Breakthrough, Evolution (Major Chapter)

In one of the valleys of Beast Mountain, a stream murmured softly.

The peaceful atmosphere of this secluded mountain valley was shattered by a series of hissing sounds.

Across from Lin Shuguang coiled a huge serpent five or six zhang long. It flicked its scarlet tongue, eyeing him like a tiger stalking its prey.

Along the way, Lin Shuguang had mostly encountered vicious beasts in the Profound Connection Realm or Core Realm.

The blessings of the heavens had mostly replenished his strength. Occasionally, he had also obtained pills condensed from the power of heaven and earth.

Only the huge serpent before him had reached the Spirit Transformation Realm.

"Boom!"

The trees were snapped at the waist by the serpent's sweep and sent flying.

Countless branches and splinters came crashing down through the air amid a vast cloud of dust and sand.

The wind howled around them.

In an instant, the serpent opened its bloody maw and lunged as if it meant to swallow Lin Shuguang whole. Its foul breath rushed into his face, making him nauseous.

The next moment, Saber Light erupted.

Under the dusk sky, a bone-chilling radiance flared. A visible white line scraped through the air, causing the surrounding temperature to soar.

The blade flashed across the serpent's front.

A sound like metal being cut rang out at the same time, and a long trail of sparks burst from the serpent's abdomen.

The serpent let out a shrill, miserable howl.

Writhing in pain, its enormous body thrashed and lashed about. Shattered stones flew everywhere as wild sand billowed into the air.

Anyone who failed to dodge in time would have ended up torn to pieces.

Beneath the dust and sand,

Lin Shuguang seized his opportunity. His aura circulated through his body, and with one vicious stroke, he brutally chopped off the serpent's head.

Although the serpent's head had been severed, its jaws remained wide open. The chill radiating from its sharp fangs in the dusk was not to be underestimated.

Lin Shuguang quickly took out the Heaven Sacrifice Talisman and fused the serpent's blood with his own blood on its surface.

The serpent's soul flowed across the surface of the Heaven Sacrifice Talisman before being tugged by a mysterious force into an unfathomable stretch of space and time...

The next moment, power once again surged forth from the depths of time.

Lin Shuguang had prepared long ago. He circulated his cultivation method, settling his mind amid stillness.

The serpent's power far exceeded that of the ferocious tigers and gray wolves he had encountered. Thus, when the energy rebounded into him, Lin Shuguang's body jolted violently, as if an infinite force had been poured into him. Even the ground sank beneath his feet.

His blood vessels bulged like giant earthworms, blue veins standing out.

His entire body felt as if it were being consumed by raging flames. The force was simply too immense. His meridians felt as though they were tearing apart, while his organs had reached the brink of exploding.

At that moment, a line of small text appeared on the Pay-to-Win System panel.

Upgrade mode triggered. Spend one hundred thousand Gold Leaves to upgrade the dantian and contain rivers and seas.

"**Charge!**"

The instant he made his decision, the energy still rampaging wildly through Lin Shuguang's body suddenly grew quiet.

His dantian now radiated multicolored auspicious light. Like a vortex, it drew all the surging energy inside.

Second Heaven of the Spirit Transformation Realm!

After absorbing all the serpent's energy, Lin Shuguang's cultivation rose another level.

Feeling the power filling his body, Lin Shuguang knew that if he continued sacrificing things, he might truly explode and die.

He suppressed his swelling ambition.

Lin Shuguang decisively withdrew his gaze and returned the way he had come. Though life in the Black Prison had been dull during this period, it was actually a good thing for him.

With no one paying attention to this place, he could come to Beast Mountain to cultivate whenever he had time away from work.

Lin Shuguang still remembered that mysterious figure who had appeared out of nowhere... "Several things he predicted have still not completely matched reality."

Take the Heaven Sacrifice Talisman, for example... The mysterious man had not known about such a powerful treasure. Otherwise, he would not have urged Lin Shuguang to think of ways to improve his cultivation back then.

Because Ancestor Chen of the Baojian Sect had produced the Heaven Sacrifice Talisman at the last moment, Lin Shuguang had also avoided the "special mission" mentioned by the mysterious man.

The Heavenly Dao emphasized cause and effect. Lin Shuguang's causes and those of the mysterious man were different, so it was understandable that their results differed.

