Meridian Realm demons? Nothing more than that.

Time lost all meaning within the dim halls of the Dragon Palace.

Lu Chen did not know how much time had passed.

The floor around him was already piled high with a thick layer of grey-white stone powder.

These were the discarded Netherworld Stones, drained completely of their Yin Fiend Qi.

There were at least a hundred of them!

If any martial artist from the outside world were to see this scene, they would likely cough up blood in heartache.

Each Netherworld Stone was worth a fortune, yet Lu Chen had consumed so many in one go, as if they were nothing more than candy.

But the results were astonishing.

At this moment, Lu Chen's appearance was terrifying.

His skin was no longer the dark iron color it had been before; instead, it had taken on a ghastly, deathly pallor, like a corpse that had been dead for a long time.

Yet, beneath that pale skin, a faint blue-black halo pulsed.

This was the manifestation of Yin Fiend Qi condensed to its absolute limit.

The cold air within the great hall seemed to have found an outlet, surging madly into Lu Chen's body.

Around his form, a small vortex of frigid air had actually taken shape.

"Hiss..."

Lu Chen drew in a sharp breath.

As this breath entered his abdomen, it did not transform into a warm current; instead, it felt like a thread of ice, plunging straight into his Dantian.

Deep within his Dantian, there had originally been a blazing furnace of blood energy.

But now, at the center of that furnace, a black ice crystal the size of a grain of rice had appeared.

Though small, this ice crystal radiated a heart-stopping fluctuation.

It rotated, devouring.

With every rotation, it compressed and purified the incoming Yin Fiend Qi, converting it into wisps of visible black energy.

Profound Nether Cold Qi!

This was the core power of the Profound Nether Hand!

Unlike ordinary blood energy, this was a higher level of power.

It possessed not only physical destructive power but also carried the attributes of "freezing" and "corrosion."

Lu Chen tried to mobilize that sliver of Profound Nether Cold Qi.

It flowed along his meridians toward his right palm.

In an instant, the center of Lu Chen's right palm turned pitch black.

It was not the congested black of when he practiced Stone Crushing Palm, but a profound darkness that seemed to swallow light itself.

A terrifying chill emanated from his palm.

Lu Chen casually struck the Cold Jade Chair beside him.

With a soft sound.

The incredibly hard armrest of the Cold Jade Chair was directly pulverized.

Moreover, those fragments did not scatter; they were instantly frozen into a lump of black ice.

"What overbearing power!"

A flash of shock crossed Lu Chen's eyes.

He had tested the hardness of this Cold Jade Chair before; even a Hundred Refinements Steel Saber could only leave a white mark on it.

Yet now, it had been shattered and frozen with a single light strike?

Is this the power of a Spirit Tier cultivation technique?

And this was only just having entered the threshold, having condensed merely the first sliver of cold qi.

If he were to reach Great Success, striking out to freeze a thousand miles, what kind of sight would that be?

Lu Chen suppressed the excitement in his heart and looked at the panel.

[Name: Lu Chen]

[Realm: Body Tempering Realm (Flesh Refining Stage Perfection > Quasi-Bone Refining)]

[Martial Arts: Stone Crushing Palm (3rd Realm Mastery 60%), Iron Cloth Shirt (3rd Realm Mastery 15%), Profound Nether Hand (1st Realm Entry 5%)]

[Traits: Thick Skin (Perfection), Force Dissipation (Basic), Profound Nether Cold Qi (Basic > New!)]

[Profound Nether Cold Qi: Spirit Tier trait. Attacks carry an extreme cold attribute, capable of ignoring a portion of protective blood-qi to directly freeze an enemy's meridians and blood. Has a deterrent effect on sinister ghosts and spirits.]

He had finally entered the threshold!

Moreover, because he had practiced a Spirit Tier technique, his realm had also loosened; he was only one step away from truly stepping into the Bone Refining Realm.

Although his physical strength had not surged, his lethality had increased by more than just a notch.

With this Profound Nether Cold Qi, he finally had a means to break through defenses!

"It's time to go out."

Lu Chen stood up and stretched his somewhat stiff body.

Crack, crack, crack.

His bones popped throughout his entire body.

He glanced at the entrance of the great hall.

The stone door was now deformed from being pounded, covered in cracks and on the verge of collapse.

The crashing sounds from outside were also becoming increasingly violent.

Clearly, the Water Ghost King had grown impatient.

It could sense that the "food" inside was growing stronger, to the point where it even felt a trace of unease.

That was why it was anxious, wanting to snuff him out before Lu Chen could fully mature.

"Heh, are you in a hurry?"

Lu Chen sneered, gripping the Hundred Refinements Steel Saber in his hand.

Although the blade was ice-cold, his heart was burning.

Three days.

He had been in seclusion in this dark, sunless hellhole for three whole days.

During these three days, he had endured inhuman torture every single moment.

