My Checkpoint System Turned Me Into The Godfather of Humanity

by Stayrr

Chu He transmigrated into a barren world as a lowly odd-jobber in the Xia clan. He had initially accepted his fate and was ready to spend his life ordinarily and peacefully. Little did he expect himself to suddenly awaken the Checkpoint System which rewarded him for checking into places! Ding, congratulations to the Host for successful checking-in. For your first check-in, your rew

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My Checkpoint System Turned Me Into The Godfather of Humanity

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Chu He transmigrated into a barren world as a lowly odd-jobber in the Xia clan. He had initially accepted his fate and was ready to spend his life ordinarily and peacefully. Little did he expect himself to suddenly awaken the Checkpoint System which rewarded him for checking into places! Ding, congratulations to the Host for successful checking-in. For your first check-in, your reward is the Golden Nine Turns. Ding, congratulations to the Host for successful checking-in. For your twenty-one-thousandth check-in, your reward is the Golden Manifestation of Buddha's Form. Chu He was certain that the world outside was too dangerous, so he resolved to not leave the book depository until he became truly invincible and peerless, and thus he stayed for a hundred years. A hundred years later, the Tiger clan attacked the Xia clan and planned to massacre countless humans, it was at that moment that Chu He finally showed his hand!

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My Checkpoint System Turned Me Into The Godfather of Humanity #Chapter 1 - Read My Checkpoint System Turned Me Into The Godfather of Humanity Chapter 1 Online - All Page - Novel Next

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The Great Wasteland, Lin City, Lin family, Odd-jobs Station.

Over a hundred teenagers dressed in long garments of blue stood in an orderly manner. No one dared say a word due to the presence of an old man standing in front of them.

The old man was a steward from the Lin family. Even though the members of the Lin family were not exactly important people, but in the eyes of this large group of ordinary young folk, the family was important and impressive, people who could dictate the future fates of young ones like them.

Today was the day the Lin family was allocating odd-job assignments.

The elderly steward was the one who decided where the young people would be assigned to.

His decision would make or break the future of each youngster there.

If they were assigned to a subpar location, they might very well never get the chance to amount to anything in the future.

The group of teenagers who had entered the Lin mansion was aiming to receive the opportunity of cultivation.

Certain posts would make it easy for one to earn merit while others might give them the opportunity to come into contact with noblemen, which might also give them the chance to make something of themselves.

That was why many of them were eager to get on the good side of the elderly steward before the assignment in their hopes for a bright future.

Those with money would present gifts.

The quick-witted ones would brown-nose him.

There were even some who professed their loyalty without delay.

"Chu He, you have been assigned to the book depository as a floor sweeper. Remember, the book depository is an important place for the Lin family. You should work very hard there and allow no room for laziness."

The elderly steward stoically called out the name of another young man and gave instructions accordingly.

Multiple gazes fell onto the good-looking young man in an instant—they either gave him looks of pity or looks of pleasure over his misfortune.

That was because they had learned that work at the book depository was considered the least popular and was also one of the jobs that offered no hope of advancement.

The Lin family had a scripture depository and a book depository.

It was a difference of one word, yet the two were vastly different.

The former housed an important collection of top-secret martial arts manuals, while the latter was just a place for the Lin family disciples to grab some books when they needed to study elementary education.

However, the fine-looking youth did not seem to display any signs of unwillingness or disappointment when he was assigned a job that had no future. Instead, the expression on his face was blank.

This was because the owner of the body had been changed.

Chu He had never expected that he would get transmigrated.

He was not prepared for this at all.

Just like that, Chu He was absent-mindedly brought to the book depository.

He was the only person among the odd-jobbers to be assigned there.

"Young man, you're Chu He, aren't you? Stop looking so miserable. Even though there are no future prospects for one assigned here, but it's safe! I say, all you young people are always dreaming about your grand ambitions. You need to remember that we're nothing but odd-jobbers. Even if you're assigned to some other place and got lucky enough to be rewarded with martial art skills, what's the point even if you managed to cultivate it? You would still need to offer your life to your master by fighting and killing every day. You might even die one day!"

"Just look at me. I'm already sixty-five and still alive and kicking. Those who were in the same batch as I when we came to the Lin family… well, I can count those who are still alive with one hand."

"For me, the book depository is the best place for us odd-jobbers. There's food, there are drinks, and there's peace."

An elderly man in blue led Chu He into the book depository.

He must not have spoken to anyone in a long time. The moment he met Chu He, he could not stop yapping away.

"Grandpa, how many are there in the book depository?"

Chu He looked around the large book depository. He noticed it was very quiet and did not seem to fit into the bustling atmosphere outside.

"How many? How many do you want? You plus me, there's only two here."

The elderly man broke into a smile as he shook his head.

Only two?

Chu He was taken aback.

"This book depository is not considered an important place for the Lin family. There are very few who come here. I usually just sweep the dust away. If I wasn't getting up there in years, this job can actually be done by just one person."

The elderly man smiled as he explained.

"It's a pretty good deal."

Chu He nodded.

He went with the flow.

An odd-jobber needed to serve others. This was something he was not particularly skilled at, and it was not something he wanted to learn.

Now that he was at the book depository, it did sound pretty good so far.

"You will be in charge of cleaning this place from now onward. As for me, I can finally relax and take it easier. Oh, right, you are free to flip through any books in here. Consider it a bonus for cleaning the book depository, but remember, you must never spoil the books."

The elderly man gave him a reminder.

Chu He nodded to show that he understood.

After that, the elderly man continued gabbing about a bunch of things. He finally left when he felt tired.

Chu He was holding a broom and cloth.

He lifted his head to examine the book depository, which was just like a library. He could not help sighing.

There were many bookcases. Even a simple cleaning job would not be easy.

Right at the moment.

There was a 'ding'.

Chu He's body shuddered.

His hack tool has arrived in his account.

Following the 'ding', he saw a checkpoint panel suddenly appear in front of him.

Hack tool!

Goldfinger

!

Checkpoint system!

As a God-tier internet novelist, there was no way he would not be aware of the existence of such a system.

This was a necessity for all transmigrators and those who were reborn.

As expected, the hack tool might be somewhat late, but it would never be absent.

Now was the time for his tardy system to go online.

Chu He's consciousness connected with the checkpoint panel, and he quickly learned how to use it.

This was a system with a mobile checkpoint that one could check-in from any location. Checking-in at special locations could even increase one's chances of obtaining something good.

At the same time, Chu He was able to set a permanent check-in location to check-in continuously. The longer and more frequently one checked-in, the greater the rewards.

Also, if one continuously checked-in for a hundred years, there was an opportunity to get a super checkpoint. The rarer the location, the greater the odds to obtain better rewards.

Chu He rubbed his chin thoughtfully.

He was sold to the Lin family and was assigned to the book depository. It would be difficult to leave whenever he liked without any special circumstances. That was why he had immediately decided to make the book depository his long-term checkpoint.

"Ding, congratulations to the Host for successfully checking-in. For your first check-in, your reward is the Golden Nine Turns."

A gold and purple manuscript appeared on the checkpoint panel.

Chu He's expression changed.

A look of delight spread across his face.

Chinese gamers use the term to indicate cheating where the game is somewhat modified

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Golden Nine Turns

Chu He held the gold and purple manual he had retrieved from the System Space. He could not put it down.

"Golden Nine Turns"

He was really excited.

This was exactly what was often described in novels—an ability for one's body and soul to be immortalized.

Chu He could not wait any longer and immediately began learning.

The manual awarded to him by the system's checkpoint had one advantage—he did not have to read to understand every word to study it. All he needed to do to learn it was to place the golden secret manual between his eyes.

So, Chu He placed the secret manual on his forehead, and the next instant, the manual transformed into a bright gold and purple light that immediately passed through the space between Chu He's eyes. A surge of information enveloped his mind.

Chu He closed his eyes, savoring the experience.

He opened his eyes some time later.

He had digested the basic contents of the Golden Nine Turns and was no longer ignorant about cultivation.

He experienced no change within him, but that was simply because he had not started cultivating.

Once he had checked-in enough to obtain resources and the necessary conditions, he would start cultivating, and before long, he would excel.

Chu He was not in much of a hurry.

He was now just an odd-jobber who was in charge of sweeping. There was nothing dangerous about it and it was a relaxing environment. He had plenty of time to take things slowly.

Besides, he had decided to stay at the book depository from now on to enhance his abilities. There was no need to go anywhere for no reason. Eventually, he would make a name for himself.

Chu He started cleaning up after this.

This was, after all, his job.

He began looking for books from the bookcases to read after he was done cleaning.

Even though he had retained none of the memories of the body's original owner after transmigrating, after learning the Golden Nine Turns he had no problem understanding the words here.

The words used for the Golden Nine Turns were the same as this world.

Suddenly.

A book caught Chu He's attention.

"The Strange Memoirs of the Great Wasteland"

He picked it up and flipped through the pages.

"What the hell, the Great Wasteland is ridiculously dangerous."

He was initially in awe that the people of this world knew how to cultivate martial arts skills.

Little did he expect to discover that Humans were only in the middle of the food chain in the vast Great Wasteland. Well, at the very least Xia Kingdom was that way.

There were numerous species in the Great Wasteland.

From number one to nine.

That was the way the different clans were classified.

The first level was the lowest while the ninth level was the highest.

As for the Xia clan, they were at the third level.

A lowly tier with no hope of moving up.

There were still many different clans in the Great Wasteland that could sh*t on the head of the Xia clan if they pleased.

The level of each clan was determined by the most powerful member in the clan.

This was a world where a single powerhouse could lift the bottom-feeding clans to limitless heights.

The combat effectiveness of the powerhouses was unparalleled.

One punch was able to exterminate a clan, one kick could suppress heaven and earth.

This was quite common in the Great Wasteland.

It was considerably more manageable in the lower realms as anything could happen during combat. Some skirmishes could even be won by the sheer number of combatants.

In the higher realms, however, the wider the difference of the combat effectiveness between both parties, the lower there was for the possibility of shifting the balance. A large number of combatants would not make a difference unless it was a fight that involved combatants of the same level.

"This means that I would need to be consistently strong. I must never allow myself to slack off."

Chu He mumbled to himself.

The information in the manual made him more determined to ensure he would not waver in this aspect.

This was a world where a martial artist could become gods, destroying the heavens with a wave of the hand.

He made the decision to never step out from where he was until he had fully cultivated the Golden Nine Turns.

If he acted like those main characters in novels who went off to explore the world right after obtaining a little power, there was a chance he would be snuffed out by some big boss who did not like the way he looked.

He had Goldfinger and the checkpoint system. By right, he should be able to hold his own.

The next day.

Chu He woke up quite early and went to the book depository. The first thing he did was check-in.

"Ding, the Host has successfully checked-in and is rewarded with a bottle of Body Forging Pills."

The system's notification appeared on the panel.

A bottle of pills appeared in the System Space at the same time.

He took it and tipped out a pill.

It was the size of a soybean and was pure white. It emanated a fragrant scent of herbs.

Chu He activated his will.

He checked the introduction of the Body Forging Pill.

It was used to forge cultivation and suited his needs well.

Chu He was overjoyed.

He was given whatever he needed. The system was truly considerate toward him; it knew that he was lacking the basic resources for cultivation.

He was just a sweeper in the Lin family and his daily meals were measly and basic. It was not enough to aid him with cultivation.

Things would be different with the Body Forging Pill.

There were twenty pills in a bottle—enough to supply him for cultivation for quite a while.

Chu He walked to a hidden spot within the book depository and took off his shirt. He swallowed a pill and got into the stance for cultivating the Golden Nine Turns, and began his cultivation.

The Body Forging Pill melted upon consumption and instantly circulated within his body according to the Golden Nine Turns as it flowed through every internal corner of his body.

Instantly, his body was visibly boiling. It was like he had been placed in a steamer as wisps of steam began wafting around him

He had to admit that the effect of the Body Forging Pill was excellent; it was very compatible with the Golden Nine Turns.

His muscles and bones creaked and groaned like muffled thundering. The muscles on his body began to firm up slowly.

The medicinal effect was cultivated very quickly.

Chu He resumed his normal position and exhaled a fog of white breath.

He could feel the strength within his muscles and a smile appeared on his face.

"The Golden Nine Turns, First Level of the First Turn."

The pills were certainly effective.

If not for those pills, it would be extremely difficult for him to even try cultivating this skill even if he practiced painstakingly.

Chu He focused on cleaning up once he was done with cultivation.

He was just about halfway done when someone entered to get a book.

It was a few youngsters.

Those should be the young masters of the Lin mansion.

They went directly for the memoirs of Xia Nation's pugilistic swordsmen and soon got engrossed in the stories. At times, they would begin discussing the stories but no one gave any trouble to a little odd-jobber like Chu He.

Two hours passed before the few young masters put down the books rather grudgingly and left. They still had martial arts classes to attend.

Chu He, who had already given a simple clean-up to other areas, walked over and tidied up the place the youngsters had hung out before closing the door. He went to a remote corner and swallowed another pill to begin cultivating.

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Quietly Check-in

For the next few days, Chu He continued checking-in, which resulted in him receiving pills, martial arts, martial arts techniques, and a sword.

His Golden Nine Turns improved drastically thanks to the assistance of the pills while cultivating. Now, he had already achieved the Third level of the First Turn.

To deal with the outside world, he cultivated the third level of Postcelestial Body Forging.

If it had gone public that his rate of cultivation was so quick, it would shatter the confidence of many prodigies out there.

Chu He had accumulated a fair amount of information from the memoirs of uncanny swordsmen in the book depository over the last few days.

This world was rich with martial arts culture and the people were geared toward a culture of intimidation and power.

It was considered peaceful in the city.

However, if one could not become a powerhouse and learn the art of self-protection, it would be difficult to survive as they would be unable to exert any control over their own fates.

As for villages in the mountains beyond the city, those areas were more dangerous as various monsters, clans of other species, as well as outlaws, roamed the lands.

This was the reason why Chu He did not dare leave until he was certain he was powerful enough.

It was safer to stay in the book depository.

Two years passed by just like that.

Chu He checked-in every day for the past two years. He would diligently cultivate martial arts and when he was bored, he would browse through news articles and strange and fantastic stories to learn more about this world he was in.

During this period, youngsters from the Lin family would drop by once in a while for some reading.

This was rather annoying for Chu He.

The reason being that his cultivation was forcefully interrupted every time someone came.

However, there was nothing he could do because this was the book depository of the Lin family, after all. He was nothing but a minor odd-jobber and had no right to chase them off.

As for the old man, he was quite old now and was permitted to live outside of the Lin family. He did not come to the book depository often, and was only there once or twice every month to inspect the situation.

There was only one thing that Chu He was happy about.

The full nine levels of Chu He's Golden Nine Turns' First Turn had been completed. He would achieve the breakthrough to the Second Turn any time now.

He had prepared for this moment half a year in advance.

His continuous check-ins for the last half-year were closely related to the resources he needed for cultivation. He had saved the resources in the System Space as a backup for the breakthrough.

It was a major hurdle to advance from being a Postcelestial to a Precelestial Grandmaster. The stories he had read stated that for this hurdle, the first breakthrough was the easiest to achieve. However, if he failed, the subsequent hurdles would become increasingly difficult. Numerous swordsmen hit a bottleneck at this hurdle, which turned out to last their entire lifetime.

Numerous breakthroughs, numerous failures, and in the end, they died in a depressed state. There were many more who had succumbed to their inner demons or died a sudden death because they were unable to accept the blow of bitter failure. Some suffered a personality change, turning from valiant swordsmen into demonic characters.

That was why Chu He was very careful.

He consolidated the foundation of his being and took things slowly. He allowed his body to endure repeated torments for the sake of one breakthrough without greedily pushing for any other achievements.

Finally, he could not hold back any longer and planned for a breakthrough today.

He took out the treasures and pills he had prepared and obtained from the check-ins for the last half-year and arranged them in front of him. He focused to accumulate his energy as he relaxed his mind and body.

He activated his martial arts skills and aimed for the Second Turn.

He had made thorough preparations in anticipation of the barrier to his breakthrough.

There was a sudden booming sound.

He had achieved the breakthrough.

It was over before he even put in much effort, as if it was the most natural thing in the world.

Where was that barrier that obstructed anyone who tried for the breakthrough?

Chu He did not experience the barrier at all.

He looked at all the pills arranged neatly on the floor. He scratched his head, puzzled.

Where was the solid barrier he heard about?

Why did he not feel a thing?

This did not feel any different from the breakthrough he had experienced from the minor realm in the First Turn.

The process had whooshed by just like that.

All his preparation felt like such a waste.

Chu He simply grabbed a handful of pills and shoved them into his mouth, chewing on them like candy.

He felt power expanding within his body.

Chu He was certain that he had achieved the breakthrough.

He now felt that he could take on a hundred of his old selves right now.

The effects of the First Turn and Second Turn felt vastly different. It was like comparing heaven and earth and he could not even find the words to describe how he felt.

…

In the blink of an eye, another two months passed.

Chu He's cultivation of the First Level of the Second Turn had consolidated. He was well on his way to achieving the breakthrough for the Second Level.

It was also quite strange that, for the past two months, the youngsters who had frequented the book depository of the Lin family rarely visited.

Even the old man had only dropped by the book depository three times in the last two months, which made the place feel lonelier than ever.

However, this was a good thing for Chu He.

He was never a fan of a bustling environment.

As things were, he could focus on cultivating without anyone disturbing him.

As for the cleaning work in the book depository, getting that done offered little trouble to someone of his ability.

He practiced the Eight Measured Steps he had obtained from one of the checkpoints. His movements were like a phantom, like a gust of wind. His figure seemed to disperse into numerous scattered shadows as he made a quick stop at every bookcase. Once the shadows vanished, all the dust on the bookcase had been completely cleaned.

As his ability improved, so did his cleaning speed. He no longer required to spend a long time cleaning.

Every morning, he habitually floated about for a short period, finishing his work while practicing his martial arts skill at the same time.

The rest of his time was free and relaxed.

He spent his free time cultivating, reading, and enjoying a leisurely time.

Just like that, another two years passed.

Fewer and fewer Lin family disciples visited the book depository as time passed.

Finally, one day, about half a year ago, the old man told Chu He that his body was failing him and he could no longer visit the book depository to talk to the youngster. He had already made arrangements with the steward to pass all remaining responsibilities to Chu He.

After passing all of his instructions, he left with a fair amount of regret, finally leaving the place he had lived for most of his life behind for good.

He talked to Chu He about how he had suddenly begun to question his life in the few years leading to his departure from the Lin Mansion, whereas most people would embrace the lives they lived when they were in their final years.

He had been assigned to the Lin family's book depository at the age of fourteen.

Now, it seemed he was destined to die a natural death at the age of seventy.

He was the man who lived the longest and the one who led the most leisurely life among his batch that was sent to Lin Mansion.

However, he had lived out his entire life without understanding life nor experiencing it.

He continued yapping at Chu He with remorse. If he had been just a little smarter back then and had gone to the other stations within the Lin Mansion, he might have been lucky enough to cultivate martial arts. Even if he had died prematurely of other causes at the end, he could have departed with the knowledge that he had truly lived.

The old man could feel his life passing by while he poured his heart out to Chu He in one sitting.

In the end, he even advised Chu He to cultivate martial arts if he had the chance, so as to not regret his decisions when he turned old.

The old man eventually left and finally, Chu He was the only person left in the book depository.

He cultivated quietly.

By this point, his cultivation had achieved the Eight Level of the Second Turn.

Chu He could feel that his cultivation speed had slowed down as his cultivation level got higher.

Every level breakthrough would now require a few months.

Despite that, the speed of his progress was still quite extraordinary when compared to others in the world outside.

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Men In Black

One day.

Chu He was cultivating.

The Lin Mansion had been suddenly thrown into a state of intense sadness.

"The master of the mansion has died in the lands of Annan following an ambush by the Dog Fang Clan. The Lin family elder headed there to provide backup but ended up suffering grievous injuries. A hundred thousand of Zhennan Military Troop soldiers died a bloody death at the battlefield."

Howls of anguish could be heard echoing throughout the Lin Mansion.

"Massive changes await the Lin family."

There was a change in Chu He's expression.

However, he did not plan to find out more about the situation.

His was nothing but an insignificant odd-jobber. Whatever happened to the Lin family had nothing much to do with him.

This was Lin City, the core of Xia Kingdom. Even if the Lin family was defeated in battle, no one would come here to disturb his check-ins, unless someone was planning to take the initiative to destroy the Lin family.

Chu He positioned his stance and swallowed a pill as he continued cultivating.

Half a month later.

There was now someone else in the book depository other than Chu He for the first time in half a year.

It was a white-haired old man.

His body was rickety. He trembled as he walked in a wooden manner, the scent of death emanated from him.

He looked at Chu He, who was pretending to clean up, and said, "Young man, are you in charge of the book depository?"

"Yes."

Chu He nodded calmly.

He could tell that this old man was no ordinary man.

Even though the old man had an air of death about him, there was an even stronger aura of power pouring out from him.

This man was a powerhouse. To be more precise, he was a powerhouse whose life was hanging by a thread.

At the very least, his cultivation was slightly more powerful than Chu He's current status.

Chu He had used the secret technique he had obtained from the checkpoints to investigate the aura of the Lin family powerhouses. There were few people in the Lin family whose aura could be compared to his. Most of them were weaker than he was. As for those stronger than him, Chu He had yet to sense any.

However, one such person had appeared right in front of him now. Even though he was terribly wounded, it could not hide the fact that he was a powerhouse, and that he was someone of extraordinary status.

However, Chu He did not express any sense of awe or respect for the old man.

The old man's identity and status in the Lin family had nothing to do with Chu He and did not pose any form of threat to him.

The old man nodded back at Chu He and it seemed like he was not interested in a lengthy chat.

He moved a deck chair over and casually picked a stack of books from the book depository. He began to read while shaking his leg, appearing to be quite engrossed in the book.

Chu He frowned.

He could not cultivate with someone else around and it was not a situation he was used to lately.

It looked like the old man did not plan on leaving anytime soon.

Then, things turned out just as Chu He had predicted.

The old man read the stack of books the entire day right until sunset, and still did not plan to leave.

Darkness came.

It was only then that the old man finally stood up, trembling. He nodded at Chu He and left the book depository.

Some time passed.

The old man came to the book depository every morning at the same time. He would retrieve a stack of books and read the entire day.

He would occasionally speak a sentence or two to Chu He.

He always left after the sky turned dark.

This annoyed Chu He tremendously.

The man had thrown his cultivating schedule into complete disarray for the past few days.

Midnight.

After the old man left, Chu He positioned his stance and started cultivating.

He noticed that the higher his current level in cultivation, the less sleep he seemed to require.

He stood next to the bookcases in the daytime when the old man was around. All he needed was to shut his eyes and take a short nap and that was enough to energize him.

All of a sudden.

Chu He was focusing on cultivating when a sharp light flashed across his eyes.

His Golden Nine Turns had been cultivated to the Second Turn, which was equivalent to Precelestial Grandmaster powerhouses in the outside world. In addition to that, he had also cultivated numerous secret techniques for martial arts skills. All he had to do was consciously think about it and not even an ant's movements could hide from his consciousness.

The next moment, Chu He made a swift movement and vanished from his current spot like a phantom.

"Everyone's saying that the Lin family elder is on the brink of death and can't even lift a finger. I wonder if that's true. Now that we're here to ambush him, if he really is healthy and well, I don't think we can make it through this."

Two men dressed in black garments were sneaking about near the book depository. One of them sounded slightly anxious.

A man's reputation was as important as shade was for trees.

They were on their way to attack the Lin family elder, the one whose reputation took the entire world by storm a hundred years ago. The man who was the Demi-King of Martial Arts.

Even if the rumors claimed that he was on the brink of death and was in a condition that rendered him immobile, the man in black was still cautious.

If he had the choice, he would never have wanted to take part in this assassination.

"What's there to be afraid of? The old man from the Lin family is way past his prime and, on top of that, he's seriously wounded. That is a fact. The only thing that matters is how wounded he is. If it turns out he's still able to fight back and display some of his abilities, we can find out the severity of his condition even if we can't complete the assassination. It'll be considered a job done."

"Since both our abilities are of the Precelestial Seventh Erudition, we can combine our strength. It won't be too hard for us to go up against someone with Eighth Erudition abilities. We could still escape from someone with Ninth Erudition. The Lin Mansion is at its weakest right now. Even if we're discovered, escaping shouldn't be a problem at all."

The other man in black shook his head disapprovingly.

"According to the information, that old man should be in the backyard at night. That's where the Lin family congregates. He'd only be here to read in the daytime. That will be our best chance to make a move. Let's hide here for the night and we'll have this in the bag tomorrow."

The figures got closer to the book depository. They were planning to enter via the main door.

"Wait a minute."

The first man in black suddenly called out.

"I'm feeling a little jumpy all of a sudden, like something terrible is nearby. You know how it is. My sixth sense has always been on point."

His eyes swept left and right and his behavior was highly strung.

It was an unsettling sense that only appeared during life and death moments.

He could not help but find it strange.

They were only planning an ambush and had yet to make a move on the Lin family elder.

By right, even if the Lin family elder was still fit and capable, that sense of danger should only kick in tomorrow morning.

Why was he sensing it so early?

Could it be that his sixth sense had become sensitive enough to predict the outcome of the next day?

"You're feeling jumpy? Is that true? Are you sure this isn't just a psychological effect of you being scared of the Lins?"

His companion was anxious and doubtful.

The more highly cultivated one was in the martial arts, the stronger his sixth sense.

