaths resonated in the chamber, and beads of sweat ran down his furrowed brow.


    Elv''s white eyes expanded with astonishment as she perceived Lu Zhen''s physical state.


    "He has indeed seeded in reaching the final stage," Elv marveled, her gaze now riveted to Lu Zhen, a newfound intrigue dancing in her eyes.


    "Either you have to be my body bearer, which is even better, or bring me the first-stage martial artist, Lu Zhen," she thought to herself, a smirk ying on her face.


    "Now, for the final step," Lu Zhen slowly opened his crimson eyes as it shined with determination.


    Lu Zhen slowly closed his crimson eyes once more as he sensed a pure strand of mana with the water attribute. He guided the mana directly to his brain.


    That''s right, to his brain!


    Ordinary people, upon bing mages, don''t automatically be smarter out of thin air just because they be a mage. It''s primarily because mana possessed a special property that enhanced brainpower.


    Mages were known for their intelligence, and their civilization advanced significantly due to this property, even though they had magic that could solve many problems which was what dyed the growth of technology in the martial world.


    Unfortunately, that property was lost when mana mutated into qi, as it is today.


    Slowly, Lu Zhen tentatively guided the mana towards his brain as he contemted a certain matter. However, with determination, he allowed the strand of mana to enter his brain.


    Boom!


    A thunderous sound seemed to erupt within his head, ringing loudly.


    Lu Zhen winced as blood began to trickle from his ears.


    "It seems this might be troublesome," he frowned as the strand of mana rampaged within his head, moving chaotically.


    Suddenly, Lu Zhen''s mind nked out, and his eyes rolled back, but he remained in a sitting position.


    "It should be that stage soon..." She looked at Lu Zhen with a hesitating emotion. He was nowpletely vulnerable. If she attacked him, he would be easily captured, even though she would have to permanently lose half of her lifespan. She could capture him and discover all of Lu Zhen''s secrets if he had any.


    Elv weighed the benefits of capturing Lu Zhen and losing half of her lifespan versus letting him go now and gaining a first-stage martial artist body.


    Finally, after a long time, Elv sighed. She tightened her fist and shook her head, remaining in that position.


    "The benefits outweigh the gains," she thought to herself.


    Elv was unaware of her good fortune in not attacking Lu Zhen during his most vulnerable moment, narrowly avoiding her servant''s body''s death.


    Unbeknownst to Elv, within a 5-metre radius of Lu Zhen, a thin wire had been subtly set up. It would instantly alert Lu Zhen if anything happened to him, even if he was unconscious.


    He had installed these thin wires while he was conversing with Elv earlier. Since she still inhabited a mortal child''s body, it was rtively easy for Lu Zhen to set them up.


    When Lu Zhen received an alert, even if he was unconscious, he would transform into his Vulgrith form, driven solely by his instincts.


    Although this n was not foolproof, Lu Zhen had no other option. The lethargic feeling from before was returning, and if he dyed any longer, he would be in even greater trouble. So, he had toplete the setup of his mana heart right here.


    Slowly, the strand of pure mana in Lu Zhen''s head became more tame, ceasing its rampage and settling down slowly.


    Finally, the strand of mana slowly nurtured the brain, and the entire structure of his brain began to change. Instead of the usual four chambers, it strangely nurtured the brain, expanding it to eight chambers. This transformation also strengthened the brain''s neurons.


    The strand of mana diminished gradually as it nurtured everything. When it showed signs of being nearly drained, a strange light suddenly lit up inside Lu Zhen''s brain.


    [Waking up from hibernation mode]


    [System reboot sessful]


    [Information updated]


    [Ding! rm: foreign energy detected]


    The red light moved towards the thin, dried-out strand of mana.


    [Scanning the energy]


    [Analysing]


    [1%....5%....40%....80%....90%....100%]


    [Analysisplete. The energy appears to be beneficial to the host. Its origin seems to be simr to qi.]


    [Upgrade avable from the new information of the energy.]


    [Does the host want to upgrade the system?]


    [Ding!]


    [The host is unconscious]


    [System Permission does not allow upgrades without the host''s permission.]


    [The upgrade will be paused until the host grants permission.]


    [Until then, the energy will remain trapped by the system.]


    The cold, emotionless voice of Lu Zhen echoed in his head, but he remainedpletely unaware due to the previous damage caused when the mana rampaged around.


    "Did he seed?" Elv thought to herself as her white eyes fluctuated, and she stared at the head of Lu Zhen.


    There was a time limit for how long the mana could rampage before it was tamed. Since Lu Zhen''s mana wasparatively weaker, his time limit was shorter than that of others, even among normal mages. If one were topare this in the context of mages, it was considerably limited.


    After all, the method Lu Zhen used to establish the mana heart wouldn''t even make him a proper mage as he couldn''t even cast a single spell with the mana capacity in the mana heart.

 Chapter 119: Mana Heart (2)

    Bing a mage without prior extensive training was almost impossible because of the rampaging mana in their brains.


    The most challenging part of bing a mage was that a person had to nurture their brain with a special strand of mana, which was both terrifying and required significant training and preparation.


    There was only one chance to be a mage because the brain would be irrevocably damaged on a second attempt.


    The more powerful the mana, the less likely someone was to be a mage, as purer mana held more power.


    In contrast, with the right guidance, even a child could be a mage, as mana guidance was not particrly challenging, and failure was rare.


    An ordinary person had to prepare for at least thirty years before they had any chance of bing a mage using a method like Lu Zhen.


    However, if they relied on the guidance of their seniors or others, they could be proper mages in as little as 20 years with a better method.


    Although Lu Zhen had weak pure mana with the water attribute, which was the tamest of them all, it was still terrifying. Lu Zhen fell unconscious despite his skills assisting him.


    Lu Zhen slowly opened his crimson eyes, and Elv''s eyes lit up when she saw him awake.


    "Congrattions, you have finally be a mage," Elv began, but Lu Zhen frowned, ignoring her as he assessed his situation.


    The lethargic feeling he had experienced disappeared. Lu Zhen felt much more energetic.


    His perspective on the world had changed. It was as if the entire world had be much clearer to Lu Zhen.


    Objects around him seemed sharper and more vivid, like he had upgraded to an enhanced vision mode. He could calcte their length, breadth, and height just by looking at them.


    Even the tubes in front of him and Elv herself became clearer in his vision. Lu Zhen could perceive more details than before, noticing nuances and intricacies he had never seen.


    His mind was sharper than ever, thoughts racing faster than before, countless ideas and observations flooding his consciousness. His thinking speed had increased significantly.


    In short, Lu Zhen''s brain power had taken a monumental leap, opening up a new world of possibilities and understanding.


    Bing a mage, however, had caused a remarkable transformation in his cognitive abilities.


    Apart from his brain, there were no notable changes in his physical state. He didn''t sense a substantial increase in his strength or improvements in his physique.


    In fact, there seemed to be a slight regression in his constitution instead.


    Lu Zhen frowned as he sensed these changes.


    "Are you done with your thoughts?" Suddenly, he heard Elv''s cold, icy voice tinged with anger, snapping him out of his contemtion.


    Lu Zhen shamelessly nodded as he stood up.


    "Hmph¡­" Elv, seeing Lu Zhen ignore her, her expression turned to anger with a pouting face.


    Lu Zhen, noticing her expression, couldn''t help but smirk.


    "Did you really think I''d believe you, an ancient grandmother who has lived for more than an era?" Lu Zhen sneered as he looked at Elv.


    "Tch." Elv could only make a disappointed sound, her expression showing disappointment.


    Lu Zhen simply shook his head in response to Elv''s disappointment.


    "So, let''s get down to business now. You help me be stronger, and I''ll help you capture a first-stage martial artist," Lu Zhen dered with a cold, serious tone.


    "Alright," Elv agreed, dropping her previous yful demeanour. The contract contained a term, added by Elv herself, stating that she needed to assist Lu Zhen in bing stronger. While Lu Zhen was a bit puzzled by this condition, he epted it withoutint.


    Lu Zhen nced around the dimly lit room, which resembled aboratory for a mad scientist.


    "This corpse still holds value for you, doesn''t it?" Lu Zhen''s eyes sparkled as he looked at the mage''s body.


    "Yes, it''s valuable to me," Elv confirmed with a slight frown.


    Even though the stored mana in the armour was gone, the armour itself was valuable, as it was made of hard and valuable resources.


    However, the most valuable resource wasn''t that; instead, it was the red-haired mage''s body in itself, which was one of the most valuable resources to her.


    "Create a better chain for me using the armour''s materials, and you can have the mage''s body," Lu Zhen proposed with a knowing smile.


    "Alright," Elv replied with an expressionless face, epting the deal.


    Lu Zhen contemted the situation. He possessed no cksmithing skills and didn''t want to go through the unnecessary trouble of taking materials from the room to the outside world, which could attract unwanted attention. Thus, giving the materials to Elv seemed like the more sensible choice.


    "So, what kind of help can you provide me?" Lu Zhen inquired, fixing his gaze on Elv.


    "You''re a third-stage martial artist, correct?" Elv asked.


    "Yes," Lu Zhen confirmed.


    "I can elerate your cultivation with the assistance of pills," Elv offered.


    Lu Zhen was taken aback. "You can still make pills?" He had a vague notion of how formidable the so-called "Sorceresses of Death" were during their prime as mages, given Elv''s survival for an entire era. It was clear she had been a terrifying powerhouse in her era.


    However, that was in the past, and nothing was eternal. The surviving mages had seen their mana gradually diminish, and without anything to rely on, they couldn''t maintain their powers.


    Mages without mana are no more special than an ordinary person, albeit perhaps a bit more intelligent.


    This was why the unfortunate red-haired mage had met his end at Lu Zhen''s hands.


    Elv exined, "Pills are akin to the elixirs we used to create, albeit with a different name. Alchemy is a small matterpared to the power you possess; it''s rted to thenguage of the ###."


    Lu Zhen''s eyes widened when he heard this, as a frown appeared in his face.


    "Say that again."


    "Language of ###."


    Lu Zhen, just like previously, couldn''t understand thisnguage, as if a barrier were blocking him.

 Chapter 120: Origin Language

    "Oh, I forgot that you haven''t reached that stage yet," Elv said with understanding, noting the shock on his face.


    "You need to reach the origin level to gain an understanding of that subject. Until then, you won''t even qualify to know the true name of the originnguage."


    "So, you call it the origin, huh?" Lu Zhen mused with a thoughtful expression, his brow furrowed.


    "Alright," he nodded in understanding and cast his eyes greedily around the room.


    "I will be taking those from the shelves, which contain the portion..."


    "I wouldn''t rmend that. These are portions from the mage''s era, which are useless to you," Elv interrupted Lu Zhen.


    "Are you sure about that?" Lu Zhen wore a mysterious smile as he continued to explore the room, studying the shelves.


    His crimson pupils turned into golden pupils.


    Suddenly, His vision was flooded with information, an influx of data that flowed into his mind without any conscious effort on his part.


    Countless equipment details within theboratory crowded his sight, nearly overwhelming his vision.


    Lu Zhen couldn''t help but feel somewhat overwhelmed by the sheer volume of information bombarding his senses. Yet, he quickly realised that most of this data was of no real value to him; it wasposed of ordinary-grade items that held little interest for someone of his level now.


    [You have fulfilled the condition to level up your appraisal skill]


    [Appraisal skill has levelled up from level 4 to level 5]


    Out of the corner of his eye, Lu Zhen caught sight of this system prompt, igniting a sense of joy within him.


    "This might be due to the influence of mana?" Lu Zhen could only specte that this was the reason behind his unexpected appraisal skill level increase.


    [Host, are you awake?]


    Suddenly, Lu Zhen heard his own cold and emotionless voice echoing in his mind, stirring a tinge of excitement within him.


    "So, you have been updated?" Lu Zhen inquired in his thoughts as he observed Elv, who seemed preupied with the equipment in theboratory.


    "I''ll deal with that old monster after addressing the system," Lu Zhen decided, shaking his head with a sigh.


    Whenever he conversed with Elv, an inexplicable nervousness and tension enveloped him. It felt as if an immense weight bore down on him. Despite this, Lu Zhen made an effort not to show his unease, as he suspected the "old monster" had already noticed him but hadn''t exploited his vulnerabilities for some reason.


    [Yes, host, I am awake, and the new features have been updated.]


    "Oh," Lu Zhen called forth his system with a mere thought.


    [LEVEL UP]


    ¡ª-----


    [Name: Lu Zhen]


    --------


    [Race: Human]


    [Bloodline: Half Human/ Half Volgrith]


    [Lifespan left: 155 years]


    --------


    [Attributes]


    [Constitution: Divine physique (level 4)]


    [Charm: Mortal (Level 5)]


    [Wood Qi: Third-stage martial artist ](4%)


    [Demonic Qi: null]


    [Mana: Null Circle]


    ???


    --------


    [Cultivation manuals]


    [Cultivation technique: Verdant art (stage 2)]


    --------


    Skills: 12.


    ¡ª-----


    Quest: [Uninitiated]


    "Eh, the skills are counted in numbers now?" Lu Zhen remarked, his expression a mix of surprise and curiosity as he observed his updated status.


    "About the skill status. If I want to know about my skills, where can I see them?" he inquired.


    "That''s convenient¡­" Lu Zhen thought to himself as he focused his attention on the skill section, opening a new blue panel beside his main status.


    [Skills]


    [Gluttony: level 8]


    [Appraisal eye: level 5]


    [Saber mastery: level 6]


    [Adaptability: level 4]


    [Aura control: level 5]


    [Meditation: level 2]


    [Dual cultivation: level 2]


    [Alchemy: level 2]


    [Sword mastery: level 2]


    [Qian mastery: level 1]


    [Staff master: level 1]


    [Chain mastery: level 1]


    Lu Zhen nodded when he saw this, closing the panel with a thought.


    Lu Zhen''s lifespan had significantly increased, and the panel appeared more organised than before, disying wood qi in stages rather than levels, a change Lu Zhen attributed to the system''s updates after gathering information aftering to this world with him.


    This confirmed his thoughts.


    However, a frown creased his brow as he examined his "charm" status. Despite achieving a divine physique and a noticeable improvement in his looks, his charm attribute remained unchanged.


    While he wouldn''t im to be the most handsome man in the world, he was confident that his charm could win the hearts of many young maidens and be their dream idol. But charm had little value here in front of strength.


    Thus, he was perplexed by the fact that his charm attribute had not increased despite his numerous attempts.


    However, it had suddenly increased out of nowhere, which caught Lu Zhen off guard.


    [Host, the "charm" attribute is not rted to your physical charms. Instead, it is linked to your brain power.]


    Lu Zhen adopted a contemtive expression upon hearing this exnation.


    [As long as your cognitive ability increases your charm will also increase.]


    Lu Zhen nodded with a thoughtful expression.


    "Change your voice to a neutral one. It feels strange to hear my own voice ringing in my head like an annoying bug."


    [Applying themand.]


    [Host permission full authorization.]


    [ess granted.]


    [Command... epted.]


    [Voice change from lu Zhen to neutral.]


    Lu Zhen heard a machine-like voice to which he nodded his head although it wasn''t perfect it works for now.


    "What about the quest section of my status?" The only thing that changed significantly after the system update is the [Quest: Uninitiated] in the status. Apart from that, there were almost no other changes, except for Lu Zhen''s skills being more organised.


    [Host, this is a new feature of the system, collected from the world, which shows you the correct direction to level up your skills.]


    Lu Zhen appeared uncertain, contemting the implications.


    "What about rewards and punishments? Will there be any?" Lu Zhen inquired. He didn''t want to face unnecessary punishments but would wee rewards with open arms.


    [No, there won''t be any punishments for failing a quest, nor will there be specific rewards. The quest feature merely provides the most optimal path to level up your skills.]

 Chapter 121: Qi Condensing Elixir

    "Alright," Lu Zhen nodded when he heard this.


    "Give me these things," Lu Zhen woke up from his contemtion upon hearing Elv''s cold voice, looking up to see her pointing at severalputer-like terminals and the tubes where there were liquids.


    "I want all of these," she repeated.


    "What will you give me in return?" Lu Zhen''s eyes shone as a small smirk appeared in his face as he asked this.


    Elv bit her lip with the corner of her teeth, her expression hesitant. In their contract, there was a use that stated that two individuals bound by a blood contract couldn''t steal from each other.


    Since Lu Zhen had killed the red-haired mage, naturally, all the loot belonged to him. So, Elv needed Lu Zhen''s permission to ess these items. It wasn''t worth it for Elv to break the contract just for that.


    "I will give you all the potions you need to be a second-stage martial artist right now, and in return, you will give me the equipment," Elv proposed with an expressionless face. She had initially hoped to gain some leverage by providing resources to Lu Zhen and making him pay since nothing in this world was truly free.


    Although the contract stated that she needed to support Lu Zhen until he became a first-stage martial artist, it didn''t imply that this support was free.


    Lu Zhen wore a satisfied expression upon hearing this. He already had a sense of what the old hag was up to, and upon reading the contract, he discovered the loopholes within it.


    "Here, take it," Elv handed him a sack filled with vials. They appeared as if out of thin air in her hands as she handed it over to him.


    "Is this it?" Lu Zhen curiously opened the bag, revealing a blood-red liquid inside the vials. His eyes turned golden as he inspected one of the vials with curiosity.


    [Qi Condensing Elixir]


    [Grade: Intact Item]


    [Remark: A new elixir form specifically tailored for martial artists to aid in condensing qi, making it more pure.]


    Lu Zhen''s eyes lit up as he read the status.


    "Have you inspected it? Are you satisfied now?" Elv asked, her tone cold as she fixed her gaze on Lu Zhen with her white eyes.


    "Yeah, you can take all of these away. Pleasure doing business with you," Lu Zhen replied, returning the vials to the sack.


    As he nced around the room with his golden-coloured eyes, Lu Zhen contemted whether there were any other valuables besides the vials. Yet, despite his keen observations, Lu Zhen couldn''t identify anything of value. Everything else had already been emptied out, either by himself or Elv, except for the books that lined the shelves.


    "I will take all the books..."


    "No, I will be taking those books," Lu Zhen asserted, cutting off Elv before she could continue.


    Lu Zhen still didn''t know much about mages and their weaknesses. Although he had be a mage himself, he could barely be considered a mage and could at most reach the first circle which was equivalent to martial trainee due to the method he used to establish his mana heart. Moreover, that method was considered impractical since mana had long been mutated into qi, rendering it useless.


    So there was no possibility of Lu Zhen bing a mage. However, knowledge is power, and books were an excellent way to gather more knowledge. Although it might not be useful for Lu Zhen, gaining all this knowledge could help him significantly in the future. The scariest thing was the unknown.


    Elv frowned when she heard Lu Zhen. In fact, for mages, knowledge was a vital part of their strength since mages fought with their brains instead of brawn. The books here were definitely helpful for her. They might not help her solve her precarious situation where her lifespan was decreasing significantly, but they would still help her in other aspects.


    After all, if these books were so useful, her rade" from the previous mage era would not have ended up in such a condition. Even a mere second-circle power level mage (third-stage martial artist) could easily defeat him. Although Lu Zhen might be unusual, in front of the realm gap, he was nothing more than a mere bug, easily crushed by a random fourth-circle mage (first-stage martial artist).


    "How about we divide it by half then?" Elv said, her genuine frown revealing her displeasure.


    "No can do," Lu Zhen replied firmly, unwilling topromise since Elv hadn''t brought something equivalent to the table.


    Elv gritted her teeth inwardly upon hearing this but maintained a cold expression. She had already provided him with items prepared for third-stage martial artists, and she had no interest in crafting elixirs designed for second-stage martial artists. Such a process was not only time-consuming but also demanded a considerable amount of mana. She had no intention of expending her resources aimlessly.


    Lu Zhen wore an amused expression as he stared right back at her without even a flinch, meeting Elv''s icy stare.


    He seems to have "adapted" to the nervous feeling he felt when Elv was around so he stared right back at her.


    The passage of time seemed to stretch as the two of them engaged in this intense standoff, their eyes locked in a silent duel.


    "Where am I?" Xiao Yu questioned as he stirred, waking up from the cold floor, clutching his head.His vision was hazy, and he could barely make out the silhouette of arge, imposing figure and that of a child nearby.


    Interrupting their intense standoff, a voice suddenly broke the silence, and curiously, both Lu Zhen and Elv burst intoughter simultaneously.


    "So, do we have a deal now, Miss Sorceress of Death?" Lu Zhen inquired with a charming smile.


    "Alright, I will give you the books, but in one year, you must return them to me."


    "And what do I get in return?"


    "A bloodline cultivation technique," Elv stated inly.


    Lu Zhen''s eyes lit up upon hearing this offer. He couldn''t help but think, "So you mages did y a role in creating bloodline martial artists." Although he was curious to learn more, he resisted the urge to ask further questions.

 Chapter 122: Deal

    "That''s a deal, then," Lu Zhen sneered. In one year, countless variables could ur. Even if there weren''t, he was confident he could finish all the books since his cognitive ability had increased significantly.


    Elv produced a book seemingly out of thin air and handed it to him. This time, Lu Zhen watched closely, trying toprehend how she could summon items seemingly from nowhere, using all his five senses.


    Lu Zhen''s eyes narrowed to a sliver as he observed the book materialise in Elv''s hand.


    Elv chuckled upon seeing Lu Zhen''s narrowed eyes.


    "You''ll gain this ability as long as you reach the Origin level, which is equivalent to a fourth-circle mage, or as you call it, a first-stage martial artist."


    "Can second-stage martial artists also have that ability?" Lu Zhen inquired, a puzzled expression on his face.


    "No, that''s impossible unless the second-stage martial artist is very close to reaching the Origin level, with only a single step left, and hasprehended some of the Originnguage. Only then might they be able to use this ability. At least, that''s how it works for mages. I don''t know much about the martial artist realm, but it should be simr."


    Lu Zhen nodded his head with a peculiar light in his eyes as he heard this. After all, he had already seen his mother use this so-called ability twice. So either his mother was a first-stage martial artist, which was unlikely, or she must be at the cusp of the second-stage martial realm.


    "Alright, let''s go now," Lu Zhen said as he looked to his side where Xiao Yu was standing obediently. The young boy had be silent, his clothes stained with sweat. Xiao Yu had woken up from his half-sleep and immediately realized his mistake in interrupting them. He remained silent the entire time, feeling a rising tension in the presence of Lu Zhen and Elv.


    "How was your sleep, kid?" Lu Zhen asked with a mischievous smile.


    "Yo... mas¡­ I¡­." Xiao Yu stuttered, struggling to utter a word.


    "I know that when you first entered this ce, this guy must have intentionally given you those items. After all, you were just a mortal, and he used you to lure in a bigger prey," Lu Zhen remarked, finding it hard to believe that the mage hadn''t manipted Xiao Yu to bring him to this hidden cave. It seemed too coincidental to be true formortal to find these ce.


    Lu Zhen sighed deeply and shook his head in disappointment, his voice tinged with frustration as he spoke, "There is no inheritance cave here. It''s just a trap set by the mage."


    Impatience colored Elv''s features as she looked from Lu Zhen to Xiao Yu and dered, "Are you done now? Let''s go."


    In response, Lu Zhen''s eyes narrowed, but he kept his thoughts to himself. He stared at the books and the vials with a bitter expression.


    Lu Zhen proceeded to pack all the books into a sack and carried it in his left hand. In his right hand, he held all the vials given to him by Elv. Elv, seemingly unimpressed by his disy, merely scoffed. She waved her hand, and like a mirage, all the equipment vanished into thin air, as if they had never existed in the first ce.


    Frowning, Lu Zhen mumbled to himself, "I need to get a storage bag or something real quick." He turned and began to walk out of the room, with Xiao Yu following closely behind and Elv at his side.


    As Elv was about to leave the room, an unusual event urred, a flicker of something otherworldly. Her dark shadow, which had clung to her like an extension of herself, seemed toe alive for a fleeting moment. It writhed and quivered, much like the undting waves of the ocean. This eerie disy created an uncanny and unsettling effect as if her shadow had a life of its own.


    What transpired next was nothing short of miraculous and bewildering. In a gesture that defied mortalprehension, a small, round shadow separated from Elv''s main shadow. In the blink of an eye, it darted back into the room they were just leaving.


    For a brief moment, Elv halted in her tracks, her expression still devoid of any emotion. Her pace remained consistent as she continued to walk away, seemingly unfazed by the peculiar incident.


    Lu Zhen walked beside her, maintaining his usual calm demeanour. Yet, hidden behind his inscrutable exterior, a sly smirk crept onto his face. Thoughts swirled in his mind.


    "Did you think you could hide from me, the old monster? Especially a mage, they''re truly terrifying. If I don''t remain vignt, she could probably sell me without me even realising it. Fortunately, she hadn''t yet plotted against me. But if she had¡­" Lu Zhen felt a shiver running down his spine.


    If Lu Zhen''s brain power increased so significantly simply by entering the realm of mages, one could only imagine the cognitive abilities possessed by Elv, who had likely reached a higher circle.


    Even though Lu Zhen''s brain had undergone a fundamental transformation, which might have been a one-time event, the innate brainpower of mages continued to increase with each higher circle they attained.


    Although Lu Zhen didn''t know which circle she was in, she should still be at a higher level than a first-stage martial artist, which was equivalent to a fourth-circle mage. After all, first-stage martial artists could only live around 300 years, based on what the ancestor had told Lu Zhen, and the mage system should be simr.


    So mages who were alive now must have reached a terrifying realm that Lu Zhen couldn''t even imagine, living through an era even if they were in istion.


    Despite their current weakness, which made them vulnerable enough for even Lu Zhen to kill, that didn''t mean they couldn''t scheme and have hidden tricks up their sleeves.


    Lu Zhen sighed inwardly, contemting these thoughts.


    "Let''s speed up," he urged, catching Xiao Yu''s wrist before abruptly increasing his pace.


    Swoosh!


    The sound of air being torn resonated as Lu Zhen moved. His speed was so extraordinary that he seemed to create afterimages, almost like teleportation. He would appear in one spot, then vanish, reappearing half a kilometre (500 metres) ahead in the blink of an eye.


    To his surprise, Elv effortlessly maintained the same pace as Lu Zhen, almost appearing to teleport alongside him.

 Chapter 123: Elv

    In the concealed chamber, the circr shadow, cleaved from Elv''s own,y motionless upon the room''s floor. Gradually, it began to sway and ripple, reminiscent of the ocean''s gentle wavespping against the shore.


    A slow transformation took hold, and the shadow assumed the guise of a young girl, its figure gracefully contorting like a dancer in a fluid, ethereal ballet. It was a mesmerising yet uncanny alteration.


    As the figure of the little girl took shape, it remained tethered to the floor. With a distinctive "pluck," it detached from the ground, ascending into an upright position. The haunting sound resonated throughout the room, leaving an eerie echo in its wake.


    Fully risen, the shadow began to expand, its form swelling into that of aplete human girl. Its hue, dark and unsettling, was a stark mirror of Elv''s shadow. Every aspect of the figure was enshrouded in profound ckness, from its attire - mirroring Elv''s - to its inky eyes, ears, nose, and mouth. In all its eerie ckness, only the subtle contours of the shadow''s face bore a semnce to Elv.


    The shadowy, human-like entity moved gracefully toward a set of shelves, which previously held many books that Lu Zhen had taken.


    It attempted to push the shelves to the side, visible tremors rippling through its form as it struggled for a moment. Eventually, the shadow seeded in shifting the shelves slightly.


    As it managed this minor feat, the human-like shadow''s visage appeared to ripple, resembling the disturbance of water, when it realised that it had only marginally moved the shelves despite its considerable effort.


    Nheless, it refused to concede defeat and pressed on, exerting its full strength. Finally, the shadow seeded in pushing the shelves halfway, but in doing so, it seemed to shrink in height, its form quivering with ripples.


    Just as it was about to cease its efforts, the human-like shadow noticed a small lever emerging. It lowered the lever slowly while chanting in an unfamiliarnguage, different from the magenguage.


    As the shadow opened its eerie, ck mouth and uttered these strange incantations, a deep, rumbling sound echoed through the room. In response, a door swung open exactly where the human-like shadow had manipted the lever, causing the shelves to be fully shifted aside.


    "I knew it, he hid it using the Originnguage..." Elv, following closely behind Lu Zhen, disyed a glint of interest in her eyes, though her expression remained impassive.


    The shadow entered the dark room, almost melting into the room''s darkness. It struggled to locate a switch but eventually managed to turn on the switch.


    Instantly, the room was flooded with bright light, revealing a peculiar contraption that bore a striking resemnce to a motor.


    A series of small stones inscribed with mysterious letters in a sk linked the motor through aplexwork of tubes. These inscribed stones would asionally crackle with ethereal energy as they contained pure attribute-less qi.


    If Lu Zhen were present, his eyes would undoubtedly gleam with greed upon seeing these stones, recognizing them as top-grade qi stones which was enough to create a first-stage martial artist through sheer resource alone if the first-grade stones were enough. Even the four major families didn''t have many of these top-grade qi stones that showed how valuable it was.


    As the motor processed the inscribed stones, it belched forth ck smoke, filling the room with a sinister, bone-chilling sound that sent shivers down one''s spine.


    After a substantial passage of time, the motor finally yielded a stunning result: a steady flow of sky blue liquid emerged from one end, connecting to another sk that contained the same mystical blue substance.


    "I knew that Bastard was able to convert qi into mana." Elv saw the scene in the room through her shadow. She had a faint suspicion seeing that the red-haired bastard was using mana so much without remorse; after all, Elv was stronger than even him, and her mana reserves had already been exhausted even when she stayed the whole time in seclusion just from time itself.


    After all, time was the most terrifying thing in this world, and nothing could escape time.


    When she first escaped the mages destruction, as she was in her seclusive retreat to break through to sixth circle, she was terrified when she sensed the destruction of the mages when her signal wore out, and she investigated to find that the mages were wiped out with the technology, mostly gone for some reason.


    Although she wanted to go out, she found that there was a strange force that was strangely sapping her life force whenever she went out with no choice, she could only stay in her seclusion helplessly, as she didn''t feel her life force being sucked when she went into her seclusion.


    For some reason, her life force is drained only when she is in the outside world. With no choice, she is forced to stay in her seclusion.


    However, by staying in seclusion, she noticed that her mana was slowly slipping away, as if washed by time itself. No matter how hard she tried to regain the mana, it continued to disappear as time passed.


    Although she didn''t care about that, soon her lifespan was decreasing. So, she had no choice but to go into a long sleep to slow down her cells, which would decrease the rate at which she used her lifespan.


    After she woke up, she found herself in this martial arts era where mana waspletely erased, and qi was the mutated form.


    At first, Elv thought that she was the only one alive in this martial artist era. However, upon seeing the red-haired man who was previously from the same faction as her, she had to rethink her decision.


    With how little mana Elv had, she wanted to abandon her servant after herrade turned on her, after all, from her observation, the red-haired mage had quite a bit more mana left than her, although she was more powerful than him by arge margin since he was a fifth-circle mage and she was peak of the fifth-circle, which in the mage era she could destroy him like a bug, but in this era her mana was already running thin with her power washing away with time.

 Chapter 124: Elv (2)

    Elv initially nned to seek revenge in the future, but she was surprised when Lu Zhen managed to defeat the red-haired man. This was a significant surprise for her, and it led her to make a decision. After considering her situation, she decided to enter into a contract with Lu Zhen.


    "Maybe he''s Heaven''s Chosen," Elv pondered. She held a faint suspicion that Lu Zhen might be Heaven''s Chosen, which exined why she hadn''t used any tricks on him until now. After all, if he was a Heaven''s Chosen, her tricks would likely backfire, unless she had an overwhelming strength advantage.


    However, the device was too crucial for her to relinquish. In simple terms, it was a machine that converted Qi into mana, although the process was quite slow and required a substantial amount of Qi.


    A top-grade qi stone weighing about 10 grams could only produce a strand of mana. Perhaps that''s why he had been hiding, although he had been bold enough to bait martial artists into a trap.


    Elv pondered her next steps and decided, "Let me inform my shadow that she shoulde out after a while or find another way toe out. But first..." She began delivering her message telepathically.


    The shadow, having received Elv''s instructions, approached the sk containing the blue liquid. In a moment reminiscent of a vacuum, it swiftly absorbed all the blue liquid into its palm within a matter of seconds.


    With the machine now in its possession, the shadow proceeded to carry it out of the room. As it reached the exit, a faint red light scanned the door, but the shadow continued on, as if the scanning process were inconsequential.


    Elv found relief in her thoughts, acknowledging, "The old bastard is already dead, so the jamming function he used to hide his treasure is only at half strength. If it were at full power, not even I would be able to sense it..."


    Yet, suddenly, Lu Zhen came to an abrupt halt. This caught Elv off guard, and she quickly stopped beside him.


    "Why did you stop?" she inquired, her face marked by a noticeable frown.


    Lu Zhen remained silent, his cold and emotionless expression visible in the dimly lit passageway, illuminated by the flickering firewood, as if devoid of emotion.


    Elv''s frown deepened as she observed the unmoving figure of Lu Zhen, puzzled by his sudden halt. She wondered what had caught his attention.


    Xiao Yu, meanwhile, gasped for breath as hended on the cold floor, his breathing ragged. He hadn''t been running, but the sheer speed at which Lu Zhen was moving had left him breathless. As a mortal, he was struggling to cope with the physical exertion.


    In a sudden motion, Lu Zhen punched a particr spot on the wall, breaking it instantly and revealing a dark space within. A wave of a repulsive deathly stench washed over the trio - Lu Zhen, Elv, and Xiao Yu. The odour resembled that of rotting fish, and it was nothing short of rotting smell.


    Lu Zhen and Elv seemed to handle the smell with rtive ease. However, it was a different story for Xiao Yu. He retched and vomited on the floor, the overpowering stench almost rendering him unconscious. He was a mere mortal and unustomed to such a vile odor.


    Elv, unable to see clearly due to Lu Zhen''s hulking figure, inquired with curiosity, "What is it?" She was intrigued by Lu Zhen''s unusual expression but couldn''t discern the source of his concern.


    Elv moved closer to Lu Zhen''s side to witness the grisly sight that had provoked such a reaction from him. Her own expression transformed into one of perplexity as she gazed upon the horrific scene.


    Driven by curiosity, Xiao Yu couldn''t resist the urge to step inside and investigate the source of their strange expressions. However, what met his eyes caused them to widen to their utmost limits. The gruesome sight that unfolded before him left him aghast and repulsed, and he couldn''t help but vomit once more, his breathing growing increasinglybored.


    Before themy a horrifying scene of creatures, bearing signs of unimaginable torture that had long exceeded the bounds of inhumanity to arge margin.


    Some of the creatures were humans, while others were beasts and animals. What made the scene particrly revolting was that all the corpses were bound in ck chains, and some had suffered grotesque muttions, with severed body parts gruesomely disyed. It was a scene of unspeakable horror.


    However, one thing that wasmon was that they were all decaying faster to the point that they all looked malnourished with their skin all withering already as if they were sucked dry and all their eyes were wide open with terror still reflecting.


    Lu Zhen gingerly reached out to touch one of the corpses, and as his fingers made contact, it crumbled into dust, carried away by the faint breeze. He sighed deeply as he shook his head.


    His search continued, and as he walked further into the room, he encountered the gruesome evidence of countless victims. The piles of corpses seemed to number at least a thousand, painting a cruel scene of suffering and death.


    Amidst this nightmarish scene, Lu Zhen''s keen ears detected a faint, ragged breathing sound emanating from the gruesome mound of bodies.


    He followed the sound carefully, which led him to the source: a lifeless-looking little girl, her frail body bearing the cruel marks of countless nails driven into her. Beside hery her father, who clung to her in a final, frozen embrace.


    Addressing the girl with a stern question, Lu Zhen asked, "Do you want to live or die, girl?"


    But the girl remained unresponsive, her eyes vacant, as if the spark of life itself had been extinguished.


    Lu Zhen''s sigh of resignation filled the grim, deathden room. He muttered to the lifeless girl, "You are hopeless. It''s better for you all to find peace." His hands dug into his pouch, searching for something, but his efforts yielded nothing of use, leading to a deepening of his frown.

 Chapter 125: Anomalies

    "Here," suddenly, Elv gave Lu Zhen a lighter-like object as it appeared out of thin air again.


    "The mage era should be more developed than my previous one, considering that they could freely travel through space already." Lu Zhen curiously took the lighter, which was coated in ck with an intricate dragon symbol on it. However, he had a clueless expression on his face.


    "Put qi in the lighter, and it will fire up from the hole that you see at the upper right." Elv saw Lu Zhen''s clueless expression as she paused. "Well, water qi or some other attributed qi which contradicts fire shouldn''t be able to light it up."


    "I forgot this era is the era of monkeys with all brawn and no brains," she thought to herself.


    "Oh, how convenient," Lu Zhen replied, pretending to be unaware of the lighter''s function. As he channelled his body''s wood qi into the device, a green light flickered through the intricate mechanisms within the lighter. Gradually, the device began to emit an eerie, bone-chilling green me.


    Lu Zhen meticulously used his heightened senses to monitor the transformations urring within the lighter as his wood qi coursed through it. This energy traveled through aplex mechanical system within the device, ultimately manifesting as a vibrant green fire that emerged from the opening on the lighter''s surface.


    The eerie and bone-chilling green me surged forth from the device, instantly illuminating their surroundings.


    "Eh young master, What are you doing?" Xiao Yu questioned in a hurried manner, narrowing his eyes as the intense light filled his vision.


    Lu Zhen, however, proceeded without hesitation. "But first..." He granted a painless release to the little girl before setting all the lifeless bodies aze.


    Xiao Yu''s eyes widened in shock as he observed Lu Zhen extinguishing the girl''s life and initiating the fiery end for the corpses.


    "Oh poor thy soul may you rest in nothingness¡­" Lu Zhen closed his eyes and offered a quiet prayer. In his view, the concepts of heaven and hell were merely tales wielded by the powerful to control the masses in ancient times, based on his experience in his previous world which acted as an invisiblew for the people.


    In this world, there was no belief in the existence of heaven or hell, reinforcing Lu Zhen''s perspective.


    In an abrupt motion, Lu Zhen unleashed a punch to his right, unveiling a perplexing creature. It bore the body of a man but a girl''s head, with a woman''s hands that had sharp beasts like nails and a boy''s legs, culminating in the tail of a furry animal. Toplete this bizarre assembly, the little girl''s head featured beastly fangs and a snout.


    This peculiar mixture of forms was nothing short of grotesque.


    The creature''s semi-transparent form collided with Lu Zhen''s outstretched fist, causing his eyes to widen in astonishment as his punch, carrying the force of at least five tons, effortlessly passed through the figure as if it didn''t exist at all. Unfazed, the creature responded byunching its fang-like, nail-based attack against him.


    Lu Zhen, however, remained in his spot, bearing the assault with an almost indifferent air. The creature''s efforts barely scratched him, and any damage inflicted healed within a matter of seconds.


    Turning his attention to Elv, Lu Zhen inquired, "Do you know what this is?" His gaze remained fixed on the semi-transparent creature.


    Elv provided an exnation, "They are anomalies born from the depths of resentment itself."


    Lu Zhen was taken aback, his eyes studying the peculiar semi-transparent creature with heightened scrutiny.


    Lu Zhen inquired, "How do you kill it then?"


    Elv responded, "Simple, you have to use qi. These small anomalies are no match for martial artists; they''re primarilyposed of mortal beings, and although their numbers are substantial, they still can''t reach the level of Ghost Captains, who are third-stage martial artists."


    Lu Zhen considered this, musing, "Ghost Captain? So they use a power system simr to that of beasts, huh..." He casually generated a whirlwind by slicing his hands through the air like a saber, gathering a bit of wood qi.


    With a swift "swish," the ghostly figure was torn to shreds and subsequently vanished.


    Lu Zhen examined the area but found no trace of the ghost or anything it dropped.


    He remarked, "How convenient," though he couldn''t help but feel a tinge of disappointment.


    Xiao Yu, on the other hand, was growing increasingly ufortable in the smoke-filled air. Despite his obvious difort, he hesitantly asked, "Umm, young master, can we leave here?" His face disyed a mix of concern and reluctance as he addressed Lu Zhen.


    "Alright, let''s go then," Lu Zhen said, having noticed the smoke. His enhanced body, including strengthened organs and lungs, allowed him to endure this much smoke, almost purifying the air he breathed in. However, Elv didn''t fare as well, still inhabiting a mortal girl''s body.


    As the trio hurriedly left the dungeon and the mage base, they emerged in the pond, leaving their clothes soaked.


    "Here, young master," Yu Bai provided new clothes for Lu Zhen and the others, including Elv.


    Lu Zhen had strictly ordered Yu Bai to stay in the carriage as he remained with the old man. While Yu Bai was a third-stage peak martial artist, Lu Zhen''s strength had long surpassed this level, and his physique now appeared to have broken through the second-stage martial realm.


    If that was indeed the case, Lu Zhen possessed the raw physical strength of a second-stage martial artist, making Yu Bai''s strength appear like that of a child, rendering him more of a burden. It was better for him to guard the horses if they ran likest time although the reins were stronger now but you never know what could happen.


    Lu Zhen reflected, "It was quite the wild run," as he sat on a rock after changing into his new clothes.


    "I will deal with Elvter," Lu Zhen thought to himself as he observed the girl whose eyes had transformed from their usual white pupils to a void-like ck colour, and her entire demeanour had shifted.

 Chapter 126: Ambush

    "Young master, then I will take my leave," Ju Ji said, bowing to Lu Zhen before turning to depart.


    Lu Zhen actually didn''t want to release Elv''s servant, realising that she could potentially y a crucial role for him. However, the blood contract they had formed included a use stipting that Lu Zhen had to return Ju Ji safely and securely to Elv. Thus, he had no choice but to let her go.


    He looked at the old man, who was anxiously checking Xiao Yu for any injuries, tears welling up in his eyes.


    "Sometimes, the power of family love surprises me quite a bit..." Lu Zhen''s voice quivered, and a small tear trickled down his cheek as he recalled his family from his previous life. Even the adaptability skill couldn''t quell the emotions that welled up within him.


    [You have surpassed your emotion]


    [Your adaptability skill has ascended from level 4 to level 5]


    A profound transformation seemed to be urring inside Lu Zhen, a change that he couldn''t quite grasp. It was a peculiar feeling, but he was so deeply immersed in his own thoughts that he hadn''t yet recognized it.


    Lu Zhen''s mind drifted, and he wondered about his mother. He wondered if she was living well, given that he had left a significant sum of money in her bank ount from his savings and his life insurance.


    His father and his elder sister had tragically perished in a car ident when he was just nine years old, leaving Lu Zhen and his mother to forge ahead alone. While their family may have been considered average, ensuring they had a roof over their heads and food on the table, Lu Zhen''s heart still yearned for a deeper connection, for the warmth of family love.


    As he left home to pursue his career, the decision to leave his mother alone weighed heavily on his heart. He had regretted it more than anything else. After honing his skills in codingnguages like C#, Java, and others, creating games to earn a modest ie, he made a swift return to his mother''s side. The very first thing she did upon his return was to embrace him warmly.


    This marked the second time in his life that he had truly shed tears. His life took a significant turn when he secured a job with a prestigious trillion-dorpany, obtaining a high-ranking position.


    However, just when it seemed his life was on the right track, he unexpectedly transmigrated to this unfamiliar world. Despite the initial despair, he had managed to adapt to this new environment.


    Even though he had left a substantial sum of money, a savings ount, and insurance policies totaling at least $300,000 for his mother''s financial well-being, he still carried a deep sense of concern for her.


    With a sigh, Lu Zhen collected his thoughts and stood up from his spot, making his way to the carriage.


    While Yu Bai held some curiosity about the bags Lu Zhen carried, he understood that it wasn''t his ce to question his young master. As long as Lu Zhen was safe, he was content.


    After some prodding from the old man, the father and son finally entered the carriage, ending what felt like an eternity of nagging that left Xiao Yu''s ears on the verge of ringing.


    Lu Zhen handed a random martial art book from his pouch to Xiao Yu, causing the young man''s eyes to instantly light up with excitement. He was ecstatic.


    "This is your reward for risking your life," Lu Zhen dered.


    "Thank you, young master."


    In gratitude, Xiao Yu immediately bowed to Lu Zhen and expressed his heartfelt thanks.


    An unbelievable excitement came from the bottom of his heart. Although the martial art Lu Zhen gave Xiao Yu was the martial art that his little maid Lily was previously practising, it was definitely worth more than gold for them since people of their status can never get their hands on a martial arts cultivation technique.


    Although it could make one at most to the peak of an ordinary human, it couldn''t even help to sense qi.


    That means they couldn''t even reach martial trainees, but it was a turning point for Xiao Yu. After all, with strength, wealth naturallyes.


    Lu Zhen just nodded his head as he sat in a meditative position. He decided to cultivate only when he went home, feeling the need to fully utilise the potion for best effect to help him reach the second stage of the martial realm.


    The carriage moved through the paved path of the forest as it made its way back to Phoenix City.


    Meanwhile, the only route that one could pass and enter Phoenix City other routes were blocked by rivers and hills.


    "This is a perfect ce to ambush and hide. The reinforcements from the city will take at least an hour to arrive, unless it''s a first-stage martial artist. The path forces anyone with a carriage to pass through here," the man, dressed in a full ck and green cloak that nearly blended with the environment, said to his two fellow grand elders.


    They were also d in the same attire and hidden among the trees as effectively as possible.


    "No matter what, we are second-stage martial artists, and we have to deal with a young brat who is at most a third-stage martial artist. Does the Patriarch consider us a joke?" Xia Ku grumbled in his aged voice, stretching his back.


    "I''m only here to repay the Patriarch''s favour. After this, I have nothing else to do with that bastard. What about you, Xia Jiang?"


    After all, mobilising a second-stage martial artist wasn''t easy, even for the Patriarch of the Xia family, who was also a second-stage martial artist.


    "It''s the same for me as well." Xia Jiang said in his aged voice the one who was measuring the distance also nodded his head.


    "The Patriarch has indeed spoiled his daughter to the point of madness," Xia Ku said, his tone tinged with anger.


    "I wonder what kind of storm will be unleashed in the city when we kill the young master of the Lu family. The war may be on the horizon," the person measuring the distance mentioned, uncertainty gleaming in their eyes.


    "You''ve experienced the war among the major families before, haven''t you?"

 Chapter 127: Adaptability Level Up

    "It wasn''t exactly a full-blown war, but thousands of people lost their lives making an entire river through blood only, including us second-stage martial artists who weren''t exactly safe either as even second-stage martial artist suffered injuries," Xia Ku mentioned with a reminiscent eyes that showed a deep terror in his eyes.


    He again scratched his clothes.


    "This cloth is really ufortable..."


    "Bear with it, as we only need it to ensure the Lu family brat doesn''t escape or be alert," Xia Jing replied with a slight smile.


    "Initially, that foolish girl Xia Yuner... While she may be smart, suggesting a third-stage martial artist to handle the Lu family brat? She still doesn''tprehend the ways of the world. We have intel that Lu Zhen''s guard is at least a peak third-stage martial artist. After all, he killed our valuable assassins, and their leader was a peak third-stage martial artist.


    So, he could potentially be a second-stage martial artist," Xia Ku remarked without hesitation.


    "Sending the three of us should be sufficient, and even if it isn''t..." He revealed a jade bracelet.


    The two''s eyes widened at the sight.


    "The ancestor''s bracelet?"


    "Yes. When we break this, we can signal our ancestors. It is crucial for us to secretly assassinate Lu Zhen at all costs. If we fail, a war will erupt, consuming the entire poption of millions in Phoenix City," Xia Ku dered, a serious glint shing in his eyes, casting a heavy atmosphere over them.


    Actually, the only reason the ancestor had agreed to go along with Xia Yuner''s wishes was because Lu Zhen was the son of Lu Ying. The deep-rooted hatred for killing their patriarch still simmered within them.


    Meanwhile, the carriage continued along the thorny path of the forest, threading its way through.


    "Halt," suddenly, Lu Zhen shouted, and the carriage came to a stop.


    "Eh, what happened, young master?" Yu Bai inquired, but Lu Zhen didn''t respond, his attention focused on the screen in front of him. A frown creased his face.


    [Ding!]


    [Three hostile creatures detected in front of the host, approximately 100 kilometres away.]


    [Quest generated]


    [Mission: Either escape or eliminate the three hostile creatures approaching the host.]


    [Difficulty: Impossible]


    [Reward: Unknown]


    Lu Zhen''s expression slowly twisted as he noted the quest''s impossible difficulty grade and the fact that the reward was entirely unknown. He had already dealt with enough unknowns in this world, and this didn''t bode well.


    "At least now I know how this quest works," Lu Zhen thought with a hint of bitterness.


    [Host, due to insufficient data, there is a question mark; however, one thing is certain. If you fight or flee, depending on that choice, you willplete a condition that will grant you skills or level up your skills, possibly both.]


    Lu Zhen couldn''t help but feel a bit indignant. "What about the ''impossible'' grade in the mission, then?"


    [It simply indicates the mission''s grade. There are quests of varying difficulties, such as easy, medium, hard, impossible. The grades higher than the impossible quests are unknown.]


    Upon hearing this, Lu Zhen was still frustrated. "So, does an ''impossible'' mission mean it''s literally impossible?" he inquired in his thoughts.


    [Yes, Host. Unless a miracle urs, considering the host''s current physical condition, it''s logically a suicidal quest. However it is only using perfect "logic".]


    Lu Zhen felt himself fully twist inside as he absorbed this information. Nevertheless, he took a deep breath, attempting to regain hisposure. Almost instantly, Lu Zhen achieved a remarkable level of calm, like still water.


    "Eh, how did this happen?" Lu Zhen wondered as he curiously experimented. He tried to conjure anger, and almost instantly, he felt a surge of genuine anger welling up from the depths of his heart, as if it were the most natural emotion in the world.


    Next, he directed his thoughts toward envy, specifically focusing on Xiao Yu. As expected, envy took hold of his mind, creating an unreasonable sense of jealousy towards Xiao Yu.


    "System, did I gain a new skill or something?"


    [Log]


    A log prompt appeared in his vision. Lu Zhen imagined pressing it, but he was disappointed to find that there was only a single level up in one of his skills.


    [Your Adaptability skill has levelled up from level 4 to level 5.]


    "So, the Adaptability skill must be responsible for this," Lu Zhen mused. His crimson eyes turned golden as he essed his status and focused on the skill section. Instantly, all of his skills appeared before him.


    [Skills]


    [Gluttony: level 8]


    [Appraisal eye: level 6]


    [Saber mastery: level 6]


    [Adaptability: level 5]


    [Aura control: level 5]


    [Meditation: level 2]


    [Dual cultivation: level 2]


    [Alchemy: level 2]


    [Sword mastery: level 2]


    [Qian mastery: level 1]


    [Staff master: level 1]


    [Chain mastery: level 1]


    He focused his golden eyes on the Adaptability skill, and almost instantly, a prompt appeared in his vision.


    [Adaptability (Level 5): Grants the host the ability to adapt both physically and mentally, elerating the process of adaptation and allowing the host to control his emotions as desired.]


    Lu Zhen''s eyes widened as he read this.


    "So, after the update, the system has be more systematic, and the Adaptability skill now allows me to control my emotions," Lu Zhen realised. He heaved a sigh of relief.


    In truth, he wasn''t fond of his previous Adaptability skill, which had made him almost devoid of emotions and special things he couldn''t control.


    However, now that he had the ability to control his emotions as he saw fit, he recognized the potential for maniption and enhancing hisbat capabilities.


    Although Lu Zhen had subtly learned how to manipte his emotions in the previous world, it had mostly been a facade that people put on.


    While he could do this in the current world, he understood that even the smallest subtleties would give him away to an average martial artist. So he didn''t bother trying to fake his emotions, as it was nearly impossible to make them appear perfectly natural.

 Chapter 128: Impossible-grade Mission

    "Now, how do I deal with this trouble?" Lu Zhen pondered. He hadn''t forgotten the main issue with this quest - it''s an impossible grade. From the tone of the system, it was clear that the quest was nearly impossible toplete, and the potential consequences for failure were dire.


    It didn''t take a genius to figure out that he would die if he didn''t manage toplete it from the hands of his enemies.


    "Can you tell if those creatures are human or not, system?"


    [No]


    "What about their strength?"


    [From the aura they are subtly leaking, it looks like they are at least second-stage martial realm.]


    The cold, mechanical voice of the system resounded in Lu Zhen''s head as he woke up to the cold reality.


    He was going to die!


    There was nothing around that he could escape to. If he went too far, who knows what terrifying dangers awaited him. Although the forest was cleared by martial artists from beasts, it was only around the city. The forest was vast, with many ovepping forests.


    In simpler terms, Lu Zhen might be able topare the entire continent from his previous world, which would beparable to the vast forest or this forest can be even bigger. To Lu Zhen''s knowledge, only first-stage martial artists could cross this distance.


    Despite having a physical body that could bepared in raw strength to a second-stage martial artist, Lu Zhen was acutely aware that this was just one aspect. He remained well aware of the significant gap that separated him from a true martial artist of the second stage in terms of skill and experience.


    Lu Zhen''s thoughts whirred like a finely-tuned machine, churning out countless calctions and possibilities. He had to strategize quickly. His mind worked in overdrive, sorting through options, assessing risks, and seeking a way out. Despite the storm of thoughts raging inside him, his exterior bore a mask of stoic calmness.


    Yu Bai, having witnessed Lu Zhen''s deep contemtion, patiently waited. Although Lu Zhen''s inner monologue might seem long, it transpired within a matter of mere seconds.


    The father and son who shared the carriage with him looked on with curiosity, intrigued by Lu Zhen''s thoughtful expression.


    Among them, Xiao Yu held a deep admiration for Lu Zhen, a sense of awe that was growing by the moment. He clutched the book tightly to his chest, excitement gleaming in his eyes.


    "I finally have the means to protect myself and my father," he thought, as he held the book close, the prospect of newfound strength filling him with hope and determination.


    Meanwhile, the trio of grand elders maintained their patient vigil, exuding an air of seriousness that had lingered throughout the day.


    "That brat still hasn''t arrived, making me wait a whole day. How dare he? The audacity of that bastard. It''s his honour to meet his end at my hands," Xia Jiang grumbled as he struggled to contain his growing impatience.


    "Once we capture him, I''ll ensure he regrets the day he was born. Death will be a blessing for him," he added with a menacing tone.


    The middle aged man and Xia Ku exchanged knowing nces, silently acknowledging Xia Ku''s noticeableck of patience.


    "He is the oldest but the most impatient one." This thought reverberated between them.


    Xia Ku''s gaze shifted upwards, noting the gathering clouds that obscured the once-clear sky.


    "It''s going to rain soon," he forecasted, yet none of them moved even a single bit. They remained still in their positions.


    Before long, the dark clouds converged overhead, and the surroundings echoed with the resounding booms of thunder, enough to startle ordinary mortals.


    Pitter-patter!


    Rain began to fall heavily, yet in a curious twist of nature, not a single droplet touched the grand elders'' garments. Their clothes remained miraculously dry, untouched by the water.


    It was as if water itself was avoiding them. The rain that fell on them strangely bent as it reached them.


    Even the rain that fell to the ground seemed to encounter an invisible barrier, as if a protective force field had been erected. This was a special trait of second-stage martial artists.


    Their qi was so condensed that it formed a passive shield, making them nearly invulnerable to mere mortal weapons and even if one can have enough power to damage them the power is significantly reduced by the shield, unless they depleted their qi.


    The three grand elders continued to wait patiently in the rain.


    As the rain eventually ceased and the sun set in the distance, there was still no sign of Lu Zhen anywhere.


    The moon slowly appeared in the distance as night fell, but Lu Zhen seemed to have vanished without a trace.


    "We''re running out of time," Xia Jing frowned as he observed the setting moon.


    "Could that brat somehow know we''re waiting for him?" he pondered, but quickly dismissed the idea. They had taken every precaution to minimise their presence, and within a 2 km range, their keen senses would detect him, especially since he was travelling by carriage.


    "What should we do now? We''re running out of time, and the tournament will soon begin. The Lu family will likely start searching for him if he doesn''t show up," Xia Ku stated, his eyes narrowed.


    "Let''s split up," Xia Jing suggested, a ruthless glint shing in his eyes.


    "You stay here, and we two will search for that brat," he said, directing his attention to the middle-aged man.


    "I suppose I''ll have to stretch my abilities to repay the favour," Xia Ku added with a nod. Both of them instantly vanished from their position, leaving the middle-aged man alone.


    "Sigh, what am I doing here? I should be enjoying time with my grandkids," the middle-aged man muttered with a sigh, his eyes scanning his surroundings.


    Unbeknownst to them, a figure barely visible to the naked eye blended into the shadows, concealed behind a tree about half a kilometre away, watching them as the two grand elders left.

 Chapter 129: Impossible-grade Mission (2)

    "How interesting. Finally, one is alone now. Can I kill him?" Lu Zhen contemted as he fixed his gaze on the middle-aged man. Having gleaned from the quest that hostile creatures were lying in wait for him, he opted for the simplest course of action: to remain in his current position. He instructed Old Bai to conceal the carriage and find cover with the father and son.


    With confidence in his ability to hide effectively, he decided to position himself at a safe distance from them, keeping a vignt eye on their activities. In case they spotted him, he wanted to ensure that he could make a swift getaway. After all, he was a man driven by a desire for revenge.


    To execute this, Lu Zhen employed the same technique as he did in the mage base to catch the trio of so-called grand elders off guard. He manipted his aura to resemble that of an inanimate object by using his aura control skill and using the "Shadow Veil" technique he had learned from his personal guard to blend into the shadows.


    Although Lu Zhen took a gamble to see if these second-stage martial artists could sense him or not, his efforts paid off, relieving him to some extent. He knew better than to underestimate an enemy. Just like a tiger that must exert its full strength to catch a rabbit, theory and practicality didn''t always align.


    Lu Zhen had a contemtive expression on his face. He faced a dilemma: should he attempt to make a run for the city or engage in a battle with the middle-aged man, potentially partially fulfilling the mission?


    His mind meticulously calcted the odds of victory. After careful consideration, he reached a decision.


    "Sigh," Lu Zhen exhaled slowly and cautiously began to manoeuvre around the area, subtly circling the middle-aged man. He had no desire to face a higher-stage martial artist unless his life depended on it.


    Lu Zhen knew better than to recklessly provoke those in positions of higher power, as only a foolish and self-righteous person would engage them inbat without a reasonable chance of survival.


    As he cautiously closed the distance to around 300 meters from the middle-aged man, a sudden, intense feeling of danger surged within him. In a swift reaction, he rolled to the side.


    Whoosh!


    A wooden log, propelled with tremendous speed, flew through the air. The sheer velocity caused the log to ignite from the friction, giving it the appearance of a fiery meteor. Upon impact, it created a small crater in the ground.


    While the surrounding forest briefly illuminated with mes, the fire quickly extinguished, unable to consume the dense, resilient wood of the trees.


    Lu Zhen''s eyes widened as he felt a sharp object pierce his back, creating a hole in his chest. Oddly, there was no blood. It was then that the middle-aged man revealed himself.


    "You should have remained hidden," the man sneered, nonchntly stomping his foot, which sent shockwaves through the ground.


    The moment the knife pierced Lu Zhen''s back, his form seemed to disintegrate, vanishing as if it had never existed. He reappeared, rolling about 100 meters away from the middle-aged man.


    "Did you believe the same trick would work twice, or that an afterimage could deceive me?" the middle aged man sneered.


    Without hesitation, the middle-aged man extended his arm, generating a series of vicious wind shes aimed at Lu Zhen.


    "Hundred-fold Wind sh," he whispered to himself.


    The unleashed wind shes effortlessly sliced through the dense trees like a hot knife through butter, travelling at an incredible speed towards Lu Zhen. Numerous thoughts raced through Lu Zhen''s mind, but his body struggled to synchronise with his thoughts, leaving him unable to react in time.


    The force of the windunched Lu Zhen into the air, propelling him through the forest and directly crashing through a tree. As dust settled around the impact site, it became evident that a tree had been uprooted by the sheer force of the collision.


    The middle-aged man sneered; however, he didn''t move from his position as he stayed there as he took out a katana from his waist.


    "Do you think you could fool a second-stage martial artist?" He sneered as he shed with his katana.


    "Wind sh."


    The middle-aged man muttered in his head as a wind de went in the direction of Lu Zhen; however, these wind des reached a terrifying length of 10 metres, with their speed reaching a terrifying degree.


    The wind de directly went in the direction that Lu Zhen had previously crashed into, clearing the entire dust as it revealed Lu Zhen.


    "I suppose I''ll need to get serious now," Lu Zhen muttered as he straightened up. There were grievous gashes on his chest and stomach, and blood flowed profusely from the wounds. However, the incredible part was that the injuries visibly healed at a rapid pace, sealing up as Lu Zhen''s body regenerated.


    The middle-aged man was stunned by the recovery ability of Lu Zhen; however, he still didn''t move from his position to attack Lu Zhen.


    "How strange." He swung his katana again, sending a wind de at Lu Zhen; however, this time Lu Zhen was prepared as he created a small whirlwind that directly nullified the wind de.


    Lu Zhen panted as veins popped in his head. He imagined feeling anger, and immediately a rage built up in him from within. His eyes turnedpletely blood red, with his pupils crimson red. His eyes almost looked like it was blood itself.


    "Eh, why is he so angry all of a sudden?" The middle-aged man was stunned as he looked at Lu Zhen; however, his eyes widened to the limit when he saw the transformation of Lu Zhen as he expanded.


    Lu Zhen''s body expanded to a height of 12 feet (3.6576 meters), with his muscles inting to an exaggerated degree. Sharp horns grew from his head, and a slim tail emerged from his back.


    The middle-aged man was shocked, but his legs didn''t stop. In a matter of seconds, he reached Lu Zhen and swung his katana directly at Lu Zhen''s neck.

 Chapter 130: Impossible-grade Mission (3)

    Lu Zhen''s eyes narrowed as he felt a sharp sensation on his neck. Instinctively, he raised his hand to block the katana. The de shed at his hand, and the middle-aged man smirked, thinking he could cleanly slice through Lu Zhen''s arms and behead him.


    However, as the katana met Lu Zhen''s hand, it cleanly sliced through a portion of it, about an inch deep. The middle-aged man''s confidence grew, thinking he had struck a decisive blow. But to his disbelief, his katana became stuck. He tugged and pulled, but it wouldn''t budge from Lu Zhen''s thick, muscr arms.


    Frowning in frustration, the middle-aged man couldn''tprehend what was happening.


    "Got you."


    Suddenly, Lu Zhen''s voice, cold and determined, echoed in his ears. Two extra arms sprouted from Lu Zhen''s back, and they delivered powerful punches to the middle-aged man''s right in the face.


    The impact sent him hurtling through the air, and he crashed into a tree. The force of the blow was so powerful that he knocked down not one but two massive trees before finallying to a halt but he had a smirk in his face as at least he was able to withdraw his katana.


    Lu Zhen rapidly moved from his initial position, reappearing next to the coughing middle-aged man andunching another attack. The middle-aged man quickly raised his katana to block, but he grunted in pain from the immense force behind Lu Zhen''s punch.


    A crack appeared on the surface of his katana, and he was about to utter a curse and was about to use abat art when Lu Zhen suddenly vanished before his eyes. The middle-aged man was left bewildered, scanning the surroundings for any trace of Lu Zhen.


    "He escaped?" He muttered in confusion, his face a mix of surprise and uncertainty. A cold wind swept through the area, and a sense of foreboding washed over him.


    The middle-aged man clenched his teeth and quickly contacted his two fellow grand elders as he dashed in the direction where Lu Zhen had fled.


    Lu Zhen, still in his hulking form, was running at full speed. Before, when he first went berserk, he couldn''t control his body well, but now, thanks to his "adaptability" skill, he had learned to harness his newfound strength and aggression without the uncontroble urge to kill.


    "Did you really think I''d stick around for a losing battle?" Lu Zhen sneered to himself as he continued to sprint towards the city. His hands trembled slightly from the overwhelming aura he had sensed when the middle-aged man became serious.


    "At least now I have a better understanding of my own power. I could, at best, have a light sparring match with a true second-stage martial artist." Lu Zhen''s instincts had strongly urged him to flee as quickly as possible to avoid a life-threatening situation or severe injuries, something he was definitely not keen on experiencing.


    "My realm is still too small even with this many skills," Lu Zhen summoned his status with a thought as he looked at it while still running.


    [LEVEL UP]


    ¡ª-----


    [Name: Lu Zhen]


    --------


    [Race: Human]


    [Bloodline: Half Human/ Half Volgrith]


    [Lifespan left: 155 years]


    --------


    [Attributes]


    [Constitution: Divine physique (level 4)]


    [Charm: Mortal (Level 5)]


    [Wood Qi: third-stage martial artist](5%)


    [Demonic Qi: null]


    [Mana: Null Circle]


    ???


    --------


    [Cultivation manuals]


    [Cultivation technique: Verdant art (stage 2)]


    [Combat arts: [Verdant Whirlwind (full mastery)], [Whispering Shadow Step (full mastery)], [Verdant Grove Fist(full mastery)]]


    --------


    Skills: 12


    ¡ª-----


    [Quest]


    [Mission: Either escape or eliminate the three hostile creatures approaching the host.]


    [Difficulty: Impossible]


    [Reward: Unknown]


    Lu Zhen had enough experience to recognize that he couldn''t prevail against the middle-aged man, even when striking with his full power he had barely cracked the katana of the man while the man hadn''t even used half of his strength.


    Despite his remarkable skills and adaptability, he was only able to condense and purify his Qi by 5% after reaching the third-stage martial realm, which meant he was still in the early stage of the third-stage martial realm.


    In essence, Lu Zhen understood that his current abilities were inadequate to overpower an opponent of a higher realm even with his cheat.


    Lu Zhen wasn''t being a coward; instead, he was being logical. As the old saying went, "One can''t be defeated if one can run away from thy enemy."-Aurelius_Imperotor.


    This was a tactical retreat for Lu Zhen, a strategic decision to ensure his own safety and avoid a potentially life-threatening battle that he wasn''t prepared for.


    "Whispering Shadow Step," Lu Zhen muttered in his head. Instantly, Lu Zhen''s speed increased as countless images of him were created, all appearing to walk on the ground as if there were multiple Lu Zhens. However, these images disappeared after a short span.


    After-images were created as Lu Zhen''s speed reached a limit that seemed to almost break the sound barrier. A tearing sound, as if the very fabric of the air, reverberated in the surroundings.


    The ground cracked due to the sheer power of Lu Zhen''s running, creating at least a 1-metre hole wherever he passed. Although it might be a way to track Lu Zhen, he couldn''t care less as long as he could reach the city.


    Soon, the giant walls of the city in the distance prompted excitement in Lu Zhen. Even the middle-aged man was stunned by Lu Zhen''s speed, unable to keep up. He could easily track Lu Zhen, but the speed at which Lu Zhen moved was terrifying, to say the least.


    "Do I have to let a brat go?" he thought with a bitter expression on his face.


    "If I let him go, not only will I lose face, but I might also end up dead, and even the Xia family might be ughtered by that kid." He hadn''t forgotten Lu Zhen''s age; he was an eighteen-year-old kid who had reached terrifying strength and be a literal monster. One could only imagine what the kid could do in the future after bing a first-stage martial artist.


    He regretted not having the ancestor''s bracelet, as Xia Ku had it. A ruthless glint shed in his eyes.

 Chapter 131: Impossible-grade Mission (4): Forbidden Combat Art

    "For my family," the middle-aged man roared as his speed suddenly surged.


    Boom!


    The ground caved in by at least 4 metres from the sheer force of the rebound as the middle-aged man sprinted.


    "Forbiddenbat art: Qi Mortem," the middle-aged man roared as the surrounding qi was instantly drawn into his body like a ck hole. All the qi entered his body and was rapidly converted into wind Qi.


    The wind Qi concentrated in his legs, causing them to expand to an exaggerated degree, resembling the essence of wind itself.


    It was as if the old man was tearing through the void. He covered a distance of a kilometre in a matter of seconds, his speed reaching an extremely terrifying level as he closed in on Lu Zhen.


    Suddenly, Lu Zhen''s instincts went haywire as he heard a deafening tearing sound greater than anything he had experienced.


    Lu Zhen wanted to jump to the side; however, he wasn''t given a moment. Still, Lu Zhen was able to jump a little, causing the trajectory of the attack to be redirected from slicing through his neck.


    Swish!


    Lu Zhen violently coughed up blood as he felt a katana cleanly slice through him. It cut his vertebra in half, almost reaching his heart in that swift sh.


    Lu Zhen''s vision dimmed as he fell to the ground. However, Lu Zhen hurriedly rolled to the side, ignoring the pain he felt in his back as he swiftly coated his vertebrae with his wood qi to support him, with blood trailing behind him on the ground as Lu Zhen rolled.


    A katana sliced at the previous ce where Lu Zhen had fallen down in a terrifying speed creating a carter of 2 metres just from the sheer force of the katana in the ground.


    After making a safe distance, Lu Zhen turned back in a quick motion, and what he saw shocked Lu Zhen.


    The man could no longer be called middle-aged. His once half-ck and few white hairs had turnedpletely white. His entire face seemed to have be wrinkled, his entire skin seemed to have clung to his bone with no meat or muscles, almost like a skeleton. His height had also seemed to have decreased significantly.


    "Did you use a forbiddenbat art?" Lu Zhen''s eyes widened as he again rolled, dodging another katana sh with the support of his wood qi in his back to temporarily join and heal his broken vertebra.


    The man had a regretful expression when he saw Lu Zhen dodging.


    "How does this brat have such an instinct?" he thought. He had initially nned to behead Lu Zhen but he changed his trajectory just in the nick of time, leaving Lu Zhen with a deep cut in his back instead of directly beheading him.


    "How much can you heal?" The man sneered as he looked at the barely moving Lu Zhen, whose posture was strange due to the broken vertebra.


    "You¡­" Suddenly, Lu Zhen blended into the shadows, vanishing from sight.


    "Are you using that trick again?" The man swiftly reached a ce as he gathered all the wind qi in his qi pathways, preparing to attack in a certain direction.


    However, he frowned as he felt his vitality seeping away at a rapid pace. "I should end this quickly. I don''t have much time," he thought.


    Lu Zhen suddenly appeared at the right side of the man from the shadows as he threw a punch. The man was caught off-guard as he was pushed back by a little. However instead of the man being hurt, Lu Zhen''s entire arm had small cuts, making his blood gush out and almost rendering his arm unusable as even his tendons were damaged.


    Lu Zhen didn''t give up, throwing another punch with his other arm.


    The man sneered as he allowed Lu Zhen to hit him. He stood there with his skeletal figure, unaffected.


    "Remember the person who killed you. You monster, Xia Di," he roared as he raised his katana.


    "Dragon Vajra sh."


    The surrounding qi was still being absorbed by Xia Di, like a sponge instantly converting it into wind qi in his body, providing him with an infinite source of wind energy. The katana in his hands seemed to have a faint vision of a white dragon as it crackled with wind.


    Lu Zhen saw a vision of a faint white dragon, seemingly the god of wind himself, controlling the wind effortlessly and creating storms out of nowhere.


    He hurriedly used his [Verdant Whirlwind] trying to cancel the move as Lu Zhen tried to ignore the distraction from the vision as much as possible, but to his despair, he found that he couldn''t conjure any wind even when he used thebat art.


    "I am not going to die here," a ruthless glint shed in Lu Zhen''s eyes. He channeled everyst bit of his wood Qi, coating his legs with it. With the full weight of his body, he drove himself into the ground like a drill, narrowly avoiding Xia Di''s lethal strike.


    As Lu Zhen''s body burrowed deeper into the ground, it was as though the very fabric of the void itself was being torn asunder by the swinging katana. It produced a violent and terrifying wind, reminiscent of the magnificent white dragon from his vision, shattering everything in its path as it reached up towards the sky.


    The dragon-shaped vortex seemed to ascend to the sky, leaving a trail of destruction in its wake. After travelling for some distance, a thunderous "boom" reverberated through the sky, resembling a nuclear explosion. The clouds parted, and a mushroom-shaped void appeared in the sky, revealing the radiant sun.


    "Huff! Huff!" his entire body was devoid of vitality as his skin stuck to his bone however he was still somehow alive.


    "Little brat, I''ve won," the skeleton-like figure said, his frail hand barely lifting the katana as he went for Lu Zhen, the de aiming directly for his skull.


    Lu Zhen''s eyes widened in sheer helplessness as he could only watch the deadly trajectory of the katana. Time appeared to slow down, and he felt entirely powerless.


    "Am I going to die? Just after I was transmigrated to this world. What did I do wrong to die so quickly?" his thoughts raced as the de approached.

 Chapter 132: Impossible-grade Mission (5)

    Powerless and with a grim eptance of his situation, Lu Zhen couldn''t muster the strength to escape the impending danger.


    "However, this much force shouldn''t be able to crack my skull. At most, I''ll get a few scratches. But this is still a gamble. After all, the katana''s material and quality depend on it. After I return, I must be a second-stage martial artist," Lu Zhen''s mind raced with calctions, almost instantly assessing the strength of the katana''s swing and the angle of the impending attack.


    With the katana''s edge barely 5 cm from Lu Zhen''s skull, someone suddenly intervened. A powerful punch instantly separated the man''s hand from his skeletal body, leaving the katana suspended in the detached hand before it ttered to the ground with a resonating ng.


    Thud!


    The katana fell to the ground. The man was stunned as his eyes widened in disbelief.


    "How dare you try to kill my son?" The cold voice of the woman who had previously haunted his nightmares resonated in his ears, sending a shiver down his spine.


    "Goodbye," Lu Ying coldly said, anger simmering from the depths of her heart. She casually punched, sending Xia Di''s skull flying. But she didn''t stop there. Wearing thorny gloves, she used her fists to entirely destroy Xia Di''s skeletal body, reducing him entirely to bone manure that would enrich mother nature herself.


    "Sigh, after all you''ve been through and the maturity you''ve shown, I didn''t expect to find you in this condition, my dear son," she remarked, her eyes filled with a mixture of emotions, with the tenderness of a mother''s love shining through.


    Removing her gloves, she helped Lu Zhen to his feet. "Look at you in your sorry state. You have to be more careful, my son," Lu Ying chided gently, her arms wrapped tightly around him in a loving embrace.


    Although Lu Zhen was a little stunned, he sank into his mother''s embrace. It wasn''t a horny hug but instead a mother''s pure love embrace, which made Lu Zhen forget all his worries.


    A small tear escaped her eyes as she regretted her decision to give Lu Zhen a cultivation technique; however, it was only for a split second. At least Lu Zhen, no matter how spoiled, was safe, but now he almost died from her perspective, which made her terrified.


    But still in this cruel world without strength you are just a pile of sh*t which would be used just for nurturing mother nature.


    Bloodline martial artist had a very close bond to their descendent due to the bloodline, and she and Lu Zhen had even more of a bond as she didn''t like her husband very much, so Lu Ying could only direct her entire love to her son.


    They hugged for a long time as Lu Zhen enjoyed a mother''s embrace for a long time.


    "Mother looks like we have guests." Lu Zhen said as his eyes lit up, his ears twitching.


    "Yes, son, we definitely have guests," Lu Ying chuckled as she released Lu Zhen from the lengthy hug. Although Lu Zhen possessed a strong physique, it paled inparison to Lu Ying''s, who was on the cusp of the second-stage martial realm and almost touching the first-stage martial realm.


    "Have you called our ancestors?"


    "Eh, yes, I have called him. But why are you asking?" Lu Ying questioned, her expression confused.


    "Well." Lu Zhen pointed at the bracelet that Xia Ku had just broken as they cautiously approached them.


    "You little runt, you were saying?" Xia Ku sneered, despite his initial shock at witnessing Xia Di''s gruesome death, as there were signs of him resorting to forbidden arts.


    Regardless of the dark magic Lu Zhen employed, their only responsibility was to keep Lu Zhen and the woman here since their ancestor wille soon to deal with them although their involvement will be exposed and there will be a war soon but it was better than letting a monster go that could potentially ughter there entire bloodline.


    "Are you sure?" Suddenly, Xia Ku heard a familiar voice that sent shivers down his spine.


    "Who are you?" Xia Ku asked, his eyes widening as he searched his memories, attempting to identify the source of the voice that filled him with dread.


    "You are¡­" Recognition dawned in his eyes, and they narrowed to slits as he immediately vanished from his position, fleeing and abandoning Xia Jing.


    "Did you think you could easily run away?" Suddenly, a bow materialized in Lu Ying''s hands, appearing out of thin air, resembling the one that Lu Zhen had previously received.


    Lu Ying pulled the strings of the bow, and, as if by magic, an arrow formed where she tugged.


    The arrow was entirely ck and seemed to be made of pure energy.


    Swish!


    Lu Ying released the arrow, and it shot forth at an astonishing speed, nearly disappearing into the shadows as it pierced the air.


    The arrow homed in on Xia Ku, and no matter how he twisted and turned, it unerringly found its mark, piercing him directly in the heart.


    However, Xia Ku''s feet didn''t stop as he sprinted even faster, escaping into the distance.


    "Sigh," Lu Ying sighed as she looked around, realising that Xia Jing had also managed to escape while she was focused on Xia Ku.


    "Let''s go now, son. Killing second-stage Martial artists who want to escape with their lives is still difficult for me." However, Lu Ying had a small smirk on her face, an amused glint in her eyes, as she looked in the direction where Xia Ku had fled.


    "Alright, Mother," Lu Zhen said, his wounds having already stopped bleeding. While the cuts remained, they were rapidly healing, as if they had never existed in the first ce, and even his severed vertebrae had healed with just a moment of rest.


    Lu Zhen had learned one thing from this fight: "adaptability" skill was useless in such terrifyingly quick fights that took moments to be done unless his skills level up more and bes better in the future.

 Chapter 133: Skill obtained: Battle Instinct (1)

    Lu Zhen swiftly reverted to his normal form. His hulking 12-foot (365.76 centimetres) tall figure gradually decreased, returning to his regr 7-foot (213.36 centimetres) height.


    His muscles toned down, but his robes were shredded to pieces due to his previous form. He was now wearing only ragged pants, with his muscr body on disy, featuring an 8-pack of abs and arms that had deted to 5 inches (12.7 cm) in thickness. The two extra arms that had grown from Lu Zhen''s back also disappeared.


    "Hmm, considering you haven''t practised demonic cultivation techniques, your form has reached a terrifying level. It might be due to your ancient warrior physique," Lu Yingmented with a contemtive expression.


    "Madam, we still haven''t found the agent," a person suddenly materialised from the shadows and bowed to Lu Ying.


    "Where could she have gone?" Lu Ying thought with a frown, but her priority was ensuring the safety of her son before her subordinates could search for the assassinster.


    "Let''s go back," Lu Ying said with some relief as a carriage approached from the distance.


    "Mother, about Yu Bai and the¡­"


    "Don''t worry about them. They will be escorted by my subordinate."


    "Thank you, Mother," Lu Zhen bowed. However, he didn''t enter the carriage and instead returned to the ce where he had initially hidden to spy on the three grand elders.


    "Eh." Although Lu Ying was a little stunned, she still curiously followed Lu Zhen.


    Soon, they reached the spot, and Lu Zhen began to dig up a certain area that showed signs of previous digging. Under Lu Ying''s watchful gaze, he took out tworge bags.


    "What are these?" Lu Ying asked as she sensed something strange about them.


    "These are the gains I got from that mage base."


    "Mage?" Lu Ying''s eyes widened at the mention of this word. She looked at Lu Zhen with a puzzled expression.


    "I won''t ask you to exin, but you shouldn''t do such dangerous things. Mages are truly terrifying."


    "Eh, did you know that mages exist even in this era as well?" Lu Zhen responded.


    "Of course I know. Did you think you are the only one to see mages? There have been many sightings of mages in the world, but in this city, it''s the first time I''ve heard of it. Either way, these are valuable items for you. You should utilise them to gain as much as possible." Phoenix city was rtively secluded from the outside world due to its vast forest however that didn''t mean it was weak.


    "Yes," Lu Zhen replied. With that, they both returned to the carriage and entered it.


    The interior of the carriage was more luxurious than Lu Zhen expected. He noticed a small bed in one corner, a mirror, and even a makeup setup.


    Lu Zhen wasn''t surprised when he saw this. How could women in this world be so beautiful that they could surpass any model from Lu Zhen''s previous world? It was because of makeup made from herbs.


    The difference was that one could tell when someone was wearing makeup in Lu Zhen''s previous world. In this world, the makeup looked almost as natural and this world just had better make up than his previous world.


    And with people in higher realms of martial cultivation, their facial features became clearer, although not to an exaggerated degree, and their bodies gradually approached a state of perfection.


    Just like Lu Zhen, after his cleansing, he had undeniably be more handsome, with his facial features bing clearer and tidier.


    "Here, sit in a seat."


    Lu Ying gestured toward a chair as she reclined on her bed.


    "Umm Alright mother." Lu Zhen said as he felt nervous at least he wanted to feel nervous as he sat in the chair as he closed his eyes to rest.


    Seeing that her son didn''t want to talk to her she also didn''t talk as she closed her eyes resting in the bed.


    Suddenly Lu Zhen''s eyes snapped open wide as a "ding" sound rang in his head.


    [Ding]


    [Quest]


    [Mission: Either escape or eliminate the three hostile creatures approaching the host.]


    [Difficulty: Impossible]


    [Reward: Unknown]


    [Questpleted]


    [Calction the rewards]


    [1%....2%....60%....100%]


    [Golden-grade reward given]


    [Skill obtained: Battle instinct]


    Lu Zhen''s vision was flooded with a long prompt, disyed systematically from top to bottom. His crimson eyes widened as he looked at his the skill he obtained


    Suddenly, his very muscles seemed to undergo a transformation. His vision clouded as Lu Zhen saw a vision of an unknown fighter, battling in a simted world. The fighter stood alone on an unfamiliar battlefield, surrounded by thousands of foes, yet he exuded an unrivalled fearlessness. With each move, he struck with precision, slicing through his opponents as if they were mere insects.


    His strikes were executed wlessly, effortlessly cleaving people in two without unnecessary movements.


    Then, the scene shifted. Countless arrows wereunched at the fighter. He didn''t flinch or panic; instead, he remained perfectly still. As the arrows closed in, almost grazing his body, the fighter made slight, seemingly imperceptible movements, altering his position by fractions of an inch.


    In doing so, he dodged every single arrow with a razor-thin margin that made each evasion seem like a near miss, yet not a single arrow grazed the fabric of his clothing. The man seemed to have almost be a ghost.


    A colossal elephant, standing at a minimum of 13 feet (3.96 metres) in height, charged toward the man. In a simple, fluid motion, he sidestepped the oing giant with just a hair''s breadth to spare, then jumped into the air, scaling the mighty beast.


    Boom!


    A resounding boom echoed through the battlefield as the man struck a precise spot on the elephant''s body. Instantly, the massive creature, weighing no less than 24,000 pounds (10,886 kilograms), mmed into the ground with its four legs bent on the ground with its eyes closed as if it were nothing more than a tiny insect.

 Chapter 134: Skill obtained: Battle Instinct (2)

    With ruthless determination, the man rejoined the fray, resuming his merciless ughter of the army. What left Lu Zhen in awe was the uncanny familiarity of the man''s movements. Each gesture, every step, and even the subtlest details seemed to be etched into Lu Zhen''s memory with remarkable rity.


    For a brief moment, Lu Zhen was filled with exhration as he marvelled at these intricately preserved movements. However, his excitement abruptly came to a halt, leaving him in a state of bewildered astonishment.


    His vision returned to the luxurious interior of the carriage, where his mothery with her eyes closed in slumber.


    "What just happened?" Lu Zhen thought, his expression marked by bewilderment. He was certain it wasn''t a hallucination. The movements of the illusory figure were imprinted in his memory, and he could subtly sense changes in his body, as if he had absorbed muscle memory from countless battles.


    Although his physical strength hadn''t improved significantly, it seemed his body had undergone a transformation simr to the man in his vision.


    It didn''t require a genius toprehend why this had urred. To confirm his suspicions, Lu Zhen summoned his status with a mere thought, focusing on the skill section.


    [Skills]


    [BATTLE INSTINCT: LEVEL 1]


    [Gluttony: level 8]


    [Appraisal eye: level 5]


    [Saber mastery: level 6]


    [Adaptability: level 5]


    [Aura control: level 5]


    [Meditation: level 2]


    [Dual cultivation: level 2]


    [Alchemy: level 2]


    [Sword mastery: level 2]


    [Qian mastery: level 1]


    [Staff master: level 1]


    [Chain mastery: level 1]


    To his surprise, the skill was disyed in bold letters and written in a resplendent golden hue.


    Lu Zhen''s crimson eyes transitioned to a gleaming gold as he intently focused on the "BATTLE INSTINCT" skill. Instantly, a detailed prompt materialised, unveiling the details of the "BATTLE INSTINCT" skill.


    [Skill name: BATTLE INSTINCT] (Golden)


    [Remark: A golden-ranked skill that grants the user battle instinct, enhancing muscle memory forbat and harmonising body with mind.]


    His eyes widened with excitement as he digested the information. Countless thoughts raced through his mind, calcting the potential applications of this newfound skill.


    "This is definitely something I''ve been missing," Lu Zhen thought, though it struck him as odd that there was no mention of the vision he had experienced.


    "System, why did this happen?" he inquired.


    [Host, due to the low level of your appraisal skill, the full details of the "BATTLE INSTINCT" skill weren''t initially revealed. As you level up the "BATTLE INSTINCT" skill, the visions will be more vivid, and your battle instinct will further intensify, as you''ve already begun to experience.]


    "Alright, I understand," Lu Zhen replied, nodding his head.


    "But why is it a golden rank? I haven''t seen that in other skills," he inquired.


    [Host, this is a special-grade skill. Other skills you possess are of an upgrade rank. In the future, you may experience visions like this when acquiring golden-grade skills. However, most of your current skills are ungraded. They can evolve to possess a grade, but the chances are quite slim, as seen with your Alchemy skill.


    Although it evolved from the Cooking skill, it has yet to reach a golden rank.]


    Lu Zhen was curious about the skill''s grade. "What determines the grade of a skill?" he asked.


    [Host, this is a new feature in the system, and based on current knowledge, there is only one golden rank. The brighter it shines in your status, the higher the grade of the skill. To achieve a better skill grade, you must be stronger, allowing the system to absorb more data from the world.]


    "Alright," Lu Zhen said to the system as he felt some movements and focused his eyes.


    The first thing he saw was Lu Ying, staring at him with curiosity as she gazed right into his face.


    Lu Zhen was a little stunned, almost jumping from shock.


    "Mother, when did you get here?" Although he was a bit distracted by the system, he had used his five senses to remain alert just in case. Lu Ying had seemingly passed right through his senses as she appeared before him.


    "I just arrived, seeing you lost in thought," Lu Ying chuckled. She paused, then asked, "Do you know how I passed right through your senses?"


    Lu Zhen had a curious expression as he nodded his head.


    "Sure, tell me what you were thinking about first, seeing you in such a thoughtful expression," Lu Ying said with a smirk on her face.


    "I was thinking about my ''battle instinct,'' mother," Lu Zhen replied, not lying as he was indeed pondering these skills.


    "Eh, what about it?"


    "I seem to have gained an instinct rted to battle from the fight with that second-stage martial artist, Xia Di."


    "Is that the reason why you were able to make a second-stage martial artist so miserable?" Lu Ying asked with a doubtful expression.


    Lu Zhen nodded but quickly moved his head to avoid a knife that was aimed at him.


    "Let''s test your battle skill then," Lu Ying said, amused by how Lu Zhen had dodged the attack with such precision, showing no unnecessary movements.


    "What about my question then?"


    "This will naturally get answered in this fight as it is better for you to experience it rather than telling you." Suddenly, Lu Ying seemed to have disappeared from Lu Zhen''s senses, blending into the surroundings better than he could.


    Lu Zhen''s eyes narrowed as he couldn''t sense Lu Ying anywhere, as if she never existed. He couldn''t detect any trace of her aura, and even when he used his five senses, he couldn''t determine her location.


    Suddenly, his instincts warned him of danger as three small daggers, almost like kunai, came at him from behind.


    However, Lu Zhen moved slightly, dodging the daggers by a split second. Another dagger came at him from the back as he had turned around, which he couldn''t sense using his five senses, but his instincts alerted him to the danger. He moved again, dodging by a thin margin, causing him to break out in a sweat.

 Chapter 135: Sixth sense: Mental Energy

    The relentless barrage of knives kepting at Lu Zhen, and he was forced to rely entirely on his instincts to evade each attack. He couldn''t track the knives with any of his five senses, which led to growing frustration. Despite his sensory limitations, his instincts served him well, guiding him through the rapid and chaotic dodging.


    This life-or-death dance with the hidden assant continued within the moving carriage. As time passed, Lu Zhen began to discern a peculiar rhythm to the attacks. It was as though he had found a pattern in the chaos.


    His focus intensified as he honed in on the sensation that apanied his dodges. It seemed to originate from within his head, and it had an unusual quality. Lu Zhen''s curiosity got the better of him, and he attempted to ess this strange energy.


    To his disappointment, his efforts were in vain. The energy remained elusive, blocked by some iprehensible barrier. He tried again and again to tap into it but couldn''t even sense it anymore.


    The fruitless attempts left Lu Zhen mentally and physically drained, his energy sapped by the very act of trying to ess this mysterious force.


    His body started to sweat, and he felt as if he was bing somewhat dehydrated.


    Lu Ying quickly materialised in front of Lu Zhen, shoving a pill down his throat.


    Lu Zhen opened his mouth, allowing the pill to enter. The pill travelled down his windpipe and oesophagus, melting almost instantly after it reached his stomach.


    The moment the pill dissolved, a familiar mysterious energy appeared in his body, providing a sense of exhration that seemed to make his cells excited. The mysterious energy nourished Lu Zhen''s body, slowly eliminating the dryness he had felt earlier, causing his body to expand.


    "Eh." Lu Ying was a little stunned by the swift recovery of Lu Zhen''s body and his bloated appearance. After all, the primary purpose of the pill was healing, and it shouldn''t have had such a profound effect.


    However she attributed this unexpected oue to Lu Zhen''s unique ancient warrior physique, a constitution that defiedmon sense. She had never heard of anyone possessing such a physique before and only knew vaguely how terrifying they are, especially in higher stages of the martial realm.


    She still remembered the vision of Lu Zhen''s awe-inspiring future, where he had be a god-like being capable of splitting the sun in a single sh. Lu Ying was certain that her son was destined for greatness. She knew that the future was uncertain, and many variables coulde into y, but she was determined to protect him at all costs to ensure he lived long enough to fulfil his dreams.


    "The Xia family, I swear I will exterminate every single one of you," Lu Ying swore in her heart as a ruthless glint shed in her eyes.


    "Son, did you experience it yourself?" She said with a smile on her face as she pointed toward Lu Zhen''s head.


    "You mean that energy in my head?" Lu Zhen asked with a confused expression.


    "Did you sense it?"


    "Yes, I did. However, it felt ethereal as I couldn''t tap into that energy, as if there was a barrier within it."


    "Tell me the basics first. How many senses are there?" Lu Ying said in a teaching tone with a serious expression.


    "There should be five senses, yes?" Lu Zhen answered, knowing this from the previous host''s memories. The concept of the five senses was not much different from what he had learned on his previous blue.


    Lu Ying nodded as she exined.


    "The five senses of the body are sight, sound, smell, taste, and touch. The five senses of humans are perceived through the use of sensory organs, which are eyes for sight, ears for sound, noses for smell, tongues for taste, and skin for touch."


    "However, there is another sense that we have in our body that is different from the five senses that an ordinary mortal can never hope to achieve; that is the sense that your brain gives, which creates what is called "mental energy"."


    "However, mental energy is the energy that your brain can produce in an equal amount and cannot be cultivated. Not to mention the cultivation of energy, you need to have at least the strength of a second-stage martial artist to even sense this mental energy."


    "And to tap into this energy, you need to be at least a first-stage martial artist. Since second-stage martial artists can sense this energy, they can partially use mental energy; however, the range is very slim and useless in battle unless you be a first-stage martial artist. Mental energy is pretty useless."


    Lu Zhen had a contemtive expression when he heard this, pondering the implications of what he had just learned.


    "Is that how Xia Di knew my position?" Lu Zhen thought it was the only possible option where Xia Di could find him so easily after Lu Zhen closed the distance between them.


    "Mother, can you sense me like this?" Suddenly, Lu Zhen blended into the shadows, skill-fully controlling his aura to emit an inanimate object aura.


    Lu Ying''s eyes narrowed when she saw this, but she wasn''t surprised by her son''s capabilities. Lu Zhen had consistently surprised her that she wasn''t surprised at all from Lu Zhen''s this little trickpared to the others.


    "You must have the Shadow Veil technique, right?"


    "Yes, mother."


    Lu Ying heard her son''s voice seemingly reverberating from all four corners, and it brought a smile to her face.


    "While this may be considered a lower-grade technique, your skill in concealment is truly remarkable," she remarked. Lu Ying then tossed a wooden stick at an astonishing speed, leaving Lu Zhen stunned by her swiftness.


    Lu Zhen effortlessly dodged the wooden stick that his mother had thrown by a hair''s breadth, reappearing in the spot where it had been heading, shock apparent in his face.


    "Is this using mental energy?" Lu Zhen asked, a thoughtful frown on his face.

 Chapter 136: Timber Guardian Punch

    "Yes, after you gain the power to sense it, you can thinly extract some of the mental energy to create a domain around you that detects things in your vicinity," Lu Ying exined, her tone grave and focused.


    "So, don''t ever use such low-level hiding tricks against second-stage martial artists or higher. They will instantly detect you with their sixth sense. Got it?"


    "Okay, mother," Lu Zhen said with a serious expression.


    "It looks like you''re very close to the strength of a second-stage martial artist. When youe home, you must practise in seclusion now."


    Lu Zhen nodded, his expression equally serious.


    Suddenly, the carriage rumbled as if an earthquake had urred, and it abruptly came to a halt.


    Lu Zhen looked at Lu Ying, whose expression had be icy cold. She disappeared from her position and instantly appeared outside the carriage.


    She gazed intently at the sword, which appeared to beposed entirely of wind, her expression profoundly serious. It descended toward the carriage, releasing a horrifying aura that would have instilled terror in any mortal who beheld it.


    In Lu Ying''s hand, a glove with menacing spikes materialized. With determination in her eyes, she struck the air with her spiked glove.


    "Timber Guardian Punch!" She roared, and to Lu Zhen''s astonishment, thousands of wooden poles sprouted from the ground. These wooden poles, with spikes at their tips that resembled the gloves worn by Lu Ying, surged toward the ethereal wind sword.


    The convergence of these countless wooden poles and the wind sword resulted in a resounding collision.


    Boom!


    As the two forces shed, a violent shockwave rippled through the area. The impact was so tremendous that it created a crater, spanning at least a kilometre wide.


    Some blood trickled from the corner of Lu Ying''s mouth as the internal injuries she sustained took their toll.


    "You Bastard, xia family ancestor. Why are you attacking me? Have you forgotten the covenant?" Lu ying said in a loud voice that travelled throughout the area.


    "After you killed one of our grand elders, you are..."


    The conversation was abruptly interrupted as a sharp "shing" resonated through the surroundings, creating an ear-piercing, high-pitched noise.


    Boom!


    Another explosion followed, apanied by a coughing sound that seemed to originate from another dimension, its source hidden, with no visible speakers or location.


    Lu Zhen gazed at the scene outside, clenching his fists, overwhelmed by a feeling of powerlessness.


    "What if I have a cheat? I can''t even qualify to fight them right now," Lu Zhen thought helplessly. Despite his extraordinary abilities, it had been only seven or eight months since he arrived in this world, and this clearly wasn''t sufficient time to challenge these old monsters who had cultivated their skills from childhood and were at least a century old, even with the advantage of his cheat.


    After all, martial arts was a step-by-step process that took time to practise, even if you had all the resources in the world. It was a lengthy process that took time, hard work, and talent.


    Lu Zhen wasn''t afraid of talent, as the system could give talent and hard work Lu Zhen believed that as long as he could stick to his path of strength no matter what came, without deviating from the path of true power, he had to work hard.


    All he needed was time.


    Suddenly, Lu Zhen narrowed his eyes as a tearing sound reverberated in the surroundings as the air seemed to be torn, revealing the void as two young men came out, staring at each other with hatred.


    One was wearing a white robe with the insignia of a bird, while the other was wearing a green robe with the insignia of the Lu family, a verdant tree.


    However, both of them seemed rtively young, and at a quick nce, their auras made them appear almost ordinary. Yet, the act of tearing through the fabric of void and standing in thin air dispelled any notion of ordinariness.


    Lu Zhen''s eyes gleamed with fascination when he saw the ancestor. It was as if the ancestor could sense this, prompting him to pause and cast a nce in Lu Zhen''s direction, which was met with a nod and a smile from the young man.


    "Dammit! She killed my grand elder, which means she has broken the covenant, so I can kill her," the young man in the white robe angrily eximed.


    "Have you, Lu Ying?" the ancestor inquired as he promptly erected a protective barrier around Lu Ying, thwarting an iing attack with a tiny needle which had green liquid at the tip.


    "No, Ancestor," Lu Ying responded, offering a slight bow before borating, "I killed the grand elder because he was attacking my son." Her words were delivered with a calm demeanour, but a hint of icy disdain sounded from her tone.


    "Do you have anything to say now, Xia Cao?" the Lu family''s ancestor inquired, a trace of amusement flickering in his gaze as he observed the white-robed man.


    "But¡­"


    "But what, Xia Cao? Did you genuinely believe that my Lu family could be easily bullied?" Ancestor Lu swiftly extended his hands and conjured two massive trees, each boasting a thickness of at least four feet around 121 cm. They wound around Xia Cao, trying to restrain him.


    "Hmph." Xia Cao sneered, and with a casual hand swipe, the very air moved to form a small cyclone that bore the appearance of a white dragon. This ferocious force obliterated nearly half of the trees.


    The shattered wooden fragments scattered everywhere, but the strange thing was that the trees began to regenerate almost instantly.


    Xia Cao stood there, his expression marked by astonishment.


    "Have you already reached the middle stage of the first-stage martial realm?" He couldn''t hide his shock.


    Ancestor Lu chuckled in response. "Of course, I have. Did you think I was as useless as you?" With another wave of his hand, the trees radiated with a green light, growing even thicker and sturdier.

 Chapter 137: Qi Stone

    The two trees gradually closed in on Xia Cao, and no matter how fiercely he attacked, the trees instantly regenerated. Even the sword entirelyposed of wind was effectively useless, and with each passing moment, the trees grew more resilient. The damage he could inflict became increasingly minimal.


    He desperately wanted to escape, but the treespletely blocked his path, and no matter which direction he turned, they slowly caught up to him, intertwining and creating a prison.


    "Damn it¡­" Xia Cao gritted his teeth and said, "Don''t push me, you bastard. Do you really think I don''t have any trump cards?"


    "Show it to me, then," Ancestor Lu suddenly clenched his fist, and the tree cage enclosing Xia Cao closed in on him, attempting to crush him into meat paste.


    Xia Cao felt anger and humiliation welling up in him. Ancestor Lu''splete disregard drove him to the brink. Literal veins popped in his head as he roared with anger.


    His body radiated with a golden sh, and the entire tree cage was instantly destroyed. However, to Xia Cao''s shock, the trees began regrowing at a terrifying rate.


    Xia Cao hurriedly swiped his hands, creating a void that almost instantly swallowed him, making him disappear. However, before vanishingpletely, he decided to leave Ancestor Lu with onest parting shot.


    "You can celebrate as much as you want, Ancestor Lu, but let''s see who will get thestugh," he said in a deep tone, his words appearing to be hidden with meaning.


    "A loser''s way of running is quite interesting, Xia Cao," Ancestor Lu said in a loud and clear voice that reverberated throughout the surroundings, reaching even the city itself.


    Meanwhile, in the depths of the Huang family estate, located at the heart of the state, there was a luxurious mansion that outshone all others, making them appearcklustre inparison. Its grandeur was entuated by a hint of arrogance, yet there was a certain beauty to it.


    Within this mansion, a woman with fiery crimson hair sat in a room. The room seemed unusually hot, and she suddenly opened her eyes, emitting a terrifying aura that shook the furniture, causing it to tremble and break.


    "It seems he has be a middle-stage first-stage martial artist already," she remarked as she looked in the direction of the voice, her brow furrowing.


    "I need to find a way out," she began to contemte.


    In the northern reaches of Phoenix City, a formidable ck tower loomed. Its construction was eerie and unsettling, designed in such a way that it prevented even the sunlight from piercing its structure. This peculiarity rendered the tower in an eerie, light-swallowing darkness, evoking an unsettling aura that sent shivers down the spines of those who gazed upon it.


    At the pinnacle of this ominous ck tower, a man donned in aplete set of ck attire sat in a cross-legged position on a jade bed. His presence was remarkably subtle, almost imperceptible, as if he seamlessly melded with the surrounding darkness with a mortal aura.


    "Looks like he''s already achieved a breakthrough. I should also be very close to advancing my own realm," the man mused, his brow furrowing in thought. "Luckily, I have some friendship with him."


    Meanwhile, the ancestor descended to the ground.


    "Are you unconvinced?" Ancestor Lu asked, wearing a mysterious smile.


    "Yes, Ancestor. Why didn''t you kill him?" Lu Ying inquired.


    "It''s like you with those two second-stage martial artists. Could you kill them?" Ancestor Lu responded.


    "No, Ancestor."


    "Although I''m at the middle stage of the first-stage martial realm and theoretically should be able to defeat him since he''s still at the early stage, it''s only in theory. He has countless trump cards. Besides, if he''s determined to escape, he will most likely get away," Ancestor Lu exined.


    Lu Ying still wore a sceptical expression.


    "Don''t worry about it. He is poisoned with my Verdant Seed. He will be seriously injured for a time," Ancestor Lu added with an evil smirk and a ruthless glint in his eyes.


    "It''s the best chance to attack the Xia family. Since you have killed the previous patriarch, they are always running short of sufficient powerhouses to secure their resources safely. You and your son," Ancestor Lu nced again at the carriage with a happy expression on his face as he continued, "killed another second-stage martial artist. They will have to give up at least 15% of their resources.


    With Xia Cao injured, we can definitely win in battle."


    "I have to thank you two. After all, if you hadn''t lured Xia Cao out of the city, I would never have caught him off-guard," Ancestor Lu added gratefully.


    "You cane out now, Lu Zhen."


    "Yes, Ancestor." Lu Zhen emerged from the carriage and bowed slightly.


    "You''ve done a great job by helping to kill a second-stage martial artist and have umted enough merits to enter the cultivation chamber," Ancestor Lu said in a pleased tone with a satisfied expression.


    "You are our trump card in the tournament."


    Lu Zhen''s eyes lit up when he heard this and he thanked Ancestor Lu earnestly.


    A cultivation chamber was a room designed to aid martial artists in their quest for faster progress. It aplished this by increasing the presence of Qi in the air and purifying it to ensure the cultivator''s mind remained fresh.


    However, to open such a room for an hour or more, one required a middle-grade Qi stone, a significant resource that could only be obtained after amassing a considerable number of merits.


    Qi stones came in four different grades: low, middle, high, and superior. Even high-grade Qi stones, not to mention superior grade stones, were exceptionally rare. Lu Zhen knew from his knowledge that the high-grade Qi stones were so precious that they were stored in the Lu family''s treasury.


    Thus, for Lu Zhen, middle-grade Qi stones were the most attainable and valuable resource he needed at this moment since he was a third-stage martial artist and needed to condense his Qi.

 Chapter 138: Truly Reaching Secound-Stage Martial Artist

    The mine that Lu Zhen had previously found had at least a thousand low-grade qi; however, they could barely be exchanged for a middle-stage qi stone, which was unlikely because no one would exchange for something of higher value for a lower grade of Qi stone because the higher the grade of the Qi stone, the purer the qi, and the quantity of the Qi contained in the stone also increases to at least a hundred in quantity as well as quality.


    Middle-grade Qi stone was at least a thousand times more effective than a low-grade one, not to mention the speed of refining. Since the middle-grade stone is only one, it could be absorbed easily with the dense Qi inside, helping the martial artist strengthen their bodies as well as condensing Qi, which was invaluable to second-stage martial artists.


    However, not to mention that low-grade Qi stones took a longer time to refinepared to middle-grade Qi stones, the only effect of the low-grade Qi stones was to gather more energy, which could be only useful for martial trainees and third-stage martial artists but higher-level martial artists didn''t have much use for them.


    That meant that exchanging low-grade qi stones for a middle-grade Qi stone was a fool''s dream.


    "You seemed to have improved by a lot now." ancestor Lu just flicked his finger and instantly vibration was created in thin air as the very fabric of air was rippling like water as it went towards Lu Zhen.


    When the vibration touched Lu Zhen''s body, ancestor Lu''s eyes widened.


    "Your physique is truly powerful, your physical strength is very close to a second stage-martial artist." ancestor Lu said with a sigh however he had a happy expression on his face.


    "Progress like this, and it won''t be long before we have three first-stage martial artists. When that happens..." a ruthless glint shed in the ancestor''s eyes.


    "Who is the third person, Anc¡­" Lu Zhen saw the ancestor looking at his mother, which instantly answered his question. He looked silently at the two.


    "Lu Ying, you should be very close to bing a first-stage martial artist, right? My son is really useless, barely entering the realm of the second stage; he won''t progress much in the future," the ancestor continued.


    Lu Ying''s eyes also shed with a ruthless light, her expression serious as she nodded.


    "Poor Xia family. I hope I will break some bones if there are any left by these two," Lu Zhen realised that his mother''s hatred ran deep. It appeared that the ancestor also held a profound grudge against the Xia family, making his goal of destroying them all the more feasible and satisfying.


    "Let''s return now," the ancestor said as he casually swiped his hands, tearing the void, just as Xia Cao had done. He signalled for Lu Zhen and Lu Ying to enter.


    "Ancestor, is this the ability of a first-stage martial artist?" Lu Zhen asked with a curious expression, observing the void being torn like thin paper.


    Ancestor Lu simply nodded as he beckoned for them to enter the void.


    Lu Zhen entered with a mix of curiosity and hesitation, though he maintained an outward appearance of calm.


    Lu Ying smiled a little, noticing the conflicting emotions within Lu Zhen. She had a feeling that he was nervous but doing his best to appear calm. It was a mother''s intuition.


    Entering this "void" was a familiar experience for Lu Ying; however, it wasn''t a void in the traditional sense. Rather, it was a dimensional pocket, a gateway connecting two different ces.


    First-stage martial artists would create this by marking one ce with their martial intent and from anywhere they wanted they could create a gateway to reach that ce.


    ording to her knowledge, not even a first-stage martial artist possessed the ability to tear open the fabric of reality and create a void.


    Unfortunately, Lu Ying had not yet reached the first stage of the martial realm, which meant she couldn''t do this; it was one of the signature abilities of first-stage martial artists and they could only do it even lu ying at the cusp of second-stage martial realm thinly touching the first-stage martial realm couldn''t do it.


    As she stepped into the portal, the sensation of transition washed over her once more.


    Lu Zhen opened his eyes to a pitch-ck void, and his entire body felt a diforting sensation, as though he was being pricked by a million tiny needles. The environment was unsettling, to say the least.


    The difort was so intense that Lu Zhen found it challenging to move or reposition himself. With each attempt to adjust his posture, the sensation of needles poking at his skin grew even more unbearable. Despite his difort, he had no choice but to remain still, waiting in a stationary position.


    However, the stabbing sensation became somehow less and less as Lu Zhen could feel a strange change in his body. Lu Zhen could feel his body being strengthened for some reason as time passed, prompting his excitement.


    Soon he was able to sit still without feeling those pricking sensations, and Lu Zhen''s body was strengthened to a certain degree. However, he could feel that he was a little hungry for some reason.


    His height seemed to have decreased by a little, and his muscles seemed to have contracted by a little as well; however, they became morepact and resilient as his big muscles contracted to form smaller butpact and stronger muscles.


    Countless ideas swirled in Lu Zhen''s mind as he observed his body''s newfound strength.


    "System, is this due to the adaptability skill?" he inquired.


    [Yes, host. Your physique has been strengthened as a result of your adaptation to this environment.]


    Puzzled, Lu Zhen pressed for more information, "So, what has happened to my physique?"


    [Your body has ascended truely to the level of a second-stage martial artist. Congrattions, host. Your physique is undergoing a process like Qi condensing where you condense your Qi however except this body cultivation is about condensing your muscle which is simr to the third martial artist realm progression to second-stage martial realm.]

 Chapter 139: Cold Qi

    Astonished, Lu Zhen sought rity, "Wait, I''m a bit confused. Is my body''s cultivation simr to Qi cultivation?"


    [From the database, yes, host. The key point is that your body has officially entered the realm of the second stage. You will need to refine your body through expansion and contraction. Eventually, your body will reach a state of perfection, paving the way for your advancement to the first-stage martial realm with your physique.]


    Lu zhen had a thoughtful expression when he heard this.


    "Let''s make the most of the benefits here for now," Lu Zhen decided, trying to move around in the eerily dark ce.


    Suddenly, Lu Zhen felt a protective barrier surrounding him, which puzzled him. He refrained from questioning it, knowing that the ancestor had created it for his safety.


    Lu Zhen''s surroundings transformed from the pitch-ck void back to Lu Estate. The sudden change caught him off guard, making him almost jump with shock.


    "Wait, have we already arrived at our destination?" Lu Zhen wondered to himself as he saw Lu Ying and the ancestor standing there with amused smiles.


    "You''ll be ustomed to travelling like this once your body grows strong enough," Lu Ying said, her tone caring.


    "In fact, it might not be long, especially considering you have the ancient warrior physique."


    Lu Zhen remained silent as he followed the two into the mansion.


    While he was walking, he reflected on something that made him frown. The ancestor knew that Lu Ying and Lu Zhen had killed the second-stage martial artist, and he was aware that Lu Ying had been unable to eliminate the two other second-stage martial artists.


    This indicated that the ancestor had been covertly observing them for an indeterminate amount of time and was patiently waiting for the Xia family''s patriarch to arrive. In essence, Lu Zhen and Lu Ying had been used as bait. However, Lu Zhen chose to keep this thought to himself.


    Lu Zhen had momentarily forgotten that this was a harsh world, where no one was innocent or naive, especially not those higher-ranking martial artists who had decades of experience and had climbed to power by stepping on others. At that level, no one was so straightforward.


    "Where will you be going now, son?" Lu Ying inquired.


    "I will be going to my pce before entering the..."


    "Oh, you''re going to meet your lover, aren''t you?" Lu Ying chuckled at hearing this as she interrupted Lu Zhen.


    "Yes," Lu Zhen said without denying it. Actually, having a harem in this world was quitemon. The strong martial artists had harems of hundreds or even thousands if they had enough strength, whether it was female or male, if they were strong and they wanted to have a harem they could. All that mattered was strength.


    Strength was the key factor, and it will never change.


    And the second important thing is that, as the young master of the family, he was obligated to marry at least 10 females to make more babies who could be suitable heirs for the Lu family. However, the case for Lu Zhen was different since he was the only child of the patriarch; he could only be the only one in line in session to the patriarch.


    As for Lu Zhen, his circumstances were indeed different. His mother, Lu Ying, had married Lu Huang the patriarch, and she had been quite adamant that he shouldn''t entertain any other romantic interests besides her which was obviously unfair reasoning.


    However, since the ancestor ordered it, he could only grit his teeth and agree to it due to hiscking talent as well as "strength"pared to Lu Ying. Thus, the poor man couldn''t have harem, which resulted in Lu Zhen automatically being the young master of the Lu family.


    In a quiet room filled with bookshelves, a woman sat cross-legged, emitting an icy aura that froze the floor beneath her for at least 10 metres. Strangely, the woman herself wasn''t affected, and her clothes didn''t freeze, despite the room''s chilling atmosphere. The room was eerily cold.


    As she breathed in a peculiar rhythm, her exhales released an incredibly freezing air that seemed to nearly freeze the very air itself. She cyclically inhaled and exhaled, maintaining the bone-chilling environment.


    Suddenly, she opened her eyes as a terrifying aura spread from her, engulfing the entire room with the aura as a smile graced her lips.


    "Finally, I have be a third-stage martial artist already." Xia Mei eximed as she took back all the cold. Instantly, the room returned to its normal temperature as the ice around her slowly melted.


    Xia Mei swiped her hands, which produced a cold air that instantly froze the shelves of the book. She again swiped her hands, and instantly the ice melted. However, no water fell down; instead, a cold wind was brought in as it directly went towards her again.


    Still, she was not satisfied as she kicked the ground with her feet, creating tumultuous earthquake-like waves that made the ground shake.


    Xia Mei had constructed qi pathways for her cold qi to travel in her body, allowing her technique andbat art to be effective several times. And she could now take back the cold Qi when Xia Mei uses herbat arts; she couldter take back the amount of cold qi that she used in the attack, although the conversion rate was lower. Still, she was essentially like an infinite reserve of cold Qi.


    Cold Qi was a subcategory of ice qi, which is the mutated form of water Qi. Basically, the cultivation method she was practising helped her harness the ability of cold Qi.


    This Qi was a famous attributed Qi that was desired by countless martial artists because it had the special properties that the martial artist could get back there Qi even after they used it, not to mention its terrifying power. However, it was a littlecking in the body-strengthening part, but either way, that could be supplemented by other things.

 Chapter 140: Goal

    Xia Mei had an uncertain expression about what to do. Since she did it with Lu Zhen, her cultivation talent seems to have improved by leaps and bounds, and her cultivation has be at least ten times faster, which is a terrifying number to say.


    "Lu Zhen must have had something to do with this," Xia Mei thought, furrowing her brow.


    When she had done it with Lu Zhen, she felt his Qi entering her, thoroughly exploring her body, and strengthening it before returning to him. As a result, she attributed her increased cultivation talent to Lu Zhen.


    Little did she know that Lu Zhen had no direct influence on her talent; it was more likely due to the connection with the ancestor of her bloodline that had taken possession of her body previously.


    Xia Mei found herself torn between two worlds. On one hand, she could stay with Lu Zhen, who had somehow elerated her cultivation talent and be an integral part of her life.


    On the other hand, she considered returning to the Xia family, who had done very little for her. Her entrance into the Spring Autumn Sect was primarily due to her own talent, and the resources she received when she was young were meagre at best, given her status.


    Regarding the sect, Xia Mei had already informed them that, due to personal reasons, she might not be able to return for some time. This would result in a loss of some contribution points, but it wouldn''t be significant.


    As long as she could return within two years, her position would be preserved. However, if she didn''t return within five years, she risked losing her status and potentially being hunted down, regardless of her high contributions to the sect.


    After all, the sect wasn''t a charity show; they nurtured their disciples to protect themselves and defend the sect.


    However, five years were plenty of time for her to settle things with Lu Zhen. She still needed the delphinium to practise thebat art, [Ethereal Frostde]. This was actually her main objective, even though she had be a third-stage martial artist. Thisbat art was still very suitable for her.


    Suddenly, her ears twitched as she heard the footsteps of a man. This made her seemingly excited for some reason.


    "Has hee?" Xia Mei had a mischievous smirk on her face. She still remembered how Lu Zhen had scared her by revealing the aura of a third-stage martial artist. However, since she had also reached this stage fairly quickly.


    She was going to show off, of course, as it hadn''t been that long, and Lu Zhen shouldn''t have progressed much.


    The door opened, and a burly man entered the room, faintly emitting the aura of a third-stage martial artist.


    "Oh, wife, so you were cultivating here?" Lu Zhen said with an expressionless face.


    Xia Mei frowned when she heard Lu Zhen say "wife."


    "When did I be your wife?"


    "Did you forget what you said to me previously when we did it?" Lu Zhen had a smirk on his face as he walked towards her.


    "You..." Xia Mei''s face flushed with red when she heard this as she remembered the night they spent together. However, she regained herposure fairly quickly and stared at Lu Zhen with a cold look.


    "Eh, why are you looking at me like that?"


    "Because I have also be a third-stage martial artist and will soon overtake you in martial cultivation," she said with a triumphant smile on her face, puffing her chest with pride.


    Her ample bosom jiggled as she moved, creating captivating scenes for an onlooker. However, Lu Zhen just ignored the jiggling, as he had tasted them before and could definitely say they were the best he had ever tasted.


    Lu Zhen chuckled as he sensed the frosty aura she was releasing, but his footsteps never stopped.


    "You stop right there." Xia Mei started to be nervous.


    "Do you want to sense my true aura?" Lu Zhen said. Without waiting for her reply, he fully released his aura without holding anything back, engulfing the entire room.


    Xia Mei suddenly felt her mind clouded by blood and war, and she could feel her body''s reaction speed slowing down a little.


    "Wait are u a second-stage martial artist already?" xia mei said with some shock.


    "What do you think?" Lu Zhen just mysteriously smiled. Since Lu Zhen''s body had now truly and fully entered the realm of the second-stage martial artist, naturally, his aura had changed with it and became stronger and more powerful although his Qi is still not condensed.


    "How can you be a second-stage martial artist so quickly? It doesn''t make sense," she thought, with a question mark on her face, terrified as it defied all her concepts of martial arts. Even in her sect, the youngest second-stage martial artist was at least forty years old, and he could be considered a one-in-a-trillion genius.


    "Monster." That was the only term Xia Mei could use to describe Lu Zhen right now. A terrifying monster.


    "So are you still...?"


    "Hmph," Xia Mei huffed as she couldn''t feel proud of her achievements anymore.


    "I promised you that I would be a first-stage martial artist within three years, and it has only been six months or so."


    Finally, Xia Mei sighed, wearing a thoughtful expression on her face. "What about my sect then?"


    Lu Zhen''s eyes glinted when he heard this.


    "I will eventually ''conquer'' the world and I will establish my first kingdom in this world but as my first step towards building my "kingdom", I conquer your sect first." Lu Zhen had always wondered what his goal was in this martial world. Although strength was his primary goal, he also pondered on what he would do with that strength. It was the question of what he truly wanted.


    The option he chose was simple: he wanted to establish his kingdom and protect his loved ones within it. This was his goal in this world, and once he achieved it, he would explore further possibilities.

 Chapter 141: Dual Cultivation Level Up***

    Xia Mei''s eyes widened with shock when she heard this. No matter how much of a monster Lu Zhen was, the world was vast and the martial artists were countless.


    Not to mention the entire martial world. To her knowledge, her sect had at least ten first-ss martial artists.


    While Lu Zhen might be able to defeat the entire sect in the future, considering his monstrous talent, that would only be possible if he could survive and continue to grow.


    The journey of a martial artist was never easy, and there were countless variables and dangers along the way.


    So when Lu Zhen dered this ambitious goal, Xia Mei found it a little unbelievable.


    While pondering this, Xia Mei chuckled. "Alright, then. Let me stay by your side and see if you can really conquer this world."


    "Alright," Lu Zhen agreed with a confident smile on his face.


    She couldn''t help but wonder, "Why is he so confident?"


    However, she refrained from asking, as she just stayed silent. However, her eyes glinted with interest, and her youthful blood boiled along with Lu Zhen to conquer the world.


    It was the youthful boiling blood of any youth, although some get matured early, but they either hide it deep inside them or they are oppressed enough to die down that fire. Xia Mei was obviously the mature case.


    The will to conquer the world!


    "But first, let''s see if you can satisfy me," Xia Mei purred in a sultry tone as she yfully pushed Lu Zhen to the floor.


    Lu Zhen, a bit taken aback, stammered, "Are we... doing it here?" as he allowed himself to be pushed down by Xia Mei.


    Lu Zhen had a hunch that ever since that possession by her ancestor, she had be more lustful and horny as time passed.


    To be honest, Lu Zhen was a little scared of Xia Mei because she could get possessed by her ancestor at any time and could absolutely crush him right now since she had be a third-stage martial artist. The ancestor should be able to utilise more of her power if she possessed Xia Mei again.


    However, Lu Zhen had prepared a countermeasure for it. Whether or not the ancestor of her bloodline was hostile to him, it was better to have control over the situation rather than risking his own life.


    He subtly folded up his right sleeve, revealing the eerily ck butterfly tattoo. Its outline glowed subtly red, but it was barely noticeable.


    "Of course we are doing it here; where do you think we will be doing it?" Xia Mei''s eyes had fully turned lustful as she sat in the crotch area of Lu Zhen.


    She tore her own dress, revealing her almost perfect breast with a d-cup and a slim waist, but not that slim with all her meat all in her breast and ass with hungry eyes she tore even Lu Zhen''s pants, revealing his thick and veiny little monster, who was half standing up.


    She shook her head a little, thinking that she was dreaming.


    "Feisty, aren''t you?" Lu Zhen chuckled as he was about to stand up; however, Xia Mei stopped him from standing up.


    "Eh." He was confused as he looked at Xia Mei, who was already cupping his little monster up and down, causing it to wake up from its sleep as it stood towering.


    "You stay there; I will do all the work," Xia Mei said as she licked her lips with her tongue and hungry eyes.


    "Alright," Lu Zhen said with an amused smile. He was always ready to try a new position.


    "It''s bigger than before." Xia Mei said with some shock; however, her hands didn''t stop as she rocked Lu Zhen''s little brother.


    Slowly, Lu Zhen felt it build up in him as he felt the soft hands rubbing him, making him moan involuntarily.


    Xia Mei quickly took his little monster in her mouth, reaching all the way to her throat before she started gagging.


    She started to move back and forth, creating a slurping sound that reverberated throughout the room.


    Slurp! Slurp! Slurp!


    Lu Zhen couldn''t take it anymore as he held down Xia Mei''s head and forced her mouth to stretch as his little monster was deep inside her mouth.


    Lu Zhen fully released his essence directly inside her, travelling through her espionage, before entering her stomach as his hands around Xia Mei''s head became even tighter.


    Xia Mei''s eyes widened when she felt the warm and thick essence of Lu Zhen being released inside her; however, she didn''t tear up or anything because, although Lu Zhen''s little monster has berger, it isn''t to an exaggerated degree or anything. But her crotch area was already wet.


    The two stayed in that position for quite some time before Lu Zhen finally released all his essence inside her as he let go of his hands.


    Plop!


    The room filled with a distinct plop sound as Xia Mei separated from Lu Zhen, her body wracked with coughs before she managed to gulp all of Lu Zhen''s essence all down.


    [You have dual cultivated with your partner]


    [Dual cultivation has levelled up from level 2 to level 3]


    Lu Zhen''s eyes widened with excitement upon seeing this.


    "Finally, my dual cultivation skill has levelled up."


    He summoned the system with a thought.


    [LEVEL UP]


    ¡ª-----


    [Name: Lu Zhen]


    --------


    [Race: Human]


    [Bloodline: Half Human/ Half Volgrith]


    [Lifespan left: 155 years]


    --------


    [Attributes]


    [Constitution: Divine physique (level 4)]


    [Charm: Mortal (Level 5)]


    [Wood Qi: third-stage martial artist](5%)


    [Demonic Qi: null]


    [Mana: Null Circle]


    ???


    --------


    [Cultivation manuals]


    [Cultivation technique: Verdant art (stage 2)]


    [Combat arts: [Verdant Whirlwind (full mastery)], [Whispering Shadow Step (full mastery)], [Verdant Grove Fist(full mastery)]]


    --------


    Skills: 12


    ¡ª-----


    [Quest]


    [Missionpleted:1]


    Lu Zhen''s eyes focused on the skills section and instantly all the skills appeared before his eyes.


    [Skills]


    [BATTLE INSTINCT: LEVEL 1]


    [Gluttony: level 8]


    [Appraisal eye: level 5]


    [Saber mastery: level 6]


    [Adaptability: level 5]


    [Aura control: level 5]


    [Meditation: level 2]


    [Dual cultivation: level 3]


    [Alchemy: level 2]


    [Sword mastery: level 2]


    [Qian mastery: level 1]


    [Staff master: level 1]


    [Chain mastery: level 1]


    Lu Zhen''s eyes turned golden as he gazed at the "Dual Cultivation" skill.

 Chapter 142: Dual Cultivation Level Up (2)***

    [Dual Cultivation (Level 3): When the host mates with other partners, the host can circte the partner''s Qi with the host''s Qi, interchanging them. As a result, both the host and the partner will have purer and more condensed Qi.


    If the host practices this skill frequently with the partner, the partner will gradually develop only positive feelings toward the host and be emotionally and physically addicted. The partner will experience intense pleasure when dual cultivating with the host.]


    Lu Zhen frowned when he saw this. There wasn''t much improvement in this skill; instead, there was an element of maniption that made him ufortable. He wasn''t interested in controlling others'' lives if it didn''t benefit him in any way. Lu Zhen preferred to let things happen naturally and didn''t like the idea of what seemed like mind control.


    "System, exin," Lu Zhenmunicated with his system in his head.


    Host, this is the skill details after dual cultivation levelled up to level 3. What is your question?]


    "About the part that seems like mind control..."


    [Host, the partner will develop natural feelings towards you. It''s not akin to mind control over people.]


    "Hmm," Lu Zhen contemted as he thought of something; however, he wasn''t given any time to think as he felt a tightening sensation around the tip of his little monster.


    Lu Zhen looked down in his sleeping position to see Xia Mei. His little monster tip had already entered her by a little.


    "What were you contemting? Especially with your golden eyes open and seeing thin air."


    "Nothing," Lu Zhen said, as he forgot that Xia Mei couldn''t see his system. Although Lu Zhen''s inner monologue might have seemed long, it happened in a matter of mere seconds. After all, Lu Zhen''s brain has reached a significant rise in power and cognition; he could do things much faster now and could even handle two works at the same time by separating his consciousness in two halves.


    "If you don''t want to say, don''t say either way; I am not letting you go for today." Xia Mei said as she slowly sat down, letting her tight pussy be stretched by Lu Zhen''s little monster.


    Lu Zhen''s little monster reached deep inside her in an unexplored ce, making her moan involuntarily. Soon she reached her limit as her pussy couldn''t stretch anymore, so she reluctantly started to move up and down in a cowboy position.


    Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah!


    Xia Mei moaned as she went up and down as her pussy was filled with Lu Zhen''s little monster. Lu Zhen also moaned from time to time, as he felt as if his little monster was being sucked into a vacuum as her pussy walls seemed to trap Lu Zhen''s little brother.


    Finally, Lu Zhen suddenly thrust his heaps up as Xia Mei fully took his little monster, which directly hit the walls of her womb, almost reaching the stomach as her stomach had a small dent from Lu Zhen''s little monster.


    Ah!


    Xia Mei moaned with a mix of screams as she reached climax for the tenth time, staining the ground with her fluid several times already.


    Lu Zhen fully released his essence, which had built up inside him, reaching her deepest part as he also moaned in pleasure.


    Xia Mei felt a warm liquid inside her being constantly given as her hands were up in the air with her eyes rolled up. She was in a state of total euphoria.


    "Sigh." Lu Zhen felt his wood Qi being condensed as his reserve of wood Qi was drained a little.


    Finally, Lu Zhen has fully released his essence. He looked up to see Xia Mei in a state of full euphoria, which made Lu Zhen''s expression strange.


    "I guess the dual cultivation skill really works wonders." Lu Zhen thought as he just stayed in that position with his little monster which was blocking his essence from leaving Xia Mei; although it was deted by a little, it was still big.


    After a long time, Xia Mei recovered from her state of euphoria as she finally moved a little.


    "What did you do? Why does it give me such pleasure all of a sudden?" Xia Mei said with some shock that although Lu Zhen always gave her the best time of her life, she wasn''t so weak anymore to only be able to go once for Lu Zhen and go to Cloud Nine with just one round.


    "I have just be a stronger man than before." Lu Zhen just chuckled with a mysterious smile.


    "Hmph." Xia Mei just humped when she heard Lu Zhen; however, she was still curious about Lu Zhen.


    "How about I reveal my secret, and you will as well?" Xia Mei said as she moaned from feeling Lu Zhen''s essence in her womb.


    She could feel heat inside her body from her womb as it felt like magma but it gave her a strange pleasure.


    "So deal or no deal?" Xia Mei said, moaning even louder.


    "Okay, you first." Lu Zhen chuckled.


    "My golden eyes let me see the fire of different people, which lets me predict their nature and even their future."


    "Ho, how interesting."


    "Now your turn."


    "My golden eyes I gained let me appraise things." Lu Zhen said with a poker face that he didn''t lie; he did gain this from the ancestor scroll. Whether it was because of his system or because of his own talent was a different matter altogether, and he wasn''t petty enough that he would lie to his own woman or take back his words.


    However, Xia Mei had a frown on her when she heard this, but she still nodded her head.


    "Is it for..."


    "I can appraise anything, even you."


    "What? Then tell me, What do you see when you appraise me?"


    Lu Zhen''s eyes turned golden as he looked at her.


    [Xia Mei]


    [Martial Realm: Third-stage martial artist]


    [Cold Qi: (level 2)]


    [Bloodline: Elv (98%)]


    [Race: Elv]


    ???


    Lu Zhen''s eyes widened with shock when he saw this.


    "Wait, bloodline purity? I didn''t have that in my status." Lu Zhen said in his head to the system.

 Chapter 143: Affinity Towards The Sun

    [Host, that is because your bloodline purity is extremely thin. Barely, you have one or two strands of the bloodline, so it doesn''t show in your status.]


    Lu Zhen''s face furrowed upon hearing this.


    "Then when did I get the ancestor ability?"


    [Host, you didn''t get it from the ancestors of your bloodline. Instead, the system forcefully stole the ability for you as it resonated with you to a thin margin. So the system was able to steal the energy and quickly convert it into the form of a skill.]


    "Wait, I can steal abilities¡­?"


    [No, host, unfortunately, you cannot do that.]


    "Then how did I gain this skill?"


    [It''s like the host fulfilled the condition, so you gained the skill.]


    Lu Zhen wore a thoughtful expression, his brows still furrowed.


    "Hey, why are you staring into the abyss again?" Xia Mei chuckled.


    "I am appreciating the beauty of mydy through appraisal, of course."


    Xia Mei''s face flushed red upon hearing this. Just onepliment seemed to melt her heart, making her feel hot all over her body.


    Lu Zhen chuckled, observing how effective the dual cultivation skill was after levelling up.


    "Hmph, what did you see then?"


    "You are not human," Lu Zhen said, his expression suddenly turning serious.


    "Eh. What am I then?" she said, thinking that her ears rang or something.


    "You know you are a bloodline martial artist, right?"


    "Yes," Xia Mei nodded her head, acknowledging this fact as Lu Zhen himself had informed her about it. "But what of it? Aren''t you one too?"


    "Yes, I am. However, your bloodline purity is so much higher than that of a human, it has overwritten your race. So, you have converted to the race which you had the bloodline of, which are elves. However, my bloodline is very thin, so my race is still human," Lu Zhen exined without skipping a beat, speaking the truth.


    However, Xia Mei had an uncaring expression. "What does it matter what I am in this world? As long as I have strength, I can do whatever I want."


    Lu Zhen sighed when he heard this, feeling a little ufortable as a believer in human supremacy.


    "Let''s do it more intensely next round," she said as she transformed into her bloodline form.


    Suddenly, Xia Mei''s height increased as she grew long golden hair with long pointy ears, and her bust size increased by a considerable number.


    Seeing the transformation, Lu Zhen''s lust grew as he breathed hot air. He could feel his little monster, who was in a half-wake state inside Xia Mei, being tightened more as Lu Zhen felt an unbelievable pleasure that made him moan involuntarily.


    "Alright," Lu Zhen chuckled as he also took on his Vulgrith form. However, he didn''t grow two arms like previously, a tail emerged from his back, and he grew two sharp ck horns as his muscles inted.


    His little monster became evenrger inside her pussy as it reached about ten inches (about 25 cm) in size and became even thicker, stretching her pussy, which was already in his shape.


    Xia Mei''s eyes widened when she felt Lu Zhen''s little monster growing; however, this much pain was nothing for her, as she felt more pleasure than pain as she moved up and down again while kissing Lu Zhen, who was in the sleeping position.


    They intertwined in a dance together as they spent their time passionately cuddling with each other, as either Lu Zhen stayed at the top or, at some point, Xia Mei would recover from her orgasm and stay at the top.


    However, most of the time, Lu Zhen was at the top.


    "Hmm, I might be forgetting about somebody," Lu Zhen thought with a frown on his face. However, feeling the suction from his crotch area, he couldn''t care less as his hips became faster as he thrust harder and harder.


    Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah!


    The moans of Xia Mei resounded in the room, along with the asional moans of Lu Zhen.


    From the wall of the room that Lu Zhen and Xia Mei were in, there was Huang Li, who was sleeping on her bed with pillows trying to block the sounds. Her face was entirely red.


    "Dammit, these bastards! Why are they doing it so close to my room?" Huang Liined as she stood up from her bed. This was the room she was given to stay, coincidentally next to the training room. Since she was semi-captive here, and her family had abandoned her, she could only helplessly stay in Lu Zhen''s pce for cultivation.


    However, she wasn''t mistreated here. She was given a sufficient amount of resources for her cultivation, so Huang Li spent her time cultivating. Still, she hadn''t progressed much in her cultivation, with barely noticeable progress.


    When she did it with Lu Zhen, her body was strengthened, which helped her increase her cultivation speed.


    Huang Li picked up her nunchucks and started to practise. She wanted the distraction from the moaning sounds of Lu Zhen and Xia Meiing from the other room.


    Huang Li holded one stick in each hand, keeping a firm but rxed grip. She was using her dominant right hand. After taking a deep, she stood with her feet shoulder-width apart, knees slightly bent, and her body weight evenly distributed.


    She began with circr motions, swinging the nunchucks in front of her. Gradually the speed increased to the point where the air made a "swish" sound as if it was being torn. She then swung the nunchucks in a figure-eight motion, both horizontally and vertically.


    Suddenly, Huang Li started striking with controlled precision, her movements became more profound, as she imagined an imaginary enemy that resembled Lu Zhen in her head striking him at every turn while dodging gracefully. She transitioned between different motions, moving gracefully in the room, almost like a dance.


    The fire Qi in the surroundings gradually gathered around the nunchucks, and her weapon became gradually covered in mes. Though she could feel her hands burning, she wasn''t greatly affected by the heat, thanks to her martial arts providing a certain amount of heat resistance.


    Taking a deep breath, she twirled the nunchucks in a circr motion.


    "zing Spin Seraph."


    The rotating nunchucks changed direction, circling around Huang Li in a fiery spectacle for a solid fifty rounds before returning to her as the mes gradually died down.


    Huang Li''s eyes lit up. "Finally, I''ve reached the middle level proficiency in thebat art [zing Spin Seraph]."


    Her fist tightened, and a fiery determination gleamed in her eyes. "I don''t need my family or Lu Zhen, as long as I have power."


    "Let''s practise till they do it." Still hearing the moan of Xia Mei and Lu Zhen, she knew for sure that Lu Zhen wasn''t going to stop till another day. Lu Zhen''s lust with Xia Mei, who was equally lustful with her stamina, really made her look like a weak ant who couldn''tst a round when they did it previously.


    Despite her speech, her crotch was wet already; however, ignoring this, she continued her training.


    Martial trainees were mostly trained physically and only needed to meditate when they were about to break through and be third-stage martial artists. It was the same for all, and although the techniques were all various, they still reached the same conclusion.


    Just like that, a night passed with Lu Zhen and Xia Mei intertwining with each other as they tried different positions.


    Lu Zhen took a deep exhale of air as he sat in the gardens of his pce, drinking his tea and enjoying the warm sun.


    For some reason, Lu Zhen felt the warm sun was extremely pleasant for him.


    "Hmm, system, did I get bewitched by the sun or something? Why is it so pleasant?" Lu Zhen jokingly said in his head as he stretched his hands up in the air.


    [Host, due to your wood Qi attribute, which is closely linked to nts, you have a certain affinity for the sun.]


    "Eh." Lu Zhen was stunned when he heard the mechanical, almost robotic, icy-cold voice in his head.


    "I have an affinity with the sun." Lu Zhen had a question mark on his face.


    "What nonsense are you talking about about how wood Qi can be rted to nts?"


    [Host from the data collected by the system, there is a special mutation of wood Qi, which is the nt Qi. So if your wood Qi could mutate more with the nt Qi, you would not only gain more affinity for the sun; you would even gain a certain buff power from the sun, and there would be no debuffs even at night.]


    Lu Zhen had a strange expression when he heard this as he frowned.


    He had heard about chlorophyll in his previous life, where the nts get sunlight and water to produce their own food; however, Lu Zhen still feels strange for some reason he couldn''t exin.

 Chapter 144: Blacksmith

    "Young Master, the cksmith has arrived," a maid bowed in front of Lu Zhen, donned in a loose maid costume that seductively showcased her cleavage.


    Lu Zhen observed her¡ªa girl with dark-coloured hair in ponytails and brown eyes.


    "Alright," Lu Zhen responded expressionlessly, rising from his seat and entering his pce,pletely ignoring the maid attempting to seduce him.


    The maid stood stunned.


    The maid observed Lu Zhen with a tinge of disappointment, a subtle sigh escaping her lips. "Eh, I heard he had be lustful, but it seems it might not be the case," she pondered, her mind swirling with thoughts, feeling a twinge of pity.


    If she could seduce the young master, even if she might not qualify to be a concubine, she could gain resources to advance as a martial artist, significantly boosting her status and extending her lifespan. However, disappointed in her assessment of her own beauty, the maid left the ce to attend to her duties, understanding that she wouldn''t get to eat if she didn''t work.


    "I''m missing Lily already," Lu Zhen sighed. He wasn''t interested in engaging with random women for no reason. He had ordered little Lily to train in seclusion after learning that she was about to be a martial trainee.


    To be honest, Lu Zhen was a bit shocked by Lily''s cultivation speed. She almost matched him, even with Lu Zhen''s cheat she almost matched his speed, and he had never heard of someone reaching martial trainee status after such a short period of training.


    Lu Zhen made his way to the guest room where he found a bearded giant man sitting in the seat.


    The man immediately bowed upon seeing Lu Zhen.


    "I greet the young master."


    "It''s a pleasure to meet you, Elder Yu." Lu Zhen nodded as he handed him his chains, which were already scarred and torn in many ces after the fight he had with the mage butler, whose name he didn''t bother to remember.


    "Young master¡­"


    "You need to repair this and put some new material into it. Can you do that?" Lu Zhen said, cutting the man off.


    "Yes, young master. Where is the material?" Elder Yu said as he bowed, curious about what Lu Zhen was doing with these chain weapons. After all, chains weren''t amon weapon to use. However, he wasn''t in a position to ask Lu Zhen, especially after Lu Zhen defeated a semi-third-stage martial artist, solidifying his position as the young master of the Lu family.


    Lu Zhen sped his hands, signalling two strong men to enter the room, carrying arge box.


    Boom!


    As they ced the box on the ground, a resounding boom echoed through the room, causing the very ground to shake.


    "These are the main metals you will use to make me the chains." Lu Zhen calmly instructed.


    As the box hit the ground, Lu Yu felt the room tremble. He cautiously approached the box, and upon opening it, he was met with the sight of a rough and rocky ck rock.


    "This is¡­"


    "This is meteorite ore," Lu Zhen stated casually.


    "Me... teor... ite." Lu Yu''s eyes widened in disbelief, and his hands began to tremble. He didn''t even dare touch the rock, remaining still with shocked eyes for a long moment.


    Swallowing hard, he took a deep breath and shook his head. "Young master, unfortunately, I am not qualified enough to craft weapons from these materials. I am only a third-stage martial artist, and these materials are of second-grade. Only a second-stage martial realm cksmith could work with them."


    Lu Zhen frowned upon hearing the limitations posed by Lu Yu.


    "Is there no other way, Elder Yu?" Lu Zhen inquired. The rarity of second-stage martial artists and the even scarcer second-stage martial realm cksmiths posed a challenge, especially considering that the Lu family didn''t seem to have one.


    While they had six grand elders, none of them were cksmiths, and as far as Lu Zhen knew, there were no second-stage martial artists in Phoenix City who specialised in cksmithing.


    Lu Yu wore a hesitating expression as he was about to speak but closed his mouth again.


    "Elder Yu, I will remember your favour andpensate you generously with resources," Lu Zhen assured, observing Lu Yu''s hesitation. He sneered inwardly, realising that the elder was seeking benefits. However, he was willing to provide those benefits as long as his task waspleted.


    "I don''t dare, Young Master. However, even if I tell you the person, you might not be able to convince them to refine your weapon," Lu Yu paused, wearing a thoughtful expression. "On another note, since he greatly favours you, he might be willing to do it."


    Lu Zhen looked puzzled at this revtion.


    "And who might that be, Elder Yu?"


    "The ancestor, of course. In his heyday, he was renowned as a great cksmith rather than a martial artist. However, that didn''t mean hisbat strength was any less. In fact, he was renowned as the Hammer Ashura in his day," Lu Yu exined with a reminiscent look in his eyes. "I still remember the day when I was a child.


    I saw the ancestor return from the battlefield,pletely soaked in blood with his clothes ragged, carrying a mountain of corpses. All of them had their bodies caved in with clear signs of blunt force, and he had a hammer in one hand. Slowly, he made his way back to the Lu family estate."


    Lu Yu paused, his eyes distant as he continued, "After he arrived, he had an eerieugh that sent shivers down my spine. It was the first time I experienced true horror."


    Lu Zhen observed Elder Yu, whose hands were shaking, and noticed the signs of distress on his face as his body was soaked with sweat emitting a foul smell.


    "Elder Yu, are you alright?" Lu Zhen inquired, shaking his head with a sigh. "This guy is mentally weaker than I thought."


    "Huh," Lu Yu snapped out of his reminiscent state, awkwardly scratching his head.

 Chapter 145: Blacksmith (2)

    "Sorry, Young Master."


    "It''s okay, Elder Yu. Here," Lu Zhen took out ten small stones from his pouch and handed them to him.


    "Low-grade Qi Stones." Lu Yu''s eyes widened in surprise.


    "So, are you interested in it or not?"


    "Yes, Young Master." Lu Yu hurriedly nodded, appreciating the unexpected gift of the Qi Stones. He only receives five in a year, making these ten Qi Stones a valuable addition to his cultivation resources.


    "I will be leaving, Young Master," Lu Yu said, his voice turning more respectful.


    Lu Zhen simply nodded with a smile as he watched the man depart.


    "Hmm, using ten Qi Stones and giving them to a third-stage martial artist might seem worthless, but to a cksmith of the same rank, it''s definitely worth it," Lu Zhen thought, feeling the weight of his pouch lightening.


    "Oh well, I will gain a considerable amount from the mine anyway," Lu Zhen said as he summoned his status with a thought.


    [LEVEL UP]


    ¡ª-----


    [Name: Lu Zhen]


    --------


    [Race: Human]


    [Bloodline: Half Human/ Half Volgrith]


    [Lifespan left: 155 years]


    --------


    [Attributes]


    [Constitution: Divine physique (level 4)]


    [Charm: Mortal (Level 5)]


    [Wood Qi: third-stage martial artist](10%)


    [Demonic Qi: null]


    [Mana: Null Circle]


    ???


    --------


    [Cultivation manuals]


    [Cultivation technique: Verdant art (stage 2)]


    [Combat arts: [Verdant Whirlwind (full mastery)], [Whispering Shadow Step (full mastery)], [Verdant Grove Fist(full mastery)]]


    --------


    Skills: 12


    ¡ª-----


    [Quest]


    [Missionpleted:1]


    "Hmm." Lu Zhen looked at his progress, which had almost doubled, with a pleasant expression. Just one night with Xia Mei had made Lu Zhen''s progress leap and bound.


    "System, from my previous memories, it wasn''t like that, was it?" Lu Zhen said to the system in his head.


    [Host, due to the level up in your dual cultivation skill, you were able to condense your qi more, and your partner Xia Mei, who has reached the third-stage as a martial artist, also significantly increased your progress.]


    Lu Zhen nodded his head as he heard this and headed toward his training room.


    "I will recover my qi and then go meet the ancestorter," he thought to himself.


    Lu Zhen slowly sat in a meditative position.


    He started visualising the verdant tree as the surrounding qi converged towards Lu Zhen. He absorbed the attributeless qi, converting it to wood qi in his body.


    There were two forms Lu Zhen could use during meditation. One was absorbing the attributeless qi from his surroundings and converting it to wood qi in his body. The other involved condensing the wood qi in his body, hammering his qi like metal.


    However, this process made the wood qi in Lu Zhen''s body less, so the cycle of absorb, convert, and condense repeated until one became a second-stage martial artist.


    At this stage, they would have fully condensed their qi to the point where they could materialise Qi outside their body, and a small passive force field would form. This force field could negate the damage a person could do to the martial artist.


    During Lu Zhen''s fight with the second-stage martial artist, although they had simr physical strength, the force field allowed Lu Zhen to mitigate the damage to a minimal level.


    However, when the man used a forbidden art, sacrificing his lifespan and qi for momentary strength, he quickly caught up to Lu Zhen. At that point, Xia Di''s qi could no longer support the force field, and the man ended up dying a meaningless death, killed by the consequences of his own actions.


    Lu zhen''s face slowly morphed into a frown sensing the rate of his cultivation.


    Lu Zhen took out eight more Qi-stones from his pouch, using thest of his savings. These stones were the remnants of his yearly allowance as the young master of the family. Previously, the old Lu Zhen had never used them, having given up martial arts entirely. With a total of eighteen qi stones, Lu Zhen had already given ten to Elder Yu, leaving him with eight.


    Despite having the stones in hand, Lu Zhen didn''t immediately sit down to cultivate. Instead, he wore a thoughtful expression and decided to consult the system.


    "System, can I eat the Qi-stone?"


    [Host, unfortunately, no. Even with the Gluttony skill, you can''t devour a Qi-stone as it is too potent and cannot be digested easily. So, it is not rmended to do that.]


