Breakthrough

The twin youths, wielding their halberds, closely cooperated, blocking the simultaneous attacks of Father Chu and Li Gang, and rescuing Shen Quan.

After rescuing Shen Quan, Luo Tao's gaze fell upon his severed arm, and a hint of coldness appeared on his face.

"Kid, you could take a hit from the old man's great axe. Looks like you've been practicing the Iron Armor Technique."

Luo Tao gripped his great axe with both hands, his muscles bulging, and grinned menacingly, "But even if your Iron Armor Technique reaches Perfection, I doubt it can withstand my Savage Elephant Axe?"

Chu Kuang held his spear in one hand, his expression unmoving, and said coldly, "Let's find out."

"Then die!"

As Luo Tao's voice fell, he let out a roar, sweeping his great axe horizontally. The wind howled, and the black rock-like ground instantly cracked, sending碎石 flying.

Chu Kuang didn't try to block it head-on. His figure flashed, and his battle spear, like a black dragon emerging from water, thrust directly at Luo Tao's wrist.

Luo Tao flipped his wrist, blocking with the axe blade. With a "clang," sparks flew, and both men retreated a step.

"Your moves aren't bad either, but unfortunately, they haven't reached the realm of Perfection."

Luo Tao sneered, advancing with large strides. He leaped over ten zhang, dragging his great axe, and brought down a "Forceful Mountain Splitting Chop" from above.

In that instant, Chu Kuang felt as if an ancient giant elephant was looking down on him, causing him to freeze in place, unable to break free.

However, in a flash, Chu Kuang understood that this was a supreme technique mastered only when the Savage Elephant Axe Technique reached Perfection—Savage Elephant Soul Suppression.

Facing such an attack, with no way to evade, Chu Kuang could only push his Iron Armor Technique and Golden Bell Shield to their limits, and then forcefully block the attack with his spear.

"Quick, dodge!"

Father Chu's expression changed drastically. He was entangled by one of the twins and wanted to help but it was too late.

"Boom!"

With a deafening explosion, a wave of energy erupted. The ground beneath Chu Kuang's feet collapsed, and he sank halfway into the earth.

However, when everything calmed down, Luo Tao surprisingly found that although Chu Kuang's breathing was unstable, and even his alloy spear bore a deep mark, he didn't seem to have suffered any severe injuries.

"Impossible."

Luo Tao's expression changed drastically. He immediately channeled his great axe with full force, continuing to press down, engaging Chu Kuang in an extreme test of strength.

Just as the two were locked in a stalemate, Shen Quan successfully stopped the bleeding. Holding an iron rod in one hand, he came from behind and smashed at Chu Kuang, attempting to launch a surprise attack while they were locked.

"Just in time."

Seeing Luo Tao's attack, Chu Kuang acted as if he had eyes in the back of his head.

He quickly dodged the iron rod and casually disarmed his spear. The great axe slid down the spear shaft, pinning the iron rod into the dirt.

Then Chu Kuang pulled himself up, spinning 180 degrees in mid-air. His alloy spear unleashed a terrifying force, smashing Shen Quan into spitting blood and flying backward.

Without the iron rod to block, the force of this blow not only severely injured Shen Quan but also shattered the battle armor on his chest.

Even so, Chu Kuang pressed his advantage. With a flick of his sleeve, he drew upon his Mighty Internal Force, and another war spear flew out, instantly piercing Shen Quan's chest and pinning him to the hillside.

"Little Shen!"

Seeing Shen Quan dead, Luo Tao's expression changed drastically. He swung his axe again, unleashing a "Sweep Across the Thousand Armies" strike.

Chu Kuang no longer met the attack head-on. Relying on Blood Battle in All Directions, he narrowly dodged the blow. His spear shadows poured down like rain, forcing Luo Tao to be unable to freely unleash his Savage Elephant Axe Technique.

Luo Tao's axe strikes were heavy, but his turns were slightly slower. In just a few moments, he was hit repeatedly. Although the battle armor wasn't completely pierced, it still caused him considerable pain.

Seeing this, Luo Tao roared, his great axe unleashing a storm of wind. A set of Chaotic Gale Axe Technique forced Chu Kuang back, temporarily creating some distance between them.

"This brat's strength is truly extraordinary. If he isn't eliminated today, he will surely become a great threat sooner or later."

After creating some distance, Luo Tao took a deep breath.

He glanced around and saw that the twins were locked in fierce combat with Li Gang and Father Chu, not falling too far behind.

After all, Father Chu only had one arm and was currently injured, his strength reduced to only 20% of his peak. Li Gang was also deeply poisoned, with only 30% of his strength remaining and growing weaker by the moment.

If this continued, Father Chu and Li Gang would be defeated and killed before long. Then, they could join forces to surround and kill Chu Kuang.

With a plan in mind, Luo Tao's fighting spirit surged.

He gathered his strength and swung his great axe in a full circle, like a thunderbolt. The powerful gale blew shattered stones flying within a ten-zhang radius, and even millstone-sized rocks trembled, almost lifting off the ground.

A cold glint flashed in Chu Kuang's eyes. He continuously unleashed his Gold-Splitting Spear Technique, but facing Luo Tao, he was consistently at a disadvantage.

