Everybody is Kung Fu Fighting, While I Started a Farm

by Little Merger

Rejuvenation of spiritual energy, prevalence of martial arts, and extraordinary awakening, Jiang He said that he didn’t panic at all. With a farm system, farming can become stronger. What should I do if I practice too slowly? Don’t panic, plant some cucumbers to eat. Cucumber effects: clearing away heat and detoxification (relieving hundreds of toxins), strengthening the brain a

3. 65

Read Everybody is Kung Fu Fighting, While I Started a Farm Chapter 65 - Planting A Swordplay: The Secret Text of Ninefold Thunderblade! online for free - NovelFull

Chapter 65: Planting A Swordplay: The Secret Text of Ninefold Thunderblade!

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

The red Transformer stood silently at the center of the yard, and reverted to its sports car form with a single thought from Jiang He.

The car door opened then, and Jiang He entered.

Still, he was left dumbstruck when he sat on the driver's seat.

Why did it feel like… something's missing?

"Hold on. Where's my steering wheel?"

"There's no gear stick either…"

"Not even pedals?"

There was a single LCD display at the dashboard in front of him, but there was no way of input.

Jiang He only came to a realization then.

"You really reap what you sow… the toy car might look exquisite in appearance and could even change forms, it's still a toy. Who would care what's inside if the outside looks good?"

"There won't even be a steering wheel on it!"

"Then doesn't it mean I planted a good-looking but useless object?"

Even as he complained, Jiang He punched the screen in front of him.

Oom.

There was a soft murmur.

Rainbow light flashed over the screen, and soon rows of options were displayed.

"Auto-drive?"

"Audio-visual broadcast?"

"AutoNavi?"

"Armored form?"

Reaching out with his finger, he poked on the auto-drive option… to no effect.

He got nothing when he tried the other options as well.

After searching around the screen, he did not find anything resembling a button either.

"Maybe… I have to control it with my head?"

With a glint on his eyes, Jiang He thought, 'Auto-drive. Park outside.'

Wroom~

The engine purred.

The sports car hence drove off the red leaf and parked outside the gates to Jiang He's house, a process that took zero input. The car itself evaded any obstacles, and most importantly, it drove on very steadily.

[Ding!]

[1000 Farm Points]

A System Notification jingled in his head.

When the car drove off the red leaf, it meant a successful harvest.

Getting off the car happily, Jiang He more or less understood the car's function now.

"I just have to issue my orders and provide a destination. And as for armored mode… it would be issuing orders as well, which the Transformer would carry out on its own. Pity this place is too small and there's no space for it to put on a performance, or I could test how powerful its combat ability is in armored mode."

Then, when Jiang He returned to the yard, the giant red leaf had already crumbled into black ashes—and Dumbo was shoveling and spreading it.

Nearby, the dragon-slaying blade was flourishing too.

Between its two leaves, a blade hilt had crept out slowly.

The hilt itself was growing as well, albeit slowly.

Jiang He thought about grabbing the hilt and pulling it out, but eventually gave up on that idea.

"Ruining things with excessive enthusiasm never work…"

Hence, he took out a stool and the snake meat he had left. This time, he did not have to call out to Dumbo—the dog was already running towards him and breathing flames, and soon the fragrant smell of meat started wafting.

He handily sprinkled cumin, spice, and chili powder on it, then had Dumbo bake it for a dozen more minutes until the golden crispy snake meat was cooked.

Jiang He took one bite, and his face showed enjoyment.

"So sweet… is the flesh of all rank-seven Ferals that tasty?"

"It's lucky that snake was so massive, so I don't have to worry that I won't have any spare meat left."

He then started chomping down on the meat and soon devoured it cleanly. That was when he looked down to find Dumbo and Trumbo crouching by his feet, salivating all over the ground.

Hence, he threw out a chunk of rank-six wolf meat.

However, Dumbo whimpered even as it clutched at its prize. Then, holding its paws level at the meat, it made some gestures.

Jiang He watched it for half a beat… before coming to an understanding. "You mean you want some condiments?"

Dumbo's dog eyes showed delight, and it nodded fervently.

As such, Jiang He split some of his cumin, spice, and chili powder with Dumbo, who puffed its chest in salutation, kicking Trumbo away and howling a little.

