Sixth Rank Enemy, Strength Increases Again!

Chapter 33: Sixth Rank Enemy, Strength Increases Again!

Name: Lu Chen

Cultivation: Fifth Rank (10%)

Cultivation Method: Azure Wave Art (Mastered), True Heaven Art (Not Started)

Martial Arts: Four Absolute Martial Arts (Mastered), Grass on Flying (Mastered), Tidal Wave Saber Technique (Mastered - Lone Boat Slashes the Moon), Blood Shadow Sword (Mastered - Blood Fiend Art), Blood Fiend Art (Minor Success), Gale Saber (Beginner), Sky Severing Finger (Beginner), Big Dipper Seven Stars Array (Beginner)

Talents: Convince with Virtue, Bronze Skin Iron Bones, Lightning Law King

Merit Points: 154

Lu Chen looked at the panel before him and began to ponder. "True Heaven Art, like Azure Wave Art, is a [Good Grade Cultivation Method]. Their levels are similar. I wonder if cultivating True Heaven Art will also lead to a surge in Internal Energy. Moreover, the two cultivation methods have different attributes, and the Internal Energy produced will repel each other. I'll need to fuse the Internal Energy later..."

Internal Energy Fusion was a path that every strong individual inevitably had to take.

Unless one was a disciple of a major family or sect, whose cultivation method from the start was a top-tier one, guaranteeing they could cultivate from First Rank to Ninth Rank without the risk of Internal Energy Fusion.

For other medium and small forces, due to the limitations of their cultivation methods, they could at most cultivate to Sixth or Seventh Rank. At that point, they would have to wait until later to obtain a stronger cultivation method to continue their cultivation.

In this scenario, the Internal Energy cultivated earlier would have to be merged into the Internal Energy cultivated later.

This was often the most time-consuming and energy-draining process.

Lu Chen pondered for a moment and decided to try it out first.

"Let's see how much True Heaven Art increases first. Merit Points, add points to True Heaven Art!"

[Ding! You have consumed 50 Merit Points. True Heaven Art has been upgraded to the Beginner realm!]

[The next upgrade for True Heaven Art to Rudimentary Understanding requires 150 Merit Points!]

The next moment, Lu Chen felt a new circulation suddenly appear within his body, different from the previous Azure Wave Art. The airflow was weak, containing a sense of immense power, righteousness, and vastness.

This was the Internal Energy cultivated by True Heaven Art!

Then, his gaze shifted to the panel.

His cultivation had changed from Fifth Rank (10%) to Fifth Rank (14%).

The progress had only increased by 4 points.

"As expected, cultivation methods of the same level do not cause a surge in cultivation!"

Lu Chen thought to himself. Since that was the case, he could only pour all his remaining Merit Points into those martial arts.

"Merit Points, add points to Blood Fiend Art and Gale Saber."

[You have consumed 80 Merit Points. Blood Fiend Art has been upgraded to the Mastered realm. Blood Essence surges, allowing for an instant burst of strength exceeding your own by onefold!]

[You have consumed 20 Merit Points. Gale Saber has been upgraded to the Rudimentary Understanding realm!]

Two lines of text appeared consecutively.

The remaining 104 Merit Points instantly became 4 points again.

His entire body was covered by a faint bloody glow.

Blood essence surged beneath his skin, and his blood vessels writhed like thick earthworms.

It exuded powerful strength.

As he circulated his Internal Energy, this surging blood essence slowly began to recede inward.

"Although my cultivation hasn't increased again, my overall combat power has improved so much more than before..."

Lu Chen looked at his palm and clenched it gently, feeling the surging power.

"You... you're also from the Blood Sacrifice Cult? Is that the Blood Fiend Art?"

The Town Suppression Guard showed terror as he looked at Lu Chen.

The moment Blood Fiend Art reached Mastered, the blood essence emanating from Lu Chen could no longer be concealed.

He recognized it at a glance.

"You know quite a bit."

Lu Chen's expression turned cold as he stared at him. "I'll ask you, how many people are pursuing me? What are their cultivation levels?"

"Right now, it's just our squad pursuing you, a total of forty-nine people. Most of them have strength similar to mine. The leader, a Squad Leader named [Iron Masked Judge] Yu Tianli, is even stronger, at the Mid-stage Sixth Rank!"