His companion was quite gifted and had a sixth sense that was more sensitive and accurate than normal.

Most martial artists could only sense people who were of lower level or at the same level as them, the only other time the sense would activate was when imminent death was facing them from an assault of someone of a higher level.

His companion was different. He could predict the murderous intent of any powerhouse who was a level higher than he was.

"Ho! Your sense is rather impressive."

A calm, clear voice rang out at that moment. The ears of both men in black perked up. It sounded like someone was speaking in a low voice right next to their ears.

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He's Pretending To Be A Tiger

"Hah! Nice senses."

A confused expression appeared on the faces of the two men in black when they first heard that sentence. Then, they felt their scalps tingle, and the hairs on their body stood on end as their life flashed before their eyes.

Unable to tell where the voice was coming from, the two stood with their backs against each other as they retrieved their dadao and scanned the dark surroundings with their sharp eyes.

Soon, they spotted him.

A good-looking teenager wearing a blue coat stood in the dark with his arms behind his back, staring at them impassively.

The youngster looked completely normal, and there was not even the slightest sign of an aura about him.

He looked exceedingly ordinary as he stood there, with not even the slightest hint to suggest he had cultivated skills.

He was so ordinary, in fact, that if it were not for the fact that it was the dead of the night in this special location and there were no other people present, the two men in black would never have spared him a second look if they met elsewhere.

However, the two men in black could vaguely sense something from this young boy.

The fact that the deathly feeling of crisis came from him.

Moreover.

When had the teenager appeared behind them?

They were Precelestial Grandmasters who had not only mastered the Seventh Erudition but also carried the title of Senior Grandmaster. However, they would not have even seen the boy had he not spoken.

The two men in black made eye contact. They saw intense fear in each other's gaze.

"This kid is so unnatural. Where do you think he's from? Could he be an alien who holds the secret to eternal youth?"

"He can appear soundlessly beside us and make me feel like my life was in danger. Could he be the Lin family's hidden protector?"

"A Precelestial Eighth Erudition Grandmaster? Or the Ninth?"

The two men were in a state of hypervigilance.

Their muscles tensed as their essential qi coursed through their bodies, ready to explode at any time.

"Who are you?"

One of the men asked in a low voice.

"Me?"

"I'm just an average guard at the Lin family's book depository."

Chu He spoke slowly, the expression on his face never changing as he answered in a calm voice.

He spoke as if these two men were not thugs with ulterior motives, but just two average strangers who were asking for directions.

"An average guard at the Lin family's book depository?"

The corners of the leader's mouth twitched as his expression on his face turned into one of disbelief. He thought that Chu He was treating him as an idiot.

Who the hell could explain to him how an average guard could appear behind them without their knowledge?

He must definitely be a master if he could stand so calmly with his hands behind his back after seeing the pair of them, who definitely did not look like they were up to any good based on the way they dressed.

He refused to believe that the boy was your average guard even if you beat him to death.

"Who on earth are you!"

"Are you the Lin family's hidden protector?"

"There's no need to spout lies when you already attained such a high level of mastery, right?"

The man in charge spat at Chu He angrily.

He thought that Chu He was pulling their legs because had nothing better to do.

"Alas!"

Chu He shook his head as he let out a great sigh.

No one believed him even if he spoke the truth. How saddening.

Even the most basic trust among people had been lost.

"I am in charge of guarding this book depository, and you are not allowed entry. I can pretend I never saw anything tonight if you leave now. After all, I'm just a guard for a book depository. I have no obligation to fight you men to the death."

Chu He gave no further explanation after speaking those calm words.

The two men seemed to only have mastered the Precelestial Seventh Erudition.

As for him, he had already mastered the Golden Nine Turns inside out, which would put him on the same level as a master of the Precelestial Eighth Erudition.

Comparing their abilities, Chu He felt that it would be easy for him to kill these two men in black.

He could do it just like how he had appeared silently behind them just now. They would never have noticed him if he had not willingly made his presence known. If he had decided to attack earlier, the two men would already be corpses.

Chu He had not struck first because he did not want to get himself into trouble for nothing.

He was not as ruthless as the protagonists in internet novels. He had the power to kill someone who rubbed him the wrong way just by glaring at them.

However, someone would come seeking revenge after that. They would come one after another, and even though the protagonist would not get hurt, he would also be forced to kill those who came seeking revenge.

However, Chu He did not want to live a life of bloodshed and killing people from the start to the end.

It was too annoying.

What was the point of it!

He just wanted to check-in silently day after day.

Then he would leave this place to enjoy a prosperous life once he was invincible.

That was why he had simply made an appearance to warn the two men to stay away from the book depository when he saw they were making their way toward the building to lie in wait for an ambush.

He would let them go anywhere they liked after that.

They could get into trouble with anyone they wished.

So long as his book depository was not involved in it.

The two men looked at each other in evident anxiousness and doubt.

It was obvious that they were up to no good, what with the way they were dressed, and the fact that they were sneaking around in the dead of the night.

They would be beaten up if their whereabouts were exposed.

Even though they were talking, their bodies were poised at the ready to escape or engage in a bloody fight.

However, this person whom they could not get a grasp on and who seemed to be the Lin family's hidden protector was letting them go and was willing to pretend that nothing had ever happened despite having seen them.

How were they supposed to believe that?

It would be much more plausible if the person they met was a junior who was not powerful enough and only interested in saving their neck.

However, it made no sense if the other party was one of the Lin family's powerful ancestors.

They asked themselves if they would ever let a thief weaker than them run free if they encountered such a crook back home.

Impossible. They would bring their knife down without a second thought.

"So, could the reason be…"

"The guy isn't a hidden protector at all. Perhaps this kid is only as old as he looks, and he's fooling us."

"He's not all that powerful, but he has a special secret technique or treasure that can addle our senses and invoke feelings of uneasiness to make us feel scared."

"Hehe~"

"He's pretending to be a tiger!"

The two men dressed in black conversed with nothing but eye contact.

Within minutes, the two had reached a conclusion they were sure to be correct.

Then, the way they looked at Chu He started to change.

"You're good. You nearly fooled us!"

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Solution

"Damned kid!"

The two men in black bellowed.

Then they raised their arms as they each brandished their knives toward Chu He, flanking him on either side.

"Really!"

"You had the opportunity to take the easy way out, and you threw it away!"

Chu He shook his head in exasperation.

He did not want to get into trouble, but that did not mean that he did not have a temper.

Anyone who dared to lay a hand on him had a death wish.

Chu He extended an arm and gave it a casual wave. The glint of the men's knives disappeared bit by bit, and then the dadao in their hands shattered into tiny pieces before falling to the ground like glass.

"How—"

"How can it be!"

The expression on the two men's faces changed drastically as they stared at the shattered handles of their knives and their bleeding palms.

The power of that one casual strike.

It was even more powerful than the masters who had mastered the Precelestial Ninth Erudition that they had fought against before.

With that sort of power, was he basically a demi-king?

To heck with pretending to be a tiger, he was a bonafide tiger!

Fear washed over them when they thought of that.

This time, the two men did not converse using their eyes. Instead, they bounded to their feet at the same time and turned to run in two different directions.

They wanted to escape.

"I gave you a chance to make a choice just now, but I'm very unhappy with the decision you made."

Chu He shook his head, his left hand still placed behind his back as he curled his right hand into a fist.

Poof! Poof!

Two punches burst through the air.

The fierce punches rended the air and plunged the men's minds into an abyss of despair.

It felt as if even the most powerful beings would be shattered by these two fists.

"No!"

"Please spare our lives, senior!"

The two men dressed in black let out terrified screams.

They could feel death looming upon them.

However, their prayers went unanswered.

The punches landed on their backs and traveled right through their bodies.

A powerful and tyrannical force exploded inside them.

Their bodies blew up into the air and blood was sent flying everywhere as if two gory fireworks had just been set off.

The two men dressed in black were filled with nothing but remorse during the last moments of their lives.

The boy had asked them to leave. If only they had listened to him and left obediently.

Why had they provoked him when they had no business in doing so?

They could not regret it enough.

Chu He dusted his sleeves before strolling back into the book depository with a complacent expression on his face.

Time to continue practicing.

...

In a high-rise tea house two streets away from the Lin Mansion.

It was already late night, but the room at the top of the tea house was still brightly lit.

Two figures dressed in long brocade robes were staring in the direction of the Lin Mansion.

"Something's gone wrong! Hu and Sha have sent a distress signal."

Suddenly, one of the figures spoke in a startled voice.

"Come on! Let's go check it out."

The two jumped out of the tea house and reached the periphery of the Lin Mansion in a few leaps.

They did not dare enter directly and instead climbed a tall tree so they could observe secretly from above.

"What's going on? Hu and Sha have already sent the distress signal. That means they've been exposed and must now be fighting against the masters of the Lin Mansion. Why is there no movement at all?"

"Could Hu and Sha have sent the signal by mistake? Or have they already been defeated by the Lin family?"

One of them voiced his thoughts.

"That's impossible. The Lin family is at its weakest now. A portion of their masters are buried in Annan, and several others are stationed elsewhere. Currently, besides the half-dead old man, the strongest person at the Lin family has only just mastered the Precelestial Eighth Erudition. Hu and Sha are both strong fighters and masters of the Seventh Erudition. They should be able to hold their ground against a master of the Eighth Erudition with their combined powers. How can they possibly be defeated so quickly?"

The other man dressed in a brocade robe shook his head while he replied.

"Then that means Hu and Sha set off the signal by accident, but that shouldn't be the case. Hu and Sha aren't that stupid. It's either that or there are other masters hiding in the Lin family.

The first man spoke again.

"The Lin family is a large family that's been around for hundreds of years. They may have hidden reserves. What's important now is that we don't know what kind of technique their hidden master practices to be able to get rid of Hu and Sha without causing a commotion. There must be more than one person who has already attained the ninth level. Or perhaps they have someone who is a demi-king? Or maybe, the withered old man is not as hurt as the rumors made him out to be?"

"For real!" The expression on the second man had turned ugly.

"So what should we do now?" he asked his companion.

"Wait!"

"We'll wait for tomorrow when we can be sure about what happened. Then, we can report both what happened tonight as well as our assumptions and let the Leader make a decision."

...

Lin Mansion book depository.

Chu He was aware that experts from the Lin family were on their way to get rid of the mangled corpses and the blood spatters. Then, the masters would begin their secret inspections.

Now was not a suitable time for practicing.

There was a chance he could be interrupted any time.

He returned to his room and lay on his bed.

Nevertheless, the difference between him sleeping or not sleeping was no longer significant at his current level.

However, it was still a nice feeling to lie on his bed for an entire night every once in a while.

Besides, he would not be wasting time even if he slept.

Before Chu He shut his eyes, he retrieved a handful of tablets and stuffed them into his mouth, chewing on them like sweets before swallowing.

Then, he shut his eyes.

In an instant, his body turned burning hot, as if he had been placed on a stove.

Through his clouding consciousness, he could feel the Golden Nine Turns operating on their own accord. A stream of power was liquified and then began transforming and enhancing every organ and every muscle and bone on his body.

His strength was increasing slowly but surely.

"Mmm! That's comfortable."

Chu He smacked his lips and spoke sleepily as he shut his eyes and drifted off to sleep.

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Are You Willing To Practice With Me, Lil Chu?

In the blink of an eye, another month had passed.

With the Lin family elders present, Chu He swallowed tablets and focused on refining their medicinal powers in the day, and only started his actual practicing at night. His body became more and more polished. If he directed all his attention toward his Golden Nine Turns, his body would be as delicate and smooth as white jade, a golden glow bouncing off it as powerful strength surged through it.

He had managed to successfully breakthrough his Golden Nine Turns into the Ninth Level of the Second Turn.

"Lil Chu, would you like to practice martial arts? The old master has given you an opportunity."

The elder master of the Lin family was lounging on his recliner when he took a good look at Chu He and suddenly felt that the odd-job man who had accompanied him for a while had an extraordinary presence. It was not something that an odd-job man should have.

He had been so preoccupied before that he had not noticed.

Now that he had taken a closer look, the odd-job man had an extraordinarily elegant bone structure, perhaps even better than his when he was younger. He felt a sudden urge to nurture a new expert for the Lin family.

After all, he had the spare time for it anyway.

"Your kindness is appreciated, but I'm afraid I won't have the privilege. I don't want to leave this place to undergo training. I merely wish to stay and read quietly in this book depository."

Chu He cupped one fist in the other hand in a gesture of respect as he shook his head and spoke.

The boy had declined?

The elder's name—Lin Zhennan—had been known across the four seas for a hundred and eighty years. Was there anyone who had not heard of Prince Zhennan before?

He might be injured now, but if word got out that he was looking to personally train someone in martial arts...

Perhaps all the prodigies in the world would be in Lin City by tomorrow, and the number of people who wanted to have him as their mentor could form three huge circles surrounding Lin City.

And yet...

He had been turned down by an odd-job man?

"Could it be that this odd-job man does not know who I am?"

Lin Zhennan toyed with that possibility.

"Lil Chu! Are you worried that I'll do a bad job in guiding you? Let me tell you, my disciples are the strongest amongst the Lin family and can even hold their ground at the pinnacle even when compared with all the masters in the Xia Kingdom."

Lin Zhennan chuckled as he said with some derision, "Now, are you still going to reject me?"

He had a proud expression on his face as he stroked his beard.

"I don't plan to practice martial arts with anyone. Your identity will not change anything."

Chu He retained the impassive expression on his face.

That was not quite the scene Lin Zhennan had imagined—he was sure the boy would get down on his knees in worship as his entire body trembled in surprise and excitement.

The expression on Lin Zhennan's face stiffened, and the hand on his beard paused mid-stroke.

He felt incredulous.

An odd-job man would reject guidance from the top master of the Xia clan?

If word got out, it would shock the entire Xia clan to its core.

This was a great opportunity that many did not even dare to dream about.

And yet...

An odd-job man had given him an outright rejection.

"I am Lin Zhennan, otherwise known as Prince Zhennan, and I am a highly-skilled demi-king. Not only do I have the power to decide whether a person lives or not with one word, but I can also determine the world's fate with a wave of my palm. Are you still going to reject me?"

Prince Zhennan, who had been alive for nearly two hundred years, suddenly sounded childish as he spoke.

However.

Chu He did not even say a word this time. He merely shook his head, and the implication was self-explanatory.

He had been rejected again!

On top of that, this time he had been rejected after he revealed his identity.

It was a solid, unquestionable rejection.

So there really did exist people who did not want to practice martial arts and grow stronger!

Lin Zhennan had finally met one of them today.

That was not only including members of the Lin family but the entire Xia clan.

Was there anyone who did not want to train?

How could they attain a higher social status if they did not?

Was there anyone willing to spend their lives at the very bottom of the social ladder?

There might be people who claimed that when asked, but that was because they knew they did not have any opportunities. Whether they wanted it or not would not change anything. However, if those people were ever presented the chance to ascend the social ladder, they would seize it in the blink of an eye.

However, when he revealed his true identity to the kid before him and offered him the chance to change his life, not only had he turned down the chance to receive his mentorship, but he had not even shown a single reaction. Even his expression had not changed the slightest bit.

The boy was just as aloof and indifferent as he was in the beginning, without a change of heart.

Perhaps he truly meant what he had said. He liked living a quiet, ordinary life.

If such a powerful state of mind could be set on the right journey to cultivating, the future of such an individual would be promising. At least he would face no obstacles at the start of his journey.

By relying on this kind of sincerity, he would be naturally invincible. Perhaps it was even possible that he could become a demi-king.

"You're overthinking!"

Lin Zhennan sighed to himself as the outlandish thought occurred to him.

He knew he was heavily injured and did not have much time left. The future of the Lin family was bleak, and it seemed that anyone he so much looked at had the makings of a martial king now. It was becoming ridiculous.

A demi-king was not a genuine king, but it was already one of the best ranks in the Xia clan and was not something that could be easily achieved. One could not attain that just through their eagerness or qualifications!

Nevertheless, he did have good feelings about the teenager before him.

Yet, he must be overthinking things if he said the boy could become a demi-king.

However, the teenager was still talented even if he could not become a demi-king. His talents should not go to waste.

"Lil Chu! How old are you now, and how long have you been in the Lin family?" Lin Zhennan asked.

"I've been in the Lin family for five years. I'm nineteen years old now." Chu He answered.

Che He suddenly felt a little emotional. Without even realizing it, he had been checking-in at the book depository for nearly five whole years.

"Is that so! No wonder. You must never have seen or experienced the excitement of the outside world if you've always been here."

Lin Zhennan sounded as if he were deep in thought.

"Lil Chu, would you like to follow me to the outside world and take a look around before you make your decision?" Lin Zhennan said.

"No, thanks."

Chu He still shook his head.

"I've already experienced the outside world. Through this book depository, I've experienced prosperity, darkness, a life of flourish, as well as the struggles of surviving. Life's sorrows and happiness are abundant here. Countless lives take place here."

Lin Zhennan was startled. The sentences were simple, but they held great meaning to them.

To think he had just assumed that the teenager was poorly informed.

If the teenager was able to speak like that, it was no wonder that he had not been frightened or humiliated by Lin Zhennan's power, and that he had managed to hold his ground when confronted with a public figure like him.

"So be it."

Lin Zhennan sighed resignedly and no longer pressured him.

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The Third of the Golden Nine Turns

Another four years passed in the blink of an eye.

Chu He's cultivation had allowed him to complete the Second Turn of his Golden Nine Turns as early as three and a half years ago. He was on the brink of breaking through to the Third Turn.

He could have broken through long ago.

However, Chu He was not in a hurry and spent the time patiently building the foundation of his powers.

Although he had successfully broken through the First Turn and entered the Second Turn the last time, that one success could not account for every time.

Thus, he was cautious when caution was required.

After all, he had the time. There was no need to hurry.

He had always believed that caution would negate all danger.

Chu He also tried his best to collect information regarding how the Precelestial Grandmasters had entered the realm of Genuine King in the book depository in order to draw comparisons and get a better overview.

He compiled a piece of key information through the records in numerous books. Hundreds of years ago, a fault had appeared among the Xia clan's line of martial kings. To this day, a new martial king had not appeared, and the line had never recovered.

The royals of the Lin family who held power now were not genuine kings.

They were only demi-kings who were stand-ins.

By combining his cultivations, his comprehension of secret cultivation techniques, as well as his understanding of the Lin family elder's health, Chu He concluded that demi-kings were the product of people who had gone awry on their path to becoming a king.

As for why that happened, Chu He could not understand that properly as he had not yet begun that particular breakthrough.

He guessed that there might be great dangers he was not aware of when it came to breaking through.

That was why Chu He had always been cautious.

Until today.

Chu He was confident.

Late night.

Chu He sat cross-legged.

He was well-prepared for this time's breakthrough.

Not only had he thought ahead about what accidents might happen, but he had also prepared contingency plans for each one.

He even went so far as to ensure he would not be interrupted as he was breaking through.

Numerous traps had been set in the book depository.

This place was now even more dangerous than the forbidden locations of martial arts sanctuaries.

Without Chu He's consent, even a demi-king could end up taking his last breaths here if he tried forcing his way in.

The book depository was now like a tiny universe of its own that had transcended common understanding.

Countless formations shrouded it, and forbidden secret techniques were ready for action.

It was both to prevent him from being disturbed and also to stop him from accidentally destroying the book depository if his breakthrough created too much noise and destruction.

He had to continue checking-in here.

The breakthrough started.

Chu He first took several Golden Body Shaping Tablets and popped them into his mouth. The Golden Nine Turns began their transformation into the Third Turn from the Second.

In an instant, his body began bulging with popping sounds. The clothes on his body were ripped to shreds and revealed his jade-like skin, dots of gold emanating from it.

A cracking sound was heard.

At a certain moment, Chu He's skin had cracked like a porcelain tile that had been smashed with a hammer. A crack appeared on it, then it grew quickly.

This breakthrough was going less smoothly than his progression from the First Turn to the Second.

The first two turns were the basics.

Breaking through to the Third Turn was a process of shaping both the exterior and interior of the body to become golden.

The minute you started, you could not stop.

The minute you stopped, you failed.

The minute you failed, your physical body would collapse. The best-case scenario was that you would lose only all your previous cultivations, while the worst-case scenario was your entire body would crumble on the spot.

Fortunately, the Golden Body Shaping Tablets he had swallowed beforehand were taking effect now. His torn muscles quickly regenerated and shone brightly as they were covered with a layer of golden skin.

This was not solely a result of the Golden Body Shaping Tablets but an inevitable process for one progressing to the Third Turn from the Second. However, the Golden Body Shaping Tablets had sped up the process of shaping a golden body and greatly decreased the dangers that came with it.

If it were not for the Golden Body Shaping Tablets, the creation of a golden body would only take place when the physical body had been broken down completely. It would be an extremely dangerous time, and if one was not careful, their life could end in an instant.

It was an extreme test of one's determination and foundation.

Many did not have that determination. As they watched their body degenerate bit by bit, the extreme pressure might cause them to have a mental breakdown. Without a sufficiently strong physical foundation, they would be unable to successfully reshape their degenerated body.

The Golden Body Shaping Tablets were here to both speed up the process and protect him.

Chu He did not have any idea how much time had passed as the golden glow of his body grew even more radiant and an immense sense of power reverberated around him. A gravitational field with him as the core appeared and distorted the space around him.

Eventually, the golden glow reached its peak and bathed the entire book depository with golden light, leaving no cracks unattended.

The process of Golden Body Foundation Shaping had been completed.

Chu He opened his eyes and an unimaginable force solidified itself before shooting out of his eyes and crashing against the protective formation. The formation, which could hold its ground against formations cast by a demi-king, was instantly penetrated. Even the formation plate had shattered, and it only managed to resist the terrifying power when the second and third protective formations kicked into action at the same time.

It might seem that there was just a difference of one number in breaking through to the Third Turn from the Second.

However, the distance between them was astronomical.

The mere power that was released after his breakthrough was enough to easily destroy the formations he had used all his power to create before his breakthrough. The terror knew no bounds.

If his breakthrough had not been cut off by the formations, the book depository might have ceased to exist now. No… not only that, but perhaps even the entire Lin Mansion might have suffered a calamity as well.

It was just the slightest leakage of his power when he broke through. One could only imagine how terrifying it would be if he unleashed all his power now.

Chu He stood on the spot for a long time as he stared into the void.

This was the difference between the Second and Third Turns. Golden Body Foundation Shaping would take place in the Third Turn and send one's physical body traversing across the void.

As Chu He regained his mindfulness, the golden shine of his body receded and returned to its usual color. The golden glow in the book depository also dispersed gradually.

"What a difference there is between the Second and Third Turns!" Chu He exclaimed as he felt the power pumping in his body and threatening to overflow.

He felt ready to take on a master at that very instance and he finally had the means to protect himself in the great, desolate world.

However, he would not become conceited or be too eager to go out exploring either.

He understood that the world was a complex place.

The mightiest of the Xia clan might be considered insignificant flies by the tyrannical foreign clans.

Thus, he should not create a high-profile yet.

He had to continue growing and developing himself.

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Lin Xueling

It was just after dawn the next day when a young girl of about fourteen or fifteen years old dressed in a long red dress strutted into the book depository. Her hair was tied into braids and she had red lips, white teeth, and bright eyes.

"Brother Lil Chu, I'm here."

The girl had known Chu He for two years.

In the beginning, she had run to the book depository in search of books to read because she was bored. The atmosphere in the Lin family had been growing heavier by the day, and no one spared the time to care for or accompany her.

However, she was not a patient person. Books and stories needed to be savored slowly but she was impatient and had tossed the books aside after flicking through several pages. It was then that she had taken an interest in Chu He, who had been standing by the side as still as a tree. She just so happened to have a lot to say that day and chattered endlessly as she walked up to him.

At that time, the Lin family elder had not visited the book depository for a long time.

Chu He's lonely heart began beating again when the long-silent book depository was filled with an echoing voice that sounded as crisp and clear as birdsong.

It just so happened that he had been accumulating his energies for his third breakthrough and did not need to spend all his spare time and attention on cultivating. He felt that he would be in a better state if he relaxed every once in a while.

The two bored people bonded and found topics of conversation they could engage in.

Chu He would tell Lin Xueling stories, and Lin Xueling would tell Chu He about current affairs that were not covered in the books.

Today, Chu He was telling her the story of Prince Charming and Cinderella.

The story was not long, and he soon finished.

"Girl, you seem to be different today. Are you also burdened with troubles at such a young age?"

Chu He asked as he looked at the distracted young girl, who was propping her chin up.

The girl usually pestered him with lots of questions when she listened to his stories. However, she was unusually quiet today and her brows were furrowed together.

"I've always had a lot on my mind, that didn't start today!"

Lin Xueling scrunched her nose in a dainty manner as she spoke.

"Tell me about it," Chu He said shortly.

Lin Xueling sighed as she said, "It's just that I learned that the Lin family is finding it difficult to make any progress after listening to Father and Mother talking. They never told me that ever since my uncle was killed in an ambush by the Dog Fang clan and the family elder was severely injured, bandits have been plotting against my family."

Chu He did not speak.

"Those guys are bad. A number of my uncles have already been assassinated by them, and Father said that the Lin family is surrounded by wolves now. One wrong move and we'll be destroyed. Father has not smiled in such a long time, and the atmosphere at home is so scary."

Lin Xueling's eyes were turning red.

The naive girl had grown up too.

Chu He sighed to himself.

He could tell that the young girl today was different from her past self. This change had not been brought on with just that one piece of news.

It was a change that had been long coming ever since the young girl had begun growing up and maturing.

