Underwater Pursuit! Breaking Through in a Desperate Situation!

"Boom--!"

A dull, thunderous roar exploded within the underwater ruins, as if a slumbering behemoth had shifted in its sleep.

The long-sealed door to the secret chamber of the Profound Nether Sect finally shattered under the strain after Lu Chen poured his Profound Nether Cold Qi into it with reckless abandon. Countless specks of light, like a fractured galaxy, flickered and vanished in the murky depths of the water.

Lu Chen's figure, slick as an eel, utilized the recoil from the shattering light barrier the moment it broke. He transformed into a black afterimage and plunged violently into the depths of the secret chamber.

"Stop him! Quickly, stop him!"

Qian Tong's hysterical roar became distorted in the water, sounding like the wail of some dying beast. He clutched his severed shoulder, blood staining the surrounding river water red. Those eyes, once filled with shrewd calculation, now held only crimson madness and malice.

The cooked duck had flown!

He had exhausted every scheme, even going so far as to use a life-saving trump card provided by his family, only to end up making a wedding dress for this country bumpkin!

"Pursue him! Whoever kills him gets a reward of twenty thousand taels! No, thirty thousand taels!"

Heavy rewards make for brave men.

Although the leader in black was wary of the strength Lu Chen had just displayed, seeing Lu Chen fleeing with his back turned—and wounded at that—the greed in his eyes instantly overwhelmed his fear.

"He's injured! He's at the end of his rope!"

The leader in black shouted sharply. The short dagger in his hand sliced through the current, and his figure moved like lightning as he was the first to charge into the secret chamber's passage.

The remaining three guards of the Flying Horse Merchant Association were also blinded by greed. Thirty thousand taels of silver was enough for them to buy a large mansion in the prefectural city, take several beautiful wives and concubines, and never have to worry for the rest of their lives.

"Kill!"

The three followed closely behind, like sharks that had caught the scent of blood, lunging forward frantically.

The area behind the secret chamber was not a dead end.

The moment Lu Chen rushed in, he felt a turbulent undercurrent.

The structure of this secret chamber was incredibly ingenious; it connected to an underground river of the Angry River. When the Profound Nether Sect chose this location, it was because they had taken a fancy to the Extreme Cold Yin Vein contained within this underground river.

"Hoo--"

Lu Chen gasped for air. Although the bubble from his Water Repelling Pearl had long since failed, he was still able to persist underwater for a long time by relying on the internal breathing technique granted by the Profound Nether Hand.

His situation at this moment was not optimistic.

Although the saber wound on his back had been blunted by the Iron Cloth Shirt, the internal energy that had drilled into his body had still damaged his internal organs. Every time he breathed, it felt as if his chest were burning with fire.

What was worse was that he had exhausted almost all of the Profound Nether Cold Qi in his body just to break the seal.

Right now, he was like a hollowed-out skin.

"These persistent leeches!"

Lu Chen glanced back.

In the murky waterway, four murderous figures were hot on his heels. The leader in black, in particular, was moving with astonishing speed. He was a true half-step Meridian Connecting Realm expert; with internal energy circulating through his meridians, he could unleash incredible velocity even underwater.

The distance between the two sides was closing at a rate visible to the naked eye.

Ten zhang.

Eight zhang.

Five zhang...

Lu Chen could even clearly see the savage grin on the black-clad leader's face and the cold, glinting dagger in his hand.

"Running? Let's see where you can run to!"

The leader's voice traveled through the vibrations of the water, carrying the mockery of a cat playing with a mouse. "Hand over the item obediently, and I might just leave your corpse intact!"

Lu Chen ignored him.

He was gambling.

Gambling on the flow of this underground river, gambling with his own life.

But reality was often crueler than any gamble.

Ahead lay a forest of jagged rocks.

Massive underwater stalactites, like inverted swords, crisscrossed the waterway in a complex maze. While this terrain was suitable for hiding, it also meant he would be forced to slow down.

Once he slowed down and was surrounded by those four experts, death would be inevitable!

"Do or die!"

A flash of ruthlessness crossed Lu Chen's eyes.

He gritted his teeth and pulled the jade bottle he had just snatched from his robes.

Before the stopper was even removed, a refreshing medicinal fragrance seeped through the jade, invigorating Lu Chen's somewhat exhausted spirit.

Marrow Cleansing Pill!

This was the supreme treasure the Flying Horse Merchant Association dreamed of, a miraculous elixir that could allow a Martial Artist to be reborn and increase the chances of breaking through to the Meridian Connecting Realm!

Under normal circumstances, taking a pill of this caliber required bathing, changing clothes, adjusting one's state, and having a Guardian present in an absolutely safe environment to refine the medicinal power bit by bit.

For Lu Chen to forcibly consume it now—while severely wounded, fleeing, exhausted of internal energy, and deep underwater—was no different from courting death!

Once the massive medicinal power spiraled out of control, it would instantly rupture his meridians and cause him to explode and die!

But Lu Chen had no choice.

If he didn't take it, he would die once caught.

If he took it, there might be a glimmer of hope!

"Fortune favors the bold!"