The man's voice trembled, not daring to refuse.

"Mid-stage Sixth Rank!"

Lu Chen's eyes narrowed.

He was more than a whole realm higher than his current level!

But it didn't matter much.

He had many talents and multiple martial arts at the Mastered level. He couldn't be measured by normal standards.

"What martial arts are they practicing? Do they have any ultimate skills?"

Lu Chen inquired.

"Yes, the Squad Leaders cultivate High Grade Cultivation Methods and Second-rate martial arts..."

The person replied.

High Grade Cultivation Methods are a level higher than Good Grade Cultivation Methods.

The Internal Energy cultivated is also more refined! If the two were to spar, a Good Grade Cultivation Method would be instantly destroyed and shattered without any surprise.

"Is that so?"

Lu Chen felt an invisible pressure in his heart.

This place is not suitable for lingering!

"Thank you for telling me this. I'll give you a quick end!"

Bang bang!

Before the two could react, Lu Chen swiftly struck their foreheads, causing them to spit blood and die gruesomely.

Lu Chen quickly searched their bodies, took their rations and water, then turned and fled, speeding towards the distance.

Half a day later.

Twilight was approaching.

Lu Chen weaved through the forest, finally completely leaving the vicinity of Panshi City. However, he still hadn't escaped the group from the Town Suppression Bureau.

Instead, he could feel the pursuit behind him intensifying.

It was clear that ordinary people were no longer chasing him.

Anyone who could track him this relentlessly must be a master.

"Did the Town Suppression Bureau send more people, or have other martial artists joined the pursuit?"

Lu Chen frowned.

This path of a fugitive in the martial world was indeed more thrilling than he had imagined.

Lu Chen drank all the water in his flask, stuffed the shriveled flask into his embrace, and sped off into the distance once more.

Not long after he left.

Several powerful experts rapidly pursued from afar.

"The trail is fading. If Brother Zhang hadn't brought the Heavenly Silkworm Gu, we would have lost him by now. Damn it, this Lu Chen can really run!"

Yu Tianli's face was grim as he moved at high speed, bursting out of a patch of woods.

By this point, all the subordinates behind him had scattered.

Only he and the two people beside him, relying on their unique methods, had tracked him this far.

"Once this Heavenly Silkworm Gu catches the scent of the target, it can accurately lock onto him no matter where he goes. However, it has a weakness: if it encounters a thunderstorm, the Gu's sense of smell will fail. The storm will mask his scent. If he manages to escape more than a hundred li, even the Heavenly Silkworm Gu won't be able to find him. So, we need to hurry."

Beside him, a middle-aged man in a dark robe looked up and said, "The weather has been strange these past few days; thunderstorms could happen at any moment."

"I know."

Yu Tianli's expression was grim as he nodded slightly. "The trail is over there, he went right!"

The three figures sped forward again.

Rumble!

Crack!

As expected, in the dead of night, the sky indeed changed.

Thunder rumbled like cannonballs.

Thick bolts of lightning tore through the sky, illuminating the entire world and almost lighting up the night.

Then came the pouring rain, splashing down.

It was more intense than two days ago.

It quickly formed a massive curtain of rain. The water fell to the ground, gathering into small puddles. More and more puddles formed, eventually resembling a mountain torrent, rushing into the distance.

Lu Chen suddenly burst out of a patch of woods. He circulated his Internal Energy, which acted like a transparent raincoat, blocking all the rainwater. His gaze swept around, and he finally spotted a faint firelight on the official road in the distance.

It seemed to be a roadside inn.

He thought for a moment, then his body flickered as he sped towards the inn.

On one hand, it was to take temporary shelter from the rain.

On the other hand, it was to replenish his energy.

After days of travel, his supplies had been completely depleted.

Taking advantage of the deep night and heavy rain, it was a good time to resupply.

From afar, one could see quite a few horses parked outside the inn.

They seemed to belong to traveling merchants and martial artists.

The inn's main door was tightly shut, and the rich aroma of wine and food wafted out continuously.

After Lu Chen gently stopped outside the door, he immediately pushed it open. Creeeak!

Instantly.

All eyes within the inn couldn't help but sweep in his direction.