"Brother Lil Chu, how do you think I can help Father? I don't want to see Father and Mother frowning all day."

Lin Xueling gazed at Chu He intently as she asked him the question.

She did not ask Chu He the question out of the expectation that he would actually have the answer.. Rather, she simply could not keep it to herself anymore and wanted to vent to someone.

"Become stronger!"

However, Chu He immediately gave her an answer.

"What?"

Lin Xueling was startled.

"If you gain sufficient power, for example, by becoming a demi-king, do you think the troubles your parents face now would still be problems?" Chu He asked calmly.

Taken aback, Lin Xueling gazed at Chu He and then nodded in agreement. "Yeah! If I were a demi-king now, I could defeat all those bandits and make Father's worries disappear."

She seemed to have found a direction to pursue. As she bounded to her feet, the expression on her face turned into one of excitement.

A moment later, she came to another realization and plopped down in dismay as she said, "Brother Lil Chu, your idea is a great one but it's not that easy to become a demi-king. I've only mastered the Postcelestial Fifth Erudition now. Who knows how long it'll be before I master the Precelestial Eruditions, let alone become a demi-king.

"Is it that difficult to become a demi-king?"

Chu He shook his head as he said, "It's not that difficult if you find the right teacher."

"Really? But I heard from Father and the elders that only one in a billion successfully becomes a demi-king. To be a demi-king, you must have the talent, luck, and chance."

Although Lin Xueling trusted Chu He, she did not trust him blindly. One had to trust with reason!

"Don't listen to their nonsense.

"That's because they don't know how to teach.

"If you find the right path, you can become a demi-king just by having a brain."

Chu He told her casually.

"You're lying, Brother Lil Chu. If it's that easy, can you teach me then?"

Lin Xueling puffed her cheeks unhappily.

Her exceptional Brother Lil Chu was just as capable of bragging as her stinky older brothers.

"I've read a lot of books and know a lot about both the past and the present. Naturally, I can teach. Would you like to learn?"

Chu He naturally detected Lin Xueling's doubt and mistrust. However, he merely smiled and offered no further explanations as he took the bait.

After all, he had just broken through to the Third Turn and needed some time to strengthen his skills. It was just as well if he could be a teacher and use that to pass the time and alleviate his boredom.

It could be considered as adding a little spice into his life of cultivation.

"Alright, I'd like to see how you teach. Brother Lil Chu, you should know that merely reading is not enough for you to learn how to properly cultivate!"

Lin Xueling was already on the verge of a tantrum as she agreed to learn from Chu He. She would make him admit his mistake and promise to never boast again after he failed to teach her.

A boasting Brother Lil Chu was not a good brother.

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Five Years

Time flew by. In the blink of an eye, another five years had passed.

Chu He had stayed at the book depository for a full fourteen years.

He was twenty-eight years old now.

His body was built sturdily and well-proportioned, and he had retained his good looks. There was nothing scruffy about appearance. He looked like an angel from the heavens, if he dared say so himself.

In these five years, his cultivation had risen to the Fifth Level of the Third Turn.

He had realized that although he had an abundance of resources, his progress was becoming slower and slower.

However, he did not mind.

He had all the time in the world.

He cultivated, read, and enjoyed himself.

Nevertheless, the book depository was less lonely than it had been after the addition of Lin Xueling.

In the past few years, the Lin family's situation had become even worse, which resulted in no one even asking about Lin Xueling even though she had basically moved into the book depository.

Lin Xueling was anxious to ease her family's worries.

She had been overjoyed and ecstatic upon realizing that Chu He's guidance was effective, which resulted in her taking her cultivation more seriously than ever.

In five years, she had mastered the Precelestial Seventh Erudition.

From the level of the Postcelestial Fifth Erudition to the Precelestial Seventh Erudition, she had crossed twelve minor realms, which was equivalent to one full realm.

If word of her progression speed had got out, who knows how many prodigies would be jealous of her?

Of course, Lin Xueling had managed to cultivate this quickly not just because she had a natural talent and had been willing to put in the hard work, but also because Chu He had given her special attention.

Countless treasures had been put into his System Space following his check-ins, and many of them were no longer of any use to him in his current level. When he ate the items now, it did little more than leave a fragrance in his mouth. Nothing would even happen when it reached his stomach.

He might as well retrieve and liquefy them now to inject into Lin Xueling's body.

The two had been together for more than seven years at this point, and it would be impossible to claim that they have not developed any kind of feelings toward each other.

Besides, he still needed to check-in at the book depository. If the Lin family was destroyed, he would also be affected by that. He was not really afraid of that happening, but it would still be troublesome.

His one fear was trouble.

Thus, training a master for the Lin family was his way of avoiding trouble.

If it was something he could do without needing any extra hassle, why should he not go for it?

"Brother Lil Chu, the family elder can't hang on for much longer. He's aging so rapidly that he looks different every day."

Lin Xueling's eyes were bloodshot as she walked into the book depository. She must have just been crying.

"Birth, aging, sickness, and death are unavoidable parts of being human. Your family elder might be the king of the Xia clan and can live up to three hundred years old, but accidents always happen. No one can know for sure what will happen next in their lives."

Chu He sighed.

Martial artists could live up to two hundred years old once they mastered the Precelestial Eruditions. Another hundred years would be added to their lifespan if they became a demi-king.

As far as he knew, the Lin family elder was just about two hundred years old now. Based on his cultivations, he should be able to live for another hundred years if everything went well.

However, that was only if there were no incidents.

The minute such an accident occured, it did not matter how long your life expectancy was.

"Brother Lil Chu, you have a solution, don't you?"

Lin Xueling's eyes shone as she gazed expectantly at Chu He and asked with a hopeful tone.

In the five short years she had spent at the book depository, her cultivation had gone from the Postcelestial Fifth Erudition to the Precelestial Seventh Erudition. The speed at which she had progressed was unbelievable.

She was well aware of her competency. She might be good, but she was merely talented and could not even be considered a monster.

However, now that the Lin family was in trouble and both cultivation resources and family disciples had dwindled, Chu He could no longer brush off the anomaly of the speed at which she had progressed despite the circumstances with a simple 'I just worked hard'.

Her sister, who was older than her by two years and just about on the same level as her in terms of talent, worked even harder than she did but was still on the Postcelestial Ninth Erudition. No one even knew when she could begin training for the Precelestial Eruditions.

It was too big a gap.

Lin Xueling knew that the reason behind all this was probably because of Brother Lil Chu.

At one point, she had even fancied that Brother Lil Chu was some kind of great master.

Even though Chu He had always told her that the only reason he could teach her was that he was well-read and knew much about both the past and the present, he claimed he was just a mediocre cultivator.

However, Lin Xueling refused to believe such claims that were used to coax children. If it were that easy, the Xia clan would be filled with demi-kings. Perhaps a genuine king would even exist among their ranks.

Chu He felt his resolve crumbling as he gazed into Lin Xueling's hopeful eyes.

He could easily turn a blind eye to anyone in the entire world.

However, he could not bring himself to be hard-hearted toward the little girl he had spent several years with.

"Little girl, I'm just an odd-job man at a book depository. How could I have the ability to reverse heaven's fate when your family elder has suffered such serious injuries that even the foundation of his martial skills has been destroyed?"

Chu He sighed as he shook his head.

If an average martial king did not mind sacrificing the primary source of their martial skills, they could try to save the Lin family elder.

However, Chu He's specialty was in the physical body. Every move he made was capable of killing someone. Saving lives was not his field of expertise.

Of course, even if he could save him, Chu He was not willing to waste the source of his martial skills.

He would not mind helping if he could do it without trouble, but if it required a lot of concentration…

His relationship with the Lin family elder had not reached that level of closeness yet.

Nevertheless, he did possess a treasure that could help extend the Lin family elder's life.

It would not solve the root problem, but it would extend his life by a few years.

Lin Xueling had a disappointed expression on her face, but she did not say anything else.

She had once thought that even if Brother Lil Chu was a great hidden master, there was still probably no way to save the family elder's from his wounds!

The only reason she had run to him for help was that the immense despair had made her desperate to search for a ray of hope.

In the following period, Lin Xueling buried herself in cultivating and worked even harder than she had before. It was almost comparable to insanity, the way she refused to rest and lost the smile she usually had on her face whenever she saw Chu He.

It was not because Chu He's rejection had angered her, but because the Lin family elder's wounds had worsened again and he had little life left. This caused the atmosphere in the Lin family to become even heavier, and the looming storm of stress had affected her.

Chu He could not stop himself from sighing when he saw her like that.

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Making a Move

A few more months passed by in the blink of an eye.

"Brother Lil Chu, I'm leaving Lin City. Do you want to join me?"

Lin Xueling was in a depressed mood when she arrived at the book depository that day.

"What's wrong?"

Chu He frowned.

"The end of the family elder's life will be coming soon. Father said the bandits who have been spying on us will have nothing to be afraid of and they'll pounce on us. The Lin family won't be able to hold on when that happens. Thus, Father said that he'll arrange for us younger ones to leave in secret while the rest of them stay behind."

"Brother Lil Chu, I know I promised that I wouldn't reveal my cultivations and show off before I became a demi-king. But I… I know why Father and the rest will stay behind this time. I know it's because they refuse to let go of the foundation the family elders built without putting up a fight."

"I would like to stay behind too. I've almost mastered the Precelestial Eighth Erudition now. Brother Lil Chu, you once said that if I mastered the Precelestial Seventh Erudition under your guidance, I would be able to take on someone who has mastered the Ninth Erudition. That means I can fight a demi-king once I've mastered the Eighth Erudition, right?"

Lin Xueling was speaking almost incoherently as tears trickled out of her eyes. Her emotions were all over the place.

The Lin family had long since started arranging for the younger ones to escape, and she should have left a long time ago. However, she kept on refusing to leave. This current batch would be the last to leave. She would be forced to join them even if she did not want to.

This goodbye may very well be the last she ever said. She was beyond distraught after she had seen the unwavering death wish in her father's eyes.

The same was for her mother and sister.

They were not going to leave either and had decided they would perish along with the clan.

She did not want to be separated from them and had begged Father to leave with her.

However, Father had said that the Lin family was too large, and far too many people had their eyes on them. They would not be able to escape swiftly when the avalanche of an onslaught occurred.

Someone had to say back!

Chu He did not speak and merely listened.

"Brother Lil Chu, I've thought it through. I won't be leaving this time. I want to stay back and fight with Father. The reason I'm training to become a master is so that I can protect Father, Mother, my sister as well as the rest of my family. That is my goal. Please forgive me, Brother Lil Chu, I might not be able to keep my promise of not making a move before I become a demi-king."

Tears shone in Lin Xueling's eyes as she spoke, and the apologetic glint in her eyes turned into one of steely determination.

The blood in her body was boiling, and her passion as a martial artist had been ignited.

Chu He's eyes glinted with curiosity. He realized that Lin Xueling seemed to have touched on the true meaning of martial arts in her current situation. Nothing much had changed in her cultivations, but her combat effectiveness had increased. This would help her greatly in the future when she wanted to break through to become a genuine king.

There was no limit to her future.

...

Late night.

The Lin family's secret temple.

The Lin family elder laid on the bed. His body was skeletal, and his hair was like dry, sparse grass spread across his scalp. His face was wrinkled all over.

Before this, even though he was nearly two hundred years old, he still had a middle-aged appearance because of his martial skills. However, after suffering such a serious injury, his hair had turned gray overnight and his body had weakened drastically. He was like a lamp that was running out of oil.

The leaders of seven generations of the Lin family were gathered around the bed.

Even the weakest among them had mastered the Precelestial Third Erudition and could defend themselves in an attack. To others, it seemed that these people should not have any worries as they could easily cover the sky with their hands and take whatever they wanted for themselves.

However, helpless sadness permeated through the air of the secret temple.

Panic, grief, death wishes, resignation, and confusion about their future.

They had a thousand more worries than the average person.

This was unimaginable!

However, it had happened to every person present then.

It did not matter if they had mastered the Precelestial Third or Ninth Erudition.

Their world was going to fall apart tonight.

The Lin family elder was reaching the end of his life.

They held their breaths and opened their mouths slightly as they stared at the Lin family elder. The minute he took his last breath, they would release the emotions they had been holding in.

All of a sudden.

The heavy doors to the secret temple opened slowly. A figure approached them at a slow pace, his hands behind his back.

Every member of the Lin family shifted their gaze as a shocked expression appeared on each of their faces.

The space around the newcomer seemed to twist and warp. As they looked at it, the space seemed to glow and blur their vision.

They were all Precelestial masters and the best of the best amongst the Xia clan. Despite that, they found that they could not even stare directly at this person.

It was unfathomable.

What struck even more terror in their hearts, though, was...

They wanted to make inquiries or erect a defense or attack formation.

However, they realized they could not do anything.

It was as if they no longer had control over their bodies in that instance.

Who was this person?

What did he want with the Lin family?

Was he an enemy? Or was he an ally?

They were confused and clueless.

The Lin family elderly seemed to regain some life in him as he regained consciousness. As he opened his eyes, he turned his head with difficulty to gaze towards the blurred figure.

"You don't seem to be part of the Xianghuo faction, Senior. May I know what brings you to the Lin family?"

The Lin family elder's lips fluttered slightly as he croaked softly.

He might be nearly dead, but he still had the sight as a demi-king.

He had spotted what made Chu He different from everyone else.

His heavy, powerful aura was incomparable to that of a typical demi-king. They might not even be any competition for him.

If someone like that existed in the Xianghuo faction, the Lin family would have been destroyed ages ago. That was certainly not the situation now, where common bandits still did not dare launch their attack even though the elder was just one breath away from death. It was ridiculous.

The Lin family elder's voice was weak, but Chu He could hear him clearly. He replied calmly, "I have a connection with a member of the Lin family, which is why I have come to aid in extending your life. However, your wound is so severe that even with my help, you will only be able to live for another five years. What I can do though, is seal a secret technique within your body. You will be able to attack at full power without any consequences for the next five years."

"Thank you, Senior. Thank you, Senior."

The Lin family elder was inconceivably excited, but he was so weak that his eyes rolled behind his head in his excitement. If Chu He had not given him a hand in time, he might have passed away right then and there."

"Alright, you're already so old but you're still not mindful."

Chu He shook his head.

Then, he waved his hand. A drop of milky-white medicine flew and landed on the Lin family elder's wrinkled forehead.

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Nine Tribulations of the Divine Fists

Immediately, the Lin family elder's body shuddered as a strong aura of life permeated his entire body. Like a plant exposed to heavy rain after a long drought, the Lin family elder's wrinkled skin became fuller at a speed visible to the naked eye.

The deathly energy in his body was suppressed as he slowly regained life.

What Chu He had just used was a drop of life elixir, which he had gained from one of his check-ins.

Its main use was to increase longevity, whilst its side effects were able to heal martial artists who had suffered wounds that had damaged the foundations of their power and caused blood and qi decay.

If the Lin family elder had used the life elixir right after he had gotten injured, his wounds would have healed completely and he would be full of life.

Unfortunately, his injury had been left untreated for too long. As the years passed by, the wounds had sapped the life out of him and the damage was not reversible.

A drop of life elixir was only enough to heal his wounds and replenish a little bit of his life. It was not enough to make up for all the life that had seeped out of his body.

With his current injuries, he would require at least ten drops of life elixir if he wanted to heal completely. Either that or some kind of treasure that could extend a demi-king's life.

However, that was no longer any of Chu He's concern.

The only reason he had taken out a drop of life elixir was for Lin Xueling's sake.

Of course, there was another reason for that. Chu He wanted the elder to hang on for a few more years until Lin Xueling could breakthrough and become a demi-king. Then, no one would dare challenge the Lin family and he could check-in without any worries.

When the medicine was fully digested, Chu He nodded and waved his hand again to retrieve a forbidden technique seal he had claimed during his check-ins. He slapped it onto the Lin family elder's body.

With the seal in place, the old man could fight at full force even if his body was in bad shape.

Once he was done, Chu He put his hands behind his back and left.

The Lin family elder, who had previously been lying on the bed, gave a whoop and leaped to his feet like an inferi.

He could feel a massive change taking place inside his body. All his weakness had disappeared and he could once again feel the long-lost sense of power returning to his body.

"This, this feeling."

The Lin family elder was in disbelief. He felt as if he was dreaming.

Today had started as his last day of being alive.

Who would have thought that just as he was about to take his last breath...

A Senior would appear and place a drop of a mysterious elixir on his forehead that would cause his health to undergo a complete turnaround.

"Thank you for rejuvenating me, Senior."

The Lin family elder stood and placed one fist in the other hand as he bowed deeply in the direction Chu He had departed, a respectful and grateful expression on his face.

That Senior had rejuvenated him.

"Family… Family Elder, are you alright now?"

Just then, the rest of the Lin family who was at the secret temple regained control over their bodies after Chu He left. They hurriedly rushed toward the family elder and crowded around him.

As they looked at the Lin family elder, who had been restored to normal, they turned to gaze at the door to the secret temple in unison. Looks of horror appeared on their faces when they recalled how scary the incident had been.

"Send out the fake news of my death tomorrow so that we can bait the bandits out of hiding. I shall make full use of the energy I have now that there are an additional five years for me."

"We need to be thorough with it if we're putting on a show. We can't let anyone find out. Don't announce it with great fanfare, but be secretive. It will be more believable that way."

The Lin family elder calmed down from his euphoria and instantly began making plans.

The Senior had given him an additional five years to live, and he would not be in a half-dead state but rather one where he could fight with full force. He would not let the Senior down.

Five years was not much.

He had to do his best in getting rid of obstacles for the Lin family whilst he could still move.

...

Chu He returned to the book depository.

It was past midnight now and could be regarded as the arrival of a new day. The checkpoint panel would be refreshed and activated now.

Ding! Successful check-in. Rewarded with Nine Tribulations of the Divine Fists.

The system panel was refreshed after that.

Chu He touched the golden book on the system panel using his consciousness. A simple introduction to the Nine Tribulations of the Divine Fists immediately appeared in his mind.

The Nine Tribulations of the Divine Fists were extremely powerful and suited him well. There were nine levels to it in total.

Its effects were simple.

It was power that could stack on top of each other layer by layer.

The power would double with every additional layer that was stacked on.

The first level was not much, but the more you went on, the scarier and more obscene the power became.

This power was worth cultivating.

Chu He retrieved the secret golden scroll from the System Space and slapped it against his forehead.

Instantly, he felt his brain waves vibrating as the Nine Tribulations of the Divine Fists began taking place inside him. A vast ocean of knowledge entered his mind, turning into a set of information for him to comprehend.

Chu He shut his eyes as he immersed himself within the information.

A long while later, he opened his eyes, a glint of intelligence visible within them.

He had cultivated the entire first level of the Nine Tribulations.

Chu He clenched his fists together, suddenly itching to try it out.

After some thought, he waved his hand and placed two formations on the ground. Then, feeling that it was not safe enough, he added another three.

These formations were all for defense. Each one of them could hold against a full-force attack from a fifth-level king.

He waited for the formations to settle into place.

Chu He raised an arm and threw a punch into the void.

The force of the punch flew from his fist and grew in size as it collided with the air after leaving his fist. Within seconds, it expanded to look like the silhouette of Gold Hill.

It landed on the first formation with a bang. The formation did not even fight against it for an instant before it shattered to the ground in pieces along with its array plate. Then, it shattered the second, third, and fourth one before a sign of a struggle was visible. The punch still had the strength left to shatter the fifth one and would have destroyed the entire Lin Mansion and half of Lin City if Chu He had not waved a hand to disperse it.

It was just the first level, but it was already immensely powerful. Not bad.

Chu He nodded his approval for this power. He felt that this one would earn a spot in his top ten favorite powers, amongst the many others he possessed.

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Anti-Lin Alliance

The next day, shocking news spread from the dark corners of the Lin mansion and traveled at light speed amongst those who were interested.

The Lin family elder, who had been seriously wounded, has passed away.

The oldest genuine king of the Xia clan had reached the end of his life.

Many had expected it, but that did not stop them from sighing in sorrow.

However, the Lin family denied the rumor and made it clear that not only was this rumor baseless, but their family elder was going to celebrate his two hundred and eleventh birthday in a hundred days. They would host a grand party where the Lin family elder would make an appearance and debunk the rumors himself.

However, even as they made this announcement, the Lin family withdrew their clan's forces closer to home. Members of their clan who had been stationed outside either went into hiding or returned to Lin City.

The way they acted was so shifty that others were even more convinced that the Lin family elder had indeed died.

Immediately, the sky above Lin City was covered in dark clouds as winds and storms threatened to make their presence known.

Even normal people who were not in the know could tell that the atmosphere in Lin City had grown inexplicably heavier.

Those who knew better had already packed their bags and left Lin City with their family for the time being. Lin City was about to get caught in a whirlpool of crisis.

...

Ten days later.

A large camp was built three hundred miles away from Lin City. Teams of horsemen slowly joined the camp.

Large groups of them were stationed in different places, whilst all the leaders were welcomed warmly toward the leader's tent.

It was a crowded place here, with people asking after each other and catching up with old friends.

Some were cursing each other's mothers loudly, while others even drew knives when they spotted a long-time enemy.

They were all from different parts of the Lin commandery.

However, they were all here for the same reason.

As part of the Anti-Lin Alliance.

The Xianghuo faction had sought to unite the power of all the clans that were holding a grudge against the Lin family.

They were ready to defeat the weakened Lin family and take a bite from the carcass of the huge family. When they all had eaten their fill, they would take revenge.

"Haha, I never thought that the high and mighty Lin family would have this day. This is awesome…"

A built man holding a dadao raised his head toward the skies as he bellowed with laughter. He could not contain his excitement.

"Hmph! My third younger brother once fell in love at first sight with a girl and was about to bring her home to tie the knot when they were spotted by one of the older members of the Lin family. They were jealous of how handsome and charismatic he was, so beat him to death with one slap! That was beyond repugnant and I've held onto this grudge for twenty whole years. Now, I can finally get revenge and my brother can rest in peace in heaven!"

The man who spoke was another elder polishing his pike. He had an excited, greedy expression on his face even though he was discussing revenge.

To him, getting revenge was the second priority. His main goal was to have soup and meat.

If it were not for the invitation extended by the Xianghuo faction, he would have forgotten the grudge he held regarding his younger brother.

Besides, even if he remembered, he would not dare to pick a fight with the weakened Lin family if the Xianghuo faction had not taken the lead.

It was different now. If someone else took the lead, all he had to do was follow and yell out their slogan. He would still be able to gorge himself silly that way.

"Alright guys, you can catch up another day. Put your grudges aside for now. You can continue when the Lin family is exterminated."

A man wearing a silver mask and who was sitting at the fore waved an arm as he addressed the crowd in a low voice.

"Almost everyone's here now. We should discuss what will happen when we attack Lin City."

He continued speaking when everyone quieted down.

"Messenger, there's nothing to discuss here. Few of us here were born into a military family. We're all just comrades who don't care for army formations. All you have to do is give the command and we'll charge at Lin City with our knives!" the man holding a dadao said loftily.

"Sounds good."

"Awesome."

Many nodded in agreement, finding what he had said to be logical.

Xianghuo faction's messenger, the man with a silver mask, took a look around and found that the majority were on the dadao man's side. Those who were not on his side did not seem to want to speak.

The corners of his lips twitched, hidden behind his mask.

What a bunch of sheep with no minds of their own.

"In my opinion, the Lin family is merely average. Now that the old man is dead, we can exterminate them any time we like. We're already at the outskirts of Lin City, and the Lin family will be exterminated within a day or so. However, I don't think we've discussed what we'll do with the Lin family's fortune once they're dead."

Just then, someone in the crowd spoke up

When the others heard that, everyone in the tent felt a burst of energy flowing through them. Their eyes widened and glinted as they stared at the messenger.

Why had these people answered the Xianghuo faction's call and rushed over from all over the world despite the great distance?

To get revenge?

That was one of the reasons, and it was also the one they yelled the loudest when asked.

However, everyone knew that this was not the main reason.

Perhaps some truly regarded revenge as their main goal, but that was the minority.

Most of them just wanted to gain some benefits for themselves by taking advantage of the fact that the Lin family was weakened and someone else would do the dirty work for them.

They were most interested in dividing the spoils!

"Don't worry, the faction has long since considered this. This time, when we exterminate the Lin family, you can take whatever you want. Finders keepers!"

"Let me make this clear. Before the Lin family is fully exterminated, no one is allowed to attack anyone within this team for treasures. Everyone will be permitted to attack whoever violates this rule."

The silver-masked messenger huffed coolly as he spoke in a low voice.

"Alright!"

"Agreed!"

Everyone below the stage nodded in agreement as they rubbed their hands together. They could hardly wait.

"Let's go!"

I Will Die For My Family

A storm was approaching outside.

However, it was quiet within the Lin family's book depository.

Chu He held an anthology of martial arts in his arms as he lounged in the recliner and read with great interest.

Suddenly, he closed the book and turned his eyes toward the door.

Not a moment too soon.

Lin Xueling was wearing a fire-red chain mail and held a longsword. Her long, dark, and shiny hair had been tied up and stuffed into her helmet. Only a few strands of baby hair that she had missed drifted across her face.

She strode into the book depository.

"What's with the get-up, girl?" Chu He asked in surprise.

"Brother Lil Chu, the family elder is dead now. Many bandits are now gathered outside of Lin City because they want to destroy my family, the Lin family. Today, I fight with the Lin family. I will fight for my family."

Lin Xueling had a determined expression on her face as she uttered each word clearly. At that very moment, she seemed to have quite a bit of heroism in her.