Still, Trumbo showed no temper despite being a rank-three Feral. Instead, it mewed meekly several times, as if asking Dumbo a question.

These two…

Were conversing?

Jiang He blinked in curiosity.

Were they thinking about baking the meat themselves?

And unsurprisingly, Dumbo howled again, gesturing for the Three-tails Demon Cat to bring the shovel.

Hence, Trumbo stood on its rear legs, a ferocious aura bursting away from its body as it became as large as a pickup truck. While it held up the shovel with its two front paws, Dumbo put the meat on the shovel blade, before gaping its mouth to breath fire, and seasoned it after it was almost cooked.

"…"

Jiang He gaped…

Was that really a dog?

And it's supposed to be rank-two…

Wasn't it almost equal in intelligence to a rank-seven Feral?

Could it be because dogs have high IQ in the first place, which was why they were smarter after evolving?

Jiang He turned to look at his yard.

In it, the dragon-slaying blade had borne fruit.

However, what Jiang He found was a golden blade stabbed into the ground. While it no longer had the golden aesthetic common to upstarts, it still exuded a feeling that was hard to describe.

After thinking about it for some time, Jiang He muttered, "Bearing. That's right, if blades have bearing as well, this blade had kept it inside itself, and what remains is subtlety and nobleness."

He reached out with his hand, shooting a gust of True Qi out of thin air.

Clang!

The dragon-slaying blade landed in his hand.

[Ding!]

[1000 Farm Points.]

The design of the sword was identical to the design before it was planted, and Jiang He could feel an extremely sharp Sword Qi when it reached his fingers.

If the dragon-slaying blade before had been B-grade alloy weapon before, it was now a strengthened weapon with 25 stats, thanks to the combined effects of Jiang He's farm and the Mysterious Soil!

As Jiang He stared at the blade in his hand, a row of data appeared.

[Dragon Slaying Saber]

[A blade forged from a mold of a golden dragon's blood.]

[Attribute: lets out a burst of sword qi in the form of a dragon when charged.]

"…"

Jiang He's mouth twitched.

What nonsense.

Before this, it was his Wang Mazi1 cleaver, which was claimed to have been forged from the steel extracted from a meteor after it was planted.

Fine…

He could pretend as if he did not bear witness to the making of the blade, and that Wang Mazi himself found asteroid steel and fashioned a cleaver out of it. On the other hand, the dragon-slaying blade itself had been forged by the old man who had awakened his hammer, so what the hell did the mold of a golden dragon blood's even mean?

"Fortunately, this saber is golden. If it was black, it would have been a black dragon's blood mold."

After playing the straight-man for a bit, Jiang He put away the Dragon-Slaying Saber.

He then took out a piece of paper from his pocket and smiled. "The blade has been planted. Now, the swordplay is all that's left!"

The paper had a swordplay written on it, which Jiang He had copied from a novel named the Secret Text of the Ninefold Thunderblade.

Of course, Jiang He had also made some stuff himself, appropriately improving the power of the Ninefold Thunderblade.

For example:

[Mastery of the first fold of the Ninefold Thunderblade permits the one additional burst of dark energy, stacking strength to double the individual's power.]

[Mastery of the ninth fold of the Ninefold Thunderblade permits nine additional bursts of dark energy, multiplying the individual's power by tenfold!]

In other words, if Jiang He fully cultivated the Ninefold Thunderblade technique, a single burst of his Sword Qi would release ten times his normal strength.

For an even clearer distinction, Jiang He had also added special effects to the various techniques.

For example, mastery of the first fold would release a lightning cleave that extended over ten meters, whereas the second fold extended over twenty meters… and full mastery extended it over ninety meters!

Most importantly, it was much cooler that way!

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Chapter 66: Cheng Dongfeng Leaves Seclusion

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

Jiang He had considered even cooler special effects, such as cutting a location hundreds or thousands of meters away. Still, his farm's level was too low for him to plant cultivation manuals of such level for now.

Hence, he simply dug a hole and threw the [Ninefold Thunderblade] inside.

Then, he turned on the System Shop and redeemed another pellet of composite fertilizer, and poured it in along with the remaining half pack of Mysterious Soil.

When he took out his phone for a look, he realized that it was already past two in the morning.

