Realm Advancement

Chen Guan gritted his teeth and took the slash on his shoulder as Guo Pin's blade came down.

Already weakened from blood loss, his wounds now gushed like a spring.

"Haha, boy, is this all you've got? How do you expect to stand against the County Office?"

Guo Pin grew even more smug.

A Blood Forging Realm fifth-layer expert was truly formidable!

Chen Guan clutched his wound and dragged himself up from the ground, tearing off a strip of cloth to bind the injury and stop the bleeding.

He took several deep breaths, his mind racing for a way to fight such a powerful foe.

But with only thirty years of Demon Lifespan left and no way to raise his cultivation level, facing Guo Pin meant only one path—death.

[Detecting that the host is in mortal danger. All Demon Lifespan can be consumed immediately to temporarily elevate the host's realm to Blood Forging Realm third layer. Side effect: weakness for three hours.]

The system's voice rang out in his mind.

Chen Guan's face lit up with a smile. Truly, heaven never seals off all roads!

Though the side effect sounded unsettling, to survive, he had no choice.

"Realm, ascend!"

He willed it in his mind.

A surge of immense power flooded his entire body, his blood and qi churning violently.

Golden images of dragons and elephants flickered across his form.

He had now stepped into the Blood Forging Realm third layer, his strength reaching a full seven hundred jin.

With the Dragon Elephant Subduing Demon Art empowering him, his power was now no less than that of a Blood Forging Realm fifth-layer cultivator.

"Whirlwind Sky Slash!"

Guo Pin, still unaware of the change in Chen Guan, raised his long blade and charged again.

This time, he was determined to end Chen Guan's life with that single strike.

Nearby, Qin Yanran's face was pale as paper. She stepped back, helplessly watching what seemed to be Chen Guan's final moments.

Guo Pin's blade came down, but Chen Guan did not dodge.

Instead, he raised both hands to block the attack.

A loud crash sent dust and debris flying. Guo Pin's eyes blazed with killing intent as he pressed down harder.

But he felt no sensation of the blade cutting into flesh.

Just as confusion set in, the dust cleared.

Chen Guan's arms were wrapped in golden light, holding the long blade at bay.

"This..."

Guo Pin stared in shock at the sight before him.

"Blood Forging Realm fifth layer—nothing special."

Chen Guan's voice entered his ears like a pronouncement from the Nine Heavens Purgatory.

Then he drove a heavy fist into Guo Pin's stomach.

The sheer force sent Guo Pin flying backward, snapping a thick tree trunk in two as he crashed through it.

Chen Guan flexed his fists, a strange smile curling at the corner of his mouth.

"How is this possible? You're only at Blood Forging Realm second layer—how can you unleash such power?"

Guo Pin scrambled up, wiping blood from his lips, and roared in disbelief.

But Chen Guan just shook his head. "Let's finish this."

Seeing that Chen Guan was unmoved, Guo Pin howled again and charged with his blade.

Though Chen Guan's realm was still two layers below Guo Pin's, the difference in techniques was enough to bridge that gap. Now, when Chen Guan watched Guo Pin's movements, they seemed to crawl in slow motion.

He stepped lightly with the Whirlwind Wind Steps, easily evading the attack.

"Pecking Sparrow Strength!"

Chen Guan formed his right hand into a sword finger and struck a point of force into Guo Pin's body.

Guo Pin screamed and stumbled back several steps. That single finger strike nearly scattered his internal energy.

After catching his breath, Guo Pin glared viciously at Chen Guan. "Boy, you leave me no choice!"

A blood-red light flared across his body.

The subordinates Chen Guan had knocked down earlier now rose to their feet one by one.

Their eyes glowed with the same crimson light, and from their throats came guttural, demonic roars.

This bizarre scene made Chen Guan frown, but he did not act, choosing instead to observe and see what was happening.

The clothes on these people gradually peeled away.

They tore open their own flesh with their hands, each transforming into demons and howling at Chen Guan.

"Be careful, young master. These people practice demonic arts; their minds have long been corroded by the techniques. Now they are no different from demons!"

Qin Yanran, who had seen the world, recognized the situation at once.

Her startled cry brought Chen Guan to sudden understanding.

"Kid, you think raising your realm lets you escape from here? This Tushan is our turf!"

Guo Pin spoke smugly, then joined the surrounding demons in a coordinated assault.

Chen Guan could sense that these demons were no different from the White Wolf earlier—at the first layer of the Blood Forging Realm.

But with Guo Pin coordinating on the side, dealing with them was not so easy!

Facing their attacks, Chen Guan could only evade with the Whirlwind Wind Steps, with no room to counterattack!

And his forced realm advancement through the system had a time limit.

Once the time ran out and the side effects kicked in, he and Qin Yanran would be lambs to the slaughter!

"Dragon Elephant Subduing Demon Art!"

Chen Guan's mind stirred, and a golden light flickered over his body.

As a wild wolf lunged at him, he did not dodge or evade, letting its gaping maw sink into his arm!

Pain seared every nerve, yet he was calmer than ever.

"Pecking Sparrow Strength!"

He swung his arm, channeling the Pecking Sparrow Strength directly into the wolf's body.

Then he hurled the wolf's body like a stone.

The wolf tumbled through the air several times before crashing into the other demons.

The immense force kicked up a massive gust, sweeping all the demons into it and tearing at their bodies.

Ignoring the pain in his own body, Chen Guan used the mobility of the Whirlwind Wind Steps to appear behind the stunned Guo Pin, driving a fist infused with his technique's power into his back.

Guo Pin's spine snapped from the blow, and he flew forward, landing motionless on the ground.

[Killed a first-layer Blood Forging Realm demon. Total Demon Lifespan rewarded: eighty years.]

[Forced realm advancement earlier deducted sixty years of Demon Lifespan. Remaining Demon Lifespan: twenty years.]

The system's voice echoed in his mind!

Chen Guan nodded in sudden realization.

The thirty years of Demon Lifespan he had left weren't enough to force the advancement, so it was essentially a loan.

Now that he had gained new Demon Lifespan, deducting what was borrowed for the forced advancement made sense.

"Young master, are you alright?"

Qin Yanran, relieved that the threat was dealt with, came over to ask.

Chen Guan shook his head. "It's nothing, Miss Qin, no need to worry."

But just as they thought the matter was settled, the previously motionless Guo Pin suddenly sprang up, charging at the nearest Qin Yanran, his right fist aimed straight for her heart!