"Your family elder is dead? Who told you that?"

Chu He raised an eyebrow in confusion.

He had just used a drop of life elixir to extend Lin Zhennan's life ten days ago.

When he left, he had sensed that the escape of the old man's life had been curbed, and his life had been extended.

Had he gotten into trouble yet again?

He had not sensed any powerful figures coming to cause trouble in Lin Mansion lately though!

Could it be that despite his renewed health, Lin Zhennan had run out and brought death upon himself because he could not sit still?

The expression on Chu He's face faltered as he shut his eyes and focused his senses.

Then, he opened his eyes. A creepy expression appeared on his face.

He had sensed Lin Zhennan's breaths.

He was perfectly fine. Nothing was wrong with him.

"No one told me that, but everyone's talking about it outside. Father and the rest of them deny it and have even forbidden such rumors within the family."

"But… my sister and I have not seen the family elder ever since news of his death got out, and we weren't allowed to go visit him. Keeping both that and the family elder's health in mind, I naturally came to the answer!' Lin Xueling said sadly.

"Is that so!"

Chu He slapped the book against his palm lightly. His brain spun in thought before he realized what Lin Zhennan must have been thinking.

He only had five years of his life left.

If he thought about it differently, from Lin Zhennan's perspective, the thing he would most want to do now would be to get rid of the Lin family's lurking enemies.

He must have pretended to be dead and ambush them all when they came running at him. It was not a bad plan at all.

"Little girl, the Lin family is not going to collapse any time soon. Even if it does, someone older will take charge. It's not your turn to do so yet. Why don't you read at my place for now? Perhaps everything will blow over when you're done with your book!"

Chu He smiled as he spoke.

"How can I do that?"

This time, Lin Xueling, who had always been obedient, shook her head.

"I've already mastered the Precelestial Seventh Erudition and will soon master the Eighth. Didn't you say that I could take on someone who's mastered the Ninth Erudition with my skills, Brother Lil Chu?"

"I'm one of the seniors in the Lin family now."

"If the Lin family is going to collapse, I need to go support it and make sure that such a thing doesn't happen."

Lin Xueling raised her head and spoke with determination.

Her battle skills were almost on the same level as someone who had mastered the Ninth Erudition, and she would be considered one of the best masters in the Lin family.

How could she run off when the Lin family was on the verge of annihilation?

If the Lin family was about to collapse, she would hold it upright with her own two hands.

If bandits looked at the Lin family the wrong way, she would dye her spear red with their blood as a warning.

She...

Was also one of the seniors in the Lin family now!

She could fight for her family.

She could save the day.

Lin Xueling felt her blood pumping as the urge to battle glowed in her eyes. The chain mail she was wearing clinked as she moved.

????

How dumb!

Chu He clapped a hand to his forehead, at a loss for words when he looked at how Lin Xueling was getting ready to change the Lin family's fate.

"Alright, I'm leaving now. Take care, Brother Lil Chu."

Lin Xueling turned around.

She left the book depository with the air of a fighting soldier who knew she might not return.

Chu He shook his head as he watched Lin Xueling's retreating figure.

She could do as she liked!

The Lin family elder was perfectly fine. The family was not going to collapse yet. Nevertheless, with her skills, she would not get into trouble even if she went into battle.

Chu He flipped the book open and continued reading the story he had not yet finished.

...

That afternoon, both the horses and people of the Anti-Lin Alliance used their own methods to approach and surround Lin City.

They were not systematic, and the entire scene was one of chaos as teams clambered over each other.

Different flags waved in the air, accompanied by the shouts of various people. It sounded like a pack of howling wolves.

They looked like a bunch of sheep who were easy targets.

However, that was all an illusion.

In reality, these people were even harder to fight than an elite army.

They were all martial artists who were pretty skilled at their trade.

There were tens of thousands of them, but they emanated the bloodlust of an army of a million. It had nearly become a solid dark cloud that had shrouded Lin City in darkness.

The alliance did not attack the city the minute they arrived.

They were waiting.

Lin City was the Lin family's old lair. There were not many citizens in there, just about two million of them, but the city was built to look like a militarian city. The walls were ten feet tall, and equipped with iron crossbows all across the top. It was not difficult for the powerful masters in the alliance to destroy them, but they would suffer massive losses if they were to force their way through.

Thus, they kept to their plan.

Before they attacked the city, some Xianghuo faction masters who had long since been lying in wait inside Lin City would first create a distraction that would attract the Lin family's masters. Then, the alliance troops outside would swarm the city and, by combining forces with the army both within and outside the city, they would take down Lin City at the lowest price possible.

It was a great, ideal plan.

However.

An accident occurred.

An hour later.

In the battle formation that was moving, a group of powerful leaders was staring at the silver-masked messenger.

They needed an explanation.

Why had there been no movement in the city after so long? Their subordinates were losing their voices from all the yelling.

It had been agreed that the minute the larger forces arrived, chaos would be caused within the city. Then, an arrow fired into the air would serve as the signal for everyone to storm Lin City.

However, they were now almost blinded by the rising sun, but there was still not even the slightest spark in the sky.

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The War Begins

"There was an accident in the city, and the powerhouses who were in there waiting to ambush have been ambushed instead!"

The silver-masked messenger let out a sigh.

The plan had failed.

The Lin family was more deeply involved in the operations of Lin City than they had thought.

Their powerhouses had sneaked in since long ago.

Inside, they had led the lives of ordinary people.

Just waiting for the right moment to make their move.

Unfortunately, judging from the current situation...

They had thought wrong.

Their plan to coordinate both outside and inside forces had failed, and it was no longer possible for them to destroy Lin City with minimum loss.

The only thing they could do next was to attack at full force.

"Everyone, execute Plan B! Gather the Precelestial Grandmaster powerhouses and climb the city walls by force," the silver-masked messenger said.

Everyone nodded without objection.

This had been their plan from the start. If the Xianghuo Faction had not suggested combining both outside and inside forces, the army would have attacked at full force a long time ago.

...

"It's about to begin!"

In the book depository, Chu He quirked an eyebrow as he raised his head.

It was a rare sight to see tens of thousands of people fighting in a melee.

He could enjoy the sight of the excitement, and could even regard it as some semblance of balance to his uneventful life.

He placed the book in his hand down, stood up, crossed the area in one bound, and was at the top of the Lin family's tallest pavilion, staring at the spectacle.

At this distance, an ordinary person might not be able to see anything. Even a Precelestial Grandmaster would have a hard time spotting it.

However, Chu He could see it all very clearly.

With his chin propped in his palm, he let his gaze sweep across both camps, comparing the advantages and disadvantages they had against each other.

On one hand, the Anti-Lin Alliance's advantage was the sheer number of their people and powerhouses.

Their disadvantage was also obvious. They were a chaotic mess. If it were not for the fact that their individual strengths were abnormal, they would be nothing more than a regular mob.

On the other hand, the Lin family's advantage was that they had the aid of the city walls and were well-trained. Their martial artists were trained in the ways of the military!

Unfortunately, the Lin family's Zhennan Military Troop had been wiped out in Annan. Otherwise, the Zhennan Military Troop would have been there. Even if news regarding the death of the Lin family elder had been spread, it would still have been impossible for the Xianghuo Faction to gather enough people to fight against the Lin family if that were the case!

Currently, only those from the reserves were left defending the city. There were only twenty to thirty thousand of them,?and the number of their powerhouses could not be compared to those of the Anti-Lin Alliance.

"Judging from the situation, it seems like the Lin family is playing with fire! Spreading false news to attract these thugs was good in theory, but to attract so many of them… even if things were to be resolved, the Lin family would still suffer a great loss that would not be worth the gains."

Chu He shook his head.

He felt that if the Lin family did not have a countermeasure prepared, then their actions were too brash and unsafe.

However, after careful deliberation, it seemed excusable.

Lin Zhennan knew that he only had five more years to live.

He did not have the time to play hide-and-seek with these rats in hiding.

No matter what, there was no way to avoid a head-on confrontation.

The longer they dragged it on, the more unfavorable the situation might become.

Therefore, he might as well let it happen sooner.

Where only one party can survive—a fight to the bitter end.

Very soon.

Amidst the screams of the massacre, the Anti-Lin Alliance launched an assault on the city wall.

A black mass shrouded the area like a dark cloud.

Among it, there was a group of people who were especially conspicuous.

With incredible speed, they broke away from the large group and gracefully weaved through thousands of arrows. Once they neared the city wall, they used various maneuvers to avoid all kinds of attacks from the city wall and used Light Body Technique to climb the city wall.

They were all Precelestial powerhouses.

And not just regular Precelestials.

Against such people, ordinary martial artists and military weapons would have minimal effect, even more so when the powerhouses formed a group like this.

Soon, a group of Precelestial powerhouses stood atop the city wall.

At the same time, the Precelestial powerhouses of the Lin family also quickly leaped into action in order to kill them.

A brutally bloody battle began.

A terrifying wave of essential qi wreaked havoc, the city walls were constantly being slashed, and there were figures fighting against each other everywhere, from the sky to the ground.

Soon, some of the Precelestial martial artists had fallen.

A person who was able to become a Precelestial martial artist and earned the title of Grandmaster was someone who could defend an entire region.

However, right now, they were like tiny little soldiers fighting a skirmish.

At this level of battle, ordinary people could not join in at all. They would only get hurt or killed if they even tried.

One figure, in particular, was fully clad in armor and had their face obstructed, but Chu He recognized at a glance that it was the Lin family elder.

He blended in with a group of Precelestial powerhouses from his family and secretly attacked, weaving around the battlefield and using underhanded tricks wherever he could. He did his best to make up for the shortcomings of the Lin family's Precelestial powerhouses, and defeated the Precelestial powerhouses of the Anti-Lin Alliance in the blink of an eye.

"No, we can't fight like this. This war to overthrow the Lin family was led by you guys from the Xianghuo Faction, but you all haven't even done anything yet. This won't do."

Seeing the fierce battle unfolding atop the city walls, as some of the invading army watched the fall of their allied Precelestial powerhouses, they finally could not hold it in any longer.

They did not expect the Lin family's defense to still be this strong.

The Lin family had undoubtedly been weakened and even the powerful and almighty Annan Military Troop is gone! (TN: We believe that this was a typo on the author's part and it should be Zhennan Military Troop instead of Annan Military Troop. However, we have opted to translate it as is.)

They had initially planned to use this to their advantage and make off with some easy spoils, but now, a few too many of their own Precelestials were being killed off, so they were obviously not happy!

"That's right! How can we fight like this? Didn't the Xianghuo Faction say that in this battle against the Lin family, a demi-king will help us suppress them!? Well, where is he?"

"Exactly!"

"What he said!"

"The Xianghuo Faction are the ones leading us, so why are you guys only passively watching on right now? You guys said that you'd combine the inside and outside forces, but we don't even see a shadow. Could it be that you've deliberately deceived us?"

The battle at the top of the city wall became even fiercer. The Precelestials were knocked down from the city wall like dumplings, and it was impossible to tell if they were alive or dead.

Furthermore, most of the people who had fallen were those from the Anti-Lin Alliance.

The major forces were unable to stay still any longer, and some people had even begun to ask their families to withdraw.

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Sinister

The silver-masked messenger's eyebrows furrowed behind his mask. Just when he was about to offer some words to appease the crowd, his ear twitched as if he had just received some news.

"Everyone, don't panic. Our Leader has arrived. Once this old man makes a move, Lin City will fall with just one wave of his hand."

The silver-masked messenger said with a smile as he pressed his hands together.

"It would be great if your Leader could do it himself, just don't wait for an hour like you did just now."

The leaders of a group of forces were visibly calmer.

The Leader of the Xianghuo Faction was a demi-king powerhouse.

That was the highest combat effectiveness of the Xia clan.

A god-like being that could soar the skies and cross the lands.

Within the whole Xia clan, there were few powerhouses of that caliber.

The reason they were willing to follow the Xianghuo Faction to Lin City and obey their commands was that they all wished to see this demi-king's face.

It was also due to the confidence that the demi-king gave them.

However, after their previous anxious waiting, they were worried that the Xianghuo Faction's so-called "soon" would be after their Precelestial Grandmaster powerhouses and the Lin family had both battered each other into defeat.

"Don't worry. Look, our Leader has already made his move."

The silver-masked messenger pointed a finger proudly.

In the sky, they saw an old man wearing a golden python robe and a divine crown, with a golden whip in his hand and his white hair blowing in the wind. The old man stepped in the air and walked toward Lin City one step at a time.

His power was unparalleled.

A strong aura was unleashed, shocking everyone present.

Every step he took brought about an extreme sense of constriction, like a drum repeatedly beating right onto their souls.

"Long live the Leader!"

The silver-masked messenger as well as many of the Xianghuo Faction followers raised their hands high and shouted in unison.

The Anti-Lin Alliance and the Lin family halted their movements as all eyes fell on the Xianghuo Faction Leader.

At that moment, he was at the center of everyone's attention.

"Perish, Lin Family!"

He landed on the city wall, waved his hand, and made his declaration.

Cold and silent.

A powerful momentum radiated from his figure, causing the Anti-Lin Alliance to cheer enthusiastically.

Their king was here! Victory was right before their eyes.

On the Lin family's side, besides the higher-ups who knew about the actual situation, the others displayed hopelessness.

The participation of a demi-king would be the final straw that broke the camel's back.

The Lin family was in danger today.

Lin Xueling was holding a longsword dripping with blood, the desperation in her eyes mixed with determination. She raised the longsword with some difficulty and pointed it at the Xianghuo Faction Leader who was in mid-air.

Today, she would battle a demi-king for the Lin family!

Even if she faced death! She would never retreat!

She expelled the despair from her heart and her indignation kindled, causing her fighting spirit to gradually increase.

However, just when she was about to fly up—

"You're really good, young girl! I did not expect that my Lin family would have such a heroic leader like you. Good, good, good, there's hope for the Lin family in the future!"

A wrinkly old hand pulled her back.

"You'll have a chance to fight for the Lin family in the future. Right now, I'm still here, and I can handle it."

Lin Zhennan burst out laughing.

Then, he looked up, his eyes steely.

"I've been waiting for you! You finally showed yourself, you bastard!"

An even stronger power radiated from Lin Zhennan's body as he locked onto the Xianghuo Faction Leader.

Right after he finished speaking, a formation was opened, trapping the Xianghuo Faction Leader. At the same time, Lin Zhennan flew up and stood opposite the Xianghuo Faction Leader. With a shake of his body, he discarded the heavy armor, revealing his true appearance.

"Lin Zhennan! How are you not dead?"

The Xianghuo Faction Leader could not maintain his indifference and exclaimed loudly.

The tables had turned.

The appearance of the Lin family elder stunned everyone, especially the Alliance, who began to panic!

The Lin family elder, a veteran demi-king, was far more terrifying than the Xianghuo Faction Leader.

As fellow demi-kings, his superiority over the Xianghuo Faction Leader was like a grandfather and his grandson. The gap was just too big!

If it were not for that, the Xianghuo Faction Leader would not have been afraid to do anything earlier knowing that the elder was severely injured and uncertain how much strength he could still unleash.

Now that the Lin family elder, who should have been dead, appeared before them alive, there was no way they could contain their panic.

On the other hand, when the Lin family saw their elder appear, their desperation and low morale were swept away in an instant. They cheered excitedly, and their fighting spirit soared.

Lin Xueling was so moved that she wept tears of joy.

Only God knew how much pressure she had put on herself. Now that their elder had appeared, she suddenly felt the heavy burden on her shoulders lightened.

"Hmph! So what if you're not dead? The source of your martial skills has been damaged, and you can't unleash much of your power!"

The Xianghuo Faction Leader stayed strong and calm.

"Then, just watch and see."

The Lin family elder attacked. A pair of iron fists turned into a blur and shot ferociously at the Xianghuo Faction Leader.

"No way! Your power—"

The Lin family elder, who was able to exert all his strength, rendered the Xianghuo Faction Leader unable to fight back. The faction leader exclaimed in disbelief.

He wanted to flee.

However, due to the defensive formations, he could only let himself be chased by the Lin family elder and pounded to oblivion, with nowhere to run.

He let out shriek after shriek.

His golden python robe was shredded, his white hair a mess, his divine crown had long fallen off to who-knows-where, and he continuously spat blood out from his mouth.

"This…"

The Anti-Lin Alliance was in a panic!

Not only was the Lin family elder not dead, but he was as vigorous as ever.

The all-powerful Demi-King Xianghuo Faction Leader had no power to fight back against him.

No one had expected this!

"The Lin family elder had clearly taken serious damage. This was something that everyone has confirmed, so what's with this situation now?"

"Nevermind the fact that he isn't dead! His power doesn't seem to have been affected at all!"

"Didn't the Xianghuo Faction guarantee us with absolute assurance that he was dead? So what's this now?"

Someone from the Alliance snarled at the silver-masked messenger.

Some people were doubting everything and could barely believe what was happening.

"Lin Zhennan! If you let me go, I'll write off the enmity between the Xianghuo Faction and the Lin family in the future. We will mind our own business without interfering with one another!"

The Xianghuo Faction Leader groaned miserably, trying to reconcile with the other.

"Ha!"

Lin Zhennan let out a huff of disdain.

The meaning was obvious.

Wanting to reconcile at a time like this would only happen in his dreams.

No, not even in his dreams.

He was no fool. How could he let the tiger retreat to its mountain when the situation was in his favor?

"You bastard!"

"You're the one who made me do this!"

"Today! Either the fish dies, or the net breaks!" (TN: this is an idiom meaning that only one of them will survive.)

The Xianghuo Faction Leader sprayed blood into the sky, and his face darkened.

There was a look of struggle and defiance in his eyes.

"The fish will die, but the net won't break. How sturdy indeed!"

Lin Zhennan let out a cold laugh.

"Hmph!"

The Xianghuo Faction Leader said no more, and the original struggling look in his eyes dissipated, revealing a look of resolution.

How detestable!

He had conspired for so long, but now he had no choice but to expose himself.

He was afraid that the Xianghuo Faction, which had been operating for so many years, could not blend in with the Xia Clan anymore!

"Come at me!"

The Xianghuo Faction Leader, who had been chased all over the place, suddenly stopped and raised his hands high. His originally pure aura was suddenly entangled by black energy, and strips of black silk slithered out of him, swift like the ink of a master calligraphy artist. How terrifying!

...

"Such a sinister aura, it sure makes you feel uneasy!"

Chu He—who was a good distance away—frowned, and he suddenly had a bad feeling.

The smell that wafted from a distance was like that of black silk taken off the feet of a man with terrible foot odor. One whiff was enough to make you feel nauseous.

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Five Explosive Punches

"The foreign clans!"

Lin Zhennan looked at the Xianghuo Faction Leader, who had suddenly transformed, with a solemn expression.

He tried to continue his assault, but all the power he launched was swallowed up completely like mud in a sea.

"Hmph!"

"I originally wanted to take down the Lin family and use the Lin Commandery as the foundation for my clan. I didn't expect things to turn out like this!"

"Forget it. Just eat until you're full, then we'll talk about other things."

Ah…!

Outside the city, half of the Xianghuo Faction followers let out shrill howls.

Suddenly, as if their bodies had spontaneously combusted, they were rapidly burned to a crisp, and plumes of black smoke emerged from them.

"Messenger, everyone!"

Faced with such an alarming turn of events, the expressions of the troops from the Anti-Lin Alliance darkened drastically.

The Xianghuo Faction was actually all from foreign clans.

This was something they had never expected!

They were from the foreign clans!

Once news of today's events gets out, all of them who participated would have no way of surviving in the Xia Kingdom.

The king would order for all of them to be killed.

Colluding with the foreign clans was an unforgivable sin, and no one would listen to their explanation.

"Don't look at me, I didn't know either!"

The silver-masked messenger was also terrified, shaking his head repeatedly.

He was a regular human.

He just played a role in which he led those on the outside to charge into battle and break through the enemy's frontlines.

The core members of the Xianghuo Faction were from the foreign clans, but they could not use their full strength easily. Once they used their full strength, they would definitely be exposed, so they had subdued many powerhouses to do their bidding for them.

At this moment, their clan leader had been exposed, so naturally, there was no need for them to hide any longer.

The Anti-Lin Alliance was sent into a frenzy.

The foreign clan members had started attacking them.

The foreign clan members seemed to feed on the people's hearts, and the victims did not know what methods were being used against them.

The martial artists of the Anti-Lin Alliance found that they could not defend themselves against these foreign clan members and were slaughtered one-sidedly.

Their hearts were dug out—they turned out to be black—and were swallowed by the foreign clan members to increase their own strength.

And now.

Toward the city walls.

Several monstrous figures moved at the same time, flying up and breaking open the formation arranged by the Lin family, then they surrounded Lin Zhennan in unison.

"Lin Zhennan, I don't know how you managed to survive, but that doesn't matter anymore."

"Because today, you must perish!" the Xianghuo Faction Leader said solemnly.

Today, they had no choice but to reveal their true identity, so they could no longer stay in the Xia clan.

This was a good place.

He once thought that this was the place where their clan could resurge.

To this end, he had been cautious again and again, planning every last detail before putting it into action.

He never took any risks.

Unfortunately, he did not expect that everything would fall at the hands of a dead person.

How detestable.

...

At the same time.

The Xia clan, the heart of the Imperial City, observatory.

An old man who had been seated drowsily in a reclining chair raised his head abruptly, his eyes flashing brightly, and he looked at a Topographical Diagram of the Kingdom not far in front of him.

"How dare they! Five foreign clan demi-kings."

He stood up and stepped out of the observatory.

...

"Today, we slaughter this city!"

The Xianghuo Faction Leader let out these harsh words.

Chu He, who had already been very annoyed by the demonic Qi fumes from a distance, became furious after hearing this!

What was this!

The odor from your body was already one thing!

Now you also want to massacre the city?

You want to disrupt me from punching in my checkpoint???

Such a speech made Chu He, who had been feeling indifferent, now feel intense anger in his heart.

Since there was this fury in his heart, he would of course have to let it out.

It was not good to bottle these things up, after all.

Chu He clenched his palms into fists and delivered five consecutive punches.

Nine Tribulations of the Divine Fists.

He did not unleash his full strength for this attack, only the amount of power a demi-king should possess.

The power of his punches rose with the wind and tore through space as it traveled.

In an instant, the demonic Qi that enveloped Lin City dissipated, and was enveloped by an even more terrifying aura.

A great sense of terror gripped everyone's hearts.

The ones who felt it the strongest were the five foreign clan demi-kings as well as Lin Zhennan.

They were the strongest, so the feeling was the most intense for them.

This aura that suddenly appeared out of nowhere gave him the sense of a fatal crisis.

They turned their heads and simultaneously looked in the direction that the aura came from.

And then—

They saw the image of five golden fists that were increasingly growing in size, piercing through space and heading straight at them.

The fists looked like they were moving really slowly.

However, the five foreign clan demi-kings, who were the targets of the attacks, were surprised to find that when they felt the fists approaching them, they could not move when they tried to evade the attack.

A suppressive force that struck terror in their souls rendered them only capable of helplessly watching as the fists slowly smashed into their bodies.

How terrifying!

How extremely terrifying!!!

This was the great horror that suppressed them on a spiritual level!

"No!"

"Why is there such a terrifying existence here!"

"This aura!"

"An Ultimate Demi-King!"

An Ultimate Demi-King was an existence that could rival that of a genuine king. It was a power that could subdue all clans in this barbaric land.

These individuals had already begun to comprehend the will of martial arts.

This was the difference between them and ordinary demi-kings.

With the boost from the will of martial arts, their combat effectiveness would be doubled, so if ordinary demi-kings were to fight against them, the demi-kings' strength will be absorbed by the will of martial arts and greatly reduced while the other side's strength will grow, forming a crushing imbalance.

Ordinary demi-kings would be no match in their presence.

Currently, the aura radiating from these five fists was so terrifying that the five demi-kings could not even dodge them. This was the pinnacle of an Ultimate Demi-King, the kind that was truly invincible.

Punch! Punch! Punch! Punch! Punch!

The afterimages of the five fists flashed, and the five monstrous foreign clan members were blown up. Their remains disintegrated into ashes, and nothing remained of them.

Even up to the point of his death, the Xianghuo Faction Leader did not understand how such a terrifying Ultimate Demi-King appeared in such a place.

Was it not said that the Xia clan only had three Ultimate Demi-Kings?

Was it not said that these individuals were all guarding the most critical borders?

Why did one of them suddenly appear here?

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There Was An Ulitmate Demi-King Elder Guarding The Lin Family

A deathly hush fell over the scene!

The war zone that was initially hyped up and chaotic suddenly became dead silent.

Those five punches were as big as a grinding disc.

A punch that killed off those demi-kings of the other ethnicity.

Everyone was thunderstruck!

The men of Anti-Lin Alliance were dumbfounded. Their limbs went icy cold as they did not expect them joining forces to annihilate the Lin family would result in an encounter with such a horrifying existence.

They were so scared that they could have peed in their pants!

'This is terrible!'

'This is really terrible!!!'

They regretted everything. They should not have harbored ill intentions against the Lin family. They should have just obeyed them.

'This is truly terrifying!'

They swore silent oaths that if they managed to return home alive, they would always take a large detour whenever they met with someone with the Lin family name.

Lin Zhennan, who was hovering in mid-air, felt his body stiffen as his body gradually descended to the ground.

Even though those five terrifying punches were not directed at him, and it was even specifically meant to take a turn to avoid him, he still could feel the suffocating sensation within his soul at such a close distance.