Lin Shuguang had even wondered... could that mysterious man be himself from another dimension?

That would explain how he knew so much about Lin Shuguang's affairs.

"A replayed game?" Lin Shuguang narrowed his eyes slightly.

First came the strange and bizarre dream. In it, the man wielding a saber had said he would annihilate the heavens and become a demon.

Then the demonic saber appeared and brought his soul into another body.

After that, he encountered the Guardian Supreme of the Baojian Sect and came to the Totem Continent through that opportunity. Only then, under the push of countless circumstances, did he meet that mysterious man bound by the Chain of Karma.

"The Guardian Supreme of the Baojian Sect has been racking his brains to recover the lost will of the Totem Continent and preserve the orthodox Heavenly Dao, while the mysterious man seems intent on slaughtering the heavens... If my guess is true..."

This conjecture suddenly arose in Lin Shuguang's mind.

If his guess was correct, it meant that he was currently caught between two factions.

One wanted to preserve the Heavenly Dao. The other wanted to destroy the heavens.

And Lin Shuguang, descending into this world, was an anomaly.

The Pay-to-Win System was an existence that no one but him could possibly guess at... The mysterious man wanted him to grow stronger, so he had provided "plot instances."

Ancestor Chen of the Baojian Sect also wanted him to grow stronger quickly, so he had wagered the Heaven Sacrifice Talisman of the Taiyi Immortal Sect.

In other words...

Lin Shuguang stopped walking. "Neither side knows what trump cards the other has given me... This is my opportunity. Besides, with the Pay-to-Win System in hand, what do I have to fear?"

Just as he was about to leave Beast Mountain, he unexpectedly encountered Qiao Shanheng.

This young man, who had once tried to use his position as class leader to establish his authority over Lin Shuguang, seemed slightly stunned upon seeing Lin Shuguang emerge from Beast Mountain alone. He then revealed a hypocritical smile and strode over.

"Lin Shuguang, it's been a while. I've really missed you."

The word "missed" practically squeezed through Qiao Shanheng's clenched teeth. It was clear that he had never forgotten how Lin Shuguang had humiliated him back then.

Lin Shuguang's path was blocked, but his expression remained unchanged. His eyes seemed bottomless. "What is it?"

"What is it?" Qiao Shanheng repeated those two words, the smile at the corners of his mouth growing more brazen. His gaze swept over the bundle behind Lin Shuguang. "I heard something happened to you in Saber Prison. Judging by your appearance, you don't seem to have been injured. But as someone who's been through it before, I'll kindly remind you: the Black Prison isn't as simple as you imagine. The waters here run deep."

"How deep?" Lin Shuguang asked calmly.

Qiao Shanheng's condescending tone stalled. For a moment, he could not tell whether Lin Shuguang was truly foolish or merely pretending. "If you don't want to die in the Black Prison, don't stand guard alone at night."

According to the Black Prison's system, people like Lin Shuguang worked in shifts.

In three days, it would be Lin Shuguang's turn to stand night watch.

But he did not believe Qiao Shanheng was saying this out of goodwill.

After Qiao Shanheng had walked a few steps away, he suddenly turned around and shouted, "Oh, right, Lin Shuguang. I'll kindly remind you of one more thing. The prisoner you killed this morning was from the Demonic Moon Sect. They're a bunch of lunatics. With their vengeful nature, anyone who kills one of them had better not leave the Black Prison. Otherwise, no one can say what the consequences will be."

He looked at Lin Shuguang with a smile on his face, but anyone could see that it was a fake one.

Lin Shuguang turned and left.

The smile on Qiao Shanheng's face disappeared the moment Lin Shuguang turned his back.

"Senior Brother Qiao, what's that kid's background? Why is his temper so strange?" one of his companions asked despite himself, staring at Lin Shuguang with displeasure.

Qiao Shanheng glanced at Lin Shuguang's back. "He's from the Baojian Sect."

"The Baojian Sect?"

Everyone was stunned, then began discussing it animatedly. "The Baojian Sect hasn't sent disciples here for three hundred years. Why did they suddenly start sending people this year?"

Someone cautiously said, "Could it be related to that matter?"