    Lu Zhen listened to the system''s response, feeling a bit disappointed. Regardless, without dwelling on it too much, he took the low-grade qi stone in his hand and began cultivating once again.


    Instead of Lu Zhen actively absorbing the attributeless Qi from the surroundings, this time the Qi naturally surged toward him in a massive torrent from the Qi stone as it glowed. The atmosphere around him seemed to respond to his presence as he happily refined this abundant attributeless Qi into wood Qi, focusing on the image of the verdant tree.


    As time passed, Lu Zhen utilised the qi stone for cultivation, absorbing its essence until a quarter of its glow had faded. At this point, he opened his eyes.


    "It seems like my wood qi is replenished now," Lu Zhen thought, sensing the newfound power coursing through his body.


    "Not bad, 10% of the way to bing a second-stage martial artist. Soon, my qi cultivation will catch up with my body cultivation. Even if I don''t have the body cultivation skill, I can still progress using the portion I''ve mastered. It should be sufficient for me to reach the second-stage martial realm in one go," Lu Zhen reflected as he checked his skills before heading to the ancestor''s ce.


    [Skills]


    [BATTLE INSTINCT: LEVEL 1]


    [Gluttony: level 8]


    [Appraisal eye: level 5]


    [Saber mastery: level 6]


    [Adaptability: level 5]


    [Aura control: level 5]


    [Meditation: level 2]


    [Dual cultivation: level 3]


    [Alchemy: level 2]


    [Sword mastery: level 2]


    [Qian mastery: level 1]


    [Staff master: level 1]


    [Chain mastery: level 1]


    "Hmm I should level up my gluttony. It''s very close to advancing, who knows maybe I will get a golden ranked skill again." Lu Zhen thought as he nned the best method to level up his skill.

 Chapter 146: Lu Yuan

    On a grand and luxurious pavilion with the golden-coloured mark "THE GOLDEN PAVILION" written above it, a group of youths, appearing to be around twenty, sat casually inside. They indulged in wines served with meats and luxurious dishes. Their surroundings were harmonious as they chatted and drank happily.


    However, there was only one guy with a dark face, veins popping from his head as he ate his cakes.


    "Brother, why are you angry?"


    "Hmph, that bastard Lu Zhen. We invited him, but he didn''te even after epting the invitation. How can I not be angry?"


    "Brother, Young Master Lu Zhen must have his difficulties; he must be training for the tournament. You can''t judge him."


    Lu Yuan was stunned when he heard his sister.


    "These guys¡­" Lu Yuan looked at everyone. When they talked about Lu Zhen before, they only had disgust in their eyes with clear signs of hatred as they discussed the infamous trash of the Lu family, Lu Zhen. But now, Lu Yuan felt out of the circle whenever he said anything negative about Lu Zhen.


    "These people change their skins faster than a chameleon," Lu Yuan thought. He tightened his fist, drank his whole cup of wine, and left the ce,pletely ignoring the others, who were stunned but didn''t even get up to stop him, not even his own sister.


    After he left, the girl''s friend asked with a smirk, "Are you sure you are letting your brother go just like that?"


    "Hmph, he said bad stuff about my idol. What do I care about him? If I associate with these guys, Young Master Lu Zhen might have a very bad impression of me." The girlpletely forgot that Lu Zhen was her cousin as she continued to talk, and their environment became harmonious again. However, no oneined about Lu Zhen not joining.


    Suddenly, a shadow materialised in the centre of the banquet, revealing a woman fully covered in ck assassin-like dress.


    "Who are you?"


    All the people were stunned when they saw the girl, and their protectors were about to make a move.


    Suddenly, the girl emitted a terrifying aura that covered the entire pavilion as the minds of people became hazy.


    Even the protectors began to sweat as their eyes widened.


    "A third-stage martial artist, what?"


    The girl slowly receded her aura to the minimum as she spoke. Her voice was cold as ice.


    "My young master couldn''te to the party because he was invited by the ancestor," she said as she disappeared into the shadows.


    Her cold voice reverberated in their heads as they took a moment to process her words with widened eyes.


    However, nobody spoke a word for a long time before the sister of Lu Yuan spoke in a small voice, which was barely heard.


    "Young Master Lu Zhen is so hardworking; he doesn''t care about the banquet; instead, he is training hard. We shouldn''t me the Young Master for noting." The voice was barely audible, but as if in motion, everybody started to praise Lu Zhen before they continued their normal conversation again.


    They would have been a little dissatisfied and unconvinced in their hearts if Lu Zhen hadn''te because he was training.


    However, the mention of the ancestorpletely shut them up, as nobody wanted to incur the wrath of the ancestor. From the looks of it, Lu Zhen was favoured by the ancestor, and that meant they had to make a good impression toward Lu Zhen now.


    "We should tell this to our elders immediately." they all had these inner thoughts as they continued to talk normally.


    However now in their conversation they started to scornfully curse Lu Yuan as the banquet continued in its harmonious tune.


    Lu Yuan, who was slowly returning to the Lu estate in his carriage, banged the carriage as hard as he could with his hands.


    However, he couldn''t even budge the carriage as it moved along its path. After all, Lu Yuan was just a mortal; there was no way he could damage it.


    Instead, his hands hurt as a red bump appeared on them.


    "Ahh!"


    He screamed in a muffled voice.


    The carriage stopped as the servant came from outside.


    "Are you alright, young master?"


    "I am alright, just continue moving." Lu Yuan managed to say with the searing pain he was feeling.


    "Yes, young master." The carriage continued to move through the crowd of people.


    "Dammit, I should be able to be a martial trainee soon," Lu Yu said through gritted teeth as he ground his teeth. Due to hisck of sufficient talent, despite practising since childhood and having ess to abundant resources, he had not yet entered the martial trainee realm.


    Feeling powerless in his current situation, he contemted, "That might be the only option I have now." His eyes glinted with ruthlessness as he opened his pouch and took out a in ck ring.


    "Don''t me you bastards¡­"


    Lu Yu closely looked at the ring, his eyes glinting in a strange light. The ring was ugly, with no design and nothing on its surface, just a in ck colour. With determined eyes, he broke the ring, resulting in a dark shine as a domineering voice echoed from all sides. However, only Lu Yu could hear it.


    "Have you chosen it?"


    "Yes," Lu Yuan nodded.


    "Very well, we will provide you with all the resources. You know what you will have to do." The voice carried a hint of mockery in its cold tone.


    Lu Yuan swallowed his saliva. "I have another condition as well."


    The voice fell silent for a moment before ringing in his head again. "What is the condition?"


    "I want you to kill someone. As long as you kill them, I will wholeheartedly join you then."


    "Who is the person?" The voice didn''t ept immediately.


    "Lu Zhen," Lu Yuan said with clear hatred. Ever since Lu Zhen became the genius of the Lu family, his life had been miserable. Even his sister didn''t support him anymore, and his father scolded him for disrespecting Lu Zhen and even his resources were cut in half.


    "Everything is because of you, bastard Lu Zhen," he thought with seething hatred.


    "I cannot fulfil that."


    "Why can''t you?"


    "Because he is the young master, and assassinating him will hamper our n."


    Lu Yuan frowned when he heard this. "Then I won''t help you in your n."


    "We promise to kill Lu Zhen after our n is sessful. How about this?"


    "This¡­" Lu Yuan tightened his fist, still not convinced.


    "This is the only option you have; if not, we may void the agreement."


    "Wait, I can reach the second-stage martial artist before the tournament, right?"


    "Yes."


    Lu Yuan gritted his teeth as he epted. "Alright, then I will ept."


    "Very well." Suddenly, a ck box materialised in front of him.


    "This is the promised pill. As long as you take it, you will be able to reach the second-stage martial realm as long as you train for a week," the cold voice rang in Lu Yuan''s head.


    "Okay," Lu Yu said as he sceptically took the box.


    "I can be a first-stage martial artist as long as Iplete the task, right?"


    "Yes," the voice rang in Lu Yuan''s head with a hint of mockery. However, Lu Yu didn''t care as he looked at the box with greedy eyes. He withdrew from taking it, storing it in the pouch.


    "I should take this after I return home. To hell with the Lu family. Now, when I get power, naturally, all will bow down to the great me."


    A ghostly form sat in a makeshift cave asughter reverberated in the surroundings.


    "That idiot finally agreed."


    "Looks like my mission will soon bepleted. Did they think a small town like Phoenix City could monopolise all the resources from the inheritance cave?"


    "Kahahha! I have already imnted three of the spies in three families: Xia, Lu, and Huang, first-ss families. Hmm¡­" The ghostly figure decided to ignore another major family as it wasn''t even a family; it was more like a den of assassins. However, it didn''t work much in Phoenix City and mostly remained in seclusion throughout the year.


    "I will deal with them if they move, but nting spies in the three major families should be sufficient for now." He casually swiped his hands, creating a portal in thin air, strolling inside.


    "My mission ispleted; I will definitely gain a lot of contribution points for it."


    As for the pills he had given to his three little spies, they were a type of poison pill. This pill made a person unleash their full potential temporarily, gaining the power of a second-stage martial artist. However, it would not onlypletely block their talent for martial arts, but it would also slowly sap their lifespan until the user died, all for a temporary boost of power.


    After all, nothing was so easy in this world. If just eating a mere pill could make you reach the second-stage martial realm, the world would have been turned upside down.

 Chapter 147: Tournament

    Meanwhile, Lu Zhen made his waypletely ignorant of the dangers, slowly entering the hall of the ancestor. He was greeted by a beautiful woman with ck hair in luxurious clothes.


    "Young master, please wait here; ancestors will being here soon."


    Lu Zhen nodded respectfully and sat down on a stool, patiently waiting for the ancestor. He was carrying the box containing the meteorite ore from before in his hands.


    After a short span of time, Ancestor Lu appeared from a portal he just created.


    "This ability is quite useful," Lu Zhen couldn''t help but think to himself as he respectfully greeted the ancestor.


    "Hmm, you seem to have improved by a lot," the ancestor said as his eyes lit up when he saw Lu Zhen.


    "Thank you, ancestor. I need your help in making hidden weapons with these." Lu Zhen opened the box, revealing the material cutting right to the point.


    "Ho, quite the interesting thing you got there, but using it for hidden weapons?" Ancestor Lu shook his head.


    "But how will you pay for me, a first-stage martial artist, to make the hidden weapon for you, and a second-grade weapon at that?" he said with a business smile on his face. He didn''t want his grandchildren to eat free food for nothing and wanted to teach a valuable lesson to Lu Zhen. It was definitely not because he was greedy or anything¡ªcough.


    Lu Zhen was very calm when he heard this, as he expected.


    "Ancestor Lu, this remaining ore material after you refine the chain can be yours to keep, as long as you can make the hidden weapon for me."


    Ancestor Lu was stunned when he heard this, looking deeply at Lu Zhen for some time before he started tough out loud.


    "You are quite the clever one. Alright, I will add other ingredients as well to make you the hidden weapon as there needs to be otherplementary material as well. As long as it is a martial artist below the first stage, they cannot break the hidden weapon."


    "Yes, Ancestor," Lu Zhen nodded with a smile on his face.


    "Remember to win in the tournament. As long as you can win it, I will give you three items from the treasury," Ancestor Lu said with a satisfied smile on his face.


    Lu Zhen''s eyes lit up when he heard this. The treasury was the ce where the most valuable things of the Lu family were stored¡ªthose things which were valuable but not of use at that time or were a waste to use were the items stored in the treasury.


    "You don''t have to thank me. Remember, Lu Zhen, nothing is free in this world, and you have to pay the price for everything that is given to you for free," Ancestor Lu said in a teaching tone as he beckoned Lu Zhen to leave.


    "The chain will be prepared about the time when the tournament starts, and although from my current knowledge no one can beat you in this, you must be careful when you fight. After all, variables can always be present."


    "Ancestor, I would like you to open the cultivation room for my training."


    "Ho, are you going to use the rewards already? Very well, show this badge to the Grand Elder guarding the treasury, and he will open the treasury door for you."


    "You may leave now."


    Lu Zhen respectfully nodded his head with a respectful expression as he left.


    However, as Lu Zhen was leaving, the ancestor''s voice rang in his ears.


    "We will start attacking the Xia family after the tournament is over."


    Lu Zhen''s eyes glinted with a murderous aura when he heard this.


    "Xia family, your days will soone to an end," he muttered, exiting the ancestor''s residence, which was modest in sizepared to the other pces. Lu Zhen made his way to the cultivation room.


    The servants all greeted Lu Zhen as he slowly made his way to the cultivation chamber. When he arrived, he looked at the chamber with a strange expression. The cultivation chamber resembled more of a cave than a building, curving endlessly into the ground, beyond even Lu Zhen''s vision.


    "Young master, why have youe here?"


    An old man materialized in front of the cave, blocking Lu Zhen. Lu Zhen was astonished when he saw the old man, as the aura he emitted was even stronger than the one he had encountered during his impossible-grade mission.


    "Grand elder," Lu Zhen respectfully bowed, presenting the badge that the ancestor had given him.


    The old man''s eyes widened when he saw the badge.


    "Ancestor''s token," he said aloud, looking at Lu Zhen with gleaming eyes.


    "Looks like the rumor that Lu Zhen is heavily favored by the ancestor might be true," he thought to himself.


    "Young master, you may enter."


    "Yes, Grand Elder." Lu Zhen remained respectful as he entered the cave.


    The old man was satisfied with Lu Zhen''s attitude.


    "Looks like he hasn''t forgotten to respect his elders," the old man thought, pleased. He followed Lu Zhen, unaware that Lu Zhen''s respect was primarily due to the old man''s strength, and Lu Zhen simply aimed to leave a positive impression on him. Lu Zhen had no interest in unnecessary conflicts with those stronger than him.


    Contrary to Lu Zhen''s expectations of darkness, the cave was well-lit, adorned with decorations and literal gold design that exudes an air of luxury. As he descended the spiral staircase, he looked around curiously.


    The old man chuckled at Lu Zhen''s curious expression as they walked down the staircase.


    "Young master, here."


    Eventually, they reached the bottom, unveiling a golden-ted door adorned with a hexagonal symbol at its front.


    Lu Zhen''s eyes glinted with a strange light when he saw this.


    The old man took out a hexagon-shaped stone, causing Lu Zhen''s eyes to widen.


    "A middle-grade qi-stone." However, Lu Zhen wasn''t only surprised because of this. He was also astonished because it was in a hexagon shape, which was unusual for a qi-stone.


    "Young master, this is the key to open the chamber. You must remember to utilise this time as much as possible, as you can only stay for a day."


    Although Lu Zhen felt a pang of regret at seeing a middle-grade qi-stone being used, knowing that it could significantly improve his rate of condensing qi, he was more curious about what kind of thing was inside the room that required a middle-grade qi-stone just to activate it for a day.


    Lu Zhen nodded his head as he reluctantly looked at the hexagon-shaped qi-stone, treating it as if it was his to begin with.


    The old man was speechless at Lu Zhen''s reaction, but he continued his task, cing the hexagon qi-stone into the strange-shaped symbol. Instantly, as if like a vacuum, the qi-stone was sucked into the strange symbol, which began to shine with a golden light.


    Rumble!


    The golden-ted door slowly opened.


    "Go in quick, young master."


    "Okay." Lu Zhen quickly entered the door. Instantly, the door closed behind him. The ancestor''s token in him mysteriously turned into dust that flew away, as if it didn''t exist in the first ce.


    However, Lu Zhen was too distracted by the harmonious feeling in the room, and he remainedpletely ignorant of the ancestor''s token turning to dust.


    Lu Zhen''s mind becamepletely still as he could feel a unique energy in the air, entirely different from the mana normally present in the surroundings. It felt strangely familiar, simr to the mysterious energy he experienced after consuming pills, but with a subtle difference.


    He sat down in a meditative state and started to cultivate. Almost instantly, as Lu Zhen began to visualise, all the wood qi in his body started to slowly condense.


    As Lu Zhen''s vision of the mangrove tree became clearer, the tree seemed to grow bigger and bigger, mirroring the cirction of his qi in the shape of a tree within his body.


    Lu Zhen was pleasantly surprised as he opened his eyes, stopping his meditation.


    "This is quite the steal; now all I need is¡­" Lu Zhen took out all the vials containing the qi condensing elixir.


    However, he hesitated to take it. Thest time Lu Zhen took a pill, he almost exploded, a pill which even a martial trainee could take almost ended his life right there.


    Taking a Qi condensing pill which helped to condense Qi meant for the progression of a third-stage martial artist to be a second-stage martial artist would undoubtedly be dangerous for him.


    "System, what would happen if I take this elixir?"


    [Lack of data to know that, host. However, based on the system''s knowledge, as long as you only take one vial, it shouldn''t be a problem.]


    "The previous incident with the pill was because of¡­"


    [Host, it was due to the gluttony skill, as it helped you to digest all the mysterious energy. ording to the data, an average martial artist can only digest about one fourth of the pill; the rest cannot be digested and instead harms the martial artist as it converts into impurities. However, the skill''s current capability allows you to absorb at least ny percent of the pill.]

 Chapter 148: Advancement of the Glutonny

    When Lu Zhen heard this, he sighed. The difference between twenty-five and ny percent was apparent; it was almost five times more effective on Lu Zhen.


    "Sigh, I feel like the skill became more of a burden rather than an advantage." Although the potential of the Gluttony skill was unimaginably high, currently, Lu Zhen felt it was more of a burden. He couldn''t consume the elixir normally; if he overdid it, he might explode. The only reason Lu Zhen was previously able to use up all that energy was because he advanced his skills.


    [Host, it is rmended that you consume only one elixir at a time; otherwise, the chance of exploding is very high.]


    "When can I take the elixir again?"


    [When the host is fully able to digest the elixir.]


    "When will that happen?"


    [The host will need at least three days to fully benefit from the effect of the elixir before taking another one.]


    Lu Zhen remained silent as countless thoughts swirled in his head in the blink of a second.


    He summoned his system with a thought and focused on the skill section, opening it.


    [Skills]


    [BATTLE INSTINCT: LEVEL 1]


    [Gluttony: level 8]


    [Appraisal eye: level 5]


    [Saber mastery: level 6]


    [Adaptability: level 5]


    [Aura control: level 5]


    [Meditation: level 2]


    [Dual cultivation: level 3]


    [Alchemy: level 2]


    [Sword mastery: level 2]


    [Qian mastery: level 1]


    [Staff master: level 1]


    [Chain mastery: level 1]


    "Hmm¡­" Lu Zhen looked at the skills as his eyes lit up as he thought of something.


    Without a second dy, he opened the vial and drank it down instantly. Lu Zhen''s body was filled with the familiar energy as it slowly went towards his wood qi and mixed with it . Instantly, his process was elerated to a terrifying degree, with his qi reserves decreasing at a terrifying speed.


    The remaining mysterious energy which didn''t elerate Lu Zhen''s wood Qi condensation process started to nourish and strengthen Lu Zhen''s body.


    "Hmm¡­" Lu Zhen could feel his muscle contracting and slowly bing smaller and smaller; however, its density kept increasing as his muscle slowly became morepacted and stronger.


    Lu Zhen felt a little bloated; however, he was fine. Unlikest time, Lu Zhen was stronger, so naturally, it didn''t make his condition worse like previously.


    "Should I take the risk or not?" he thought as he looked at another vial.


    "System, how much possibility of surviving do I have if I drink the second vial right now?"


    [Host, the percentage is twenty-ny percent. I wouldn''t rmend the host to take the vial.]


    "Hmm. Just take it," Lu Zhen''s eyes shed with a ruthless glint as he consumed the pill again.


    Instantly, the bloated feeling started to rise up in Lu Zhen''s body. However, he didn''t stop; first, he asked the system.


    "What are my chances of survival if I take another vial?"


    [From the current knowledge, the host''s survival chance is fifty percent.]


    Lu Zhen''s eyes lit up when he heard this as he gulped down another vial.


    His body was fully bloated now as his muscles inted in a strange angle.


    Ahh!


    A searing pain erupted within him as his body felt stuffed to the brim.


    However, Lu Zhen''s eyes lit up when he saw the prompt in front of him on a blue screen.


    [You have overeaten]


    [Gluttony has levelled up from level 8 to level 9]


    Lu Zhen quickly spoke to the system in his head.


    "What are my chances if I drink another vial?"


    [Host, it is sixty percent.]


    The mechanical, cold voice rang in Lu Zhen''s ear, prompting his excitement.


    Lu Zhen didn''t hesitate for a moment before gulping down all the four vials left in one go.


    Boom!


    A terrifying energy permeated Lu Zhen''s body as his body fully inted to look like a balloon. His wood qi condensed at a terrifying speed, even with Lu Zhen not meditating at all. Lu Zhen''s hands and legs became tiny, and his previous muscles were nowhere to be seen, with him inted like a balloon filled with air.


    "I am going to explode." Lu Zhen''s body didn''t stop inting; he kept inting and inting at a terrifying rate.


    [You have overeaten]


    [Gluttony has levelled up from level nine; advancement avable]


    Lu Zhen''s eyes lit up as he hurriedly opened his skill section.


    Skills]


    [BATTLE INSTINCT: LEVEL 1]


    [Gluttony: level 9] (advance the skill? (yes) or (no))


    [Appraisal eye: level 5]


    [Saber mastery: level 6]


    [Adaptability: level 5]


    [Aura control: level 5]


    [Meditation: level 2]


    [Dual cultivation: level 3]


    [Alchemy: level 2]


    [Sword mastery: level 2]


    [Qian mastery: level 1]


    [Staff master: level 1]


    [Chain mastery: level 1]


    Lu Zhen focused on the Gluttony skill, hurriedly imagining pressing the "yes" button. Instantly, almost half of the mysterious energy disappeared from his body, all going towards his brain rapidly.


    Slowly, Lu Zhen''s body deted, but he was still in an inted state, making it difficult for him to move properly.


    "Hmm¡­" Lu Zhen frowned when he sensed the change in his body. Almost all the wood qi in his body was already condensed, but his wood qi reserve had been totally drained.


    He summoned his system with a thought.


    [LEVEL UP]


    ¡ª-----


    [Name: Lu Zhen]


    --------


    [Race: Human]


    [Bloodline: Half Human/ Half Volgrith]


    [Lifespan left: 156 years]


    --------


    [Attributes]


    [Constitution: Divine physique (level 4)]


    [Charm: Mortal (Level 5)]


    [Wood Qi: third-stage martial artist](48%)


    [Demonic Qi: null]


    [Mana: Null Circle]


    ???


    --------


    [Cultivation manuals]


    [Cultivation technique: Verdant art (stage 2)]


    [Combat arts: [Verdant Whirlwind (full mastery)], [Whispering Shadow Step (full mastery)], [Verdant Grove Fist(full mastery)]]


    --------


    Skills: 12


    ¡ª-----


    [Quest]


    [Missionpleted:1]


    His wood qi reserve had increased by a whopping 48%. However, all the wood qi in Lu Zhen''s body was fully exhausted, causing the mysterious energy to have no target. Instead, it nourished his body, which was why he remained in an inted state.


    "Let me gather more wood Qi," Lu Zhen thought to himself as he sat down in a meditative state, taking out the low-grade qi-stone from his pouch and absorbing the attributeless qi. Slowly, he turned it into his wood qi before the mysterious energy helped him condense it again.


    [Gluttony advancing]


    [1%¡­ 3%¡­ 8%.... ]


    Slowly, the skill was also advancing, while the system consumed a massive amount of his energy.


    This cycle repeated for a day in the cultivation chamber.

 Chapter 149: Lu Huang Envy

    "It''s time to be in the tournament. Roll the drums, Qilin," a youth said as he sat with his knee to the floor, enjoying his tea.


    "Yes, master," the woman nodded her head as she went outside the room.


    "Ho, I wonder if I will be able to break through the first-stage martial realm and reach that realm or not..." the man tightened his fist. "Hmm, my only opportunity might be in the inheritance cave. After all, I don''t even know how I can advance after reaching the peak of the first-stage martial artist. I guess only time will tell if I can reach it or not after I reach the peak of the first stage."


    The drums rang loud in the Lu family; instantly, all the people of the Lu family, direct descendants and disciples with the elders, gathered in a line outside the ancestor''s living residents with a determined glint in their eyes.


    The man walked outside, seeing all his descendants. He couldn''t help but smile; however, he frowned when he couldn''t see Lu Zhen anywhere.


    "I greet the ancestor," Lu Huang bowed as he went forward to greet the ancestor.


    Ancestor Lu just nodded his head as he looked around with a frown.


    "Ancestor, you might be looking for Lu Zhen. He is still in seclusion," Lu Huang couldn''t help but feel a pang of envy for his dear son who has gained the ancestor''s attention; however, he couldn''t do anything about it.


    Hearing this, the ancestor Lu just nodded his head as he patiently waited.


    Seeing this, the crowd of people who had gathered in line were shocked to the core.


    "Looks like I will be able to watch a good show," Lu Yuan thought to himself as he could feel power coursing through his veins. He felt a rush of exhration ever since he had eaten the pill, as if he had consumed coke or something. As if he could do everything in this world or something.


    Soon after an hour or so, Lu Zhen arrived. However, the instant he arrived, he bowed to the ancestor.


    "Ancestor, due to my seclusion being long, I couldn''t immediatelye."


    Contrary to the expectations of the crowd, seeing Lu Zhen at least being reprimanded, the ancestor had a happy expression on his face as he praised Lu Zhen instead of showing any signs of resentment.


    "Oh, don''t worry about it, as long as you can win the tournament. It is good to see you are training hard."


    "This¡­" Lu Yuan tightened his fist, seeing this, as his veins popped in his head. He looked at this with a dark expression, and around his body, a shield reflected by the sun. However, he hurriedly suppressed his power as he restrained his anger.


    "Hmm, my anger seems to have increased quite a lot after consuming the pill¡­" Lu Yuan thought, feeling it was natural since there should be some side-effect if it was such a heaven-defying thing.


    However, he never expected the pill was self-poisoning, guaranteeing his death. After all, he never thought such a pill existed with his current knowledge and believed that he was a valuable pawn right now. This made him assume that he was safe and could secure a position with whatever force was behind the voice.


    He watched Lu Zhen with seething hatred.


    The crowd of people were a little shocked; however, they found it understandable since Lu Zhen was a true monster, being able to defeat a half third-stage martial artist so easily. He must have at least be a half third-stage martial artist or even more. An eighteen-year-old in that realm could be nothing short of a monster already!


    "The younger generation with only sufficient strength can proceed, so I will conduct a test to see if you all are worthy or not. Separate those who are older than thirty."


    Immediately, people who were thirty were sidelined, with nobody trying to hide, as they knew it was pointless and the consequence was angering the ancestor, which nobody dared to do.


    Suddenly, a huge pir materialised in the hand of the ancestor as it dug deep into the ground.


    The pir was fully ck, and a strange ss was at the top of the pir.


    "Whoever can punch the pir, and if a green light is shown by the pir, you can pass; if a red glow, you fail," he patiently exined.


    "So, who wants to try it first?"


    "Me, Ancestor." A hulking-looking man came topless as he raised his hands.


    He walked up to the pir and took a deep breath before punching with his full strength.


    Bang!


    The pir didn''t even budge as a red light shone, which made the man''s eyes filled with despair.


    "How is this possible?" He muttered in confusion.


    Ancestor Lu shook his head, seeing this, as he said, "Next."


    The muscr man had despair-filled eyes as he reluctantly left the ce.


    Turn by turn, descendants of the family came, where some even lean people passed, while some didn''t pass no matter their strength.


    Lu Zhen looked curiously at the pir.


    "Ancestor, can I try it too?"


    "You don''t need to, but you can give it a try at the end." Ancestor Lu chuckled when he heard this.


    It was finally time for Lu Yuan to take the test.


    Lu Yuan slowly made his way to the pir, hearing curses from others.


    "Is that the trash who disrespected the young master?"


    "I didn''t expect Lu Yuan to be like this." Some shook their heads.


    Lu Yuan''s ears twitched when he heard the hushed voices of the others.


    "Bastard, weren''t you the one who also disdained Lu Zhen when he was considered trash privately? Now you are cursing me, trying to put all the me on me." He thought, feeling that the decision of betraying the family was even better.


    "Watch, you fools, how you will see my greatness, as you will all be corpses soon." He sneered in his head.

 Chapter 150: Mob Tactic

    Lu Zhen had an amused smile when he heard this; he naturally knew about this mob tactic to me someone for all the things that they did, making only one stand out while riling the crowd to me the one who stood out. However, he felt that Lu Yuan was strange for a reason he couldn''t feel, which made Lu Zhen frown.


    Lu Yuan took a deep breath before punching the pir.


    The ancestor''s eyes widened when he saw the punch of Lu Yuan, shocked to the core.


    Bang!


    The pir started to shake as it went back and forth for a moment before it stabilised again, astonishing everyone as no light shone from the pir.


    "Eh, maybe the pir is broken¡­" someone tentatively whispered in the crowd as he was stunned.


    However, his words were stuck in his throat, as a golden light shone in the pir.


    "Perfect third-stage martial artist," Ancestor Lu announced, convincing everyone that it was true.


    Lu Yuan had a smug expression on his face as he returned; everybody made way for him. While the guy who had previously mocked Lu Yuan started to sweat.


    The whole crowd around was shocked to the core as the venue became eerily silent.


    Perfect third-stage martial artist was a term used when someone truly reaches the realm, and their body is strengthened equal to their qi. That meant a harmony of qi and body, which was rare in most cases.


    However, it didn''t mean they were special or any stronger than a normal third-stage martial artist; it just meant that they have fully reached the potential of their current Qi level, strengthening their body, and could only strengthen their body when they advance more.


    Lu Zhen looked at Lu Yuan with a frown, as he felt that something was wrong with this guy. However, since Ancestor Lu hadn''t made a move, he also didn''t move.


    "Not bad, another talented direct descendant emerged. Next," he said, as another descendant and disciple took the test while being eerily silent with no previous atmosphere.


    Finally, atst, Ancestor Lu looked at the fifty or so descendants and disciples who had passed, with a satisfied expression, nodding his head.


    "You might all be unconvinced why you didn''t pass because this pir shows the amount of strength your body and Qi possess currently, and you needed to have the strength of at least a mid martial trainee while your body strength should be equally powerful or higher," he looked at the unwilling faces as their heads hung low, patiently exining to them.


    "Remember to practise well while staying," Ancestor Lu said in a harsh tone, "or you will eventually be surpassed, and no matter your position, you will eventually be servants of these guys," his tone grew harsher and harsher.


    The descendants and disciples had a fire growing in their eyes, glinting with a hint of determination.


    "Yes, Ancestor," all of them said loudly, as if they were in the military. Even those who didn''t want to have the determination said it, as they too were motivated by the higher number who were motivated.


    After all, it was human nature to follow the crowd!


    Lu Zhen couldn''t help but marvel at the tactics of the ancestor; in just simple words, he had awakened the fighting spirit of the crowd. If he were in Lu Zhen''s previous world, he would undoubtedly be a great politician.


    "How about you try now, Lu Zhen?" Ancestor Lu smiled mysteriously as he beckoned Lu Zhen to try it.


    "Alright, Ancestor." Lu Zhen bowed as he went towards the pir. From the corner of his eyes, he could see the mocking expression of Lu Yuan.


    "Hmm, what did I do to him?" Lu Zhen frowned internally. "I guess he is a petty person," he muttered to himself as he remembered the conversation the others had.


    However, he didn''t care much unless Lu Yuanes in his path; he wouldn''t care whether he held a grudge against him or was indifferent. Lu Zhen couldn''t care less.


    Lu Zhen lightly punched the pir.


    Boom!


    The moment his fist connected to the pir, like an ordinary metal, it bent as his fist''s momentum continued its path.


    However, before it could fully bend and even break, Lu Zhen swiftly took back his fist''s momentum.


    Ancestor Lu''s eyes widened for the first time.


    "Strength of a second-stage martial artist."


    The entire venue fell silent as they couldn''tprehend the words that Ancestor Lu uttered.


    Lu Yuan clenched his fist when he heard this.


    "If it wasn''t for hiding my strength, I would have been as strong as a second-stage Martial artist as well," he roared in his head, his smug expression turning dark.


    "As expected of Young Master Lu; he truly is the monster of the Lu family." Finally, somebody managed to speak.


    And the praises for Lu Zhen started again. Although they were initially afraid of Lu Yuan overshadowing Lu Zhen and gaining the ancestor''s attention, after all, a 20-year-old third-stage martial artist was already a terrifying genius. But now that Lu Zhen was revealed to have the strength of a second-stage martial artist, they fully praised him.


    Most of them wanted to suck up to Lu Zhen, and the rest also followed the crowd.


    "This kid is truly terrifying; he might surpass me soon¡­" Ancestor Lu was a little envious; however, he didn''t harbor any malicious intent toward Lu Zhen. Simply because he was his descendant, and he had never been treated poorly. Having Lu Zhen be a first-stage martial artist or higher was more beneficial for him, as he would also enjoy the benefits of Lu Zhen''s strength.


    "Lu Zhen and Lu Yuan,e here." Ancestor Lu beckoned to them.


    Although they wore confused expressions, they went towards the ancestor.


    "Here." Suddenly, an armour and a boot materialised in his hands out of thin air.


    He gave the boots to Lu Zhen and the armour to Lu Yuan.


    "These are your gifts for bing first and second. If you two can secure the first and second positions in the tournament, almost 38% of the resources will be ours, the Lu family."


    Lu Zhen''s eyes turned golden as he examined the two items.


    [DragonStride Velocity Boots]


    [Grade: Qi Item] (High Quality)


    [Remarks: Allows the martial artist of the second-stage martial realm or below to increase their speed by at least six times. Crafted by a master using meteorite ore as the main ingredients.]


    Lu Zhen''s eyes widened when he saw this.


    "The ancestor sure is generous," Lu Zhen thought as he wore the boots. Instantly, his body felt much lighter as he casually sprinted without putting much strength into it, crossing almost two hundred metres effortlessly.


    Curiously, he also looked at the armour given to Lu Yuan.


    [CelestialGuard Aegis te]


    [Grade: Qi Item]


    [Remark: A very strong armour handcrafted by an expert, which can provide protection against someone below the third-stage martial realm and can withstand three blows from a third-stage martial artist.]


    "Sigh, if I had the opportunity, I could have given you even first-stage martial realm equipment; however, it isn''t allowed in the tournament." Ancestor Lu shook his head regretfully as his eyes gleamed.


    He also distributed various equipment to the other descendants and disciples who performed well in the test.


    "Let''s go now," Ancestor Lu beckoned while walking outside. However, he first went towards Lu Huang and Lu Ying.


    "You two take care of the lu estate while I am gone." ancestor lu took out two jades which he handed to lu qian and lu huang.


    "Yes ancestor." The two bowed as they took the jade.


    After all, while he was gone, although trouble was unlikely toe, he still needed insurance for the safety of the estate as it was their home so some of the elders and grand elders were also left behind.


    With that said a line of carriage was prepared almost immediately however it wasn''t like previously where the horses pulled the cart instead it was huge golden tigers with their fangs sticking emitting a terrifying aura out who were tied to the carriage.


    "We will be going on there." ancestor lu said as he pointed to the most luxurious carriage in the front who had the strongest and the biggest lion emitting the most terrifying aura.


    Lu Yuan''s eyes widened when he sensed the aura of the tiger.


    "Third-stage martial realm beast." he was shocked to the core.


    Slowly, he followed the ancestor with Lu Zhen as they entered the carriage, and it started moving forward.


    The descendants and disciples were arranged in carriages based on the strength they disyed, regardless of their lineage. The strongest individuals were ced in carriages with a more fearsome aura emanating from the leading tiger, while the weaker ones upied less impressive carriages with less powerful beasts.


    This arrangement sparked a sense of rivalry among them. Inevitably creating apetition among the younger generation promoting each others growth.

 Chapter 151: Jiang Family Condition

    "Remember, Jiang Xue, you must make a good impression when Lu Zhen arrives," Jiang Lao said, looking at her sternly, his demeanourcking the warmth of a father''s love. Unlike his former robust self, he appeared to have aged, with white hair and a lean physique recing his once-muscr stature.


    "Yes, father," Jiang Xue replied with a resigned sigh, emitting a different vibe than her previous cold demeanour. She obediently took walks, acknowledging the reality around her.


    Various members of the Jiang family surrounded them as they slowly made their way to the centre of the city where the stadium was located. Unfortunately, only the four major families were permitted to ride in the carriage, and no one else could do so without the permission of these major families.


    This arrangement was set to show the dominance of the four major families over the city. Any disagreeing families were swiftly crushed by a collective effort from all four major families, as it directly undermined the interests of the four families.


    Surrounding Jiang Xue and her father were four individuals emitting terrifying auras, each adorned with the symbols of the Lu, Xia, Huang, and a mysterious ck ninja-like costume. These four figures guarded them closely as they made their way to the heart of the city.


    Upon reaching a coliseum-like structure, constructed from an unusual material resemblingmon stone, the group was promptly guided to their seats by the four individuals.


    "Stay here for now," said the one wearing a green uniform, bearing the unique symbol of a verdant tree, with a friendly smile.


    "By the way, since you have discovered this ce, the four families have unanimously decided to grant all of you younger generation individuals the opportunity to participate in the tournament," announced another, dressed in blue attire, showcasing the distinctive symbol of the Xia family. His voice echoed loudly, ensuring that the promation was heard by everyone in the colosseum.


    Instantly, all the individuals seated in the colosseum perked up at the announcement, their ears attuned to the information about the tournament. Greed flickered in the eyes of many as they gazed upon the Jiang family, contemting the potential benefits of this newfound opportunity.


    The person in the green dress frowned at the reaction, choosing to remain silent.


    Suddenly, the entire colosseum resonated with the formidable roars of tigers, heralding the arrival of a carriage bearing the insignia of a verdant tree.


    "The Lu family has arrived," a resonant announcement echoed through the colosseum, quelling the once-noisy crowd into an immediate silence. No one dared to speak as anticipation filled the air.


    A tearing sound reverberated, as if the very fabric of the void was being torn. A youth emerged, making his way to the VIP seating area where four luxurious seats awaited.


    Taking his ce in one of the opulent seats, the Lu family descendant arrived, apanied by the subtle emanation of their powerful aura.


    Two youths led the way, one remarkably handsome with dark hair and distinctive crimson eyes, dressed in a ck robe, and the other appearing rather in, d in a green robe with ck hair and eyes.


    In fact, he looked uglypared to the crimson-eyed youth and average with his aura weaker than him by arge margin.


    The other descendant followed the two, exuding a fierce aura.


    The individuals seated in the colosseum were utterly shocked and intimidated by the Lu family, not even daring to gulp down their saliva, which felt stuck in their throats.


    "Sigh, we might not even get the remains of the treasure," thought all the small families attempting to benefit from the situation. They observed their descendants, who were too scared to even raise their heads. Some emitted a disgusting smell, causing the patriarchs and elders of the small families to shake their heads.


    However, the small families weren''t to me. After all, they themselves were trembling due to the aura emanating from the two youths in the front. The small families'' patriarchs and elders felt a sense of danger from these two youths, who wereparable to their own in aura.


    "Let''s stay calm for now," Lu Zhen said in a loud voice, beckoning everyone to retract their auras.


    "Yes, young master." All the terrifying auras they emitted instantly disappeared, and they silently adopted a military-like position, waiting patiently.


    Lu Zhen looked amusingly at the masses of people who had gathered to watch the fight. Suddenly, an idea popped into his head. However, as his status is very high, he couldn''t execute it himself. After all, he was representing the Lu family here.


    "Girl, go and set up a gambling stall," Lu Zhen instructed his little guard, who was hiding in the shadows.


    "Yes, master," she said as she moved from Lu Zhen''s shadows and blended into the crowd, disguising herself as a bald man with a fat belly.


    She quickly set up a stall in front of the crowd and started hawking.


    "ce your bets here! If you win, you''ll get ten times your money or even more."


    The crowd''s attention was instantly captured by the words of the fat-bellied man with the bald head. However, nobody moved from their positions, even though everyone was tempted.


    Lu Zhen frowned internally when he saw this, thinking of something. However, after a moment of contemtion, he felt it was natural.


    Gambling wasn''t new in this world; in fact, the addiction to gambling was even more prevalent. However, since the people who were fighting belonged to the status of the four major families, who jointly owned the entirety of the city, nobody dared to set up gambling stalls to avoid offending the four families.


    Ancestor Lu looked at the stall with a smile on his face and waved at Lu Zhen from his VIP seat.


    Lu Zhen also waved back at the ancestor. Although he could hide his little guard girl from the masses, to a first-stage expert, it was, in one word, impossible. However, seeing the ancestor not stopping Lu Zhen, he considered it a green signal.

 Chapter 152: Lu Zhen Leader of the younger generation

    Although the other descendants and disciples were confused, seeing Lu Zhen not acting, they also didn''t move, as they already considered Lu Zhen as their leader.


    Lu Yuan tightened his fist, naturally seeing that the man came from Lu Zhen''s shadows, but he, too, didn''t move.


    "You can do whatever you want, Lu Zhen, but soon you will be dead as well," he sneered in his mind.


    The fat-bellied man sat patiently, and nobody came to stop him, which made the crowd''s eyes widen in disbelief.


    "He must be working for the Lu family," some of the smart ones thought of these possibilities; however, most of the people couldn''t resist the urge of gambling as they stormed the betting stall.


    Seeing this, Lu Zhen''s smile widened internally; however, he still maintained a serious expression outwardly.


    Soon, a flock of birds could be seen in the sky, slowly travelling to the coliseum and emitting a terrifying aura.


    "The Xia family has arrived," a loud announcement was made. In the VIP spot, another young-looking man arrived; however, his hair seemed to have gone white, and he looked haggard.


    He quietly sat in his seat, ignoring the amused gaze of Ancestor Lu.


    "I thought you wouldn''te," Ancestor Lu said.


    However, the man remained silent. Seeing this, Ancestor Lu chuckled as he also ignored the man.


    Soon, the group of descendants was led by an unattractive youth; however, the aura he emitted was equal to Lu Yuan''s and Lu Zhen''s aura.


    They silently remained in their position without talking much as well.


    Lu Zhen chuckled seeing this. However, he felt something strange about the youth who was leading the group. Yet, just like Lu Yuan, he couldn''t pinpoint what these feelings were.


    Simrly, the Huang family arrived, led by two youths¡ªone defeated by Lu Zhen and another, a youth Lu Zhen had never heard about. Their ancestor, a woman with fiery hair, also maternalized from a simr portal as she directly entered the VIP section.


    The Hei family, a group of assassins, silently arrived without anybody even noticing. Their ancestor was seated in the VIP room as well however they rarely made any noise.


    "Ho, how are you doing, Huang Shi?" Ancestor Lu said as he looked at the woman who had entered, a glint in his eyes.


    "I am doing fine," was her only response, avoiding eye contact with Ancestor Lu, focusing on the tournament.


    "What about you, my friend?" His tone grew warm as he looked at the man fully covered in ck.


    "I am doing fine," the man spoke as he remained silent.


    An awkward silence hung in the VIP room as nobody among the four talked anymore, all eyes fixed on the tournament.


    Although ancestor lu was tempted to attack xia ancestor, since he refrained from these notions, after all, he wasn''t stupid and should have made preparation in case he was attacked with the means that a first-stage martial artist had, escaping from another first-stage martial artist was really an easy task, so ancestor lu refrained from taking action as he knew his effort would be fruitless.


    "Alright, thepetition shall begin." Ancestor Lu voiced as he saw that the three had no intention to start it.


    Jiang Xue came to the stage as she was decided to be the referee of the tournament for some reason.


    Ignoring the gazes of the hot-blooded youth who was looking at her body as if she were a rabbit, she spoke in a calming tone.


    "There will be two rounds, which will be conducted in a division of four. And the only rule is that you can''t use first-stage martial realm weapons or higher." She patiently exined the details of the tournament in detail.


    Lu Zhen couldn''t help but marvel when he saw the long speech she gave.


    "I guess she does have a talent for this," he thought to himself as he looked at the Xia family, his eyes glinting as he noticed a particr individual that grabbed his attention. Fe Cai was also there with them, and beside him was the girl he met during the journey when Lu Zhen was leaving the city.


    "So she is the girl who made trouble for me, huh?" It didn''t take a genius to guess that she was the one who revealed Lu Zhen''s location when he left the city. Although he didn''t believe that she could mobilize three grand elders to assassinate him, it was very likely that, due to his growth and the old enmity with his mother, this happened. However, she did y a part in it.


    Suddenly, Xia Yun''er felt a shiver down her back as she looked around, spotting Lu Zhen who was looking at her with a smile on his face. Her body started to sweat as she avoided eye contact by putting her head down.


    "I should get rid of her soon," Lu Zhen mused to himself as Jiang Xue finally finished her rambling.


    Although she gave a detailed exnation of the tournament quite neatly and efficiently, Lu Zhen wasn''t interested in hearing it because, in the end, it would be a fight of the strongest.


    Jiang Xue calmly took out wooden sticks imprinted with the names of the people participating and, without looking, separated them into the four divisions.


    "What a dumb way to conduct the tournament," Lu Zhen thought to himself.


    However, he didn''t say anything as he patiently waited, but his patience wore thin as Jiang Xue prattled on with no end.


    "Enough of this," he muttered, unable to contain his frustration any longer, and leaped onto the stage.


    "Fuck this." he thought in his mind.


    "How about we conduct the tournament simply? Let''s make it a free-for-all," Lu Zhen suggested in a deep voice, causing the crowd to widen their eyes in surprise.


    He looked at the ancestors who were sitting on the tform. To his surprise, all four of them nodded which prompted Lu Zhen''s excitement.


    "So how about it? My Lu family."


    "Yes." they all roared together and even Lu Yuan had to say it.

 Chapter 153: Free-For-All

    "Alright, so is this decided now?" Lu Zhen said as he looked around.


    "This¡­" the small family patriarchs and ancestors all had a difficult expression on their faces when they heard this.


    Although they might have some winning chances if one fought one versus one¡ªafter all, not every person in the four major families was overwhelmingly strong¡ªhowever, a free-for-all fight would undoubtedly eliminate that possibility.


    Their descendants had endured enough just to be able to participate in the tournament, as a small qualifying match was conducted between the smaller families to earn a chance to participate. They were given a limited number of seats, and thepetition was fierce, determining the rise of the family.


    Now, with Lu Zhen imposing these rules, it meant that their chances of even making it to the top ten were slim. Reality was often cruel to the weak.


    "Yes, it is decided then," Lu Zhen nodded to himself expressionlessly as he returned to his ce with a casual jump, leaving his footprint on the ground.


    Although Lu Zhen knew this was cruel to the smaller families, it was their fate for being weak. He internally reminded himself to be strong and keep getting stronger, or he could end up like these small families, suffering injustice.


    Jiang Xue was stunned by it; however, maintaining herposure, she started speaking about the important part which was already determined from the four major families.


    "The first ce will have 28% of the rights to the inheritance ground, second will have 10%, third will have 5%, and¡­" she continued, but the small families'' ears were perked up, listening to the rewards carefully. However, the descendants of the four major families already knew this from their respective ancestors, so they pretty much ignored the exnation.


    "So the tournament begins." However, Jiang Xue had an awkward face as she looked at the tform, which was too small for a free-for-all.


    "I will help Lu Zhen out a bit," Ancestor Lu thought as he sat up from his seat.


    Seeing this, all three of them frowned but didn''t say anything as they remained vignt, carefully looking at him with suspicion.


    Ancestor Lu casually made a lifting motion, causing everyone to widen their eyes in shock.


    Boom!


    The ground made cracking noises as the entire tform separated from the ground, lifted into the air, and went up before remaining in a stationary position, as if it was being carried by a giant hand.


    The tform remained stationary in the air as it gradually expanded, turning entirely ck as if made of obsidian in the process.


    "Ho," Ancestor Lu took a deep breath as suddenly countless branches grew from under the tform from the soil, supporting the tform.


    He let go of his hands, which were in the lifting motion.


    The tform moved for a moment before bing stable in the branches.


    Ancestor Lu nodded his head after seeing that the tform was stable enough with the help of the branches. The tform now hovered in the air, a mysterious and imposing structure thatmanded attention.


    "Those who can climb these and go up to the tform are the only ones who are qualified for the tournament," he announced before returning back to his seat again, casually ignoring the shocked gazes of everyone.


    "This person in the middle realm of a first-stage martial artist is so terrifying?" Xia Cao thought expressionlessly. His hands, hidden under his sleeves, were shaking, but he hid his emotions well enough to not express them outwardly.


    He was still injured from the poison he had gotten from Ancestor Lu. Although it couldn''t be life-threatening, and as long as he was given a month, he could fully recover, he didn''t have the luxury of time right now. If he didn''t arrive at the tournament, his descendants were sure to lose everything, and it was too important for him.


    "I need some allies," he thought to himself as he sent a message to Huang Shi.


    Huang Shi frowned when she saw that Xia Cao wanted to contact her. However, she didn''t receive his message as she just nodded her head before cancelling the message with her mental power.


    "Damn it, that bitch! You are also going to die if my family is destroyed by the Lu family, and Lu Ming should juste to my aid¡­"


    However, seeing the nod of Huang Shi, he could only feel a little relieved.


    He didn''t even try to contact the Hei family, as he knew that the Hei ancestor and Lu ancestor had a friendship in their childhood, and the Hei family was the most secluded of the four families to the point that they didn''t even have much business here except for a bounty hall where you could put the bounty of criminals to be killed, so there was no point in contacting him.


    Xia Cao couldn''t help but feel nervous seeing the extent of Lu Ming''s strength.


    "I must prepare more after returning back to the family."


    Although all were shocked, they weren''t for long as a small ck figure rose up the tform at a terrifying speed that seemed to break the very fabric of air itself.


    Thud!


    The figure quickly reached the tform in the air as itnded on it.


    Revealing Lu Zhen with a casual expression.


    "Lu family, climb up fast!" Lu Zhen roared as he waved at the people.


    "Bastard," Lu Yuan cursed under his breath as he also jumped up the tform, not wanting to be left behind.


    Seeing this, almost all of the younger generation who had the qualification to participate in the tournament jumped up.


    Lu Zhen carefully looked at the unassuming youth leading the Xia family and another one leading from the Huang family with an expressionless face.


    "Let me try them first; if something is strange, they will definitely show it," he muttered as he carefully observed the youth from the Xia family.


    The moment the youthnded on the tform, Lu Zhen suddenly released all his aura, directly aiming at the youth.


    The youth''s vision became blurry as his thought process slowed down.


    Lu Zhen swiftly arrived in front of the youth, delivering a punch right at his face.


    "Verdant Grove Fist."


    He roared in his heart, instantly the wood qi stored in his body traveled into his fist as Lu Zhen punched with power.


    Boom!


    The youth was flung backward, almost falling from the tform.


    However, Lu Zhen frowned instead of being happy as he looked at his fist.


    "I used my full power on that blow against him."


    The youth stood up from the ground, wearing a smug smile on his face.


    However, he was given only a moment before a terrifying whirlwind came at him.


    The youth snorted, casually taking out his sword from his waist and shing.


    Boom!


    The whirlwind and the sh collided. Although the whirlwind had a slight advantage, both attacks got cancelled.


    Lu Zhen suddenly appeared from the backside of him, delivering a full-powered punch again, sending the man flying.


    "This might be troublesome," he thought bitterly, as he could see the man standing fine even after receiving two full-powered punches.


    As expected, the man got up with an even smug smile on his red face, disying Lu Zhen''s palm imprint.


    Boom!


    Lu Zhen punched again, instantly appearing in the location of the man and delivering another powerful blow.


    The man was flung once more but managed to get back on his feet.


    Lu Zhen continued his relentless assault, not giving the man any chance to recover, all the while sneering.


    "Why should I give time to an enemy?"


    This process repeated at least twenty times before it seemed the youth had had enough.


    He roared in anger the instant he got back up, releasing his full aura.


    Lu Zhen was stunned when he sensed the aura, his eyes widening.


    "Second-stage martial artist."


    The moment of respite the man gained allowed him to recover from the beating Lu Zhen had delivered, and he madly dashed at Lu Zhen with ferocity. His body was surrounded by faint ripples, showcasing his shield.


    However, Lu Zhen remained calm.


    "If it was previously when my physique hadn''t undergone the change from the void, I would have had no chance but to run, but now¡­" Lu Zhen sneered in his mind as he head-on collided with the man.


    Boom!


    They both took five steps back.


    However, Lu Zhen reacted faster and instantly reached the man''s position.


    "Whispering Shadow Step," Lu Zhen muttered as he casually swiped his hand like a saber.


    The man hurriedly blocked with his sword, feeling the weight from Lu Zhen''s hand as if a saber was pressing down on him.


    Suddenly, the man''s instincts screamed with danger as he wanted to back away. However, the pressure he felt from Lu Zhen''s right hand was so great that if he let go, he would definitely be injured.


    He could only helplessly slightly turn his body to avoid his fatal area from Lu Zhen''s other hands which gave a faint vision of a spear.

 Chapter 154: Gluttony Advancement

    Lu Zhen''s left hand, like a piercing spear, directly broke through the man''s shield, going straight to his shoulder and piercing it cleanly.


    The man''s eyes widened as he roared in pain. However, wind shes came out of his mouth, stunning Lu Zhen as he quickly back-stepped to dodge them. Even he would be injured if he were hit by the wind shes at point-nk range.


    Seeing the blood trickling down from the man''s shoulder, Lu Zhen couldn''t help but feel satisfied.


    "Looks like the spear is the best way to break the shield of a second-stage martial artist." However, he still didn''t have a way to deal with the man in front of him. Although Lu Zhen''s strength and speed were greater than the man by a small margin, he still didn''t have the power to fully defeat him in one strike.


    Lu Zhen''s mind swirled with calctions, but his feet didn''t stop as he attacked the man from every possible angle with a barrage of punches and kicks, sending the man hurtling. asionally, Lu Zhen would injure the man in the process, exploiting any opening he revealed with his spear technique.


    Like a mini-boss in a game, Lu Zhen adopted a hit-and-run tactic, slowly draining the man''s vitality. However, the resilience of a martial artist, especially one in the higher realm, was truly terrifying. Even after half an hour had passed, the man continued to endure.


    "Damn that bastard," the man cursed. Although he had reached the second-stage martial realm, hecked abat art of Lu Zhen''s calibre. Lu Zhen was simply faster, stronger, and more versatile, turning the man into a helpless punching bag.


    "I can only try thatbat art now."


    The man''s eyes shed with a ruthless glint as all the wind Qi in his Qi pathways gathered in his sword.


    The katana in his hand emitted a faint vision of a white dragon as it crackled with wind.


    Lu Zhen recognized the familiar sight of a faint white dragon, reminiscent of the god of wind controlling the wind effortlessly and creating storms out of nowhere, just like when he faced Xia Di.


    "It''s that technique again," Lu Zhen thought, maintaining his calm. The technique, however, felt much weaker than the one Xia Di used when chasing Lu Zhen and seemed overall iplete.


    Remaining still in his position, Lu Zhen observed the rotating wind force resembling a dragoning at him, tearing through the air with a sound that almost broke the sound barrier.


    At thest moment, as the wind was about to engulf Lu Zhen, he suddenly opened his mouth.


    Boom!


    Instantly, as if forming a funnel, all the wind gathered in Lu Zhen''s mouth. It created a small whirling wind before gradually entering Lu Zhen''s mouth.


    After taking in all the wind, along with the wind Qi attribute, Lu Zhen closed his mouth with a satisfied expression.


    His stomach inted for a second before returning to normal as the once-terrifying wind Qi Lu Zhen had consumed instantly became tame and gradually transformed into wood Qi.


    Lu Zhen couldn''t help but feel satisfied as he sensed his body flowing with wood Qi. He summoned his system with a thought.


    [LEVEL UP]


    ¡ª-----


    [Name: Lu Zhen]


    --------


    [Race: Human]


    [Bloodline: Half Human/ Half Volgrith]


    [Lifespan left: 156 years]


    --------


    [Attributes]


    [Constitution: Divine physique (level 4)]


    [Charm: Mortal (Level 5)]


    [Wood Qi: third-stage martial artist](99%)


    [Demonic Qi: null]


    [Mana: Null Circle]


    ???


    --------


    [Cultivation manuals]


    [Cultivation technique: Verdant art (stage 2)]


    [Combat arts: [Verdant Whirlwind (full mastery)], [Whispering Shadow Step (full mastery)], [Verdant Grove Fist(full mastery)]]


    --------


    Skills: 14


    ¡ª-----


    [Quest]


    [Missionpleted:1]


    Lu Zhen focused his eyes on the skill section.


    [Skills]


    [BATTLE INSTINCT: LEVEL 1]


    [DEVOUR: LEVEL 1]


    [Appraisal eye: level 5]


    [Saber mastery: level 6]


    [Adaptability: level 5]


    [Aura control: level 5]


    [Meditation: level 2]


    [Dual cultivation: level 3]


    [Alchemy: level 2]


    [Sword mastery: level 2]


    [Qian mastery: level 1]


    [Staff master: level 1]


    [Chain mastery: level 1]


    His gluttony skill has advanced to "DEVOUR" skill which was written in a golden text which was even more shinier than the "BATTLE INSTINCT" skill that meant its grade was even higher than the battle instinct skill.


    Although the function of the gluttony remained the same, now Lu Zhen could even devour almost everything he couldn''t previously. Just like now he could even devour the man''s attack easily although he hasn''t fully utilised the skill yet just the power to convert an attack into his own strength was a terrifying ability.


    The man''s eyes widened with terror as he witnessed Lu Zhen eating his attack.


    "What type of monster is this guy?" His eyes revealed deep terror.


    Xia Cao frowned upon seeing Lu Zhen''s ability.


    "Lu Ming, what kind of witchcraft have you taught Lu Zhen?" he roared, looking at Lu Ming with hatred.


    Lu Ming couldn''t help but chuckle at this.


    "You know there is no such witchcraft. He just learned a uniquebat art, Xia Cao. Besides, what did you make your descendant eat to be a second-stage martial artist so quickly?" Ancestor Lu quickly retorted. Although he was puzzled by Lu Zhen''s technique but even more afraid of the seemingly ordinary guy who had reached the second stage.


    "Lu Zhen, kill that guy; I will take care of the consequences." The immediate voice transmission from Ancestor Lu reached Lu Zhen using his mental energy discreetly.


    Lu Zhen felt a familiar yet unfamiliar energy reaching him, his ears twitching as he processed the information.


    "So, mental energy could also be used like that," Lu Zhen mused as he vanished from his position again, attacking the man as he appeared behind him. His punch resembled that of a spear, directly breaking the shield. However, the man reacted quickly, dodging by a thin margin, leaving arge cut on his face.


    "I should train my spear mastery more. Although I can imitate the principle of the spear, the power isn''t enough," Lu Zhen thought as he vanished from his position once again.

 Chapter 155: Ant: Devour

    He knew that the guy didn''t have mental energy, which meant he couldn''t sense him with hisbination of hidden techniques that Lu Zhen had developed.


    Turning the guy into a headless fly, Lu Zhen could exploit and kill him at will.


    "If you can''t see me, you are just prey for me to exploit. Even if you see me, you can''t hit me," he sneered. With the "Battle Instinct" skill and the upgraded "Devour" skill, he was essentially invincible in his realm, easily able to fight higher-stage martial artists.


    ¡­


    Thud!


    The man fell to the floor with countless wounds on his body, resembling a skeleton with almost all his blood drained.


    "That''s enough. Xia Wei is surrendering," Xia Cao hurriedly said as he stood up from his seat.


    "Oh, it''s just a scuffle of the descendants. Why are you intervening?" Ancestor Lu suddenly blocked Xia Cao''s words.


    "Xia Wei, surrendered. Are you breaking the rule?" Xia Cao coldly said as he looked at Ancestor Lu.


    "But I haven''t heard him surrender though. Has anyone?" Ancestor Lu looked around, but nobody spoke a word. After all, Xia Wei couldn''t surrender since his tongue and mouth were long cut by Lu Zhen.


    "You¡­" Xia Cao had a cold expression on his face.


    With no surprise, Lu Zhen swiftly beheaded Xia Wei, his head embracing the cold floor with a sickening thud.


    "One down," Lu Zhen mused to himself. However, he had a frown on his face. He had thought that there was something about the man he didn''t know, but until the man''sst breath, he didn''t reveal anything apart from hisck of proficiency in hisbat art and the mental energy, which waspletely natural considering his age.


    Lu Zhen''s eyes narrowed as he looked at the corpse of the man, feeling a green light sh. He crouched down and touched the corpse.


    The moment he touched the corpse, it instantly turned into dust and flew away with the wind, as if a century had passed since the man had died. Lu Zhen was stunned by this; although he had fully exhausted the man and killed him, the corpse shouldn''t have aged so fast. This unexpected turn of events left Lu Zhen with a contemtive expression as thoughts swirled in his mind.


    Suddenly, Lu Zhen''s ears twitched as he heard a whooshing sound.


    He vanished from his position just in time to evade an axe that came at him where he was previously.


    "This son of a bi¡­" Lu Zhen turned to see Lu Yuan, who had an awkward expression on his face.


    "Sorry," Lu Yuan said as he scratched his head.


    He resumed his fight with the Huang family youth, who Lu Zhen also found strange.


    Frowning upon seeing this, Lu Zhen stayed quiet as countless thoughts swirled in his mind, contemting different possibilities.


    "I should deal with that girl first before I deal with them¡­" Lu Zhen thought, a smile adorning his face as he looked around.


    ¡­


    "Xia Yun''er, why are you targeting me? I am just a small character in the Lu family. If you have the guts to fight my senior brother and sister, then," a woman roared, wearing the dress of the Lu family with the verdant tree symbol on the corner of her skirt.


    "Oh, what did you mean? When you offended me previously, you didn''t have so much bravado," Xia Yun''er sneered as she threw countless knives at her, coated with poison.


    "Damn it," she closed her eyes, her strength already exhausted from the earlier fight.


    "Young Master Lu Zhen will surely avenge me," she roared as she somehow managed to gather her power to move a little, dodging the knives by a narrow margin.


    Xia Yun''er frowned when she saw this.


    "Futile resistance," she was about to attack again; however, a sword came flying in the distance at a terrifying speed that made the air itself seem to be torn down.


    Before she could even react, her hand went flying, separated from her body.


    "Ahh!" Xia Yun''er cried in agony as blood spurted out of her body from the separated part of her hand.


    "It''s a pleasure seeing you here again," Lu Zhen sneered as he appeared in front of the girl.


    "Bastard¡­" Xia Yun''er''s face contorted in pain as she struggled to even remain standing, her blood flowing profusely.


    "You weren''t like that when you gave my location to assassinate me," his expression turned cold as he looked at her with the intent to kill in his eyes.


    "Wait, I didn''t do that¡­"


    "Do you think I am stupid?" Lu Zhen''s tone became colder and colder.


    "This¡­" Xia Yun''er was stunned as she thought of a way to escape; however, she couldn''t find any way to escape from Lu Zhen.


    "Anyst words?"


    "Wait, don''t kill me¡­." she started to sob as she felt her life shing before her eyes, making her tearful.


    She sobbed loudly as tears stained her vibrant face, making her look like a cute and pitiful woman at the same time. Triggering a protective instinct in anyone witnessing it, urging them to spare her no matter what she did.


    However, Lu Zhen''s expression remained cold as he gazed sharply at her with not even a single hint of emotion.


    Ahh!


    Lu Zhen disappeared from his position, instantly appearing in front of her as Xia Yun''er''s other hand separated from her body.


    "How do you think acting pitiful will make me spare you?"


    "No, I am going to die. Ahhh!!" Her legs were severed by Lu Zhen with a casual swipe, making her fall to the ground.


    "Wait, I can be your bed warmer¡­"


    A disgusting foul smell emitted from her, making Lu Zhen even more disgusted.


    "Die."


    Boom!


    Lu Zhen casually stepped over her head, crushing her skull like a watermelon. Her single feet wailed like a fish for some time before shepletely stopped moving.


    She was deader than dead!


    "No matter how beautiful you are, without strength, you are nothing more than an ant."

 Chapter 156: Lu Yuans Sister

    Lu Zhen, looking at his little fan, was stunned.


    "Eh, she is Lu Yuan''s sister, if I am correct," he mused to himself.


    "Thank you, young master, for saving me," the girl said, bowing with rosy cheeks.


    "It''s no problem. Target the Xia family, got it¡­" Lu Zhen said with his eyes glinting.


    "Yes, young master." She resumed the fray with her otherpanion as she helped another party.


    Lu Zhen also joined the fray, ughtering the Xia family. Without that man, the highest cultivation of the Xia family descendants was at most half third-stage martial artist, so it was rtively easy for him to deal with them.


    "He is really ughtering only my Xia family people¡­" Xia Cao tightened his fist, and the chair where he sat made creaking noises when veins popped from his head.


    "Don''t push me too far, Lu Ming." He became expressionless as his aura seemed to have changed.


    Ancestor Lu chuckled seeing this.


    "So, you are withdrawing?"


    "No," Xia Cao said in a cold tone.


    "Still stubborn, eh¡­"


    Huang Shi, who was watching, felt amused; however, she stillmunicated with Xia Cao.


    "Alright, I will also help you in battle."


    Although Lu Zhen had only ughtered the Xia family, it still raised concerns. What guarantee did it provide that they wouldn''t turn towards the Huang family? The growing power of Lu Ming had increasingly made her afraid of him. If they destroyed the Xia family, her family would be next, or they would be mere subordinates, which was absolutely uneptable to her.


    Xia Cao''s eyes lit up as he received the message from Huang Shi.


    "Alright, we are leaving now." He stood up from his seat and swiped his hand, creating a portal.


    "Xia family has given up and withdrawn from the tournament," Ancestor Lu announced loudly to everyone.


    "Damn that bastard," Xia Cao grumbled as he entered the portal, reaching out to all his descendants.


    Lu Zhen casually crushed the head of another Xia family member, even after hearing the announcement.


    "You monster, what are you doing? We already gave up." The person''s eyes were filled with despair.


    "Eh, but I didn''t hear it." Lu Zhen casually swiped his hand, producing a whirlwind emitting a terrifying aura that would have ground the man to pieces. However, a portal appeared, revealing Xia Cao, who blocked his attack with just a flick of his finger.


    "You dare¡­"


    "Umm, what happened, Ancestor Xia? Why are you here?" Lu Zhen said with an innocent expression on his face.


    Xia Cao''s veins popped in his head as he was about to make a move; however, Ancestor Lu quickly cut the void and appeared beside Lu Zhen.


    "You still haven''t left?"


    "Hmph." Xia Cao tightened his fist before carrying the guy as he entered the portal he casually created with a swipe of his hand.


    "Xia family members withdrew," a voice rang in the heads of all the descendants of the Xia family as they all withdrew from the battle, almost instantly returning to the ground and leaving with disbelieving faces.


    They were uncertain about the earlier announcement because it was done by another voice, and they were uncertain about it. However, since the ancestor himself had spoken with unwillingness, they could only leave.


    With that said, all the Xia family members left.


    The smaller families had mocking glints as they watched the Xia family leave.


    "Our chance of getting a position might be more now," they thought to themselves, as the prestige of the Xia family had been fully broken by now.


    And they would probably be known as the weakest of the four families now.


    "Who knows, they might be destroyed as well. If that is the case, our chance to rise maye," their eyes glinted as the elders and the patriarchs of the smaller families looked at Lu Zhen, ready to bootlick him whenever they get the chance.


    "Good job, Lu Zhen," Lu Ming said as he wore a proud expression on his face. "Why didn''t you use the hidden weapon I gave you?"


    "Ancestor, I didn''t need it right now," Lu Zhen bowed. When they were in the carriage, Ancestor Lu had discreetly given Lu Zhen the hidden weapons made from meteorite ore. Its grade was inevitable in the second-stage martial realm, powerful enough to pierce even Lu Zhen''s skin, which was stronger than an average second-stage martial artist''s skin.


    "Alright," Lu Ming responded, casually creating a void as he sat back in his seat.


    "Why did you go to the tournament tform? It''s against the rules," Huang Shi said with a frown.


    Lu Ming chuckled at this. "You''re really going to be teaching me about rules?"


    Hearing this, Huang Shi "humped" before staying quiet again.


    "We should n for the Huang family as well. She will surely intervene when I fight with Xia Cao, which is troublesome. Although they can''t defeat me, I can''t defeat them either," a ruthless glint shed in Lu Ming''s eyes as he contemted his next moves.


    "Lu Zhen, you can injure the Huang, but don''t kill them," Ancestor Lu transmitted his voice towards Lu Zhen.


    To this, Lu Zhen simply nodded his head.


    ¡­..


    "I am bored," Lu Zhen thought disinterestedly as he sat on the tform in apletely vulnerable position. However, everyone ignored him, continuing their fights as if Lu Zhen didn''t even exist.


    Although Lu Zhen could help the other members, they were not babies raised in a white house. If they couldn''t handle thepetition, it was better for them to be defeated rather than killed somewhere in a ditch or something.


    Suddenly, his attention was caught by a girl who was sneakily fighting her opponents, using various hidden weapons. Lu Qing, the twin sister of Lu Zhi, was engaged in a vicious battle, employing every trick possible to defeat a muscr man.


    "This girl will be quite useful for me in the future," he mused to himself, a little shocked by the progress of the girl, as she had already reached the middle stages of martial training. Although the gap between the smaller realms was minimal to the extreme and was extremely easy to reach, it still took a considerable time to cultivate.


    Lu Zhen himself didn''t need to cultivate like a martial trainee because of his divine physique. The only reason he hadn''t truly reached the third-stage martial realm was that he didn''t have enough Qi. Once he filled his body with wood Qi, even if Lu Zhen drained his Qi for other uses, his power would already be enhanced. Replenishing it again after that would be easier by at least a hundred times.


    Thinking of this, Lu Zhen diverted his attention from Lu Qing, curiously looking around as he frowned.


    "Where is Fe Cai?" he thought, looking around, but found no traces of him.


    "He must have left with the Xia family since I have killed his little lover. He must be seething in rage right now¡­" Lu Zhen chuckled. After all, Fe Cai had left an impression on him, not because of his self-righteous personality, but simply because of his bloodline.


    "Since you didn''t listen to me and mingled with the Xia family, don''t me me for being cruel."


    However, Lu Zhen quickly snapped back to reality realising that his thought was more and more attuned toward being a viin.


    "Young master Lu Zhen, I beat this guy." The sister of Lu Yuan appeared, presenting a beaten-up man wearing the uniform of the Huang family. She had a happy smile, as if asking for praise and a head pat.


    Lu Zhen was speechless seeing this.


    "What does this girl think of me?" he thought to himself, full of cringe.


    "You did a good job." Lu Zhen, however, outwardly smiled as he praised the girl, patting her in the process.


    The girl''s face became entirely red as she hurriedly left.


    "I will fight more people, young master," she said as she rushed away.


    "Does this girl think I am some naive kid?" Lu Zhen sneered.


    "Since the ancestor said that I could beat the sh*t out of the Huang family as long as I don''t kill them, I will do exactly that¡­" Lu Zhen sneered as he stretched his body.


    Suddenly, all the Huang family members felt a shiver down their backs as they sensed an ominous feeling.


    "Hahahahaha." Lu Zhen''s evilugh resounded as the members of the Huang family were beaten down one by one as slowly as possible.


    "Lu Zhen is attacking the Huang family. What should we do?" the youth from the Huang family, whom Lu Zhen had felt strange about, voice transmitted to Lu Yuan, who was fighting with him.


    "Hmm, allow him to fight. He will make more enemies." Lu Yuan sneered secretly as he shed his sword. "We lost onepanion of ours already in the hands of Lu Zhen," the man cursed under his breath.


    "Would you have saved him then, which would have easily led to us being discovered?" Lu Yuanmunicated.


    "You are right."

 Chapter 157: End of Tournament

    "What should we do about Lu Zhen, then?"


    "We should deal with Lu Zhen after we enter the inheritance cave. After all, although he defeated him, he could only beat him by slowly draining the guy in front of us. Two, he is no match," Lu Yuan said with a sneer on his face.


    "Alright, then," the man said as the two fought. However, since they were only using the strength of a third-stage martial artist, they only had superficial wounds. Nevertheless, to those watching from the outside, it still looked like a deadly fight.


    ¡­..


    Ahh!


    Another man ran heavily, his breathing ragged, with red bumps all over his body and his face inted from being hit multiple times.


    "I give up. I give up," the man said loudly as the rustling of the wind stopped and a fist halted right in front of his face.


    "You are a wise man," Lu Zhen said with a smirk as he patted him.


    Lu Zhen was essentially bullying people at this point, with no one able to match his strength. He could do whatever he pleased in this environment.


    Huang Yi looked at Lu Zhen with fear evident in his eyes as he witnessed him beating his fellow brothers and sisters. Since the earlier beating, his brain seemed to have developed a deep fear of Lu Zhen, causing his cultivation to slow down and even remain stagnant.


    Every time he tried to meditate, the haunting image of Lu Zhen flicking his finger casually and sending them hurtling through the air would disturb him.


    Lu Zhen had essentially be his heart demon.


    Huang Yi felt as though, unless he defeated Lu Zhen, he might never make progress in his life. Watching this monster grow stronger and stronger filled him with despair, making him feel helpless in this situation.


    Suddenly, Lu Zhen turned to his side, and a smile appeared on his face. However, to Huang Yi, it felt like a demon''s smile. He hurriedly put his head down, not even daring to lift it.


    "Trash," Lu Zhen thought to himself. Even in his previous world where he was a weakling, at least he had the courage to fight, no matter the odds stacked against him. Lu Zhen admired those who fought to the end, even when facing overwhelming challenges. However, Huang Yi seemed to have given up his fighting spirit, indicating that he had no future in martial arts.


    "I shouldmunicate with my little guard," Lu Zhen mused to himself, diverting his gaze, now uninterested in Huang Yi.


    "How is the betting going?"


    Suddenly, the fat man who was managing the gambling paused for a moment before he started to manage his customer again.


    "It has been going great, young master, especially with the fight that you and the man from the Xia family had. Since he revealed his aura as a second-stage martial artist, almost everyone voted for him, but since you won, we were able to secure 10 low-grade Qi-stones. And from the other fights¡­"


    Lu Zhen wasn''t interested in mortal money as it held little value for him by now. However, his eyes lit up when he heard about the 10 Qi-stones.


    "Alright, good job. You have done well," Lu Zhen said as he cut off his connection with her.


    Lu Zhen looked around the tform, noticing that the number had significantly dropped to a hundred already.


    ¡­.


    "We should make it so that these descendants fight for ces ording to the ranking they want now," Huang Shi said as she found her descendant number dwindling, with almost all the Lu family and Hei family still on the tform, increasing her anxiety.


    Lu Ming chuckled when he heard this.


    "So how will we decide it then? Since the share of thend from the inheritance could only be divided among 50 individuals."


    The inheritance cave was not only valuable for its treasure but also for itsnd, which usually contained high fertility and unique methods from those ancient sects that could grow herbs several times faster than the outside world. So these tournaments were not only for the chance to enter the inheritance cave; they were also for the share of thend in the inheritance cave.


    After all, the family preferred long-term profit rather than short-term gain, which could barely be helpful for a moment.


    Xia''s family abandoning the tournament was akin to losing this opportunity.


    "I will do it myself. Humph¡­" Huang Shi suddenly moved her hands, creating a buzzing sound as the tform seemed to be engulfed in fire. She formed a small circle in the middle of the tform and countless other fire rings, eachrger than the previous, with their centres arranged concentrically, culminating in the biggest circle of fire covering the whole arena.


    Ancestor Lu was surprised when he saw this; in total, if he had to count, there were 50 circles stacked together, creating a strange scene. However, the people engulfed in the me didn''t seem to incur any damage, causing Lu Ming to keep quiet as he silently watched.


    "The closer you are to the centre, the higher your position in the tournament. The me won''t hurt you; it is only set as a boundary," she said as she paused. "In a circle, only one person can stay, remember."


    Huang Shi announced this to everyone, which made everyone''s eyes light up.


    However, Lu Zhen had an uncaring expression as he directly reached the centre of the circle, ignoring everyone through the mes. With no one opposing him, the man from the Huang family imed the second circle, and the third circle was upied by Lu Yuan.


    The fourth position was taken by a person from the Hei family wearing a fully-ck ninja getup.


    Everyone had a tactical understanding as they let the four of them enter, while the hundred or so participants shed blood as they fought for their positions.


    Finally, after about three hours, thepetition ended with the wanton defeat of everyone whose strength wascking.

 Chapter 158: Map

    Jiang Xue diligently wrote down the names of all the people in the circle and calcted the numbers.


    "The Lu family is in first ce, with almost sixty percent. The Hei family is second, holding twenty percent, and the Huang family is third with only ten percent," she continued in a loud voice. However, Huang Shi was seething with anger.


    Due to Lu Zhen''s influence and power, almost no one dared to touch the Lu family members in the final, which led to the Lu family gaining the most points.


    The Hei family somehow secured the second position silently. However, the Huang family only managed a pitiful ten percent because almost all their descendants were defeated by Lu Zhen early on.


    The only reason the Huang family even got that ten percent was that a single descendant managed to secure second ce, or else they might not even be in third ce.


    Huang Shi was extremely satisfied with this single descendant, as at least he didn''t fight Lu Zhen ignorantly and remained in a safe position, battling another boy from a different family. However, she was angry because of Lu Zhen, who was basically her son-inw.


    "I can''t let the Xia family be destroyed." Her resolve to keep the Xia family alive became even stronger as she silently sent messages to her grand elders to prepare for war.


    "Alright, the tournament is over," Xia Mei dered, and Ancestor Lu casually moved his hand in a downward motion.


    The thick wood pir supporting the tform slowly descended to the ground.


    "It''s finally over," Lu Zhen thought, feeling bored. He quickly rejoined the other members of the Lu family whose eyes were filled with reverence and fanaticism when looking at Lu Zhen, except for one guy who was coldly watching him: Lu Yuan.


    "Oh, what is it?" Lu Zhen said as he looked at the stare from Lu Yuan.


    "Nothing."


    Lu Zhen just shrugged as he suddenly heard a gentle voice.


    "Young master, may I have a moment to talk to you?"


    Lu Zhen turned around to see Jiang Xue.


    "Of course," Lu Zhen said expressionlessly as he walked towards Jiang Xue.


    "Young master¡­"


    "Cut to the chase," Lu Zhen coldly cut off Jiang Xue, who was about to say something. "My time is limited."


    "Young master, I would like to be your concubine."


    Lu Zhen sneered when he heard this.


    "Why do you want to be my concubine? If you previously asked me, I might have made you one, but now¡­" Lu Zhen shook his head.


    "What value can you even provide me?"


    Although Lu Zhen didn''t mind embracing beauty, since she rejected him, he had no interest in her. When Lu Zhen had initially decided to pursue her, it was partially because he was still a virgin and had a lustful brain. Now, seeing all the beauties in the world, how could she satisfy Lu Zhen''s cravings?


    Although she was beautiful, there were countless others like her.


    Jiang Xue flinched when she heard this; however, she still maintained a calm expression on her face.


    "Do you remember this?" She showed Lu Zhen her bracelet, which was almost cracked.


    Lu Zhen''s eyes widened when he saw this.


    "The one which you used to protect yourself with thin air."


    "Yes, young master. This is what I got from the outer periphery of the inheritance ground."


    "Still, it is quite useless to me. It might have been useful when I was still weak, but now it''s useless."


    Still, Jiang Xue had a calm expression.


    "I can provide you with the intel of the inheritance ground that we have not provided to the others."


    Lu Zhen''s eyes lit up when he heard this; however, he still started tough.


    "You are quite bold not to tell the information, even at the risk of your family being fully destroyed."


    "This is the intel I have. I haven''t told anyone about it, not even my own father''s young master since I was the one who found the inheritance ground first."


    Lu Zhen looked at Jiang Xue in a different light.


    "Very well, tell me the intel then."


    "But first, you have to marry me, young master."


    He frowned when he heard this.


    "Didn''t you reject me previously, and why are you even trying to be my concubine anyway?"


    "Young master, my father is forcing me to, and I have no choice but toply."


    "Hmm¡­" Lu Zhen had no interest in Jiang Xue even now, but the temptation of information that could help him in the cave was too much that he couldn''t care less about Jiang Xue being his concubine.


    And he had no problem with the Jiang family riding on his coattails as long as they didn''t get in his way. Lu Zhen snapped out of his thoughts and said.


    "Alright, I agree, but remember the information you provide must be valuable to me; otherwise¡­" Lu Zhen''s gaze turned murderous, whichpleted the sentence itself.


    Jiang Xue felt a chill down her spine, feeling the murderous intent of Lu Zhen.


    "Yes, young master." She bowed slightly.


    Jiang Xue took out a rolled-up paper, which looked old, worn, and torn, from her pouch and gave it to Lu Zhen carefully.


    Lu Zhen curiously took the paper and opened it.


    Instantly, his eyes lit up, seeing all different markings and names with symbols denoting different things.


    There was an entry point at the bottom-middle part with dots of lines that vindicated pathways connected to various paths, with some being of herbs, red markings, a water symbol, and some strange symbol which was weirdly shaped that Lu Zhen couldn''t understand a single bit.


    "Not bad." Lu Zhen sighed as he folded the paper again.


    "You only want to be my concubine?" he said with a strange expression.


    "I also want resources to further my cultivation, young master," Jiang Xue said without skipping a beat.


    "Alright, the deal is done. As long as I find that this map is authentic, I will definitely help you. Although I don''t know why you are sacrificing so much, consider this deal done."


    "Thank you, young master."

 Chapter 159: War

    Lu Zhen nodded his head when he heard this, and as he was about to leave, suddenly he paused, causing Jiang Xue to be stunned.


    "Eh, what happened, young master?" she asked. However, Lu Zhen stayed still for a long time before a smirk gradually formed on his face.


    "Lu Zhen, prepare for battle. Before we enter the inheritance cave, we are going to destroy the Xia family."


    However, Lu Zhen became calm and expressionless again as he looked at Jiang Xue.


    "Do you want your Jiang family to live or be exterminated?" he asked emotionlessly.


    Jiang Xue hesitated for a moment before her eyes glinted with determination.


    "I want my family to live, young master." No matter how she was coerced, she was still the young miss of the Jiang family, with everything given to her by her family. Jiang Xue wasn''t an ungrateful person who would childishly hold a grudge. Besides, from her childhood, she was engraved to be loyal to the Jiang family, and nothing could stop her from doing so.


    "Very well, then. Do you trust me?"


    "No."


    Lu Zhen chuckled upon hearing this. "Good, you shouldn''t trust someone so easily," he nodded his head, as if admiring Jiang Xue.


    "But if your family wants to live,e with all your forces and swear allegiance to me."


    Jiang Xue flinched when she heard this.


    "Young m¡­"


    "The way you want to convince the family is not my problem. But remember, if you don''te, your family ''might'' be destroyed," Lu Zhen said, his expression turning cold. "As for you, you won''t die, since you will be my concubine."


    With that said, Lu Zhen domineeringly left, leaving a contemtive Jiang Xue behind.


    She watched the broad, tall back of Lu Zhen, which provided a sense of safety to her for some reason.


    Jiang Xue sighed as she also left the ce.


    ¡­.


    "So how is the progress going?" Lu Zhen said as he sat in his carriage, the bald man with a bloated stomach bowing to him.


    "ording to the intel, young master, we are currently sending small thugs to destroy the merchants under the Jiang family. We are only probing them currently."


    "Hmm¡­" Lu Zhen yed around with the low-grade Qi-stones he had just acquired.


    "Send these coins and golden brisket to Lu Zhi and Lu Qing and tell them to train the children with all these," he said, pointing at the mortal currency that the gambling stall had amassed.


    "Yes, young master."


    "Oh, and change your appearance again. It looks ugly and feels weird to see a beauty like that."


    The bald man''s face and even his body structure changed into Li Nan again, revealing her full naked body.


    "Wear clothes and go," Lu Zhen said without a flinch in his emotion. Since his adaptability level had risen, he had gained almost perfect control over his true emotions.


    Li Nan quickly changed into her regr attire as she left, feeling a little disappointed that Lu Zhen didn''t even flinch when he saw her bare body. After all, regardless of their background, women always took pride in their beauty. Though she had been ferociously trained since childhood, she still somehow retained the concept of beauty and could proudly say that her figure wasn''t bad.


    "Wait."


    Suddenly, she was stopped by Lu Zhen''s cold voice, making her pause.


    "Did my old man contact you?"


    "Yes, young master. But it was only a regr report, and I said exactly what you instructed me to say," Li Nan replied, her feelings mixed as she betrayed her previous master. However, Lu Zhen had basically branded her with the mark, making herpletely vulnerable to him.


    "Good." Sensing the signal from the mark, Lu Zhen knew that she was not lying, which made him nod with a satisfied expression.


    "You can leave now." Lu Zhen beckoned, and Li Nan left, disappearing into the shadows.


    Lu Zhen sighed as he felt lonely now. He folded his right sleeve, revealing the mark of the butterfly.


    After some time, Lu Zhen had discovered various uses of the mark by now. The first was that he could only bind five people with it. The next was that it reacted to mana, which was in a tiny amount in his heart currently.


    The second discovery was that if Lu Zhen fed his mana with his aura, the mark seemed to grow, and its power to sense mana, as well as the binding power of the mark, increased.


    His eyes turned golden as he examined the mark.


    [Mark of Gu]


    [Grade: Intent item]


    [Remark: A parasite that can be refined and uses the user''s aura to function. Its features are:


    1. Can enve others by connecting the owner''s aura to the other person and creating a baby gu, uses: 5.


    2. Amplify the power of mana if used properly.


    3. Can nurture a poison using corpses to make a potent poison; the higher the power of the corpse when alive, the stronger the poison is. (stackable)


    ]


    Unlike the previous time, all the appraisals given by the markid bare to Lu Zhen''s eyes.


    Lu Zhen was most interested in the poison part. The poison in this world wasn''t used often due to its perceived ineffectiveness, as per Lu Zhen''s knowledge (exined in the early chapters).


    However, the Mark of Gu could potentially create poison without using any resources, which was undoubtedly valuable to Lu Zhen. As for the unorthodox nature of it, he didn''t hesitate, especially after his previous ughter of hundreds of lives in the bandit camp. Although he valued life, he valued his own life even more.


    If poison could be made using corpses to protect himself, Lu Zhen didn''t have a shred of hesitation in using it.


    "I should join in the fun too," Lu Zhen thought as he stopped the carriage.


    "Young master, we have arrived at the pharmacy of the Xia family," Yu Bai''s age sounded.


    Lu Zhen was greeted by a tall building that seemed simr to an ancient Japanese house, with the ce crowded by people as he strolled inside.


    "Huh, who are you? State your identity," seeing an unidentified man, he hurriedly put his spear forward, blocking Lu Zhen.


    Lu Zhen still had a casual expression as he moved forward, even when he was blocked by the spear.


    The moment Lu Zhen''s body met the spear, a tremendous pressure descended on the man, causing his eyes to widen with horror. Lu Zhen effortlessly made his way past the spear, which bent from the sheer power of his presence. The guard hurriedly let go of his weapon as he couldn''t hold the spear against such force.


    "You¡­" he stammered.


    Lu Zhen walked forward casually.


    "Bastard." The guard drew his sword from his waist and swung it at Lu Zhen.


    Shing!


    However, instead of Lu Zhen being cut, the sword itself bent, causing the guard''s eyes to widen with horror as he fell to the ground, as if he couldn''t believe reality itself.


    "Monster," he cried out loud, drawing the attention of everyone in the pharmacy.


    A servant boy hurriedly rushed up the stairs to inform his master.


    Lu Zhen remained amusingly still, standing in the middle of the hall and being stared at by countless individuals.


    The hall buzzed with murmurs as the spectators spected about Lu Zhen.


    "Who is this guy? Daring toe to the business of the Xia family? He is simply courting death."


    "Might be a foolish young martial artist who gained some strength and immediately decided to show off."


    "Youth nowadays."


    "Who cares? We are going to watch a good show today."


    Such discussions reverberated through the crowd, each person forming their own theories about Lu Zhen''s presence.


    While those within the building held some status to be present, the four major families were seen as entities with unchallenged authority, akin to heavens. The families controlled the entire area, surrounded by forests andkes, secluded from the outside world. As a result, the people within this domain had no choice but to abide by the rules set by the four families.


    Among them, the Xia family was notorious for its ruthlessness, known to exploitmon folks to achieve their goals. Any opposition was met with brutal consequences, often leading to the ughter of the entire family of the dissenting individual.


    Lu Zhen''s ears twitched as he overheard the conversations around him, but his expression remained unchanged, waiting patiently.


    A loud,manding footstep disrupted the ongoing discussions, causing an abrupt silence to fall over the room. A man dressed in white entered, exuding a terrifying aura and wearing a disgusted expression on his face.


    "It''s over for the poor guy, it''s Xia Devil, Xia Nie," a hushed whisper barely audible circted among the onlookers, prompting Lu Zhen''s ears to twitch.


    A chuckle escaped Lu Zhen''s lips as he observed the pretentious white-haired man. The man, upon spotting Lu Zhen, momentarily froze, his expression shifting to one of astonishment.


    "Wait, you are¡­"


    "Toote," Lu Zhenughed,unching himself towards the man.

 Chapter 160: Attacking the Tavern

    Boom!


    As Lu Zhen collided with the white-haired man, an earthquake-like shockwave radiated through the tavern. The entire establishment quaked under the sheer force of Lu Zhen''s impact, and dust billowed into the air, shrouding the scene in a murky haze.


    The servant boy, who had previously rushed forward with a bad premonition, hesitated. Sweating profusely, he grappled with his fears. "No, I can''t jump to conclusions until I see if it''s true or not," he reasoned, mustering the courage to proceed. Determinedly, he stepped forward, attempting to disperse the dust cloud obstructing his view.


    "Lu family brat, you dare," a cold voice echoed through the air. A chilling wind followed, sweeping away the dust and revealing Lu Zhen standing atop a gruesome pile of flesh and blood, with torn clothes and white fabric scattered around him.


    The servant''s eyes widened with sheer horror, freezing in ce before copsing to the ground. His breath became irregr, and his heart seemingly ceased all activity. After a moment of futile movements, hey still, mouth foaming ¡ª a victim of a sudden heart attack induced by overwhelming shock and fear.


    The surrounding crowd was initially shocked by the sudden death of the servant, a brief pause hanging in the air. However, their attention swiftly shifted to Lu Zhen, as the passing of a mere servant held little significance to those who could enter the Xia family; their status was at least enough to make them look down onmon people.


    No one is simple if they attain certain status through their own efforts. The harsh reality of the world''s cruelty and ruthlessness was already a familiar concept to them.


    Despite the crowd''sck of immediate reaction, it wasn''t because of fear but rather a trust in the power of one of the major families of Phoenix City ¡ª the Xia family.


    "What a powerful martial artist. Unfortunately, he messed with the wrong family."


    Their eyes sparkled with curiosity as they anticipated the Xia family''s response with a hint of mockery.


    "Good, good. Lu family brat, are you dering war against my Xia family by killing one of our elders?" The resonating roar of an old man echoed through the air. Lu Zhen, however, remained casually still, showing no signs of flinching or concern.


    "Yes, I am dering war against your Xia family," Lu Zhen''s voice was tinged with mockery as he looked up, a glint in his eyes as if he were observing an idiot.


    "You¡­" The voice seemed to pause for a moment before boiling with rage and anger.


    "Why do people talk so much?" Lu Zhen thought to himself as he casually punched upwards, creating a wind pressure that broke the roof, revealing an old man who gracefully fell in a gravity-defying manner.


    "Good, good," the old man seethed with rage, though he outwardly appeared calm andposed as he looked at Lu Zhen in front of him.


    Since the tournament had ended just half an hour ago, no matter how fast the news spread of Lu Zhen killing a second-stage martial artist, it couldn''t reach here so soon. The old man had no clue about it either.


    As a grand elder of the Xia family, he was naturally ustomed to looking down on people, and nobody had disrespected him so boldly to his face. After all, as a second-stage martial artist, a pir of the Xia family after their ancestor, even the patriarch had to show a certain degree of respect towards him.


    "Junior, you are quite bold."


    "Am I?" Lu Zhen sneered as he looked at the man. Suddenly, he vanished from his position, and the old man, too, seemed to have disappeared.


    Boom!


    A sharp boom urred again, making the pharmacy shake like an earthquake. However, this time, a pir was knocked out, causing the entire building to slowly copse.


    "Run."


    Only one thought clouded the minds of the people as they ran as fast as they could. Chaos ensued in the building for the first time in a century, ever since the Xia family had started the pharmacy.


    The people who left the building had eyes filled with utter disbelief, as if their worldview had copsed, as they hurriedly ran as far as possible.


    Seeing the building copse, the people near the pharmacy were frightened as they looked at the others who were running as if their lives depended on it.


    "Wait, what happened here, brother?"


    Seeing a man blocking his way, his face filled with disdain, he ignored the man and sidestepped him reaching past without even a nce at him.


    "How dare somemoner block my way?" he thought to himself as he looked back, only to see the man disappear from his sight.


    "Eh, where did he go?"


    Suddenly, he collided with something, causing his body to rebound and making him fall to the ground.


    "Mother f¡­" His words stuck in his throat as he looked up, seeing a beautiful man with golden hair. However, this wasn''t the reason for the man''s words to be stuck in his throat. The man faintly emitted a terrifying aura, which made the man''s instincts scream with danger. Seeing the weapon in the man''s hand with the logo of a bird, the symbol of the Xia family, he had nothing more to say.


    "Master, this old servant is blind; I hope you forgive me," the man chose the best option and bowed down to the man.


    "Huh, get up. Just tell me what happened there?"


    "There''s an unknown man who suddenly came to the pharmacy and killed the elder, causing the grand elder toe out. The youth is now fighting the grand elder," he hurriedly exined with no pretence.


    Although the Xia family building was destroyed, it was just one building. Their main power was still intact, and he was just a merchant with no power¡ªa bug that could be crushed by a third-stage martial artist or higher if they wanted to like bug.


    "I messed up big time." he thought terrified, however luckily the beautifuldy-like man seemed to be kind, which made him sigh in relief internally.


    "Hmm¡­" Xia Cai frowned when he heard this as he shooed away the man. "You can go now," he said.


    "Yes, master," the merchant said gratefully as he ran for his life.


    "Who is daring enough to make trouble for the Xia family?" Xia Cai thought with a bitter expression on his face.


    Initially, he had been wandering around for resources after leaving his home to improve himself. However, living in the forest was a hard life, with everyday searching for food. Fortunately, he found a city, and after gradually adapting to the city and improving himself with the help of his bloodline, he was able to reach the peak of the martial trainee realm.


    With that, he fought a hardpetition to get the title of a captain of ten units as the city guard. Initially, he was overjoyed, but he soon found that even with these resources, his cultivation was progressing at a snail''s pace, making him sad and helpless at the same time.


    But seeing Xia Yun''er falling in love with him opened another window of opportunity for him. He went to great lengths to rizz Xia Yun''er, and his efforts bore fruit as she gradually fell in love with him. However, everything seemed to go south after he met Lu Zhen. He had to give up his family name to marry into the Xia family as a son-inw.


    After that, his despair began anew. He faced internal struggles after marrying her, and although he had enough resources to not slow down his cultivation, he was confronted with countless conflicts and schemes against him.


    Despite all the odds stacked against him, he was able to break through, constructing Qi-pathways for his body to be nurtured by Qi, officially marking his way to the third-stage martial realm and significantly enhancing his abilities by several times.


    All protests and schemes against him stopped as Fe Cai had now entered the third-stage martial artist realm, making his status equivalent to an elder.


    Life was going good again but lu zhen appeared in the tournament again killing his wife in the process making him develop a deep hate for lu zhen. Although he used the girl for gaining resources still as his first time he had a deep love for her hidden within.


    And his position in the family also became awkward after Xia Yun''er died however the ancestor Xia seemed to defend him helping him to still gain a footing.


    Luckily he was able to gain the easy task of guarding the pharmacy for some contribution point which he immediately set out for he knew a little about alchemy as well. However now he encountered such a thing in the first ce he was about to get some contribution points to gain a foothold again.


    "If I let whoever it is go, not mention resources. I might even be kicked out of the family." he tightened his fist as murderous intent oozed out of his entire being making the fleers terrified as fe cai ran towards the ce.


    However the instant he arrived his eyes widened.

 Chapter 161: Devour

    Lu Zhen engaged in a fierce battle with the grand elder, the resounding shes echoing through the surroundings like metal striking metal.


    Casually shing his hand, Lu Zhen forced the grand elder into a defensive position, who grunted while barely defending with his sword. With each swipe of Lu Zhen''s hand, resembling the precision of a sword, the grand elder retreated, attempting to regain his foothold. However, Lu Zhen allowed no respite, continuouslyunching a barrage of attacks.


    Fe Cai felt a shiver coursing through his blood as he witnessed Lu Zhen, and a sense of PTSD overwhelmed him, triggered by the memories of the cruel ughter he had witnessed.


    Yet, beneath the fear and trauma, a surge of boiling rage and a deep-seated grudge consumed him. Fe Cai''s bloodline went haywire, turning him into a mindless vessel of hatred. His eyes fully turned red, and a murderous aura leaked out, honing in on Lu Zhen.


    As Lu Zhen sensed the impending danger, he was stunned to feel a murderous aura locking onto him. He vigntly scanned his surroundings but had little time to react as a sword swipe came at him, sending him hurtling.


    Lu Zhen casually backflipped, frowning which gave the grand elder some time to recover.


    The grand elder had ragged breathing and sweat streaming down, realising the consequences if he had been careless earlier. He could feel his deathing the instant he let down his guard.


    He saw Xia Cai in the distance, emitting a murderous aura that made his eyes light up.


    "Xia Cai, help me fight with Lu Zhen," the old man shamelessly said, abandoning the demeanour of an elder and recing it with sheer shamelessness.


    Lu Zhen''s frown deepened upon seeing Fe Cai, feeling a strange aura that caused his blood to boil in rage. Luckily, since he had already adapted to his blood, it was easier for him to calm down. This was the city, and Lu Zhen didn''t want to reveal his identity as a bloodline martial artist to the public and had no interest in doing so.


    "Huh, Xia Cai,e here fast," the old man shamelessly said, staring at Xia Cai, who remained unmoving in his position, still as a rock.


    At this point, even the old man felt something was strange about Xia Cai, as if something was wrong with him. He stood there and secretly sent a message to the Xia family for backup.


    "No matter what happens to Xia Cai, as long as he can stall Lu Zhen, after the backup arrives, I am gonna kill these bastards," he thought with seething anger, but outwardly, he maintained a calm demeanour of a saint.


    Lu Zhen''s blood still boiled, and his temperature rose as if urging him to attack Xia Cai now.


    Awoo!


    A terrifying howl escaped Xia Cai''s mouth as his golden hair grew even longer, reaching his waist. He seemed to be even more beautiful, with his body bing so slender that without an Adam''s apple in his neck and t chest, it would be difficult to identify him as male.


    Lu Zhen looked at the terrifying aura Xia Cai was emitting with a frown.


    However, he didn''t have long to think as a sword came directly at him, aiming for his neck.


    "This mot¡­" Lu Zhen shed back with a casual swipe of his hand, acting as a saber.


    Boom!


    The sh was easily cancelled out, and smoke rose, causing Lu Zhen to frown as he hurriedly ducked, dodging a sword by a hair''s breadth.


    The old man appeared from the smoke and punched Lu Zhen.


    "Good, good, since you want to die quicker, then I will let you die fast," Lu Zhen roared as he saw the fisting at him with a flinch.


    As the fist collided with Lu Zhen, he suddenly seemed to vanish, as if he didn''t exist in the first ce, causing the old man''s fist to be redirected to the ground.


    Lu Zhen reappeared from the back of the old man and swiped his hands again, creating a small whirlwind that was sent hurtling at the old man.


    "Humph." The old man had a disdainful expression on his face when he saw the whirlwind; however, the next moment his eyes widened as the whirlwind''s speed suddenly reached a terrifying degree, instantly reaching the old man and engulfing him almost simultaneously as it grew bigger.


    The old man''s eyes widened, but he remained calm with a sneer on his face.


    "You will still need more to kill me, kiddo," he mocked Lu Zhen as the shield emitting from his sheer condensed wind Qi created a wind-like barrier around the old man, making the whirlwind almost useless.


    "Yes, you are right," Lu Zhen smirked as he opened his mouth.


    Boom!


    As if like a vacuum, everything was sucked into his mouth. However, Lu Zhen focused his entire devouring ability on the old man, causing the entire suction force to be drawn toward the old man.


    "Eh, what''s happening?" The old man thought terrified as the condensed wind Qi had seemed to be drawn toward Lu Zhen in a terrifying suction force like a ck hole.


    "Help me, Xia Cai!" the old man roared as he looked towards him. However, since his transformation, Xia Cai seemed to be even more motionless. If it wasn''t for the loud sound of Xia Cai''s breathing reverberating in the surrounding, one might have doubted if the man was even alive or not.


    "Dammit, this useless bastard! Why hasn''t the reinforcement arrived yet?" He gritted his teeth, unable to move from the suction force of Lu Zhen. It was toote to evade the attack; he could have easily dodged it if he had been more careful, but Lu Zhen''s whirlwind had distracted him, causing him to be conceited.


    Lu Zhen took in the condensed wind Qi gradually, his belly being inted with several strands of it. However, his stomach quickly adapted, turning all the condensed wind Qi into normal, attribute-less Qi, which still needed to be converted to wood Qi for Lu Zhen to use.

 Chapter 162: Devour Life

    He was helpless as the "Devour" skill converted all the condensed wind Qi into attributeless Qi, which was in a raw state. Lu Zhen had to convert it into wood Qi before condensing it. Although the process was long, the real strengthy in the fact that it could devour condensed Qi directly from a martial artist''s body.


    Not only that, in the process of devouring the Qi, the martial artist became immobile, making it a terrifying skill with the most utility in battle.


    Lu Zhen was very satisfied with the "Devour" skill.


    "As expected of a golden grade skill, even higher than Battle Instinct¡­" Lu Zhen thought as he focused on the old man who was struggling to move, with veins popping in his head.


    "Monster." The old man''s eyes reflected deep terror, and his instincts screamed with danger, his eyes wide with a horror deep within.


    He was helpless as his Qi was rapidly draining. However, he still had plenty left, and Lu Zhen''s absorption ability was very slow, so he could manage. After a while, he felt something deep inside him being drained, causing his aged face to be even more withered, his vitality rapidly diminishing.


    Lu Zhen was devouring his vitality.


    What was his weakness? Old age. Theoretically, an average martial artist had to train continuously for at least half their entire lifetime to be a second-stage martial artist from the third-martial artist.


    However, it was just theoretical. No one could practice continuously; even Lu Zhen couldn''t, despite his terrifying physique. And while resources could help shorten the time needed, martial artists faced countless bottlenecks during cultivation, significantly slowing down their progress.


    Even as a direct descendant of the Xia family and considered a genius since his youth, he could only reach the second-stage martial artist level after a century. Although he was rtively youngpared to an ordinary second-stage martial artist, he still had at most a century more to live. With old age, his cultivation had significantly slowed down.


    So, the thing he most yearned for from him was his lifespan. In fact, almost every martial artist had a yearning for lifespan, as, regardless of notions of justice, righteousness, or demonic practices, it all boiled down to one thing: life!


    It is the instinct of every living creature to live longer¡ªa never-ending yearning for immortality!


    And Lu Zhen was taking away the most important thing to the old man: his lifespan.


    "You bastard¡­" the old man roared, but he coughed, interrupting himself in the process.


    "This is a truly terrifying skill," Lu Zhen thought to himself. As he devoured the man''s Qi and vitality, he could feel his own vitality increasing. His body felt more energised, and the more he devoured, the more powerful and rejuvenated he became, as if he had be a child again, full of vitality.


    His bones seemed to have be denser, and his lean muscles emitted a terrifying aura with the almost condensed wood Qi in his body circting at a frightening speed.


    Lu Zhen directly underwent a qualitative leap, increasing his speed by leaps and bounds. This filled him with exhration as a pleasurable sensation coursed through his entire being. Luckily, he quickly adapted to this feeling and suppressed it.


    Ignoring his blissful state, he looked at the old man with greed in his eyes as he devoured even more of the man, fully engulfed in this sensation.


    Suddenly, Xia Cai, who remained still, moved at a terrifying speed, breaking the sound barrier itself and instantlynding a jump kick right at Lu Zhen.


    Lu Zhen''s instincts screamed like crazy as his brain received an aura of death.


    Even with the Battle Instinct skill, he wasn''t able to dodge in time.


    Boom!


    The earth seemed to shatter as the kicknded on Lu Zhen. However, he remained standing, and the ground underneath him seemed to crack before he was sent hurtling, crashing into a building full of people. The ground underneath Lu Zhen caved in by at least ten feet (304 cm) deep.


    Chaos ensued in the crowd as everyone ran with their lives on the line. Nobody even bothered to nce back.


    Awoo!


    Xia Cai roared, revealing his big, canine sharp teeth. His hands, legs'' nails were tall and sharp, emitting a terrifying aura that sent shivers down one spine.


    He crouched down on all fours, pressing his hind legs into the ground. The ground beneath him dug in by at least one foot (30 cm) as he propelled himself into the air, reaching a terrifying speed breaking the sound barrier effortlessly as he sped at Lu Zhen with madness reflecting in his fully red eyes.


    Lu Zhen vomited blood as he looked around, his expression bitter.


    "I let my guard down," he sighed as he summoned his system with a thought.


    However, a log screen appeared, prompting his excitement.


    "I levelled up?" Lu Zhen opened the log, imagining pressing on it.


    [BATTLE INSTINCT has levelled up from level 1 to level 2]


    [DEVOUR has levelled up from level 1 to level 2]


    [Appraisal eye has levelled up from level 5 to level 6]


    [Saber mastery has levelled up from level 6 to level 7]


    [Aura control has levelled up from level 5 to level 6]


    ¡­.


    A long list of level-ups filled Lu Zhen''s vision, overwhelming him with happiness. Almost all hisbat-rted skills had advanced at least once in level, but he quickly suppressed his excitement as he opened his status.


    [LEVEL UP]


    ¡ª-----


    [Name: Lu Zhen]


    --------


    [Race: Human]


    [Bloodline: Half Human/ Half Volgrith]


    [Lifespan left: 170 years]


    --------


    [Attributes]


    [Constitution: Divine physique (level 4)]


    [Charm: Mortal (Level 5)]


    [Wood Qi: third-stage martial artist](99.99%)


    [Demonic Qi: null]


    [Mana: Null Circle]


    ???


    --------


    [Cultivation manuals]


    [Cultivation technique: Verdant art (stage 2)]


    [Combat arts: [Verdant Whirlwind (full mastery)], [Whispering Shadow Step (full mastery)], [Verdant Grove Fist(full mastery)]]


    --------


    Skills: 12


    ¡ª-----


    [Quest]


    [Missionpleted:1]


    His eyes widened as he saw that his lifespan had increased by at least 10 years.

 Chapter 163: Tapping into Mental Energy

    "Not bad..." Lu Zhen mused to himself as he quickly focused on the skill section.


    [Skills]


    [BATTLE INSTINCT: LEVEL 2]


    [DEVOUR: LEVEL 2]


    [Appraisal eye: level 6]


    [Saber mastery: level 7]


    [Adaptability: level 5]


    [Aura control: level 6]


    [Meditation: level 2]


    [Dual cultivation: level 3]


    [Alchemy: level 2]


    [Sword mastery: level 3]


    [Qian mastery: level 2]


    [Staff master: level 3]


    [Chain mastery: level 3]


    His mind was consumed in calction, thoughts racing as he contemted the most efficient use of his skills.


    Whoosh!


    Lu Zhen''s ears twitched as he heard the air being torn.


    "He has already arrived." Although Lu Zhen''s internal monologue might have seemed lengthy, it happened almost instantly. Ever since his intelligence had levelled up by just one level, his cognitive ability and thought processing speed increased by at least ten times.


    While he could even separate his consciousness to work on two things simultaneously, unfortunately, although Lu Zhen could achieve this, it was an extremely painful process that ced a heavy burden on his brain. His thought process became significantly slower to the point where he could barely think with both of his consciousnesses individually when he attempted to separate them previously.


    So, it was both ineffective and useless at the moment. It was better to have a super brain than two brains that were inefficient.


    Boom!


    Xia Cai came at Lu Zhen again, but this time, Lu Zhen was prepared.


    With a narrowly evasive movement that seemed almost elegant, Lu Zhen dodged the iing attack, causing Xia Cai to miss his target and crash into the ground.


    Turning around on all fours, Xia Cai stared at Lu Zhen with a point of madness in his eyes. His teeth were gritted, and he was ready for the next move. Xia Cai''s hands were also on the ground.


    Grr...


    Xia Cai gritted his teeth, and this made Lu Zhen''s expression change.


    "He looks like a dog," Lu Zhen mused to himself as he vanished from his position.


    In an instant, Lu Zhen appeared next to Xia Cai, sending a barrage of punches with split-second precision. Faced with this assault, Xia Cai whimpered like a dog, attempting to dodge. However, Lu Zhen didn''t give him a chance to recover.


    But something strange urred; as Lu Zhen''s punchesnded on Xia Cai, his power seemed to decrease. The more he hit him, the weaker his attacks became.


    "No, my power is still the same. He is bing stronger and stronger," Lu Zhen observed with disbelief in his eyes.


    Rawr!


    With each powerful blow from Lu Zhen, Xia Cai seemed to undergo a bizarre transformation, growing taller with each impact, while his fangs extended, bing bigger and sharper.


    In a moment of distraction, Xia Cai''s sharp nails raked across Lu Zhen''s skin, leaving a small gash that oozed droplets of blood. Reacting swiftly, Lu Zhen backflipped, narrowly avoiding the trajectory of Xia Cai''s menacing fangs.


    Observing Xia Cai in his transformed state, Lu Zhen''s eyes widened. Xia Cai had not only increased in height but had also taken on a more animalistic appearance.


    "He looks like a big dog now."


    "Let me teach the dog some tricks," Lu Zhen sneered as hended a forceful punch on Xia Cai''s face, sending him crashing through the wall.


    As anticipated, Xia Cai continued to grow in size, but Lu Zhen maintained his confident sneer as he pressed on with his attacks. However, this time, Xia Cai disyed a surprising level of agility, deftly evading Lu Zhen''s punch with a swift and calcted movement.


    The moment Lu Zhen''s punch was about to be redirected, an abrupt halt urred, defying thews of physics themselves.


    "Verdant Whirlwind," Lu Zhen muttered in his head. The Wood Qi in his body converged into his hand, generating a small rotating force that rapidly expanded. In an instant, it enveloped Xia Cai at point-nk range.


    Ahh!


    Xia Cai''s agonizing scream resonated in the surroundings as the wind, carrying the force of wood Qi, cut into his skin.


    The intense pain seemed to bring rity to Xia Cai''s red eyes, rendering him more rational with each passing moment.


    Lu Zhen frowned as he observed this unexpected development.


    Swish!


    Suddenly, Lu Zhen''s instincts screamed danger, prompting him to duck and evade a familiar sword that swiftly approached, aimed directly at him.


    "Huh," Lu Zhen looked behind to find the withered old man still standing there, his eyespletely lifeless.


    "This guy really threw a sword at me at the end of his life?" Lu Zhen mused to himself. He quickly turned around to witness Xia Cai''s suffering in the Verdant Whirlwind. Though the cuts were small individually, the sheer quantity inflicted upon him made the pain undoubtedly excruciating. Thousands of these tiny cuts could drive an ordinary person to the brink of insanity.


    Even with Xia Cai''s increased power, he remained a third-stage martial artist. In his transformed state, he was still a weak opponentpared to Lu Zhen, whosebat power could exhaust a second-stage martial artist to death.


    Despite Xia Cai''s growth in size and strength, he couldn''t achieve the critical breakthrough required to be a second-stage martial artist, neither with his body nor his Qi.


    Just like Lu Zhen before his own breakthrough, Lu Zheni''s body needed the support of the Void and the adaptability skill for the muscle to start condensing properly for him to truly have the strength of the sound-stage martial artist.


    And the other way to be the strength of the second-stage martial artist was to be strengthened with fully condensed Qi. Only then one can have the true strength of the sound-stage martial artist.


    "Let''s end this now," Lu Zhen dered with a shake of his head as he walked towards Xia Cai. His hand, resembling a saber, emitted a domineering, sharp aura that sent shivers down one''s spine.


    Boom!


    Suddenly, an explosion urred, sending dust flying everywhere and blocking Lu Zhen''s vision. He stood stunned, trying to look around, but the dust made it impossible. Focusing on his five senses, he strained to sense anyone, but to no avail.


    "Hmm, should I use it?" Lu Zhen mused to himself helplessly. He slowly closed his eyes, focusing on his brain as he tapped into the spirit energy that he previously couldn''t ess.


    To his surprise, he could barely sense a strand of mental energy. Without hesitation, he tapped into the one strand he had sensed, and the mental energy slowly moved towards his eyes, gradually merging with them.


    A strange transformation urred as Lu Zhen''s vision changed to ck and white lines.


    He looked around, unable to see the dust with only faint outlines of objects in ck.


    Suddenly, he spotted two bright red lights to his left. Quickly tapping out of his mental energy, Lu Zhen''s world became colourful again, as if he had been seeing an illusion before.


    "So basically, an x-ray," he thought with a sneer as he took out the hidden weapon that he had given to the ancestor Lu to refine: a needle emitting a sharp aura at the end of its circr tail, it was attached with a long, almost invisible string connected to another identical needles, all glinting with a terrifying sharpness.


    It was pitch ck to the point that Lu Zhen found it difficult to see.


    This was a weapon he had conceived a long time ago. Wanting to test the effectiveness of the hidden weapon, he caught the thin string with one hand and one of the needles with another hand.


    In a swift motion, he threw the needle directly at the two previous red lights he had seen.


    Lu Zhen''s face morphed into excitement when he heard a grunt from the ce. His inner monologue took only a blink of an eye for his brain to calcte so Lu Zhen had attacked in a blink of an eye.


    With fast speed, he reached the ce only to see some patches of blood left on the ground, with Xia Cai nowhere to be found. The strangest thing was that the blood was only in one ce.


    He quickly tapped into his mental power, and the world instantly became ck and white for him.


    Lu Zhen saw the two red lights leaving the building, which caused him to sneer.


    "Do you think you can escape?" he roared as his speed increased, instantly disappearing from his position almost like a sh step.


    Lu Zhen quickly homed in on the red light as he punched with power, his posture resembling a powerful tree.


    "Verdant Grove Fist."


    Instantly, all the wood Qi in his body travelled to his fist in a strange pattern that resembled the cirction of a tree.


    Boom!


    As Lu Zhen punched at the two red lights, he felt like he was hitting a brick, as the object he hit didn''t even move.


    All he heard was a contemptuous grunt as his instinct screamed with danger. His body muscles cramped, and his thought process slowed down.

 Chapter 164: Nihilith Realm

    Lu Zhen suddenly fell to the floor with widened eyes. His face waspletely unmoving, with his expression stone-like.


    As he couldn''t move a single inch!


    "You are lucky I don''t have time right now," a deep voice reverberated as the two left, while Lu Zhen''s ears twitched as he helplessly stayed in that still position.


    He could see a thin shadow leaving in the distance while Lu Zhi was being carried by the shadow.


    After a short time, a portal opened as if tearing the very fabric of reality revealing a young man who seemed to be almost at the same age as Lu Zhen wearing a green luxurious robe adorned with gold and diamond with a smile that seemed to emit the aura of richness.


    "Luckily, I came in time," Lu Ming sighed as he looked at Lu Zhen.


    Lu Zhen''s eyes moved by a small slither in response.


    ¡­..


    "Master, why didn''t you kill that bastard?"


    "Because there was another first-stage martial artist, and his strength was even stronger than mine."


    A ck-cloaked figure carried Xia Cai as he travelled in the forest with terrifying speed, almost like he was flying.


    "Besides, I don''t want to reveal my identity," he muttered under his breath as his speed increased.


    Xia Cai revealed a bitter expression when he heard this, and his fist tightened.


    "Don''t worry, boy. As long as you canplete that step, you will be a first-stage martial artist that can easily kill Lu Zhen and reach an even higher realm. Although he might be a monster in this small town, he will be considered only a little more talented genius in the outside world," he encouraged Xia Cai, instantly making his eyes light up.


    "Master, why didn''t youe when I was struggling for resources?" This was a man whom Xia Cai had met when he was with his family. The man often visited his family and had taken him as a disciple when he saw his talent. However, after handing a nameless cultivation technique, the man had suddenly disappeared.


    "I have a lot of work to do. Sorry, my disciple, I couldn''tpletely nurture you. We will return to our sect in the outside world, and I will properly nurture you then."


    "Thank you, master," Xia Cai said expressionlessly as he bowed.


    "Don''t worry about the cultivation technique; that is only a part of the technique, so its grade is quite low. When youbine all the cultivation techniques, it will be a heaven-rank cultivation book."


    Xia Cai nodded his head with excitement as he thanked the old man again.


    ¡­.


    Lu Ming snapped his fingers, and instantly Lu Zhen was healed in a matter of seconds.


    "You shouldn''t have recklessly charged the man," he said with a harsh manner.


    Lu Zhen cupped his hand as he bowed a little, "Yes, Ancestor, I was a little reckless," he said bitterly.


    How could one expect to see a random first-stage martial artist pop out of nowhere in Phoenix City? You have to know that there were only four first-stage martial artists in Phoenix City, and they were all the absolute rulers of the major families here.


    A single first-stage martial artist could create another major family out of nothing.


    Although the Xia family might be seen as losing, however, until the ancestor of the Xia family dies, nothing is absolutely certain.


    "Actually, it''s not your fault," Lu Ming sighed as he looked into the distance. "Remember, Lu Zhen, there are people higher than you. Unless you reach the absolute peak where you are omnipotent as well as omniscient, there will always be a higher mountain."


    "Yes, Ancestor," Lu Zhen bowed with enlightened eyes.


    "Alright, we can go back now."


    "Ancestor, I have a little request."


    "Eh, what is it?" Ancestor Lu looked at Lu Zhen with a confused expression.


    "Actually, you see, I seem to have a certain affinity towards the environment inside the portal. My physique seems to be strengthened the more I stay in it, cultivating my ancient warrior physique as well." Lu Zhen quickly conjured up a believable half-truth and half-lie in his mind and blurted it out.


    Lu Ming''s eyes widened when he heard this.


    "You can actually be strengthened in the Nihilith dimension?" he said with shock. The Nihilith dimension was the one Lu Zhen was talking about as the void. It was the passageway one could ess after reaching the first-stage martial realm.


    The Nihilith realm was akin to a parallel dimension connected to this world. However, the peculiar aspect was the absence of living beings, and it was shrouded inplete darkness.


    Even first-stage martial artists, with their almost immortal-like power, couldn''t see clearly in this darkness. Another unique feature was that once a person entered the Nihilith realm, it became nearly impossible to locate any other first-stage martial artist or higher unless they entered from the same gateway.


    This exclusivity made it rtively safe to travel whilemunication was nearly impossible to do.


    Moreover, unless a person received protection from a first-stage martial artist or possessed a power level close to that of a first-stage martial artist, the harsh environment in the Nihilith realm could induce immense pain, inflict grievous wounds, or even prove fatal.


    Despite the outward appearance of first-stage martial artists tearing the fabric of reality, they were essentially using their intent to resonate with the realm, opening up a passage to the coordinates they had marked in advance. While there were several restrictions, travelling was rtively straightforward.


    It was like a Minecraft portal gun!


    However, Lu Ming wasn''t surprised for long, as he readily epted Lu Zhen''s exnation. Being a first-stage martial artist, he had a broader view of the world and knew that there were many strange talents in this realm.


    He had once heard about a person who was born with Qi pathways readily formed, and with enough umtion of Qi even as a child, she became a true third-stage martial artist at the age of four and a first-stage martial artist at the age of thirty. Considering this, Lu Zhen''s affinity with the Nihilith realm seemed quitecklustrepared to her.


    "Very well, I will let you run around the portal, as long as you stay within the range of ten kilometres around me."


    Lu Zhen respectfully nodded his head upon hearing this.


    Lu Ming casually swiped his hands, and a void portal materialised.


    "Let''s go."


    He was once again met with a dark eerie environment where he couldn''t see anything making him feel like he himself was the blind man.


    He rubbed his arm and feeling the friction he at least knew that he wasn''t blind it was just that no light can pass here.


    Lu Zhen''s adaptability skill had not been fully utilised due to a very specific reason: he wasn''t given enough time during fights. While he could adapt to things, the fights he was in were usually very fast. Even if the fight was longer, he was unfortunately made to dodge most of the time due to the decisive attacks.


    This rendered his adaptability skill almost entirely useless in a fight, it was still useful for support however it stillcked any effectiveness in battle.


    Now that he knew his body could also be cultivated if he endured high-impact attacks (not enough to kill him), he could strengthen his physique and even condense his muscles to cultivate his divine physique. This could potentially help him enter the first-stage martial realm through raw body strength, instantly bing one of the top trump cards in his arsenal for cultivation.


    "Let the level up begin," he muttered with a tinge of excitement; however, he instantly became calm again feeling the pricking sensation as if he was stabbed by a thousand needles in every ce of his body however it wasn''t exaggeratedly painful like thest time he has tried a she could cope with it for now.


    But the gradual condensation of his muscle didn''t happen since his body didn''t need to adapt which caused him to frown.


    Lu Zhen slowly attempted to move, and as expected, the pricking sensation intensified, reaching a terrifying point where his entire body was covered in small marks from sharp needles. However, his skin remained uncut.


    His muscles slowly contracted as the process of condensing his muscle began again.


    Initiating a rhythmic back-and-forth movement restricted to his body, he refrained from moving his feet.


    As time passed, his speed increased, and his muscles contracted faster and faster, resulting in a more condensed form. Lu Zhen''s height decreased, and he appeared increasingly malnourished with each passing moment.


    Lu Zhen''s clothes began to rip revealing a lean body that seemed to be more dried out however it seemed to hide a terrifying power in his packed muscle. Finally he broke down sumbing to the pain from the relentless pricking, which had now reached an all-time high.


    Ahhh!


    Unable to endure any longer, forcing a guttural scream from Lu Zhen in the pitch darkness. His body bled profusely, the cuts from the pricks breaking through his skin making his mind clouded with pain.

 Chapter 165: Level Up

    "It''s time to save that boy," Lu Ming thought as he heard the painful scream of Lu Zhen, his body already covered in wounds.


    However, before he could take a step, Lu Zhen abruptly stopped his scream, gritting his teeth hard.


    "What is he doing?" Lu Ming thought curiously. He paused, remaining still, patiently observing. If he saw any sign of Lu Zhen losing his breath, he would immediately intervene, but until then, he wouldn''t help.


    Suddenly, he noticed something that made his eyes widen. Due to the darkness in the Nihilith realm, he couldn''t clearly see, even as a first-stage martial artist. Now, as he went a little closer to Lu Zhen and focused on him, he could finally see Lu Zhen''s condition.


    The bulky body of Lu Zhen was nowhere to be found, reced by a malnourished body. The wounds on his body were healing at an astonishing speed, making even first-stage martial artists pale inparison. Another thing he noticed was that the cuts on Lu Zhen''s body, caused by the environment, were bing smaller and smaller as time passed, even though his body continued to move back and forth.


    "Hmm, ancient martial artist physiques are truly terrifying, and with these abilities Lu Zhen talked about, where he could use this environment to strengthen his ancient martial physique," Lu Ming paused, as ifprehending the monstrosity of Lu Zhen. "He will probably surpass me soon," he thought with a bitter expression.


    He still had more to climb in his martial path; he had just reached the middle tier of first-stage martial artists. First-stage martial artists were divided into four tiers: beginning, middle, high, and peak tiers. Unlike the other martial realms lower than first-stage martial artists, the gap in a small tier was terrifying.


    Look at him, for example. Just breaking through the middle tier of the first-stage martial realm, he could fight three beginning-tier first-stage martial artists. That, too, was humbling himself.


    After all, he was also a human, and humans are inherently evil. Although logically he could be happy, jealousy crept into his mind, an envy of the terrifying talent of Lu Zhen. If he could have that talent, he would probably not be wasting his time in this small town, almost isted from the outside world.


    However, that didn''t mean they were weaker than outside forces. From his knowledge, nobody outside had surpassed the first-stage martial realm. In fact, the Lu family''s power itself wasparable to a second-tier force in the outside world. The first-tier force in the external realm was equivalent to the entirety of Phoenix Citybined with the four major families.


    "Too bad there will soon be only three major families," Lu Ming shook his head when he thought of this. Although he didn''t really want to destroy the Xia family, he had to. If he gave them the chance to coordinate, they would undoubtedly team up with each other to fight the Lu family, which was absolutely uneptable. To maintain the Lu family''s dominance, he had decisively hidden his power.


    Only after injuring the Xia family ancestor did he reveal his true strength, making the bastard wary of the others, rendering an alliance between the three families impossible.


    Suddenly, he heard a terrifying sound that jolted him back to reality, and he looked at Lu Zhen.


    His eyes widened when he saw the fully recovered Lu Zhen, who stood up like a tall tower. Lu Zhen''s ragged clothes revealedpact muscles that exuded a sense of power with just a nce. Even though Lu Zhen was suppressing his aura, him standing still gave one a sense of intimidation.


    Although he seemed to have be a lot leaner, and his height appeared to have decreased, with clear signs of malnourishment, as if Lu Zhen hadn''t eaten for years.


    "Ancestor, can we return to the Lu family now?"


    "Oh¡­ alright."


    Lu Ming faintly saw a vision of Lu Zhen, domineeringly standing alone while countless people prayed for him, which caused him to be distracted.


    Ignoring his distracted state and without giving Lu Zhen a chance to speak, he erected a barrier around Lu Zhen. Instantly, the prickling feeling went away as Lu Zhen finally calmed down, his expression now nk.


    Lu Zhen looked at the prompt in front of him with some excitement; however, he was still rtively calm.


    [Your body has be condensed]


    [Your divine physique has levelled up from level 4 to level 5]


    His body was filled with vitality and power; even though it looked malnourished, he felt invincible. Power coursed inside his body, filling him with exhration.


    "System, What level has my physique reached?"


    [ording to the database host, your physique has reached the power of a middle-tier second-stage martial artist.]


    Lu Zhen nodded his head as he expected, considering the data ratio.


    Reaching the divine physique level one meant that he was in the third-stage martial realm, and he broke through to the second-stage martial realm when he levelled up his attribute from divine physique level three to level four so ording to the threshold he will reach the peak of second-stage martial realm through his body once he reached level seven in his divine physique.


    "Good, you seem to have made a breakthrough, Lu Zhen."


    "Thank you, Ancestor. I will train here again after my body recovers."


    "Very well, I will give you the meat of a second-stage martial beast for you to recover." Ancestor Lu nodded with a satisfied expression as they travelled in the Nihilith dimension.


    Lu Zhen''s eyes lit up when he heard about a second-stage martial beast. The most he had eaten was the meat of a third-stage peak martial realm beast, and that too during a difficult time.


    Lu Ming made a swiping motion with his hand, and instantly, the portal opened, revealing a bright light outside. Since the darkness in this ce was very high, Lu Zhen could only see the light in the distance while being enshrouded in darkness.

 Chapter 166: Huang Li

    The two entered the light, and in Lu Zhen''s vision, he saw the familiar modest room with the beautiful women he had seen previously, cleaning things around the ce. Instantly, Lu Zhen knew where they were.


    They had returned to the ancestor''s pce.


    "You can remain in seclusion as you still need rest, and don''t worry about the war for now. I will send a person to inform you if your help is needed. This time is very important for your training. If you can reach the second stage through Qi as well, your power will rise up again," Lu Ming said without skipping a beat.


    "And the second-stage martial beast meat is quite abundant right now, so I can only give you ten kilos. Is that fine with you?"


    "Thank you, ancestor." Lu Zhen bowed as he expressed gratitude. With his "Devour" skill, almost no energy was wasted. This meant that although the quantity of the meat was not substantial, the quality would make up for it. He then returned to his ce tomence his seclusion and recovery.


    ¡­.


    "Young master, you have arrived," Little Lily eximed, excitedly running towards Lu Zhen as she bowed.


    Lu Zhen''s eyes lit up upon seeing Lily. Her aura seemed to have changed significantly, giving her a more heroic appearance. Sharp eyebrows emitted a faint, sharp aura, and she now wore a purple dress that, while fully covering her skin, was rather tight, entuating all her curves.


    Previously resembling a cute, friendly neighbour girl, Lily now appeared more heroic and strong.


    "You have be a third-stage martial artist already?" he said, showing a hint of surprise.


    "Yes, young master," Lily replied, her eyes gleaming with sparkles.


    Lu Zhen nodded with satisfaction; however, he was caught off guard as Lily came right up and hugged him.


    "I can finally be useful to you, young master," she dered, her tone tinged with reverence and worship.


    Lu Zhen was stunned by her words, feeling the softness of Lily''s embrace. He revealed a bitter expression.


    "I guess she has be like a yandere from my world," he thought to himself as he distanced himself.


    Lily immediately let go; however, her face bore a clear image of reluctance.


    "Go prepare a new training room for me."


    "Yes, young master," she bowed, quickly going to work.


    Meanwhile, Lu Zhen headed towards Huang Li''s room.


    ¡­.


    Huang Li sat in a meditative position, deeply engrossed in her cultivation.


    She was fully ignorant of the ongoing war, as the Lu family had attacked in secrecy, and news had barely leaked to themon people. Even with themotion Lu Zhen caused, news took some time to travel.


    Abruptly, she heard footsteps approaching, causing her to stop her cultivation and look towards her door.


    "Who is it?" she said with a frown. "If it is food, leave it outside the room."


    However, the footsteps didn''t cease.


    Bang!


    The door shattered, revealing a handsome man with red eyes and long ck hair. His lean physique exuded an intimidating aura, as if everyone else was nothing more than insects in his presence.


    "Lu Zhen," Huang Li''s eyes widened in shock.


    "What, can''t Ie to my pce?"


    "You can, however, breaking your own door is rather pathetic." Huang Li immediately retorted with an amused smile.


    Lu Zhen was momentarily stunned, but he chuckled, saying, "What a smart girl," with a smile on his face.


    "Humph." Huang Li just shook her head and turned away from Lu Zhen. Despite her dismissive gesture, her face was entirely red, a reaction to thepliment he had given her.


    Lu Zhen''s expression turned serious as he spoke.


    "You can leave for the Huang family if you want. This is yourst chance. If you don''t, be prepared to face the consequences," he said in a cold tone. While the Lu family was currently in conflict with the Xia family, it was undoubted that the Huang family would also join the fray. In such a situation, it was inevitable that they would support the Xia family unless they were foolish.


    Huang Li being in the Lu Manor could potentially cause trouble. Even if Lu Zhen didn''t take any action, other members of the Huang family might try something, considering his status.


    There were no bounds to a person''s stupidity!


    Huang Li''s face morphed into a frown as she looked at the serious expression on Lu Zhen''s face. She sensed that his words held a hidden meaning that she didn''t fully grasp.


    "Why is that?"


    "War," Lu Zhen simply uttered the word, causing Huang Li''s eyes to widen as she gazed at him with a serious expression, piecing together the meaning behind his words.


    Her eyes narrowed to a slit when she finallyprehended Lu Zhen''s implication.


    "Do you mean that¡­?"


    "Yes. So, do you want to leave right now or not?" Lu Zhen spoke in simple words.


    "What will happen if I leave?" Huang Li asked with resigned eyes, as if she had already epted her fate.


    "If you leave, we will be strangers and enemies. If I find you on the battlefield, I will kill you," Lu Zhen stated in a chilling tone, faintly revealing a killing intent that instantly dissipated.


    A cold shiver ran down her spine as Huang Li''s back went cold. She knew that Lu Zhen wasn''t making an idle threat, he was exactly speaking the truth.


    "How heartless," she grumbled, "then what if I stay with you?"


    "You will be one of my concubines or one of the captains in my army that I am forming, if you have enough strength, that is," he said with his eyes glinting. "So, what will it be?"


    "I¡­" She wanted to return to her family, but her instincts seemed to scream at her to stay with Lu Zhen, making her decision difficult.


    With her eyes closed, she stood there for a long time before sighing. Huang Li looked at the man in front of her and finally said, "I will¡­"

 Chapter 167: Creating an army

    Huang Li swiftly exited Lu Zhen''s pce, leaving the Lu Manor with countless pairs of eyes watching.


    "How dare these women try to escape from our young master," a man wearing the ssical uniform of the Lu family elder, with a verdant tree symbol, was about to strike Huang Li from the shadows. However, he was stopped by another man who was wearing the same uniform, with a peculiar goatee.


    "Wait, I have received instructions that the young master let her go?"


    "What, really?" The man stopped his hand, and his eyes widened with disbelief.


    "Yes." The man who stopped the other also had disbelief in his eyes.


    "No matter how much of a monster he is, after all, a youth who is inexperienced in the ways of the world is easily swayed by beauty," the man shook his head with disappointment evident in his eyes.


    "Sigh," the man with the goatee also sighed with disappointment as both of them watched the figure of Huang Li leave the Lu Manor, disappearing into the distance with pity.


    ¡­.


    Lu Zhen looked at the children, aged between six to fourteen, in front of him, who trembled under the gaze of his crimson eyes.


    "Why aren''t they trained yet?" He turned to his side, seeing the twins Lu Zhi and Lu Qing with bitter expressions.


    "Young master, they are too afraid."


    Lu Zhen frowned when he heard this, looking at them as if they were idiots.


    "Then what am I keeping you guys for?" He said coldly, directing his gaze at Lu Zhi. Thetter''s expression changed to one of horror, rendering him unable to utter a single word,pletely frozen.


    "Eh, what happened to my brother?" After Lu Zhi came back from visiting Lu Zhen''s pce, he had been acting strange, causing Lu Qing to sense that something suspicious was going on. However, she immediately dismissed the notion since her brother mentioned that Lu Zhen wanted them to do a good job or they would face dire consequences.


    Lu Qing found this to be quite natural, but deep down, she felt a little disappointed in her brother. He seemed so afraid of death that he couldn''t even make his thoughts coherently.


    "Sigh, useless," Lu Zhen grumbled as he moved to the center of the group of children.


    "Kids, do you know why your father and mother died?"


    "Because bad guys carrying knives killed our father and mother, burned our houses, stole our food, and took us with them. They even ra¡­" a thirteen-year-old with distinctive ck short hair said, stepping forward among the crowd of children. The fire burned in his eyes, capturing the attention of all the children, as their stories seemed to mirror his.


    Lu Zhen''s eyes lit up, seeing the fire of vengeance in the child.


    "So, do you want to take revenge?" he asked with an expressionless face.


    "Yes!" The child roared loudly, his sentiment echoing with many children.


    However, Lu Zhen just shook his head. "You are just a weakling. What can you even do?" He casually tossed a heavy sword to the ground.


    Bang!


    The heavy sword directly prated the ground, making dust fly into the air. After a short time, the dust settled, revealing the sword embedded at least 15 inches (38 cm) deep.


    "What is this?" The boy was a little shocked and stunned as he looked at the giant sword lodged in the ground.


    "If you have enough strength, pick this up," Lu Zhen said with a cold tone.


    Themanding voice of Lu Zhenpelled the boy to follow it. He gulped down his saliva as he gathered his courage to pick up the sword. Realistically, he didn''t have much hope; after all, he was just a feeble child. How could he lift such a long sword embedded in the ground?


    "Well, it won''t hurt to try," he thought to himself, imagining a miracle that would allow him to lift the sword. After all, he was just a kid who still believed in children''s stories.


    However, reality was cruel.


    The boy tried to grip the sword and pull it out of the ground, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn''t do it. Pulling from left or right, attempting to dig under the soil¡ªeverything proved too taxing for his malnourished body with noodle-like arms to even dig through the hard, rock-like soil and retrieve the sword.


    No matter what he did, he couldn''t free the sword from the ground.


    The crowd of children had mockery in their eyes as they observed the boy struggling to pull out the sword.


    "I knew that the boy was just acting like a hero simr to those stories my mother used to tell me. However in reality, he''s just a loser who can''t do anything."


    "True, initially, I thought he was strong as well, but he''s just a monkey..." a boy who appeared the tallest among the malnourished children snickered.


    Some children mocked the boy, while others remained silent, looking at him with a still-hopeful expression.


    Lu Zhen silently observed all of this with an emotionless expression. Internally, however, he shook his head.


    "The children who mocked the boy need some more training." It was amon trait of human nature to be cowardly at times. When someone rises against the tide and norms, standing up, people at the bottom tend to mock and try to pull them down to their own level as they are jealous, envy of the person who could stand out.


    However, if that person can handle the pressure from the masses and fight against all odds until they can win, they will undoubtedly be an extraordinary figure, built differently from others and stand out among the flock of sheeps who only know how to bow their head.


    The twins frowned upon hearing the murmurs of the children. However, since Lu Zhen wasn''t taking any action, they also refrained from intervening. The scene continued, each child reacting differently to the unfolding events.

 Chapter 168: Creating an army future plans

    The boy tried for a long time until his energy was fully exhausted, falling down to the cold, hard floor with ragged breathing and a malnourished body.


    "So, you couldn''t do it. If you can''t even lift up a sword, how will you avenge the people who have done this to you?" Lu Zhen said with a cold tone, bringing the boy back to reality.


    "I will¡­ I need more strength," he said with his ragged breathing.


    "You are so malnourished and pathetic that if I left you out on the street, they would either make a ve out of you or you would die out cold outside. How can you have strength?" Lu Zhen said in a condescending tone.


    Immediately, every child''s back went cold upon hearing this. They despaired, realising that if the two twin sisters and the brother hadn''t rescued them from the clutches of the bandits, they would have died a miserable death. Even after being rescued, they remained powerless, feeble children who might still face a grim fate.


    With some hope, they looked at Lu Zhi, but seeing the resigned look on his face, their hope immediately died. Instead, they turned their gaze to Lu Qing, hoping for a glimmer of hope. However, she too shook her head with a sigh, causing them to despair.


    "So, your choice is a little boy? I can let you all go back..."


    "No, I want strength, and you will give me strength," the boy roared, looking at Lu Zhen with fiery determination.


    Lu Zhen was stunned for a second before a small smile graced his lips.


    "And what will I get for it? There is no free lunch in the world."


    "Whatever you brought us here for."


    Lu Zhen chuckled when he heard this. "What a smart boy," he couldn''t help but think.


    "Very well then, I will train you all to be strong. In return for making you guys strong, you willplete tasks for me. It''s as simple as that. So, whoever is interested,e to my side."


    A silence permeated the surroundings as nobody spoke for a long time.


    The boy''s eyes lit up when he heard Lu Zhen''s words, and he immediately went to his side without flinching, carrying a fire in his eyes.


    This set off a domino effect as almost all the children went to Lu Zhen''s side one by one, like a hive.


    Although the children hesitated for some time, they eventually chose Lu Zhen''s side, seeing that he held a high status. They would get to eat and sleep, with the added benefit of getting stronger. This was a lucrative deal for most of them.


    In this world, after a person reaches eight years old, they were already considered teens, and by the age of fourteen, they could be considered adults. Due to the cruel environment in which people lived, and with the presence of Qi in this world, even an average person breathing in this environment was naturally stronger than in Lu Zhen''s previous world.


    So most of them could already make some decisions for themselves.


    "Alright," Lu Zhen nodded his head, looking at the two who had joined his side.


    "You two can go now, as promised. I will let you go." He shook his head as he sighed.


    The two children, a girl with purple hair and a boy with brown hair, left the pce silently, their eyes glinting with a strange light.


    Lu Zhen frowned as he sensed something was wrong with his children, so his eyes turned golden as he looked at them, causing him to widen his eyes.


    [Sui Yan]


    [Race: Half human/ Half saint]


    [Age: 12]


    [Qi: level 1] (Martial trainee is level 1 of Qi)


    [Trait: Sword Immortal]


    ------


    [Sui Yi]


    [Race: Half human/ Half saint]


    [Age: 11]


    [Qi: Level 1]


    [Trait: Genius]


    "This boy and girl," Lu Zhen internally frowned; however, he didn''t dwell on them for long. Since they wanted to leave, they could leave. He couldn''t care less as long as they didn''t get in his way.


    "System, when did the trait be a thing?" Lu Zhen said in his head.


    [As your strength progresses, more and more data can be collected from the world, and the system will progress along with the host''s strength. Since you have reached the very peak of the third-stage martial realm, and your appraisal skill level has levelled up, you can see new information along with it. However, since it is not a major upgrade, the system doesn''t need to be updated.]


    The cold and mechanical voice rang in his ear, making Lu Zhen nod his head internally.


    He turned towards all the people who had decided to follow him.


    "Alright, I will give you good food, and the two twins will train you every day from now on. Expect the training to be harsh, and if you can''t endure it, it is your fault as you chose this path," Lu Zhen said as he briefly nced at everyone with his golden eyes before letting them go.


    Almost all the people''s talents were average or even worse, as expected. However, some of them were hidden gems under the dust, which surprised Lu Zhen.


    After all, it was very rare formoners to have talent for martial arts. Although they were numerous in number, a bloodline family wasn''t made for no reason.


    As for the talented ones, the children also had the "chance" to inherit the talent of their predecessors. Since the Lu family''s predecessors were all terrifying powerhouses, most of the Lu family members were talented in martial arts, at leastpared to an averagemoner.


    Of course, Lu Zhen was a different case due to his bloodline; however, that didn''t mean others were inherently all talented. It was only a case of probability.


    In simpler terms, the descendants of major families had a higher chance of being talented in martial arts thanmoners.


    This is how families were able to maintain dominance in the city to the point that the words they uttered became the rules of the city.

 Chapter 169: Terrifying potential

    [Liu Piao]


    [Age: 13]


    [Qi: uninitiated]


    [Trait: Archery, Courage]


    ¡ª


    [Nan fang]


    [Age: 13]


    [Qi: uninitiated]


    [Trait: Tank]


    ¡ª


    [Feng Rao]


    [Age:10]


    [Qi: uninitiated]


    [Trait: Darkness]


    Lu Zhen had already filtered out the most talented among the children. The boy with distinctive ck hair who previously tried to pull the sword out of the ground was Liu Piao, while the biggest person among the group was Nan Fang.


    The girl with pink hair was Feng Rao, who blended in with the children so much that her presence was very minimal. Although it was hard for her to hide from Lu Zhen''s superhuman five senses, it was no problem for her to make herself invisible in front of an adult human who hadn''t trained in martial arts yet.


    This was a terrifying talent in itself.


    However, if the person had a little training in martial arts, they would definitely notice her, as long as they wanted to.


    After all, she was still a child. Lu Zhen was most interested in her, as her trait was quite unique: the power of darkness.


    Although he knew the trick to blend in theshadows making him almost invisible, that was only a trick. Altogether, the power of darkness had a terrifying potential if used properly.


    "Liu Piao, Nan Fang, and Feng Rao, train these people well. Their training will be harsher."


    "Yes, young master," the two bowed to Lu Zhen respectfully.


    Lu Zhen nodded with satisfaction. Although they would need time to grow up, he had other ns for them to be useful in battle. Additionally, he would eventually need an independent army outside of his Lu family influence¡ªindividuals who would listen only to him and bepletely loyal.


    "And Lu Qing, I have something to talk to you about," Lu Zhen said expressionlessly, causing Lu Zhi to widen his eyes with horror, his face changing to blue.


    "Young master, does he want to¡­" Lu Zhi wanted to stop Lu Zhen; however, he couldn''t. After all, he had pretty much be a ve after being marked. Although it didn''t affect his individual thinking, he was still controlled in a way that made him unable to refute Lu Zhen.


    "Alright, young master," Lu Qing nodded her head as she followed Lu Zhen, making Lu Zhi''s expression turn even bluer.


    Lu Zhen looked strangely at Lu Zhi, seeing his expression as he knew what he was thinking. However, he didn''t care about him as he went away.


    "Think what he wants to think," Lu Zhen grumbled to himself.


    After they reached another room, Lu Qing asked nervously, "What does the young master want to know about?"


    "Oh, it''s nothing to be worried about. I want to learn the way of the physician, as I have a hidden weapon which could be very useful¡­" Lu Zhen said as he took out the hidden weapon¡ªa very thin string with two needles at the end of both sides entirely ck.


    Immediately, Lu Qing''s eyes lit up when she saw this, and her eyes became sparkly.


    "Young¡­ young master¡­ Can I touch them?" she said with an excited face and a shade of pink.


    "Okay," Lu Zhen handed it to her with a strange expression, seeing the girl in such an excited state.


    "This is a work of art!" the moment she held the hidden weapon, she couldn''t help but exim as she appreciated its beauty, treating it as if it were her god. She tightly held the needle, examining it carefully.


    "Not only is the needle perfectly carved, but even the strings are done to perfection. They are neither too thin nor too thick, with a perfect ratio so that it could cut the enemies with the string itself¡­"


    Lu Zhen patiently waited as she marvelled at the hidden weapon before she finally gave it back to him with some reluctance.


    "Young master, here." Lu Qing handed a book to Lu Zhen with some reluctance.


    "Hmm¡­" Lu Zhen curiously took the book and saw a diary written in bold letters, covered by an animal''s skin.


    Usually, books were covered by animal skins as it was a standard practice formoners although it was made with the hare of rabbits and small animals so it was rtively cheap.


    He casually flipped through the book, examining all the human body meridians and blood vessels with the heart as the epicentre and some points written in it.


    "Young master, thanks to the book you have given me, I have simplified the process and filtered through all the words, only writing the most useful points in the book that you need to learn. And this," she handed Lu Zhen another book with the name "Butterfly Dance" written on it.


    Lu Zhen took the book as he said, "I will return your book after an hour, wait a moment."


    "Huh." Lu Qing was stunned when she heard this, looking at Lu Zhen in surprise.


    Ignoring Lu Qing, he sat in a chair, flipping through all the pages. His gaze lingered on a page for three seconds before turning to the next. His mind worked on overdrive, remembering all the words.