All of it was for this very moment!

Lu Chen walked to the stone door and took a deep breath.

The trace of Profound Nether Cold Qi within his body flowed along his meridians, finally coating the edge of the Hundred Refinements Steel Saber.

The originally silver-white blade was instantly covered in a layer of black frost, emitting a faint, chilling light.

"Open!"

Lu Chen slammed his foot into the stone door.

BOOM!

The stone gate, already pushed to its limit, finally collapsed completely under this kick.

Gravel flew in every direction.

The scene outside the gate instantly came into view.

That massive, dark red figure was raising its Bone Fork, preparing to smash the door once more.

The Water Ghost King was also taken aback when the door suddenly opened.

It hadn't expected that the little bug inside would actually dare to come out on its own.

"Roar!"

The Water Ghost King let out an excited roar.

Its pale, ghastly eyes were filled with cruelty and greed.

Without the slightest hesitation, the Bone Fork in its hand whistled through the air as it thrust down directly at Lu Chen's head!

This strike was even faster, more ferocious, and more violent than the one from three days ago!

If it had been the Lu Chen of three days ago, he would have only been able to dodge in a panic or take the hit and suffer an injury.

But now...

Lu Chen stood his ground, neither dodging nor retreating.

He raised his head, his deep eyes reflecting the rapidly approaching Bone Fork.

"Well come!"

Lu Chen let out a low shout.

Instead of retreating, he surged forward, charging straight at the Bone Fork.

The Hundred Refinements Steel Saber in his hand slashed out fiercely, carrying an unstoppable momentum!

Mountain Splitting Saber Technique!

This strike had no fancy flourishes.

It was only fast! Precise! And ruthless!

And... that Profound Nether Cold Qi clinging to the blade!

CLANG!!!

A thunderous sound erupted.

Blade and fork collided.

A terrifying shockwave exploded in the water, blasting away all the surrounding silt and rubble.

The Water Ghost King's massive body was actually forced back a step by the impact of that strike!

For the first time, a trace of shock appeared in its pale, ghastly eyes.

How is this possible?

How did this little bug's strength suddenly become so great?

But that was not what terrified it the most.

It felt an extremely frigid, overbearing aura surging through the Bone Fork.

Crack, crack.

A layer of black frost was rapidly forming on the incredibly sturdy Bone Fork!

Moreover, this layer of frost was spreading along the shaft toward its arm!

That chill was a hundred times more terrifying than the Yin Fiend Qi it had absorbed before!

It was as if the netherfire from the Nine Serenities Hell was trying to freeze its very soul!

"Roar..."

The Water Ghost King let out a low, panicked growl, trying to fling the Bone Fork away.

But it was too late.

Lu Chen did not give it a moment to catch its breath.

"Die!"

Murderous intent surged in Lu Chen's eyes.

Using the force of the recoil, he rolled his body through the water, dodging the Water Ghost King's frantic, flailing claws.

Then, like a black viper, he instantly closed the distance into the Water Ghost King's guard.

His left hand formed a palm, pitch-black as ink.

Profound Nether Hand!

This palm strike landed squarely on the Water Ghost King's scale-covered chest.

Time seemed to stand still in that moment.

The Water Ghost King froze in place.

It looked down, staring in disbelief at the small hand pressed against its chest.

There was no spray of blood.

Instead, a ring of black ice crystals erupted from Lu Chen's palm, spreading wildly in all directions.

Crack, crack, crack...

The tough scales shattered, and the thick muscles were frozen solid.

That terrifying Profound Nether Cold Qi acted like a sharp blade, instantly piercing its heart and freezing its blood!

The Water Ghost King opened its mouth to roar, but no sound came out.

Because its throat had been frozen as well.

Its massive body began to disintegrate from the inside out.

The light of life rapidly faded from its pale, dead eyes.

Lu Chen slowly withdrew his palm.

He looked at the giant ice sculpture before him and sneered.

"A Meridian Connecting Realm demon?"

"Nothing special."

He extended a finger and lightly tapped the Water Ghost King on the forehead.

Crash!

The massive Water Ghost King instantly shattered into countless shards of black ice, scattering into the silt at the bottom of the river.

A dark red bead rolled out from the ice shards, emitting an alluring luster.

A Demon Core!

Lu Chen snatched up the Demon Core, feeling the vast life force contained within it, and a hint of satisfaction flashed in his eyes.

This was good stuff.

With this, combined with the resources in this Dragon Palace.

The Meridian Connecting Realm is within reach!

He raised his head and looked at the pitch-black river water above.

Three days had passed.

He wondered how his brothers up there were faring.

"It's time to go back."

Lu Chen kicked off the ground, his entire body shooting toward the surface like a sharp arrow.

This time, nothing could stop his progress.

If you enjoy this book and want to avoid losing it, please remember to add it to your Bookshelf.