"With the Mysterious Soil, the Ninefold Thunderblade could grow into an elite martial art, and it would probably be two hours before I harvest it… I'll sleep first, and collect it tomorrow morning."

He then glanced towards the money-growing tree, which stood at the height of an average person.

Hundred-dollar bills were growing out of the branches.

It seemed that it had been some time since he harvested some money.

Nonetheless, the important thing here was that harvesting money no longer awarded him Farm Points, and Jiang He immediately became disinterested.

He calculated the numbers.

It would take him probably a second to pluck a single note, and a hundred bills meant 100 seconds. Being an orderly person, he also had the habit of counting them after he finished harvesting… and it altogether meant at least three minutes.

"Anything I plant in under three minutes now is worth over ten thousand bucks anyway. Forget it, I'll just leave it there for the scenery."

Jiang He hence glanced towards the grave in his yard.

Having filled their stomachs, Dumbo and Trumbo were sleeping over atop of it, but did not find any sprout growing out of the grave itself.

In fact, planting Ferals had its limits too.

Jiang He failed in a previous attempt to grow a rank-six Feral Wolf, and his hunch was that it had to do with his farm's level. For example, the corpse from which he grew Trumbo from was a rank-one Feral, and it was only thanks to him adding Mysterious Soil that he had managed to grow a strengthened Three-Tails Demon Cat.

"But is that because my farm is incapable of growing humans, or is the farm level lower than the B-class water-type Awakened?"

He had no clue even after thinking about it half a day.

In the end, such matters had to be discovered through practical experiments. But surely he couldn't run off to murder a martial artist who was rank-three or below to do that now, could he?

Hence, he got into his sports car.

At his thought, the seat slowly lowered, evening out into a small bed.

It just felt so technological.

As Jiang He lay on it, all he felt was a softness and immeasurable comfort. He could not help whistling, "It doesn't feel as hard as I imagined. Sleeping in a sports car like this one is quite awesome."

Soon, he reached dreamland.

A smile showed on his face, and there was certainly no telling what horrific nightmare he dreamt of.

Meanwhile.

Ningdong Mines, Eastward of Lingzhou City.

Faint fiery light could be seen from an abandoned mining cave.

The Tranquil Heavenly General was eating some tough compressed food, his usually sinister face now sporting a forbidding look.

A fat man sat opposite him.

Of course, fatness was relative—this man was actually skinny compared to Pudgy Jiang, and 199 catties at best.

Moreover, there was a grin that never faded from his face, and he looked like one of those men hiding dark schemes behind a broad smile.

But despite the smile, his tone was irritable and he exclaimed in irritation, "Could you shut up, Tranquil? You messed up the Holy See's plans, and you even had me cover for you…"

"And can't you hold back your Frost True Qi a little? It's so cold in here!"

The thick northwestern accent echoed in the mining cave.

The Tranquil Heavenly General frowned and said, "What was the Holy See's instructions to you before you came, Earth Demon?"

"Where's your head at?"

The fat man smiled and said, "Who is the Holy See, and could you or I meet him more than a handful of times in a year? Still, the Sentinel of the Right did mention when I came that most of the Holy Faith's elites are out of the country for the moment. However, he would divert manpower to us as soon he could, and even send a Grand here to back us up."

Glaring at the Tranquil Heavenly General, the fat man lazily leaned towards the fire. "That is why we are shall stay in a cycle between eating and sleeping, and the occasional reconnaissance."

"No!"

Tranquil Heavenly General gritted his teeth, clenching his fists until it cracked loudly. "Jiang He has to die!"

He hence rose and started out of the mining cave.

"What are you going to do?"

"I'll contact HQ and have them investigate Jiang He!"

The Tranquil Heavenly General hence bounded out of the cave, whipping out his satellite phone.

It is the age of information now, and their 'Holy Faith' was advancing with the times, grooming tech-savvy individuals amongst their followers and even establishing their state-of-art experimental installations. They had even kidnapped scientific researchers, hypnotizing and brainwashing them—would it not be a simple matter to have them investigate a person with a known name?

Late night.

The icy autumn rain was still drizzling outside.

In a certain room at the Martial Arts Department of Lingzhou City, Su Ze was jolted awake from his slumber.