He was unable to make his breathing rate settle down.

Those five punches were way too terrifying and it made his mind go blank.

If one of those five punches were targeting him, no, even if it was just half of a punch, he would also end up dead for sure. He did not have the slightest bit of confidence that he would be able to defend against it.

The people of the Lin family were feeling utter astonishment which was also accompanied with some delight.

They never expected that their family would have such an overwhelming person with such a background guarding this place.

Their emotions that had become agitated following the appearance of the five demi-kings of foreign clans calmed down once again.

However, after experiencing such a huge fluctuation in their emotions, when things that made them hyped up occurred, they could not bring themselves to feel the excitement. Instead, they were emotionally drained.

Things were way too exciting as the tables continuously kept being turned around.

Lin Xueling's long brows were knitted in a frown. She looked up at the sky with her gaze filled with anticipation.

'How nice will it be if I can be this powerful one day!'

"I can't tell if Lil Chu is that powerful. Perhaps this means that he has started making a move."

In the meantime, a vague idea flashed past her mind.

Regardless of whether or not Chu He would agree to it, to Lin Xueling, he was also a powerhouse.

The other foreign clan members whose bodies had become huge and were gleefully murdering the people nearby were suddenly dumbfounded as they let out a chilling shriek.

'What's wrong?'

'We've already grown so huge, but where are the five elders?'

'Why did they suddenly go missing?'

'Not even a glimpse of them?'

'Illusion, it must be an illusion!'

They were not willing to accept such a terrifying outcome.

However, no matter how much they tried to deny the fact, they blinked their eyes, thinking through it over and over.

The bloody fact was still presented in front of them.

The five strong elders were indeed gone for good!

Not even a trace of them could be seen!

"Run! Hurry and run for your life!"

Some of the men from the foreign clans snapped out of their trance, and they roared at their colleagues, urging them to flee the scene.

The existence that hid within the shadows was way too frightening.

They had no intention to seek revenge over such a power that could instantly finish off their five elders. They only wanted to run for their lives, the sooner the better.

Hence, with a burst of roars, a group of foreign clan members who had regained their senses bolted away from Lin City, frantically running for their lives.

Following the fleeing of the foreign clans, the group of leaders of the Alliance that planned to take down the Lin family also snapped out of their daze. They had the same thinking, and at the same time, they all gave orders to their respective organization to retreat.

The back troops became the frontliners and everyone started shoving each other as they ran for their lives. The scene was utter chaos.

"Haha! Die, you evil beings!"

Lin Zhennan recovered from his state of shock. He composed his emotions and let out a huge burst of laughter.

However, he did not just keep on laughing away.

He, who had experienced countless wars, knew well that it was currently the perfect opportunity to strike down the evils.

Hence, Lin Zhennan was decisive and gave the order to hunt them down.

Like a hawk, he leaped into the air and took the lead to hunt the retreating army.

At that moment, the Anti-Lin Alliance and the foreign clans had lost their will to fight. The Lin family would just kill them off wherever they were.

No one stayed back at the scene.

Everyone was only thinking of running away faster than the other.

There were even some who pulled underhanded tricks to force those in front of them to end up at the back lines.

That demonstrated the extent of their orderliness, and that was also one of the differences that defined an organization comprising lawless people.

When the elites were being hunted, they would stay very organized even in retreat, and someone would stay behind to hold the fort.

As for an organization of lawless thugs, they still could manage if the war went on smoothly, but if they were to face defeat, their forces would be like a strong current, unable to hold their ground and just rushing away.

It was a one-sided massacre.

The slaughter continued till it was nighttime.

Fresh blood was seen throughout thousands of miles of land, and the ground was littered with corpses.

The military troops of the Anti-Lin Alliance and the foreign clans were all being beaten to death one by one, and only a small fraction of them managed to scatter to other places.

Up to that moment, the attempt of annihilating the Lin family came to an ending no one had expected.

Meanwhile, the Godly Troops, who had rushed over to surround them, noticed that there was a king's aura amongst the foreign clan members within the lands of the Xia clan, and went on to spread that news.

The whole world was flabbergasted.

Who could have expected that the Lin family, which nearly faced annihilation, would still have such a terrifying backup despite the destruction of the Annan military troop and Lin Zhennan being heavily injured? Also, the local organization could not even take control over the land of the Lin Commandery. (TN: We believe that this was a typo on the author's part and it should be Zhennan Military Troop instead of Annan Military Troop. However, we have opted to translate it as it is.)

The family turned out to have an Ultimate Demi-King guarding the fort.

Just as importantly, it turned out that Lin Zhennan's injury was not as serious as mentioned in the rumors.

He could jump around and even fight!!!

At that moment, all powers of the Xia clan started eyeing the Lin family once again.

The Lin family was still the top family of the Xia clan.

They did not deteriorate after the destruction of the Annan Military Troops. Instead, because of the Ultimate Demi-King guarding the place, it made others more terrified of them than ever.

When faced with other people's tentative pestering and curiosity, Lin Zhennan dealt with them ambiguously, leaving the public in an uncertain daze.

In fact, Lin Zhennan himself was flustered as well, as he had yet to make clear what had happened.

In regards to that Ultimate Demi-King, there was indeed some connection with the Lin family, but he did not know who the person was.

Even though he had seen him before, it was just as if he had not seen him at all.

It may sound almost weird but it was the truth.

Lin Zhennan made a wild guess. On that day, the one who made a move must have been the senior who rescued him.

And that senior self-proclaimed that he had a connection to one of the clansmen of the Lin family.

However, he had no idea who that person was, or what the name of that senior was, or what he looked like.

It was pointless to ask him!

On top of that, whether or not that senior was even still in the Lin family, Lin Zhennan had no answer to that.

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?Chapter 19: Lin Xueling Breaking Through

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

Regardless of what the outsiders speculated about the Ultimate Demi-King.

Chu He was at the book depository and did not take any action.

That day, he had only made a move purely because his nose was feeling twitchy from the demonic Qi and he took action to make him feel better.

To him, those punches that the outsiders deemed as being nightmarish were just casually tossed out, and he even had tried his best to suppress his ability. 2

After the incident, he continued cultivating quietly, reading books, which was all very comfortable to him.

The spring season was over and currently, it was autumn. Without even realizing it, another ten years had already passed by.

Chu He was now 38-years-old. He had been in the book depository for a whole 24 years, or perhaps longer than that. 1

At that moment, he had already cultivated to the point of Ninth Level of the Third Turn and was heading toward the Fourth Turn. 4

He was not in a hurry to breakthrough.

Instead, he was gradually accumulating knowledge.

For the past ten years, a lot of changes had taken place in the Lin family. 1

The crisis was over, and it was replaced with an energetic vibe, which was way better than it had been previously.

After coming face to face with a crisis that threatened to annihilate them, everyone started to cultivate seriously.

Five years ago, the Lin family elder, Lin Zhennan, had reached the limit of his life expectancy and he passed away. The Lin family did not hide the truth. Instead, they organized a grand burial ceremony.

Numerous powers throughout the land came forth after being invited and offered their respect.

As for Lin Xueling, after that great war to defend the Lin family, her cultivation was exposed, making the entire Lin family both astonished and delighted.

However, as the little brat kept Chu He's orders in her mind, she was not allowed to blurt out his identity as her mentor. Hence, the entire Lin family was unsure about the truth behind how her ability suddenly became so powerful. They tentatively believed her claim that it was because she had bumped into a powerhouse, and that person transferred his powers into her.

After all, it was a known fact that there was an overwhelming being hidden amongst the Lin family!

For these few years, a lot of people from the Lin family were focusing their attention on her.

Wherever she went would be the topic of discussion. Whatever she did would always invite praises from all parties.

Many organizations had also come to know about her. Numerous parties had come flooding the entrance of the Lin mansion to request a diplomatic marriage.

Yet, all of them were rejected!

None of them caught the eyes of Lin Xueling, and the Lin family was not willing to accept them as well.

Not knowing when it had started, a rumor started spreading around town-that Lin Xueling had a crush who was a handyman in the book depository.

That incident had caused havoc before finally settling down.

Lin Xueling showed up personally and ruthlessly taught a lesson to those who were obviously going to seek trouble for Chu He.

As for the people who had schemed to make a move within the shadows, they were dead long ago.

At that period of time, Chu He could not read his books in peace, which made him very frustrated.

He was just a handyman in the book depository, seeking tranquility.

Fortunately, as time passed by, the intensity of this incident reduced before things finally quieted down.

...

On that night, Lin Xueling went to look for Chu He.

"Lil Chu, I think I've accumulated more than enough, and I can no longer hold it. I think I can breakthrough!" 5

"Then go ahead and breakthrough! I got your back," Chu He said as he nodded.

Currently, the essential qi within Lin Xueling's body was extremely active and was at the brink of bursting through her body just to escape.

These few years, she was also learning oil painting with Chu He, and she really could no longer control it! 3

From being a Precelestial master to becoming a genuine king was one hell of a journey full of hardship. Pursuing martial arts was truly dangerous. 2

There were lots of people who ended up failing along this journey. Many of those who had succeeded eventually took the wrong path. A person who should have been able to become a genuine king ended up becoming a demi-king instead.

They took the wrong path, yet they did not realize it. When they wanted to return to the right path, it was many times harder for them to do so.

Given any ordinary situation, if one were to break through, they would have to get lots of things prepared. Besides, they would need to have their family dispatch some powerhouses to protect them, in case any accident were to happen.

However, Lin Xueling had complete faith in Chu He. Apart from him, she did not tell anyone else regarding this issue.

Chu He brought Lin Xueling to a bedroom, and immediately took out three tablets and gave them to her. 1

Those were the Genuine King Breakthrough Tablets.

It could increase the probability of one breaking through and becoming a genuine king. It could also increase one's knowledge and could protect one's memory and physique, allowing the chance of failing to break through to be minimized.

Chu He had already obtained a few bottles of these tablets when he was a Precelestial.

However, the Golden Nine Turns that he was cultivating were an exception. It seemed that those tablets were useless to him. At that time, when he was about to break through, he had gobbled up a few tablets before proceeding, but the effects were not obvious. 1

He placed the remaining ones back in the System Space.

To him, who had attained the stage of Ninth Level of the Third Turn, those Genuine King Breakthrough Tablets were no different than any other sweets.

Currently, he was able to take them out to train the little brat.

Lin Xueling took the tablets. Without asking further, she swallowed the tablets obediently. 4

Under the protection of Chu He, she began to breakthrough.

Chu He placed both his hands behind him and focused his attention on Lin Xueling. He possessed such tremendous ability that even if he did not rely on his instinct, he was still able to fully grasp her situation of breaking through. If there was an accident, he would be able to take action immediately.

Lin Xueling's breakthrough went on smoothly.

Following a deep whistling sound, a sharp sense of fighting spirit that exerted a strong pressure had appeared within that tiny bedroom.

The Genuine King Realm was a success!

Chu He waved his hands and blocked all vision, extinguishing it.

Or else, this tiny room could not afford to be involved in any trouble.

After a long time, Lin Xueling opened her eyes. Within her bright vision, a sharp ray came spreading out in all directions.

"So this is the realm of a demi-king? It's totally different from being ordinary!!" Lin Xueling said softly.

She was under the assumption that she managed to break through into the realm of demi-king. Never would she suspect that she was already a full-fledged king.

She had no prior experience in this aspect.

Chu He laughed when he heard her words but did not give any explanation.

'Just wait till this brat faces a real demi-king. I'm afraid she will be shocked when that happens.'

Initially, she would make all the necessary preparations. She would bring along a feeling of anxiety, she was perturbed and lacked confidence, as she came to battle it out with a veteran demi-king.

She would make her move with all her might.

She would swing her sword, and it even terrified the heavens.

The veteran demi-king, who initially was standing haughtily before her, would suddenly find his body fumbled. He did not even let out a shriek of pleading for his life and was immediately slaughtered.

Lin Xueling would then be left standing alone on the spot, dumbfounded. Despite cracking her head thinking about it, she could not even figure out what happened.

As he pictured how the scene would play out, Chu He could not help but smile pleasantly.

'I guess it will be interesting.'

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Chapter 20: Taking Turns

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

"Not bad, a bonafide king at thirty years old! You're probably the only one in the Xia clan!" Chu He said with a smile.

According to what Chu He knew about the situation within the Xia clan, he had not met with any real fighter of the Genuine King Realm. The one with the highest realm was the Ultimate Demi-King, who was only able to match up to a freshly broken through real king.

He was unsure whether or not there were other hidden powerhouses.

At the very least, on the surface, apart from him, Lin Xueling was considered the most special one.

"That's not true! In the Imperial City, there's currently an Ultimate Demi-King elder. When he was young, he managed to enter the Demi-King Realm at the age of twenty-eight. There's still a huge gap if I were to compare with him."

Lin Xueling would not let pride overrule her just because Chu He praised her.

However, she was unaware that the one in the Imperial City was just a demi-king while she was an actual king.

In fact, if she just wanted to break through into the Demi-King Realm, she could have done that a few years ago. Besides, there would not be any risks involved, and need not accumulate for such a long time.

"Oh yeah, Lil Chu, when did you break through into the Demi-King Realm?"

Lin Xueling blinked and asked curiously.

She had long ago confirmed that Chu He was a powerhouse.

Besides, she had never doubted him once. Ten years ago, the one who instantly killed the five powerhouses of the foreign clans with five punches, and the one bestowed her family elder an additional five years of lifespan, was none other than Lil Chu before her.

"I've never broken through into the Demi-King Realm!" said Chu He.

He was stating the fact. He immediately broke through into the Third Turn, which was equivalent to a genuine king. As for the crooked pathway to becoming a demi-king, perhaps he would never need to trek that path.

Lin Xueling was not willing to buy it.

Chu He was able to present her with the tablets needed to break through and even guided her. 'I'm able to enter the Demi-King Realm in such a short period, how can it be possible that his abilities are anything short of overwhelming?'

However, since Chu He would not tell her, she did not ask anymore either.

...

Time passed by very quickly, and in a blink of an eye, another 10 years had passed.

It was the winter solstice season.

Snow covered every surface, and it was a year of harvesting.

It was windy outside. There was also a very thick layer of snow on the ground when the book depository was opened.

Chu He, who was wearing a thin green shirt, came out for a walk. He tucked his hands behind him, allowing the chilling snowflakes to land on his face.

"Today is such nice weather!"

Chu He let out a warm breath.

He was in a nice mood that day.

Regardless of the weather, he could feel comfortable whatever the case.

It had been ten years!

After accumulating for more than ten years, and going into isolation for one month, he managed to break through into the realm of the Fourth Turn just a moment ago.

His cultivation had increased. Even though it was just a natural event, it still made one feel thrilled.

"Lil Chu, you finally ended your isolation?"

Lin Xueling, who had been standing guard at the courtyard beside for a month, revealed a joyful expression as she jumped over to him with just a single step.

Chu He did not need anyone to watch over him when he was isolating himself.

That would be meaningless, after all.

He did not inform Lin Xueling that he was going into isolation. He merely asked her to take over his job to serve the other people of the Lin family while he locked himself up in the book depository for a period of time.

Then, he immediately placed several layers of formations inside and started isolating himself from the world.

The signs led Lin Xueling to the conclusion that Chu He had gone into isolation. Her intelligence was the only reason she managed to guess correctly.

"Yup!"

Chu He nodded with a smile.

Even though he never took the initiative to expose his cultivation, and never even revealed everything when he spoke, on this day he felt he no longer needed to sneak around.

Given his current ability, he was not afraid of other people learning a bit about his ability, even if the news spread throughout the entire Xia clan.

It would be fine as long as they did not know the full extent of it.

It was just like describing his realm in a manner that did not make sense at all. He would not expose the entire situation outright. 'It will be fine if I just make it vague and no one will be able to see through it!'

Currently, he was in the Fourth Turn cultivation. If he were to take action and deal with the Celestial Realm of the Great Wasteland in front of a crowd, he would be able to expose his abilities as the Ultimate Demi-King. 2

That was nothing.

Of course, he would not go out of his way to steal the spotlight. He would at most expose the abilities of this level when others came forth to look for trouble. It would still be best if no one sought any trouble.

'It's always better to live a carefree life without any troubles.'

"Lil Chu, I need to head over to Annan for some time!" said Lin Xueling.

"Be careful. If anything happens, open up the pouches that I gave you."

Chu He nodded and did not say anything save for that single reminder.

Ten years ago, Lin Xueling broke through into the Genuine King Realm, and Chu He did not stop her from demonstrating her abilities in public.

In no time, the people of Lin family had all learned of the fact that she had broken through into the Demi-King Realm.

All of them thought that Lin Xueling was a demi-king. Never once anyone thought of, nor dared to consider that she could be a genuine king.

Even though her combat skills were insane, everyone just thought that she was a natural devil who was stronger than the lord.

It was a given for her to have such overwhelming combating skills.

Later on, as the strongest powerhouse of the Lin family, she shouldered a responsibility-to lead the entire Lin family.

Annan was the borderline for the Xia clan.

It was the Defensive Zone of the Lin, Ji, and Tianshan Swordsman Tribe.

A long time ago, when the elder of Lin family suffered a heavy injury and the annihilation of the Zhennan Military Troops occurred, only the Ji family and Tianshan Swordsman Tribe were left in the Defensive Zone, and they were suffering because of that.

After the death of Lin Zhennan, only the unknown Ultimate Demi-King who no one could find was left in the Lin family. Even if they wanted to come over to seek help, they could not find anyone and dared not describe the full severity of their situation. Hence, the incident just kept dragging on.

However, once Lin Xueling's ability was exposed, they no longer wanted to stay still!

At the end of the day, the Lin family still occupied a part of Annan.

The Lin family had such a huge Lin Commandery. Hence, they should be contributing their efforts as well!

Their three commanderies were all guarding a piece of land. That was their responsibility and the task they were given.

The Lin family had lost their Zhennan Military Troop, and the Lin Commandery had experienced turmoil, and their mid-tier military force had wilted and needed time to regain power. The other clans understood and empathized with their situation.

However, now that there were two demi-king powerhouses in the Lin family boosting their military forces, the other clans would not tolerate it if they did not contribute to guarding the land.

For the past years, it was always three demi-kings who would take turns to guard the land of Annan.

Two demi-kings would stand guard and while the other would take turns going home.

It had been more than 20 years since the incident involving Lin Zhennan. The two elder demi-kings of Ji family and Tianshan Swordsman Tribe had been forced to stay at Annan ever since, and naturally they were unsatisfied with it.

After some discussion, Lin Xueling began her journey over to Annan to take her shift of guarding.

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Chapter 21: The Mei Clan

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

...

Lin Commandery, Mt. Shaoyan.

This was where the Zhang family was located.

Since the decline of the Lin family twenty years ago, the Lin Commandery had fallen into great chaos. A large number of the first-class forces in the Lin Commandery had participated in the Anti-Lin War due to their own objectives.

At that time, the Zhang family was just a small and inconspicuous second-rate force within the Lin Commandery.

However, since that radical overhaul of an event, the Lin family had come out victorious, and several powerhouses from the first-rate forces were annihilated. As a result, the traitors fled the Lin Commandery collectively, freeing up a large area of territory resources. The Zhang family and other forces that had not participated in the Anti-Lin War greatly benefited from this and rapidly grew.

In recent years, development had been prosperous, and powerhouses have emerged from the clans one after another. The younger generation continued to produce prodigies with promising potential, and the people were thriving and developing in a positive direction under this peace.

However, the Zhang family's peace was shattered today!

A group of mysterious figures clad in black robes forcibly broke into Mt. Shaoyan.

Just like clearing a series of game levels, the intruders disposed of the ordinary disciples at the foot of the mountain, and after infiltrating the mountain they defeated the direct disciples who hurried over after receiving the news, and then they went straight to the back of the mountain and pummeled all the clan elders to the point of vomiting blood.

Even the current head of the Zhang family, who had appeared last, was now clutching his chest, his face covered in bruises, his injuries severe.

"Who the hell are you? Why did you come to the Zhang family?!"

Zhang Tai, the head of the Zhang family, asked in a deep voice, gripping his chest and staring at the group of black-robed figures who stood before him.

The strength of this group of people was unfathomable.

They had enough power to annihilate the Zhang family, but they only shot and wounded their people without killing them, so it was obvious that they had something planned.

"Do you guys know what this is?"

The leader of the black-robed men took out a black token with an evil spirit symbol on it, and with just a glance, the malevolent aura assaulted his senses. It was evident at first sight that it was something unholy.

"The Mei clan token!"

At the sight of the token, the expressions of the head of the Zhang family, as well as the elders who were still coughing blood, drastically changed.

Within the Zhang family, there was a huge secret that had been passed down through word-of-mouth.

This secret was only known to those who were the head or an elder.

The Zhang family elder had once been an illustrious figure, but the reason behind that illustriousness would tarnish their name for thousands of years to come if it were to be known, and might even put them at risk of extermination.

It was because their elders were members of a sect that had colluded with the foreign clans.

The Guxin Sect-a notorious group that was still on the Xia clan's kill list to this day.

"Are... are you guys from the Mei clan?"

Zhang Tai's voice started to waver and turn hoarse.

Ever since a major incident hundreds of years ago, the Guxin Sect was destroyed, and the Zhang family elders left the sect, went incognito, and had long cut ties with the Mei clan.

Although they fell from power and lost their prestige because of this, they were able to lead a new life.

They had never expected that the other party would one day track them down through whatever method they used and come knocking on their door.

"That's right, we're from the Mei clan!"

The black-robed figure nodded as he calmly answered.

"Wh-what business do you have with us now?!"

Zhang Tai's expression darkened.

No matter what intentions the foreign clan had, he could not imagine they would be anything good.

Everything was currently going well for the Zhang family, and they were getting stronger and stronger. Regardless of what had happened in the past, now he did not want to be associated with the foreign clans any longer.

"I am the protector of the Mei clan. By order of the clan elder, I have hereby come to assume control of the Guxin Sect's former followers and revive the Guxin Sect once more, so that you may return into the embrace of the Mei Deity!"

Just as expected!!

The light in Zhang Tai's eyes faded abruptly.

The Mei clan's intentions made his heart chill.

Had they made up their mind to not let go of the Zhang family? Or did they think the Zhang family made good pawns? Were they such easy pawns?

They managed to track them down the moment they entered human territory.

'If you guys are that powerful, why not get yourself new disciples instead?'

Or just go look for someone else!

Back then, many people had fled from the Guxin Sect.

Hundreds of years have passed, so why were they still thinking about the Zhang family?!!

Bastards!

"I went through the records before I came here, and it said that the Zhang family's past elder had been one of the pillars of the Guxin Sect. Why is it that so many years later, his descendants are so incompetent? Never mind demi-kings, there isn't even an ultimate precelestial within your family; there's only a Ninth Precelestial Grandmaster. Weak! Too weak!"

The black-robed figure shook his head in disappointment as he spoke.

Zhang Tai's ashen face flushed blood-red, making the look on his face even uglier.

Not only were they going to be used, but they were also humiliated.

If it had not been for the fact that he was no match for them, he would have exploded by now!

He did not have that good of a temper!

"Now, you have two choices. One-surrender, or two-death!

"The choice is yours!"

The black-robed figure spelled out their options one after the other.

His voice was cold and ruthless.

Silence!

The Zhang family exchanged glances silently.

After a moment, they lowered their heads helplessly, expressing their willingness to return into the embrace of the Mei Deity.

The situation was not in their favor.

They were practically being held at knifepoint, so they did not have a choice.

"This time, my clan has returned to the Xia clan to utilize the large community resources of you humans to build the foundation for my clan's top ten Holy Sons and Daughters. I'm sure you have not forgotten what you have to do!"

The black-robed figure sat on the main seat, looking down at Zhang Tai and the group of elders who stood obediently in two rows.

Zhang Tai hesitated, and finally shook his head bitterly.

He was being honest.

They did not know what to do!

Their alliance with the Mei clan and Guxin Sect had ended centuries ago, and time had passed. If it were not for the long lives of the precelestial powerhouses, perhaps none of them would have even known about this!

As for the specific details, those in the Zhang family's generation who had allied themselves with the Mei clan while being part of the Guxin Sect had kept everything a secret and were not willing to bring it up much. After their deaths, not a single person knew about the details!

"Hmph!"

The black-robed figure harrumphed coldly.

He felt dissatisfied that the Zhang family had forgotten about the duty that the Mei clan had bestowed upon them, but he did not mind it too much.

His group came to the Zhang family to make them do their bidding. Now was not the time to settle old scores.

"Powerful soul bodies brimming with desire, that is what our clan needs. I need the Zhang family to go outside and cultivate soul bodies like these for our clan. When they mature, bring them back here and present them to our Holy Children to enjoy!"

There was a faint glint in the exposed eyes of the black-robed figure which betrayed his inexplicable evil intentions.

His voice was harsh and disturbing to the ears.

Zhang Tai and the others could not stop the racing of their hearts.

Although he had no idea how to cultivate soul bodies full of desire, just hearing the name was enough for one to know that this was not a good thing.

Moreover, they were for the Holy Children to enjoy, no less. Did that mean it would be for consumption?

If the Xia Clan were to catch wind of this news, the Zhang family would really die terrible deaths.

As expected, no good would come from working with the foreign clans.

"Of course, you'll receive benefits for working for the Mei clan. Those of you currently present will achieve the status of an ultimate precelestial before long, I guarantee that. Even reaching the level of a demi-king would not be impossible!"

If you want a horse to run, obviously you have to feed it!

The black-robed figure made a promise.

Zhang Tai and the other elders felt slightly better.