    Although he couldn''t fullyprehend all the words, it was very easy for him to remember all the things written in the book, as if he etched it into his brain.


    It was almost like photographic memory!


    Just one level up from his charm attribute had made him like a power house¡ªimagine how powerful his brain power would be if he could level up more?


    However, Lu Zhen didn''t have any way to do so for now, as he couldn''t progress after he became a semi-mage since he didn''t have mana. Every spell required to be used was useless in this era, but Lu Zhen only wanted it for increasing his brainpower, which might be doable.


    "I don''t believe the old monsters who survived the mage''s era don''t have a better solution to have more mana," Lu Zhen sneered as he kept reading the book, memorising and understanding every word to a "t."

 Chapter 170: Formation

    Finally, after an hour or so, Lu Zhenpleted the two books and gave them back to her again.


    ¡ª--------------


    [LEVEL UP]


    ¡ª-----


    [Name: Lu Zhen]


    --------


    [Race: Human]


    [Bloodline: Half Human/ Half Volgrith]


    [Lifespan left: 170 years]


    --------


    [Attributes]


    [Constitution: Divine physique (level 5)]


    [Charm: Mortal (Level 5)]


    [Wood Qi: third-stage martial artist](99.99%)


    [Demonic Qi: null]


    [Mana: Null Circle]


    ???


    --------


    [Cultivation manuals]


    [Cultivation technique: Verdant art (stage 2)]


    [Combat arts: [Verdant Whirlwind (full mastery)], [Whispering Shadow Step (full mastery)], [Verdant Grove Fist(full mastery)], [Butterfly Hidden Dance (uninitiated)]


    --------


    Skills: 13


    ¡ª-----


    [Quest]


    [Missionpleted:1]


    ¡ª---------


    Hisbat art now had another skill shown to him. Although he had learned many tricks, they were not worthy to be levelled asbat art; however, this was. Actually, he had considered hisck ofbat art; but, he was helpless as he still needed to focus on his cultivation, which made him take less time to practisebat art.


    Lu Qing took the book back with a dazed expression as Lu Zhen beckoned her to leave with a satisfied expression.


    Almost everything useless was filtered out by Lu Qing, and reading all the words, although he couldn''tprehend many words, he felt like most of the words were carefully done through her own effort and all were good. Although it wasn''t to an expert level, it was good overall, which made him satisfied.


    He liked people who worked hard because no matter how bad or good one is, as long as they try hard enough, they will be able to excel in that subject.


    She moved almost like a zombie as she exited the room.


    After she left the room, Lu Qing despaired as she questioned her life. Lu Zhen had learned everything that she had learned in her entire life until now in a mere couple of hours.


    After all, Lu Zhen wouldn''t be pretentious in front of her based on his personality, as she has observed. Although there is a hint of arrogance, it was natural after all, he was a monster in cultivation. And there was no reason that Lu Zhen would lie since she was just a servant of him, so why would he lie against her?


    This fact made her question her own reality.


    "Sigh, he is a true monster¡­" Lu Qing at thest could only contribute this to Lu Zhen being a monster as she left the room with a bitter expression, and her mood soured considerably. Who wouldn''t be in such a mood seeing that the years of hard work one did could bepleted by someone in a couple of hours?


    As she left, she saw Lu Zhi standing there nervously.


    "Eh, what happened to you, brother?"


    "Sister, did Lu Zhen do something to you?" Lu Zhi asked nervously instead of answering. He was nervous if she suffered the same fate as him.


    "He just asked me for my technique I used for the needlebat art that I have recently learned and gave him some knowledge of the human body," she replied with a confused expression.


    Lu Zhi internally heaved a sigh of relief as he felt a burden lift in him.


    "Why are you acting so strange again?" she asked, seeing him be so relieved with a confused expression.


    "Nothing," he said before fully ignoring her as he left.


    "You can''t leave me in the red like that, tell me¡­ brother¡­" Lu Qing chased after her brother with an angry expression. Hearing the yful voice of her, Lu Zhi shook his head with a smile; however, his pace became faster instead.


    ¡­.


    Lu Zhen slowly savoured the meat in his mouth, relishing the sulent taste that left him in a state of bliss.


    He took another bite, feeling his body being filled with energy as a warm, invigorating sensation spread throughout. His whole being revelled in the blissful energy that surged through him with each bite.


    Lu Zhen''s body recovered at a rapid pace, and the more meat he consumed, the faster the process. The sound of him chewing resonated in the room.


    Crunch! Crunch!


    Almost like he was eating a rock, he made these sounds under the astonished eyes of Lily as he ate the meat with a satisfied expression.


    It wasn''t only because of the crunching sound of Lu Zhen that she was astonished; she was astonished as well because the more he took bites the more his malnourished body packed with muscle of Lu Zhen gradually recovered to its previous state.


    "Why am I not surprised anymore?" she thought to herself with a mix of excitement as she gazed at Lu Zhen with a reinvigorated look.


    "Young master is destined to do greatness. Until then, I must be his guard. I need more strength." Lily tightened her fist with determination.


    Lu Zhen was unaware of his little maid''s determination to be his guard as he slowly savoured the meat. Although the meat was delicious, it was equally tough.


    If Lu Zhen had topare, it might reach the hardness of the diamonds in his previous world or even higher. However, this level of toughness was nothingpared to the bite force Lu Zhen possessed now, as his constitution was in the mid-tier of the second-stage martial realm.


    Feeling his body full of power, and any more would just make him feel bloated, Lu Zhen reluctantly let go of the meat with a sigh. "It''s time to cultivate again."


    "Young master, I want to be useful to you," Lily said, looking at Lu Zhen with reverence in her eyes.


    "Huh¡­" Lu Zhen woke up from his sense of contemtion upon hearing Lily''s voice.


    "You want to be¡­"


    "Young master, please," she interrupted with almost a tear in her eyes.


    "Alright, then. You might never catch up to me, however, you can help me in other ways," he said as he walked close to her, his breath reaching her body.


    Lily''s face turned a shade of pink as she asked, "In what way, young master?" She closed her eyes, almost expecting something, however, she instead felt a cold object on her face.


    "Eh," she thought, confused, as she opened her eyes to see a book.


    "Learn formations. It will be very useful to me. Although this is a subject that requires talent, if you do not understand after learning for a day or two..." he trailed off as he went back to his seclusion room.

 Chapter 171: Demonic Cultivation

    Lu Zhen stood naked in an upright position, adopting an almost military stance. His legs were apart by 2 centimetres, and his back was straight, resembling an attention position. He closed his eyes, taking a deep breath.


    Suddenly, Lu Zhen opened his crimson eyes, revealing a deep anger within him as he started to grow taller. A thin tail sprouted out of his back, and a horn appeared, hispact muscles growing bigger.


    "Eh," Lu Zhen noticed a strange thing: his skin seemed to turn into a strange silver colour after he transformed into the Volgrith form, making him frown.


    "System¡­"


    [Host, due to your constitution level increasing, your transformed state has also improved.]


    Lu Zhen nodded his head when he heard this. Although he had a simr conjecture, he couldn''t be quite sure.


    However, ignoring his state, he closed his eyes as he tried to tap into the bloodline of the Volgrith, scanning his entire body to search for it.


    Time passed as he searched through his body, examining every single cell. With his divine physique, controlling and inspecting his body was quite easy for him, like an additional attribute of the skill.


    Finally, his facial expression seemed to rx as he sensed the greenish patches of blood in his body. The blood was strange as Lu Zhen felt that it was some kind of nuclear energy.


    However, Lu Zhen didn''t fully rx, as he separated his consciousness into two.


    The moment he divided his consciousness, Lu Zhen felt like a heavy mountain was ced on his head. He couldn''t even form coherent thoughts properly, but with difficulty, he moved one part of his consciousness into his head while the other carefully observed the green patches of blood, which seemed to multiply over time.


    After the consciousness arrived at Lu Zhen''s brain, he tapped into his mental power. The process was slow and gradual, as his thought process was significantly slowed down.


    "S¡­o¡­close," Lu Zhen muttered as he focused more attention. However, before the consciousness could fully tap into his mental energy, his consciousness abruptly froze midway.


    Cough! Cough!


    Lu Zhen directly vomited blood as the two consciousnesses immediately became one, while his body seemed to slightly dete again.


    "I guess it didn''t work the first time," Lu Zhen sighed as he took the book that the elf had given him to cultivate his demonic Qi and read it again.


    Although he had a photographic memory, he still wanted to make sure everything was right, and it was all correct, which made Lu Zhen''s face contort.


    The name of this demonic Qi cultivation manual was "Heaven-Refining Demonic Qi." Lu Zhen had already checked with his appraisal again, making it clear that she hadn''t done anything to the cultivation book.


    That''s why he cultivated it, although the grade of it was still "???" but he was pretty clear that it was at least about the first-stage martial realm.


    The cultivation method was rtively simple; he just had to draw attributeless Qi and refine it using his bloodline in a certain rhythm.


    However, the hardest part was to initiate it since, to initiate the cultivation technique, he needed mental energy to nurture his bloodline. So, this was a cultivation technique for at least a second-stage martial artist or higher. After all, usually only martial artists in these realms could open their mental energy.


    Lu Zhen was a special case since he had reached the second-stage martial realm with his body instead.


    However, the most difficult part was that he needed to continuously sense his bloodline while tapping into his mental energy, which was a terrifyingly taxing task.


    "Sigh¡­" Lu Zhen sighed as he knew that the elf did him a little dirty. After all, he was a third-stage martial artist when he took the demonic cultivation technique; however, he didn''t give up.


    His eyes shed with determination as hemunicated with his system in his mind.


    "What are my chances of cultivating this system?"


    [Host, ording to the information collected, you have a five percent chance to initiate the demonic cultivation technique.]


    Lu Zhen sighed even more; however, he didn''t give up. He had reached a bottleneck again after reaching the peak of the third-stage martial realm.


    Although he only needed to condense his Qi by a little to reach the second-stage Martial realm, he still felt a shackle that weighed heavily on him, that single step.


    It was at least multiple times easier for him to reach 99.99% condensed Wood Qi than to take thatst step to reach the second-stage martial realm.


    "Sigh, I am truly ordinary in my talent¡­" Even with Lu Zhen now unlocking his bloodline, he was still ordinary in his talent for cultivation.


    The reason he was able to reach the second-stage martial realm so fast was because of the resources along with his skills like Devour, dual cultivation, and meditation.


    He hadn''t forgotten about his meditation skill. Although it hadn''t improved at all after so long and seemedcklustre with no apparent benefits, it was the subtle benefit it provided that was undoubtedly helpful for Lu Zhen, as his cultivation speed at least doubled due to its passive effect.


    At this moment, a blue prompt shed in the corner of his eyes, making Lu Zhen''s eyes instantly light up with excitement as he looked at it.


    [Quest]


    [Mission: Cultivate the demonic cultivation technique to its initiation level]


    [Difficulty: Medium]


    [Time Limit: 4 days 23 hours 59 minutes]


    [Reward: Mutation of Wood Qi]


    Lu Zhen''s eyes widened as his focus inadvertently shifted to the reward.


    "Mutation of Wood Qi!" Lu Zhen eximed, shock apparent in his eyes.


    Although the Wood Qi cultivation technique given to him by his mother was a superior cultivation technique that provided him with better Wood Qi than most other martial cultivation techniques, it was still based on one of the basic elements.


    However, the mutation of Wood Qi could open up a new door for Lu Zhen.


    He had heard that only first-stage martial artists were capable of mutating their Qi, but being able to do it early would undoubtedly provide him with more benefits. After all, as the saying goes, "the early bird gets the meal first."


    However, his stomach rumbled loudly, reminding him of his hunger. "I guess I''ll satisfy my hunger before trying again," Lu Zhen thought with a sense of urgency.


    He left the training room, carrying all the meat of the third-stage martial realm back to his training space under the surprised gaze of little Lily, who was seriously studying the book he had given her.


    Although Lu Zhen himself could likely train in formations, he didn''t have time for it at the moment. While it was only ten kilos of meat, thanks to Lu Zhen''s Devour skill, he could fully digest everything rapidly, wasting almost no energy. This amount was plenty for him and wouldst for days.


    He took some bites of the meat, feeling his body refreshed as it became full of energy again.


    "If the chances are so low, I will only practice this for the next five days. I don''t believe that after trying it thousands of times, I won''t even initiate the cultivation technique."


    Lu Zhen''s eyes glinted with determination as he adopted a military stance, standing straight like a tall heavenly tower.


    Trying to separate his consciousness again.


    Boom!


    His mind felt heavy as he failed again, vomiting blood on the ground.


    However, Lu Zhen didn''t care. He promptly ate the meat before he continued the grind of cultivation again.


    Trying again and again, no matter how he failed and how much pain he felt, without a flush, he continued his uninterrupted practice.


    Just like that, Lu Zhen spent a day and a night cycle, repeating this endless cycle of cultivation, barely sleeping for four hours or so.


    "Sigh," he sighed as he felt the splitting headache and the exhaustion of his body, but it has be less and less the more time he spends on splitting his consciousness, and he has gotten really close to achieving his goal.


    "Looks like I will reach it soon," Lu Zhen thought with some relief as he asked the system, "How much is my chance to cultivate demonic cultivation?"


    [Host, it has be fifty percent.]


    The cold, mechanical voice of the system rang in Lu Zhen''s head, prompting his excitement.


    He knew why his chances increased. It was all because of his adaptability; the more he practised, the more his consciousness was strengthened, and he gradually improved himself. However, it was very subtle due to howplex one''s consciousness was.


    Lu Zhen tried to cultivate again, taking an attentive military position with his back straight as a tower before he transformed into his volgrith form again.


    Sensing his bloodline, the greenish blood, which was multiplying rapidly, he sensed it and split his consciousness again.


    Immediately he felt the heavy burden however it was significantly less by now so without wasting a moment he guided his other consciousness into his brain.

 Chapter 172: Demonic Cultivation

    Lu Zhen''s consciousness slowly made its way to his brain in a snail''s manner.


    He had noticed one thing while trying to initiate the demonic cultivation technique: he needed to be more careful with his consciousness rather than speed, and if he could find a special bnce between both speed and carefulness, it was even better for him.


    The consciousness finally reached his brain, and Lu Zhen immediately tapped into his mental energy. Slowly but surely, the reason he had failed so many times previously was that tapping into his mental energy was a very hard thing to do, even when Lu Zhen fully focused on it. So, with his consciousness separated into two, its difficulty at least increased by a hundred times or even more.


    Finally, after slowly but steadily trying to tap into his mental energy, he finally tapped into a single strand of mental energy that surged through his body.


    Lu Zhen''s eyes seemed to light up from his almost dull facial expression as the one strand of mental energy was slowly guided to the greenish cloth of blood..


    Boom!


    The moment the greenish blood met with the mental energy, it was as if a nuclear bomb had exploded. Lu Zhen''s body was filled with power that coursed through him, and his Volgrith form''s height increased at a rapid pace, going from 12 feet (365 cm) to at least a few feet taller.


    His veins popped in his body, making him fully covered by them, almost like armour. Wings protruded from his back slowly, his horns became sharper and stronger, reaching a terrifying level, and even his thin tail with a heart at the end seemed to increase a little.


    However, Lu Zhen wasn''t fully aware of the changes in his body as he was in a state of bliss from the power coursing through him. Nevertheless, Lu Zhen quickly adapted to it.


    He smirked as a familiar panel appeared in front of him again, eliciting his excitement.


    [Ding]


    [Quest]


    [Mission: Cultivate the demonic cultivation technique to its initiation level]


    [Difficulty: Medium]


    [Reward: Mutation of Wood Qi]


    [Questpleted]


    [Calction the rewards]


    [1%....2%....60%....100%]


    [Reward Granted]


    "Hmm¡­" Lu Zhen saw the panel flicker before another three panels appeared in front of him, which made him frown.


    [Sun Qi]


    [Medium Grade] (cannot be advanced)


    [Harvest the power of the sun to cultivate Sun Qi, allowing the martial artist to have a burning effect upon contact. It can strengthen the physique to have the Great Sun physique. Grants certain resistance against the sun and has a certain increase in power under the sun.]


    Lu Zhen''s eyes widened when he saw the first advancement path of his Wood Qi to his left, but his confusion grew.


    "System, isn''t my Wood Qipletely contradictory to this Sun Qi? Why is it on the advancement path?"


    [Host, from the data collected, the Wood Qiplements the Sun Qi.]


    Lu Zhen just stood there for a moment as his thoughts swirled in his mind.


    "I guess it doesn''t followmon understanding¡­" In the end, Lu Zhen sighed as he looked at the panel.


    [nt Qi]


    [Medium Grade] (can be advanced)


    [Almost all the benefits that Wood Qi gives and even greater, as well as the power to interact with nts and utilise them. Gain an affinity with nts, making all of them have a good impression of you and can manipte them.]


    Lu Zhen nodded his head when he saw this, as at least this made a little sense. He looked to his right.


    [Earth Qi]


    [High Grade] (cannot be advanced)


    [Earth Qi is one of the heaviest Qi which strengthens martial artist defences to a high level. Gains the ability to manipte the Earth.]


    Lu Zhen carefully read the description as he closed his eyes, his mind swirling with thoughts as he tried to connect the dots, contemting all the benefits. In the end, he chose the middle panel.


    The moment he imagined pressing the middle panel, all three panels flickered before disappearing from his vision.


    "Hmm¡­" Lu Zhen frowned as he sensed a strange transformation urring in his body. All the condensed Wood Qi in his body was slowly moving toward his brain, guided by an unknown force.


    [Advancing]


    [1%.....]


    Lu Zhen saw the loading screen again. "I guess I will have to wait, then."


    In the meantime, he finally noticed his body transformation.


    His height had increased again, and a small wing, almost like a bat''s, protruded from his back while his muscles became more condensed. However, his expression turned strange when he sensed the increase in his tails.


    "This is really¡­" Lu Zhen controlled his tails, and they moved almost like he was controlling his hands, effortlessly manoeuvring them as if he was born with them.


    He could roll his tail and even touch his face with it, reaching his own face with the tail. Luckily, he didn''t feel any strange sensations from the tail, indicating that he wouldn''t experience any difort from it and wasn''t connected to any of his five senses.


    However, ignoring his tail, he pped his wings that had protruded out of his back. The wings slowly revealed themselves in full glory, almost resembling bat wings attached to him although they were big, however in his hulking body it looked rather small.


    The sound of Lu Zhen''s wings cutting through the air reverberated as the wings moved back and forth, generating a wind current in the process.


    To Lu Zhen''s excitement, the wings started pping faster and faster as he willed it. Although his control over his wings wasn''t like an extension of his own body parts, he could still mostly control them.


    "Can I fly?" he thought curiously as he started to p his wings even more, slowly ascending from the ground.


    Although his body was quite heavy, Lu Zhen could subtly control his body to make himself lighter¡ªa benefit of the divine physique from the many benefits he has from his overpowered physique this was one of it too.

 Chapter 173: Demonic Cultivation

    Whoosh!


    A wind current was produced as Lu Zhen directly reached the ceiling of the room.


    "I can finally fly¡­" Lu Zhen thought with some excitement. After all, normally martial artists in the second-stage martial realm cannot fly, but with his wings, he had a tactical advantage against other second-stage martial artists.


    "I have the high ground!" he yfully shouted out loud as he mused to himself before turning calm again and assessing his situation.


    Lu Zhen slowlynded on the ground with a contemtive expression. He didn''t like his tail at all.


    "Oh well, the tail might be useful someday, or I could just cut it. But from looking at my transformation, this Volgrith form looks to be abination of ogre, subus, and minotaur mythical creatures from my previous world." Lu Zhen frowned as he looked at the portrait of the ancestor, who lookedpletely different from him now.


    "Is my bloodline different from the one of the others?" Although there were simrities between the ancestor of the bloodline family and Lu Zhen, he had started to differ since he developed his wings, as the ancestor didn''t have wings in the portrait.


    After all, he still needed to see the portrait to go back to his human form.


    "System, am I different from the other bloodline users?" Lu Zhen asked, puzzled by the wings. Although he was happy to get them, he still needed to know why he got them. Although he had his own conjecture, it was better to ask the system.


    [Host, it might be due to the demonic cultivation technique. The system doesn''t have enough data to tell.]


    He nodded his head as his conjecture was the same.


    "I wonder how strong I am in this form now?" Lu Zhen, seeing his transformed state, thought curiously. Although he didn''t like staying in this form much, his raw strength was the highest in this transformation, so it was undoubtedly his biggest trump card.


    "Now for the important part." He controlled his greenish blood, which was emitting a terrifying heat like nuclear radiation; however, it had be rtively calm as if he had tamed it.


    "Status." Lu Zhen opened his system with a thought.


    ¡ª--------------


    [LEVEL UP]


    ¡ª-----


    [Name: Lu Zhen]


    --------


    [Race: Human]


    [Bloodline: Half Human/ Half Volgrith]


    [Lifespan left: 200 years]


    --------


    [Attributes]


    [Constitution: Divine physique (level 5)]


    [Charm: Mortal (Level 5)]


    [Wood Qi: third-stage martial artist](99.99%)


    [Demonic Qi: first grade]


    [Mana: Null Circle]


    ???


    --------


    [Cultivation manuals]


    [Cultivation technique: Verdant art (stage 2), Heaven-Refining Demonic Qi (first form)]


    [Combat arts: [Verdant Whirlwind (full mastery)], [Whispering Shadow Step (full mastery)], [Verdant Grove Fist(full mastery)], [Butterfly Hidden Dance (uninitiated)]


    --------


    Skills: 13


    ¡ª-----


    [Quest]


    [Missionpleted:2]


    ¡ª---------


    Lu Zhen''s eyes widened when he saw the increase in his lifespan, which had reached 200 years. That means he can live for two hundred more years now. He was almost nearing the lifespan of a first-stage martial artist, which is around three hundred if you round it up.


    However, that was not the initial focus; he looked at the cultivation technique section.


    [Cultivation technique: Verdant Art (Stage 2), Heaven-Refining Demonic Qi]


    Lu Zhen absorbed a small strand of attributeless Qi from the air before he willed his bloodline to refine it.


    Boom!


    Like thunder shaking, he almost instantly converted the attributeless Qi to demonic Qi.


    "So how do I use this thing?" Lu Zhen willed as he controlled the demonic Qi and curiously guided it toward his hands.


    Boom!


    Lu Zhen''s hand expanded to a terrifying degree as the demonic Qi was absorbed by it like a sponge.


    His eyes widened when he saw his inted arm, which was at least 50 cm with muscles all over. He couldn''t even carry the weight, and he slightly bent from the sheer weight of his hand.


    Crisp!


    The moment his hand touched the floor like a spider''s web, it broke directly, reaching the soil underneath it as it too fell down even lower as it couldn''t support the sheer of his arms. The ground itself caved in, his arms emitting a terrifying aura that shocked Lu Zhen to the core.


    However, he quickly recollected himself as he skillfully controlled his muscle fibres and stopped his hand from descending even lower.


    "How dangerous¡­" Lu Zhen said, his eyes narrowed to a slit.


    After a minute, his hand slowly returned back to normal, as if nothing had happened to him in the first ce.


    He regained his calm as thoughts swirled in his mind. Since his Wood Qi was temporarily gone from his body, he couldn''t use it, which decreased hisbat power significantly. However, this new demonic Qi gave him a new idea.


    "Let me try that¡­" Lu Zhen thought as he closed his eyes, sensing the greenish clouds of blood again.


    The mental energy he had just mixed in with the blood, he willed it forcefully, trying to close the green blood.


    Boom!


    Lu Zhen violently coughed blood, but there was excitement in his eyes.


    His height decreased to his normal size, while his wings, tail, and horn disappeared, with his silvery skin returning back to his normal skin tone.


    "Finally, I don''t have to rely on this crappy painting anymore," Lu Zhen cursed as he looked at the painting of the ancestor.


    Although he wanted to burn it, Lu Zhen didn''t in the end. On second thought, it was better for him to keep it. Who knows, it might be useful to him in the future.


    He converted another strand of attributeless Qi into Demonic Qi again and applied it to his arm, and this time the results were different.


    His arm expanded rapidly, filled with power, although it wasn''t to an exaggerated degree. Still, his arms were filled with muscle, and veins popped out, covering his arms like armor.


    But it quickly returned to its initial size as his demonic Qi fully depleted, prompting Lu Zhen''s excitement.


    "Just like I expected, the increase in power if I use it in my transformed state is dangerous, but I can still use it normally."

 Chapter 174: Demonic bow

    "In my transformed state, the power bes too exaggerated, so although it will be a trump card to catch people off guard, it isn''t effective if the opponent already knows the move. I should store demonic Qi and only use it when I am in a difficult position," Lu Zhen thought as he strategised his mind swirling with possibilities.


    He sat cross-legged, absorbing the attribute-less Qi in the air and slowly converting it to demonic Qi by circting Qi ording to the cultivation technique while it was being tempered by his bloodline.


    Lu Zhen stored the demonic Qi within his bloodline.


    A day passed just like that as he diligently cultivated his demonic Qi. As the moon''s dim light fell on his face, he slowly opened his eyes with a satisfied expression.


    The cultivation technique of demonic cultivation was quiteplex, as the patterns in which it should be circted were intricate.


    But since his brain power has increased, it has been rtively easy for him, especially after his consciousness suffered through multiple injuries. Lu Zhen could feel his adaptability skills tempering his consciousness which led to an increase in his intelligence.


    Which has slightly increased his brainpower, he could feel it.


    "What a masochistic skill it is¡­" Lu Zhen bitterly thought as he dressed in his ck robes again.


    Lu Zhen opened his stats, and to his disappointment, there was no level up log screen, which meant that he hadn''t missed any level-up notification. So he simply focused on the charm attribute.


    [Charm: Mortal (Level 5)]


    His crimson eyes turned golden as he looked again.


    [Charm]


    [An attribute which is directly linked to the host''s intelligence and cognitive power of the brain; an average human''s intelligence is around level 4]


    "Huh, so just this one level of increase in my charm attribute raises my mind to such a high level?" Lu Zhen thought, recalling his previous world where he had faintly heard that even a percentage increase in one''s intelligence can lead to a terrifying improvement process, earning one the title of a monster with just a percentage increase.


    It was just likeparing a normal animal with little intelligence, like a dog in his previous world. If a fully grown dog''s intelligence could bepared to that of a just-born baby, and a fully grown adult is smarter than the dog by a percentage in that proportion, just increasing a percentage of brainpower could unlock capabilities one might never have imagined.


    However, suppressing his thoughts, he looked around.


    "Now what should I do?" Sensing the non-existent wood Qi in his body, he was honestly disappointed. Lu Zhen wanted to break through the second-stage martial realm with his Qi as well, but he couldn''t cultivate it if all the condensed wood Qi wasn''t there to refine.


    If both his body and Qi could reach the second-stage martial realm, he would undoubtedly be stronger than an ordinary martial artist by several times. After all, although Qi can strengthen one''s body, it wouldn''t reach the realm that the martial artists were in, always being lower than the realm of their Qi just because of time.


    The strengthening of the body was a slow and gradual process; it didn''t happen overnight, and there was a certain limit to how much a body could be strengthened with Qi. It was lower than the martial artist realm by at least several times.


    "Let me practise with the bow now¡­" Lu Zhen mused to himself. Just like in ancient times in his previous world, bows were quite useful weapons in war. In fact, they were mandatory in war.


    After all, a long-range attack is always superior in a fight, no matter what you say. Nobody wants to fight and die, and a bow is a long-range weapon that significantly decreases the risk of death for the user while maximising damage to the enemies.


    And it wasn''tpletely useless; even a second-stage martial artist could be injured by bows if caught off-guard, although Lu Zhen didn''t know if first-stage martial artists could be affected or not.


    He went to pick up the box, revealing a huge ck obsidian-like demonic bow, excellently crafted and previously gifted to him by his mother.


    Lu Zhen couldn''t use the bow before because he didn''t have demonic Qi to draw it, but now he could.


    He picked up the bow, feeling its weight, which made him take a deep breath.


    "It''s still as heavy as ever," he sighed. After all, his strength had significantly changed from back then when he first carried it. He even used it to practise the technique given to him by the ancestor to cultivate.


    Unfortunately, it became entirely useless after he practised it for a short time since his body was already strong enough, and he wouldn''t feel the effect of the body-tempering provided by the technique anymore.


    His eyes turned golden again as he looked at the demonic bow, a glint appearing in his eyes.


    [Deity-killing Demonic Bow]


    [Grade: Intent Item]


    [Remark: A very heavy bow that requires demonic qi to draw arrows as the Demonic Qi itself will turn to arrows. Origins unknown.]


    Seeing the intent grade on the bow meant that the weapon was a first-stage martial grade item, implying it could potentially harm a first-stage martial artist.


    However, on second thought, Lu Zhen didn''t immediately start practicing with the demonic bow like an idiot. After all, he had never used a bow before.


    "Li Nan, bring me some bows and arrows."


    He could sense her cultivating next to his room, and her face was rosy from his mental sensing, which made him utterly speechless.


    "Why is this girl blushing?" he thought to himself.


    Hearing the deep voice of Lu Zhen, she was immediately startled. She stood up abruptly, bowing to him and saying, "Yes, young master," before disappearing into the shadows and quickly leaving the ce.


    There was another benefit of using mental sense. The more one uses mental energy, the sharper and stronger their intuition bes. Although it was heavily burdensome for the body to use mental energy at first, the body gradually grew ustomed to it, providing countless benefits to the martial artist''s body.


    With Lu Zhen''s adaptability skill, the process became even faster for him.


    ¡­.


    Quickly, Lu Nan brought him simple,mon-standard military bows with the logo of the Lu family inscribed on them at the top and quivers containing hundreds of arrows in them.


    The bows in Phoenix City were controlled by the four major families and weren''t allowed to be distributed to anyone. After all, it was a terrifying weapon if used properly, so it was strictly controlled.


    Even the smaller families didn''t have proper bows, although they might have hidden some if they were some dare-devil small families, but they were still in very small quantity and were mostly smallmon bows since if it were discovered that the bows were of good quality, the entire small family might even be destroyed by the unanimous vote of the four major families.


    After all, the lethality of bows was terrifying since even second-stage martial artists could be injured by them.


    But since he was the young master of the Lu family, it was quite easy for him to get these bows, even if they were in the hundreds.


    Lu Zhen casually picked up one of the bows and tied the quiver, containing hundreds of arrows, to his waist.


    With the bow in hand and the quiver strapped to his waist, Lu Zhen surveyed the situation. "Hmm, it isn''t as heavy as the demonic bow, but it should weigh around 59 kilos. These should be useful for training," he thought.


    Taking out one of the arrows from the quiver, he pulled the strings of the bow as far as possible, slowly, and loaded the arrow into the bow while aiming for a small mosquito flying in the air.


    His mind swirled with calctions as he estimated the distance, height, temperature, wind current, etc., between the bow and the mosquito.


    The moment he saw his chance, Lu Zhen released the string calmly.


    Boom!


    The wind itself seemed to be torn as if he had released a missile. It went towards the mosquito at a terrifying speed. However, the mosquito seemed to sense the danger as it pped its wings effortlessly, dodging the arrow by a narrow margin, as if the mosquito had Lu Zhen''s battle instinct.


    Lu Zhen''s eyes narrowed to a slit as he saw the mosquito effortlessly dodge the arrow as it went along its path and crashed into the wall embedding itself in the wall, creating spider-like cracks.


    "What went wrong?" he thought, his expression tinged with confusion. After all, Lu Zhen had meticulously calcted every aspect, expecting the bow to have a hundred percent uracy, ensuring the arrow would hit the mosquito on paper.


    However, seeing the mosquito''s evasive manoeuvres, he felt a tinge of frustration. However, he quickly calmed down, gathering his thoughts.


    "What might be the cause?"

 Chapter 175: Demonic Bow

    While Lu Zhen was contemting, he heard the tentative voice of Li Nan, which startled him as he looked up to see her.


    "What is it?" Lu Zhen asked.


    "Young master, although your archery skill is extraordinary, you might have failed to take into ount the factor of the survival instinct of the mosquito."


    "Hmm¡­" Lu Zhen''s face morphed into a contemtive expression.


    Seeing the contemtive expression of Lu Zhen, she internally heaved a sigh of relief as Li Nan gazed at him intently.


    Her cheeks turned a rosy hue without her even knowing.


    "Why is the young master so charming?" Li Nan inadvertently thought as she looked at the handsome features of Lu Zhen with his muscr, hulking body hidden within his baggy ck robe. From the contours of his ck robe, there was the clear shape of his eight-pack.


    Lu Zhen was definitely a handsome man with more manly muscles.


    But he hasn''t been able to use this in this world simply because beauty and handsomeness almost didn''t matter here, as people''s lives were always at risk. Everyone had the goal of surviving and gaining power, while only inexperienced youths adored beauty and handsomeness.


    After all, the more powerful you are, the more you see the truth of the world and know that all beauty is just temporary. But that didn''t mean Lu Zhen wouldn''t take advantage of being handsome, because being pleasing to the eyes could provide certain benefits. However, as the young master of the Lu family, he was basically the imperial prince of the city, so what''s the use of his handsomeness?


    "You are right; thank you, Li Nan," Lu Zhen said as he patted Li Nan on her head, which made her cheeks even rosier, almost making her head look like a tomato. However, her face remained expressionless, as if she had a fever.


    Lu Zhen''s expression turned strange as he looked at her.


    "What is wrong with this girl?" he thought as he focused on practising the bows and getting used to firing the bow.


    Li Nan had already left toplete the task Lu Zhen had given her so he was alone slowly practising with the bow.


    His mind worked in hyper mode,prehending all the things and understanding the essence of archery.


    Just like that, time passed while Lu Zhen practised his archery skill. After an hour or two, Lu Zhen saw a blue panel from the corner of his eyes, which prompted his excitement as he stopped his bow.


    He closed his eyes before opening them again and drew the bow once more.


    Lu Zhen did exactly as before; however, there was a hint of naturalness now. While previously his methods were restrained, and although they almost looked perfect, they were forcefully made by him. But now, everything came to his mind almost naturally, as if he was born to shoot the bow.


    He aimed his bow at a mosquito and took a deep breath with a calm expression. His mind was cleared, with only the vision of the mosquito in his sight, as all the information came naturally to his mind without Lu Zhen even doing anything, as if it was his nature.


    Lu Zhen released the string, and unlike the first time he shot at it, almost no sound was produced when it was released as it eerily travelled at a terrifying speed, almost bing invisible to the naked eye.


    The poor mosquito, which had probably sucked blood from some mortal, felt a terrifying sense of danger looming over it; however, before it could even move, the arrow swiftly prated its entire body, and it was crushed to bits as it silentlynded on the wall with the arrow.


    At the point where the arrow had embedded in the wall, there was a thin reddish blood, indicating it was deader than dead.


    Lu Zhen nodded his head when he saw this as he looked at the prompt again.


    [You have trained with the bow.]


    [You have acquired the skill: Bow Mastery.]


    "Looks like learning the essence of the bow was the way to go¡­" Unlike the previous time when he had to train for a long time, Lu Zhen got the skill rtively faster because his realm was higher, and since he focused on the essence of the bow, he was able to acquire the skill rtively faster as well. The bow wasn''t aplex weapon.


    "Now, time to use the demonic bow," Lu Zhen thought as he looked at the ck bow on the ground. The ground itself was slightly caved in from the sheer weight of the bow, showing how terrifyingly heavy and big it was. The bow''s length was about 4 feet (121 cm), while its weight was unknown to Lu Zhen, but he guessed that it was at least a hundred kilos and most likely even heavier.


    Ignoring his intrusive thoughts, he slowly took the bow in a natural way, as if he had touched the bow for years.


    Lu Zhen lightly drew the strings of the bow, and instantly almost all the strands of demonic Qi rushed into the bow.


    One strand! Two strands! Ten strands! Twenty-eight strands!


    While his demonic Qi was rapidly draining, an eerie glowing arrow materialised where Lu Zhen had pulled the strings. It flickered, almost looking like a dark me in the shape of an arrow.


    "This is really convenient," Lu Zhen mused to himself as he focused all his attention on a random wall and released his aura.


    Boom!


    The arrow travelled at a terrifying speed, directly piercing through the wall before prating another wall and finally stopping embedded in the third wall, its me-like body still flickering.


    "Huh, can these only deal this much pitiful damage?" Lu Zhen frowned as he looked at the arrow, which had been fired through the hole in the wall.


    Although the strength of the arrow was not bad, it was nowhere near enough to damage a first-stage martial artist; even a third-stage martial artist could easily take the arrow head-on, which confused him. However, he didn''t have to wait long for his question to be answered.

 Chapter 176: Commander

    The arrow melted likeva, melting the wall and creating a small hole in the wall as it fell to the ground. But it didn''t stop there, as the arrow prated the floor, melting everything from the sheer heat.


    Lu Zhen''s eyes widened seeing the arrow-shaped hole in the ground. However, he didn''t put any effort into catching it as he let the arrow sink into the ground.


    "I wonder how much depth it could go down¡­" he thought amusingly as he patiently waited. Finally, he felt the fire die down underneath the floor, so he quickly checked and estimated the depth.


    "This should be around 10 metres¡­" Lu Zhen''s eyes widened. "Itcks power, but it''s specialty is heat, huh," he mused, as he now had another trick up his arsenal.


    However, before he could think any longer, he suddenly heard the voice of Little Lily.


    "Young master, someone wants to visit you."


    Lu Zhen''s eyes glinted when he heard this, as he had instructed Little Lily not to contact him no matter who came, except the messenger of Lu Ming, the ancestor of the Lu family.


    "But about my Wood Qi," Lu Zhen sighed, as he had no choice now. Although his power would be significantly lower, he rarely relied on hisbat arts, using his skill and his body rather thanbat arts most of the time although they were useful but still in his current situationbat arts weren''t much useful to him.


    He preferred to have simple attacks rather than sophisticated ones, effective against opponents of the same strength. However, when facing a powerhouse or arge group of opponents, all the technique would be useless to him.


    After all, the moreplex the technique, the longer it takes to be utilised, while even a blink of an eye could be fatal in battle and could lead to one''s death.


    "Let''s go," Lu Zhen opened his door to see the shocked Lily, who was looking at the ground as if it were melted byva or something.


    However, she didn''t say anything, as Lily knew that her young master must be practising a new martial art. Although she was curious about the terrifying meltdown of the wall and the floor, she didn''t ask anything.


    ¡­..


    "Oh, Elder Li," Lu Zhen''s eyes glinted as he looked at the beauty in front of him with striking purple hair and curves all in the right ces. She wore a purple dress that resembled the outfit of a witch, with her cleavage slightly revealed and her hips swaying, making her look extremely seductive.


    He vividly remembered the milf he had seen before when he went to collect information on the bandits. It was certainly etched in his memory, and Lu Zhen wasn''t one to forget such a beauty.


    "Young master," she purred seductively as she bowed her head, revealing her cleavage to Lu Zhen.


    However, he just scoffed at Li Jiao ying tricks on him; after all, he wasn''t like the past.


    "The war has officially started, young master, and you have been assigned as amander in the war."


    Lu Zhen nodded his head when he heard this. Usually, only grand elders, meaning second-stage martial artists, were given the position ofmanders,manding hundreds of martial artists with thousands of mortals.


    Although there might be very few second-stage martial artists and only a single first-stage martial artist in the Lu family, there was nock of mortals who were subsidiaries of the Lu family, with almost endless mortals and countless martial trainees, along with a sufficient number of elders.


    After all, in this world, the war isn''t won simply by powerhouse martial artists fighting; it is also the job of lower-level martial artists to contribute to the battle. Even a normal second-stage martial artist might be worn out if thousands of well-trained mortals overwhelm them on paper.


    But Lu Zhen was being given the position ofmander because he was simply the young master, meaning next-in-line for the patriarch, and his terrifying strength had already convinced them of his prowess.


    The memory of him killing the young second-stage martial artist from the Xia family was still vivid in everyone''s mind, making them not foolish enough to challenge him.


    "I wonder how many people will die," he sighed, already imagining the blood pool that would form from the massacre.


    "What about you then?"


    "Young master, I am one of your generals," Li Jiao said in a seductive tone.


    Lu Zhen just nodded his head expressionlessly as he said, "Wait a moment."


    Li Jiao was stunned as she saw Lu Zhen go back to his room.


    He returned to his cultivation room to pick up his bow and folded it with a bandage, tying it to his back.


    After he found the bow fitting to his hulking body, he nodded his head.


    Although the bow wasrge, his body was equallyrge, and the bow reached from his head to his knee.


    "Hmm, what will she do?..." Lu Zhen thought as he went towards Xia Mei''s room and knocked on it. However, he didn''t hear any response for a long time.


    "Xia Mei, it''s me. Open the door," he said in a deep tone, but she still didn''t open the door.


    Lu Zhen''s face morphed into a frown when he sensed this; however, he regained his calm a secondter as he patiently waited. After not getting a response for five minutes, and still receiving no reply, he sighed as he turned around.


    "If you don''t want to talk, I will also not talk." He could still vaguely sense that Xia Mei was still inside her room, removing the notion that she had left or something. Although he might be lustful, he didn''t have the habit of prying into a girl''s room for no reason.


    So, Lu Zhen simply left.


    However, before he could walk even ten steps, he heard the gentle voice of Xia Mei, which made him pause in his step.

 Chapter 177: Battlefield

    "Please wait a minute."


    Lu Zhen paused, patiently awaiting the next instructions. After all, it was her family that was at stake, or even his own.


    "Young master, thank you for being patient. You cane in now."


    Lu Zhen heard a click sound, signifying that the door was now open. He entered the room, which was simple and tidier, much like thest time he had visited, with minimal furnishings. However, his attention quickly shifted to Xia Mei, who was now wearing a nightdress, her face adorned with a blush as she licked her lips.


    Lu Zhen''s expression turned strange as he observed her.


    "Young master, can I eat you?"


    "This..." He was rendered speechless by the sight of Xia Mei''s provocative figure beneath the nightdress. Without waiting for Lu Zhen to respond, she casually undressed and began to touch towards his crotch area.


    He wasn''t a herbivorous animal. If a beauty wanted to give herself to Lu Zhen, he would happily ept.


    "Since you are ying with fire, I hope you won''t get burned, girl," Lu Zhen said with a deep, devil-like voice, which made Xia Mei shiver down her spine. However, she nodded her head with a tinge of excitement.


    The passionate moans of Lu Zhen and Xia Mei resounded in the room.


    ...


    After an hour, Lu Zhen wore his dress with an irritated expression as he left the room.


    "You have to go to war with the Xia family and destroy them."


    Lu Zhen heard her voice, which made him pause in his steps as he nodded his head.


    "It''s time to fight," he thought to himself.


    Lu Zhen went to the hall outside to see both the milf and Lily blushing in his sight, but he wasn''t in the mood to flirt. They did it only for one hour, around three rounds, which wasn''t nearly enough to satisfy both him and her; however, he had to stop.


    "Commander, should we go now?" Li Jiao blushed as she looked at the hulking body of Lu Zhen with a quiver to his waist and a bow covered with bandages at the back.


    She had heard the loud moans from the direction in which he came from, as the moans were enough to shake the entire mansion.


    "Maybe I shouldn''t try to seduce him..." Seeing the hulking body of Lu Zhen as the moanssted for one hour continuously, with Lu Zhen evening out irritated as if he wasn''t satisfied yet, Li Jiao felt a chill down her back as she shivered thinking of this.


    Lu Zhen internally smirked when he saw this, and his face remained expressionless. "Let''s go," he said and left the room.


    While the stunned Li Jiao followed, still lost in thought.


    ...


    "What should we do about the river?"


    "This is the most troublesome ce to enter from."


    "Have the other passes already been broken through?"


    "Yes, they have, but after getting cornered, they will most likely make this pass their stronghold," an old man with cyan-coloured hair pointed at the symbol of a river as he frowned.


    He wore the ssical grand elder dress of the Lu family, with a verdant symbol embodied in his clothes.


    Surrounding him were fifteen or so old men, all in simr dresses and contemtive expressions. However, a ruthless glint lingered in their eyes, although they appeared like average old men on the surface.


    They heard a rustling sound, causing them to frown as they turned their attention to the entrance of the camp, which was asrge as any luxurious room.


    "Who dares?" The cyan-coloured man was about to make a move, but he was hastily stopped by another man.


    "You should control your anger well, or it will be..."


    "Humph, fine."


    From the entrance, a servant hurriedly ran and immediately bowed without a nce.


    "Young master has arrived."


    The moment he said that, the room fell silent as the cyan-coloured man withdrew his hand.


    A smile appeared on the cyan-coloured haired man, and his face changed colour faster than a chameleon. His expression shifted to a faintly friendly smile.


    "Let me go and wee the young master instead," he said as he stood up from his seat and left instantly.


    Seeing this, the other old men had disdainful expressions. However, they also stood up with friendly smiles as they left too.


    "Cunning old bastards..." the cyan-colored old man muttered as he ignored the rest of them, and his speed increased.


    Soon, he saw a hulking youth with ck hair and red crimson eyes. Although his dark robes were baggy enough to cover his body, it still faintly revealed his shredded physique with eight packs. He was followed by a maturedy with purple hair and curves in all the right ces.


    The old man''s eyes instantly lit up as he went to the youth.


    "Wee, young master, to themand centre..."


    Lu Zhen nodded his head as he also bowed.


    "Thank you, Grand Elder."


    The old man nodded his head with a satisfied expression when he saw Lu Zhen greet him. Although he was praising Lu Zhen but as a second-stage martial artist even he had to pay some respect to him.


    "Young master, what are you saying? Your heroic deed of killing a second-stage martial artist has truly left me astounded, and your legend is being passed around..."


    Lu Zhen''s expression turned strange as he heard the man''s bootlicking, and he frowned.


    "This guy is a great bootlicker," he mused to himself. However, outwardly, he maintained a respectful expression on his face.


    "Thank you, Grand Elder. I am undeserving of your praise. I just got lucky, that''s all," Lu Zhen said, shaking his head.


    "You are being too humble, young master. Your strength is as high as Mount Tai, and you will definitely surpass the realm of a first-stage martial artist in the future."


    Lu Zhen sighed as he reluctantly epted the praise.


    "Young master, this is my daughter, who will be in your battalion as a captain."


    Lu Zhen nodded his head as he looked at the woman in front of him.

 Chapter 178: Battlefield: Lu Wi

    The woman had sharp ck eyebrows with long cyan-coloured hair, donned in war gear. Her curves were as t as a in in her armour, giving her a more masculine look. She emitted a killing aura that almost covered her whole being, resembling a fierce warrior.


    If Lu Zhen couldn''t see the Adam''s apple on her neck, he might have doubted her gender.


    Nevertheless, he nodded his head respectfully to the old man.


    "Alright, Grand Elder."


    "Damn, that bastard has already set up his direct descendant in Lu Zhen''s ce already," they muttered with anger upon seeing the cyan-coloured old man.


    However, they felt a bit relieved because, despite the woman''s beauty in a certain perspective, she appeared more masculine than feminine, with almost non-existent curves. They couldn''t help but pity the old man, realising she wouldn''t be able to seduce Lu Zhen at all.


    "Sigh, my female descendants rarelye to the battlefield, and even if they want to, I can''t allow flowers to shed blood and live a miserable life in this war..."


    The man who had previously stopped the old man from being angry spoke, and the rest nodded, sharing simr sentiments.


    However, the moment they arrived, they started to bootlick him, showing him pictures of the woman.


    Lu Zhen revealed a friendly smile as he epted all the gestures, addressing the girl.


    "Show me my ce."


    "Yes, young master." She bowed, and they walked, with Lu Zhen following behind her, while Li Jiao also trailed behind him.


    "What are you following me for?"


    "Umm¡­ young master¡­"


    Lu Zhen amusingly looked at Li Jiao, deeply staring at her. Feeling his gaze almost drained her energy, she started to tremble like a scared cat.


    "Follow me then."


    "Umm, on second thought, young master, I have work to do as the captain of my squad. Can you¡­" She still remembered the terrifying moans she heard from before and was now scared of Lu Zhen.


    "Alright, go," Lu Zhen nodded his head as his expression turned mysterious.


    "Thank you, young master," Li Jiao said as she hurriedly left. After she left, a blush appeared on her face.


    "Why am I acting like an innocent girl? Although he might berger in that area, it shouldn''t be sorge that I couldn''t take it, right? He can be my key to reaching the second-stage martial realm if he could help me," she sighed as her eyes glinted with determination.


    Although when Lu Zhen had firste to ask her for information about the bandits, she had jokingly tried to seduce him just because she could.


    After all, even if he was the young master of the Lu family, she still held deep disdain against him for not practising martial arts. Many other elders felt the same way; he was considered nothing without his mother, Lu Ying, previously.


    However, witnessing Lu Zhen''s recent feats, each time he was praised with no disdain, their previous contempt vanished like dust in the air. Lu Zhen killing a second-stage martial artist was the final blow, and she was determined to ride on the coattails of Lu Zhen to get stronger.


    But for that, she needed something of value to him. What could be more valuable than her own virgin body? She had saved her virginity for exactly this time.


    For her, as long as she could get stronger, it didn''t matter if she lost her innocence.


    Li Jiao left to do her assigned tasks, such as managing the people under her and others.


    ¡­


    "Is this the ce?" Lu Zhen looked to see a luxurious, humongous camp contrasting with all the other camps surrounding it.


    "Yes, young master," the girl bowed, her expression tentative.


    Seeing this, Lu Zhen chuckled as he asked, "What is your name?"


    "My name is Lu Wi, young master."


    "Very well, you can leave now."


    "But¡­"


    Lu Zhen deeply gazed at her, sending a shiver down her spine.


    Lu Wi hurriedly nodded and left him.


    "I''ll have funter, but I need to prepare for the war first," Lu Zhen muttered as he entered the camp, feeling his body coursing with power.


    "My wood Qi is very close to being condensed." Even the one-hour timeframe that Lu Zhen spent with Xia Mei was enough to make a slight stir in his condensed Qi, progressing it by a small margin. Although the gap was still not enough for Lu Zhen to bridge it, he at least felt some improvement in his wood Qi after a long time.


    "Looks like dual cultivation skill is the way to go if I want to improve my cultivation. Or I will have to face a long grind if I really want to make any progress with my talent, even with my other skills," he thought as countless thoughts swirled in his mind.


    He summoned his system with a thought.


    [Wood Qi advancing]


    [1%...36%....]


    "This advancement will take a while," Lu Zhen thought bitterly as he opened his status.


    ¡ª--------------


    [LEVEL UP]


    ¡ª-----


    [Name: Lu Zhen]


    --------


    [Race: Human]


    [Bloodline: Half Human/ Half Volgrith]


    [Lifespan left: 200 years]


    --------


    [Attributes]


    [Constitution: Divine physique (level 5)]


    [Charm: Mortal (Level 5)]


    [Wood Qi: third-stage martial artist](99.99%)[Wood Qi is being converted unusable right now]


    [Demonic Qi: first grade]


    [Mana: Null Circle]


    ???


    --------


    [Cultivation manuals]


    [Cultivation technique: Verdant art (stage 2), Heaven-Refining Demonic Qi]


    [Combat arts: [Verdant Whirlwind (full mastery)], [Whispering Shadow Step (full mastery)], [Verdant Grove Fist(full mastery)], [Butterfly Hidden Dance (beginner)]


    --------


    Skills: 13


    ¡ª-----


    [Quest]


    [Missionpleted:2]


    ¡ª---------


    He has made a little progress on the [Butterfly Hidden Dance (beginner)] other than that nothing has changed in his status.


    There was a small section besides the Wood Qi also.


    Lu Zhen shook his head as he focused on the skill section.


    [Skills]


    [BATTLE INSTINCT: LEVEL 2]


    [DEVOUR: LEVEL 2]


    [Appraisal eye: level 6]


    [Saber mastery: level 7]


    [Adaptability: level 6]


    [Aura control: level 6]


    [Meditation: level 2]


    [Dual cultivation: level 3]


    [Alchemy: level 2]


    [Bow mastery: level 1]


    [Sword mastery: level 3]


    [Qian mastery: level 4]


    [Staff master: level 3]


    [Chain mastery: level 3]


    "How should I fight without Qi?" his mind swirled with thoughts.

 Chapter 179: River

    Lu Zhen''s ears twitched as he had a ssical smile on his face, hearing these old men arguing about the same topic again and again.


    "What''s the point of the argument, as in the end, someone has to do it," he mused with hints of annoyance.


    "So, what should I do with these old guys¡­" His face remained expressionless as he looked at the map made with leather from some unknown animal in front of him, featuring various colours. However, the mark of the river was in red, making it highly contrasting with the background.


    Basically, the problem was that due to the deep river, these passes to reach the Xia family were challenging. Since it was surrounded on all sides, you couldn''t just go around.


    The rivers in this world were terrifyingly dangerous ces, as their depth could bepared to Lu Zhen''s previous world ocean and seas. Although he hadn''t measured it, he knew some knowledge of the world, and even though the length was the same, it would pose a challenge even for military-trained martial artists.


    However, that was not the only reason why it was so terrifying. It''s because of the terrifying monsters residing in the river. This world followed simr physics to his previous world; as one went deeper, the density became more terrifying. Just imagining the power of the monsters residing in the river, some might have even reached the first-stage martial realm or even higher.


    Disturbing those beasts made Lu Zhen feel a shiver down his back as he broke out in a cold sweat.


    So, the river was the most difficult pass to prate, and none of these old foxes wanted to attack this pass, even though it was the most vital point of the defence. However, Lu Zhen internally smirked as he thought of something.


    "I will attack the pass."


    A cold tone resounded in the camp, instantly quieting the heated debate as all eyes focused on Lu Zhen now.


    "I will attack the pass," Lu Zhen repeated, noting the surprised gaze of all the grand elders.


    "This¡­ young master¡­"


    "Although your strength is undeniable, defeating a second-stage martial artist, if something were to happen to you¡­"


    Lu Zhen''s gaze turned cold when he heard this.


    "Although they are old foxes, their martial hearts have already copsed," he thought internally. Martial artists had to continuously improve themselves time and again; even with Lu Zhen''s cheats, the time taken to improve was the only thing that had changed. He couldn''t just sleep and bezy all day and expect to improve his realm. He still had to train his martial skills to be stronger.


    Although these old men might have had fierce determination and willpower in the past when they were young, now, enjoying theforts of their power and position, they had forgotten the most important thing for martial arts progress: the will to constantly face all challenges head-on and fight until they can''t till therest breath.


    Even when the lights are cut off, and the entire world scorns you as a failure, as long as you can improve yourself, thyself will always win.


    But Lu Zhen didn''t me them, as these people were too old, and their reasons were still sensible.


    Lu Zhen just kept silent, making the entire room quiet, and the grand elders also tactfully remained silent, seeing the non-responsive Lu Zhen.


    The chilling wind blew from outside as the previous debate turned into a shunned silence that engulfed the camp.


    "Hahahaha, young master, you are definitely a young hero, but if something really happens to you, it will be an even greater loss for the family, the ancestors, and your mother¡­" the cyan-haired man spoke, sending a shiver down everyone''s spine.


    If something really happened to Lu Zhen, both their wrath wasn''t something they could handle. Lu Zhen''s safety was even more critical than the war; after all, he was the key to their rise in the future.


    Lu Zhen frowned when he heard this, remaining still. "I will still attack it. Don''t worry, grand elders, you don''t have to bear any consequences, as I will contact my mother," he simply stated as he left the camp, his tone was somanding that made no one to refute him, as they couldn''t and didn''t dare to.


    All the old men looked at the hulking back of Lu Zhen and couldn''t help but have reminiscent eyes, remembering their youth. Although they weren''t as domineering as Lu Zhen was, as they didn''t have the capability to be, they were still all prideful to the bones.


    "Sigh, we have gotten old."


    All the others nodded their heads with the same understanding.


    "Prepare the horses; we are going to my army."


    "Yes, young master," Lu Wi said, confused, as she went to the stable of the camp and saw the two horses there with their names on it.


    The horses differed in appearance; one was robust, with a light gold embroidery, thergest among the others, its muscles protruding out, and its manerge and strong, giving it a majestic look. The other horse was slim, yet it carried a sharp elegance that contrasted the powerful stature of the first horse as it moved with a slender grace.


    The moment the slender horse saw Lu Wi, its eyes lit up, and it immediately went up to her, nuzzling and licking her affectionately. Despite Lu Wi''s previous emission of a terrifying killing aura, her eyes softened as she allowed the horse to lick her in return.


    She slowly kissed the neck of the horse with a gentle expression, gracefully climbing up onto its back. As Lu Wi took the reins of the other horse, which reluctantly followed.


    "Let''s go slowly," she lightly kicked, and instantly, the horses started to move.


    The elegant horse neighed, jumping with its front hooves, and they proceeded at a moderate pace, neither too slow nor too fast. In no time, they arrived at the entrance of themand centre camp, where Lu Zhen was sitting in meditation.

 Chapter 180: Taming a Horse

    "You have arrived? Let''s go." However, when he looked at the reluctant horse being held by Lu Wi in the reins, his expression turned strange.


    "Haven''t you tamed these horses yet?"


    "Young master, it has been tamed, but they are still reluctant to let others ride him."


    Lu Zhen had an amused expression when he heard this as he slowly walked up to the horse and took the reins.


    The horse stayed silent as he remained silent, allowing him to catch its reins.


    "How peculiar a horse," he mused to himself as he climbed up on the horse. As expected, the horse stayed silent, allowing Lu Zhen to mount its back.


    Lu Zhen pulled the reins of the horse as he tried to move it; however, to his surprise, this time the horse didn''t move at all, remaining still with its eyes closed.


    "He has be even more disobedient since we had tamed him, young master. What should we do?" Lu Wi said, somewhat embarrassed by her own ipetence. However she was helpless as Lu Zhen was amander.


    He needed the best horse and this was the strongest host even though the other grand elders'' horses were weakpared to it but it was stubborn.


    "It''s alright," Lu Zhen said as he looked at the horse.


    "If you don''t want to move, I will make you move," he subtly controlled his body, increasing his own weight.


    Boom!


    The horse felt a pressure that caused its eyes to instantly open as it cried out in pain. Its legs caved inward as it struggled to remain standing, yet there was a deep stubbornness in its eyes as it somehow managed to hold its body weight.


    "Huh," Lu Zhen was surprised when he saw this. Although the horse was big and muscr with a healthy mane, his weight had increased to a terrifying 200 kgs, which was an insane number to bear, even for the horses in this world.


    "Since you don''t want to run, then what''s the point of keeping you?" he said coldly, and the horse''s eyes, reflecting intelligence, widened with horror.


    Boom!


    Lu Zhen increased his weight to two hundred fifty kilograms, and instantly the horse fell to the floor with its four hooves spread on the ground. There was no surprise.


    However, the horse still had stubbornness in its eyes, as it wanted to stand up. But, Lu Zhen''s weight was already too much; he couldn''t even move his body a single bit, not to mention the horse standing up.


    He was stunned when he saw that "this horse is much better than those old men at least."


    "Are you done now?" Lu Zhen said with a cold tone, "Do you want to die?"


    The horse''s ck pupils moved from left to right in a straight line, with deep horror reflecting its intelligence.


    "Hmm, this horse seems to be more intelligent. Is he going to be a beast soon?" Lu Zhen thought with a frown that he had already noticed that the horse was more intelligent than themon horses he had in his previous memories.


    An animal strengthened by Qi was called a beast, and any normal animal he could find in the street could be a beast.


    However, there was a certain requirement they needed to meet that stopped most of the animals from bing beasts: they needed to be stronger than their species, with enough proteins and nutrients, and the second and most important requirement was that they had to have a very pure bloodline.


    In essence, they were simr to bloodline martial artists, except that they were meant to have it while humans pretty much nted themselves and stole the bloodline.


    "So, do you want to live or die?"


    The horse moved its eyes from up to down hurriedly.


    "Remember, if you dare to be arrogant again¡­" Lu Zhen released his terrifying aura, making the horse shiver as it started shaking.


    "Now, don''t act pitiful and run faster," he sighed as his body weight instantly returned to its normal size.


    The horse barely stood up from the ground. Although it might have looked brutal, as Lu Zhen was quite forceful, he had made sure not to inflict much damage on the horse, so it wasn''t injured, except for its arrogance.


    Although the horse was still prideful, it didn''t dare to show any displeasure against its master, Lu Zhen, as it now knew who its master was.


    "I will name you Xiao Hei," Lu Zhen said abruptly, startling the horse again. It had question marks on its face, looking at him with almost puppy-like eyes, as if conveying, "say that again, please."


    Lu Zhen was amused as he repeated, "Your name will be Xiao Hei."


    Instantly, the horse''s front hooves jumped into the air with happiness.


    "This¡­" Lu Zhen was speechless as he shook his head.


    "Let''s go now," he turned back to see the sparkly eyes of Lu Wi, who looked at him with genuine interest.


    Her face instantly flushed with a little shade of red before returning to her normal masculine expression as she said respectfully, "Yes, young master."


    Neigh!


    The two horses traversed through the forest, making their way to the right of themand camp.


    Lu Zhen quickly spotted thousands of small camps set up, each filled with muscr men engaging in training and physical exercises while some were walking around and doing menial chores, he even saw lean people practising archery and even Li Jiao was there instructing her subordinate.


    "How interesting," Lu Zhen was intrigued as he kicked the horse, and its speed instantly increased to a terrifying degree, swiftly approaching the camp.


    "This¡­" Lu Wi was stunned as she couldn''t keep up with Lu Zhen''s speed.


    "Who is it?" Two men noticed the figures riding the horse in the distance and frowned.


    However, as they got closer, their eyes widened instantly, and they hurriedly went back to the camp.


    "Themander has arrived."


    Instantly, all the men paused their activities, standing up straight like tall mountains as they gathered toward the entrance with curious eyes.

 Chapter 181: Army

    "Old Fifth, who do you think ourmander will be in this war?"


    "Huh, how would I know?" an old soldier said with a bitter expression. He regretted boasting to his fellow soldier that he had once experienced the war of the four major families. Now, with another war starting between the four major families, he was having a headache being asked questions again and again.


    He got PTSD just remembering the war and knew that although these youngsters were excited for the war, when they experienced it, they would feel the same as him. Actually, he wanted to retire soon, but unfortunately, he still had two years left to serve the Lu family in exchange for the resources given to him.


    So, he could only take his chances and find a peacefulmander who wouldn''t fight on the frontline, as he was too old and tired to fight anymore.


    As the soldiers gathered at the gates, the four captains stood at the front with respectful faces as they observed two ck shadows approaching in the distance.


    The two female captains were Li Jiao, and the other had distinctive golden hair. There were also two male captains, one bald and the other with green hair.


    "You seductive bitch, seeing that your face is so red just waiting for the newmander, you must know him."


    "Hump, you righteous bitch, what do you know? Men conquer the world while women conquer men. You are just a self-righteous bitch," Li Jiao almost instantly retorted.


    "You¡­" the femalemander was speechless when she heard this, unable to find words to retort back.


    "Bitch!" she muttered as she kept her head down.


    Li Jiao internally smirked when she saw this. Due to Lu Zhen just being assigned as themander, they hadn''t been informed who themander was, making everyone curious about which old man it was.


    After all, depending on the temperament of the grand elder, their fate and battle strategy would be decided.


    "I am really curious to tell you who it is?" the bald captain also spoke curiously as he was tired of seeing the two women fight.


    "It is neither of the grand elders."


    This sentence caused all of the captains'' eyes to widen.


    "Stop ying games and tell us already," the blue man impatiently said.


    "Fine, I will tell you; it is Young Master Lu Zhen."


    This word caused everyone to frown before revealing a bitter expression.


    They were naturally unsatisfied with serving a mortal without a single martial power, but now they had recently heard and seen the feats of Lu Zhen. Seeing that he was granted the power of themander, the authority he held in the family was already solid¡ªno one could shake it.


    The captains felt a little ufortable, knowing they had trash-talked Lu Zhen in the past.


    However, that didn''t matter, as he wouldn''t know, and if they could ride on the coattails of Lu Zhen, who knows, they might get a chance to be second-stage martial artists.


    The golden-haired female guard hurriedly fixed her dress and put on some makeup, and the two men also wore even more respectful expressions on their faces.


    Seeing this, Li Jiao internally smirked, "You call me a slut, but you are the bigger slut and a hypocrite here."


    Soon, Lu Zhen neared the camp, and their eyes immediately lit up.


    Rustle! Rustle!


    Suddenly, they heard a rustling, causing them to frown. However, their eyes widened when they saw a shadow jump up in the air from the horse.


    As if flying, the man swiftly flung in the air and directly reached the ground of the camp.


    Boom!


    The earth cracked as the mannded, dust flying in the air impairing everyone''s eyes. However, no one dared to look up as they immediately bowed.


    "We greet Commander Lu Zhen," the captains roared in unison, while the soldiers were stunned when they heard the name.


    "We greet Commander Lu Zhen," the soldiers also said in unison. Their eyes were filled with reverence.


    To The war soldier strength means respect and lu zhen having killed a second-stage martial artist while being so young was already proof of his strength.


    As the dust settled, a ck-haired youth with devilish crimson eyes emerged from the dust. He wore baggy robes, but his shredded body was still visible from the contour of the robes.


    Lu Zhen nodded his head when he saw all of them. "Good," he said with a satisfied expression.


    "Young master¡­"


    "Prepare for war," Lu Zhen simply stated as he looked around, seeing all the stunned expressions of the soldiers; even the captain was stunned. "We are going to pass the Devil River and attack the fort there."


    His words caused everyone to take deep, cold breaths as they felt fear just from the name of these ces. Although they were well-trained soldiers who had fought in many wars against other small families and had seen many corpses, just the name made them inhale deeply.


    The river was given the name Devil River by the people, although it didn''t have any official name; still, mostmoners called it by that name.


    "I will rest for a while; until then, assemble in a line, got it," Lu Zhen simply stated as he entered thergest camp in the ce, reserved for him, with the stunned and terrified eyes of all the people.


    "Oh, remember to properly rest. After the battle, I will personally distribute resources to you. If you are alive, and to those who are dead, I will give their family enough money to live the rest of their life infort." Lu Zhen paused and turned back before he entered his tent.


    There was a stunned silence as they processed his words before cheers resounded and filled the area.


    However, the captains all had bitter expressions as they wouldn''t get anything out of it. Still, they couldn''t help but marvel at the capability of Lu Zhen to rile the crowd.

 Chapter 182: Lighting a flame of Hot Blood in the Army

    After all, the captains were all directly rted to the Lu family, while these soldiers were taught loyalty to the family when they were young but still didn''t have the blood of the Lu family.


    The moment Lu Zhen entered the tent, he sighed.


    "System, can I really strengthen and cultivate my physique with the pressure from the river?"


    [ording to the data collected, it is possible, host.]


    Lu Zhen nodded his head as he thought of something. "Might as well make some boats while I am at it." Although there were many boats in the world, they were very simple, small boats with norge boats in sight.


    Moreover, they were used bymoners in very small quantities because martial artists didn''t need them, as they could tame some aquatic animals and ride them. However, there was one little problem with that¡ªthe beasts of the river considered those animals as food.


    So, if they rode them, they would most likely be eaten without a moment''s hesitation. Using aquatic beasts was impractical.


    Therefore, he considered using boats as the perfect medium for travel, as, to his knowledge, no aquatic beast ate those in their diet, and they weren''t considered as food. It was the perfect technique for travelling.


    Thinking of this, Lu Zhen internally nodded his head. "Looks like my knowledge of my previous world is at least useful sometimes."


    "We will attack them at night when they least expect it, and since they don''t even in their wildest imagination think that their so-called unprable stronghold will be so easily passed, they won''t expect a thing," Lu Zhen''s mind swirled with calctions as he thought of this.


    "I will train in the day; I might be able to be a peak second-stage martial artist using the pressure of the river, and with my skills, no one under the first-stage martial artist should be able to defeat me in a one-on-one duel."


    He thought as he took some rest by sleeping for an hour or so. Although the higher one got, the less sleep they needed, as their body was filled with vitality, he wasn''t in the realm where he could survive without sleeping.


    He still needed to sleep for at least three hours per day properly to be refreshed and active all the time, as his body still needed to rest to recover.


    Not only physically but mentally as well, sleep was necessary to calm one''s mind. Although Lu Zhen didn''t need it as he could easily adapt to it, the inner peace he felt when he slept was not something he could recreate even while meditating.


    Lu Zhen slowly opened his eyes, seeing the sun settling down as he rose from his king-sized bed. His surroundings were very luxurious, with even photos of naked women, as well as furnishings that could put any five-star hotel to shame.


    "Yawn!" he stretched his body as he instantly jumped andnded on the ground with a refreshed expression; his body was coursing with power.


    He walked out of the camp, seeing the soldiers who had all geared up and just now took their positions.


    Lu Zhen nodded his head seeing this. Greed really blinds people as to their current understanding; they were in danger for their lives, and any logical person with no sense of loyalty would have run away. However, seeing all of them geared up and ready to fight, their loyalty couldn''t be doubted anymore.


    Seeing Lu Zhen arriving at the centre, all the people made way for him as he entered the central stage.


    The moment he arrived on the stage, his expression turned serious, and his gaze cold as he looked at everyone, sending a shiver down the spine of each and every soldier. Even the captains who were at the forefront felt a deep sense of intimidation. Their backs broke out in cold sweat as they felt as if they were prey being eyed by a predator.


    "Remember, soldiers, you are not fighting for others; you are fighting for yourself. There are no rules in battle, and if you die while being ganged up by two or three people, no one wille to save you. So, fight smart and fierce; there is no second chance in war." His cold tone resounded throughout the ce as he let his voice sink in.


    "As martial artists, we fight for resources, and those guys over the river," Lu Zhen pointed in the direction of the Devil River, "are the resources you need to strengthen yourself in the martial journey. That might be unfair to those people; however, the world itself is unfair, so never feel pity for it. If you do, leave right now; no one will harm or kill you, it is in my name."


    He said as he closed his eyes.


    "This¡­" All the soldiers were stunned when they saw Lu Zhen''s closed eyes; however, no one moved from their position. The hot blood of youth ran deep in all of them, while the old guys didn''t care about their lives anymore.


    If they couldn''t advance, they would die of old age, leaving their family to defend themselves. But if they died in the war, at least their family would get the chance, and if they survived, they might be able to advance and live a longer life. So, it was a win-win for all.


    "Young Master Lu Zhen is quite interesting," Li Jiao remarked, looking at him with a glint in her eyes.


    Lu Zhen opened his eyes after ten minutes or so and looked around, seeing the unmoving figures of all the people.


    "I already warned, so there will be no backing out."


    "Yes, Commander."


    "I can''t hear you."


    "Yes, Commander!"


    Li Jiao felt the ground shaking just from the sheer vibration produced by the soldiers'' roars, which made her eyes widen.


    The other captains weren''t much better, as they soon had to join the fray.


    "Prepare all equipment as we will attack at night. And I have a way to pass the river without sacrificing any individuals," this caused everyone''s eyes to widen.

 Chapter 183: Lu Wi

    In Lu Zhen''s tent, the five captains sat at a rectangr table, while he sat at the end of the table.


    Lu Zhen quickly exined how the boat works and gave them some rough drawings of the blueprint of the board and exined to them how they worked.


    All the five captains'' eyes widened, almost like an enlightenment, the more they heard him. Finally, when hepletely exined everything, they revealed a bitter expression.


    As people with high status, every captain was naturally educated when young, so they quickly understood the concept of it. Actually, it was nothing new and could be said to be simple as well.


    But they never thought of using it because they didn''t need it most of the time.


    "Alright, so the construction of all these should be done within an hour or so. Is that clear?" Lu Zhen said as he sighed. Although he was aputer programmer in his previous life, these basic things were still things he knew, just as general knowledge Lu Zhen gained living in modern society.


    "I am sure if it was the mage era, their technology was more advanced than my world, and my tricks wouldn''t work. I might look like a cavemanpared to them," he mused to himself.


    "Yes, young master," Li Jiao respectfully said as she took the sketch from Lu Zhen. Although she wasn''t the best atbat, she was very skilled in this kind of work. That was also the reason she was able to manage the brothels so easily.


    "I have troubled you, Elder Jiao," Lu Zhen said with a mischievous smile on his face.


    "Oh, it''s my pleasure to do things for the young master," Li Jiao also smiled seductively when she heard this, nodding her head.


    Lu Zhen nodded his head as he left the camp.


    "Eh, young master, where are you going?" Lu Wi, who was silently watching the interaction between Li Jiao and Lu Zhen, was stunned when she saw him leaving without even taking a nce at them.


    "Not your business," he simply stated as he left without looking back.


    "I will be back in midnight," his voice reverberated as his figure vanished in in sight.


    "Sigh, young master''s martial prowess has truly reached a terrifying height," the bald man said as he sighed before he left to control the soldiers under him.


    The blue-haired man also nodded as he too departed, while the blonde woman gritted her teeth at Li Jiao venomously as she left. Li Jiao internally smirked when she saw this and left as well.


    "Elder Jiao, can you please wait?"


    Suddenly, Li Jiao was startled by the voice as she paused.


    "What can this humble woman offer to madam?"


    "You don''t need to be formal, why are you joking with me?" Lu Wi was stunned when she heard Li Jiao address her. Although she was the direct descendant of the family, Li Jiao was also an elder, so technically, their status was equal.


    "This girl looks fierce but is, after all, a naive youth," Li Jiao thought to herself as she smirked evilly.


    "So, what can I help you with,dy?"


    "I need help to attract Lu Zhen¡­" Lu Wi said as a small blush formed on her face. However, her expression remained straight.


    "Oh, this was the case," she thought internally.


    "Mydy, you need to appear more womanly rather than manly."


    "How do I look moredylike?" Although she was the daughter of the grand elder, and even her childhood was spent in war, she considered her gender a burden. She already thought of herself as a man due to the harshness of the wars in the past. Her mentality was straightforward, shaped by growing up in war.


    She frowned even more when she heard "womanly," as she considered it burdensome and useless in war.


    "What''s the use of that?" she said with a frown.


    "Well, to seduce young Master Lu Zhen, this is the first step to take. Will the youngdy do it or not?"


    "I¡­ I¡­" Lu Wi gritted her teeth as she tightened her fist.


    "Yes, I will do it."


    Li Jiao smiled when she heard this.


    "But how will I do it? I don''t know how to bedylike."


    "Don''t worry; I will teach you, mdy."


    Suddenly, Lu Wi felt a shiver down her back.


    She instantly regretted her decision.


    ¡­..


    While the setting sun dimly lit the forest, a shadow rapidly traveled at a terrifying speed.


    Swish! Swish!


    Lu Zhen reached the so-called Devil River as he arrived.


    "Gigantic," he couldn''t help but say, seeing the sheer size of the river.


    His gaze pierced deep into the ocean, as even his five senses couldn''t perceive the river as a whole, and he wasn''t bold enough to use his sixth sense, "mental energy," here.


    After all, who knows what terrifying beast was hidden in the river, and he wasn''t interested in facing those beasts for no reason.


    He would do what he came here for and leave silently.


    "Let''s do it." Lu Zhen stretched his body as he took out his clothes and used the Shadow Veil technique with his aura control, making him almost invisible, blending into the surroundings.


    Although he doubted the terrifying aquatic beasts here would not find him with just these petty tricks if they really wanted to.


    "But it''s still better to be safe than sorry," he thought. After all, he could avoid unnecessary fights with the weaker Aquatic beast if he took this precaution.


    Lu Zhen slowly entered the river, silently swimming. He was well-prepared, having learned a trick specifically for this asion.


    He swam through the water without creating a single ripple in the water, swimming deeper and deeper as silently as possible.


    The deeper Lu Zhen went, the more pressure he felt.


    Cough! Cough!


    Lu Zhen vomited blood as his internal organs were injured. However, since he was in the water, the blood quickly mixed with the surroundings and was washed away by the water.

 Chapter 184: Breakthrough

    "This river is truly endless," Lu Zhen thought, unable to see the bottom even after swimming deeper and deeper for two hours. He had already reached his limits; if he went any further, he felt like he could die from the sheer pressure of the water.


    Staying where he was, Lu Zhen felt as if he were carrying more than fifty tons of weight. However, that wasn''t the main problem, because the pressure came from all sides. While he was confident he could carry a fifty-ton weight, being squeezed by a fifty-ton weight on every part of his body and at every single moment?


    His body was already breaking down, with internal organs constantly being damaged. However, Lu Zhen was healing at a rapid pace, monitoring every single part of his body for any variables that might ur.


    Every time he was injured, he would heal after a short time, his internal organs growing stronger. Gradually, he adapted to the environment. His muscles started to condense again, and Lu Zhen could feel his physique bing stronger and stronger with every passing moment.


    "At this rate," Lu Zhen''s mind swirled with calctions as he estimated all the factors and said, "it might take me three hours." A small frown appeared on Lu Zhen''s face as he contemted this.


    "Forget it; I''m not risking my life just to progress faster. There is a difference between stupidity and bravery," he thought, deciding to remain still in that position. Silently, he closed his eyes while holding his breath.


    Suddenly, he sensed a being in the distance, causing a frown to appear on his face as he looked.


    However, the moment he looked, his eyes widened.


    He saw a huge snake in the distance, but the special thing about this snake was that not only was it bigger, but it also had two arms and wore an armour of an unknown material that Lu Zhen couldn''t discern.


    "This¡­" Lu Zhen carefully sensed the faint aura emitting from the beast, and his expression rxed a bit.


    "Looks like this is only a martial trainee beast. Why is it so gigantic?"


    Suddenly, he thought of something that made him nod his head in understanding. Since it was water, aquatic beasts who lived underwater didn''t have to hold their own weight like creatures onnd, where they had to support their weight due to gravity. So, it was natural for them to be bigger while the creatures onnd were naturally smaller.


    However, Lu Zhen didn''t dare to take the snake lightly. Although its body was probably adapted to living in this kind of pressure environment, it should naturally be stronger than an average martial trainee.


    To be honest, even the creature in front of him, now revealed to be a martial trainee beast, emitted a faint sense of danger which made him doubt his eyes and senses.


    "Is this guy some kind of protagonist ying a pig eating tiger?" However, the aura Lu Zhen sensed was undeniable, and it was for sure a martial trainee, unless it had skills like Lu Zhen''s aura control skill, but he doubted it.


    Even an old monster like Elv was shocked to see that he could manipte aura. This meant that even in the mage era, manipting aura should have been impossible, so there was no way the guy could do it.


    "Let''s mind my own business," Lu Zhen suddenly felt ufortable just staying at these ces, not because of the pressure from the water but because even a small character like a martial trainee could give him a faint sense of danger.


    Although the snake was travelling around the ce, it couldn''t find Lu Zhen, as he was hidden very carefully so that no martial trainee could even detect him.


    Lu Zhen ignored the snake and instead meditated on the spot. He found that when he was resting, his body recovered faster. Although it barely boosted his regeneration, it was better than nothing. So, he gradually fell into meditation, ignoring the searing pain from the body.


    After all, Lu Zhen had gradually adapted to pain.


    "Strange, why did the elder ask me to go out? I can''t find any intruders here," the snake spoke human-likenguage as it muttered to itself.


    He looked around, seeing only water all around with nothing in sight.


    "Still, I have to follow the old man''s word," the snake spoke out loud in frustration as it continued to search around; however, it was just a superficial search at most.


    Lu Zhen''s ears twitched when he heard this, and his mind went into a turmoil of emotion. Just the sentence of the snake revealed a vast amount of information that sent him into a spiral of thoughts.


    "If what these snakes thought is really true, then¡­." he thought of the terrifying possibility which sent a shiver down his spine.


    His back was already soaked in cold sweat as it was constantly eroded by the water.


    "I should return to the surface after I make the breakthrough," Lu Zhen thought as he calmed down slowly from all the information he could gather from the snake''s words.


    "Where the hell is that bastard? If I find you anywhere, I will grind you to pieces," the snake roared as it intensified its search in frustration.


    Lu Zhen ignored the snake''s frustrated words as he continued to meditate.


    "I am very close."


    He could feel the shackles to his body loosening, as his muscles contracted faster and faster, while his internal organs and bones were being rapidly strengthened.


    In his previous cultivation, only Lu Zhen''s muscles were being tempered, and although his organs and bones were also strengthened, it was very subtle.


    Now, everything in his body was strengthening in the same ratio, creating a symphony and harmony between them.


    Every element in his body was being fortified simultaneously.


    Crack!


    Suddenly, a crisp cracking sound emanated from Lu Zhen''s body as it reverberated around the water creating thousands of ripple in water.

 Chapter 185: Giant Eye

    A deep sense of pleasure enveloped Lu Zhen as his body coursed through with power in his veins. Luckily, he adapted to the sensation of pleasure quickly; otherwise, he might have fainted, as he had previously.


    His body seemed to sh with a golden light as the water appeared to make way for him, and his body emitted a terrifying aura.


    However, at this moment, some faint silver strings started to emerge from his body one by one, wrapping around him entirely.


    Lu Zhen shed his hand, acting as a sabre and creating a domineering aura with the sh.


    His eyes widened to the limits when he saw the unmoving silver strings even after he had attacked with full strength. He wanted to escape, but with a bitter smile he closed his eyes, although Lu Zhen was pretty sure that this was a good thing for him, considering the external dangers, he couldn''t afford to be so vulnerable at such a time.


    Yet, he was helpless to do anything.


    "Should I use the Volgrith form?" Lu Zhen contacted the system in his head.


    [Host, it is not rmended to use the transformation, as not only might your body get destroyed, but you might never get such a chance of being cleansed and reborn as a whole.]


    "What''s the point of those things if I can''t be alive for it?" he said in anger.


    [The cocoon gives you a certain level of protection, and unless it is by an entity higher than a first-stage martial realm, they won''t be able to break the cocoon.]


    Lu Zhen revealed a bitter sigh when he heard this, stopping his resistance as he allowed the silver strings to fully cover him like a gift wrap.


    "This¡­" the snake''s eyes widened as he rubbed his eyes from the shing light, looking around to see a cocoon wrapped in silver strings.


    "What is this?"


    "Could this be some kind of peerless treasure made from the essence of heaven and earth?" the snake eximed, excitement glinting in his eyes.


    "Wait¡­" the snake pped himself with his tiny arms. "How could I be so stupid?"


    Suddenly, he opened his mouth, revealing a toxic spit thatnded right on the cocoon.


    "If you are a living being, you can''t escape my detection," the snake thought, a sneer on his face.


    This was a special poison he was uniquely known for, which had helped him earn his position, as their poison wasn''t really powerful; however, it had the ability to detect living creatures, no matter how strong they were. So, he had also worked for the investigation department many times.


    However, even after waiting for a long time, the poisonous spit just stayed in the cocoon with no movement.


    "Eh, is this really a treasure?" the snake thought with some excitement.


    "If it is¡­" his fist tightened as he walked towards it.


    However, before he could even indulge in his delusion, it was shattered in moments.


    Crack!


    As if a vase had broken, the cocoon started to break rapidly, the poison he spat on it starting to vibrate.


    Boom!


    The entire cocoon started to crumble and was sted away, as if an explosion had happened.


    The poison was sted along with the cocoon.


    "What type of treasure is this?" the snake thought in some astonishment. The poor snake was still in his delusion; however, its expression instantly changed to that of anger when it saw that nothing was inside the cell.


    "There is no way there is nothing in that cocoon!" it roared as it started to spit everywhere. The poison it spat had a strange property; it didn''t mix with water. In fact, wherever it travelled, it left a vacuum of space instead.


    "Idiot," Lu Zhen thought as he walked off. Although the snake might be weak in front of Lu Zhen, and he didn''t doubt himself that he could kill the snake, it was just that if he did, his elder or boss, or whatever it was, mighte after him. Hearing the voice of the snake, he was sure of one thing.


    There was a whole fu*king civilization underneath the river!


    Or it might be an organization or something. However, staying at the bottom of the river, where even first-stage martial artists refrained from going, there was no way it was something that Lu Zhen could handle right now. So, he chose the simplest option: run away.


    "I will be back," Lu Zhen thought as he looked coldly at the snake onest time before ascending to the ocean.


    His body was full of power, and his speed in the water had also changed, causing him to almost triple his speed from when he came down here to train.


    However, as Lu Zhen travelled, an ominous feeling welled up in him, and he sensed a terrifying danger to his life. His instincts screamed with danger, and his battle instinct was in full form.


    Lu Zhen''s mind swirled with calctions as he turned back. He instantly made himself feel angry, and genuine anger surged from inside him as he transformed into his Volgrith form.


    Roar!


    He roared in anger, applying demonic Qi from his bloodline to his arms.


    Instantly, his arms started to inte as a terrifying power coursed through them.


    Lu Zhen could barely control his arms; however, his eyes glinted with a fierce light as he punched with his full power at the ce where he felt the greatest sense of danger.


    The water started to vibrate with terrifying intensity as a vacuum was created due to the sheer force of his attack. However, Lu Zhen wasn''t in the mood to revel in his awe inspiring attack.


    His vision was filled with the sight of a giant eye that almost covered his whole field of view, as it seemed to be looking straight at him. Lu Zhen felt his entire body being scanned almost as if he was naked.


    "This is really terrifying¡­" he thought as he recoiled, his body cold with horror, and his environment seemed to freeze.

 Chapter 186: Squid and Crab (heavenly cleansing)

    Bang!


    A terrifying beam was produced, hurtling directly toward Lu Zhen at a terrifying speed.


    Lu Zhen''s eyes narrowed to a slither when he saw the beam, yet he was rtively calm for some reason as his mind worked in overdrive.


    "I can''t die," he simply stated, though no words came out since he was in water. The power coursing through his veins, he utilised all the demonic Qi he had, applying it to his entire body.


    This caused his body to inte to a terrifying level.


    Not only did he berger, but his body pulsed with power that almost made Lu Zhen lose his mind. His body started to ache as the power was too much for him to bear.


    But he didn''t stop there.


    He tapped into his mental energy, sensing as many strands of mental energy as he could and using them to heighten his senses, giving him a sixth sense.


    Lu Zhen still wasn''t finished. He opened his mouth, devouring as much water as he could into his stomach.


    The water instantly converted to energy the moment it entered his body.


    He folded his arms as he prepared for the worst.


    Although the entire transformation of his body might have seemed to take long, it happened in a blink of an eye.


    Boom!


    Lu Zhen''s ears bled just from the sound of the st as he was hurled away at a terrifying speed.


    His inted muscles almost became useless as the heat from the terrifying st sent him hurtling up in the air.


    Lu Zhen''s arms melted away with the st; luckily, he was able to avoid damage to his vital head. The st pushed him to the side as it surged straight up like a heavenly pir reaching the very heavens themselves.


    The ck energy created a terrifying vacuum in the water that almost split the water into two halves. Lu Zhen could even see a thin veil that seemed to be slightly broken, as if that st had made the very fabric of reality tear literally.


    Lu Zhen took a cold breath as he surveyed the terrifying destruction caused by the st. Despite his mutted hand and veins popping up from the sheer burden of using massive energy, Lu Zhen swam even further.


    In his crimson red eyes, there came red veins which revealed the unbearable pain he felt, almost making him faint. The adaptability skill was rendered useless, but his battle instinct skill kept him alert. Despite the mutted hands, Lu Zhen found he could swim even faster without them, much to his excitement.


    To boost his speed, he sucked water into his mouth, throwing it behind him to create momentum that sent him flying upward like a rocket.


    The gigantic eyeball flickered upon realising the target was still alive and considered another attack. However, Lu Zhen was already too far away. As he soared through the water, Lu Zhen heard a faint voice.


    "You are lucky."


    The eyes closed, and the vision seemed to disappear, as if it were going back to sleep.


    "You are lucky? Lucky?" Lu Zhen thought as he wanted to tighten his fist; however, he realised he was mutted, which made him grit his teeth¡ªhis fangs almost breaking against the sheer pressure. However, Lu Zhen wasn''t in the mood to feel anything.


    With a burning desire for vengeance deep within him, he left the battleground, defeated but not broken.


    "I''ll show you who''s lucky in the future," Lu Zhen dered with a cold gaze as his arms slowly started to regenerate.


    Martial artists, possessing a cockroach-like vitality, had a remarkable ability to recover. Lu Zhen, having trained both his body and Qi, could be likened to the biggest cockroach in his realm.


    While he wasn''t certain about his abilitiespared to first-stage martial artists, he believed he was at leastparable to them given the umtion of his skills, cultivation, and bloodline.


    Within two minutes, he reached the safety of thend. The moment his feet touched the solid ground, Lu Zhen copsed, falling unconscious as the rush of adrenaline wore off.


    His body hurt like hell as the adaptability skill becamepletely useless. His body waspletely used and spent every ounce of his energy.


    Lu Zhen slipped into aatose state as his consciousness drifted away.


    ¡­..


    In a in world where everything stretched endlessly, with no apparent end in sight, there was nothing but grass. In the middle of this vast expanse stood a serene pavilion, surrounded by ponds on all sides, creating a peaceful and tranquil environment. At the heart of the paviliony a chessboard.


    Two human-sized figures were engrossed in a game of chess, one appearing peculiar and the other even more so.


    "Old squid, you let a worm get away," remarked one.


    "Humph."


    "Don''t be angry, but why did you attack that kid all of a sudden? Aren''t you supposed to be peaceful towards humans, as long as they don''t disturb you?"


    "That worm dared to trick my servant." The human-sized figure was, in fact, a squid, but only its face resembled that of a squid, while it retained hands and legs of a human making him look strange and funny at the same time while giving a vibe of a funny pirate rather than a monster.


    The other figure shook his head helplessly in response.


    "Don''t you want to be a human someday?"


    The squid figure paused at this question, contemting before finally responding, "Yes, I want to be."


    "Then why did you attack a human? And that too with such terrifying talent. He has already achieved the heavenly cleansing of his body."


    "Well, you aren''t any better, are you?" The squid looked at the human-shaped crab in front of him.


    "I don''t like humans. They are weak, but you are different."


    "Sigh, you still don''t realise the potential of humans."


    "What''s the use of potential if they can''t use it?" the crab said in a sneering tone.


    "True." the squid sneered too whileughing it off.

 Chapter 187: Heavenly Cleansing

    Lu Zhen remained in aatose state for an extended period, during which his body gradually recovered from the injuries he had sustained. Ironically, he found that he healed faster while unconscious than when he was conscious.


    Unbeknownst to him, a cold voice echoed in his head, [Detected that the host is unconscious. Creating a forcefield around the host''s body.]


    For a fleeting moment, Lu Zhen glinted in a silvery colour, and then everything returned to normal.


    As time passed, Lu Zhen''s body underwent a remarkable recovery. The sun eventually set, and the moon cast a dim light on the world, revealing Lu Zhen fully healed, his arms regenerated even better and stronger than before. Not a single injury remained on his naked body.


    Suddenly, Lu Zhen''s crimson eyes snapped open, and he swiftly rose from the ground.


    "Eh, I guess I fell unconscious," Lu Zhen bitterly thought as he surveyed his surroundings.


    "Welp, time to go as I have a war to battle." This thought left Lu Zhen with a strange feeling. It seemed like just yesterday when he was dressed in his suit, preparing for a job interview and feeling excited about securing the position. Now, he found himself in a world of bloodshed and warfare.


    He longed to return to the peaceful ce he once knew, but unfortunately, that wasn''t an option. Reflecting on this, Lu Zhen sighed, acknowledging the likelihood that he might never return to a seemingly peaceful reality that was, in truth, filled with hidden darkness.


    Gazing at the dimly shining moon above, Lu Zhen thought, "I''ll probably bete to the camp, oh well, who canin anyway?" With a wry smile, he mused to himself, "After all, I am the boss."


    Hurriedly, he dressed in his ck robes and walked away. As he increased his speed, he reached a terrifying potential, sending him hurtling forward and making the wind rustle with each step.


    "Eh, this..." His eyes widened as he felt his body coursing with a power he had never experienced before.


    Lu Zhen''s entire body became light as a feather.


    "Is this the benefit of that shedding process?" He could feel that he now had better control over his body, and his muscles vibrated with a strange power that filled him with energy.


    Lu Zhen looked at the river and saw his own reflection. His skin tone had changed to a much brighter color, and his entire body gave off a pure vibe, as if not stained by any dust.


    Lu Zhen''s hands, once full of calluses, were now nonexistent, and his skin was almost like that of a newborn.


    "Hmm." His face morphed into a frown. However, in the river, he looked even more handsome while he frowned.


    Lu Zhen lightly punched the air, and as expected, the tearing sound resounded as if he were breaking the air itself.


    He jumped up easily and reached the longest tree with rtive ease, which made him nod his head with satisfaction.


    With a thought, he opened his system, and as expected, a blue panel flickered in front of him with [LOG] written in bold characters.


    Without dy, he imagined pressing the button, and a prompt appeared that made Lu Zhen excited.


    [You have attained heavenly cleansing.]


    [Your Constitution from divine physique has levelled up from level 6 to level 7.]


    Lu Zhen nodded his head with excitement. He had reached level 7 in his divine physique, meaning that his physique had reached the realm of peak second-stage martial realm. Now, he was qualified to at least glimpse into the affairs of a first-stage martial artist.


    After all, first-stage martial artists almost lived in a different world from what Lu Zhen could understand.


    Still, Lu Zhen didn''t let that get to his head and be arrogant for no reason. He summoned his system with a thought.


    ¡ª--------------


    [LEVEL UP]


    ¡ª-----


    [Name: Lu Zhen]


    --------


    [Race: Human]


    [Bloodline: Half Human/ Half Volgrith]


    [Lifespan left: 300 years]


    --------


    [Attributes]


    [Constitution: Divine physique (level 7)]


    [Charm: Mortal (Level 5)]


    [Wood Qi: third-stage martial artist](99.99%)(unable to be used)


    [Demonic Qi: first grade]


    [Mana: Null Circle]


    ???


    --------


    [Cultivation manuals]


    [Cultivation technique: Verdant art (stage 2), Heaven-Refining Demonic Qi]


    [Combat arts: [Verdant Whirlwind (full mastery)], [Whispering Shadow Step (full mastery)], [Verdant Grove Fist(full mastery)], [Butterfly Hidden Dance (beginning)]


    --------


    Skills: 13


    ¡ª-----


    [Quest]


    [Missionpleted:2]


    ¡ª---------


    Lu Zhen''s eyes widened with astonishment when he saw the increase in his lifespan, realising that it had been extended by at least 100 years. Excitement surged through him at the prospect of a longer and more fulfilling life.


    Never before had he dared to dream of reaching the average lifespan of a first-stage martial artist while still being at the second stage, and that too, semi-peak at best. After all, with his Qi, he was still considered a peak third-stage martial artist.


    Reflecting on this, Lu Zhen clenched his fist, determination burning in his eyes. "I still have 300 more years to explore, to experience the vastness of this world. I can build my own kingdom that will endure through eras and eras,sting for eternity."


    With a domineering spirit, Lu Zhen dered his ambitions as his figure vanished, striding confidently towards his camp with a considerably improved mood.


    ¡­.


    "Why hasn''t the young master arrived yet?" Li Jiao thought, her patience wearing thin as she waited in the camp. The others were equally anticipating Lu Zhen''s arrival, but there was still no sign of him.


    The army around them buzzed with activity, eyes filled with excitement and youthful vitality.


    "Um, do I really look womanly like this?" Lu Wi questioned.


    "You are undoubtedly womanly, but it might not be suitable for you. Change back after showing it to the young master," Li Jiao suggested, her voice carrying a hint of jealousy as she observed the transformed beauty in front of her.


    Lu Wi, without her usual masculine attire, now exuded a sharp and captivating charm, adorned in a purple one-piece that entuated her curves perfectly.

 Chapter 188: Attacking the Impenetrable Fortress

    Due to the tightness of her usual attire, Lu Wi''s bust was barely visible, creating a tter appearance. However, now in a well-fitted dress, her figure showcased a big and round posterior, and her bust was slightlyrger than Li Jiao''s, triggering a hint of jealousy.


    Her legs were supple and long, harmonising perfectly with her body. Despite having an ordinary face with average features, the use of makeup enhanced her overall appearance. Still,pared to Li Jiao, her beauty seemed to fall short, bringing a sense of relief to Li Jiao.


    "God is fair; if they give you a great body, they don''t give you enough beauty," Li Jiao thought, sighing inwardly.


    "Alright," Lu Wi nodded, but her strange expression revealed her difort under Li Jiao''s prolonged scrutiny.


    "Why are you staring at me like that?" Lu Wi questioned.


    "Nothing," Lu Jiao responded, hiding her true thoughts. Lu Wi, sensing the strange atmosphere, decided to ignore it and walked confidently to the front of the camp, excited by the murmurs she overheard.


    "She will undoubtedly be a formidablepetitor," Li Jiao thought, a sudden regret surging within her. She questioned her decision to offer advice and apply makeup to enhance Lu Wi''s beauty, realizing that she might have inadvertently created a rival.


    Maintaining the same pace as Lu Wi, Li Jiao gracefully walked to the front of the camp, trying to conceal the unease bubbling within her.


    Observing the two women, the bald man reached the camp''s entrance, his eyes widening in realization. "Why are these two women in such a hurry?"


    "Well, you know, the young master is still so young¡­" the blue-haired captain remarked, a tinge of jealousy evident in his tone. After all, witnessing two top-tier women, each possessing both strength and beauty, vying for the attention of a man could spark envy in any male.


    The bald man''s expression shifted, understanding dawning on him. "Women," he uttered with a sigh.


    "Hahaha, as if you wouldn''t do the same if you were a woman."


    "Cough cough, that is another case," the bald man admitted, chuckling.


    The blue-haired captain smirked, snickering before returning his attention to the unfolding scenario. However, his expression suddenly shifted as he looked back and noticed the Golden-haired captain dressed provocatively, entuating her curves with seductive allure.


    His expression became peculiar as he observed this.


    "You too, Lu Nan," the blue-haired man shook his head with a sigh.


    The bald man''s attention was also captivated by the golden-haired woman, and he too shook his head with a sigh.


    "What do you mean, ''you too''?" Lu Nan questioned, tightening her fist.


    "Nothing," the blue-haired man simply replied, his gaze shifting upward.


    Lu Nan was about to retort, but before she could, the bald man interjected, "Look, the young master is nearing."


    With that statement, the two men sprinted past the gate, leaving a bewildered Lu Nan.


    "Huh," she thought, her brain taking a moment to register the situation. Gritting her teeth, Lu Nan followed the two men.


    "We greet the young master," the five captains bowed simultaneously upon seeing Lu Zhen.


    Lu Zhen nodded his head as he surveyed the surroundings. A visibly stunned expression crossed his face when heid eyes on Lu Wi, but it quickly returned to normal as he nced at everyone.


    "Are the boats ready?"


    "Yes, young master," Li Jiao responded with a seductive smile on her face.


    Lu Zhen nodded when he heard this. "Good."


    He turned his gaze to the soldiers gathered behind them, reverence evident in their eyes.


    "Are you ready to shed blood?" Lu Zhen''s loud voice echoed throughout the area.


    "Yes, young master," the soldiers responded in unison, prompting a nod from Lu Zhen.


    "Carry these boats, and let''s go to the river," Lu Zhen instructed with a stern tone.


    "Yes, young master."


    The soldiers swiftly moved to carry the simple, constructed boats, admiration gleaming in their eyes.


    "Young master is a true genius to have figured out these boat things."


    "That was quitemon. Howe we have not figured it out?"


    "That''s why we couldn''t figure it out, idiot."


    "True." The soldiers exchanged smiles with a hint of bitterness as they proceeded with their work.


    "What are you doing, dressing up like this, Lu Wi?" Lu Zhen questioned as he looked at her.


    "Eh¡­ I¡­. I just wanted to change my clothes for some time," Lu Wi replied with an expressionless face.


    "Is it?" he had an amused smile on his face when he heard this.


    "Ye¡­ yes."


    "All right then," Lu Zhen nodded as he walked toward the soldiers.


    "He seems to have be more handsome; is my eyes ying tricks on me?" Lu Wi thought as she watched Lu Zhen leave.


    "Young Master Lu Zhen does seem to have be more handsome," suddenly, she heard a feminine voice from behind, causing her expression to turn strange as she looked back at Li Jiao.


    "Stunned that I was able to tell your thoughts?" Li Jiao said with a smirk on her face.


    Lu Wi''s expression turned impassive as she nodded.


    "It''s because Lu Zhen has be more handsome, and his skin seems to have almost be baby-like¡­" Li Jiao muttered in a hushed tone, looking at Lu Zhen with a strange expression.


    "Damn it," Lu Nan, the golden-haired captain, gritted her teeth when she couldn''t gain Lu Zhen''s attention, feeling a surge of anger.


    She shot a venomous nce at Li Jiao before her expression turned cold.


    Lu Nanpletely ignored Li Wi because her status was significantly higher, and even her strength faintly surpassed hers.


    Though she hated to admit it, Li Jiao was a different case. Being an external elder, she held a slightly lower status than a direct descendant elder, and even her strength was inferior.


    Li Jiao noticed the coldness in Lu Nan''s gaze but remainedposed, returning the nce with a knowing smile.


    "This bitch¡­" Lu Nan thought as she had a thoughtful expression on her face "I will deal with herter."

 Chapter 189: Whos gonna carry the boats?

    "Young master, why are you here?" a soldier asked respectfully, stunned by Lu Zhen''s unexpected presence.


    "Why wouldn''t I be here while my brothers and sisters are working? How could Ize off?" Lu Zhen replied in a cold tone.


    "Eh." The soldier was shocked to the core as he watched Lu Zhen approaching the boat and starting to lift it.


    "He really is doing it," he thought with a terrified expression; however, he couldn''t help but feel a deep sense of excitement.


    With widened eyes, all the soldiers watched as Lu Zhen effortlessly carried the boat, weighing at least 10 tons.


    Compared to the pressure he felt in the river that squeezed him from all sides, almost like he was being ground, this much weight was nothing for Lu Zhen to bear.


    Lu Zhen carried one boat in one hand and went to the other boat.


    "This..." the soldiers'' faces turned from shock to horror as they watched Lu Zhen go to pick up the other boat.


    The boat Lu Zhen chose this time was twice asrge as the previous one, weighing at least 20 tons. Although the boat was rtively small, the wood used was denser and stronger, giving it more mass than anymon boats from Lu Zhen''s previous world.


    "Let''s go," Lu Zhen dered as he walked out of the camp, effortlessly carrying two boats on his two arms.


    The soldiers felt a strange excitement as they followed Lu Zhen, also carrying boats with fiery determination in their eyes. They roared as they followed Lu Zhen, their eyes burning with a deep fire.


    "Young master, why are you carrying the boats yourself? That''s the work ofmon soldiers," Lu Nan expressed her disdain as she watched Lu Zhen carry the boats. However, he dismissed her with a stern look.


    "Who else is going to carry the boats if not me?" Lu Zhen''s voice resonated loudly, shaking the surroundings.


    "Young ma¡­" Lu Nan attempted to say something, but she wasn''t given a chance as she was ignored.


    Lu Zhen left without listening to her as he carried the boats.


    "Faster, soldiers!" he shouted.


    The soldiers'' eyes showed determination as they walked even faster.


    Lu Zhen remained expressionless as his speed increased, just enough for the soldiers to keep up with.


    He also cleared the path for the soldiers by destroying all obstacles obstructing the pathway.


    "He really is special, huh¡­" Li Jiao said with some fascination as she looked at Lu Zhen and the riled-up soldiers.


    Lu Wi nodded her head as a small blush appeared on her face. "He really is," she muttered in a hushed voice that no one could hear.


    Previously, she might have liked him because of her grandpa''s instruction to seduce Lu Zhen, but now she started to develop genuine feelings for him. This attraction wasn''t just because of his appearance but also because of his charisma.


    The bald man and the blue-haired man also nodded in agreement¡ªall except for the blond woman, Lu Nan.


    "Damn it," she gritted her teeth; however, a smile formed outwardly as she, too, nodded her head.


    Making all four of them look at her strangely.


    "You know we could see your expression, which is faking it, right?" Li Jiao said with a smirk on her face.


    "What are you talking about?" Lu Nan yed dumb when she heard this. She forgot that they weren''tmon individuals; they were all in the same rank as her, so they could naturally tell what her emotions were with their five senses.


    "Forget it," Li Jiao said helplessly, but she reminded her again, "if you really keep that attitude, you know what will happen to you, right?"


    She sighed as she remembered her previous friendship with her.


    "What attitude?" a frown morphed on Lu Nan''s face as she sped up, leaving the four captains carefully trailing behind Lu Zhen.


    "Sigh, I wonder when she will recover from that," Li Jiao sighed as she also increased her speed.


    The bald and the blue-haired man also nodded when they heard this as they shook their heads with a sigh, while Lu Wi had a confused expression on her face.


    "Eh, what happened to these two in the past?"


    "You don''t have to worry about that thing; it was a long time ago," the bald man said as he spoke no further of it.


    Seeing this, Lu Wi nodded as she stopped from speaking any further and sped up.


    "One, two, three, four," Lu Zhen said as he encouraged the soldiers. "Who''s gonna carry the boats?"


    "We are!" The soldiers roared, their bodies already stained in sweat. Their bodies hurt like hell, but none of them gave up from the adrenaline rush. Every muscle was being used in their bodies as they walked and walked while carrying the boats without a beat.


    Lu Zhen nodded his head internally, but his expression remained cold. He said, "Louder."


    "We are gonna carry the boats!"


    "Louder."


    "We are gonna carry the boats!" The earth shook from the sound they made.


    With that said, Lu Zhen remained silent the entire journey as they slowly arrived at the river.


    Seeing the river again, Lu Zhen had a strange expression as he quickly regained his calm demeanour.


    "Put the boats in the water," Lu Zhenmanded as heunched the two boats into the air, allowing them to glide smoothly into the river.


    As the boatnded on the river as if defying the mortal senses it didn''t flow with the tide of the water instead it remained still.


    "This is the moment of truth," Lu Zhen muttered to himself, holding his breath. He patiently controlled the boats with his mental energy to prevent them from drifting away on the water''s surface.


    Using mental energy on the surface of the river wasn''t a concern for Lu Zhen.


    However, underwater, numerous aquatic beasts in the second-stage martial realm or even higher lurked. If he were to probe using his mental energy, these creatures could instantly detect him. While his five senses were weaker underwater, it was challenging to remain undetected.

 Chapter 190: Who is gonna carry these boats? part 2

    Lu Zhen continuously tapped into his mental energy, directing it from his consciousness to his head. He skillfully maintained the boats'' stillness in the water, countering the asional small tide that formed.


    His crimson eyes emitted a radiant blue glow, giving them a mesmerising and striking appearance.


    The soldiers'' eyes widened in astonishment as they observed Lu Zhen''s actions, their gaze shifting between him and the boat. Strength was the most revered quality among these battle-hardened soldiers, and witnessing such a disy only heightened their motivation and loyalty towards Lu Zhen.


    The five captains exchanged nces as they watched Lu Zhen effortlessly hold the boat in the water while standing off-shore. A mixture of awe and curiosity coloured their expressions.


    "It seems that my eyes were not ying tricks; he is undoubtedly a second-stage martial artist," remarked the bald man with a sigh. The confirmation of Lu Zhen''s prowess left a profound impression on the onlookers.


    "No, he should be stronger than the average second-stage martial artist, considering he can tap into his mental energy so easily," the blue-haired man said with a terrified expression on his face.


    "Well, even better, then. We are gonna have an easy war this time," the bald man chuckled.


    "True," the blue-haired man replied, scanning the boat carefully for any movements from the river underneath.


    Although they were peak third-stage martial artists, revered by these soldiers who were martial trainees, they were nothingpared to a second-stage martial artist.


    What was the second-stage martial artist for the family? They were the grand elders, the main pirs of the family after the ancestor. Each grand elder was a terrifying figure capable of wiping out a small family with a swipe of their hands and fighting thousands of people all at once.


    In war, they were akin to a hidden force that could turn the tides with just their presence.


    Although the gap between peak third-stage martial and second-stage martial might seem like a single step, thest step was the most difficult for many, even for Lu Zhen; it was undoubtedly very hard, even with all his cheats.


    If you neither have enough talent nor resources, you might never be able to cross that step even after reaching old age.


    Although they might seem young, that is only because of their martial power and taking some paste to maintain their youth; they were almost all at the age of sixty and above. Even Lu Wi, who was considered a genius and has been training for decades since her childhood, is in her forties right now.


    And the older you get, the fewer chances of advancing through your realm. That was the reason they became captains in war: to fight for resources and get a chance to enter the second-stage martial realm.


    "What was the young master''s age again?"


    "I think it was twenty."


    "No, it is neen," Li Jiao said with twinkling eyes as she looked at Lu Zhen with lustful eyes.


    All the captains had a mixture of expressions when they heard this.


    Lu Zhen ignored these people as he kept the boat floating in the river.


    Time passed as the boat remained still without attracting any aquatic sea beasts. Sensing this, Lu Zhen heaved a sigh of relief.


    "Alright, we can get on the boats," he beckoned everyone to put the boats in the water as his eyes glinted with fierceness.


    "You must paddle with these," Lu Zhen gave everyone very long sticks to row the boats with. "Remember, since you are going against the tide at a diagonal angle, you must be very fast."


    "Yes, young master," all of them said with a roar.


    "Good," he nodded his head.


    As he moved his crimson pupils, the two boats came back to thend.


    Lu Zhen felt his body strained just from moving these boats. "The mental energy isn''t practical right now to use in fights," he sighed as he jumped up directly, taking thergest boat.


    "All of you climb your assigned boats."


    "Yes, young master."


    The soldiers all climbed up the boats.


    There were a total of twenty boats, and one boat could house at least two thousand people.


    The army of Lu Zhen consisted of forty thousand people, but among them were not only soldiers; there were also lower ranks of individuals considered cannon fodder, mortals physically stronger than ordinary people but not exceptionally powerful. They were mostly trained in various techniques, simr to military-trained personnel in Lu Zhen''s previous world.


    In reality, there were around ten thousand martial trainees, still a formidable number. However, among these trainees, only five weremanded by third-stage martial artists, highlighting the significant gap in strength.


    As everyone gradually climbed aboard the boats, Lu Zhen coldlymanded, "Let''s go."


    His crimson eyes shimmered with a blue light as he controlled the boats, guiding them into the river.


    "Now, paddle!" Lu Zhen ordered nervously, halting his use of mental energy.


    Instantly, hundreds of soldiers began paddling the boats with lightning-fast speed, pushing against the river''s current in a diagonal arc to reach the other side.


    The water beneath them roared, and the soldiers disyed their synchronised efforts, creating a formidable sight. The soldiers'' strength and determination echoed through their synchronised movements as they fought against the powerful current.


    Lu Zhen felt a bit nervous, attempting to conceal his aura as much as possible. His body was already soaked in cold sweat as he gazed down at the water.


    "Hey, young master, what happened to you?" a soldier, who was closest to Lu Zhen, asked with a concerned expression.


    "Nothing, just go and help your brothers."


    "Yes, young master." The soldier saluted him before going to row the boats.


    "This should be enough motivation for them..." Lu Zhen thought with a sly smirk for a brief moment before his expression turned expressionless again. The river''s strong current added to the tension in the atmosphere as the soldiers paddled with determination with fire burning in their eyes full of vitality.

 Chapter 191: War: Burn the Castle

    In the dim moonlight, it illuminated a stronghold situated on the mountain, where the lights were off, creating an eerily dark atmosphere. Silence prevailed, as if the ce was entirely abandoned. In front of the stronghold gates, two meny, emitting asional snores.


    "Why are you sleeping, old man?"


    "Hmm..."


    "This old bastard." The man walked up to the snoring man and pped him right on the head.


    The old man''s eyes opened in shock as he stood up from the ground.


    "You little runt..." the old man was about to draw his sword.


    "Wait, old man. What are you doing sleeping on the job? If you kill me, the superior will never spare you..." the man hurriedly said as he back-stepped.


    "The superior is having a headache dealing with the Lu family anyway and has been fighting them a lot, so they wouldn''t care about these lowly forts anymore. As for the Lu family attacking the fort, do you think they can cross that river?"


    "You..."


    The old man took out his sword, assuming a defensive stance.


    "Are we really going to fight an old man?"


    "Of course, we are. How dare you disturb my sleep. I killed my wife when she once disturbed my sleep." The old man''s eyes were filled with malice, burning with rage, veins popping from his head.


    "This bastard is serious..." the man cursed his luck as he quickly drew his sword from his waist.


    The atmosphere became eerie as the two were in a stalemate, the chilling wind blowing over their faces.


    However, before they could even move, their bodies started to tremble, and their ears rang.


    Shing!


    "Huh," the man found his world spinning as he looked at the old man who was now headless.


    "What''s happening..." was thest thought of the man as his eyes turned lifeless.


    Thud!


    The two bodies of the old and young guards pped their hands and feet around as if just registering their deaths, before they fell down to the ground creating a pool of crimson-ckish blood.


    Lu Zhen nodded his head, observing the aftermath.


    "I never knew swords are still best when used for assassination..." He was holding a simple gleaming ck sword in his hand, while fresh and warm ckish-red blood dropped from the de.


    Although Lu Zhen could pretty much imitate the principles of the sword with his body, it was still much better to use the actual weapon because of its reach and other advantages.


    "You can all enter now," Lu Zhen said with a frown.


    The five captains all nodded their heads.


    "Yes, young master, but why are you frowning?"


    "It is strange that the Xia family left this stronghold with so few people, even though this is one of their important fortresses which would be their stronghold if they lose..." Lu Zhen said, his frown deepening as he returned his sword to his scabbard.


    He tapped into his mental energy and scanned the entire stronghold. Suddenly, his eyes widened as he detected a strong presence.


    "Dang it, there was a powerhouse hiding here..." Still, Lu Zhen was rtively calm as he looked at the four captains.


    "Can we take out a second-stage martial artist with our army?"


    "Yes, young master, it is possible."


    Lu Zhen nodded his head as he went out of the castle. "Follow me."


    Although the five were confused, they walked out of the stronghold where their army had silently surrounded the entire ce.


    Lu Zhen walked towards themon centre, with the surprised gazes of everyone, and said in a cold and domineering tone, "Light your arrows with fire and shoot them towards the castle." Lu Zhen''s voice was hushed, causing everyone''s eyes to widen.


    Although his tone was hushed, everyone could hear it, as he had controlled the sound waves to reach their ears and not travel towards the castle.


    "But young master..." Li Jiao wanted to object, however, Lu Zhen''s expression remained cold and ruthlessness shed in his eyes.


    "Do it," he said onest time with a cold gaze.


    "Yes, young master." With that said, everyone put mmable clothes on the arrows and set them aze, knocking them towards the bows as they patiently waited for Lu Zhen''s instruction.


    A sinister smile graced Lu Zhen''s lips as he felt the strong presence approaching outside the castle.


    While Lu Zhen could sense him, the figure could sense him too.


    The moment the figure was close to the gates of the castle.


    "Shoot," Lu Zhen roared, and everyone released their arrows at the same time, setting the castle aze.


    The sky was filled with mes, as if an apocalypse was about to descend directly on the castle.


    The bows they carried were all military bows, several times stronger and more powerful than ordinary bows and arrows that normal people could obtain. In fact, these were weapons of mass destruction that major families only brought out when facing war. The arrows fired from these bows were naturally muchrger and generated more momentum than an ordinarymon bow.


    Even a martial trainee would be severely injured with just a single arrow and might even die. The sheer power that these bows could generate was terrifying.


    Now, imagine these hundreds of arrows concentrated at a third-stage martial artist; the martial artist would be instantly deader than dead if hit by them.


    And if the arrows numbered in the thousands, all concentrated...


    Boom!


    The castle was engulfed in a fiery ze as mes burned throughout, making it resemble a fiery hell. The cries of countless people in soul-rendering pain resonated as they were burned alive in the fire.


    Lu Zhen''s eyes looked towards the castle, as if piercing the fire, where a bald man with a white goatee gazed back at him.


    "The fight is on, old man," a smirk marred Lu Zhen''s face as he said, "reload and shoot the arrows in that direction."


    "Yes, young master." The soldiers fiercely shouted as they knocked arrows in their bows again and shot them in the direction where Lu Zhen pointed.


    Every single one of these people was military-trained and was at least an expert at the bow, meaning they could hit the arrows where the target was, at the very least. Although trick shots might be difficult, this was within their capability.


    As the shots were fired, suddenly, in the direction where the arrows were shot, a fiery globe or orb appeared, which stunned everyone.


    "Don''t stop the fire; shoot again," Lu Zhen''s voice buzzed in their ears, making them instinctively nock arrows in their bows and fire almost continuously.


    "This..." the bald man with the goatee was stunned by the rain of arrows as his anger red. "This little bastard..." He swiped his hands, stopping all the arrows; however, in moments, more came at him at full speed, which were directly reflected by his shield.


    "Damn it, I will run out of Qi if I go on like this..." he thought with fierceness as he looked at Lu Zhen with clear hatred; however, he didn''t charge at him like an idiot; instead, he walked back.


    "The old man is retreating; now is the time..." Lu Zhen casually took out his sword and aimed it directly at the man.


    The ce where Lu Zhen stood seemed to crack just from the pressure he applied to the ground before he threw the sword with full power.


    Boom!


    The sword directly went towards the old man at a terrifying speed, creating shockwaves in the air as it traveled.


    "Damn it..." the old man cursed as his expression changed when he faced the sword. However, he wasn''t given time to defend, so all he could do was cross his hands and hope for the best.


    The sword directly went past the forcefield of the man, making arge wound on his arm.


    The bald man grunted as he pulled the sword out of his right arm with a pained expression.


    Although the shield or forcefield decreased the power of the attack, it was still powerful enough to cause harm.


    However, the man didn''t stop running; he resumed his dash at an even more terrifying speed creating shockwaves in the air.


    "This is troublesome..." Lu Zhen frowned when he saw this.


    "Should I attack or not?" he thought for a moment before disappearing from his position.


    "Cease all fire and salvage the remains of the castle. I will be back."


    Lu Zhen''s voice echoed as the soldiers followed his order, stopping before going to the castle to salvage whatever was left in it.


    ...


    "Damn it, that brat. I prepared so much in the castle to trap him, but all went to the gutters..." the bald man gritted his teeth with anger as he looked around his surroundings.


    "If I can meet with the other grand elders, no matter how powerful Lu Zhen is, he will definitely die by our hands." the bald man sneered as if he could already see the death of Lu Zhen.

 Chapter 192: War: Killing without Fighting

    However, his expression suddenly changed as he turned back to see a ckish ming arrow flickering toward him at a terrifying speed.


    The man wanted to dodge; however, the speed was too fast. With only his widened eyes, the arrow directly went past his shield, its momentum slowed down a bit but still hit the man right on the chest.


    The man closed his eyes as if waiting for the impact, but the ckish arrow could barely prate a little of his bone before it was stopped.


    "Huh, was I scared for nothing?" the bald man doubted as his veins popped in anger. He opened his eyes to see the arrow melting towards him.


    "What''s this..." he thought. However, the moment he opened his eyes, a scalding heat slowly burned his skin.


    Even a war veteran like himself felt pain that he couldn''t bear.


    Ahhh!


    He roared in pain. The more time passed, the hotter the arrow became, prating his bone effortlessly as it burned his internal organs.


    The bald man wanted to stop the me with his wind Qi; however, the moment he did, the me became even hotter and stronger.


    "This... this is demonic Qi?" the old man muttered with widened eyes.


    "Welp, took you long enough to figure it out," Lu Zhen sneered as he disappeared from his position.


    "Damn," the man gritted his teeth as he took out his sword from his waist and blocked Lu Zhen''s attack with the sword.


    Lu Zhen frowned when he sensed the strength of the old man, who was blocking his sword almost effortlessly. However, a sly smile crept up on his face.


    "Let''s y some game, old man," he said before disappearing, blending into the shadows.


    "You know this trick is useless against me," the man chuckled as he tapped into his mental energy. However, the moment he did, he frowned with astonishment.


    "He isn''t even in the range of my sixth sense..."


    However, before he could think further, the sheer heat emanating from his chest made him vomit blood as his internal organs started to burn.


    Cough! Cough!


    The man wanted to remove the arrow; however, another arrow came at him, now aiming directly for his head, which made him helpless.


    He gritted his teeth as he could only dodge the arrows.


    "Now this is fun..." Lu Zhen thought as he shot an arrowless bow again, and an arrow appeared once more, shooting at the bald man who wanted to take out his arrow again.


    However, after releasing five or so shots, Lu Zhen frowned.


    "I am running out of demonic Qi," he thought. Although previously he had plenty of demonic Qi, it was pretty much all used when he faced those giant eyes at the bottom of the river.


    Lu Zhen had meditated a little to gain more demonic Qi; however, the time wasn''t nearly enough for him to gather much of it, which is the reason he was running out of demonic Qi so quickly.


    His eyes shed with a ruthless glint as he looked at the man who was again trying to remove the searing-hot arrow from his chest while expecting another arrow.


    Rustle!


    "There," the bald man thought as he was about to dodge right; however, suddenly his survival instinct screamed as he looked back to see Lu Zhen up close with a smile on his face.


    "Hello there."


    The bald man ckflipped before he turned around and started tough.


    "As expected of a brat..." He was about to make a move as his hands came forward; however, the moment it did....


    Shin!


    His hand was cut in two as his blood sttered, showing very thin needles coated in blood-red.


    "This..." his eyes widened as he looked around, and everywhere there were many thin strings that even he couldn''t see if he never looked carefully.


    "Did you think I am some naive person..." Lu Zhen''s sneering voice reverberated in the surroundings again as he shot another arrow at him.


    The man was helpless as he could only defend against the arrows with gritted teeth.


    sh!


    The searing-hot arrow prated his right arm bone, emitting a burning pain that made the man cry in agony.


    "This little bastard..." the man thought as his mind swirled with thoughts of escaping his predicament. Although he might not be as talented as Lu Zhen, or even as strong, he had one thing: experience.


    The bald man closed his eyes as another arrow came straight at him. However, he remained unmoving, and at the point of contact with him, he dodged slightly to the right, narrowly avoiding the arrow.


    "Idiot..." Lu Zhen muttered as he wanted to take another shot; however, his demonic Qi waspletely drained now.


    "Damn it, my demonic Qi depleting so fast was a little bit off the calction."


    While Lu Zhen could directly fight the old man, he simply didn''t want to. This wasn''t a game; this was real life. Given the option to fight the opponent from a distance, saving his life, why would he mindlessly confront the man in closebat where unexpected variables could ur? This would be simply stupid for Lu Zhen.


    He grabbed one of the ordinary bows and started to shoot at him with normal arrows, although the damage would be minimal. Lu Zhen could at least drain the man''s Qi. After all, the man was a sitting duck right now.


    Time passed as the man dodged the arrows. However, most of the time, they hit him. asionally, he would dodge one in fifty arrows. Even when the arrowsnded on him, they were deflected by his force field, as the power wasn''t enough to prate it.


    "Damn it, I will run out of wind Qi soon like this," the man gnashed his teeth in anger as he looked at the arrows that were continuously arriving.


    However, he had a small smile on his face.


    "The backup should arrive... eh..."


    His world spun around as his vision rotated 360 degrees before he saw his headless body and a cold, handsome youth with long ck hair and red eyes staring coldly at him.


    "Emotionless," his eyes widened.


    Thus!


    His head fell to the ground with a sickening thud, with open eyes full of horror.


    "Welp, my job is done here..." Lu Zhen stretched his body; however, he had a thoughtful expression on his face.


    "Might as well loot it." He looked at the headless body on the floor as blood gushed like a fountain. Lu Zhen could even see the internal organs of the man from the beheaded part.


    Ignoring this gruesome sight, he searched the blood-soaked body of the man and could only find a pouch containing several mid-grade Qi stones.


    "Tsk, I was expecting more..." Although excitement still reflected in his eyes, he cursed the corpse of the man before kicking the headless body, destroying it.


    Then he lit a fire and burned the man''s corpse; however, Lu Zhen frowned as the bones and organs of the man were too hard to burn.


    "Oh, I guess I need some war credits anyway," Lu Zhen thought as he dragged the mangled body of the man while carrying the head with another one back to the fortress.


    ....


    "Do you think young master would be alright?" Lu Wi said with some worry in her tone.


    "How would I know?" Li Jiao said helplessly as she looked at the girl while internally shaking her head.


    "Young hearts are fickle." Although Lu Wi might be considered an adult in a normal human understanding, they are martial artists who have more vitality than an ordinary person by several times.


    Their period of youth was naturally longer and more, from a third-stage martial artist''s perspective, she was still considerably younger.


    "So, is young master fine or not?" Lu Wi started to worry about Lu Zhen as she began biting her own nails.


    The poor girl didn''t even realize that she had already fallen for his charm.


    Suddenly, there was an exmation in the camp, and Lu Wi instantly dashed outside with lit eyes.


    "Sigh, love..." Li Jiao shook her head. Although Lu Zhen was handsome and his recent achievements were truly terrifying, to say the least, she didn''t truly love him. In this cruel world, she believed that there was no such thing, and even if there was, she wanted to stay away as much as possible.


    Love makes you blind!


    Li Jiao had experienced true hardship, unlike these greenhorn people. Sure, they too practised martial arts, and they were stronger than her.


    However, being born as an ordinary girl and entering the Lu family to be an external elder was a difficult feat that was at least hundreds of times harder for her than the four others who were basically fed resources since they were babies and if they had a little bit of talent were nurtured heavily.


    While she had to fight with countless others like her to get the resources that she wanted however Li Jiao didn''t me the Lu family after all this was the way the world worked.

 Chapter 193: War: Li Jiao and Lu Wi

    Li Jiao walked out of the tent to see the reverence of the soldiers as they passed by her. They bowed with some courtesy and scurried to the front of the tent. Their eyes showed a level of pure fanaticism, as if they could walk in the fire if Lu Zhen told them to.


    She sighed as she thought, "Lu Zhen has the charisma to turn these war-hardened people into his pawns; he doesn''t only have brawn but brains as well." Li Jiao walked through the crowd of soldiers before she finally saw him. However, the moment she did, her eyes widened to the zenith.


    Still, she was rtively calm and carefully looked at the severed head and the battered body of the man.


    "Is this the second-stage martial artist that he had attacked previously?" she thought to herself.


    However, when she clearly saw the severed head of the man, a tear involuntarily fell from her eyes.


    Thud!


    Li Jiao fell to the ground as she cried profusely.


    "Eh." Lu Zhen was stunned as he saw her crying like a mad woman.


    "Why are you crying so much?" he muttered to himself, however, he didn''t ask, considering she didn''t speak.


    Constructing a camp wasn''t a difficult thing to do for martial artists, just like constructing boats, which was rtively easy to do even as manualbor. So after capturing the fortress, which was burnt to ashes, they simply built another one rather than crossing the Devil River again.


    A strange silence permeated as she cried her heart out, while the entire camp of soldiers and captains was in silence, just looking at her, even though Lu Zhen was curiously looking at her.


    Time passed as she finally stopped sobbing and looked at him with a relieved expression.


    "I am sorry, young master... I...." Li Jiao finally looked at Lu Zhen with an apologetic expression.


    "I can understand," Lu Zhen said with a wave of his hands. Actually, he couldn''t understand the context, however, he just went with the flow.


    "Tell me what happened to her," he sent a voice transmission to the bald captain before leaving to enter his own camp.


    The soldiers made way for Lu Zhen with fanaticism in their eyes.


    However, before he could even walk ten steps, suddenly he was stopped by Lu Wi, who tugged at his cor with an expressionless face.


    "What is it?"


    "Can I talk to you in private?"


    "Sure, if you want to..."


    Lu Zhen said as they both went to his camp.


    "So, what does Miss Wi want to talk about?" he said with an expressionless face.


    Even now, Lu Wi hadn''t taken off her makeup and her dress, even though it was time for war.


    "Young master, I want to talk about..."


    "Cut to the chase," Lu Zhen cut her off and said.


    "Can I marry you?"


    "Eh." Lu Zhen was stumped when he heard this.


    "Why do you want to marry me? If it was the instruction of the grand elder, don''t worry I can deal with it, Miss..."


    Lu Zhen was suddenly jolted as he felt a soft sensation on his cheeks.


    "This..."


    He looked at Lu Wi with shock.


    "Young master, we don''t have to marry right now. First, we can get to know each other, after that we can talk..."


    Lu Zhen looked at her strangely. "Girls develop faster in these areas rather than boys," he mused to himself as he tightly caught her and French kissed her.


    Lu Wi''s eyes widened; however, she didn''t resist as she closed her eyes, letting Lu Zhen explore every corner of her before she started to be aggressive as well, fighting for domination with him.


    ...


    "Sigh, I should tell him about the backstory of Li Jiao or should I not tell him?"


    "What are you thinking about, Lu Wang? Of course, you have to tell it to your superior, and the story isn''t that sensitive to her anyway. It''s just that the poor girl gets scared when she recalls the story anyway," the bald Lu Wang pped his forehead.


    With some courage, he walked up to the camp where Lu Zhen was staying and was about to knock; however, the door was abruptly opened as a blushing girl ran past him.


    Lu Wang''s eyes widened.


    "Is that Lu Wi?" he thought with astonishment. However, he just nodded his head with understanding after thinking for a while as he knocked on the door.


    "Young master, may Ie in?"


    "You can."


    "Thank you, young master." Lu Wi opened the door, and instantly his vision was greeted by a spacious room with gold carvings and paintings, along with a big bed.


    In the bed, Lu Zhen was sitting crossed-leg in a meditative position.


    "What happened to Li Jiao?" Lu Zhen slowly opened his eyes as he looked at the man expressionlessly.


    Just one gaze from Lu Zhen caused Lu Wang to freeze as his entire body sweated.


    He hurriedly bowed and started to prattle the whole story.


    Afterpleting the whole dang story, Lu Zhen waved his hands, and the bald man walked away.


    "So, that is the case, huh..." Lu Zhen put a finger to his chin as if he was thinking about something; however, he shrugged his shoulders soon after as he resumed his meditation to recover the demonic Qi he lost.


    Basically, the story was that when she was a child and had just joined the family, Li Jiao made friends with a young girl around her age, as she was the one who showed kindness towards her.


    As theypleted their training and were ingrained with the principles of the Lu family--basically like school in Lu Zhen''s previous world--they ventured out to do various missions. During that time, they formed even deeper bonds, helping each other out and gaining a reputation as the "little twin beauties" among the others.


    They made a continuous streak of sessful missions, oneplementing the other, earning them fear and respect.


    However, reality was cruel and almost always delivered a hard p when you deviated from it!


    They messed up in one of the missions by identally crossing paths with the grand elder of the Xia family.


    At least her friend did, while shepleted her mission.


    Li Jiao watched her friend''s lifeless body as it was cleaved in two by a sword. However, her life was saved because she got lucky and was unconscious, witnessing her friend''s death.


    The man couldn''t care less about a child and didn''t bother to look at his surroundings. Why would he care about some bugs? Even if the Lu family finds out, would they really pursue him just for these bugs?


    And the rest was history, so Li Jiao had a hatred for the man, and now that he is dead, naturally, she was mourning for her friend and crying for the death of the guy in excitement.


    Lu Zhen breathed in a rhythmic sequence as he slowly took in attributeless Qi from the air and converted it into Demonic Qi by circting it in his bloodline--the greenish patch of blood. However, it was slowly thinning out bit by bit as he circted it.


    "The bloodline is drying out..." Lu Zhen thought as he finally opened his eyes.


    "If this goes on, my bloodline will be finished before I could cultivate any further."


    This demonic Qi was an ace in the hole for Lu Zhen. How could he lose such a precious thing?


    "Maybe I should meet with Xia Mei after the war," Lu Zhen thought with a frown on his face.


    The idea of seeking guidance from Xia Mei seemed like a wise choice, considering she and his mothers were the only ones he knew that possessed knowledge about bloodlines.


    Contemting this, Lu Zhen sighed as he continued to meditate to recover the demonic Qi. He wasn''t an idiot who wouldn''t utilize the resources in his arsenal just because of bias. The most crucial thing for Lu Zhen was his survival and the enhancement of his strength, which, in turn, would increase his freedom.


    If Lu Zhen were a first-stage martial artist, he might have already stormed the gates of the Xia family and exacted revenge. Unfortunately, he was no match for them at the moment, so he could only contribute to these smaller battles for now.


    No matter which world you''re truly free you need strength in either the physical, connection wise or intelligence. Either way you need to excel in one of these things.


    .....


    "I have avenged my friend," Li Jiao muttered to herself as she solemnly burned the ashes of her deceasedrade.


    After burning the ashes, Li Jiao suddenly felt a cold wind blow over her, leaving an eerie silence in its wake.


    "Now what should I do?" Li Jiao pondered, experiencing a sense of loneliness for the first time. Her relentless pursuit of strength had been fueled by the desire for revenge.


    Although she hadn''t directly executed it, the object of her vengeance was now deceased. With the mission aplished, she felt a void, unsure of what to do next.

 Chapter 194: Li Jiao

    Knock! Knock!


    "Who is it?" Lu Zhen frowned as he tapped into a strand of his mental energy and sensed who was outside, his eyes shing with a blue hue.


    "It''s me, young master," Li Jiao''s voice came from outside.


    Lu Zhen''s face turned expressionless as he said, "Come in."


    Li Jiao expressionlessly opened the door, wearing a long piece of cloth that covered the entirety of her body. A frown appeared on Lu Zhen''s face as he looked at her.


    "What is it?"


    "Young master..." Li Jiao hesitated, pausing for some time before a resigned look appeared on her face as she closed her eyes.


    She let go of the clothes, revealing her bare body to Lu Zhen as she tightly closed her eyes, expecting any reaction from him. However, she felt a cold wind blow over her as she continued to wait, but Lu Zhen didn''t even move a single bit, staring right at her as if his gaze was piercing her soul.


    After waiting for a long time, she confusedly opened her eyes to see his crimson eyes staring right at her without any lust shing in his eyes.


    "Are you done?" Lu Zhen''s cold tone rang in the ears of Li Jiao.


    "Young master, didn''t you want my body..."


    "What do you think of me, Li Jiao?" His voice was tinged with anger; however, his face was still expressionless. As the adaptability skill leveled up, he had been able to control his emotions perfectly, to the point that the bloodline of the Volgrith didn''t give him thoughts of killing and mating all the time.


    That''s right, due to his bloodline, Lu Zhen was more lustful and a killer, even when he didn''t take the form of it.


    However, it was a very subtle change that Lu Zhen had failed to notice. Now that he had adapted to the mind maniption done by his bloodline, he could finally think logically when it came to lust and such.


    "That might probably be the reason that Xia Mei was so lustful..." Lu Zhen thought as he internally frowned; however, outwardly, he was still calm and collected as he looked at the milf body without even a flinch in his gaze.


    Li Jiao felt a cold wave wash over her as her eyes widened with realization. He had never shown any interest in her until now, even when he first met her in the brothel. She was the one who assumed that Lu Zhen wanted her body.


    "You seem confused. Leave first ande after you configure your current thoughts," Lu Zhen said as he waved his hands.


    "Ye... yes, young master," Li Jiao said with a startle as she was about to leave. However, Lu Zhen stopped her.


    "Wear my clothes. Although I won''t reject a beauty like you, Miss Jiao, you should sort things out. If you want to return back to me, you can," Lu Zhen paused as a sly smirk appeared on his face. He whispered in her ears, his breath touching her neck, "but know that you will be fed to a beast that will eat you whole."


    Li Jiao felt a shiver down her spine as she nodded and hurriedly left.


    A small smile appeared on his face as he resumed his cultivation while he summoned his system:


    [Wood Qi Advancement]


    [1%... 2%.... 50%... 80%...]


    The advancement was very close topletion; however, the more it progressed, the slower it went to reach a higher level again. Like when Lu Zhen first saw it, when the percentage increased for the first time, it was at most twenty minutes. However, now, even after an hour, the percentage still didn''t go up from eighty percent.


    "This is gonna be a long ride," Lu Zhen thought with a sigh as suddenly he heard another knock.


    "Now who is it this time?" he muttered to himself as he tapped into his mental energy to see the bald captain again.


    "What is it, Lu Wang?" Although his tone was cold, he had an irritated expression on his face.


    "Young master, there is a messenger from the main camp."


    Lu Zhen''s eyes widened when he heard this.


    "I will be there."


    ...


    "This young master''s capability is really extraordinary."


    "What is so great about Lu Zhen?" Lu Yuan sneered.


    "Didn''t you see the excitement of the soldiers when you came here?"


    When Lu Yuan heard this, he secretly gritted his teeth; however, outwardly, he maintained a cold expression.


    "So what of it? Anyone can do it if they are the young master of the family and the youngest second-stage martial artist ever in Phoenix City."


    Hearing Lu Yuan, she just shook her head with a sigh. "You are still prejudiced against the young master."


    "What do you mean I am prejudiced? You know that in the military, strength is revered the most. He must have shown his strength, and naturally, they will have pure fanaticism," Lu Yuan said with an all-knowing tone.


    Lu Yuan''s sister couldn''t refute the im as she found the words possible and true as per her current understanding.


    Suddenly, they both heard footsteps as a hulking young master entered with ck hair and the distinctive red-crimson eyes that seemed to pierce one''s soul with just a gaze.


    Lu Yuan''s sister''s eyes lit up when she saw Lu Zhen, and she hurriedly greeted him.


    "Young master, we have news from the battlefield."


    Lu Zhen nodded his head, seeing Lu Yuan at the back, as a devilish smile graced his lips.


    "Seeing how good Miss Mood is, I suppose the news is good."


    Hearing this, she paused as her expression turned strange.


    "You see, our Lu family army almost defeated the Xia family, but...."


    "But the Huang family came?..." Lu Zhen said with a knowing smile.


    "Yes, young master," she said with some astonishment. "How did you know, young master?"


    "It was pretty obvious at this point," Lu Zhen muttered as he looked at Lu Yuan again, a glint shing in his eyes.

 Chapter 195: Lu Yuan Madness

    "So, young master, you have been summoned back to the camp."


    "Alright," Lu Zhen muttered as he considered something. "Should I leave some here to defend this point? Although I did burn the fortress, I should still leave some here just in case."


    "As you wish, young master," she bowed, nodding with excitement.


    "There are countless praises for you in the main camp for your strategy to use boats to cross the river. Your achievement will surely be recorded in the annals of history of the Lu family, young master..."


    "It was just luck. I got a sh of inspiration and did it." Lu Zhen nodded with a humble expression.


    "Truly, you must have gotten lucky," Lu Yuan grumbled, looking at Lu Zhen with hatred in his eyes.


    Lu Zhen''s ears twitched when he heard this, but he maintained a smile on his face. Although Lu Yuan spoke in a hushed voice, Lu Zhen''s heightened senses allowed him to pick up the words clearly. With his improved senses and body cultivation, he had be even stronger.


    Even Lu Yuan should have that knowledge; that meant he intentionally said it.


    "I should finish this guy if I ever get the chance," he muttered, as Lu Zhen was pretty certain that he would do the same if Lu Yuan got the chance.


    "Alright, let''s depart as quickly as possible," Lu Zhen said as he pped his hands.


    "Tch," Lu Yuan gritted his teeth, seeing the smile of Lu Zhen. "Did he ignore me, or does he think I am not worthy enough of his level?" His fist tightened as his nails dug into his hand, making him bleed; however, it was too thin to be noticed.


    "The n is going awry. If the Xia family and Huang family are exterminated by the Lu family, they will be dead for sure," Lu Yuan thought with a dark face.


    "At that time, if they find that I have colluded with other forces..." His face turned dark, as he didn''t dare to imagine the consequences that he would face if that did happen.


    "What should I do now? The tournament ispletely useless..."


    "Eh, why are you cking out, brother? Let''s go."


    Lu Yuan was startled as he stood up.


    "Young master has already left," she said speechlessly. "Although my brother has be a third-stage martial artist, he has be dumber."


    "This..." Lu Yuan gritted his teeth as his anger rose, however, somehow he managed to control it as he nodded his head.


    "Let''s go."


    As they left the camp, they saw the soldiers hurriedly packing with excitement in their eyes.


    "I will prove to you that I am correct," Lu Yuan suddenly said as he randomly stopped a soldier.


    "Tell me, why do you consider Lu Zhen in such a position?"


    The soldier was abruptly startled as he was about to curse, but when he saw the symbol of the verdant tree on both of their dresses, his attitude changed 180 degrees as his face turned ttering.


    "Master and miss, what can I do for you?" Although he was war-hardened, he wasn''t brain-dead to disrespect a direct descendant of the family for no reason. Besides, since he was young, he has always been ingrained with loyalty to the Lu family, so how could he disrespect them?


    "Tell me, has Lu Zhen shown you his strength?"


    "No, young master, why?" the soldier said with a strange expression.


    "Huh," Lu Yuan was stumped when he heard this.


    "Although the young master did kill the grand elder of the Xia family, we didn''t see it."


    "Then why are you singing the song of Lu Zhen so much?" Lu Yuan said with hints of anger in his tone.


    Hearing this, the soldier''s anger faltered as well. "Young master is our saviour, what do you mean?"


    "He not only promised uspensation for every drop of blood we shed, but he also..." The soldier rambled on and on about Lu Zhen''s achievements without even stopping for a single second, his eyes shing with fanaticism for Lu Zhen.


    After he finished the heroic tale of Lu Zhen, he looked coldly at Lu Yuan and walked away.


    "This..." He looked back to see the smug smile of his sister.


    "What did you say previously, brother?"


    "Umm..." Lu Yuan coldly turned around and walked away to leave the camp without looking back.


    "Sigh, my brother will end up being killed with their attitude," she sighed as she followed him.


    "Why is my emotion out of control?" He thought as his body shook. Although he didn''t consider himself wise to control his emotions, still he could maintain his demeanor. But now even the slightest thing made him angry for no reason at all.


    While his body felt pain from time to time, a soul-rending pain that made him freeze from time to time at night.


    "There is definitely some side-effect in this pill..." Lu Yuan thought with gritted teeth. "However, he shouldn''t have lied about making me a first-stage martial artist, did he?" He felt a shiver down his spine when he considered the possibility.


    He bit his nails as he thought, "What should I do? What should I do? What should I do?..."


    "Brother, why did you suddenly walk away from the camp? Young master and his army still aren''t prepared to leave yet. Wouldn''t it be better to leave with them instead?"


    Lu Yuan''s malevolent eyes suddenly fell towards her.


    "Huh." Suddenly she backstepped as she felt her instinct scream at her with danger.


    "Brother, what are you doi-"


    All she saw was a punche at her straight before her vision turned ck.


    Ahhh!


    A terrifying scream of a girl resounded in the forest.


    "You bitch, it''s all because of you praising Lu Zhen. Aren''t you my sister? Why would you do that?" Lu Yuan''s voice echoes in the surrounding.


    The terrifying scream eventually stopped and returned back to calmness as the entire forest became calm again with only the animal noises echoing in the forest from time to time.

 Chapter 196: Final battle

    The ground was lit by blood as the clouds covered the sky entirely, and even the sun couldn''t be seen.


    Mangled corpses littered the ground, and a literal river of blood flowed, staining the earth in a crimson hue.


    However, the ground was empty right now, and there was still silence in the ce, all except for the sky.


    In the sky, there was one young man and one woman who had a spacious floating up in the sky as they stared at the man wearing green clothes who was smiling at them.


    "Looks like you will be losing soon if this goes on..." Ancestor Xia coldly told as he looked at Lu Ming.


    However, Lu Ming''s expression was still that of indifference as he ignored the man and looked at the fiery-haired woman instead.


    "Huang Shi, so you really want to attack the Lu family, huh..." he shook his head with a sigh as if he was disappointed with her.


    "Did you really think of me as stupid or something? Will my name note after you finish the Xia family?" Huang Shi said with a cold tone.


    Which made Lu Ming chuckle. "That is true. I would do that," his eyes glinted with a cruel light.


    "What are youughing for? Don''t you know the situation you are in?" she said as she put her hands forward in a quick motion.


    Boom!


    A thin visible armour covered her entire body as she seemed to be growing bigger by the moment. As she grew bigger, she emitted a terrifying aura that made Lu Ming''s expression turn serious.


    As she grew bigger, her clothes ripped apart, reced by faintly visible armour that covered her as a whole, only leaving her face visible.


    Although Lu Ming had a serious expression on his face, he still carried his casual aura as he looked at her with dazzling eyes.


    However, the most shocked person there was Xia Kai as his eyes widened with pure shock.


    "You are a bloodline martial artist?" he said, still processing things.


    "Of course, I am. Now, help me fight him, or we will both be dead," Huang Shi said with a determined face as her expression turned even more serious when she looked at Lu Ming.


    "I regret allying with this idiot," she muttered as she made the first move by punching straight in the air.


    Lu Ming, seeing this, had a strange glint shing in his eyes as he casually dodged the attack.


    "Oh no, you don''t..." She pushed her hands out, and a ming wheel materialised out of her hand, shooting directly at him.


    Lu Ming was caught off-guard, causing him to take the full brunt of the attack as he was sent flying, crashing into the ground.


    "You can already beat him, why do you need me for it?" Xia Kai said as he looked at her.


    "Idiot, do you think beating a middle first-stage martial artist is so easy?" she mumbled as suddenly a wooden statue materialised in thin air, shooting directly towards Xia Kai.


    Boom!


    Xia Kai was sent hurtling just like Lu Ming; however, he directly flew up into the sky.


    "Let''s fight for real now."


    Huang Shi''s eyes widened as she looked back to see a punching straight at her, sending her flying up into the clouds as well.


    "Let''s fight till our hearts content today," Lu Ming sneered as he went up into the clouds.


    ...


    "Did they go up?" Xia Jia thought as he looked up into the sky, where the three figures were nowhere to be found, making him heave a sigh of relief.


    "It''s time to ughter the Lu family again. For ughtering our patriarch and our young master," his eyes glinted with ruthlessness as he looked right and left, seeing all his brothers.


    "We must kill those two mother and son pairs, Lu Ying and Lu Zhen. Remember, this is our priority."


    A strange silence permeated when they heard this.