Lu Chen hardened his heart, flicked his finger with force, and the bottle stopper flew off.

He tilted his head back and swallowed the dragon-eye-sized pill, which radiated a milky white halo, in one gulp!

Gulp.

The pill entered his stomach.

It was not the gentle warmth he had imagined.

In an instant, Lu Chen felt as if he had swallowed a ball of magma!

A terrifying heat flow exploded in his stomach, surging wildly through his meridians toward his limbs and bones.

The pain was indescribable!

It felt as if countless ants were gnawing at his bones, or as if someone were taking a hammer to shatter every inch of his skeleton before piecing it back together again.

"Nngh—!"

Lu Chen gritted his teeth tightly, a suppressed groan escaping his throat.

His body stiffened abruptly. His swimming motion, which had been rapid, instantly lost its form, and he slammed heavily into a stalactite like a stone.

Bang!

Stone fragments flew.

Lu Chen curled up at the bottom of the river, trembling violently. His skin turned bright red, like a boiled shrimp. The moment the surrounding river water touched his skin, it actually hissed, emitting large plumes of white steam.

That was the violent medicinal power within his body venting out through his pores!

"Hahahaha!"

The leader in black, who was pursuing from behind, saw this scene and burst into wild laughter.

"This brat is insane! He actually dared to consume a Marrow Cleansing Pill at a time like this!"

"Heaven is helping me! This is seeking his own death!"

The leader in black was filled with wild joy. He knew all too well how tyrannical the medicinal power of a Marrow Cleansing Pill was; even in his prime, he wouldn't dare swallow one whole like that. Lu Chen's current state would surely lead to his consciousness being overwhelmed by the medicinal force, or even his meridians being shattered to pieces!

"Surround him! Don't let him die! The item is still on him!"

The leader in black waved his hand, and the other three guards immediately fanned out, closing in on Lu Chen in a semi-circle.

In their eyes, Lu Chen, who was currently curled up at the bottom of the water and convulsing, was already a lamb waiting to be slaughtered.

However.

What they didn't know was.

At this very moment, a heaven-shaking transformation was taking place inside Lu Chen's body.

It was indeed painful.

But for Lu Chen, who had practiced the Iron Cloth Shirt and was accustomed to taking beatings and undergoing masochistic training, this pain was still within a tolerable range!

His consciousness remained clear—even clearer than it had ever been!

"So this is... marrow cleansing?"

Lu Chen could clearly feel that violent, hot current scouring his bones over and over again.

His bones, originally as hard as iron, began to soften under the influence of the medicinal power. They then expelled impurities, becoming denser and tougher.

Deep within his bone marrow, a new strength was beginning to sprout.

That was the source of Qi and blood!

"It's not enough... still a little short!"

Lu Chen roared in his heart.

Although the medicinal power of the Marrow Cleansing Pill was immense, his physical body was currently too strong. The completion of the Iron Cloth Shirt, combined with the tempering from the Profound Nether Hand, made his body like a sturdy fortress.

To break through this fortress and complete the ultimate transformation from "Refining Flesh" to "Refining Bone," the medicinal power alone was not enough!

He needed external force!

He needed pressure!

"Tiger Leopard Thunder Sound!"

A rudimentary bone-refining technique recorded in the advanced chapters of the Stone Crushing Palm flashed through Lu Chen's mind.

It involved using specific breathing patterns and muscle tremors to trigger bone resonance, producing a sound like the roar of tigers and leopards or the rolling of thunder, thereby tempering the bone marrow.

But this required being in the air.

Underwater?

No one had ever tried that before.

"No time to worry about that now!"

Lu Chen abruptly opened his mouth, exhaling a cloud of murky bubbles.

Immediately after, he controlled every muscle in his body, forcing them to vibrate frantically at a bizarre frequency.

This vibration set the surrounding water in motion.

"Hum—"

At first, it was just a faint humming sound.

But as the medicinal power within Lu Chen's body erupted, the sound grew louder and deeper.

Water is an excellent medium for sound.

At this moment, Lu Chen's body seemed to have transformed into a massive source of vibration.

The river water around him began to boil, and countless tiny bubbles burst at his side.

"Thump! Thump! Thump!"

The dull, heavy sounds echoed like war drums beating at the bottom of the river.

That was no ordinary sound.

It was his bones oscillating! It was his lifeblood roaring!

The leader of the men in black and his subordinates, who were just about to charge forward, suddenly felt a sharp pain in their eardrums and a tightness in their chests, as if a heavy hammer had slammed into their hearts.

"What is this sound?!"

One guard covered his ears in terror, feeling his own heart beating in sync with that dull rhythm, as if it were about to leap out of his throat.

The leader of the men in black's expression shifted drastically. This momentum, this pressure—it was absolutely not something a Body Tempering Realm Martial Artist could produce!

"Quick! Kill him! He's breaking through!"

The leader finally realized what was happening, and the greed in his eyes instantly turned into sheer terror.

A breakthrough in the heat of battle!

This brat was actually trying to use the pressure of their pursuit to force a breakthrough!

He must not be allowed to succeed!

