A Clash of Peaks!

"Boom! Boom! Boom..."

In an instant, the two sides collided.

A deafening roar rang out, making the eardrums of everyone nearby ache.

Lu Changsheng only felt a powerful force crash into him. His entire body tensed, and even his blood and qi churned within him.

Then, borrowing the immense recoil, he activated the Nine Spiral Transformations and turned into streaks of afterimages as he retreated.

In the blink of an eye, he vanished from the area.

He was so fast that Wang Yong and the others did not even have time to react.

Their faces were filled with shock.

"What incredible speed."

Wang Yong's expression was incomparably grim. In that exchange just now, he had only gained a slight upper hand. The other party was undoubtedly a Bone Forging expert.

Moreover, such speed was simply horrifying. He could not catch up to this man at all, much less kill him.

A powerful expert with astonishing speed lurking nearby was indeed terrifying.

At that thought, irritation rose in his heart.

"You are to return immediately. Let the gang leader decide this matter."

Wang Yong had already clearly realized that he could not take down this man on his own.

He had no choice but to ask the gang for assistance. Though it would cost him some face, there was no other way.

Within a dense forest.

Lu Changsheng sat cross-legged atop the canopy of a tree, calming the churning blood and qi within him.

"The Three Rivers Gang's hall master truly is formidable."

He could not help thinking to himself.

Even after using his secret technique and striking with his full strength, he had been completely at a disadvantage.

The other man's martial realm was definitely above the middle stage of Bone Forging.

Now that the other party was personally lying in wait, he knew that the ambushes and killings would likely have to come to a temporary end.

His strength had already been exposed. If he remained any longer, it would likely become exceedingly dangerous.

There would be plenty of time to act again once his strength had increased.

His gains this time had been quite good as well. He had obtained quite a few manuals.

Afterward, Lu Changsheng rose and headed toward the city.

After returning to his residence, he immediately began taking stock of his gains.

There was naturally no need to mention the stack of banknotes. He was not short on silver.

The remaining dozen or so manuals were spread across the wooden table.

After examining them carefully, he found that there were only four advanced cultivation methods. The rest were low-grade martial arts manuals of little use.

Of those four, two were blade techniques and two were Muscle Refining cultivation methods. He was another step closer to upgrading the Dragon Roar Iron Cloth Shirt again.

He planned to slowly master these manuals next, preparing for the future.

The next morning.

After getting up, Lu Changsheng opened the panel to take a look.

Source Energy Points: 75.

Over the past few days, his Source Energy Points had been increasing every day.

While cultivating an ant army, his Exotic Beast clone had not forgotten to search for spiritual herbs.

This state of resources constantly growing left him greatly satisfied.

It probably would not be long before he could make another breakthrough.

After washing up, he headed straight for the Demon Suppression Department office.

He had received notice several days ago that the Deputy Hall Master would be gathering everyone today. Something major was likely about to happen.

As he walked down the street, the nearby townsfolk moved aside with respectful, awed expressions.

Before long, Lu Changsheng arrived at the Demon Suppression Department office, before a great hall.

He stepped inside.

A large crowd had already gathered, and Yue Shulan was among them.

Dressed in a snow-white gown, the woman blinked her beautiful eyes when she saw him arrive.

Lu Changsheng smiled, then stood in a corner and waited quietly.

Ever since joining the Demon Suppression Department, he had always kept to himself. Other than having some friendship with Yue Shulan, he was unfamiliar with the other martial artists. Naturally, no one came over to speak with him, which suited him just fine.

Before long, a woman in purple entered from outside the hall, accompanied by numerous Yellow-rank Demon Suppressors.

The woman's face was cold and beautiful, her aura immensely powerful. Every gesture carried an air of nobility. She was none other than Deputy Hall Master Qin Ruobing.

The large group of Demon Suppressors behind her all wore respectful expressions.

"We pay our respects to Hall Master Qin."

Everyone in the hall clasped their hands in salute, their voices ringing loud and clear.

"No need for such ceremony."