    "Don''t worry about it; that brat is still a third-stage martial artist. Although our youth was technically a second-stage martial artist, he didn''t even have half the strength of a second-stage martial artist. Someone has intervened in the fight, as there''s no way that guy could be a second-stage martial artist overnight." Xia Jia sneered.


    After all, no one was stupid enough to believe that a random guy could be a second-stage martial artist overnight.


    The only reason Lu Zhen was spared from this suspicion was simply because of his status and his bloodline that the ancestors of Lu knew of, where he would be incapable of having any martial talent unless he awakened his bloodline.


    Coupled with the ancient warrior physique, it was believable. However, a random guy with no talent bing strong out of nowhere? Who would believe these things?


    "I would have investigated with that guy if that man hadn''t died in Lu Zhen''s hands; he must," he said as he released his terrifying aura, revealing a faint intent.


    Causing everyone''s eyes to widen as their bodies trembled with instinctive fear.


    "Xia Jia, you are close to bing a second-stage martial artist," the ten or so people said with widened eyes.


    "No, I haven''t taken that step yet. I am very close to forming my own intent. Once I do, I can be a first-stage martial artist too..."


    "So even if Lu Ming, the ancestor of the Lu family, wins the fight in the sky, we will definitely win the battle here," a small grin graced his lips.


    "We will win the war this time."


    "Yes." They all roared in unison. However, one of the men who looked old with his hair fully white but he had a clean shaved face had a frown on his face as his eyes glinted with wisdom.


    "What happened?" Xia Jia said as he looked at the man frowning.


    "Xia Jia, it looks likemunication from the Devil River Fortress is cut off. I am afraid that something might have happened there."

 Chapter 197: Xia Jia

    "What?" Xia Jia abruptly shot up from his seat when he heard this. "No one should be able to cross the Devil River. How could they have been annihted?"


    Although he wanted to believe it was because of amunication error, he quickly dismissed that notion. There are strict rules that if there weremunication issues, they would be directly beheaded indiscriminately. Even if there were errors, they could have sent a soldier to inform them.


    So, that leaves only one option: they were annihted!


    His body started to shake when he thought of this, and his aura leaked, causing the table to creak and a terrifying pressure to descend on all the people there.


    The man who delivered the news shook his head, even under the heavy pressure.


    "Remain calm, Xia Jia. It was your young brother defending the fortress, but we can investigate what happened after the war..."


    Xia Jia finally retracted his aura as he fell into a strange silence, bing silent.


    "You are right," he said with a sigh. "Let''s ughter the Lu family first."


    "Now, let''s n our battle strategy."


    Although his expression was calm, his eyes were violently red, and veins appeared in his eyes from pure rage.


    "Don''t let me find you, whoever you are, or you will be dead..." His fist tightened.


    ...


    "Young master, you have arrived."


    An exmation sounded as the soldier eagerly greeted Lu Zhen, who just nodded his head as he got off the tall, golden-armored horse.


    However, the moment he got off the horse happily, it neighed as it started to lick his face.


    Since Lu Zhen had tamed the beast, it had be very loyal and docile to him. It followed everymand of his without hesitation, and seeing its speed, Lu Zhen was quite satisfied as well.


    Lu Zhen gently patted the horse.


    Although it was slower than him by arge margin, its speed was still considerable for a third-stage martial artist. It was made for running, and it barely got tired from the exertion. But it''s strength could be said to be in the bottom tier, however it could still easily fight an ordinary animal. Its speed was undoubtedly fast, making it an ideal war horse bred for speed.


    Following behind him were thousands of people with fighting spirit burning in their eyes.


    The guards were a little stunned by the soldiers.


    "Did the young master feed them leaves or something?" he thought curiously. However, he had a ttering smile stered on his face.


    "Keep these horses in the stable," Lu Zhen said as he entered the camp and headed directly towards the biggest camp where the control room was.


    "Looks like we will be losing this battle if this goes on. We have already lost two grand elders, and if we lose any more..."


    "Damn it all because of the Huang family. If they didn''t join the war, it wouldn''t have been so troublesome."


    Lu Zhen knocked on the door as his ears twitched.


    "You can enter, young master."


    "Yes, grand elders." However, the moment he entered, his expression turned cold. Previously, there were fifteen second-stage martial artists, and now there are only thirteen left.


    "What happened? Even if the Huang family joined in, there shouldn''t have been such casualties," Lu Zhen said with a hint of anger as his fist tightened.


    "It''s because of Xia Kai, young master. That bastard took advantage of the time and shamelessly attacked us. Although we fought back, he quickly finished two of our brothers before Ancestor Lu stopped him."


    "Xia Kai, you are dead," Lu Zhen dered loudly.


    "Young master, don''t be rash; he is a first-stage martial artist."


    "You are right, grand elders. I was too reckless," Lu Zhen admitted with a hesitating expression.


    "Young master, maybe we should call Madam Lu Ying for help otherwise..."


    "No, she and the patriarch are busy destroying the forces of the Xia family inside the city." Lu Zhen had a sneer on his face as he spoke, observing the reactions of the thirteen people with a keen eye.


    However, to his disappointment, everyone''s reaction was the same.


    "There shouldn''t be a spy among them, will there?" Lu Zhen thought silently, cing a small bag that he was carrying onto the table.


    Thud!


    "Young master, what is this?"


    "Open it," Lu Zhen said with a mysterious smile on his face.


    As they were all curious, one of them casually opened the bag, and their eyes widened.


    "I know this man; he is one of the grand elders of the Xia," the man who opened the bag said with a shocked tone.


    "Is he the brother of Xia Jia?" A sudden silence fell when they heard this.


    "Who is Xia Jia?" Lu Zhen said with a frown on his face.


    "Young master Xia Jia was the fiercest among the Xia family and fought the two of us without losing his momentum."


    "Hmm," Lu Zhen nodded when he heard this.


    "I will fight Xia Jia; then, you guys will take care of the others. Remember to only defend when you fight them and be on the defensive. I have a n to take care of all of them," he said as a ruthless glint shed in his eyes.


    "Yes, young master," all of them bowed, already considering him their leader. They would follow his instructions. After all, strength is supreme.


    Although they are second-stage martial artists, they have never dared to kill others of the same rank, considering it impossible. And indeed, it was impossible for them although injuring martial artists of the same rank might be easy but you have to know that the higher the stage of martial artist the more cockroach-like vitality they have.


    However, for Lu Zhen with cheats and skill it was still a doable thing to do.


    Lu Zhen''s eyes shed with a strange light as he took onest nce at them before saying, "We will attack them tomorrow. You all should get ready for the fight."


    "Young master... this... this," all the grand elders had a hesitating expression when they heard this.

 Chapter 198: Traitor

    "I have a n that can help take out both the Xia and Huang family, but I will need all your ears."


    The atmosphere became solemn as the entire camp fell silent, with no one speaking as everyone''s expression turned serious looking at Lu Zhen.


    Seeing this, Lu Zhen nodded his head and began exining the n...


    After a long hour, he looked at everyone, whose serious expressions had turned to pure shock, now wearing contemtive expressions.


    However, there was one person whose expression was slightly twisted. While every grand elder was in contemtion, nobody noticed him except for Lu Zhen, whose eyes lit up.


    "I found him," Lu Zhen thought as he said, "Alright, we will start the n tomorrow, so get ready," he continued as everyone nodded their heads.


    The dim light of the moon was already faintly visible from the camp.


    "Rest up today."


    "Yes, young master."


    Everyone took their leave, but the eyes that once looked at Lu Zhen as a junior now regarded him with reverence.


    ....


    After everyone left, Lu Zhen also expressionlessly departed. However, before he could reach his own tent, he was stopped by a ttering voice.


    "Young master, please wait."


    Lu Zhen''s legs paused as he looked back to see a man in the traditional Lu family grand elder uniform. The man had a rather malnourished body, broken teeth, and a hunched back.


    "What happened, Grand Elder Liao?" Lu Zhen said with a smile on his face.


    "Young master, it is like this. Would you be kind enough to allow me to have a private talk with you?"


    "It is my honour to invite Grand Elder Xiao to talk to me," Lu Zhen said humbly.


    "Young master, I am not worthy." However, Lu Liao had a smile on his face as he thought, "Not bad, this kid isn''t bad. If we were on the same side, he would definitely live. But now, he is the greatest threat to the Xia family."


    "Please, young master."


    Lu Zhen and Lu Liao went to a corner, facing each other in a standoff.


    "So, what does the grand elder want to talk about?"


    "Young master, there is a major w that needs to be addressed. Our rear will be open, so we will be needing forces there as well..."


    Lu Zhen''s eyes widened as if he was in realisation before he nodded his head.


    "You are true, Grand Elder Liao," he acknowledged with realisation. Then he asked, "So, what do you suggest we do?"


    "Young master, we need to achieve victory over them quickly, so I suggest a swift and decisive victory," Lu Liao proposed.


    "Yes, I do know that much, but what can we do about it?" Lu Zhen said with an expressionless face.


    "Young master, I have an opinion. I wonder if you would like to ept it or not," Lu Liao said with a hesitating expression, as if he was uncertain, and there was a hint of fear in his eyes.


    "Grand Elder Liao, I am open to any suggestion."


    "Then..."


    "Please don''t hesitate at this crucial time and tell me the n. I promise you, as long as the n is feasible, it will be considered." Lu Zhen quered with a righteous expression.


    "Very well then, young master." However, Grand Elder Liao didn''t directly reveal the n; instead, he asked a question. "Young master, how certain are you of killing Xia Jia?"


    "Hmm, from my estimation, I have a thirty percent chance to kill him, and that too if he lets his guard down," Lu Zhen said with a bitter expression on his face.


    Upon hearing this, Grand Elder Liao''s expression turned relieved as he proposed, "Then, young master, how about you move forward first and kill Lu Liao before the battle even starts, catching him off guard?"


    "This Grand Elder..."


    "Young master, that bastard Xia Jiao wouldn''t expect youing after him even before the war starts, which will give us an advantage over him. We can swiftly end the battle with the Xia family and intercept the Huang family," Lu Liao said with a serious expression.


    "Hmm," Lu Zhen closed his eyes, his face full of wrinkles, as if he was deep in thought.


    A sneer appeared on Lu Liao''s face when he saw the thoughtful expression of Lu Zhen, but it quickly turned serious again.


    "You are right, Elder Liao," Lu Zhen nodded. "Then I will attack Xia Jiao before the battle, catching him off-guard," he said with a determined expression.


    "Thank you, young master, for considering my suggestion, but your life will be in danger if you do so..."


    "Don''t worry, Elder Liao. I know why you were hesitating, but for the Lu family, I must do it," Lu Zhen said, his eyes glinting with a fierce light.


    "I will inform the other grand elders about the n," Lu Zhen said as he turned back. However, Lu Liao quickly stopped him.


    "Eh, what happened, Grand Elder Liao?"


    "Young master, I will be honest with you. I suspect there is a traitor among the grand elders, so I wouldn''t rmend it."


    "How do you know, Grand Elder?" Lu Zhen said curiously.


    "Young master, when the Xia ancestor came down to the ground, our location was instantly revealed, and he especially chose the strongest elder almost instantly and attacked the two. That is sufficient information to suspect there is a traitor."


    Lu Zhen''s eyes widened again when he heard this. "If that''s true, Grand Elder, then we must confront the traitor. Let''s arrange a meeting of all the grand elders right away."


    "No wait, young master. If we arrange a meeting, the spy will definitely be alerted and will stay in hiding. If there was no traitor, there will be an air of suspicion when we fight the battle, which may lead to disastrous consequences."


    "Then what do you suggest we do, Grand Elder Liao?" Lu Zhen said with a confused expression.


    "We must be silent about this," Lu Liao said in a casual tone.


    "Very well, Grand Elder," Lu Zhen nodded his head.

 Chapter 199: Traitor Dead

    As Grand Elder Liao walked towards his camp with a stern expression, he looked around at his surroundings where the darkness of the night prevailed, and no one was present. Faint snores of soldiers echoed as they slept.


    Finally, his stern expression vanished as a smirk appeared on his face.


    "No matter how much of a monster he is, he is still a child inexperienced in the ways of the world," Lu Liao mused to himself as he walked inside his tent.


    After carefully locking the door, he sat on a stool.


    "Kahaha, now my work here is almost done, and about the news, I should deliver them soon," he thought as he slowly touched his face, pulling up his mask.


    Instantly, his face transformed, revealing a man with distinctive scars on both of his eyes, and his face was entirely covered with scars, making him look ugly.


    "I can''t believe I managed to get into the camp with just these masks on," he thought as his hands were still shaking. Not only had he tricked the terrifying senses of the second-stage martial artist, but he had also managed to deceive the ancestor of the Lu family.


    He looked at the mask as if he couldn''t believe his eyes.


    "I am just a third-stage martial artist, and I have to undertake such a dangerous mission," the man cursed, unable to bear the thought of the potential consequences he might face if discovered.


    "Now it is time to inform the Xia family about all the information," he sighed in relief and closed his eyes to rest.


    After resting for some time, he finally opened his eyes and reached inside his own mouth, retrieving a tightly wrapped piece of paper from between his teeth.


    As he unwrapped the paper, although the wrapped paper looked small, the total length after unwrapping was surprisinglyrge.


    He took a pen and started jotting down all the information he had recorded from the Lu family, writing it to the minute details especially Lu Zhen''s strategy.


    After an hour or so, the paper was filled with small writings that covered the entirety of one side.


    The man looked satisfied with his work and carefully folded the paper until it fit in his fist.


    However, as he was folding the paper, the writing seemed to be erased as time passed.


    "Now it''s time to deliver it." His expression turned bitter, but determination glinted in his eyes.


    He took a bamboo pipe and wrapped the paper back to its previous size, which could even fit between his teeth.


    As hepletely folded the paper, he put it into his bamboo pipe, which almost perfectly fitted his paper.


    "Now, this should be fine." The scarred man quickly went to his door and opened it to look outside.


    His expression turned relieved, seeing no one in sight.


    However, he went back to put his mask on just in case. The moment he did, his aura entirely changed to that of a second-stage martial artist, and his entire demeanour seemed to have changed. His back naturally became hunched, while his hair returned to white again from its initial ck colour.


    "Sigh, I was more handsome than before; now I look¡­" He just shook his head as he returned outside again.


    "It''s time to do it." He put the bamboo in his mouth and blew on one side of the bamboo pipe as hard as he could while calcting the distance.


    The paper was sent hurtling through the air in the direction of the Xia family camp.


    "That should be the correct direction." The scarred man, or rather Lu Liao, thought as he nodded his head with a satisfied expression.


    As the small paper was sent hurtling, it was swiftly caught by a bird which went directly to the Xia family camp.


    "Welp, my job here is almost done. I should make my escape when the battle esctes tomorrow."


    "Eh." Suddenly, his survival instinct red as he felt an ominous feeling.


    He was about to turn his head back before he could even do that; his vision dimmed as the world around him became blurred.


    "What is happening?" Lu Liao fell to the floor as his eyes closed.


    "How interesting." Lu Zhen materialized as he looked at him with interest.


    "The n worked." He thought as Lu Zhen walked up to him and pulled his face. As expected, a human-skin mask came out, revealing a face fully scarred, and the hunchback of the man became straight. His aura changed from a second-stage martial artist to a third-stage martial artist.


    "Thank you for this human-skin mask; that will definitely be useful in the future," Lu Zhen said as a smirk appeared on his face.


    With his significantly improved brainpower, Lu Zhen''s thinking and cognitive abilities had reached a level where martial artists were no match for him. At least, Lu Zhen had never encountered a martial artist who could separate his consciousness in two. This capability could be terrifying inbat, but it still wasn''t in a usable phase until now.


    So, with his modern world knowledge and enhanced cognitive power, Lu Zhen found it rtively easy to make a quick n that left everyone shocked. However, this was just a ploy by him to find the spy.


    "You cane in now."


    "Yes, young master." As the soldiers hesitatingly entered, they saw a fully scarred man sleeping on the floor.


    "Eh, where is Grand Elder Liao?"


    "Don''t ask what you shouldn''t. Put him in a temporary prison for now." Lu Zhen had already looted the most valuable mask from the guy so the others weren''t much useful as he had checked with his mental energy.


    "Yes, young master," the two guards hurriedly said as they carried the man to the prison.


    "I will interrogate these guyster," Lu Zhen thought with a glint in his eyes.


    "Xia family, you will be exterminated soon," he muttered to himself as he took out a paper with a message from his mother, Lu Ying.


    "She will being tomorrow. With her and mebined, it shouldn''t be hard to deal with that guy."

 Chapter 200: Xia Jia

    A loud drum sounded as everyone woke up, and the sun hadn''t revealed itself yet. The camp became bustling with activities, and everyone had a serious expression on their faces as they prepared and carefully checked their equipment to ensure everything was in order.


    After all, it might be theirst day to live!


    Lu Zhen stretched his body, wearing his armour and mounting his war horse. He set off directly to the Xia family camp without saying a word to anyone.


    As he neared the Xia family camp, he quickly dismounted and patted the horse. The intelligent eyes of the horse seemed to tremble before it reluctantly went back without much sound.


    "Let''s get started." A smile appeared on his face as he disappeared from his position.


    ¡­


    "Is that Lu Zhen bastard here yet?" Xia Jiao said impatiently, his expression remaining stoic as he sat in the middle of the camp with the other grand elders.


    "Yes, Brother Liao, he should arrive soon..." the old man who had previously delivered news of the fortress''s destruction responded with wisdom in his voice.


    "That bastard really did cross the Devil River to attack the castle and even killed my younger brother..." Xia Jiao''s fist tightened, his eyes reflecting a deep fear that quickly transformed into anger.


    "Remember, after Lu Zhenes, we must immediately attack him. Don''t give him any chance to recover. No matter how strong that monster is, he won''t be able to take all of us. The only choice he has is to run, and that too..." A strange smirk appeared on his face as he took out a round disk te.


    "Is that¡­" all the grand elders'' eyes widened when they saw this.


    "Yes, this is an instant formation that can trap even a second-stage martial artist," Xia Jiao said with a smirk on his face.


    "So now we just need to wait."


    The grand elders all hid in the camp while Xia Jiao casually strolled around with a contemtive expression, making rounds outside the camp.


    Time passed, and he patiently waited, but Lu Zhen was nowhere to be seen, even as the warm light of the sun began to fill the surroundings with its early rays.


    "Where is this bastard?" Xia Jiao grumbled, growing more impatient as he continued to wait. However, the thought of the n leaking out crossed his mind.


    He dismissed it quickly; if the n had been revealed, the message wouldn''t have reached him. Though not entirely confident in the third-stage martial artist, he had some faith in the effectiveness of the human-skin mask.


    As long as the man wasn''t obvious, it would be impossible to tell whether he was fake or not.


    "Wait¡­" Xia Jiao''s eyes widened with realisation as he looked back at the camp and then turned again.


    Without hesitation, he ran into the forest, tapping into his mental energy, trying to sense Lu Zhen.


    "Eh, why did he leave suddenly?" The grand elders were stunned as they suddenly received a voice transmission.


    "Lu Zhen is a smart monster; he must have noticed the trap aftering to our camp, so he probably ditched. We can''t let that kid go. Inform the army ande to me immediately for support. Although I am confident I can take care of that bastard, he could still escape from my hands."


    Their eyes widened with realisation upon hearing this as they hurriedly informed a trusted servant, one of their captains and gave him their grand elder order which had the same authority as them, and left to chase down Lu Zhen almost immediately disappearing into the forest.


    ¡­.


    "Where did that little monster go?" Xia Jia thought as he looked around, his mental energy rapidly straining his body.


    Since he was still in the second-stage martial realm, he couldn''t fully manipte mental energy as he wanted, nor could he draw every strand of mental energy from his head.


    Tapping into mental energy was a very body-straining thing to do.


    Even Lu Zhen, rtively adept in using it with his Adapt skill, couldn''t push his body too much with the use of mental energy. Although he could adapt and strengthen his body over time, the damage to the body outweighed the adaptation rate.


    Lu Zhen had already suffered the consequences of beingatose for hours just using it underwater to escape from those gigantic, terrifying eyes.


    "Got him." Xia Jia''s eyes widened when he finally sensed Lu Zhen and increased his speed.


    Boom!


    The ground caved in as he released a terrifying aura that made all the beasts in the surroundings run away as he chased Lu Zhen down.


    Finally, in the distance, he saw a hulking, long-haired youth running fast, which made his eyes light up with a glint.


    He erupted with all his aura and directly punched at Lu Zhen with his full strength.


    "The prey has taken the bait," Lu Zhen had a small smirk on his face as he turned back, countering by slightly moving backward by one step, causing Xia Jia''s attack to miss.


    Xia Jia''s eyes widened as he turned left to see a fist hurtling towards him, right in the face.


    Boom!


    He was sent flying, crashing into the trees before he finally gained footing to hold his ground.


    "This¡­" Xia Jia''s eyes widened with disbelief as he vomited blood, with three of his teething out from the vomited blood with it.


    "Oi, old man, why are you bullying a junior like me? I am just a humble neen-year-old man with my cultivation level. I am still considered an infant at most," Lu Zhen said with an amused smirk.


    "Won''t the worldugh at you, the strongest grand elder of the Xia family, bullying a junior."


    "You¡­" Xia Jia became expressionless when he heard this.


    "Good, good." He took out the discs from his pouch and immediately threw them up in the sky with a smug smile on his face.


    The disc travelled in air after reaching some height it stopped in mid-air.

 Chapter 201: Appearance of Mother Lu

    Lu Zhen''s expression turned strange when he saw the disc, but he just stood still and did not intercept the disc at all as it floated in thin air, defying gravity itself.


    His eyes glinted with amusement as the disc separated into different parts before thin films covered the entirety of the surrounding area, creating a dome-like structure.


    The thin film dome was almost four football stadiums in size.


    Lu Zhen''s gaze became even more amused when he saw this.


    "What did you do this for?"


    "Of course, to kill you as you can''t run away." Although Xia Jia was nervous seeing the confidence and unchanging expression of Lu Zhen, he believed in his skill. There was no way a brat whose hair had barely grown could beat him.


    This was the confidence he had as he was very close to breaking through the first-stage martial realm.


    "Really? You truly are an idiot¡­" Lu Zhen said as he looked at the man with mockery in his eyes, as if he was observing the greatest idiot he had ever seen.


    "You dare, even if your mother were here, she wouldn''t dare to be so disrespectful to me."


    Boom!


    Countless wooden poles grew from the ground as the earth seemed to tremble.


    Xia Jia''s eyes widened as he hurriedly jumped, using the momentum from the wooden pir as it broke.


    However, it was soon reced by other wooden poles, and the tips of them formed strange glove shapes with spikes.


    "This¡­"


    Xia Jia was speechless as he looked around after jumping in the air. Although he couldn''t fly in the air, gliding in the air wasn''t difficult for him. Although movement was limited, he could still change trajectory quite easily.


    The wood followed him into the sky, making him grit his teeth.


    "Don''t underestimate me, Lu Ying!" he roared as he punched, creating ripples in the air that broke all the wooden poles. However, more emerged from the ground, recing them. Although it wasn''t as grand as the one Ancestor Lu performed, even as a replica, its power wasn''t to be underestimated.


    "You really want to fight till the end?" Xia Jia roared as he punched again, destroying all the wooden poles once more.


    "Well, since you''re here to attack my son, why wouldn''t I?"


    A lilith voice rang in his head as he looked, finally seeing her behind Lu Zhen, staring at him with mockery.


    A shiver ran down his spine just from her gaze. However, he still gritted his teeth as a sneer formed on his face.


    "What an idiot." He glided in the air,unching himself directly at her in a split second as he was about to attack. However, a punch came right at his face, sending him flying.


    Boom!


    Xia Jia gained his bnce as he spat blood again, losing another tooth.


    "This bastard¡­" His eyes became bloodshot as he looked up to see another punching at him.


    Boom!


    Xia Jia was sent flying again.


    However, this time, while he was in the air, another punch came at him from the corner of his eyes as he saw the vision of a faint green, verdant tree.


    Xia Jia''s survival instinct red as he punched sideways, changing the trajectory of his flying momentum as the punch missed.


    Instantly, Xia Jia regained his bnce as he looked at Lu Zhen with horror. However, there was only disappointment in Lu Zhen''s face.


    "You dare mock me, brat?" Veins popped on his forehead as Xia Jia was about to attack Lu Zhen. However, before he could even move, his instincts red with danger, and he hurriedly dodged a fist covered in gloves full of spikes.


    "Damn it, these mother and son pairs," he gritted his teeth as he dodged another punch from Lu Zhen.


    However, the moment he dodged, another punch came at him, catching him off-guard. Xia Jia was hit right in the face again, this time with a spike that could prate even his own skin.


    Luckily, his shield nullified most of the damage, so he was only lightly grazed on the face as he took five steps back with fear in his eyes.


    Before he could gather his thoughts, another attack came at him. However, this time he felt a vision of a spear, as the shield around him didn''t nullify the attack.


    However, at the nick of time, Xia Jia slightly moved his body, narrowly avoiding his heart area.


    Pst!


    Lu Zhen''s hand directly prated the right shoulder of Xia Jia; however, it couldn''t go too deep.


    "Got you." A small smirk formed on Xia Jia''s face as he was about to strike. However, Lu Zhen looked amusingly at the man instead.


    "Are you an idiot?"


    "Eh."


    Lu Zhen struck with his other hand again, employing the principle of the spears, effortlessly neglecting his force field and prating his hand. However, this time, since the bone in the hand was weaker and thinner, Lu Zhen''s hand went through the man''s hand effortlessly as it emerged from the other side.


    Ahhhh!


    Xia Jia screamed in agony; however, he was given a moment of rest as a fist full of spikes came right at his face, sending him flying through the air.


    "Looks like we have perfect coordination, son," Lu Ying eximed joyfully, jumping in the air.


    "Umm¡­" Lu Zhen was speechless at the behaviour of Lu Ying, not knowing what to do.


    "Let''s focus on the fight," he said, quickly changing the topic.


    Lu Zhen disappeared from his position and reappeared where the man was.


    Boom!


    Ahhh!


    The painful scream of the man resounded throughout the area again as Lu Zhen punched him once more and used the spear principle to harm him asionally.


    Every time the man tried to do anything, Lu Zhen would instantly sh his hands with the spear principles directly at his head, forcing the man to grit his teeth and helplessly back down.


    "My son has grown up again¡­" Lu Ying thought as she looked at Lu Zhen toying with Xia Jia.

 Chapter 202: Xia Jia Toyed

    "Cough¡­" Xia Jia vomited blood again as his teeth were all broken, and his face was deformed from all the punches he took from Lu Zhen and Lu Ying.


    Although his clothes were rtively fine, they were fully soaked in blood, making his blue clothes mixed with blood look violet in colour.


    His condition was extremely miserable as he was punched back and forth with no chance to counter or use anybat arts. He couldn''t even use a forbidden art since the time it took to use it; Lu Zhen could kill him ten times over at that time.


    "You are really something of a little monster¡­" heughed, but a punch came at him with no reply.


    Xia Jia regretted putting the barrier up. If he wasn''t an idiot and had put the barrier up previously, he could have been safe and sound. After all, he could run away no matter how strong both of them were. As long as he could run, they couldn''t do anything to him. But now that he had to face them with no chance of escaping, he was in deep trouble.


    Another punch came at him; however, this time he closed his eyes as if he was in deep thought before abruptly opening his eyes right when the fist was going to connect to his face. He took a pill from thin air and bit the pill.


    Boom!


    A terrifying wind current was produced around him, sending Lu Zhen hurtling.


    "This¡­" Lu Zhen looked at the man in surprise.


    "Quick, he is using intent," Lu Ying said, her voice filled with surprise as she attacked. However, this time, her terrifying gloves full of spikes were stopped in mid-air by him.


    Her eyes widened as she wasunched into the air and sent flying back by an invisible attack.


    Xia Jia''s gaze looked mortal as he observed both Lu Zhen and Lu Ying.


    "This Intent is truly fascinating¡­" Xia Jia looked at his hands and body; however, except for the blood


    Although it didn''t look like anything of his was changed, his internal organs were almost squeezed out from using strength he was not supposed to possess, while his Qi rapidly drained, with his vitality slowly draining.


    "What is this?" Lu Zhen''s eyes widened.


    "This is¡­ Intent¡­" Lu Ying''s eyes widened as she couldn''t believe her eyes. "What was that pill he took?"


    Intent was the signature of first-stage martial artists and could only be gained when one masters one martial art to its peak. Not even Lu Ying had it.


    "Now mock me as much as you want." A sneer appeared on Xia Jia''s face as he disappeared from his position and appeared right in front of Lu Zhen and punched.


    Lu Zhen''s instinct screamed as he quickly backstepped; however, he was still sent hurtling from just the sheer push of the man''s fist.


    As hended on the ground, he looked up to see Xia Jia disappear from his position, and a huge wind st came at him.


    Lu Zhen''s eyes widened when he saw the wind st.


    Although it was rtively small, he felt a sense of danger that he had never felt before.


    With Lu Zhen''s heart beating a skip, he opened his mouth and crossed his fingers, his mind swirling with thousands of thoughts in seconds.


    Boom!


    As the wind st was slowly sucked into his mouth like a ck hole, this time his stomach started to inte, and then his entire body inted as if he was going to burst.


    After he absorbed all the wind st, all that was left was Lu Zhen, full like a balloon with no muscle at all. Luckily, his body was slowly taking the massive amount of Qi he had gained and converting it for his own use.


    Unluckily, he didn''t have time right now for escaping.


    From the corner of his eyes, Lu Zhen could see the prompt of his level up in his skills.


    But he couldn''t care less right now or he might die seeing his level up prompt right now.


    Lu Zhen kicked the ground and instantly floated in the air, narrowly dodging a punch that came directly from Xia Jia.


    As the punch was stopped mid-way, the direction Xia Jia punched the ground made faint creaking noises, as if in pain, before knocking out at least ten, attacking the barrier. However, the barrier was unmoving, and didn''t even ripple.


    "I am going to die." This thought came to Lu Zhen''s mind when he saw the sheer power of the punch, just by punching, while he couldn''t move in his inted state in mid-air.


    So he had no choice.


    Luckily, Lu Ying directly came and attacked, but it was entirely useless against Xia Jia as he didn''t flinch from the attack, with a glint of mockery in his eyes.


    His eyes moved, and she was again sent flying back.


    Lu Zhen''s eyes shined as he saw a faint form around Xia Jia that he couldn''t previously see.


    Xia Jia was covered in an armour which looked exactly like him, covering his entire body and reaching about fifteen feet, which was about 450 cm. However, there was a distinctive feature: his mouth was like a white dragon snout with a tail of a dragon sticking out from his butt, all covered in Japanese-style armour.


    But the form had numerous patches in its body, as if it was injured from countless battles, like a warrior.


    Although it was rtively hard to see, for even a martial trainee, it could be seen as clear as day.


    "You also have the intent to form armour¡­" Lu Ying coughed as she looked at him with a contemtive expression, her previous fear disappearing, reced by a cold face that had a hint of mockery in her gaze as she looked at him with a smile on her face.


    "Eh." Suddenly, Xia Jia felt something was wrong as the spirit seemed to tremble instinctively.

 Chapter 203: Last Battle: Death of Xia Jia

    He looked around to confirm something; however, nobody was there.


    "What do you mean?" However, the next second, he saw Lu Ying bing bigger while growing four arms, a slender body with a tail lit in dark mes, a horn growing from her head, and her bust size increasing, with fangs protruding from her mouth. She almost looked like Lu Zhen, but in a feminine version with some distinctive differences, and she didn''t grow bulkier, but rather slimmer.


    "This¡­" Lu Zhen was speechless when he saw this. Although he expected that his mother had a transformation, he didn''t expect it to be almost identical to his own and looked rather distinctive.


    The aura around Lu Ying seemed to have changed significantly as she attacked Xia Jia.


    "You are truly a bloodline martial artist." Xia Jia gritted his teeth as he attacked instead of retreating with a fierce expression. "I am taking you with me." He gathered every ounce of his strength and attacked with his full power.


    However, at thest moment, as their attack was about to happen, a sneer appeared on Mother Lu''s face as she disappeared from her position.


    Boom!


    Thend split open as Xia Jia''s attacknded; however, all it hit was the barrier, which slightly rippled before standing tall again.


    "This¡­" Xia Jia''s eyes became bloodshot as he looked around at his surroundings.


    However, before he could even think further, suddenly he felt his strength draining as he looked up to see Lu Zhen in his normal size, opening his mouth as if he was eating something.


    "It''s that strange technique again." He could feel his body crumbling every second it passed. Although it wasn''t a forbidden art, the pill started to take its toll on him, especially when he gathered his strength in that attack he did to Lu Ying.


    He was drawing power way over his level, which caused his body to be like this. Not the side-effect of the pill itself, although it was just one step above his level, just that the difference is like an ant to an elephant.


    Although the ant could kill the elephant, it would need to gather millions of them, while a single elephant was enough to crush hundreds of ants with just one step.


    While he was distracted for a moment, he was hit again. Although the spirit protected him, he was still sent flying back, and his strength was rapidly draining.


    "How stupid, Xia Jia. Now you have to dig a hole for yourself," Lu Ying sneered as she looked at him.


    Lu Zhen, still in mid-air, was floating with his mouth wide open and a blissful expression on his face. When he devoured Xia Jia''s energy for the first time, he felt an eternal energy enter his body. Although it was initially rather violent, after staying in his body for some time, it became tame and started to slowly change his body.


    Meanwhile, Xia Jia struggled on the ground as his strength continued to drain, and he felt the consequences of drawing power beyond his level.


    Lu Zhen''s muscles contracted even more, bing morepact, while his internal organs were being rapidly strengthened. Although his bone density increased, reaching the peak of the second-stage martial arts with his body, and his Wood Qi continued to advance, his entire body was strengthened as a whole rather than just his muscles.


    A strange event urred in Lu Zhen''s body; however, it was rather fleeting because the energy wasn''t enough, causing him to frown.


    "Is this intent?" Lu Zhen thought as his eyes lit up with greed, looking at the ground where Xia Jia was fighting Lu Ying.


    His eyes shed with malevolence as hended on the ground and started to slowly devour Xia Jia''s energy again, hoping to gain more of the intent.


    "It''s this again¡­" Xia Jia felt his energy being snapped away from him.


    "This can''t go on any longer. I must kill one of them." His eyes glinted with determination as he abruptly turned around, stunning Lu Ying. However, Lu Ying''s eyes lit up seeing this instead, and she sent a barrage of attacks to Xia Jia.


    "You dare turn your back on me?" a sneer formed on her face.


    "Demonic art: Demonic mes." her fist was suddenly covered with ck mes as she punched xia jia.


    Xia Jia grunted as he felt a scalding pain from his back; even the spirit couldn''t protect him from it. Ignoring all the pain, he sprinted directly towards Lu Zhen with a determined glint on his face.


    Lu Zhen''s crimson eyes abruptly snapped open as his instincts red. He gathered his bloodline and took his Volgrith form. Instantly, his height grew, his skin tone became purplish, and he sprouted two sharp horns and a heart-shaped tail. Two sharp canines grew from his mouth. He swiftly maneuvered himself, effortlessly dodging Xia Jia''s attack.


    A sneer formed on Lu Zhen''s face as he ran from the battle and disappeared.


    "Do you think you can hide from me?"


    Xia Jia could almost instantly spot Lu Zhen as he prepared to attack. However, before he could make a move, Lu Ying intervened and attacked him again.


    Ahhh!


    The bone-chilling ck me once again burnt his back, revealing even the spine as the area was entirely scorched due to the high intensity of the me.


    "You¡­" He turned back, forgetting about Lu Zhen since Xia Jia would most definitely die at this rate.


    However, the instant he turned back, his eyes widened as his vision dimmed.


    His aura slowly died down, and he fell to the ground. His body slowly started to crumble as cracks spread throughout his entire body.


    A sword that emitted a bone-chilling aura was stabbed right at his heart as thest of his vitality was snapped away. However, as the vitality was snapped, the aura of the sword seemed to grow stronger.


    Xia Jia slowly closed his eyes as he started to wither away, leaving only bones behind. The red sword shed with a bright light, and his bones were also sucked in by the sword.


    Thud!


    As the entire body of Xia Jia disappeared, the sword fell to the ground.

 Chapter 204: Cultivation Technique

    Lu Zhen''s eyes widened as he witnessed the scene unfolding before him. He felt a chilling aura emanating from the blood-red sword, as if his vitality were being drained merely by standing near it.


    "Mother, what is this sword?" he asked, his expression revealing a sense of shock.


    Lu Ying tenderly touched the sword with a gentle gaze. As if obeying hermand, it ceased emitting the terrifying, bone-shivering aura and disappeared from her hands.


    "This is our ancestor''s weapon from our bloodline n," she exined without looking back.


    Lu Zhen nodded, his eyes still reflecting surprise.


    "Mother, shouldn''t it be in the hands of our n? Why is it here?"


    "They are all already dead," Lu Ying stated simply, deep in thought.


    "Wait, what?" he eximed, a question mark adorning his face.


    "I mean what I said."


    Although Lu Zhen was shocked, he nodded after pondering for a moment.


    "Is that why you were hiding from the outside world? Not because you were in seclusion?"


    "Yes," Lu Ying simply nodded.


    A frown appeared on Lu Zhen''s face as he pieced everything together in his mind.


    "So what should we do about the barrier now?" Lu Zhen asked, looking at the giant thin films surrounding them like a dome.


    Although he was curious about the story behind what happened, since his mother didn''t want to talk about it, he wouldn''t ask.


    Lu Ying snapped out of her thoughts when she heard this, ncing outside.


    "Well¡­" A frown appeared on her face. However, her expression rxed after she thought of something. "The barrier should go down after some time. It shouldn''t stay up indefinitely, considering it could take hits from Xia Jia, who is already almost a first-stage martial artist. The barrier energy shouldn''tst long."


    Lu Ying thought as she looked outside the barrier, observing the bloodshot eyes of the grand elders of the Xia family staring at her and Lu Zhen.


    "Well, these grand elders arete," a sneer formed on her face as she looked at them with mockery.


    "You dare." Eleven second-stage martial artist auras were released simultaneously, causing the ground to shake with pressure. However, the barrier remained unmoved, as even theirbined auras couldn''t prate it.


    Lu Zhen backed away, feeling a little intimidated by the sheer pressure emitted when all of them used their aura at once. He had always fought one-on-one battles until now, or the opponents were too weak for him. Lu Zhen had forgotten how challenging it was to face a sheer number of opponents of the same strength.


    "Well, we are safe for now, but after the barrier goes down, we''ll be in trouble if they all attack at the same time," Lu Ying said, observing the bloodshot eyes sheathing in rage outside the barrier.


    "But we won''t be in trouble for long, as we have enough time." A small smirk appeared on Lu Zhen''s face.


    Lu Ying nodded with understanding.


    The two remained inside the barrier, patiently waiting. However, Lu Zhen was curious about one thing, so he asked, "Mother, I have reached the peak of a second-stage martial artist; however, I can''t open dimensional space like you do." He spoke honestly, already having a certain amount of trust in her.


    Lu Ying''s eyes glinted with a proud light when she heard that Lu Zhen had technically reached the peak of the second-stage martial realm.


    "Hmm, I don''t know. If you want to open dimensional space, you need to be able to hone intent at the peak of any cultivation technique. However, for the body¡­" She had a frown on her face.


    "How did you practise with your body until now?"


    "Well, hmm, I just trained my body until it almost reached the strength of the third-stage martial artist with just my raw strength. Then you gave me the cultivation technique to harness Wood Qi, so I practised it until I was able to sense Qi the moment I did¡­" Lu Zhen told the entire story to her without a single lie.


    Lu Ying nodded her head as she looked at him with a strange light. "Your bloodline purity is slowly thinning out. Looks like the thing that was holding you back the most was this cursed bloodline all along."


    Lu Ying attributed the unbelievable feat of Lu Zhen to simply his natural talent in cultivating the body, but it was blocked by his bloodline since childhood. It was suppressed, making him seem like a talentless mortal. However, now that Lu Zhen had awakened his bloodline, his talent bloomed.


    Although the bloodline helped, it only boosted hisbat ability and increased his talent a little, given that the bloodline was so thin.


    So, for Lu Zhen, the bloodline was simply a curse¡ªat least, that was what Lu Ying thought.


    Thinking of this, she experienced a mixture of emotions.


    "Mother, why are you so sad?" Lu Zhen asked, observing the expression on Lu Ying''s face.


    "Nothing."


    "Well, if you say so," he didn''t ask further since she didn''t want to answer.


    "The way for your body to progress might be producing intent naturally from your body," Lu Ying said, shaking distracting thoughts out of her head.


    "What does that mean?" Lu Zhen frowned. Although he had heard a lot about intent, there was very little knowledge he had about it. Most of his knowledge came from the Verdant de cultivation technique, but it was still a cultivation technique. It showed how to reach that realm but didn''t exin what it would actually do.


    "Well, let''s talk about normal martial artists who reach the first-stage martial realm and achieve their signature intent."


    "It all boils down to how the cultivation technique is made. Every cultivation technique till now, or at least that I know of, has all been created with the inspiration and enlightenment of other creatures or things, whether animate or inanimate. It could be a beast like lion or it could be a tree like ours while it could even be a shooting star or even the sun or moon."

 Chapter 205: Enlightenment Disrupted

    "When one reaches the peak of the cultivation technique, the martial artist will be able to form the peak of that said form that was once used when creating the initial cultivation technique," Lu Ying said as she looked at Lu Zhen, whose eyes widened.


    "You mean to say intent is simply the power of the form we draw when we reach the peak of the cultivation technique?"


    When Lu Ying heard this, she chuckled and nodded her head. "You are quite smart, my son."


    "Hmm¡­" Lu Zhen fell into a contemtive state.


    "By the way, if you want to try to reach that with your body, you must master your own body."


    "What does that mean?" Lu Zhen had a confused expression on his face.


    "Just like being the master of the martial art and reaching its peak, you must be a master using your own body."


    "Hmm¡­" Lu Zhen had a contemtive expression as he delved into deep thoughts.


    "Be the master of the body." These thoughts rang in his head as Lu Zhen gradually fell into a trance-like state with his unmoving crimson pupils, his brain working in overdrive toprehend the words of Lu Ying.


    Lu Ying''s eyes lit up when she saw this. "Is this his enlightenment?"


    However, before Lu Zhen could even begin his enlightenment, a loud bang reverberated in the surroundings, causing his concentration to be disturbed as he abruptly woke up.


    Rumble!


    The barrier started to crack slowly, like ss, as a high-pitched sound rang in the surroundings.


    Lu Zhen frowned when he heard this sound. It was a very high, unpleasant sound that was skin-crawling, to say the least. With his enhanced five senses, it became even more disadvantageous to him, and his ears started to bleed from the sound.


    However, he was even more concerned about the other second-stage martial artists outside, waiting to tear them apart.


    "Mother, how many second-stage martial artists can you take alone?" Lu Zhen looked towards his mother, who was sheathing in rage with bloodshot eyes.


    Seeing this, Lu Zhen had a peculiar expression.


    Lu Ying took a deep breath and said, "Alright, I can take five of them at once, but that is my limit."


    "If I take on more than five, I shouldn''t be able to kill them." Her eyes slowly shone with rity as she calmed down. However, there was still a deep-seated anger inside her that could erupt at any time.


    Lu Zhen nodded his head when he heard this. Although it might seem like a pitiful amount for her, at the very peak of the second-stage martial realm with just a little step for her to reach the first-stage martial realm, fighting second-stage martial artists of the same realm who had cockroach-like vitality and were hard to kill was a trouble on its own.


    Sure, she had more strength, but when all the martial artists in the same realm all attacked at the same time, she needed to deal with them carefully; after all, she wasn''t invincible, and Lu Ying could not be immune to all their attacks so it was inevitable to die if she lets her guard down.


    Lu Zhen had just reached the peak of the second-stage martial realm through his body, so his strength was still at the bottom tierpared to other martial artists who had reached the peak of the second-stage martial realm. Although, with the countless cheats he possessed, he could give them trouble, but his base power was still weaker.


    "Mother, then you take five of the second-stage martial artists while I take the rest. Although I can''t kill them, stopping them shouldn''t be a problem, especially with my strong body. They should be arriving soon," he said as Lu Zhen took a contemtive expression.


    "Well, these hidden weapons will finally be useful," Lu Zhen mused as he took out the demonic bow from his back.


    The reason why Lu Zhen requested Ancestor Lu for the hidden weapons was simply because of this kind of mass fighting. These hidden weapons were most perfect for these kinds of battles.


    The barrier slowly started to fall, and they could already feel the terrifying aura that the other second-stage martial artists emitted as they stared bloodshot towards them.


    "Well¡­" a sneer appeared on Lu Zhen''s face as he also released his aura, taking on his bloodline form.


    Meanwhile, Lu Ying released her aura fully, her body bing slender and taller again with horns and a tail growing.


    The two sides of the aura crashed into each other, creating a vibration that spread throughout the ground as the earth seemed to tremble.


    Although the grand elders were a little stunned by Lu Zhen and Lu Ying''s sudden appearance, they couldn''t care less due to their rage, charging at them like madmen.


    After all, it was their survival chance. If they managed to regroup with their army and the grand elders of the Lu family, they would be deader than dead for sure. So, their only hope of survival was to kill them here, especially after Xia Jia, the strongest among them, died.


    A sneer formed in lu zhen''s face as he vanished from his and directly appeared in front of one of the elders and punched with his full power.


    The grand elder felt a terrifying descent on him as a shiver ran down his spine.


    However luckily another grand elder came to his aid and defended him.


    With them two working together they were barely able to stop lu zhen''s punch as they took four steps back while coughing blood.


    Lu zhen wanted to continue attacking however a sword came from his back directly aiming for his back.


    He could only helplessly evade the blow.


    "Thank you brother."


    The two grand elders said as they looked at lu zhen with pure anger.


    "We don''t need to say thank you after all we are friends. This little monster is terrifying to say the least." the grand elder said as he looked at lu zhen with some horror.


    Lu zhen''s eyes narrowed when he sensed the aura of the man "peak second-stage martial artist?"

 Chapter 206: Fighting Five Against One

    However, he wasn''t given a moment to rest as a mace came right at him, aiming for his head.


    Lu Zhen kicked the ground, shaking the surroundings. The man was off-bnce, causing him to narrowly miss Lu Zhen.


    Swiftly manoeuvring, Lu Zhen used his thick, purplish arm to attack the man.


    However, this time, a knife came at him silently.


    Lu Zhen''s eyes narrowed as he dodged the attack and backed away, carefully observing his surroundings.


    There were six second-stage martial artists surrounding him. One used a fist technique, another was a swordsman, while the others wielded a mace, a knife, an assassin, and a bow user in the distance.


    Although the bow user might not have attacked him until now, Lu Zhen could feel the terrifying aura. The assassin was well-hidden, but it was useless against Lu Zhen''s mental energy.


    "Give up, Lu Zhen, and die quietly," the swordsman, who seemed to be the leader, said with an apathetic expression on his face.


    Lu Zhen was amused when he heard this.


    "Do you really think you six alone could kill me?" A madughter resounded as Lu Zhenughed like a maniac.


    Kahahhahah!


    "This¡­" the man was speechless; however, his eyes widened as his survival instinct screamed at him.


    Without looking, he dodged to the side, narrowly avoiding Lu Zhen''s punch.


    Psh!


    An arrow came directly at the back of Lu Zhen silently. However, this time he remained unmoving even when the arrow came directly for his head.


    The air was torn as the arrow moved silently; however, the strange thing was that there was no sound.


    As the arrow was about to connect with Lu Zhen''s head, suddenly two arms popped up from his shoulders. Then, two arms popped up from Lu Zhen''s shoulders as well, and the two arms effortlessly caught the arrow while he sprinted forward, reaching and grabbing thin air with one hand andunching punches after punches.


    The man grunted as blood spread on the ground, staining it blood red but the body was nowhere to be seen making it seem like he was punching air. However, Lu Zhen couldn''t care less and punched again.


    This, however, wasn''t nearly enough for the man to die, causing a frown to appear on Lu Zhen''s face.


    Almost instantly, Lu Zhen chose the best option avable to him. A sneer formed as he casually caught the sword that swung at him from behind with his four hands.


    His right arm erged as demonic Qi surged through it, making his arms even thicker while veins popped all over his hand.


    Boom!


    As Lu Zhen''s demonic arms punched the air, his hand passed through what seemed to be thin air and disappeared beforeing back with a beating heart.


    Finally, the man was revealed, wearing bluish ninja clothes. The man tried to il around; however, against Lu Zhen''s strength, he was no match. He was like a helpless chicken that would be killed but not eaten. So he was a useless chicken!


    Lu Zhen brutally threw the man to the ground, his eyes devoid of any significant emotion.


    The man''s breathing became ragged as his vision slowly dimmed on the ground with multiple fractures in his bones, and his body was in a strange shape due to the sheer force with which Lu Zhen threw his body. He could still see his beating heart in front of him in Lu Zhen''s hands, while Lu Zhen had a cold expression on his face, recing his maddened one.


    Plop!


    Lu Zhen tightened his fist, causing the heart to burst and creating a fountain of blood that died down soon after.


    "You¡­" the swordsman''s eyes became bloodshot when he saw this. Although the fight might have seemed long, it happened in the blink of an eye. The higher the realm of the martial artist, the faster they could fight, bing battles with split-second decisions.


    Although martial artists are like cockroaches, even cockroaches will die if their hearts are destroyed and their bodies are deformed to the point of being unrecognisable.


    Although that might not be the case for higher realm martial artists, for second-stage martial artists, it was enough for them to die.


    "Bastard." He was about to charge at Lu Zhen; however, he was stopped by the mace man.


    "Brother, calm yourself; you will only feed yourself to that little monster if you do."


    Although the swordsman was angry, the instant he heard this, he calmed down and nodded his head, feeling a shiver run down his spine.


    "I took my role too seriously, although I am the strongest. How could I sacrifice my life just for the sake of that little runt¡­" an expressionless expression appeared on the swordsman''s face as if he was deeply mourning for the fallen assassin.


    Seeing this, all the grand elders of the Xia family were moved. After all, the swordsman was the biggest among them and also the strongest.


    Lu Zhen just amusingly watched all this drama unfold in front of him without a single bit of movement.


    "Why didn''t you attack us, young m¡­ litt¡­ big monster," the swordsman said confusingly as he looked at the unmoving position of Lu Zhen, the hulking figure of purplish ten feet (304 cm) and four arms like an Ashura.


    "Well, this charade is over after all¡­" Lu Zhen said as he revealed his canine teeth with a mysterious expression.


    "What do you mean¡­" Suddenly, a middle-aged man materialised in front of the Xia family grand elders and bowed.


    "Grand elders, the army has arrived," the middle-aged man said with visible nervousness as he looked at the purple devil who resembled an Ashura.


    Hearing this, the swordsmanughed and said to Lu Zhen with disdain in his gaze.


    "You are right; the battle is over," a sneer formed on his face as heughed. However, Lu Zhen''s eyes held ridicule as he watched the manugh like a fool, as if he were seeing a zoo animal.

 Chapter 207: Giangantic Wooden Cage

    The swordsman felt that something was wrong as he looked around, while the others also scanned their surroundings.


    Boom!


    Suddenly, the ground shook as wooden pirs appeared from the ground and instantly formed a cage that trapped all of them.


    "This¡­" the swordsman''s eyes widened with sheer horror as he was assailed by the aura of at least five second-stage martial artists all at once. This caused his mind to be clouded, and his body started to shiver.


    Without giving anyone a chance to react, four second-stage martial artists wearing green robes embroidered with the symbol of the verdant tree jumped at him simultaneously, attacking him from all directions.


    A shiver ran down his face as despair etched his expression.


    He wasn''t Lu Zhen, a literal monster who could take on multiple opponents of the same realm simultaneously; he was just a barely-broken-through peak second-stage martial artist.


    The swordsman looked to his brother for help; however, Lu Zhen and another second-stage martial artist were blocking the way for the three martial artists.


    It was rtively easy for Lu Zhen to hold back two second-stage martial artists. In fact, he was about to end the life of the mace martial artist as well, while the other second-stage martial artists were blocking the archer, making the swordsmanpletely isted.


    "This¡­ I can''t die yet¡­" the swordsman gritted his teeth with unwillingness as he gathered thest ounce of his strength; however, reality was always cruel.


    Thud!


    His head fell to the floor with unwillingness still reflecting in his eyes as the body fell around as if fish came out ofnd for a solid five minutes and finally fell to the ground as well.


    He was swiftly beheaded in that moment of time he assessed his situation. If he didn''t assess his situation, he would have still died.


    Just like that, the swordsman also died.


    "Big brother¡­" The mace martial artist cried out loud. However, the poor guy wasn''t given much time to live as his head burst like a watermelon with a simple punch from Lu Zhen.


    The fist martial artist had despair etched on his face when he saw this, blood sttering all over his body.


    "How do I survive? How do I survive? How do I survive?" The survival instinct of any living being took over his mind.


    It was the nature of any living being to not want to die. Whether human or animal, nobody wants to be a pile of faeces!


    "I¡­ I surrender." He closed his eyes, expecting something to happen; however, nothing urred, which confused him greatly as he slowly opened his eyes.


    Lu Zhen looked at him amusingly; however, his eyes radiated a deep coldness, as if he didn''t even consider the worth of his surrender.


    "Good, stay on the ground and be cuffed," Lu Zhen''s cold voice rang in his ear, a deep humiliation striking his pride as the grand elder of the Xia family.


    However, a resigned look appeared on his face as he stayed face-down.


    Seeing this, the archer martial artist also lost the will to fight and surrendered as well.


    "Well, anyst words?" Lu Zhen said as he looked at the middle-aged man who hade to inform the grand elder of the Xia family.


    "This¡­ this¡­" He was too stunned by the scene that unfolded in front of him, and he almost forgot to breathe. His brain couldn''t process this, or rather, he couldn''t believe reality.


    However, the intense danger to his life somehow made him regain his thoughts as he said, "I surrender." A deep humiliation came over him. After all, which man can bow in front of another man except one''s parents? This was instinctively engraved into oneself while growing up.


    However, Lu Zhen''s expression became cold. "You aren''t worth my time to surrender, neither do you have strength nor anything valuable to me."


    The man felt a shiver down his spine as the light in his eyes dimmed. His vision turned one eighty degrees, his world spun, and with it, his eyespletely lost his life.


    Lu Zhen coldly looked at the corpse with an uncaring expression as he moved forward, admiring the wooden gigantic cage he had seen, just from the sheer size of the wood.


    He took a deep breath and casually punched the cage.


    Creak!


    The wood seemed to crack from the strength of Lu Zhen; however, it was still rtively in fine condition, causing him to nod his head with a satisfied expression.


    "Open the cage," Lu Zhen said as he casually stretched his body, gradually reverting back to his human form using the bloodline cultivation technique.


    "Yes, young master." The five grand elders nodded as they swiftly captured two second-stage martial artists and bound them with a special rope.


    Although they could potentially escape with some effort, any movement on their part was enough time for the second-stage martial artists to react swiftly and deal with them. After all, they werepletely restrained, meaning they were weak.


    Rumble!


    The ground trembled as the wooden cage reverted to poles and returned to the ground, revealing the outside world to Lu Zhen''s vision.


    Filled with the people on two sides who were staring at the centre where Lu Zhen and others were and the cage. They emitted the fierce aura of battle hardened soldier as they had a serious expression on there.


    However, ignoring this, Lu Zhen looked at his mother''s side, which was also covered in a wooden cage.


    "How is my mother''s situation?" Lu Zhen asked with a frown on his face.


    "Young master, the enemies are being swiftly dealt with¡­"


    "Let me enter," Lu Zhen said, ignoring the grand elder''s words.


    "But¡­ this¡­ young master," the grand elder was stunned seeing the impatient Lu Zhen.


    "Now."


    "Alright, young master." The grand elder touched the wooden cage, and as if by magic, the wooden cage opened slightly, just enough for Lu Zhen to enter.


    "Our family formation is truly not bad," Lu Zhen said with admiration as he went into the small hole

 Chapter 208: Encirclement of the Huang family

    Lu Zhen looked inside and found a single injured man who had fallen to the ground, while there were already four corpses in the ground.


    Thud!


    The injured man also fell to the ground with lifeless eyes.


    "Oh, why are you here, son?" Lu Ying said as she looked at Lu Zhen with a confused gaze. She had already turned into her human form, her body soaked in blood.


    "Well, I was concerned about you¡­" Lu Zhen said with a cough.


    A smile appeared on her face when she heard this.


    "My son has started caring for me," a smile appeared on her face.


    "We have a war to fight; our battle isn''t over yet, mother." Lu Zhen said with a calm tone, trying to change the subject.


    "You are right," she nodded her head with a contemtive expression.


    "Grand elders, please." Lu Zhen said as he beckoned.


    And the seven second-stage martial artists touched the wooden cage, and it disappeared, returning to the ground as if it didn''t exist in the first ce.


    Revealing the outside world.


    The soldiers were still staring daggers at each other; however, the difference was that now one side had proud eyes as their killing aura erupted, covering the entire ground, while the Xia family soldiers all wore cowardly expressions with despair etched in their eyes.


    Without the battle even starting, they had already taken steps back and were on the verge of fleeing.


    However, before they could run, a bellowing battle cry sounded as countless soldiers circled both armies in a tightly packed manner, encircling them as a whole.


    Lu Zhen had a frown on his face when he saw the uniform of the army. They were from the Huang family.


    "I didn''t expect the Huang family to arrive sote to the party," Lu Zhen said in a loud voice, his words reaching far and wide.


    "Well, you have done us a great favor by killing the grand elders of the Xia family. Thank you, Lu Zhen." The tone was filled with a mocking undertone, making Lu Zhen''s eyes narrow to a sliver.


    "Oh, I want to see where you get the confidence from," a smirk appeared on Lu Zhen''s face as his expression turned serious.


    Roar!


    He roared with a loud voice, gathering all the attention of the Lu family army.


    "Fight."


    Although Lu Zhen didn''t have fullmand of the army, the whole army seemed to instinctively react to Lu Zhen''s battle cry as their backs strengthened, and their eyes seemed to emit a terrifying fire.


    "What are all of you?" Lu Zhen said in a loud voice.


    The soldiers were a little confused when they heard this as it remained silent. However, one of the soldiers raised their hand and said, "We are soldiers, young master."


    Lu Zhen nodded his head, however, he had a disappointed expression on his face.


    Seeing this, the confusion of the soldiers grew. Before another raised their hand, "We are human beings, young master."


    Lu Zhen''s eyes lit up when he heard this as he looked at the entire army.


    "So what is the right of living beings?"


    "To live, young master."


    "So what is stopping you from living here?"


    "This¡­ the enemies?" an uncertain expression appeared on the faces of the soldiers.


    "Yes, the enemies. It''s either you die or them. Don''t you have your family or loved ones waiting at your home? Do you want to see them in tears when they see a lifeless corpse?"


    "No, young master." The soldiers who had raised their hands weren''t the only ones to reply, as the entire army roared in unison.


    "Well, they don''t deserve to die either, but do you think they will spare you if they get the chance?"


    "No, young master."


    "Then what will you do?"


    "We will fight, young master."


    "We will fight, young master."


    "We will fight, young master."


    The ground seemed to tremble from the voices of millions of soldiers as their eyes glinted with a predator''s light, like that of a wild animal.


    "Then attack." Lu Zhen''s voice was the final straw that broke all the soldiers, and all hell broke loose as they attacked the Xia family soldiers first.


    Lu Ying and the grand elder were stunned, but they kept quiet. They had already considered Lu Zhen as the leader.


    Lu Zhen casually took out his bow and shot a demonic arrow, which flicked in the air as it whizzed towards a random captain.


    The third-stage martial artist felt a shiver run down his spine as he looked around, however, he couldn''t see anything, as a searing pain came from his chest and melted his entire body as a whole.


    Not giving him even time to see what hit him!


    The entire Xia army was silenced as they backed away instead of advancing.


    "Run."


    A random soldier couldn''t handle the pressure and ran away.


    With that simple guy running away, all hell broke loose since they didn''t have amander, and the army fled.


    After all, even though they were war-trained soldiers, when it came to dying, everyone was scared of it, especially if it was a pointless death.


    "Wait." Lu Zhen said, pausing the entire marching army, which made all the soldiers confused. Even Lu Ying and the other grand elders were puzzled as well.


    "Let them run." A sneer appeared on his face as he used his bow to take out another captain of the Xia family soldiers, making them more headless flies.


    The Xia family army ran towards the Huang family instead, and due to their panic, they killed many Huang family soldiers while trying to escape the encirclement.


    "Damn it." Huang Kai gritted his teeth in anger as he looked at the Xia family army who were attacking his Huang family army.


    "These insignificant insects¡­" he roared as heunched himself up and took out his double-ded scimitar.


    Boom!


    Hended right inside the Xia family army. As hended, the ground cracked, and the soldiers lost their bnce, with some falling down from the cracked ground.

 Chapter 209: Cannon Fodders

    With the horrified eyes of the Xia family soldiers, Huang Kai''s double-ded scimitar started to spin like a fan as it emitted a terrifying heat.


    Huang Kai had an evil smile on his face as he walked through the entire army with the spinning scimitar, creating a fiery line in the army of the Xia family.


    Due to the absence of the second-stage martial artist, they couldn''t stop him. The most powerful in the army were the captains, who were third-stage martial artists, and although they could beat him, that''s only when they were organised. With the army in chaos and nomander, the Xia family was like a headless fly being ughtered one by one.


    Huff! Huff!


    Huang Kai took deep breaths as he perspired. His clothes were already stained with the blood of hundreds; however, the spinning fiery two-ded scimitar was slowly dimming, as if it was running out of fuel. The fiery light was gradually bing dark, as if it was returning to being an ordinary scimitar again.


    Literal mountains of corpses were behind Huang Kai, but there were still many left from the Xia family army, causing him to frown.


    "I underestimate myself," Huang Kai thought with a sigh.


    Swish!


    Suddenly, a dark ming arrow flickered as it traveled directly at him, aiming for his head in silence.


    Even Huang Kai didn''t notice the arrow whizzing at him. However, before it could directly melt him, another man appeared and hurriedly redirected the flying arrow.


    As the sword and the arrow met, although the sword was able to redirect the arrow, the sword melted with just the touch of the arrow, causing the man''s eyes to widen with horror.


    "This¡­" he was speechless as he looked at his melted sword, feeling a pang of heartache. This sword was a precious third-grade weapon, and not every martial artist had a weapon in the same realm as them.


    "Are you alright, Patriarch?"


    Huang Kai had just noticed the arrow, which made him take a cold breath as he thanked the man.


    "Thank you, Grand Elder Bao," Huang Kai said in a grateful tone.


    Huang Bao just nodded his head.


    "This little runt¡­" however a deep anger came to him as he looked in the distance seeing a smirk on lu zhen''s face as he had an amusing look on his face while seeing the xia and huang family fight.


    "If this goes on like this our army will be tired before we can even fight our family." Huang kai gritted his head before announcing in a loud voice"soldiers of the huang family retreat."


    The soldiers immediately retreated and the xia family soldiers couldn''t care less about them as they made a mad dash past them running for their life.


    "Shoot," a sneer appeared on Huang kai''s face as he beckoned and instantly arrows rained in the sky as almost half the fleeing xia family soldiers were ughtered by the arrows while some were lucky to escape.


    Lu Zhen frowned when he saw this, thinking, "Something is wrong here."


    "Weren''t the Xia family ancestors and the Huang family ancestors cooperating to fight our ancestors? Why did they attack the Xia family and even go to such an extent as to lose their arrows just to kill those fleeting soldiers?" His mind worked rapidly as countless thoughts erupted in his head, considering many possibilities¡ªeither abstract or non-abstract.


    Although many reasons popped into his head, he could only helplessly follow along for now.


    Whether it was a trap or not, how could Lu Zhen let this opportunity slip? With ruthless eyes, he raised his right hand and said, "Shoot." Instantly, rains fell down from the sky onto the soldiers of the Huang family and Apocalypse.


    Once the arrows gained momentum due to gravity and friction, they became a terrifying mass destruction weapon that could take down a castle with just two shots. And that was when Lu Zhen had an army of a thousand, but now there were millions. Imagine the destructive power of millions of arrows shot in the sky and falling down on you.


    Even small pebbles be deadly weapons like meteorites whenunched, so the terrifying arrows were even more formidable.


    However, seeing the millions of small dots in the sky as theyunched at them, Huang Kai was rtively calm as he raised his arms.


    "Start a defensive formation." Instantly, the soldiers held their shields and tightened them in apact form as their shields glowed with a fiery light.


    Boom!


    As the arrows met the ming shields, grunts from the soldiers resounded as they were pushed back, but they remained rtively organized.


    "What is the report, Grand Elder?" Huang Kai asked the Grand Elder beside him.


    "Patriarch, from the report, it looks like only fifty people were seriously injured, and five hundred sixty-seven people were slightly injured with no deaths reported."


    Hearing this, Huang Kai was satisfied as his expression became cold, staring at Lu Zhen in the distance.


    "No matter what you do, you little monster will die today."


    "Charge." His cold tone resounded as the army charged at the Lu family army.


    Lu Zhen''s eyes shed with interest, sensing the killing intent of the man as he said, "Shoot again."


    Boom!


    The soldiers had already prepared the arrows, and they shot again, this time directly aiming at the Xia family army. After all, the Xia family army had already gained a significant distance from them, meaning shooting them in the air to gain momentum was useless now.


    Although the lethality was decreased by several times, it didn''t mean that the arrows were entirely useless. The weaker individuals of the army were instantly prated by countless arrows as they died a meaningless death as blood sttered on the ground.


    A good chunk of the army was dead; however, Huang Kai didn''t care. After all, almost all of them were disposable cannon fodder, though still valuable to have, but it wouldn''t make much difference in the final oue of the battle.

 Chapter 210: Mysterious Envoy

    Suddenly, a familiar dark ming arrow flickered, and a horrifying cry of pain resounded, melting a captain with it. Even his clothes were burned to ashes, and his entire body melted to the bones; at thest moment, only his ashes were left.


    The surroundings were stunned, and they faltered, but amanding cold voice came that made them move forward. After all, they were war-hardened soldiers, and while death like this was rare, theyunched forward.


    A sneer appeared on Lu Zhen''s face as he roared in his human form, creating a shockwave that seemed to tremble the ground. The army also roared in unison as madness reflected in their eyes, and the smell of death prevailed in the air.


    "Either kill or be dead."


    Lu Zhen, without hesitation, charged forward at the army, taking out a simple sword and started hacking. Instantly, with just a swing of his sword, he was able to kill at least ten people simultaneously as the others'' eyes widened with horror, pushing their spears at Lu Zhen simultaneously as if on instinct.


    Seeing at least ten spearse at him, Lu Zhen was rtively calm as he effortlessly manoeuvred himself, dodging them by a thin margin as if they had almost hit but survived by luck.


    A sneer appeared on his face as he simply shed his sword, and the heads of three individuals fell to the ground.


    There was no fancy trick used; Lu Zhen just shed his ordinary sword, and heads fell down one by one. Every attack, no matter how or what it was, he dodged it always by a narrow margin, as if he was a ghost it was like he was always in the position to be hit but none of the weapon could even touch him.


    Soon, the soldiers realised that no matter what they did, Lu Zhen waspletely unfazed, which made their eyes widen with horror.


    At the same time, the Lu family army fiercely shed with the enemy, creating a pool of blood as the battle cry resounded from time to time.


    Heads, arms, and legs of the soldiers fell quickly to the ground as the ground was dyed in red creating a gory scene.


    Lu Zhen was slowly carving a path ahead, just like Huang Kai; however, he didn''t use a fancy, idioticbat art that drained one''s strength unnecessarily.


    Wherever he went, a pool of blood formed as he slowly killed one by one, even more terrifying than Huang Kai. At least Huang Kai''s actions were at an understandable level and not humiliating, but Lu Zhen was directly stepping on their dignity and throwing them in the dustbin, causing the morale of the enemy army to fall.


    "Death Reaper."


    Lu Zhen''s ears twitched when he heard the name, but without hesitation, he simply swung, and five men fell down. Even though he was surrounded on all sides, he didn''t use even an ounce of his strength.


    "The battle instinct is quite helpful in this type of battle," Lu Zhen mused as he looked at his mother''s side, jumping up under the horrified eyes of the soldiers.


    "Well, she is fighting the second-stage martial artist with the other grand elders of the family. They don''t seem to have much trouble¡­" Lu Zhen frowned when he saw this.


    Lu Ying was fighting Huang Kai, and the other grand elders were engaged inbat with each other. Lu Ying had a slight advantage, crushing Huang Kai in every step she took. Meanwhile, the grand elders of the Huang family weren''t faring much better, being beaten time and again by the grand elders of the Lu family due to the numerical advantage.


    The only reason the Lu family was previously losing the battle was because of thebined efforts of both the Huang and Xia families. Now that the Xia family was basically wiped out, there was no way the Huang family could win under normal circumstances.


    However, Lu Zhen''s frown deepened as he adopted a contemtive expression.


    "What was that bastard Huang Kai so confident about?" he wondered.


    "I guess only time will tell," Lu Zhen shook his head, discarding distracting thoughts. Hended in the middle of the Xia family army again, killing five soldiers in just thending process, and initiated a killing spree with a simple sh of his sword.


    "Death Reaper appeared again."


    Lu Zhen didn''t pay much attention to the name given to him; in fact, he weed the opportunity to build his reputation. As the saying goes, sometimes reputation is considered one''s strength and should be carefully cultivated. Either way, it was better to have a fearsome reputation than no reputation at all.


    He sliced through the army like butter as time slowly passed. Lu Zhen carefully conserved his energy, remaining alert the whole time and keeping a watchful eye on his mother''s side to ensure everything was in order.


    ¡­


    "Damn it, if this goes on, we will disappoint the envoy," Huang Kai gritted his teeth as he was pushed back by the fist covered in spikes again.


    "Should I call him already?"


    He had a contemtive expression on his face before it turned ruthless. "It is better than having the entire family wiped out."


    Huang Kai took out a golden order with two scimitars crossed each other, emitting a strange aura.


    Within a blink of an eye, he broke the order, and a golden light emitted from it, covering the whole sky in a pir of gold that seemed to reach the heavens.


    "Hmm¡­" Lu Ying was stunned when she saw this.


    "You bastard, mother and son, now you are all dead." Huang Kai''s eyes became bloodshot as heughed uncontrobly like a madman.


    Lu Ying frowned when she heard this as she backstepped, feeling a familiar terrifying aura that made her instinctively tremble.


    She ran without looking back, as far as possible, with an expressionless face.


    "Where are you going, Lu Ying?" a voice resonated in the sky as a man revealed himself in the sky, emitting a terrifying aura that made everyone''s eyes widen with horror.

 Chapter 211: The Envoy

    Lu Ying gritted her teeth as her expression turned cold, and her speed increased even more as she whizzed past the soldiers, sending a message to Lu Zhen.


    "Run, son."


    Her voice transmission echoed in the air as Lu Zhen looked up, sensing the terrifying aura.


    "A first-stage martial artist? Is this where Huang Kai had the confidence from?" Lu Zhen thought, remaining rtively calm.


    "You can''t hide, Lu Ying¡­" the yful sound of the man resonated in the air as he revealed himself from the golden pir.


    The man was wearing an orange monk robe; however, he was entirely topless, with his hands covered in bandages, and wearing a purple bandana on his head.


    Countless thoughts raced through Lu Zhen''s head before his face finally turned serious, and a ruthless glint appeared in his eyes.


    "You are dead." His body violently grew as he took on his Volgrith form.


    Without hesitation, Lu Zhen kicked the ground, gaining momentum before charging directly towards the man with no shred of hesitation.


    His aura focused on the simple sword in his hand, turning it blood red.


    "Oh," a small smile appeared on the envoy''s face as he took a nce at Lu Zhen, and his entire body abruptly froze as he fell to the ground.


    "Insignificant bug."


    "Again with this ability," Lu Zhen internally gritted his teeth. "I hope it works."


    He tapped into his mental energy and used all the demonic Qi stored in his heart at the same time.


    The only energy that could contend with a first-stage martial artist in Lu Zhen''s body was his mental energy and demonic energy. While mental energy is typically an ability possessed only by first-stage martial artists, almost every second-stage martial artist could replicate it as long as they had a near-death experience.


    Additionally, although Lu Zhen hadn''t cultivated the demonic Qi extensively, the grade of the cultivation technique alone made itpetitive with a first-stage martial artist due to its exceptional quality.


    "Hmm¡­" the man frowned as he saw Lu Zhen move a bit.


    Before he could even react, a terrifying aura spread from Lu Zhen, covering him as a whole in a dark aura. His eyes emitted a blue light, and his Volgrith form seemed to be strengthened, with his height increasing every second.


    Roar!


    A terrifying roar resounded on the battlefield, and the ground cracked just from the sheer power of Lu Zhen''s voice alone.


    "How interesting, demonic Qi of the Volgrith descendant. Are you the son of Lu Ying?" The man''s eyes glinted with interest as he looked rather chill.


    Lu Zhen directly ignored the man''s words as he shed his sword at the man.


    "What makes you think these ordinary weapons can even touch me?" A sneer appeared on the man''s face as he just stayed still.


    When Lu Zhen was 15 cm away from the man, his sword swing abruptly paused, as if he were hitting a brick wall.


    Crack!


    With a cracking sound, the sword broke into pieces due to the sheer power Lu Zhen put into using the sword.


    However, Lu Zhen was unfazed, as he had two weapons formed in his two hands shaped by a ck me ¨C one was a curved-edged saber, and the other was a straight-edged sword. While the saber emitted a domineering demonic aura, the sword emitted an elegant aura.


    Without hesitation, Lu Zhen shed with both weapons at the same time.


    "How interesting, but not enough," a knowing smile appeared on the face of the man as he just pushed his finger by a thin margin.


    Boom!


    A terrifying pushing force erupted, and a smug expression appeared on the man without even looking at Lu Zhen. However, his expression suddenly changed as he looked up, seeing a domineering saber descending on him.


    "I didn''t expect this¡­" Before he could even talk, a fist came directly at him as he was pushed back a step.


    And a saber came right at him from the top, while a sword aimed for his neck, and a punch targeted his head.


    Without giving the man time to react, the strange barrier was instantly destroyed as Lu Zhen''s saber met the man''s head, attempting to cleave him down right in the middle of his head.


    However, before the saber could connect, a strange energy entirely changed the direction of the saber as it fell to the ground. Even the sword was redirected, but the punch from Lu Zhen didn''t miss as he struck the man in the head, pushing him back by a step again.


    Lu Zhen used his four arms to continuously attack the man with all the strength he had, not giving the man a chance to react at all.


    "How dare you..." the envoy coughed up blood as he looked at Lu Zhen in disbelief. However, in Lu Zhen''s face, there was only pure disdain, as if he was looking at an ant that could be crushed at a moment''s notice.


    "Idiot," a word came out of Lu Zhen''s voice as he punched and shed at him again.


    "Good, now a brat who hasn''t even grown a hair dares to do this to me." The man roared in rage as his aura erupted, his eyes bloodshot with anger.


    An avatar of himself materialised; however, it still had some distinctive differences, such as a crocodile tailing out from his back. His body seemed to be covered with tattoos, and a horn materialised in the avatar, standing at least six metres tall and covering the entire ground with it.


    However, Lu Zhen, seeing this, had a sneer instead, as suddenly his eyes seemed to gain rity, and he disappeared.


    "Eh." The envoy was stunned as he looked around, sensing Lu Zhen, who was far away, running from him.


    "This¡­" his brain took a moment to process things which made a deep rage boil from within him as he stared daggers at Lu Zhen who was off in the distance already.


    "That little bastard dared to fool me." a deep humiliation came to him as if his first-stage martial artist dignity was trampled by a mere mortal.

 Chapter 212: Trap

    He could even see the sneer and disdain on Lu Zhen''s face, which made him even angrier.


    "You little runt, you dare," he roared as he followed Lu Zhen.


    As he moved, even his avatar or the soul form also moved, travelling with him as if it was a part of the man''s body.


    His entire body blinked as if it was in a strange glitch as he followed Lu Zhen with seething rage in his eyes, leaving countless afterimages.


    Lu Zhen sensed this with a sneer on his face, sprinting at a rapid pace.


    ¡­


    "Did the envoy leave?" Huang Kai was stunned as he looked at the man leaving in the distance, his expression filled with fear.


    However, his eyes turned lifeless as a hole was created right where his heart was.


    Thud!


    He fell to the floor with widened eyes.


    "You bastard, you dared to harm my son¡­" Lu Ying''s face was cold, as if she were devoid of any emotion.


    Her eyes filled with killing intent as she saw the man leave in the distance.


    "Patriarch," the cry of the Huang family grand elder sounded as they looked at the lifeless bodyying on the floor.


    Lu Ying''s eyes suddenly turned to them as she took her Volgrith form again, her aura increasing by several degrees.


    The grand elders, seeing this, gulped their saliva as they knew they were in trouble.


    Ahhh!


    The cry of the grand elders of the Huang family reverberated in the surroundings as blood sttered to the ground.


    ¡­


    "Finish the rest of the soldiers. I will deal with that bastard," Lu Ying said expressionlessly as her body was soaked with the blood of her enemies.


    "Yes, madam." The grand elders nodded their heads and started to ughter the remaining army of the Huang family, while Lu Ying disappeared from there as if she never existed in the first ce.


    "You are dead," a strange glint appeared in Lu Ying''s eyes as she moved at a peculiar pace. She didn''t seem to be moving at all, as if her body were in a stationary position, but she covered a distance of a kilometre in moments, even faster than both the envoy and Lu Zhen.


    ¡­.


    "The guy has taken the bait," Lu Zhen thought expressionlessly as his speed increased even more. He could feel the ground vibrating around him every time the man was near, so Lu Zhen didn''t even have to sense the guy to keep track of his location.


    Lu Zhen searched his memories as he closely followed the routes.


    "No matter where you hide, even if you are the son of Lu Ying, you won''t survive, you little bastard," he roared with anger. Although he knew something was wrong with Lu Zhen, as if he was leading him to a trap, why would he care?


    As a first-stage martial artist, he had the absolute confidence that he could deal with the little bug in front of him ¨C that was his dao heart.


    If he couldn''t even deal with Lu Zhen, he could forget about his martial path advancing forward. Strength was his absolute confidence; after all, first-stage martial artists weren''t said to be immortal for nothing.


    However, slowly, he started to lose patience as Lu Zhen was always faster than him.


    "Damn it." He gritted his teeth as he took back his avatar. Materializing this avatar consumed a terrifying amount of energy that could drain a second-stage martial artist in just an hour or so. Although it was nothing to him, it still caused him slight difort.


    "Come." He took out a gourd and threw it in the air. Instantly, the gourd erged and floated in the air, defying gravity itself.


    The man quickly climbed up the gourd as he pointed forward. "Go."


    The gourd trembled as if it were alive before it took off at a marching speed.


    "Let''s see how much time you can run." A sneer appeared on the man''s face.


    "I should be very close," Lu Zhen thought as he looked in the direction where he could see a faint outline in the distance already.


    However, his excitement didn''tst long as Lu Zhen heard a tearing sound in the air.


    Boom!


    Before he could even move, he was hit by a terrifyingly heavy object thatunched him into the air.


    The ground cracked as Lu Zhennded on the ground.


    Cough! Cough!


    Lu Zhen vomited blood as he looked up to see a terrifying aura descending on him, a gigantic fist covering his whole vision.


    Lu Zhen''s eyes widened as he felt his instinct scream at him, and the battle instinct took over. Somehow, he managed to move under the terrifying aura.


    Naturally, Lu Zhen chose the best option; guided by his battle instinct, he gathered all his strength in his legs and escaped with full power in the blink of an eye.


    However, a sneer appeared on the envoy''s face.


    "You are not going anywhere," as the left arm of the avatar moved and punched Lu Zhen again.


    Lu Zhen''s eyes widened as his mind was in a whirlpool of thoughts, thinking of a possible method. There was no time for dodging.


    Helplessly, he could only cross his arms and hope for the best. His demonic Qi went towards his two arms, making them erge by several times their size in Lu Zhen''s already hulking form.


    Boom!


    Lu Zhen wasunched into the air as he was sent flying.


    Cough!


    Lu Zhen coughed up blood, feeling as if he were about to vomit his internal organs. Quickly, he closed his mouth, stopping it froming out.


    A small smile formed on Lu Zhen''s face instead as he looked up in mid-air. With the momentum from the fist, Lu Zhen made his body feel light as a feather, causing him to travel farther and faster from the momentum he already gained from the fist.


    Lu Zhen looked ahead as a small, familiar bamboo temple was revealed.


    "Hey, Elv, I got the first-stage martial artist for you," Lu Zhen announced in a loud voice.

 Chapter 213: Dead people talk too much

    Lu Zhen''s voice echoed throughout the ce, causing the man to pause for a moment.


    "Is this a trap? Does he have another partner?"


    Although Lu Zhen was like a bug, it didn''t mean the man was unmatched in the world. There were many people who could crush him like an ant to meat paste.


    The envoy gritted his teeth, but he still went forward and followed Lu Zhen.


    "Even if it isn''t a bluff, does this little brat think I will be scared of a first-stage martial artist? I can definitely escape if things go awry," he thought to himself with gritted teeth.


    Lu Zhen frowned, seeing this, with a disappointed expression on his face.


    "Oh well."


    With his injured body, Lu Zhen dragged himself inside the bamboo temple, leaving a blood trail behind.


    "I know you are here." His voice echoed in the old bamboo temple; however, no reply came, which made Lu Zhen frown.


    "So you are noting out?"


    A sneer formed on Lu Zhen''s face as he tapped into his mental energy.


    "If you are noting, I will make youe out!" he roared, his voice echoing through the bamboo temple.


    "Knew it." Without hesitation, Lu Zhen kicked the ground, causing it to cave in as he travelled underground. After digging two feet down, he found an empty space, which made him smirk.


    "Oh, Elv, I found you. The first-stage martial artist''s body already." Lu Zhen felt a cold shiver down his back as he entered the empty space without hesitation.


    Boom!


    The temple crumbled as if a nuclear bomb had exploded, turning into bits and pieces.


    "Huh, where is he?" The envoy frowned as he couldn''t sense Lu Zhen for a moment, causing him to frown. He spread his mental senses all over the surroundings, covering almost all the distance around him.


    "There, you bastard. No matter where you hide, you will die this time¡­" The envoy''s eyes had already gained rity, but still, the man pursued Lu Zhen endlessly; after all, it was a matter of his martial heart.


    He walked to the pile of bamboo and started to dig violently, sensing Lu Zhen''s location.


    ¡­.


    Thud!


    Lu Zhen fell to the metal floor, looking around at his surroundings covered with metal.


    "Why did youe?"


    A deep, feminine voice rang in Lu Zhen''s ears.


    He just chuckled, hearing this. "Well, I kept my end of the deal. I brought the first-stage martial artist here." Lu Zhen felt a sense of danger as he seated from just the voice he heard.


    "That was not part of the agreement?"


    "What do you mean? It was part of the agreement. I brought the first-stage martial artist; you will help me be a first-stage martial artist."


    "You¡­"


    "Was there an agreement that the first-stage martial artist should be injured?" A sneer appeared on Lu Zhen''s face as he suddenly coughed blood, expelling his internal organs.


    "Damn it, that bastard." Lu Zhen could feel a strange energy blocking his natural regeneration, rendering himpletely vulnerable.


    "This intent is unreasonable¡­" Not only did thispletely halt Lu Zhen''s healing, but he could also sense a beastly energy invading his body, attempting to harm him from the inside. Even his mind was under attack, as if it were a live beast. However, since his consciousness was rtively strong, the intent couldn''t affect Lu Zhen''s mind.


    Lu Zhen frowned, hearing no voice.


    "You are going to remain silent now? Did you think I wouldn''t know your trick? You really underestimate a martial artist too greatly," he said with a sneer on his face.


    "What do you mean?"


    The eerie cold voice rang in his ear; however, from his instinct, Lu Zhen could sense that it was a little confused.


    "We were supposed to divide all the loot of the room equally, however, you took the greatest thing in the room without telling me¡­" A sneer formed on Lu Zhen''s face.


    "Wait, what do you want?"


    "Tell me what that motor-like thing was, first."


    "It is a generator to de-mutate Qi into mana."


    "I knew it." Although Lu Zhen couldn''t sense the entire thing that was in that hidden room previously, he pretty much knew it was valuable since an era-old monster was hiding it from Lu Zhen despite the risk of the contract.


    Lu Zhen could even bet that the entire blood contract that she was willing to sign was because of this one crucial device; he wasn''t a naive idiot who thought the world revolved around himself.


    "Kill the guy that ising right now, and let me get some mana. As long as you can do that, we are even. How about it?"


    The voice was not heard for a solid fifteen seconds before it finally replied.


    "Alright."


    As if on perfect timing, the envoy fell to the metallic floor as he looked around.


    "I finally found you, bastard. You are dead now," although he said that, he was rather looking around the metallic room, even with his weight that he didn''t control at all. The metal was fine, which surprised him greatly.


    The higher the stage of a martial artist, the more body mass they have. While he didn''t look heavy, just the sheer density of his bone and muscle had caused his body weight to be around half a ton at least, that''s why martial artists needed to control their body, and almost everyone knew how it was the most basic that almost every cultivation technique there was written in.


    It''s just the level of maniption one could reach with their body was different and it didn''t even depend on cultivation it rather depended on how much you know your body.


    As the man looked around, his expression finally rxed, seeing no one.


    "I knew you were bluffing, you little bastard. You are dead," his expression turned cold as he regained his demeanour; however, he remained alert.


    "Oh, is it? Idiot," a sneer formed on Lu Zhen''s face.

 Chapter 214: Golden Retriever

    "What do you mean?"


    "Dead people talk too much."


    "Huh¡­" Suddenly, the man felt a shiver down his spine, and his hair stood up as if he were static-electrocuted. His hair formed spikes as it stood up like mad scientist hair.


    A dark void materialised in the ground, emitting an eerie aura of death, unlike the portal a first-stage martial artist created. It seemed as if the void was connected to the underworld itself, sending a chill down the spines of both Lu Zhen and the envoy.


    However, something unexpected happened: a small dog emerged from the ground through the eerie dark portal. It happily barked at Lu Zhen and the envoy.


    "Eh." Lu Zhen was stunned when he saw this.


    The dog was rtively small, barely reaching Lu Zhen''s knee. Its coat was coated with a rich, lustrous golden colour. It had two big ears that curved downward, and its muzzle was straight and wide, almost touching its nose. As it walked, its tail was carried level with its back, with a slightly upward curve.


    "A golden retriever?" Lu Zhen had question marks on his face.


    The dog walked up to Lu Zhen, showing its canine teeth with its tongue out as itid on the floor, as if asking for scratches.


    "This¡­" Lu Zhen was stunned beyond belief.


    He rubbed his eyes as if he couldn''t believe it and looked again, but still, there was the golden retriever sleeping on the ground, waiting for scratches.


    Not only in appearance but even its behaviour was eerily simr to it.


    "Umm¡­" he scratched his head as he said in a loud voice.


    "Are you ying with me, Elv?"


    However, no voice replied to him, as if Lu Zhen were a mad man talking to himself.


    "So this was your trap?" the envoyughed as he shrugged it off.


    "Have a good mind in the next life, kid." Heunched at Lu Zhen at a terrifying speed.


    Lu Zhen felt his life sh before him as he was about to mutter the words that would break the blood contract: "If I die, you won''t fare well either."


    Gulp!


    Suddenly, a loud gulp sound resounded in the room.


    "Eh," Lu Zhen looked around for the man who was nowhere to be found, his silenceced with astonishment.


    He turned to the dog, which was making a chewing sound as it happily gnawed on bones with a gleeful smile on its face.


    Its tail wagged left and right as it enjoyed its meal.


    Lu Zhen just remained still, as if he couldn''t believe his eyes and his brain had gone numb.


    A strange silence descended on the metallic ce as a hulking purplish man and a dog stayed in their respective ces, with the chewing sound of the dog eating the bone being the only audible noise.


    Awoo!


    As the dog ate to its fill, it roared and burped, patting its stomach with its front paws. It then opened its mouth, revealing a clean mouth as it looked at Lu Zhen with glee.


    Lu Zhen''s body was already soaked in cold sweat, and he remained silent. However, from the disbelief, his expression had now turned into calmness.


    "How do you like my pet?"


    The cold, feminine voice rang in his ears again.


    Lu Zhen nodded his head. "I like it. Can I keep it?"


    "What do you think the answer is?"


    He coughed when he heard this. "Of course, yes."


    "You are really shameless," a sultry voice with a teasing tone rang in Lu Zhen''s ears, making him shiver.


    "But since the dog likes you, I can let you borrow it for a while."


    Lu Zhen looked at the puppy eyes of the golden retriever, which still seemed to be yearning for some petting.


    "Well, your loss."


    "Now fulfill your agreement; give me some mana," Lu Zhen said as he ignored the dog.


    The voice paused when it heard Lu Zhen. This time, he patiently waited, after all, he didn''t want to annoy the terrifying monster that this elv girl was. He had already learned his lessons.


    "I can''t."


    "What do you mean, you can''t?" Lu Zhen said with a frown on his face.


    "Well, I am out of high-grade Qi stone. Bring me that, and I can give you mana sufficient enough for you to break through to the first-tier mage."


    "Hmm¡­" Lu Zhen frowned when he heard this. "How am I supposed to find high-grade Qi stone?"


    "Well, that is your problem."


    Lu Zhen gritted his teeth when he heard this.


    "Damn it, this witch," he cursed in a hushed tone while he remained expressionless.


    "Would a middle-grade Qi stone be okay?" Lu Zhen said with some reluctance.


    "No." The simple answer made Lu Zhen fall silent as he narrowed his eyes before looking around the room and jumping up in the air with a decisive expression.


    "Come back after you have collected enough high-grade Qi stone."


    Lu Zhen just gritted his teeth.


    "Why would I give a high-grade Qi stone? I would rather use it for myself than for some small amounts of mana," Lu Zhen muttered under his breath as he ascended into the air, soon reaching the surface.


    However, before he could take his first step, he coughed up blood.


    "This intent¡­" Lu Zhen gritted his teeth as he looked around at the copsed temple. "Oh well, it''s not my problem; Elv should fix it since it''s her home."


    Lu Zhen''s eyes narrowed as he looked into the distance, seeing a small dot approaching. It grewrger andrger, and in the blink of an eye, itnded on the ground beside him, covering the area in dust.


    "Mother?" He was stunned.


    "Where is that bastard?" Lu Ying looked around with a confused expression as she spread her sixth sense. However, she couldn''t find anyone, which confused her.


    "Cough, mother, he is already dead." Lu Zhen vomited blood again as his internal organs ruptured.


    Lu Ying''s eyes widened when she saw this.

 Chapter 215: Jiang Family Massacred

    "Wait, what?"


    "I killed him already," Lu Zhen coughed up more blood.


    "How?" she said as she walked up to Lu Zhen and shoved a pill right down his throat.


    Gulp!


    Lu Zhen directly swallowed the pill without much resistance.


    "Well¡­" he said, recounting the entire story without hiding anything.


    Hearing the story of Lu Zhen, Lu Ying''s eyes widened with disbelief.


    "You mean an old monster lives down here?" she pointed at the ground.


    Lu Zhen simply nodded his head as the pill was slowly digested in his body, and a mysterious energy started to wash away all the intent slowly. His organs began to heal as the terrifying beastly intent seemed to be more tame and washed away.


    The instant the intent started to fade away, his body naturally recovered, even better and stronger than before.


    Although adaptation couldn''t adapt to the intent due to its low level, as Lu Zhen could guess, at least it helped his body be stronger.


    As Lu Zhen slowly recovered, he opened his eyes, seeing the frowning face of Lu Ying.


    "What''s wrong, mother?" he asked with a confused expression on his face.


    "Looks like this will be troublesome¡­"


    "Oh, why do you say so?"


    "The Jiang family has all been exterminated."


    "What?" The whole point of the tournament was to divide the resources. However, since the Lu family waged war and the Xia family is pretty much dead at this point, while the Huang family is slowly losing, the Lu family will eventually win the war. That meant the entire inheritance cave would be there, and the tournament could be considered a joke already.


    But if the Jiang family, who was the one who knew the cave, disappeared, then what was the point of the tournament?


    "What happened, mother?" Lu Zhen said with narrowed eyes.


    "Everyone seemed to be murdered as brutally as possible, with even the chickens and dogs being ughtered."


    "Didn''t we have surveince there?"


    "There was, but they werepletely useless as the spy found anybody who was ughtered. Their statement was that they all felt sleepy, and the next moment, they knew there was a smell of death as the entire residents of the Jiang family were painted in red. When they opened the door, a pool of blood rushed towards them, and they almost drowned from it."


    "This¡­ this¡­" Lu Zhen''s eyes widened when he heard this, however soon he regained his calm.


    "What is it?" Lu Ying looked confused.


    "Nothing," a sly smile appeared on Lu Zhen''s face. He had nted a little of his aura on Jiang Xue just in case, and Lu Zhen didn''t expect it would be so useful now.


    Lu Zhen could sense her in the distance, as his aura was actively moving around. That meant either she was alive, or her dead body was being dragged around. Either way, he had a lead.


    "Taking precautions is always better¡­" he thought with a satisfied expression on his face.


    And whether she was dead or not, it would depend. If she was alive, he would still marry her. After all, why would he ignore a beauty that was inviting him? But if she was dead, too bad; he didn''t have a weird kink to marry a dead body. You can call Lu Zhen deprived, but he is just speaking facts that wouldn''t change.


    "What about that envoy?"


    Lu Ying had a reluctant expression when she heard this.


    "He should be from one of the bloodline ns."


    Lu Zhen''s eyes widened when he heard this, "what?"


    "Yes, he should be." She nodded her head. "That means the bloodline n also has a hand in this."


    "Did you see the ancestor of the Huang family, Huang Shi?"


    "Yes," Lu Zhen nodded his head.


    "She was also a bloodline martial artist and a strong one at that, who could perfectly hide her bloodline from me even when I am very close to her."


    Lu Zhen thought for a moment before he stood up from the ground, dusting away any dirt present.


    "Well, we will find out eventually. Are we going back to the war?" he said with an uncaring expression as he shrugged.


    "Alright, we will go back," Lu Ying nodded her head.


    With that said, both of them walked back while remaining entirely silent the whole time, each lost in their thoughts.


    "This war is going to be troublesome. I need to prepare myself," Lu Zhen thought with a frown on his face as he opened his system.


    Instantly, a blue panel materialised in front of him, disying a bold-lettered text: [LOG].


    "Let''s see my gains this time," Lu Zhen rubbed his hands with excitement as he maintained the same pace with Lu Ying. He imagined pressing the panel, and instantly a row of notifications prompted his vision.


    [Your "BATTLE INSTINCT" skill has levelled up from level 2 to level 3]


    [Your "DEVOUR" skill has levelled up from level 2 to level 3]


    [Your "Adaptability" skill has levelled up from level 6 to level 8]


    [Your "Saber Mastery" skill has levelled up from level 6 to level 8]


    [Your "Bow Mastery" skill has levelled up from level 1 to level 2]


    [Your "Sword Mastery" skill has levelled up from level 3 to level 4]


    [Your "Qian Mastery" skill has levelled up from level 3 to level 4]


    [Your "Chain Mastery" skill has levelled up from level 3 to level 4]


    ¡­.


    Lu Zhen''s vision was filled with the level-up screen, and he paused for a moment.


    "Not bad. Fighting really increases my level at an exponential rate."


    Now, Lu Zhen examined his status with a thought, and the panel blinked before changing. However, nothing had changed in his status; everything remained almost the same. With a frown, he looked at the progress of his advancement, and Lu Zhen''s eyes lit up.


    It was at 99%, just a step away from finally advancing. After that, he could use Qi again and even better and stronger than wood Qi.

 Chapter 216: Ancestor: Lu Ming

    And even the mutated nt Qi, at that, which could typically only be gained by first-stage martial realm.


    However, even after Lu Zhen stared at it for a long time, the percentage just didn''t move any further.


    "System, how long will this take?"


    "It should be around a day, host."


    The cold metallic voice rang in Lu Zhen''s ears as he nodded his head.


    "I guess I can wait. I have waited long enough already. It shouldn''t be a problem to wait more, right?" Lu Zhen thought as he moved on, focusing on the skill section of his status.


    [Skills]


    [BATTLE INSTINCT: LEVEL 3


    DEVOUR: LEVEL 3


    Appraisal eye: level 6


    Saber mastery: level 8


    Adaptability: level 8


    Aura control: level 7


    Meditation: level 2


    Dual cultivation: level 3


    Alchemy: level 2


    Bow mastery: level 2


    Sword mastery: level 4


    Qian mastery: level 4


    Staff master: level 3


    Chain mastery: level 4]


    Instantly, all the skills were disyed in front of him in a neat row.


    "Hmm¡­" Lu Zhen nodded his head with a satisfied expression on his face, seeing that all his skills were already highly leveled.


    Countless thoughts formed in his head as he nned his strategy. The most helpful for most of his fights was Qian Master, aka spear mastery. It had a piercing principle that he could apply even with his bare arms, proving very effective in prating the force field of second-stage martial artists. However, it became entirely useless against first-stage martial artists.


    From Lu Zhen''s experience, the saber and the sword were the best weapons against the envoy. All the other mastery skills were nearly useless against a first-stage martial artist as theycked sufficient power.


    While he was at it, his consciousness dove deep into his bloodline as he checked his bloodline.


    The greenish cloth of blood was in very low quantity, and it was multiplying at a rapid pace. Lu Zhen noticed some grey colour mixed in with the green blood, as if it was slowly drying out.


    He frowned upon sensing this.


    "My bloodline is drying out," he thought with some astonishment.


    Although the demonic Qi cultivation technique that the elf gave Lu Zhen was a heaven-grade cultivation technique (whose grade he wasn''t sure about), due to hisck of bloodline purity and him overdrawing his bloodline, its purity was being slowly exhausted to the point that the rate was visible to Lu Zhen.


    "If I overuse it two more times, my bloodline might really dry out," Lu Zhen thought with some pity. However, he remained rtively calm, having gained a lot from the books he acquired in the mage base. Lu Zhen had "borrowed" the books for three years, recognizing the truth in the saying that knowledge is power.


    He has learned a lot and understood some aspects of the mage era, including the extraction method to extract bloodline!


    Although Lu Zhen''s n was feasible, he needed some demonic beasts, and that too with a pure bloodline, which posed its own set of challenges. After all demonic beast with pure bloodline was too powerful for current him.


    Lu Zhen''s nose twitched as a familiar scent of death assaulted his senses. He looked up at the site of the massacre, where the corpses of the Huang and Xia families littered the ground, with some casualties from the Lu family as well, though not as significant.


    "Young master, madam, you have finally arrived. We have taken care of the remnants of the Huang family. Although some of the Xia family have escaped, we will be able to deal with them soon."


    The grand elder bowed his head.


    "Good," Lu Zhen nodded. "Mother, did you kill the grand elder and the patriarch of the Huang family?"


    "Do you think they will be alive after inviting a walking cmity to try to kill my son?" Lu Ying domineeringly dered, wearing an arrogant expression.


    Lu Zhen chuckled, appreciating his mother''s formidable demeanor.


    "Thank you, mother," he expressed his gratitude, looking up at the sky.


    "I wonder how the battle is going up there?" Lu Zhen could already imagine the chaos that was unfolding in the clouds.


    ¡­.


    Cough! Cough!


    Huang Shi vomited blood, her eyes wide in disbelief as she gazed at Lu Ming, who stood before her with a casual demeanour, his clothes untouched by the chaos around them.


    Beside hery the injured body of a man, his eyes vacant, filled with despair, and his unmoving form strangely floating in the sky.


    "Just who are you?" Huang Shi questioned, her voice filled with disbelief.


    "I am Lu Ming, who else?" Lu Ming replied with a smile, maintaining a gentle expression.


    "There''s no way that Lu Ming is that powerful, even if he breaks through the middle first-stage martial realm," Huang Shi eximed, her tone filled with doubt.


    Lu Ming was left speechless by her reaction. "I am really Lu Ming, believe it or not. Do you have anyst words you''d like to leave?" he asked, shaking his head.


    "No... No, you can''t be Lu Ming," Huang Shi muttered, scratching her head with an expression of disbelief, unable toprehend what she was witnessing.


    Without hesitation, she assumed her bloodline form and fled with Xia Kao''s body. A sneer formed on Lu Ming''s face as he observed her actions. "Do you really think you can escape me?" he taunted.


    Lu Ming vanished from his position, reappearing in front of Huang Shi. Her eyes widened in disbelief. "Weren''t you just there? How could you be here so fast?"


    Lu Ming''s smile widened as he disappeared again. Huang Shi, frustrated, muttered, "Damn it, don''t underestimate me, whatever you are," gritting her teeth in anger.


    Her bloodline surged as she transformed, growing three heads and eight arms. Her body expanded, and her aura intensified to a terrifying degree.


    Lu Ming, observing her transformation, remarked, "This will be troublesome." He then retrieved a seemingly ordinary golden sword from his back. As the weapon emerged, Huang Shi felt a chilling aura that made her hair stand on end.

 Chapter 217: Betrayal

    "This... What is this?" Huang Shi''s eyes widened with disbelief.


    "A simple weapon," a smirk appeared on Lu Ming''s face as he shed with the sword.


    Boom!


    A blinding light emitted from the sword, covering the entire area in dazzling radiance as a soul-ringing sound resonated.


    Lu Zhen looked up in the air and saw a blinding light right next to the sun. "Another sun?" he had a question mark on his face as he finally heard the soul-ringing sound.


    His ears bled as Lu Zhen''s eyes widened, his internal organs damaged just from the st.


    "What just happened?" he thought, looking up in the air again after fully recovering. "I should go up," Lu Zhen muttered as he used the ground as his momentum tounch himself in the air.


    Only a first-stage martial artist could truly fly in the air without any support. The most Lu Zhen could do was jump high and manoeuvre himself in the air; he couldn''t truly fly.


    Lu Zhen made his body as light as a feather, slowly elevating himself in the air. Soon, he reached above the clouds where the blinding light originated and looked around.


    Lu Ming had a smile on his face, a white sword in his hand, and two charred corpses on the ground, seemingly burned to a crisp.


    Lu Zhen''s eyes narrowed as he carefully examined the corpses. One of them looked very big, like a monster with three heads and eight hands, which he could barely discern. The other appeared to be a normal human male.


    Before he could ask about the corpses, Lu Zhen turned his attention to Ancestor Lu, who was standing in thin air. However, before he could say anything, Lu Ming vomited blood, hisplexion turning pale as if he were on his deathbed.


    "Lu Zhen, support me down," Lu Ming said, extending his hand.


    Although Lu Zhen was confused, he still followed Lu Ming''s instructions. Gliding slowly towards him, he took Lu Ming''s hand on his shoulder, changed his mass to normal, and let go of all his body control before swiftly descending.


    When he was very close to the ground, his body mass turned light again, and he slowly floated in the air, making a gentlending.


    Lu Zhen slowly supported Lu Ming, his face expressing confusion. "Ancestor Lu, what happened?"


    "Nothing. I just killed them¡­"


    Cough! Cough!


    Lu Ming vomited blood again but continued with a smirk on his face. "Now we can rule the entire town."


    Lu Zhen nodded his head when he heard this; however, he had a frown on his face. "This town is so small. Why is Lu Ming obsessed with this town?" he thought, a question mark on his face.


    Lu Ying was there, watching all this with an expressionless face. "I am afraid there will be more trouble here."


    "You mean the envoy from before?" Lu Zhen thought with a frown on his face.


    Lu Ying nodded her head, but before she could speak, loudughter reverberated in the surroundings. Suddenly, masked individuals surrounded the Lu family army from all sides, all dressed in ck attire resembling ninjas.


    "You are right. You are in loads of trouble now." A man revealed himself, short in build, and faintly emitting a terrifying killing intent.


    "Hei family?" Lu Zhen''s eyes narrowed.


    "You are right. You are in loads of trouble now." A man revealed himself, short in build, and faintly emitting a terrifying killing intent.


    "Ancestor Hei¡­" His eyes widened with disbelief.


    "Yes," however, the man seemed to have a resigned sigh on his face as he looked down instead of up.


    "I didn''t expect you to betray me." Before Lu Zhen could even utter a word, Ancestor Lu walked forward with a cold expression.


    "Weren''t we brothers for life? How dare you betray me?" Lu Ming stated as he slowly moved forward.


    "Well, I don''t want to betray you either, but¡­" Ancestor Hei pointed up in the sky. "It is the higher-ups'' order."


    "You are dead now either way. Even if I don''t kill you, every force outside is trying to im this ce with their greedy eyes. Do you think the Lu family will be alive to rule this ce when they are ransacked by all the forces?"


    "What do you mean?" Lu Ming''s eyes narrowed.


    "I meant what I said¡ªthe information that the inheritance cave was found here was leaked."


    Lu Zhen''s expression turned cold when he heard this, and he had a contemtive look on his face.


    "We were initially in seclusion because of the higher-ups'' order not to interfere in the matters of Phoenix Town. However, the inheritance cave is way too important; you truly don''t know the value of it. So, we have been given orders to capture the whole town before they arrive."


    "So, you were an external force all along, huh¡­" Lu Ming said, and his expression turned calm as hisplexion changed back to normal again.


    "Eh," Ancestor Hei was stunned when he saw this. "Weren''t you on your deathbed before?"


    "Too bad your words encouraged me to recover," Lu Ming snickered, a friendly smile stered on his face.


    He moved his hand up, and all the Wood Qi that he had wasted in the sky returned to him. Some of the injuries in his body also healed with it.


    "You guys truly underestimate me."


    "This¡­ this¡­" Ancestor Hei''s expression turned into despair as he suddenly disappeared from his position.


    "Where are you going, my friend?" Lu Ming''s face once again turned to a businesslike smile as he also vanished from his position.


    "Well, that was anticlimactic¡­" Lu Zhen mused to himself. "That old man''s acting is quite good; he even fooled me when I was so close to him," he muttered with some bitterness as he looked at the Hei family army, who were nervous and sweating.


    "I can milk them for levels." His eyes shed with a ruthless glint as he erupted with killing intent looking at the people here with his greedy eyes.

 Chapter 218: True Nature of the System

    Ahhhh!


    "Help! Monster¡­."


    Before the man could even finish his sentence, his body was cleanly cut in two pieces.


    Lu Zhen looked at the gruesome sight of the mangled body thaty on the ground with a frown on his face.


    "Are they all dead?"


    "Yes, young master," an elderly man bowed as he looked at all the bodies.


    "Let''s burn them or there might be other troubles as well¡­" Lu Zhen said as his frown deepened when he jumped up to look at all the corpses on the ground. It was above a million or so, all dead and stacked on top of each other.


    Today, these days, the four major families of Phoenix City have turned into one major family, with only his Lu family left now.


    A depressing aura emitted from them as Lu Zhen could even see a ck miasma slowly forming in the stacks of corpses.


    "How many have I killed till now?" Lu Zhen thought as he looked at his blood-soaked body. Although these people weren''t exactly innocent, and after all, how could soldiers be innocent? But these mangled corpses made him still have a second thought.


    "No, my martial heart is bing weaker¡­" He tightened his fist as his gaze turned cold.


    "This is the path I chose in my life and this is my aim. I will have to face these situations countless times in the future if I want to be an emperor. It is an inevitable thing. It is better to die being an emperor rather than being a peasant," Lu Zhen thought, as his goal was set, his heart steeled, and his conviction became like iron.


    He was under no delusion that he was a hero; rather, he knew that he himself was a sinner for killing all these people. He could be called the viin instead.


    However, as long as Lu Zhen''s determination didn''t falter, he wouldn''t even flinch. After all, it was natural for one to live, and for one to live, one must consume another.


    It didn''t matter who it was; as long as Lu Zhen was killing for his purpose, his martial heart would not falter.


    "If immortality is possible, I will attain it; if not, I will die trying," he dered as he looked up at the sky.


    "System, how exactly were you made?"


    [There is no information in the database, host.]


    "Sure, sure," Lu Zhen chuckled. He knew he was no god, and coincidence wasn''t something that Lu Zhen believed in. The first-ever system he encountered¡ªhow could it conveniently follow him to this martial world and provide him with all these cheats? And the question was, how could the system even grant him skills?


    "There is definitely someone behind it, or rather, something behind it¡ªwhether it is god, devil, or another entity. No matter who you are, I am going to exploit you until you cease to exist," a sneer appeared on Lu Zhen''s face as he narrowed his eyes. He thennded on the ground again, his aura seeming to have changed.


    It exuded an intimidating presence, as if Lu Zhen were previously a tiger cub but had now transformed into a dragon.


    However, Lu Zhen didn''t allow these changes to persist. He slowly retracted his aura, masking it to that of a normal, average second-stage martial artist with that intimidating aura he was emittingpletely gone.


    ¡­.


    "This human seems to have gained some self-awareness. What should we do?"


    "Let him leave; he is going to be harvested soon anyway."


    "True, humans are quite easy to fool. The power they lust for is their doom."


    "Even if they weren''t fools, it is inevitable that they will be our food so that we can grow stronger."


    A loudughter resounded in the ce as they watched countless screens where the life stories of countless people unfolded in real-time, as if they were watching a live stream.


    ¡­..


    As Lu Zhennded on the ground, he looked at the old man.


    "Burn all these corpses and give them orders."


    "Yes, young master." Although the grand elder was stunned, he immediately followed orders. After all, these millions of corpses could produce terrifying ghosts and even a ghost general, equivalent to a first-stage martial artist. Either way, they would be terrifying figures to deal with, and the old man knew the consequences of leaving them unattended.


    "Mother, you should also help."


    "Alright, son." A smile appeared on Lu Ying''s face as she also helped burn down all the corpses and dispose of them before a ghost could form from the tragedy that had happened here.


    Suddenly, a portal appeared, revealing a deep abyss as Lu Ming came out from it with a blood-soaked body, holding the head of a man.


    The man''s head was full of wrinkles, and his eyes were wide open, as if frozen in horror even in death, blood still slowly dripped from the neck area as it slowly fell to the ground one blood droplet at a time.


    "Is that ancestor Hei''s head?"


    "Yes." Lu Ming nodded his head with a strange smile.


    "Ancestor Lu, are you already done?" Lu Zhen expressed surprise, bowing respectfully, yet keeping a cautious distance.


    "Yes, I killed him." Lu Ming chuckled, his eyes holding a peculiar glint as he looked at Lu Zhen.


    "You might be wondering who I am, right?"


    Lu Zhen flinched at the question, but he remained rtively calm. "Yes."


    "When did you guess that I wasn''t Lu Ming anymore?" Lu Ming chuckled, observing Lu Zhen with a mysterious gaze.


    "When you saved me in the forest." Lu Zhen''s expression turned cold, and he stared at the man without flinching.


    "How?" the man inquired with a surprise expression for the first time as he looked at Lu Zhen with narrowed eyes.


    "My ancient warrior physique," Lu Ming replied inly. Lu Zhen''s eyes narrowed; he had noticed that the ancestor he initially encountered was marked by his divine physique, but this man in front of himcked that distinctive mark.

 Chapter 219: The Mysterious Green Haired Man

    "Oh, I still don''t know much about that physique till now, huh¡­." The man wore a contemtive expression on his face, as if he were pondering a certain matter.


    "So, what do you want from us? And where is the real ancestor of Lu Ming?"


    "Boy, you really dare to question me?" The man suddenly released his entire aura, covering the entire ce.


    Ordinary mortal soldiers fell unconscious, martial trainees dropped to the ground while retaining a sliver of consciousness, third-stage martial artists were forced to bow, and second-stage martial artists struggled to stand up. Even Lu Ying found it challenging to move, looking at the man with a ruthless glint.


    The entire army of the Lu family was instantly rendered useless, as if they were cabbages on a chopping board.


    However, somehow Lu Zhen remained standing, his back straight, his eyes emotionless, his crimson gaze fixed upon the man. His body emitted crushing sounds, as if his bones were breaking every second.


    "You are not afraid, kid?" The man was stunned as he stared back at Lu Zhen.


    "No."


    A smile appeared on Lu Zhen''s face as he instantly withdrew his aura, returning to that of an ordinary youth.


    "Well, your ancestor Lu isn''t exactly dead. Actually, I am just an old friend of his, casually touring the ce until I found this spot where the inheritance cave was."


    "I am sorry, elder, for being disrespectful, but could you tell me where our ancestor Lu is?" Lu Zhen respectfully inquired.


    "Oh, a sassy boy, huh? Rx, he is just in his seclusion, trying to break the middle tier of the first-stage martial artist¡­" The man chuckled as his skin melted, resembling arva, until a middle-aged man with green hair and green eyes revealed himself. He wore a Japanese-style green yukata that matched his green eyes.


    "Eh," Lu Zhen was stunned when he saw the transformation.


    "Let''s talk somewhere other than here¡­" The green man looked at Lu Ying, who observed him with a cold expression.


    "You cane too if you want to," he added.


    "Yes." Lu Ying disappeared from her position and reappeared right beside him, her eyes burning as she observed the man.


    "Mother, you don''t have to worry¡­" Lu Zhen reassured her, narrating the entire story. Lu Ying''s expression rxed, although she continued to re at the man.


    "Let''s go." The green man casually swiped his hand, and a portal appeared, with Lu Zhen and Lu Ying entering it as well.


    As Lu Zhen''s vision was filled with darkness, he suddenly found himself in a different environment, free from the stinging sensation. A barrier materialised around him.


    "Elder, you don''t have to protect me."


    "Oh."


    The barrier around Lu Zhenpletely vanished the moment he uttered those words.


    Lu Zhen felt the prickling sensation again, but this time it was so weak that he couldn''t even feel a tickle from it.


    "No, I have just be stronger, not this nihilith dimension bing weaker."


    "Hmm¡­" Lu Zhen began to assess his situation as he checked his body.


    Sensing that almost nothing in his body was harmed, he started to move around the ce, and as expected, the prickling sensation became more and more apparent, but it was rtively weaker.


    Lu Zhen frowned, sensing this. "So what can I do to get stronger?" He wore a contemtive expression.


    He increased his pace as he floated in this deep darkness. Finally, some effects showed, which helped him slightly develop morepact muscles; however, it didn''tst for long.


    With a disappointed expression, Lu Zhen could only leave. "Oh well, there goes my ce to level up my physique," he thought with a sigh on his face.


    Although Lu Zhen could naturally strengthen his physique by just being injured, there were certain conditions to it. It needed to have enough power to damage his body to a certain extent, and it needed to be constantly hurting his body at every moment to have any noticeable effect.


    That is the reason Lu Zhen couldn''t fully strengthen his body in fights; after all, a moment of dy could lead to his death.


    "Should I go to the bottom of the ocean again?" A chill ran down his spine, as just thinking of it made Lu Zhen break out in a cold sweat.


    "I will go after I get enough strength." His gaze turned cold, to the indifferent eyes that seemed to see Lu Zhen as a mere bug, someone to be crushed at will. It was still vividly in his memory, as those eyes almost killed him, putting him in aa even after he escaped.


    "I will get my revenge."


    With that thought, Lu Zhen moved towards the light, and suddenly, he appeared at the familiar house, which was simple and luxurious at the same time.


    The woman with ck hair, wearing a kimono, greeted him again.


    "Umm, this is¡­"


    "Follow me." The woman nodded her head as she started to walk, and curiously, Lu Zhen followed.


    As Lu Zhen followed her, he saw a garden eventually in his vision, where there was a serene pavilion, and there were two men slowly sipping their tea. Even Lu Ying was there, standing on the railing.


    "Eh, son, you finally arrived." Her eyes lit up as she quickly materialised in front of him in thin air as she vanished from the railings.


    "Mother." Lu Zhen bowed, having a confused expression on his face.


    "What happened to my son?"


    "How were you so fast toe here?"


    "We weren''t fast; you were too slow." Lu Ying shook her head.


    Lu Zhen scratched his head when he heard this. The exploration he did in nihilith naturally took some time, but he didn''t expect it would take this much time.


    "So what are we doing here?"


    He said as he looked at Lu Ming, who was pleasantly drinking his tea, while the green-haired man was also slowly enjoying his tea.


    "Ancestor Lu." Lu Zhen bowed with respect; he could tell that he was Lu Ming as the mark of the divine physique was there.

 Chapter 220: Fang Yin

    "Lu Zhen, you are here," Lu Ming nodded with a smile on his face.


    "To be honest, Lu Ming, I am quite jealous of you," the manughed as he scratched his head. "It isn''tmon to see a second-stage martial artist who is so young even in the outside world. I didn''t expect one to be here as well," the man chuckled.


    "Of course, of course, Fang Yin," Lu Ming smiled as he joined in theughter.


    "Here, kid." Suddenly, Fang Yin threw a book and a crystal bracelet at Lu Zhen.


    Although he was stunned, he quickly grabbed the book. The moment he caught the book, Lu Zhen''s leg slipped, and he was almost about to fall to the ground. However, he quickly manoeuvred himself to prevent falling, thanks to the heavy book and a simple bracelet.


    "What''s this?" Lu Zhen said with a confused expression on his face as he looked at the book and the crystal bracelet.


    "This is my journal from when I first entered the first-stage martial realm. It has a detailed exnation of how to do it and what to do. Remember, you must be careful with it; although you can find something rtable, breaking through the realm is naturally different for everyone.


    The other bracelet contains my intent; if you release it on anyone, at least 20% of my full power is contained in this bracelet will be fully released killing a peak second-stage martial artist should be easy or even inquiring a first stage martial artist is possible. But use it carefully; it might even hurt if you use it carelessly."


    Lu Zhen''s eyes lit up when he heard this, and he nodded. "Thank you, Elder."


    "Just call me Wu Di."


    "What a domineering name," Lu Zhen muttered in a hushed tone. "Then thank you, Elder Wu Di."


    "Alright," Fang Yin nodded with a satisfied expression.


    "Hey, don''t steal my grandson," Lu Ming said with a frown on his face, and suddenly, a ck saber appeared in his hand. "This is a second-grade weapon. As you led the war of the family and won quickly, you are rewarded with this."


    Lu Zhen nodded with a smile on his face.


    "Hahahaha," Fang Yinughed with a smile on his face.


    "But really, your grandson is a monster, being this strong at such a young age. If your martial heart is firm and as long as you are alive, I am sure you can be a powerhouse in the future. Who knows, you might be able to surpass the first-stage martial realm," Fang Yin said with a reminiscent face.


    "Elder Wu Di, if I didn''t offend you, could you tell me which realm you are in?"


    Fang Yin looked at Lu Zhen with a mysterious gaze before he started tough. "The martial way is a long path, kid. Every step bes harder and harder as you progress. I am just an average high-tier first-stage martial artist, nothing more."


    Lu Zhen''s eyes widened when he heard this. "Does the difference between every single realm differ that much in the first-stage martial realm?" he thought with some shock.


    The ancestor of all the Xia, Huang, and Hei families were early first-stage martial artists, while the difference was just two sub-realms. However, he was able to effortlessly kill these three people as if they were chickens, even with the cockroach-like vitality that a first-stage martial artist possessed.


    "Yes, it does make a difference," Fang Yin said, as if he could read Lu Zhen''s thoughts, even though he was outwardly expressionless.


    "Now, let''s get back to our discussion about the inheritance cave. Where are those people who know about it?" he said as he sat back in his seat again. Suddenly, the atmosphere seemed to be heavy as the two looked at each other for a long time.


    "Don''t tell me you lost the person who knew where the inheritance cave was," Fang Yin said with a frown on his face.


    "We didn''t lose them; they were all ughtered by somebody," Ancestor Lu said with an expressionless face.


    "Then what are we doing here?" His cup exploded into bits as he narrowed his eyes at Lu Ming.


    "Umm, Ancestor Lu, I might have a solution for it."


    Lu Ming''s eyes widened when he heard this. "What is the solution?"


    "As you know, Jiang Xue was my fianc¨¦e previously, and I had done something to her. From what I could see, she is clearly alive¡­"


    Lu Zhen exined, and both Lu Ming and Fang Yin had a strange expression on their faces as they looked at him with a peculiar gaze.


    "Young people." They bothughed at the same time.


    "Cough, cough, so should we send people to get her?"


    "Yes, I will personally go," Fang Yin said as he sat up from his seat.


    "I will also go." Lu Ming also stood up from his seat without falling down.


    "So it''s decided then¡­"


    "What about me?" Lu Ying''s cold voice resounded in the ce as she looked at them with a killing intent gaze.


    The two froze when they heard this.


    "Lu Ying, you need to take care of the Lu family. My idiot son should be ughtering the Xia, Huang, and Hei families who are left behind by the main army, and don''t forget about those small families."


    Ancestor Lu said with a ruthless glint in his eyes, "Although we have won the war, we haven''t probably established our domain here yet."


    Lu Ying had a reluctant expression on her face as she looked at Lu Zhen.


    "Mother, I should be fine," Lu Zhen said with a nod of his head.


    "Alright, fine," she reluctantly said.


    "Then what''s the dy? Let''s go right now," Fang Yinughed as he walked outside.


    "True," Lu Ming smiled as he followed Fang Yin, and Lu Zhen followed.


    "Remember, be careful, son."


    Lu Zhen paused as he nodded his head before he went outside, seeing the bright light of the sun as he had a contemtive expression on his face.

 Chapter 221: Jiang Xues Dispair

    "I underestimated the value of the inheritance cave," he muttered to himself. Initially, he had thought that although it was rare, the world was such a vast ce, how could it be that only in his small town, ifpared to the entire world?


    However, now Lu Zhen knew that this was one of the most important things that could lead to a rise of a family. From how Ancestor Lu and Fang Yin talked about it, there might be something that is beneficial even to first-stage martial artists and help them break through.


    He felt the rough map of the entire ce as he tightened his fist.


    "If you are alive, I will save you, Jiang Xue." Lu Zhen didn''t like to owe favors to anyone. Although he wasn''t a man of his word because the world was never fair and gave justice to anyone, the only way to get your justice was to stand for yourself.


    But owing favours was a different thing; his heart won''t rest until he pays Jiang Xue of equal value. After all, Lu Zhen was still a youth, even with both his agesbined.


    "Let''s go now, Lu Zhen," Fang Yin caught the cor of Lu Zhen.


    Boom!


    They took flight, travelling in an ear-piercing sound as the g-force was at a terrifying level. However, there was nothing for both Lu Zhen and Fang Yin, while Lu Ming also followed.


    "So where do we go?"


    Lu Zhen nodded his head, feeling the cold air blowing his body as he patiently guided them, sensing the location of Jiang Xue.


    ¡­.


    Twenty men and women were rapidly running in the forest, while one of the men had a woman tightly bound in his arms.


    Everyone was in different clothes; however, there was a peculiar ming tiger embodied in everyone''s dress.


    "Senior Brother Mao, why are you carrying such a woman? She is unworthy of you," Shang Luo gritted her teeth as she looked at the woman with a heated gaze.


    "What are you talking about, Sister Luo? She is very important to the mission that we have got from the elder, although he took off to do an important task. It is our mission to carry her safely back to her sect, or you know the consequences of not doing so," Liao Mao said with a cold expression on his face as he looked at her.


    A shiver ran down her spine as she nodded her head.


    "Yes, Senior Brother Mao, I was too presumptuous," she nodded her head with a terrified expression.


    A small smile graced Liao Mao''s face as he nodded as well.


    While Jiang Xue, who was on his shoulder, had a despairing expression. "I am nothing more than a bug in front of power." Her expression was that of a depressed individual who had suffered bullying for years, a miserable expression.


    No matter how many times she wanted to forget, her family exploded one by one like bugs, no matter how she begged and what she did, her father, ancestor, brothers, sisters, and even her maid all died.


    Although she didn''t have a good rtionship with her father and many others, that didn''t mean she wouldn''t despair upon their death. After all, she grew up with them.


    Sometimes, family love knows no bounds¡ªthe kinship of people not bound by bloodline or any facade but formed where they grow up together. Naturally People will form a strange bond, no matter how much they love or hate each other.


    Although it might not be applicable in some cases, it still mattered.


    Jiang Xue had already lost hope in herself; she was nothing more than a servant without power, a puppet who would be controlled unless she could gain absolute power.


    "Good then let''s¡­" Liao Mao suddenly felt a terrifying aura that made him shiver.


    Ssh!


    The junior brother beside him was cleanly cut in half, blood sttering on his body and painting the entire surroundings red.


    The group fell into stunned silence, as if not believing what they saw with their eyes.


    Liao Mao was the first to recover. His eyes widened with horror as he hurriedly said, "Form a formation."


    On survival instinct, all of them took their positions and brought out papers, burning them.


    A thin shield formed, covering them like a dome.


    "Show yourself, you coward," Liao Mao said as he quickly recovered from his junior brother''s death. How many deaths had he seen to reach his level? There was no way he was a weak-hearted person; however, the sudden gruesome death still caused him to momentarily flinch.


    "Oh, who are you calling a coward?" a deep, devilish voice echoed from all directions as a youth with long ck hair and devilish crimson eyes revealed himself.


    He was rather bulky and tall, and even through his baggy ck robes, the faint contours of his muscles gave one a sense of oppression. His skin was as smooth as jade, as if he were a newly born baby untouched by mortal dust.


    "You are¡­" Liao Mao narrowed his eyes as he looked at the youth before him.


    "Senior brother, his bone age should be around 20." a person rolled a dice as he closed his eyes before looking at Lu Zhen with horror.


    "What more did you see?" Liao Mao frowned, as he had never seen this junior brother of his with terrified eyes, not even when facing his master, the elder.


    "This¡­ this¡­" the man''s eyes started to bleed as he copsed on the ground, clutching his head.


    Ahhh!


    Liao Mao frowned when he saw this. "Something is wrong. We should deal with this kid and leave quickly."


    He had one thing confirmed: the kid was around the age of 20. This meant that the threat was from somewhere else. At least, his pride wouldn''t allow a kid younger than him to step over his head, and he refused to believe that this guy could be the danger because of his pride as a martial artist.

 Chapter 222: Shang Luo

    Lu Zhen looked at the people inside the formation with an amused glint in his eyes.


    "So these guys... those old foxes wanted me to kill them personally?" He was inwardly puzzled, but upon seeing their sect uniform, he was pretty sure they were from the same faction.


    "Who are you?" Liao Mao asked calmly, looking at Lu Zhen with a cold expression on his face.


    "Oh, who do you think I am?" Lu Zhen questioned instead of replying, with a smirk on his face.


    "We are disciples of..." Shang Luo was about to continue.


    "Stop, junior sister," Liao Mao hurriedly interrupted her. "This woman is stupid," he cursed inwardly.


    "Oh, I am sorry, senior brother," she hurriedly bowed with an embarrassed expression on her face.


    "It''s okay, junior sister. As a junior, everyone makes mistakes," Liao Mao nodded his head with a gentle smile on his face.


    "Senior brother is magnanimous..." Everyone in the group praised Liao Mao, but his expression remained unmoved as he looked at Lu Zhen coldly.


    "Get out of the way, or you are going to die."


    Lu Zhen observed all this with a strange expression. "Are these people stupid, or are they truly ignorant?" He was amused, witnessing such behaviour.


    After all, once individuals embarked on the path of martial arts, the constant tempering they experienced tended to mature and toughen their minds quickly.


    "Or perhaps they are the type of ignorant people who are genuinely unaware of the world..." Lu Zhen frowned as he sensed their aura. Liao Mao''s strength wasn''t too shabby as a third-stage martial artist, and the others seemed to be on the cusp of breaking through to the third-stage martial realm, right at the peak of martial trainee. They were rtively young as well.


    "So, sheep are groomed in a stable, are they..." Lu Zhen quickly came to that conclusion as he scrutinised each one of them.


    "What are you doing, kid? How dare you be presumptuous in front of us?" Liao Mao''s voice carried an authoritative tone as his aura fully erupted.


    Lu Zhen just shrugged, casually staying where he was as he remained unfazed.


    "This... is the danger really from him?" Liao Mao''s eyes widened with realisation, a shiver running down his spine as he confronted a stark truth.


    "What should I do?" Despite his internal turmoil, he managed to maintain a rtively calm exterior, looking at Lu Zhen with a cold expression.


    "He shouldn''t be able to break through these barriers anytime soon, so we can stall him for some time. If anything doesn''t work, I''ll have to use the sect''s name." Liao Mao grumbled inwardly.


    However, to his despair, he watched the crimson-haired youth walk up to the barrier and deliver a slight punch. The barrier rippled like water but remained rtively strong.


    "Oh, it can take 20% of my strength," Lu Zhen thought with some surprise. "Well, how about this then..." His eyes shed with a ruthless glint as he punched again.


    "Dong!"


    With that punch, the barrier simply broke almost effortlessly, creating spider-like cracks.


    "This... this..." The girl watched with horrified eyes.


    "Senior brother." She looked back, but Liao Mao was nowhere to be seen.


    "Eh, where did he go?"


    Suddenly, blood sttered again, and she witnessed her team members being split cleanly in half, one by one, without the attacker even appearing.


    She fell to the floor, witnessing the gruesome sight before her eyes with despair etched in her eyes losing any hope for survival.


    "So he ran away?" Lu Zhen looked in the direction where the man had left with a strange glint in his eyes before turning his attention to thest remaining girl in the team.


    "Seeing her clothes, she must be a high-ranking member of the organisation," Lu Zhen said as he walked up to the trembling girl.


    "Don''te near me. Do you even know who I am..."


    Lu Zhen instantly appeared in front of her, staring at her with his crimson eyes.


    Her words struck her throat, and she didn''t dare utter any more words.


    "Good girl, tell me everything you know," Lu Zhen said, patting the head of the girl. He looked at her with a cold, emotionless gaze, as if he was looking at a bug he could crush at will.


    "Yes."


    ¡­.


    Liao Mao ran through the forest with despair on his face. As he looked back and saw no oneing towards him, he felt relieved, yet his pace continued to increase.


    "I don''t want the junior brothers and sisters to be my scapegoats until I can run away," he muttered with a mad expression on his face. "My life is too important for me, but your lives are insignificant, and you guys are weak."


    Liao Mao said in a loud voice, as if trying to convince himself.


    Jiang Xue looked at him with a disgusted expression; however, deep happiness came from the bottom of her heart.


    "At least Lu Zhen came for me," she thought with happiness.


    "This guy is as good as dead now." Jiang Xue had mixed feelings towards Lu Zhen because he was the one who saved her previously, but due to her aloofness, she had wronged him.


    Now he was the only one who could save her, and he did appear to save her. Whether for his own benefit or out of genuine concern was another matter, but Lu Zhen did appear to save her.


    "I must gain more power in the future and repay the debt to Lu Zhen..." Jiang Xue thought with confidence that he could save her.


    "Why are you shaking around, you bitch?" Liao Mao felt movement on his shoulder and gritted his teeth with a frown on his face.


    "Everything is because of you, unlucky bitch! Who is that young bastard anyway?" he roared with anger.


    "If it wasn''t for my master''s order¡­" He looked at Jiang Xue''s body and licked his lips, drool leaking out with a lustful eyes.


    Jiang Xue''s expression became disgusted upon seeing this.

 Chapter 223: Looting the Corpse

    Suddenly, Liao Mao''s expression turned to horror as he saw the ck-haired youth again. However, he was even more shocked seeing a familiar female beside him with a hesitant expression on her face, but her eyes burned upon seeing Liao Mao, as if she wanted to kill him with just her gaze.


    "Shang Luo¡­" his eyes widened even more in shock before he gritted his teeth.


    "Did you side with that monster? Aren''t you afraid of trying the sect? You traitor," Liao Mao said with anger.


    "You¡­" Shang Luo was stunned when she heard this as she looked at the man.


    "Didn''t you run away first, you bastard?" Her anger red.


    "You just abandoned your juniors running away. You are a coward¡­"


    "No, I am not a coward," Liao Mao replied with gritted teeth, his expression morphed into a twisted face.


    "I am your senior brother. My life is more important than yours. How can I die first?" His teeth started tethering as he had maddened eyes.


    Shang Luo was stunned when she heard this, rendered speechless.


    "So you wanted to save this senior brother of yours?" Lu Zhen whispered in her ears like a devil''s whisper.


    Shang Luo had a resigned expression as she said with a determined glint, "you can kill him."


    "Wait, what?" Liao Mao was stunned when he heard this, feeling that something was wrong with their conversation.


    "Your dear junior sister wanted to save your life. However, seeing you being so scummy¡­" Lu Zhen''sughter resounded in the ce like a viin.


    At that moment, Liao Mao knew that he fucked up.


    "Wait, ju¡­" Liao Mao was cleanly sliced in half as well, just like all the others, making a gory scene, while Jiang Xue fell to the floor.


    "It doesn''t make a difference if you are a third-stage martial artist or a martial trainee; they all die with a simple sh¡­" Lu Zhen muttered as he looked at the corpse of Liao Mao with a cold expression.


    "Alright, from now on, you are my ve." Lu Zhen''s eyes shed with an amused glint as he looked at Shang Luo.


    "You¡­"


    "Didn''t you promise? Besides, you have no choice." A devilish smile appeared on his face as he pointed at his right arm.


    Shang Luo was terrified as she looked at where Lu Zhen was pointing at, immediately bowing and falling to the floor.


    "Yes, master," she said.


    "Good, you can leave now." Lu Zhen replied with an uncaring expression.


    Shang Luo was stunned when she heard this. "What do you mean?"


    "I said you can leave now. Your job is done. Remember not to tell anyone about these senior brothers and yourpanion who were killed by me, or you might face terrible consequences that will make you regret. But you will be toote to regret it."


    Lu Zhen said with a mysterious expression on his face.


    "Well, now leave."


    "But¡­ but what will I tell the elder?"


    "That is none of my concern. Say whatever you want." Lu Zhen''s expression turned cold. "As for what excuse to make, not my problem."


    "Leave."


    "Yes." Shang Luo decisively left as she could feel that her death was near if she didn''t follow Lu Zhen''s order.


    Her figure vanished as she travelled in the forest.


    "Now where was I?" Lu Zhen stretched his body as he looked at the bound body of Jiang Xue.


    "Well, Miss Xue, how are you?"


    He walked up to her as Lu Zhen untied her.


    "Cough, cough¡­" The moment she was untied, she started to cough, with thin red marks from the rope on her snow-white skin, making her look like she was being abused.


    "This is quite a strong rope¡­" Lu Zhen thought as his eyes shed with a golden light looking at the rope.


    [Dan Ru Rope]


    [Grade: Qi grade]


    [Remark: Made from the pelts of a beast that is at least in the third-stage martial realm]


    Lu Zhen looked at this with a thoughtful expression.


    "The outside world is truly extraordinary. These bunch of chickens have such great items just to tie someone¡­" He looked at the corpse Liao Mao with lit eyes as he started to loot the corpse, ignoring the gaze of Jiang Xue entirely.


    However, Jiang Xue didn''t mind as she looked at Lu Zhen with a reverent gaze. "He is quite handsome." She secretly blushed as she finally looked at him carefully, which made butterflies circle in her mind.


    Lu Zhen, however, didn''t find anything in the man''s possession except for a single marble ring.


    "What''s this?" Lu Zhen thought as his eyes turned golden before he looked at the item.


    [Store Ring]


    [Grade: Intent]


    [Remark: Made from a special material which acts like a dimension where one could store things, just like a first-stage martial artist.]


    Lu Zhen''s eyes widened when he saw that he had beencking a storage device to store up all his loot for a long time, and now finally, he was able to get one.


    "In the future, this will be quite convenient¡­" He nodded his head as Lu Zhen finally looked at Jiang Xue.


    "Follow me." His expression turned cold.


    "Yes, young master." Jiang Xue nodded her head and started to follow him, trailing behind him.


    After walking for some time aimlessly, finally, two men suddenly materialised in front of them.


    One of them was a very young-looking man with a business smile, and the other was a middle-aged man with a casual, cool attitude.


    They were Lu Ming and Fang Yin.


    "Ancestor Lu, Elder Wu Di." Lu Zhen respectfully greeted both of them, while Jiang Xue was stunned before she followed in his footsteps.


    "You are a smart girl, Lu Zhen. Take her as a concubine." Lu Ming nodded his head as he looked at Jiang Xue with a satisfied expression.


    "Eh." Lu Zhen was stunned when he heard this.


    "You are already old enough to have multiple wives and concubines. Don''t think you can hide from me. You already have two; make this girl your concubine as well. I want lots of children from you. As the young master of the family, you should have at least twenty concubines."


    Lu Zhen was stumped.

 Chapter 224: Information of the outside world

    "Cough, cough, Ancestor..." Lu Zhen looked at Lu Ming with a frown on his face.


    "Hahaha," Lu Mingughed heartily, and Fang Yin also smiled.


    "These old men want to make fun of me..." Lu Zhen cursed inwardly; however, he had an embarrassed expression on his face.


    "Anyway, when will we go to the inheritance ground now, Ancestor Lu?" he said respectfully, changing the topic quickly.


    When they heard this, they had a difficult expression on their faces.


    "Lu Zhen, we need to establish absolute dominance in these if we want to monopolise the inheritance ground now."


    "Eh, why?"


    "Did you see their symbol embroidered on them?" Lu Ming pointed at the corpse of Liao Mao.


    "Yes."


    "We didn''t attack them ourselves because of this reason."


    Lu Zhen''s confusion grew when he heard this. "What do you mean, Ancestor Lu?"


    "You see, when we attack, whether we want it or not, even a strand of our intent goes into our attack, making even our simple attack terrifying to an extraordinary degree that no lower-stage martial artist couldpete with. But that is also our weakness."


    "The symbol you see is Fang Ting Sect, which is also one of the supreme sects in the world with at least a peak first-stage martial artist and countless lower first-stage martial artists. If we attack their disciples, they will instantly know because of our intent and can even easily track us."


    "But, Ancestor Lu, can''t we dispose of his body so that they couldn''t find out?" Lu Zhen said with a frown on his face.


    "No, we can''t, as they have a secret artefact in all their disciples, which sends a signal as per sensing our intent and would instantly send it to the other side," Lu Ming exined with an unconvinced expression.


    "If I can kill a first-stage martial artist like a bug when I am just a high first-stage martial artist, imagine what those peak-tier could do," Fang Yin added, exining the situation. "And besides, there is not only a peak first-stage martial artist; there should be at least two high first-stage martial artists as well just like me if they need to be ssified as a super sect in the world."


    Lu Zhen''s eyes widened when he heard this.


    "So, we have to tread this path carefully from now on. Got it, Lu Zhen? First, dispose of this body. Although they will eventually find out, we need to find a possible safe haven before they could discover us."


    Lu Zhen had a frown on his face as he nodded with a serious expression.


    Although he had gotten some details about the outside world from Shang Luo, he didn''t truly know the power structure of the world because she was mostly ignorant of these things.


    When Lu Zhen asked why, it was because she lived in her house most of the time, cultivating.


    Since her father was a high-ranking member, they were rtively well off, so she was given all the resources she wanted. Although she could ess that information, she had no interest in it.


    "Lu Zhen, are you sure you could control the girl?" Lu Ming asked after thinking for a moment.


    "Yes," Lu Zhen nodded his head confidently.


    "Well, then we could dy them even longer until we can set a firm rule here in the Phoenix Kingdom and disguise the entire inheritance cave first. We must be quick at it too¡­'''' Lu Ming frowned as he touched his temples. "I am getting too old."


    "Hey hey, you aren''t that old. I am older than you," Fang Yin said with a bitter smile.


    "But you are two small realms higher than me."


    "Oh, true," a smirk appeared on his face.


    "You¡­" Lu Ming was speechless.


    "Well, I agree with what you are saying. Hahaha, Lu Ming," Fang Yinughed.


    "Well then, let''s go now," he casually opened a small crack as the Nihilith Realm opened.


    The reason they had to travel to these ces by flying but could go back by simply opening the Nihilith Realm was that these ces weren''t marked by their intent. Even if they were, who could tell their location, since only Lu Zhen could thinly locate their source.


    "Alright, we are going, Jiang Xue," Lu Zhen looked at her, who was strangely standing still with a blush on her face and an obedient expression.


    "Time walks so fast; the previous icy woman has now somehow be so obedient like a little girl. I guess life does give people a harsh p to wake them up to reality..." Lu Zhen mused to himself.


    "Let''s go."


    "Yes, young master." Jiang Xue nodded her head as they entered the void.


    Lu Ming casually erected a barrier surrounding her as they travelled the Nihilith dimension, a pitch darkness with no end in sight.


    Finally, Lu Zhen returned to the familiar simple yet luxurious room again.


    "Greetings,dy." Lu Zhen greeted the ck-haireddy who wore a Japanese kimono.


    Thedy also nodded her head and smiled at him.


    "Let her stay in your pce for now, Lu Zhen. We will first take control of the entire town," Lu Ming said as the two vanished in thin air.


    "Welp, it''s nice to be back home," he casually stretched his body as he exited the pce of the ancestor, with Jiang Xue following behind him.


    "So, what does Miss Xue really want to do?"


    "I want to marr¡­"


    "I will give you some time to think about it for a day and give me your final answer till then." Lu Zhen walked around, seeing the reverent gazes of the servants.


    "Isn''t that the young master?"


    "I heard he fought in the war like a dashing hero and killed millions of enemy soldiers, ying themander of the army effortlessly."


    "He also killed the ancestors of the Xia and Huang family from what I heard with a simple sh of his saber, leaving countless corpses with just a simple swing of his saber." Their gaze was filled with reverence.

 Chapter 225: Formation

    "I also heard the young master used his saber to cut up a mountain in half and almost destroyed the sky with a single sh."


    Lu Zhen''s ears twitched when he heard this. "The news travelled truly too fast; however, the news seemed to be half-truth and half-lie mixed in," he mused to himself.


    Since the news only travelled by ears and mouth, naturally, the news would deviate as they travelled further and further, almost bing unrecognisable by the time it reached far enough.


    After all, everyonees up with a different conclusion as they hear the news, and then they spread it to their own news with a different interpretation. In turn, the person who hears the news will make another interpretation about it, making the information more and more unrecognisable by the time it reaches far and wide.


    It was a universal thing. Unless one can send concise information, the information will be more and more twisted as time passes.


    Lu Zhen chuckled, seeing the contemtive expression on Jiang Xue''s face. "Don''t worry; you have time to think carefully. I will arrange a room for you for that moment." He patted her shoulder.


    Jiang Xue nodded in response.


    "However, if you decide to give yourself to me, be prepared that I will swallow you whole." Lu Zhen whispered into her ears.


    A shiver ran down her spine as her body trembled.


    "Yes, young master," she replied, though her voice seemed to be tinged with a strange excitement.


    Lu Zhen gazed at her with his crimson eyes. "What''s this girl excited for?" he thought, his expression turning curious.


    "Cough, we have arrived in the pce." Lu Zhen walked in, instructing the servants to arrange a ce for her before he went to see Little Lily.


    "Haven''t seen her for a long time; how is she?" Lu Zhen pondered as he made his way to her.


    ¡­


    Little Lily sat in a chair, carefully reading a book in front of her. Her eyes gradually lit up more as she read, and she eventually closed her eyes.


    "Let''s try it," she muttered with excitement.


    She spread her hand sideways, gathering her wind Qi around her hand. Her eyes shed with various patterns as she pushed her hand.


    Boom!


    A rotating wind force was produced, covering her entire body and forming a strangeyer of protection around her.


    "Second-tier formation: Wind wall," she uttered, and her Qi rapidly drained, but her eyes were lit up with a sense of aplishment.


    Suddenly, she heard the sound of footsteps.


    "Did the young mastere back?" Little Lily thought as she looked at the door taking back her supply of Qi and instantly the formation crumbled in moments.


    The door slowly creaked open, revealing a devilish youth with a tall stature and well-defined muscles, dressed in ck robes.


    "Lily, are you here?" Lu Zhen''s eyes lit up with anticipation as he opened the door.


    "Yes, young master, you are finally back," she eximed, rushing up to him and bowing respectfully.


    "Hmm," Lu Zhen nodded approvingly. However, as he sensed her aura, a strange expression crossed his face. She had made significant progress since theirst encounter, where she had barely broken through the third stage of the martial realm.


    "I see you have made a lot of progress," hemented, patting her head, which brought a smile to her face.


    "Yes, young master. However, I have an even greater surprise nned for you," she dered.


    "Eh, what?" Lu Zhen wondered, his expression now marked by surprise.


    Once again, she summoned a rotating wind force that enveloped her, forming a strange barrier. Her eyes shed with various intricate patterns.


    "Is this a formation?" Lu Zhen thought with shock. Initially, he had given her the formation book to broaden her horizons, but he didn''t expect her to learn this quickly.


    "How strong is this?" Lu Zhen wondered curiously as he punched at the rotating wind force, using a tiny bit of his strength.


    Boom!


    Unexpectedly, the barrier remained standing even when attacked, causing his eyes to light up with excitement.


    "Amazing, Lily! You have done a good job. Is this a tier 2 formation?" Lu Zhen asked curiously.


    Lily stopped the supply of her Qi, and instantly, the formation ceased. She nodded, and Lu Zhen''s face morphed into a satisfied expression.


    He wasn''t fully ignorant about formations and knew a little about them. Basically, formations were divided into many tiers, much like martial realms.


    The weakest was the tier zero formation, equivalent to the level of a martial trainee. Then, there was tier three, which matched the strength of a third-stage martial artist, followed by tier two, corrting with the power of a second-stage martial realm, and so on.


    "Not bad."


    "Thank you, young master," Lily smiled as she giggled with a rosy face. "I can finally be helpful to you."


    "What other formations do you know?" Lu Zhen asked curiously, not expecting more. After all, mastering a tier two formation was already a terrifying potential for someone at her level¡ªbeing a third-stage martial artist with many concepts about tier two formations unknown to her. However, to his surprise, she raised three fingers.


    "You know three tier two formations?" Lu Zhen said with shock.


    "Yes, young master. Want to try one?"


