Zeng Anmin swam for his life, wanting to surface only after getting far away from the riverbank.
But the burning sensation in his lungs reminded him that if he did not breathe soon, he might become the first cultivator in history to suffocate himself to death.
"Splash~"
His diving speed slowed.
His consciousness gradually grew hazy as well.
A bitter smile spread across his lips.
I can't hold on anymore. Exposure it is, then. I can't suffocate to death!
Zeng Anmin sighed inwardly and began swimming furiously toward the surface.
But suddenly, he stopped.
"This..."
The Martial Arts Aura within him began circulating madly, washing through every corner of his body.
Within his abdomen, the aura that had condensed into a vortex gathered more and more densely.
At that moment, enormous changes were taking place inside him.
Zeng Anmin fell into thought.
The entry his cheat had given him allowed him, despite being ninth-rank, to possess the combat power of the eighth rank.
Where had that eighth-rank combat power come from?
It had not been granted from thin air.
It had condensed the Martial Arts Aura within his body into a vortex in his abdomen, forming something akin to an Eighth-rank Martial Artist's "Martial Pill."
The accumulation of recent days, coupled with the battle just now and the current crisis of oxygen deprivation, made the Martial Arts Aura in his body surge rapidly according to the circulation method of an Eighth-rank Martial Artist.
"Pop~"
Finally, along with an almost imperceptible sound—
Zeng Anmin felt the Martial Arts Aura within his body become far more solid, while the vortex in his abdomen seemed compressed to an extreme density.
If his original aura had been a tiny stream, then now it was a roaring river of crashing waves!
The Martial Dantian had condensed. The eighth rank was achieved!!
With the Martial Pill circulating, the scorching pressure in his lungs immediately eased considerably!!
At the same time, High-End Power began taking effect as well!
The Martial Pill within him split off a strand of Martial Arts Aura, which completed one circulation before shooting straight toward his Sea of Consciousness Space.
His mind instantly became crystal clear. He could even sense the rhythm of the surrounding currents!
Having only just entered the eighth rank, he already possessed the sensory awareness unique to the Seventh-rank Visualization Realm!!
And the system prompt appeared before his eyes.
Congratulations on breaking through a rank. Martial Arts Entry loaded. Please choose one of the following three Martial Arts Entries. Special: Martial Artist True Qi: Every two hundred years, increases Martial Arts progress speed tenfold. Support: Unyielding Martial God: Immune to all soul and spiritual attacks. Rainbow: Martial God's Wrath: Consume all lifespan to empower yourself, raising your realm to the Martial God Realm for a quarter of an hour. Note: Entries not selected will disappear permanently. Countdown: 30, 29, 28...
After only a brief hesitation, Zeng Anmin directly chose the second one.
The first required far too much time.
As for the third... Do I look that short-lived?
Unyielding Martial God: Immune to all soul and spiritual attacks.
Martial Artists were born with powerful bodies.
But their sole weakness was their lack of defensive methods against the soul.
That was extremely important.
To say nothing else, the Confucian Path Heart Scrutiny still lingered vividly in his mind, leaving behind a tremendous knot in his heart.
After his breakthrough, the Martial Pill within his Martial Dantian slowly spun, gradually easing the pressure in his lungs.
Though it had not formed an internal circulation, it was enough to greatly extend the time he could hold his breath.
So Zeng Anmin was no longer in a hurry. He slowly swam onward, getting as far from the riverbank as possible.
"Hmm?"
"That is..."
While swimming underwater, Zeng Anmin suddenly saw a massive boulder blocking his path ahead.
The boulder was like a towering peak, rising from the riverbed.
What surprised him was that several enormous scales were embedded in it.
He slowly swam closer and carefully examined the scales on the boulder before him.
Like mirrors, they reflected his devastatingly handsome face.
What huge fish scales?!
Curious, Zeng Anmin reached out and touched one of the scales. With a gentle tug, he peeled it off the boulder.
A dark, shadowy cave entrance appeared before him.
Several small fish swam out of the entrance. Upon seeing Zeng Anmin, they fled back into the cave in panic.
Zeng Anmin peered into the opening.
