The Enforcement Squad's Encirclement and the Breakthrough in Cultivation Techniques

Eight Foundation Establishment Early Stage cultivators spread out into formation. Their leader was a tall, steady-looking middle-aged man, his gaze cold and resolute. The Enforcement Squad members behind him each drew their Magic Tools, and their spiritual energy began to gather—this was a standard encirclement formation, powerful enough to crush most Foundation Establishment Early Stage cultivators.

But Yan Kui's lips slowly curled into a ghastly, cruel grin.

"Eight..."

His voice was low and hoarse, like raw iron scraping against sandpaper. Every word carried a bone-chilling coldness. "Perfect. That'll be enough for a feast of Origin Power."

The Enforcement Squad captain's pupils contracted sharply. He realized at once that something was wrong—the aura of the wanted Outer Disciple before him had turned terrifyingly violent in an instant. It wasn't merely spiritual energy fluctuating. A dense, suffocating stench of blood came with it, accompanied by the bizarre radiance of Ice Fire Yin Yang. It was as if an ancient ferocious beast wearing human skin was awakening.

"Something's wrong! Fall back—!!"

Before his roar had even faded, the air was already tearing apart.

BOOM!

The ground where Yan Kui had stood collapsed in an instant. Spiderweb cracks raced in every direction, and shattered rocks shot out like bullets. Using the terrifying recoil, his body instantly left behind five substantial afterimages. He moved so fast that even Spiritual Sense could barely lock onto him!

"Attack! Attack now!!"

Driven by fear, the Enforcement Squad members unleashed their spells almost instinctively—fireballs, ice spikes, lightning, wind blades. Eight streams of light converged into a destructive torrent, sealing off every path Yan Kui could take. It was a killing formation capable of instantly slaying any Foundation Establishment Early Stage cultivator.

But Yan Kui didn't even try to dodge.

Like a heavy artillery shell fired from its barrel, he charged straight into the torrent of spells with unstoppable, violent momentum!

BAM! BAM! BAM! BAM!

A barrage of explosions erupted against his body. The protective barrier of Ice Fire Yin Yang flowed over his skin in a translucent, mysterious sheen. Spells capable of pulverizing rock struck him, yet only raised insignificant ripples. With 70% resistance to spell damage and his inhuman physical defense, he moved through the destructive torrent as if walking on level ground, without a scratch!

In the next instant, the Reaper descended.

"Extreme Path Domain, open!"

Within three meters of Yan Kui, space seemed to twist out of joint. Extreme cold and heat alternated madly within a thousandth of a second, warping the air until it churned like boiling water. The Enforcement Squad members caught inside let out the most harrowing screams—their protective auras shattered like paper under the dual assault of ice and fire. Their skin charred black in an instant, then froze and flaked away as ice.

"Ahhh—my face! My hands!!"

Amid their despairing screams, Yan Kui appeared before two Enforcement Squad members.

The first cultivator, terrified out of his mind, instinctively raised his high-grade Magic Tool, the Profound Iron Shield, to block the attack.

"Too fragile!"

Yan Kui grinned savagely. His right fist blazed with golden light, like a heavy siege hammer, and slammed into the shield without a hint of flourish.

CRACK!

The grating sound of metal shattering rang across the battlefield. Under that punch, the incredibly hard Profound Iron Shield exploded into countless fragments like glazed glass! The punch didn't lose an ounce of force. Carrying the razor-sharp shield shards, it crashed into the cultivator's chest.

"Pfft—"

The cultivator didn't even have time to scream. His chest caved in, and a vivid cloud of blood burst from his back. He flew away like a discarded sack, and by the time he hit the ground, he was a heap of mangled flesh.

The cultivator beside him was so terrified that his heart and gall nearly burst. He turned to flee.

"Trying to run?"

The wind howled, and Yan Kui appeared behind him like a specter. Without a word, Yan Kui spun and drove a vicious elbow strike into the man's crown.

SMACK!

It was like a watermelon smashed by an iron hammer. The cultivator's head burst apart, spraying red and white everywhere. His headless corpse twitched twice before toppling to the ground with a thud.

The Blood Fiend True Body churned wildly.

Two surges of scalding heat flowed along Yan Kui's arms and into his body—the Life Essence of the people he had killed. He could clearly feel every cell in his body cheering.

Exhilarating! So exhilarating!

The sheer pleasure of unleashing his power without restraint, of every blow landing flesh to flesh, of holding life and death in his hands made the red glow in Yan Kui's eyes grow ever more unearthly.

The six remaining Enforcement Squad members stared at the scene, dumbstruck.

They watched their companions get crushed like ants. They watched the monster, drenched in blood and grinning amid severed limbs. In an instant, their vaunted cultivation, their pride as members of the Enforcement Squad—all of it crumbled.

"Demon... He's a demon!"

"Run! Scatter and run!!"

The Enforcement Squad captain shouted and fled first. The five members left behind followed close after, trying to escape the Extreme Path Domain.

"Too slow."

In Yan Kui's eyes, they were already dead.