    "Hmm, okay."


    Without dy, Lily''s eyes shed with a strange pattern as her wind Qi circted in a peculiar way.


    "What''s this?" Suddenly, Lu Zhen felt his body be light as it was filled with a strange sense of power. He saw a peerless vision of a dragon from the corner of his eyes.


    "Second tier formation: Heavenly Dragon Boost."


    Lu Zhen tightened his fist, and the wind trembled with it, creating a tearing sound that resounded in the surroundings. Just this small movement caused the very air to be broken.


    He casually punched as fast as possible with his full power.


    Boom!


    The air seemed to crack as Lu Zhen broke the sound barrier, putting immense pressure on his arms. However, the most it could do was make Lu Zhen feel a slight pain and nothing more.

 Chapter 226: Little Lily Virginity taken***

    "Amazing," Lu Zhen muttered, his eyes widened. Although he broke the sound barrier, it couldn''t do much harm to him at all, only being able to cause some scratches.


    "Young master, are you fine?" Little Lily''s voice sounded dragged and weary, as if she was exhausted.


    "Yes, I am fine, but what happened to you?" Lu Zhen said with shock.


    The strange pattern in her eyes disappeared as she fell to the floor, taking deep breaths.


    "What happened?"


    Lu Zhen quickly checked Lily, which made him heave a sigh of relief. She was only in this condition because she had lost too much Qi.


    "Does the formation drain so much Qi?" Lu Zhen said with shock.


    "Yes, young master, it drained too much of my Qi."


    Lu Zhen, without dy, fed her some paste that helped in recovering Qi.


    "You have to be careful with your body, Lily."


    "Yes, young master."


    "Does it have a formation that is helpful for an army?"


    "There is, young master, but I have only mastered the tier zero of the formation," Lily said while she sat cross-legged, slowly taking the paste and recovering quickly.


    "Oh," Lu Zhen nodded his head, "you don''t have to push yourself so hard."


    "Young master, as long as I am useful to you¡­"


    Lu Zhen was speechless when he heard this. "You have always thought about myself, but what about you?" He looked at her deeply with his crimson gaze.


    "What do you mean, young master?"


    "You see, for one to live their life, there needs to be an individuality, a goal that you want to achieve. What is your goal, Lily?"


    "My goal is to serve the young master."


    Lu Zhen was speechless when he heard this. "You really don''t want to do anything other than that?"


    Little Lily shook her head, which made Lu Zhen sigh.


    "For what reason are you serving me?" his gaze turned cold.


    "Eh, for what reason¡­" A deep frown appeared on Little Lily''s face as she had a contemtive expression while thinking deeply.


    "For what reason." This word echoed in her heart; however, there was no answer.


    Lu Zhen looked at her while shaking his head. "This girl truly makes me speechless," he mused, patiently waiting for an answer.


    Hours passed as the contemtive expression on Lily''s face never ended.


    "You carry on with your thoughts ande back to me after you think about it carefully."


    "Wait, young master." Lily slowly opened her eyes, the frowning face changing into an eerie calmness as her mind seemed to calm down, and her aura substantially changed. Although it didn''t increase, rather it decreased, it seemed to have a fierce wielding spirit now.


    Lu Zhen paused and looked behind, seeing Lily with a strange glint.


    "Young master, my goal is to be selfish," she said with a smile on her face.


    "Huh," Lu Zhen was stumped when he heard this. "Selfish?"


    "Selfish for you, young master. I want to be selfish for you because I love you."


    She walked up to Lu Zhen and hugged him like a ko.


    "Hmm¡­"


    Lu Zhen frowned as he let her hug him for what seemed to have been an eternity before she finally let go with a reluctant expression on her face.


    "Young master, I want it¡­"


    "Are you sure?" Lu Zhen asked.


    "Yes, I am sure." she licked her lips before Lily slowly started to undress herself.


    "This girl is too horny," Lu Zhen muttered, however, he couldn''t me her since he was barely suppressing his lust as well, ready to boil out like a volcano. A small tent had already formed in his crotch area.


    They both undressed in moments, leaving them both with lustful eyes.


    "Since she wants it, I will give it to her."


    Lu Zhen''s little brother was revealed, standing tall like a heavenly tower, which made Lily blush uncontrobly.


    "So big," she uttered in shock, with a curious glint in her eyes.


    "Wanna touch it?" Lu Zhen chuckled.


    Lily nodded her head as she walked curiously and touched it, feeling the half-erected rod, which was sizzling.


    "How is it?"


    "It''s hot," little Lily said with a blush, "but it feels nice and seems to be toorge."


    "Of course it isrge," he smiled. "Can you move your hand up and down?"


    "Alright, young master."


    Lily smiled at him as she moved her lilith hand up and down.


    Lu Zhen could feel pleasure build up in him; however, he didn''t stay ideal as he slowly started to feel her bountiful breast.


    "Marshmallow." His hands bounced around her plentiful breast feeling the soft sensation that felt jiggly.


    Lu Zhen would never get tired of this bouncy and soft texture.


    "Breasts are truly the best," he muttered, feeling the pleasure build up in him from Lily rocking her hand back and forth.


    However, Lu Zhen wasn''t a man to be underestimated, as he suddenly increased his grip and slowly started to tickle her nipple.


    Mhm!


    Little Lily moaned involuntarily as she could feel a hot sensation building up inside her as well.


    "Young master, stop."


    Lu Zhen suddenly stopped his hands.


    "Eh," she said, looking up to see an amused expression on Lu Zhen''s face.


    "Didn''t you tell me to stop?"


    "I meant, please."


    "Alright, alright little girl," Lu Zhen slowly rotated circrly, making Lily lustful again as her hands didn''t stop jacking Lu Zhen off even for one moment.


    Lu Zhen swirled faster and faster as time passed, as an unbelievable pleasure slowly built on her more and more till she couldn''t hold it.


    "Young master, I am cumming." Her hand stroke increased.


    "I am cumming as well." A grunt escaped Lu Zhen, as he didn''t want to hold it any longer, and he released a thick amount of his yang essence like a fountain.


    Littering Lily''s body with it, and even some fell to the ground because of the sheer intensity of its essence that made the entire ce filled with a thick amount of white essence.


    Little Lily''s eyes rolled up in pleasure as liquid dripped from her crotch area, staining the floor.

 Chapter 227: Little Lily virginity taken*** (2)

    "Now let''s get to the fun part." Lu Zhen said with a smile to his friend.


    "I will devour you whole." He slowly whispered in Lily''s ears, which made a strange excitement course through her body before she nodded her head with excitement.


    "What should I do as a young master now?" Seeing Lu Zhen''s little brother still standing tall like a god, she frowned as Lily eagerly asked.


    "Well," Lu Zhen looked at Lily, who was already wet, "start byying on the bed."


    "Okay." Lily followed Lu Zhen''s instructions as she yed on her bed.


    "What should I do now?" she asked eagerly.


    "You don''t have to do anything; I will do everything now." Lu Zhen spoke with an expressionless face as he licked his lips.


    His little brother hardened even more.


    Since it was her only time, Lu Zhen took it into consideration not to transform into his Volgrith, which might not make it much pleasurable for her.


    After all, sometimes being too big was also unnecessary, and he didn''t want to break his little maid.


    Lu Zhen slowly walked up to her and aligned his little brother directly with her pussy.


    "Are you prepared, little Lily?"


    Lily just nodded her head.


    Lu Zhen slowly pushed his hip, directly prating her pussy. Feeling the tight hole, he could help but moan from pleasure as if her pussy was sucking his dick right inside her.


    However, even Lu Zhen, Lily''s voice resounded in the room.


    Ummm!


    Lily held back her cry of pain as tears threatened toe from her eyes.


    "Do you want me to slow down?"


    "No, young master, go on," she said without any hesitation on her face, with a silly smile on her face.


    Hearing this, Lu Zhen nodded his head as he gently pushed his hips, sliding his little brother inside her slowly as she was already wet. It slid in rtively quickly.


    As he prated, he also kissed her forehead, trying to distract her from the pain.


    His little brother reached every nook and cranny of her small pussy thoroughly exploring her, slowly modelling her to his shape.


    If one looked carefully, small amounts of blood dripped from her pussy as she tightly shut her mouth, using a pillow to stop herself from moaning.


    A small mushroom formed on her stomach as Lu Zhen had already reached her limits. Lu Zhen couldn''t enter any deeper than this, as one inch was still left outside.


    "I will start to move now," he slowly whispered in her ears.


    Lily nodded her head with a muffled voice.


    Without dy, Lu Zhen slowly took back his hips and started to slide in and out of her pussycat every time he reached deep inside Little Lily, her muffled voice resounding in the room.


    Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah~


    Her muffled voice eventually turned into her moans as her pussy gradually moulded to the shape ustomed to his little brother.


    Lily''s eyes rolled back as she silly stuck her tongue out, making an ahegao face as if she were on cloud nine right now.


    Lu Zhen, seeing this, increased his pace even more as pleasure built up.


    His little brother felt her tight wall almost sucking him in as he moaned again, increasing his pace.


    Lu Zhen thrust his hips with more strength and speed, making the ahegao lily moan even more.


    With one final thrust, he cummed deep inside her as he released all the pleasure he had built up inside him.


    Mhhhh~


    Lily moaned onest time as she orgasmed for the eleventh time.


    He continued with his hip thrust for a long time, as Lily''s orgasm never stopped, as his yang essence reached deep inside her.


    Finally, after releasing every drop of his yang essence, he finally took back his little brother.


    Plop!


    The moment he took his little brother, her body fell to the bed as thick, sticky liquid ran down her pussy.


    Lu Zhen couldn''t help but marvel at the sight in front of him as he felt a sense of aplishment. After all, giving satisfaction to a woman was a man''s pride.


    "Hmm, I seem to have forgotten something." Lu Zhen felt that something was missing and that he had missed an important detail.


    He looked at Lily''s pussy, which was oozing out his essence, and his little brother, who was standing tall like a heavenly tower even after dumping a load, as it twitched as if asking for more.


    "Shit, I did it inside her..." Lu Zhen pped his head.


    The only woman he could freely do it to was Xia Mei, except that if he did it inside another, he would definitely impregnate them for sure just because of his sheer potent yang essence.


    "Lily."


    "Yes, young master," she said with a silly smile on her face.


    "Do you want to have my child?" Lu Zhen asked with an expressionless face.


    "Yes." Lily replied with excitement in her tone as she touched her belly, feeling the warm liquid inside of her.


    "You have to think carefully about these things."


    "Yes, young master, I agree," she replied as she cut off Lu Zhen.


    "I am already yours from now on, young master. The only regret I will have is that I can''t properly focus on my cultivation if I have a baby, young master."


    "Lily, do you think I need protection? Just stay the way you are, and I will be happy." Lu Zhen said as a smile graced his lips.


    Lily nodded her head with a blush on her face.


    "Wanna go for round two?"


    She nodded her head with excitement.


    "Well, if you want, go for it." Lu Zhen''s little brother seemed to have be bigger as they both satisfied their carnal pleasure with each other.


    Lu Zhen tried at least a hundred positions, like cow bow, doggy style, pretzel dip, where Lu Zhen kneels between her thighs, straddling her bottom leg, the top leg of Lily then rests on Lu Zhen''s thighs, and many more.


    By the end, Lily was filled to the brim as her stomach was bloated and her face was ahegao, reaching the zenith. Even as a third-stage martial artist, she would need quite a bit of time to recover.

 Chapter 228: Dual Cultivation Level Up

    [You have dual cultivation.]


    [Your dual cultivation skill has levelled up from level 3 to level 4].


    Lu Zhen''s eyes widened with excitement when he saw the blue prompt from the corner of his eyes.


    He was currently sleeping naked with his little brother in a half-erect position, and in his arm there was a little lily closely nestled with him as if seeking Lu Zhen''s warmth.


    Her expression was blissful as a smile graced her lips, nestling even closer to Lu Zhen in his warmfort.


    "My dual cultivation skill finally levelled up." Lu Zhen said with satisfaction as he looked at his status, seeing that nothing had changed yet and his advancement was still stuck at ny nine percent.


    "Fk this sht," Lu Zhen cursed as he opened, focusing on the skill section.


    [Skills]


    - BATTLE INSTINCT: LEVEL 3


    - DEVOUR: LEVEL 3


    - Appraisal Eye: Level 6


    - Saber Mastery: Level 8


    - Adaptability: Level 8


    - Aura Control: Level 7


    - Meditation: Level 2


    - Dual Cultivation: Level 4


    - Alchemy: Level 2


    - Bow Mastery: Level 2


    - Sword Mastery: Level 4


    - Qian Mastery: Level 4


    - Staff Mastery: Level 3


    - Chain Mastery: Level 4


    The only thing that changed in his skills was the dual cultivation skill, except that the other skills were almost the same even after Lu Zhen had killed millions of soldiers of the Hei family thest time he checked before that.


    His golden eyes turned crimson as he focused on the dual cultivation skill.


    [Dual Cultivation]


    [Remark: An ability of the system that grants the host the ability to mate with the partner to increase his cultivation and condense Qi. It also helps the host strengthen his intent if the host mates with a first-stage martial artist. The requirement is that the host must have already reached the first-stage martial realm; if not, it will help to elerate the progress while forming intent.]


    Lu Zhen had a contemtive expression as countless thoughts formed in his mind, quickly understanding what he could do with these skills. Finally, he stretched his body, slowly separating from Lily''s body. However, the moment he tried to move her hand, her eyes suddenly snapped open as she stared at Lu Zhen.


    "Umm?"


    "Young master, you can go if you want. Don''t worry," she touched her belly with a smile on her face.


    "Alright, I will be back in a while," Lu Zhen sighed, seeing Lily''s smile.


    "This will be my child." But before he left, he touched her belly as if there was already a baby inside.


    After all, after taking so much of his yang essence, if he still didn''t have a baby, Lily might be infertile. But this is impossible in this world since the higher one goes, the more perfect their body bes. Gaining a perfect reproductive organ was also included in the body being transformed into its perfection state.


    So even if one is infertile, the more they cultivate, it will be automatically cured with time. Although Lily had cultivated for a short time, she was already a third-stage martial artist, so it was impossible for her to be infertile. As for Lu Zhen, since he even cultivated his body, it could be said that his body had almost reached his perfection state.


    After all,peting with a second-stage martial artist while he was a peak third-stage martial artist, and that too when he had no Qi to strengthen his attack, showed how much strength he had reached with just his raw body strength.


    With that said, Lu Zhen left the ce as he closed the door. The moment he left, a small smile graced Lily''s lips as she patted her belly again.


    However, unknown to both of them, the entire thing they did was shown in a mirror in a dark room.


    "The child favored by heaven has finally done it with my granddaughter," an aged voice reverberated in the room as suddenly the room lit up, revealing an old granny sitting on a throne.


    "If she can amass the fortune of heaven''s favored, I will have enough for my breakthrough," a smile graced her lips on her wrinkled face.


    "Mydy, why go through so much trouble for just these mortal bugs, even to the extent that you let your descendant fall madly in love with him? Can''t you forcefully take all his fortune away?..." A young girl in military clothing right next to her asked with a frown on her face.


    "Foolish girl, doing anything against them will instead destroy your luck until their purpose is fulfilled by those higher beings. If they are harmed in any way, no matter who it is in this martial world, they can''t withstand their wrath¡­" the granny replied as her gaze turned cold.


    The young military girl started to tremble under the cold gaze of the old woman as she directly bowed.


    "I am sor¡­"


    Boom!


    Her body suddenly exploded into a million pieces, leaving nothing behind¡ªnot even her blood or clothes, as if she had disappeared from existence just like that.


    The granny looked uncaring with a cold expression as if she had casually crushed a bug before she looked at the mirror again.


    "Lu Zhen, you are definitely an interesting being." A small smile graced her lips; however, it seemed to be mocking instead of expressing genuine interest.


    "A mere parasite thinks that everything he has until now wasn''t given to him by a strong background, but not too strong, and all the coincidences led to this point. Does he really think all that has happened to him was because of mere coincidence? A really delusional being; however, this heaven-favoured at least has some brains. The previous one was just an outright hypocrite¡­" The old woman sneered.


    "I will suck as much of his fortune as possible before the higher beings find out." She started trembling, remembering those beings.


    "Calm down, Oyang Xiao." She took a deep breath to calm herself down.


    "Let''s cultivate." Oyang Xiao could faintly see a green dragon mist gathering around her.

 Chapter 229: Scheme

    The moment the green dragon enveloped her, her cultivation speed instantly increased by ten times, and countless insights shed in her eyes.


    "This is definitely the best method to cultivate," she thought with excitement as she delved deep into meditation.


    ¡­


    Lu Zhen, unaware of the unfolding plot, slowly made his way towards the ce where Huang Li was staying.


    However, when he reached halfway to her room, he paused, a deep contemtion clouding his expression. An ominous feeling gripped his heart, as if something precious had been taken away from him.


    "What happened?" He tightly clenched his fist around his heart, feeling the ominous sensation vanish as quickly as it hade.


    "If I go to every woman, this will be time-consuming. I better train," Lu Zhen muttered, suddenly feeling an urge to focus on his cultivation. It didn''t seem toe from his instinct; instead, it resonated from deep inside him, as if his very existence, his soul, was urging him to cultivate.


    Without a moment''s dy, he changed his footsteps and headed directly to his training area, where he began to warm up his body with physical exercises. However, his mind was not fully engaged in the training; he was diving deep into his memories, as if searching for something.


    "I need my own power. I can''t always rely on the system."


    He suddenly halted his physical training, his eyes widening with realisation. Lu Zhen promptly stopped his training and entered his room instead and examined the row of books on his rack.


    Quickly choosing a book, he started to read it patiently, going through each sentence methodically, not missing a single detail, and storing it in his memory.


    After Lu Zhen had acquired these books from Elv, due to time constraints, he hadn''t had the opportunity to properly read the books he had fought so hard to get.


    As he skimmed through the books, his knowledge widened. Lu Zhen spent his entire time reading the books,pletely focused, as if he were absorbing everything about the world. Hunger and lust couldn''t break his concentration as he gradually reached a synchronisation with the book.


    ¡­


    "What is this human doing?"


    "Huh, what happened? Let me see." He looked at the screen, and his eyes widened before gradually returning to normal.


    "It''s just that he wants knowledge, nothing more. Besides, everything of his power is linked to the system, so no matter what he does, nothing can help him. It''s just a fool''s errand, as this pitiful worm is trying to escape from his fate."


    "Hahaha, the thing is that he doesn''t know that he can''t change his fate, no matter what he does. But I wonder how much he will grow by the time we can eat him."


    "It should be soon."


    A smile appeared as the being revealed itself, seeming to be made of void itself. Its body was pitch ck, except for the countless stars shining inside its body, as if its body contained the entire gxy within twinkling in its body as a massive ck hole revealed itself at the centre.


    There were no nose, ears¡ªnothing. Everything was a in silhouette in the shape of a human.


    The only way to actually differentiate these two was from the shape of their body and their heights, except that everything was eerily simr to each other.


    Theirughter resounded in the room as they looked at the other screens instead of Lu Zhen.


    ¡­.


    As Lu Zhen read further and further, he finally found what he was looking for, which made his eyes light up.


    He took a deep breath, instantly calming down his thoughts as he looked at the thin book made of a strange material.


    At the front of the cover, there was written "BLOODLINE," inscribed in the cover rigidly, making it look very satisfying to the eyes.


    "Let''s see¡­" Lu Zhen could feel his own bloodline, which was slowly drying out as time passed, so he desperately needed an alternative solution.


    "That bitch Elv trapped me¡­" he gritted his teeth. The demonic cultivation that Elv gave to Lu Zhen was terrifyingly powerful; however, in exchange for that power, there was a drawback as well¡ªit would slowly start to drain his bloodline the more he cultivated it.


    That means the more he cultivates the demonic cultivation technique, the more he will lose his bloodline.


    It wouldn''t have been the case if he had a purer bloodline of Volgrith; however, since it was so thin, the strain put on his own bloodline while he made demonic Qi was enough to dry out his bloodline.


    Lu Zhen quickly delved into the book as he read the words.


    Suddenly, he heard a knock, which made his ears twitch with a frown on his face.


    "Who is it?"


    "Young master, can Ie in?" Huang Li replied with a deep voice.


    "No, get lost." Lu Zhen''s voice became cold as his killing aura erupted.


    His killing aura travelled outside his room and directly all fell down on her.


    A cold shiver ran down Huang Li''s spine, cold sweat ran down her back as she trembled violently.


    "Leave, I am busy."


    "Yes¡­ yes, young master."


    As if on survival instinct, Huang Li ran from Lu Zhen''s room as she gritted her teeth.


    "I thought this bastard could provide me with resources after he took my virginity, but he doesn''t even look at me now," she muttered as her pace increased.


    Although Lu Zhen gave her enough resources to slowly cultivate, she has always stayed locked up in her room for a long time and was clueless about the ongoing news outside.


    So she hade out of her seclusion to take some fresh air. At that time, she had heard the moans of Lily, who was Lu Zhen''s maid, so she had secretly peeked inside, and what she saw made her envy her very deeply.


    "He was so gentle with his maid, even caring for her, but for me¡­" Huang Li thought bitterly.

 Chapter 230: Bloodline Martial Artist

    Since Huang Li was rtively secluded, she hadn''t gotten the news that her entire family was ughtered yet.


    With dark circles under her eyes, she left silently as Lu Zhen got back to reading the bloodline book again.


    Lu Zhen didn''t want to be cruel; however, feeling the ominous feeling that got increasingly tighter as time passed, he felt a sense of urgency which made him drive her away.


    As he delved into the book, he finally understood how bloodlines worked and how they functioned, how they could be imnted, and much more information that remained in his mind.


    Finally, after reading the entire book, he ced it on the table with a sigh.


    The bloodline martial artists weren''t imnted with the bloodline of this world''s beast; actually, it was from others.


    The actual story was that after the fall of the mages and the mutation of mana into Qi, many mages who still survived made a research n to fiddle around with bloodlines and n their revenge as they researched Qi.


    To their excitement, they soon found that Qi had a strange reaction to the otherworldly races outside of the martial world. Without hesitation, they poured out all their resources to use this information for their benefit.


    After decades of research, they finally found a way to utilise it by imnting bloodlines, which are now called bloodline martial artists.


    But for that, they needed actual martial artists, so they went out to kidnap eight young children and provided them with resources to be martial artists.


    After all, they needed to be secretive in their research because it was not their era, and if the powerhouses found out, their fate would be decided by them.


    Mages hated having their fate toyed with for some reason; it was as if it was inscribed in their genes.


    So, after these children became martial artists, they started their experiment as discreetly as possible.


    Through gruesome and cruel experiments, they had finally created ten martial artists with the bloodline; however, they faced a problem. Due to the experiments, their mentality had be twisted. Although they could still control their minds, it was only a temporary method at most.


    These eight bloodline martial artists had be monsters, terrifying not because of their strength but because of their regeneration. Even if sliced as a whole, they would eventually regenerate ande alive again, with their vitality almost endless. They could even absorb the air itself to provide themselves with nutrition.


    This meant they couldn''t be trusted, and they couldn''t be killed as well.


    At that moment, the mages knew they had made a grave mistake. They had created immortal soldiers for themselves who could turn against them at any moment.


    So, they were sealed in coffins and sent far away from them to a secret ce.


    However, at that moment, as if by fate itself, thousands of assemblies of ancient martial artists gathered to attack the mages. Almost every single powerhouse gathered together to fight the mages.


    But mages weren''t to be underestimated as well, as they fought the battle fiercely. However, due to their resources being drained, they eventually went on the defensive side.


    In the final moment, they erupted an atomic reactor, which almost destroyed half the martial world, then a hundred times the size of Earth. Taking the ancient martial artists with them.


    That is how the ancient martial artists died, and the environment of the entire martial world changed, making it impossible for the martial artists of this era to have the physique of an ancient martial artist, which could directly take Qi into their bodies and freely travel within.


    Lu Zhen had a contemtive expression as he learned all this history of the world that even Lu Ming didn''t know about.


    As for the ten martial artists who had the bloodline, their story was unknown in these books.


    "So that''s their entire history, huh¡­." Lu Zhen''s mind swirled with thoughts as he connected every dot he had learned until now and could already guess who those eighth bloodline martial artists were.


    "The eight great family ancestors are just experiments of mages," his eyes narrowed.


    But it wasn''t his main focus; Lu Zhen''s main concern was how to obtain a bloodline. For that, he needed the bodies of otherworldly races outside the martial world.


    "I have reached a dead end¡­" Lu Zhen gritted his teeth as he tightened his fist with anger.


    Suddenly, a sh of inspiration appeared in his mind as he thought of something.


    "If I can''t get the bloodline of those otherworldly beasts, I can extract the bloodline from other martial artists."


    Although this was a really hard and troublesome task, it was the only possible option for Lu Zhen right now, and he desperately needed it.


    Suddenly, he thought of a girl''s name.


    "Xia Mei."


    A strange expression morphed on his face as he seriously contemted for a long time.


    "No, I can''t do it with my own woman. If I do such a thing, I won''t be allowed to call myself a man. Besides, she has never harmed me till now, so it goes against my principles."


    He thought of another person, "Fe Cai."


    But that man was far away from him, so he was out of reach for Lu Zhen, unfortunately.


    "Let''s talk to my mother. She must know about the location of bloodline martial artists and the n as well¡­" Lu Zhen''s eyes shed with a cruel glint.


    As he left the room without hesitation.


    "Li Nan," Lu Zhen called out.


    Instantly, a shadow travelled from outside and materialised in front of him, bowing to him with reverence revealing a girl covered with a ninja ck dress covering her half face.


    "Contact my mother."


    "Yes, young master," she nodded her head as she disappeared from her position.


    "Huh."


    Suddenly, Lu Zhen felt his body filled with power as his strength skyrocketed directly.


    Every fiber of his being felt rather active and powerful as his body seemed to be filled with energy.

 Chapter 231: Body and Bloodline

    A blue panel materialised in front of Lu Zhen.


    [Your Wood Qi has sessfully advanced to nt Qi]


    Boom!


    His body seemed to grow exponentially as well, reaching new heights he had never expected he could.


    At that moment, the final step that Lu Zhen needed to take to be a second-stage martial artist finallypleted.


    The nt Qi, which was converted from the Wood Qi, reached its maximum level of condensation. Basically, it couldn''t be condensed anymore, creating a strange reaction in his body.


    His body started to be strengthened as he delved into deep thought.


    The vision of the verdant tree finally became clear as day to him, which he had previously always visualised when he was deep in meditation.


    The tree''s branches took on the shapes of the weapons he had learned until now: sword, saber, spear, and many more.


    However, there were extra things as well. Now, there was a statue of his mother carved in one of the branches, almost looking vivid. There were also little statues of Lily and Xia Mei.


    Three statues were present, carved like almost real people themselves.


    "Hmm," Lu Zhen touched the tree, and instantly, memories of the tree shed in his eyes.


    For one to train after reaching the second-stage martial realm was to thoroughly understand the technique that one cultivated to its core.


    If one could resonate with the core form, then they would be able to reach the middle tier of the second martial realm. If they were able tobine the core form with their Qi, they could reach the peak tier of the second stage martial realm.


    Andstly, if they wanted to break through to the first stage martial realm, they needed to form intent. One needed to incorporate their physique with thebined Qi and form, creating a harmony between these three and creating the revered, terrifying intent.


    Since the verdant tree was Lu Zhen''s core, he needed to thoroughly understand everything about it andprehend its nature and how it could be applied to empower himself.


    This was a gradual and lengthy process that took some time, even though, to Lu Zhen''s surprise, he found it rtively easy to understand his visualization of the verdant tree.


    As time passed, Lu Zhen quicklyprehended the tree, and his condensed nt Qi seemed to gradually resonate with his form.


    Suddenly, Lu Zhen opened his eyes.


    Cough! Cough!


    He directly vomited blood onto the floor.


    "This¡­ I am seriously injured¡­" Lu Zhen thought as he assessed his body, feeling the countless internal injuries that ruptured.


    However, still, a smile graced his lips.


    "The next time I can recover, I can directly reach the middle tier of the second stage martial realm¡­" Lu Zhen''s eyes glinted with astonishment.


    He could guess why he couldprehend the true form of the technique so quickly; it was all because of his charm which has levelled up. Although it was called charm, the actual increase was his very being.


    As Lu Zhen slowly recovered, he opened his system with a thought.


    ¡ª--------------


    [LEVEL UP]


    ¡ª-----


    [Name: Lu Zhen]


    --------


    [Race: Human]


    [Bloodline: Half Human/ Thin Volgrith]


    [Lifespan left: 320 years]


    --------


    [Attributes]


    [Constitution: Divine physique (level 7)]


    [Charm: Mortal (Level 5)]


    [nt Qi: second-stage martial realm](beginning)


    [Demonic Qi: first grade]


    [Mana: Null Circle]


    ???


    --------


    [Cultivation manuals]


    [Cultivation technique: Verdant art (stage 3), Heaven-Refining Demonic Qi (first level)]


    [Combat arts: 4]


    --------


    Skills: 13


    ¡ª-----


    [Quest]


    [Missionpleted:2]


    ¡ª---------


    Lu Zhen looked at his lifespan, which had increased by twenty years, with satisfaction on his face as he nodded.


    The wood Qi has now changed to nt Qi.


    "Hmm¡­" Lu Zhen thought of something.


    "System, what can you control in my body?"


    [Host, what do you mean?]


    The cold metallic voice of Lu Zhen''s system rang in his ears again, causing him to frown.


    "I meant, which attribute of mine can you directly control so you can upgrade it."


    [If you are talking about that, host, then every attribute is controlled by the system so that the host could level up, including your mind and Qi.]


    "What about my soul?"


    [The system cannot directly level up your soul, host.]


    Lu Zhen''s eyes lit up when he heard this, but he maintained an expressionless face.


    "What about my bloodline?"


    [That too isn''t affected by the system; the host needs to increase that by himself.]


    Lu Zhen nodded his head. "So if this system ever went away, the only things I am left with are my body, bloodline, and soul."


    He didn''t know anything about the soul and had never touched his soul before; the reason he even knew there was a soul in his body was because just now his system mentioned it.


    So the soul could be taken out of the equation for him now.


    The only two things left were the body and the bloodline. Lu Zhen is already focusing on his bloodline and has trained his body quite hard too.


    "Let''s stop cultivating Qi." He came to this conclusion after thinking carefully, as he could be a powerful martial artist and even stronger than the average realm that martial artists had with his body.


    Lu Zhen would rather focus on his body rather than Qi, which could be taken away at any time by the system. Although it was unlikely to happen, he didn''t want to take any chances.


    But that doesn''t mean he willpletely stop his Qi cultivation; he will still cultivate his Qi but at the bare minimum needed.


    "Young master, I have contacted the madam."


    Suddenly, Lu Zhen heard the cold voice of his little assassin girl, which made him promptly end his thinking.


    He had already faintly recovered from the internal injuries, and even his physique was faintly strengthened by it.


    "Yes." Lu Zhen opened the door, seeing a blushing girl who was staring at him.


    "Let''s go. Where is my mother at?"


    "She is in the main hall, young master." Suddenly, her expression turned professional as she replied with an expressionless face.


    "Okay."

 Chapter 232: Huang Family mysterious disapperance

    In the biggest pce in the lu family manor therey a beautiful woman sitting in her throne while slowly drinking her tea.


    The environment was serene with no one else present but her, her expression waspletely rxed as she rested in thefortable throne.


    Suddenly her ears twitch as a ck shadow materialises in front of her.


    "Madam young master hase."


    "I can see that, let him enter."


    Lu Ying ordered with a small smile gracing her lips.


    Creck!


    The door slowly opened as a hulking young man more than seven feet tall revealed himself with an intimidating atmosphere being created just by the presence of the man even though he exuded a mortal aura. The faint contours of his ripped body with his twelve packs was faintly disyed by his ck robes.


    "Son, you havee." Lu Ying smiled at Lu Zhen as her eyes shed.


    "Yes, mother."


    "You seem to have grown stronger."


    Lu Zhen was stunned when he heard this; however, he nodded his head.


    "So you did be stronger." A mischievous smile appeared on her face.


    "Mother, you didn''t know previously?"


    "Of course, I didn''t know. If you hide your aura all the time, how would I know?" Lu Ying retorted.


    Lu Zhen rubbed his head when he heard this.


    "Anyway, what is so important that you had to call me from destroying thest remnant of the three major families?" she pouted as she added, "It must be because you want something."


    "Can''t I see my own mother?" Lu Zhen chuckled.


    "No, you can''t," Lu Ying giggled like a child.


    If the outside world saw Lu Ying like this, they would die of a heart attack seeing the demoness being so kind and childish.


    "By the way, where is my father?"


    "Eh, why do you need him?"


    "You know the guard he gave me, right?"


    "Yes." Lu Ying nodded her head with a confused expression.


    "Well, she was instructed to keep an eye on me¡­"


    "That bastard dared." The throne that Lu Ying was sitting on cracked.


    "Don''t worry, I handled it very well. Li Nan is already in my control, Mother."


    When Lu Ying heard this, she reluctantly nodded her head; however, there was still a fire burning in her eyes.


    ¡­


    Sneeze!


    Lu Huang sneezed as he casually killed a third-stage martial artist with a sh of his sword.


    "Monster." The remnants of the Hei family widened their eyes with horror.


    "Eh, is someone remembering me?" Lu Huang thought with a stunned expression; however, his sword didn''t stop as he casually shed again, severing the heads of at least ten individuals in the process.


    "Let''s take care of these people before we can return back to our family." He beckoned, and instantly countless guards shed past him as they slowly started their ughter.


    Instantly, heads fell to the ground, creating a pool of blood.


    "These should be thest of the Hei family, so the Huang family remnant is the only one left¡­" Lu Huang frowned when he thought about the Huang family; they were a troublesome bunch of people.


    Although they had arrived to ughter the Huang family, the instant they started their movement in the city, somehow all the remnants disappeared into thin air.


    They had considered the possibility that the Huang family had left no one behind, but that seemed unlikely since their informant had reported hundreds of people still present.


    However, upon their army''s arrival, the entire manor was empty, devoid of a single soul, and even the informants were nowhere to be found.


    "Let''s return home. I am tired of this already," Lu Huang cursed as he looked at thest member of the Hei family dying with terrified eyes.


    They all moved through the manor, disappearing from their ce.


    ¡­


    "Mother, have you calmed down yet?" Lu Zhen asked with a concerned expression.


    "Yes, I have," Lu Ying replied, looking at him with a deep gaze and chuckling.


    "Now tell me, what do you actually want?"


    "Hahaha, mother, I can''t hide anything from you," a small smile crept onto Lu Zhen''s face.


    "Of course you can''t; you were in my womb for 9 months for nothing."


    "Yes, mother," Lu Zhen rubbed his head.


    "I actually need some bloodline martial arts."


    Suddenly, the atmosphere seemed to turn heavy as Lu Ying became silent, deeply gazing at him.


    "Dead or alive."


    "Preferably a living donor, Mother," he said with an expressionless face.


    "I won''t ask you why you need them, but I can bring them."


    Lu Zhen''s eyes instantly lit up when he heard this. "Thank you, Mother."


    "As long as you are happy, son," Lu Ying smiled, seeing the excited expression of Lu Zhen.


    "They should arrive in four days'' time."


    Lu Zhen nodded his head as he swiftly departed from the hall, returning to his own manor.


    However, as he was walking, suddenly Jiang Xue came into his vision as she bowed towards him.


    "Have you decided yet?" Lu Zhen asked in a cold tone, his expression devoid of any emotion.


    "Yes, young master, I want to marry you."


    "Very well, then." Lu Zhen nodded his head as he was about to leave.


    "Wait, young master¡­" Suddenly, Jiang Xue pulled his sleeves with a blush on her face.


    "Can you take me?"


    "Huh?" Lu Zhen''s eyes narrowed as he looked at her with an expressionless face.


    "You want me to eat you." A devilish smirk appeared on his face as he gazed at Jiang Xue with his crimson eyes.


    Suddenly, Jiang Xue started to tremble just from the gaze of Lu Zhen.


    "Yes."


    "You are still trembling." Lu Zhen shook his head and was about to take his leave.


    Seeing this, Jiang Xue gritted her teeth and bit her red lips.


    "Lu Zhen, you fucking bastard. If you aren''t a man, a bastard who likes men, then take me. How pathetic can you be that a beauty like me offers her own body of her own ord, but you can''t take me, are you infertile?"

 Chapter 233: Jiang Xue a Masochistic?***

    The loud sound of Jiang Xue''s scream reverberated in the empty hallways of the manor.


    Lu Zhen''s gaze turned strange as he looked at her.


    "You really want to do it?" He smiled at her.


    However, these simple smiles suddenly made her shiver as her soul itself seemed to tremble.


    But a strange excitement also came with it.


    Lu Zhen suddenly vanished from his position as he appeared right in front of her, carrying her in a princess carry.


    "This¡­ Young master¡­ I didn''t mean¡­" Jiang Xue regretted her decision; however, she wasn''t given a chance.


    She blinked her eyes, and instantly Jiang Xue was in the room.


    Lu Zhen casually threw her onto the bed as he slowly started to undress.


    "young master¡­ I¡­"


    "Shut up. Since you want it, I will give it to you," Lu Zhen said as he undressed his bulky robe, revealing his chiselled physique withpact muscles that throbbed with power, veins popping in his body.


    His arms were at least twice the size of Jiang Xue''s head.


    Although she herself was quite tall, standing at around 6 feet, it was nothingpared to the gigantic figure of Lu Zhen. With his bulky body, he looked evenrger.


    He removed his trousers and underwear.


    Plop!


    Lu Zhen''s little brother revealed itself in its full glory.


    Resembling a tower that seemed to touch heaven themselves.


    "I am going to break you, little girl," Lu Zhen muttered.


    Jiang Xue''s instinct screamed at her: for her to escape from the clutches of Lu Zhen, however, she didn''t move as a deep excitement boiled deep down her, causing her to stay in ce.


    "Since you are not escaping, I will take that as a yes," he smirked as he slowly made his way towards her.


    However, even after he reached her, she didn''t move a single bit, with pure excitement reflecting in her eyes instead, which stumped Lu Zhen.


    "Why are you not moving? You really aremasochistic."Lu Zhen chuckled as he patted Jiang Xue in the head.


    "What does that mean?"


    "You will find out soon." Lu Zhenughed loudly as he slowly started to massage her b-cup breast gently and tenderly.


    Mhmm!


    A muffled moan escaped Jiang Xue''s lips as she felt her body heat up as her mind was clouded in lust.


    However, Lu Zhen suddenly stopped. "I forgot you needed to be punished first."


    Jiang Xue''s face wasced with disappointment when Lu Zhen took back his hand; however, the moment she heard those words, her excitement increased.


    Lu Zhen caught her clothes and instantly tore them with his hand, revealing her jade-like, perfect body with zero figure.


    "She really has the best figure among the other women I have seen so far," he muttered while admiring her beauty.


    Ahh!


    Jiang Xue screamed, feeling the cold wind brush against her skin. However, the scream seemed to be quitecklustre, with no power to it, as if it were half-hearted with no effort being put into it.


    "Stop the scream; I know you want it already." Lu Zhen pushed Jiang Xue into his huge bed, which was at least double the king-sized bed.


    "I will show you how I am a man," he whispered in a hush.


    Although the sound was low, it was enough for Jiang Xue to hear, which caused her heart to beat faster as the words of Lu Zhen seemed to echo in her mind.


    Lu Zhen, without wasting any more time, directly aligned his little monster with her narrow pussy, which was already dripping out some liquid as it was already wet.


    Feeling this, Lu Zhen confirmed that she was a machochist at the very least.


    "Umm, young master, how about we not do it? I am not ready yet." Jiang Xue hurriedly said.


    However, Lu Zhen looked at the already wet pussy of Jiang Xue.


    "Well, your body seemed to be ready for it."


    "No wait¡­"


    Lu Zhen directly trusted his hips as his little monster directly prated her pussy, reaching deep inside her in one thrust, directly prating as much as her body could take.


    Ahhh!


    Jiang Xue screamed loudly, feeling the pain from her hymen being broken as blood gushed out of her pussy.


    However, her screams quickly turned into moans as her heat was gradually being fulfilled, as if her body wanted it.


    Lu Zhen started to thrust without mercy as his hips went back, and instantly he trusted forward again, thrusting back and forth with ruthlessness, ploughing up her hole entirely.


    Ahh! Ahm! Uhm~


    Jiang Xue''s scream changed to moans eventually as her eyes were closed, filling her entire womb with Lu Zhen''s little brother.


    The tight walls of hers wrapped around Lu Zhen as if they wanted to take his little brother, making Lu Zhen have a blissful expression on his face as he rocked back and forth.


    Lu Zhen looked at the snow white face of Jiang Xue and couldn''t help but have some ideas, which made a devilish smirk mark his face.


    He whispered in her ears, "Are you ready for your punishment?"


    However, Jiang Xue was so mindbended by the pleasure given by Lu Zhen that she didn''t hear it.


    "I will take that as a yes." Lu Zhen''s smirk gradually turned into one of sadist as he suddenly raised his hand.


    Pa!


    Lu Zhen directly pped the snow white cheeks of Jiang Xu, causing her womb to tighten around him, giving him more pleasure.


    "Ahhh¡­" Jiang Xue screamed as she opened her eyes, rubbing her cheeks.


    "Eh¡­ what?" The stinging pain from the p made her fully awake, seeing Lu Zhen''s raised hand.


    "It''s your punishment," Lu Zhen said, seeing the confused face of Jiang Xue as he pped him again.


    Pa!


    The stinging pain stung her cheeks again as her entire cheeks were hot with two hand prints from Lu Zhen.


    The pain also tightened her pussy around Lu Zhen''s little brother.


    Although she felt the pain, the pleasure was more than the pain itself, causing her to moan loudly.

 Chapter 234: Jiang Xue Conquered***

    Pa! Pa! Pa!


    Lu Zhen pped her multiple times while controlling his strength with just the right power to cause her pain, but not any serious damage continued as her pussy tightened more and more around his little brother, bringing more pleasure to him.


    At one point, he forgot about pping Jiang Xue as his hand on instinct pped wherever Lu Zhen wanted to make her tighter.


    Uhm! Uhm~


    The loud moans of Jiang Xue resounded in the room as her eyes rolled up from pleasure as she had a silly smile on her face.


    Pa!


    Lu Zhen gave onest p as he thrust deep inside her, reaching her deepest part, and released his essence without a care.


    Ahhh!


    Jiang Xue moaned mixed with a scream as her eyes violently opened, her body failing around: she orgasm for the fifteenth time.


    Finally, after Lu Zhen released all his essence inside her, he nodded his head with a satisfied expression on his face.


    While Jiang Xue had a blissful expression on her face, her cultivation increased by a slight amount, but that was only momentarily as her stomach was bloated because of the thick essence from Lu Zhen that filled her entire womb.


    Plop!


    Lu Zhen finally let go of her as she dropped to the bed. Her pussy was slowly leaking out of his essence, and her cheeks were red from the palm imprints caused by his ps.


    A strange sense of dominance made Lu Zhen exhrate; however, he soon calmed his emotion as he finally felt his bottled-up lust dimming.


    "There should be some contraceptives here in this world, or I might make everyone pregnant if this goes on." Lu Zhen looked at her pussy filled with his white essence with a bitter smile.


    Although Lu Zhen knew about the consequences, he didn''t want to pull out of Jiang Xue just yet, as the pleasure he felt was enough to make him not pull out. He would feel like he was being blocked from releasing his essence, which was not a pleasant feeling for Lu Zhen.


    So Lu Zhen knowingly released his semen directly into her without any hesitation, aware of the consequences, and he was willing to take the responsibility, or he wouldn''t be a man anymore.


    This was the man''s pride!


    "Let''s go for round two, shall we?" A chuckle escaped his mouth.


    Hearing this, Jiang Xue nodded her head with an even more lustful expression on her face, almost to the point that she looked at Lu Zhen as if it were her master.


    "Yes, master," Jinag Xue said as she nodded her head as if on instinct, without hesitation.


    Lu Zhen looked at her with a strange glint in his eyes.


    "This girl has already fallen for me," he muttered to himself.


    Jiang Xue, from his knowledge, was already a masochistic girl, and Lu Zhen fulfilled that by arge margin, if he had to say, and the other reason was his dual cultivation skill.


    Although it didn''t show up in his skill details anymore, Lu Zhen knew that this thing wasn''t removed when he levelled up; rather, it seemed to grow more powerful now rather than being deleted.


    "Oh well, I am notining." Lu Zhen sighed. He was a guy who liked it slow, but having it fast-paced wasn''t too bad at all.


    "Turn your back and show me your plentiful..."


    "Yes, young master." Jiang Xue sillily smiled and turned her back on Lu Zhen, showing her plentiful ass to him.


    Seeing her plentiful ass, Lu Zhen couldn''t help but give her a firm squeeze in her meat. Feeling the bounciness, he nodded his head with a satisfied expression on his face.


    Pah!


    Without mercy, Lu Zhen spanked her, creating a jiggly motion that felt soft to the touch.


    "Ahh¡­ master¡­" Jiang Xue moaned loudly.


    A sadistic smirk appeared in Lu Zhen''s face as he spanked her again.


    "Master."


    Jiang Xue cried again; however, her scream was mixed with a guilty pleasure that she couldn''t even imagine before.


    Pa! Pa! Pa! Pa!


    Lu Zhen spanked again and again, making her ass red from his beating. Actually, although the way he spanked seemed cruel and inhumane, it was fully harmless, as she wasn''t even injured, as he had perfectly controlled his strength to only give her pain with no injury.


    Finally, Lu Zhen stopped as he looked at his handiwork; her entire ass seemed to be painted a red colour as his palm imprints all mixed together.


    However, he didn''t give her any chance to rest.


    "Do you want more?" Lu Zhen whispered in her ear like a devil.


    To that, Jiang Xue nodded her head with an excited expression.


    He directly aligned with his little brother''s pussy and plunged into her with no mercy. His little brother slipped right into her, perfectly fitting her pussy as if it were moulded just for him.


    Lu Zhen rocked his hips to and fro, showing no mercy to her previous pussycat.


    Since he has already done it once, her walls have been gradually stretched to be the shape of his little brother, but still, it was just the sheer girth of Lu Zhen''s little brother that caused her an unbearable pleasure.


    Ah! Ah! Uhm! Ah! Uhm!


    Jiang Xue''s moan reverberated in the room again as she was prated until she was silly.


    Lu Zhen even caught her hair as he started to ride her, crazily reaching depths previously unexplored.


    The previous spanking from Lu Zhen caused her to be even more excited and moan as her pussy tightened more to amodate his little brother in its embrace.


    Lu Zhen looked at the cloud nine heaven''s expression of Jiang Xue and nodded his head as he rocked back and forth again, even rougher than previously.


    Every time he increased his pace and became rougher and rougher with Jiang Xue, the more her moan became louder, filling the room with sultry sounds.


    Finally, Lu Zhen trusted onest time deep inside her and released his thick essence continuously while firmly holding her body from escaping.


    Ahhh!


    Jiang Xue spasmed as she coughed again. Her jade-like body was already covered in Lu Zhen''s essence, which smeared all over her body.


    "Round three now."


    "Ye, yes, young master."


    Jiang Xue said, tired but eagerly with hungry eyes, as if she hadn''t had her fill yet.


    "Alright." A chuckle escaped Lu Zhen''s mouth as he mated with her rough again and released his essence deep inside her with no protection of any sort.


    With how potent Lu Zhen''s essence was considering his vitality, he has already impregnated her at the very least.


    But Lu Zhen didn''t care since he had already decided that he would be responsible.


    The two spent their time in carnal pleasure as Lu Zhen mated with her harder and harder as time passed, and the moans of Jiang Xue never stopped, as if she was enjoying every second of it.


    By the time Lu Zhen was done with her, a night had passed, and slowly the morning sun revealed itself, providing its warm warmth to the world.


    Lu Zhen walked out of the room with a satisfied expression as he directly went to train and cultivate.


    Jiang Xue was in a terrible state as her jade body was filled with marks left by Lu Zhen as her pussy leaked of his essence and her stomach bloated, making her slightly fatter in her zero figure.


    However, as she slept peacefully in the bed of Lu Zhen, Jiang Xue had a smile on her face, as if her long-standing desire had finally been fulfilled.

 Chapter 235: Mid Secound-stage Martial Artist

    Lu Zhen sat in a meditative position as he slowly went into meditation, and the vision of the tree appeared.


    Seeing the vision, his gaze turned tender as he looked at the tree with a familiar expression. While he hadprehended some of the true form of his martial arts, he also gained a sense of familiarity with it; after all, it was slowly bing a part of his body.


    Without wasting much time, Lu Zhen touched the tree, closed his eyes, and began toprehend it.


    To his surprise, he progressed as fast as before,pletely as if he were walking,prehending everything about his true form from birth to death and the recycling of nature.


    While his nt Qi had a strange resonance with the true form, the more heprehended the true form of his martial arts.


    The strengthened and condensed Qi gradually resonated with the true form, and a mutation urred. The nt Qi had theoretically been condensed to the limit and couldn''t be strengthened any further. However, the green Qi in Lu Zhen''s body shed with a blue light, indicating a type of mutation as if it were beingbined with a strange force.


    The more Lu Zhenprehended, the faster thebination took ce.


    Boom!


    Lu Zhen''s eyes snapped open as thebination was finallypleted, and his crimson eyes shed with a green and blue mixed light.


    "Have Iprehended this so easily?" he thought, shock evident on his face.


    He stood up from the ground and casually looked at the wall.


    Lu Zhen raised his right hand and punched with the smallest amount of strength he could muster.


    His fist slowly travelled to touch the wall, and Lu Zhen lightly touched the surface.


    Boom!


    The wall was directly crushed into bits and pieces, leaving a faint blue damage around it.


    "Hmm..." Lu Zhen nodded his head with a satisfied expression.


    "My strength has increased once again." However, he didn''t get too excited just because of this and went back to his deep thoughts.


    He could already guess that since his intelligence levelled up, he has gained a terrifyingprehension. The most terrifying thing about his increased consciousness wasn''t his meticulous nning but his terrifyingprehension.


    "Maybe I should learn the formation as well¡­" However, these thoughts went to the back of his mind the moment they came up. After all, the terrifying sense of urgency still crept into his heart, and although this formation might be useful, it took time to fully understand it, even with hisprehension.


    Lu Zhen has already read it once, and while he could learn it if given time, he didn''t have time right now to spare.


    "Let''s search about souls in the book again.." A frown marred his face as Lu Zhen thought bitterly.


    While the bloodline extraction was on hold for now, his body cultivation was also stagnant. The Nihility didn''t work for him anymore, and nothing else worked except for the waters.


    But he had already faced the consequences when he went to the river and had no interest in going anymore, especially after facing it.


    Lu Zhen was pretty sure he would instantly die the moment he walked into the deep water of either river or sea. He barely escaped with his life previously and he wasn''t stupid enough to go again.


    "Even if I be a first-stage martial artist, I must not go¡­" Lu Zhen thought, horror reflecting in his eyes with a burning desire for revenge.


    Revenge was a sweet dish that could either result in your own destruction or make you more powerful. It could destroy a person as well as drive them to sess if used well as a motivating force for progress.


    Everything depends on your perspective and how you perceive things in your surroundings, as well as how they might affect you in the future. It all lies in the hands of the individual. That''s what makes individuals unique in their own light.


    For example, if one fails an exam, some may despair under societal pressure, possibly even giving up on life. However, others see it as a challenge, a goal, and work hard as if the exams were their sole enemy. They push themselves to achieve stunning results, surprising everyone.


    In the end, the moral perspective of an individual in different situations is what defines how capable a person is and what they are shaped to be in the future.


    ¡­


    Lu Zhen flipped through the pages and rtively easily found the method to increase his soul power. However, as he read the book, a frown marred his face.


    In the end, Lu Zhen''s expression was ugly, with wrinkles forming on his forehead.


    The condition to strengthen his soul seemed rtively simple: he needed to be a Tier Five Mage, a step greater than a first-stage martial artist. However, this was an impossible condition for Lu Zhen at the moment. He didn''t even know what came after the first-stage martial realm.


    This was one of the reasons he spared Shang Luo, hoping that she could provide him with information about the surroundings, cultivation methods, and, most importantly, what came after the first-stage martial artist.


    The other method mentioned in the book was to cultivate in a formation set up by a Tier Five Mage and be strengthened with the help of a fifth-stage martial artist. This, too, seemed even more impossible for Lu Zhen in his current state.


    However, suddenly, a glint shed across his eyes as he thought of a person''s name: "Elv, she can help me." Lu Zhen narrowed his eyes, expressing his reluctance. He didn''t really want to meet with this old monster.


    Every time he was with her, Lu Zhen felt like she was gazing into all his secrets. His back would sweat just from talking to her. With every conversation led to Lu Zhen revealing something, and though she was helpful, he couldn''t see through her.


    Sometimes she acted like a child, and sometimes like an adult, while at other times, she seemed emotionless.

 Chapter 236: Elv troublesome old monster

    That was what confused him the most, and besides, he hasn''t even seen her true form yet¡ªthe one he talked to was her servant, not even her, which was troublesome for Lu Zhen.


    But still, he has no choice but to go to her right now.


    With that thought, Lu Zhen swiftly ended his cultivation.


    "Li Nan, contact my mother and say that she doesn''t have to worry about me. I will be going outside for a moment."


    "Yes, young master."


    "What happened to my father, by the way?" Lu Zhen asked curiously.


    "From the intel I have, young master, it seems like all the remnants of the three major families have been wiped out except for the Huang family."


    "Huh, what happened to them?" Lu Zhen asked in confusion.


    "They¡­ they seemed to have disappeared, young master," Li Nan spoke in a nervous tone from the shadows.


    "Disappeared, huh¡­" Lu Zhen had a contemtive expression on his face. He remembered that mysterious envoy who was killed by the Elv''s golden retriever pet and revealed a bitter expression on his face with realisation.


    "I seem to be a trouble ma." He closed his eyes, as if remembering every journey he had in his world till now, and could onlye to this one conclusion.


    The world revolved around him!


    Everything till now was so coincidental, from his transmigration to the assassins and this and that.


    As if the world was bending to his side.


    He sank into this realisation as his heart gripped with even more anxiety, and an ominous feeling came from the bottom of his soul. Not any instinct, but his true soul.


    Ever since that time that Lu Zhen had built his dao heart firm and unshaken, he has been faintly able to sense his soul. However, it was just an ambiguous feeling and was rather fleeting most of the time.


    "Let''s go for now. In the future, I should worry about these things," Lu Zhen muttered with a glint in his eyes as he disappeared, leaving afterimages in his wake.


    ¡­.


    The town was still in harmony as the mortals weren''t even aware that a terrifying ughter had happened outside the city wall, and the city would soon change its owner.


    Even if they knew, they wouldn''t care as long as they could continue their business in the city. It didn''t matter to them as they lived their mundane lives filled with joy, sorrow, bitterness, injustice, love, and warmth, all to die at the end of the day.


    Lu Zhen sighed, observing the bustling people as he silently left the town. Seeing Lu Zhen, the guards unhesitatingly opened the city wall to allow his exit.


    The guards who were once guarding the wall for the other three major families were now ughtered without mercy.


    Now, only the Lu family guards were left. Although it would increase their workload, it was just a minor problem for a martial artist. So, Lu Zhen passed through the forest, encountering some dead people scattered around the bushes.


    "They must be deserters¡­" Lu Zhen mused as he continued along his way, treading carefully.


    As he proceeded, he finally saw the familiar broken bamboo temple in the distance, causing his eyes to light up with excitement.


    "Finally reached the ce." Lu Zhen''s speed increased, and he almost instantaneously arrived, seeing the broken bamboo and more.


    "This ce has been exactly reverted back to normal," he muttered with a strange expression, remembering the damage the envoy had caused. Not only was it fixed, but it was restored to its finest details, including all its carvings and age.


    Lu Zhen rubbed his eyes with an incredulous expression, finally entering the ce after contemting for a short time.


    "I know you can sense me already, Elv," Lu Zhen shouted at the top of his lungs as he looked down to the temple grounds.


    "What do you want? Haven''t you taken advantage of me already?"


    "Eh," Lu Zhen was stunned for a moment, feeling the words were wrong, but he didn''t care as he shamelessly epted, "yeah, but I want more advantage. I want to eat you alive," a smirk formed on his face.


    "Thene eat me alive," Elv''s voice was tinged with sultriness.


    A chill ran down Lu Zhen''s back as he coughed, "no thank you," he muttered with a strange expression on his face.


    "Eh, why not? I am disappointed," the voice was filled with mockery. "Aren''t you a man?"


    "I am a man, but¡­" Lu Zhen paused right at this moment, "I don''t want to do it with a hag who is an era old¡­" he cursed in a hushed tone but still was expressionless outwardly.


    "I want to ask you for a favour."


    "Oh, a favour. How interesting, what favour?"


    "First, have you prepared my chains yet?" Lu Zhen muttered as his face became serious.


    "Yes, I have already crafted it. So you want it?"


    "Yes," Lu Zhen nodded his head with an excited expression on his face.


    "Here."


    A chain floated up from the ground, as if like a ghost, revealing a huge metre of thickness with a silver shine in the chains.


    Lu Zhen looked at this in amazement, feeling the terrifying aura it erupted with the moment it came out from the ground.


    His crimson eyes turned golden as he scrutinised the chain with his golden eyes.


    [Unnamed Chain] (Untamed)


    [Grade: Heaven Grade] (Artefact Level)


    [Remarks: An ordinary chain mixed with high-quality ingredients to form a terrifying artefact with its own consciousness and multiple abilities. The host may only be able to use one ability, as the others are too high-level for them. Even if the host can use it, the effect will be terrifying enough to potentially lead to their demise.]


    Lu Zhen looked at its status with a satisfied expression. However, when he noticed the untamed artefact right beside the unnamed chain, a question mark formed in his mind.


    "Untamed? I have to tame this chain?" he thought.

 Chapter 237: Taming

    Lu Zhen''s eyes widened as he looked at the silver chain, about a metre in thickness, in front of him. It emitted a terrifying aura that even made Lu Zhen a bit afraid.


    "What is this chain, elv?" he roared loudly to the ground.


    "You said I should make you a weapon, and I gave it to you. Whether you can wield it or not is not my problem," elv''s voice was tinged with a sneer and scorn for Lu Zhen.


    "Damn it," Lu Zhen gritted his teeth as he caught the chain.


    As expected, the moment he touched it, a violent shockwave sent him into the wall.


    Boom!


    Lu Zhen crashed through the old bamboo temple and collided with countless trees before he could finally regain his momentum.


    "This¡­" his pupils dted.


    The chain seemed to be angry as it slithered while floating in the air in a dragon shape as if like a dragon.


    "Let''s fight then," Lu Zhen seethed with rage, increasing his power to the maximum and transforming into his Volgrith form almost instantaneously.


    Roar!


    A shockwave reverberated throughout the ce as he jumped on the chain with a ruthless glint on his face.


    The chains also seemed to be angered by the head-on confrontation with Lu Zhen, moving towards him like a dragon.


    However, the moment Lu Zhen and the chain were about to collide, his crimson eyes gained a sneer.


    "As expected of an inanimate object..." he moved to the side and caught the silver chain when it was about to be effective.


    The chains, seeing this, huffed with anger, as if it was embarrassing for falling for Lu Zhen''s tricks.


    Without hesitation, the chains moved like a snake, dashing into the ground, making Lu Zhen, who was catching its body, rub against the ground, creating friction and causing his body to burn with a scalding pain.


    It circled the ground for thirty minutes straight in a continuum, while Lu Zhen seemed to be enveloped in fire just from the sheer friction produced by the chain, whose speed was enough to break the sound barrier easily.


    However, the chain waspletely fine even after that, indicating its high quality.


    The chain huffed with anger as it looked back at Lu Zhen with a smug smile. However, it vibrated as if stunned when it saw a casual Lu Zhen, who was just chilling at his own pace while tightly catching the chain.


    "Did you really think this could hurt me?" a sneer formed on his face as he directly punched the chain, sending it to the ground.


    With his Volgrith form, he increased his body weight to the maximum, causing the entire chain to be stuck to the ground.


    The chain iled around as if seeking resistance, but it couldn''t even move from the sheer weight that Lu Zhen applied to his body, it failed around rigorously but he was unmoving like a mountain firmly pressing the chain to the ground.


    He was already heavy even in his normal body form, but now that he was in his bloodline form, his weight could be said to have skyrocketed to a terrifying degree.


    Lu Zhen could bet that even a first-stage martial artist''s weight wasn''t as heavy as his.


    It wasn''t an exaggeration to say that his body was heavier than Mount Everest.


    At first, the chains resisted endlessly; however, as time passed, the chain''s resistance began to diminish.


    Finally, after a long time, the silver chain stopped all its resistance and fell to the ground with a thud.


    However, Lu Zhen still wasn''t satisfied. He looked at the chain with his golden eyes, carefully scrutinising it with his narrowed crimson gaze.


    [Unnamed Chain] (Tamed)


    [Grade: Heaven Grade] (Artefact Level)


    [Remarks: An ordinary chain mixed with high-quality ingredients to form a terrifying artefact with its own consciousness and multiple abilities. The host may only be able to use one ability, as the others are too high-level for them. Even if the host can use it, the effect will be terrifying enough to potentially lead to their demise.]


    Seeing this, Lu Zhen finally nodded his head with a relieved expression.


    "Finally, I have tamed it." He stood up from the weapon and reverted back to his volgrith form by using his cultivation method.


    The moment he let the chain float in midair again, but this time it was very gentle and wasn''t in anger. Instead, it slowly went towards the hand of Lu Zhen and tenderly touched him.


    "Eh, it wants my pat..." Lu Zhen was stunned as he could feel a strange connection to it, allowing the chain tomunicate with him.


    "Welp." With a strange expression on his face, he patted the chain.


    As if it was a cute pet, it jumped up with happiness as it vibrated, producing a hearty smile-like sound.


    Lu Zhen looked at it with a strange face; however, he just shrugged after a moment.


    "Come to my waist now," he said, and the chain happily obliged, bing smaller before wrapping around his waist and shoulder in a criss cross.


    "Now it''s time to deal with that old monster again¡­" Lu Zhen thought bitterly as he entered the temple again.


    "You took more time than I expected; you are weak. So what is the favor you ask of me?"


    Elv''s voice sounded in his head, filled with the familiar mocking tone that he had already listened to previously.


    "Favor? I am not asking for a favor. I will make a deal with you."


    "Oh, what kind of deal?"


    "I will return the books to you ahead of time; however, you need to set up a formation for me."


    Lu Zhen smirked as he patiently waited for Elv''s reply.


    "It''s a deal then, but what kind of formation are you talking about?"


    "The one that only a fourth-tier and above mage could use: the Soul-Strengthening Divine Formation." Lu Zhen''s eyes glinted.


    "How did you know about that?"


    "The books, of course," he said with an obvious expression, rolling his eyes up.

 Chapter 238: Peaches

    "Oh, I forgot that. The guy didn''t previously have the habit of keeping books. It looks like after a century changes happen quite often, huh¡­" Elv mused to herself.


    "So what?" Lu Zhen looked at the ground with narrowed eyes.


    "Alright, I promise to set up the formation,e down." The floor started to vibrate as if an earthquake hade, revealing a deep crater straight towards the base of her.


    Lu Zhen narrowed his eyes as he looked down with his narrowed gaze.


    His crimson eyes turned golden as he looked at the ground below, his pupils dted seeing it as he hurriedly looked away, his eyes gradually turning to its crimson pupil.


    "No thanks, you can set it up here¡­" Lu Zhen shrugged, not going down with a sneer on his face.


    "Huh." Elv was stunned.


    "Then there is no deal. I will consume more energy going up there rather than¡­"


    "Then I don''t care." Lu Zhen said in a cold tone as he was about to leave.


    Hearing this, Elv gritted her teeth.


    "Wait, our agreement ispleted then, besides you still haven''t brought me a first-stage martial artist corpse."


    "Huh, what do you mean¡­" Lu Zhen''s eyes narrowed to a slit.


    "You need to bring me a ''corpse,'' not the real body."


    "You are right," he said with a resigned sigh on his face.


    "The more you learn, the better it is." Lu Zhen mused, realising that he had checked the contract multiple times but had overlooked these simple words.


    Life is all about learning, and although he hated it himself, constant improvement through learning is absolutely necessary for everyone. From birth till now, everyone learns new things to strive for perfection and to achieve their goals.


    "I will bring you a full corpse of a first-stage martial artist, but when will you be done with this formation?"


    "Give me half an hour or so¡­"


    "Huh, that short time? Okay," Lu Zhen just nodded his head.


    "But you need to leave."


    "Alright," he swiftly left the ce, and his vision was filled with greenery again.


    "That Elv old monster is interesting¡­" a smile formed on Lu Zhen''s face as he looked at the trees.


    The moment he gazed at the tree, it bowed towards him, with its peak bending towards him.


    "This is," Lu Zhen suddenly summoned the nt Qi, and instantly, he felt a deep resonance with the tree, as if he could understand them.


    "Is this nature?" his eyes widened.


    The trees weremunicating with him at a slow pace, although he couldn''t hear them in his ears. It felt like he was talking to the chains previously.


    Suddenly, his mind swirled with thoughts as a glint shed in his eyes.


    "I have a n."


    Lu Zhen walked up to a nt and took out a strand of his nt Qi, nurturing it with it.


    Boom!


    The tall tree instantly grewrger and stronger, with its already previouslyrge size.


    Lu Zhen''s eyes lit up when he saw this. He nurtured every single tree with his nt Qi, and instantly, every tree grew to a gigantic size in proportion. While they were previously about the height of the Burj Khalifa, the tallest tower in his world, now they were as tall or even taller.


    In the end, Lu Zhen wasbouring and breathless, tired from the sheer effort. Although it was just one strand of nt Qi, the sheer number of trees caused him to be exhausted. The leaves of the trees rustled as if the trees were thanking him in return.


    Suddenly, Lu Zhen was showered with thousands of fruit that all came showering down on him, drowning him in them.


    "Huh, what is this?" Lu Zhen thought with some shock. Although the fruits were in thousands and fell at the same time, he waspletely unfazed by it. He casually looked at one of the fruits carefully.


    It resembled an ordinary peach. Lu Zhen''s crimson eyes turned golden as he examined it carefully with a frown.


    [Hidden Divine Peach]


    [Grade: Intent]


    [Remark: Increases the vitality of the martial artist.


    The tree can produce the fruit every hundred years; however, not many people know about it. Even if they know, extracting the fruits without the willingness of the tree is impossible.]


    Lu Zhen''s eyes lit up when he saw this.


    Without hesitation, he casually took the peach and directly ate it.


    The moment the peach entered his body, it instantly melted, turning into nutrition for Lu Zhen.


    The taste was good, but it was like any normal peach sold in the market, which made Lu Zhen frown.


    He summoned his system with a thought.


    Instantly, a blue panel materialised in front of him.


    ¡ª--------------


    [LEVEL UP]


    ¡ª-----


    [Name: Lu Zhen]


    --------


    [Race: Human]


    [Bloodline: Human/ Drying Volgrith]


    [Lifespan left: 322 years]


    --------


    His lifespan had increased by a whopping two years. While it might not seem like a lot, it was still an exponential increase.


    Lu Zhen looked at the other peaches with greed in his eyes and instantly started to eat the peaches one by one.


    After he finished ten, he looked again; however, the moment he looked, he frowned.


    ¡ª--------------


    [LEVEL UP]


    ¡ª-----


    [Name: Lu Zhen]


    --------


    [Race: Human]


    [Bloodline: Human/ Drying Volgrith]


    [Lifespan left: 337 years]


    --------


    "The maths isn''t adding up," he thought.


    "Does the effectiveness decrease every time I eat it?" Lu Zhen casually took a peach and ate it again, looking at his status.


    Unfortunately, the status remained unmoving, which caused his face to beced with disappointment.


    He started to take other peaches while observing them, and finally, after eating three more peaches, his lifespan increased by a year again.


    "That''s disappointing," Lu Zhen muttered as he took some more.


    After taking five peaches, his lifespan increased by a year again.


    ¡ª--------------


    [LEVEL UP]


    ¡ª-----


    [Name: Lu Zhen]


    --------


    [Race: Human]


    [Bloodline: Human/ Thin Volgrith bloodline]


    [Lifespan left: 334 years]


    --------


    In the end it had increased by 2 years after consuming eight or nine peaches in total.


    "Let''s look at the other fruits." he muttered.

 Chapter 239: Lu Zhen is Dead

    Lu Zhen''s crimson eyes turned golden again as he looked at the other fruits.


    [Hidden Divine Apple]


    [Grade: Intent]


    [Remark: Increases the strength of the body.


    The tree can produce the fruit every hundred years; however, not many people know about it. Even if they know, extracting the fruits without the willingness of the tree is impossible.]


    His eyes lit up as he consumed the apples. Just like the peach, it was ordinary to the taste; however, the moment it entered, it melted in his mouth while Lu Zhen could visibly feel his strength increasing exponentially.


    Lu Zhen started consuming the apples until he could no longer feel its effect affecting his body.


    [Hidden Divine Banana]


    [Grade: Intent]


    [Remark: Increases the defence of the body.


    The tree can produce the fruit every hundred years; however, not many people know about it. Even if they know, extracting the fruits without the willingness of the tree is impossible.]


    [Hidden Divine Grapes]


    [Grade: Intent]


    [Remark: Smoother travel of the blood flow.


    The tree can produce the fruit every hundred years; however, not many people know about it. Even if they know, extracting the fruits without the willingness of the tree is impossible.]


    [Hidden Divine Apple]


    [Grade: Intent]


    [Remark: Construction of more meridians.


    The tree can produce the fruit every hundred years; however, not many people know about it. Even if they know, extracting the fruits without the willingness of the tree is impossible.]


    He casually looked at the other thousands of fruits and started to devour them one by one. However, Lu Zhen was still carefully examining every fruit he ate; after all, there was no guarantee that all the fruits present there were only beneficial to him.


    As he continuously ate and filled his belly, a strange transformation urred in his body.


    Lu Zhen grew taller, and his strength increased in proportion to it, with his muscles being hardened to the limits and his physique growing at a terrifying rate, enough to shock everyone.


    By the time he was done eating every fruit, his height and body had grown bulkier, while his internal organs were strengthened to a terrifying degree.


    Lu Zhen had grown at least a foot taller and bulkier, with his aura increasing by arge margin.


    "My strength has increased."


    "Hmm¡­" Although Lu Zhen was satisfied, a frown marred his face.


    "These things only increase my constitution. There is no such thing that could help me strengthen my soul."


    Soul, although in his previous world it might not have been a thing and might not have existed, however this was a concept that existed in this world and was true. In fact, the most important thing in this world was one''s soul, and it was the very key factor that defined the uniqueness of one''s existence in the world.


    That might be the reason the system couldn''t affect his soul because it was truly him.


    While thinking of this, Lu Zhen quickly, reluctantly left the fruits.


    "Hide these," he said with some pity.


    A tree branch extended, and they all took back the fruits they had.


    "Well, Elv should be done by now." Lu Zhen stretched his body as he went back to the temple.


    When he was still outside, he used his five senses to see if that old monster had tampered with anything in the ritual. Feeling that nothing had been altered, Lu Zhen heaved a sigh of relief.


    But he was still sceptical about it!


    With that thought, he swiftly entered the temple and saw a blue circr formation in the middle.


    "Oh, you''re here?" Elv said seductively as she looked at Lu Zhen with a sultry gaze.


    The woman was tall, around seven feet, with long legs, dressed in purple clothes that perfectly showed her seductive cleavage.


    Lu Zhen just looked at her with a cold gaze, while Elv was stunned.


    "What did you eat? Howe you have grown taller so quickly?" she said with a shocked expression.


    "It''s a secret. So, is this the formation?" He looked at the formation, which glinted with a blue light.


    "Yes, this is one. However, I have to warn you about one thing."


    "Which is?" Lu Zhen asked with a confused expression.


    "It will be excruciatingly painful, enough for you to die."


    "That''s fine." Lu Zhen just shrugged.


    "Remember, since it is your soul being strengthened, then it will only affect your soul and nothing else. But no matter if it is physical or illusionary, you won''t be able to lessen the pain."


    Elv looked deeply at Lu Zhen, while Lu Zhen remained expressionless as if in deep contemtion.


    "System, does my skill help me lessen the pain?"


    [No host]


    "Is it true, like Elv said?"


    [Yes]


    The cold voice rang in his ears, causing his eyes to close.


    "So, will you do it or not?"


    "Yes, I will do it." Lu Zhen opened his crimson eyes as a glint shed in them. He directly walked to the center of the formation and sat down with a determined look, though internally, he was smirking.


    "Are you sure you really want to do it?" Elv asked with a stunned expression once again.


    "Yes," Lu Zhen answered in a simple tone.


    "Alright, if you say so..." Elv had an amused expression, as if she was looking at an idiot, before she started to chant in a strangenguage.


    The moment she began to chant, the blue light shone with an eye-blinding intensity, covering the entire bamboo temple.


    With that, she slowly extended her hand, and an orb-like object appeared, fully green and blue, almost like a small model of Earth.


    "This is my core¡­" she muttered as Elv closed her eyes, and her body started to shine with a red light.


    Boom!


    Elv suddenly opened her eyes, and the red light directly entered inside the formation, into Lu Zhen''s body.


    Ahhh!


    Lu Zhen violently screamed as his crimson eyes flickered.


    His body seemed to have be frozen and cramped.


    The screams became more and more intense as time passed.


    The sounds soon transformed into an eerie sound of a man in agony near his death, his crimson pupils dting from the sheer pain.


    Although nothing changed physically for Lu Zhen, a deep transformation was urring inside his body, with the pain increasing at a terrifying degree.


    Elv looked at this with a cold gaze, shaking her head with a sneer on her face.


    "He has already sentenced himself to death¡­" Elv had a victorious expression as she walked back to her base and went underground again.


    The blue light continued to shine in the formation, apanied by the death throes of Lu Zhen echoing in the old bamboo temple.


    "How dare a mere mortal try to trick me," Elv sneered as she swiftly descended to the ground at a quick pace and entered her futuristic room.


    She settled onto afortable sofa, and when her little servant brought her a strange brown liquid with ck seeds at the bottom, its temperature cold and fizzy, Elv couldn''t resist a satisfied smile. It was undoubtedly boba.


    Elv leisurely started to sip her boba with a rxed expression.


    "Master, I have a question?"


    "What is it?" she hummed in a cheerful tune, enjoying her good mood.


    "What happened to Lu Zhen?"


    "He is going to die," Elv replied with a simple tone.


    "Huh, how?" her servant couldn''t help but question with curiosity.


    A sneer formed on Elv''s face as she mocked, "That mortal wanted to progress, but he is just a tiny insect in the grand scheme of things, nothing but a bug that can be killed with a p. However, I didn''t even have to p, as he chose his own death."


    "Eh," Ju Ji was stunned when she heard this.


    Elv smiled mysteriously. While she had warned him, she hadn''t mentioned a crucial point for Lu Zhen to know: he will die 100% if he tried to use the formation.


    Although the formation could potentially strengthen his soul, no mortals had ever been strengthened by it. This was due to the inherent weakness of their souls, which were like paper and could be shredded to pieces with a nimble move. The mortal soul was the most vulnerable and the core of their existence.


    Since that was the case, and no other outside factor could affect it, it was practically impossible to strengthen a mortal''s soul with this formation. In theory, it could work, but in practice, the chances of a mortal surviving were null to zero.


    ¡­


    Lu Zhen was still screaming, as if in the throes of death. His crimson pupils had already vanished from his eyes, reced by a blood-red sclera. Dark red veins covered every part of his body.


    Thud!


    After a long time, he fell to the ground, his screams finally ceasing, and his body became motionless.


    His heart stopped pumping, and his brain ceased functioning. Deep within his body, his soul resembled Lu Zhen from his previous world, but its body was tiny, palm-sized, and its eyes were closed.


    Upon closer inspection, a small hole in the soul of little Lu Zhen shed with red light.


    Lu Zhen was deader than dead!


    [Warning! Warning!]


    [Host life signal has stopped functioning]


    [All functions of the host have ceased]


    [No energy source detected]


    [Reviving the host]


    [Power supply not sufficient]


    [System shutdown]


    [3¡­ 2¡­ 1]


    [Shutdown!]


    [Emergency ejection]


    A blue ball shot out of Lu Zhen''s lifeless body, but it couldn''t travel far as it fell to the floor soon after.


    As time passed, his body started to turn cold.

 Chapter 240: Betting with Life

    In a futuristic room adorned with countless mirrors showcasing the lives of many people in their day-to-day activities, like a movie. The only difference was that a typical movie wouldst at most four hours, while this setup disyed everything they did with minute details.


    Two gctic beings were casually seated, monitoring all these urrences.


    "This... He died," the gctic being eximed with shock, abruptly standing up.


    "What happened?" The other gctic being, seeing the shocked expression, also stood up and looked at the screen where the first one was observing, equally astonished.


    "Didn''t we check his intelligence before we reincarnated him? How did he die so soon?" he asked, frozen in ce upon seeing Lu Zhen''s lifeless body on the screen.


    "I don''t know. He was supposed to have the illusion that he wasn''t the protagonist and be a viin instead. We even imprinted this in his head. How did this happen? Even I am shocked."


    "Logically, he should have declined Elv''s offer after being given such a suspicious proposition..."


    "Just what happened to him?"


    The two were confused, but they casually shrugged after thinking for some time.


    "He can''t escape the system anyway; even if he wants to die, he can''t die¡­"


    Hahahaha!


    The twoughed off casually and pressed a red button.


    Bang!


    The moment they pressed the button, an rm resounded throughout the room.


    And a red beam passed through the unknown dimension and reached the body of Lu Zhen.


    The moment it did, the red light transferred to Lu Zhen''s body, focusing on the broken little Lu Zhen with a hole that flickered with red light as well.


    Within a second, the flickering red light stopped entirely and slowly started to dim.


    After the flickering red light dimmed entirely, the red light that passed through the dimension entered the soul of Lu Zhen, the little Lu Zhen who was palm sized.


    The moment it did, the small hole in its chest slowly recovered in a moment''s time, and it was entirely back to normal again.


    While the red light inside the soul of Lu Zhen grew dimmer and dimmer.


    However, it didn''t stop with healing the soul only; the remaining red light shone within a bright red light covering the entire soul of Lu Zhen.


    As time passed, the little Lu Zhen grew bigger and bigger, and the shine of the red light became smaller.


    By the time it became so small that it disappeared, the palm-sized soul of Lu Zhen had grown to the length of an entire arm in a blink of an eye. After the red light disappeared, the soul of Lu Zhen opened its eyes.


    The moment it did, Lu Zhen''s physical body''s heart started to pump, and his brain started to function normally again like an engine. His body started to warm up.


    His consciousness gradually returned to him.


    Lu Zhen slowly opened his crimson eyes and looked around in confusion.


    "Who am I?"


    The soul deep inside Lu Zhen''s body again flickered with a blinding blue light.


    Soon, the memories returned to him.


    Lu Zhen sat down in a meditative position and absorbed all the memories.


    After integrating the memories, he opened his crimson eyes with a satisfied expression on his face.


    While internally smirking.


    "Looks like my assumption was correct¡­" Lu Zhen thought to himself.


    He had staked his entire life on this!


    And it seemed to be true!


    "A higher being is observing me¡­" he cursed internally as he looked around the ce, feeling that something was missing inside of him.


    Suddenly, he spotted a blue ball.


    "Could it be?" Lu Zhen''s eyes widened as he tried to summon his system with a thought, but no prompt came to him.


    However, this didn''t dishearten him. Instead, he felt satisfied, though externally he looked rather pitiful with a sad expression on his face.


    "How could my, cheat,e out of my body?" Lu Zhen shouted out loud with a miserable expression.


    He quickly walked up to the ball and looked at it with his crimson gaze.


    "Sigh, looks like I underestimated the power of that. I thought I could get through that without a problem, but I didn''t know how wrong I was." Lu Zhen muttered with a bitter expression as he wrapped the ball in a piece of cloth and exited the bamboo temple.


    "I won''t leave until I can get this system." he cursed and walked through the forest. While the system abilities like the skills with adaptation and devour didn''t work for him, he still had the nt Qi and his raw body strength.


    Surprisingly, Lu Zhen felt like he had improved his strength instead of decreasing.


    Everything was much clearer to him, as if he could feel the entire world in its true form. While there wasn''t an improvement in both his physical and mental status, somehow Lu Zhen felt like he was stronger.


    It was as if his entire life form had levelled up to another stage, allowing him to perceive everything in its true state.


    Lu Zhen observed a giant 20-feet bear casually stepping on a giant deer, ready to devour its prey. However, the scene abruptly changed as the bear''s cry of pain echoed through the forest, causing it to copse.


    Lu Zhen withdrew his crimson gaze, and instantly, the bear started to move again, waking up from its frozen state and looking around in confusion. To its surprise, it saw a tiny, hairless monkey standing before it.


    Upon seeing Lu Zhen, the bear bowed towards him with reverence, repeating the gesture at least nine times. Lu Zhen regarded this scene with a peculiar gaze before continuing on his way.


    As Lu Zhen ventured farther into the distance, the bear, now relieved, sighed and licked its tongue, only to find its prey had vanished. Roaring in frustration, the bear cried out in anger and followed the deer''s scent, determined to track it down.


    However the horror in it''s intelligent eyes were still evident even after Lu Zhen left.

 Chapter 241: Life Entity Level Up?

    Lu Zhen contemted his surroundings and his own experiences, questioning aloud, "What happened to me?"


    ¡­.


    "What kind of a dumb shit is this guy?" The gctic being looked at the Lu Zhen screen in frustration.


    "Can''t you put the blue orb near your head? It will instantly go in¡­" it cursed in frustration.


    "Maybe we have done wrong reincarnating this guy to the martial world; we should have taken him as those stupid, pretentious dumb people instead."


    "Now we don''t have the opportunity; that will take too much energy. Besides, the system isn''t inside his body now, so we can''t control and manipte his thinking."


    "Then what do we do?"


    "Let''s wait for him to figure out how to connect the system, and then we''ll talk about it."


    "Sigh, alright." They cursed every generation of Lu Zhen till they were imaginarily exhausted, then rxed soon, forgetting about him.


    After all, he was just a mortal, although it was worth their attention since they have spent so much energy to send him to the martial world. But the other people they reincarnated were also very important for their grand n.


    ¡­.


    Lu Zhen navigated through the forest feeling rather refreshed and energetic as the trees all bowed towards him with reverence and made way for him; due to this his speed was much faster.


    Slowly he saw the huge wall that encircled the whole town and nodded his head with a rxed expression.


    "Finally I am back to the phoenix town again¡­" Lu Zhen muttered with excitement.


    The trees rustled and suddenly showered him with tons of fruits.


    "Oh yeah, I should take some of these¡­" he casually packed some of these fruits, especially the peaches, and gave some back to the trees.


    "This is enough," Lu Zhen said as the trees rustled.


    "By the way, do you know of any fruit that could strengthen one''s soul?" he asked with a curious expression, not expecting a positive response.


    To his surprise, they responded with a "yes," not in words but in a feeling that Lu Zhen could understand.


    "There is such a fruit that could strengthen one''s soul?" Lu Zhen was shocked, and astonishment was apparent on his face as he jumped up.


    "Then that makes things a lot easier," a smirk appeared on his face as he asked, "where?"


    The trees made rustling noises as if they weremunicating with Lu Zhen.


    As he carefully listened to the voices of the trees, a strange expression marred his face as he smiled with a bitter smile.


    "They are in the outside world?"


    This thought made Lu Zhen a little ufortable, as he didn''t want to go to the outside world¡ªat least, not just yet.


    After all, he had already made countless enemies outside; those disciples were prime examples. With Fe Cai or Xia Cai, that guy had a grudge against him as well. So, Lu Zhen had nned to go to the outside world only after he had achieved a certain level of protection.


    So, Lu Zhen wanted to go after he had at least reached the first-stage martial realm.


    "But these ns might be expedited if this happened¡­" he muttered with a frown on his face.


    However, he didn''t pause as he reached Phoenix City and passed through the gate, receiving respectful bows from the guards.


    Lu Zhen made his way through the crowd. Due to his tall and hulking stature, everyone instinctively moved aside whenever they saw him, as if filled with fear.


    He reached the Lu family manor rtively quickly.


    Seeing people rushing towards the manor and crowds overflowing even outside, he asked, "What happened?" with a frown on his face.


    Lu Zhen walked towards them.


    ¡­


    "Let me look. You bastard."


    "Shut the hell up, you little runt." Suddenly, the man looked back, seeing a hulking figure approaching.


    "Huh, have I seen him before¡­?" he searched through his memories, looking for that handsome face, before his eyes widened.


    Without hesitation, he pushed everyone aside with his sheer strength and made way for Lu Zhen.


    He wasn''t the only one who recognized Lu Zhen; some in the crowd also identified him and immediately bowed towards him, making way for the ignorant individuals.


    "Why are you pushing? Do you think we are thin papers¡­"


    "He is the young master of the Lu family."


    Instantly, everyone''s eyes widened in sheer horror as they all bowed to the ground and cleared a path for him.


    After Lu Zhen entered the manor, they breathed a collective sigh of relief.


    "We would be in trouble if we offended the young master and he took serious offense." These thoughts echoed among themselves, creating a shared sense of fear among the men and women.


    As Lu Zhen entered, he saw Lu family members huddled together in a crowd.


    "What is happening here?" he casually asked a disciple.


    "Huh, who are you¡­" The man turned back, and the moment he did, his eyes widened in shock as he jumped up.


    "Young master!" he hurriedly bowed.


    Lu Zhen just nodded his head as he casually asked, "What happened here?"


    "Young master, we have officially conquered the entire city. Now we are working things out with the smaller families," the man said with a bowed head.


    "Oh, okay," Lu Zhen nodded his head as he casually patted the guy. "Good job."


    He went towards the main pce, but the entire ce was packed with Lu family disciples, making it difficult even for Lu Zhen to move.


    "Fuck it," Lu Zhen seethed with rage as he changed direction, heading towards his own pce instead.


    He still needed to keep this system in a safe ce.


    Although Lu Zhen didn''t know if this system could be taken by anyone or not, he wanted to err on the side of caution.


    After all, Lu Zhen was still reluctant to let go of his cheat. It had helped him aplish so many things.


    When he first reincarnated, he might have ended up like his previous self, a drunkard. After all, he couldn''t have awakened his bloodline without the system.

 Chapter 242: Stopped Monitoring Lu Zhen

    Lu Zhen walked through the crowd and rtively easily made his way to his pce since most of the people were crowded in the main area.


    "I am finally back home," he muttered to himself.


    As he opened the door, Lily came running and bowed to him with a blush on her face.


    "Young master."


    Lu Zhen nodded his head with a smile and patted little Lily.


    "You have done a good job. Has my mother contacted me?"


    "Yes, she has." Lily nodded her head with a blush, feeling the warmth of Lu Zhen''s hands as she giggled with a silly smile.


    "What did she say?" Lu Zhen curiously asked.


    "Well, madam said that you were going to be the king or something."


    "Huh," Lu Zhen was stunned when he heard this.


    "What do you mean?"


    "She didn''t go into detail, young master," Lily said.


    "Alright." Lu Zhen nodded his head with a contemtive expression and went towards his own room.


    Once he entered his room, he casually took out the blue ball and dug a hole in the ground, burying it six feet under.


    After cleaning up all the mess, it looked good. Lu Zhen patted the spot.


    Although he had just dug the spot and filled it up again, there were no traces of digging left behind.


    Then Lu Zhen used his nt Qi and made wood to cover the floor with it.


    "These should do it¡­" Lu Zhen nodded with a satisfied expression on his face.


    The floor looked just as it did before.


    And then he left his room.


    ¡­


    "We have lost connection with that bastard now," the gctic being said in frustration, staring at a screen that showed only a nk screen, as if the connection had been cut off.


    "Is this guy for real?" the other gctic being eximed with a shocked expression.


    "You just have to make the blue ball near you, and it will instantly go inside him. Why can''t he understand such a simple thing until now?" it said in frustration, staring at the nk screen where Lu Zhen''s camera should be.


    There was a monitoring system in the system that kept an eye on the people reincarnated to be on the careful side.


    But now, this was removed by Lu Zhen and buried six feet under, making it impossible to monitor him.


    Previously, even if it was outside Lu Zhen, they could monitor Lu Zhen through the system because it was near him. However, now that he had kept it in such a ce, there was no way for them to monitor Lu Zhen.


    "What should we do now?" the smaller gctic being said in frustration.


    "Let''s wait. The only thing we can do is wait. We can only harvest the people we sent into the reincarnation once per century," therger gctic being said in a calm tone.


    "But what if the progenitor finds out that we messed up?"


    The two gctic beings'' universe moved in a cycle, distorted by the massive ck hole as thes went berserk, disrupting the entire system of the universe, shivering just at the thought.


    "We must hide these as much as possible. If the progenitor finds out, we are as good as dead," the taller gctic being said with terrified eyes and swiped his hands, removing the screen of Lu Zhen.


    "We won''t talk about anything rted to that guy Lu Zhen and will purge him with the rest a centuryter. Agreed?" the smaller framed gctic being said with its gxy already destroying itself from the instability of the ck hole.


    "Agreed," therger framed gigantic being nodded its head.


    Just like that, they stopped monitoring Lu Zhen. Now, even if he rejoins the system and linked it to his body, they can''t monitor him. However, that doesn''t mean they can''t control the system itself.


    Whenever they want, with a snap of their fingers, they can withdraw the system, along with all its abilities and everything that Lu Zhen might have acquired until now. With a blink of an eye, harvesting him like a crop. However, this only happens when Lu Zhen allows the system to enter his body. If he doesn''t, there is no way for them to harvest Lu Zhen.


    Making thempletely helpless.


    ...


    Lu Zhen,pletely unaware of the events unfolding in the higher dimension, casually walked through the passageway of his manor towards the exit. However, just at that moment, he was suddenly stopped by two women.


    One woman wore a purple dress that perfectly entuated her body, revealing a graceful figure with two heavy bosoms threatening to tear out of the dress. She had long legs, exuding a seductive aura. The other woman had red hair and a rather plump body, with meat in all the right ces emitting a fierce and a heroic aura.


    They were Xia Mei and Huang Li, blocking his way with fierce expressions.


    "Why are you two beautifuldies here?" Lu Zhen said with a smile on his face.


    "You still have the gall to talk to us like this after you murdered our entire family¡­" Huang Li said in a harsh tone.


    "Hmm¡­" Lu Zhen looked at the two with a surprised gaze as he assessed them both, a frown on his face.


    "Eh, why are you looking at me like that, Lu Zhen?" Huang Li blushed upon seeing Lu Zhen''s stare, but he didn''t reply to her question.


    "You both look beautiful, but I think something is missing on both of you," Lu Zhen said with a genuine frown on his face.


    "What is it?" Huang Li said as she was evidently flustered.


    Lu Zhen casually extended his hand forward and beckoned Huang Li with a narrowed gaze. "Come near me."


    Huang Li innocently walked towards Lu Zhen with a frown on her face.


    The moment she was in the range of Lu Zhen, he shot forward at a terrifying speed and caught Huang Li tightly in a hug.

 Chapter 243: Wholesome

    "You... What are you doing?" Huang Li said with a stunned expression.


    However, Lu Zhen didn''t speak a single word and hugged her tightly in his embrace.


    "You can cry now," he whispered in her ears.


    "Why would I cry, you bastard Lu Zhen?" Huang Li replied with her temper ring.


    "Eh," Lu Zhen was stunned when he heard this. "Then just stay in my embrace," he muttered as he didn''t let go of Huang Li, no matter how many times she struggled.


    After some time of struggling, Huang Li gradually stopped her pretence and hugged Lu Zhen back too, with a rxed expression on her face.


    Her head resting on the warm chest of Lu Zhen, she felt a sense of safety and protection she had never felt for years.


    As if Lu Zhen could hold the entire world for her, she gradually fell into a blissful state in Lu Zhen''s warm embrace.


    Seeing this, Lu Zhen chuckled silently, thinking, "This girl is too easy," with a smirk on his face.


    "So am I not included now?" Xia Mei''s cold tone rang in Lu Zhen''s ears.


    "Of course, you are invited," a small smile embraced his face as he beckoned Xia Mei as well.


    Xia Mei smiled with a naughty expression and embraced Lu Zhen as well.


    Since Lu Zhen''s body was already tall and huge, the two fit perfectly into Lu Zhen''s embrace.


    However, at this time, Lily arrived with a sad expression on her face.


    "Young master, I am left out."


    Lu Zhen was speechless; however, his gaze turned tender as he beckoned Little Lily as well, and instantly she moved towards him, directly embracing him.


    With her added to his embrace, Lu Zhen now had three women tightly hugging him like kos, each emitting a unique scent that wafted into his nose.


    Lu Zhen felt rxed as all his tension melted away, enjoying the warmth of the three beauties hugging him closely.


    "It felt like Lu Zhen could conquer the world with just a flick of his hand. However, this time as well, Jiang Xue showed up out of nowhere and joined in, hugging Lu Zhen.


    "This girl also joined¡­" Lu Zhen thought, amused as he embraced her as well.


    Time seemed to pass in the blink of an eye as an hour just flew by.


    After a long time, they separated, but the four women had reluctant expressions on their faces.


    Lu Zhen was left speechless seeing this; however, he too felt rxed while hugging them.


    "I will give you lots of hugs, but follow me for now¡­" Lu Zhen muttered with a strange glint in his eyes.


    Lily''s eyes lit up when she heard this. "Are we going to the main pce, young master?"


    Lu Zhen nodded his head.


    The other three women were entirely silent; however, their gaze towards Lu Zhen was tender and filled with love.


    Suddenly, Xia Mei couldn''t help but ask.


    "Lu Zhen, you seem to have be more handsome the more I see you. Tell me, what did you eat?"


    Lu Zhen chuckled upon hearing this. "Of course, your man is bing stronger and stronger. Do you doubt I will eat something?"


    "Hmm, you look suspicious," Xia Mei said with a narrowed gaze.


    "Huh."


    Xia Mei suddenly shot her head forward and kissed Lu Zhen. Feeling the soft tender lips, Lu Zhen also kissed her back. Their tongues danced in resonance with each other''s desires as they kissed, with the stunned gaze of the other three women.


    They separated, leaving a small trail behind.


    "Hehehe, you fell for it, Lu Zhen," Xia Mei said with a smug expression.


    Lu Zhen just shook his head speechlessly upon hearing this.


    "I amte, I should be going now," he said as he beckoned. "Follow me, girls."


    "You want us to follow you too?" Huang Li said with a surprised gaze.


    While Lu Zhen just nodded his head with a devilish smirk on his face.


    "Yes."


    Although they were a little confused, all four women followed him without any hesitation, as if on instinct.


    Seeing this, Lu Zhen nodded his head as he exited his manor with crowds of people still there in bulk.


    Lu Zhen frowned, seeing that he wouldn''t let his women be touched by any man, even if it was just a bump.


    "You fucking piece of shit, leave the way," he roared with fury at everyone.


    The moment he did, the crowd''s attention was suddenly drawn to Lu Zhen.


    "Huh, young master¡­." The moment they heard this, everyone froze in ce, and with an instinctual urge, they moved sideways, clearing the path for Lu Zhen.


    "Good." Lu Zhen beckoned the women to follow him.


    The four followed Lu Zhen with a curious expression on their faces.


    The male youth couldn''t help but have their eyes brighten when they saw the women following behind Lu Zhen. However, they hurriedly withdrew their gazes with a terrified expression upon feeling Lu Zhen''s cold gaze, as if saying, "you will be dead if you look for another nce."


    Their backs were already covered in cold sweat as they put their heads down.


    "Humph, men," the women said with a mocking tone as they looked at Lu Zhen with a yearning glint in their eyes. They admired the handsome Lu Zhen, with his wless skin and his huge, shredded body packed with muscles. Even though he didn''t erupt with his aura, just his muscles emitted a sense of intimidation.


    "Young Master Lu Zhen is so handsome. He is my idol.'''' They looked at the four women who were following Lu Zhen and couldn''t help but feel a pang of jealousy in their hearts. The women were all more beautiful than them and each had a tinge of uniqueness.


    The males were speechless seeing this.


    "So you guys are allowed to see the young master, but if we look at women¡­"


    "Hey, shut up! Do you wanna die? With the young master''s capabilities, he can hear you." The person hurriedly covered his mouth, ensuring he could no longer speak.

 Chapter 244: Lu Zhens Arrival

    Lu Zhen gazed at the person with his crimson pupils; however, he just shrugged and went forward with an uncaring expression.


    The man who made thosements fell to the ground as he broke out in a cold sweat.


    "What have I done now?" he looked around at the people, and everyone avoided his gaze like he was a cancer or a disease to them.


    "Although he might not have offended Lu Zhen, he has certainly offended his little fans¡­" they muttered while avoiding his gaze.


    At that moment, he knew he had messed up.


    The man turned his back, seeing a mob of women who were seething at him with rage.


    He was dead! (Metaphorically, of course, or not?)


    ¡­.


    Lu Zhen finally saw the tall building in his vision, and his eyes lit up.


    He hurried his footsteps as he walked, and everyone made way for him.


    While the four women strangely looked at each other and walked closely to Lu Zhen.


    Xia Mei and Lily were already familiar with each other, and Huang Li was even more familiar to them. However, Jiang Xue was the oddball of the group.


    She was not very familiar with the others simply because she had just joined Lu Zhen and hadn''t even had the time to talk with the other girls. So, of course, she was unfamiliar with them since she hadn''t talked to either of them, not to mention about talking; she hadn''t even seen them.


    Although she had met Lily previously, at that time, she was high and mighty. Now she had fallen from grace, while Lily''s status had undoubtedly increased to a terrifying degree.


    Jiang Xue touched her cheeks with reminiscent eyes as she looked at the broad back of Lu Zhen with a silly smile on her face.


    "This woman has gone crazy," Lily muttered, seeing the silly smile on Jiang Xue.


    Previously, she had looked up to Jiang Xue and had always adored her, but now she was nothing. Her status could be even said to be the lowest among the three women because her family was ughtered, and her strength was average at most.


    She was equal to Huang Li in cultivation realm but was like an insect to both Lily and Xia Mei. The difference between her and Huang Li was that they were just not familiar with each other enough.


    With that said, Jiang Xue suddenly startled awake from her thinking as she crashed into the back of Lu Zhen.


    "I am sorry, young master," Jiang Xue said hurriedly.


    "It''s alright," Lu Zhen replied with a smile on his face.


    "Th- Thank you," she replied with a blush on her face, seeing the handsome profile of Lu Zhen.


    Lu Zhen just nodded his head, "It''s better to be handsome than not to," he muttered to himself.


    No matter what people say, being handsome ys an important role in how others perceive you. Although Lu Zhen didn''t know about those old monsters, for an average teen or even an adult, being attractive yed a significant part. This was evident when he looked at Ancestor Lu, who should be at least a century old but appeared young.


    Of course, Lu Zhen wouldn''t believe that this phenomenon was because of the martial realm of Lu Ming. Instead, it was simply because he had consumed the youth pill, which infinitely makes one look younger but doesn''t affect the lifespan much.


    While the first-stage martial artists he had ever seen till now were also young, so they definitely cared for their looks.


    These were mundane things in a mortal''s short life; however, somehow people were always influenced by these things.


    The only one who wasn''t influenced by Lu Zhen was Elv. Although she didn''t show it, her eyes reflected a deep level of emotionlessness that he had never seen before. Like a truly heartless person, she seemed like a demoness. Lu Zhen didn''t know if that was her true form or not, but her eyes told a tale of emotionlessness to the entire world.


    Lu Zhen could guess, from his assumption, that the truly old monsters were all like Elv, their emotions being washed away with time, at least that is what he assumed it to be.


    "Young master has arrived."


    The door of the pce opened, and he swiftly ended his contemtion, looking around the ce.


    There was a crowd of people; some were the patriarchs of the smaller families, some were unfamiliar rogue second-stage martial artists, and some were just the elders and grand elders of the Lu family.


    However, they all had one thing inmon: "power."


    In the hall, every power in the Phoenix City was present.


    Everyone''s gaze was drawn in as they all concentrated on Lu Zhen when he entered.


    Seeing this, Lu Zhen had an uncaring gaze as he casually walked towards the centre. Although he was a little stunned seeing so many people, most of them were like bugs to him.


    Even an average second-stage martial artist was no match for the current Lu Zhen, even without his system.


    So, his confidence wasn''t empty at all.


    All the elders of the Lu family bowed, while the grand elders nodded their heads. However, the outsiders all looked at Lu Zhen with a frown on their faces.


    Lu Zhen frowned when he saw this and erupted with his aura, covering the whole hall.


    Boom!


    The ground began to shake as a heavy pressure pressed on everyone present in the halls, enveloping them as they started to quiver under the merciless aura of Lu Zhen. However, the elders and the grand elders were rtively fine.


    Seeing this, everyone''s expressions turned terrified, and they hurriedly bowed to Lu Zhen.


    Lu Zhen nodded his head with a satisfied expression and took back his aura.


    As the pressure vanished into thin air, they heaved a sigh of relief with horrified expressions.


    "How strong have these kids be already¡­" Their expressions morphed into pure terror, seeing the hulking youth who could already be considered a giant.


    "How?"

 Chapter 245: Lu Zhen becoming the new leader?

    Lu Zhen just casually shrugged and looked at everyone before greeting his mother and father.


    "I greet Mother and Father," he said with his crimson gaze.


    Lu Ying nodded her head with a smile on her face, while Lu Huang had closed eyes as if he was contemting something.


    "Mother, why did you summon me here?" Lu Zhen asked.


    "Lu Zhen, do you want to rule this ce?" Lu Ying asked with a curious expression.


    "I was just looking for you because we were just discussing you bing the leaders of this entire Phoenix City and uniting all the people here. How about it?" Lu Ying smiled as she said.


    While Lu Huang was frowning.


    "What happened to the spy I nted on Lu Zhen? Did she give me false intel? But how is this possible? Royalty has been deeply ingrained in her since childhood; she wouldn''t betray me." From the report he had gotten from Li Nan, Lu Zhen hadn''t progressed much, but seeing Lu Zhen himself, Lu Huang would be blind if he didn''t see the terrifying progress of Lu Zhen.


    "He has be even stronger than me¡­" His hand started to tremble with fear when he sensed the previous aura of Lu Zhen.


    And knew that he would be dead the moment Lu Zhen seriously made a move. The gap was apparent; while Lu Zhen had soared to heaven, he had stayed as a bug without much progress, and he was getting older now and would soon die if he didn''t make any breakthrough, which terrified him greatly.


    Lu Huang sighed. "I am getting old," he mocked himself for being jealous of his son to the point of nting a spy.


    Lu Zhen had a contemtive expression when he heard Lu Ying before a smirk gradually appeared on his face.


    "I am willing to be the leader then."


    To the despair of the other powers besides the Lu family, they despaired the instant Lu Zhen uttered those words. After all, this means they had to divide their interests, and they might not have as much freedom and power now as much as they had previously wanted.


    "Then it''s official: Lu Zhen will be the leader of the Phoenix from now on. Is there any problem with anyone?" Lu Ying asked, her eyes glinting with a murderous gaze as she looked around at everyone.


    Everyone shook their heads simultaneously, feeling the intensity of Lu Ying''s gaze. Even Lu Huang just shook his head; he had nned to disturb the event, but the thought of his wife terrified him to such an extent that he couldn''t utter any words.


    "Man up, Lu Huang, or you will be a mockery of a man forever and ever," Lu Huang suddenly thought to himself as he gritted his teeth before his eyes shed upon seeing Lu Zhen and Lu Yin again.


    "I have a little problem," Lu Huang suddenly spoke with a concerned expression.


    "What is it?" Lu Ying asked, her eyes glinting.


    Seeing the gaze of Lu Ying, he broke out in a cold sweat; however, somehow he managed to speak.


    "He is still too young to be a leader. Although his strength is enough to suppress all sides and corners of the Lu family, he is still young and doesn''t have the skills to manage things. Besides, Lu Zhen will have less time to train if he bes the leader, causing his cultivation progress to slow down.


    We don''t want that for our son, do we?" Lu Huang somehow managed to utter while holding his breath.


    Seeing that Lu Ying was in a contemtive expression, he heaved a sigh of relief.


    "Thank god she wouldn''t kill me," he muttered while still holding his breath.


    "Lu Zhen, what do you think of what Lu Huang said?" Lu Ying voice transmitted to Lu Zhen, as the points that Lu Huang raised were valid, and if she caused her son to progress slower in his cultivation, she would be terrified.


    Hearing the voice of his mother, Lu Zhen internally sneered as he looked at Lu Huang.


    "Mother, you don''t have to worry about this. Besides, who said I need to manage the territory by myself?" Lu Zhen''s voice transmitted to his mother and beckoned to the four women who were outside.


    "Come, my wives," he said with a smirk.


    Instantly, everyone''s gaze was drawn as they looked at the door with curiosity.


    From the door, four women entered one by one.


    Xia Mei was the first toe, giving off a seductive aura. However, her eyes glinted with intelligence as she looked at everyone with a frown on her face. She elegantly carried herself as she arrived beside Lu Zhen.


    Following next was Lily, his little maid, emitting a dominating aura that instantly caused everyone to look away. Her expression was as cold as ice, but the moment she saw Lu Zhen, a smile appeared on her face as she quickly ran towards him.


    After that, Huang Li and Jiang Xue came at the same time, causing everyone''s eyes to widen as they whispered among themselves.


    "Isn''t that the young miss of the Huang family that was ughtered by the Lu family?" They amusingly looked at her with a mocking gaze and a hint of irony.


    "And the other woman, isn''t she the treasure daughter of the Jiang who was ughtered during the war?"


    "I heard the Lu family yed¡­"


    "Shut up, you idiot! Do you not know where you are?"


    The man hurriedly shut his mouth upon the reminder.


    The entire town had thought that the Jiang family was ughtered by the Lu family, which was not true. However, for them, that was the only reason a family so close to bing a major family would die and be ughtered overnight.


    Lu Zhen''s ears twitched when he heard this, and he looked coldly at everyone with his crimson gaze.


    When they saw the stare of Lu Zhen, they broke out in cold sweat and put their heads down.


    "Trash," Lu Zhen sneered.

 Chapter 246: Zhang Shi

    Lu Ying was a little confused when he invited his woman instead of saying anything; however, she just stood silent with an amused glint, seeing the four beauties in front of her eyes light up even more.


    "My son has grown up," she thought.


    "We martial artists respect Strength, don''t we?" Lu Zhen looked at everyone with a crimson red gaze that made everyone avoid him.


    "Reply to me, am I the strongest or not?" He sneered as he looked at everyone present in the hall.


    "You¡­" They were stunned by the fearlessness of Lu Zhen as his gaze was mocking, as if he was looking at them like ants.


    However, they were still rtively calm. After all, they were the powerhouses who had stepped on countless corpses to reach their level. No matter whether they were businessmen or young masters, they weren''t so simple-minded to get taunted by just the simple words of Lu Zhen.


    Lu Zhen''s sneer widened as he looked at everyone who was just silent.


    "So, of course, I will be the leader. If you have a problem fighting with me as a martial artist, let''s see whose fist is the strongest here," Lu Zhen looked at his front, where there was Lu Huang sitting beside his mother with a strange glint.


    Lu Huang broke out in a cold sweat as the crimson gaze of Lu Zhen locked onto him. "Devil," that was the only resounding thought in his mind as he looked at the crimson pupils of Lu Zhen, who seemed to consider him even lower than an ant with disappointment and mockery.


    "Stop mocking me." Lu Huang sheathed in rage, just seeing the crimson gaze of his son. He quickly hid his trembling hand by his sleeve, but he didn''t break his facade. Lu Huang was expressionless.


    Seeing this, Lu Zhen just shook his head as he looked around once more at everyone who was just avoiding his gaze with gritted teeth.


    "There is no one here¡­" Lu Zhen was truly disappointed seeing this.


    Suddenly, a youth roared, "Don''t go too far!!!."


    Lu Zhen''s eyes lit up seeing this. "Thene fight me or keep your head down for the rest of your life."


    "Alright, fine. If you want to fight so much¡­" the youth revealed himself. He was a short and thin man wearing a green headband on his forehead that reflected the sun rays, with an average build. Despite the resistance from his fellow friends, he still stood up and directly went straight into the pce floor.


    "We can just fight normally, but it is no fun, is it? So, how about we make a bet? If I lose, you will be the leader; if you lose, you will serve me. As simple as that," Lu Zhen said with a shrug.


    "You¡­" the bald-haired band man was speechless when he heard Lu Zhen.


    "Come on, are you too scared? You weren''t that arrogant when you were there previously," Lu Zhen replied with a sneer as he looked at the man as his pupils turned from red to golden.


    The moment his eyes met with the man, Lu Zhen''s eyes brightened.


    "I found a treasure, although he is stupid. It is even better; I don''t like smart people too much. They are the people who can never be trusted most of the time," he thought with amusement.


    "Alright, I ept."


    "Good, what is your name?" Lu Zhen asked with a nod.


    "Zhang Shi."


    Lu Zhen''s expression turned strange when he heard this. "He certainly doesn''t look like it." (Zhang Shi usually means schr)


    "So, are we going to fight or not?" Zhang Shi looked at Lu Zhen with impatience, with a frown on his face. "This town is such a secluded ce that even a local tyrant here dared to bully me. I will teach him a lesson. Those righteous factions have been getting out of hand being dealt with. I might as well relieve my stress by beating the shit out of these kids," he thought with rage.


    "You really wanna lose that badly?" Lu Zhen muttered.


    "Alright, I will be the judge then," Lu Ying said with amusement as she looked at both of them.


    The four women also sidled themselves amusingly as they looked at Lu Zhen curiously. Their hearts had already melted for Lu Zhen already, although there might be separation among themselves. But these women will probably jump in fire if Lu Zhen tells them to.


    "Alright, you guys fight."


    The instant the voice of Lu Ying traveled, Zhang Shi disappeared like the wind, vanishing into thin air.


    "These¡­" Lu Zhen narrowed his eyes and looked around.


    His crimson eyes glinted with a blue hue; Lu Zhen directly tapped into his mental energy. Finally, the figure of the man was faintly visible to him from his senses.


    "There he is," Lu Zhen said casually and threw a punch.


    Boom!


    Zhang Shi was sent hurtling through the air, but he quickly maneuvered to maintain his bnce.


    "How did you see me?" his eyes widened with disbelief, as if he had just encountered a ghost instead of Lu Zhen.


    "Hmph! Even a child will see you when you use these party tricks," Lu Zhen replied with a casual shrug.


    "Verdant Whirlwind."


    The nt Qi within Lu Zhen instantly gathered towards his hands, and he shed with his hand using saber principles. A rotating wind force was created, engulfing everything. However, this time it was different. In the eye of the storm, there was a wooden pole with one side sharp and the other side blunt.


    "What do you mean?" Zhang Shi remained in ce even after witnessing the storm.


    "Do you really think a young brat like you can defeat me with such minor techniques?" He gritted his teeth and drew his sword, shing casually at the storm.


    However, instead of a sh, a huge boulder materialized in front of his swinging sword and was flung towards Lu Zhen at a terrifying speed.

 Chapter 247: Zhang Shi Subordinate

    Boom!


    As the boulder and the storm crashed, dust flew into the air, creating a mirage over everybody.


    "Huh, this man, have you ever heard of this man here?"


    "No, I haven''t heard of him before."


    "Weird, with that level of strength, he should be famous already..."


    The onlookers frowned when a random person voiced this, causing everyone to think.


    "That is definitely the strength of a second-stage martial artist. There is no way that man came out of nowhere and has that level of strength. I would believe my wife would cheat on me rather than this-"


    The onlookers looked at the man who voiced this with a strange expression on their faces.


    "Cough! Look, the dust seems to have gone away," the man embarrassingly pointed forward with an awkward expression on his face.


    As the dust settled down, the rotating whirlwind was still there in all its glory, while the boulder was nowhere to be found.


    Their eyes widened with shock. Although they were all powerhouses and could see through the dust, when the boulder and the storm shed together, it wasn''t an instantaneous thing, so they still needed to wait for the result.


    ...


    With horrified eyes, Zhang Shi saw the storm advance even bigger than before at him.


    "How could this be possible?" he gritted his teeth and touched the ground.


    Instantly, a wall of rock was created that protected him from the storm; however, that didn''tst long as the storm cut through the rock wall with just the sheer wind pressure it emitted.


    "You can''t escape from me." Lu Zhen suddenly released his aura, causing a heavy pressure to emit that instantly froze Zhang Shi in ce.


    "You... you..." Zhang Shi pointed at him with disbelief as his expression suddenly turned cold from panic.


    "If you want to beat me and use me as your stepping stone, you should be ready to bear the consequences of it as well," he gritted his teeth and took out a bell from his robes just as he was engulfed in a storm.


    He threw the bells, and instantly it erged andnded on himself, protecting him from all sides.


    The raging wind of the storm raged at the bell; however, no matter what it did, it couldn''t cut through the defences of the bell, no matter what.


    Seeing this, Zhang Shi heaved a sigh of relief.


    However, Lu Zhen had an amused smile after seeing this. "What are you so relieved for?" his cold tone sent shivers down Zhang Shi''s spine.


    The wooden pole in the centre suddenly started to rotate with the storm, and instantly the storm began to increase its rotating speed as well.


    A green light shed in the entire hall, blinding almost everyone''s eyes.


    Crack!


    "This..." Zhang Shi''s eyes widened in horror as the bell started to crack like spiderwebs.


    "In front of absolute strength, all things are meaningless," Lu Zhen said with a sneer, while his crimson eyes glinted with a green light as well, perfectly protecting him from the green light emitting from the storm.


    "What type of technique is this?" Zhang Shi questioned with a frown on his face. He could still see because the bell protected him; however, from the rate it was going, in five minutes, it would absolutely break.


    "A dead man tells no tales."


    "Wait, you are going to kill me..."


    "I won''t if you tell me what you, an outsider, are doing here? How did a weakling like you even reach here?" Lu Zhen scoffed.


    "You know," Zhang Shi looked at Lu Zhen with disbelief on his face.


    "Yeah, I know. So you have two choices now: either be my subordinate or die. Which would you prefer?"


    "I... I..." Zhang Shi looked at the cold stare of Lu Zhen and took back his words. "I will be your subordinate."


    "Good," Lu Zhen nodded his head with a satisfied expression. He casually swiped, and instantly the storm dissipated.


    Zhang Shi fell to the ground as he hurriedly withdrew the bell, returning it to its original size. However, even after it returned to its original size, the bell still had faint cracks on it, clearing away the eye-blinding light with it.


    "Now, does anyone have a problem with me being the leader?" Lu Zhen expressionlessly stated.


    The people, whose eyes were blinded by the green light, had just recovered when they heard Lu Zhen''smanding voice.


    "This..." a strange silence enveloped everyone.


    "We bow to our leader."


    Almost instantly, they all bowed in unison with a resigned look on their faces. They weren''t stupid individuals. If one move from Lu Zhen had caused everyone to be blind, they could imagine the consequences if he were serious.


    In this world where the strongest fist was always right, they had to bow to Lu Zhen, no matter how unwilling they were.


    Lu Zhen suddenly looked at Lu Huang, who was just staring at all of this as if he were denying reality itself. The green light had almost caused everyone to go blind, and even Lu Ying was a little ufortable with it and had to close her eyes as well.


    "Is this the strength of the little brat?" Lu Huang thought after seeing Lu Zhen''s crimson gaze.


    Seeing his red eyes, he trembled and instinctively nodded his head, as if his life depended on it.


    "So, does anyone have a problem with me?"


    "No, young master. How could we ever doubt the young master?" a man said from the crowd in a ttering tone.


    Everyone started to shower Lu Zhen with ttery and offered their daughters'' hands in marriage like a wave of rivers.


    "Good son, you have proved to everyone that you are capable of being the leader. Now, let''s officially dere to the public that it''s time to change the name of the city," Lu Ying dered on her throne with her lilith voice.


    "Yes, mother," Lu Zhen nodded his head.


    "We will set an official coronation for it as well for the public as..." Lu Ying swiftly stated what everyone should do and all these things simultaneously.


    All the people listened patiently with a resigned expression.


    "We are officially bing subordinate forces of the Lu family."


    Although this hadn''t been mentioned until now, they were already a subordinate force with an unspoken arrangement.


    After all, they could be so free and unfettered and build their own powers only because there were four families which bnced themselves out.


    But now that there was only one family, only a fool would believe they would allow external parties to build up their own powers individually and cause a hidden danger in the future.


    It was simply impossible to live in the city now without being subsidiaries of the Lu family. Since they couldn''t travel outside as they weren''t first-stage martial artists, they couldn''t traverse the forest, which was filled with dangerous beings and was vast.


    Neither did they want to go. After all, what guarantee is that there is no greater danger out there? At least they can retain their life here.


    That was the simple truth, and they all had already epted it.


    While Lu Zhen was celebrating his victory, a storm was about to rise right inside the mansion of the Lu family.

 Chapter 248: Lu Yuan wants to become First-stage Martial artist

    The moon was dimly visible as its silvery light graced the entire ce.


    Its silvery light revealed an inconspicuous city surrounded by forest and river on all sides, covering the entire city from all four sides.


    The city was silent as it was the middle of the night with huge walls.


    In the right corner of Phoenix City, there was a huge residence with a big signboard imprinted with "Lu Family,'''' where the lights were turned off and the guards were drunk because of the banquet that had just urred.


    Slowly, a clothed male figure wearing a ck robe that entirely covered his body was stealthily exiting the residence in hushed steps, as silently as possible. It swiftly passed the half-sleeping guards and reached outside.


    After reaching outside, it seemed that cloaked figure heaved a sigh of relief as he took off his cape, revealing Lu Yuan inside.


    "Lu family, you can celebrate as much as you want, but you will all be ughtered for the injustice you have done to me, you bastards." Initially, his n was to kill Lu Zhen when he was inside the inheritance cave; however, that didn''t happen because of the sudden war, which, to his despair, the Lu Family won.


    However, his despair didn''t end there as Lu Zhen was victorious and garnered countless achievements in the battle.


    From the rumours he had heard, Lu Zhen even killed a first-stage martial artist who, with him, became a giant as vast as thes themselves.


    Of course, he wouldn''t believe such baseless rumours. However, seeing Lu Zhen''s strength up-close, how he effortlessly defeated the man who was even strong for a second-stage martial artist and had strange methods up his sleeves, Lu Yuan knew the bitter truth of reality.


    He could never overtake that bastard Lu Zhen, which made him develop even more hate for Lu Zhen, to the point that he has never been able to rest until just yesterday when he received the news from that person again.


    "If I can gain more power from them, I can definitely kill that bastard Lu Zhen as long as I be a first-stage martial artist," Lu Yuan''s eyes widened as if in realization. "That''s right, as long as I be a first-stage martial artist, no matter how talented that monster is, he would be just a bug in front of me. After that, I will kill him," he smirked, thinking of these.


    His mind was already clouded with the thought of revenge that he couldn''t even think rationally and unconsciously started to call Lu Zhen a monster, as if from the bottom of his soul.


    As Lu Yuan was plotting in revenge and glee in with his wishful fantasy, suddenly a rustling of sound rang in his ears.


    Lu Yuan''s face turned cold as he looked around. "Show yourself." Although he had be a second-stage martial artist from a pill, he was still authentically a second-stage martial artist and had everything that is rted to a second-stage martial artist.


    The only thing that wascking was the experience and the many tricks up a second-stage martial artist''s sleeves, which showed how terrifying the pill was.


    "Don''t worry, I am the messenger''s subordinate," the cold tone resounded in his head, which made Lu Yuan internally heave a sigh of relief.


    "Okay," he said with some relief.


    "So I will be giving you instructions from now on. First, you need to stay undercover in the Lu family as much as possible and try to get every piece of information about the Lu family down to the tee. You must not hide or skim any details, and the second is¡­"


    "Wait," Lu Yuan suddenly said with a cold expression.


    "What is it?" the voice asked back with a frown.


    "You need to fulfil your agreement first to make me a first-stage martial artist," Lu Yuan said with a stubborn voice.


    "Huh, there was such an agreement?" the voice replied back with a tinge of confusion.


    "Yes, there is such an agreement. So now, will you give me the pill to be a first-stage martial artist, and I will do anything for you?"


    The voice didn''t reply for a long time, which made Lu Yuan frown as he suddenly felt an ominous feeling.


    He looked around; however, he didn''t sense any danger. "Must have been my imagination," Lu Yuan muttered to himself.


    "Alright, we will make you a first-stage martial artist after youplete this task, and if you remain loyal to the organisation, you will even be granted power beyond the first-stage martial realm. Just imagine what you can do after that¡­"


    However, Lu Yuan didn''t buy it, as it was more important for him to take revenge on Lu Zhen rather than thinking about the future. If he wasn''t consumed by revenge, he wouldn''t have even thought of betraying his own family, of course.


    "You didn''tplete your assignment as well, and¡­" the voice carefully exined, however Lu Yuan interrupted him again.


    "I mean no means no; I will only do work for you guys after you make me a first-stage martial artist," Lu Yuan said with a smug smile on his face, as if he was proud of himself.


    "So are you really not going to take the mission?"


    "Yes," Lu Yuan said with violent eyes and red veins popping in his body. "Until and unless I be a first-stage martial artist and gain the ability to take revenge on Lu Zhen, I won''t do anything."


    The voice became silent as no reply came.


    "Don''t ignore me, you bastard," Lu Yuan roared in anger as his terrifying aura of a second-stage martial artist erupted.


    "Hey, are you crazy? Don''t erupt with your aura; we will be found out," the voice sounded in panic.


    "I don''t care. Make me a first-stage martial artist or I will reveal the n to the entire ce."


    "You¡­" the voice seemed to have be serious.


    "... are dead." The voice suddenly turned into a cold, dead tone that sent a shiver down Lu Yuan''s spine.

 Chapter 249: Lu Yuan Dead and the Marching Army

    "At least you were going to be useful to us for a few days before you die, but now you have just quickened your death."


    "What¡­ What do you mean?" Lu Yuan asked, his back already soaked in cold sweat. His body started to tremble involuntarily as if by instinct.


    Before he could react, a cloaked figure appeared in front of him and extended his palm directly towards his chest area.


    "You¡­" Lu Yuan was about to counter-attack; however, suddenly, his vision started to dim as his strength left his body.


    He looked down at his chest with widened eyes.


    The cloaked hand had phased through his heart.


    "Huh, how¡­" Lu Yuan''s world dimmed entirely as he closed his eyes and fell to the ground with a thud.


    His body had be a skeleton in just several minutes as it soon turned to dust, as if his body had decayed for several centuries already.


    However, as the body of Lu Yuan was turned into dust, a purple fire escaped and came towards the man as if in glee.


    "Well, at least you became nutrition for the divine me¡­" the cloaked figure muttered as he was about to leave.


    "Where are you going?" Suddenly, a cold tone of a youth rang in his ears.


    The cloaked figure, however, seemed to be calm as he didn''t stop his footsteps, quickly disappearing into the shadows.


    "I said, where are you going?" Lu Zhen said in a loud voice as he punched, creating a power that seemed to tear the very fabric of reality itself.


    The cloaked figure''s eyes widened as he was hit by the aftershock, causing him to fall to the ground, revealing himself again.


    "You¡­ how¡­" the cloaked figure muttered in disbelief while he vomited blood on the ground, making the paved road bloody. Just the aftershock had caused him such damage; he wouldn''t dare to imagine what would have happened if he was directly hit.


    "I got to say, your hiding ability is quite high. However, as I have learned from others, against absolute strength, everything is utterly powerless and will never be able to make a dent on me," Lu Zhen sneered.


    "Kid, how could you be so strong?"


    "Raw talent, hard work, and determination," Lu Zhen said with a sneer on his face, "and a system," he muttered with a hushed tone.


    "Do you think I am stupid?"


    "Yes," Lu Zhen answered with a deadpan expression on his face.


    "You¡­ you." The man took a deep breath, trying to control his anger. "Either way, kid, considering your talent, you can join our sect. If you do join, you can get countless resources that the Lu family couldn''t provide to you, and you will even get a chance to reach a higher realm than first-stage martial artists."


    "Not gonna lie, your offer is really tempting," Lu Zhen hesitated, which caused the man to light up. "Of course, that is if you are stupid," his face morphed into a mocking smirk.


    "Damn it." The cloaked figure gritted his teeth with anger. "If you are not going to join us, then your death is inevitable."


    "What do you mean?" Lu Zhen said with a frown on his face.


    "Yes, a sess," the man thought with a sigh of relief. "If you dared to kill me, the army of our sect aftering here, you will definitely be the first one to die."


    "Army?" Lu Zhen''s eyes glinted with a strange light when he heard this.


    "Yes, an army. So your best chance of surviving is by joining us. If you don''t, you can imagine the consequences¡­" the cloaked man said with a smirk on his face.


    "Well," a sneer appeared on Lu Zhen''s face.


    "You are quite useful."


    "Huh, what do you mean?" Suddenly, his vision dimmed, and he fell to the ground.


    In the back, there was Lu Zhen''s chain, which floated in mid-air. Droplets of the man''s blood still stuck to the surface of the silver chains.


    Lu Zhen beckoned, and the chain came back to him while trembling.


    Seeing this, Lu Zhen''s expression turned strange as he patted the chains. Instantly, the chains started to move around Lu Zhen in glee.


    "How did Elv even make this?" Lu Zhen mused to himself.


    However, to Elv right now, Lu Zhen might have seemed to be dead already, which was even better for him. After all, he didn''t want to face such a powerhouse right now. And there was no guarantee of his own safety either.


    "I should cutmunication with Elv from now on¡­" Lu Zhen frowned to himself as he carried the knocked-out unconscious man.


    As he went away.


    "Revenge truly can both destroy a man and make a man¡­" Lu Zhen thought as he paused, ncing at the remains of Lu Yuan.


    A sneer appeared on his face as he shrugged. It didn''t matter to him whether the guy died or not; for Lu Zhen, he had never considered Lu Yuan as an opponent, and he was right ¡ª Lu Yuan was never his opponent.


    Of course, that is after getting his cheat, which he had lost now.


    However, he still had things that he gained from his system, which was the upgrade to his consciousness with just a level up in his charm.


    Lu Zhen''sprehension has increased terrifyingly, and he was able to make that killer technique, the upgraded version of the Verdant Whirlwind, from it too.


    While the nt Qi also yed a part in it. Lu Zhen didn''t forget that this nt Qi came from the system as well.


    "I should practise morebat art when I am home¡­" Lu Zhen mused to himself.


    With that thought, Lu Zhen returned to the Lu family residence.


    "What took you so long?" Lu Ying said with a frown on her face.


    "I have bad news, mother," Lu Zhen expressionlessly said.


    "What is it?" Lu Ying''s eyes narrowed as she asked.


    "The army of some sect is marching towards us."


    Lu Ying''s eyes widened.

 Chapter 250: Inheritance Cave: Chance to Rise

    "Which sect?" she asked with a frown on her face.


    "I don''t know," Lu Zhen just shrugged.


    "Mother, is this inheritance cave so valuable?" he asked with a curious expression on his face, seeing the serious expression on her face.


    "Yes, it is the most important thing for a force to rise. If we can fully use the entire inheritance cave, we will be able to be a super force even in the outside world," Lu Ying said with a sigh.


    "Then we are in even more trouble now," Lu Zhen said with narrowed eyes.


    "Correct," Lu Ying rolled her eyes.


    "How strong is the sect from your perspective, son?" Lu Ying asked with a curious expression.


    "If all the intel from the outside world is true, then they shouldn''t be such arge force themselves. At most, they might be a mid-sized sect," Lu Zhen replied with a sneer on his face.


    If the sect was stronger than that, they shouldn''t have gone through so much trouble to plot and even hatch a n in the shadows and go through so much trouble.


    Even if they had some trouble in which they couldn''t show themselves, what''s the point of nting the spies and even after their army marched they still needed the intel, which meant that the disparity of strength wasn''t too big for them to be so cautious.


    "You might be right, Lu Zhen," Lu Ying nodded her head. "So what will you do now?"


    "Let''s resume all our events even tomorrow and go on from there. My coronation will be tomorrow anyway," Lu Zhen said with a casual shrug.


    "Alright," Lu Ying said with a nod.


    "By the way, do you know the guy I defeated and used him as a stepping stone?" A small smirk formed on his lips.


    "What is it?"


    "He is from the outside world."


    "Then how did hee here? Although his strength might be strong, he doesn''t have the power to cross all the things here," Lu Ying said with a frown on her face.


    "I don''t know," Lu Zhen shrugged.


    "Anyway, let''s rest for today. Tomorrow, my son is finally going to be the leader¡­" a small smile graced her lips.


    ¡­.


    The entire Phoenix city was in a bustling condition with rednterns hanging in the middle of the day.


    In the bustling street, everyone had a smile on their face as they all advanced towards the right corner of the city to the Lu family residency with a smile on their face.


    "Huh, why are people in such a good mood today?" a man asked as he casually sipped his tea.


    Everyone in the stall looked at the man with a strange expression on their faces.


    "You don''t know about it, brother?"


    "No," the man asked with a confused expression, taking more sips of the tea.


    "The young master of the Lu family is going to be the leader of the city, and they are going to unite the entire city under the Lu family," he said with an excited voice.


    "Then what are you so excited about?" the man asked with a frown on his face.


    "Because we are finally going to gain peace and not be ground by all four sides of those superpowers."


    "What do you mean?"


    "You see, previously we had to pay taxes to every four major families in the city if we wanted to run our business, making the price sky-high. But now, we only have to pay the Lu Family, although the amount has doubled, but still, our expenses also decreased by half as well," the shopkeeper said with an excited expression on his face.


    "Besides, there will be a banquet at night where we are all able to get free food and wine for the night. I will be closing my shop at that time too, brother. If you want some free food, you are wee toe by," the shopkeeper said with a warm smile.


    "No thanks," the man said as he left a golden biscuit on the table and left the ce.


    The shopkeeper''s eyes widened when he saw the gold on the table.


    "This¡­" he tremblingly went to the gold and touched it and carefully inspected it. "Is this real?" He was too scared to mentally think as he saw the gold, with his eyes widened open as if his entire soul was on it.


    The man made his way through the street. Seeing the bustling street, he also followed the crowd, soon blending into the crowd, and his figure disappeared almost instantly.


    "Should I go to the Lu family to investigate if the spy we nted found out?..." the man thought as countless questions swirled in his head, which caused him to frown.


    "What should I do?" he sneered shortlyter. "If I get scared of such an isted ce, then the leader will kill me before these Lu families could kill me."


    The man had a mocking smile on his face as he made his way towards the family; however, he minimized his presence to the nihility and blended well with the crowd. Soon, he saw the huge Lu family residence.


    The vast residence was masterfully decorated, with the crowd flocking towards it to the point that almost one kilometer of the area around the Lu residency was filled with people.


    "How many people does this small ce have?" the man frowned.


    Suddenly, he heard some noise and looked to the side, seeing groups of men and women who were dancing towards the residence with a smile on their faces as they carried various gifts and such.


    As they advanced, the crowd made way for them. Seeing this, the man''s eyes lit up.


    "I can use them as cover to enter¡­" he silently made his way through the herds of people and masterfully blended with the group.


    "Let''s change into their clothes." The man took out his cloaks, revealing the exact dress the men of this group wore in thin air.


    "Let''s hurry; if we arete, we can''t curry favor from the young master and your daughter-" the middle-aged man leading the group said.


    "Yes, father, I understand," the girl said with a resigned expression on her face.


    As they entered the residence of the Lu family, a small gate opened for them to enter.


    The inside was as bustling as outside; however, all the people had a demeanor and were all keeping it to themselves while talking in hushed voices.


    But they all had a fawning expression as they will all be in line carrying the gifts like they do.


    The middle-aged man frowned when he saw the long line as he gritted his teeth.


    "Young master, I want to talk about our daughter''s marriage to you. Can you let us go on ahead¡­"


    The crowd suddenly paused when they heard the old man''s voice as they sneered before they continued to wait patiently.


    "Huh, what''s wrong with them?" the middle-aged man thought with a frown.


    "If you want to give your daughter a hand, then you need to line up there," a servant came with a smirk on his face as he pointed at an even longer line of people.


    The pupils of the old man dpidated with shock on his face seeing the long line.

 Chapter 251: The Mysterious Man

    "I guess we need to wait now¡­" the old man bitterly said with a frown on his face as he went to the end of the line.


    "You guys follow me," he said, and the group followed him.


    "Don''t mess this up, my daughter."


    "Don''t worry, father. I won''t¡­"


    The sun passed, and the morning became evening before their turn finally came.


    The old man looked back, where there was an even bigger line than when they previously came, and heaved a sigh of relief. "Luckily we came early, or we might not get the chance to meet the young master."


    A smile morphed on his face as he entered, and the group followed, all while an unknown person had infiltrated that they had no clue about.


    "These guys are stupid and weak. At least they fulfilled my purpose. I just want to see how great this young master Lu Zhen is, and I will leave¡­" the man who was blending in with the group thought with a sneer on his face.


    As the huge door opened, a blinding light shed as the gold in the room reflected an eye-blinding gleam.


    "Tsk tsk, what a show-off¡­" the man gritted his teeth with a malicious glint. Although it wasn''t much valuable to them, they were still the highest currency of mortals. So using them to decorate the room just for this could be described in one word: "extravagant."


    The old man was the first to swiftly recover from the eye-blinding light as he looked inside the room.


    There was a seductive woman seated in a throne, her eyes flickering with an intelligent gleam as they assessed everyone.


    The men in the group''s eyes brightened when they saw the woman. However, suddenly, a terrifying pressure descended on the group.


    Boom!


    Almost everyone felt a terrifying pressure that forced them to avoid her icy cold gaze as they put their heads down.


    "Good," Xia Mei muttered as she nodded her head.


    "Who is the leader of this group?" she asked, her eyes glinting.


    "It is me, madam," the old man respectfully said as he bowed to her.


    "Who is the bride?"


    "This one, madam, she is my daughter¡­" the old man pointed to the right side of him, where his daughter stood.


    Instantly, Xia Mei''s gaze focused on the woman, making her break out in a cold sweat. However, she managed to remain steady even with the terrifying pressure that descended on her.


    "You are qualified," Xia Mei said with an uncaring gaze. "What is your name?"


    "My name is Tai Shi," she said with a bow.


    "Very well," Xia Mei pped her hands, and servants came in to guide Tai Shi, while others guided the old man and his group to the other side.


    The old man frowned at this.


    "You will be staying at the guest house for now," Xia Mei said with an uncaring gaze as she nestledfortably in her seat.


    "Next," she spoke as a new group arrived, and the evaluation started again.


    As the old man and the group were led by the servant, they saw a huge pce however in front of the other pces surrounding it appeared ratherck lustrous and entered led by servants.


    There were multiple groups just like them, sitting around the ce and socializing.


    The old man casually approached a servant and asked, "What is with these people here?"


    The servant frowned as he looked at the old man, but he replied expressionlessly, "They are just like you guys. They have all given their daughters'' hands to young master Lu Zhen and have been selected by thedy."


    "So many?" the old man said with shock, as there were at least ten groups present.


    "Yes," the servant replied uncaringly and left.


    "What should we do, father?" the son of the old man asked with a confused expression.


    "We just stay here," the old man replied with a resigned sigh. They went and mixed in, but no one noticed a shadow that separated from the group and directly went outside the door.


    "That chick was quite feisty. I like a feisty girl¡­" the man muttered as he quickly hid from the guards.


    However, he soon lost track of the ce where he had previously gone, making him confused. Almost every building was simr to each other, making it very difficult for one to spot the previous location. He had to evade the guards as well, which made manoeuvring things very difficult for him.


    "I will find that chickter; let''s see that young master Lu Zhen first¡­" the man muttered with disappointment as he swiftly made his way to the biggest pce in the ce.


    "That must be the ce."


    Seeing the guards, which were increasingly bing tighter, the man was even more sure that this was the ce. While travelling in the shadows, he randomly spotted a servant and quickly knocked the man out in a swift manner, taking his disguise. He then headed towards the biggest pce among all the pces, which stood out from the rest.


    ¡­


    Lu Zhen was surrounded by beauties, each with a faint blush on their faces as they dressed him neatly and tidily. He stood there with a contemtive expression on his face.


    "Leader," the maid''s voice suddenly woke Lu Zhen up, and his crimson gaze focused on her.


    "Hmm¡­" He looked at himself and said, "you guys can all leave now."


    "Yes, Leader." The maids hurriedly left, but each of them had a blush on their faces with excitement.


    "Young Master Lu Zhen is so handsome. I wish I could be his woman. Even a concubine would make me soar to heaven¡­"


    "Stop dreaming. Not even bing his maid is possible for us, remember Lily."


    They felt a shiver down their backs when they heard Lily''s name, and they became silent, as if in tacit understanding. Eventually, they all left, leaving Lu Zhen alone.


    However, the shredded body of Lu Zhen would probably be imprinted in their minds forever.

 Chapter 252: Lu Zhens Coronation

    Lu Zhen looked at himself in the mirror. He wore a long ck formal silk robe that reached the floor, with a five-wed dragon pattern embroidered on it. Even on his bulky frame, it fully covered him, concealing his muscr body.


    In his long ck hair, there was a hairpin that gathered all his hair in one ce.


    "How is the training going, Li Nan?" Lu Zhen muttered.


    Suddenly, a shadow materialised into a woman as she bowed towards him.


    "It is going well, Young Master," Li Nan said expressionlessly.


    "Good. Has anyone shown any talent?"


    "Well¡­" Li Nan handed him a document that was carefully sealed.


    Lu Zhen took the document and opened it to see the contents inside. As he read through the document, he became more and more satisfied the further he read.


    "It looks like you have really done a good job," Lu Zhen said with a nod.


    "Thank you, Young Master," Li Nan said with an excited tone, which made Lu Zhen smile.


    "Tell me what you want. I will do it if you want."


    "Young Master, it is my greatest honor to be-"


    "Don''t do such stupid things like this. Tell me what you really want," Lu Zhen said with his crimson gaze fixed on her.


    Li Nan suddenly felt a terrifying pressure descend on her, making her feet cave into the ground. She looked at this with astonishment.


    "Tell me what you want?" he asked again in a simple tone.


    Hearing this, she gritted her teeth with a resigned expression, which left Lu Zhen speechless.


    "Young Master, I would like to free my friend from the clutches of the patriarch¡­"


    "Hmm," Lu Zhen had a contemtive expression when he heard this, making Li Nan nervous.


    "Did I ask too much?" she thought with a frown on her face.


    "Young Master, I was just jok-"


    "Hmm, it might take me a month to do that. Is that fine?" Lu Zhen suddenly interrupted her.


    "Re- really, Young Master?" Li Nan asked with a trembling figure, her eyes teary.


    "Of course. You think I will treat my servant poorly?" he asked with a frown on his face.


    "Thank you, Young Master," she said with a bow, her voice full of excitement.


    "Alright, you have done your job well. You can take a rest," Lu Zhen said with a smile as he left the room.


    "Thank you," Li Nan sobbingly thanked Lu Zhen as she saw the broad back of Lu Zhen, which made her feel a sense of security, as if even if the entire world fell, he could just casually pick up the whole world with just his hand.


    ¡­.


    Lu Zhen walked out of the room, greeted by the passageway and servants there to guide him.


    He just nodded his head expressionlessly to the servants, and the servant guided Lu Zhen to the main hall.


    When he reached the main hall, he saw arge throne surrounded by all the superpowers of Phoenix City.


    At the front of the room, there was a huge throne with its armrest shaped like a dragon''s body, positioned between Lu Huang and Lu Ying, who were sitting on the left and right of the throne.


    Although their thrones were also extravagant and huge,pared to the middle one, they could only be said to becklustre.


    Lu Zhen nonchntly walked up to the throne.


    Every step he took made the onlookers'' hearts sink as they lowered their gaze in front of Lu Zhen.


    Lu Zhen touched the smooth surface of the armrest and the dragon head, marvelling at the spectacr throne. It was simply a work of art. Slowly, he sat down on the throne, and every power in the room avoided his gaze in submission.


    While Lu Ying nodded her head, sitting to his right, and Lu Huang, sitting to his left, remained entirely expressionless.


    "From here on, Lu Zhen is officially dered as the leader of Phoenix City. If you have any objections,e forward." Suddenly, a youth materialized from the portal and looked at everyone with a business-like smile on his face; he was Lu Ming.


    Everyone was silent, as if they had already acknowledged it.


    "Good. It doesn''t matter if you guys acknowledge it or not, but let''s do it formally anyway." Lu Ming said with a still-business-like smile on his face. However, his words caused everyone''s hearts to sink.


    "Bring in the concubines," he said with a smile.


    "I am finally going to be a great-grandpa now," Lu Ming muttered with an excited tone.


    While Lu Zhen was speechless, "I am marrying, not you. Why are you so excited?"


    Xia Mei and the other three entered from the door with mischievous smiles on their faces and walked up to Lu Zhen.


    "Hmm?" Lu Zhen was confused, seeing them standing in front of him with mischievous smiles.


    They nonchntly sat in Lu Zhen''sp, as if it were the most natural thing for them, resting their heads on his warm chest. Since Lu Zhen was already a giant, the four girls all fitfortably on hisp.


    "So you guys are sitting on myp now¡­" Lu Zhen muttered with a warm smile.


    "Of course, we are sitting on yourp after all we''ve done for you. We don''t have this much right?" Xia Mei said with a frown on her face.


    Hearing this, Lu Zhen chuckled. "You''re right. I have treated you a little rough. I guess you can take advantage of me for now. However," an evil smirk morphed on Lu Zhen''s face.


    "Get ready to face the consequences as punishment tonight," he whispered, just loud enough for the four of them to hear. This caused the four women to blush almost simultaneously, appearing flustered.


    Soon, from the door, a flood of beauties entered, each with a unique aura and demeanour that made them admirable even to look at them from a distance. Lu Zhen looked at all these beauties with a smile on his face.

 Chapter 253: Concubine

    Each of the beauties had a differt temperamt: some emitted an arrogant aura, some were cold, some mature, and some childish aura, but all their looks could be said to be top grade.


    Lu Zh looked at all of them with a glint in his eyes.


    "These are the concubines your woman has chos, so don''t worry about it," Lu Ming''s voice rang in his ears, which confused him.


    "Wh did you do that?"


    "Big sister Xia Mei was the one who did most of the work as a young master," Lily replied with a giggle.


    "Oh, so you were the main perpetrator, huh?" Lu Zh looked at Xia Mei, which inexplicably made her skin crawl seeing the smile on his face.


    "Cough, yes," Xia Mei said in a whisper while Lily''s giggling didn''t stop for a second.


    "I will see you tonight," Lu Zh said with his smile wided ev more.


    "Yes¡ª"


    "What did you previously call me?"


    "Huh," Xia Mei was stunned by the sudd interruption of Lu Zh.


    "Wh we previously did it in bed, what did you call me? Do I need to remind you?" Lu Zh''s smile brighted ev more.


    "Yes, husband." Xia Mei hurriedly whispered in realization.


    "Good." Lu Zh nodded his head with a satisfied expression as he looked at every woman prest here.


    "If you guys are able to withstand my aura and remain unmoving, you will officially be my concubine. I need a weak woman," he said in a cold tone, "especially in this cold world," he muttered to himself.


    Everyone became atttive wh they heard this, their eyes glinted with determination as they looked at Lu Zh.


    "Good that you are all so eager."


    Boom!


    The terrifying aura of Lu Zh erupted, veloping the tire ce. Not only were the wom affected, but all the people inside the hall were also affected, all except for Lu Ming, of course.


    This stunned Lu Zh internally; however, he kept calm on the surface as he looked at everyone with a cold gaze, as if pre-nned.


    Because he had the aura-control skill previously, he could control his aura as much as he wanted. However, now that he lost his system, the aura control skill also disappeared, meaning that he couldn''t finely manipte his aura.


    While Lu Zh had only controlled his aura with the help of his skill until now, since he never had the need to put conscious effort into controlling his aura, but now without his system, it was his first time releasing his aura. It was inevitable for it to be out of control.


    Almost all the wom trembled simultaneously as the heavy pressure descded on them.


    Most of them froze in ce, but some wom were still okay as they stared at the crimson eyes of Lu Zh, which felt like hellfire. However, it had a hint of warmth that made them yearn for it.


    They bite their lips one by one, trying to stay still as they gazed at Lu Zh''s crimson eyes.


    T seconds passed!


    Twty seconds passed!


    Thirty seconds passed!


    Lu Zh withdrew his aura as he looked at the twelve wom who were still standing tall, their eyes filled with a yearning gaze as they looked at him.


    Their mouths were bleeding, giving them pain, but no one seemed to be affected by the pain, or rather, they didn''t care about it.


    Lu Zh suddly stood up from his seat as the four wom sidled themselves.


    He rushed up to these wom, and his hand shed with a gre light instantly. Everyone''s mouths almost recovered immediately, to the surprise of everyone.


    "Good, you guys finally recovered." Lu Zh nodded his head as the wom all came to his side, smiling with uncertain expressions.


    "You will be my wom from now on. Be proud of yourselves," he said with an arrogant tone.


    "Yes, young master," the twelve wom said simultaneously.


    Lu Zh returned to his throne, and the four wom sat on hisp as if it was their rightful ce, while the twelve beauties all crowded behind his throne.


    "Lu Zh has be officially dered as the leader now, so let''smce the banquet." Lu Ming said with a smile as he pped his hands, and instantly, servants came carrying food.


    The atmosphere suddly became harmonious as everyone smiled, joying the booze and the beast meat prested to them, taking it with glee.


    Lu Zh smiled as he didn''t have to do anything; he just oped his mouth, and the four wom fed him one by one in turn.


    "You know you don''t have to feed me."


    "Is being fed by us a problem?" Xia Mei said with a hump, her chest touching his chest, giving Lu Zh a rxing feeling.