"Definitely. This year, His Majesty is personally inspecting the Black Prison. That's an enormous honor. If they perform well, they might even receive a reward and rise to prominence overnight..."

"The Baojian Sect still refuses to give up..."

Someone immediately asked, "Senior Brother Qiao, does the Baojian Sect still have designs on the Imperial Lineage position? Does your Jade Void Palace have any plans?"

Qiao Shanheng narrowed his eyes and said indifferently, "What kind of waves can a mere Baojian Sect disciple stir up? My Jade Void Palace has held the Imperial Lineage position for so many years. Our foundations are already unshakable. The Baojian Sect foolishly thinks it can shake our position with a junior disciple like that? They must be dreaming.

"Moreover, His Majesty would never allow traitors to attempt to shake the dynasty's overall situation at this critical juncture."

"Then what exactly is the Baojian Sect after?"

"Who knows? That kid isn't even in the Spirit Transformation Realm. Whether he can survive until the night-watch duty is a question in itself. There's no need to bother with him." Qiao Shanheng's tone was full of anticipation at the thought of watching Lin Shuguang make a fool of himself.

The group hurried into the forest.

After an unknown amount of time, Qiao Shanheng and his group stumbled upon the valley where Lin Shuguang had killed the serpent. Ruins covered the area. The terrifying serpent's corpse lay limply in a pool of blood, a huge hole in its abdomen. The sounds of vicious beasts chewing came endlessly from within.

Qiao Shanheng and the others stayed more than ten meters away to avoid being attacked by the beasts, hiding among the woods.

Though they moved cautiously, the sight of that enormous serpent still made their hearts tremble.

"Isn't this the Blazing Flame Snake we were supposed to join forces to kill?"

Several people looked at one another. Everyone except Qiao Shanheng wore a bewildered expression.

"The Blazing Flame Snake is a vicious beast in the Spirit Transformation Realm. Even if we joined forces, we might not have been completely confident... Who did this?"

Qiao Shanheng frowned slightly. After a moment, his brows relaxed. "Whoever killed it, they only wanted the gallbladder. I'll lure away those vicious beasts, and you'll harvest the gallbladder. We should still have enough time."

Qiao Shanheng was petty, but when it came to arranging matters, he acted swiftly and decisively.

Once he finished giving his orders, the others did not dare object. The five of them rose and began setting up.

No one knew what method Qiao Shanheng used. In the blink of an eye, the vicious beasts that had been chewing on the serpent's corpse roared and charged over, though they refused to stray too far.

Qiao Shanheng cursed inwardly. He had no choice but to use himself as bait and provoke them repeatedly, finally awakening their instincts.

After half an incense stick's time, Qiao Shanheng appeared at the entrance to Beast Mountain, panting heavily and dressed in rags. The moment he saw several companions, he waved. "Let's go."

"Boss Qiao..." The others hesitated, standing rooted to the spot.

Qiao Shanheng suddenly froze and frowned. "What happened?"

The group exchanged glances. "The gallbladder was taken..."

Qiao Shanheng's face turned icy. "Who took it?"

"We finally crept up beside the Blazing Flame Snake, only to discover that all the valuable organs were gone... Someone must have killed the Blazing Flame Snake before us and then taken the gallbladder and the other treasures."

Qiao Shanheng's expression became frighteningly ugly.

He had accepted this mission for more than money. More importantly, he had learned that the Black Prison Envoy, Sima Tingwei, had been injured in his early years. The Blazing Flame Snake's gallbladder was an ingredient for a spirit pill. If he could offer it to Sima Tingwei, perhaps the Black Prison Envoy would show him extra consideration during the upcoming trial.

Yet now, someone had silently snatched away the item he had set his sights on!

"Boss Qiao, don't worry. We can search for the Blazing Flame Snake again. Beast Mountain is huge. Maybe we'll encounter another one..." someone comforted him.

Qiao Shanheng coldly interrupted, "What do you know? For the Blazing Flame Snake to advance, it must devour all its nearby kin and evolve. This Blazing Flame Snake has already entered the Spirit Transformation Realm, and no vicious beasts in the True Fate Realm appear in Beast Mountain. Clearly, this place only had one Blazing Flame Snake in the Spirit Transformation Realm. Damn it! Who did this?"