Although it made them furious that they were forced to do someone else's biddings, it gave them some comfort to know that they would be rewarded with a sweet treat in the end!

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Chapter 22: Zhao Yuling

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

Lin family, book depository.

After Lin Xueling departed for Annan, the place had become quite desolate.

However, to Chu He, who had been here for decades, it did not make any difference to him.

In front of him was a pile of books made of parchment, which seemed out of place alongside the other books in the book depository.

These were the items he had asked Lin Xueling to retrieve from the scripture depository of the Lin family for him.

The book depository was filled with all kinds of biographies of great swordsmen within the martial arts circle as well as some peculiar records, but most actual secrets were always only mentioned briefly.

However, the scripture depository had many detailed records.

In the past few years, Chu He had been going through these books.

Chu He randomly pulled out a book from the pile, pulled over a deck chair that was at a side, found himself a comfortable position, and flipped open the book while swaying in his chair.

"Five hundred years ago, when the Xia clan was at the peak of its glory, there were over a thousand demi-kings within the clan, and there were ten genuine king-level elders who ruled all, and they were ranked among the top in this barbaric region... They had possessed the strength of a fourth-level force at that time, but a major change occurred, which greatly dented the strength of the Xia clan. It became practically impossible for them to survive in this chaotic region, and their living space became more and more limited!"

That was what the records said.

"Five hundred years ago, a foreign clan named the Mei clan infiltrated the Xia clan and formed a group under the guise of the Guxin Sect. They secretly attacked countless Xia clan prodigies and created a drastic change in the clan using unknown means. The entire Xia clan fell into chaos during that period, and even the demi-king elders had a hard time dealing with their adversary's underhanded ways."

"The king-level elders personally launched a secret investigation and ended up targeting the Guxin Sect, forcing the discreet and secretive Mei clan out of hiding."

"A terrifying conspiracy was uncovered. The Mei clan actually fed on the souls of corrupted intelligent creatures, and the Xia clan-who had a large base-had become their target. They were secretly planning to raise the Xia clan as livestock."

"The ten great king-level elders of the Xia clan were furious, and with a huge cost, they fueled the Topographical Diagram of the Kingdom to track down all of the Mei clan, who had exceptional concealment abilities."

"An earth-shattering war broke out that engulfed the entire territory of the Xia clan. In the end, most of the Mei clan were killed, and the rest fled from the Xia clan's territory as fast as they could. However, the war also caused major detriments to the Xia clan. Four king-level elders had perished in battle, three were severely injured, three sustained minor injuries, and a number of demi-king elders were also lost in battle."

"That was not the worst part. When it rains, it pours. The Xia clan was at their weakest and had yet to track down and eliminate the traitors who had colluded with the foreign clans. Before they were able to pick themselves back up, the surrounding clans who had been hunted down by the Xia clan in the past were united by a fourth-level Tiger clan in their effort to erode the territory of the Xia clan. Even more trying times descended upon the Xia clan, and the clan lost a large area of fertile territory. Only by sticking to the current resource-poor land were they able to stop the Tiger clan's erosion and seize a chance at survival!"

Chu He observed the information, deep in thought.

Hundreds of years ago, the Xia clan was considered a relatively strong clan in this savage land, but it fell into decline due to an event that had caused a major change, which had been vaguely recorded in many ancient records.

However, the event was rarely recorded in detail. The books in the book depository occasionally mentioned these events, but only in passing.

However, this book from the scripture depository contained detailed records.

On top of that, the credibility was extremely high.

"I see, the Mei clan!"

Chu He made a mental note on them.

Feeding on the souls of intelligent creatures.

Such a race was extremely vicious and dangerous.

It was best to get rid of them at first sight.

At this moment, Chu He sensed something and raised his head.

There was someone else in the book depository!

"Are you Auntie's Brother Lil Chu?"

It was a little girl-about eight or nine years old-with skin pale and smooth as jade and hair in two braids. She looked extremely cute.

She walked to Chu He's side, then raised her head and blinked her large eyes as she asked her question.

"Are you that little girl Xueling's niece?" Chu He asked in turn.

"Yup!"

The small girl nodded as she said, "My mother is Auntie Xueling's older sister!"

Chu He nodded back.

Xueling had told him about that before.

She had an older sister who had been sent to the distant Tianshan Commandery for marriage twenty years ago, before the Lin family elder had passed away, and she later gave birth to two daughters.

One of them should be older than ten years by now, so this one-who was eight or nine years old-should be the younger one!

"What's your name?"

A bright smile appeared on Chu He's face, and he could not help reaching out and pinching the little girl's face.

Her skin felt nice under his touch, which matched her cuteness.

"Hello, Uncle, my name is Zhao Yuling."

The little girl spoke clearly and loudly, not shying away from his touch.

She had smelled a nice scent from Chu He, which had made her feel comfortably at ease, so she did not feel disgusted that her face was pinched.

"It's a nice name, but you can't call me Uncle; that's too strange. How about you call me Brother Lil Chu, just like your Auntie!"

Chu He smiled as he said that.

"Okay!"

"Brother Lil Chu!"

Zhao Yuling nodded cheerfully and addressed him as such.

"What a good girl!"

Chu He reached out and ruffled the top of the little girl's head, pleased with her compliancy.

"Why did you come here? To read a book?" Chu He smiled as he asked.

"No, I'm here to look for a powerhouse senior so I can learn some extraordinary god-tier martial arts! Brother Lil Chu, do you know where this powerhouse is?"

The little girl raised her head and said with an expectant look.

Looking for a powerhouse?

Chu He was stunned for a moment.

Who else would that be but him?!

"Who told you that there was a powerhouse here?" Chu He asked suspiciously.

Lin Xueling knew that he did not like to be disturbed. For all those years, she had kept her lips sealed tightly and had never exposed his identity.

Apart from Lin Xueling, no one else should know that he was a great powerhouse that was hiding in the Lin family.

"I heard from Mother that Auntie's talent used to only be average and about the same as Mother's, but ever since she started coming to the book depository often, her cultivation level began to improve like crazy, and even the prodigies could not keep up with her."

"Mother said that there was a hidden senior in the Lin family who had an extremely high cultivation level. She guessed that this person might be in the book depository."

"Auntie is his disciple, and Brother Lil Chu is probably also his disciple, and the top disciple at that, am I right?"

Zhao Yuling's eyes sparkled knowingly.

Granted, she had only been told all these things by someone else.

However, her ability to remember and speak clearly showed that she was fairly smart.

"That's reasonable and convincing."

Chu He nodded.

He felt that her analysis was pretty good.

This would most likely also be the speculation that most people from the outside would come to.

It probably never crossed anyone's mind-it was probably impossible to imagine-that the real powerhouse was in fact him, an inconsequential odd-jobber of the book depository.

After all, his social standing was too low and the traces of his life too clear, so most people would not have associated him with a powerhouse.

To think of him as the top disciple of a powerhouse was already giving him the highest respect he could receive.

This was the benefit of Lin Xueling's excessive closeness to him.

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Chapter 23: Giving a Green Tortoise as a Gift

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

"In that case, Brother Lil Chu, this means there really is a powerhouse here. Can you introduce him to me?

"I want to become his disciple!"

Seeing Chu He nodding his head, Zhao Yuling blinked her large glossy eyes, her expression full of expectation.

"You're still very young, so it will be very difficult to become the disciple of a powerhouse when you're supposed to be carefree!"

Chu He shook his head in amusement as he spoke.

"But I wanna become a super powerhouse! Ling'er isn't afraid of any hardships!"

Zhao Yuling tilted her head and put her right index finger on her silky-smooth chin as she made the declaration with a serious expression.

"And why is that?" Chu He asked.

"Because if I become a powerhouse, I can protect Father and Mother, as well as protect the Xia clan from being bullied by the outside clans!"

The little girl declared loudly with a solemn expression on her face, indicating that she was serious.

"I never would have thought that you'd already have such a sense of responsibility at your young age!"

Chu He flashed a knowing smile.

He could not help himself from ruffling Zhao Yuling's hair vigorously again.

The girl's grandiose ambitions reminded him of Lin Xueling in the past, as well as an even more distant memory of himself, where he was wearing a red scarf and standing beneath a red flag. 3

"One hasn't really lived life if they don't have such grand ambitions at least once in their youth!"

Chu He could not help sighing to himself.

Before he realized it, he had reached a stage where he had seen all there was to see in this world. 2

Ever since activating his sage mode, he felt that everything had become insipid and underwhelming.

Life had indeed become somewhat dull.

Although he could bear it, he did not really feel anything either.

However, this kind of lifestyle was definitely making him too out-of-touch with the world.

Over time, certain problems might arise.

His heart was slightly moved.

"The powerhouse's whereabouts are a secret. However, if you want to learn martial arts, I can teach you. If you're good enough, I'll consider introducing you to the powerhouse."

After deliberating for a while, Chu He suddenly said those words to Zhao Yuling, a smile on his face.

He decided to add some spice back into his dull life. 1

It just so happened that he had recently made a breakthrough, and his cultivation was in its consolidation phase, so he had a lot of spare time anyway. 2

"Okay! Thank you, Brother Lil Chu, I'll definitely work hard!"

Zhao Yuling's eyes were sparkling.

"If you want to train with me in the future, how will you explain it to your parents?" Chu He asked.

"Don't worry, Brother Lil Chu! I just have to tell Mother that you want to evaluate me, and after I pass the test, I can become the powerhouse's disciple. They definitely won't object to it!" Zhao Yuling answered, beaming.

This girl had a sharp mind and was very precocious.

Chu He nodded and did not object to Zhao Yuling using him as her shield.

Outsiders suspected him to be a disciple of the powerhouse.

He would not deny it, nor would he admit to it.

They can just assume what they want to assume!

This would also spare him some minor inconveniences.

For example, some people who did not know the depth of the matter were jealous of his handsomeness, and from time to time they would put on a show, wanting to come over and beat his handsome face up.

Although such a matter could not harm him, it still made him feel sick to the stomach after a period of time.

Ever since that day.

A fresh breath of youthfulness was added to the otherwise desolate book depository.

The sound of a child's chattering, not unlike that of a lark, filled the place.

At first, it made Chu He-who favored peace and quiet-a little uncomfortable, but after a while, he got used to it and even started enjoying it.

It felt nice to have a little girl as his companion. 5

It happened to make up for the loneliness left behind following Lin Xueling's departure.

Moreover, the little girl was able to endure more hardships than he had anticipated. 1

Her lofty goal to become a powerhouse was not just empty talk.

People who were willing to work hard for their goals were always likable!

Over time, Chu He began to take his coaching-which initially was just playing around-more and more seriously.

Time went by in a flash.

Winter passed and spring arrived.

In a blink of an eye, two years have gone by.

During these two years, after Chu He's Fourth Turn breakthrough, his cultivation had completely consolidated, and his foundation was sturdy and solid.

He began to advance to a higher level.

Compared to the Third Turn, the cultivation speed of the Fourth Turn was much slower.

Of course, this did not faze him at all.

He was not anxious in the slightest.

He was an expert at slowly and steadily advancing his cultivation and development.

This was no problem at all.

He was someone who was really good at being alone!

The most important thing to note was that the higher one's cultivation level was, the longer one's life span would become.

Time had become the least of Chu He's concerns!

The current him seriously felt that living up to a thousand years would not be a problem.

Decades, to him, felt like something that passed by like a breeze.

"Perhaps a tortoise's life wouldn't even outlast mine!"

Chu He could not help letting out a sigh.

The passage of time simply could not compare to the rate at which his cultivation was growing.

The longer he lived, the more exuberant his vitality was.

This was the true meaning of "the longer you live, the younger you get."

In terms of his physicality, cultivating the Golden Nine Turns to his current stage already gave him some immortality tendencies.

"Tortoise? Do you like tortoises, Brother Lil Chu?!"

Zhao Yuling, who had been practicing her sword techniques at the side, pricked her ears up, and her eyes brightened.

"Focus on your practice!"

The corner of Chu He's mouth twitched.

However, the next day...

"Brother Lil Chu, look what I've brought you!"

Early in the morning, Zhao Yuling burst into the book depository like a raging storm.

She held a large water tank in her hands and handed it to Chu He excitedly, as if offering a prized treasure. 1

He peered into the water tank, and at the sight of that thing with its four claws and a green shell on its back, Ch He was rendered speechless!

He was currently mulling over a question.

What did it mean when someone gave you a tortoise as a gift?

And a green one at that! 2

Was this supposed to be an insult? Or did it actually have some meaning behind it?

"Do you like it?!" Zhao Yuling asked with a bright smile.

Her body language was clearly indicating that she was waiting for a compliment.

She used to frequently give Chu He small gifts, but none of them had caught his interest.

The day before, when she had heard Chu He utter the word 'tortoise', she had set her heart on it, and after her practice was over, she spent the whole night searching for one.

Chu He took a good look at Zhao Yuling.

He was trying to make sure that the little girl just genuinely wanted to give him a gift, and had no other intentions behind her actions.

Alright, then!

He would accept the tortoise!

The gift was a little strange, but it was the thought that counted!

He had just casually uttered the word while reminiscing yesterday, and the little girl brought him something the next day.

She sure was a people person!

Chu He reached out a hand, and before the tortoise in the water could react, he clamped two of his fingers on either side of its neck and lifted it out.

In his boredom a while ago, he had thought of something.

He remembered hearing that a tortoise could live up to a thousand years, and a turtle could live up to ten thousand years. 4

However, it was just hearsay.

It seemed that no one had ever verified this.

On a whim, mostly due to his sheer boredom, he decided to test it out and satisfy his craving for knowledge.

To know whether a tortoise could really live up to a thousand years.

Chu He also wanted to see which of them would live longer-a tortoise or him. 1

To ensure a fair playing field, he would have to take good care of this tortoise.

In the future, while another person might be a cat person, he would be a tortoise person. 4

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Chapter 24: The Little Tortoise That Has a Temper

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

In front of the book depository.

The sunlight was shining brightly.

Chu He was sitting on a chair. One of his hands was holding a book as he flipped through it while the other hand was on the head of the little tortoise, continuously stroking it.

The little tortoise's eyes were the size of green beans, looking at Chu He obliquely. The sclera of the eyeballs kept flipping upward.

'He really is irritating!'

"Brother Lil Chu, why does it feel like Lil Lu is getting cleverer? Could it be that something wrong is happening to it?!"

Zhao Yuling, who had just finished cultivating at one side, came over to take a break. She imitated Chu He's gesture and grasped the head of the tortoise, teasing the animal.

She gazed at the little tortoise, while its little eyes glared back at her. Even its mouth was open wide, its posture looking like it would bite her if she made another move. This was why Zhao Yuling voiced out.

A year had passed since the day she gifted that tortoise to Chu He.

Throughout this year, it had undergone huge changes, and it always looked different after some time.

In the beginning, the little tortoise was very afraid of humans. Whenever one grasped its head, it struggled to re-enter the shell, and would not do any other actions.

Then, it seemed to slowly develop emotions. When someone grabbed its head, it would start staring at that person, opening its mouth in a pose like a little puppy.

Up to that day, it would even give off different reactions depending on the type of people.

No matter how much Chu He teased it, it would only flip its eyelids at him and would never get aggressive. Often, it would even stretch out its head on its own accord.

However, when it was Zhao Yuling's turn, the little tortoise gave a much more pompous reaction.

It would become very aggressive even if she only gently touched its head.

Its reactions seemed to be an indicator that it was about to gain intelligence. If such a time arrived, perhaps it would no longer be categorized as a beast but as a foreign clan or something.

"One would adopt the same personality as the person they spend time with. This little tortoise has spent so much time with a knowledgeable person like me that it has been imbued with some politeness. It's only normal for it to gain some sense of intelligence. There's nothing odd about it! And there's no problem with it either."

"It's showing politeness, not a murderous aura."

Chu He shook his head and smiled, completely unbothered.

The little tortoise had gained some pride after following him for a year.

He had lots of treasures on hand-many of which he was unable to use!

Occasionally, he would feed the little tortoise a handful of them to clear the inventory, which had caused it to reap plenty of benefits.

After a year, it was no longer an ordinary little tortoise!

Its intelligence had just been unleashed and the shell of the little tortoise had hardened. Even an ordinary postcelestial martial artist of the fourth or fifth level would have some difficulty cracking its shell.

Most importantly, it could completely be out of the water! It would be completely fine even after sunbathing for the whole day.

"Really? But it's getting less cute now!"

Zhao Yuling pouted her lips.

The little tortoise's four claws were swinging mid-air and as it struggled with all the strength it had. On top of that, the strength it exerted was no meager amount. With her current ability at the Postcelestial Ninth Erudition, she could still feel resistance in its weight.

Lil Lu was not like that at the beginning. No matter how she toyed with it, it would always give a frightened look. It also used to have a very soft head and would always struggle to get back into its shell.

Now, however, it was starting to rebel!

It was becoming less cute!

Chu He burst into laughter.

"Girl, I think you've got more the basics of the Postcelestial realm more than sufficiently done. Get yourself ready. Tonight, I'll watch over you and you'll breakthrough into the precelestial realm!" 2

After looking at Zhao Yuling who was still arguing with the little tortoise, Chu He shook his head with a smile and told her this.

Zhao Yuling was talented, at least slightly better than Lin Xueling.

Half a year ago, she was already a Postcelestial Ninth Erudition, but Chu He kept making her withhold her cultivation.

Currently, Chu He felt that it was almost time, and there was no need for her to hold back anymore!

She could breakthrough.

"Precelestial!"

Zhao Yuling was stunned.

Precelestials were considered the top-tier powerhouses in society.

Against other ordinary families, her combat effectiveness would be on the level of the Zhen family. Even those powerhouses of her Tianshan Swordsman Tribe, and those from the Lin family where her mother was, they were all just middle-tier.

Zhao Yuling could not resist counting her fingers.

"One, two, three... twelve!"

She was shocked after calculating it.

She was only 12-years-old that year.

A Precelestial who was only 12.

How did that make any sense?

At an age like hers, ordinary people would only be strengthening their physiques and training the basics of martial arts.

Even the disciples from affluent families had only trained martial arts for two to three years by this age, and that was only because they had special treasures and had already started cultivating when they were in their mother's womb.

Besides, two to three years was way too short.

Those geniuses usually only gain one Erudition a year.

That would only add up to a Postcelestial Third Erudition.

Even if they were prodigies who could overcome two Eruditions per year, they would at most only be at the Sixth Erudition.

The existence of a prodigy of such a caliber would already have gained the attention of the entire Xia clan.

She was the prodigy!

The future demi-king, the foundation for the Zhen family of the Xia clan.

However...

Who were those people when compared with her?

She... Zhao Yuling!

12 years old!

That night, she would attempt to breakthrough into the Precelestial realm.

If she succeeded, it would cause a huge commotion.

Perhaps the entire Xia Clan would be thrown into disarray.

Even if she failed, if her current realm and status were to be revealed to the public, the masses would still receive a sizable shock.

In these past few years, she had been cultivating and cultivating but had not felt anything yet.

The cycle of flow would just come naturally.

However, on that day, she was suddenly told that she could try breaking through into the Precelestial realm!

Only then did she suddenly feel stunned.

She was already so powerful?

Such a genius!

What a prodigy!

The others were all nothing before her!

They were of the same age but she could overwhelm all of them.

In a battle amongst those of the same generation, no one would be able to hold a candle against her.

Zhao Yuling felt her heart thumping loudly. Her little face was so agitated that it became scarlet!

Her greatness was off the charts!

"Oh my!"

All of a sudden, just when Zhao Yuling was lost in her thoughts, the little tortoise managed to break free from her grasp and seized the opportunity to bite on her fingertip. After executing its revenge, it quickly scurried away on its four stubby legs and buried itself into the side of Chu He's shorts.

It was quite shrewd to flee right after seeking its revenge.

"Hmph!"

Zhao Yuling, who had been interrupted from her thrilling fantasies, glared at it sourly. She stretched out her hand and dug out the little tortoise, who had managed to properly hide half of its body. As it continued struggling silently, she pulled on its neck.

She had no choice-the little tortoise's neck was the only part of its entire body that she could play with! 4

Nevertheless, it was a pleasant sensation. 1

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Chapter 25: Advice

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

In Chu He's opinion, Zhao Yuling's breakthrough was quite a success.

Even though her success was never in doubt, she did not need much effort either!

"Brother Lil Chu! I'm a Precelestial already!"

Zhao Yuling was thrilled and flustered.

She swung her little punch forcefully and the strong wind struck so powerfully that it made an audible sound.

"Calm down, it's just being a Precelestial!" Chu He smiled calmly.

"Bear in mind, before you're a king, you should never expose your cultivation. You'll be in trouble if you find yourself being the weaker party."

Chu He reminded her again.

Even though he had warned the girl about that issue a long time ago, she was still a youngster and would easily get overexcited.

The girl would be unbearably full of herself after she had broken through.

Perhaps if she was slightly careless, she might be tempted to start showing off.

Hence, he had to repeatedly remind her from time to time.

"Got it, Brother Lil Chu!"

Zhao Yuling pulled her punch back.

"Good!"

Chu He said with satisfaction, "You've exposed quite a quantity of your aura. For the time being, you'll remain in the book depository. Once you've improved your sword arts a notch or two, then you'll be allowed to step out."

"Ok!"

Zhao Yuling agreed obediently.

For the past few years, she had spent most of her time at the book depository. Hence, the arrangement would not make her feel uncomfortable.

...

Time flew past swiftly.

Another five years had passed in a blink of an eye.

After Chu He had mastered his cultivation to the Fourth Turn, he began to slowly but steadily progress further.

Currently, he was already in the Third Level of the Fourth Turn, proceeding to the Fourth Level of the Fourth Turn.

The time of cultivation flashed past.

The feeling of toying with the little tortoise and teaching the girl was quite fulfilling enough.

However, the girl's cultivation had not been proceeding very smoothly lately.

Besides, Chu He could not interfere with it.

Her mentality had bumped into an obstacle.

Currently, she was already at the Precelestial Ninth Erudition level and had started accumulating some experience in a routine enough method.

However, Chu He, who possessed higher cultivation and extraordinary eyesight, had spotted a huge flaw buried deep within her.

It was something ordinary people would never notice.

If things continued to proceed like this, there should be no problem for Zhao Yuling to break through to the King realm, but her potential had reached its limit. She would have to overcome many hurdles ahead if she wanted to improve herself.

Since the root of the problem had been spotted, naturally, it needed to be dealt with.

The problem with Zhao Yuling was that she was a young person with bounds of energy, which made her differ greatly compared to the mentality of an old man like Chu He.

However, in these few years, she had been following Chu He's every step and was always being restrained by him, causing her character to inexplicably become more similar to his, which resulted in her failing to unleash her potential.

To put it more simply, her abilities had improved but she was discontent deep inside because she could not show off.

"Come over here, girl!"

Chu He waved his hand.

Zhao Yuling, who was trying all means at her disposal to pull out the little tortoise's head that had retracted back into the shell, hastily rushed over.

"You're now a Precelestial Ninth Erudition, and I can confidently say that you got the ability to defend yourself. You can now head out to relax, and experience being in the society!"

Chu He told her with a smile.

Zhao Yuling's eyes sparkled when she heard it.

She entered the book depository at the age of nine and made a vow to become a great person.

In the blink of an eye, she has been there for eight years.

Even though her mindset was much stronger than any child of the same age, she was still at the age of falling in love and had been lonely for a very long time.

The passion within her was burning fiercely. Given her age, it was already a great achievement that she could suppress the urge to suggest heading out to have a stroll.

Right now, she was obviously delighted when Chu He brought it up.

"But, if you leave, who's going to keep you company, Brother Lil Chu?!"

Zhao Yuling said after a moment's hesitation.

Even though she was eager to head out to society to test out her abilities, she still had a considerably kind disposition. She was sharply reminded of Chu He being lonely and all alone.

These few years, Chu He had been teaching Zhao Yuling. All the outsiders thought this was a test to earn a meeting with a grand person.

Perhaps no one was disturbed because it was the Lin family's arrangement. The entire book depository, including the rooms around it, had no other people staying in it.

Usually, only Chu He and Zhao Yuling would be there...with the addition of the little tortoise, of course.

If she left, Chu He would certainly be very lonely!

"Alright, girl! It's not like you're departing after someone's death. You're just heading to have a stroll. Don't tell me you won't be coming back after you leave?"

Chu He could resist reaching out to touch her head. He shook his head and smiled.

'Lonely? Alone?'

Nonsense.

Chu He had never feared those two things.

He would never be scared as the book depository was not a prison. If he wanted to have a walk, he could just head out whenever he wanted to.

"Take this, open it up whenever you're in danger."

Zhao Yuling eventually took the pouch given by Chu He, and headed out into society.

The book depository was deserted.

Chu He grabbed a book and sat on the deck chair, rocking it while reading the book.

The little tortoise, who had grown much older, was sunbathing outside the book depository. It raised its head to look at the sky, giving some thought to its life philosophy.

It lacked energy!

One human and a tortoise-it was rather quiet.

"Come here, little tortoise." 2

Chu He put down the book and suddenly called out.

The little tortoise's eyes that resembled green beans turned away from the sunlight and glanced at Chu He. Then, it slowly crawled its way toward the man.

Chu He was not in a rush. The little tortoise crawled in front of Chu He's and its two hind claws bent down, standing in a position as if it was listening.

"Do you want to cultivate, little tortoise?!"

Chu He found that he seemed to have taken a liking to the role of a tutor!

There were no other people there!

He was bored and suddenly had an urge; he wanted to give the little tortoise some advice.