    "Of course, being fed by beauties is my honour¡­" Lu Zh said with a smile, causing the four wom''s cheeks to blush with red.


    "You are quite good with your words, Lu Zh," suddly Huang Li said as she embraced him like a ko.


    "Of course, I need to be good with words after all. I am blessed with four such caring wives, ar''t I?" Lu Zh said with a gleeful face.


    "Hmph, you are still using buttery words against us, not fair."


    "Hahaha." Lu Zhughed out loud, feeling their soft bodies. It undoubtedly made his little brother stand up.


    Feeling the hot rod that was poking her, Jiang Xue blushed as she looked at Lu Zh with a lustful expression.


    "Wh did she be such a lustful girl?..." Lu Zh thought as he looked at Jiang Xue, who seemed to already have a heart shape in her eyes.


    "Oh right, I might have made her that way."


    "Calm your horniness for the night, Lu Zh," Jiang Xue suddly said with a smile on her face.


    "We''ll suck you dry," she said as she licked her lips with a lustful expression.


    "Oh, is that a challge?" Lu Zh said with an amused expression.


    "Of course, it''s a challge. So, are you up for it?"


    "Challge epted, mydy, th." Lu Zh smirked.

 Chapter 254: Establishing the Power Structure

    After Lu Zh finished his meal, his wom personally fed him one by one. The banquet soon ded with everyone eating themselves to full; ev Lu Ming seemed to joy his meal as he gobbled up his food, almost eating the same amount as Lu Zh.


    Seeing Lu Zh and Ancestor Lu Goblin there, others were also suddly motivated and ate their food ev faster. At the d, the atmosphere was already harmonious.


    Lu Zh smiled seeing this. Although he didn''t have the gluttony skill anymore, he was still a body cultivator whose realm was actually higher than the Qi cultivation realm. So, of course, he needed more proteins and ergy to maintain the quality of his body, which required him to eat a ton, ough topete with an actual first-stage martial artist.


    "Serve the banquet outside as well," Lu Zh said with a smile on his face.


    "Yes, young master," the servants bowed as a huge howl of servants wt outside to serve the guests outside.


    Seeing the servants outside, their eyes lit up; however, a messger also came outside, which made their expressions turn serious.


    "So what will it be?" They held their breath as they patitly waited for the man to announce.


    "The wars in the Phoix City have be going on for countless aeons due to the tyranny of the three major families: Xia, Hei, and the Huang family. However, the long war that took the lives of hundreds of thousands has finally all ded through the magnanimous grace of the Lu family, the long-lost hope of unifying the tire Phoix City has be achieved."


    The messger paused for a momt for the people to process in their brains.


    "The Lu family will be the sole ruler of the Phoix City and promise to never gage in internal wars again. Any internal fighting will be immediately suppressed. We, the Lu family, will make all themon people prosper and lead you to a new era."


    "The Lu Family will be officially called the Lu Imperial family, and the new leader of the Phoix City will be Lu Zh, the young master of the family."


    The messger left and tered the pce again, leaving a stunned and silt crowd.


    Immediately, chaos erupted as they cheered with excitemt for the promises of the Lu Imperial family and the hope for a bright future.


    They started to praise Lu Zh and the Lu Family with smiles on their faces. After all, they had suffered a lot from the four major families, and not only them; they had suffered from the wars of the small families as well.


    Although the four major families might not be fighting every day, the small families were fighting each other every day to the point where it wasmon for a small family to disappear every single month. Because the four families were busy keeping each other in check, nobody said anything, allowing the small families to be audacious.


    However, it was likely that any autonomous power would immediately be suppressed.


    Although it might be terrifying for the small families, for themon individuals, it was undoubtedly a good thing.


    Cheers erupted in the whole crowd as the banquet erupted, and they joyed their food served by the servants.


    Lu Zh smiled, seeing the loud cheers from the crowd outside.


    "So let''s talk about the power structure now." Lu Zh''s eyes glinted with a strange light.


    Gulp!


    The pce became tirely silt, ev with the loud cheers from outside. They looked at Lu Zh carefully, and their tire focus was on every word he spoke.


    "From now on, all individual power will be tak back, and no one is allowed to form an army, and all weapons shall be banned." Lu Zh spoke as he looked a, seeing the eyes of all the powerhouses in the city shining with terror.


    "If anyone has a problem with these, raise their hands." Lu Zh announced in a domineering tone.


    Everyone was silt as nobody spoke. The gaze of Lu Zh fell on them, and they were silced.


    Although everyone cursed in their hearts, nobody disagreed. After all, only a fool would disagree, giv the situation they were in. Lu Zh would instantly silce anyone who raised their voice against it, so they had to unwillingly ept such conditions.


    Lu Zh smiled, seeing nobody speaking. "Good, since nobody spoke, these will be applied instantly."


    "However, there are befits for you too. All of you will be assigned an area to rule almost autonomously unless giv orders by our royal decree, got it?"


    Lu Zh looked at everyone, whose eyes brighted.


    "Everyone''s territory will depd on the power they previously held. However, no one is allowed to amass more than a thousand people, and the weapon production of bows is still not allowed. The territory changes based on the contribution you made for the territory and the royal family¡­."


    Lu Zh started to describe all the rules they needed to follow and the such.


    "Now, I will introduce the gold decree, where there are a set of rules that all must follow, besides the Lu Imperial family, of course," Lu Zh beckoned, and servants came carrying books.


    As the servants gave these books to everyone, they all had varying expressions as they read through the book: sadness, happiness, frustration.


    In the d, only a bitter expression was left in them.


    These rules, although allowed them to still gain power, were nothing but empty shells. They had to actually do things for themon people and not treat them as bugs they could kill.


    If they killed more than a hundred mortals, their power would be stripped, and the tire family would be kept in prison for five cturies.


    This wasn''t the only rule that favored the mortals; there were rules that favored themselves as well, achieving almost a perfect bnce that considered both their own power and the power of mortals.


    "Whoever made these is a terrifying gius in strategy." They all had this unified thought as they finished reading the book.

 Chapter 255: Lu Huangs Rage

    As everyone read through the gold decree, they sighed in resignation.


    "These will be the gold rules of the city, and only I can change them from now on," Lu Zh said in a simple tone.


    "Do you guys understand?"


    "Yes, young master."


    They hurriedly nodded their heads with terrified eyes. Nobody was stupid ough to reject it. It was either them losing their life or epting it, so no matter how bitter, they needed to ept it.


    "Good, you guys can leave now. There will be a banquet for all my marriages, soe out at night, got it?" Lu Zh announced in a loud voice to everyone as he looked at them with his crimson gaze, which seemed like an inferno me to them.


    "Yes, young master." They all stood up from their seats and bowed towards him before leaving, with a mixture of emotions: sadness, anger, and ev an unjust expression on their faces, as if Lu Zh had slept with their wives.


    "I will leave, Lu Zh. We will call you wh we need you," Lu Ming said as he smiled towards Jiang Xue and left the ce.


    Lu Zh patted Jiang Xue as well with a smile on his face, who was in hisp.


    "Young master," Jiang Xue said with an embarrassed expression.


    "What?" Lu Zh just smiled at her.


    "Stop bullying her already, Lu Zh," Xia Mei suddly spoke with a mischievous smirk on her face.


    "Okay, I will stop bullying her," Lu Zh suddly deeply looked at Jiang Xue with a smile on his face as she stared back at him. The two looked at each other before she instinctively oped her mouth, and Lu Zh leaned forward, stealing her lips.


    Jiang Xue''s eyes wided as Lu Zh dominated the kiss, and she gradually embraced it with op arms, closing her eyes with a blissful expression on her face joying the frch kiss as she became aggressive as well.


    Lu Huang wore a disapproving expression, frowning as he observed the sce from the left side of Lu Zh''s grand throne.


    "You guys should do these things in other ces instead of here," he said. However, Lu Zh and Jiang Xue didn''t stop. Whether they heard him or not, Jiang Xue still closed her eyes, joying the kiss, while Lu Zh was also deeply involved in the momt.


    Seeing this, Lu Huang''s frown deeped ev more as he looked at the two lovebirds.


    "If you don''t want to go, you just go to other ces," Lu Ying, who was sitting at the right of Lu Zh''s grand throne, suddly spoke in a cold tone, looking at Lu Huang.


    At this time, Lu Zh gtly separated from Jiang Xue, causing her to frown.


    "Mother, sorry for my profane disy."


    "It''s alright, son. I can understand. You are still youthful and have a lot of vitality. It is natural for you to be so ergetic," Lu Ying said with a smile on her face.


    "Thank you, mother. Th I will take my leave," Lu Zh replied while scratching his head.


    "Go, go. You have already grown up; you won''t be staying in your mother''s embrace anymore," she said with a mischievous smirk on her face.


    Lu Zh was stunned, but he just shook his head with a sigh. "She is this way anyway."


    The four wom stood up from hisps, and he stood up from the throne as well with a smile on his face. However, Jiang Xue had an unsatisfied expression, and the other three also had simr looks.


    "Let''s go,dies," Lu Zh smiled as he left the ce, and the four wom followed him, trailed by the other t wom.


    Seeing the back of Lu Zh, Lu Huang became tirely expressionless as his fist tighted with anger.


    Lu Ying smiled with amusemt. "Lu Huang, why are you in a rage? Ar''t you happy for your son?"


    A chill ran down Lu Huang''s spine wh he heard the voice of Lu Ying.


    "Yes, yes, I am very happy," he mechanically turned to her with a strained smile on his face, as if he was forcefully smiling like a robot.


    Lu Ying''s eyes glinted with a strange light seeing this.


    "Remember if anything happs to him, whether you did it or not, I will kill you first." Lu Ying looked deeply at him onest time.


    Swish!


    The wind blew, and she disappeared as if she wasn''t there in the first ce,pletely vanishing from sight.


    Lu Huang, who was forcefully smiling, finally released his ugly smile, reced by a twisted expression as he roared.


    The cry of the roar resounded throughout the hall where there was no one but him. The throne on which he was sitting also cracked with the sheer aura he erupted with.


    His eyes were red, with blood vessels popping out as if he was driv to the point of madness.


    "That bastard Lu Zh, is he ev my child? and¡­ that bitch. What does she think of me? That I can be toyed a." he roared in madness.


    "Do they really think I can do nothing to them?" His eyes glinted with a strange avarice as he roared again with rage.


    The tire pce seemed to rumble with the boiling rage of Lu Huang, which evtually calmed down.


    Lu Huang''s eyes becamepletely cold, as if he didn''t have any emotion nowpletely detached from emotion. He took a deep breath, closing his eyes.


    "I will have my revge." He oped his eyes, which glinted with ruthlessness, as he couldn''t care less about the consequces now.


    Rage causes self-destruction and can also be a driving force for improvemt.


    Unfortunately for Lu Huang, rage was self-destructive for him. After all, rage made people blind, and these stces were truer than true here. Lu Huang saw nothing more than killing his own wife and son in a blinding fit of rage, no matter the consequces.


    No matter what, he wanted to kill them both¡ªhis own son and wife.

 Chapter 256: Wang Shi

    As Lu Zh and his woman walked along the passageway, he suddly looked a with his crimson gaze at his woman.


    "You guys go to my room. I have something more important to do," Lu Zh said as he was about to leave.


    "Something more important than us?" Jiang Xue tugged at Lu Zh with lustful eyes.


    Lu Zh''s eyes shed with amusemt as he walked up to her in silce and touched her face, looking at her with his crimson eyes like a devil.


    His crimson eyes looked like hellfire that could burn her in minutes.


    Jiang Xue closed her eyes in anticipation; however, Lu Zh didn''t do anything, much to her disappointmt. She frowned as she oped her eyes, seeing the crimson eyes of Lu Zh, who was deeply looking at her without a single word.


    "Yes, something more important than you guys," Lu Zh spoke with an apathetic tone as he coldly turned a, leaving the ce, while Jiang Xue fell to the g.


    She broke out in a cold sweat that made her clothes stick to her, revealing her perfect physique; however, that wasn''t her concern. Instead, Jiang Xue looked at the broad back of Lu Zh with a terrified expression.


    At that momt, Jiang Xue felt like she was closer to death than ever, with her demise just a thin line away with just a movemt, as if she was hanging by a rope.


    A small blush unconsciously formed on her face, ev with her terrified eyes, as her body told another tale.


    Xia Mei shook her head with speechlessness.


    "You know he would have really killed you," she spoke, causing everyone to be stunned.


    The twelve wom beside them seemed to tremble as their eyes seemed to sh with regret.


    Seeing this, Xia Mei smirked. "Now you guys can''t back up."


    "Mistress, we ar''t backing up at all, especially after facing such hardship," one of the girls spoke.


    Xia Mei''s eyes glinted with amusemt as she looked at the girl who had spok.


    "What''s your name, girl?"


    "My name is Wang Shi." Wang Shi spoke with narrowed eyes.


    "Hehehe." Xia Meiughed as she walked towards the room.


    "You guys, follow me."


    Lily stayed by Xia Mei''s side carefully, like she was her big sister, while Jiang Xue and Huang Li stayed behind her, and the twelve wom followed up.


    From the lineup, the status was evidt.


    "We will be staying in the room until hees. It will be a fun night." Xia Mei spoke while licking her lips.


    Suddly, the twelve wom felt a shiver run down their spine.


    After they settled in, they all rested on the huge king-size bed with Lu Zh''s name drawn from flowers in the bed.


    It was big ough for all of them to sit and ev have plty of space left.


    After they settled, an awkward silce veloped the tire room as nobody spoke a single word, and nobody wanted to talk as well.


    Suddly, Wang Shi moved to Jiang Xue and tapped her with a smile on her face.


    "Sis - can I call you sister?" Wang Shi asked with a smile on her face.


    Jiang Xue looked at her with her dead stare.


    "Hmm?" Wang Shi frowned, seeing the unresponsive Jiang Xue.


    "Yes, you can call me sister," Jiang Xue finally spoke after a long time.


    "Umm¡­ do you know why Mistress Xia Mei talked while licking her lips in such a strange manner?" Wang Shi spoke with hesitation.


    Jiang Xue''s eyes glinted with amusemt wh she heard this. "You will find out soon wh Lu Zh ters; however," a thoughtful expression appeared on her face, "it will be your best night and the worst night both together, which you will yearn for every day. Unfortunately, Lu Zh might never give you a chance depding on your performance."


    "Hmm?" Wang Shi frowned with speechlessness as she kept quiet.


    Just like that, the room descded intoplete silce as the wom waited for Lu Zh in anticipation.


    ¡­


    Lu Zh slowly headed down a differt passageway, a smirk ying on his face.


    "I am finally going toplete my n," he thought, his crimson eyes flickering with a strange light.


    Finally, he reached a room locked with a metal door, guarded by two unmoving wood puppets. As Lu Zh approached, the puppets'' heads moved mechanically, nodding in acknowledgmt.


    "Did anything happ while I was gone?"


    The puppets oped and closed their mouths as if they were speaking, but no sound came from them.


    "There is no problem, young master."


    Lu Zh mimicked their mouth movemts and nodded. "Very well th." He tapped them both on their heads.


    Boom!


    They turned back to their original form of two wood nks.


    "These are quite useful," Lu Zh thought with satisfaction. After gaining nt Qi, just using the sheer Qi itself, Lu Zh had be able to aplish numerous feats that couldn''t ev be achieved withbat arts and a normal martial artist might never be able to aplice.


    It was simr to the powers of the mages.


    "I guess I know why only first-stage martial artists can advance their Qi now," Lu Zh thought.


    Almost all the cultivation techniques actually started with basic elemts like fire, wood, ice, earth, and many more¡ªat least that Lu Zh knew of in the town.


    However, once they are advanced to their unique versions, the advanced Qi will be things that a normal martial artist is never capable of doing and can''t do, no matter how hard they try.


    Lu Zh touched the two human-sized nks, and a blinding gre light shed as he absorbed them.


    His crimson eyes shed with a gre light.


    He oped the huge door, and immediately his vision was filled with a futuristic room that was filled with machinery.


    There, some people were working with a serious expression on their faces.


    As Lu Zh tered, everyone''s gaze was drawn to him, which made their eyes wid as they hurriedly stopped what they were doing and bowed to him.

 Chapter 257: Coding

    Lu Zhen nodded his head with a satisfied expression as he looked at the five people present in the room.


    One of the people looked like a beggar with his hair aged and his clothing tattered and patched up, while three of the people wore regal clothes with an elegant demeanour.


    If you looked closely at the three people, they all had an arrogant expression on their faces, which they suppressed while bowing towards Lu Zhen, their eyes filled with reverence.


    Thest person was a familiar woman, Lu Qing, one of the twins, who was wearing a navy-coloured robe.


    "You can rise up now," Lu Zhen spoke, and the five all simultaneously stood up.


    "How is the machine going?" he said as he looked at a capsule that was standing at the centre of the room, floating in mid-air as if it were defying gravity itself.


    "Young master, these machines are quite interesting, and I have been studying them for a long time only the final step is left now," Lu Qing said with a smile on her face.


    "The machine is finally ready?" Lu Zhen''s eyes shined with glee.


    "Yes, from my knowledgebined, it looks like everything ispleted, except for these strange devices. What is this device used for? Although you gave us the blueprint and we constructed it, we don''t know what to do with these." Lu Qing pointed at the mobile device which was connected with a wire that linked all the things in the room.


    "On these is the remote to activate all the things," Lu Zhen spoke with a smile on his face.


    "Hmm?" Lu Qing was confused when she heard this, looking at Lu Zhen in confusion.


    "You won''t understand; your little brain can''tprehend such stuff anyway." Lu Zhen said with a smile and patted her.


    Lu Qing blushed when she felt the warm hands of Lu Zhen on her head as she pouted.


    "Now let''s check if it can be operated or not," he said as he took the mobile-like device.


    "Finally, my previous life''s hard work as aputer programmer is finally going to be useful for at least one thing now," Lu Zhen thought with a bitter expression on his face.


    But he didn''t regret being born in this world where there was a slight hope of immortality with omniscient and omnipotent power. This was his goal.


    In fact, it was the goal of every living being, engraved in their being since they are born¡ªto live forever. Lu Zhen was no exception; no matter how hard one denies it, unless there is no option, a being never chooses death and always tries to live.


    It can change for various reasons, however, instinctively the living want to live longer.


    This was a fact that cannot be changed no matter what.


    Lu Zhen looked at the mobile device and started to type on the metal keyboard. It wasn''t really hard for one to construct a mobile here manually, with Integrated Circuit being crafted easily if they knew the model and the materials, which were all verymon in the martial world, just like gold, which was a mortal''s currency.


    It had no real value to a martial artist and was in abundant quantity as well.


    While the other external parts were even easier to construct. Lu Zhen could even make a smartphone if he had wanted to, however, it was useless to him and would take too much.


    Lu Zhen''s hand moved with familiarity as he typed the codes, giving each and every node their respective instruction in the machine-levelnguage.


    Slowly, the entire machinery in the room started to brighten, illuminating the entire room. Countless machinery started to rotate, all powered up one by one until the middle pod started to spin as well.


    "Hmm." Lu Zhen double-checked all the codes to see if they were correct or not, and he physically inspected every piece of machinery to ensure their uracy individually. He did this until he was sure that everything was in order.


    "You guys can leave now," Lu Zhen turned back to them with a satisfied expression on his face.


    "Thank you, young master," the four hurriedly bowed their heads with excitement. While Lu Qing just nodded.


    "I will teach you three, my alchemy technique after this," Lu Zhen suddenly spoke as he looked at the three alchemy apprentices with regal clothes and an elegant demeanour.


    The three''s eyes lit up with excitement when they heard this, and they immediately knelt in front of Lu Zhen.


    "Please take us as your disciples," the three of them said in unison.


    "Good," Lu Zhen nodded his head. He wouldn''t mind some extra free workers¡ªcough, disciples. Especially since they were alchemists and could concoct some pastes. Although the apprentices weren''t as skillful as Lu Zhen and weren''t very efficient, an extra pair of hands was always wee. He could save some valuable time with them.


    "What do you need, old man?" Lu Zhen smiled as he looked at the beggar.


    "I want some of that knowledge, young master. I have seen countlessnguages around the town, but it is the first time that I have seen such an intriguing piece of thisnguage. This is the most profound and vast knowledge I have known till now. I want to learn and explore thisnguage." The old manughed maniacally like a man possessed.


    Lu Zhen frowned upon hearing this; however, he still nodded his head.


    "If you want to learn thenguage, you have to be my follower, then. I am looking for talented individuals like you, schrs."


    The old man hesitated when he heard this. However, looking at the machinery in the room, he gritted his teeth.


    "This subordinate greets his master." The old beggar decisively bowed his head.


    "Good, call me Young Master Lu Zhen or the Leader from now on, got it?"


    "Yes, Leader," the old man voiced with reverence.


    "Then all of you guys leave the room now," Lu Zhen said with a smile on his face.

 Chapter 258: Virus and Tampering

    "What about me, young master?" Lu Qing asked with a smile on her face.


    "You are already family to me; you, my younger sister, can ask for anything you like," Lu Zhen said with a smile.


    Hearing these words, somehow Lu Qing felt disappointed.


    "So what do you want to ask for?" Lu Zhen asked.


    "Nothing, I will ask for itter," Lu Qing said as she huffed before leaving the room.


    Lu Zhen shook his head in speechlessness. "What did this girl even expect?" he thought with a strange expression.


    However, he just casually shrugged and looked at the spinning capsule instead.


    "I hope it works," Lu Zhen thought with a sigh.


    He took out a blue ball the size of a football and looked at it with a strange glint on his face.


    This was his Level Up system, which was previously ejected from his body when he died.


    When remembering that incident, a strange expression appeared on his face.


    "Luckily, it looked like some higher being was really monitoring me," Lu Zhen thought with a sigh.


    If he had really died at that time, Lu Zhen wouldn''t know if he would reincarnate again since he had already offended the being who reincarnated him, so it was highly unlikely that it would happen.


    Lu Zhen would die and be nothing, forgotten with time ¨C that was a terrifying thought for himself.


    This would have been his first time being so close to death that he was literally dead. He was basically betting his own death on his hunch.


    However, the result was quite satisfactory as well.


    He sighed as he let go of the intrusive thoughts that swirled in his mind.


    With practised movement, Lu Zhen directly tossed the ball to the spinning capsule.


    The door opened automatically, weing the blue ball.


    As the blue ball entered the capsule, it started to spin faster, and the sound of machines beeping and whirring echoed in the entire room.


    While Lu Zhen''s ears twitched, he hurriedly took the mobile device again and started his fast typing.


    His fingers moved with uncanny precision as Lu Zhen looked at the screen of the mobile with a narrowed gaze.


    There, the internal structure of the blue ball was disyed as if the capsule was doing x-rays.


    "Hmm¡­" Lu Zhen frowned as he tapped onest time, and the x-ray of the blue ball went even deeper before he finally saw a glowing red light.


    "Is that the ce where it was being tampered with?" Lu Zhen''s eyes widened. Initially, he thought that the entire Level Up system was fully plotted to prepare for all backup ns.


    However, to Lu Zhen''s surprise, it wasn''t the case at all; the system waspletely fine, and there was not a single trap present in the system itself.


    Without any tampering at all, except for this red light which seemed to pulsate with a unique wavelength.


    Since the red light was in the controlling part of the system, it could take over whenever it wanted, like a virus ¡ª those ugly and disgusting things that nobody liked.


    Except for the red light, Lu Zhen couldn''t see anything wrong with it, making him nod his head with satisfaction.


    "At least I can repair this. It is not impossible to remove it¡­" Lu Zhen typed on the small keyboard of the mobile while controlling his strength enough that he didn''t break the delicate thing.


    As the instructions were sent, the rotation slightly slowed down, and the blue ball shed with a blue light.


    Btzz!


    Lu Zhen looked at the screen in anticipation, excitedly observing the blue ball which shed with a blue light, momentarily blinding his entire screen.


    Slowly, the blue light''s intensity decreased, and the floating capsule rotated at the same speed again.


    The red light was still there, but its size seemed to have decreased by at least half, making Lu Zhen frown.


    He sent the instruction again, and the shining blue light enveloped the entire screen once more.


    After the blue light settled, to Lu Zhen''s disappointment, the red light had again decreased by half, but it was still there, gleaming in a zing red glory.


    "I don''t believe that I can''t eliminate these little things." Lu Zhen roared, and his fingers moved, breaking the sound barrier effortlessly as he entered the codes for cleansing.


    Again, only half was eliminated, so Lu Zhen initiated the next cleansing round.


    Again and again.


    The room continued to sh with blinding blue light in quick session before it finally stopped after an hour or so.


    Lu Zhen''s expression remained calm as he looked at the dim red light, barely visible to the naked eye, with his narrowed crimson gaze.


    "It is still notpleted?" he thought with a frown on his face.


    Lu Zhen used the cleansing feature again; however, after the light died down, the small red light was still visible, showing no apparent depletion.


    "Can I not remove this?" he thought with a deeper frown.


    "Maybe the red light adapted to my cleansing. Let''s try another method." Lu Zhen typed into the mobile in quick session for another cleansing attempt.


    His thoughts swirled in his mind as he critically considered another method.


    The red light, just like a virus in aputer, could be directly deleted by instructing the device itself to clean it. Lu Zhen didn''t even need the help of a prewritten program; he could do it himself with simple and easy steps.


    A green light shed in the entire room as he looked at the screen with anticipation.


    Unfortunately, thest bit of red light seemed to be eternally stuck there, not even rippling in the green.


    "What should I do then?" Lu Zhen thought with a frown on his face.


    "The higher being wasn''t the one who created these things. Instead, it must be another''s creation. He just tampered with it on his own and put it in the capsule to make a farm which he could take at any time." This was the conclusion Lu Zhen coulde up with.

 Chapter 259: Level Up System

    "Hmm, it looks like an unknown power is stopping me from removing this, and this power is quite strange¡­" Lu Zhen thought as he looked at the red light with narrowed eyes.


    "What should I do?" He thought with a frown on his face as his mind swirled with thoughts.


    "Wait, I can do that." Lu Zhen suddenly had a brilliant idea in his mind, which made him nod his head with excitement as he looked at the dim red light with a sneer on his face.


    "If I can''t destroy it, I can iste it until I get strong enough." Lu Zhen quickly typed, and the data of the entire red light was shown for him.


    "Let''s see, let''s trap it with a firewall." His eyes glinted in reminiscence; his early coding days involved making firewalls as well. However, that took many months to create, and Lu Zhen didn''t have that much time.


    Neither could he construct a firewall in this world. He was just going to use the concept of it, with his moreprehensive mind and god-like speed in typing. He coulde up with many things as quickly as possible.


    Lu Zhen quickly typed a code to contain the entire red light in a protectiveyer while adding self-regeneration and such.


    Swish!


    The tearing sound of air being torn rang continuously as Lu Zhen''s fingers broke the sound barrier effortlessly, with his mind working at full force with concentration.


    If he didn''t have the upgraded consciousness, which basically made him a superhuman, he would never be able to achieve such speed in coding in machine-levelnguage and directlymunicating and instructing eachponent whilebining them in a tedious task.


    In his previous life, not to mention the speed of the ideas that came naturally to his mind, he could neverpare it to a normal human''sprehension.


    It felt like he had be omniscient.


    Lu Zhen typed for onest time and then entered all the instructions.


    The buzzing sound of the machines rang in the room like an rm, causing him to frown.


    "I wonder if these machines can handle the instructions or not." These machines were built for a small processing power because there was very little time, and the code heunched needed a terrifyingputing power, which worried Lu Zhen greatly.


    The buzzing sound of the machines started to increase as time passed, and even smoke started to emerge from them. However, to Lu Zhen''s relief, the capsule started to function despite its difficulty and rotated at a terrifying speed.


    Before he knew it, a blinding grey light shed in the capsule, prompting him to close his eyes.


    Lu Zhen''s eyes slowly adapted to the blinding grey light as he looked around. There was still ck smokeing out from the machinery; however, the blue ball inside the capsule started to float.


    He hurriedly looked at the screen of his mobile and noticed the brown light, causing him to frown.


    "I hope this works." Lu Zhen could only cross his fingers and grit at the results.


    The grey light soon died down, and the dim red light appeared on the screen. However, this time, it was the red light that seemed to be submerged in a grey colour, as thin films fully covered the entire part of the red light.


    Lu Zhen smiled at this "sess."


    Suddenly, his nose twitched as he looked around to see fire burning in each and every piece of machinery.


    Lu Zhen hurriedly walked up to the capsule and took out the blue ball as it shined.


    Without a shred of hesitation, he put the blue ball right next to his head and closed his eyes.


    Ching!


    The blue ball floated in mid-air and passed through Lu Zhen''s head like a ghost directly. Its size decreased, and it rested in an unknown ce in his brain.


    Lu Zhen opened his crimson eyes as the familiar ''ding'' sound rang in his head again.


    [Level Up system restarting]


    The familiar mechanical, cold voice that rang in Lu Zhen''s head made him smile for some reason.


    [Detected changes in the system]


    [The system restriction is off]


    [Ding]


    [System upgrading]


    "Hmm." A frown appeared on Lu Zhen''s face as he tried to call his system; however, nothing appeared in front of him except for a panel that showed him a timer of 23 hours and 59 minutes.


    A bitter expression appeared on his face when he saw this.


    "I need to wait again?" Lu Zhen frowned.


    "Hmm." He suddenly extended his hands forward and could perfectly control his aura, which made his eyes light up.


    "At least now I can use all the system skills again." Lu Zhen smirked as a thought gathered in his mind.


    "Now I can dual cultivate again to increase my cultivation." He snickered while looking at the fire which started to burn, destroying the machinery.


    "Perfect, saved me the trouble." Lu Zhen''s eyes glinted with a murderous thought as he swiped his hands and arge number of nts started to grow from the ground, destroying every piece of machinery in the room one by one without sparing anything. Even the fire grewrger as the nts gently let the fire burn them, using it as fuel.


    After everything was burned in the room, Lu Zhen nodded his head and walked out of the room with a murderous glint shing in his eyes.


    As he walked out, he saw a concerned Lu Qing looking at him.


    "Young master, didn''t it work?"


    "No, it didn''t," Lu Zhen said with a sigh on his face.


    The five''s expressions turned disappointed when they heard this.


    "Don''t worry, we will try it again in the future. For now, clean the entire ce. I will be returning to my pce," Lu Zhen said while coughing.


    The old man smiled with amusement at "the perks of being young."


    The other three alchemists also nodded in tactical understanding, all except for Lu Qing, who was confused by the situation.


    "What do you guys mean?"

 Chapter 260: Lu Zhen Too Powerful

    Lu Zhen slowly made his way to his bedroom with a smile on his face.


    As he walked through the passageway, he couldn''t help but be amused. "I wonder what the higher being is thinking after getting outsmarted by me so miserably."


    Lu Zhen looked at the passing servants who immediately prostrated themselves whenever he passed by, with a deep-seated fear in them the moment Lu Zhen nced with his crimson gaze, as if he was a devil with reverence as well, though the fear was more dominant.


    As if it was their instinctive fear towards him.


    Even while Lu Zhen hid his aura fully, the weak-hearted would easily falter before him, with just a gaze from him, just his muscles spreading a kind of oppression that made everyone instinctively bow down toward him or instil fear in them.


    Lu Zhen just shook his head helplessly and entered his grand chamber. Immediately, a fragrance wafted in his nose as he looked at the gang of women who were all silently staring at each other, as if in a showdown, with the atmosphere heavy and chilling as if they could fight at the same time.


    "I forgot how troublesome a harem of women can be," Lu Zhen thought with a frown on his face. "Oh well."


    As he entered, all the women''s gazes were drawn to him as they looked at the hulking giant of Lu Zhen.


    "Let''s not waste time; you all know what you are supposed to do anyway," Lu Zhen casually shrugged, and his blood started to boil, turning into his Volgrith form. His already massive figure increased by another substantial amount, with his skin colour changing to purple and horns and a tail growing from his head and back.


    Although he seemed to be slightly smaller in height, his staggering eleven feet decreased to just less than a head smaller when he previously took this form.


    The twelve women''s eyes were stunned when they saw this; not only him but Jiang Xue''s eyes also widened when she saw Lu Zhen''s devil form.


    "These¡­ you are not a human, Lu Zhen?" Jiang Xue shouted out loud with disbelief in her eyes.


    Lu Zhen was stunned when he heard this. "Oh, forgot you haven''t seen my bloodline yet," he said with a thoughtful expression on his face.


    "Calm down, Jiang Xue." Xia Mei suddenly said while patting her on the back with an amused smirk on her face.


    "Are you really taking your bloodline form right from the start?" She looked at Lu Zhen while licking her lips.


    "Since there are more women, of course, I have to be prepared."


    "So you are not confident enough?" Xia Mei replied with a chuckle.


    Silence!


    Lu Zhen just silently stared at Xia Mei with an amused gaze.


    "Wanna battle?" Xia Mei suddenly felt the pressure around which made it difficult to even breathe.


    "Sure," Lu Zhen replied with a smirk.


    With Lu Zhen''s words, Xia Mei almost instantly transformed into her bloodline form as well. Her figure became more slender with long legs, and her eyes and hair shined with a golden color. Not only that, her ears erged, and her bust increased in proportion.


    She directly ran up to Lu Zhen and swiped her hand, sending a small needle of ice directly aiming at his heart.


    Lu Zhen''s eyes narrowed as he felt the ice needle that erupted with a terrifying aura.


    "Damn, she didn''t even hold back," he smirked as he casually made a swiping motion with his hand.


    Swish!


    A terrifying wind current erupted that made the needle falter.


    "I am not done yet," Xia Mei roared as she appeared at the back of Lu Zhen and punched him; her Lilith hands were covered by icy frost globes as she moved nimbly.


    Lu Zhen just stood there like a tank, not even moving a single bit like a towering heavenly tower.


    Boom!


    As Xia Mei''s icy fist collided with Lu Zhen''s body, her eyes widened with pure astonishment. Lu Zhen didn''t sustain any damage, and she couldn''t even move him by an inch, causing her to wear a bitter expression.


    "I really can''t beat you no matter how hard I progress," Xia Mei spoke in a self-defeating tone.


    Lu Zhen turned around and met Xia Mei''s gaze with a loving face, looking at her with tender eyes. He rubbed her head like a pet.


    "My wife, why do you want to be even stronger than me if you thought you could? I am afraid you are dreaming that even if the ancestor of your bloodline came, I will eventually surpass her," Lu Zhen spoke with a confident gaze as he suddenly jumped on her, taking her lips in a sudden motion that caught her off-guard.


    Xia Mei was stunned as she felt Lu Zhen''s tongue trying to enter inside her, although she was confused by his words.


    Mhm~


    She closed her eyes and enjoyed the kiss with Lu Zhen.


    Meanwhile, the other women had varying expressions on their faces as they looked at each other.


    Lily was the first one to stand up and walk up to Lu Zhen, hugging his back like a ko.


    Although she hadn''t seen Lu Zhen in his bloodline form, it didn''t matter to her. As long as it was her young master, she was willing to do anything for him, no matter what it was.


    Even if she couldn''t marry Lu Zhen, Lily would just be happy seeing him happy, no matter what. He was her god in this world.


    It was her goal to do anything and everything for her young master.


    Lu Zhen was a little surprised, feeling the soft body at his back. However, once he nced at Lily, he just smiled and continued to enjoy his kiss with Xia Mei.


    Lily smiled and started to slowly serve him.


    Soon, Huang Li and Jiang Xue also jumped at Lu Zhen and started to rub their bodies against him as if on instinct, like animals in mating season.

 Chapter 261: Cultivation Progression**

    The lustful atmosphere made everyone excited as the twelve women also followed and joined.


    Lu Zhen was now surrounded by a group of women who were trying to seduce him.


    "I''m in for quite a night today," Lu Zhen mused to himself.


    ¡­..


    Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah~


    In the grand room, the sounds of moans resounded continuously throughout the night, with voices changing from time to time.


    Although the female voices were different, their screams were all moans of pleasure that echoed in the room.


    If not for the sound-cancelling formation that Lu Zhen instructed Lily to set up, the whole Lu Residence might have already heard the sounds of the women''s moans.


    Soon, the sun rose; however, the moans inside the grand chamber of Lu Zhen never stopped for a second.


    Inside the grand luxurious chamber, the massive figure of Lu Zhen stood tall as he tightened his grip on a woman''s hair.


    The woman seemed to moan with a mixture of pain and pleasure as she rocked back and forth on his impressive manhood.


    Although he could only go halfway inside her, it was enough to fill her up.


    The woman''s expression was pure bliss as she wore an ahegao expression. If you looked closely at the navy blue hair and facial features, it was undoubtedly Jiang Xue.


    Jiang Xue moaned onest time as loudly as she could and said in a loud voice, "I am cumming, husband," as she reached her climax, with her tongue out.


    She then fell onto the bed.


    However, Lu Zhen was still sitting there like a heavenly tower, looking around at his surroundings. Therey sixteen women who were all knocked out with a silly expression on their faces.


    His impressive manhood still stood tall like a heavenly tower.


    "This isn''t enough to satisfy my cravings," Lu Zhen''s frown deepened.


    Although Xia Meisted longer than anyone else, she was still lying in bed naked with a silly expression like the other women. Her butt extended out with his raw essence still inside of her, seen from the hole.


    Lu Zhen, with his insatiable cravings for mating with his bloodline and the raw body strength of a top-tier second-stage martial artist, possessed terrifying strength and regeneration that practically granted him infinite stamina.


    He could even oust Xia Mei, who was a maniac in bed, experimenting with various positions. Somehow, her bloodline was more sexual than his, giving her an insane base stat that shocked even Lu Zhen. When she was in the third-stage martial realm, she was as powerful as he was in the same realm, if not even more so.


    Thinking of this, Lu Zhen rubbed his temples.


    ???§Ô§å&-?$§à?§ñ?#?&-


    He could feel a significant improvement in his cultivation as well. While previously Lu Zhen was in the middle realm in second-stage martial arts and still is in the same realm however his cultivation was now increasing at a rapid pace, as if a year''s worth of effort had been condensed into the time spent dual-cultivating with the sixteen woman.


    "At this rate, I might reach the peak realm of a second-stage martial artist soon," Lu Zhen thought. However, he wasn''t nearly satisfied yet. He still needed absolute power if he wanted to live as he desired in this world and establish his own kingdom by uniting the entire martial world. Only then would he venture outside of it.


    First, he needed to take full control of the entire city and defend it from outside enemies, firmly establishing his position here.


    For that, he needed more strength.


    "Now, I need to find a way to extract bloodlines. However, for that¡­" He looked at Xia Mei with a strange expression.


    "I need the bloodlines of those otherworldly beings," Lu Zhen thought with a glint in his eyes. The beasts of the martial world would also work for the bloodline; however, their strength would be much weaker and useless to him.


    For those with stronger bloodlines, it was out of his reach. Lu Zhen didn''t even know if they existed in the vastness.


    In a strange coincidence, or perhaps not, in the martial world, humans were the more dominant creatures. The resources here were suited for humans, and the growth of beasts was very unsuitable. However, that wasn''t the case outside the martial realm. The mages who ruled the era previously had countless beast ves who were inherently much stronger in the other world.


    This was the knowledge he gained from the books he had read.


    Their bloodlines were much more potent than the beasts of this world. This was true in the martial world as well as in the previous era of the mages.


    The bloodline of martial artists was also made that way at first.


    Lu Zhen looked at Xia Mei with a mysterious glint in his eyes.


    "Hey, ancestor of Xia Mei''s bloodline, I know you are there," Lu Zhen spoke expressionlessly as he narrowed his eyes.


    Silence!


    Even after waiting for a long time, no response came, which made Lu Zhen frown.


    "Do you really want to see your descendants'' death? Is this the only chance for you to revive yourself?" Lu Zhen spoke with a sneer on his face as he carefully scrutinised the unmoving figure of Xia Mei.


    "You don''t believe me, huh?" he spoke as he chuckled, a cold, murderous gaze in his eyes, his hand about to make a sweeping motion.


    Suddenly, the aura around Xia Mei seemed to have changed as a terrifying force erupted from her. Her golden hair floated up in the sky, and her body levitated as well.


    Her eyes snapped open, revealing fully golden eyes that illuminated the entire room.


    "What is it?" Xia Mei spoke in an aged tone,pletely different from her usual voice, and the aura that surrounded her was very different as well.


    Lu Zhen felt a heavy pressure descending on him, but this time, he casually shrugged it off while looking at the levitating Xia Mei with a smirk on his face.


    "You are finally out of your hiding now."

 Chapter 262: Trap

    "What do you want, Lu Zhen?" Xia Mei opened her mouth; however, the voice that came out was very different from her real voice. This voice was more aged and feminine, while Xia Mei''s voice had a more youthful and mature tone.


    Lu Zhen looked at her with a strange glint in his eyes. "I want to make a deal with you," he asked with a smirk on his face.


    Xia Mei paused for a second before she started tough in a loud voice.


    "What makes you think that you are worthy for me to make a deal with?" Her expression turned serious.


    Lu Zhen just shrugged. "I will kill your descendant, then," his crimson eyes reflected a cold hellfire that seemed to burn every single emotion within him.


    Xia Mei''s eyes narrowed. "You won''t kill my descendant; I know it," she replied with a confident tone in her aged voice.


    "Yeah, I won''t kill you. Of course, your descendant is my wife. I won''t kill her for such a petty reason, but I have other options as well," Lu Zhen replied with a sneer on his face as he looked at her with mockery reflected in his eyes.


    "What do you mean?" Xia Mei asked with narrowed eyes.


    "I could just take your descendant''s bloodline instead. It will be even purer than the one you would give. I will be hitting two targets with one arrow then," Lu Zhen said with an innocent smile on his face like a child''s.


    "You dare." She erupted with a terrifying aura.


    However, Lu Zhen just shrugged as he subtly released his aura, making it a makeshift shield from his Aura, defending against the terrifying Aura of the old monster.


    "Huh." Xia Mei looked at Lu Zhen with a puzzled gaze. Although his aura changed into a shield and was defending him, it couldn''t be seen by the naked eye at all because it simply couldn''t be seen.


    Even Lu Zhen, with his aura control skill, could only see his own aura, and that too, he could only sense it.


    "What kind of creature are you?" the old monster took back her aura, seeing it was ineffective.


    "However, do you think that just because you were able to withstand my aura, you will be able to escape from my power and go scot-free?"


    "Yes, in fact, you will beg me to take the bloodline for you," Lu Zhen said with a deadpan expression on his face.


    "Huh, what do you mea-"


    Suddenly, Lu Zhen shot forward at a terrifying speed and reached her almost instantly as a small paper appeared in his hand. He stered it on Xia Mei''s head.


    Xia Mei''s eyes widened as she back-stepped, but it was toote; Lu Zhen had already nted the paper in her head, blocking her from vision.


    "What is this?" Xia Mei voiced with puzzlement as she tried to take it out.


    Ahhh!


    A terrifying pain erupted as Xia Mei cried in misery while screaming for her life. She directly fell to the ground while screaming miserably.


    Lu Zhen looked at her coldly.


    It had been in his mind for a long time to beat this old monster, and he had been studying the history of the bloodline martial artist from the wizard''s book.


    §Ö??@§à§å--*§Ñ?$-+


    Knowledge is power!


    With just the knowledge he had gained from the mage book, Lu Zhen had an arsenal of techniques to use against these people. He had in-depth analysed them to the point where Lu Zhen might know more about her than herself.


    After all, the mages were the actual creators of the bloodline martial artist and would definitely know more about it than the eight subjects, won''t they?


    The screams of Xia Mei were eventually reced by her lifeless voice, and her sound turned back to normal. She looked at Lu Zhen with a confused expression.


    "Huh, what happened here?"


    Ahhh!


    She started to scream as well in pain.


    "Lu Zhen, what is this? Take this out, help me, it hurts," Xia Mei said. However, Lu Zhen just looked at her with a cold face while staring.


    Seeing the unresponsive Lu Zhen, Xia Mei gritted her teeth in anger.


    "How did you know?" she asked with a frown on her face.


    "I know more about you than you yourself might not know," Lu Zhen said with a casual shrug.


    "You¡­"


    Bzt!


    The pain started to build up again, however, Xia Mei looked at Lu Zhen with hatred in her eyes.


    "Alright, fine. I will give you the bloodline; now let me go," Xia Mei said with a resigned expression.


    However, even after that, Lu Zhen didn''t move at all, just standing still like a towering mountain as he coldly watched her writhing figure, his crimson eyes without a hint of a warmth like a devil.


    "What more do you want? Don''t take it too far-" she frowned.


    "Well, if you had previously taken my offer, I would dly take your offer and go our separate way, but now?" Lu Zhen smirked as he looked at her with his crimson gaz filled with mockery.


    "I know a very interesting thing about you. It looks like your corpses are being stored in a special way, and with you guys using a method that can make your soul leave out of the body, granting your soul near-immortality. However, it left you with countless wounds and loopholes that wille back to bite you," Lu Zhen sneered as he looked at Xia Mei''s trembling figure.


    Suddenly, his mind seemed to be filled with thoughts as countless emotions erupted at him like a dam that just opened.


    Lu Zhen hurriedly controlled his emotions as he looked around.


    The trembling Xia Mei was already very close to him, right in front of his face.


    "I need more mental defence and things for me to protect myself and others," Lu Zhen thought, with a bitter expression on his face.


    The trembling Xia Mei wanted to attack but couldn''t, no matter how much she tried.

 Chapter 263: Xiaolong Gui

    "You can''t attack me, can you?" Lu Zhen said with a smirk on his face as he slightly pushed Xia Mei, and she fell to the floor once again.


    The writhing figure of Xia Mei never ceased as she seemed to dance on the floor with agony.


    Her golden eyes had red veins popping, and her condition became more and more miserable as time passed.


    After a long time of painful grunts, Xia Mei finally stopped as she slowly closed her eyes; her heart seemed to havepletely stopped beating.


    Just then, Lu Zhen moved as fast as a cheetah and put his hands on the paper, supplying wood Qi to it.


    The paper that he ced in front of Xia Mei''s face started to slowly shine with a green light, which filled the entire room within seconds.


    Ahhh!


    Xia Mei started to scream again as a terrifying aura descended on Lu Zhen once again. However, he didn''t give up and continuously supplied it with his nt Qi without rest.


    Soon, the green light died down as Lu Zhen looked at the scene in front of him with narrowed eyes.


    Xia Mei was still there, perfectly fine, with her heart beating again and herplexion back to normal. However, right beside her, there was a voluptuous woman with closed eyes.


    Her skin was as white as snow, and her golden hair and eyes were even brighter than Xia Mei''s.


    Although she shared some simrities with Xia Mei, almost looking like her twin sister, they were fundamentally different. She appeared busier and more mature than Xia Mei.


    Lu Zhen looked at her bare body coldly, without a hint of lust or greed in his eyes, as if he were looking at a stone instead of a normal person.


    "So, you are the ancestor of Xia Mei''s bloodline?" Lu Zhen mused to himself.


    However, both women were in a state of aa, which made him frown.


    "When will they wake up-"


    As if on time, the voluptuous woman opened her eyes, and the first thing she saw was Lu Zhen, causing her pupils to dte.


    "You..."


    Swish!


    The silver chain that was at the side of the bed instantly wrapped around her body, in bondage,pletely trapping her and not allowing her a single room for movement.


    Her eyes shimmered with rage as her body shed with a golden colour, trying to move. Unfortunately, the golden light just shined for a moment before vanishing again.


    "My power¡­" the woman voiced as her eyes turned from anger to despair as the realisation hit her.


    "Can''t use your power, can you?" Lu Zhen said amusedly as he looked at her. "Do you know what happened to you, Xiaolong Gui?" he said, while a sneer formed on his face.


    Xiaolong Gui looked at Lu Zhen with widened eyes, shocked to the core. "How do you know my name?"


    "As I told you, I know more about you than you yourself know," Lu Zhen said with an obvious expression.


    "Now give me a bloodline, or I know other ways to extract some," he licked his lips with lust, seeing the naked body of her. However, his eyes still reflected coldness without any emotion.


    Xiaolong Gui just stared at him without replying for a long time, as if she was thinking, before she finally spoke. "I don''t have the bloodline now that you have called for my true form. If it was back in the base, I might have it, however now, I don''t have it."


    "Let me return, and I promise to bring you back enough bloodline of the otherworldly beasts," Xiaolong Gui said seductively, as her eyes glinted with lust towards him.


    Lu Zhen waspletely unaffected by her lust as his crimson eyes turned colder, emitting a terrifying killing intent as he tightened his fist.


    The chains that wrapped her entirely tightened around her body, even more, causing her to scream in pain.


    Lu Zhen coldly caught her by the hair and went outside, dragging her by the hair and her lilith body being slid across the ground roughly.


    He suddenly paused and looked back in amusement before he left the room, closing the door with a thud.


    Sigh!


    A heave of relief echoed in the room as Jiang Xue stood up and looked at the mess.


    brought-to-you-by-MvLeMpYr


    Simrly, Lily also woke up, and the other women also woke up with a reluctant expression.


    "Where is Lu Zhen?" the twelve women almost asked simultaneously, with a blush on their faces.


    Although it was initially painful, as Lu Zhen thrusted more and more, filling them up in every nook and cranny, their pain eventually was reced by a deep pleasure, satisfying all their cravings that had yet to be fulfilled.


    This made them moan and yearn for more. If not for their bodies not handling it, they would have wanted more.


    Lily smiled as she looked at the women, "The young master seems to have gone outside."


    Her expression was proud as she went towards Xia Mei with a strange expression on her face, who was still sleeping on the floor like a sleeping beauty.


    "Do you know what happened to her?" Jiang Xue asked with a puzzled expression.


    "No, I don''t know," Lily shook her head.


    "The only thing I saw was when the young master put a strange paper on her face. It was imprinted with thousands of formations that the young master had made me create. Then a green light shed before another woman appeared beside Sister Xia Mei, and the young master dragged her by the hair."


    "What about you?" Jiang Xue asked with a frown on her face.


    "I only saw Lu Zhen dragging the woman outside as well, nothing more," Jiang Xue said with a casual shrug.


    Both of them looked at Huang Li simultaneously, who was ying with her red hair with a blush on her face.


    "What are you guys looking at me for? I don''t know what that bastard is up to," Huang Li said with a face of anger as she huffed.

 Chapter 264: Dancing under Lu Zhen’s Palm

    When everyone heard these, they looked at Huang Li with a strange expression on their faces.


    "Weren''t you the one who was seeking the attention of young master Lu Zhen in bed, asking for pats and trying the hardest to please him, and now¡­" Lily shook her head speechlessly.


    However, she was undoubtedly proud inside. "My young master can charm any woman he likes; he doesn''t even need to try."


    "So what happened to her?" Jiang Xue said in speechlessness, escaping from the awkward situation.


    Silence!


    The entire room became silent as they just looked at the sleeping figure of Xia Mei with a curious gaze.


    Slowly, her eyes opened.


    ¡­


    Lu Zhen dragged the screaming woman to another empty room and pushed her inside.


    "What do you want, you bastard?" Xiaolong Gui said with gritted teeth. Although her body could not be damaged by just these dragging and she didn''t feel much pain. However, it was a hit to her pride, which she could never ept, even in a million years.


    "Since you don''t have the bloodline, I will take your bloodline." Lu Zhen smirked with an evil tone.


    "You¡­"


    "Did you think after what you did to my poor wife, Xia Mei, I am going to spare you?" Lu Zhen said.


    "How do you know that as well?" Xiao Long Gui''s eyes widened further in astonishment.


    "Well, as I said previously-"


    "But how?" she asked with a face of disbelief.


    "Hmm, wanna know how?" Lu Zhen said with a smile on his face.


    "Yes." Xiaolong Gui seemed to nod her head innocently.


    "Just stay still then." Lu Zhen suddenly folded his right sleeve, revealing an eerie ck tattoo of a butterfly.


    The tattoo shed as an invisible force went towards her body.


    However, just as it was about to touch her, something blocked its way, firmly trapping it before destroying it.


    Xiaolong Gui''s eyes narrowed as she also felt that invisible force. However, a terror seemed to reflect in her eyes the more she saw the tattoo.


    "Are you with those guys?" She asked expressionlessly.


    "Hmm?" Lu Zhen frowned when he heard this. "Which guys?" He noticed her purple eyes staring at his tattoo.


    "The mages." Xiaolong Gui said as her body instinctively trembled just from the name of it.


    "Oh, how interesting. Yes, I do have some connection to the mages. In fact, I can be considered their messenger." Lu Zhen spoke with a confident tone.


    "You bastard¡­" Xiaolong wanted to attack Lu Zhen, however, she was helpless in this bind. Even if she didn''t have the bind, with her cultivation strength snapped from her, she couldn''t do anything to Lu Zhen. All she could do was release her aura to intimidate him.


    However, that wasn''t enough to do anything to Lu Zhen.


    "This bastard knows too much about me¡­" Xiaolong Gui gritted her teeth when she realized this; it was as if everything she did was predicted by Lu Zhen, not giving her a single chance out of this situation.


    For the first time in her life, she felt like someone was ying her right under his palm. She didn''t feel such pressure when Xiaolong Gui was being experimented on by the mages.


    "If you hadn''t nned to take my dear wife''s body after she grew strong enough, who knows, I might have spared you. But now," Lu Zhen chuckled.


    Xiaolong Gui just remained silent without answering Lu Zhen while she avoided his gaze.


    Lu Zhen frowned upon seeing this.


    "So, will you be obedient or will you remain stubborn?" Lu Zhen coldly asked with a harsh tone.


    If he didn''t have the knowledge of the bloodline martial artist from the mage book, the poor Xia Mei''s body would be taken over by her, and he could be helpless to stop her. In fact, even after she fully possessed Xia Mei, Lu Zhen might not even know it as it would be that subtle.


    Lu Zhen didn''t care about her feelings, neither did he care for her body. Currently, he wanted to kill her right now as much as he wanted to, but unfortunately, she was his stepping stone to gain more power.


    After all, who knew how many tricks this old monster had up her sleeve?


    It was better to kill the root rather than causing endless problems in the future.


    "So, what will it be?" Lu Zhen asked again.


    Silence!


    Xiaolong Gui avoided his gaze as she remained silent.


    "I will take your silence as a yes then." Lu Zhen coldly stated.


    Still, she was entirely silent, which made him shrug.


    Lu Zhen walked towards her and willed the chains, forcing her head to look at him through her purple pupils.


    "Tell me."


    "Yes." Xiaolong Gui had terror in her eyes as she seemed to have resigned herself to fate.


    Lu Zhen nodded his head with a satisfied expression.


    As he beckoned his hands, the woman floated up with the help of the chain.


    "Then let''s go." Lu Zhen said with a sneer.


    "You could have lifted me the entire time?" Xiaolong Gui said with realization.


    "Yes, I could, but I don''t want to." Lu Zhen just voiced with amusement as they walked out of the room.


    He went towards the previous room where he had initially isted the red light from his system.


    There, the two familiar guards were still guarding the ce.


    Lu Zhen tapped them in the head, and they returned to their true form, wooden logs.


    story-at-MvLeMpYr


    Xiaolong Gui, who was floating in mid-air from the chains of Lu Zhen, widened her eyes with shock.


    "Aren''t you just a second-stage martial artist?" She questioned in disbelief.


    "So?" Lu Zhen replied expressionlessly as he stared at her with his crimson eyes.


    Xiaolong Gui gulped her own saliva, being stared at by Lu Zhen as she couldn''t gather the courage to speak anymore.


    "Nothing." She avoided his gaze meekly. "Damn it, what has this brat done to me? Why am I instinctively scared of him?" Xiaolong cursed internally.

 Chapter 265: Manual Production

    "You''re back, young master?" Lu Qing said in a surprised expression as she looked at the hulking man entering the door again.


    However, her expression turned strange looking at the woman who was bound by chains near him, her bare busy body on full disy touched by the shivering air.


    "Who is she?" She thought.


    Lu Zhen coughed as he just expressionlessly looked at the room. There were still some burnt walls from the previous burning of the equipment.


    "How is the construction of new equipment going?" Lu Zhen looked at her with a frown on his face.


    "That will take some time, young master. Although we have a hundred martial artists working in tandem, it will still take more than a year for you toplete the work," Lu Qing said tentatively while looking at Lu Zhen''s face. powered-by-MvLeMpYr


    "Hmm." Lu Zhen frowned as he had a contemtive expression. "Make it a month. I will supply you with all the martial artists that I can find."


    "How much will that be, young master?" Lu Qing replied as her face returned to a professional demeanor.


    "It would be around a thousand if they were just normal martial artists. I could find a thousand; however, those well-versed in machinery and other things except for fighting are really difficult to find," Lu Zhen said with a bitter expression.


    "The blueprint you have given us is really moreplex than the previous one, young master. Sorry I couldn''t be much of a help," Lu Qing said with some sadness reflecting on her face.


    The machinery that Lu Zhen gave them to construct was from the mage books as well, which the mages had used to extract the bloodline from the otherworldly beast, creating bloodline martial artists.


    Since even mages had difficulty constructing the bloodline extraction machine, and their technology was much more advanced than Lu Zhen''s previous world, it was undoubtedly difficult to make the machine for bloodline extraction.


    However, the martial artists could still replicate the things; although it would take time, they could still do it, which was a feat in itself.


    After all, magespared to now, the martial world could bepared to the caveman''s era. Still, the amount of mastery that people could reach if they had done it for years was terrifying, to say the least.


    It just needspetent people, and in the city of millions of poptions, it was very easy to find talents that might not be in the martial arts but could be in business and other things as well.


    Although in this world where strength ruled supreme and martial artists were the prime rulers of the world since they had the strength, there were a variety of people as well living a farmer''s life or some other profession who weren''t martial artists at the bottom of the food chain.


    "It''s fine; where are the other four guys?" Lu Zhen suddenly asked with confusion, looking around the empty room.


    "They should be instructing the people on how to construct all the materials."


    "Oh, okay," Lu Zhen nodded his head with an understanding expression.


    "Since I am the leader now, I can finally have a certain amount of authority in the family," Lu Zhen muttered with a contemtive gaze. "Since the ancestor Lu doesn''t care much about mundane things, I can utilize the entire resources of the city for myself."


    Lu Zhen looked toward her with his crimson gaze.


    "Can you take care of this woman?" He extended his hand forward, and the chained-up Xiaolong Gui also came forward with the chain, almost like she was a balloon tied to a string.


    Xiaolong Gui''s expression had already turned dark by now with all the humiliation she had to go through.


    "I have never been humiliated like this before¡­" Her expression turned cold as she looked at Lu Zhen with a narrowed gaze.


    However, Lu Zhen didn''t care a single bit, with an expressionless face.


    "Oh." Suddenly, he seemed to have noticed her gaze as he looked at Xiaolong Gui.


    The moment he did, she hurriedly avoided his crimson gaze while hiding her face; a deep-rooted fear seemed to have taken ce for her towards Lu Zhen.


    Lu Zhen chuckled with amusement.


    "You take her and make her wear a cloak or something that is unpleasant to the eyes," Lu Zhen said as he passed the chains to Lu Qing''s hand.


    "Yes, young master," Lu Qing said with a strange expression while looking at the naked woman.


    She looked at her own chest before she looked at Xiaolong Gui''s chest with a red face.


    Lu Zhen just chuckled seeing this. "Let me see how much they have progressed till now. You go and make her wear some clothes and remember to be careful with her and never let her out of the chains. If she misbehaves, just tell me," he said while looking at her with a crimson gaze.


    Xiaolong Gui shivered with just the gaze of Lu Zhen as she seemed to nod her head very meekly,pletely contrasting from her previous demeanour.


    Seeing this, Lu Zhen smirked as he went to a certain side of the wall and pressed it.


    Rumble!


    The entire wall split open, revealing a well-lit passageway.


    "I will be going to the construction ce while you take care of her first," Lu Zhen said with a little surprise.


    "Did you polish the hallways?" he suddenly asked Lu Qing.


    "Young master, I did. From the knowledge I have gained from you, I have been able to do many things I hadn''t been able to do. Even my anatomical knowledge of the human body and other beasts has rapidly increased; now I can heal or kill people much faster," Lu Qing replied. Unknowingly, an evil smirk crept up on her face.


    Lu Zhen just shook his head, seeing this. He already knew about some of her hobbies; however, Lu Zhen couldn''t care less about it as long as she did her work efficiently and obediently.

 Chapter 266: Appraisal

    Lu Zhen''s vision was filled with the brightly lit passageway as he made his way through it, soon reaching arge room.


    In that room, hundreds of people were working tirelessly. Their hands moved with perfect and smooth coordination, utilizing experienced movements to create machinery. Despite the seemingly mundane nature of the work, their eyes were brightened with excitement.


    These individuals could be considered the nerds of the martial world. Despite being martial artists and attaining a certain level of strength, they were all enthusiasts of other pursuits rather than mindless killings.


    From a certain perspective, Lu Zhen could be considered a nerd as well.


    He had carefully selected these individuals one by one, using his appraisal eyes to identify the best candidates for the task.


    In this room, an old schr wore a harsh expression as he instructed others who made mistakes.


    His angry voice echoed throughout the huge room, and bits of spit flew out every time he opened his mouth, surprising Lu Zhen greatly.


    The three alchemists were actually gentle and guided their parts quite well, skillfully managing them with a pen and paper. Inparison, the schr''s method was rather crude.


    Lu Zhen''s crimson eyes changed to a golden color as he looked at them curiously.


    Although this had been his n for a long time, and he had set up these people even before he lost his system so he could see their stats, people change with time.


    Time was the eternal destroyer and the creator.


    So Lu Zhen was curious if their stats had changed or not.


    [Lao]


    [Lifespan: thirty years]


    [Qi Cultivation: Martial Trainee]


    [Proficiency: Schr (Grand master)]


    [Talent: None]


    Lu Zhen looked at these with a little amusement.


    "Although the system hasn''t fully updated, the stats seem to have be a lot better," he mused to himself.


    Like previously when the system was upgraded, Lu Zhen could still see the status and observe the improvement that was being made.


    It had be more attuned to the world rather than the one he had initially programmed, if he had to say it.


    Lu Zhen glimpsed at the three elegant men with regal clothing with his golden eyes.


    [Chen Lian]


    [Lifespan: forty years]


    [Qi Cultivation: Martial Trainee]


    [Proficiency: Medicinal knowledge (Master), Paste refining (Mid)]


    [Talent: None]


    [Huang Dio]


    [Lifespan: fifty years]


    [Qi Cultivation: Martial Trainee]


    [Proficiency: Medicinal knowledge (Master), Paste refining (Beginner)]


    [Talent: None]


    [Zhu Jun]


    [Lifespan: thirty years]


    [Qi Cultivation: Martial Trainee]


    [Proficiency: Medicinal knowledge (Master), Paste refining (Master)]


    [Talent: None]


    Zhu Jun was the oldest, Chen Lian was the second oldest, and Huang Dio was the youngest among them. However, they were all older than the schr.


    They all had simr results to what Lu Zhen had expected.


    There wasn''t much change in any of their skills; in fact, there was no change in their skills at all.


    However, this was to be expected. Unlike Lu Zhen, where his progress was directly elerated with his level-ups, these people needed to do everything by themselves, which took a frightening amount of time.


    If it were so easy to reach their level of understanding, there would be many running amok.


    However, due to the sheer effort and dedication it took, there were very few of them.


    It was like getting a Ph.D. degree, but the difficulty was at least increased by ten times. That was what made them valuable.


    Suddenly, a worker seemed to be frightened as he looked in a certain direction, causing everyone to be alert as they looked in Lu Zhen''s direction.


    Seeing a hulking, handsome youth, everyone immediately bowed, stopping what they were doing simultaneously.


    "We greet the young master."


    "Hmm." Lu Zhen nodded his head with a smile on his face.


    "Looks like you are doing all your work properly. I will double all your people''s wages and increase the number of people," Lu Zhen announced in a loud voice, causing everyone''s eyes to light up at the same time.


    "Thank you, Young master."


    "You can continue with your work," Lu Zhen beckoned as he smiled warmly.


    "Yes."


    They all started to do their work simultaneously, like before, but even more vigorously than before, their eyes lit up with excitement.


    Some who didn''t want to were still railed up by their peers, forcing them to work harder than before due to sheer peer pressure.


    Lu Zhen looked at them with amusement.


    "Sometimes people are soplex; sometimes they are nothing more than simple-minded, easy to control," he mused to himself.


    Lao, the old schr, came to Lu Zhen tentatively as he bowed his head. "Young master?"


    "I came here just to check up on things and fasten the speed of the production. As I said previously, there will be more people. Can you take care of it?" Lu Zhen asked with just a nod of his head.


    "Umm, that might be a little troublesome, young master. I already have my hands full with these fools," Lao said honestly.


    Lu Zhen frowned when he heard this. "Alright, I will find more people for them to be monitored and help in the progression."


    "Thank you, young master," Lao said with a brightened face.


    The three schrs'' faces also lit up when they heard this.


    Lu Zhen just nodded as he left the ce with a satisfied expression on his face. content-hosted-on-MVLeMpYr


    "As long as the extraction ispleted, I don''t care how much resources are used."


    After all, Lu Zhen had enough resources for him to spend.


    As the leader of the entire city, of course, the entire resource was assigned to him, and he was supposed to allocate it at his discretion.


    And he had made the entire constitution as well. Lu Zhen had taken some ideas from his world and mixed them up with these worlds, making them suitable for use even in these martial worlds.


    The human psychology of this world and his previous world was the same.


    As Lu Zhen walked outside and gave a nod to Lu Qing, who was handling Xiaolong Gui, he left the entire ce, only to be greeted by an anxious servant who made his way towards him with terrified eyes.

 Chapter 267: Zhang Ming

    "I need to deliver this news quickly to the leader, or there might be big trouble," Zhang Ming thought with a terrified expression on his face as he walked through the hallways.


    His heart gripped more the further he thought about the situation, filling him with terror.


    "Who are you, and what are you doing here?" Suddenly, a handsome youth with a bulky frame appeared right in front of him.


    "Ahh." Zhang Ming screamed with fright as he fell to the floor. "Devil," he instinctively said while looking at the crimson blood-red eyes of Lu Zhen.


    Causing Lu Zhen to frown.


    "Who sent you here?" Lu Zhen said while casually patting the man.


    Zhang Ming seemed to have gathered his own thoughts as he looked at the ck-haired, crimson youth with a frightened expression.


    Thud!


    He fell down to the floor and bowed. "I am sorry, leader."


    "I don''t mind," Lu Zhen casually shook his head with a shrug on his face; he couldn''t care less about what a bug thought of himself; he waspletely irrelevant to him already.


    Causing Zhang Ming to sigh of relief. However, that didn''tst long, as the next sentence of Lu Zhen made him widen his eyes, with his body trembling with terror.


    "So how dare youe to my pce? If you don''t give me a valid reason¡­" Lu Zhen just smiled at him.


    "Young master, there is urgent news that the elder seemed to have discovered something," Zhang Ming said hurriedly.


    "Hmm?" Lu Zhen''s frown deepened. "What is the news?"


    "That¡­ I don''t know," Zhang Ming said with an embarrassed expression.


    Lu Zhen deeply looked at the man before saying expressionlessly.


    "Lead the way."


    "Yes, young master." Zhang Ming''s face brightened as he walked away with Lu Zhen following behind him.


    In the pce door of Lu Zhen, the two guards who were guarding the door tentatively looked at the pce door with a mixture of terror and trepidation.


    As the footsteps were heard from the inside, their heartbeats quickened.


    Creak!


    The huge door opened, causing their entire hearts to beat faster than ever. With horror-filled eyes, they immediately bowed towards him.


    "We are sorry, young master," they simultaneously said while immediately bowing.


    Lu Zhen just nodded his head while looking at the two guards.


    "By which elder did you hear this news?" he suddenly looked at Zhang Ming with a frown on his face.


    "Young master, it is from Elder Li Jiao," Zhang Ming said while bowing to him.


    "Oh." Lu Zhen''s eyes lit up when he heard this. always-on-MvLeMpYr


    "Then let''s go," he walked without caring for the guards who still had their heads down.


    Zhang Ming heaved a sigh of relief as he wiped the sweat from his head. "Thankfully."


    Suddenly, Lu Zhen paused as he turned around, seeing the bowing guards. "You can do your duties; I don''t care," as he left casually.


    "Thank you, thank you, young master," the guard said with relieved expressions as they kowtowed in his direction nine times and resumed their work again.


    Lu Zhen was led by Zhang Ming to another pce of the Lu residence with a smile on his face.


    He still remembered the milf he had initially met to get the intel on the bandit''s den when helping the twins.


    Although some things went south, the information given by Li Jiao was still valuable to him, and he could turn her into a useful subordinate as well.


    However, there was something that made him more concerned about these things. He had assigned the other elders to extract as much information as possible from the masked man he had encountered after killing Lu Yuan. This was his main concern right now, and he hadn''t killed the man for these reasons as well.


    After all, although Lu Zhen knew that the army was marching towards them, he didn''t know where and when, and he could extract valuable information from the cloaked figure about the entire organization and such things.


    Information was strength in war!


    Fighting without knowing what you are fighting is like fighting with your eyes closed. You will lose the war without even fighting by at least 50% if you blindly fight the enemy.


    Lu Zhen was sure the group that wasunching an army towards them already knew the general strength of the entire Phoenix City. Why else would they risk the chance to do so?


    Thinking of this, Lu Zhen sighed as he was guided to a pink pce that was entirely decorated with pink.


    Lu Zhen inhaled, and immediately the scent of various women assaulted his nose.


    "This¡­" he thought with a frown.


    Zhang Ming''s face was already blushing; however, he hurriedly shook his head and woke up from his trance with terrified eyes.


    "I am sorry, young master; Elder Li Jiao''s pce is always like this," Zhang Ming said with a forced smile.


    Lu Zhen just chuckled with amusement.


    "Let''s go inside."


    Suddenly, Zhang Ming paused with a bitter expression. "Young master, you know that men are not allowed to enter the pce, especially people with my status," he sighed.


    "Oh," Lu Zhen nodded his head and walked into the pce, greeted by two beautiful women who were guarding the entrance.


    However, they didn''t have any arrogant expressions as they immediately bowed upon seeing him.


    "We greet the young master," they said in unison.


    Zhang Ming, who was peeking at this, couldn''t help but sigh and shake his head. "The world is quite an unfair ce." He turned around and left the area with bitterness.


    If it were him, the situation would have been different, even if he did jobs for the elder. However, these two female guards always looked at him with disgust and mockery in their eyes.


    One day, his intrusive thoughts won over his rational thoughts as Zhang Ming challenged the guard, only to be pped hard, being bruised and beaten to near death. He almost died in the process if not for the help of Elder Jiao.


    The world was a cruel ce, and sadly, he wasn''t the one who could go around looking for trouble without any repercussions.

 Chapter 268: Li Jiao

    Lu Zhen entered the pce as an even stronger aroma wafted into his nose. However, Lu Zhen remained unmoving, unaffected by the assault of the aroma, like a towering tower that stood against all things.


    His crimson eyes reflected the pink color as everything in his vision was made of pink, even the walls and the floor, along with the furnishings, were brightly pink.


    "These women really like pink," Lu Zhen mused to himself with some amusement.


    stay-updated-with-MVLeMpYr


    As he made his way, just like the brothel, there were many profane pictures and statues of women on the neatly decorated walls.


    Suddenly, a woman with shimmering purple hair in an alluring hairstyle approached him, emitting an aura of maturity. She looked at Lu Zhen with sheer astonishment as her body trembled instinctively.


    Gulp!


    Li Jiao gulped down her saliva and hurriedly bowed. "I greet the leader."


    Lu Zhen just nodded his head as he deeply looked at her with his crimson gaze.


    She trembled, feeling the gaze of Lu Zhen as a terrifying pressure descended on her, like a prey to a predator.


    Just his crimson gaze made her helplessly weak, as if she were a rabbit being chased down by a skillful and cold lion.


    "So what did you get from the man in the cloak?" Lu Zhen suddenly spoke, breaking the pressure he emitted. Li Jiao sighed in relief as her body stopped trembling.


    "Young master, first of all, we know the cloaked man''s name is Chen Hao."


    "Hmm," Lu Zhen frowned, "I don''t need his personal information. I need to know about the army. Tell me everything he knows."


    "Yes, yes, young master," Li Jiao flinched as she hurriedly started to describe everything the man had said in minute detail.


    By the end, Lu Zhen nodded his head with a satisfied expression.


    The force attacking Phoenix City was none other than the Shadow Reaper Sect, a mysterious and formidable group known throughout the martial world for employing unusual martial arts techniques that had imed the lives of numerous skilled practitioners.


    However, based on the information avable, it became apparent that the Shadow Reaper Sect was, at most, a second-ss power.


    They possessed only five first-stage martial artists, and the approaching army consisted of just two first-stage martial artists.


    This revtion intrigued Lu Zhen, prompting a subtle amusement. "What makes them believe that Phoenix City can be easily destroyed? Something doesn''t add up."


    As these thoughts crossed his mind, Lu Zhen''s expression shifted from amusement to seriousness.


    He began contemting the situation, drawing on the knowledge he had acquired from Shang Luo about the outside world and the insights he had gained from the individual he defeated during his Coronation, who shared valuable details.


    Lu Zhen''s mind worked swiftly, assimting all avable information and weaving it into a cohesive understanding of the imminent threat.


    His crimson eyes snapped open suddenly, and his aura erupted, causing the entire pce to emit creaking noises as if it might copse under the sheer force of his unleashed energy.


    Li Jiao was not immune to the impact; her body froze with an instinctive fear that seemed to permeate her entire being.


    Quickly realising the effect of his overwhelming aura, Lu Zhen hastily retracted it and nced around absentmindedly.


    "Are you alright?" he asked, patting Li Jiao on the shoulder.


    "Yes, I am, Young Master," Li Jiao replied with a relieved sigh.


    "Good," Lu Zhen nodded. "Maybe I got too carried away."


    "Lead me to the man now," he instructed.


    Li Jiao blushed slightly as she guided Lu Zhen toward the inner area. As she walked, her curvaceous figure moved with a subtle seductiveness.


    "This woman has quite a..." Lu Zhen mused, a mischievous smile ying on his lips.


    Eventually, they reached the underground section of the pce, where numerous men and women were bound and held captive.


    "Ahhh!"


    The anguished scream echoed through the underground chamber as a man, eyes fully red with insanity, lunged at Lu Zhen. However, his attempt was abruptly halted by a chain bound to his neck.


    Amused, Lu Zhen observed the man. "Young master," Li Jiao addressed him, looking at the deranged individual with disgust. Without hesitation, she delivered a casual but lethal punch, ending the man''s suffering.


    The man''s eyes widened, attempting to utter a word, but his fate was sealed. Li Jiao''s powerful punch struck with terrifying force, shattering his skull in one go.


    Ssh!


    Li Jiao nonchntly wiped the blood that smeared her hand, giving a casual shrug. She then proceeded to wipe away the small droplets of blood that stained her face, without even much of a flinch.


    As an outer elder who had climbed the ranks through her sheer effort, Li Jiao was not to be underestimated.


    "Young master, I apologise for these unsightly sights for you to witness," Li Jiao bowed.


    "It''s fine," Lu Zhen replied expressionlessly. "Show me the man already."


    Li Jiao nodded, quickening her pace, with Lu Zhen following closely.


    The other individuals in the cages instinctively backed away as they caught sight of Lu Zhen, their faces filled with terror. Having witnessed the fate of the man who had dared to attack Lu Zhen, they avoided direct eye contact.


    The atmosphere in the underground chamber was thick with fear and trepidation.


    The presence of the purple-haired woman was already intimidating, and now, with the addition of the formidable Lu Zhen, a sense of dread enveloped the captives.


    Lu Zhen observed the trembling individuals bound together.


    He felt a twinge of curiosity, even though he was aware that these women were the leaders of the torture chamber responsible for those who had defied the rule of the Lu family.


    The crimesmitted by these individuals were so grave that they couldn''t be forgiven, leading them to be confined in this ce.


    However, it was important to note that this was merely a torture prison for mortals; no martial artist criminals were present.


    Even Li Jiao, as a formidable elder, couldn''t handle martial artists on her own.


    While her strength should not be underestimated, facing a group of twenty peak-tier martial trainees would undoubtedly lead to her defeat within mere seconds.

 Chapter 269: Thousand-jin Shadowsteel

    Lu Zhen observed the countless criminals screaming in agony as they made their way towards the innermost part.


    "Don''t you have subordinates to take care of this mess?" Lu Zhen suddenly asked the busty milf walking in front of him.


    Li Jiao turned around and smiled. "They are currently on holiday, young master. After all, through the heroic deeds of the young master, the city has finally been united, and the young master has be the leader of the entire Phoenix City at the age of neen. A leader is a dragon among men-"


    "Hmm," Lu Zhen nodded with a frown, "stop bootlicking me. And show me your results. If you have obtained good results, I will reward you greatly."


    "Thank you, young leader," Li Jiao bowed with a smile on her face.


    Soon, they reached the ce where the cloaked figure had arrived at the innermost parts, where two martial trainees guarded the door.


    Lu Zhen curiously walked to the cell and lightly knocked on it.


    Bang!


    The light knock vibrated the entire cell; however, it couldn''t do much to the cell, causing Lu Zhen to be a little surprised.


    "I used at least the strength of a third-stage martial artist," he mused to himself.


    "What material did you make it from?" He looked at Li Jiao with curious eyes.


    "It is made of a Thousand-jin Shadowsteel, young master," she said with a bow.


    Lu Zhen nodded his head. He had heard about this material before. It was verymon in the mines surrounding the entire Phoenix City.


    However, it was pretty useless except for its heavy and durable attributes because it didn''t have any capacity to absorb. So, although this material could be useful, it was only for mortals at most, making it very unpopr here.


    The other materials might not be as durable or heavy; however, once they are supplied with Qi, they be a terrifying weapon of mass destruction, especially when used with abat art, making their durability and flexibility even greater than a thousand-jin Shadowsteel.


    Thinking of these, Lu Zhen nodded his head while looking at the cell.


    "Not bad, you at least know to put security even if there are holidays¡­" Lu Zhenmended her with amusement. "Let''s enter."


    "Yes, young master." Li Jiao respectfully nodded her head as she looked at the two guard women.


    The two women bowed their heads and sidelined themselves while opening the door to the cage.


    Lu Zhen''s vision was filled with darkness as a dim light lit up the face of Lu Yuan, who was sitting there with closed eyes; he waspletely unharmed.


    "How did you even get information out of him?" he asked with a surprised expression on his face.


    "Oh, you will know soon, young master." Li Jiao said with a smile.


    Lu Zhen curiously looked at her before he turned back, seeing the cloaked man again.


    His crimson eyes turned golden as a blue screen materialised in front of him while looking at the man.


    [Chen Yifan] (half-sleep, hypnosis)


    [Lifespan: hundred years]


    [Qi Cultivation: Third-stage martial artist]


    [Proficiency: Shadow mastery(mid), knife skills(master), Disguise(master)]


    [Talent: Perception (low-grade)]


    "Hmm." Lu Zhen looked at this with amused eyes.


    "Did you use an illusion on these guys?"


    Li Jiao was stunned when she heard this, and her eyes widened with shock. "He was able to tell this with a nce," her body trembled.


    "This man is really terrifying¡­" she looked at the broad back of Lu Zhen with a terrified expression.


    He was already terrifying enough with his strength reaching such a high stage in his age which was already unprecdented, however, the more terrifying thing was his intelligence. If brawn and brains arebined together, they be a terrifying entity.


    Thinking of this, Li Jiao warned herself never to offend Lu Zhen again.


    "Yes, young master, it is a kind of an illusion."


    "Kind of a?" Lu Zhen looked at her.


    "Yes, this is a seduction method," she said with a smirk on her face.


    "Oh, a seduction method, huh¡­" Lu Zhen thought with a nod of his head. She wasn''t given the position as the head of the torture chamber for nothing.


    "But more of a direct approach could work too," a sneer formed on Lu Zhen''s face.


    He walked up to the man and released his terrifying aura, causing the entire cell to tremble as if an earthquake urred.


    Chen Yifan abruptly opened his eyes with shock, seeing the bulky Lu Zhen staring at him with a sneer.


    "Huh."


    Lu Zhen caught him by the neck and focused all his aura into him.


    Before Chen Yifan could even gather his thoughts, his body already froze.


    Lu Zhen nonchntly rolled up his right sleeve, revealing an eerie ck-coloured tattoo of a butterfly imprinted on his hand.


    Although his body froze, his mind could still work perfectly fine.


    "What is happening-" Chen Yifan''s eyes widened with sheer horror as the butterfly tattoo with eerie darkness glowed with a red light.


    A red glowing light brightened the entire chamber, under Chen Yifan''s horrified eyes the red light entered his body.


    Chen Yifan wanted to fight against these red lights; however, no matter how hard he tried, he couldn''t resist the red light as it ruthlessly grabbed something very important from him, though he didn''t know what it was.


    Just then, another will inside his body fought against the red light, shing against it. Inside his body, the two powers fought head-on, using his consciousness as their battleground.


    Ahhhh!


    He cried out in pain, his eyes rolling back, and he fainted directly onto the ground.


    Lu Zhen frowned as he looked at the man. "What just happened?"


    It had never been the case that his tattoo of Maya failed to work on someone, but now it did.


    The red light was still inside the man, engaged in a battle with a strange power within the man''s consciousness, and Lu Zhen''s butterfly tattoo had lost its glowing as if reverting back to normal tattoo.

 Chapter 270: Chen Yifan

    "What''s happening?" Lu Zhen looked at Chen Yifan with a frown on his face.


    "Hmm."


    After a long time, the red light returned from Chen Yifan''s body, flickering as if in a triumphant return. However, its red glow was dimmer than its usual shine.


    Lu Zhen narrowed his eyes as he carefully looked inside the red light. A faint shadow of a strangely shaped insect was inside the red light, but it seemed to have be battered and terribly injured.


    "How interesting," he mused to himself as he extended his right hand forward, and the red light hurriedly moved towards his tattoo as fast as it could obediently.


    Swish!


    The red light entered the tattoo, and the butterfly tattoo returned to its normal eerie darkness that was fully devoid of light.


    Although there seemed to be no apparent change however Lu Zhen could feel the change.


    "Such an interesting thing¡­" Lu Zhen mused to himself.


    Thud!


    Chen Yifan stood up from the ground, his shoulders slouched, without any support, like a zombie. He looked at Lu Zhen expressionlessly, as if he was gearing up to fight him. However, he didn''t. Instead, the man bowed directly towards Lu Zhen.


    To this, Lu Zhen just nodded his head with a satisfied expression on his face.


    "What did you do to me, you monster?" Chen Yifan suddenly asked as he looked up at Lu Zhen, his pupils dting from terror.


    "What did I do?" Lu Zhen pointed at himself amusingly; however, he was internally frowning. "How did this man still remain in his consciousness?"


    "You bastard¡­" Chen Yifan said with gritted teeth.


    "So, tell me about all the information you know," Lu Zhen said while ignoring the man''s cursing. After all, no matter how much he cursed, the effect of the tattoo was undeniable.


    Chen Yifan wanted to chide Lu Zhen; however, he couldn''t form any coherent words to disobey him. No matter what he did, he was forced to open his mouth and uttered every single detail he knew.


    Lu Zhen listened with a serious expression on his face, absorbing every detail.


    Finally, after hearing all the information, Lu Zhen''s face grew darker and darker until it erupted with a terrifying killing aura.


    "We are in trouble."


    Lu Zhen''s face became grim as he looked at Li Qian, who had an astonished expression on her face, still processing the information.


    "Li Qian," he voiced in a loud roar.


    Li Qian suddenly woke up from her absent-mindedness and hurriedly looked at Lu Zhen.


    "Yes, young master," she said in a stupor.


    "Go call the ancestors."


    "Huh, what-" Li Jiao said with astonishment in her eyes.


    "Forget it, I will go myself." Lu Zhen cursed as he walked out of the cell and made his way through the prison.


    Leaving a stumped Li Jiao muttering, "What just happened?" Her gaze fell on Chen Yifan, who was standing there while bowing.


    Although his position was respectful, his face was full of wrinkles, making him extremely ugly.


    "What happened to these bastards?" Li Jiao said, her mood decreasing considerably.


    "Hey, you?"


    "Yes," Chen Yifan said as he finally raised his head, meeting the purple-haired woman.


    "What happened to Lu Zhen?"


    A sly smirk crept up on Chen Yifan''s face. "If I can''t attack him, I will vent my anger on her," his eyes glinted.


    However, the moment he was about to attack, his feet paused by an unknown power as he raised his right hand, pping himself hard on the face with his full strength.


    Ahhhh!


    Chen Yifan cried out loudly in pain.


    Li Jiao frowned at this.


    "This guy seems to be under themand of Lu Zhen," she thought to herself. Even now, she couldn''t believe that there was such power in this world that allowed one to control other people at will with just a simple move.


    And the power was with Lu Zhen as well.


    Li Jiao felt a chill creeping up her spine when thinking of this.


    "I must be loyal to Lu Zhen forever¡­" As much as she envied such power, she wasn''t consumed by greed.


    And knew the consequences of her actions. If Li Jiao did something terrible, at that time, her best situation would be to die peacefully, and even that might not be possible.


    However, she unknowingly licked her own lips, with her eyes shing with a glint.


    "I wonder what he tastes like¡­" A small blush crept on her cheeks.


    Li Jiao thought gleefully. Although she was the owner of the brothel and was sent to handle many seduction tasks, her talent was good, and she had always been rtively intelligent since she was young, so she had never lost her virginity yet.


    After all, her talent and the rate at which shepleted her missions made everyone avoid her. Even if the main family descendant came, they had to be respectful to her, so she neither had a reason to lose her virginity nor any motivation.


    If the Lu family elders knew about this, they would be shocked to the core.


    After all, Li Jiao was known as the most profane elder among the other elders.


    While Li Jiao was lost in her thoughts, Chen Yifan could only grit his teeth as he pped himself again.


    No matter how hard he tried, Chen Yifan couldn''t stop his hands at all from attacking himself once again.


    His cheeks were already red with five palm marks on his face.


    After beating himself at least a hundred times, his hand finally stopped with relief.


    Huff! Huff!


    Chen Yifan took deep breaths as he looked at the ceiling of the cell.


    "It''s better to die than stay this way¡­"


    His right hand rose again as he pped himself with full strength once more. Chen Yifan''s eyes widened with sheer horror. The p wouldn''t have hurt much, but for some reason, his nerves were unusually active, amplifying his own pain at least a hundredfold. see-more-MVLeMpYr


    Even for him, a professional spy with years of experience, it was unbearable, and he cried out in pain.

 Chapter 271: Modifying Combat Arts

    Lu Zhen hurriedly made his way towards the ancestor pce, taking quick steps. In the blink of an eye, he had silently covered a hundred steps with just a simple step that looked more like an illusion.


    There was no noise, and even his domineering presence was hard to detect, as if Lu Zhen were a ghost.


    As he zoomed past the servants, even with his massive build, he couldn''t be detected; only a gust of wind was left by the time the servants could process what happened, leaving countless of them stumped.


    content-source-MVLeMpYr


    Soon, Lu Zhen arrived at the ancestor pce and couldn''t help but chuckle.


    Just like his Verdant Whirlwind, he had modified other martial arts he had learned until now.


    The movement technique Lu Zhen used was the Whispering Shadow Step, or at least its base form. With his terrifyingprehension, while he might not be able to create an entire martial arts cultivation technique, modifyingbat arts to make them suitable for himself was still possible.


    Lu Zhen quickly entered the pce, and he was immediately greeted by a ck-haired woman wearing a ck kimono sitting in the seiza style.


    "Hmm?" Lu Zhen looked at the woman with surprise.


    "Young mas¡ª Leader Lu Zhen, the ancestor has already sensed your arrival and has invited you inside," she said with a bow.


    "Yes." Lu Zhen almost instantaneously regained his calm as he nodded his head.


    Soon, Lu Zhen was led to a backyard where he saw the familiar pavilion again, and there were two people ying checkers.


    One was a young man, and the other was a middle-aged man emitting an ordinary aura.


    Lu Zhen looked at them with amusement. "These two are truly first-stage martial artists."


    Although Lu Zhen''s maniption of his aura was even higher than theirs by arge degree, he knew how terrifyingly hard it was to control it to his advantage without the assistance of his system. Even releasing it was an uncontroble factor for Lu Zhen.


    Thinking of this, Lu Zhen sighed.


    "Lu Zhen, why did youe here?" Lu Ming asked with a confused expression on his face.


    "Ancestor, about the army¡ª"


    "Oh, the army will be arriving in a year even if they march at full speed, so we still have time to train. You don''t have to worry about it so much," Lu Ming said casually.


    "I won." Fang Yinughed loudly as he moved his white piece to his right.


    "Shame." Lu Ming cursed with a ck face as he looked at the board.


    "Lu Zhen, you distracted me."


    "I am sorry, Ancestor Lu." Lu Zhen scratched his head with a bitter expression.


    "It''s fine, fine," Lu Ming said with a sigh.


    "Your face doesn''t look like it, old man," Fang Yin said with a snicker.


    "Huh, what''s wrong with my face?" Lu Ming looked at him as his face had changed to normal.


    "Kekeke, you can''t hide from me." Fang Yinughed aloud.


    "Fine, fine." Lu Ming sighed helplessly.


    "Ancestor?" Lu Zhen seriously looked at Lu Ming,pletely different from the harmonious atmosphere with a heavy face.


    "Hmm, is it serious?" Lu Ming asked as he stoppedughing.


    Fang Yin''s expression also turned serious. "Is it about the enemy?"


    Lu Zhen nodded his head with a grim face.


    "Then say it," Lu Ming said with a frown on his face.


    "Well¡­" Lu Zhen looked at the ck-haired woman with a side nce.


    "Oh," Lu Ming shook his head. "Don''t worry about her."


    "If you say, Ancestor." Lu Zhen bowed.


    The woman''s eyes glinted with amusement as she looked at Lu Zhen.


    "Do you know who I am?"


    Lu Zhen didn''t look at the woman; instead, he looked at the two while shaking his head.


    "I don''t know."


    "I am the disciple of your ancestor," she said while smiling with amusement.


    Lu Zhen looked at Lu Ming with a surprised gaze.


    "Yes, she is my disciple, technically," Lu Ming said with a nod of his head.


    "Oh," Lu Zhen looked at her with amusement.


    "Why are you looking at me like that?" The woman frowned.


    "Nothing,dy, I always thought that you were the servant of Ancestor Lu," Lu Zhen spoke with a silly smile on his face while scratching his head.


    "Fine," the woman humphed "you bing the leader doesn''t mean everyone will follow you."


    Lu Zhen''s eyes twitched when he saw this. "Wasn''t this woman quite mature previously? What happened to her now?" He thought with a casual shrug. "Forget it."


    "Ancestor Lu, I have gathered some intel on the outside world," Lu Zhen spoke with a grim expression on his face.


    "Didn''t I tell you about the outside world already?" Lu Ming asked with a confused expression.


    "Yes, you did, Ancestor. However, not about the force that was attacking us."


    "Hmm?" Lu Ming frowned as he questioningly looked at Lu Zhen. "What do you mean?"


    "The force that is about to attack is just a second-ss force. However, they have strange methods," Lu Zhen said as he looked at Lu Ming, whose expression turned serious.


    "If it is the full force of a second-ss force, then we are as good as dead," Fang Yin interrupted with a serious expression "but can they attack in full force?"


    On paper, even the previous Phoenix City could be considered a second-ss force.


    However, that was only on paper; in fact, just the second-ss force was much stronger than actually stated on paper. After all, nobody wants to show their strength right at the start and lose almost half the battle, so their strength was hidden most of the time.


    This was an unwritten rule in the outside world to hide one''s strength and was adopted by almost all the forces outside. It wasn''t exactly a secret either.


    Even with the strength they showed right now, they could face the previous Phoenix City and win effortlessly. And now that only the Lu family was left as the only supergiant enough topete with them, it was even more troublesome.

 Chapter 272: The Army

    "Even if you add me to the fold, there will be trouble," Fang Yin said bitterly.


    "Only two first-stage martial artists areing, Ancestor," Lu Zhen spoke right at this moment.


    "Hmm? Then what''s the problem?" Fang Yin asked with a strange glint on his face.


    "The problem is that they both are mid first-stage martial artists."


    The moment Lu Zhen spoke, the atmosphere suddenly became heavy; however, Lu Zhen added, "and their methods are strange. They could turn Lu Yuan, a barely talentless man, into a second-stage martial artist overnight."


    Silence!


    Nobody spoke a word as Lu Zhen looked around; Ancestor Lu had a dark face, Fang Yin was deep in thought, and the woman was frowning with her eyes reflecting terror.


    "The first-stage martial artist will not be a problem if I can break through; however, in the case of Lu Yuan¡­" Lu Ming''s expression turned serious.


    Since they could turn Lu Yuan into a second-stage martial artist without blinking an eye, then they must have a technique or something that can make an ordinary man a second-stage martial artist in the blink of an eye. What guarantee is there that they won''t use it when battling against us?


    If they could create a thousand second-stage martial artists, then even a first-stage martial artist can be exhausted to death with just the sheer number of enemies.


    That was the terrifying prospect of the army. Although their individual strength might not be great, two powerful hands versus thousands of weaker hands; the weaker hand would still have a chance to fight.


    Thinking of this, Lu Ming shook his head bitterly.


    "Do we really need to run? No, if that happens, then all our effort will be wasted. But I don''t regret destroying the other three families; they would be useless anyway. But will all that effort go to waste? I can''t ept this¡­" Lu Ming grumbled to himself.


    your-MVLeMpYr-source


    "Actually, Ancestor Lu, I have a n." Lu Zhen raised his hands as he smiled mysteriously.


    "What is it?"


    Simultaneously, the trio Fang Yin, Lu Ming, and the woman asked with a surprised expression on their faces.


    ¡­.


    In the bright light of the sun, an army consisting of millions was all walking with steady steps. Their gaze was filled with fire, as if they could burn the sun with it, and their strong footsteps caused even the earth to shake as they made their way through the forest.


    In the lead, there were two men cloaked in ck flying in the air as they looked at the horizon.


    No animals or even nts dared to get close to them, as if they were the bane of all living.


    Boom!


    Suddenly, the aura of a first-stage martial beast erupted, causing the army to halt its march.


    The two cloaked figures looked amusingly at the distance, seeing two giant white tigers in the distance staring at them ruthlessly.


    However, they only momentarily paused as they continued, undeterred by the terrifying aura of the beast.


    Crack!


    The crisp sound of soldiers'' bones cracking rang in the air, but this didn''t stop their march, as if they were a zombie army.


    The male white tiger''s eyes flickered with terror; however, he didn''t give up as the tiger continued to stare at them.


    Roar!


    A terrifying shockwave was produced that sted the soldiers backward.


    However, the roar was useless as other soldiers reced the flung-back ones emotionlessly, walking without a shred of hesitation.


    The intelligent eyes of the male white tiger became even more afraid seeing this.


    The two cloaked figures in the sky walked past the tiger, as if it couldn''t see the two huge white tigers that were at least ten feet in diameter, alone with humongous bodies.


    The male tiger heaved a sigh of relief as he looked back at his partner and affectionately licked her with tender eyes. The female tiger closed her eyes, enjoying the moment, as she licked back with affection.


    They both left the ce.


    The marching army walked through the tigers, who stopped them, causing the tigers, going back in opposite directions, to heave a sigh of relief.


    However, just then, a cracking sound rang in the air as the soldiers seemed to have turned around.


    Both of the tiger hairs stood on ends as if they were electrocuted, as one of the soldiers'' spearsunched at the tiger.


    The instinct of an animal red in the male tiger as it looked at the spear with a ruthless glint.


    Roar!


    The ground shook as an even more terrifying shockwave was produced, flinging the spear backward instead.


    The soldier who threw the spear was pierced by the same spear, from the head down his entire body, before going to the ground in an extremely brutal scene.


    But that didn''t stop the other soldiers from throwing their spears as well.


    Swish!


    Soon, a rain of spearsunched at the male lion; however, when they were mid-air, the spears glowed in a golden fire and struck the tiger again.


    The male tiger roared again, sending most of the spears back; however, one spear inadvertently hit him at the shoulder.


    Under the widened eyes of the tiger, the spear effortlessly pierced its right shoulder like butter to a knife, as if its strong pelt were nothing more than thin paper.


    A!


    As the apex predator, the tiger had never felt pain before, at least after reaching its adulthood, as everything was nothing but prey to him.


    The male tiger violently opened its eyes, as its animal instinct was triggered, causing him to go into rage mode.


    With madness reflecting in its eyes, it charged fearlessly towards the army.


    Its every step was followed by arge vibration that shook the earth.


    The female tiger tried her best to stop him and just ran away; however, she couldn''t, as the vain pride of the tiger wouldn''t allow itself to be trampled underfoot, with its pride gone to the trash can.


    How could it retreat?

 Chapter 273: Breakthrough

    Roar!


    With the final howl of the male tiger, it fell to the floor, its body riddled with wounds and blood gushing out.


    Its strong pelt was worn and torn to bits, with the des of the weapons still embedded in its body.


    However, it wasn''t alone, as a river of blood flowed with the corpses of thousands of ghostly soldiers who continued their relentless march.


    The female white tiger looked at the dead tiger, tears slowly forming in its intelligent eyes.


    Howl!


    The female tiger roared as she retreated instead of attacking, a ferocious glint in her eyes.


    With a tearing sound, a rain of spearsunched at her.


    The female white tiger skillfully dodged all the attacks and escaped with terrified eyes.


    However, before she could get further, arge hand appeared, blocking her way.


    Its eyes widened with terror as its hair stood on end, as if it was electrocuted.


    The terrifying ck hand moved towards the tiger, emitting a pressure that froze the tiger in ce.


    Boom!


    The tiger was sent hurtling through the air,nding back in the middle of the army. After sending the tiger to the middle of the marching army, the hand disappeared into thin air.


    The female tiger looked at the millions of soldiers and widened her eyes in despair.


    With a roar that sent shockwaves, she faced the army head-on, eventually getting exhausted after killing thousands of soldiers. She died of exhaustion, her body riddled with wounds.


    The tragic end of the two white tigers ended with their corpses being crushed by the marching soldiers, signifying their utter defeat.


    Although thousands of soldiers were killed, it was just a drop in the ocean of millions of soldiers that were marching.


    The marching soldiers remained steadfast as they walked, without a care for the two corpses of the first-stage martial beasts.


    Just then, two big ck hands appeared in thin air and nonchntly picked up the corpses of the tigers.


    The two flying figures suddenly paused mid-air and patiently waited.


    Two white tiger corpses floated towards them with the help of the huge ck hands.


    "We got a big fortune without even going to the ce. We are lucky," one of the figures remarked as he extended his hand, and the two hands obediently put the two corpses in front of him.


    "You didn''t think that I won''t get that piece of the pie, did you?" the other ck figure suddenly remarked coldly in a feminine tone.


    "Hey, hey, I know, I know," the figure shook his head speechlessly.


    "I won''t dare to not share it with Miss Feng herself," the male figure raised his hands up in the air with pure submission.


    "You better be," the cold feminine tone rang in the surrounding as they both went forward.


    The two corpses disappeared in thin air as the man extended his hand, disappearing into the void.


    "Let''s go now, we still have a bigger fish to eat," the man licked his lips with glee, hisughter resounding in the air as the two figures traveled.


    ...


    Lu Zhen sat in a giant room, slowly cultivating. In his hand were two Qi stones, constantly supplying him with pure Qi that he converted into nt Qi soon after.


    Slowly, his body started to shine with a green light that shed in the room continuously.


    Before long, he slowly opened his eyes, a green glint shing in his crimson pupil, making it a strangebination.


    "Sigh, two months have already gone by..." Lu Zhen muttered as he looked at his spacious room,pletely different from the one he previously had.


    He inhaled the air, and instantly a breath of Qi entered him with just a breath.


    "At this rate, I am very close to breaking through the peak realm of the second-stage martial realm." The nt Qi was boiling in his body as the true form of Lu Zhen perfectly harmonized with his nt Qi.


    Now, Lu Zhen needed to harmonize nt Qi and his true true form to his body, creating a three-way harmony between them, creating intent.


    Thinking of these, a sense of satisfaction washed over him.


    "All I need to do is now harmonise the body, Qi, and the true form together¡­" Lu Zhen thought; however, a bitter smile appeared on his face.


    "But my body cultivation has stagnated."


    Lu Zhen casually summoned his system.


    ¡ª--------------


    [LEVEL UP]


    ¡ª-----


    [Name: Lu Zhen]


    --------


    [Race: Human]


    [Bloodline: Half Human/ Thin Volgrith]


    [Lifespan left: 329 years]


    --------


    [Attributes]


    [Constitution: Divine physique (Second-stage martial realm)](peak)


    [Charm: Mortal] (Second level)


    [nt Qi: second-stage martial realm] (mid-peak)


    [Demonic Qi: first grade]


    [Mana: Null Circle]


    ???


    --------


    [Cultivation manuals]


    [Cultivation technique: Verdant art (stage 2), Heaven-Refining Demonic Qi]


    [Combat arts: 4]


    --------


    Skills: 13


    ¡ª-----


    [Quest]


    [Missionpleted: 2]


    ¡ª---------


    After he had returned, the system was updated as well.


    Although nothing has changed, the information had be much clearer than before; it was as if it had attuned to this world.


    Previously, the red light not only controlled the entire level-up system, but it also made the level-up system not reach its full potential. But now, since the red light was isted enough, there were no such restrictions.


    Lu Zhen stretched his body as he walked out of the room.


    The door to the room automatically opened, as if it could sense Lu Zhen.


    After Lu Zhen had gathered enough equipment from his modern life, where he was updated about technology up to the date he reincarnated, he had ordered Lu Qing and the others to construct devices for him.


    brought-to-you-by-MvLeMpYr


    Since this equipment was rtively easy to construct with their blueprints, they were created quickly.


    The only reason it hadn''t been invented until now was that it wasn''t needed for martial artists yet.


    Themon people had too little power for them to even dare to think about creating such things, and the martial artists were too focused on cultivating their own strength.


    Even though there were other martial artists who focused on different things, in the end, it was all about yourself and getting stronger.


    The martial world''s technology had stagnated because of this reason.


    Even in the outside world, from what Lu Zhen had gathered, intel on their technology was very simr to their own circumstances because of the over-reliance on qi.


    As he walked out of the room, Lu Zhen looked at the two burly men.


    These two strong warriors had the aura of third-stage martial practitioners, with stern and serious expressions as if they could never smile.


    One of them had a distinctive deep cut in the right eye, and the other had a cut on its cheek, making their faces even scarier.


    The moment Lu Zhen came out of the cultivation room, they obediently bowed.


    "We greet the leader."


    "Hmm," Lu Zhen casually nodded his head, with a smile on his face.


    "Let''s go."


    He casually said as he moved out, and the two strong warriors followed him.


    As Lu Zhen walked in the passageway, there were countless servants cleaning around the passageway with their heads down and their expressions cold, as if they didn''t have any emotion at all.


    Even when Lu Zhen walked past them, they were unmoved as they continuously did their work like robots.


    "These nt puppets are doing their work quite skillfully," Lu Zhen mused to himself.


    Ever since he had nt Qi, he had been able to have the attribute of both life and wood, making puppets like there from wooden logs weren''t a problem.


    With his skills increasing, Lu Zhen could create even more of the wooden puppets almost effortlessly, with them being even more simr to humans.


    Lu Zhen couldn''t create such things when he had the wood Qi because hecked the crucial attribute of life.


    Without infusing them with that, although he might be able to create them, Lu Zhen had to manually control them, which was more troublesome.


    As he walked through the hallway, Lu Zhen finally reached a luxurious throne roompletely different from the previous one from the Lu family.


    The throne rooms were spacious enough that they could fit an entire football stadium, with luxurious seats at the side, all coated with gold and diamond with valuable minerals that a mortal would probably never see in their lifetime.


    However, what stood out the most was the throne in the middle, with a giant statue of a wooden dragon behind it, a head taller than all the other seats, with a gold-ted Leader Lu Zhen imprinted on it with masterful strokes that emitted an aura of authority and power.


    Just besides the grand throne, there were two thrones as well, a cut below the main throne to its right and left as well.


    There in the right throne, there was a beautiful woman sitting with a domineering aura, looking at the paper in her hand.


    "Mother," Lu Zhen gently greeted with a smile on his face.


    "Hmm?" Lu Ying gaze finally focused on Lu Zhen which made a smile appear on her face.

 Chapter 274: Lu Yings Lifespan

    "How are you doing, my son? After giving me all the paperwork," Lu Ying said with a smile on her face.


    Hearing this, Lu Zhen coughed. "Don''t worry, Mother, you don''t have to handle the paperwork soon. I have a n to manage it all."


    NovelFire-original


    "Well, if you say so," Lu Ying casually shrugged.


    "But the more troublesome thing is the enemy right now. How will you handle them, my genius of a monster son?" she said with a mischievous smile on her face.


    "Yeah, I have a n for it, but what name did you give me?" Lu Zhen said with a stunned expression.


    "I am urately describing what your potential can express," Lu Ying amusingly said.


    "Mother, you think too highly of me," Lu Zhen said with a bitter smile.


    "No, I don''t think highly of you; it is just the way you are," she replied with a serious expression.


    "Hmm?" Lu Zhen looked at her.


    "I was once unsure about the vision that I saw of you, but now I am sure that you will be a great man in the future, a powerhouse among powerhouses, and will shatter the sun with just the tip of your fingers," Lu Ying said with a serious expression on her face.


    "What vision are you talking about, Mother?" Lu Zhen asked with confusion.


    "Do you remember my eyes bleeding, and I was seriously injured out of nowhere when seeing you with my golden irises?"


    "Yes," Lu Zhen replied with a thoughtful expression on his face.


    "Good. Then I will tell you the truth. My unique ability allows me to see the future, and the future I saw of you was terrifying, with billions of people all bowing towards you and a river of blood that flowed around you. Lu Zhen, you stood there with multiple arms like a god and shattered the sun with just a swipe of your hand," Lu Ying''s expression gradually grew solemn.


    "This¡­ is this true?" Lu Zhen was shocked to hear this, not because of his future vision after all, as he had the cheat and many things; he had the confidence that, as long as he could survive, he would reach far and beyond. However, not in the wildest imagination had Lu Zhen thought to himself that his mother was hiding such a terrifying ability of seeing the future itself.


    This shocked him the most.


    "Yeah, I did see it. So remember, son, no matter what happens, you must keep your safety in mind and focus on your own life. Promise this to me, Lu Zhen." Lu Ying extended her hand with a serious expression.


    "But¡­"


    "No ''buts.'' Just promise me. As a real man, you should never break your promise." Lu Ying looked at Lu Zhen''s bulky figure with his emperor robe, looking domineering with an aura of authority around him.


    "Okay, I promise you, Mother," Lu Zhen said as he tightened his hand around hers with a serious expression on his face.


    "Good." Lu Ying nodded her head with a satisfied expression on her face.


    "But now, to answer my question, does using your ability cause serious injuries to you?" Lu Zhen spoke, remembering the serious condition she was in after seeing his future.


    "Yes, it does." Lu Ying simply nodded her head.


    "It isn''t as simple as just getting seriously injured, right? There must be terrifying consequences as well." Lu Zhen said with a grim face.


    "This¡­" Lu Ying hesitated.


    "You have to tell me, Mother." Lu Zhen pressed on.


    "I lose a slight amount of lifespan."


    Lu Zhen became expressionless when he heard this. "How much?"


    "I can''t tell." Lu Ying spoke with a bitter sigh.


    "Hmm?" Lu Zhen suddenly looked at her with his crimson eyes turned bright golden.


    Lu Ying looked at Lu Zhen with astonishment. She knew what her son''s unique ability was, originating within his bloodline, so she remained unmoving as she let Lu Zhen scan her thoroughly.


    [Lu Ying]


    [Lifespan: twenty years]


    [Qi Cultivation: Second-stage martial artist (peak)]


    [Bloodline: Volgrith (80%), human (20%)]


    [Proficiency: Fist proficiency (Grand master), Wood Qi proficiency (master)]


    [Talent: Comprehension (high-grade), Cultivation (low-grade), Glimpse into the future]


    Lu Zhen looked at the blue panel flickering before him with a narrowed gaze.


    "What did you see, Lu Zhen?" Lu Ying said, suddenly feeling an ominous feeling.


    "Your lifespan is only twenty years now," Lu Zhen said in a hoarse voice, with a small droplet of tearsing out of his eyes.


    "This¡­" Lu Ying was shocked when she heard this, with widened eyes.


    "Mother, from now on, you must not use this unique ability of the bloodline ever again. You heard me; you must never use it under any circumstances," Lu Zhen said as he extended his hand as well. "Promise me."


    Lu Ying''s cheeks inted like a balloon with a grumpy expression. "Not fair, you can''t use my own tactic against me, please."


    "I did, now promise me," Lu Zhen said with a chuckle.


    "Fine," she touched his hand. "I promise."


    As they separated, a strange silence enveloped them.


    Hahaha!


    Both of them started tough at the same time, with a smile on their faces, and the heavy atmosphere changed to that of a cheerful one.


    "Mother, I promise you that I will find a way to extend yourugh," Lu Zhen spoke in a determined tone.


    "Good. If I can live, I will remain as your shadow to protect you or as your assistant for life. Show me the peak, Lu Zhen. I know my capability. Although I am talented and even have a very pure bloodline, I can never reach the peak at my age," Lu Ying replied with a sigh.


    "So, Lu Zhen, my son, after you reach the peak of martial arts, tell me if there is truly immortality or if it is nothing but a vague dream that we are all pursuing."


    "I promise you, Mother, that I will tell you if ever I could reach the peak of martial arts," Lu Zhen pledged without any hesitation.


    Although Lu Zhen might not be able to peer into the future and whatnot, he had confidence in himself to rise to the top. Even in his previous life, without a cheat, through the hardships he faced, he became sessful andnded a job at a prestigiouspany.


    The difficulty was obviously higher, but Lu Zhen was prepared to face these challenges¡ªwhy not challenge himself and see how far he can travel down the martial road.


    "Now, leave and help Ancestor Lu; he was calling you previously," Lu Ying spoke with a proud expression on her face.


    "Okay, Mother." Lu Zhen looked onest time at Lu Ying with his crimson eyes that seemed to be burning with hellfire as he left the pce with a careful stride.


    After leaving the pce, Lu Zhen looked at the new structure that had been built in the span of a month and couldn''t help but feel pride in himself.


    The buildings from the previous Lu family were also nice; however, the ones he rebuilt were a mixture of his own knowledgebined with the architecture of the martial world making it a beauty.

 Chapter 275: Bloodline Extractor Completed

    Lu Zhen slowly made his way outside with a sigh on his face.


    Just then, his crimson gaze saw Lu Qing standing there with patience.


    "What are you doing here, Lu Qing? You cane in." Lu Zhen said with a frown on his face.


    The guards were visibly shocked when they heard this. However, since it was the leader''smand, they let her enter.


    There were also a group of women who were all watching this with shock written on their faces.


    "Is Sister Lu Qing really acquainted with Leader Lu Zhen?"


    "You can''t be serious. Her cultivation is barely a martial trainee. You need to tell me this is a dream."


    "No, this isn''t a dream."


    "I thought she was kidding when she said she wanted to enter the main pce without any disturbance, but it looks like this is not true."


    Lu Zhen frowned as he looked at Lu Qing, who slowly made his way towards him with a calm expression. "What is all this drama for?"


    "Leader." Lu Qing bowed with courtesy.


    "Hmm," Lu Zhen nodded his head with a frown on his face. "Tell me what is going on here."


    Hearing this, a bitter expression appeared on Lu Qing''s face.


    "The thing is that, young master, you haven''t announced that I am working as an assistant till now¡­" Lu Qing said with a smile, however, her mouth that curled upward seemed to be forced and bitter as well.


    "Oh." Lu Zhen nodded his head as he understood the situation already by the things she has told him.


    "Guards." He spoke in a cold tone.


    "Yes, yes, young master." The two guards hurriedly scurried off with a terrified expression on their faces.


    "Did you guys stop her?"


    "This¡­"


    "I want an answer, sis, or not?"


    "Yes." The two guards said with their expression bowing towards him.


    "Good, then you guys can leave for today. I am giving you an eternal vacation from guard duty from now on." Lu Zhen spoke casually without a care.


    "Leader¡­."


    Both the guards'' eyes turned terrified when the realization of Lu Zhen''s words sank in, as their expression morphed into pure horror with their body trembling with fear at the words of him.


    It was almost like a death sentence to them.


    They didn''t know whether to cry orugh at this situation.


    One of them wanted to speak some words, however, Lu Zhen''s crimson turned even colder seeing this.


    "You will also leave the Lu family as well." Lu Zhen turned around and beckoned Lu Qing to follow him as he went away with Lu Qing following him.


    The guards'' eyes widened to the zenith as they fell to the ground with broken eyes.


    If losing their jobs were akin to almost a death sentence, then kicking them out of the Lu Imperial Family was their final shot to their chance of even living in this world.


    Both of them looked at each other with fear written in their eyes.


    "We are dead."


    They both said in union as they wanted to beg Lu Zhen, however, they weren''t given a chance to even crawl two steps when other guards came and dragged them away.


    "These guys have been a big bully for a long time now. They have faced the consequences of their actions." One of the guards snickered with some fake pity.


    "Kekeke, they won''t be arrogant for long now. Oh, wait, they might be arrogant even in their death tombs. Who knows?" Anotherughed while dragging the two helpless guards.


    "That''s what they get for being arrogant just because they got in through connection."


    The two guards also heard these words, however, they didn''t say anything. After all, they have lost all hope by now.


    They could only utilize the rest of the time they have to live.


    As the two guards were gone, another two guards reced them swiftly as they looked at everyone with a fierce expression.


    NovelFire-article


    "Remember, if you saw the badge of the leader that he especially issued, we must not be disrespectful and allow them to enter without hesitation, or we might be like them as well¡­" One of the guards said with a serious expression as he looked at the dragged-away guards.


    The other also nodded his head with agreement.


    Actually, these two were themselves to me for their idiocy because Lu Qing had already shown a badge to them that was especially issued by the Leader, which allowed them entry.


    However, since they were hired through connections and other things, with thebination of them being too negligent and arrogant, they were bound to suffer such a fate. It was an inevitable thing.


    Lu Zhen nced at the group of women who were whispering with a smile on his face as he waved at them before turning around and leaving with Lu Qing.


    The moment he did, all the women blushed almost simultaneously.


    "Kya! Leader looked at me." A girl said with her blush deepening, and she closed herself while hugging her own body.


    "No, Leader looked at me." Another girl retorted as they bickered with each other.


    Lu Zhen looked at this helplessly while shaking his head.


    While Lu Qing smiled, "Looks like young master Lu Zhen has a lot of charm."


    Lu Zhen turned around at Lu Qing. "Of course, I have charms. Our Lu Imperial family has excellent gicsbined with my cultivation and the genes I have from my mother as well." He spoke with a proud tone.


    Lu Qing nodded her head with agreement.


    "So, what did you contact me for, Lu Qing?" Lu Zhen asked with a strange expression as they walked in a slow pace.


    "Well, the devices are alreadypleted, young master." She said respectfully.


    Lu Zhen''s crimson eyes brightened when he heard this. "The devices are already prepared?"


    "Yes, young master. Due to the number of people you have given us, our work power has increased by at least ten times, causing our work to progress by leaps and bounds."


    Lu Zhen nodded his head with a satisfied expression. "Good, what about the guards that I told you to work on?"


    "The training of those people is also going well, young masters. Not only are they being trained properly, royalty is being engraved in them." Lu Qing spoke.


    Lu Zhen nodded his head. He was no saint. How could he nurture people who would stab him in the back? That was just in stupidity to him, and he would never understand such a person.


    Besides, it wasn''t like he was saving them because if he didn''t bring them here, most probably they would all die by the forest wild beasts.


    So Lu Zhen had no shred of hesitation at all.


    "After I return from the ancestors'' pce, I woulde to your research," Lu Zhen nonchntly said.


    "Yes, young master." Lu Qing bowed and left the ce.


    However, just as she was about to leave, Lu Zhen suddenly asked.


    "How is my mother-inw doing?" Lu Zhen asked with a smirk on his face.


    Lu Qing turned around with a confused expression. "Mother-inw?"


    "The woman I gave you, Xiaolong Gui."


    "Oh, young master, she is being well taken care of." Lu Qing said with a strange expression.


    With that said, Lu Zhen and Lu Qing both separated ways.

 Chapter 276: Attempting to Appraise

    Lu Zhen''s crimson eyes flickered as he patiently waited for the two old men in front of him to finish their game of chess that they have been ying for ages now.


    "What''s so special about these chessboards anyway?" He thought with an amused expression on his face.


    The two old men moved their queens elegantly, however, Lu Zhen already knew that it was a draw a long time ago.


    As expected, with only the king and queen left on the board, no matter how experienced they were, both evenly matched, causing the game to be drawn as well.


    The moment they finished, immediately their attention was drawn towards Lu Zhen, who was looking at them with his crimson gaze.


    "What happened, Lu Zhen?" Lu Ming asked with a confused expression.


    "Didn''t I tell ancestor Lu to cultivate in seclusion, but now you are ying¡­"


    "It''s better to take a break sometime. I am old and can''t stay in that cooped-up ce for a long time." Lu Ming said with a sigh on his face.


    "These old men," Lu Zhen rolled his eyes.


    "By the way, the bloodline extractor isplete." He said with a glint in his eyes.


    "Already?" Lu Ming asked with a surprised expression.


    "Yeah, it is. This is your only chance you could potentially have to break through and reach the middle tier of the first-stage martial realm." Lu Zhen said with a grumble. "What shitty ''very close to breaking through''? This old man isn''t even close to breaking through yet."


    Lu Mingughed it off with a thick skin.


    "You can clearly hear the disappointed voice of your grandson, Lu Ming. Tsk tsk." Fang Yin shook his head. "If I had such a capable grandson, then I might not be in this state right now."


    "Hmph, even if you have a capable descent, you would still be in this condition. In fact, your condition might be even more miserable instead. No matter how hard a martial artist''s journey is, harsh and long, no one can reach the peak and fight those old monsters so easily." Lu Ming said with a sigh.


    "You are right, Lu Ming." Fang Yin nodded his head with a sigh.


    "Let''s go then, Lu Zhen." Lu Ming looked at him with a mixture of pride in his eyes.


    "Yes, ancestor." Lu Zhen nodded his head respectfully and he made his way out with the two old men, one in the form of youth, almost like his age, and the other in the guise of a middle-aged man, followed him.


    "Ancestor Lu, about your disciple, I don''t see her here anymore-"


    "Oh, my disciple. I sent her to train in the forest for now and keep an eye out for the army in case theye." Lu Ming said with an uncaring expression.


    "Why are you asking? Do you like her or something?" His eyes glinted with amusement.


    Lu Zhen smiled hearing this. "I already have my hands full, you know that ancestor already."


    Lu Ming chuckled as he nodded his head.


    Before long, they arrived at the huge pce with "Leader Lu Zhen''s Pce" written in a bold form with excellent calligraphy.


    "You have moved the Lu Residence in a strategic order and even maintained a strong grip around the city now¡­"


    The more Fang Yin talked, the more he uttered praises for Lu Zhen, except that these were all facts that caused his eyes to widen the more he spoke.


    At the end, he truly sighed.


    "You really have a terrifying grandson, Lu Ming." He said with jealousy in his eyes.


    A proud expression appeared on Lu Ming''s face as he nodded.


    "But Lu Zhen, are you sure that relocating the Lu pce from the west corner of the city to the center is a good idea, Lu Zhen?" He asked tentatively.


    "Don''t worry, everything is arranged in a statistical way, and you very soon will know the reason behind these allocations and the strange devices that I set up in the walls. Even the building that I have forced the others to reconstruct ording to my design is all ording to my n." Lu Zhen said with a confident expression on his face.


    "Well, if you say so." Lu Ming nodded his head while Fang Yin was just quiet.


    The trio entered his pce, greeted by Lu Qing.


    "Ancestor Lu, Uncle Yin, and Leader." Lu Qing greeted me with a respectful expression.


    "Hmm, I have many capable descendants." Lu Ming nodded his head and extended his hand.


    "Here, take this." chapter source m vl _emp-y,r


    Lu Qing respectfully took it without hesitation. Since the ancestor Lu was giving it to her, it would be only disrespectful to not take it.


    She looked at the silver hairpin with a confused expression on her face.


    "This is an artifact, well, to be exact, a semi one. Drop some blood into it." Lu Ming said with a mysterious expression.


    Lu Qing looked at Lu Zhen, and seeing him nod his head with an uncaring expression, she immediately made a small cut from her teeth and dripped a drop of blood into the silver hairpin.


    Swoosh!


    The hairpin floated up from her hand, making the wind almost tear. It floated in circles of Lu Qing.


    "Ancestor Lu, this is¡­" Her eyes widened.


    "This is a reward that you deserve for working so hard." Lu Ming said with a smile.


    Immediately, Lu Qing bowed and thanked Lu Ming dearly.


    Lu Zhen looked at these with an amused expression.


    The hairpin was almost at the same level as his divine chains but still wasn''t up to his level yet. Even the power of these things, from the estimation he could make, was far smaller than his.


    So it was very valid for it to be called the semi-artifact level, but that doesn''t mean its power wasn''t terrifying.


    In the town, even second-stage martial artists might kill for these weapons. Since the weapon was very low in supply and quantity because of the scarcity of cksmiths.


    However, the Lu Family had plenty of cksmith martial artist and had almost all the town''s cksmiths in control.


    That''s why umting wasn''t really hard for them, mainly because of the reason that Lu Ming was a first-stage martial artist and had almost a grandmaster proficiency in cksmithing.


    Even the rogue martial artists who wanted to learn cksmithing from him all came to him for learning, eventually turning into a firm disciple of the Lu Family.


    "This is also one of the major reasons how we have maintained our grip as one of the four major families for so long," Lu Zhen sighed thinking of these.


    Although having a first-stage martial artist was already enough, people had nefarious thoughts and ambition. Just having a central figure wasn''t enough to create an entire force.


    But now it didn''t matter either way.


    "Hmm, I wonder how the status of Lu Ming and Fang Yin would be shown." Lu Zhen suddenly thought with his crimson eyes.


    While the two old men were distracted with Lu Qing, his crimson pupils changed to a golden hue.


    [Attempting to appraise]


    A blue panel appeared in front of his eyes, causing Lu Zhen to frown.


    "I have never seen this before."

 Chapter 277: Peers into the Soul

    Lu Zhen frowned as he and the two old men were slowly led by Lu Qing made their way through his passageway, littered with various arts and furnishings.


    He looked at the blue panel in front of him, which showed a red cross with an error written on it.


    Not only that, there was written a small text just below it called "attack."


    "System, what is this attack option?" Lu Zhen called out internally.


    [Host, this is a new function of the system that allows you to attack someone through the defense they have from their Intent.] The familiar cold mechanical voice of the system sounded in his head.


    "Wait, you mean to say that intent protected those old men from the appraisal?" Lu Zhen narrowed his crimson eyes.


    [Yes]


    "Hmm," A frown marred Lu Zhen''s face. "Does this intent really canpete with the system?" His eyes widened in disbelief.


    [No, host. These entities are far weaker than the system, the creator who created me or even I myself is far stronger than them. But these energies provide a certain defense to the soul, protecting it in a certain way. The Appraisal skill that Host uses actually peers the soul of every object in his sight. That is the reason.]


    "Wait, creator?" Lu Zhen raised his eyebrows.


    [Yes, creator host]


    "Who is your creator?"


    [You were the one who created me and the one who gave me existence is the higher being. Lowering me toe with you to this world with your transmigration. He was also the one who wiped out the original soul of the body.]


    "But I am not strong." Lu Zhen asked with a question mark.


    [It is unknown but from the database it seems like you were stronger.]


    A frown appeared on his face.


    "Any info about these so-called higher beings?" Lu Zhen asked.


    He pretty much knew that he had created the system however the system previously said it under another influence wo who knew if it was true or not but now it was pretty much confirmed.


    [No]


    Lu Zhen shook his head with a sigh hearing this.


    "Lu Zhen, is this the ce?"


    He was suddenly startled awake by the voice of Lu Ming as he nodded his head.


    "Yes, it is the ce." Lu Zhen nodded his head as he looked at the wall in front of himself, directly pressing a certain point.


    With a "rumble," the wall split open, and the four walked in.


    The room was even more futuristic than the one Lu Zhen previously had made, with many even betterputers or rather supeputers now.


    And they weren''t Manless as well, with countless skilled personnel who were all there, operating the things.


    The moment they entered, everyone''s gaze was drawn towards Lu Zhen and the others.


    "Leader Lu Zhen," They greeted with reverence in their eyes.


    "Hmm," Lu Zhen nodded his head expressionlessly. "Continue with your work."


    Discover secrets at m-vl-emp _yr.


    "Yes, leader."


    Everyone replied enthusiastically and went back to their works.


    "Lu Zhen, you seemed to have be even more of a big shot than me. I wasn''t even greeted by them, but you were." Lu Ming said with a grumble.


    "Well, they love their work, and the reason they greeted me is, after all, I gave them the chance to join in this and taught them how to use it." Lu Zhen replied with a simple smile on his face, with some heart pain.


    He has wasted a lot of time screening them individually and teaching them the basics of it, which cut a lot of time from his cultivation as well.


    "Sigh, I should probably start focusing on my cultivation fully again after I finish these troubles." Lu Zhen rubbed his forehead.


    He didn''t want to go to the outside world yet, at least until he became a first-stage martial artist.


    "So, how will the bloodline be transferred to Lu Zhen?" Fang Yin asked curiously.


    "Well," A smirk graced Lu Zhen lips as he beckoned to Lu Qing, to which she nodded and went away showcasing an object wrapped in a dark nket.


    She unhesitantly opened the dark nket.


    Fang Yin''s eyes widened with astonishment. "This is¡­." With the simr expression from Lu Ming as well.


    While Lu Zhen smiled as he looked in front of him with his crimson eyes.


    Therey a quiet, huge motor with weirdly heart-shaped pumps and two huge injections that were empty.


    "What is this?" Lu Ming asked with a strange expression on his face.


    "This is the blood extractor. It is quite easy to use as well." Lu Zhen said in a simple tone.


    "Are you sure these would even work?"


    The more Lu Ming looked at the cold metal, his expression turned even stranger.


    "Yeah, it will have the bloodline for it as well." Lu Zhen looked at Lu Qing again, and she nodded her head as she walked out of the room.


    "Where is she going now?" Lu Ming asked with a frown.


    Lu Zhen didn''t reply instead. He looked at the old man with a glint in his eyes. "Ancestor Lu, before I put the bloodline on you, I will tell you the crucial thing about it."


    "Hmm, what is it?" Lu Ming asked with his frown deepening. The atmosphere suddenly became serious, while Fang Yin didn''t speak, choosing to remain silent.


    "There is a chance of you dying." Lu Zhen replied with a simple expression on his face.


    "Me dying?" Lu Ming asked with disbelief. "Aren''t they just the bloodline of a first-stage martial beast."


    "Yeah, it is, however, the true power hidden in the bloodline of a first-stage martial beast is terrifying, and besides, the beast bloodline that I am injecting you with is from outside the martial world." Lu Zhen said patiently.


    "Outside the Martial world, you know about the outside world?" Lu Ming and Fang Yin both asked with a surprised tone.


    Their own powerhouse demeanor was no longer reced by a child who is curious.


    "Well, kinda." Lu Zhen replied while scratching his head.


    "What do you mean kinda then?"


    "I haven''t gone outside the martial world, in fact, I haven''t even left the vicinity of the forest of the phoenix city, but I have some information about it."


    "How?" Fang Yin asked.


    "I have my ways." Lu Zhen replied with a smile on his face.


    "Besides, this isn''t the most important part. The bloodline of this world''s beasts are in active or in simple words, weak. Even if there might be a higher stage martial beast that you ancestor Lu, after nting the bloodline, you might not even breakthrough or even have any increase in your strength." Lu Zhen replied, which made ancestor Lu nod his head.


    The beast in this martial world was very very feeble and weak, no matter how high their realm reached.


    It wasn''t even extraordinary to kill a beast of higher realm by some talents as well; there are many such cases even in the Lu Imperial family.


    Now that it has even flourished, it could only be said that such talents are found in like drains in a bag.


    "So, I will imnt the bloodline into you of another world beast that has an equivalent power of the first-stage martial realm; however, the chances of you dying would also be high since the bloodline would be really chaotic¡­"


    "Just do it, Lu Zhen. I am already old and dying soon. If I don''t break through, I might never break through." Ancestor Lu said with his eyes shing with determination.


    "Martial artists aren''t walking a flowery path, we are walking a path filled with thorns if you don''t advance, you will die from the thorns that wille to bite you eventually."

 Chapter 278: Information about the Advanced Qi

    Soon, Lu Qing returned to the room with a vial in her hand. Inside the vial was an eerie, greenish-dark liquid that seemed to emit a mysterious aura.


    Despite being a martial trainee, Lu Qing''s hand made crisp, burnt noises, as if the hand holding the vial was being scorched.


    Lu Ming''s eyes narrowed the more he looked at the terrifying aura emitted by the liquid inside the vial.


    "I think I finally understand why you said previously that I might die if it couldn''t be sessfully imnted," Lu Ming said with a sigh.


    "Ancestor Lu, do you want to step back?" Lu Zhen asked, a glint in his eyes.


    "No, I will face it," Lu Ming chuckled, fully releasing his aura. However, it wasn''t an oppressive aura; instead, it was very gentle and passed through the people surrounding him like the wind. Gradually, his aura seemed to slightly resonate with an ancient old tree resembling it.


    Lu Zhen observed Lu Ming with a glint in his eyes. Although the cultivation method they both practised was the same, there existed a distinct difference. Lu Ming still possessed wood Qi, one of the fundamental elements, a feature absent in Lu Zhen''s own cultivation. Remarkably, Lu Ming had yet to advance his Qi even up to this point.


    With determination flickering in his eyes, Lu Ming asked, "So, where should I go now, Lu Zhen?" His youthful vigor seemed to sparkle once more.


    "Well, Lu Qing needs to imnt some drops of the vial directly into your body. After that, you have to enter the pod over there," Lu Zhen pointed towards the tube in the centre of the room. "If you can endure the process and remain alive, you will survive."


    "Hmm," Lu Ming nodded in understanding. Shortly after, Lu Qing administered the liquid from the vial through an injection.


    As the liquid entered the injection, it emitted a sizzling sound, reminiscent ofva. Miraculously, the injection remained unaffected, prompting a nod and a smile from Lu Zhen.


    "Looks like the material is sufficient to endure the bloodline," Lu Zhen remarked, his crimson eyes squinting as he observed the green liquid bobbing from time to time, as if imbued with life. He even sensed a faint trace of vitality asionally released by the bloodline.


    "This is quite a fascinating thing," he muttered.


    Unfazed, Lu Ming walked up to Lu Qing and extended his hand towards her.


    "I apologise, ancestor," Lu Qing spoke in a respectful tone as she swiftly aimed the injection at the nerves of Lu Ming, putting her full strength into the needle.


    Shish!


    The needle prated his nerves as Lu Qing exerted her full strength. With her other hand, she pushed the plunger. The moment the greenish-dark liquid entered Lu Ming''s body, a guttural roar echoed, sending shockwaves throughout the area.


    "This¡­" Lu Zhen hurriedly looked at Feng Yin for healing, who nodded and extended his hand, containing the roar within a metre surrounding Lu Ming.


    "Ahhhh!"


    Lu Ming''s scream echoed in the room, hisplexion slowly turning blood-red as if consumed by deep anger. His entire body writhed in pain, emitting small traces of smoke.


    Lu Zhen''s nose twitched. "The smell of burning something," he noted. Hurriedly, he looked at Lu Ming and urged, "Ancestor Lu, you should enter the pod quickly."


    "Yes," Lu Ming replied with muffled grunts, mustering his strength to slowly make his way towards the pod.


    "Should we help him, young master?" Lu Qing asked with a tentative expression.


    "No, he needs to bear this burden himself," Lu Zhen stated with a cold expression, his crimson eyes shing with determination.


    "For one to imnt these bloodlines, the first thing that one must have is resistance to the pain. I wish anaesthesia would work, but unfortunately, the pain wouldn''t lessen with it," Lu Zhen thought with bitterness.


    He had already imnted bloodlines into many animals before the test, yet to his disappointment, no matter what drugs or pain-reducing methods he used, nothing worked to alleviate the pain from the bloodline imntation, making him bitter.


    Besides, this pain was just the first step. If one couldn''t endure this much, then it was better not to undergo the process at all.


    However, Lu Ming persisted and barely made it into the pod, his skin already blood-red, with veins visibly popping all over his body like he had gone senile with pure rage. The steam that came out of his body became even more in quantity.


    "Start the process," Lu Zhen instructed, looking at Lu Qing, who nodded and rang a small bell.


    The moment it rang, everyone in the room began to fully focus on their respective tasks.


    Whoosh!


    The pod closed, and blue liquid started pouring out from inside it. However, Lu Ming was so engrossed in the nerve-ending pain that he couldn''t care less about what happened in his surroundings. Before long, he was fully submerged, covering the entire pod with the blue liquid.


    "Hopefully, this will work," Lu Zhen muttered to himself.


    "So, what do we do now?" Fang Yin asked with a confused expression.


    "Well, we wait," Lu Zhen replied in a simple tone.


    "Okay," Fang Yin nodded, remaining silent.


    "By the way, Uncle Yin, I am curious about one thing," Lu Zhen suddenly spoke with a confused expression.


    "Oh, what is it?" Fang Yin asked, wearing an amused expression.


    "Well, Ancestor Lu is a first-stage martial artist, and as per my knowledge, first-stage martial artists should have enhanced their Qi by now. However, seeing the ancestor, there is no sign of it at all," Lu Zhen asked with curiosity.


    Hearing this, however, made Fang Yin roll his eyes. "Do you think advancing your Qi is so easy? Although technically every first-stage martial artist could advance their Qi, it all depends on chance or specifically luck itself. It has nothing to do with strength at all," Fang Yin said with a regretful sigh.


    "Even if you are in the peak of the first-stage martial realm, advancing your Qi might still not be possible at all. It relies on lucky encounters for you to get a chance to everprehend beyond the martial arts cultivation technique after reaching its peak."


    "Oh," Lu Zhen nodded, "has Uncle Yin ever achieved it himself?"


    "About that," Fang Yin coughed with an embarrassed expression. "I haven''t yet."


    "Okay," Lu Zhen expressionlessly replied; however, his eyes glinted with a strange expression.


    "So I have done something that even a first-stage martial artist couldn''t do?" His expression morphed into contemtion as the realisation sank in.


    Lu Zhen summoned his system once again, a familiar blue panel flickering in front of him before it stabilised again.


    ¡ª--------------


    [LEVEL UP]


    ¡ª-----


    [Name: Lu Zhen]


    --------


    [Race: Human]


    [Bloodline: Human/ Thin Volgrith]


    exclusive content mv-lempyr


    [Lifespan left: 329 years]


    ¡ª Click to See more.----


    His status hasn''t changed much over the past month at all; however, that wasn''t the main purpose of him opening his system.


    Lu Zhen side-nced at Fang Ying, who had his stern expression just like normal without a hint of any change.


    However, this didn''t confirm much about it, so he called Fang Yin while carefully looking at every change of expression on his face.


    "What is it?" Fang Yin asked.

 Chapter 279: Higher Dimension Probability

    "I wanted to ask if you would also like to transnt bloodline like ancestor Lu although it might not make you breakthrough but your strength will definitely rise through the ranking."


    "Oh," a contemtive expression morphed into Fang Yin''s face. However, eventually, he shook his head with pity. "I don''t want to gain strength this way. My talent is still sufficient for me to push myself. I don''t need to take any risks right now."


    Lu Zhen nodded his head respectfully.


    Although Martial Artists walked a thorny path, that didn''t mean they should find shortcuts to strengthen themselves.


    Usually, only people like Lu Ming who were too old and didn''t have the talent or the urgency to progress would do such a thing.


    There was a difference between bravery and foolishness.


    Lu Zhen remained silent as he looked at the pot containing Ancestor Lu. Fang Yin too became silent.


    "So he doesn''t see this, huh¡­" Lu Zhen mused to himself, seeing the blue panel again.


    Actually, Lu Zhen was quite afraid that these first-stage martial artists could see his panel as well. You can never be too careful, especially in this world of martial arts.


    Suddenly, a soul-rendering scream came from inside the tube, attracting Lu Zhen''s attention to it.


    Lu Ming was screaming with a broken voice. His eyes were pupil-less, and his body was bulging, bing as red asva itself.


    "Start the process now." Lu Zhen shouted in a loud andmanding voice.


    Boom! Boom!


    The blue liquid started to boil with fury, creating thundering sounds.


    Lu Ming''s body started to inte even more.


    Lu Zhen frowned.


    "Have you applied everything that I instructed you to do?" he said in a hoarse voice.


    "Yes, young master. Everything has gone ording to your instructions." Lu Qing bowed. She had juste from checking everyone.


    "Good. How high was thepatibility?" Lu Zhen asked, his expression gradually turning serious.


    "Well, about thepatibility, it is about seventy percent, leader." Lu Qing said, her voice tinged with excitement.


    "Oh," Lu Zhen nodded his head with a satisfied expression on his face.


    "Young master, how did you even know how muchpatibility ancestor Lu had even without him even entering the pod?" Lu Qing couldn''t help but ask curiously.


    "Well," a smile graced Lu Zhen''s lips as he pointed at his brain. "My brain did it for me."


    "What? Is that even humanly possible?" Lu Qing said with a surprised expression.


    "You are seeing it right now, aren''t you?"


    Lu Zhen said with a chuckle, which caused her to nod her head.


    "Isn''t that right, system? Since you are in my brain area, you can be considered as my brain as well." Lu Zhen internally thought with a smirk on his face.


    [Although I might be in your brain, host, in factuality, I am not part of the brain.]


    The cold mechanical voice rang in Lu Zhen''s ears, causing him to roll his eyes.


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    "Thank you for telling me this. When something like this happens again, don''t fact-check me."


    [Your wee, host. These will be recorded in my database then.]


    "Good."


    Actually, after the restriction from the red light had disappeared from his system, the level-up system''s capacity topute had be way higher than before.


    Not only could it calcte more than Lu Zhen could with his own consciousness, but the level-up system also gained the mysterious power of probability.


    Not like the three-dimensional one that Lu Zhen was in, but instead, the system could calcte the probability of things in a higher dimension.


    Although the specific dimension even the system didn''t know, nevertheless, it was clear that as long as Lu Zhen gave the system data, it could calcte probability very urately.


    This was definitely useful to have.


    Fang Yin''s attention was also drawn towards him and Lu Qing.


    "Really now, Lu Zhen, you are really terrifying in yourprehension of things. If you could learn some formation¡­"


    "I have learned the basics of the formation already, uncle Yin." Lu Zhen replied with a smile.


    Fang Yin raised his eyebrow in a surprised expression.


    "How was it then?"


    "Well, it didn''t go as smoothly as I expected. Although I couldprehend these things, something seemed to becking for me to put it all together." Lu Zhen shook his head with a sigh.


    "Oh," Fang Yin was even more surprised when he heard this.


    "Although my speed is still better than an average person, I can''t put much dedication into formation currently because I need to increase my own strength first and foremost for it." Lu Zhen said respectfully.


    "Hmm, too bad then. I had a person who wanted to take a disciple who was proficient in the formation," Fang Yin said while shaking his head.


    "Well, ancestor, I have a person you might be interested in if that is the case about it." A smirk formed on his face.


    ¡­


    "I want to die," Lu Ming wanted to say, however, only the rage that seeped from deep inside him came as a roar. No matter how he tried, the soul-rendering pain never went away from him, keeping him conscious.


    "I will make you wish that you were never born!"


    These words that Lu Ming had told to his countless enemies that were already long returned to nature, now it hase back to bite him in the ankles.


    The same thing he had said to his countless opponents now Lu Ming was experiencing it himself.


    "When will these end?"


    Just then, as if adding to his misery, a deep heat started to burn inside his body as the bloodline rampaged and reached his gene level.


    After the bloodline reached his genes, its violent nature became even more active, with his greenish blood slowly starting to burn, creating smokes that seemed to cause a strange change to Lu Ming.


    His entire body grew even bigger than his inted state as smoke covered the entire tube despite being submerged in the blue liquid.

 Chapter 280: Higher Concept

    Just at this tie, the blue liquid moved in symphony and moved into the body of ancestor Lu immediately and was sucked into his body.


    The moment it did, the blue liquid moved in his body in a terrifying speed, reaching the greenish bloodline that was slowly modifying the gene of Lu Ming.


    Sizzle!


    Acting like a cooling function, the bloodline was moderately suppressed enough to cause the bloodline to modify Lu Ming''s genes but not harm the body with it.


    Immediately, the pain lessened for Lu Ming, causing him to sigh of relief, and the expansion of his red body finally gradually stopped.


    "Is it finally over?" Lu Ming thought while heaving a sigh of relief.


    The bloodline gradually changed his gene, although it still pained. However, the pain wasn''t much now as it was previously. He could still cope with this much pain.


    Before long, the bloodline fully converted into smoke, which all turned towards his genes, causing a strange reaction to it.


    Before long, Lu Ming returned to his normal human state with a calm expression on his face, as if nothing had happened to him at all.


    However, there was some slight distinction between the previously Lu Ming and the now one. His green hair had grownrger by the shoulder, and sharp nails grew from his hand, with his forehead which seemed to have grown a little bigger. The yellowish pupil of his eyes changed into ck.


    "My body." Lu Ming looked at his sharp fingernail, almost like a beast with narrowed eyes.


    Just then, while he was essing his own body, his wood Qi became unusually active inside his body.


    "This is¡­"


    His eyes widened, and he hurriedly sat cross-legged on the ground while closing his eyes.


    Immediately, his body started to overflow with Wood Qi so dense that small nks of wood started to form around him almost simultaneously.


    "Is he going to break through now?" Lu Zhen thought with some excitement in his crimson pupils.


    "Lu Zhen, make all these guys leave the room," Fang Yin patted Lu Zhen''s shoulder with a sigh.


    "Yes, uncle Yin." Lu Zhen nodded his head respectfully and looked at Lu Qing.


    She immediately went to everyone, and the people there immediately left the room with some reluctance on their faces.


    Before long, only Lu Zhen, Lu Qing, Fang Yin, and Lu Ming were in the room.


    The aura around Lu Ming grew stronger and stronger with time, and his bones made crisp breaking noises as if they were being snapped open.


    Fang Yin extended his hand, isting the aura from Lu Ming to go outward, with a smile on his face.


    "This¡­ Bloodline is truly amazing, Lu Zhen." Fang Yin said with an excited tone, looking at him. His demeanour waspletely unlike that of a first-stage martial artist.


    "Well, I can transnt this on you as well." Lu Zhen said with a shrug.


    Hearing this, Fang Yin hesitated for a split second before he gritted his teeth with determination. "No."


    "As you wish, uncle Yin." Lu Zhen nodded his head and looked at the breakthrough of Lu Ming carefully. Enjoy reading at m _v _le _mp _yr.


    His crimson pupils seemed to turn greenish the more he looked at the breakthrough of Lu Ming. He gradually fell into a trance, his crimson eyes now shining with a shing, blinking green light that covered the entire ce.


    "This is¡­" Lu Qing frowned as she was about to call Lu Zhen, however, Fang Yin hurriedly stopped her.


    "Are you blind? He is learning from Lu Ming himself." Fang Yin said with a frown on his face.


    "Huh," Lu Qing was stunned when she heard this. "Ancestor Lu is teaching Lu Zhen?"


    "Well, something like that. Since Lu Ming and Lu Zhen both practised the same cultivation technique, Lu Zhen has a chance toprehend more of the mystery of the profound cultivation technique. However, how much he couldprehend would still depend on himself." Fang Yin said with a smile on his face.


    "Oh," Lu Qing still had an uncertain expression on her face.


    "You can ask me whatever you want. I am feeling generous," Fang Yin said while shaking hands.


    "Thank you, uncle Yin." Lu Qing bowed. However, she knew that neither her status nor strength could beparable enough to even speak with a powerhouse that was even more powerful than their ancestor. That left only one option: since she was the assistant of Lu Zhen, then it was most likely to have a more friendly rtion with Lu Zhen rather than herself.


    Lu Qing knew this deeply, and she subconsciously started to make Lu Zhen her idol in her heart, almost like he was her god she must pray to.


    Suppressing her thoughts, she asked Fang Yin tentatively.


    "Why can I notprehend anything even though I also have Wood Qi and simr cultivation techniques?" she asked with confusion.


    "You don''t know such basic knowledge?" Fang Yin asked with a surprised expression. However, he soon nodded his head.


    This knowledge wasn''t too public and didn''t have much use for it anywhere. Only after you be a first-stage martial artist will it be important to consider.


    So it was neglected for decades, resulting in the loss of knowledge after decades of being ignored.


    "Forget it. I''ll tell you now. Although you also cultivate Wood Qi, yours is much different than theirs," Fang Yin said while looking at Lu Zhen.


    "How so, Uncle Yin?" Lu Qing asked.


    "Well, because of the cultivation technique itself. No matter which Qi you have, the main difference lies in the cultivation technique. Their cultivation technique is superior to yours, and yours is more of a weaker version of it.


    Although the concept might be the same, the attributeless Qi they draw from the surroundings and convert to Wood Qi is vastly different from yours," Fang Yin exined, causing Lu Qing to nod her head in understanding.


    "Since their concept is higher than what you''re familiar with, you cannotprehend it as well."

 Chapter 281: Peak of Second-stage Martial Realm

    Lu Zhen''s crison eyes kept shining with green light as he remained still.


    Although no change seemed to have happened to him in particr, inside his body, the nt Qi was unusually active, and his vision changed to the tree again, his form from the cultivation technique.


