In the distance.
Within the dense forest, Lu Chen had no idea that he had already entered the Kirin Ranking.
Nor did he know how sensational the events he had caused were.
He sped wildly into the distance.
Living rough in the wind and dew, he deliberately took only secluded paths.
In the blink of an eye, two days had passed.
At this moment, he finally stopped within a dense forest.
"Once I cross that mountain ahead, I should be completely out of Panshi City's territory."
Looking into the distance, he suddenly felt parched. With a flash of his body, he landed beside a stream. The water was clear, flowing with a babbling rush.
Lu Chen crouched down, scooped up a handful of stream water, and drank it.
Several lively fish swam back and forth in the stream.
He whittled several wooden stakes from nearby branches, gripped them in hand, and thrust them directly at the fish.
Pfft!
He speared four plump fish.
Lu Chen immediately darted away, chose a dry spot, started a fire, and set the fish over it.
As he roasted the fish, he looked at the panel before him.
Name: Lu Chen Cultivation: Fourth Rank (84%) Cultivation Art: Azure Wave Art (Great Accomplishment) Martial Arts: Four Absolute Martial Arts (Perfection), Grass on Flying (Great Accomplishment), Tidal Wave Saber Technique (Perfection · Lone Boat Slashes the Moon), Blood Shadow Sword (Perfection · Blood Fiend), Blood Fiend Art (Minor Accomplishment) Talents: Convince with Virtue, Lightning Law King, Bronze Skin Iron Bones Merit Points: 394 ...
"394 Merit Points, just enough to raise the Azure Wave Art again."
Lu Chen thought to himself.
With a thought, he immediately began allocating points.
[You consumed 350 Merit Points. Azure Wave Art has reached Perfection!]
Boom!
The next moment, he felt the inner force within his body instantly grow thicker and more powerful. His meridians widened further, forming a cycle within him that flowed without end, endlessly renewing itself.
It was as if boundless waves were rolling within his body.
Surging waves of inner force nearly burst forth from his pores.
His cultivation, originally at Fourth-Rank Great Accomplishment, finally broke through into the Fifth Rank along with the Azure Wave Art reaching Perfection.
Huff!
Lu Chen slowly exhaled a breath. After circulating his internal energy through several grand cycles, he gradually drew it back in, and the aura around him completely settled.
"The Azure Wave Art reached Perfection so quickly. It seems I need to obtain a more profound cultivation art as soon as possible."
The Azure Wave Art was merely a fine-grade cultivation art.
Even when cultivated to Perfection, it only reached the Fifth Rank.
If he wanted to cultivate toward a higher realm, he could only acquire a stronger cultivation art.
His gaze fell upon the panel again. He still had 44 Merit Points remaining.
Without hesitation, he immediately allocated all 44 points to Grass on Flying.
[You consumed 40 Merit Points. Grass on Flying has reached Perfection!]
Whoosh!
The entire panel changed.
Name: Lu Chen Cultivation: Fifth Rank (10%) Cultivation Art: Azure Wave Art (Perfection) Martial Arts: Four Absolute Martial Arts (Perfection), Grass on Flying (Perfection), Tidal Wave Saber Technique (Perfection · Lone Boat Slashes the Moon), Blood Shadow Sword (Perfection · Blood Fiend), Blood Fiend Art (Minor Accomplishment) Talents: Convince with Virtue, Bronze Skin Iron Bones, Lightning Law King Merit Points: 4 ...
"Other than the Blood Fiend Art still being at Minor Accomplishment, all my other martial arts have reached Perfection." Powerful!
Powerful in an unprecedented way.
"Still, roaming the Martial World truly isn't pleasant. Not only are food and drink far too makeshift, even my nerves are constantly stretched taut. I need to leave Panshi City's territory quickly. Once I reach another place and change my name, I'll be a good man again!"
Lu Chen thought to himself.
Soon, all four fish were fully roasted.
Just as he quietly enjoyed them, his ears suddenly twitched. His body flashed swiftly, like a gale.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
The instant he dodged, four or five thick arrows shot into the spot where he had just been.
They nailed themselves into the ground where he had been standing.
"Who is it?"
Lu Chen abruptly turned his head. "Kirin Ranking ninety-first, indeed you have some skill. No wonder you could kill Lin Mingyuan!"
A sneer suddenly rang out.
The forest shook.