After all, it was the tortoise that was going to have a race with him, to see who would live longer. He should be taking good care of it.

The little tortoise was dumbfounded. Even though it was not too sure what cultivation meant, it could still sense that it was going to be a good thing.

Hence, the head of the tortoise nodded continuously as it agreed to it.

Chu He nodded and stretched out a finger to tap on the tortoise's head, transferring his thoughts to the animal. A miraculous message was sent to the little tortoise's consciousness.

Chu He transmitted a technique of cultivating the body.

The level of that technique was not high, but with Chu He's high accomplishments in martial arts, he decided that this technique was the most suitable for the little tortoise to cultivate after he analyzed it.

After all, it was not a human and was not compatible with most of Chu He's secret manuals of cultivation. It was already quite impressive for it to have a technique that was compatible.

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Chapter 26: A Terrible Prediction

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

Five months passed.

The little tortoise followed Chu He's cultivation and had been able to produce some results.

Even though it was just an ordinary beast, its foundation was not weak at all.

For the few years it spent with Chu He, it had eaten plenty of amazing foods.

Even though most of it was wasted because it could not cultivate, the remainder was enough to silently make it undergo some changes.

When it started cultivating, it had a feeling as if it was slowly accumulating experience.

To be accurate, even though Chu He did not really pay much attention to guide it, he just transferred a cultivation technique to it and did not further question it. However, he would occasionally feed it with some precious tablets which helped it much more than any guidance could.

In just half a year, the little tortoise was on par with a Postcelestial Fifth to Sixth Erudition fighter. Adding its tough shell, even if it went up against a Postcelestial Seventh to Eighth Erudition fighter, it could still protect itself even if it was outclassed.

The most important thing was that its intelligence activation had progressed much faster along with the cultivation.

Now, no one could possibly call it an ordinary tortoise.

For example, it had now also started to imitate how Chu He walked, with two claws on the floor, and the other two tucked behind its back. The only issue was that it had a short tail dragging on the ground, causing its little steps to seem rather wobbling when it walked, which looked somewhat weird. 1

The book depository just remained quiet as the time passed by rapidly without anyone noticing.

Then one day, the silence was broken.

"Brother Lil Chu, I'm back!"

Zhao Yuling's voice was carried in from far away.

Chu He set down his book and his mouth curled into a smile.

"This girl, she just went out for a trip. Her voice is as recognizable as ever and seems much more lively. Indeed, going out to train was useful."

Chu He nodded to himself.

'It seems that occasionally going out to have a stroll is indeed useful!'

In no time, the fragrant smell was flowing along with the breeze. Zhao Yuling, who was in a white female fighter attire, held onto a long sword and appeared before Chu He.

Even though it was just a few months since they last met, Zhao Yuling had undergone a huge transformation!

Her body proportions had become much more balanced.

Going outside was indeed a much better training than staying in the house.

For both the mentality and body figure.

Previously, Zhao Yuling had always been eating fancy food, and her body figure always left a chubby impression. Now, she had slimmed down and was a true beauty.

"Mmm, no bad!"

Chu He expressed his approval.

A few months had passed, and Zhao Yuling's foundation had become much more stable.

"Brother Lil Chu, do you know how much fun the outside society is? During my trip, I attended a Martial Arts Meetup and bumped into many powerhouses. I even made a name for myself."

"Right now, on the outside, I'm known as the White Shirt Angel and am even ranked number one of the generation in the rankings of the dojo." 2

Zhao Yuling was chattering without end and started telling Chu He all the things she had witnessed when she was outside.

Her energy seemed limitless.

Chu He's face had a faint smile as he listened to it all silently.

'This girl is quite the tough one. It's just been a few months, and she's close to causing havoc on the outside!'

If it was not for her sufficiently strong abilities and the variety of techniques at her disposal, perhaps she might have landed in trouble!

Right at that moment, a little thing that was taking slow and small footsteps came to the middle of the two people. Its little eyes that resembled green beans looked straight ahead and raised its head high.

Its eyeballs kept on glittering as it looked at Zhao Yuling with its peripheral vision.

It was obvious that it was trying to make its presence known.

It had only been half a year since they last met, and it could still vividly remember the Zhao Yuling who had always tortured it in the past.

"Hey! Little tortoise, how did you manage to walk?"

Zhao Yuling finally noticed the little tortoise. She gazed at it from head to toe, and swept it with an inspecting gaze, her face revealing her astonishment.

The little tortoise glanced at Zhao Yuling obliquely. It raised its head with its claws behind his back, then it took small footsteps and left the scene arrogantly.

After not seeing each other for some time, they now viewed each other with a different perspective!

Currently, it was a tortoise that could stand on its feet.

"That makes it even more arrogant than before!"

Zhao Yuling grasped the little tortoise and held onto its head while lifting it.

With one hand, she flicked on various parts of the little tortoise's body, making dull "dong" sounds.

"Slurp! Slurp! Slurp!"

The little tortoise opened its mouth and revealed its teeth. Its four claws hovered mid-air in clear protest.

However, Zhao Yuling instantly turned a blind eye and kept holding onto it and teased it to her heart's content.

The little tortoise had become much tougher, which made her feelings for it completely different now.

...

After Zhao Yuling returned, the book depository had become more lively for some time. However, after her trip to the outside, her personality had become much wilder and she became rather hard to control. Chu He understood that he had to let her venture out into society to train her mentality.

Time passed in a blink of an eye, and another five years had gone by.

Chu He was already 67-year-old!

He had been staying in the book depository for 53 years.

His cultivation had reached the final stage of the Fifth Level of the Fourth Turn and was steadily progressing to the Sixth Level of the Fourth Turn.

As for the little tortoise, for the past five years, it had already surpassed the beast boundaries and had attained the level of a beast undergoing an evolution, which was equal to Precelestial powerhouse for humans.

It had become even more human-like, and could help Chu He clean up the entire book depository!

As for Zhao Yuling, it had been half a year since she last returned to the book depository, and no one knew what had become of her!

Based on past trends, she should be returning at this time!

Even though Chu He had not set any rules, that had long ago become her standard routine.

She would return punctually every half year.

She would come and report her safety and tell Chu He about all the interesting things that occurred outside to get rid of his boredom.

"Could that girl have landed in some trouble?!"

Chu He muttered to himself.

Even though for the past five years, Zhao Yuling had solidified the basics of the Precelestial realm, and had attained the state of Ultimate Precelestial which meant she would be able to break through to the King's realm anytime. If it was not for Chu He's desire to train her mentality properly, she would have long ago been able to break through into the King's realm. Even so, her cultivation was still considered top-tier in the entire Xia clan.

However, that was only true provided no Demi-King had shown up.

If she had offended a Demi-King, her current ability would still be lacking!

Even though Chu He had given her a forbidden technique for self-defense, he was worried that she would be unable to use it in time, or she had forgotten to use it. After all, he gave that to her a few years ago.

Chu He got anxious.

Suddenly, he had a thought and felt that Zhao Yuling might be in danger, and it was not because he was being too worried and paranoid.

With his current level of cultivation, he could somehow sense vaguely the blessings and dangers of the people around him.

It always made him uneasy when he had sudden thoughts like this.

Just like ordinary people, when their loved ones were at the brink of death, even though they were not by their side, they would still suddenly feel a sense of dread or have a nightmare.

The thought of it made Chu He took out a Ba Gua jade plate. That was the first treasure that he picked up. Adding on to his cultivation, he could even predict most living beings' blessings and the dangers looming over those having a lower rank than him.

Chu He paid full attention to control the jade plate. Taking into account the birthday of Zhao Yuling, he started calculating.

Finally.

The hexagram had revealed itself!

Bad Prediction!

Chu He's expression changed slightly and frowned.

'She really is in trouble.'

He got up from the deck chair and said to the little tortoise, "I'm heading out for a day. You stay in the house."

The little tortoise's face looked stunned as it lifted its head, puzzled.

Chu He did not care if it had reacted or not. He moved abruptly and with just one step, he stepped out of the book depository. He leaped into the air and vanished.

That was the first time he left the book depository after tens of years of meticulously attending the checkpoint.

He had to end whatever it was quickly and settle the issue. He needed to rush back before midnight so he could continue marking the checkpoints.

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Chapter 27: One Palm

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

Within the deserted forest.

There was a group of fighters wielding swords and sabers, proceeding cautiously.

Their destination was the Zhang family of Mt. Shaoyan.

For the past few years, the Lin commandery, and even the Xia clan as a whole, had faced lots of trouble. Many gruesome events kept popping up and the conflict between the organizations of the society just kept getting more serious as the days passed by. Even the number of people going missing had increased.

Some of the older folk noticed something was amiss and even suspected there were some weird organization or foreign clans making underhanded actions. Each commandery had formed an Allied Investigation Group to start investigating the incident.

They were just one of the groups in the Lin commandery that was responsible for that incident.

"Is there any reliable news, Brother Murong? The disappearances of the fighters of our Lin commandery, and a few of those weird murders, are these really the actions of the Zhang family? You had better not be mistaken about it!"

While on duty, a burly man spoke softly.

Beside him was a scrawny middle-aged man with a figure-eight mustache. He was one of the elders of the big Murong family in Lin commandery, Murong Bo.

Because of the previous Anti-Lin War, all the top overwhelming fighters of the Lin commandery had vanished, leaving behind vast areas of empty land.

For the past few years, the Murong family had been involved in lots of conflicts with the Zhang family because of territory issues. Both families viewed each other as enemies and had reached a state where they could not communicate with each other at all.

This time, they were the ones who noticed that the Zhang family was at fault. Under the circumstances where there was no concrete evidence, they could not rule out the possibility of them using others to murder people. After all, there were plenty of such incidents occurring at the boundaries of the Xia clan.

"I'm sure of it! Why would I lie about it?"

Murong Bo was well aware about what the other guy was thinking and snapped back with an unpleasant tone.

Then, to make it sound more convincing, he snorted coldly and added, "Brother Lin, I am aware that previously there were lots of unfortunate things that occurred continuously at the boundaries of the Xia clan. It's only natural for you to develop suspicion, but you have to understand that it's because of those incidents, there are already some Demi-King elders announcing that whoever still dares to seize the opportunity to purposely harm others and cause troubles, will judge them according to the incident. If it's a minor incident, all the people related to the incident will be shot to death, and if it's a serious offense, the entire clan will be chased out to the boundaries of the three borders!"

"Given the current circumstances, do you think I'd date spew baseless nonsense?"

Murong Bo's expression became serious.

"You're right!" The tough guy nodded.

For the time being, lots of rumors were spreading around. There were even some families who seemed to have a death wish and took the opportunity to wreak havoc, causing the situation to become chaotic. The elders of the Demi-Kings could not bear to witness the scene and hence made their statement, and only then the situation became more controlled.

However, everything had its pros and cons!

The Demi-King elders had made their statement and set the punishment. As a result, those who had strong suspicions about a certain organization dared not report it because unless they had more concrete or reliable evidence.

As for the case of Murong Bo, it seemed that he must be quite confident to be publicly reporting about it.

Suddenly, a blurred outline which no one was able to look at directly suddenly appeared and blocked their path forward.

"Who's there?!"

"What's the meaning of this?"

"F*ck!"

The group of fighters was frightened.

They quickly drew their swords and sabers and took a cautious stance.

In the deserted mountain out in the wild, it was rather unnerving for a blurry human figure to suddenly show up.

'Wait a minute?'

'Blurry human figure?'

When they had recovered slightly from their shock, their expressions all turned into one of horror. The thing blocking them was clearly right in front of them, yet they were unable to look at it.

It was like their eyes were dazzled by gold, and everything turned blurry.

They were all seasoned fighters. Not to mention, in that group, the lowest ranking person was also a Precelestial Grandmaster.

They had alert mentalities and eyes as sharp as a hawk-the most basic specs that they all possessed.

It was impossible for any of them to have far-sightedness or blurry vision.

Even if their eyes were sprinkled with sand, it would not affect their clear vision.

With just one glare, those sharp glints from their eyes could scare ordinary people to death.

However...

Currently.

There was a living human before them, yet they could not even visualize it properly.

They attempted to shift their gaze to look in other directions and that was perfectly fine. However, when they tried to look straight at the human figure ahead, everything would become blurry.

'We're really witnessing a ghost in the flesh!'

When dealing with such a mysterious scenario, the group of grandmasters did not dare make any reckless moves.

With their regularly hot tempers, it was a rare sight that not one person in the group would take the lead to start throwing tantrums when their path was blatantly blocked.

Of course, that blurry human outline was Chu He.

He came from far away, passing by a few cities, following his secret treasure's direction, and rushed his way and finally reached there.

He just came to a halt in the sky when he noticed something interesting and immediately changed his path and descended to the ground.

"You do know what's up ahead, right?"

Everyone was puzzled, not knowing who Chu He was talking to. However, an unknown force made all of their attention gather on Murong Bo.

They had come to an understanding that this problem arose from Murong Bo.

"What's the meaning of this?"

"Why would I know what's ahead?"

"Who are you?"

Murong Bo's expression was dark and he shot three questions continuously.

Chu He's blurry outline made it clear he was no simple person and it would be best not to offend him.

'With such a stance, it's likely that he's a powerhouse.'

Murong Bo's expression became awful after being gazed upon by such an entity.

"You're being stubborn!"

Chu He shook his head and was not at all interested to argue with him.

He suddenly stretched out one palm and sent a slap forth.

A huge golden palm appeared and vanished shortly after that.

A small hill ahead was immediately smashed flat.

Boom!

Following that, a loud sound slowly erupted.

There was no fantastic scene of dust spreading in every direction and giant rocks flying around.

Just a loud explosion.

Then everything resumed its silence.

If they had not witnessed it with their naked eyes, no one would believe that a hill of one or two acres would be casually crushed flat by someone with just a gentle movement of their palm.

The most horrifying thing had yet to happen. The most spine-chilling thing was that apart from the loud sound, the terrifying palm strike did not cause much commotion at all.

There were no boulders flying everywhere, smoke erupting or massive earthquakes shaking the land.

Just a loud sound.

Then, a small hill a few meters tall had been compressed into flat land.

That was how overwhelming the opponent's palm was. Only someone who possessed absolute accuracy would be able to pull it off!

On top of that, it was highly possible that the person who unleashed the attack had not used his full strength.

Perhaps it was just a casual slap.

Scary!

Everyone's expression became more and more ghastly.

Meanwhile, Murong Bo was so scared that he felt like he was going to wet his pants!

Other people had no idea what was contained within that little hill. They were just astonished by the overwhelming power of that palm.

Murong Bo, who alone knew the truth, felt his insides were about to burst out of fear!

'Why is it that little hill?'

'Why must it be that little hill?'

'Is it a coincidence?'

Murong Bo wanted to fool himself with that possibility but could not manage it.

Combined with the comments that Chu He uttered.

It was all perfectly clear.

That entity, which no one could look at clearly, had undoubtedly seen through the entire incident.

He was exposed!

Even though he had no idea what the flaw was.

Regardless, the truth was that it had just happened before him.

Murong Bo's expression changed and he forced himself to calm down and stopped his limbs from trembling. Then, he spun around and fled the scene with his light footwork.

The essential qi within his body had been set to the maximum output.

He forced out all of his strength.

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Chapter 28: The Zhang Family

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

Run!

'I need to escape from here as soon as possible, the quicker the better.

A sense of danger and great horror overwhelmed Murong Bo's heart.

On that small hill, there was a group of Precelestial powerhouses of the Mei Clan setting up an ambush. There were even a few Ultimate Precelestials among them.

And yet.

With just a thrust of a palm, those people could not even react and were all caught up in the attack.

From the looks of the situation, they had already been buried under the soil, forming a pile of crushed body parts.

It was just a soft palm strike.

The numerous Precelestial powerhouses did not even have time to react before being squashed into a pulp.

Deep within Murong Bo's heart, he was very well aware of what this was all about!

It was because he understood it that made him feel scared.

That blurry human outline was not mysterious but downright spooky.

He was a true powerhouse!

He was at least a demi-King, or even more powerful.

When facing such an existence, he had no guts of going against him.

He did not even have the courage to weigh his escape prospects.

He feared that the moment he thought about it, it would only give him a wave of disappointment.

If it reached that point, perhaps he would lose the courage to even try to escape.

Currently, he forced himself not to think about it; perhaps that would give him the bravery to flee. Maybe a miracle might occur too!

And yet!

Chu He shook his head, dashing any hope of the man getting a miracle.

He pointed with his finger.

An illusion of an enlarged finger the size of a massive log rushed forth and smashed into the fleeing man!

Boom!

Murong Bo, who was rushing forward like a meteor, ended up having his body explode in mid-air. He did not even let out a shriek and then his body was decimated without a trace.

Blood poured everywhere like rain!

That bloody scene sent a chill down the spines of the other fighters.

They honestly had no idea and did not know that Murong Bo was planning to drag them all to their graves.

In their hearts, Murong was still considered a comrade.

So right now, when they saw their comrade being brutally murdered, they were very terrified.

They were not actually angry!

Even though Murong Bo was a comrade, they were just working together at the last minute and had no feelings developed for each other.

They were not from the same family either!

His death gave them a sense of sorrow like seeing a rabbit die at the hands of a fox.

It felt like a public execution that served as a warning, which was unnerving.

Their guards were up extremely high now.

As for seeking revenge...

No one would even think of cracking that joke unless they wanted to seek death!

The powerful existence was able to flatten a small hill and easily poke Murong Bo-a Precelestial Ninth Erudition powerhouse-to death.

If that were not the case, perhaps they would consider the possibility of seeking revenge.

If there was a possibility, someone amongst them would be thinking of it.

They immediately threw down their sabers, both hands covering their heads as they fell to their knees, pleading.

The atmosphere was very tense.

All the fighters were panting heavily.

The Precelestial powerhouses, who were always giving off cold and distant expressions in front of others, were currently as weak as a little sheep facing a fierce tiger.

They were trembling with fear.

Chu He's gaze glanced past them.

He looked at them calmly.

However, to the rest of the fighters, the pressure felt as heavy as a mountain.

Droplets of cold sweat appeared on their foreheads and slowly dripped down.

"You guys will be fine. Calm down, no need to be nervous!" Chu He said calmly.

He had just confirmed it earlier. The person who he had killed with a finger had a different type of evil energy within him and was clearly one of the foreign clan group lying in ambush on the top of the little hill. The group was obviously up to no good. The other people were perfectly normal.

So, everything was fine!

He moved his body with his hands behind him. With the blink of an eye, he vanished from the spot. In the next moment, he appeared at the mound that he had flattened. He did not stop his movements and blinked once again, and his body disappeared completely from everyone's eyes.

Phew!

"He's gone!"

"That was scary!"

All the fighters could not help but let out a long breath of relief.

The dead aura that was engulfing the top of the mountain gradually dispersed. A sense of freedom developed deep within the soul and even their physique was affected as well.

The group felt completely drained of energy. For some time, they could not move at all.

The earlier encounter did not last more than a few breaths, but to them, it felt like a very long period of time, almost a century-long.

Even though they did not do anything, they had experienced a very high-intensity conflict of life and death, and it took a toll on their emotions.

"So this is the pressure coming from a powerhouse?!"

Some of them muttered without much strength.

...

Mt. Shaoyan, at the grounds of the Zhang family.

At that moment, the Zhang family did not seem to have anything unusual on the outer surface.

However, in the interior, it was highly guarded like a military base camp.

There were armies everywhere, both on the surface and in the shadows.

At that moment, within the core palace of the Zhang family.

Silhouettes in black robes were sitting with their legs folded. A horrifying and evil aura was given off, giving the entire palace an eerie vibe.

At the corners of the walls of the palace, a group of elders of the Zhang family was behaving like servants, bowing their bodies to provide their service.

Tens of years had passed and that place was currently the Mei clan's gathering spot within the Xia clan.

As for the Zhang family, they were no longer feeling unsatisfied like in the past and were currently obeying them.

"St. Wu Shuang, news has arrived from St. Xiao Yue earlier. Their hideout at Yun Commandery has been spotted by the Xia clan. There's a Demi-King making a move and it led to a bloody war. They all retreated but most of the matured Bloody Food had brutally fallen into the hands of the Xia clan. She had just contacted you, hoping for you to provide some aid, and joined forces with them to retrieve the Bloody Food. When the time comes, she will split the spoils and share half of it with you!"

A body figure in black robes came in from outside. He bent down to sit, his legs crossed, in between the other two outlines in black robes at the tallest spot of the clan palace. One of them replied.

"Hmph!"

"Share half with me?"

There was a burst of cold laughter.

St. Wu Shuang who was at the stage snorted on that matter. It was obvious that he was not moved by the offer of the so-called half-share of Bloody Food.

"If it was during old times, given her criteria, perhaps I might have considered it. But now, there's something more important for me to attend. Tell her I'm not free and ask her to look for someone else from the Mei clan!"

"Yes, sir."

The silhouette in black robes at the entrance heard it and quickly bowed, answered, and retreated.

"Protectors, how is the lady that we captured?"

St. Wu Shuang looked at the outline in black robes beside him and said with an icy cold voice that was accompanied with anticipation.

"Those that need to be prepared are almost done. After a short while, we can proceed with the final move."

A hoarse voice was heard. The Black Robe Protector raised his head to look at the Holy Son, and said with an envious tone, "When the time comes, I fear your foundation will be the best amongst this group of Holy Sons and Daughters. If you're lucky enough, perhaps you might even immediately reach the top rank."

"That lady really possessed great talent. She's still so young and has already attained the level of Ultimate Precelestial. She's just one step shy of reaching the Demi-King realm."

"More importantly is what she ate when growing up. Not only is her body perfect, but even her soul is full of pure fragrance. This can really fill up the most powerful soul body. Even I can barely refrain myself from taking a bite when I met her."

"It's truly tempting!"

The mouth of the Black Robe Protector was giving off an irritating sound and his tone was laced with greed.

"Protector!"

St. Wu Shuang's tone changed.

It seemed that he was worried that the Black Robe Protector would really eat her up.

After all, the ranking of the protector was comparable to his within the clan. The protector's abilities were much more powerful than his.

If he really wanted to make a move and gobble her up, St. Wu Shuang could not do anything either.

"Don't worry, my foundation has been solidified but yours haven't been yet. That lady is more useful to you than she is to me. It's been a while since our bloodline has a number one Holy Son! This time, you got the potential for it."

The Black Robe Protector explained and it made St. Wu Shuang relieved.

"Rest assured, protector, this time, the title of the number one Holy Son shall be mine!"

He spoke with full confidence.

"Is that so?!" 1

Just when he was done talking, a calm voice broke out. The source of the voice could not be pinpointed as it echoed through the entire clan palace.

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Chapter 29: Killed In An Instance

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

"Who's there?"

"How dare you!"

The group of Mei clansmen in black robes spun their heads to look toward the main entrance. They roared while unleashing their aura!

The entire palace was filled with an evil aura, which formed into a solid matter, giving off a ghastly roar. Suddenly, it was as if the aura had turned into a demonic hand.

The Black Robe Protector and the Holy Son also lifted their heads to look in the direction of the main entrance. However, they were not agitated and were fully composed. They sat with their legs crossed and the aura from their body did not have any fluctuation.

They were very confident in their ability.

As a high-ranking powerhouse, they had to always remain composed whenever they were dealing with anything, and handle things in a calm manner.

It was not a big deal when someone came forth to provoke them.

There would naturally be some underlings to take care of it.

All they needed to do was to throw a disdainful look or two over to them. That would suffice.

In front of the main entrance of the Zhang family, the air current was twisted and an outline came flashing toward them.

Chu He's footstep came to a halt. His emotions were fazed and his gaze flowed like a ripple. Every piece of scenery within the grounds of the Zhang family were all scenes for him to enjoy, flashing past his vision along with various sounds.

People who were patrolling in public, the cautious people hiding in the shadows, those who were flirting in broad daylight, the laborers, and everything else, were all like a film being displayed in fast motion.

After a moment, Chu He's face cracked into a smile when he saw Zhao Yuling who was being locked up.

She seemed to be in a rather embarrassing predicament.

However, it looked like she was just fine.

"As long as she's alright!"

Chu He nodded.

After confirming Zhao Yuling's location, Chu He was not in a hurry to rush over to her. His gaze shifted around quickly, like a computer mouse being shifted to a designated target. After a long time, he looked at the huge palace which he found rather unpleasant when he first saw it from far away.

Coincidentally, he heard the group of foreign clansmen having a discussion.

Chu He let out a cold snort.

His outline blinked, and he entered the Zhang household. Then, after a few continuous blinks, he had made his way to the front of the palace at lightning speed. He did not pause, and with his hands tucked behind him, he walked straight into the palace.

"Who are you?"

A greeting was heard.

A powerhouse of the Mei clan got to his feet.

The evil aura seemed to solidify into a fierce ghost, and then it pounced at Chu He.

Even though the existence that rushed in had a blurry outline and unclear face, it looked undeniably cool and dignified.

However, he insisted that it was their territory and with the protectors holding the fort, he was not afraid.

The protectors of his clan were aware of the existence of a Demi-King. Those within the boundaries of the Xia clan ought to be wary lest they bumped into a huge number of enemies. However, if the enemy they encountered was just one person...hmph! There was no need to be afraid at all.

For the past few years, they had long confirmed that the Xia clan's most powerful fighters were only the three Ultimate Demi-Kings, and those people were all guarding the lands of the borders of the city.

Therefore, the strongest fighter guarding within the city could only be a Demi-King.

Given the abilities of the Mei clan in the lands, it was an easy feat to go against an adversary of such an ability. If the Demi-King of the Xia clan was bold enough to come forth by himself, perhaps he would end up being slaughtered inside their territory.