    The tree was pretty much crystal clear to his vision, and the branches that extended out from the tree had numerous statuses of important people in his life who had made a certain impact on his life: Lu Ying, Lily, Xia Mei, and many more.


    Lu Zhen even noticed his mother from his previous world and some more people. If he had to count by hand, it would be numbering in the hundreds already. Not only that, there were weapon-shaped branches that extended out masterfully as if they were all alive.


    These weapons were all the things that Lu Zhen had trained and had some certain degree of mastery in.


    "This is almost like a garden for all the things that have impacted my life." Lu Zhen thought to himself. His body was almost in a ghostly form, looking at his true form.


    However, Lu Zhen suddenly noticed something.


    "Has it grown bigger now?" he thought with an amused expression.


    Suddenly, the tree started to sh in a green light, engulfing Lu Zhen with it.


    In the real world too, his bulky body started to shine with a green shing light, covering the entire room with it.


    "This isn''t a green light, this¡­ this is¡­" Lu Qing jumped up in shock.


    "It''s the pure element of¡­ hmm?" Suddenly, a frown appeared on Fang Yin''s face. "This element is simr to the Wood Qi, however, it seems to be more advanced than even Lu Ming''s Qi."


    His body and nt Qi resonated with his true form at the same time simultaneously.


    The shing green light gradually stopped.


    Lu Zhen''s crimson eyes gradually gained rity, his body filled with power.


    "Ho." He took a deep breath, and the moment he exhaled, a green gas came out of his mouth.


    This wasn''t normal air but was thebination of pure nt Qi.


    "My Qi?" Lu Zhen essed his body. The nt Qi inside his body had grown stronger and be even more powerful. Not only that¡­


    Lu Zhen extended his hand, and a green solid object simr to his hand extended from his real hand.


    "My nt Qi can materialize fully out of my body now." Lu Zhen nodded his head with satisfaction.


    He could also feel his body that was gradually being strengthened after beingbined with the true form, causing a strange reaction.


    Although Lu Zhen didn''t know what change it would result in, however, he knew one thing: once his body fullybined with the true form, his strength would rapidly enhance as well.


    [Your physique has been strengthened]


    [Divine Physique has leveled up from Second-stage martial realm (peak) to First stage Martial Realm (half step)]


    A familiar blue screen caught Lu Zhen''s ears that he had not seen for a long time now.


    "I finally leveled up after a long time," he mused to himself with some excitement.


    Although this might not be from his Qi cultivation breakthrough only, Lu Zhen had remembered that when he devoured the envoys'' strange power, a strange reaction had happened in his body which caused his physique to increase significantly.


    And many other things happened in between which all strengthened his physique above and beyond.


    However, the final push might have been his breakthrough with the physique resonating with his true form, which all attributed to his system levelling his physique even more.


    "I am one step away from my goal of reaching first-stage martial arts with my physique, and if I can do it with my Qi as well then¡­" Lu Zhen couldn''t imagine how powerful he would be by then.


    "Lu Zhen, are you alright?"


    Lu Zhen looked behind him and nodded at Fang Yin. "Yes, uncle Yin, I am alright." he said with a smile on his face.


    "Good." Fang Yin''s eyes shed.


    Lu Ming was still sitting in a cross-legged position, slowly meditating with his eyes closed.


    "Hmm?" Seeing this, a frown appeared on Lu Zhen''s face.


    "It will take some time for Lu Ming to break through." Fang Yin said with a sigh.


    "How much time would it exactly take, uncle Yin?" Lu Zhen asked with curiosity.


    "Well, the least would be five hours, however, the maximum would be even two to three days. It all depends on oneself." Fang Yin replied with a mysterious smile. "By the way, Lu Zhen, when did you advance your Qi?"


    Lu Zhen revealed a bitter expression when he heard this. "Well, it hasn''t been long. I just had a sh of inspiration which made me gather some materials, and then when Ibined them all, my Wood Qi was instantly upgraded with it."


    "Oh." Fang Yin nodded his head.


    Lu Zhen looked at Fang Yin with a strange glint; however, he refrained from speaking, his face remaining impassive.


    Actually, he still didn''t trust these men yet. Trust was a fleeting feeling. As long as their interests aligned, they were friends. However, if it didn''t then¡­


    "You must be wondering why I didn''t doubt you." Fang Yin said with a chuckle.


    "Yes, uncle Yin." Lu Zhen said with a smile on his face.


    "Somehow I can never read what you have in your mind even with my centuries of experience. You are definitely one to hide your emotions to a terrifying degree, aren''t you?" Fang Yin said with a chuckle.


    "Well¡­" Lu Zhen just nodded his head shamelessly with no reply. If one let their vulnerability be revealed so easily, then they would be the first to die.


    "Forget it." Fang Yin shook his head. Although he didn''t know how this boy pulled it off, somehow he could hide anything, even closer to his real reaction.


    Even he couldn''t achieve this level of maniption of his entire body to this degree even as a first-stage martial artist.


    "The reason I believe you is that there are some geniuses outside of this little town who have advanced their Qi even when they were in a third-stage martial realm, sopared to them, you are not so special in a certain way." Fang Ying said with a chuckle.


    "Really?" Lu Zhen raised his eyebrows when he heard this.


    "Yeah, really. This is true." Fang Yin said. "However, these geniuses have mostly consumed many heavenly treasures ande from high and mighty sects that have a terrifying peak first-stage martial artist as their ancestor. They have been passed down from generation to generation as well."


    Lu Zhen nodded his head. Since his system could advance his Qi, then there must be other artificial ways to advance Qi as well, just that it was very rare.


    Which he could understand.


    "They might be arriving soon, Lu Zhen." Fang Yin''s said.


    The atmosphere suddenly became heavy and serious after Fang Yin uttered these words.


    "How far are they?" Lu Zhen asked with a frown on his face, breaking the silence.


    Lu Qing was already soaked in cold sweat from those words. She knew about the army that Lu Zhen had asionally talked to her about it as well.

 Chapter 282: Sect Leader Miss Feng

    The marching army moved forward in an unwavering stride, as always, with two cloaked figures in the sky leading them, just as before.


    A small bird, hidden underneath the shade of a huge tree, observed the marching army.


    Experience tales on NovelFire _emp _y,r.


    Its head bobbed up and down, and its pupils were inverted blue, with a dim light glowing in its eyes.


    "They are very close and should be able to reach here in about a week," Fang Yin muttered, his eyes also inverted and glowing blue like the bird''s.


    "Is a week enough?" Lu Zhen wondered, a strange expression on his face.


    "Hmm, I don''t know," Fang Yin shook his head with a sigh. "The inheritance cave is a mystery to me. I still haven''t gone there. However, from my knowledge, those who have gone there sometimese out after just an hour, while others take years¡­"


    "Then this is troublesome," Lu Zhen said, a frown on his face.


    "We have to wait for Lu Ming as well. It seems we won''t be able to go to the inheritance anytime soon," Fang Yin sighed.


    Just then, the bird, which had been hiding in the tree, was spotted by two figures flying above the army.


    One of the figures instantly moved, reaching the ce and slightly extending his hand forward, although it was a light move, a gigantic hand formed in mid-air crushing the tree and the bird together.


    Boom!


    Fang Yin''s eyes returned from glowing blue to normal, and his inverted eyes also reverted.


    "They found my bird," he said, looking at Lu Zhen.


    "Do you have a n on how to defeat them?"


    "Yes, I do have a n," a sneer gradually formed on Lu Zhen''s face.


    "Let''s wait until the ancestor breaks through now."


    "Okay," Fang Yin nodded, his eyes gleaming with determination.


    ¡­


    The cloaked male figure returned nonchntly.


    "Did you kill that bird?" the female cloaked person asked.


    "Yes," the male cloaked figure nodded.


    "The opponent is strong this time, so we need to be careful," she said.


    "Well, no matter how powerful they are, ording to the intel, there is only one first-stage martial artist, and that too of a lower tier. It is an overkill for both of us at middle first-stage martial artist to go, and as if that wasn''t an overkill, bringing the death army as well?" the man shrugged while chuckling.


    "This is very important for the future of our force, so you can never be too careful about it, got it?" the woman replied in a cold tone.


    "As you say, Sect Leader Feng." The man bowed, and the woman nodded.


    "The inheritance cave is too important to be left behind just like that in this small ce. If the other force knew about it, we would be in more trouble," Feng thought with a sneer on her face.


    She was actually the sect leader of their sect, and the man beside her was an elder of the sect who had just broken through the mid-first-stage martial realm.


    Feng knew her capability quite well and didn''t actually want to go for the inheritance cave at all, as she knew it was way out of her league. However, since one of the grand elders broke through as well, they were in urgent need of resources.


    And for resources, they needed to expand, but the territory around them was all weaved into an interconnected force, which could invite trouble for them if they were attacked by the force that was interconnected with each.


    Especially since they were a demonic power, it was even easier for the others to gather in the name of delivering justice to evil.


    There is only peace when people have equal power!


    Since their strength had increased, the other sect could also band together to face them, which they needed to avoid at all costs. So, she and the grand elder could only helplessly attack this city for the resources and the inheritance cave that they desperately needed right now.


    "For now, let''s hope that the elders and grand elders can guard the sect, and let''s reward the grand elder Zhang for his excellent information."


    "Okay," the man nodded his head.


    The ghostly army still marched tirelessly without any signs of exhaustion. They were firm, steady, and no terrain could stop them. The demonic beasts who dared to even there sight were ughtered as if they were fish on a chopping board.


    ¡­.


    Lu Ming sat in a meditative position, his entire body radiating a profound aura of wood that surrounded him. The green light slowly turned into wood, and some seeped into the ground, creating nts near him.


    Suddenly, his aura was released, growing violent by the minute. Right at his forehead, a small crack appeared, and an eye popped out, curious as it looked around the ce like a newborn baby.


    Boom!


    Lu Ming clenched his jaws, wincing in pain, his pupils constricted, and his bones make cracking noises simultaneously. His aura became more violent with time passing.


    "Is that the bloodline?" Fang Yin asked curiously.


    "Yeah, it should be the feature of this particr bloodline," Lu Zhen replied, his crimson eyes glinting.


    "Hmm? How peculiar, a creature with a third eye. I think I have read about it somewhere," Fang Yin said with a thoughtful expression.


    "The bloodline is of Trioptic Specter," Lu Zhen replied with a smile on his face.


    "Oh?" Fang Yin raised his eyebrows in surprise. "What a weird name."


    "Yes," Lu Zhen nodded his head.


    "Oh, Lu Ming has seeded," Fang Yin eximed with a smile on his face.


    The surroundings around Fang Yin gradually calmed down, with his expression returning to neutral again. The pure vitality with the wood element gradually returned to his body.


    The once-violent aura of Lu Ming calmed to a serene and gentle one, like a breeze gently knocking on one.


    Even though he was releasing his aura, it almost felt like it was a harmless mortal aura instead of a powerhouse.


    Lu Ming opened his eyes, which shone with a green light.

 Chapter 283: Spiritual Mind Gu

    "I broke through!" Lu Ming shouted with excitement.


    His body gradually returned to dullness, as if he were a mortal instead.


    "Congrattions, Lu Ming," Fang Yin nodded his head with a smile on his face.


    "Congrattions, Ancestor Lu," Lu Zhen and Lu Qing also said with a bow.


    "Hmm," Lu Ming nodded his head as he extended his hand, and a ray of green light instantly shot out of his hand, directly hitting the wall of the room.


    Boom!


    Strangely, there was no damage done to the wall. However, soon a small nt started to grow from the wall, extending outwards until it reached maturity, its flower sprouting quickly.


    Lu Ming moved his hand, and the nt moved with his will as well before he finally tightened his fist, and the entire nt was destroyed in seconds.


    However, that didn''t end there. From the location where the light beam hadnded, a small amount of twinkling green orbs returned back to Lu Ming, entering his body.


    Lu Zhen''s eyebrows raised upon seeing this. "Is this the famous Qi returning to the body that every middle first-stage martial artist could do?"


    "Yes, it is," Lu Ming nodded with a smile. "With every single increase in the smaller realm, a first-stage martial artist''s strength significantly increases."


    Lu Zhen nodded in understanding.


    "Hey, Lu Ming, the army is closing in on us soon," Fang Yin suddenly spoke, his expression turning grim.


    "If there is a war, we must face it. Lu Zhen, I trust you can handle the army; we will take care of the big gun, okay?" Lu Ming looked at Lu Zhen.


    "Okay," Lu Zhen nodded.


    wee to NovelFire mp,y,r


    "I will first consolidate my realm, then we will prepare."


    Lu Ming said as he casually made a swipe of his hand, creating a nihilith dimension and entering it.


    Fang Yin also shook his head. "I have some important matters, so I wille back after some time as well."


    He vanished from his position, leaving Lu Zhen in a thoughtful expression, and Lu Qing alone in the room again.


    "Call the others back again," Lu Zhen suddenly spoke, his crimson eyes glinting once more.


    "Yes, Young Master," she nodded her head.


    "By the way, what is happening with Xiaolong Gui?" Lu Zhen spoke with a thoughtful expression.


    Hearing this, Lu Qing paused involuntarily. "She is doing well and behaving properly, Young Master."


    "Oh, okay." Lu Zhen''s crimson eyes glinted with a strange light as he nodded his head.


    "May I leave th-?" Just as she was about to finish her sentence, Lu Zhen suddenly moved, reaching her in a matter of seconds.


    Before she could even react, Lu Zhen quickly tapped her head, his nt Qi moving towards his hand and directly transferring to Lu Qing''s head through Lu Zhen''s hand.


    As it entered her head, a natural resistance blocked his nt Qi, and Lu Qing''s expression morphed into a frown while she winced in pain.


    "Loosen your guard, Lu Qing," Lu Zhen whispered in a deep voice. Although it was a mere whisper, his words reverberated in her head multiple times.


    Lu Qing nodded in response. Even if she maintained her guard, Lu Zhen''s power was formidable enough to harm her while defending.


    So, without a care, she intentionally rxed her body''s instinctive defences.


    The moment she did, Lu Zhen''s nt Qi traversed inside her, directly travelling to her brain.


    As Lu Zhen scrutinised the situation, his expression gradually contorted into a frown. Before long, he withdrew his nt Qi.


    Ahhh!


    Lu Qing''s screams pierced the air, her expression contorting in agony. However, Lu Zhen''s hand remained firm, securing her head tightly.


    "Calm down, Lu Qing," Lu Zhen consoled her once more.


    Finally, Lu Zhen retracted his hand, extracting a long centipede with 68 legs from her skull.


    The moment he did, Lu Qing immediately crumpled to the ground, clutching her head in pain.


    Lu Zhen frowned while examining the 10-centimetre-long centipede with its distinctive ck armoured shell.


    "How interesting, Xiaolong Gui, you really dared to y tricks even now," Lu Zhen muttered. If he hadn''t spotted these things, it could have resulted in catastrophic events, not only for him but for the entire town as well if Xiaolong Gui was freed.


    His crimson gaze flickered as he refocused on the centipede again.


    "This is the king of bugs, which can control the mind of its victim¡­"


    Lu Zhen''s crimson eyes shed with a golden hue.


    [Spiritual Mind Gu]


    [Rank: Unranked]


    [Remark: the king of bugs that is created with the thousands of bugs all put on the fighting pedestal until onees out on top, which naturally, after killing a million bugs in the process, these Gu can control the minds of the people if it can fester itself deep enough with longer time]


    Just as Lu Zhen was studying the panel, the centipede made a bttz sound as it opened its mouth, releasing poison directly at Lu Zhen.


    Lu Zhen raised his brows in amusement and casually dodged the poison, tightening his grip on the bug just enough to immobilise itpletely without bursting it open.


    "I will take these gifts from Xiaolong Gui for now," Lu Zhen chuckled as he looked at Lu Qing, who had already recovered from the pain.


    "Are you alright?"


    "Yes, I am, thank you, leader." Lu Qing bowed while curiously ncing at the centipede.


    "This is a spiritual Gu," Lu Zhen said with a nonchnt tone, "if it had remained on your brain for long, it would have taken full control of your body."


    Lu Qing shivered when she heard this.


    "Even I would not have been able to save you after itpletely took over your brain," Lu Zhen added.


    Hearing this, she started to tremble even more.


    "Sigh, let''s go to Xiaolong Gui''s room. That woman needs some punishment," Lu Zhen said.


    "Yes, young master," Lu Qing nodded her head, her body trembling with rage in her eyes. "That bitch is dead."


    Her eyes became malevolent as she swiftly guided Lu Zhen to her room.

 Chapter 284: Probability to extract Bloodline

    In a dimly lit room, there was a woman with golden hair who was slowly meditating. From the dim light that was shining in the room, there could be seen a metallic sheen of a cor that bound her, connected to one of the pirs.


    As she gradually meditated, a small strand of ck energy appeared around her body, going round and round.


    Her expression gradually became calm; however, just then, the strand of ck energy violently entered her own body again.


    Her golden eyes snapped open, and she directly vomited a mouthful of blood.


    "Damn it, what did Lu Zhen do?" she thought with a frown on her face.


    Xiaolong Gui, no matter how she tried, she couldn''t gather any strength at all nor return back; she waspletely defenseless like an ordinary woman now.


    "Luckily, I had a back-up n with that naive woman," A sneer morphed into her face. "Lu Zhen handing me to her woman would be your biggest regret in your life yet."


    As for Lu Zhen being part of the mages, it was even more impossible; after all, they have all been erased already; even if there are some, they are all hiding from the outside world.


    Lu Zhen had likely found these things about her in one of the mages'' ruins or something; it is likely to be true.


    Even if Lu Zhen was really a messenger from the mage, Xiaolong Gui''s eyes glinted with a cruel glint. Since they abandoned her again, it was naturally for her to betray them as well.


    As an old monster who has lived for a century by the strength she had umted, Xiaolong Gui wasn''t even afraid of the mages anymore; she had some confidence to back her movement.


    Just then, however, she heard a big bang as the door of her room was directly broken, and Lu Zhen entered the ce with a smile on his face, with Lu Qing following behind him.


    "Hey,e receive your punishment." Lu Zhen spoke in a deep voice.


    Hearing this, Xiaolong Gui''s pupil flickered while looking at him. "I don''t know what you are talking about."


    "Hehehe, don''t y dumb; I already said that if you yed any tricks, then you will face the consequences now." Lu Zhen said with a chuckle as he extended his hand to supply his nt Qi slightly to the light ce.


    The instant he did, the ce was instantly lit up in a blinding light that covered the whole room.


    "What do you mean?" Xiaolong Gui looked at Lu Zhen with a frown on her face.


    "Oh, still ying dumb, huh¡­" Lu Zhen took out the gu and showed it in front of her.


    Her golden pupils changed for a moment before it returned back to normal again as if nothing had happened.


    "What is that?" she asked with a clueless expression on her face.


    Lu Zhen just smiled mysteriously as he slowly walked towards her with slow but steady and firm steps.


    Every moment of Lu Zhen''s step somehow caused Xiaolong Gui''s heart to tremble as if her death wasing near and near to her.


    "You don''te near me." Xiaolong Gui pointed at Lu Zhen with a flustered heart.


    "How interesting is this?" Lu Zhen chuckled, standing straight towards her by about two centimeters, his deep breath stinging her skin.


    With her golden eyes and golden hair, and a curvaceous body, she was definitely in the mighty divine realm of the Milf.


    "I don''t know what you are talking about, but I don''t care¡­" Xiaolong Gui wanted to escape, but Lu Zhen suddenly caught her by the waist, strongly binding her in ce.


    "This¡­"


    Lu Zhen''s expression turned cold. "I already said that you shouldn''t y a trick, but you did."


    "What do you want then?" Xiaolong Gui said with a strange tone. "I already gave you the bloodline you needed, now leave me.."


    Lu Zhen just looked at her with his crimson gaze as if it was the abyssal hellfire that engulfed her whole, instantly shutting her up.


    "Well, I wanted to try something newter, but now."


    He shook his head with a smile on his face; Lu Zhen caught her by the cor and dragged her outside under her helpless eyes.


    "This bastard¡­"


    Xiaolong Gui''s expression turned furious; however, she couldn''t do anything about it while being dragged by a being who she considered as the inferior being.


    "The progenitor of his bloodline is already dead, but still, this bastard dared to."


    Her face morphed into a twisted expression while seething with rage.


    Lu Qing looked at these with a strange expression.


    Just as Lu Zhen was about to exit, however, he paused. "Lu Qing, you stay here."


    "Yes, leader." She bowed with an obedient expression.


    "Oh, and tell Lu Yin to prepare the people already."


    "Okay." Lu Qing nodded her head and left the ce, and Lu Zhen also left the ce while dragging Xiaolong Gui.


    Once an old monster who could be called a queen was at the mercy of a second-stage martial realm brat.


    Lu Zhen swiftly went to his bedroom and threw her to the bed.


    "Stay here for a moment." He said with a cruel expression and left the ce while locking the room.


    After Lu Zhen left the ce, he found a quiet ce and started to mutter in his voice to the system.


    "Hey, system, is there a possibility of me extracting her bloodline by using the dual cultivation skill?"


    [Yes, it is possible.]


    The cold, familiar voice of the system rang in his ear, making Lu Zhen nod his head with satisfaction.


    "What is the probability?"


    [It is a 0.0001 percent chance of it happening while you dual cultivate the host.]


    A frown morphed into his face when Lu Zhen heard this.


    "That low? It is better to say I don''t have any chance at all then."


    Lu Zhen muttered, "How urate is this?"


    [It should be urate by 99.99 percent, host, since I did the probability using the higher dimension.]


    "Oh?" Lu Zhen''s ears perked up as he had a thoughtful expression.


    "Show me my status then."


    Instantly, a blue panel flickered in front of him, showing his different stats, with his crimson eyes flickering in a blue light.


    Thereid the button to press for more, and Lu Zhen imagined pressing it, instantly showing all his status instantly.


    ¡ª--------------


    [LEVEL UP]


    ¡ª-----


    [Name: Lu Zhen]


    --------


    [Race: Human]


    [Bloodline: Half Human/ Thin Volgrith]


    [Lifespan left: 340 years]


    --------


    [Attributes] Stay informed with m-vlemp-yr.


    [Constitution: Divine physique (First-stage martial realm)] (Half step)


    [Charm: Mortal] (Second level)


    [nt Qi: second-stage martial realm] (peak)


    [Demonic Qi: first grade]


    [Mana: Null Circle]


    ???


    --------


    [Cultivation manuals]


    [Cultivation technique: Verdant art (stage 2- Peak), Heaven-Refining Demonic Qi (Stage one)]


    [Combat arts: 8]


    --------


    Skills: 17


    ¡ª-----


    [Quest]


    [Missionpleted:2]


    ¡ª---------


    Looking at the familiar panel, Lu Zhen couldn''t help but be mused to himself.


    Since he had previously thirteen skills, now, after more than months, it has naturally increased without Lu Zhen even trying to get those skills.


    And some of those skills could be said to be terrifying.


    But Lu Zhen had noticed a certain thing about his skill: that it was pretty much all useless if there was a martial artist with a much higher realm than him.


    He knew this because of Lu Ming and Fang Yin, as he had used many of his skills subtly against them; however, to his surprise, nothing worked against them.

 Chapter 285: Dual Cultivation- Level 6

    Lu Zhen''s crimson eyes flickered as he focused on the skill section, and instantly the blue panel changed in front of him again.


    [Skills]


    - BATTLE INSTINCT: LEVEL 3


    - DEVOUR: LEVEL 3


    - Intimidation: level 5


    - Emperor''s domination: level 0


    - Regeneration: level 2


    - Appraisal eye: level 6


    - Saber mastery: level 8


    - Adaptability: level 8


    - Aura control: level 7


    - Meditation: level 2


    - Dual cultivation: level 6


    - Alchemy: level 2


    - Bow mastery: level 2


    - Sword mastery: level 4


    - Qian mastery: level 4


    - Staff mastery: level 3


    - Chain mastery: level 4


    All seventeen of his skills were disyed in full glory.


    Other than the new skills, the only skill Lu Zhen had improved upon was the Dual Cultivation skill.


    However, a frown appeared on his face.


    "System, make these all organized." Lu Zhen said; the panel was really messy.


    [How?]


    "For starters, make all the masters of weapons in weapon mastery." Lu Zhen says with a thoughtful expression.


    [Done host]


    "Hmm, and then separate the skills based on their rarity." Lu Zhen said with a thoughtful expression on his face.


    [Skills]


    - Gold ranked skill (click to see more): 2


    - Support skill (click to see more): 6


    Read first on NovelFiremp-yr.


    - Intimidation: level 5


    - Emperor''s domination: level 0


    - Aura control: level 7


    - Weapon mastery: 6 (click to see more)


    The blue panel flickered in front of his eyes, making Lu Zhen nod his head with satisfaction.


    "This should be enough for now." Lu Zhen mused to himself and focused on the Support Skill to see the Dual Cultivation skill of his which was level 6.


    Lu Zhen''s crimson eyes quickly turned into a golden hue as he focused on the section.


    [DUAL CULTIVATION] (LEVEL 6)


    [This skill allows the host to have dual cultivation with the partner allowing both to benefit from the cultivation; however, the most dominant party will gain more benefits ording to the situation. not only that, there is a small chance of the host gaining a special attribute that the person has with the bloodline.


    also, the partner favorability with the host will increase slightly every time he cultivates.]


    Lu Zhen looked at the blue panel with his golden eyes in an amused expression.


    The skill had significantly improved from previously, and the detail had also changed a lot with it.


    Soon he walked out; however, he didn''t directly enter his own room; instead, he went towards Xia Mei''s room, which was also in his pce.


    Since her status was naturally higher, Lu Zhen had given her an entire section of the ce with countless maids to serve her just like Lily and others.


    As he made his way through, the maids all bowed in reverence until Lu Zhen reached a white giant door, and he knocked gently.


    "Are you already here? Come in." Xia Mei said with a surprised voice.


    Lu Zhen smirked when he heard this as he opened the door.


    Revealing a bright, well-furnished room.


    Xia Mei carelessly turned towards him and said, "Just put the food the-"


    She paused, her expression still seeing Lu Zhen here.


    "Why are you here?"


    "Oh, I can''t be here with my dear wife?" Lu Zhen asked with his eyebrows raised.


    "No." Xia Mei shook her head.


    "What are you here for then?""I am here to meet you, of course." Lu Zhen said with a chuckle as he went close to her face, looking deeply at her beautiful face with his crimson eyes.


    "Hmm?" Xia Mei had a confused expression on her face.


    "What do you mean?"


    Lu Zhen just smiled mysteriously as he tightened his hold on her slim waist, directly pulling her into his embrace with a warm smile.


    "You¡­"


    Lu Zhen made a shush sound and put a hand on her head to lean on his chest.


    "You can rx." He said in a deep voice; with that said, Xia Mei slowly closed her eyes, falling into Lu Zhen''s warm embrace, her mouth instinctively curved upwards in a smile.


    For a long time, Xia Mei stayed in Lu Zhen''s embrace. The entire room was embraced in a lovely atmosphere.


    Before long, Xia Mei slowly opened her eyes and separated from him.


    "What do you need?" She asked with a knowing smirk on her face.


    Lu Zhen smiled seeing this. "You know about your ancestor, right?"


    "Yeah, what about it?" Xia Mei asked with a thoughtful expression on her face.


    "Well, I need to do it with her." Lu Zhen said while coughing.


    "Oh?" Xia Mei raised her brows. "Were fourteen women not enough for you?"


    "It''s not about that actually; partially it is," Lu Zhen replied with a straight face. "You see, the bloodline cultivation method takes a strain on my bloodline. Initially, it wouldn''t have been a problem; however, my bloodline is very thin, causing it to be dried too quickly."


    "Then why do you need my help anyway?" Xia Mei asked with a strange expression.


    Lu Zhen''s expression turned mysterious as he exined, "Well, when I cultivate, there is a very low chance of me actually getting the bloodline from it. So why not do the two until I get the bloodline."


    Xia Mei looked at Lu Zhen deeply, her gaze narrowing before she finally chuckled.


    "Alright then, let''s get to it." Xia Mei nodded her head with a smile, her body gradually transforming, making her height grow, making her body slimmer but more curvaceous at the right ces.


    Her purple hair changed to golden, with her eyes, ears started to grow longer and more pointy.


    "Oh, already transforming into your bloodline form?" Lu Zhen asked with a little surprise in his tone.


    "Well, I need to take care of your little monster first, or I will be at a disadvantage at the start." Xia Mei said with a chuckle.


    "Okay then, let''s go then." Lu Zhen nodded his head with a smile.


    In her bloodline, she was about the height of the normal Lu Zhen.


    Since Xia Mei was in the bloodline form, most of her maids didn''t even recognize her, being surprised at her, especially since she came out of her own room with Lu Zhen.


    The maids who were doing their duty were even more shocked.


    However, they kept quiet seeing that Lu Zhen was there.


    As they left, the maids couldn''t help but whisper to themselves.


    "Is my eyes ying tricks on me, who is that woman?" One of the maids asked while rubbing her eyes.


    "And the woman seemed strange too, but her face was really simr to the one our madam had." Another maid said with a thoughtful expression.


    "Are you sure?" All the maids were shocked.


    "Yes, as the closest servant to madam, I am at least ny percent sure that is true."


    "Oh, then what happened to her?"


    "Maybe it''s her cultivation technique that caused her to be even more beautiful."


    One of the maids said with some jealousy.


    Hearing this, the other maids all also nodded their heads with a thoughtful expression.


    "Who knows what cultivation they practice? It might be the result of that."


    However, just then, one of the maids said carelessly with a mischievous smile.


    "Or it might be a strange fetish."


    The instant she said those words, a strange silence enveloped the entire ce as their expressions turned strange before they resumed their work as if in agreement with each other.

 Chapter 286: Armour-like Muscle ***

    Lu Zhen opened the door to his room, seeing that Xiaolong Gui was still there with a calm expression on her face, patiently waiting.


    "You are here?" She asked with a frown on her face.


    "Yeah, I am here and brought your descendants with me as well." Lu Zhen said with a chuckle.


    "Xia Mei?" Xiaolong Gui was stunned.


    "I didn''t expect you to be here as well."


    "Well, I will be here for a long time now." Xia Mei replied with a cold tone.


    "Hmm, do you have any grief with me? I am your progenitor of the blood kind." Xiaolong Gui said with a frown. "The talent you have in your martial arts is all because of me."


    Xia Mei''s expression turned cold when she heard this while Lu Zhen chuckled at the side.


    "By the way, I have already told the truth of what would have happened if you were left unchecked." Lu Zhen said with a smirk.


    "You¡­" Xiaolong Gui looked at Lu Zhen with gritted teeth.


    Although the saints and saintness of the bloodline n were revered and many things, it hid a cruel truth that they would be a vessel of the progenitor of their bloodline eventually as time progressed.


    This was the cruel reality that even Lu Yin, his mother, didn''t mention simply because she didn''t know about it at all.


    Lu Zhen wouldn''t have known if he hadn''t gotten the book from that mage as well.


    "So do you have anything else to say, ancestor?" Xia Mei asked with a cold expression.


    Xiaolong Gui remained silent while closing her eyes with an ignorant expression.


    Seeing this, Xia Mei''s expression turned even colder.


    "Alright, Lu Zhen, let''s get on with it already." She turned back to Lu Zhen.


    "Okay." Lu Zhen nodded his head as he lost his emperor robes, revealing his muscr body filled withpact, tight muscle.


    The curves on his muscle were so beautifully made that it almost looked like armor with his back even more frightening, almost like a demon''s back.


    Xiaolong Gui frowned when she saw this, her golden eyes flickering. "What are you doing?"


    "Don''t y ignorant, ancestor. As you were inside my bloodline, you must have felt what we had done previously." Xia Mei whispered as her voice was icy cold, her breath seemed to be engulfed in an icy freezing breath as well.


    "Huh, what do you mean?" Xiaolong said with an ignorant expression.


    This time Xia Mei''s thin line of rage had all been surpassed as her eyes glinted with ruthlessness, directly pushing her towards Lu Zhen with no remorse.


    Xiaolong Gui was a mortal, so she wasunched directly crashing into Lu Zhen with a sickening thud.


    Her vertebrae bones made a slight creaking noise, luckily it waspletely fine.


    She heaved a sigh of relief; however, she felt a piping hot object poking her face, which made her frown as she looked up, her eyes widening with shock.


    Lu Zhen stood there with his manhood in a deted state; however, even in a deted state, it was bigger than anything Xiaolong Gui had ever seen before.


    "What¡­ what is this?" she said with widened eyes in horror.


    "Don''t be ignorant." Lu Zhen said with a chuckle.


    "Even with your bloodline having theserge of¡­" Xiaolong Gui said with disbelief.


    "Well," Lu Zhen looked at the woman with a mysterious smile, "you have two options currently: either we dissect your body and then use your bloodline to strengthen me after a long time or we use the peaceful way of dual cultivating, which will allow me to take your bloodline without damaging you much. In fact, your cultivation might slightly increase as well."


    "You brat dared to say you can raise my cultivation?" Xiaolong Gui asked with a sneering tone. "I am a god realm martial artist; my cultivation will be increased by a green-haired brat who hasn''t even reached the first-stage martial realm?"


    She asked with a cold tone.


    "Well, you will know about it soon. But do you want to be dissected or just do it?" Lu Zhen said. Actually, Lu Zhen would have preferred if he had just taken her bloodline directly and not dual cultivated with her; unfortunately, ording to the system, he didn''t have much of a probability to get her bloodline.


    It was almost a one percent probability, so unfortunately, Lu Zhen couldn''t take the same route as Lu Ming to get bloodline.


    So unfortunately, he had to rely on his dual cultivation skill instead.


    "Are you doing it or not?" Lu Zhen asked onest time with a cold expression.


    "I am doing it, doing it." Xiaolong Gui said with her teeth grinding against each other before she slowly opened her mouth asrge as she could before trying to make Lu Zhen''s manhood enter her mouth.


    However, it was rather an ufortable experience as he barely fit inside her.


    Since her body was of a mortal, even if she wanted to bite, Lu Zhen wouldn''t feel much at all, and Xiaolong Gui knew these better than anyone.


    As she took Lu Zhen''s manhood, only a little could enter her mouth, the rest could still be seen outside.


    Seeing this, Lu Zhen frowned as he looked at her barely two inches entered her. "I thought a god realm martial artist were stronger, but you are this weak?"


    He said in a mocking tone.


    Xiaolong Gui looked up at Lu Zhen with clear hatred in her eyes; however, only an unrecognizable voice could be heard because of his manhood, which almost blocked her mouthpletely.


    Xia Mei suddenly came from behind and caught her by the hair with a cruel glint in her eyes and pushed forward in one quick motion.


    Her mouth separated as she amodated Lu Zhen''s manhood while her eyes widened in pain. Stay tuned with NovelFire|em|p|yr.


    Lu Zhen also held down her head and looked at Xia Mei, and she instantly backed away.


    "There, there, it was easy, wasn''t it?" Lu Zhen patted her with a smile on his face.


    "Ummm¡­" Xiaolong Gui muffled.


    "Now move." Lu Zhen''s expression turned cold.

 Chapter 287: Fall from grace***

    Slurp! Slurp!


    A slurping sound echoed in the room as a busty woman with blond hair bobbed her head back and forth with her eyes closed.


    Lu Zhen stood naked with his armour-like muscle, his crimson eyes cold and ruthless as he gazed at her without a care of her closing her eyes or not.


    However Lu Zhen''s face soon morphed into a disappointment "you can''t even make me be lustful." his tone was filled with mockery.


    Hearing this Xiaolong Gui nced up at Lu Zhen with her golden stare, just staring at him.


    "What are you looking at me for?" Lu Zhen said with raised eyebrows "you didn''t say that when we previously met, weren''t you all arrogant?"


    "Mhhh¡­" only the muffled voice came from Xiaolong Gui. However from her eyes Lu Zhen could already pretty much understand the stuff she was speaking.


    "Well let''s get on with it then." Lu Zhen said with a bored tone his little brother has barely been raised by half but it was enough.


    Xiaolong Gui obediently stood up from the ground with clo9sed eyes as if she had resigned to her fate andyed on the bed.


    "Get on with it and be over with." she spoke in a condescending tone.


    "Oh?" Lu Zhen looked at her with an expressionless face before a small smirk formed on his face.


    "Sure since it is so covenant okay."


    He slowly aligned his little brother towards her slit aiming at her with his hips.


    "Are you sure you will be fine with your mortal body now?" Lu Zhen asked again with an amused glint.


    "What do you think of me you weren''t even born when-"


    Swoosh!


    The air quivered as Lu Zhen thrusted into her directly entering her inside with ruthlessness.


    Xiaolong Gui''s golden pupil flickered as her eyes widened to the limits while wincing in pain, Lu Zhen however had an uncaring expression as he started to move.


    Thrusting deep inside her to explore her inside, her inside trapped Lu Zhen''s little brother.


    "Oh you are really tight." Lu Zhen chuckled.


    Before he took back his manhood again from her inside as slowly as possible reaching every nook and cranny of her.


    Xiaolong Gui''s expression twisted as she tightly held the sheets of the bed, while writing her teeth.


    Lu Zhen didn''t care and mmed into her again with full force.


    Uhmmm¡­


    A muffled voice of her resounded in the room with her teeth grinding against each other.


    "You can moan as much as you want, you don''t have to be so¡­" Lu Zhen said as he raised his hips again for another attack.


    At this time Xia Mei came over with a smile on her face.


    The fragrant fragrance wafted into Lu Zhen''s nose, as she looked at him.


    Their eyes glinted with a tactical understanding as Xia Mei got close to Lu Zhen, her lips meeting him.


    As they started to french kiss each other. Lu Zhen''s and Xia Mei''s tongue dancing in an intricate battle of the tongue.


    Xiaolong Gui frowned as she looked up to see Lu Zhen and Xia Mei passionately kissing each other while his little brother was still inside her, her inside slowly taking the step of his Lu zhen''s little brother.


    Suddenly Xia Mei''s eyes widened as Lu Zhen''s little brother grew even bigger inside her exploring inside her that she didn''t even know was possible.


    Ahm~


    A moan inevitably escaped her lips attacking Lu zhen''s attention to her, his crimson gaze piercing her.


    Xiaolong Gui shrivelled with just hsi crimson gaze. His eyes were like the devil that stepped on the corpses of the gods.


    Lu Zhen started to thrust again reaching even deeper inside her while still kissing Xia Mei intimately.


    No matter how much Xiaolong Gui tried to hold her moans still asionally moans slipped out making the thrusting of Lu Zhen''s hips even faster and ruthless.


    Just like that a strange harmonious atmosphere permeated the surrounding as the thrusting of Lu Zhen grew more and more violent every moment while thoroughly shaping his inside to his shape while enjoying his kiss with Xia Mei.


    The day passed into night and Lu Zhen was still at it, his little brother showing no sign of detion, however there was a slight change instead of Xiaolong Gui, Xia Mei rocked back and forth in a reverse cowgirl position, her body moving up and down.


    Xia Mei''s sweet moans resound in the room.


    Lu Zhen just sat with a smile on his face while he sucked on the tantalising big breast.


    "Mnnn, be lighter¡­" Xiaolong Gui said with an embarrassed expression on her face.


    Hearing this Lu Zhen smiled mysteriously and opened his mouth instead, biting her gently.


    Ehhh¡­


    Xiaolong Gui''s expression twisted as she almost fell to the floor, a strange liquid dripping into the floor.


    Lu Zhen quickly caught her by the waist, supporting her to stand up.


    However, his teeth grinding against her mountain peaks never stopped twisting Xiaolong Gui''s expression even further.


    After a long time finally Lu Zhen stopped with a smile on his face. The moment he did Xiaolong Gui heaved a sigh of relief however she somehow felt disappointed at the same time.


    "Oh, are you disappointed?" Lu Zhen asked with a chuckle.


    "Why would I be?" Xiaolong Gui replied with a humph however somehow she felt something deep inside her.


    The way she looked at Lu Zhen was very different than previously as if Xiaolong Gui wanted more attention of his in every possible way she could and his handsome face came to her mind even while closing her eyes.


    "What''s happening to me?" She muttered with a strange expression on her face "what did you do Lu Zhen." Xiaolong Gui roared as she snapped.


    "I didn''t do anything at all." Lu Zhen said with a moan.


    Seeing this Xia Mei smirked as she went up and down even faster, Lu Zhen finally reached the limit which prompted him to tightly hold down Xia Mei as he released all his essence inside of her.


    "You¡­" Xiaolong said with anger however Lu Zhen turned a deaf ear to her, focusing on Xia Mei instead.


    Finally after releasing his essence for a solid two minutes Lu Zhen''s little brother separated with a "plop" sound.


    The moment he did Xia Mei hurriedly joined her legs together.


    "Since it is your essence I have to keep it for safekeeping." Xia Mei replied with a smile on her face.


    Lu Zhen casually shrugged and  turned towards Xiaolong Gui with raised eyebrows.


    "You were saying?"


    "Nothing." Xiaolong Gui replied with an embarrassed expression.


    Lu Zhen looked at this with a mysterious glint on his eyes.


    "This woman is slowly falling." he concluded internally, smirking to himself.


    No matter how powerful she was previously or how mentality was from all these years, it all changed to dust the moment she turned mortal and the skill of Lu Zhen, Dual Cultivation was thest straw which broke her mind.


    Now Xiaolong Gui was addicted to Lu Zhen whether she epts it or not and these will only grow stronger from now on eventually making her a ve.


    "A god realm martial artist as a ve?" Lu Zhen mused to himself as he felt an uncontroble urge to dominate.

 Chapter 288: Ancestral Bloodline?

    The room quaked with the sheer intensity of the thrusts, as if experiencing a continuous magnitude-7 Richter scale earthquake every second.


    The night transitioned into day and back into night, yet there was no indication of it slowing down.


    Bedsy shattered, and the room was in disarray.


    Lu Zhen persisted in his rhythmic hip movements, causing the entire room to tremble.


    The moans of the two women echoed, alternating with each passing moment.


    In the room, a tall muscr man held down a blond woman by the back of her neck, tightly locking her feet with his hand as he carried her. Hisrge manhood entered and exited her with a slurping sound.


    As the woman moved up and down under the dominance of the muscr man, her tantalisingly huge breasts swayed in a captivating scene, her golden pupils flickering from time to time with helplessness.


    She didn''t have to do anything as she was helplessly driven by the muscr arms, allowing his manhood to enter her inside, moulding into the shape of his manhood.


    With one final thrust, Lu Zhen released his essence deep inside Xiaolong Gui. She copsed to the ground with a final moan, her body seemingly broken, her eyes rolled back in pleasure


    Lu Zhen, poised to continue, suddenly caught sight of a blue panel in his peripheral vision.


    [Your Dual Cultivation skill (level 7) has sessfully extracted the ancestral bloodline of the Elfen.] (Ps- Lu Zhen''s dual cultivation levelled up one time already in these time)


    Excitement shed in Lu Zhen''s crimson eyes.


    "Ha, I finally got it, but the name seemed to be of a strange ancestral bloodline?" He thought, a frown forming on his face.


    "System," Lu Zhen called out internally.


    [Host, the ancestral bloodline is the original martial artist which has been imnted with the bloodline, and these bloodlines could possibly control and manipte the other bloodlines that the descendants have.]


    Lu Zhen''s eyes widened upon hearing this. "Then what about my own bloodline?"


    [I don''t know, host.]


    The cold, mechanical tone resonated in Lu Zhen''s mind, causing him to sigh.


    "So you don''t know, huh¡­" A thoughtful expression appeared on his face. If his bloodline could also be controlled then it would be terrifying for Lu Zhen, although it wouldn''t exactly make him a ve however Lu zhen didn''t like the idea of having a weakness card that someone could use anytime to weaken him.


    [Host, do you wish to integrate with the ancestral bloodline of the Elfen?]


    "Wait a moment," Lu Zhen muttered as he looked at Xiaolong Gui, lightly pping her cheeks. "Hey, wake up."


    Xiaolong Gui had her tongue out, eyes rolled up in pleasure, and despite Lu Zhen''s constant attempts, he couldn''t wake her up.


    Seeing this, Lu Zhen sighed, his crimson eyes shing with a ruthless glint. He raised his huge, muscle-filled right hand in the air, intending to m it down on her neck with the intent to kill, his aura erupting as well with killing intent.


    Just then, Xiaolong Gui''s golden eyes violently snapped open, witnessing Lu Zhen''s gigantic arm descending towards her neck.


    Ahh...


    She screamed with a frightened expression. However, even after a long moment, Xiaolong Gui couldn''t feel anything.


    Xiaolong Gui hesitantly opened her golden eyes to see Lu Zhen''s muscr arm stopping right before her face just inches away from taking her life away.


    "Oh, you are finally awake!" Lu Zhen eximed as he withdrew his hand, sporting an amicable smile.


    "You..." Xiaolong Gui stared at Lu Zhen, her pupils flickering.


    "What? You?" Lu Zhen raised an eyebrow.


    "No... nothing," she hesitantly replied.


    Seeing this, Lu Zhen chuckled even louder while patting her head.


    "Tell me what this ancestor''s bloodline is first," Lu Zhen demanded with a glint in his eyes. "If you dare to lie, you are dead."


    Xiaolong Gui tentatively started to speak after a long contemtion.


    "The ancestor bloodline is¡­."


    She began speaking while Lu Zhen coldly watched her with his crimson pupils, seeming like the devil''s eyes themselves.


    After she finished speaking, Lu Zhen rubbed his ears as he started tough, as loudly as he could. His madughter resounded throughout the room, causing Xiaolong Gui to wear a strange expression.


    Lu Zhen suddenly paused, his crimson eyes flickering with a cold light as his aura erupted in a killing intent.


    "I said to tell the truth." His expression turned malevolent, as if Lu Zhen could kill her in the blink of an eye.


    "I told the truth," Xiaolong Gui said with a straight face.


    Lu Zhen''s crimson eyes slightly reflected a murderous intent as he red at her.


    "Onest time, will you tell me the truth or not?"


    Finally, Xiaolong Gui''sposed facade shattered as she became nervous.


    "I will tell you the truth¡­" She hurriedly replied with a nervous expression.


    Lu Zhen listened to her while internally smirking. He already knew the details from the system; however, he wanted to test if Xiaolong Gui would answer his question truthfully or not.


    As expected, even though this old monster was in a mortal''s body now, she still had an instinct to lie to him, even with Lu Zhen''s dual cultivation affecting her to have a favourable opinion towards Lu Zhen.


    Although Lu Zhen himself didn''t know how effective dual cultivation would affect a person, there should still be some effects to it.


    This time, Xiaolong Gui disclosed everything truthfully, making Lu Zhen satisfied.


    "So, tell me about my own bloodline ancestor then¡­" Lu Zhen said, his crimson pupils flickering with a strange glint.


    "Ye¡­ yes," Xiaolong Gui responded with a thoughtful expression. "I-"


    "If you dare to lie, even a single time, the consequences are not something you could handle," Lu Zhen interrupted her.


    She nodded and began speaking with her eyes dropped down, wearing a pitiful expression.


    "Your bloodline ancestor''s name, I actually don''t know. Among the eight of us, he was the strongest and the most mysterious one. Since he never told us his name, we just called him Volgrith. The bloodline of his."


    Lu Zhen nodded with a frown on his face.


    "Although we haven''t contacted each other for decades, to my knowledge, he is dead," Xiaolong Gui continued, her eyebrows knitted together in careful thought.


    "Then how do you know he died?" Lu Zhen asked.


    "Well, because we can sense each other¡­" she said with a shrug. "The mages did a strange experiment on us that made all our bloodlines connected. So even though we are far away, we can faintly sense the bloodline of the others."


    "Oh," Lu Zhen mused upon hearing this.


    "So, my bloodline is dead, huh¡­"


    "Yes, he should be dead since we can''t sense him. Or he just sacrificed his own bloodline, which only an idiot would do because it will simply cripple all his martial cultivation with it," Xiaolong Gui replied.


    Lu Zhen nodded. "Final question: What will happen if I mix my own bloodline with your ancestral bloodline of Elfen?"


    Xiaolong Gui paused, looking at Lu Zhen in disbelief.


    "How do you know the name of my bloodline? And about the bloodline part¡­" Xiaolong Gui said, her pupils flickering.


    "I know a lot more things than you can even imagine," Lu Zhen interrupted her.

 Chapter 289: Merging with the Elfen Bloodline

    "You¡­" Xiaolong Gui gritted her teeth.


    Lu Zhen''s gaze turned cold as he looked at her, his crimson eyes shimmering with killing intent.


    "Will you tell me or not?" he said with his patience wearing thin.


    "Yes, yes, I will tell you," Xiaolong Gui answered with a tentative expression.


    "What will happen when the Elven ancestor bloodline is mixed with my own bloodline?"


    "I don''t know," she replied with an honest tone.


    "You don''t know?" Lu Zhen frowned upon hearing this.


    "Then who would know your bloodline except for you? Haven''t you studied your own bloodline?"


    "I have studied my own bloodline, however, I can''t tell what will happen if youbine it with your own bloodline. But the chance of you dying is very high," Xiaolong Gui spoke with a strange expression on her face.


    "Hmm?" Lu Zhen''s frown deepened. "She is pretty useless in this kind of thing."


    "System, what is the probability that I might survive?" Lu Zhen called out to his system.


    [The chances of surviving if you take the Elven ancestral bloodline with your already Volgrith bloodline is fifty percent, host.]


    A thoughtful expression marked Lu Zhen''s face when he heard this.


    "My chances of survival are 50%, huh. What if I directly take the bloodline and inject it?"


    [Then your chances will shift from 50 percent to 0.00009 percent, host.]


    Lu Zhen was even more shocked to hear this. "That low of a percentage, huh¡­"


    "What about if I sacrifice my Volgrith bloodline system?"


    [Then your survival rate will go up to one hundred percent, host.]


    "Oh?" Lu Zhen was amused when he heard this. "This Dual Cultivation skill''s effects are heaven-defying then¡­"


    He thought carefully.


    [So, host, do you want to merge with it?]


    Lu Zhen looked at Xiaolong Gui with his crimson eyes and then shifted his gaze to the side where Xia Mei was sleeping peacefully, with a blissful expression on her face. His essence was still leaking out from her crotch area.


    Since they both were bloodline martial artists, and even Lu Zhen was one, the chances of impregnating the woman were very low. Even if they did be pregnant, Lu Zhen was determined to face it like a man and be a good father as much as he could be.


    Lu Zhen had already considered them his women. Until they die or he dies, they would always be together.


    That was his principle.


    Lu Zhen turned around and left the ce silently.


    "You''re already leaving, Lu Zhen?" Xiaolong Gui called out with a frown on her face.


    "Yeah, I am leaving. What, are you going to miss me?" he turned with a chuckle on his face.


    Xiaolong Gui shook her head, her eyebrows fluttering with confusion.


    "I am just surprised you left me alone so easily."


    "Oh," Lu Zhen raised his eyebrows. "I didn''t leave you alone. Don''t be in an illusion like that."


    "What do you me-?" Xiaolong Gui suddenly paused as she looked around her. Four wooden puppets surrounded her with a knife right at her neck.


    "If you make any wrong move, these guys will handle it, so bye." Lu Zhen said as he left, his chuckle still echoing in her head.


    "Damn it, that bastard." Xiaolong Gui''s eyes shed with hatred; however, in just minutes, her mind cooled down.


    "But he looked very handsome, and his muscles¡­" a rosy hue appeared on her cheeks.


    The once proud god-rank martial artist was now like a little girl who had just fallen in love!


    As she was lost in thought, maids entered the room and swiftly escorted Xiaolong Gui out. They tended to Xia Mei, who had a blissful expression on her face.


    ¡­


    Lu Zhen remained in his cultivation room, sitting cross-legged, meditating.


    He took long, deep,boured breaths as he gradually calmed down from all the distracting thoughts.


    The familiar blue screen appeared in front of his eyes again.


    [Do you wish to merge with the Ancestral bloodline of Elfen?] (Yes/No)


    Lu Zhen decisively imagined pressing "yes."


    The moment the blue panel flickered, a "boom" sound echoed in his body as his crimson eyes directly rolled up.


    Red veins popped from his body as Lu Zhen fainted, copsing to the floor unconscious.


    The pain wasn''t something that any mortal could handle!


    If Lu Ming, a first-stage martial artist, almost died because of the pain from transnting the bloodline, then Lu Zhen, who was a peak second-stage martial artist in Qi cultivation and a half first-stage martial artist with his body, faced an even greater challenge.


    But the difference was that the bloodline Lu Ming took was a bloodline of a first-stage martial realm equivalent, whereas the one Lu Zhen took was from the ancestral bloodline of Xiaolong Gui, a god-ranked martial artist¡­ (check the auxiliary chapter for more info)


    The disparity was like heaven and earth!


    Though Lu Zhen directly fainted, the changes in his body never stopped.


    His height started to grow, and a strange light surrounded his body.


    Lu Zhen''s ck, shoulder-length hair began to grow, and the booming sound continuously echoed from inside his body, as if a nuclear war was happening inside him constantly.


    The veins grew more visible over time, and a strange aura started to permeate from Lu Zhen.


    Half of the aura was bloodthirsty and domineering, while the other half was a gentle breeze with an air of authority and arrogance.


    As the two auras emanated from Lu Zhen''s body, they engaged in a fierce battle.


    Although the gentle and domineering aura had a certain dominance in the battle, it couldn''t capitalise on it, causing the entire conflict to be in a stalemate for a long time.


    Before long, both auras started to weaken simultaneously.


    Just then, another aura rose from Lu Zhen''s body. This aura seemed as cold as a machine as it swiftly tamed both the conflicting auras with a single sweep.


    After defeating them, a strange reaction urred.


    Both the royal and bloodthirsty auras started tobine under the guidance of the robotic aura.


    A strange, harmonious aura was created as the two auras merged together, and the robotic aura returned to Lu Zhen''s body again.

 Chapter 290: Cultivating the Heaven Refining Demoniac Qi again

    Soon, Lu Zhen''s body underwent another transformation.


    His long ck hair started to turn blond in thin air, his bones made cracking sounds, and his weight slightly decreased.


    After more than half of his ck hair turned golden, however, it abruptly stopped mid-way.


    Leaving Lu Zhen''s hair in a strange half-blood state, less than half ck.


    The cracking sound finally stopped, and Lu Zhen felt slick and graceful.


    Previously, Lu Zhen emitted a power of strength, and now he started to emit a slick and graceful aura from his muscles alone.


    Lu Zhen slowly opened his eyes; his crimson pupils were slightly tinged with a golden hue, making some parts of his pupils tinged with shades of orange.


    "Oh."


    He could feel a strange power coursing through his veins.


    "I seeded!" Lu Zhen stood up from the ground, feeling refreshed.


    "An ancestral bloodline from a god-level martial artist was so easily imnted in me?"


    He felt a sense of excitement just thinking about it.


    And the quality of the bloodline hadn''t fallen as well.


    "I wonder¡­" Lu Zhen''s eyes widened as he essed his own body.


    In the previous bloodline where there were only some patches of green, it was now mixed with a slightly golden patch of bloodline.


    These two worked in a strange harmony together to produce blood that filled Lu Zhen''s body with power.


    Lu Zhen quickly made a slight scratch on his hand. The moment he did, a strange shade of orange-coloured blood flowed from his hand.


    "I guess I am bing more and more like a monster¡­" Lu Zhen thought as he stood up from the ground.


    "Level Up, system." he called out, and the familiar blue panel appeared in front of him.


    He directly pressed "Click to See More."


    ¡ª--------------


    [LEVEL UP]


    ¡ª-----


    [Name: Lu Zhen]


    --------


    [Race: Human]


    [Bloodline: Half Human/ Elfen(Ancestral)/ Volgrith]


    [Lifespan left: 390 years]


    --------


    [Attributes]


    [Constitution: Divine physique (First-stage martial realm)] (Half step)


    [Charm: Mortal] (Second level)


    [nt Qi: second-stage martial realm] (peak)


    [Demonic Qi: first grade]


    [Mana: Null Circle]


    ???


    --------


    [Cultivation manuals]


    [Cultivation technique: Verdant art (stage 2), Heaven-Refining Demonic Qi (Stage one)]


    [Combat arts: 4]


    --------


    Skills: 17


    ¡ª-----


    [Quest]


    [Missionpleted:2]


    ¡ª---------


    Lu Zhen''s eyes lit up looking at his own lifespan, which had increased again with the addition of the bloodline.


    Everything was normal in his status, except for the addition in his bloodline.


    "Bloodline of the Elder, huh? I can finally cultivate the Heaven Refining Demoniac Qi again." A sh of excitement glinted in his eyes.


    There were five levels to the Heaven-Refining Demonic Art. The first stage already made Lu Zhen as strong as a third-stage martial artist in the textbook. The second stage would make Lu Zhen as strong as a second-stage martial artist, and the third stage would give him the power of a first-stage martial artist.


    The fourth and fifth levels were vaguely mentioned in the cultivation method but not fully exined. It was obvious that the old monster had only given Lu Zhen half of the cultivation method; the other half was missing.


    Even though Lu Zhen had only reached the first stage of the cultivation technique, with his refined physique and various enhancements, it directly allowed Lu Zhen to actually challenge a first-stage martial artist.


    The power of the cultivation technique was evident, and as long as Lu Zhen could reach higher than the power he could currently achieve with his refined physique.


    "Now I have an even better bloodline, so my cultivation of the demonic Qi will be even faster," Lu Zhen muttered with a thoughtful expression.


    "However, I will need some cultivation resources and some preparation if I want to pull that off."


    Lu Zhen decisively exited his seclusion.


    After emerging from his seclusion, Lu Zhen called out.


    "Li Nan."


    "Yes, leader." Li Nan materialised in front of him like a shadow.


    "How has the outside world fared till now? Have all my spies been in ce?" Lu Zhen asked.


    "It has all been arranged exactly where you wanted, young master. Now, even the slightest movement in Phoenix City will be reported to you almost immediately," Li Nan said respectfully.


    "Good, you have done a great job. I see you must have broken through the second-stage martial realm already," Lu Zhen said.


    "Yes, thanks to the leader''s grace and the cultivation resources provided, I have broken through."


    Lu Zhen walked up to her with a smile as he gently extended his hand and started patting her on the head.


    "Good job," he whispered to her gently.


    Li Nan''s body trembled as she closed her eyes, enjoying Lu Zhen''s pats.


    Seeing this, Lu Zhen just remained silent, patting her for an entire ten minutes.


    "Ask Lu Tian for the cultivation resources. If you need them, I will provide them to you," Lu Zhen whispered. Lu Tian was an elder who was one of the most loyal supporters of the Lu family and his mother''s supporter. Lu Zhen had assigned him as the caretaker of the treasury after he became the leader of the entire Lu imperial family.


    Li Nan nodded her head with a smile appearing behind her masked face.


    Lu Zhen was aware of this; however, he casually shrugged.


    He handed her a paper as well.


    "Hmm?" Li Nan took the paper with curious eyes.


    "This is the list of ingredients I need; inform Lu Tian about it as well," Lu Zhen replied with a chuckle.


    "What about my father?"


    Hearing this, Li Nan became stunned for a second as she hesitated with gritted teeth. However, eventually, a sh of determination ignited in her eyes.


    "Leader, your father seems to have gone crazy. He has even given me a dagger to kill you," she said without any hesitation.


    Lu Zhen raised his eyebrows when he heard this. "So, will you kill me, Li Nan?"


    Li Nan trembled when she heard this. "How can I betray you, Leader?" She immediately bowed to Lu Zhen with tears in her eyes.


    "If I hadn''t put you under my servitude with the mark of Maya, who knows, you might have," Lu Zhen said.


    Li Nan just remained silent with her head down.


    Seeing this, amusement shed through Lu Zhen''s eyes. "Silly girl, it wasn''t your fault after all. Being trained since young to be loyal towards my father, it is inevitable for you to have developed loyalty. However, since you are already my servant, no one can touch you from now on except me. Got it?"


    Li Nan nodded her head.


    "Your life is in my hands, and you will die with me. That is final. Now go." Lu Zhen gave a firm pat to her shoulder.


    Li Nan gave a nce at Lu Zhen''s face, making her blush even more. However, since her eyes were filled with tears as well, it gave her a pitiful look.


    "Yes, Leader."


    Instantly, Li Nan vanished in the shadows.


    After she left Lu Zhen''s pce, she took out her veil, revealing her beautiful face with a sigh.


    Li Nan touched her face, feeling the temperature rise, and her ears were even hotter.


    "Nobody has treated me with such love." A small tear escaped her eyes.


    Trained since a young age, Li Nan underwent the harshest training, she had never felt this emotion before.

 Chapter 291: Trouble with the Bloodline Families

    Lu Zhen sighed as he sat on his throne, looking at the empty hall.


    He was wearing his emperor robes, intricately adorned with dragon symbols woven finely and detailed to showcase the quality of the robes.


    His long ck hair cascaded down his shoulders, and his crimson eyes seemed to contain a hint of chilling indifference.


    With well-defined facial features, he looked handsome, his extremely bulky body exuding a domineering aura, as if he were a celestial immortal descended straight from heaven.


    A woman suddenly entered the pce, bringing a smile to Lu Zhen''s extremely cold face. His handsome facial features seemed to blossom like flowers, entuating his allure even further.


    "Mother, what are you doing here?" he called out gently.


    "Well," Lu Ying rubbed her temples, her face haggard with exhaustion.


    She was holding a small paper in her hand. "Do you remember the envoy from the war against the other three families, and the person I wanted to deliver the demonic cultivation to? She was dead all along. We found her body in a terribly mutted state, and¡­"


    When Lu Zhen heard this, his expression turned serious, his eyebrows arching with concern. "What happened?"


    Lu Ying hesitated, her voiceced with uncertainty, but ultimately, she decided to speak. "That envoy was also from the eight great bloodline families, so they already have some involvement in Phoenix City."


    Lu Zhen''s eyes narrowed as he delved into deep contemtion.


    It had only been a day since Lu Ming broke through and became a mid-first-stage martial artist, and there were still six days remaining before the marching army arrived.


    Yet, now another problem has arisen seemingly out of nowhere.


    If Lu Ying hadn''t mentioned it, Lu Zhen might never have considered the implications of that encounter, the memory of the assant who had nearly taken his life fading into the background amidst the chaos of recent events.


    With so many pressing matters vying for his attention, Lu Zhen found himself consumed by a myriad of concerns, almost forgetting about this matter altogether.


    "I already had troubles with that sect, and now another has joined the fray¡­" Lu Zhen muttered as he closed his eyes, sinking into deep thought.


    Lu Ying sighed deeply as she quietly departed, her eyes flickering with an indescribable light as she moved away.


    Her waist-long hair swayed gently in the air, caught in the currents of her conflicted thoughts.


    "I will protect you, my son, no matter what," she dered, her words carrying a conviction that brooked no argument.


    ...


    Meanwhile, in the dimly lit chamber of Lu Huang, a solemn atmosphere pervaded as he stared at a piece of paper with an expressionless face.


    Eventually, he crumpled the paper in his hand, his features contorting into a darker expression.


    "That woman... a mere servant dared to betray me like this¡­" Lu Huang''s voice dripped with rage, the sheer force of his anger causing the table before him to shatter into fragments.


    The very air crackled with tension as Lu Huang seethed with fury.


    "Shadow One," he bellowed.


    Instantly, a shadowy figure materialised before him, bowing in subservience.


    "Yes, master," the shadow''s voice echoed with an icy chill.


    Lu Huang''s eyes gleamed with bloodlust.


    "Bring that traitor to me, or if she resists, eliminate her immediately," hemanded, his rage-filled demeanour swiftly giving way to a calm, calcted resolve.


    The shadow nodded silently as it seamlessly melded back into the darkness. A discerning eye would notice the simrity between this technique and the one employed by Li Nan, though it seemed more intricate and potent.


    Alone in the hall once more, Lu Huang found himself immersed in contemtion. Beads of sweat formed on his brow as a dawning realisation seemed to widen his eyes.


    "Lu Zhen must have been aware of me for a long time now, especially after witnessing Li Nan''s faulty reports," Lu Huang muttered, his gaze narrowing with suspicion.


    However, he didn''t have any way to deal with his son now, although his own realm was at the early second-stage martial realm, while Lu Zhen could previously defeat a first-stage martial artist when he was barely at peak third-stage martial artist.


    Whatever method he used to defeat the man Lu Zhen was able to fight the first-stage martial artist for a time with peak third-stage martial artist cultivation, Lu Huang was aware of his own strength; he could die from just a casual strike from a first-stage martial artist. Their power was terrifying, to say the least.


    Lu Huang still remembered the domineering aura that Lu Zhen had released when they were in the meeting in the pce; his mere aura was enough topletely immobilize his body.


    "I need some external forces," Lu Huang muttered as he suddenly thought of the crisis heading towards his own city right now.


    "But this cannot be done recklessly. Even if I kill that unfilial son of mine, his mother might kill me¡­" he went to his chair and sat, looking at the broken table, a small frown appearing on his face.


    ¡­


    In the quiet solitude of his cultivation chamber, Lu Zhen''s keen gaze fell upon the sprawling pile of resourcesid out before him.


    With a sense of casual ease, he extended his hand, the movement apanied by a faint green glow that seemed to dance in the air.


    Swish!


    A single Qi stone responded to hismand, lifting into the air with a graceful motion, levitating in thin air.


    If you look carefully at its Qi fluctuation, it revealed a very pure Qi, unlike the mostmon Qi stones used by ordinary martial artists.


    This was a middle-grade Qi stone; however, if you look at the ground, there were thousands of middle-grade Qi stones among the stacks of cultivation resources, all lined up in a pile.


    There was even a rtively bigger stone in the middle whose signatures were above the others by many folds. It slightly leaked pure Qi, which had a calming effect on others'' minds.


    Lu Zhen made a grabbing motion, and instantly, the middle-grade Qi stonended in his hand swiftly.


    Without a shred of hesitation he directly opened his jaws wide, swallowing the whole Qi stone!


    As the Qi stone travelled down his espionage and entered his body, instantaneously it was dissolved.


    The pure Qi without any attribute to it instantly was absorbed by Lu Zhen and converted into nt Qi.

 Chapter 292: Finally using high-grade Qi stone and cultivating the demonic cultivation technique

    Lu Zhen frowned, sensing the changes in his cultivation. Although the middle-grade Qi stone was broken and swiftly converted into pure Qi¡ªessentially attributeless Qi¡ªand then absorbed as his own nt Qi, the effect was minuscule.


    His cultivation increased by only a slight amount, barely noticeable, akin to a drop of water in an ocean.


    "Hmm," Lu Zhen contemted, his gaze shifting to the other middle-grade Qi stone. He now had enough power to devour this Qi stone.


    After the Devour skill, which was a gold-ranked skill, reached level 3, he could essentially digest all things, and Qi stones were no exception.


    However, the problemy in the fact that these Qi stones became rtively useless to him after he reached the peak of the second-stage martial realm.


    Now, their only utilityy in restoring his Qi, as Lu Zhen could swiftly refine the pure Qi into wood Qi, allowing for rapid recovery with just a blink of an eye.


    Lu Zhen looked at the center where a Qi stone seemed to almost float, emitting Qi naturally from the surroundings.


    He slowly avoided the pile of treasures and walked up to the stone, picking it up.


    Pure Qi immediately wafted into his nose, making his mind peaceful, his eyes shimmering with excitement.


    "Being the leader of the entire phoenix definitely helps," Lu Zhen mused to himself. These high-grade Qi stones that he possessed would never have been obtained with the mere status of the young master of the family. Now, they were possible and easily avable to him.


    Although it was still difficult for him to get his hand on, it was still possible with his status.


    What was a high-grade Qi stone?


    This precious resource was even valuable to the first-stage martial artist.


    This alone made it a resource to be sought after, just like middle-grade Qi stones, which also had the special benefits of condensing the Qi and slightly strengthening the body. The high-grade Qi stone also provided these benefits, even greater than middle grade.


    In addition to its calming effect, the high-grade Qi stone possessed extraordinary properties that could enhance one''s martial arts visualisation by several folds. It even held the potential to refine intent, which was even more helpful for first-stage martial artists.


    Although Lu Zhen hadn''t yet reached the level of a first-stage martial artist, he understood the value of these benefits. While he couldn''t fully harness the power of refining intent, he could still utilise the Qi stone''s other advantages to enhance his cultivation.


    "Let''s begin cultivating the Heaven Refining Demonic Qi," Lu Zhen dered resolutely. He settled into afortable position, preparing to ingest the high-grade Qi stone.


    With a determined motion, he ced the stone in his mouth and swallowed it whole. As it descended into his stomach, a transformative process began.


    Within moments, the stone started to break down, its once-solid form gradually crumbling. Each breath seemed to hasten the disintegration, causing tiny cracks to spider web across its surface.


    Yet, with every crack, a burst of pure Qi escaped, far more potent and abundant than that of a mere middle-grade Qi stone.


    Lu Zhen felt his mind calm as if in a sereneke, allowing the true form of his martial art to manifest vividly in his consciousness. Each movement, each technique, became crystal clear, as if he were experiencing them in real life.


    Simultaneously, his body responded strangely to the mysterious energy coursing through him. It was as if every fibre of his being awakened, tingling with anticipation gradually being broken and regenerated with the help of the mysterious energy.


    But Lu Zhen''s focus wasn''t on these bodily sensations. Instead, his attention was drawn to the patches of blood within him. Besides his own lineage, there was another patch of blood near his heart, continuously pumping out golden essence ¡ª the bloodline of the Elfen.


    With deliberate precision, Lu Zhen directed some of the mysterious energy into both bloodlines, initiating a delicate fusion process. As the energies intertwined, subtle shifts urred within his body, imperceptible to most but discernible to Lu Zhen, given his heightened physical awareness.


    For now, however, he remained steadfast in his cultivation, fully immersed in the intricate dance of merging bloodlines and advancing his spiritual and martial prowess.


    The mysterious energy surged within him, its potency heightened to a lethal degree. In a fleeting moment, Lu Zhen seamlessly merged the two bloodlines into one ¡ª a radiant blend of golden hues tinged with a subtle green, pulsating rhythmically from his heart.


    Though imperceptible to the naked eye, profound changes urred at the DNA level of Lu Zhen''s being, alterations that eluded his immediate awareness but lingered within the very essence of his blood.


    However, Lu Zhen wasn''t done yet!


    Harnessing the residual energy still coursing through him, he directed its flow to hasten the refinement of demonic Qi. Almost a quarter of the energy, dedicated to fortifying and enhancing various aspects of his being, converged upon his heart, transforming into pure Qi that infused the golden-green essence pulsating within his blood, transforming it into Demonic Qi.


    With meticulous precision, Lu Zhen monitored the process, observing as each strand of Demonic Qi coalesced within his bloodline. "One strand, two strands... Ten strands," he murmured.


    The high-grade Qi stone had already been broken by his body as the mysterious energy instantly filled Lu Zhen''s entire body.


    If he hadn''t used the previous mysterious energy to refine his bloodline, then Lu Zhen would have instantly exploded from the sheer energy that would have seeped into his body.


    Suddenly, Lu Zhen snapped open his eyes.


    "Hundred strands of demonic Qi," Lu Zhen muttered as the demonic Qi instantly started to resonate with him.


    The hundred strands of demonic Qi instantly prated his heart in the blink of an eye, searing pain erupting from Lu Zhen''s heart as it expanded several times, creating a dent that could be seen from his chest.


    However, Lu Zhen was undeterred; he could handle the pain.


    But just at this time, he felt his mind be strangely clear as a blue panel flickered in front of him.


    Lu Zhen couldn''t focus on the panel as all his attention was on his own heart, carefully sensing all the changes that were happening.


    The demonic Qi, after entering his heart, opened a pathway where it was instantly stored. This pathway was created with the help of Lu Zhen''s heart meridian.


    Unlike Qi cultivation, where meridians had little importance, the human body in this world had twelve meridians.


    Even the pathways that martial trainees created to break through the third-stage martial realm didn''t need much help from the meridians. As long as the Qi pathways that the martial trainees created could flow throughout their entire body, it would be enough.


    For Lu Zhen, this wasn''t even important, as Qi could freely travel in his body without any rejection at all.


    However, the Heaven Refining Demonic Qi was different. To reach the second level of the cultivation technique, he needed to store a hundred strands of demonic Qi in his heart meridian, creating a kind of dantian to store these demonic Qi.


    But it didn''t end there. Lu Zhen, after using these demonic Qi in his heart meridian, started to refine an imaginary crystal dome inside his heart. The hundred strands of demonic Qi slowly drained as they were being refined into the dome.


    As a result, Lu Zhen''s heart slowly returned to its normal form, but a pathway had already formed in his heart meridian, resembling a dantian.

 Chapter 293: Transformation

    Lu Zhen heaved a sigh of relief as he sensed the dome-shaped structure within his heart''s meridian.


    "I have reached the second level of heaven refining demonic Qi," he eximed. Now, Lu Zhen''s demonic cultivation could directly bepared to that of a second-stage martial artist.


    The dantian in his heart meridian slowly began to glow, absorbing the pure Qi from his body and converting it to demonic Qi.


    From now on, Lu Zhen didn''t have to actively convert pure Qi into demonic Qi. As long as he guided the pure Qi into his dantian, it would automatically convert.


    This was the second level of the heaven refining cultivation method. Once he filled the entire dantian with his demonic Qi, he would be able to advance to the third level. But for that, he needed to have a deeper understanding of his bloodline.


    Thinking of this, a small frown appeared on his face.


    "I don''t even know what my bloodline has be after mixing with the Elfen bloodline," Lu Zhen thought with a bitter smile.


    He needed to gain a deeper understanding of his bloodline to progress further. In the cultivation method that Elv had given him, there were only details about eight bloodlines that would aid in his cultivation.


    The bloodline after merging had be a different category altogether.


    "I have to conduct my own research on the bloodline now," Lu Zhen contemted as he stood up. He now had three bloodlines in his body: the Volgrith, Elfen, and his human bloodline.


    Previously, his human bloodline dominated his body, with only some characteristics from the Volgrith bloodline showing. But now, with the Elfen bloodline merged as well, it dominated about forty percent of his body.


    Since it was a pure bloodline that directly came from the person who was imnted with it, it was naturally stronger. Combined with the Volgrith bloodline, they both took dominance of slightly less than half his body.


    Despite this, only half of his body remained dominated by his human bloodline.


    "Hmm, can I merge these three bloodlines into one to create a superior bloodline?" Lu Zhen pondered, his eyes lighting up with excitement.


    While the cultivation method of the heaven refining demonic Qi didbine the two bloodlines temporarily, it was merely a superficial integration, far from a true merging.


    Lu Zhen scrutinised his reflection in the mirror, his crimson eyes shing with intensity. His hair now bore a peculiar hue, a blend of blond and ck strands cascading down to almost waist length.


    However, it was his muscr physique that stood out the most as Lu Zhen swiftly disrobed. With each movement, his muscles crackled with power, casting a heavy aura in the surroundings. Notably, a thin line of muscle seemed to coalesce, forming a semnce of a demon-like visage within his physique.


    Lu Zhen''s physique had undergone a subtle transformation, bing slightly more slender withoutpromising the strength of his muscr frame. Each sinew seemed purposeful, honed through countless battles to maximise efficiency and power.


    "Remarkable," Lu Zhen murmured, his gaze sweeping over his changed form. Unlike the typical progression of strength in martial artists, where enhanced core strength was the norm, Lu Zhen''s body seemed to have evolved in a unique manner, adapting to his growing power with a blend of grace and resilience.


    Donning his emperor robes once more, Lu Zhen delved into the depths of his being, focusing on the dantian nestled within his heart meridian. There, he sensed the presence of two strands of demonic Qi, pulsating with a dark and foreboding energy.


    This demonic Qi, distinct from that generated by his bloodline, exuded an aura of destruction, its malevolent essence palpable. As he contemted the implications of this newfound power, a sense of anticipation coursed through Lu Zhen.


    "I wonder," he murmured thoughtfully, as he channelled a single strand of the demonic Qi into his body, eager to discover its effects firsthand.


    As he delved deeper into the second level of his cultivation, the potential of the demonic Qi within him began to unfold in ways he hadn''t imagined before. No longer confined to scattered strands, the demonic Qi now found a home in his dantian, allowing him to wield its power with greater precision.


    With each pulse of the demonic Qi coursing through his veins, Lu Zhen felt a surge of strength emanating from the depths of his being. His muscles, already honed to perfection, now seemed to pulsate with newfound vigour, each fibre vibrating with potent energy.


    An aura of power enveloped him, tangible and palpable, as if the very air around him trembled in acknowledgment of his growing might.


    And as he stood, his towering frame seemed to stretch upward, reaching heights that bordered on the surreal, almost brushing against the ceiling of his chamber.


    The transformation was staggering. Lu Zhen''s eyes widened in awe as he beheld his altered form, his once-dark hair now a radiant blond cascading around him like a golden aura.


    With a simple gesture, he tested his newfound strength, and the result was nothing short of astonishing¡ªa mere flick of his wrist unleashed a violent gale, the sheer force caused the walls to crack.


    "Have I reached the strength of a first-stage martial artist?" Lu Zhen thought, excitement gleaming in his eyes.


    Soon, the strand of demonic Qi ran out, and Lu Zhen returned to his normal form.


    "I need arger cultivation room next time," he thought with a bitter smile.


    Suddenly, a knock came from outside Lu Zhen''s cultivation chamber.


    "Who is it?" he asked.


    "Young leader¡­ the army is under our peripheral area already," came the urgent response.


    "What!? Wasn''t the army still taking two days to arrive? Howe they arrived so fast?" Lu Zhen eximed with shock as he hurried out of his seclusion.


    "Leader," Zhang Shi bowed with respect.


    Lu Zhen simply nodded his head expressionlessly and proceeded forward, followed by Zhang Shi. He was the poor guy who was used as an example in the coronation ceremony of Lu Zhen.


    Now, with the power from Lu Zhen, he had be a trusted subordinate, and the information about the outside world was also collected by Lu Zhen, making Zhang Shi quite redundant. However, his strength was still considerable.


    So, Lu Zhen appointed him as the general instead.

 Chapter 294: Mana heart level up

    Lu Zhen''s hair fluttered in the wind as he walked out of his grand throne room. His seclusion room was right beside his throne room for convenience, although he had implemented a self-governing model for all of Phoenix City. Nheless, he still needed to keep a close watch on affairs.


    There seemed to be no limit to a person''s stupidity, and Lu Ying was currently secluded as well, focusing on her cultivation for the uing war.


    She was on the verge of breaking through to be a first-stage martial artist, a potential game-changer in the impending battle. Despite this, Lu Zhen still had to handle paperwork at times, but it wasn''t overly burdensome given his high level of intelligence.


    Understanding his own abilities, Lu Zhen knew that he could only inflict minor injuries on a first-stage martial artist, even if he utilised all his strength and revealed his trump cards. He doubted he could do much beyond that, apart from causing some harm.


    Not to mention that both leading individuals were mid-first-stage martial artists; as for early-stagebat, there might be a chance, but for the level of their battle, Lu Zhen was still not qualified to fight. As for the battles of lower ranks...


    "I hope they will be in for a surprise, but before that, I need to eliminate somebody." Lu Zhen''s eyes narrowed as they gleamed with a ruthless killing intent.


    The servants all bowed with reverence upon seeing him walking, followed by Zhang Shi.


    "When did you spot them?" Lu Zhen inquired.


    "Just now, Leader," Zhang Shi spoke tentatively.


    However, Lu Zhen''s steps suddenly halted, and his crimson eyes seemed to reflect a blue hue.


    "What is wrong, young master?" Zhang Shi turned to Lu Zhen with a curious gaze.


    "Nothing. I will arrive shortly; you can go ahead," Lu Zhen replied, patting him firmly.


    Although Zhang Shi was confused, he still followed Lu Zhen''s instructions and proceeded ahead, leaving Lu Zhen alone in the hallway.


    Lu Zhen remained motionless, his crimson eyes staring straight ahead at the floating panel in front of him.


    [You have stimted your mana heart]


    [Your mana heart has leveled up]


    His crimson pupils seemed to twinkle with sheer shock.


    "My mana heart has leveled up!?" Lu Zhen thought, still contemting.


    "How did it level up now?" he wondered, his expression turning perplexed. Until this moment, ever since he had constructed his mana heart and reached the level without mana, it was impossible to upgrade it. But now it had suddenly upgraded naturally, leaving Lu Zhen stunned beyond belief.


    "Was it stimted when I opened my heart meridian?" Lu Zhen pondered, considering the possibility.


    As he contemted, strange changes began to ur in his body. An unknown energy from his system appeared again and entered his heart, transforming into mana and nurturing the mana heart.


    His consciousness was slightly being tempered with the change in the mana heart, and Lu Zhen could now sense some strange energy in the environment.


    This energy was so dim that it was almost non-existent to Lu Zhen previously, but now it became more apparent, and he could sense it with his body cultivation from the system. It gave him the natural gift of a terrifying five senses, which were even more powerful than a first-stage martial artist.


    "I wonder," Lu Zhen''s curiosity was piqued as he touched the red energy in the surroundings and gathered them together. Although the process was nerve-wracking slow, eventually he was able to gather a fistful of red energy from the different energies surrounding him.


    Then, he supplied a small amount of mana from his mana heart into the ball of me.


    Instantly, a small ball of fire appeared in Lu Zhen''s hand. Although the fire was just a mortal fire, its strength was still considerable and potent. It couldn''t deal much harm to Lu Zhen, though.


    "That''s it?" Lu Zhen thought with a little disappointment. If he needed to gather nature''s energy and go through this process just to make a small fireball that could be created by any mortal, then being a mage was really disappointing.


    Even if he progressed, the improvement might not be much.


    Suddenly, Lu Zhen thought of something, making his eyes flicker. His consciousness searched for the memory when he read those books and finally found a solution to why this was happening.


    "I forgot I needed to have spells which would rapidly increase the strength of the mage several times," Lu Zhen thought. However, he soon shook his head. The mana heart, even after levelling up from his system, was only at the first circle, which was equivalent to the third stage martial realm.


    For the current Lu Zhen, it was useless. However, the power to interact with nature still intrigued him a little, as countless possibilities erupted in his mind that could fully utilise the potential of a mage.


    "I will have to deal with the trouble in front of me though first," Lu Zhen sighed as he walked out. Seeing Zhang Shi, he nodded his head and was about to walk into the ancestor ce. However, Lu Ming and Fang Yin appeared in front of him, casually tearing a dimension.


    "I miscalcted, Lu Zhen. They suddenly increased their pace, even with the risk of some soldiers dying, and arrived sooner," Fang Ying said, his expression serious.


    Lu Zhen nodded.


    "We two will handle the two mid-first-stage martial artists. Are you sure you could handle those low-rank martial artists?" Fang Ying was still a little doubtful. From what he could see, there were at least a thousand second-stage martial artists alone, like cabbages filling the entire ce.


    Even he wasn''t sure if he could survive such herds of thousands without any possibility of escape. At best, he would be exhausted or even seriously injured, counting hisst breath.


    A thousand second-stage martial artists were nothing to scoff at, as they say, even an ant could finish an elephant if it could pressure it with its sheer number.


    "Don''t worry, Uncle Ying, I will be fine," Lu Zhen said with confidence.


    As they were talking, four stunning women followed by twelve more women appeared as well, each one more stunning than the next.


    Immediately, Lily rushed out and hugged Lu Zhen with a sad expression on her face.


    "Young master, you must win," she said in a whisper to his ears, which made Lu Zhen smile.


    For Lily, Lu Zhen was always her young master, and he himself preferred being called a young master than a leader.


    "Have you prepared all the things I have said for you to prepare?" Lu Zhen smiled warmly and patted her.


    "Yes, young master," she said with a blush on her face.


    "Good," Lu Zhen nodded his head as he looked behind her.


    "Are you sure you guys want to fight too?"


    "Yes," Xia Mei said with a frown on her face, "or do you think women are not as capable as men?"


    Lu Zhen chuckled upon hearing this. "What is the difference of gender if you have strength?"


    "There is still some preparation to do. Who knows, we might not even have to lift a single finger if all goes ording to my n," a devilish smirk appeared on Lu Zhen''s face.

 Chapter 295: Yang Jing

    "You will attack from the front while I take the rear. My strength lies in long-range attacks with my whip. My attack is several times stronger¡­"


    "Sect leader Feng, you don''t have to be so worried about their strategy. With two of us mid-first-stage martial artists and our strongest army created personally by our alchemist, there is no way we can be beaten," the cloaked male figure replied with an uncaring tone.


    "Besides, those fools fought among themselves, and the Lu family came out on top. But the entire Phoenix City''s power has rapidly decreased with the death of the three major families."


    Sect leader Feng looked coldly at the male figure. "It doesn''t hurt to be careful, Yang Jiang. I have been taught since young to never underestimate our enemy," she said while looking at the huge wall in the distance.


    "Not bad, their city wall quality isn''t bad. Some early first-stage martial artists would find it difficult to destroy these gates if they attack," she muttered, admiring the city gates from a distance.


    "So is it decided that I will take charge, Sect master?" Yang Jiang took a long yawn with a carefree expression.


    To which Feng nodded her head, and Yang Jiang immediately shot forward, increasing his flight speed and cutting through the air. He easily broke the sound barrier, reaching the walls in the distance.


    Feng watched the departing figure until she could only see some shadows of him in the distance. She smirked with her eyes, as if looking at an idiot.


    "That fool will take the full brunt of the attack. Even an injured rabbit will fight back when cornered enough!" Feng didn''t think that this mere town, which was in the middle of nowhere and had barely any connection to the outside world, could pose any threat to a mid-first-stage martial artist.


    Although the forest here provided noteworthy resources, the town was too isted from the outside world because of therge forest.


    Even though they had to travel for many months to reach here, which dignified how long of a distance one had to cover.


    The outside world had long forgotten that these cities even existed; only the older generation somewhat knew of them.


    If it weren''t for some connection with the Hei family, which was one of the major families in the city, they wouldn''t have even known that there was an inheritance cave.


    "This is the chance for our force to be a first-ss powerhouse in the world if we can capitalise on the entire inheritance¡­" she thought with narrowed eyes. "Maybe even a supreme force would be possible if we can raise a separation and formation realm martial artist."


    While she was contemting, Yang Jiang had already reached the wall.


    "Oh, they have a formation set-up?" Yang Jiang curiously looked at the wall with amusement.


    "No matter. In front of absolute strength, nothing can be stopped," heughed aloud, then directly punched the barrier.


    Boom!


    The formation trembled under the might of the man, but it instantly recovered from the damage.


    "Oh, there is such a formation master here?" Yang Jiang thought with amusement.


    Just as he was about to attack again, he suddenly saw a shadow emerge from inside the city wall and directly outside the formation.


    As the shadow erged in his vision, it revealed a youth with a businesslike smile on his face.


    Yang Jiang''s eyes narrowed when he sensed the person''s aura; however, he remained calm and collected.


    "I didn''t know these isted ces could produce a middle first-stage martial artist," he mused, as a huge vine hurled towards him. He watched calmly.


    Dong!


    As if a bell was ringing, the vine was blocked by a barrier that surrounded him.


    "Hahaha, let''s fight to our hearts'' content," Yang Jiang''s expression twisted with battle-crazed intent as his body started to emit a dark aura, which continued to rise, and a sabre appeared in his hand, shing at the young man.


    Lu Ming''s expression changed slightly, sensing the aura however he was undeterred.


    "Fellow martial artists, who dare attack my city, are you willing to face the consequences?" a voice thundered from the city walls.


    "Ha, consequences!?" Yang Jing sneered.


    Just as his attention shifted, Lu Ming had already disappeared from his ce.


    "Huh?" Yang Jing was stunned as he suddenly felt an ominous feeling, hurriedly cancelling his attack.


    Without looking back, he dodged to the left, narrowly avoiding ten-centimetre-thick thorns.


    Although the thorns appeared ordinary, the aura they emitted stirred his heart.


    Before he could recover, a sharp sensation struck his neck, as if it would mercilessly behead him. This premonition was clear, as if he were inches away from it.


    Yang Jing widened his eyes in sheer horror as he decisively destroyed a ring on his finger.


    Boom!


    A terrifying explosion ensued the moment he did, causing the entire sky to ze with fire, as if heaven itself were burning, creating an apocalyptic scene.


    Lu Ming observed the aftermath of the explosion with a calm expression from the ground, as a figurended nearby, coughing slightly in the process.


    "That bastard really self-destructed an artefact just to save himself," Fang Ying muttered, his toneced with displeasure and pity.


    "Even, you were injured?" Lu Ming inquired, his expression curious looking at the bruises and scalded skin in his body.


    You have to know that a first-stage martial artist''s physique is naturally stronger due to the intent they can create, which slowly strengthens their physique to reach a level that a lower realm martial artist could never dream to achieve even with body cultivation.


    "Of course I was injured. That artefact is a failed intent-grade product,parable to half of the first-stage martial realm. Although it''s several realms lower for us, its self-destruction is still terrifying," Fang Ying exined, his tone firm.


    As the dust settled, Yang Jing revealed himself, coughing up blood. Two of his fingers were missing, and his right arm was scorched by mes.


    With a bitter smile, Yang Jing assessed the damage, feeling the injuries in his internal organs caused by the explosion.


    Without so much as a nce at Lu Ming and Fang Ying, he turned and fled with his tail between his legs.


    Just as he was distancing himself from them, a wall entirely made up of vines appeared in front of him, entirely blocking his route.


    "Don''t go too far!" Yang Jing roared as his aura rose again, withdrawing his saber filled with a domineering aura.


    A sharp aura appeared as well; Fang Ying emerged in the sky with a calm expression, drawing his katana.


    Yang Jing''s expression twisted when he saw Fang Ying and the sharp aura he had felt before.


    "So you were the one who gave me a sense of crisis," he muttered under his breath.


    Without any words spoken, both of them shed at each other with full strength, their domineering and sharp auras colliding.


    Although the domineering aura had slightly greater strength, the sharp aura had an elegant feeling to it, slightly weakening the power of Yang Jing''s saber sh.


    But there wasn''t a victor as both of their attacks cancelled each other out.


    Just then, thorns twenty centimetres in thickness shot towards Yang Jing from behind, giving him a sense of crisis once again.


    Suddenly, a long whip came from the distance at terrifying speed, deflecting the thorns.

 Chapter 296: Mysterious Canon

    "Oh, looks like our newly promoted grand elder is not doing well," Feng said with a sly, mocking smile on her face.


    Yang Jing looked at the woman with a frown on his face, his expression grim.


    "Help me, woman. Take this man with the katana, and I will take care of the wood guy," hemanded, immediately charging towards Lu Ming with his saber.


    "When did I start to take orders from you?" Feng grumbled in her heart and looked at Fang Ying just as he was about to intercept Yang Jing.


    She whipped her whip, and it immediately lengthened, reaching Fang Ying in an instant, halting him from continuing.


    As the whip cut the path of Fang Ying, he could hear the faint sound of wind being torn, effortlessly breaking the sound barrier.


    "If I hadn''t stopped, I would have to give up ayer of skin," Fang Ying thought with some fear in his heart, looking down at where the whip hadnded.


    The ground caved in, forming almost two small hills from the sheer force it had exerted, creating a canyon in the middle at least fifty metres deep.


    "Hey, why are you so distracted?" Feng smirked, taking back her whip, which instantly became small until it reached her.


    "This will be troublesome¡­" Fang Ying grumbled in his heart, with narrowed eyes.


    Lu Ming and Yang Jing were also fighting at the moment.


    Although Lu Ming didn''t have much advantage in a head-on confrontation, all hisbat arts were sneaky and had more vitality.


    Yang Jiang looked at this with a frown on his face.


    Whenever he shed with his saber, Lu Ming would instantly use the vast vitality to avoid the blow, sneaking around and using the forest as his home ground from all sides.


    Seeing this, he couldn''t help but feel frustration and headache.


    "Moon sh!" he roared, gathering all his Qi and shing his saber in a 360-degree angle.


    Boom!


    All the trees that surrounded him for ten kilometres were instantly destroyed. However, Yang Jiang didn''t have a satisfied expression, as Lu Ming was nowhere to be found.


    "You bastard," Yang Jiang muttered, feeling helpless at the moment.


    Lu Zhen looked down at the fight urring in the sky and on the ground with a cold expression.


    Although the four were fighting at a considerable distance from the city gates, Lu Zhen could clearly perceive the long distance as if he were watching the entire fight right next to them as a spectator.


    "Hmm, the male''s aura is still a little chaotic, and his moves are still unfamiliar. Just like ancestor Lu, if my guess is correct, then he should have also recently broken through to mid-first-stage martial arts. As for the woman with the whip, her movements are natural and firmly stable, just like Fang Ying. They must both be veterans," Lu Zhen spected in his head.


    "Leader, the army is approaching."


    Lu Zhen was awakened by Zhang Shi''s voice. The other soldiers and generals beside him were all filled with apprehension and fear, looking tentatively at the massed army.


    No matter how brave one is, facing an army that seems to stretch infinitely will inevitably cause them to falter!


    "I can see," Lu Zhen replied, observing the countless soldiers in ck armour firmly approaching the wall.


    He looked towards the horizon and could still see the soldiers stretching into the distance.


    "How terrifying," Lu Zhen muttered with a strange tone. The soldiers appeared as tiny ck dots from the tall wall, but Lu Zhen wouldn''t underestimate their power.


    Taking a deep breath, he calmed down instantly. "Set up the weapons," hemanded.


    Lu Zhen returned back casually, jumping from the high wall into the ground, creating a huge crater as if a meteorite had crashed into the ground.


    The soldiers immediately started to set up weapons on the top of the wall, revealing ten cannons all targeted at the approaching army.


    As Lu Zhennded, his women approached him with curious expressions on their faces.


    "Young master, why are you using these weapons?" Lily asked.


    "You will know in a bit," Lu Zhen said with a mysterious smile. The cannons lining the walls weremon weapons in mortal warfare, but their purpose here was not to kill the enemy directly; rather, they were meant to destroy the walls.


    In the realm of martial arts battles, such weapons held little significance. So Lily''s confusion was understandable, echoed by the curious expressions of Xia Mei and the others as they observed the cannons on the wall.


    Behind them stood an army of thousands, their bows strung with arrows, radiating a palpable killing intent.


    Some were veterans of the initial Lu Family, now part of the imperial forces under Lu Zhen''s leadership, while others were newly recruited and trained soldiers.


    Lu Zhen cast a nce at his ten generals, d in ck armour forged from the strongest metal avable in the city.


    This armour was highly conductive to Qi, enhancing the flow of energy within their bodies. In contrast, the rest of the army wore yellow armour, slightly less potent but still formidable.


    He himself wore a suit of golden armour adorned with intricate dragon symbols, a perfect match for his tall and imposing stature.


    While the armour appeared majestic, it differed in quality from the others; instead of being highly conductive to Qi like the ck armour of his generals, his was crafted from thousand-jin shadowless steel.


    Traditionally, this type of steel was renowned for its heaviness, but its conductivity to Qi was significantly lower.


    However, this posed no issue for Lu Zhen, given his monstrous physique. The nearly ten-ton weight of the armour didn''t burden him as it might others and suited him quite well instead.


    As the army continued its march, they drew closer to the wall, now only ten kilometres away, fully equipped and armed for battle.


    "Leader, they have arrived," Zhang Shi reminded, with sweat dropping down from his forehead.

 Chapter 297: Verdant Demonic Tree

    Lu Zhen raised his hand and spoke with a smirk on his face.


    "Fire."


    Boom!


    The cannons roared like dragons, releasing small ck balls directly towards the army.


    However, upon impact, they proved disappointing, failing to kill even a single individual. With a disappointing thud, they fell to the ground, merely pushing the soldiers back slightly.


    Zhang Shi looked on with a disappointed expression. "He is still a young brat after all, no matter how powerful these monsters can be."


    Just as he was thinking this, with a smug smile on his face, something strange happened.


    The ck balls from the cannons suddenly exploded, covering a distance of half a kilometre each, decimating a significant portion of the army.


    Lu Zhen extended his hand with a cold expression, tightening it. The nt Qi in his body instantly moved towards the explosions.


    A strange and fantastical scene unfolded before Lu Zhen''s eyes as his nt Qi made contact with the explosion.


    From the epicentre of the explosion, countless trees erupted from the ground, sprouting with astonishing speed and reaching towering heights in mere moments.


    These were no ordinary trees; they bore humanoid features, with legs resembling those of a person and vines extending like arms.


    Their aura surged dramatically, reaching the formidable third stage of the martial realm, emanating a chilling and ominous energy.


    These demonic trees, animated by a sinister force, turned their attention to the approaching army.


    With swift and calcted movements, theyunched their attack, ensnaring the soldiers with their powerful vines.


    Once captured, the unfortunate victims found their vitality slowly drained away, their life force feeding the insatiable hunger of the demonic trees.


    From their withered forms, new trees sprouted, creating an endless cycle of growth and consumption.


    Though individually their strength may not have been remarkable, their resilience was unmatched.


    Even if severed, their branches regenerated in a matter of breaths, ensuring an unyielding onught against the helpless army.


    In the chaos that ensued, the advance of the soldiers came to an abrupt halt as they struggled against the relentless assault of the Verdant Demonic Trees.


    "Combat art: Verdant Demonic Tree," Lu Zhen murmured with a satisfied grin, observing the havoc he had unleashed upon the enemy forces.


    Zhang Shi looked at the scene in front of him, with countless demonic trees emerging and destroying the army. His expression was stunned.


    "Leader, is this...?" he respectfully inquired of Lu Zhen at the front.


    Lu Zhen casually nced at Zhang Shi.


    "This is abat art I created in my free time," he said casually.


    "Casually created!?" Zhang Shi was shocked to the core. "How could someone createbat art casually?" However, he knew that Lu Zhen had no reason to lie to him.


    His worldview copsed. Creatingbat arts was challenging even for first-stage martial artists, requiring a deep understanding of martial arts and the application of Qi.


    Although rudimentarybat arts for lower-stage martial artists could easily be created, their powers were typically tiny, generating barely any force.


    But... the power of Lu Zhen''sbat art far exceeded that of the second-stage martial realm; even a first-stage martial artist might not be able to create such an evestingbat art.


    You should be aware that Lu Zhen''s singlebat art suppressed the entire army of millions.


    This was beyond Zhang Shi''sprehension, as he came from the outside world.


    "Even Holy sons and daughters are nothingpared to him," Zhang Shi muttered, with some fear in his heart.


    "Lu Zhen, when did you be so powerful?" Xia Mei asked apprehensively, looking at the army in chaos.


    She, too, was from the outside world and recognized the terrifying strength he had disyed, a level ofprehension nobody she had ever known could reach.


    "It''s just abat art I casually created. I don''t know why you''re so shocked," Lu Zhen said helplessly.


    "Are you doubting my young master?" Lily said with a pout.


    "No, but¡­" Xia Mei was speechless. "I guess he really can hold the sky with one hand."


    Whenever Xia Mei saw Lu Zhen, his aura seemed to grow stronger each time.


    At this moment, although Xia Mei was very close to reaching the second-stage martial realm, she knew deep down that with just a simple sh from Lu Zhen, she would meet a miserable end with no chance of survival.


    The feelings she experienced from Lu Zhen wereparable to those she felt from her master in the sect, a first-stage martial artist.


    Lu Zhen simply shook his head. He wasn''t lying; he did create thebat art casually.


    "System," he willed, and the blue panel appeared in front of his eyes, though he was solely focused on thebat art section.


    - [Eternal Verdant Whirlwind (full mastery)]


    - [Whispering Shadow Step (full mastery)]


    - [Verdant Vajra Fist (full mastery)]


    - [Butterfly Hidden Dance (full mastery)]


    - [Verdant Demonic Tree (full mastery)]


    Lu Zhen nodded as he viewed the multiplebat arts disyed neatly before him.


    He had modified some of thesebat arts with his highprehension to suit his taste, significantly increasing their power, just like the Verdant Whirlwind.


    Previously, their power could be considered weak.


    Ever since he entered the second-stage martial realm, just utilizing his raw strength and Qi was more effective than using abat art. However, after his modifications, all thesebat arts had be terrifying.


    Lu Zhen''s eyes glowed with gold as he looked at his newly createdbat arts.


    - [Verdant Demonic Tree]


    - [Remark: Uses thebination of demonic Qi and nt Qi to create terrifying demonic trees with the strength of the third-stage martial realm and possesses inexhaustible vitality as long as they can absorb vitality from the enemy]


    "However, these shouldn''t be able topletely halt the army. If they did, I would be disappointed," Lu Zhen muttered, looking ahead.


    As expected, the demonic trees were suddenly bombarded by second-stage martial artists.


    Although theirbat strength wasn''t significant, the trees'' vitality couldn''t withstand the bombardment of thousands of second-stage martial artists and gradually diminished.


    However, the damage had already been done. Almost one-fourth of the army had been destroyed by just onebat art!

 Chapter 298: Grim Reaper

    Lu Zhen surveyed the remaining army with a smirk, noting that while a few of the demonic trees still stood, the majority had been dispatched by the second-stage martial artists.


    With thebined assault of thousands of second-stage martial artists, the demonic trees stood no chance.


    As thest few remaining trees faced imminent elimination, Lu Zhen''s expression hardened, his gaze turning stern as he focused on the army before him.


    "Ready your aim," hemanded.


    Instantly, arrows engulfed in mes were drawn and aimed skyward by countless soldiers, their brows held high.


    Even Zhang Shi wielded a bow, his aim fixed on the heavens. Xia Mei and the other women followed suit, their bows raised and pointed upwards.


    Lu Zhen scrutinised the surroundings, able to discern almost everyone''s trajectory and aim. Satisfied, he nodded approvingly.


    Though some bows seemed slightly off target, the majority of the army had urately aligned their shots with the intended trajectory.


    While he noted those who made some ws, he looked at the army in front of him.


    "Fire," Lu Zhen roared with the support of his Qi, which was already merging with his true form.


    His voice travelled wide and far; however, it suddenly stopped at the wall. He didn''t want to alert his enemies like a fool.


    Boom!


    Everyone released their strings with stern expressions on their faces.


    The arrows travelled with their tips lightened with fire; it looked more like an apocalypse.


    However, this time the enemy army seemed to have been prepared already.


    "Get in formation," Qian Li, one of the second-stage martial artists, spoke with a grimace on his face. The countless arrows really looked like a doomsday, covering the entire sky in a sea of mes.


    Qian Li, who spoke, seemed to be the highest-ranked person, as the soldiers, even the second-stage martial artists, gathered in groups before they raised their ck shields, which had intricate patterns.


    Qian Li himself held his shield aloft, extending it forward as his Qi infused the shield, causing it to glow brightly.


    His actions mirrored those of his soldiers, their shields resonating in unison to create a peculiar harmony among them.


    As the arrows hurtled toward them with terrifying force, seemingly propelled by the relentless pull of gravity, a sudden shift urred.


    An avatar of a fearsome being materialised from all the glowing ominous ck shields.


    This avatar took the form of a creature shrouded in darkness, its skeletal frame draped in a hooded cloak.


    Only its skull was visible, its eye sockets empty yet seemingly containing the depths of an abyss.


    In its hand, it wielded a long scythe that was at least nine metres tall, even bigger than the avatar who was seven metres tall.


    The grim reaper!


    The grim reaper''s presence instilled a newfound confidence in Qian Li, elevating his spirits to unprecedented heights in an instant.


    Standing amidst the void, the grim reaper avatar exuded an ominous aura of death.


    As the sea of mes surged toward it, the avatar nced at the approaching inferno before raising its scythe and swinging it toward the sea of mes.


    Boom!


    An intensely chilling aura pervaded the entire surroundings, enveloping the entire city within its icy grip.


    Even from miles away, Lu Zhen could sense the ominous presence looming over the battlefield.


    "A first-stage martial realm avatar?" Lu Zhen pondered with a furrowed brow. "This was not part of my calctions, and judging by its aura, it''s anything but ordinary."


    He observed as the pure Qi in the atmosphere underwent a peculiar transformation, turning frigid and sinister.


    "If I''m not mistaken, the surrounding area''s Pure Qi has entirely turned to Yin Qi," Lu Zhen deduced, his eyes widening with realisation.


    Despite the distance, he could feel a chill creeping into his bones. Yet, with a mere cirction of his own nt Qi, he dispelled the cold sensation effortlessly.


    "Utilise your Qi and channel it through your meridians," hemanded, issuing instructions to those around him as he turned away to focus on the unfolding events.


    Every person here was a martial artist so they had even a slight amount of Qi which they could circte and instantly the chilling sensation in their body vanished causing them to heave a sigh of relief.


    He looked at his woman who had long since used their Qi  to ward off the yin Qi and nodded his head with admiration.


    "They aren''t mere vases, after all," Lu Zhen remarked. He hadn''t needed to search for his general; he had carefully selected them himself. How could they be simple person?


    Lu Zhen suddenly turned around and surveyed the barren city, devoid of any signs of life, and heaved a sigh of relief. "Luckily, I imposed a lockdown and even installed isting formations inside these mortal houses."


    As he refocused on the battlefield, the surrounding Yin Qi finally began to dim, while the avatar of the Grim Reaper stood stoically with a scythe slung over its shoulder.


    Lu Zhen felt a twinge of disappointment. He hadn''t expected the army''s avatar to be so terrifying that not even a scratch befell it despite the onught of the sea of fire.


    ording to Lu Zhen''s estimation, if a normal first-stage martial artist were to collide with such an attack, they would surely be seriously injured.


    However, in actualbat, no one would be foolish enough to face such a barrage head-on, especially a first-stage martial artist.


    After all, a first-stage martial artist wasn''t foolish; reaching marital level couldn''t be achieved without possessing battle awareness.


    "Attack," Qian Limanded fiercely, his battle spirit erupting as he supplied a steady stream of Qi into the shield.


    Internally, he mused, "Too bad these avatar creations require so many resources, drawing on the continuous supply from millions of soldiers and even draining their life force."


    His expression turned cold as he observed the soldiers around him, some of whom had already fallen due to the loss of vitality.


    Yet, strangely, the others seemed unperturbed.


    These armies felt no pain and were incredibly obedient to themands of their superiors; such obedience was ingrained in their bloodline.


    Looking at the other second-stage martial artists, Qian Li nodded with a determined smile. "Let''s crush that bastard," he dered, his expression hardening with resolve.


    Boom!


    Suddenly, a sea of fire erupted from the ground, unleashing an intense heat that instantly engulfed nearly a thousand soldiers in its fiery embrace.


    Qian Li was shocked to see these.

 Chapter 299: Qian Li in shock

    "What happened!?" Qian Li eximed, his shock palpable as he witnessed the countless fiery explosions ravaging through the ranks of his soldiers.


    However, it wasn''t over yet. The temperature surged, and ominous mes erupted, enveloping the entire army in a zing inferno.


    In a moment of realisation, Qian Li looked up to see the grim reaper avatar flickering, since the supply of Qi and lifespan diminished rapidly from the soldiers dying. The pressure on him and the other soldiers intensified.


    "Damn it," he cursed through gritted teeth, releasing his grip on the shield.


    "You all, even if your vitality is drained to thest drop, do not release your shields," Qian Limanded in a cold tone.


    As he observed the approaching explosion, the soldiers remained steadfast, their expressions unchanged even as theirrades fell to the fiery onught. Despite the sweat drenching their bodies and the oppressive heat surrounding them, they stood firm, unwaveringly channelling their Qi into the shield.


    Lu Zhen regarded the scene before him with a furrowed brow.


    "What manner of army is this?" he pondered, sensing an eerie absence of individuality among them, as though they had be mindless automatons devoid of personal will, ready to be sacrificed without hesitation.


    Lu Zhen couldn''t fathom that the entire army was utterly fearless in the face of death, showing no signs of hesitation or self-preservation.


    "Interesting," he murmured, a glint of intrigue flickering in his eyes as he observed the army. "Once I deal with them, I must delve deeper into this mystery."


    Lost in thought, Lu Zhen was unaware that Lily was gentlybing his hair with a tender smile on her face.


    "Young master, your hair has grown remarkably long," she remarked, her cheeks tinged with a blush. Lily couldn''t help but feel surprised at the striking blend of ck and gold coloured hair which was previouslypletely ck.


    It was Lily''s duty tob Lu Zhen''s hair, a task she performed diligently each time.


    "As my wife, you don''t have to concern yourself with such trivial matters, Lily. They can be handled by the maids," Lu Zhen gently suggested.


    "Young master, what do you mean?" Lily countered firmly, her tone resolute. "This is one of the joys of my life, serving you," she dered without hesitation.


    Lu Zhen simply smiled, allowing her to continuebing his hair as she wished.


    The generals observed this scene with speechless expressions.


    "The enemy is at our gates, and Lu Zhen is indulging in romance," Zhang Shi grumbled, feeling a mix of frustration and humiliation. "And to think, the same person defeated me so miserable like pping a bug," Hemented, but soon a sense of helplessness crept up in his soul, especially upon seeing the ever-growing strength of Lu Zhen in just a blink of an eye.


    "Forget it, as his subordinate, I will reap numerous benefits. Besides, considering his strength, he likely won''t remain in this tiny ce for long. Who knows, he might even surpass the first-stage martial realm and reach that revered realm," Zhang Shi mused optimistically.


    However, as soon as these notions surfaced, he shook his head in disbelief. Countless talents had been born, yet none had ever surpassed the first-stage martial realm.


    Peak first-stage martial artists were like gods in the martial world, true powerhouses who could establish supreme sects and garner the reverence of countless martial artists and mortals alike!


    "Hey Lily, don''t hog Lu Zhen all to yourself," Xia Mei interjected suddenly, her tone tinged with displeasure.


    She approached Lu Zhen and sat on hisp, joined by the other women who came to his side, each wearing a pout as they used their soft hands to serve and massage him.


    Lu Zhen just nodded his head approvingly. If all these beauties were serving him, he wasn''t a person who would refuse these things at all.


    Meanwhile, on the battlefield, Qian Li hurriedly made his way to the explosion site to see what had actually urred. His brows were knitted together, while sweat continuously poured out of his body with anxiety.


    Finally, he reached the site of the explosion and looked at the remains of the charred corpses of his soldiers. Qian Li''s gaze wasn''t on these pitiful soldiers, as he considered them beneath him, but instead on sensing the energy around him, which caused him to frown more.


    He slowly closed his eyes as if visualising things. After a long time, he finally opened his eyes as his body shrivelled.


    "We have been had. The remaining tree demons all contained extremely strong vitality, which could instantly be fired the moment ites in touch with fire Qi," he slowly muttered, his eyes full of realisation.


    The point of the explosion had only happened where the remaining existence of the tree demons was, so it wouldn''t take a genius to figure out what had happened.


    Although the avatar of the grim reaper swatted away the sea of mes, it couldn''t fully protect against the sparks of me.


    If they had used fire Qi and employedbat arts rted to it with their bows, it wasn''t difficult to convert the surrounding pure Qi into Fire Qi, igniting the terrifying explosion contained within the demonic trees.


    "Damn it," Qian Li despaired more as he contemted the situation. "There must be a terrifying individual behind them providing all the war tactics."


    "But this isn''t enough to stop us!" he roared like a madman, gazing fiercely at the towering wall ahead.


    "Soldiers, charge!" Qian Limanded, and the entire army began to advance, each step taken with determination.


    As the army moved forward, the avatar slowly approached the wall. Though the death rate among the soldiers increased significantly, they could still endure for a considerable time.


    "Ah, someone finally figured it out. Send a continuous volley of arrows at it. I want to see how long it canst," Lu Zhen smirked.


    Instantly, arrows filled the sky as they were sent hurtling towards the avatar. However, with a simple sh of its scythe, it instantly repelled all the arrows.

 Chapter 300: Modified Demonic Bow

    The grim reaper swung the scythe again and again, deflecting all the arrows continuously.


    However, Lu Zhen smirked at the sight.


    "The avatar is already flickering," he thought, though a hint of pity lingered in his gaze.


    "If we had more firepower, we could create an army of archers solely dedicated to this. With the modifiedbat art that I could create, their power would be terrifying," Lu Zhen pondered as the avatar reached the gate, with countless soldiers falling as they supplied their Qi and vitality to sustain it.


    "Let''s give it onest shot," Lu Zhen said, turning to Xia Mei with a smile.


    "I will bring it to you," Xia Mei replied with a smile of understanding as she handed him arge box.


    Lu Zhen opened the lid and gazed at the bow, his eyes shing with a golden hue. The ck bows were crafted from a high-level material, evident at first nce, and even the strings were ck and seemed to be from a strong animal.


    [Modified Demonic Bow]


    [Grade: Intent Item]


    [Remarks: This modified demonic bow utilises demonic Qi to refine demonic arrows which are used for shooting with the bow. Enhanced with the addition of "thought-jin steel," it imbues the bow with attributes of heaviness and power, resulting in stronger and heavier arrows. However, it requires considerable strength to draw the bowstring, estimated to exert a weight of approximately ten tons.


    Refined by the ancestor of the Volgrith bloodline and subsequently modified by the ancestor of the Elfen bloodline.]


    "Not bad. I didn''t expect you to be so skilled at refining the material, or should I say Xiaolong Gui," Lu Zhen chuckled.


    Xia Mei smiled with a smirk.


    "Don''t worry, Lu Zhen. We''ve switched the bloodline authority now. Thanks to your help, she can''tmand me anymore, and with my authority, I can eliminate her anytime," Xia Mei said nonchntly, her expression grateful.


    "I''ve always felt like someone was controlling my life ever since I was young. It started as a faint feeling, but it grew stronger as I became more powerful. Now, I finally realise that these weren''t just my feelings; it was reality."


    Lu Zhen simply nodded, a smile ying on his lips as he slowly picked up the bow.


    "Oh." Even with his current strength, he felt a weight pressing down on him the moment he lifted the bow.


    With a little exertion of his strength, Lu Zhen effortlessly mauvered the bow, his muscle working like a heated engine.


    With a satisfied nod, Lu Zhen looked at the avatar, which was just a distance away from them.


    "Ho!" he eximed, taking a deep breath as he utilised the demonic Qi in his heart meridian. By now, he had gathered about fifty strands of demonic Qi, each containing a more terrifying aura than before.


    With the might of the newly modified demonic bow, Lu Zhen could only pray for the poor avatar that is going to face it.


    "Hupp!" With intense focus, he aimed the bow at the avatar, which was about to swing its scythe at the wall with a smirk on its face, pulling the string as far as he could.


    The heavy demonic bow bent almost all the way from the strength that Lu Zhen exerted as he pulled the string of the bow.


    All the demonic Qi in his dantian, emanating from the heart meridian, rushed into the demonic bow.


    Instantly, a dark me in the shape of an arrow formed, emitting heat that seemed to distort the very fabric of the void.


    Lu Zhen felt the heat of the demonic arrow intensify, causing even his muscles to tense. His refined body, just half a step away from bing a first-stage martial artist, felt the heat.


    "Oh?" Lu Zhen was a little surprised when he sensed this.


    "Poor avatar."


    Boom!


    A shockwave was produced the instant the arrow was released, effortlessly breaking the sound barrier, and even causing the void to tremble under the sheer heat produced by the arrow.


    In just a breath''s time, the arrow collided with the avatar, its fiery might spreading outward.


    "Eh?" Qian Li suddenly felt the temperature of the surrounding rising.


    "What''s happening?" He looked towards the avatar with a frown on his face. The moment he closed his expression, it froze with terror in his eyes.


    The grim reaper was hit by the arrow, sending it backwards by ten steps. However, that wasn''t the end of it!


    With the terrifying heat produced by the arrow, the avatar of the grim reaper slowly started to melt.


    Some small sparks from the demonic arrow fell to the soldiers below, and instantly they melted into the ground. Their bones, blood, and Qi all vanished into thin air.


    Even a second-stage martial artist who was affected by the spark could onlyst for a short amount of time before melting away. All that was left was their skeleton, which soon melted away as if they didn''t exist in the first ce.


    Qian Li felt a chill down his spine, a sensation that even a peak second-stage martial artist like himself, on the cusp of breaking through, couldn''t shake off.


    The ominous sense of danger emanating from the arrow''s spark was unmistakable. The higher one''s martial stage, the more acute their perception of imminent threats.


    This instinctive reaction couldn''t be ignored.


    Fortunately, the arrow''s effects were short-lived, dissipating after just twenty breaths of time. It barely made a dent in the scythe held by the avatar, prompting a sigh of relief from Qian Li.


    But his relief was short-lived.


    "No, the problem isn''t these." his eyes widened seeing the countless soldiers who were falling even faster than before.


    "Shit."


    Before he could formte a n, another demonic arrow was sent hurtling towards the avatar, Qian Li''s mind raced. Having attained the status of a peak second-stage martial artist within this diabolic sect, How could he be a simple character?


    "Ignore the arrow. Our priority is to breach the wall," he dered decisively, his voice cutting through the chaos. The army obeyed without question, moving swiftly to execute hismand.


    The avatar tantly ignored the ming demonic arrowing towards it and swung its scythe at the walls.


    Boom!


    The giant wall broke instantly.


    The wall, which had covered the entirety of the entire Phoenix City, was now destroyed for the first time in centuries, ever since the creation of the four major families.


    Some of the old soldiers'' eyes flickered with aplicated gaze as they looked at the broken wall with reminiscence. After all, they grew up seeing these giant walls, which also gave them a sense of security.


    Now, these grim reaper avatars havepletely broken these walls, and a sense of rage slowly built in them as their Qi and blood leaked out, with a fiery rage burning in their eyes.


    "Oh, there are at least some decisive people in the army," Lu Zhen''s crimson eyes flickered, noticing the battle spirit in some of the older soldiers.


    However, Lu Zhen had no recollection of such a thing, so he couldn''t rte as easily as these people.


    After all, he transmigrated not long ago!


    But the avatar couldn''tst long as it was instantly hit by the ming arrows.


    "Damn it, let go of the shield," Qian Li decisively said. The fate of the avatar was already settled with these ming arrows. Holding on to it would only cause more harm than good.


    So, it was better to let go than to stubbornly hold on like an old man.


    As expected, this was the best situation for him.


    Although the terrifying demonic arrownded in the ranks of the army, no matter how powerful it was, it could only cover ten metres from itsnding side, and all the soldiers within that range were melted instantly, even the ground charged to charcoal.


    Boom!

 Chapter 301: Common People less Suffering

    The ground quaked beneath the weight of the terrifying shockwave unleashed by the demonic arrow, like a meteorite crashing into the earth.


    Many soldiers were sent tumbling and rolling on the ground by the sheer shockwave. However, for the massive army, this was far from enough to defeat them.


    With a satisfied smile on his face, Lu Zhen looked at his handiwork.


    If it had been the normal demonic bow, it could never have created such a scene.


    However, after the addition of the thousand-jin steel, its power had increased several times over, though it had be at least ten times heavier than before but this was nothing for Lu Zhen.


    Although activating the demonic Qi within the arrow had be a little more challenging, it was all worth it in the end.


    Not only did this scene inspire countless ideas in his mind, but it also led to various thoughts on how to use it in battle.


    "I might be able to create abat art and efficiently use it," Lu Zhen muttered in his heart. However, that was for the future. He looked at the millions of soldiers still remaining, all advancing step by step, radiating a terrifying aura.


    Not only was the size of the army terrifying, but the aura they emitted was even more heart-stirring, with countless second-stage martial artists. Compared to them, Lu Zhen''s army didn''t even have a fraction of second-stage martial artists.


    Although there had already been significant damage, it wasn''t only at the bottom of the ranks. In fact, the upper echelon hadn''t suffered many casualties, only some exhaustion of energy which could be easily remedied.


    Zhang Shi felt the ground shake, causing him to gulp nervously.


    "My lord," he began tentatively, but seeing Lu Zhen''s rxed expression, he calmed down slightly.


    Lu Zhen nced behind him, observing his soldiers, all of whom wore nervous expressions on their faces.


    "It''s time to boost their morale," Lu Zhen thought with a frown on his face. He stood up from his throne, and all his women moved to the side with an obedient expression. However, as they looked at the army, their expressions turned fierce.


    They were willing toy down their lives for Lu Zhen!


    After spending time with each and every single one of them, Lu Zhen had tamed them individually. He wasn''t interested in seeing the internal struggles of his own harem. A woman''s heart is like a deep ocean; you never know what is hidden beneath its surface.


    Lu Zhen sighed slowly before taking a deep breath. All his Qi travelled down his vocal cord, and he shouted in a terrifying sound that sent shockwaves across the ce.


    The shockwave was so shocking that it caused the initial soldiers who entered through the cracks of the broken wall to be pushed back.


    "Soldiers, are you afraid?"


    "No, Lord!"


    All the soldiers felt a rush of adrenaline through their veins. After all, they were all veterans in war. Shouting in fury, they stomped their feet on the ground.


    Zhang Shi felt the earth tremble with even more intensity.


    Lu Zhen nodded his head as his killing aura erupted in full power, all directed towards the enemy army. This caused them to slow down as well.


    "So what are you afraid of? For the soil that you were born in and the family that stands behind you, are you willing to give your all to protect your beloved?" Lu Zhen shouted again with a sharp expression, his voice once more sending a shockwave.


    "Yes, Lord!"


    "Louder!"


    "YES, LORD!"


    Everyone in Lu Zhen''s army roared in unison, their auras erupting as well, overtaking even the aura from the death army.


    "These old bones will at least take out two third-stage martial artists for Lord Lu Zhen," dered one of the soldiers, his voice filled with determination.


    "He has been kind to themon people. Not only did he maintainw and order in the city, but he also provided a way for the poor and weak to survive," another soldier chimed in.


    "My children and wife have been able to eat because of him. It''s all because Lord Lu Zhen took charge of the situation. I will fight to the death for him," vowed a third soldier.


    Ever since Lu Zhen took charge, themon people had suffered less. Even refugees from various destroyed viges were taken in. While his reputation among those in power wasn''t favourable, they could only helplessly follow without an idea in even a hint of rebellious idea.


    But for themon people, Lu Zhen had be their saviour. Although many martial artists had privileged backgrounds, there were also those who rose from rags through hard work and talent. These individuals had joined Lu Zhen''s army and even became part of his personal guard.


    Those who had risen to power from humble backgrounds possessed considerable strength. Lu Zhen now had people who were willing to die for him.


    Although the death army exuded a strong aura, itcked the intense killing intent and fighting spirit shimmering in the eyes of Lu Zhen''s soldiers. One should never underestimate the power of human emotion!


    Qian Li observed this with a frown. He couldn''t allow the enemy army to be emboldened.


    "Even though they will still be defeated, the losses might be steep," he muttered to himself. Moralising his own army wasn''t necessary; they were already mindless monsters, simr to jianshi but not yet dead.


    "Faster, charge!" Qian Limanded, and the army''s pace suddenly doubled, while he and the other second-stage martial artists slowly backed away.


    Just as he was about to retreat, suddenly his eyes widened.


    He saw a tall, young man with a bulky frame wearing golden armour appear charged towards the army, his face cold and expressionless.


    His crimson eyes seemed to pierce the very soul, striking fear into them like a devil. His half ck and half golden hair fluttered in the wind, giving him a strangely heroic yet demonic appearance at the same time.


    "Fight," Lu Zhen shouted loudly, crashing into the ground and taking out at least five soldiers with just his sheernding at the centre of the army. The soldiers'' blood boiled even more as they blindly rushed and charged at the enemy, biting, hacking, and doing everything in their power to take out the enemy soldiers without caring for their own safety.


    Lu Zhen''s army was more simr to beastspared to the so-called "death" army.


    Their morale had reached an all-time high as they used everything at their disposal to attack.


    The army''s attention was suddenly focused on Lu Zhen as countless javelins were thrown at him from all directions.


    However, Lu Zhen remained calm as he lightly swung his hand, instantly creating a terrifying whirlwind with a wooden spike at its centre. The whirlwind grewrger andrger, gathering the Qi of the surrounding area.


    The surrounding javelins were all swept by it and instantly cleared the direction of the enemy''s shoulder.


    "Is that the kid from the information?" Qing Li thought, shocked to the core as his brows twitched.


    "Wasn''t he just a third-stage martial artist and only twenty years old at most?" The more he thought about it, the more his brows creased before a determined expression appeared on his face.


    "Focus more on that kid. Everyone, focus on him," Qian Li shouted loudly as he moved the other second-stage martial artist also moved in a tactic agreement.

 Chapter 302: Vast Reserve of Qi

    Ssh!


    With a casual swing of Lu Zhen''s saber, another man fell swiftly at his hand, turning into a blood mist from the sheer force of his blow.


    However, Lu Zhen didn''t wear a satisfied expression on his face.


    "The efficiency is greater if I don''t use any weapon," he muttered, casually swiping his hand with the saber. Instantly, all soldiers within twenty metres of him were ground into pieces.


    This saber was also made from the thousand-jin material and weighed about five tons. However, with his sheer raw strength and saber mastery skill, applying the principles of the saber to almost anything was as easy as pie.


    Thinking of this, Lu Zhen casually threw his saber to one of the second-stage martial artists.


    Boom!


    The void seemed to tremble with the might of the saber as itnded on the random second-stage martial artist, his terror-filled eyes unable to defend against the onught. Though he attempted to defend with a sword, it immediately broke from the sheer force of the saber, swiftly prating his heart.


    However, even after being prated by the saber, the soldier didn''t die immediately. He struggled to take out the weapon, but s, he couldn''t, slowly losing his vitality before finally falling with a sickening thud to the ground.


    Lu Zhen looked at this with a frown on his face.


    "I knew that second-stage martial artists are not so easy to kill, even when I destroy their internal organs," he muttered while surveying the battlefield.


    Though his soldiers were motivated and full of fighting spirit thanks to his encouragement, they seemed too strange, devoid of human emotion. Despite their morale, his army was gradually losing ground.


    Suddenly, a blizzard seemed to erupt on the battlefield, sweeping around a thousand soldiers in an instant.


    "For my husband," Jiang Xue roared with a fierce expression on her face as she released herbat art. Though her cultivation realm barely reached the third-stage martial realm, she fought heroically with all her strength.


    With Lu Zhen dual cultivating with her, her strength had grown exponentially through theirbined efforts, and her innate talent seemed to have been further enhanced. The resources he provided her were plentiful, allowing her to advance her cultivation rapidly.


    Simr disys of power were evident elsewhere in the army. Xia Mei, for instance, was engaged inbat with five second-stage martial artists simultaneously, yet she showed no signs of faltering. In fact, she appeared to be winning the battle.


    Her physical strength, strengthened by the awakening of her bloodline has be more terrifying. Shimmering with shadow Qi, she moved with abination of power and agility that made her a formidable opponent. Her striking purple hair, tied in a bun, added to her heroic aura as she fought with unmatched ferocity.


    With a resounding shout, she unleashed a punch using all her strength in that blow, causing her opponent to explode into a mist of blood instantly. Surveying her surroundings with a fierce expression, she continued to fight with cunning and determination.


    Lily meticulously arranged formation after formation, each one instilling such fear in the enemy that even second-stage martial artists hesitated to approach her.


    Fodder soldiers swarmed around her from all sides, yet she remained resolute and undeterred, unleashing bolts of terrifying lightning from her formations.


    Meanwhile, Huang Li conjured a swirling ring of fire, its intense heat engulfing the soldiers with a zing inferno that reduced their bodies to charred remains, the temperature around her was no less than near a volcano.


    The concubines of Lu Zhen were also the same, all fighting for him with fierce expressions.


    After being thoroughly tamed by him, both in body and mind, they have epted their roles as Lu Zhen''s concubines and dare not harbour any agenda, as he strictly banned internal disputes.


    How could the smaller forces allow their precious daughters with cultivation talent to be handed over to Lu Zhen as his bed warmers?


    They had some negative intentions at first, but ever since Lu Zhen did it to them, they have be extremely obedient.


    These small forces had always thought of them as chess pieces for gaining more power, like political resources. After all, these girls also had their own will and would inevitably harbour grievances against their own force.


    However, Lu Zhen gave them a warm sense of security and the love they desperately needed, making them extremely loyal to him.


    With the increase in cultivation they experienced through dual cultivating with Lu Zhen, their strength naturally increased.


    All of them reached the peak of martial trainee status, their strength several times greater than that of a normal martial trainee due to dual cultivation with Lu Zhen.


    Lu Zhen observed the second-stage martial artists subtly converging towards him, attempting to conceal their aura as much as possible. He sneered inwardly at their attempt.


    "Did they really think I can''t sense them?"


    Lu Zhen''s expression turned contemtive; despite his physique reaching the level of a half first-stage martial artist, his efficiency in dispatching these soldiers was frustratingly low.


    He nced at the whirlwind, which continued to growrger, instantly killing all soldiers within a twenty-metre radius.


    Observing this, ideas formed in his mind. Lu Zhen casually swung his hand, crushing another enemy third-stage martial artist to bits and pieces.


    "Let''s get to work."


    With a swift and decisive motion, Lu Zhen tapped into the reservoir of nt Qi coursing through his body, channelling it through his hand with the principle of the saber.


    Swoosh!


    Another whirlwind began to materialise, its centre adorned with a menacing wooden spike that seemed to draw in the very essence of the surrounding Qi to bolster its strength.


    No soldier, regardless of their prowess, could withstand the onught of this whirlwind; they were torn apart like mere scraps of paper caught in a storm turned into mincemeat.


    Lu Zhen''s movements were relentless, his hand bing a blur as he continued to unleash whirlwind after whirlwind.


    The one thing he was confident about was his reserve of nt Qi, which was stored up in every fibre of his being. Unlike the Qi pathways that other martial artists needed to create, his mana reserve was many times higher inparison to theirs since his body didn''t reject Qi.


    Qiang Li could only watch in awe and trepidation as Lu Zhen unleashed his devastating arsenal. The sight sent shivers down his spine, and a gnawing sense of dread settled in the pit of his stomach.


    "Doesn''t he ever tire?" Qiang Li wondered, his mind racing toprehend the sheer magnitude of Lu Zhen''s power. Though he couldn''t decipher the intricacies of Lu Zhen''sbat art, one thing was clear: sustaining such relentless onughts required an immense amount of Qi.


    Even as a peak second-stage martial artist himself, Qian Li knew he could only unleash such abat art ten times at most before depleting his Qi reserves entirely.


    At that point, he would be left as nothing more than a mortal with a robust physique; no one dared to risk exhausting their entire Qi reserve.


    "These madmen," Qian Li muttered with a smirk, observing Lu Zhen''s relentless onught. "Sending himself to his own demise. He may be a genius, but he''s ignorant of the ways of the world."


    Counting the whirlwinds, Qian Li noted that Lu Zhen had already unleashed twenty of such devastating attacks. With a determined expression, he signalled to the others, signalling that it was time to reveal themselves.


    "There''s no need to hide any longer," Qian Li dered, his voice ringing with authority as he leaped into action, his terrifying aura enveloping him as he charged straight towards Lu Zhen.


    "You finally showed yourself."

 Chapter 303: Surrounded from all sides

    Suddenly, Qian Li felt a chill run down his spine as he locked eyes with the amused gaze of Lu Zhen, who stood about half a kilometre away from him.


    His body trembled with trepidation, a primal instinct warning him of impending danger.


    In the blink of an eye, Lu Zhen vanished from his sight, and the soldiers blocking Qian Li''s path were reduced to nothing but blood mist in an instant.


    All Qian Li could see was a colossal fist, radiating an overwhelming aura of power that made every fibre of his being quake in fear.


    And then, darkness enveloped him.


    "Was he a high-rankingmander?" Lu Zhen mused casually, wiping his hand clean of the blood.


    "However, the war isn''t over yet," he continued, a slight frown creasing his brow.


    Still surrounded by many second-stage martial artists, Lu Zhen''s crimson eyes flickered as he sensed their presence. "More than nine hundred," he muttered under his breath, assessing the situation with his terrifying mental energy and five senses.


    This was the reason why the army was so terrifying.


    There were too many second-stage martial artists!


    Although their strength seemed to be very weakpared to even an ordinary martial artist, with the sheer number of these people, even a first-stage martial artist would be exhausted to death.


    That is why Feng was so confident in the death army. Even if some variables happened and they lost most of the troops, even if there was a first-stage martial artist hiding in the city, with the might of these second-stage martial artists, they would be exhausted to death.


    These thoughts shed in Lu Zhen''s mind instantly while still swinging his hand with the principles of the saber, killing thousands of soldiers in just a breath of time.


    Suddenly, he felt the aura of countless second-stage martial artists re up, all targeting him.


    Even an ant could beat an elephant if their number is high enough. Thebined strength of the second-stage martial artist was extremely oppressive, even greater than Lu Zhen''s aura.


    "Hoh," Lu Zhen took a deep breath as he rapidly retreated without even looking back, jumping high from the ground, almost flying.


    "He is escaping! Catch him!"


    As the voice fell, at least a hundred second-stage martial artists followed him instantly, closely trailing him.


    A sneer appeared on Lu Zhen''s face.


    "You can''t beat me with numbers." He suddenly turned around and took out the demonic bow, instantly the demonic Qi in his dantian materialised as an arrow between the bow of Lu Zhen.


    Lu Zhen casually released the string, "boom!" The void seemed to tremble with the sheer force, and the terrifying heat it produced caused the air to distort.


    Every second-stage martial artist felt a sense of crisis from the arrow.


    Before one of the second-stage martial artists could even react, he was swiftly prated by the demonic arrow with arge gaping hole in his chest.


    However, the momentum of the arrow slowed down, targeting the other second-stage martial artist.


    In an instant, ten second-stage martial artists died, but at the same time, the demonic bow lost its power, dissipating in thin air.


    Lu Zhen looked at this with a little disappointment; however, he felt it was natural since his demonic cultivation could beparable to the second-stage martial realm.


    But now, even more, the aura of a second-stage martial artist erupted, all converging towards him.


    "Fuck."


    With the terrifying aura of more than nine hundred second-stage martial artists erupting, Lu Zhen constantly retreated.


    From every direction, he felt an invisible pressure that was squeezing his internal organs.


    A small sweat dropped from Lu Zhen''s temples.


    "If my body wasn''t strong enough, I might really be squashed to death with the terrifying aura from all these second-stage martial artists."


    However, he wasn''t given much chance to act at all as in front of his vision, the wind blew, and the temperature started to rise.


    Lu Zhen''s crimson eyes widened as he observed the countlessbat arts aimed at him.


    The earth quaked in their presence, and the clouds cleared; whether they were his soldiers or the enemy soldiers, all were reduced to dust in the face of the countless rays of light.


    At this moment, more than nine hundred second-stage martial artists, using all of their Qi, unleashed a barrage ofbat arts, all aimed at Lu Zhen.


    "Shit," Lu Zhen cursed as he rapidly retreated, his speed increasing to a terrifying degree, making his figure blurry.


    However, seeing the attacks travelling a hundred metres in just a breath, while his own speed was half of it, Lu Zhen knew he couldn''t escape. So, he decisively turned back.


    "I didn''t want to do this, but since you forced me to," Lu Zhen''s cold voice echoed across the battlefield as he closed his eyes, instantly tapping into his bloodline.


    Dum!


    Dum!


    Dum!


    The loud sound of the heartbeat echoed across the battlefield.


    Everyone seemed to freeze in ce, whether it was the death army or Lu Zhen''s army, their gaze instantly went towards Lu Zhen''s tall stature as he was about to be skewered with countlessbat arts.


    "Lu Zhen," Xia Mei looked worried, and his other women were also a little concerned for him.


    However, their attention wasn''t on thebat arts, but on Lu Zhen himself.


    Everyone felt a deep, instinctive fear emanating from him, as if Lu Zhen was a god and deep down from their soul they all wanted to pray towards him.


    This was a difference in the level of life!


    Lu Zhen felt the world slow down around him, even with his eyes closed, as he tapped into his bloodline, now abination of the true Elfen bloodline and the bloodline of Vulgrith.


    He could feel strength coursing through every fibre of his being, strangely tamed unlike when Lu Zhen had first tapped into the Vulgrith bloodline. He felt his consciousness elevate as well with the activation of the bloodline.


    Lu Zhen''s long hair, a mixture of ck and gold, fluttered in the wind as his muscles expanded instantly, reaching the height of fifteen feet and still growing his muscle pulsing.

 Chapter 304: Grim Reaper appear again

    Whoosh!


    A tempest brewed as Lu Zhen slowly unfurled his eyes.


    "Slow," Lu Zhen murmured lightly, his gaze fixed on the hundreds of beams of light converging towards him.


    His eyes trailed down to his veiny arms, pulsating with power, and he waved them with a graceful sweep.


    The very fabric of the void quivered with the impact as it collided with the myriadbat arts.


    Lu Zhen took three steps back, it was merely three steps only. Despite the attack ofbat arts from hundreds of second-stage martial artists, they could onlypel Lu Zhen to retreat three paces.


    Even a first-stage martial artist might be injured by it but Lu Zhen was unscratched by it!


    A peculiar silence descended over the entire army as they gazed with rapt attention at the evolving form of Lu Zhen.


    Gradually, a resplendent golden horn emerged, and his once-subtle canine teeth elongated, protruding menacingly from his mouth.


    As Lu Zhen clenched his fist, the very essence of the void quaked in response.


    "Not bad," he muttered, his gaze fixed on the distant second-stage martial artists. His once-crimson eyes had transformed into a pure golden hue, and his vision had multiplied, enabling him to discern each and every one of the second-stage martial artists with crystal rity.


    Though his metamorphosis appeared to unfold over a long time span, in reality, it happened in the blink of an eye.


    With a swift whoosh, Lu Zhen raised his foot, and in an instant, hepletely vanished in thin air, leaving no trace of his presence behind.


    Yet, even as he disappeared, a shiver ran down the spine of one of the second-stage martial artists. In the next heartbeat, darkness enveloped his world.


    A formidable second-stage martial artist fell without even knowing how he died!


    Though Lu Zhen remained unseen, the second-stage martial artists began to fall, one after another, their bodies left headless in his wake.


    "These¡­" a second-stage martial artist gritted his teeth.


    "Qian Li has already been killed, so I will take charge," he roared.


    "Alright, Ye Qiang," the other second-stage martial artist nodded, their gaze filled with terror.


    Twenty second-stage martial artists had already fallen in just a few breaths of time, and they couldn''t even discern who killed them; however, even a child could tell that it was the hand of Lu Zhen.


    His speed had reached such extremes that even his afterimages were imperceptible.


    "These monsters," Ye Qiang gritted his teeth, his gaze fierce as he surveyed the other second-stage martial artists. "No matter how strong he is, there is no way he can kill all of us. But the damage would definitely be bitter."


    With a ruthless glint in his eyes, Ye Qiangmanded, "Let''s set up the grim avatar again," as he retrieved a shield which waspletely ck.


    Hearing hismand, the other second-stage martial artist hesitated. However, Lu Zhen had already taken out twenty more second-stage martial artists in this short time period.


    "We will die if this goes on. What''s a little lifespanpared to dying brothers? Let''s fight."


    Some of the second-stage martial artists were still reluctant. After all, all the second-stage martial artists had a will of their ownpared to the others.


    When the grim reaper avatar had appeared, they had only superficially given their Qi, not their lifespan. The stronger they got, the more they wanted to live longer, with all the privileges that came from being strong.


    Lifespan was something that was valued more and better; every second counted, and sacrificing their lifespan for these people was naturally hard.


    Because they knew that Lu Zhen would eventually be exhausted with how terrifying his power was, the strain on the body was also natural. As for those who died at his hand, they could be called unlucky.


    A person is inherently selfish!


    Ye Qiang looked around, his expression turning even colder. "I will report this to the sect master after this."


    Instantly hearing this, all of them could only reluctantly take out their shield, which was ck and nd with no design to it.


    "Good."


    Ye Qing nodded his head and instantly supplied his Qi to it, and the others did the same.


    The ck shield slowly started to glow and started to disintegrate, forming an eerie dark energy surrounding them. At the same time, a grim reaper appeared in the void, emitting a terrifying aura even greater than before.


    Simultaneously, the surrounding pure Qi instantly turned into Yin Qi, sending shivers down the spine of any living being present.


    Lu Zhen had just turned a second-stage martial artist into a bloody mist when his malevolent eyes suddenly looked back, seeing the grim reaper.


    In his malevolent eyes, a shiver of rity that had beenpletely retained appeared now. His golden glowing eyes flickered slightly at the sight of therge grim reaper.


    "Hmm, this grim reaper avatar is much stronger than the previous one. If the previous one could be said to be touching the line of the first-stage martial realm, now its aura isparable to Ancestor Lu, who just broke through the first-stage martial realm," Lu Zhen thought as he gathered his thoughts.


    The bloodlust had already worn off, and he could finally assess his situation clearly.


    When one first releases a bloodline for the first time, they will inevitably have to release all the pent-up desires of the bloodline.


    These desires are extremely potent, and if one''s consciousness is not strong enough, one could easily be a mindless beast.


    Just like when he first released his bloodline, all the pent-up lust and murderous thoughts erupted in him.


    However, now he has be much stronger, with his consciousness also growing stronger. Even though thebined bloodline is terrifying, he quickly recovered from the desires.


    Lu Zhen should have been afraid upon seeing the grim avatar in front of him. However, his eyes reflected excitement instead of any shred of fear, feeling the power coursing through every fibre of his being. The feeling of invincibility originated from him.

 Chapter 305: Terrifying Devour skill in the Battlefield

    "Haha, Grim Reaper, let''s fight to the death," said Lu Zhen as he looked at the avatar created by the second-stage martial artist.


    It was even stronger than the previous one and had reached the realm of the first-stage martial artist.


    Hisughter echoed through the battlefield, creating a strange shockwave that seemed to trance the enemy soldiers.


    Almost instinctively, they had the urge to pray to Lu Zhen as their one and only god.


    This casual action of his caused the death of countless enemy soldiers, and Lu Zhen''s army was slowly gaining favourable ground.


    His sharp canine teeth revealed themselves as the instinct to fight boiled in his bloodline.


    With a leap that almost destroyed the ground beneath him, hended head-on with the Grim Reaper''s avatar.


    The avatar flickered as Ye Qiang issued the order, and everyone nodded their heads in agreement.


    The Grim Reaper''s scythe flickered, and all the Yin Qi in the surrounding area gathered towards it, attracting it like a moth to mes.


    The surrounding area became increasingly chilly, and if a normal mortal were to be even close, they would probably die from the sheer chill emanating from it. However, for Lu Zhen, this was nothing and posed no harm to him.


    Suddenly, there was a loud boom as the fist and the Yin Qi filled scythe of the Grim Reaper collided.


    Lu Zhen wasunched into the air, sending him back by a kilometre.


    However, with the initial collision, the second-stage martial artist who was operating the Grim Reaper''s avatar had a worried expression on their face.


    Even though Lu Zhen was pushed back, the strength difference was not much, and they couldn''tpletely injure him either.


    The most they could do was inflict superficial injuries, which could all be healed within a single breath of time.


    Essentially, this meant that they couldn''t do anything to Lu Zhen for a short time.


    Lu Zhen casually removed the dust from his body and looked at the avatar with even more battle intent.


    With a terrifying shockwave that shook the battlefield once again, he charged like a madman, only to be sent back to the ground once again.


    This process continued for a while before his boiling bloodline finally calmed down entirely and all the frustration vented.


    Although he could perfectly suppress these desires, it was better to release them instead.


    "Hmm?" Lu Zhen looked at the Grim Reaper, which was bing less stable and weaker as time passed, with a disappointed expression.


    "Tsk, why is it so weak?" he grumbled. Although he said these words in a low tone, everyone present was a martial artist and could hear him.


    This made everyone look at Lu Zhen with an incredulous expression.


    "Are you kidding me? This is a genuine avatar in the first-stage martial realm, and even against ordinary first-stage martial artists, it is incredibly strong and powerful, faintly surpassing them. And this is weak?" Ye Qiang, who was at the head of the formation, almost vomited blood on the spot.


    Not because of anger, but because of the drain in their Qi and will.


    If this goes on, they will eventually run out of Qi, and then they would have to resort to giving it lifespan.


    Although this would make it stronger, everyone present was a person, a living being. How could they have the heart to give their lifespan and vitality to it?


    "I guess I should end this farce," Lu Zhen''s voice sounded throughout the battlefield.


    The millions of soldiers paused simultaneously for a brief moment, a sense of fear developed in their being that came from deep within their soul.


    It was even more intense than when he had transformed into his bloodline form.


    "What could it be?" Xia Mei was also confused, looking at Lu Zhen.


    Just then, almost all the surrounding pure Qi and infected Yin Qi started to gather towards Lu Zhen like a ck hole, sucking every energy near them. This was a simr case.


    As if Lu Zhen was the center of the ck hole, it started off small because only a hundred meters around him were affected by him.


    But in just a few breaths of time, almost the entire vast army was covered by the attraction of the enemy, pulled towards him.


    The Grim Reaper avatar, which was releasing the terrifying corrosion of a first-stage martial artist, began to falter, and its form became even more unstable.


    The countless martial artists within were stunned by the unexpected development.


    "What is happening?" they questioned with confusion. The Qi, will and vitality consumption of the avatar were rapidly increasing by several folds in an instant.


    Ye Qiang, sensing the changes, immediately turned cold and shouted, "Attack with all our might! If we don''t take this son of a bastard down, we will likely die from sheer consumption."


    The grim reaper avatar began to move and soon reached Lu Zhen, who was at the center of the massive energy like a ck hole.


    All the energy entered his body instantly, and all the Qi spent was returned.


    His vitality grew, his body was nourished, his bone marrow grew slightly stronger from the Yin Qi, and there were still enemies left.


    Lu Zhen directed all the remaining energy towards refining and nurturing his bloodline.


    Ever since hebined the bloodline of Elfen and the Volgrith, he has be the progenitor of the bloodline and could faintly increase the purity of the bloodline by itself. His lifespan was also increased by it.


    Lu Zhen only needed energy, and the bloodline would strengthen.


    The strengthened bloodline not only increased his talent by itself, but when he is in bloodline form, the power increases at a steady rate.


    With the countless energy being directed to the bloodline, the purity of the bloodline was rapidly increasing.