He opened the light and touched his own body, only breathing a long sigh of relief then. "Guess it's just a dream," he mumbled. "To think that Jiang He would pin me… I mean, to think that I could pin Jiang He down and punch him into the dirt!"

Boom!

Su Ze's face dropped abruptly.

He could feel the whole tower shaking.

Then, an arrogant laughter resounded.

"Haha! I, Chen Dongfeng had finally reached the realm of grandmasters!"

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Chapter 67: Let Him Beat You Up Again!

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

Cheng Dongfeng was laughing arrogantly. Who cared what time it was?

As such, everyone in the building was startled.

Duan Tianhe was the first one to come out, having noticed the instant Cheng Dongfeng ascended. At the same time, Cheng Dongfeng's whole face shone in redness when a chorus of congratulations echoed, and smiled in response.

"Sir!"

Su Ze came through the door as well, exclaiming in delight. "Congratulations on your rise to grandmaster!"

Cheng Dongfeng nodded and was about to leave, but then paused and said, "Su Ze, let's go to your room. I have something to talk to you about!"

Even as he spoke, he had already opened the door and entered.

Su Ze had delight written all over his face.

Could his master's peer be going to offer him some special treat, thanks to his great mood after ascending?

He closed the door and smiled. "What is it, sir?"

There was a fridge in Su Ze's room, and he took out a bottle of Cheng Dongfeng's favorite iced beer from it. However, just as he was about to flatter his senior, he heard a cold snort.

"Hmph!"

"Trash!"

Bang!

Cheng Dongfeng slammed his palm on the table, startling Su Ze into a shudder and dropping the beer bottle on the floor.

"S… Sir, what did I do?"

Su Ze felt aggrieved, whereas Cheng Dongfeng scowled. "You have the cheek to ask me that? You have been following my peer around for years, and had a year of experience in the Special Bureau. Isn't it embarrassing when you're still a rank-two martial artist until now?"

"Jiang He is two years younger than you, but he is ten times, a hundred times… no, a thousand times stronger than you are!"

Sullen, Su Ze could not decide if he should be laughing or crying. "Sir, can we not talk about that deviant Jiang He? Although I did meet him when I was on duty yesterday…"

Su Ze realized that he had spilled the beans then and quickly quietened, and grinned awkwardly. "Well, uh, I'll bring you another beer, sir."

Fortunately, Cheng Dongfeng did not press him.

He simply remained on his seat, scowling, and had two mouthfuls of the beer Su Ze opened for him. Only then did his mood ease considerably.

Su Ze kept observing his reaction, and only then did he breathe a sigh of relief.

His master's peer had a very bad temper, and it really scared people witless.

And yet, even before Su Ze felt relief, he heard Cheng Dongfeng say flatly, "Didn't Jiang He hand you a beating before, Su Ze? So go to his house tomorrow, and have him beat you up again."

"…"

What?

Su Ze was left dumbstruck, and only reacted after half a day, mumbling, "Are you for real, sir?"

"Of course!"

Cheng Dongfeng glared, barking, "It's the middle of the night. Or did you think I'm fooling you around?"

He rose, heading outside with his hands clasped behind his back while speaking flatly, "Don't worry, I won't let you be beaten up for nothing. I will settle the score in your stead, and when that's done, I would personally instruct you for a while. I promise you would immediately reach rank-three, or even rank-four!"

"But why?

"Why would you do this to me!!!"

In the room, Su Ze was on the verge of tears.

On the other hand, Cheng Dongfeng was in an incredibly good mood.

Why?

What other reason could there be? How am I supposed to get an excuse to beat up Jiang He to reclaim my honor?

Surely I can't challenge a junior when I'm a grandmaster, right? How shameless would it be if word of that gest out, and am I really that thick-skinned?

But while he was in a good mood, Su Ze felt depressed.

He lay on his bed, tossing and turning, unable to sleep no matter what.

Should he call his master?

No way. Given Cheng Dongfeng's temper, he would make Su Ze's life a living hell if he knew Su Ze had ratted him out. Or what, was he supposed to just agree to let Jiang He beat him up?

Su Ze mused to himself for a long time, when he suddenly sat up, laughing.

"I'm so stupid!"