At that moment, there was indeed a person who was brave enough to come forth by himself, apparently not afraid of death.

Chu He did not look at him. His hand that was behind him moved, and it attracted a piece of gravel from outside the door. With a flick of his finger, the gravel flew through the air.

In that split second, a deep voice was heard. The powerhouse of the Mei clan had just gotten up, and before he could even understand what was going on, the gravel that traveled through space came smashing into him.

Blood splattered like rain.

A Precelestial Ninth Erudition powerhouse of the Mei clan dropped dead, just like that.

He could not even react to it.

He did not even have the chance to call for help.

Everyone's eyes glittered with shock when they saw the bloody rain sprinkling all over the place.

The protector and the Holy Son on the tall stage could no longer maintain their calm facade. Their gaze looked serious and they suddenly got up.

A Precelestial Ninth Erudition powerhouse got destroyed right in front of them.

They did not know what was going on either.

That was enough to confirm the severity of the matter.

"So, you're the hidden Ultimate Demi-King of the Lin family?"

A sudden thought flashed within the Black Robe Protector's mind. He snapped out of his daze as if he had figured out something and his voice changed as well.

They had heard of the story that the Lin family had a hidden Ultimate Demi-King.

However, no one knew about his true nature or his background-it seemed as if he just popped out of nowhere.

Even the men from the Lin family they had captured could not give them details on the matter, let alone the Zhang family.

The only time this fabled person made a move was tens of years ago when the Lin family were faced with a crisis that threatened the annihilation of their people.

Even so, he made a move without ever showing up or revealing his face.

With just one technique, he instantly wiped out five Demi-Kings.

It made it sound like a legend that was being exaggerated.

Despite the fact that there was a huge gap between Demi-Kings and Ultimate Demi-Kings, the Black Robe Protector-who had the abilities of a Demi-King-could not believe that this person managed to tear across space and kill five of them instantly.

The Demi-Kings were not that weak.

Even the Ultimate Demi-King should not be that powerful.

After gaining information from various parties, they had finally come to a conclusion.

'That elder powerhouse of the Lin family did not exist! It was a fake!'

The only explanation must be that the Xia clan had long ago realized their identity as members of a foreign clan, and had set up an ambush to bait them out and conduct a siege attack to kill them off.

Then, since the Lin family was getting weaker, they thought of this idea.

Coincidentally, the situation of the lands at the borders of Annan was also not steady.

The other parties of the Xia clan went with the flow and cooperated with the Lin family to create an imaginary Ultimate Demi-King to frighten their enemies at the borders.

The Black Robe Protector was sure that he had seen through everything now.

But!

At this moment!

'What the hell is going on with the existence of this outline that I can't even see clearly?'

'Could it be that he's really the hidden Ultimate Demi-King elder that the Lin family had kept secret?'

'Did I really get it all wrong?'

'That existence was not a fabrication of the Lin family to scare others! But it's actually real?'

The more the Black Robe Protector thought about it, the darker his expression became.

When St. Wu Shuang, who was beside the Black Robe Protector, heard his astonished inquiry, he was instantly stunned and quietly backed off, step by step.

Regardless of whether or not this really was the Ultimate Demi-King, there was no harm in backing off a little.

That was merely being responsible for his life.

"Ultimate Demi-King?"

Chu He shook his head and laughed.

However, he did not intend to explain it.

There was no need.

Those people were already corpses in his eyes!

The reason he did not immediately make a move was that he still had one thing to ask.

"I heard from your conversation that this time, there are quite a number of your clan that had come to the lands of Xia clan. I want to know their exact location, and their abilities too. Make sure to be as precise with it as possible!"

Chu He moved his hand and took out a stack of white papers from the System Space. With that, he would be able to use them as materials to write novels when he was free.

He exerted some strength on his hand, and the white papers came flying everywhere. It may look like a scene of utter chaos, but the destination of each sheet was clear and each piece of white paper had its target.

With just a breath, a piece of white paper appeared in front of each and every one of the Mei clansmen.

The chaotic flurry became peaceful once more.

"Be obedient and cooperative!"

Chu He had his hands behind his back as he walked past the group of Mei clansmen.

He was just like a proctor.

The group of Mei clansmen who had their legs crossed were the students.

"Stop looking around! Start pouring some blood out to write!"

Chu He only took out one brush from the System Space and did not take out any more. It left the Mei clansmen no choice but to endure the grievance. They let their blood flow to make up for the lack of brushes available.

'Since they will soon die without a trace of their corpses remaining, and their fresh blood will all go to waste, might as well make use of every last drop.'

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Chapter 30: Injustice

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

In the palace of the Zhang family.

A group of Mei clansmen were staring at the white paper before them and were all keeping quiet.

In the end, they all looked at their protector simultaneously, helpless looks on their faces

The Precelestial Ninth Erudition powerhouse was killed instantly without any prior warnings.

There were even some protectors who blurted, "You're the Ultimate Demi-King of the Lin family."

The meaning behind it was truly horrifying.

They dared not offend when dealing with such an existence.

Hence, they could only leave it to their higher-ups to deal with them.

Obviously, the one with the highest status was the Black Robe Protector.

The Black Robe Protector was speechless.

Currently, he had no idea what should be done!

'Why are they all looking at me?'

'This is immense pressure!'

"Senior, we, the Mei clan, have lots of powerhouses. Someone like me is just a trivial existence within the clan; there are lots of Ultimate Demi-King. There are even genuine elder Kings sitting guard. This time, we have offended you guys unintentionally and we apologize for it. We'll be leaving right now and we swear not to set another foot on the Xia clan ever again!"

The Black Robe Protector was thinking fast and finally said these words through gritted teeth.

He had thought it through.

Given the intruder's actions, if the person who showed up was the hidden elder of the Lin family, there was no way he would let them off the hook.

Hence, the only hope of survival is to flex a little of their might.

There was still no guarantee that they could survive even if they revealed it, but they would for sure be dead if they did not do anything!

"Kings huh! You guys have got quite the nice lineup there."

Chu He's expression was calm.

"But, I asked you to write, not talk!"

His voice became cold and he suddenly made a gesture.

He launched a slap.

A clapping sound was heard.

The Black Robe Protector suddenly began spinning around the ground more than ten rounds, vomiting blood all the while.

However, compared to the pain he felt on his face, deep within his heart, he was feeling even more terrified.

He had no strength to show any resistance.

He was being beaten up without being able to do anything about it.

He did not activate his subconscious defense, let alone attempt a counter-attack movement.

Even now, he could not make his body stop spinning around even if he wanted to.

That one slap made his entire body feel numb.

He felt that his body no longer belonged to himself.

His body kept on spinning till it stopped on its own.

Then, like an ordinary person, he was stunned after spinning around. His body swung around twice and finally stumbled and flopped onto the floor on his bottom.

'It's true!'

'This is the hidden elder of the Lin family.'

'He is far scarier than the legends described.'

Demi-Kings were no more than chickens before him.

He could take or whenever he desired. He had full control of his life and death.

"This is definitely not an Ultimate Demi-King!"

The Black Robe Protector cursed silently.

'Indeed there's a mistake in the rumors. They did not exaggerate it, but rather they underestimated it!'

The elder Ultimate Demi-King within his own clan had never given him such a crushing feeling or pressure.

There was a huge difference between a weakling and a powerhouse.

"You, you're a King!"

The Black Robe Protector's mouth had blood seeping out. He shook his head and could not speak clearly. His tone was accompanied by suffocating dismay.

'If a King has really personally shown up, this is really the end of the line!'

'Even the slimmest ray of survival is gone.'

'How can the Xia clan still have Kings staying guard?'

'Even if they do have one, it's still a big issue that they're not guarding at the borders

Instead, he is residing in the Lin commandery which seemed rather unimportant in comparison.'

'This doesn't make any sense!'

The other Mei clan members within the palace, along with the clansmen of the Zhang family, were all stunned!

'How can such a powerful guardian lose all control after being softly slapped?!'

That was beyond their wildest imagination.

'This is not a dream, right?'

Not to mention...

'What did the guardian say earlier?'

'King?'

'This guy is a King?'

At that moment, no obvious changes could be seen as the outlines of all the Mei clansmen were concealed within the black robes. Meanwhile, the clansmen of the Zhang family, who were standing at the corner of the wall, had their faces turn pale instantly.

They realized that things were getting much more serious than they imagined.

The King of the Xia clan had personally made an appearance.

The Zhang family had joined forces with the foreign clan and would not be forgiven.

'We are so done for!'

They were shaking with fear.

Suddenly!

Boom. Someone got down to their knees. His head slammed against the ground and both his palms were pressed on the floor as he cried out in a loud and choking voice, "Senior, please seek justice for us, the Zhang family!"

"All these people in black robes, they are not human. They are foreign clansmen in disguise."

"They suddenly appeared on the grounds of our Zhang family, forcing us to be slaves. Our abilities were weak. My clansmen wanted to put their lives on the line to defy them but I made them stop!"

"It's not that I'm afraid of death, but it's just that I know there are more important things that we should still be doing."

"These foreign clans are evil. They must be plotting something as they are invading the grounds of the Xia clan, yet the world is unaware of it."

"So I thought, if we gave up our lives like that, we would be able to maintain our innocence, but there would be no meaning to it."

"We had to live on!"

"The most important thing was to send out this information!"

"But, the foreign clan's abilities are overwhelming and their guards are high. We kept failing to seize the chance. Those clansmen who took the risk to escape were tortured to death when they were spotted!"

"I was heartbroken. Yet, I persisted and forced myself to view it in an optimistic manner."

"I kept telling my clansmen who could not bear it-for the sake of the Xia clan, this trivial humiliation of the Zhang family is nothing!"

"We got to bear with it!"

"Fortunately, our patience has not been meaningless."

"We managed to wait till we saw the light at the end of the tunnel... we managed to hold out until Senior's arrival!"

The leader of the Zhang family, Zhang Tai, shouted loudly within the crowd.

He got more and more agitated as he spoke. He had a sorrowful expression and his choked voice was tinted with sincerity.

In the palace, only Zhang Tai's choking could be heard.

All the Zhang family members were stunned, let alone the Mei clan!

'Holy crap!'

Deep within their hearts, only those two words emerged.

They had just witnessed what it truly meant to twist the facts and tell blunt lies.

He did not mention anything about the Zhang family but only focused on the Mei clan. With that, they gave the impression that they had done something to the clansmen of the Zhang family and had locked them up.

That comment made them all start to wonder whether or not the Zhang family really had been shouldering such a huge burden.

'The way he says it sounds too convincing.'

'Too sincere.'

'Such a genuine emotion!'

Boom!

A clansman of the Zhang family was smart enough and collected himself.

He imitated Zhang Tai, slamming his head on the ground and raising his hands high up to shout.

"Please, Senior, seek justice for us!"

He was also crying, except that he was crying because he was scared!

The emotions were not complying.

He did not display any of the touching emotions of Zhang Tai.

Btoom! Btoom! Btoom!

The clansmen of the Zhang family were not fools. Someone had taken the lead, and they obviously knew what to do next.

One after another their knees became jelly and they kneeled on the floor.

Their hands were held high.

They all shouted simultaneously.

"Please, Senior, please seek justice for us!"

The entire scene in the palace suddenly changed!

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Chapter 31: Cruelty

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

"So noisy!"

Chu He's eyes shifted calmly to the Zhang clansmen who were on their knees.

Earlier when they did not say a word, Chu He had no interest in them at all.

Now that they spoke up, however, it immediately attracted Chu He's attention.

'What did these people take me for?'

'A fool?'

'How dare they try to claim they're being wronged!'

'I can't believe they have the nerve to shout it out loud.'

'The one who led the gang even put on an almost perfect show with super genuine emotions. By just looking at his expression and tone, I can't even find any flaws.'

However, Chu He's existence was not on any ordinary level.

He possessed tons of secret techniques.

Such a petty act would not slip past his gaze.

Besides, apart from the guy who led the group, none of the others passed their acting tests.

Some of the people who placed their heads on the floor even had the corners of their mouths curling, obviously trying to refrain themselves from laughing. Their clan leader's spectacular reaction had made even his own men laugh.

Hmph!

Chu He shook his head.

Then, he raised his hand.

On his palm, a golden ray was released, forming a golden aura, like a dragon hovering around his body.

He moved his palm.

Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!

Rays of golden lights blasted out from Chu He's palm.

It was like dragons striking out.

"Senior!"

Coincidentally, Zhang Tai lifted his head and saw the scene unfold, and the sorrowful expression plastered on his face was replaced by one of terror.

'Something's obviously gone wrong.'

'It seems I didn't manage to trick Senior.'

'In fact, he didn't even ask for any clarification.'

'And he immediately made a move!'

'He's being too decisive!'

As he watched the golden aura was closing in on him, Zhang Tai noticed that he could not even summon the courage to flee, let alone defend himself.

'This is the end of my life!'

'The Zhang family is done for!'

"No!"

All the clansmen of the Zhang family also noticed something was off and let out a roar of disappointment.

However, all of their shoutings were fruitless.

After a brief moment, all the clansmen of the Zhang family who were present were blasted by the golden aura.

The entire palace was filled with the smell of blood, washing away the evil aura that hung over the air.

"Hurry and write it down!"

Chu He glanced at the group of Mei clansmen and said calmly.

'So cruel!'

'Scary!'

Just a simple command and it made the whole group of Mei clansmen terrified.

They were afraid of people like Chu He, who had overwhelming abilities and never beat around the bush, not afraid to make a move immediately with cruel methods.

Finally, one of the Mei clansmen could not withstand the immense pressure given out by Chu He and withdrew a black hairy claw from under his huge black robe.

He lifted his hood, trembling. He placed the claw in his mouth and bit on it ruthlessly, causing fresh black blood to flow out.

Then, he used the claw as a substitute for a pen and started writing on the piece of white paper.

"You there, not bad!"

Chu He looked at the Mei clansman, who was the very first one to start writing, and praised him.

'I am being praised!'

The Mei clan member who was writing felt his body fumbling. It was as if had been injected with chicken blood and his writing speed became much faster.

The other Mei clansmen saw the situation and all began pulling out their claws and started writing.

Chu He raised his head.

He looked at the Black Robe Protector and St. Wu Shuang on top of the stage.

Those two Mei had yet to start moving their claws.

"I won't be happy if you guys aren't going to cooperate!"

He spoke with a calm tone.

However, when it traveled to the ears of the Black Robe Protector and St. Wu Shuang, it was like a devil's voice hypnotizing them, bringing with it a wave of terror and tension.

Finally, they gave in.

Under the immense pressure, they could not draw the courage and strength to go against him.

Their bodies felt heavy, unable to move an inch.

'Why bother being stubborn? Since I'm going to die soon, why should I look out for the other comrades? Might as well drag everyone into hell!'

After some time!

All the Mei clansmen had completed their writings.

Chu He waved his hand and all the bloody papers dripping with fresh black blood returned to his hands.

Swoosh!

He made a swift movement with his palm, and he rapidly flipped through each page of the thick stack of bloody paper, like a booklet.

Swirling ripples could be seen in Chu He's eyes. Even though the papers were being flipped at an incredible speed, he could still read through every single word on the papers and even memorize them.

To him, it was a small feat.

On ordinary days, he would be reading his book at a very slow pace because he was experiencing loneliness in life.

In the book depository, he was not reading books but reading life.

In just a few breaths' time, he had finished reading through the thick pile of bloody paper.

The contents on it were almost the same.

That was to be expected. After all, it was not a game of completing a treasure map. The intention of Chu He making all of the Mei make a copy was so that he could compare them.

Chu He stretched out his hand and took out two pieces of papers from the stack of bloody papers. Then, he shifted the aura on his palm and the rest of the bloody papers started burning into ash without the need of a fire.

Apart from the remaining two pieces of papers in his hands, the other bloodstained papers had not much info on them and they lacked details.

He could understand why that was.

After all, it was obvious that the two people on the stage were the masterminds while the other Mei clansmen were just underlings. Hence, it was only natural for a discrepancy of information to exist.

"Very good. This makes me rather satisfied."

Chu He nodded.

Then, he suddenly raised his hand.

It was a familiar scene!

The Black Robe Protector and St. Wu Shuang!

'This powerhouse really is ruthless and doesn't have an ounce of grace!'

'He should have at least said something before making a move to at least give us a chance to prepare!'

'Why did he have to do it straight away?'

Roar!

At the brink of death, the Black Robe Protector finally overcame the terror that had rooted itself in the depths of his soul. He opened up his arms and let out a roar. The black robe on him burst open and revealed his body that was cloaked in evil auras.

He looked like an enlarged version of a huge bat that was standing upright without wings, and had long hairs throughout his body.

He had a sharp mouth and canine teeth. The black evil aura was swirling around his body, forming a solid object that resembled black pus. The aura even gave off a bad smell which made one queasy.

Following the tremendous aura being spread out by the Black Robe Protector, the other Mei clansmen felt the protector's aura struggle against the aura of the mysterious figure, it made the pressure on their bodies lessened and they were finally able to move. Their expressions were delighted and they finally felt that there was hope again.

The next second, they all got up simultaneously and broke down the walls and were ready to escape from the place.

It never once crossed their minds to team up with the Black Robe Protector to fight against Chu He.

It was obvious that after the Black Robe Protector had performed that explosive display, he had burnt up all his energy and even used up a secret technique, and that was all just to forcibly break out of the restriction!

However, that was just a restriction on the aura!

The Black Robe Protector had used up all of his strength.

It was obvious that the two parties were nowhere near the same level.

It would lead to nothing but death if he stayed back to challenge Chu He.

Might as well run for their lives!

Everyone would remember the honorable protector for the rest of their lives.

His spirit of sacrificing himself for the sake of ensuring the continuation of the Mei clan will be engraved into their hearts.

Even though he was currently cursing!

However, that was not important.

Chu He revealed an astonished expression.

He did not expect a mere Demi-King was able to free himself from the tiny bit of aura that he had let out.

Granted, the strength of the aura he used was just at the very basic level of the King rank.

However, that was already a very impressive feat!

Indeed, it seemed that living beings on earth would be able to exceed their limits and potential at the brink of death.

However, it was just a tiny bit of potential.

When dealing with him, breaking their limits was still meaningless.

Even if a mere Demi-King were to unleash the strength a few ranks beyond his status, Chu He would still be able to easily hold him down.

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Chapter 32: One Person Destroying A Clan

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

"What a useless struggle. You have no idea what true strength is!" Chu He said calmly.

Then, he raised his palm and pressed it down.

The Black Robe Protector and the other Mei clansmen who had just managed to free themselves and were trying to escape suddenly were all engulfed. The powerful force spread out its territory and the pressuring sensation throughout the entire palace suddenly increased by at least a thousand times.

Boom!

Following the explosive sound, the entire palace had turned into ashes and even the floor surface had sunk deep into the ground.

The group of Mei clansmen who were still thinking of escaping was instantly squashed to death by the massive force. The Black Robe Protector of the Demi-King realm could only manage to maintain his breath. While he roared in dismay, one after another, the other outlines were smashed into pulps.

Chu He, who had got out of the way long ago and was hovering mid-air, looked at the desolate area below and, once he had confirmed there were no signs of life, he finally shifted his gaze.

He looked at the disciples of the Zhang family, who had noticed the commotion and were rushing toward him from all directions.

'They have some self-awareness and came running to me. This saves me the trouble of heading over to kill them one by one.'

Those people had varying kinds of strength within them. Besides, each of them had a bloody and murderous aura surrounding them, which made it clear that they had murdered lots of innocent people who were completely unrelated to them. The piles of white bones within the lands of the Zhang family were ample evidence.

'They don't deserve pity when they die!'

Chu He quietly waited for the disciples to close in, his hands behind his back.

When almost all of them had arrived, only then did he make his move.

He waved his hand and tens of millions of gravel fragments came exploding from the ground.

Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!

The rocks were like meteors descending upon the earth, flying through space and bringing along a burning tail that flashed through the air, finally blasting the group of Zhang family disciples who were still unaware of what was happening.

Blood flowed like rivers!

On that day, the Zhang family was annihilated!

Chu He did not say a word!

He suddenly realized that after spending dozens of years reading books in the book depository, his mentality had undergone some changes.

Previously, he wanted nothing else but to quietly wait till the checkpoint was ready, and repeat the process until he became a powerhouse.

He would never be bothered about any unnecessary stuff.

Good guys, bad guys!

They were none of his concern!

That was his initial mentality when he first arrived.

Now, however, he had first interfered with an unnecessary event at the foot of the hill. Then, after climbing up, he immediately made a move to deal with the Zhang family who had committed lots of terrible deeds.

His mentality had undergone a huge transformation!

Chu He touched his chin and thought about it.

'This can't be just because of reading books.

As his abilities became stronger and stronger, his mentality would also undergo some changes accordingly.

He had become much more carefree.

Previously, he was weak. Hence, he was cautious.

Right now, there was no need for that!

To put it simply, he had become arrogant!

"Forget it! This is just a small matter. I'm not going to keep going on about this. I'll go release that girl and return to the book depository and keep waiting like usual."

Chu He moved his body and vanished from the spot.

...

In the dungeon of the Zhang family!

Zhao Yuling was locked up in a cage made of gold and copper.

Her current situation was a truly embarrassing mess!

Her hands and legs were being restrained with black chains. It was a chain that forbade any spell. It had suppressed all the essential qi within her. Even her body had become much weaker and she was unable to summon any strength.

The entire cage was engulfed by an evil aura. It was coming from all directions and was seeping into Zhao Yuling's body.

Her consciousness was blurry and she was disoriented.

"Brother Lil Chu!"

"Don't run away, Brother Lil Chu!"

She kept blurting words from her dream. Her fair face was bright red in agitation.

At that moment, the space behind her twisted and Chu He, his hands tucked behind him, appeared.

He glanced at Zhao Yuling's face that was currently looking rather bashful as she shouted out his name.

Chu He was flustered.

'What is this girl dreaming about?'

Chu He's nose twitched.

The evil aura in the entire dungeon contained the power of greed and could enhance a person's desire endlessly.

Zhao Yuling was being force fed this strength. By all means, she should be acting like a maniac devil, roaring and having a vicious look on her face.

'But why is she having this expression now?'

Chu He was curious.

He could not help but reach out with his heart to sense it.

Then, he frowned and he looked suspicious.

'This girl, she ended up falling into lust when she was triggered!'

'Damn!'

'This girl, why is she calling my name when she's overcome by lust?'

'This is a sin!'

Chu He thought about it and did not immediately interrupt her.

Of course, it was certainly not because he noticed Zhao Yuling was having dirty thoughts about him and wanted to enjoy the feeling of superiority.

He did not have such foul interests.

The reason he did not interrupt was that he realized that now was the best timing for Zhao Yuling to breakthrough.

These few years, the accumulation she gathered during her cultivation had long been adequate and it was only her mentality that held her back.

Many years had passed and her mentality had become much more stable. That time when she was caught, the Mei clan used the greed aura to cultivate her. If the timing was any later, it would end up meaning nothing. However, right now, it was just nice.

Her mentality was at the brink of collapsing but at the same time, it was also at the brink of being trained to its limits.

There was a fine line between blessing and disaster.

Chu He waved his palm and broke the chains restraining Zhao Yuling's body.

At the same time, a pearl appeared in his hand.

The Pearl of Realm!

Adding it to Zhao Yuling's current condition, it could make her mentality cultivate to a higher level.

Then, three Genuine King Breakthrough Tablets!

The tablets began to melt in Chu He's palm. Then, he injected it into Zhao Yuling's body with a palm strike.

"I've done all I can do. The rest is entirely up to you!"

Chu He sat down with his legs crossed. His hands hugged himself as he quietly watched her.

Zhao Yuling, who was frantically chasing after Chu He, felt a chilling sensation deep within her all of a sudden as her consciousness and emotions slowly reverted.

She recalled her current situation.

Sigh!

She let out a sigh as if she did not have enough fun yet.

However, right now was not the time to indulge in those dreams. She was currently in danger and needed to quickly free herself.

She knew the seriousness of the situation.

Just when she closed her eyes, trying to think about ways to overcome the danger, there was a vague thought that kept appearing within her mind, egging her on.

Breakthrough!

Breakthrough!

In the meantime, the essential qi within her that was initially being suppressed started flowing on its own and rushing toward the barrier of the realm.

She was unable to think whether or not it was the right timing to be breaking through.

It had already started, and there was no turning back.

Transitioning from a Precelestial to a King, was the very first will of the martial arts, the process of compressing the essential qi.

Once it started, it could not be stopped.

Once stopped, it meant it had failed.

Once failed, that person would be engulfed by the backlash. If it was not a serious case, they would only suffer heavy injuries, but if it was serious, they could lose their lives.

Zhao Yuling was aware of it.

Hence, when she noticed the problem, she started taking the initiative to control the essential qi within her body and began to unleash her powers as she tried to breakthrough.

However, Zhao Yuling was not so anxious.

Chu He had long ago told her what she should do when breaking through.

She followed the procedure and slowly proceeded forth!

Zhao Yuling had accumulated more than enough experience, adding on to the securement provided by Chu He, the realm of the King did not pose any difficulty to her.

It was a smooth process!

Following a whistling sound, a strong force like the waves came along, and smashed against the gold and copper dungeon, making a huge sound.

The realm of the King.

It was a success!

Chu He's face broke into a gentle smile. He placed the two bloody papers in his hand onto Zhao Yuling's hand. Then, his body moved and he vanished.

He had done what he was supposed to do, and he headed back to continue marking the checkpoint.

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