The entrance was not large, but it was big enough for a person to squeeze through.
Curiously, he reached his hand inside and felt around.
Before long, his fingers touched the stone wall within.
Such a shallow cave...
The curiosity in Zeng Anmin's heart instantly vanished. He gave it a bored glance, then swam onward without looking back.
I thought it was some kind of Treasure Cave.
"Whew~"
Zeng Anmin secretly surfaced from the river and greedily gulped down the air.
At a glance, he could see peasant women washing clothes on the distant riverbank.
Beyond them lay rows upon rows of fields and villages.
"I swam this far?"
Even with his current eyesight, he could only barely make out the outline of Liangjiang Prefecture City in the distance.
Zeng Anmin decided to come ashore here.
Inside Zeng Shilin's office in the Governor's Yamen.
A corpse missing an arm lay quietly on the floor.
A wet black cat-shaped hood had been removed, revealing an unfamiliar face.
All the officials around them lowered their heads like old dogs with their tails tucked between their legs, not daring to breathe loudly.
Bang!!
The table shook violently.
"Find him!! Investigate!!"
Father withdrew his palm. His face resembled that of a maddened lion, flushed red, while thick killing intent shone from his phoenix eyes.
His voice carried the terror of mountains of corpses and seas of blood:
"Tell the prefectural yamen to find him, even if they have to dig three feet into the ground!"
"Yes!"
No matter how simple-minded Wang Deli usually was, he did not dare say a word now. He sheepishly picked up the saber from the floor and headed for the door.
The other officials all shuddered, pressing their lips tightly together as they stared at the ground.
"And!"
Father's voice brimmed with sinister intent:
"Order every Red-robed Guard of the Xuanjing Division to shut down all Prince Jiang's Estate businesses within their jurisdiction."
"Damn..." Wang Deli froze, his face going blank.
The other officials were stunned as well. One of them even stepped forward trembling and said:
"My lord, the assassin was the Black Cat Martial Artist. He... has little to do with Prince Jiang's Estate."
Wouldn't this completely tear their faces apart!
But the official did not dare speak the latter half aloud.
Zeng Shilin looked at him coldly.
The man saw killing intent in Father's eyes.
He immediately shut his mouth and retreated as though frightened out of his wits.
"Also, have Lin Rong transfer three thousand Southern Garrison Soldiers here. Search the river with everything you have. Alive, I want to see the man..."
Father paused, took a deep breath, and spoke expressionlessly:
"Dead, I want to see the corpse."
"Yes."
Wang Deli was like a child now, not daring to breathe loudly as he hurried outside.
"All of you, leave."
Father looked at everyone remaining, his face devoid of expression.
"Yes."
The dozen or so officials felt as though they had been granted a pardon. They hurriedly shuffled out of the room as if fleeing for their lives.
Father sat in his chair, staring blankly out the window, a trace of confusion showing on his face.
Zeng Shilin, Governor of Fengqi Road, a Second Rank High Official of the Holy Dynasty, a man powerful enough to dominate a region like a feudal lord, now looked more like an ordinary old man.
A helpless farmer who had lost his son.
"Whoa! What the hell is going on?"
Zeng Anmin stepped onto the main street and saw countless armored soldiers rushing toward the riverbank with anxious expressions.
Anyone unaware of the situation might have thought they were heading to war...
Besides the armored soldiers, Zeng Anmin also saw squads of Red-robed Guards shouting as they ran about, boarding passing ships everywhere.
The ordinary people on the streets were scared stiff, their faces filled with trembling fear.
When Young Master Wang Lin of Prince Jiang's Estate had died, the commotion had been nothing compared to this. It was truly a small witch before a great witch.
Even the Southern Garrison Soldiers stationed within the prefecture had been mobilized!
Zeng Anmin was still wearing the official robe of a Left Clerk of the Xuanjing Division, though it was already soaked through.
He looked rather bedraggled, anyway.
"Hey, you there! Got a horse? Let me ride it!"
Zeng Anmin saw a squad of Red-robed Guards passing before him. There was even a familiar figure among them, so he called out.
That person's body jolted. He stiffly turned around in disbelief...
Before you continue