"He just wants to reclaim his dignity from Jiang He, but can't afford to hurt his own esteem… moreover, that brat Jiang He is also obsessed with him. I just have to tell him that Master Cheng that he ascended, and he would naturally challenge him!"

Su Ze was stunned by his own wits.

"No, wait. Jiang He is an elite who could kill over a dozen Sky Demon Cultists alone, as well as a wolfpack. He is too powerful, and Master Cheng had just ascended, and if he failed to take advantage of is ascension, his embarrassment would turn to rage, and he would vent at me."

"I'll request for a mission from the department head early next morning, and only go to Jiang He when Master Cheng has come to grips with his new abilities!"

Jiang He was naturally unaware of what had transpired at the Martial Arts Department (MAD).

He did not sleep soundly either, and was having nightmares throughout the night.

In that dream, he was overworked… by a group of bikini girls!

He was then jolted awake by arguing voices.

As he opened his eyes groggily, he found Wang Sizhen and his workers surrounding his sports car, discussing away amidst their shock!

"What the heck!"

"Nice car. What's the model?"

"Lamborghini?"

"What do you mean, Lambo? It's clearly a Rolls Royce. Look at the car brand if you don't believe me!"

"Eh? There's no brand?"

Okay…

The car certainly had no logo since it was grown. Surely Jiang He couldn't just stick one on it? Moreover, he planted the car in the early hours of the morning—where would he get the time to do that?

As for the car plate…

What do you mean, 'plate', when there's no brand?

Jiang He had no intention of putting a plate on it. Why do that when he didn't even have a driving license?

Opening the car door, Jiang He stepped out.

The people outside promptly flocked towards him, asking various questions but beating around the bush.

Jiang He simply smiled. "The rain is gone. Get to work, people. By the way, Big Onion Bro, I did ask you tell the workers that I'm treating them to a meal at my place. Have you informed them yet?"

"Are you that worried about me doing things?"

"Very well, then."

Jiang He thought about it, before adding, "Big Onion Bro, can you cook?"

"Yup!"

Wang Sizhen puffed up his chest and exclaimed confidently. "I would be the one stepping in if the on-site cook has other matters to attend to."

Everything was simpler since Wang Sizhen could cook.

Jiang He pretended to drive out for a bit, and returned with four hundred catties of wolf meat. He threw them to Wang Sizhen and said, "Cook this meat up, and let's have a feast today… oh, and I have a few cucumbers, so we'll add them as salads."

Jiang He had personally picked the meat.

As for the qi pellets, he just had to throw them in the tea when the workers were preparing it.

"This meal would be at least worth millions if counted with normal currency. I'm such a good boss—surely the number one in the world, too, right?" Jiang He thought, and entered the yard.

There, he found a small tree that stood just around one point five meters tall, although its trunk was thick and winding, bathing under the sun.

And atop the branch was a secret text.

Jiang He walked up and plucked it.

[Ding!]

[1000 Farm Points]

The words 'Ninefold Thunderblade' was written boldly and powerfully on the cover of the secret text.

[Ding!]

[A high-level swordplay: Ninefold Thunderblade has been detected on the farm. Consume 200 Farm Points to learn the First Fold?]

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Chapter 68: Fated to Never Experience the Joys of Cultivation!

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

"Learn!"

[Ding!]

[-2000 Farm Points]

[Congratulations, Host. You have gained Mastery over the First Fold of the Ninefold Thunderblade.]

Hence, the System Notification echoed in Jiang He's head, followed by a wave of information that entered the brain. As his epiphany coursed all over his body, a sharp Sword Qi even pulsed around him.

"What a shame!"

"My place is too small and I can't cast it, or I could test the power of the Ninefold Thunderblade."

He glanced at the System Panel.

[Name: Jiang He]

[Cultivation: Rank Five Advanced]

[Ability: Royal Sword]

[Martial Arts Cultivation: Indestructible Diamond (Initiate), Eighteen Dragon Subduing Palms (), Blind Princess's Eight Practices (First Practice), Strengthened Nine Yang Technique (First Tier), Ninefold Thunderblade (First Fold)]

[Owned Land: 888m]

[Farm Level: 3 (EXP 1500/5000)]

[System Backpack: 12 boxes]

[System Shop: Unlocked]

[Farm Points: 1850]

"My cultivation is actually still Rank Five Advanced?"