"Perhaps... Boss Qiao, we could post a purchase request on the black market?" another companion suggested.

Qiao Shanheng pondered slightly. He wanted to offer the Blazing Flame Snake's gallbladder to Sima Tingwei, so he could not make too much noise. If someone with ulterior motives noticed something, he would only be grasping at straws and losing the chance to secure the prize.

"No. Investigate in secret. Find out who's been selling Blazing Flame Snake gallbladders recently. Once you find him, seize him immediately."

"How are we supposed to search such a huge place..." The man had not finished speaking when a companion pulled him away.

Qiao Shanheng's face was livid. Just as he was about to leave, he suddenly thought of Lin Shuguang... "There was a bloody smell coming from that guy's bundle... No, according to the records, he isn't even in the Spirit Transformation Realm. Even if he had cultivated to the Spirit Transformation Realm, how could he possibly be a match for the Blazing Flame Snake... Damn it! Who stole my things?"

Inside the guest room,

several scales from the Blazing Flame Snake, its sinews, and a black gallbladder had been placed on the table before Lin Shuguang.

"The Heaven Sacrifice Talisman can sacrifice all things... As long as I arrange these materials properly, I can raise them from ordinary objects to the level of treasures."

Lin Shuguang forced out some of his blood, smeared it across the iron-hard scales, and offered them to the Heaven Sacrifice Talisman.

A force descended violently from the mysterious void. The blood Lin Shuguang had spread across the scales suddenly blazed like flames.

The scales of the Blazing Flame Snake immediately began to change... Fiery brilliance intertwined with them, making them indestructible.

An overbearing, savage aura arose spontaneously.

The instant the scales were transformed, information about the newly born scales came to him...

"Red Dragon Scale Fragment, a material for forging weapons..."

Lin Shuguang weighed it twice. It was not heavy at all, which inevitably reminded him of the Demon God Armor he had once worn. Unfortunately, after coming to the Totem Continent, the Demon God Armor's usefulness had instead become negligible.

"It's time to find a master smith..."

He rubbed his chin. "What if I forge it myself?"

When it came to learning, Lin Shuguang feared nothing.

If charging up once was not enough, he would charge up ten thousand times. Sooner or later, he would max out the skill, right?

Lin Shuguang then sacrificed the gallbladder as well.

Forging the Flame Dragon Armor was what Lin Shuguang most wanted to do at present. As for sacrificing the gallbladder to upgrade it, that was merely a bit of fun.

Yet after the starlight flowed, Lin Shuguang was distracted.

—Dragon Gallbladder (the primary material for the Dragon Transformation Pill; after taking this pill, one's organs can be strengthened, with a chance of achieving the Perfect Golden Body Realm)

"A dragon... If I kill and sacrifice a dragon in the future, will I be able to obtain a true dragon?"

As he thought, Lin Shuguang put away the Dragon Gallbladder. This material was useless to him now.

He had already cultivated the Perfect Golden Body Realm. Besides, pill refining was not his specialty. He might as well sell it for a good price.

The next day, during the Hour of the Snake,

Lin Shuguang appeared on time in the lounge of Saber Prison.

The old prison guard had been ordered to collect Lin Shuguang's report on the incident. After receiving it, he did not stay long. He chuckled and was about to leave.

"By the way, Senior."

Lin Shuguang suddenly called out to the old prison guard.

The old prison guard stopped and turned around. He heard Lin Shuguang ask in an utterly ordinary tone, "How much is a Blazing Flame Snake worth?"

The old prison guard paused, then laughed. "You even know about that thing now? Hahaha. There's a Blazing Flame Snake in Beast Mountain. It was left behind by a Black Prison Envoy back then. In the early years, I even saw the Black Prison Envoy go to Beast Mountain to feed it... It hasn't been seen for many years. I heard it advanced to the Spirit Transformation Realm fifty years ago. Listen to this old man's advice: don't set your sights on it."

Lin Shuguang: "..."

What should he do now that he already had?

Thus, pretending to ask casually, he said,

"How strong is the Black Prison Envoy?"

If I can beat him, what does it matter if you know?

If I can't...

"The Nirvana Realm." The old prison guard's face was filled with awe.

Lin Shuguang: "..."

Let me charge up first.

The End of the Chapter