"Die!"

The leader in black held nothing back. He channeled his internal energy frantically, and the dagger in his hand transformed into a lethal streak of black light, thrusting straight toward Lu Chen's brow.

He had put his full strength into this strike!

Even if there were a steel plate in front of him, he would pierce right through it!

The dagger sliced through the water, reaching Lu Chen in an instant.

Three inches!

Two inches!

One inch!

The sharp tip of the blade was just about to pierce Lu Chen's skin.

At this critical, hair-breadth moment.

Lu Chen, who had been curled up, suddenly opened his eyes.

What a pair of eyes they were.

There were no whites, only a void of pitch black.

And in the deepest part of that darkness, a flash of blue lightning seemed to streak across.

"Crackle—!"

A series of popping sounds, like roasting beans, erupted from within Lu Chen's body.

Following that came a crisp sound, like jade shattering.

It was the sound of a bottleneck breaking!

"Boom!"

A terrifying wave of energy exploded outward, centered on Lu Chen!

Under the impact of this shockwave, the surrounding river water was forcibly pushed aside, creating a brief vacuum!

The leader in black's lethal strike came to a dead halt, just half an inch from Lu Chen's brow.

It wasn't that he wanted to stop.

He had been blocked by an invisible force!

That was... Blood Qi Smoke!

Although they were underwater and the sight of smoke surging into the heavens was invisible, that scorching, overbearing, and tangible power of blood qi had truly and solidly blocked his dagger!

"How is this possible..."

The leader in black widened his eyes, his face full of disbelief.

The strength of this blood qi was actually more terrifying than his own, and he was a half-step Meridian Connecting Realm expert!

Is this really still the Body Tempering Realm?!

Lu Chen slowly straightened his body.

His height had increased by three inches out of thin air!

His originally burly frame had now become more slender and well-proportioned; every muscle looked like refined steel that had been tempered a thousand times, with flowing lines filled with explosive power.

His skin was no longer the deathly pale color from before, but had returned to a normal hue. Yet, beneath the skin, a layer of jade-like luster faintly flowed.

That was the sign of the initial formation of Jade Bone!

Bone Refining Realm!

Lu Chen lowered his head and glanced at the terrified leader in black before him, the corners of his mouth curling into a cold arc.

"My thanks to you all."

Lu Chen's voice sounded somewhat muffled underwater, but every word was crystal clear.

"If you hadn't pursued me so relentlessly, I wouldn't have made up my mind so quickly."

"As a reward..."

Lu Chen slowly raised his right hand.

Following his movement, the surrounding water currents seemed to fall under his control, gathering frantically toward his palm.

"I will send you on your way."

Before the words had even faded.

Lu Chen's figure suddenly vanished.

It wasn't teleportation.

It was simply too fast!

It was so fast that it exceeded the visual tracking limit of the leader in black!

The Bone Refining Realm brought not only a surge in power but also an all-encompassing leap in physical fitness!

Especially in speed!

"No! Retreat!"

The leader in black felt a chill rush straight to his brain, his instincts screaming at him to pull back.

But it was already too late.

A slender, powerful palm radiating a faint chill had, at some unknown moment, pierced through the water and pressed lightly against his chest.

There was nothing flashy about it.

Only absolute power and absolute speed.

"Bang!"

A muffled thud echoed out.

The leader in black didn't even have time to let out a scream before his entire body was sent flying backward like a cannonball fired from a chamber!

He carved a white wake through the water, snapping three massive stalactites in succession before slamming violently into the rock wall.

"Pfft—"

A mouthful of blood, mixed with fragments of his internal organs, dyed the river water red.

The leader in black widened his eyes, staring fixedly at Lu Chen in the distance as the light in his eyes rapidly faded.

His chest had completely collapsed, leaving behind a clear palm print.

One palm.

A one-hit kill on a Half-Step Pulse Opening expert!

This was the extent of Lu Chen's current strength!

The entire scene fell into a deathly silence.

The remaining three guards remained frozen in their charging postures.

They looked at their leader, who was embedded in the wall and hovering between life and death, then looked at Lu Chen, who stood there like a demonic god. Their legs went weak, and they nearly lost their grip on their weapons.

Is... is this even human?

How did that brat, who was being chased like a stray dog just a moment ago, turn into a man-eating tiger in the blink of an eye?

"Run! Run for your lives!"

It was unclear who shouted it.

The three men finally snapped out of their stupor, turned around, and bolted.

Whatever bounty, whatever mission—at this moment, none of it mattered anymore.

Surviving was the only thought left in their minds!

Lu Chen watched the three men fleeing in a pathetic panic, but he was in no rush to pursue.

He stretched his neck, the joints popping with crisp cracks.

The feeling of power surging through his entire body made him want to let out a long roar.

"Running?"

Lu Chen sneered and stomped his foot.

The solid rock ground beneath him was crushed into a deep crater.

Propelled by this terrifying reactionary force, Lu Chen shot forward like an arrow released from a bowstring.

His speed was more than twice as fast as before!

In the water, he was like a true Black Dragon, lunging toward the three shivering prey with an aura of destruction.