Qin Ruobing walked onto the raised platform at the front and spoke in a soft, fragrant voice:

"I have gathered you all today to announce an important matter. From now on, all personnel of the Demon Suppression Department are to devote themselves fully to striking at the Scent Worship Cult."

"We have discovered that they may have some sort of connection with demonic spirits. When carrying out missions outside in the future, you must be doubly careful."

At her words, everyone below the platform looked exceedingly grave.

These cultists had been operating for many years, and their forces could not be underestimated.

If they were colluding with demonic spirits, it would also be an enormous challenge for them.

During the previous purge of demonic spirits, they had already lost quite a few people.

Qin Ruobing's beautiful eyes swept over the crowd below, and disappointment filled her heart.

After the last mission, only the Apprentice Demon Suppressors present here remained under her command.

Furthermore, few among them caught her eye.

In the assessment among the three Deputy Hall Masters, she would likely come in last again.

Her hope of accumulating enough merit points to return to the Capital City had fallen through once more.

"As Wicked Spirit activity outside the city has grown increasingly frequent, we have decided to conduct another full-scale purge. This mission will be divided into individual and group assignments..."

Qin Ruobing spoke again.

As she spoke, she took out a mission list and had it hung on the wall.

"Investigate the tragedy in Guyuan Town."

"Find the missing girls from Orchid Village."

"Investigate the disappearance of the Apprentice Demon Suppressor in Luohe Village."

A dense mass of missions filled the list.

Lu Changsheng's expression turned solemn at the sight.

The area outside the city was growing increasingly chaotic. He did not know how much longer Changping County could remain peaceful.

He suspected that the Scent Worship Cult's cultists had likely been preparing some earth-shattering scheme all these years.

They had actually allied themselves with demonic spirits, gradually gnawing away at the county's forces.

If they had no plans, he would not believe it.

At that moment, a trace of urgency rose in his heart.

Soon, everyone stepped forward to choose missions. Most chose to form small groups.

Only Lu Changsheng and a few others chose to carry out missions alone.

The merit awarded for each mission was fixed. The more people there were, the less each person received.

Lu Changsheng had many secrets of his own, so traveling with others would be inconvenient. Besides, he had long grown accustomed to being alone and found it difficult to blend into a group again.

"I'll take the mission concerning the missing Demon Suppressor in Luohe Village."

Lu Changsheng stepped forward and spoke directly.

These missions all looked roughly the same. Most were connected to Wicked Spirits, so he simply picked one at random.

With his speed, even if he could not defeat the enemy, escaping would not be difficult.

He then accepted the mission token and returned to the ranks.

Before long, the crowd dispersed.

After leaving the office, Lu Changsheng walked down the street. Sensing someone approach from behind, he turned his head and saw that it was Yue Shulan.

"Brother Lu is certainly bold and skilled, but you must never reveal the details within the mission token to anyone else."

Yue Shulan suddenly drew near and warned him in a low voice.

"You mean..."

Lu Changsheng's pupils contracted. In an instant, he thought of one possibility, and a chill ran through his heart.

It was entirely possible that certain forces, after operating for many years, had planted informants within the Demon Suppression Department.

As a high-ranking member of a gang, Yue Shulan clearly knew something.

"Has such a thing happened before?"

His tone was low.

"It has. Quite a lot, in fact."

Yue Shulan gave a cold laugh.

"Some people hold high positions and have long forgotten their original aspirations. All they think about is how to stay alive."

"It is said that the Heart of the Demonic Spirit can remake one's body and greatly extend one's lifespan..."

"Those people have even established an organization called the Heavenly Demon Sect, specifically to beguile martial artists whose minds are not steadfast..."

Yue Shulan dropped another bombshell, making Lu Changsheng's heart turn cold.

He had not expected the situation to have already become so severe.

Who knew how many people had secretly defected to the other side.

If not for the imperial court still possessing some deterrent power, these times would likely be even harsher.

If Great Zhou were to fall one day, where would the countless common people go?

And how could martial artists like them remain untouched?

Lu Changsheng did not consider himself a good man, but neither did he wish to keep company with demons and monsters.

Since there was no way to retreat, he could only carve out a path with the pig-slaughtering knife in his hand.