Luo Tao's combat power was simply too strong. His Life Level was as high as 8.1, and he was a martial artist with both External and Internal Martial Arts at Perfection. Theoretically, as long as he obtained a Source Energy Potion, his success rate of breaking through to the Mortal Transformation Realm would not be less than 30%.

His formidable Life Level, combined with the Perfection-level Savage Elephant Axe Technique, put Chu Kuang at a complete disadvantage in a head-on confrontation. He could only rely on the force of his Iron Armor Technique and Golden Bell Shield to neutralize the opponent's immense power.

In fact, without the boost from the "terms" (entries), Chu Kuang would likely not even have the qualification to fight him head-on.

At this moment, Chu Kuang's face was stern, but a hint of anxiety appeared in his heart.

With his own strength, he could fight or flee against Luo Tao. However, the current state of Father Chu and the others likely wouldn't last much longer.

"Perhaps, I can only take a gamble."

Chu Kuang whispered to himself, then decisively created distance and took out that Vermillion Fruit.

The Vermillion Fruit was a rare Source Energy treasure medicine. It could greatly enhance a martial artist's internal force and significantly accelerate the progress of internal cultivation. Its market price exceeded 100,000 Federal Coins.

However, the Vermillion Fruit's medicinal power was potent. Martial artists with a Life Level below eight might explode and die if they took it rashly.

Chu Kuang's Life Level was only 7.5, but his defense was incredibly exaggerated, so he decided to take a gamble and rapidly improve his strength.

"Although it's a bit risky, my physique should be able to handle it."

As soon as he finished speaking, Chu Kuang swallowed the Vermillion Fruit in one gulp.

In that instant, Chu Kuang felt an incomparably mighty medicinal power fill his body, and his physical form felt like it was about to explode.

Seeing this, Father Chu's expression changed slightly as he said, "Chu Kuang, no!"

"You brat, you're seeking your own death!"

Meanwhile, Luo Tao let out a sinister laugh and charged forward with his giant axe.

Chu Kuang forcibly suppressed the chaotic energy, wielding his spear as he engaged Luo Tao in a life-or-death struggle, instantly escalating the battle to its peak.

"Boom—"

Luo Tao's killing intent filled the air. His Savage Elephant Axe seemed to possess the power to split mountains. The terrifying force of tens of thousands of pounds rained down, and each blow made Chu Kuang's hands go numb.

With every exchange, the Internal Force within Chu Kuang went berserk, nearly tearing his meridians apart several times.

However, in the face of death, there was great terror, and in the intense life-or-death struggle, extreme crisis also brought astonishing rewards.

Through the continuous clashes, Chu Kuang felt his Golden Bell Shield cultivation progress at a visibly rapid pace.

He could feel his adrenaline surging, and every breath and clash of weapons felt profound.

This was a battle for survival. He knew he could be injured, or even die. This was a reward that the abandoned Dark Domain could not provide.

In just a few dozen exchanges, Chu Kuang felt his Iron Bell Shield cultivation reach a bottleneck. The Internal Force within him became abundant to the extreme, and he was only a sliver away from Perfection.

Seeing that Chu Kuang was not defeated and his aura was growing stronger, Luo Tao finally couldn't sit still any longer.

He suddenly unleashed his full power, activating the Savage Elephant Technique's ultimate skill, 'Savage Elephant Transformation.' With boundless might, he brought his axe down upon Chu Kuang.

Facing such an attack, Chu Kuang did not dodge. Instead, he channeled his entire body's cultivation and strength, raising his spear to meet the blow head-on.

"Bang—"

With a deafening clash of metal on metal, Chu Kuang felt the abundant Internal Force within him instantly compress, then forcefully break through the ultimate bottleneck.

"It's done!"

PS: Please read the chapter comments.

Many people say Father Chu shouldn't have gone to the Dark Domain, but please don't judge from a god's-eye view. Think carefully about when Father Chu went to the Dark Domain. He went when Chu Kuang first took out the Interest-Free Loan. Did Chu Kuang have money then? Chu Kuang was drowning in debt. He didn't know Chu Kuang had a cheat. He only knew his son had borrowed hundreds of thousands, and this money had to be repaid sooner or later. Moreover, the resources needed for future cultivation would only increase. As a father, he had to contribute. He didn't want to be like his own parents, completely neglecting their son. He wanted to do his best to give his son more hope. He risked his life to earn money. If he survived, a trip to the Dark Domain could earn him thousands to tens of thousands, and over time, it could amount to hundreds of thousands. Even if he died, it would result in a substantial death benefit, making his sacrifice worthwhile. This is the pure love of a father for his son. Furthermore, entry into the Dark Domain is restricted to those with a Life Level of 7 or higher. He never imagined Chu Kuang could reach level seven to save him, so he never thought he would put his son in danger.

[Finally, there's a limit to how satisfying a story can be. If it's just pure satisfaction, it will become boring after about 300,000 characters. A brilliant book should be about its world-building, its characters, its ups and downs, and its ability to stir the reader's emotions. Even if Father Chu is truly a scoundrel who makes everyone curse him, even the author, I think that's better than him being a mere background character.]