    It was being condensed, and more bloodlines were being formed.


    The genes of Lu Zhen were also rapidly changing. In just a moment, Lu Zhen''sprehensive strength has leaped to an astonishing amount.


    In addition to that, the intent of the grim reaper avatar also entered his body and was absorbed by it, causing his body to undergo another transformation.


    Despite the grim reaper avatar''s scythe about to descend upon him, Lu Zhen looked at it with a calm and collected expression.

 Chapter 306: Intent, Breakthrough to the First-stage with the body

    The scythe cleanly cut Lu Zhen into two halves; however, the thing it cut actually turned into a shadow.


    "Damn it, where did that bastard Lu Zhen go?" Ye Qiang thought anxiously.


    "Combat art: Whispering shadow step."


    Lu Zhen appeared in the distance several kilometres away from them. His mouth opened again, devouring all the Qi in the surrounding like a hungry beast.


    The intent of the grim reaper was also absorbed by Lu Zhen, which filled him with escacity.


    In fact, all the energy that he absorbed could only help his bloodline grow in purity for the body, and his Qi cultivation.


    He needed tobine the true form with his Qi and body and be in harmony with them.


    This was the normal way to form intent. This mysterious energy is what defined a first-stage martial artist.


    Even these reaper avatars wasn''t different; for anyone to reach the first-stage martial realm, they needed to have intent.


    Lu Zhen''s physique had already reached the half first-stage martial realm; the only thing hecked now was intent.


    Unlike Qi cultivation, he didn''t need tobine his true, Qi, and body to be able to reach these realms.


    Instead, he needed to introduce intent into his body, which would automatically transform his body, just like now his body is undergoing transformation.


    All the enemy second-stage martial artists were visibly frightened when they felt the aura of Lu Zhen, which was getting increasingly stronger while their own strength was dwindling rapidly.


    Ye Qiang felt a deep sense of powerlessness when he realised that this guy was weird to begin with, and that power of his was even more terrifying and bizarre.


    Everything about him was strange and frightening the more he thought about it.


    Those terrifying demonic trees that this man released were already terrifying enough, but his strength was even infinitely close to the first-stage martial artist.


    Not only that, he had a bloodline form he had never seen in his life before.


    Adding to the fact of this terrifying devouring power that seemed to swallow the world, he must possess some secret of his own.


    Otherwise, there is no way a small isted ce like this could produce such a person.


    And most importantly, hisbat arts that he disyed were things he had never seen before.


    But they were helpless with their current strength; they were onlymbs waiting to be ughtered and truly have exhausted all their means.


    A sh of regret crossed the man''s eyes as he subconsciously looked at the battle of the first-stage martial artist.


    Although he couldn''t sense them anymore, he could still feel the terrifying fluctuations of them as they collided against each other.


    "Now the only hope is the sect leader Feng and the grand elder. If they can turn the tides there, then no matter how powerful he is, under the power of a mid-tier one wizard, he would die." Thinking of this, Ye Qiang became decisive and immediately issued a simple order.


    "Everyone, keep supplying the avatar with your Qi. It doesn''t matter if you even take the pill given by that alchemist lord, as long as it helps." His voice echoed, and the hundreds of second-stage martial artists were a little astonished, but they immediately sprang into action.


    Since he was acting as the leader, they didn''t have to care.


    Even if something happened, the me would entirely shift towards Ye Qiang. With that said, the avatar became stable again under their unceremonious supply.


    Removing the avatar was not an option anymore, as Lu Zhen''s devouring power was focused on them.


    If they lifted the avatar, that would probably be their deathbed.


    Immediately drained from the devouring, their power would decrease by several points, and their fate would be sealed faster.


    Lu Zhen, who was looking at these, became excited. He never expected these enemies to feed him exp instead.


    While his bloodline was continuously getting purified, and his body going through the transformation, numerous blue screens popped in front of his eyes.


    [You have devoured enough intent]


    [The Devour skill has levelled up from level three to level four]


    Lu Zhen was pleasantly surprised when he saw these.


    It had been a long time since his golden ranked skill had levelled up, and this skill was one of the most powerful and useful skills he had earned till now.


    Immediately, Lu Zhen used the level four Devouring skill.


    The reaper avatar, which was initially starting to stabilize again, started to copse again.


    Almost half of the avatar immediately faded away with the wind, going towards Lu Zhen, where he took the intent with glee.


    This intent could cause his body to finally reach the first-stage martial artist. Naturally, the more, the better.


    At this point, he felt like his body could break through at any moment, but he found that he could suppress it and gain more intent.


    If he could gather arge amount of intent, pushing his body to the limits, then his strength after breaking through would definitely surpass the others.


    Lu Zhen promptly stopped his breakthrough from happening.


    His eyes looked at the reaper avatar like looking at a treasure trove, and he continued to devour it.


    Time passed quickly, and it had already been about an hour, and some second-stage martial artists fell to the ground, their bodies withered.


    At this, Ye Qiang''s expression was extremely dark.


    It was apparent that those first-stage martial artists they were fighting were also in a deadlock.


    Just like the people below, the Sect leader Feng and the grand elder also had hope that their army could quickly defeat those people and take over the city.


    Ye Qiang was paying close attention to the sky and felt that something was fishy. The surroundings started to be heavy, and lightning elements started to gather¡­?


    "What are these-?" His pupils abruptly froze as he looked at the bulky man in the emperor robes in front of them, his hand spread.


    The clouds gathered, forming right in front of his head.


    [You have reached the limits that your body could bear intent. Initializing breakthrough¡­]


    [Your constitution has broken through, bing a true divine physique,pletely reaching the first-stage martial realm]

 Chapter 307: Thunder Tribulation

    The thunder tribtion began, covering Lu Zhen''s body entirely with clouds that stretched over an area of ten kilometres.


    The soldiers who were caught in the cloud were instantly turned to ashes, leaving only their bones behind.


    Even the grim reaper avatar, along with hundreds of second-stage martial artists, were enveloped in the billowing clouds.


    "This is impossible. A first-stage martial artist shouldn''t be able to call a thunder tribtion," Ye Qiang shouted, his face distorted with disbelief.


    "Unless he is not taking a conventional path," he added after a pause, his eyes widening as he recalled Lu Zhen''s fighting style.


    Lu Zhen fought like a madman, taking on the martial artists head-on without any fear of injury.


    Even when swords and spearsnded on him, they couldn''t pierce his skin. This unconventional approach shattered Ye Qiang''s conventional thinking.


    For martial artists, while the body is strengthened, even with body-cultivation methods, their improvement is limited and not very useful.


    Lu Zhen''s body seemed to be even stronger than his Qi cultivation, something that Ye Qiang found unheard of.


    At that moment, only two words echoed in his mind: "Ancient Warrior."


    These people were blessed, and their body readily epted Qi, making body cultivation extremely easy for them.


    "Is he an Ancient Warrior? But how is this possible?" Ye Qiang wondered aloud.


    Unfortunately, he wasn''t given a chance to contemte further, as the avatar waspletely swallowed up by the thunder tribtion.


    The lightning element in the air fried them mercilessly, and hundreds of second-stage martial artists died without any mercy.


    Not even their corpses remained; they were all swallowed up by the billowing cloud.


    In the area covered by the thunder tribtion, not a single living being remained. Even single-cell organisms were wiped out. This was thew of tribtion.


    Only Lu Zhen, at the centre of the billowing clouds, remained with thunder particles creating arcs around him.


    Slowly but surely, these particles gathered together forming a lightning bolt that directly struck him.


    Boom!


    The thunder hit Lu Zhen, who remained as still as a tall mountain with his back straight, looking coldly at the lightning.


    His clothes were immediately torn to shreds, revealing his muscr body, but Lu Zhen remained unmoved, bathing in the electric arc like he was in a hot spring.


    While lightning was aplete disaster for others, for Lu Zhen, it was a blessing in disguise. The lightning barely made his skin re like a first-degree burn, and it couldn''t even damage his internal organs.


    Lu Zhen''s eyes shimmered with excitement as he sensed the changes in his body, feeling it getting nourished every moment and growing even stronger.


    His Adaptability skill helped him adapt to almost every situation he was in.


    Although the effects weren''t fully apparent at first, it was a gradual process, and now these lightning strikes were the perfect means for his Adaptability skill to showcase its true effect.


    The lightningsted for a total of ten minutes before it finally dispersed in the air.


    Lu Zhen felt his body filled with power and satisfaction instead of damage to any of his organs.


    If this goes on, he might be able to reach the mid first-stage martial artist level with just these tribtions alone.


    Naturally, this tribtion wasn''t over in just one lightning strike.


    In another moment, two thunderbolts formed simultaneously andnded on Lu Zhen in the blink of an eye.


    The lightning was so fast that even Lu Zhen could barely sense it, and in the next moment, it would havended on his body.


    It was basically impossible to escape them, and Lu Zhen had no intention to dodge them either like an unmoving mountain standing tall no matter what.


    He curled his lips in a smile, calmly feeling the lightning tempering his body. Just like the first two lightning strikes, the next three lightning bolts dissipated after twenty minutes of time.


    But the addition of the lightning wasn''t like one plus one equals two; instead, it was a change in both quality and quantity. Lu Zhen''s expression changed slightly at this moment.


    The lightning finally prated his skin and started to damage his internal organs. Still, he stood still like a mountain,pletely unmoved.


    "It seems I have underestimated these lightning tribtions. In just the third round, it could do so much damage," he said, shaking his head with a sigh.


    This time, the lightningsted for a total of thirty minutes, and by the end of it, Lu Zhen''s appearance was miserable.


    There was charcoal on his skin, and steam wasing out from his body. It was like a fourth-degree burn in every part of his body, even worse than before.


    For a body as powerful as his, this was simply terrifying.


    Even if there was an ordinary first-stage martial artist with Qi, they would undoubtedly die.


    And even if a person had cultivated their body to the first-stage, they would still be on the verge of death.


    Only with his skillsbined was Lu Zhen able to survive such a terrifying lightning strike with minimal injury and ease.


    "Ho." Lu Zhen took a deep breath, calming down after the damage was done. His body started to heal and became even stronger than ever in just a few minutes.


    This time, the lightning took some time to gather, which was perfect for him to recuperate. Lu Zhen was like a snake as he shed his old skin and reced it with glossy, healthy skin.


    [You have adapted to the Heavenly lightning]


    [Your Adaptability has levelled up from level 8 to level 9]


    Lu Zhen looked at the blue panel and nodded his head as he expected.


    With just a little more push, he might be able to advance his Adaptability skill again. Just then, another prompt appeared in front of him.


    [Your body has evolved through the absorption of the Heavenly lightning, gaining the skill: Lightning body]


    He was a little stunned. "Lightning body? What does that even mean?" Lu Zhen thought with some confusion.

 Chapter 308: Surviving the Tribulation

    But he wasn''t given the time to think further as lightning elements condensed once again, forming four thunderous bolts of lightning.


    This time, Lu Zhen''s gaze was slightly narrowed as he felt a profound sense of danger emanating from the lightning.


    "Hmm?" his brows furrowed, but he remained unmoving, standing tall with his bulky frame.


    Boom!


    Without even the sound reaching Lu Zhen''s ears, the four bolts of lightning struck his body.


    The flesh of Lu Zhen emitted a crisp sound as his skin burned and his long hair became dishevelled, with his muscles fully on disy.


    However, his mind wasn''t focused on the pain. Instead, inside his body, his bones, organs, and veins were all being strengthened.


    Since ancient times, it has been said that lightning helps strengthen the body. Of course, nobody dared to try it, as they would undoubtedly die.


    But in this world, this theory was proven with the lightning; his body was gradually strengthened, and honestly, the damage wasn''t as severe even without the skills as long as he recovered his body would also get strengthened.


    "Not bad. After reaching level eight in adaptability, my resistance to the lightning has increased, and the damage is a lot less," Lu Zhen muttered, squinting his eyes as he bathed in the four bolts of lightning. This time, itsted for forty minutes before ending.


    However, the lightning elements in the billowing cloud hadn''t diminished in the slightest; they were condensing again to form five lightning bolts.


    Lu Zhen sensed a truly life-threatening danger from the five bolts of lightning, but he needed to endure them.


    If he could, then he would definitely have the body strength of a mid first-stage martial artist.


    While he was lost in thought, five lightning bolts had already formed and struck him hard.


    Boom!


    He felt a deep, searing pain as his back arched, and a profound sense of powerlessness emerged in his heart.


    "I want to give up, I want to give up¡­"


    These words echoed in his mind as his eyes slowly drooped closed, as if he were falling asleep, and the sensation of lethargy gnawed at him.


    The voice seemed to carry a hypnotic tone, supreme and irresistible.


    "No, why do I want to give up?" Lu Zhen suddenly snapped his eyes open, immediately feeling the searing pain again.


    With gritted teeth, he could only endure and endure¡­!?


    He ceased feeling pain, although his body was continuously being struck by the five bolts of lightning.


    His body seemed numb, but not because his neurons were fried or anything of the sort.


    Even if they were, the pain from his brain wouldn''t cease; this was the pain of the lightning tribtion. How could mortal means even hope to stop it?


    This was because he was slowly adapting to the pain and hadpletely adjusted to it now. This intensity of lightning pain couldn''t harm him at all.


    While this was true, it didn''t change the fact that his body was slowly being deformed under the power of the five lightning bolts, and he was constantly under mental assault as well.


    Lu Zhen took out a healing paste and consumed it instantly, causing his injuries to heal.


    Now that he didn''t feel any pain, he could finally heal his injuries more effectively and prevent his body from breaking down so soon.


    Soon, under Lu Zhen''s efforts, his body recovered while still bathed in the lightning. Of course, the most important factors were adaptability, regeneration, and some other skills that had direct or indirect effects.


    Numerous blue screens shed past his eyes, but unless the skill was of paramount importance, he didn''t dwell on it.


    The billowing clouds finally subsided little by little and calmed down. Soon, the lightning element in the air dispersed as well.


    Lu Zhen looked around, seeing not a single living being nearby, which made him sigh.


    "I have done my soldiers injustice," he murmured, falling to the ground and bowing three times.


    With the tribtion, not only did the second-stage martial artist fall, but also his own soldiers fell.


    No matter if they were ordinary soldiers or generals, it didn''t matter; what mattered was that they were his own soldiers.


    Naturally, he wouldn''t treat them so callously, but because of the tribtion, they were also wiped out.


    "Lu Zhen," Xia Mei called out with a worried expression.


    "Xia Mei," Lu Zhen looked at her with bloodshot eyes, which soon calmed down. "What is our casualty count from the side affected by the tribtion?"


    "Around a thousand soldiers died, but since you were targeted and encircled, about four thousand soldiers died. Not only that, all the second-stage martial artists are dead. We have pretty much won the war," Xia Mei said, surprised to see Lu Zhen care so much for his soldiers.


    Lu Zhen nodded expressionlessly. "When we return, the Lu Imperial Family will take care of all the brothers and sisters who have fallen in the war."


    Xia Mei nodded in agreement.


    Although his tone was gentle regarding the soldiers who were martial artists, hearing this was undoubtedly not easy.


    The soldiers were undoubtedly moved.


    Not only had Lu Zhen shown himself as a wise ruler who allowed themon people to have some dignity, but he also cared for the soldiers.


    With the wages already being generous enough, they believed serving Lu Zhen was the best decision in their eyes.


    Lu Zhen wasn''t aware of the soldiers'' thoughts; what he did was purely driven by his own beliefs and will.


    Regardless of what they thought, he would still do what he believed was right.


    While lost in thought, he summoned the system, and instantly a blue panel appeared in front of him..


    ¡ª--------------


    [LEVEL UP]


    ¡ª-----


    [Name: Lu Zhen]


    --------


    [Race: Human]


    [Bloodline: Half Human/ Mixed Elfen(Ancestral) Volgrith]


    [Lifespan left: 500 years]


    [Physique: Lightning body]


    ¡ª Click to See more.----


    Lu Zhen''s lifespan had increased to a whopping five hundred years, and with the twenty years or so he had already lived in this world, his lifespan had already surpassed the five hundred mark.


    This was a terrifying amount, especially since the average lifespan of a first-stage martial artist typically ended at the first-stage martial realm.

 Chapter 309: Lightning Body power, Fighting head-on

    Lu Zhen''s pupils turned golden as he fully focused on the physique section of the system.


    Instantly, the blurred panel changed, and another panel appeared in front of him.


    [Lightning Body: Grants the martial artist the ability to harness the power of lightning, and greatly increases their affinity towards anything rted to lightning.]


    Lu Zhen paused involuntarily when he heard this, as he just now noticed some changes in his surroundings.


    He lightly extended his hand forward, and a small ball of lightning formed in hisrge hand, emitting a crackling electric arc.


    These didn''t form out of nowhere; there is electricity and lightning everywhere, just that the quantity differs. Lu Zhen has gathered this lightning from the air itself.


    "This is like a spell from those mages," Lu Zhen muttered as he squinted his gaze.


    His eyes focused on the word "affinity." Only one of his attributes had given him an affinity to something, and that was his advanced nt Qi, which allowed him tomunicate with the other nts and be one with the forest.


    Now, this lightning body also helped him to gain an affinity for lightning, meaning he might be able to control it in the future, just like the advanced nt Qi.


    "It''s like I am a mage without even casting any spell," Lu Zhen smiled.


    But he knew there was a certain difference between them.


    This affinity was like a divine power that could only control a single element, and the uses of it were naturally limited.


    However, for those mages, the power they could produce using spells had almost all the elements in nature, and the means were unlimited.


    Just like that old monster Elv he had encountered; she could actually summon a dog that could swallow a first-stage martial artist. Imagine the great terror of it.


    From what he knew, she could use the power of the undead like a necromancer.


    While it took just a moment for these thoughts to sh in his head, he suddenly felt a strong aura rapidly converging towards him at a terrifying speed.


    "Eh?" Lu Zhen looked up as if his gaze could see through the clouds and see the situation.


    "Perfect. I didn''te to see you, but you dare toe to see me."


    He looked at Xia Mei, who still had an apprehensive face, and gently patted her head. "Wait for me here."


    "Yes," Xia Mei nodded her head.


    Lu Zhen jumped and immediately shot through the roof.


    While he had endured the tribtion, another change had happened to his body, which rapidly enhanced his strength.


    [Your body has endured the tempering of the thunder tribtion.]


    [Your constitution has leveled up from the early First-stage martial artist to the mid First-stage martial artist.]


    Lu Zhen felt a strange power coursing through every fiber of his being and was quite satisfied.


    This strange power was obviously intent. After reaching the first-stage martial realm, his body was filled with intent marks.


    With the level up from his system, the intent marks in his body had be denser.


    Lu Zhen could feel it. As long as he wanted to, the intent in his body would explode, driving a terrifying power.


    This waspletely different from the other martial artists who had reached the first-stage martial realm, as the intent would be hidden in their Qi. But for him, all the intent was contained in his body as a vessel.


    Even his normal fist and kick power was increased by more than ten times.


    Feeling the terrifying aura, Sect Leader Feng, who was about to go down, was stunned. Before her stunned eyes, a burly man appeared.


    "Take my punch!"


    Her eyes widened to their limits as she hurriedly dodged to the side using her whips, narrowly avoiding the punch.


    However, it slightly grazed her back, causing her to be flung backward and almost all her internal organs to nearly burst from the sheer pressure.


    The cloud dispersed, and a small hill was almost destroyed from the sheer pressure. The void seemed torn, and the Qi grew chaotic here, as if torn apart.


    "Who are you?" she looked at the young man with some horror in her eyes.


    Lu Zhen didn''t reply, only coldly looking at the woman and the man with a glint in his eyes.


    He slightly raised his hand and swiftly defended against a saber sh that came at him.


    Swoosh!


    A slight injury appeared on his armor-like muscle, which healed in just a moment as if it wasn''t there in the first ce.


    The Grand Elder, who had swung his saber, was stunned when he saw this.


    His expression condensed as he tried to release more saber shes, but all of these, when they fell on Lu Zhen, couldn''t even make waves.


    The most horrifying thing was that the damage done by his saber sh became so thin that it couldn''t even injure his body.


    "This guy is not easy."


    Sect Leader Feng rolled her eyes. "I can see that."


    "Lu Zhen."


    Lu Ming and Fang Ying had also arrived, looking at Lu Zhen with a mixture of feelings.


    "When did you be a first-stage martial artist?" Lu Ming suddenly asked.


    "Just now." Lu Zhen casually shrugged while stretching his body. Leaving the ground for the first time, he truly felt free.


    From now on, the gravity of this world would no longer restrict him because of his intent.


    While he was at it, Lu Zhen also carefully observed the intent engraved in his body.


    He could finally sense them.


    They looked like tattoos, simr but at the same time unfamiliar.


    These tattoos formed intricate lines connecting all the muscles in his body.


    Then he looked at the two, where he found that the tattoos weren''t in their bodies but inside them.


    Although he couldn''t see them, he could still sense them. The same was true for the woman and the man.


    "How interesting."


    Lu Zhen''s lips curled as he didn''t speak. Instead, he directly charged forward.

 Chapter 310: Devour Skill again

    As if in a tactical agreement, Lu Ming and Fang Ying also moved at the same time.


    Sect Leader Feng and the Grand Elder''s faces paled, seeing the three charge at them.


    They were already having a difficult time handling the two. Now another person had joined the fray, and the aura emitted from him was at least equally strong, if not more powerful.


    Suddenly, Sect Leader Feng remembered something which made her pale even more. She was going down to see, as in the midst of the battle, they felt some disturbance from the army.


    For her, the army was crucial to their n because the two were in a stalemate, and only then could they have a breakthrough in their situation.


    "What happened to the army below?"


    Hearing this, Lu Zhen chuckled with an amused gaze on her. "Naturally, I took care of them. I have already wiped out all the second-stage martial artists. Now only the weaklings are left that will be taken care of by my army."


    "You¡­ how is this possible?" Feng''s eyes widened with disbelief.


    There were hundreds of second-stage martial artists. Even for people of their strength, taking care of them so fast was not possible.


    You have to know that if all the army''s power concentrated, then taking care of a first-stage martial artist was not a problem.


    And Lu Zhen said that he took care of all the second-stage martial artists already; this waspletely impossible in her view.


    Even if his strength wasparable to a mid first-stage martial artist.


    However, she wasn''t granted long to think as she saw the giant fisting towards her, causing an enormous pressure to weigh down on her even before the fistnded.


    With a helpless expression, Feng could only try her best to defend.


    In just a few exchanges with Lu Zhen, her body became battered, and she was continuously vomiting blood.


    "Aren''t we in the same realm? How could you beat me so easily?" Feng''s eyes gradually showed horror for the first time in her life.


    Lu Zhen didn''t reply, just using the sheer strength of his body to overwhelm herpletely.


    With the stacking of skills, his actual power was very close to a high first-stage martial artist, even if he didn''t use Qi.


    After she was beaten to the brink of death, he finally stopped, looking at his fist with a satisfied expression.


    The intent engraved in his body really made his strength increase by leaps and bounds, enough for him to overwhelm her so easily.


    Lu Zhen could beat his previous state before the breakthrough with two punches at most, even if he was in the bloodline form.


    "Do you concede?" he asked in a simple tone to the horrified Feng.


    But there was a fierce light hidden within it that made her unwilling to give up.


    "Submit to me."


    Lu Zhen asked again in a simple tone, "Do you concede?"


    "What if I don''t?" Sect Leader Feng looked at him coldly.


    To this reply, he just chuckled.


    Feng gritted her teeth. This person was underestimating her, and the one thing she disliked was people underestimating her.


    Suddenly, her gaze fell on the Grand Elder, who was also beaten ck and blue.


    Originally, his strength slightly surpassed Lu Ming''s, but now that two people ganged up on him, even if he wanted to run, he couldn''t. He was simply cornered like a rat.


    Feng knew that they had basically failed to make any breakthrough.


    Instead, they were beaten by this inferior city. However, her pride couldn''t allow it.


    "That''s right, as long as we can escape, we can call the elders and even other forces to join together. The inheritance cave is a big fat piece of meat, even if divided, it would be enough for us to rapidly increase our strength." Her eyes lit up as she slowly raised her gaze, resolutely looking at Lu Zhen.


    "Let''s retreat, Grand Elder." With a low shout, Feng immediately turned around, leaving the battlefield.


    "Damn it," the Grand Elder gritted his teeth before turning around and leaving. Although he didn''t want to admit it, they had already lost the battle now.


    With undisguised hatred in his eyes, he also left, rapidly running away.


    "I wille again. At that time, you damn bastards are dead¡­"


    He left these words as his figure disappeared. Lu Ming and Fang Ying, who wanted to strike, were stunned before a helpless expression appeared on their faces.


    Killing a first-stage martial artist was not an easy task.


    Although with thebined might of the two of them it might be possible to kill him, a first-stage martial artist, no matter who it is, is not an ordinary person.


    They are the geniuses among geniuses, so the power of the martial artist who has reached simr progress in the first-stage martial realm is not despair-inducing.


    Just as the two had left, covering a span of many kilometers in a few breaths, suddenly both of them froze at the same time.


    "You can''t leave here today," Lu Zhen coldly stated, as if he was giving amand.


    He opened his mouth, and instantly almost all the surrounding energy was absorbed by Lu Zhen.


    The two who were at the distance were the main focus, and the intent in their bodies left them, entering his mouth.


    With this suction force, their bodies couldn''t move any further, no matter how hard they tried.


    They could try to take a step forward, but the force stubbornly bound their bodies, making them helplessly stay in their positions.


    "What is this?" Feng said with terror on her face.


    "This is one of thebat arts I invented." As if hearing her words, Lu Zhen casually replied while closing his eyes.


    All their intent was slowly being absorbed and refined in his body, while the intent engraved in his body became even denser.


    He was still devouring all the energy and there intent bit by bit.

 Chapter 311: Captured and Killed

    Both of them were left speechless and helpless at the same time.


    The terrifying power of the devouring filled them with fear from the bottom of their hearts.


    "Such a terrifyingbat art, how could he develop it? This is impossible..." Feng cursed in her heart as she felt a pang of envy and jealousy.


    She could sense the extraordinary vitality around Lu Zhen.


    Seeing his youthful face, she could tell that he was still young but could reach the first-stage martial realm at such a young age, and at the same time, this ce was secluded from the outside world.


    With these conditions, he was able to reach such a terrifying stage. It could be seen what would happen if he went out of these ces. Feng couldn''t imagine it.


    While thinking of this, she suddenly noticed that the leaking intent had already reached more than twenty percent.


    "Eh?"


    Feng was instantly horrified; if Lu Zhen could absorb all the intent from the Qi, then her realm would directly fall down to the second-stage martial artist again and could even regress further.


    The biggest difference between a first-stage and second-stage martial artist was the intent.


    Just at this time, the suction force finally stopped, leaving both of them confused.


    Lu Zhen rubbed his throat, feeling a little exhausted but at the same time filled with energy.


    Since he had taken in so much intent, he had to temporarily stop the devour skill as he couldn''t hold it anymore.


    After he refined this intent entirely in his body, only then would he be able to use devour again, as his body was already stuffed with Qi.


    "You both can take action now," Lu Zhen said, looking at the two.


    "Yes," Lu Ming and Fang Ying nodded with aplicated expression on their faces.


    They didn''t expect that a brat who had barely reached twenty years could surpass them. At this time, they felt like the years of arduous cultivation they had spent had all be wasted and were worth nothing.


    However, seeing the progress of Lu Zhen, everyone would feel that way.


    "Sigh, my Lu Imperial Family has birthed a true monster," Lu Ming smiled in his heart. He had gone to the outside world once, and even there, a first-stage martial artist was considered the supreme of the supreme.


    The youngest first-stage martial artist was at least forty years old. Now, the Lu Imperial Family had birthed such a monster, and their chance to rise hade.


    Without further ado, both Lu Ming and Fang Ying made their move.


    The two were in a trance, and almost all their Qi had been devoured by Lu Zhen. Although they still had about seventy-five percent of their intent, these intent acted like a multiplier and didn''t havebat potential.


    At this moment, they were no different from mortals, aside from the fact that their bodies were a lot stronger and they had the amplification of intent but no Qi to go along with it on top of their daze-like state.


    Lu Ming swiped his hand and countless vines appeared in thin air, tightly bonding them together.


    "Lu Zhen, have we captured all of them?" Lu Ming smiled.


    "Good," Lu Zhen just nodded his head as he looked at the two carefully.


    "Tell me everything you know, and I will spare you," his voice was casual, however, this made the two a little hopeful.


    "Maybe we have value to him?" the grand elder thought, otherwise, they would have already been killed.


    Thinking of this, he wanted to stall as much as possible and find a chance to escape.


    "What-"


    Lu Zhen lightly looked at the grand elder and pointed his finger towards the middle of his brows.


    Boom!


    The wind seemed to be torn as a terrifying sword soared directly, piercing him in the head.


    "You..."


    The grand elder looked with disbelief as he fell from the sky, his eyes losing the colours of life.


    "If you don''t want to say it, then don''t say it. You are valuable to me, but whether you are dead or alive doesn''t matter," Lu Zhen spoke. He lightly waved his hand, and the body disappeared.


    Just like that a Mid First-stage martial artist just died.


    Then he looked at the trembling woman in front of him who had a horrified expression on her face.


    "You need to be obedient and answer truthfully. Only then will I allow you to live, got it?" Lu Zhen spoke softly with a gentle tone.


    However, this tone made Feng''s soul tremble even more.


    At this moment, she felt like an ordinary girl with no power.


    After lightly patting her on the head, Lu Zhen looked at the two of them.


    "Let''s go down," he said softly.


    "Yes, let''s go down," they nodded and followed Lu Zhen.


    Strength has always been paramount. Lu Zhen had already surpassed their strength, so they simply followed his lead.


    Lu Zhen slightly pulled her by the waist, embracing her before going down.


    Feng looked at him with resentment in her eyes; however, when he looked back, she immediately avoided eye contact like a scared chicken.


    "All the Qi in your body has been devoured by me, so you will experience some body exhaustion. It''s better for you to be guided by me unless you want to die by losing your bnce. I don''t mind that either, because I will still get your intent," Lu Zhen shrugged.


    "You jerk¡­" Feng looked at him with resentment, but her hand tightened around Lu Zhen.


    "Damn it, I have never suffered such humiliation before."


    Lu Zhen chuckled as he descended. Feng''s eyes widened as she looked at the corpses strewn across the ground.


    Most of the soldiers lying on the cold battlefield were hers, and the battle seemed to be over.


    Lu Zhen had already said that all the second-stage martial artists had been destroyed by him. She hadn''t believed it, but now, seeing it with her own eyes¡­


    Despair!


    Powerlessness!


    Feng felt both despair and powerlessness.


    "Rx. As long as you are obedient, I will not harm you," Lu Zhen said, seeming to see through Feng''s thoughts. He spoke gently, a mysterious smile on his face.

 Chapter 312: Lu Huangs betrayal

    "Uhm," Feng merely nodded.


    "Leader!" The soldier shouted with excitement as they saw Lu Zhen descend from the sky, their eyes filled with reverence.


    They had witnessed Lu Zhen''s dominating power as he effortlessly traversed the battlefield, easily defeating even hundreds of second-stage martial artists. He had even vanquished the grim reaper, which had brought despair to the army.


    Now, it seemed he had reached the first-stage martial artist level.


    It wouldn''t be honest to say there wasn''t some horror and envy towards him, but reverence and loyalty had been deeply ingrained in their hearts. With the generous rewards he had given, even a fool would want to serve Lu Zhen.


    Lu Zhen casually nodded.


    "All of the fallen brothers will receivepensation, and those who fought bravely will be rewarded ording to their merit," Lu Zhen said generously with a wave of his hand.


    With the resources of the entire Phoenix City, it was no exaggeration to say that he could sustain the army, even if there were millions of high-ranking martial artist soldiers.


    "Lu Zhen," Lily called out, immediately running to embrace him with tears in her eyes. "I was so scared for your life¡­ wuwuwu¡­"


    Lu Zhen gently patted her on the head.


    "Is this another one of our sisters?" Xia Mei asked, looking at the woman with a willow waist being embraced by Lu Zhen, her eyes shining.


    "Who knows," Lu Zhen replied with a mysterious smile, not saying much more.


    "Hmph," Xia Mei snorted, shaking her head. "You are too horny."


    "Hahaha," Lu Zhenughed, not saying much more. The soldiers didn''t dare to listen to what their master was talking about, while Lu Ming just smiled with a proud expression.


    "That''s my grandson," Lu Ming said, giving a thumbs up.


    Fang Ying just shook his head speechlessly. Although he nned to give his daughter to Lu Zhen, if he had so many harems, he could only ask for his daughter''s opinion on the matter. But considering Lu Zhen''s handsome face and the strong imperial aura he naturally exuded, it would be hard for his daughter to resist.


    "Forget it, I''ll deal with that in the future," he sighed.


    Lu Zhen embraced Feng with one arm and Lily with the other as he slowly walked inside the city.


    "Ancestor, is it finally time?" he suddenly asked.


    "Yes," came the reply.


    When the two heard this, their expressions grew serious.


    "Alright, it''s time."


    Lu Zhen''s gaze turned to Xia Mei, which made her blush and avoid his burning stare.


    To be honest, Xia Mei had been wholly devoted to him already. As long as he gave orders, she followed them directly while blushing.


    Just like the other women, with Lu Zhen''s handsome appearance and his care and concern towards them (aside from when they were in bed), he had fully conquered them. Even the concubines were already wholeheartedly conquered.


    With his bed skill, that could make a woman beg for mercy naturally he was proud of it, especially for a body cultivator like him taking all of them wasn''t hard at all.


    They returned to their residence.


    However, to Lu Zhen''s surprise, he found his mother soaked in blood and carrying a corpse.


    A corpse!?


    Lu Zhen immediately let go of the two women in his embrace and sprinted towards her with a worried expression.


    "Mother, are you alright?" he asked with concern, not bothering to look at the corpse. With a simple nce, he could see that only her clothes were stained with blood and that she had no injuries, although there was a faint bruise on her cheek.


    "What happened?"


    Lu Zhen''s eyes were filled with worry even seeing the slight bruise. He lightly pointed at the bruise, and nt Qibined with his true form passed through his finger, instantly healing it.


    "Sigh," Mother Lu sighed, a satisfied smile on her face seeing her son''s concern.


    "Nothing happened, just that a traitor wanted to defect and almost attacked you," Lu Ying said with an unconcealed murderous aura.


    Lu Zhen nced slightly at the corpse in her hand and could immediately figure out what had happened. Countless thoughts shed through his mind before his eyes showed a look of understanding.


    "Sigh."


    Even Lu Zhen couldn''t help but sigh. He had already discerned his father''s intentions a long time ago, but he didn''t make a move mostly because he was still his father. Even if he sent a spy, Lu Zhen could tolerate it.


    But he didn''t expect his own father to be so narrow-minded as to betray his own family out of jealousy.


    Naturally, the corpse that Lu Ying was holding was Lu Huan, his father.


    Lu Zhen had mixed feelings about this but quickly adapted to the situation.


    A strange silence filled the surroundings, heavy with depression.


    Lu Zhen looked at Lu Ming with curious eyes. Lu Ming didn''t show much emotion; there was even coldness in his eyes.


    "Those who defect from the family are punishable by death, and he deserved such a fate," Lu Ming said in a light tone, devoid of much emotion.


    "As expected of an old monster," Lu Zhen mumbled to himself.


    The most important part was the bloodline, and his father had mediocre talent and was narrow-minded. If not for his mother, he wouldn''t have even been allowed to sit in the patriarch''s seat.


    There was a long silence, as if in a tacit understanding among this group of individuals.


    With that, the matter was over.


    However, as a son, Lu Zhen still had to fulfil his duty and cremate Lu Huan''s corpse.


    This was his duty as a son and he couldn''t shrink away neither did he want.


    Watching the burning fire, he had mixed feelings, but that was it. Attempting to kill his own family was the greatest sin a person couldmit.


    Lu Zhen returned to his pce and walked directly to a narrow, dark dungeon hidden beneath it.


    "Miss Feng, how are you doing?" he asked.

 Chapter 313: Whip

    Feng trembled, seeing the handsome, burly man in front of her. Her curves were all highlighted by the tight binding of the chain.


    "What do you want?" she still spat out venomously, with fierce eyes.


    Lu Zhen just smiled slightly as he slowly took steps towards her wordlessly.


    In the deep, dark dungeon, with a pin-drop silence, the footsteps of only Lu Zhen echoed, which made her gulp nervously.


    Her intent was halfpared to her peak period, which directly decreased her realm to the early-tier one martial artist. This "half" wasn''t half the power, but instead, at least several hundred times the difference.


    The Qi in her Qi pathways were all nonexistent. Lu Zhen had been constantly draining her of mana and intent as slowly as possible, which made Feng horrified to the extreme.


    No matter how hardened and strong her mentality was, seeing her years of hard workpletely vanish right before her eyes made her truly frightened.


    As he took those steps, her heartbeat quickened with fear and an uncertain future.


    Lu Zhen suddenly extended his hand, which made her frightened and quickly closed her eyes.


    The next moment, she felt a warm pat on her head.


    "Be honest and tell me everything, and I will spare you." Lu Zhen said lightly, with a warm smile.


    But this smile was like a devil''s smile to her.


    "How can you help so many martial artists to reach the second-stage martial realm, even if they don''t have talent?" Lu Zhen asked, a question he was quite confused about.


    If he could create an army of second-stage martial artists just like that, then his army power would instantly shoot upward, so he was quite hungry for this knowledge.


    To this, Feng was quite hesitant to say, which caused Lu Zhen''s expression to turn cold.


    "If you don''t say so, then I will devour all the intent on your Qi. When that happens," Lu Zhen lightly pickled her spine, making her body tremble involuntarily.


    Of course, he had no mercy for this woman in front of him.


    She was his enemy. It was already merciful that he hadn''t killed her yet, and looking at her curvy body, Lu Zhen was even more reluctant to kill her.


    Although his concubine and his four wives always worked hard to satisfy him, having the twelve women all serve him as rigorously as possible, which was quite a sight to behold for him, but his lust wasn''t satisfied.


    As a body cultivator, his stamina was all-time high, and his hormones were overflowing. With the increase of realm, even if Lu Zhen did it all night, he would still feel the pent-up lust.


    So, he could only reluctantly look for another woman. Unfortunately, the other women didn''t qualify to meet his aesthetic and temperament.


    Actually, he didn''t care about the beauty of the woman at all. As long as she wasn''t unbearable, where there is a hole, he could just put it in.


    But her temperament should not be ugly, and the cultivation qualification should be high. Because if it isn''t, then what''s the point of having these women? They will soon turn to dust in a century, and he didn''t want to see his own woman in such a condition.


    So, thinking of these, Lu Zhen''s gaze turned even colder.


    "So, what is your answer?" He asked lightly, and his patting became even firmer.


    Feng looked at Lu Zhen''s towering figure and sighed with resignation. The terrifying killing aura leaked by him was real. If she made the slightest disagreement, the consequences she might face would be terrifying.


    "If I tell you, could you let me go?"


    "Hahaha, you are a prisoner. What capital do you have to negotiate with me?" Lu Zhen''s eyes revealed a deep coldness that seeped into her bones, making her feel a chill down her back.


    Feng became nervous when she heard this, as she gritted her teeth, "Can you promise me that you won''t devour my intent."


    "Nope." Lu Zhen resolutely disagreed.


    She was the enemy. If he was not strong enough, then his entire domain would have been massacred, and the Lu imperial family might never exist after this.


    If this happened, then the tragedy would be terrifying.


    Just thinking of these, Lu Zhen was already generous enough. However, how could he give up the intent which would make him stronger?


    It was a race against time.


    If he wanted to have some real protection, then he needed to grow stronger and faster to not let this type of tragedy happen, not only to him but also to the people who he loved, his mother, his four wives. As for the concubines¡­


    Well, they were only there for his lust, to be honest.


    He still considered them as his women, but he didn''t even know their names yet.


    Thinking of these, Lu Zhen decided to ask the concubines their names when he went to the pce again.


    Feng despaired when she heard this, while small tears started to escape from her eyes.


    "Please, I would do anything for you. I will be your ve, but please let me have my intent. Without them, my realm would drop to the second-stage or even lower martial realm, and I might never be able to enter the realm again." she said between her sobs, with a pitiful face.


    If it was some self-righteous hero youth, then he might take pity on her, as if she wasn''t your enemy just before, and the consequences of you losing would be the entire annihtion of your n or being reduced to ves.


    Lu Zhen''s eyes didn''t contain pity; instead, it contained coldness.


    "No."


    Feng immediately whimpered. She felt like if she pushed Lu Zhen further, then her head would leave her neck the next moment.


    "Alright, tell me everything you know. My patience is limited, Feng. If you dared to leave a single detail or find it false, then¡­"


    Lu Zhen took out a terrifying whip with spikes all over it, revealing a stronger aura in his hand, making Feng pale.


    "This is my own whip." Her lips trembled.

 Chapter 314: Power of alchemist and Feng***

    "So you''re telling me all these are because of an Alchemist?" Lu Zhen frowned as he casually swung his whip lightly.


    However light it was, with his strength, it easily broke the speed barrier and left a deep wound in her body.


    Her snow-whiteplexion now had a rosy blood which made her very tempting.


    Ahhh~


    Feng screamed with a mixture of pleasure and pain, making Lu Zhen, who was hearing these, have a weird expression on his face.


    However, his mind quickly diverted to the information revealed by this woman.


    "An Alchemist helped you make the pill, huh?" Lu Zhen''s expression turned amused.


    "Are alchemists powerful?"


    "Umm¡­ yes, they are. She is a high first-stage martial artist, and the pills she produces are terrifying." Feng said in the midst of her moan and pain.


    Her body was bleeding all over from her own whip that used to torture her prisoners. There was a stingy pain, but at the same time, her body tingled with pleasure.


    "Now that I think about it, it''s not bad." The tingle was very satisfying, something she seemed to have lost.


    Just thinking about these made her blush uncontrobly, as if her young heart had ignited.


    Of course, Lu Zhen wasn''t paying any attention to her. He was still shocked that alchemy could do such a miracle.


    He also finally knew why he couldn''t make pills. It was simply because of theckingponent, which is intent. As long as he describes the intent in the pill, all the medicinal properties would be contained in it.


    "Let''s try it."


    Lu Zhen''s eyes brightened. He has never forgotten about alchemy, just that the paste he could create was very weak and could hardly have an effect even on a third-stage martial artist.


    As he thought of these, his gaze turned to the woman in front of him who was bleeding in front of him.


    The dungeon was dark and cold, however, for a person of his level, he could see everything clearly as day, with no difference.


    She was wearing a white prisoner robe, and with the whips of his, the robes were all torn over, showcasing her milky skin with her bonds in chains highlighting her curves even more, with her willow waist and wide hips.


    Her ck inner wear could clearly be seen.


    "Do you want to live?" Lu Zhen asked with a smile on his face.


    "Yes." Feng said with a nod of her head.


    He slightly opened his mouth and instantly started to devour the intent in her Qi pathways slowly but surely.


    By the end, she was left with only around 40%.


    Then Lu Zhen released the chains while he opened his pants.


    With a thud, she fell to the floor. The Devour, Lu Zhen used, had drained almost all her energy.


    Feng raised her head to look at Lu Zhen with hatred¡­


    Her eyes abruptly froze in ce, seeing the giant monster in front of her.


    "Suck it." Lu Zhen said, condensing his words with cold eyes.


    Feng gritted her teeth when she heard these. Sure, she enjoyed it a little, but her pride and dignity as the sect leader had never left her. If this brat in front of her dared to trample on her dignity, she would never allow it.


    But she still moved her body and slowly opened her rosy lips, closing her eyes to suck it.


    Lu Zhen closed his eyes, enjoying the pleasure. However, in just a moment, he felt a stinging pain.


    His eyes snapped open, looking at Feng who was looking at him with great hatred.


    To this, Lu Zhen just chuckled. From his tone, it was impossible to know whether he was angry or happy.


    His hand abruptly caught Feng''s neck and lifted her to his eye level.


    Feng wanted to resist, however, his jade hands were too powerful. No matter what, she couldn''t resist at all.


    When she looked at Lu Zhen''s eyes, there was a deep fear in her heart.


    Her limbs iled around like fish without water. Unfortunately, in front of the raw strength of Lu Zhen, she was nothing.


    Her air pathways were blocked, and she struggled to get oxygen, causing her to be even more frightened.


    Of course, for a martial artist like her, even if all the Qi in her body is drained, she would still be able to live without air for more than two hours quite easily.


    "Leave¡­ me *hup* hup*"


    Lu Zhen remained unmoving as he slowly pried open her mouth and put two of his fingers into her teeth.


    "I want to see the teeth which have beaten your own master."


    He said lightly, but these were like devil''s words to her. Before she could react, a crack sound came from her mouth, and blood gushed out.


    Feng looked at the teeth in Lu Zhen''s hand with gritted teeth.


    However, Lu Zhen didn''t stop. One by one, he started to break the entire teeth off her mouth ruthlessly, his eyes cold.


    Ahhh¡­


    Feng felt pain, but rather than pain, it was humiliation.


    Lu Zhen, still holding her by the neck, pried open her mouth again and forced her into his crotch area.


    "If you don''t move your head back and forth, then I will mutte you and give you away to the prostitution house after I devour all your cultivation back to the mortal."


    Feng didn''t want to move, but hearing these words made her feel scared.


    Lu Zhen didn''t forcefully push her head, instead, he put his arms around the back of his head and became silent.


    The time passed bit by bit, and finally, Feng started to move her head back and forth.


    "I like that you are obedient." Lu Zhen chuckled and patted her. She was his enemy.


    He would never grant the status of the concubine to her.


    She could only be reduced to the status of a ve at most or thrown away.


    In the deep, dark dungeon, only the slurping sound of the woman echoes through the ce.

 Chapter 315: Getting a slave, Feng***

    Uhm! Ha! Ha! Chu!


    Feng moaned as she felt the foreign, hot, and huge object enter her.


    Her insides were squirming and clinging to this foreign object, slowly converting to his shape whether she liked it or not. The foreign object felt like a thick and long, piping hot metal rod that reached her deepest part and even poked out through her stomach once she saw what wasing.


    p!


    "Move your waist." Lu Zhen''s handprintnded on her butt, and she couldn''t help but nod her head meekly.


    "Yes, Master."


    Her hips became vigorous in a symphony to the raw pounding from behind her.


    "Ha, ha, ha," soon she stopped her body movement,pletely exhausted.


    Lu Zhen frowned when he saw this.


    "Why aren''t you moving?"


    "Master, I am tired. Please let me rest. We have been going for five whole days without rest." Feng said in an extremely meek tone that barely a mosquito could hear it, but for Lu Zhen, even if there was a slight sound wave, he could easily catch on to it.


    "You are tired?" Lu Zhen had a thoughtful expression.


    Although he wanted to continue, there was the n to go to the inheritance cave, so unfortunately, he could reluctantly part. He still had his concubine and the wife to take care of.


    "They must be lonely."


    Thinking of this, Lu Zhen nodded his head.


    "Then you can rest for a moment."


    Feng''s eyes immediately lit up when she heard this.


    "Thank you, master." Her eyes turned grateful, while looking at Lu Zhen as if he was a god with fanaticism.


    Plop!


    Lu Zhen took out the foreign object that had invaded her, and immediately his essence leaked out.


    "Stop this." he said with a frown.


    Feng hurriedly nodded her head when she saw the frown of Lu Zhen and stopped his essence from leaking out.


    "Good." Lu Zhen slightly patted her head when he saw this.


    Feng''s hips swayed as if like a dog wagging her tail with a smile on her face.


    If the world saw the dignified sect leader of a second-rated force be so obedient, then they would instantly be horrified and would deny the truth. She was a beauty and a half with many pursuers, but never even gave a nce to those pursuers. Now she has been reduced to nothing but a ve, a dog who wags her tail to her master obediently epting everything.


    "Alright, I will be leaving now." Lu Zhen smiled. The lust he had finally subsided by a little.


    And the most benefit he had was definitely the blue panel in front of him showing him the pleasant level up.


    While he was doing it, he could also faintly feel that his strength was increasing, and the intent engraved in his body had grown in just these five days.


    [You have Dual cultivated]


    [Your Dual cultivation has levelled up from level 7 to level 8]


    [You have Dual cultivated]


    [Your Dual cultivation has levelled up from level 8 to level 9]


    His dual cultivation skill has directly reached the peak, and if he could level up even one more time, then he could reach the gold rank skill.


    For a long time, his Dual cultivation skill has only been at level 7, facing a bottleneck which has been finally lifted.


    This was probably why he could increase his skill so rapidly even when he has reached the first-stage martial realm with the Dual cultivation skill.


    Every three levels of a normal skill rted to a different realm.


    From Lu Zhen''s estimation, the first three levels in a normal skill are rted to the third-stage martial artist. Four to six isparable to the second-stage martial realm, and the seven to nine levels for a normal skill can affect a first-stage martial artist.


    As for the Gold Skill, he didn''t know, but the power it could reach was definitely higher than the first-stage martial realm.


    "Maybe it is the Separation and Formation realm, or is it directly the God realm?" Lu Zhen thought with a frown.


    After the first-stage martial realm, there is the Separation and Formation realm, and even higher is the God realm.


    But no one, even in the outside world, has been able to reach that realm yet.


    The highest realm was those peak first-stage martial artists who have the intent imprinted on their Qi to the limits.


    Lu Zhen wasn''t far from reaching that realm, although that is in his body cultivation instead of the Qi cultivation, which is still just at the peak of the second-stage martial realm.


    "Level up," he muttered in his mind, and the blue panel appeared in front of him.


    ¡ª--------------


    [LEVEL UP]


    ¡ª-----


    [Name: Lu Zhen]


    --------


    [Race: Human]


    [Bloodline: Half Human/ Origin Asmodeus bination of Ancestral Elfen and Volgrith)]


    [Lifespan left: 800 years]


    [Physique: Lightning body]


    --------


    [Attributes]


    [Constitution: True Divine physique (Mid First-stage martial realm)] (Intent: 1,988,905)


    [Charm: Mortal] (Second level)


    [nt Qi: second-stage martial realm] (peak)


    [Demonic Qi: second grade]


    [Mana: First Circle]


    ???


    ¡ª--------------


    There were still more sections, but he skipped for now and focused on the intent part of his constitution.


    As for his new bloodline, this was the product of the twobinations of the bloodlines, which made him technically a creator of the bloodline himself.


    "System, when can I reach the High First-stage martial realm?" Lu Zhen asked.


    [Host, ording to the estimate of the system, you need at least ten million intent inscribed in your body if you want to reach the realm]


    Lu Zhen froze for a moment.


    "How many do I need to reach the peak of the first-stage martial realm?"


    [Host, you will need around one billion intent]


    He froze even more when he heard this.


    "From ten million to directly a billion, is there such a gap?" Lu Zhen''s face was distorted.


    [The gap between the sub-realms of the first-stage martial realm is massive, like a vast chasm. If you want to fight even an ordinary high-first stage martial realm, unless you use all your skills, the probability of winning is 0]


    "Sigh, I am still too weak."


    But he wasn''t discouraged. With his long lifespan, he had plenty of time to enjoy life and he could cultivate slowly.


    With all his skills, there will almost be no obstacle in his cultivation, so why should he worry?


    "At most, I could just hunt first-stage martial artists and quickly increase my realm by devouring their intent." Lu Zhen''s eyes shed with killing intent.


    If something unexpected happens, then he doesn''t mind breaking through by killing and devouring.


    As he thought of this, his gaze turned to Feng with malevolence. She was just a ve. He could kill her as well if she became disobedient.


    When Feng felt the terrifying gaze of Lu Zhen, she broke out in cold sweat.


    "Please don''t kill me, master, I will be obedient." Feng said in an extremely broken voice.


    Lu Zhen raised his eyebrows as he silently patted her, "as long as you are obedient."


    She nodded her head with a smile.


    With that said, Lu Zhen left the ce.


    Feng whimpered, "bye master."


    Just as he was about to leave, suddenly he paused, not because he thought of something, but because Feng called out to him.


    "Master, my intent seemed to have increased by a bit after you did it." Feng said with gritted teeth.


    Lu Zhen looked behind him with a smile on his face.


    Naturally, he knew about this as well, but to Feng, it could be considered as the test of training.


    "Not bad. Training her for five days was worth it. She can live," Lu Zhen decided and just gave a look before leaving the dark dungeon.


    Feng saw the gaze of Lu Zhen and heaved a sigh of relief.


    "Luckily, it seems like he wants me to live," Feng thought with her chest heaving up and down.


    She was truly powerless. Her entire body was covered in the essence of Lu Zhen, hung in the air with the chains that bound her.


    The masculine smell wafted into her nose, and she just realized:


    "Damn it, I am naked. Who is going to clean me up? I am hungry?" Feng smiled bitterly.


    However, her head couldn''t make conjecture to me Lu Zhen at all, only his tall, burly body with his deep voice and his giant¡­


    Feng shook her head, her heart fluttering.


    "Did he cast some magic on me?" she wanted to shake her head.


    The imprint of Lu Zhen seemed to be fixed on her mind and never leaving.


    Feng was still herself, and there seemed to be no change to her mentality either, just that her mind was imprinted with Lu Zhen, who will never leave her.


    She was, after all, a mid Fist-stage martial artist. How could her mentality be simple?


    "I need to find a way to escape right now."


    Feng tried to jiggle and free her restraints, however, it felt like a firm mountain that contained her. No matter how much she tried, she couldn''t leave without her Qi.


    Helplessness soon crept up in her heart.

 Chapter 316: Lu Zhens four wives

    While Feng was facing a mental breakdown, Lu Zhen walked out of the dungeon.


    "If you be obedient, you can live. If you don''t, then die¡­"


    His crimson eyes reflected a deep coldness.


    Just as he was about to reach his ce, he suddenly met Lu Ming and Fang Ying.


    "Ancestor Lu and Uncle Ying." Lu Zhen politely bowed with a smile on his face.


    Lu Ming was about to talk but was stunned by the aura revealed by Lu Zhen.


    "Your cultivation has increased?" He was stunned on the spot with disbelief written on his face.


    For him to break through the mid First-stage martial realm, he needed to forcibly transfer bloodline and could no longer be called human.


    But for Lu Ming now, there was only bitterness that crept up in his mind.


    "Sigh, you are truly the genius Lu Zhen, a monster among monsters," he said involuntarily.


    Even Fang Ying was startled to see this.


    "This guy is really a monster. At this rate, he might be the top powerhouse in just a century," his heart was not calm.


    For him to reach the mid First-stage martial realm, the difficulties he had encountered were numerous to say the least. But a person who was just barely in his 20s was able to beat him.


    The firm heart that he, Fang Ying, had created as an invincible person almost copsed.


    Of course, it wouldn''t copse as Lu Zhen was his friend''s descendant after all and an alliance member. Once he bes a peak First-stage martial artist, even the crumbs he left behind would benefit him greatly.


    He quickly decided to let his daughter have a try, although there was a certain age difference.


    But his daughter was also a monster, not like Lu Zhen, but was a peak second-stage martial artist and still in her heyday considering her lifespan and age. She was also a beauty.


    "Why did you twoe this time?" Lu Zhen asked with a humble attitude.


    He wasn''t an ungrateful person who would forget his roots immediately.


    They were his ancestors and the people who helped him greatly.


    Why would he be arrogant towards them?


    Lu Ming and Fang Ying''s faces brightened when they heard this.


    "Lu Zhen, it''s time to open the Inheritance cave," Lu Ming spoke with a slightly condensed expression.


    "Yes." Lu Zhen nodded his head.


    They have basically eliminated the external threat for now and stabilised the internal situation with the help of Lu Zhen''s policy.


    Although the previous life policy might not work in this world where strength ruled everything, however, with hisprehension, he slightly tweaked the parts and then he implemented thempletely, making the entire city even more prosperous and sound.


    With this said, even if he left for a long time, the city will operate itself and will be able to defend itself.


    "Let''s call Jiang Xue first." Lu Zhen said with a gentle smile on his face.


    "Oh, that girl. How is she doing? I heard that she rejected you quite coldly when you and she first met." Lu Ming asked curiously as if remembering something.


    "She is fine now." Lu Zhen''s smile deepened.


    He went towards his wife''s pce.


    Over time, he has built a pce for his wives, an extremely luxurious pce which was built with the finest material.


    With the martial arts developed here to such an extent,bor management was extremely efficient and could be done quickly.


    As for the concubine pce, it was right next to it, still grand but not as much aspared to the wife''s pce.


    He visited them once per week. As for his wives who lived in the Wife pce, where his four wives: Jiang Xue, Xia Mei, Lily, and Huang Li lived, he visited them every day.


    Their warm embrace of him was quiteforting, each one having a different vor than the other.


    Jiang Xue was cold outside, however, she had a masochistic tendency that Lu Zhen has also discovered recently.


    Xia Mei was smart and mature, giving her a sexy feeling.


    Huang Li had a fiery temperament and a rebellious nature which made Lu Zhen quite happy whenever he saw it.


    As for his personal maid, Lily, she was coquettish and very lovable with cute cheeks.


    Very soon, Lu Zhen entered his wife''s pce, while the two stayed outside.


    After all, they were male, even if he was his ancestor or anybody, no male is allowed in his pce.


    Lu Zhen possessed a possessive trait!


    "Lu Zhen!" Xia Mei eximed as she excitedly ran towards him with a smile on her face.


    The other three wives who were doing various activities immediately had their eyes brighten when they heard the name of Lu Zhen and arrived towards him, giving him a big hug.


    "Lu Zhen, you are here. Hmph, bastard, I thought you have forgotten us." Huang Li mischievously smiled.


    Lu Zhen took their hug with a warm smile and then looked at Huang Li bitterly.


    "I was just here yesterday," he couldn''t help but mutter.


    "You should be here every day," Huang Li ''hmphed'' like a tsundere.


    Lu Zhen took a deep look at her before his lips curled into a smile, looking at her with a glint.


    Seeing his gaze, the three women other than Huang Li all smiled amusingly while looking at her with some pity.


    "Eh, why are you looking at me like that?" Huang Li nervously said.


    Lu Zhen''s big hand went towards her waist, dragging her body towards the bedroom.


    "It seems I have not taught you a lesson yet."


    "Help, help." Huang Li shouted, but her hands were not honestly directly embracing him and smelling his masculine scent.


    Soon, moans came from inside the room, causing the three women who were hearing these to turn their cheeks a rosy hue.


    "You three should alsoe."


    Lu Zhen''s gentle voice came from inside the room as the moans became less intense.


    "Yes."


    The three shouted in unison and entered the room with an excited expression on their faces.

 Chapter 317: Jiang Xues M tendency***

    "Umm¡­ ha¡­ chu¡­"


    A slurping sound echoed in the room as a beautiful woman bobbed her head up and down, looking at Lu Zhen with almost a heart in her eyes, trying to please him as much as possible.


    Her skin was fair and tender, almost like a baby''s, and her temperament was cold despite her look towards him.


    "Jiang Xue, you don''t have to move if you feel the gag." Lu Zhen smiled gently; however, Jiang Xue''s speed never decreased, causing him to shrug his shoulders.


    He put his hand gently on her head and pushed her even more vigorously.


    Immediately, the ground was wet, and Lu Zhen noticed this almost instantly, amusingly looking at her.


    "You really have an M tendency."


    With that said, Jiang Xue began to move even more vigorously under the care of Lu Zhen''s big hand.


    Lu Zhen''s big feet suddenly moved as he poked at her crotch area.


    "Hiah!"


    Jiang Xue froze on the spot while looking at Lu Zhen''s handsome face with a confused expression.


    "Start moving." Lu Zhen urged, and she continued sucking with his feet constantly poking her. The love juices of her squirted even more vigorously until he felt an urge build in him.


    His hand immediately grasped the back of Jiang Xue''s head and pulled.


    Jiang Xue''s eyes widened as Lu Zhen''s huge dragon disappeared in her mouth, reaching down her throat.


    She could feel the air slowly leaving her body because of the blockade, which made her push Lu Zhen away by tapping him on the waist.


    However, Lu Zhen didn''t move; instead, he released the pent-up essence directly into her stomach.


    "I know I should feel the pain, but why do I feel¡­"


    Her feelings were uncertain, and the pleasure overwhelmed all her thoughts.


    She was, after all, a martial artist; surviving without air for an hour or so was well within the capability of any ordinary martial artist.


    Not to mention, she had already reached the third-stage martial realm under the care of Lu Zhen.


    Lu Zhen firmly held her head, and Jiang Xue had already stopped resisting.


    Instead, her expression turned even more lustful, and the floor became even wetter with the powerful movement of his leg.


    After he released his essence for a full two minutes, he finally let go of her head.


    But¡­


    Even though Lu Zhen let go, Jiang Xue didn''t back away. Instead, she stood at the spot, using her tongue to carefully entwine with his dragon to clean all the essence away before she finally parted from him.


    A plop echoed in the room as her mouth separated from his dragon.


    While she still had her mouth filled with his essence, Jiang Xue eagerly looked at Lu Zhen with her mouth open as if asking for permission.


    Lu Zhen''s gaze softened as he slightly patted her hair.


    "It looks like you are obedient nowadays. Drink it."


    Gulp!


    Jiang Xue immediately gulped down his semen while looking at Lu Zhen with love.


    Lu Zhen looked at this, and a desire instantly welled up in him, his dragon standing up again.


    "Sigh, I almost forgot about the inheritance cave," Lu Zhen muttered with a pause.


    Then he instructed Jiang Xue to get ready. Although she was reluctant to get up, since it was hismand, she would definitely obey it.


    Lu Zhen looked at the double king-size bed where three beautiful women, each with a unique temperament,y wasted with their bodies entirely stained with his essence. His gaze turned gentle.


    Then he snapped his fingers, and instantly all the nt Qi in his body was mobilised, cleaning all the things in his body.


    "I am ready."


    Jiang Xue hurriedly dressed up and looked at Lu Zhen.


    "Hmm?" Lu Zhen looked at her with a smile on his face.


    Even though her gaze was extremely loving towards him, there was still that cold temperament of hers that made her feel holy and untouchable.


    "You look so beautiful, Jiang Xue," he whispered in her hair with a mischievous smile.


    Instantly, a blush appeared on her face. She stammered, "Tha¡­ thank you."


    "Did you forget what to call me?" Lu Zhen warmly pecked on her neck, inhaling her fragrant smell.


    "Eh," Jiang Xue was a little stunned but remembered something which made her pause, "Thank you, husband."


    Lu Zhen chuckled as he nibbled at her cheeks gently, making her feel a ticklish feeling.


    "Dress me up and we are going."


    "Yes." Jiang Xue immediately nodded her head. However, Lu Zhen gave her a look, making her bite her lips and shyly say, "Yes, husband."


    She slowly started to dress Lu Zhen, feeling his well-defined muscles that exuded power beyond normal. His muscles weren''t as bulky as a bodybuilder''s; they were perfect for fighting, as if their very purpose was to exude power.


    When Jiang Xue touched his muscr body, her face became even rosier with pure admiration in her eyes.


    Lu Zhen smiled. She was his woman, so he naturally would let her see him as much as she wanted to; he wouldn''t shy away from it, just like he would admire their curvy body.


    Soon, Lu Zhen and Jiang Xue walked out of the pce, meeting Lu Ming and Fang Ying, who were ying chess together.


    "Oh, Lu Zhen, you are finally here? I thought you would at least spend some days on it, but you only spent a night?" Lu Ming nced at Lu Zhen with a smile which looked not like a smile.


    Lu Zhen rubbed his head without talking much.


    "He is still young, not like us old men who have long lost that appetising taste that youth have. Of course, he would take time," Fang Ying said at this time with augh.


    Lu Ming frowned when he heard this. "You old man, don''t think that you can win over my descendant so easily."


    Fang Ying just smiled shamelessly as if he had not heard the remark of Lu Ming.


    "Shameless." Lu Ming cursed unhappily.

 Chapter 318: Finally going to the Inheritance cave

    Lu Zhen looked at the two chattering and couldn''t help but cough, interrupting them.


    "Shall we go now?" His big hand went towards Jiang Xue''s waist and pulled her into his embrace.


    Jiang Xue blushed but didn''t resist; instead, she rested her head on his chest with a smile.


    "You boy¡­." Lu Ming was left speechless, while Fang Ying just shrugged it off.


    Soon, Jiang Xue, under the embrace of Lu Zhen, led them outside the pce.


    "So where is the inheritance cave, Jiang Xue?" Lu Zhen couldn''t help but ask curiously.


    "You will know when I guide you there," Jiang Xue smirked with a proud expression.


    Lu Zhen slightly fixed his cor and then muttered, "I guess it should be outside the city?"


    That''s what he thought...


    To Lu Zhen''s disbelief, she directly led Lu Zhen, Lu Ming, and Fang Ying to a deserted part of the city.


    "Hey, look there."


    "Is that Lord Lu?"


    "Oh my god, he is so handsome and tall¡­"


    A crowd of people gathered respectfully, keeping their distance as they looked at the tall figure of Lu Zhen with reverence in their eyes.


    "Hmph." Jiang Xue pouted slightly, looking around unhappily at the sight of his fangirls.


    "You have a lot of admirers, some of them are even beauties. Why don''t you take them as concubines?"


    "Not everyone can be my concubine. To be qualified, she must be one of the most beautiful women in the world and have enough cultivation talent, just like you," Lu Zhen whispered, his hot breath stinging her neck.


    A red hue appeared on the cold face of Jiang Xue as she shyly looked at him.


    "Stop teasing me," she whispered.


    Lu Zhen just chuckled slightly with a smile on his face.


    Soon, Jiang Xue led them to the right side of the city.


    "Is the inheritance here?" Lu Zhen looked at the empty patch ofnd with some disbelief in his eyes.


    "Yes, it''s here," Jiang Xue nodded.


    She took out the broken pendant.


    "This is¡­" Lu Zhen remembered this was the item that protected Jiang Xue during the assassin''s attack, creating a barrier thatpletely shielded her.


    "This thing is from the inheritance cave, right?"


    "Yes, more specifically, it is a key to enter it. Unfortunately, my talent is not sufficient toplete the inheritance yet," Jiang Xue sighed, pity in her eyes.


    "Hmm, what kind of test is it?" Lu Zhen asked, a frown on his face.


    "The test involves killing projections of enemies based on your age and cultivation. But for you, husband," Jiang Xue paused, feeling shy for some reason when she said "husband, it should be easy for you. There is a spirit in the inheritance cave who will guide you. Even if you fail, you can still live and gain some benefits."


    "Do you know which ancient sect this is from?" Lu Zhen asked, narrowing his eyes.


    "I don''t know. Although that spirit seemed to be extremely friendly, whenever I asked, she avoided the question," Jiang Xue pursed her lips. "Also, you can try the challenge as many times as you want."


    "Oh, interesting," Lu Zhen nodded with interest.


    "Let''s enter then."


    He looked at the ce and then set off fireworks. Instantly, all the soldiers mobilised and formed a barricade around the area.


    "Guard this ce at all costs."


    Jiang Xue looked around as the soldiers gathered, forming a tight formation. Each of the soldiers was emitting the aura of a third-stage martial artist.


    However, what was terrifying was not their individual aura; instead, it was thebination of their auras and a faint figure formed right in front of them in the outline of the grim reaper.


    "Is that the grim reaper avatar that you previously fought?" she couldn''t help but exim.


    "You are right, but this is just a cheap imitation that I myself created," Lu Zhen muttered thoughtfully.


    "You made an army formation just by yourself? Even if it is an imitation, that is incredible." Jiang Xue was shocked.


    Lu Zhen smiled, "Of course, your husband is capable."


    "Amazing." Jiang Xue pouted a little, her cold face seeming untouched by dust.


    She looked so unbearably cute that Lu Zhen wanted to pull her cheeks and kiss her right there, but he resisted the urge for now.


    "By the way, I am curious. The previous battle formation was driven by so many second-stage martial artists and millions of people, but the consumption was astronomical. I know this is just an imitation, but there are barely several hundred third-stage martial artists. How can they effortlessly carry it?"


    Lu Zhen smiled upon hearing Jiang Xue''s confused tone.


    "Those were not true soldiers. No matter how powerful the battle formation is, those soldiers didn''t have emotions; they were like dolls with no killing intent. How could theypete with my soldiers, whom I have personally trained?" He put his arms behind his back like an expert. "Martial artists are the strongest when their emotions are stimted and their hidden potential is activated."


    "Sure, it can be a double-edged sword. However, the battle formation also fuels the desires and the killing aura materialized by these soldiers. Without killing intent and those burning desires, no battle formation in the world will work at full strength."


    "I see." Jiang Xue nodded her head.


    "Actually, I didn''t make it alone. Lily helped with her deep understanding of formations," Lu Zhen smiled mysteriously.


    Jiang Xue tightened her fist when she heard this. "I need to be stronger and have other skills if I want to help Lu Zhen."


    With that said, she walked into the empty space and extended her broken bracelet.


    In Lu Zhen''s vision, he saw a blinding blue light, and the pure Qi in the surrounding seemed to be disrupted, time seemed to freeze.


    Under his astonished gaze, the fabric of space seemed to tear, revealing a new world from it.


    "This is really tearing the fabric of reality, not the nihilith realm that the first-stage martial artist could create." Lu Zhen felt like he was dreaming.

 Chapter 319: Trial of the inheritance cave

    Lu Zhen''s vision was filled with darkness, endless darkness as far as he could see.


    "Where is this ce?" His eyes squinted with a frown on his face.


    Just then, he heard a mechanical voice, not of his familiar system but instead another.


    [Challenger has arrived, the challenge is being initiated!]


    [Scanning the user]


    Lu Zhen stood there stunned in ce as the blue rays fell on his body, entirely scanning his body.


    [An ancient first-stage martial artist detected]


    [Challenge difficulty: Highest grade]


    [Challenge will be initiated in 3¡­ 2¡­]


    Lu Zhen heard numerous voices in his head constantly buzzing, but he was still clearly listening with a little shocked expression.


    Not because of the voice, but instead because this thing was instantly able to find out that he was a body cultivator and even determine his stage quite easily and urately.


    That blue rays didn''t make Lu Zhen feel any harm or life-threatening condition, so being able to find out all his condition this easily was beyond this concept.


    [1]


    The final countdown rang in his ear, and Lu Zhen''s vision changed to the beautiful scenery of a forest.


    Lu Zhen squinted his gaze as far as his vision could see; there was only greenery.


    "What type of a challenge is this-?"


    Just as he voiced these words, his mouth froze in ce. His figure vanished from the ce.


    And in Lu Zhen''s initial position, a kunai appeared in ce.


    "Hmm?" Lu Zhen''s brows furrowed.


    Then his eyes widened, and countless kunai rained down on him from all angles; they were far and wide, covering the entire sky.


    Lu Zhen felt like he could probably take this kunai without moving, but¡­.


    "Why should I?" Lu Zhen sneered with a mocking smile.


    His figure shed countless times; all the kunai that was about to reach him missed its target and fell on the ground, making a ten-meter hole in the ground.


    Lu Zhen appeared in the same position while casually shrugging.


    "Modifiedbat art: sh shadow step."


    This was the variation of whispering shadow step he had created, which could allow him to uniquely move the nt Qi in his body, allowing him to make an extremely high body movement in a small phase, essentially allowing him to do a short-distance teleport.


    Although it might look simple, actually doing it was a different matter with incrediblyplex calctions.


    This move touched the surface of space power, making thisbat art Lu Zhen took thousands of hours to perfect.


    Even if there was a solid wall in front of Lu Zhen, he could use thisbat art to instantly phase through it.


    Of course, this wasn''t possible when he was a second-stage martial artist, however, after he reached first-stage and now has intent inscribed in his body.


    He was able to aplish such a feat.


    Lu Zhen looked at the fallen kunai with a confused expression.


    However, just then a lightning shed past him and almost urately hit him, just his figure shed, and he appeared in his initial position again, causing the lightning to miss its target.


    "Interesting, is there someone I can''t sense hiding in this ce?" Lu Zhen grinned from ear to ear.


    The bloodline of his has be denser and denser with it; his temperament was bing more and more violent. He could adapt it with his adapt skill, but as he adapted, so was the bloodline getting stronger.


    This was the strength of the ancestor bloodline. As long as they are alive, their bloodline gets stronger and stronger, especially if there are more descendants, then the stronger they be.


    Lu Zhen could only imagine the terrifying strength of the eighth ancestor in their heyday.


    They might have even crossed the threshold of first-stage martial artists and reached the higher realms.


    But unfortunately, even they couldn''t withstand the power of time and now are just mere remnants.


    Lu Zhen was once again reminded that this bloodline alone was not enough.


    Thinking of this, his eyes shed as he looked around.


    The bulky body of his already tall and towering body gradually began to grow again.


    "If you don''t show up, then I will destroy this entire ce and see where you can hide." Lu Zhenughed while showing his canine teeth.


    He mmed into the ground with his feet, creating a terrifying shockwave.


    The earth parted, showing a ravine; all the trees and nts were uprooted, and the sky seemed to tremble in Lu Zhen''s might.


    These nts and trees weren''t actually nts and trees but just mere projections made by unknown powers; otherwise, this would have been Lu Zhen''s home ground already with his nt Qi.


    Just then, a figure shed behind him, instantly appearing in one of the kunai.


    His hand formed a sharp metal gauntlet with a sword poking out and shed at Lu Zhen.


    "I found you." Just when the sword was about to sh at Lu Zhen, he abruptly turned around and said in a creepy voice filled with malevolence.


    The sword was now about to sh at his heart.


    However, Lu Zhen just sneered and took the sword with his hand.


    The sword couldn''t even prate his skin before it was stopped in its track, its momentum halting to a stop.


    Lu Zhen could finally have a clear look at the opponent.


    The man had a very short stature, at most reaching slightly more than four feet, and his figure was very ethereal, like a ghost with long flowing brown hair.


    Lu Zhen tightened his fist and attacked in full strength.


    The ground trembled again, creating ravines; everything under Lu Zhen''s path was destroyed, including the ethereal figure right in front of his eyes.


    However, Lu Zhen frowned instead of being happy.


    "That was a clone." His eyes darted to his left.


    Where the short stature man was just staring at him.


    "Is he teleporting?" Lu Zhen''s eyes widened in shock when he recalled the scene.


    Even though hisbat art also allowed him to teleport, but it was more like an extremely short distance.


    The guy in front of him didn''t look much powerful; in fact, Lu Zhen felt like as long as his fistnded, then he could wipe the guy out of existence; however, the problem was that he couldn''t him.


    He was as slippery as a eel.

 Chapter 320: Qi Pattern

    "How is he teleporting?"


    Lu Zhen couldn''t catch the short guy.


    As the small figure appeared near one of the kunai and shed at him with the gauntlet again, aiming for his back, Lu Zhen stood like a tall mountain,pletely tanking the hit.


    However, the sharp de sticking out of the gauntlet was destroyed without leaving a single scratch on Lu Zhen''s skin.


    "What a weakling," Lu Zhen muttered as he turned around. The invisible intent in his body shone, multiplying his power several times. He then wed at the person, catching him quite easily.


    His speed was really too fast, especially with the intent covering his entire body; the increase in his already monstrous strength was multiplied several times.


    So Lu Zhen caught the person''s ethereal figure, but right through the tightened fist, the short guy teleported farther away using one of the kunai.


    "This¡­?" Lu Zhen looked at the scene inplete shock and disbelief.


    "Interesting. This weakling is nothing to me, but this kunai seems to have strange markings."


    He took one of the kunai embedded in the ground and examined it.


    There was nothing visible, at least to the naked eye.


    It seemed like a normal kunai, but Lu Zhen could definitely sense the unique signature of Qi embedded in it.


    As martial artists grow stronger, their affinity for Qi in the surroundings bes more pronounced, especially for Lu Zhen, who already possessed an ancient martial artist''s body and could absorb Qi directly without rejection.


    He could basically be called the darling of Qi and was even more sensitive to it, so identifying the markings on this kunai wasn''t difficult for him.


    But when Lu Zhen sensed the vast pattern on the kunai, he felt a little overwhelmed.


    He directly ignored the short figure and sat cross-legged on the ground to recognize the signatures in the kunai.


    Whether by coincidence or not, as Lu Zhen observed the kunai, the short figure seemed to have disappeared and never attacked him again even he should be the most vulnerable situation right now.


    Lu Zhen didn''t care about such a weakling; instead, he was immersed in studying the patterns.


    At first, the pattern looked rtively simple, with a circle, and inside the circle was a hexagon.


    But as he looked further, he found a star shape with a unique Qi signature, and even inside this star were numerous Qi patterns, each with different meanings almost like abination of geometry but even moreplex and vast.


    It was really too vast.


    Even with his upgraded soul, which could heighten hisprehension, learning this was too hard and difficult.


    "This seems simr to a spell but even moreplex."


    Lu Zhen squinted as a faint suspicion arose in his mind.


    Based on his understanding of Qi, this was not how Qi should behave at all and shouldn''t be used in this way. Only Mana can bend nature, while Qi is a more internal force that enhances physical capabilities.


    Most martial artists fought physically with ancient weapons, but this Qi patternpletely changed his understanding of Qi, almost overturning it.


    Lu Zhen slowly started toprehend it. Although it was difficult and there was much confusion in his mind, he was too interested in this to pass up the opportunity.


    However, Lu Zhen didn''t know that a being was watching him from another space, observing him as he silentlyprehended the Qi pattern.


    This being looked exactly the same as the one Lu Zhen had previously fought¡ªthe short-statured man with a long beard and freely flowing brown hair.


    "Can he do it?" the being muttered, then nced at the other two screens with disappointment.


    The two screens showed Lu Huang and Fang Ying, who were fighting identical copies of him. Unlike Lu Zhen, they couldn''tprehend the pattern and missed the hints, barely managing to kill his figure after exhausting at least half of the Qi in their bodies.


    The being waved his hand, and the second roundmenced for them without a hitch.


    "Although these two have decent strength, they are too old and have nearly exhausted all the potential of their bodies. Even reaching the high First-stage martial artist level would be a problem for them."


    The figure muttered as he no longer looked at the other two and instead focused on Lu Zhen.


    "He might be able to reach the legendary realm of separation and formation, and even higher," he thought, watching Lu Zhen intently with some excitement.


    Even his master was only in that realm.


    Although he didn''t believe Lu Zhen would be able to fullyprehend such vast andplex Qi patterns¡ªsomething that even during the ancient era only his master could grasp¡ªif Lu Zhen could gain anything from it, it would already be considered a true inheritance.


    But this being didn''t know that Lu Zhen had a system!


    At this moment, Lu Zhen was fully immersed inprehending the Qi pattern,pletely free from all distractions.


    Suddenly, a familiar ding sound rang in his ears, and a blue panel appeared in front of him.


    [Ding! The host Charm attribute has increased from Mortal second level to Mortal third level]


    Lu Zhen looked at the panel with shock in his eyes. Before he could think further, a warm energy appeared in his body, slowly travelling to his brain.


    It wasn''t like the first time his charm was upgraded, where he felt terrifying pain and experienced an overall improvement in his consciousness. This time, Lu Zhen didn''t feel much pain, and the upgrade went smoothly.


    "Hmm?" Lu Zhen touched his chin in contemtion.


    It had been a while since his charm had levelled up.


    The only time it did was when he was establishing his mana heart, which directly modified and upgraded his brain. But after that, the system underwent an upgrade and became attuned to the Martial world.


    The level-up went smoothly, and then Lu Zhen felt nothing¡ªno change in him, at least physically.


    But he already knew that his charm was a little deceiving; it was directly rted to his soul.


    The soul was the window to his body; it directly increased both hisprehension and consciousness.


    Charm didn''t always mean a physical alteration.


    As martial artists progress, they gain a perfect body made for fighting as their realm grows higher and they naturally grow beautiful although there exception to it depending on the Qi and martial art they practise.


    However, these are external things; the real charmes from spirituality. Lu Zhen''s increasingly powerful soul meant that he could charm people with weaker souls.


    The concept was vague, but the truest improvement he could feel was in hisprehension, which could quickly increase his strength.


    Lu Zhen looked at the Qi imprints again and found that it had be much easier for him toprehend them.


    With some joy in his heart, Lu Zhen wholeheartedly began to study the Qi imprints. It wasn''t every day that he got to level up so easily, especially with his charm, which was almost impossible to enhance.


    Lu Zhen had learned one thing from his level-up system: as long as he worked hard, he would gain invisible experience, and when it reached the limit, he would automatically level up.

 Chapter 321: Meeting with the Guardian

    Soon, Lu Zhen heard the familiar ding again, but this time he didn''t pay attention as the warm energy flowed directly to his brain and then to his invisible soul, strengthening it.


    If youpared Lu Zhen''s consciousness, it was the size of a hand and very dim. With the warm energy, it slightly grew in size and became brighter, though Lu Zhen wasn''t aware of these changes.


    As a first-stage martial artist and a first-circle mage, he wasn''t qualified to dabble in the soul. Nor could he even understand the concept of it. He could only gather some theoretical knowledge from ancient books, but that was all.


    It was like a scientific experiment¡ªwithout truly experimenting himself, how could someone understand such a thing?


    Lu Zhen tried long and hard toprehend the Qi pattern.


    Time seemed to stretch endlessly, bing a mere blur as Lu Zhen remainedpletely absorbed in the Qi imprint.


    The world around him faded into the background, and he lost all sense of time. Hours or perhaps days might have slipped by unnoticed as he delved deeper intoprehending these Qi patterns.


    The more Rayprehended the more he felt the shock in his heart, this was truly too vast.


    His appearance underwent subtle but notable changes.


    His long hair, half golden and half ck, now flowed down to his waist growing even longer.


    Except for this change, his skin retained its youthful, lustrous quality, glowing with the smoothness and radiance of a newborn''s.


    With a lifespan extending over 800 years, Lu Zhen''s appearance was still that of the most handsome youth with a baby''s skin.


    To someone observing him, his skin would still appear as though he had just been born.


    The persistent dinging sound of the system notifications was ignored, bing a distant, inconsequential noise as Lu Zhen''s focus remained solely on the Qi pattern.


    At this time, he heard a deep, ancient voice.


    "Stop."


    Lu Zhen didn''t stop, remainingpletely immersed in theprehension of the Qi patterns with his eyes tightly closed and a calm expression.


    "I said stop."


    Finally, his brows furrowed, but he still continued toprehend. Just then, he felt a terrifying pressure that made his body involuntarily tremble.


    Lu Zhen slowly opened his eyes, as soon as he did it reflected a deep wisdom of a sage but that onlysted for some time.


    "Who is it?" he muttered.


    The terrifying pressure was frightening, but Lu Zhen could endure it due to his Adapt skill and various other buffs.


    "Did you seed inprehending the Qi pattern?" The short figure appeared before Lu Zhen''s eyes.


    "You¡­ you are¡­" Lu Zhen squinted his gaze. Although this being looked exactly like the one he had faced before, he felt as though he were meeting a different entity.


    The first being he fought had seemed lifeless and didn''t pose much of a threat to him, but the entity in front of him felt like a real, living person.


    There was a terrifying danger emanating from this being that filled him with a profound fear, reaching deep into his very existence.


    "Can I escape this ce?" Lu Zhen appeared calm on the surface but was already devising escape ns in his mind.


    In this unknown inheritance realm, he truly couldn''t go anywhere even if he wanted to. However, he had alreadyprehended at least half of the Qi signature on that kunai.


    This not only helped him gain spatial abilities but also enriched his knowledge of Qi. With his enhanced understanding, Lu Zhen could now create a better-modified version of hisbat art or even develop his ownbat art attuned to himself.


    "Don''t worry, I am not here to harm you," the short man said lightly.


    "Then why are you here?"


    "I am the guardian of this inheritance ground, where our proud Divine Space Sect used to be," the short old man spoke with unspeakable pride, then paused. "The strongest sect in the martial world in ancient times."


    "Hmm," Lu Zhen nodded casually without much emotion.


    "You don''t seem surprised."


    "No matter how great the sect was, it has already crumbled with the passage of time. There is no need to dwell on something that has be part of the past," Lu Zhenmented lightly.


    "Haha," the guardian paused for a moment before he started tough. "Are you the type of person who is willing to do anything for immortality?"


    "No." Lu Zhen shook his head. "What is the point of immortality? We should live in the present, not in the future. We should enjoy life to the fullest. We don''t know what the future holds, but enjoying and preparing for it is important."


    "Oh, so you don''t want immortality?" There was a hint of disappointment on the guardian''s face.


    "Of course, I want immortality. Even if there''s only a small chance, I would take it. But that doesn''t mean I will stop enjoying my present life," Lu Zhen chuckled. "Life is beautiful if you view it from a beautiful perspective. If you look at it from an ugly perspective, then the same life is ugly."


    "Hmph." The guardian snorted in disdain but didn''t speak further. "Have youprehended the Qi patterns?"


    "Yes," Lu Zhen nodded. Of course, he was only saying that because it sounded cool.


    "By how much?" The guardian''s body seemed to tremble as he looked at Lu Zhen with disbelief.


    Lu Zhen didn''t reply. Instead, he asked with a thoughtful expression, "How much time has passed in the outside world?"


    "Half a year has already passed."


    "That much?" Lu Zhen''s eyes widened.


    "Yes."


    "I haveprehended half of the Qi patterns already."


    "Wait, what!?" It was the guardian''s turn to be shocked. He was so astonished that the entire space seemed to tremble along with him.


    Lu Zhen observed the guardian''s expression silently.


    "Did¡­ did you really master half of the Qi patterns in half a year?" The guardian''s voice stammered.


    "Yes." Lu Zhen nodded, already concocting some escape ns in his head.


    "Hahaha." The guardian raised his head and began tough, his entire face flushed with excitement.


    "God has helped us find a worthy heir. Our Divine Space Sect finally has a worthy sessor."


    Lu Zhen remained silent, observing the guardian''s flushed face.


    "So, can I inherit this entire inheritance?"


    "No."


    "..."

 Chapter 322: Formula One: Singularity Palm

    Lu Zhen''s brows furrowed with displeasure.


    Seeing the frown on Lu Zhen''s face, the guardian hurriedly exined.


    "For you to inherit the inheritance, there still needs to be a trial that must be conducted. If you don''tplete the trial, it will be impossible for you to receive the inheritance. Don''t worry; with your talent, it is definitely possible."


    "Then what about the things you mentioned?" Lu Zhen asked lightly.


    "That was a trial key to open the true inheritance. As long as you canprehend a single part of the Qi signature, you will be able to ess the true inheritance."


    "Hmm." Lu Zhen nodded his head.


    "There have been many people who came to seek our inheritance; however, most fail at the first step, and not many have even passed this initial stage," the guardian spoke with a hint of depression.


    "You mean to say that there are other people who have entered this inheritance space other than us?" Lu Zhen was a little shocked.


    "Did you really think you were some special being throughout the countless times you could find this ce? Since ancient times, many martial artists havee to this inheritance cave through numerous entrances. However, they are probably all dead by now, and some of them could evenprehend a part of the Qi signature."


    Lu Zhen narrowed his eyes. It seemed that this inheritance cave was much older than he had imagined.


    From what he could infer, there wasn''t just a single entrance to this cave, but seeing that it was still open and ownerless, it indicated that all the martial artists who hade so far had failed and had not truly inherited this cave.


    "How many martial artists haveprehended this Qi signature, old man?" Lu Zhen asked lightly.


    "Three martial artists throughout the entire history, but none of them couldprehend it like you. They barely understood one-hundredth of it, barely taking a step forward in this field," the guardian said, giving Lu Zhen a deep look.


    "I see." Lu Zhen nodded. He wasn''t conceited; without this system, it would have been impossible for him toprehend this Qi signature to such an extent.


    Even with the mana strengthening his soul, the most he could have achieved was simr to those three people¡ªbarelyprehending one percent at most.


    "Here." The guardian handed Lu Zhen a ck stone.


    "What is this?" Lu Zhen narrowed his eyes. There was a familiar Qi pattern in the ck stone, but something seemed off about it.


    The pattern of this Qi seemed to be simr as before; however, its use seemed different, as if it were sealing something inside it.


    Lu Zhen couldn''t describe this feeling but there was definitely something in different about its purpose


    "Hmm?" He curiously began to decipher the stone, not even ncing at the guardian.


    "This is our entire inheritance. As long as you can decipher the Qi pattern, you can reverse-engineer it and gain the inheritance," the guardian said, his eyes filled with amusement.


    He didn''t truly believe that this person before him hadprehended half the Qi patterns and these Qi patterns were rted to Space. How could it be so easy?


    Many people hade before Lu Zhen and it wasn''t umon to lie about their progress, and the guardian himself was also sceptical. For these people, their fate was naturally death!


    Lu Zhen didn''t care about the old man''s thoughts and focused on deciphering the Qi patterns.


    After an hour, he slowly opened his eyes.


    "There are a total of thirty-three seals at this level. I can open at most sixteen seals," Lu Zhen quickly estimated after analysing the entire seals in these Qi patterns.


    "What happened, kid? Can''t you reverse the Qi patterns?" The guardian''s eyes narrowed with a strong killing intent, and the terrifying pressure reappeared.


    "Rx," Lu Zhen said calmly. "I was examining the seals of the Qi patterns and found that there are thirty-three seals."


    "This¡­" The guardian narrowed his eyes. "That is correct."


    After all, he was an old monster himself; not many things could affect his temperament.


    Only Lu Zhen''s im of having alreadyprehended half the Qi patterns had made him tremble.


    Because this was an unimaginable thought.


    "I found even a little extra seal."


    "Brat, you mean there are thirty-four seals?"


    "You are right." Lu Zhen nodded slightly. "Although I haven''tprehended that part yet, I can tell that each seal denotes three percent. So, with thirty-three seals, that means ny-nine percent of the Qi pattern. But where is thest one percent?"


    "You are right," the old man nodded with a thoughtful expression. "But isn''t that only your theory?"


    "I will show you then, old man." Lu Zhen spoke confidently.


    He could already determine the strength of this guardian; it was definitely at the peak of the first-stage martial realm.


    Although Lu Zhen himself was a mid-first-stage martial artist, it would still take him a lot of time to reach the peak of the First-stage martial realm.


    "Show it to me then." The guardian looked at Lu Zhen sceptically.


    "Alright." Lu Zhen nodded and began to slowly open the seals.


    "The first seal should take around half an hour to reverse¡ª" The guardian froze in ce as a bright light shone from the stone in under a minute.


    "He has already unlocked the first seal. Did he reallyprehend half of the Qi patterns?"


    Lu Zhen wasn''t interested in the guardian''s thoughts; his mind was solely focused on unlocking the seals.


    The moment he unlocked the first seal, numerous pieces of information appeared in Lu Zhen''s mind.


    For his consciousness, this kind of influx wasn''t a problem at all; he calmly analysed the informationpletely.


    "Maths?" Lu Zhen''s expression turned strange as he looked at all this information. It was maths, but not the simple kind from the blue; it was incrediblyplex. As long as he pieced it together, a purpose would be fulfilled.


    Lu Zhen extended his hand.


    "Old man, escape this if you can."


    The guardian''s eyes widened in shock as the ground began to tremble.


    The soil and rocks started to levitate, slowly drawn towards Lu Zhen''s outstretched hand as if by an invisible force.


    Trees uprooted themselves from the earth, their roots twisting and writhing as they were pulled skyward.


    The sky above seemed to fragment and copse, as if reality itself was being drawn into a vortex centred on Lu Zhen''s palm.


    The very fabric of reality appeared to disintegrate, thendscape around him warping and twisting in a disy of chaotic energy. It was as if the world was being torn apart by the force of his power.


    "This is¡­"


    Lu Zhen looked at the devastation with his scalp tingling, a mix of awe and trepidation coursing through him.


    "Why did you use that, brat?"


    "I didn''t expect it to be this terrifying," Lu Zhen muttered, his voice tinged with disbelief.


    All he had done was circte the Qi in his body ording to theplex mathematics provided by the information.


    As a result, nearly half of his entire Qi supply had vanished, yet the oue was this overwhelming disy of destructive power.


    "This is the first form: Singrity Palm," Lu Zhen thought to himself.


    He muttered in awe, "This form is truly indescribable."


    "Don''t get too excited, little brat," the guardian''s voice interrupted. "This space is much weaker than the real world. In the true world, using this form wouldn''t cause such an exaggerated scene of destruction."

 Chapter 323: Peak utilization of Qi

    "I see," Lu Zhen said lightly. The destruction would be truly terrifying if it was the same in the real world.


    This was just one of the forms of the inheritance, and by breaking just one seal, he had gained five forms directly. Its power could be truly terrifying.


    "It''s really like mana, but is this the peak utilisation of Qi?"


    He narrowed his eyes.


    Even if he were an ordinary mid First-stage martial artist, with all these forms, even killing a high First-stage martial artist might not be a problem.


    However, he wasn''t an ordinary power. Lu Zhen felt like he could directly kill an ordinary peak First-stage martial artist relying solely on these forms if he caught the person off-guard.


    One could only imagine the terrifying power these forms could create.


    Now Lu Zhen had an estimate about the strength of the Divine Space Sect.


    It could be no exaggeration to say that it might really be the strongest sect in the ancient martial era, just like the old man had told him.


    "Even such a sect couldn''t stand the power of time and eventually crumbled," Lu Zhen''s eyes shed.


    Soon, he started to slowly reverse the other seals as well.


    It took Lu Zhen just half a minute to reverse the first ten seals.


    The old guardian was really stunned in ce, with his eyes widened as he looked at Lu Zhen''s achievement.


    And Lu Zhen didn''t stop there. It took him 10 minutes to unseal the eleventh seal, 20 for the twelfth, 30 for the thirteenth, all the way up to the sixteenth seal, which took an hour to unseal.


    Lu Zhen paused after reaching the seventeenth seal, feeling it was too hard to unlock. He could only reach a little over half the seal before he couldn''tprehend any more.


    "This should be enough." He nodded with a satisfied expression, especially with the vast information in his mind.


    Essentially, all these forms were extremelyplicated arithmetics of the Qi used to their full potential.


    What made Lu Zhen even more satisfied was that there was no limit to any type of Qi he could use.


    He could even use the Demonic Qi stored in his dantian to activate these forms, and he was able to aplish the task.


    "Hmm, I can reverse even more seals as long as I canprehend this Qi pattern," Lu Zhen muttered with a satisfied smile on his face.


    His greed heightened as he looked at the Kunai which had the Qi pattern there.


    "Are you going toprehend these Qi patterns again?"


    "Yeah," Lu Zhen nodded with his entire aura radiating outward.


    "It has been a year already."


    "Hmm?" Lu Zhen looked at the guardian spirit with a frown on his face.


    "Those two old men that had followed you have already left half a year ago."


    "Did something happen in the outside world?" Lu Zhen asked with narrowed eyes.


    The guardian paused for a moment before he continued.


    "It is time for the closing of the Inheritance Cave. You can''t remain here forever."


    "Why is there a limit to it?" Lu Zhen''s brows furrowed deeply.


    "Yes, there is a rule that says that a participant can only stay in this inheritance cave for a year, and if you cannotprehend this ck stone, then unfortunately you must find another entrance."


    "Is that so?"


    Lu Zhen paused, his eyes shing with a glint as he looked at the Guardian again.


    "Alright, I will leave then."


    He casually pocketed the ck stone and was about to leave the ce.


    "Hold on, you can''t leave like that. You must leave the ck stone here. If you don''t, then¡­"


    "Then what, old man?" Lu Zhen said with a sneer on his face. His figure turned into a blur, and he vanished from the ce.


    "This brat can already use the Qi patterns in this inheritance cave to teleport?"


    The Guardian was stunned for a moment; however, an inexplicable rage filled his mind. "I am not willing to be enved."


    His aura,parable to a peak first-stage martial artist, radiated outward, almostpletely engulfing the surrounding area.


    The entire ce seemed to be trembling as the Guardian snorted with disdain in his eyes and shed with his hand. The entire forest area copsed, reced by a dark and damp cave.


    "Where are you going, you brat?" the Guardian roared in fury, pausing the leaving figure of Lu Zhen.


    He extended his hand, and a chess piece immediately appeared, rapidly travelling towards him.


    "Form One: Singrity Palm." Lu Zhen extended his hand as the nt Qi in his body rapidly drained, forming an attraction around his palm.


    "Form Twelve: Singrity Expulsion."


    Then he moved his nt Qi in a particr way ording to the instructions given to him by the inheritance, all while doing the extremelyplex maths in his head.


    The reason he was able to teleport so freely in this ce was that it was filled with Qi patterns, so Lu Zhen didn''t have to construct his own to basically teleport.


    Immediately, a pulsing shockwave spread from his hand and sent all things far away from him. The entire inheritance cave trembled, and dust rose from everywhere, surrounding the entire ce.


    Lu Zhen''s heart almost skipped a beat as he hurriedly dodged to the side. The chess piece was unmovable and unshaken even after using the two forms.


    As Lu Zhen changed direction, so did the chess piece, rapidly following behind him like a ghost.


    He had a feeling that if this chess piece really hit him, then he would probably be crushed into a meat paste right on the spot.


    "I need to teleport using the Qi pattern again."


    Just as this thought shed through his mind, the giant chess piece, a pawn, was really too fast, extremely fast.


    Lu Zhen''s back was slightly grazed by the chess piece. He vomited a mouthful of blood, his bones broke instantly, and his tall muscr body almost deformed.


    "Fuck." The Qi pattern was finally ready, and he activated it using thest remaining nt Qi in his body.


    Lu Zhen''s figure disappeared from the ce.


    "Where did that brat go? If he really reverses all the seals, then I would be aplete ve." The guardian roared in fury again,pletely enraged.


    Lu Zhen''s deformed body appeared in another part of the inheritance cave, where there were numerous pathways that led to different ces.

 Chapter 324: Formula Twenty: Soul Buster, Fight with the Guardian

    Lu Zhen vomited a mouthful of blood as he stared at the numerous entrances with a frown of confusion on his face.


    "What is this ce?" he wondered, his expression a mix of bewilderment and frustration.


    He couldn''t afford to waste any more time. Without hesitation, he chose a random tunnel and sped through it. As he moved, his deformed body slowly began to recover, and his strength returned.


    Lu Zhen had adapted to the relentless attacks and was regaining his original form. He continued running with all the urgency of someone fleeing for their life.


    The tunnelcked any Qi patterns, preventing him from using teleportation.


    After what felt like a decade but was only a few minutes, he finally glimpsed a faint light at the end of the tunnel.


    "Finally," Lu Zhen muttered, his pace quickening to a sprint as he raced towards the light.


    At that moment, a chilling, silent killing aura locked onto him, causing a shudder of fear to ripple through his body.


    Lu Zhen turned around, eyes zing with killing aura, and stared at the guardian. The Guardian had appeared behind him without any prior warning or sense of presence.


    "Guardian, do you really think I am afraid of you?" Lu Zhen''s gaze burned with a fierce determination.


    With a swift motion, he moved his hand like a saber, shing through the air. A razor-sharp saber arc streaked towards the guardian, tearing through what seemed like the very fabric of reality itself as it headed for its target.


    "Guardian, die!" Lu Zhen roared, his voice echoing with raw power. He stomped the ground with such force that the earth seemed to tremble, producing a thunderous sound that resonated throughout the cavern.


    Yet, the guardian regarded Lu Zhen with calm, indifferent eyes. The saber arc struck him, but it passed through his form as if he were made of mist, leaving a gaping two-metre hole in the cave wall behind him.


    "Impressive, brat. For you to be able to damage this cave, built with some of the strongest materials in the ancient era, your strength is definitely greater than just a Mid First-stage martial artist," the guardian said with a condensing gaze.


    Lu Zhen didn''t waste words; he shed with his hand like a saber, sending saber arcs at the guardian. As expected, all of them passed through the man, and a chill crept up his spine.


    He could feel the terrifying danger as the world seemed to copse in front of him. A giant chess piece, a pawn, appeared before the guardian,unching towards Lu Zhen at a terrifying speed.


    It was even bigger than the previous one, and Lu Zhen felt a sense of dread just by seeing it.


    "Damn it." Lu Zhen formed a palm and thrust it horizontally with his hand like a spear.


    A piercing sound echoed as the surroundings seemed to be torn, creating a spiralling motion thatnded squarely on the iing chess pawn.


    Boom!


    The chess pawn stopped for a moment before a faint crack appeared, and then it continued on its trajectory.


    "I can deal damage to it," Lu Zhen muttered, his eyes brightening. He then sent multiple spiralling motions toward it in the span of a moment.


    The spirals rapidly struck the chess pawn, as Lu Zhen thrusted faster and faster veins to pop in his arms as his height increased.


    "Bloodline: Asmodeus."


    Lu Zhen rapidly grew in size, but there was no change in his features. He still looked like a human¡ªalbeit a giant human¡ªbut the same could not be said about his aura. The sheer presence he emitted as he stood there was simply terrifying.


    "Roar!"


    He opened his mouth and roared, producing a terrifying shockwave. As the giant chess pawn reached him, his roar instantly cracked it into pieces, turning it to dust blown away by the wind.


    "I will kill you, old man!" Lu Zhen shouted furiously, his voice filled with rage as he looked at the Guardian. But the moment he looked, he felt a chill in his heart.


    "Fuck."


    Before him stood numerous chess pieces, all aimed at him: the Queen, King, Bishop, Knight, and Rook. The entire chessboard was now present.


    Lu Zhen roared and pushed his body to the limits, the invisible intent within him glowing and rapidly enhancing his strength.


    He rapidly dodged all the chess pieces and shot toward the old man.


    "You!" The guardian looked at Lu Zhen with astonishment. "It is meaningless to attack me; you cannot damage me in any way possible."


    "We''ll see about that soon, Guardian," Lu Zhen roared, his mind racing as he focused on the seals he had unlocked.


    At present, Lu Zhen didn''t have a direct way to deal with the guardian, so he had to rely on the seal he had unlocked.


    If that didn''t work, he would have to escape, which he was fully capable of. However, he was reluctant to do so because the guardian had inflicted numerous injuries on him.


    If Lu Zhen couldn''t even return the favour slightly, he would feel a gnawing difort. It was like being pped out of nowhere with no way to vent the anger¡ªwho likes that feeling? Maybe masochists do, but Lu Zhen didn''t. His heart, forged in fighting, war, and violence, would be deeply unsettled by such a situation.


    "Found it." Lu Zhen''s mouth curved into a sneer.


    At this moment, Lu Zhen was still dodging the chess pieces, not because he was slow, but because his thinking process was operating at superhuman speed. His mind functioned like a supeputer, analysing trillions of data points almost instantaneously.


    "Form Twenty: Soul Buster."


    Lu Zhen extended his palm, performing intricate calctions in his head as the nt Qi travelled along a precise pattern.


    A green glow appeared in his palm, revealing aplex trident pattern.


    "How could he cast that form so quickly?" The guardian narrowed his eyes, scrutinising the pattern.


    Even with the information for the seal,prehending was no small feat, let alone using it instantly.


    Having the information and being able to use it were two entirely different matters.

 Chapter 325 One of us

    325 One of us


    Lu Zhen used the trident-shaped mark on his hand to retract his five fingers. His muscles strained to the limit, with blood and Qi pushed to the extreme, as the invisible intent on his body began to glow.


    Boom!


    A terrifying shockwave erupted, destroying everything in its path almost instantly. The chess pieces crumbled away as if they had never existed, vanishing in an instant, as the shockwavended squarely on the guardian. N?v(el)B\\jnn


    "Damn it," the guardian muttered, narrowing his eyes. "I''ll run out of energy soon if this continues, but I can kill this brat by copsing this inheritance cave afterward."


    As he spoke, he had already made his move, forming a wing motion with his hand, causing the punch force to stop momentarily.


    The earth seemed to copse, creating a deep ravine as the entire cave trembled under the power of the fist. However, this force could only be halted for a moment before it resumed its course,nding squarely on the guardian.


    "What?"


    The guardian''s eyes widened in shock as he wasunched into the air, hurtling through the cave and crashing into countless obstacles without mercy digging even deeper into the ground, almost reaching the ce where gravity could instantly crush a normal person.


    He wasn''t given a chance to retaliate, being flung an unknown distance.


    After a brief moment, the guardian suddenly stopped in midair, a small crack appearing on his face. With rage burning in his mind, he shot up from the ground and charged back into the cave.


    "You''re going to die, you bastard!" the guardian roared in fury.


    The entire cave became distorted as the guardian finally became serious, intending to use the full power of the inheritance cave to kill Lu Zhen.


    With the power of the entire cave at his disposal, there was virtually no chance for anyone, even at the peak of the First-stage Martial Realm, to survive.


    But when the guardian looked around, the ce was empty¡ªnothing remained except for the destruction from before.


    There was no sign of Lu Zhen. The area waspletely barren, and a faint breeze blew through the cave.


    "Lu Zhen!"


    The guardian roared, causing the cave to tremble as he hurled onest kunai in a specific direction.


    Lu Zhen was racing through the narrow cave, and in the distance, he could clearly see the light ahead.


    Suddenly, a shudder of fright ran through him, and he looked back with terror in his eyes.


    This was a life-threatening danger that he instinctively sensed.


    Before he could react, reality itself seemed to shatter like fragments of a mirror, as if the world around him had been nothing more than an illusion.


    "No, this isn''t an illusion," Lu Zhen muttered through gritted teeth.


    He had some understanding of the space element from the Qi pattern he hadprehended. Though limited, it was enough for him to glimpse the space elements around him.


    Indeed, the entire cave was rapidly copsing around him.


    "If I don''t escape, I might really die," Lu Zhen thought, pushing his body to its limits as he ran with all his strength.


    But the ce began to disintegrate instantly, not even giving him the chance to take a few more steps.


    "Damn it," Lu Zhen growled, and in that moment, all the surroundings began to converge and gather inside his mouth.


    Then he started visualising a catapult in his mind. The slither amount of mana hidden in his heart slowly started to move in ce as a rock structure gradually formed in front of Lu Zhen.


    "It''s too slow." Lu Zhen''s eyes shed with an indescribable light as he fully focused on the construction of this.


    The mana had the power to bend nature as it liked, and this was very possible. If Lu Zhen were a stronger mage, he could very well create a castle out of thin air and other things.


    In just the blink of an eye, the catapult was built even higher than Lu Zhen. He then strung himself to the rubber part of it and with one forceful pull, heunched himself from the small hole that was left outside the ce.


    Lu Zhen''s mind raced, instinctively calcting the distance to the cave''s exit as his eyes narrowed in determination. The tunnel ahead was dark and twisted, with jagged stone walls closing in like the jaws of a predator. The ground beneath his feet trembled with each step, dust falling from the ceiling as the entire cave seemed on the verge of copsing.


    "I can''t make it."


    In that moment, a sudden, bone-chilling sensation washed over him, his heart skipping a beat. Instinctively, he nced over his shoulder and his blood ran cold. Behind him, a wall of fire and debris, a violent explosion, tore through the cave, consuming everything in its path.


    "Damn it!" Lu Zhen cursed under his breath, his heart pounding in his chest as he gritted his teeth and pushed himself forward. His legs burned as he sprinted faster than ever before, the walls of the cave blurring around him. Just as he was about to reach the exit and the cave was about to copse, he turned around and braced for the impact, crossing his arms to shield himself.


    Boom!


    The ground seemed to copse instantly, leaving nothing intact. Lu Zhen''s body was thrown like a ragdoll, his small, battered form tossed through the air as if weightless. His clothes were shredded, and his skin was torn and bruised, blood trailing in the wind as he flew towards the cave''s entrance. Every bone in his body screamed in agony, but his mind remained focused on one thing: I must survive. As expected because of the propelling force he instantly got out as the cave was destroyed behind him.


    "This brat withstood the strike of my master just to get out of that ce." The guardian squinted his eyes and then chuckled with an amused smile, knowing there was no way for Lu Zhen to survive.


    It was the strike of a Union and Separation expert. Although countless centuries had passed, weakening the power significantly, killing a first-stage martial artist was still as easy as crushing a bug. Lu Zhen''s entire body was broken, and even if he were an ancient martial artist, there was absolutely no way to recover.


    "Finally, I can have my freedom."


    A red light flickered in the guardian''s eyes, glowing from the darkness as he fell into sleep once again, waiting for others toe. But if anyone had the chance to be his master, he would kill them without hesitation.


    Lu Zhen appeared in the outside world,pletely tattered and broken, lying in an unknown lush forest.


    His arms and legs were almost entirely scorched, his bones shattered to the point where they felt like dust.


    All his internal organs were either destroyed or severely burned, even his heart had been obliterated.


    Hey in apletely deted state, his vacant eyes staring up at the sky. There seemed to be no life left in Lu Zhen.


    Though numerous prompts from his level-ups and skills shed in his mind, they offered no help in this near-death state.


    Yet, there was still a faint trace of his nt Qi that lingered in his body, glowing with a strange resonance.


    "He¡­ is¡­ one¡­ of¡­ us¡­"


    "One¡­ of¡­ us¡­"


    "One¡­ of¡­ us¡­"


    "Let''s¡­ help¡­ him¡­"


    The voices were numerous however all of them were very hoarse and extremely slow, like that of an old man, only audible to Lu Zhen, who had long fallen unconscious.


    Slowly, vines began to extend from the trees and wrap around Lu Zhen, covering him and shielding him from the outside.


    One of the vines bore a peach fruit, which was crushed, and the juice flowed into Lu Zhen''s mouth.


    An incredible miracle urred as Lu Zhen''s shattered internal organs began to regenerate and his wounds healed at a rapid pace. His condition improved within moments.

 Chapter 326 Worldview collapse

    326 Worldview copse


    Lu Zhen felt warmth from the bottom of his heart as a sweet taste burst in his mouth. At this moment, he felt a gentle poking, as if his mother was waking him up in the morning.


    "Mom, let me sleep a little," Lu Zhen shouted with a warm smile gracing his lips. However, his nose suddenly twitched, and he slightly strained to open his eyes.


    All he saw was a lush forest with countless branches extending forward to gently make a bed for him. "Eh?" Lu Zhen propelled himself upward and looked around the ce. He waspletely out of ce and in utter confusion. n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    "What is this ce?"


    The nt Qi resonated in his body again as the branch extended outward, and Lu Zhen heard some strange voices in his head.


    "Are¡­ you¡­ alright?"


    "Are you the trees?" Lu Zhen narrowed his eyes with a thoughtful expression.


    "How¡­ rude¡­ I¡­ have¡­ a¡­ name¡­ Runtu¡­" The voice was extremely slow-paced and hoarse, but Lu Zhen could quickly discern it.


    "So, this voice dide from these trees?" he thought in his heart. It wasn''t his first time he talked to these trees. However, the voice Lu Zhen heard previously waspletely incoherent, and only the feelings could be discerned by him, but these Trees could talk in a proficient manner.


    "Hmm?" As Lu Zhen was contemting, he heard the voice again.


    "Are¡­ you¡­ one¡­ of¡­ us?"


    Lu Zhen paused as he finally used his mental strength, and immediately his eyes widened to the limits. Because all these trees contained First-stage martial artist pressure. Some of them were a little low, but they were definitely all at the First-stage martial realm.


    "What kind of forest is this?" his eyes widened to the limits.


    For a moment, he felt his worldviews turn upside down¡­


    Lu Zhen thought about his progress even with basically a cheat. It took him more than a year and bitter life-and-death scenarios to break through to the first-stage martial realm.


    Of course, he would be shaken if every single one of these trees were in the first-stage martial realm.


    For Lu Zhen, actually only his body had reached the first-stage martial realm, which could be considered an unorthodox method. While his Qi and body werebining with the Verdant tree form, it still had not beenbined to form the unity of three to form intent.


    And now, all these trees, with not a single one missing, were all in the first-stage martial realm?


    "You¡­ are¡­ one¡­ of¡­ us¡­ but¡­ you¡­ do¡­ not¡­ belong¡­ here¡­ go¡­"


    One of the branches pointed in a certain direction.


    Lu Zhen immediately bowed his head at these trees while muttering: "thank you."


    Then he decisively left the ce without turning around.


    "He¡­ ran¡­ away¡­ fast¡­"


    "We¡­ wanted¡­ him¡­ to¡­ be¡­ one¡­ of¡­ us¡­"


    "Just¡­ let¡­ him¡­ go¡­ Runtu¡­"


    After leaving for a distance, Lu Zhen pushed his body to the limits and shot into the sky, flying rapidly, trying to leave the jungle.


    "Damn it."


    He gritted his teeth because he could faintly sense the danger in the surrounding every second he stayed in the ce.


    Now that Lu Zhen was far away, this faint sense of danger quickly vanished into nothingness.


    "I cannot control these trees like the ones which I did from the forest surrounding the city," Lu Zhen murmured in his heart, calmly analysing the situation. He had the urge toprehend the Qi pattern in the kunai to unlock the seals; however, he knew that he absolutely couldn''t do it here.


    As Lu Zhen was flying through the air with the intent inscribed in his body, suddenly he paused in mid-air.


    "What happened?" he willed and wanted to fly again; however, all his intent on his body didn''t respond to him at all.


    Then he fell to the ground in an instant with a loud thud, the soil turning upwards and almost a crater formed in the ce Lu Zhennded.


    "What happened?" Lu Zhen thought, with confusion in his head, as he carefully felt the changes in his body.


    Externally, he seemedpletely normal, but when Lu Zhen sensed the changes in his body, his eyes immediately widened.


    The nt Qi in his body couldn''t flow properly, and even usingbat art was extremely difficult for him. This seemed to be from an invisible obstruction he couldn''t see.


    But what made Lu Zhen''s heart filled with horror was the intent inscribed in his body. This invincible force also caused all the intent in his body to separate and unite, which made his power extremely unstable.


    Lu Zhen tried to use his intent, and his body slowly lifted from the ground.


    "Hmm?" He carefully used his intent and flew up, directly flying until he reached the huge tree level and looked around the ce.


    "I can still fly, if I am careful-"


    Lu Zhen wanted to heave a sigh of relief; however, at this time, an invincible force instantly disturbed his intent imprinted on his skin.


    Boom!


    An explosion urred with Lu Zhen as the epicentre, spreading outwardly and covering an area of around ten kilometres.


    The surroundings trembled and dibobted from the sheer intensity, as if the very reality was about to copse but it never did.


    After a long time, the explosion finally stopped, and Lu Zhen fell to the ground again,pletely naked and filled with injuries, with a thud, falling to the ground with a trail of smoke.


    Lu Zhen slowly opened his eyes after an unknown amount of time as he looked around the forest with a bitter smile on his face.


    "What was that invisible force?" his mind shed with countless thoughts, but he couldn''te to a conclusion.


    This invisible force was beyond hisprehension, nothing he has ever seen before even in this world, and Lu Zhen himself could guarantee that. Although he wasn''t like a sage of information, he at least knew the basics till the First-stage martial realm.


    "Unless it is from a higher realm!" Lu Zhen''s eyes shed with an indescribable light as his mind went back to that terrifying explosion he had suffered that had only grazed him but caused such a devastating effect.

 Chapter 327 Meeting People

    327 Meeting People


    Lu Zhen looked around his body and couldn''t find anything, but there was definitely a force that was disrupting his power from being used, making both his nt Qi and intent on his body unstable.


    He tightened his fist, frowned, and looked around the forest again.


    "What should I do?"


    If Lu Zhen had the confidence to get out of this forest by flying away now that he was on foot, the difficulty increased exponentially.


    From what he glimpsed of the forest when he was flying, this forest was unimaginably vast, and there might be dangers in it as well that could even threaten him.


    "I guess I will study this unknown force while travelling¡­" Lu Zhen muttered bitterly in his heart as he slowly started to walk, gradually picking up his pace.


    In the end, his speed became so blurry that even his tall figure was only a blur that could barely be seen.


    While doing so, Lu Zhen also tried toprehend the Qi pattern on the kunai that he had.


    Luckily, hisprehension allowed him to do so effortlessly. While he studied the unknown force in his body, he alsoprehended the Qi pattern.


    Just like this, Lu Zhen travelled at his top speed, whizzing through the forest for three days almost continuously.


    He fought some second-stage martial beasts along the way, which he effortlessly destroyed in mere moments. However, Lu Zhen could only helplessly avoid the first-stage martial beast using his sixth sense: Mental Energy, because without his Intent, although he could definitely contend with a first-stage martial beast, killing it was a different matter.


    Mental Power was the power that was hidden in his brain, which Lu Zhen could barely ess while he was a third-stage martial artist. However, now that he has be a first-stage martial artist, his power has rapidly increased and strengthened, growing stronger by the moment.


    The ess to the Mental Power for Lu Zhen has also be terrifying enough for him to have telekic power to lift light objects and sense danger from far away. However, this telekic power was not really useful in his fights, and he never had the ability to use it.


    Lu Zhen travelled aimlessly in the forest again, with his mind on three things at the same time.


    At this time, his almost dazed eyes seemed to snap out as he looked in a certain direction.


    "Hmm?"


    The corner of Lu Zhen''s lips curled into a smile as he shot towards the direction. "Finally, some humans."


    In an instant, he reached the ce, hiding in one of the bushes while minimising his presence to the limits with his Aura turning into the same as a bush.


    This was quite easily aplished as Lu Zhen could manipte his aura using his system skill. Even without it, minimising his aura was possible, but turning his aura into a bush was absolutely not possible.


    Now, even a first-stage martial artist would find it difficult to find Lu Zhen, especially since he has the Mental Powerparable or even greater than that of a first-stage martial artist, making it impossible for the other party to sense him, not to mention his aura was that of the bush.


    With that said, Lu Zhen peeked his head out of the bush and immediately squinted his eyes.


    "Camp?"


    The first thing he saw was a campfire that burned almost reaching the height of a person. It was already time for the sun to dawn and the moon to grace its presence on the earth.


    "Hmm?" Lu Zhen watched silently.


    There were numerous people around the campfire, slowly eating their food silently with grave expressions on their faces.


    The people around the campfire could basically be divided into two groups: one being people who wore silver gears and had grave expressions on their faces, while the other group had torn and ragged clothes and were eating their poor meal.


    Some of the people who were wearing torn and poor clothes seemed to have a grave expression, while some seemed clueless and free.


    "Interesting," as Lu Zhen heard the soft murmurs of the crowd, gradually a level of understanding appeared in his mind as he could basically draw a conclusion from them.


    "Should I travel with them or not?"


    He touched his chin, still in thought, before he looked towards them and seemed to have made a decision in his head already.


    Lu Zhen immediately smeared some dirt on his face, trying to conceal his handsome face, but even through the dirt, he couldn''t hide his handsomeness at all. n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "Will this really do?"


    He touched his smeared face with a frown. His clothes were already torn and extremely haggard.


    It would be an exaggeration to say that he didn''t look like a beggar¡­ Well, a handsome and tall beggar.


    With this thought, Lu Zhen made a nt palm and used his sh to act like a sword, inscribing the principles of the sword to "sh" his arms and shoulder.


    Immediately, a little blood sttered on the ground as his shoulder slightly dislocated. Although Lu Zhen could heal this almost instantly, he didn''t want to.


    His steps grew slightly haggard and flustered as he ran out of the bush, slowly approaching the camp.


    "Is there a camp here?" Lu Zhen shouted with a clueless grin, staring at the campfire.


    His face beamed with joy, and he even started dancing.


    A strange silence immediately fell over the camp as everyone turned to Ray with wary eyes.


    "Who are you?" One of the leading soldiers barked, his expression fierce, drawing his curved sword and pointing it at Lu Zhen.


    Lu Zhen, however, seemedpletely oblivious, slowly approaching the campfire and extending his hands to warm them by the mes.


    "Finally, some relief from the cold," heughed, sounding almost crazy with haggard hair and bulky body even with his aura minimised to the extreme, it still made the people around cower.


    "You''re going to die, you bastard!" The soldier tightened his grip on the sword and swung it toward Lu Zhen.


    "Wait!"


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 328 Miss

    328 Miss


    The sword halted in ce, the man''s grip loosening slightly.


    "Miss." The soldier turned back, a trace of panic on his face.


    "What?" the "miss" replied coldly, her expression stern as she looked at the tall "beggar" in front of her through the thin sheets of the luxurious carriage peering into him, her deep emerald eyes seemed to right see through Lu Zhen.


    "This person is of unknown origin. We cannot let him go. What if he''s one of the bandits from this forest?" the soldier said firmly.


    "It''s fine," a feminine voice from inside the carriage speaking with authority. "Let him join our caravan."


    "What?"


    All the soldiers stood frozen, eyes wide with surprise. Faint murmurs slowly spread among them.


    "But... but..." The lead soldier, still holding his sword, stammered, wanting to protest.


    "No buts," the voice from inside the carriage came again, colder this time.


    "Sir, you may enter this carriage and travel with us."


    Lu Zhen''s eyes briefly took on a peculiar look before he returned to his clueless expression, staying near the campfire as if trying to warm his body.


    "These bastards..."


    The soldiers were instantly provoked by Lu Zhen''s audacity. They could barely resist the urge to grab him by the cor and throw him to the ground, beating him senseless for daring to ignore their "miss".


    "Hold yourself back. When we''re out of sight and the miss isn''t watching, we''ll definitely beat the crap out of this bastard," the lead soldier muttered, convincing the others. Reluctantly, they still held back their anger.


    "Hmm?" Lu Zhen remained by the warm fire, his clueless expression unchanged.


    "These soldiers are almost all third-stage martial artists, and the leading soldier who pointed his sword at me is a second-stage martial artist. While they may be a formidable forcepared to the casual soldiers in Phoenix City, I can''t understand how they could have travelled through this terrifying jungle."


    He was puzzled, unable to truly fathom how they had survived in such a ce.


    During his travels, avoiding first-stage martial beasts was manageable due to his capabilities, but second-stage martial beasts were so numerous that evading them all was nearly impossible.


    With only a single second-stage martial artist in this party, it was natural for him to be confused about how they had managed to survive for so long because even if this second-stage martial artist, which had a very weak presence really had some capability, could he protect the entire party from a horde of second-stage martial beasts?


    Lu Zhen, however, remained silent, his crimson eyes reflecting the glow of the bonfire.


    Just like that, the silvery moon soon graced the forest, and everyone retreated to their camps to sleep.


    Lu Zhen was assigned to a camp with a pair of beggars.


    As he closed his eyes, he picked up whispers that were crystal clear to him.


    "Hey, how about we kill this bastard?"


    "We had to pay just to get into this caravan withbor, and this bastard got to stay here for free."


    "The soldiers subtly indicated that we couldn''t kill him because of that young miss''s favor, but we can definitely torture him to make his life a living hell¡­"


    "Hahaha¡­"


    "Interesting," Lu Zhen thought with interest, listening to the voices. To him, these people were nothing more than insects that could be swatted away at will. He didn''t need to care about their thoughts or opinions. If they actually made a move against him, he wouldn''t mind killing them all.


    As he pondered this, Lu Zhen silently used his five senses and the sixth sense granted by his mental power to discreetly survey the entire camp.


    With only a single second-stage martial artist present, he had no need to conceal his power, as practically no one could sense him.


    "I wonder what this ''miss'' wants with me," he mused, sneering as he observed the main camp where she was located.


    All he saw was arge bed and a woman with a thin veil covering her face. Despite the veil, her emerald eyes and blue hair tied in a bun, coupled with her curvaceous figure, sparked a burning desire in Lu Zhen''s mind.


    She exuded a mature presence that evoked an almost instinctive craving in him.


    For a moment, Lu Zhen seemed to have fallen into a trance¡­


    "Hmm?"


    Her cherry lips, barely visible through the veil, slightly parted as her brows furrowed.


    "There is someone spying¡­"


    "Oh, shit." Lu Zhen quickly withdrew his mental power, his expression one of shock.


    "She''s an early first-stage martial artist."


    His heart raced with surprise as he opened his eyes to see a group of people holding sticks, smirking at him.


    "Brat, we''re going to teach you a lesson today," one of them said.


    Lu Zhen smiled, "Every day is a lesson; I enjoy learning."


    He stood up and began dancing like a madman,ughing and grinning. With his hair scattered and the smear on his face, he really looked like a madman¡­


    "This guy¡­" The onlookers were stunned, their faces a mix of disbelief and speechlessness.


    "He must be a madman. Let''s just beat him and get the favour from the soldiers already."


    The first beggar who had spoken earlier raised his stick high in the air and brought it down onto Lu Zhen''s head.


    Lu Zhen didn''t dodge, his expression remaining silly as he continued his dance.


    Bang!


    The stick struck his head, but Lu Zhen continued his ridiculous dance. The beggar, however, experienced a different fate: his hand shattered from the sheer vibration and nearly burst open on the spot.


    "Ahhh¡ª"


    The beggar screamed in pain, blood sttering on the ground, his eyes wide with true horror.


    He looked at Lu Zhen and managed to utter a single word:


    "Monster!!!"


    Then he fled as fast as he could, not daring to look back while clutching his hand tightly to stop bleeding.


    Lu Zhen remainedughing and dancing as if nothing had happened.


    A strange silence fell over the area as no one dared to speak.


    The beggars nced at each other and then¡ª


    Silently slipped away, minding their own business.


    n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and


    continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

 Chapter 329: Miss Called

    After everyone left the room, Lu Zhen continued to dance like a madman.


    His eyes squinted slightly as he scanned the area.


    Some of the other beggarsy on the floor, covered with nkets, though their trembling bodies were obvious at a nce.


    After a long while, Lu Zhen finally stopped. Continue your saga on §Þ??


    "Me, sleepy," he muttered, his eyelids growing heavy. He copsed to the floor, fallingpletely unconscious.


    "Hey, is that monster asleep?"


    "It seems so."


    "Then, what are you waiting for¡­"


    Everyone who had been lying in the tent with Lu Zhen quickly fled, leaving him alone in the middle of the room, sleeping soundly.


    "Hmm, it seems this mistake is the greatest danger I''ll face. Aside from her, nothing can challenge me in this camp, so there''s no need to hide my identity anymore," he mused to himself in his sleep.


    Lu Zhen silently calcted the situation, deciding to remain extremely cautious.


    It was important to note that Lu Zhen couldn''t disy his full potential right now; he couldn''t use his Qi or the Intent within his body to enhance his strength so Lu Zhen could at most deal with an ordinary First-stage Martial Artist however for the stronger ones it was hard to say.


    He slowly closed his eyes, not actually sleeping, his mind focused on two tasks at once.


    One task was toprehend the Qi pattern in the kunai, while the other was to study an unknown force that even he couldn''t detect.


    During his travels, Lu Zhen''sprehension of the Qi pattern had progressed smoothly, and he had now mastered about 54% of the entire pattern.


    His understanding of Qi had grown rapidly with it. It had taken him a year to reach 50%, so the additional 4% was a significant improvement.


    But the same couldn''t be said about this invisible force that was separating and uniting both his Qi and even Intent itself to be unstable.


    For him to study this, Lu Zhen couldn''t even sense it, so the only option left was to use his Qi, causing self-harm in the process of trying to even get a sense of this unknown force.


    "Well, there has not been much progress."


    Lu Zhen thought bitterly in his heart.


    "The progress for myprehension of the Qi pattern is also slow."


    For most people, this kind of progress would simply be heaven-shattering, but for Lu Zhen, who had juste to this martial world for a mere span of a few years, this progress felt too slow.


    Lu Zhen''s progress has simply been terrifying; nobody could likelypare him in cultivation speed, but his heart still was not at peace right now because the fate of his own city was unknown.


    Although he had established rules and regtions to ensure the city would remain peaceful, even without his deterrent power, there were still his mother, Ancestor Lu, and even Fang Ying to maintain the peace.


    But what about external matters?


    In the past, Lu Zhen could confidently say that no one would even nce at Phoenix City, as it was too secluded by the forest.


    But the inheritance cave!


    This was too important a matter, and if the forces even got wind of it, they would flock to it like wild wolves.


    Lu Zhen still vividly remembered every detail he learned from the ve who had attacked him.


    They were from that sect, which wasn''t really a threat to him now¡ªat least not the sect itself.


    But there were still elders who remained in the sect. If they managed to spread the news about the inheritance ground, everything would be almost over.


    "The Alchemist, huh."


    Lu Zhen''s eyes shed. That death army, with countless second-stage martial artists, was all the handiwork of the Alchemist, and from what he knew, this Alchemist was a High First-stage Martial Artist.


    Lu Zhen would definitely not spare him. The Alchemist had attacked his home, and there was absolutely no way he would let him go.


    He would ughter everything the Alchemist owned, and then Lu Zhen would watch as he died in despair.


    For that, Lu Zhen needed to eliminate this invisible force and increase his strength by another level.


    "System."


    The familiar blue panel appeared in front of his crimson eyes.


    Lu Zhen''s focus was solely on the attribute section.


    --------


    [Attributes]


    [Constitution: True Divine physique (Mid First-stage martial realm)] (Intent: 1,990,90)


    [Charm: Mortal] (Third level)


    [nt Qi: second-stage martial realm] (peak)


    [Demonic Qi: second grade]


    [Mana: First Circle]


    ???


    --------


    "Hmm, I need to increase my mana circle. If I could, then I''d be able to enhance myprehension as well."


    Lu Zhen muttered under his breath. This was the main reason for his highprehension¡ªit was all because of the mana, which directly modified and improved his soul.


    It was also the cause of his increased charm, but currently, Lu Zhen couldn''t think of a way to stimte the heart he had inscribed upon at all.


    While Lu Zhen was pondering a solution, he continued toprehend the Qi pattern. Time seemed to pass in the blink of an eye, and soon the morning sun appeared in the sky, its warm yellow rays gracing his tent.


    Lu Zhen slowly opened his eyes and stood up, stretching his body.


    "Hmm, there really is no solution I can think of."


    Suddenly, his eyes fell on the ck stone he had.


    "Maybe there is a way here."


    Lu Zhen immediately thought of this and started to sit cross-legged again to unlock more seals.


    His progress was still at 54% of the Qi pattern, butprehending another seal wasn''t a problem at all.


    If he could, Lu Zhen would have unlocked the seventeenth seal from the ck stone.


    As Lu Zhen was slowly reverse-engineering the seal, he suddenly noticed some movement and quickly put away the stone.


    "Hey, you beggar, the miss has called you into the camp."


    The second-stage martial artist who had previously pointed his sword at him came over with a ferocious expression.

 Chapter 330 Cai Nui

    330 Cai Nui


    Lu Zhen seemed to slowly open his eyes from his meditation.


    "Okay," he spoke in a deep voice, his tone calm yet resolute. He stood up slowly, his movements deliberate, and then walked out of the tent.


    "Eh?" The Second-stage martial soldier froze in ce, stunned.


    "Wasn''t this beggar half-mad¡­?" He trailed off, his words cut short as he felt an inexplicable chill in the wind that swept in from outside the tent. His back shuddered uncontrobly.


    For a Second-stage martial expert, feeling cold from a normal wind was unheard of. But this chill wasn''t caused by the wind¡ªit emanated from his own thoughts.


    "Damn it, that bastard is an imposter! He''s been ying the beggar all along, and I foolishly guaranteed my life on it. I need to protect the young miss!"


    Cai Niu immediately shot out from the camp, moving with such speed that he seemed to defy his limits, pushing himself beyond his usual strength.


    As a Second-stage martial artist, Cai Niu wasn''t a fool. He had already harbored a faint suspicion that this imposing figure was more than he appeared. At first, he dismissed it, but the thought had lingered.


    There were rumors of herb gatherers who, after wandering into this cursed forest, lost their memories from the overwhelming presence that radiated from the trees themselves. These poor souls would wander aimlessly, much like Lu Zhen had, until they were either eaten by beasts or robbed by unscrupulous individuals.


    But now, knowing that Lu Zhen was fully in his right mind, Cai Niu realized that his initial suspicion had been correct. His heart sank with the weight of the knowledge, and a chill of dread washed over him.


    "If something happens to the Miss, we''re all dead," he muttered through gritted teeth, his helpless expression betraying his inner turmoil.


    He rushed forward, determined to protect the young miss. However, his path was immediately blocked by two soldiers at the camp''s entrance, their expressions cold and unforgiving.


    "Halt! You cannot enter without the Miss''s permission," one of them growled, his voiceced with authority.


    Despite Cai Niu''s status as a Second-stage martial artist, the soldiers showed him no respect, standing firm with expressions that left no room for negotiation.


    Cai Niu''s face contorted with anger as he red at the two soldiers. He was seething with the desire to beat them senseless, but the urgency of the situation held him back. His mind raced, and time was slipping away.


    "I have important information to ry to the Miss. Did that beggar already enter?" Cai Niu asked, his voice tight with frustration.


    He scanned the area, and his eyes locked onto Lu Zhen, who was standing just outside the entrance. Two beautiful women were inspecting his body, their hands moving with a careful precision.


    "That bastard... he must die." Cai Niu''s fury surged. His fingers gripped the hilt of his sword, and in a heartbeat, he drew it, charging at Lu Zhen with murderous intent radiating from every step.


    But Lu Zhen remained unfazed. He slowly turned, meeting Cai Niu''s gaze with a calmness that seemed to pierce through the soldier''s rage. Then, as if uninterested, he faced forward again.


    "So, have you checked enough of my body, women?" Lu Zhen''s voice was smooth, but his words held an unmistakable edge. He nced at the two women, whose faces had flushed a deep rosy hue, their eyes zed with a look of dazed fascination.


    This kind of effect wouldn''t be possible if Lu Zhen only had an external appearance to offer. What truly captivated them was that, in essence, their very souls. These women were Martial Apprentices, after all, capable fighters in their own right. But, Lu Zhen''s ability to charm them so thoroughly demonstrated the immense power of his charm.


    Typically, Lu Zhen remained secluded, rarely stepping outside except to attend to his wives and concubines, or to manage the affairs of the entire city. His presence in the world beyond was minimal, yet it was his strength and authority thatmanded attention. The women who surrounded him were drawn not just by his image, but by the overwhelming power he wielded as the master of the city. There was little Lu Zhen couldn''t do with his strength, and naturally, such power would attract women!


    As he watched the two women nearly lose themselves in their dazed admiration, Lu Zhen couldn''t help but reflect quietly on the situation.


    "I guess charm works like this, huh¡­" he mused inwardly.


    Just as Lu Zhen stood there, seemingly indifferent, Cai Niu was mere inches away from striking him down. If it were any other martial artist¡ªwhether of a lower stage or even someone of the same rank¡ªCai Niu''s de would have cleaved through them effortlessly, leaving them dead or severely wounded in an instant.


    "Stop."


    Themand, soft yet unmistakable, rang out like a bell. Cai Niu''s body froze mid-motion, his swording to a halt. His pupils dted in shock, and before he could react, his legs gave way, causing him to copse to the ground.


    "Miss, please forgive me¡­" Cai Niu stammered, his voice filled with fear and desperation.


    "Hmm. And why did you attack the person I summoned by my orders?" The Miss''s voice was calm, but there was an edge to it that sent a cold shiver down Cai Niu''s spine. "Has my authority truly be so insignificant that you no longer heed my words?"


    "No, no, Miss¡­" Cai Niu trembled, his body shaking with fright. "Please, forgive me. I didn''t mean to¡ª"


    "Then what did you mean to do?" The Miss''s tone sharpened.


    "This¡­ this¡­" Cai Niu broke into a cold sweat, his hands trembling as he pointed usingly at Ray. "This bastard is clearly in disguise and nning to harm you. I suggest we execute him on the spot¡ª"


    Lu Zhen, casually pointed at, merely shrugged, a knowing smile spreading across his face as he stepped into the tent without a care.


    "See, Miss?" Cai Niu pressed forward, his voice urgent, holding his sword with both hands. The de was curved at the point, thick and imposing.


    "I cannot let him harm you, Miss," he said through gritted teeth.


    His eyes shed with resolve, and in the next instant, the Bull Qi in his pathways red to life, his entire body surging with power. He shot forward like a bolt of lightning.


    "Combat Art: Bull sh!"


    A faint image of a raging bull materialized around him, its presence felt as Cai Niu closed the distance. He swung his sword, aiming at Lu Zhen''s back with the full force of his martial might.


    To his surprise, the "Miss" made no move to stop him, and a surge of satisfaction bubbled up in Cai Niu. With no obstacles in his way, his confidence grew, and his attack gained even more momentum.


    The curved sword cut through the air in a perfect arc, its de poised to sh down and cleave Lu Zhen in half. But just as the sword was about tond, Lu Zhen suddenly turned, his smile unshaken as he flicked his head casually to the side.


    "Get lost."


    To Cai Niu''s eyes, Lu Zhen seemed to be moving in slow motion, as though the world itself hade to a standstill, and Lu Zhen was but a snail in its vast expanse. However, it was all just an illusion.


    Before Cai Niu could even react, he felt an overwhelming force, a pressure so immense that it seemed to crush his very soul. His world turned white, then nk.


    Lu Zhen casually walked forward, entering the camp without a second nce. Cai Niuy on the ground, his body frozen in ce, a painful bump on his head, his mind reeling from the sudden shift.


    The moment Lu Zhen entered the tent, a gentle voice broke the silence.


    "So, who are you?"


    Lu Zhen''s sneer remained as he looked ahead, his gaze cool and confident.


    "I''m just a passerby."


    "Do you think I will believe you?" The Miss asked, her voice calm butced with suspicion. Shey on the bed, her curvy figure outlined by the soft light, her face turned toward the ceiling, her form almost on full disy.


    "I am really just a passerby," Lu Zhen replied, shaking his head with an air of indifference. He made a subtle move, and in that instant, a dagger shot forward from her position, aimed directly at him.


    "Do you really want to attack me?" Lu Zhen''s crimson pupils narrowed as he peered at her, his gaze piercing and unflinching.


    "Yes," the Miss answered with a cold certainty, her voice unwavering.


    A strange, palpable atmosphere settled over the tent as they locked eyes, both of them staring at each other with narrowed pupils. The tension between them thickened, like two forces about to collide.


    "Why are you so fiery, ''Miss''?" Lu Zhen chuckled, his voice low and amused as he observed her.


    Her emerald eyes glinted sharply, and for a moment, Lu Zhen could feel a suffocating pressure building in the air around them, as if the very space itself had grown heavier, charged with a silent, dangerous energy.


    "My name is Jui Luli," she stated casually, narrowing her eyes as she watched him closely.


    "So, were you the one who was peeking at me earlier?" "Yeah." Lu Zhen nodded, unfazed by her words. Just then, he dodged slightly to the side, and a small ball of water began to form in front of him.


    "Hmm?" Lu Zhen''s gaze sharpened. The water de appeared ordinary at first nce, but he could sense something more beneath the surface. There was a distinct power in it¡ªan intent that hummed in the air. It reminded him of something he had observed earlier: intent could amplify the power of even the most basic attacks. The more intent, the more devastating the effect.


    Had he not avoided it, the water de would likely have caused substantial damage.


    As Lu Zhen''s frown deepened, he turned his eyes back to Jin Luli, her calm demeanor at odds with the energy she exuded.


    "Do you really want to attack me?" His voice was measured, his gaze unwavering as he locked eyes with her. Even though Lu Zhen had made no use of his Qi, intent, or aura, Jin Luli felt a shiver run down her spine. There was an undeniable pressure in the air, an unspoken danger that lingered around him.


    "Are you also a First-stage martial artist?" Jin Luli narrowed her eyes, her gaze flickering with doubt. N?v(el)B\\jnn


    "Who knows?" Lu Zhen shrugged casually, his tone almost indifferent. "However, you should know that for a mere early First-stage martial artist like you, I could kill you very, very easily..."


    "Really?" Jin Luli''s voice wasced with skepticism. She slowly rose from the bed, each movement deliberate. Her hips swayed with a rhythm that caught Lu Zhen''s attention, drawing his gaze to a particr scene.


    She closed the distance between them with confident, measured steps, her presencemanding despite her cold demeanor.


    "What do you want?" she asked, her voice devoid of emotion, her expression like stone as she stood just inches from him.


    "I want to get out of this forest." Lu Zhen''s voice was calm, but his eyes were sharp as he took in her form, assessing her not just for her beauty but for the strength she concealed. "Guide me out, and I''ll go my own way."


    As his gaze flickered over her, his mind was already working, calcting. With a slight mental shift, he activated theplex form in his mind.


    "Form Ten: Strength Calction."


    This intricate arithmetic form could urately gauge the strength of a person''s Qi, even without them showing it.


    "I can defeat her," Lu Zhen muttered confidently under his breath, his mind fully calcting the strength of Jin Luli after carefully assessing her Qi.


    Jui Luli''s gaze remained fixed on him, her eyes cool and calcting as she observed Lu Zhen. He was clearly much bigger and taller than her, his presence towering over her, yet the faint air of authority she exuded seemed almost on par with his own. It was a subtle force, one that didn''t need to be unted.


    Lu Zhen''s muscles twitched, each fiber alive with anticipation, ready for a fight. His posture was poised, as if waiting for the first move. But to his surprise, Jin Luli didn''t take the bait. Instead, she closed her eyes slowly, the tension in the air dissipating as she turned her back to him.


    With measured steps, she returned to the bed, gracefully sitting down and crossing her legs. Her bodynguage, calm andposed.

 Chapter 331 Talk (Updated and Apologies)

    331 Talk (Updated and Apologies)


    In front of Lu Zhen''s eyes, Jui Luli arms hugged each other and Lu Zhen''s eyes went to the two mountains that seemed to protrude out restricted by that thin fibre, if he was a virgin he would have definitely been a little flustered.


    However, Lu Zhen had a fair share of women already although he was still inevitably stimted a little but it was like just a simple feeling and nothing more.


    "I believe you." Jui Luli slowly spoke.


    "Eh, you believe me?" Lu Zhen was a little stunned, his excited cells seemed to have died down and his battle-hardened muscles made for fighting seemed to be a little disappointed at him.


    "Yes, you may leave now."


    Jui Luli slowly closed her eyes andid her back in the bed, seemingly asleep.


    Lu Zhen gave a deep and meaningful nce at her before walking away.


    After Lu Zhen left, Jui Luli muttered:


    "He doesn''t look like a person who hase to harm me, what is his goal?" she touched her chin "Either way if you dared to harm upon my interest then i will absolutely kill you."


    While saying this, shezily lied on her bed slowly closing her eyes again.


    Lu Zhen walked out of the tent with his back straight while a strand of his nt Qi moved with his will, instantly all the dust in his face as well as changing his clothes.


    Now Lu Zhen wore a simple green robe however this simpleness instead heightened his attractiveness with his crimson eyes striking and long flowing hair. From the contours of his green robe his chiselled physique was on full disy.


    Although he still faced the construction front that invisible force that was constantly destabilising his Qi but using it in small amounts was not a problem at all.


    "There is no reason to hide anymore."


    Lu Zhen muttered as he silently walked forward where there was already a group of soldiers who were rushing in with weary gaze.


    "What did you do to miss?"


    "I¡­" Lu Zhen slightly nced at them and his mood wasn''t in the ce to y with them "You can look it up yourself"


    "You bastard, do you think we are stupid?"


    All the soldiers shouted with fury.


    "Let him stay, this is my order." n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Jui Luli''s voice came from inside the tent making all the soldiers stop as they helplessly parted ways to allow Lu Zhen to leave.


    "Hmm." Lu Zhen wanted to go to the tent again but he didn''t want to stay in that smelly area for no reason¡­


    So he decisively turned back and went towards Cai Nui who was being administered.


    "What?" Cai Nui''s eyes immediately widened with horror and terror.


    "Haha." Lu Zhen spoke with a chuckle.


    While speaking, he patted his shoulder and immediately a bone cracking sound resounded throughout the surrounding area.


    Ahhh¨C


    Cai Nui screamed in pain with his eyes became bloodshot, his shoulder having dislocated with his bones at the verge of breaking away.


    "It was just a friendly pat, you don''t have to overreact." Lu Zhen spoke with a straight face.


    "Friendly pat?"


    Cai Nui''s brows twitch however he somehow was able to restrain his anger and thought with logic.


    "Where would I sleep if you sleep in my tent?"


    "In the beggars tent of course." Lu Zhen''s smile grew wider.


    "You bastard¡­"


    Cai Nui found himself sleeping on the cold, hard floor with the smelly scent lingering in the dark and damp ce.


    "Noo.."


    His pupils dted in horror.


    Lu Zhen looked around the luxurious tent with a satisfied expression on his face, this camp was a little less luxuriouspared to the one Jui Luli had but he was pretty satisfied with it.


    "I can''t really sleep in her camp, can I?" his crimson eyes seemed to sh.


    This was actually his initial thought and he might have followed up with it, after all who doesn''t like a beautiful woman''spany.


    However Lu Zhen restrained this thought because he needed to practise right now and unlock the seal after he hasprehended the Qi pattern.


    "This Jui Luli couldn''t really be trusted and is an unstable factor if I stay near her¡­"


    Lu Zhen squinted his eyes, although he wouldn''t face any difficulty if he faced her but that was head-on, who knows what method she has especially in this outside world where things were still unknown to him.


    The martial artists here were much stronger than the one in his own city just because of the Advanced martial arts.


    Martial Arts are always improving upon aspects even if the stage is the same with the countless generations being passed it is inevitable for there to be improvement while his own citygged behind because of it''s secluded nature.


    Restraining all the thoughts in his mind, Lu Zhen''s gaze looked at the ck stones with his piercing crimson gaze.


    "What type of secret do you possess?"


    He uttered and sat down again to reverse engineer the 17th seal.


    To Lu Zhen''s surprise, it was incredibly moreplex to open this seal more than ever and his focus grew more rampant until he felt the blurry feeling of time itself.


    In the blink of an eye, the night slowly passed and the morning sun rose in the sky.


    The new day begins with the "cukoo" of the chicken as the birds chirped repeatedly filled with excitement.


    Another day, another chance!


    Lu Zhen inside the tent slowly opened his eyes with his brows knitted together.


    He stood up and stretched his muscr body while a bitter smile appeared on his face:


    "I couldn''t unseal the seventeenth seal."


    Lu Zhen helplessly shook his head with a sigh, "There should be no mistake in my calction since I have reached the requirement, why can''t Iprehend it?"


    While thinking of this, a soldier respectfully called out from the outside.


    "Young master, we are going out."


    After that he hurriedly scurried off with a terrified expression.


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