Six or seven figures swiftly darted out from the woods to one side. Every one of them possessed a powerful aura, sabers hanging at their waists, black robes on their bodies, and eyes like lightning. They landed in every direction around Lu Chen.
They tightly surrounded Lu Chen in the middle.
Lu Chen narrowed his eyes and swept his gaze across them.
There was almost no need for introductions. He already understood this group's identity.
Iron plaques at their waists, dark robes on their bodies!
Execute first, report later! Authority specially granted by the emperor!
This was the Town Suppression Bureau!
An organization that specialized in clearing away Martial World affairs for the Imperial Court!
"They came quickly!" Lu Chen's voice was icy. Fearless, he swept his cold gaze over them.
"Lu Chen, you slaughtered a County Magistrate, created chaos, and violated numerous capital crimes. Surrender immediately and return with us. We can consider sparing the others from implication. Otherwise, every one of your relatives will be dragged into this, and even the Canglang Martial Hall you just joined will be destroyed because of you!"
One of the Town Suppression Bureau experts sneered.
"Threatening me?"
A chill flashed through Lu Chen's eyes.
"This is not a threat. It is fact!"
That Town Suppression Bureau expert's expression turned grim. "Defying the Imperial Court and slaughtering an Imperial Court official are capital crimes. Moreover, you committed dozens of murder cases within the city, shaking the world. No matter where you go, it is a dead end!"
"Then don't you want to know why I killed? Don't you want to ask about the County Magistrate's true identity?" Lu Chen said.
"There is no why. So long as you killed, you must answer for it."
That man's tone was cold.
"Why waste words with him? Take him down first!"
"That's right. This fellow has just entered the Kirin Ranking. It is rare for someone on the Kirin Ranking to cross hands with us. He is perfect for sharpening our blades!"
"Hehehe, a Kirin Ranking expert is difficult to encounter under normal circumstances!"
The group all revealed savage smiles.
Their eyes gleamed like lightning, as though they had spotted prey.
A Kirin Ranking expert's strength might not necessarily be high.
But their potential in martial arts was absolutely enormous.
In their hands, any martial art often erupted with power far beyond that of their peers. Their understanding and insights into martial arts were far beyond ordinary people.
Using such an expert to temper themselves would definitely bring enormous benefits.
"The Kirin Ranking?"
Lu Chen narrowed his eyes, catching a crucial term.
It seemed he had never heard of it before.
"You want to know? Don't worry. Once we take you down, we will naturally tell you!"
The leader stared at Lu Chen, his face full of sinister laughter. "Move!"
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!
The seven Town Suppression Bureau experts pounced almost the instant they moved.
Each of them unleashed their aura. Their long sabers left their sheaths, snow-bright light flaring over their bodies as they bore down upon Lu Chen.
Their Town Suppression Bureau's strength lay not only in every member being powerful, but more importantly, in their mastery of battle formations.
Seven people formed one formation.
Once the formation took shape, it could contend against dozens of people at the same rank working together.
Even someone a major realm above them, once surrounded by them, would be worn to death alive.
However!
At the instant they attacked, a cold gleam flashed in Lu Chen's eyes. His hand had already gripped the saber hilt at his waist, and his entire bearing changed dramatically, as though he had instantly become an unrivaled great saber capable of slaughtering the world!
Clang!
The sound was piercing, the saber cry trembling.
A snow-bright, resplendent flash swept across in an instant.
At a speed and by a method impossible for ordinary people to comprehend, carrying terrifying and peerless force, it collided with the seven before him in a single instant.
Rumble!
An explosion rang out, as though heaven and earth were collapsing. The ground in every direction shook violently.
As if swept up by saber qi, countless shattered stones and broken leaves shot in all directions.
Pfft!
The seven Town Suppression Bureau experts spat out blood on the spot, horror appearing on their faces. Their bodies flew backward in unison, landing far away and nearly collapsing to the ground.
Every one of them had been shaken until their palms and fingers went numb, their blood and qi surged upward, and pain shot through their meridians.
How was this possible?
This Lu Chen was actually so powerful!
The might of a single saber strike could contend with their Big Dipper Seven Stars Array!
Yet Lu Chen himself frowned.
He had not expected the seven working together to possess such great power.
They had actually withstood his saber strike without dying? He had used Lone Boat Slashes the Moon in that strike. By rights, it should have been enough to wipe them all out with one slash.
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