"Since you came, you're all staying here to be my nourishment!"

Yan Kui stamped his foot, and his figure vanished once more.

The next instant, he appeared before three squad members scrambling to flee in panic. The Extreme Path Domain followed like a shadow, swallowing all three in an instant.

"No! Don't kill me! I'll give you all my Storage Bags!" one man shouted in desperation.

His answer was a metal-sheened iron fist.

"Profound Iron Fist!"

Yan Kui punched, blasting the air into visible shock waves. The cultivator's protective aura was as fragile as a soap bubble before that fist. It burst with a pop. His fist drove straight through the man's chest and emerged from his back, clutching a heart that was still beating faintly.

THUD!

Yan Kui casually flung the corpse away like garbage.

Seeing that, the second man frantically urged his Mana in an attempt to fight back. Yan Kui snorted coldly and turned his fist into a palm. Dark red flames surged in his hand—the power of fire compressed to its absolute limit.

"Blazing Flame Palm!"

He struck, planting his palm directly on the man's dantian.

Sizzle—

The terrifying heat burned through flesh in an instant. The domineering force of the flames drilled into the man's body. His eyes flew wide and his mouth gaped, yet he couldn't make a sound. Rolling black smoke poured from his seven orifices; in an instant, his internal organs had been burned to cinders!

The third man had already collapsed in terror. He crawled backward on his hands and feet, a warm wetness spreading beneath him.

"Where do you think you're going?"

Yan Kui's voice was a whisper from the Reaper. His fingers clenched, and three-inch blood-red talons sprang from their tips, like the claws of a true Demonic Beast.

"Blood Fiend Claw!"

RIIIP!

A sharp sound like cloth tearing. The cultivator was ripped in half at the waist by those terrifying blood claws! Blood and organs poured down like rain, staining the ground for several meters around him.

Slaughter was an art.

From the moment Yan Kui struck to the moment the fifth corpse hit the ground, less than five seconds had passed.

The last three Enforcement Squad members had escaped the Extreme Path Domain and were fleeing at top speed. Yan Kui coolly assessed the situation. Pursuing them would reveal his position and give a stronger enemy—an Elder at Foundation Establishment Late Stage, or Luo Yue himself—a chance to set an ambush.

He chose not to pursue.

Yan Kui glanced over the five corpses and quickly collected their Storage Bags. Though these Foundation Establishment Early Stage cultivators had been weak fighters, their Storage Bags should still hold some decent things—Magic Tools, pills, spirit stones. All of them could come in handy.

Most important of all was Origin Power.

[Killed a Foundation Establishment Early Stage cultivator: Gained Origin Power +15.0]

[Killed a Foundation Establishment Early Stage cultivator: Gained Origin Power +17.0]

[Killed a Foundation Establishment Early Stage cultivator: Gained Origin Power +16.0]

[Killed a Foundation Establishment Early Stage cultivator: Gained Origin Power +17.0]

[Killed a Foundation Establishment Early Stage cultivator: Gained Origin Power +15.0]

[Current Origin Power: 0.7 → 80.7]

Yan Kui took a deep breath. His Origin Power had climbed back from the desperate low of 0.7 to 80.7, but he knew this brief respite wouldn't last long. The three Enforcement Squad members who'd escaped would surely send word at once. More cultivators—even Elders at Foundation Establishment Late Stage—would soon converge on the area.

He found a more secluded cave, entered it, and sealed the entrance.

Now was the time to break through.

Yan Kui sat cross-legged and felt the Origin Power flowing through him. He had enough resources to bring five Foundation Establishment Cultivation Techniques to Great Mastery. This was the crucial moment—an increase in strength could mean a better chance of survival.

[Integration target: Profound Iron Body Minor Mastery → Great Mastery]

[Origin Power consumed: 6.0]

Origin Power surged through him like a flood.

CRACK, CRACK, CRACK—

A bone-grating series of explosive sounds came from within Yan Kui. His bones were being reshaped, evolved. Their original pale color swiftly turned a deep iron black. Their density compressed and increased at a speed that defied reason.

Every bone seemed to have been replaced by steel tempered a thousand times. Liquid metal flowed through his marrow. This was no longer the hardness of human bones, but the texture of a Magic Tool—a hardness comparable to a high-grade Magic Tool, enough to withstand any Magic Tool head-on. Yan Kui could feel that even barehanded, he could now fight enemies armed with Magic Tools.

[Attribute changes: Strength +0.5, Constitution +0.5]

[Current Origin Power: 80.7 → 74.7]

Exhilarating!

Yan Kui grinned savagely and continued adding points without pause!

[Integration target: Indestructible Diamond Body Minor Mastery → Great Mastery]

[Origin Power consumed: 6.0]

HUM—

A dazzling golden gleam instantly rippled over his skin. This light wasn't illusory; it was a real, hardened layer of keratin. His skin cells rapidly hardened and crystallized, as if he had donned an invisible Diamond Glazed Armor. When he lightly flicked his skin with a finger, it rang out like clashing metal!

This armor was now powerful enough to deflect physical attacks to a great extent. At the same time, the impact of any low-tier spell seemed feeble against it, as though striking a gemstone made of diamond.

[Attribute changes: Constitution +0.5, Defense bonus increased further]

[Current Origin Power: 74.7 → 68.7]

Not enough! Still not enough!

[Integration target: Blood Fiend True Body Minor Mastery → Great Mastery]

[Origin Power consumed: 6.0]

The blood in his body seemed to turn into magma, roaring through his veins. Yan Kui's already lean, muscular frame abruptly swelled. Every Muscle Fiber writhed and bulged like a waking python. His veins stood out, as though a hideous demonic sigil had been painted across his body.

Each pulse of his mercury-thick blood brought him boundless explosive strength. His heartbeat boomed like a war drum. THUD! THUD! THUD! Every beat made the surrounding air tremble. More terrifying still, wherever this blood flowed, it seemed to possess the bizarre power to steal his enemies' Life Essence. Yan Kui could feel that as long as he killed an enemy, this strange blood would devour their life force on its own, making his injuries and exhaustion vanish in an instant.

This was the true [Molten Demonic Blood]—a perpetual motion engine in battle.

[Attribute changes: Strength +1.0, Constitution +0.5]

[Current Origin Power: 68.7 → 62.7]

Next!

[Integration target: Blazing Flame Body Minor Mastery → Great Mastery]

[Origin Power consumed: 6.0]

Whoosh—

The temperature inside the cave abruptly rose. Yan Kui's right eye filled with dark red flames, and even his pupil disappeared, leaving only a burning purgatory. Crimson flame patterns crawled from his neck up his face and spread across his whole body, making him look like an asura crawling out of a fiery hell.

Every breath he exhaled carried scorching heat, blackening the rocks beneath him. A visible heat haze rose around his body on its own—this was no longer mere temperature, but pure flame energy. Any enemy who touched him would have their flesh burn in an instant. Touch him, and you burned: that was the true meaning of [Hellfire Body].

[Attribute changes: Strength +0.5, Agility +0.5]

[Current Origin Power: 62.7 → 56.7]

One last technique!

[Integration target: Wind Walk Technique Minor Mastery → Great Mastery]

[Origin Power consumed: 6.0]

Amid the violent aura, a trace of something ethereal suddenly appeared.

Yan Kui's body was as heavy as a mountain, yet now it somehow gave the impression of being as light as a feather. The air around him was no longer an obstacle; it had become an ally. A breeze gathered of its own accord around his feet, elbows, and knees, as if a mere thought could let him break the sound barrier in an instant.

[Attribute changes: Agility +1.0]

[Current Origin Power: 56.7 → 50.7]

All five Cultivation Techniques had reached Great Mastery!

BOOM—

A terrifying wave of air swept outward from Yan Kui, shattering the loose stones inside the cave.

Yan Kui slowly opened his eyes.

He slowly rose to his feet, every joint cracking like firecrackers. His muscles were now cast in steel, their sharply defined contours brimming with explosive strength.

A dark golden metallic sheen flowed over his skin, where traces of icy blue and crimson patterns intertwined. He could feel power radiating from every part of his body: the iron hardness of his bones, the Glazed Defense of his skin, the magma boiling in his blood, the Purgatory Burning of his flames, the Void Lightness of his body. The five Cultivation Techniques formed a perfect cycle within him, each system strengthening and supporting the others.

He casually clenched his fist.

BANG!

The air in his palm burst with a sharp crack. The air within several meters warped and tore under the force of his grip, as if all of space itself lay in his hands.

This was no longer a power any human could possess. It was pure, genuine power belonging to his own flesh—a force capable of crushing everything. It was the perfect defense of [Black Iron Demonic Bone] and [Diamond Glazed Armor], the endless stamina of [Molten Demonic Blood], the terrifying lethality of [Hellfire Body], the uncanny speed of [Void Wind Control]—five powers perfectly fused within a single body.

Like a Demon God descending into the world.

[Attributes updated]

[Strength: 15.0 → 17.5]

[Agility: 8.5 → 10.0]

[Constitution: 18.0 → 20.5]

[Crimson Extreme Golden Body Stage: Second Stage]

[Number of Cultivation Techniques at Great Mastery: 5]

[Current Origin Power: 50.7]

Yan Kui walked out of the cave.

His footsteps sounded heavier on the ground than before—not because his weight had increased, but because of the pressure his strength exerted through his feet. He could feel himself connecting more closely with the ground, as though the whole earth trembled beneath his steps.

The sounds of the search came from afar.

More Enforcement Squad members were arriving, each carrying the distinctive aura of a search warrant token. But this time, Yan Kui didn't choose to hide.

His gaze turned cold.

"This time, I'm taking the initiative."

His voice brimmed with murderous intent as it echoed through the night sky. No matter what Luo Yue wanted, no matter what the Sect Master wanted—Yan Kui had made up his mind. He would use blood and corpses to tell them: the Extreme Path could never be suppressed.