"But my fighting ability has clearly at least doubled…"

"And my Farm Points are less than two thousand, again!"

Even as Jiang He complained, he decided to cultivate his martial arts without using the System since he was idling anyway, thereby experiencing the joys of cultivation.

First, he tested the Eighteen Dragon Subduing Palms.

He had only learned six styles, meaning that there were twelve left. However, after he practiced all of the remaining twelve styles, he could not cast them in the blink of an eye.

After that, he tried the Indestructible Diamond, but after cultivating after over half an hour, the System still showed that it remained at Initiate and did not improve to Mastery.

Then, the Blind Princess's Eight Practices.

He dashed off from his house to the entrance to the village under a single breath and back, but did not even manage to learn the Third Practice.

"Forget it…"

"So troublesome."

Jiang He shook his head with a bitter smile, sighing. "I guess I really can't experience the joys of cultivation for the rest of my life now. Moreover, the Strengthened Nine Yang Technique that is claimed to be compatible universally for all martial artists was a little exaggerated, but perhaps that could only be seen if I mastered the Nine Yang Technique itself."

Meanwhile, the workers at his home were laboring in a frenzy.

Wang Sizhen had arranged for two of them to build a wall around the yard.

At the same time, he had put on an apron and set up a stove outside the yard to cook two whole pots of wolf meat. He appeared taken aback, and when Jiang He approached, he asked, "What meat did you get, Jiang He? This stuff doesn't look like beef."

"Wolf meat."

Jiang He did not hide the truth, and said, "I've been to the mountains a few days ago when I ran into a pack of wolves, and managed to kill a few."

"What?"

Wang Sizhen lowered his voice to speak quietly. "Could they have been Ferals? The news reported that over seventy percent of wildlife up the mountains have mutated into those frightening things."

Pausing, he then laughed, "By the way, Jiang He, had you heard about the founding of a Martial Arts Academy (MAA) in the city? Is the screening process strict? I'm considering registration.

"…"

Jiang He was at a loss for words at that.

'Your son has already learned to use soy sauce1, why would you register at the MAA?

'Are you really that obsessed with martial arts?'

Still, after thinking about it, Jiang He understood.

Which youngster had not dreamt of becoming a martial artist? Wang Sizhen was even a little obsessed about it—when they played around as children, he would often have a cornstalk pinned at his hip, calling himself the Thirteenth Warrior on a moment's notice and beating up the old locust tree at the village entrance, to the point that it was not fully grown even now.

"Wouldn't there be age restrictions in MAA recruitment?"

Jiang He said after thinking about it. "Still, Feral meat could greatly improve the physicality of normal pepper, so do eat more and wash it down with some salad. You just might be surprised."

Wang Sizhen's eyes twinkled.

As the workers' boss slash cook, he did have a little special authority here.

Meanwhile, Jiang He glanced at his phone to find a message from Wang Siyu. It seems that she had a mission and left early in the morning with Li Fei, Su Ze, Liu Xue, and the others, and would not be coming to eat.

After saying goodbye to Wang Sizhen and have him set aside a stack of cucumbers and a few catties of cooked meat, Jiang He climbed into his sports car for a joyride.

When he got one, he activated the auto-drive.

He lowered his seat so that he was leaning, and he turned on his radio, queueing several songs with strong bass and put it on loop. After that, he took out a handful of qi pellets, listening to songs as he downed the pellets leisurely.

Naturally, perhaps because he had too much qi pellets, they were basically ineffective now. Nonetheless, it works just fine as a snack, unlike cucumbers which he got sick of after a few sticks.

Besides, the walnut tasted good too.

Its shell was thin and its insides fragrant, and most importantly there was no need to peel it. Jiang Hu would have a few every day, and feel the distinct growth of his spirit recently. Furthermore, the radiance of that little luminous blade in his head had brightened considerably and became more solid.

After having the qi pellets and two walnuts, Jiang He's nodded in satisfaction when he saw that the vast sea of blades and the luminous blade tha hovers above it with his inner vision. "At this rate, my Sword Qi raging over three thousand miles would not be a pipe dream."

Meanwhile, he was driving along Lingzhou city.

He noticed then that there were many tall buildings built around the city itself, and new residents had already moved in to some of the completed ones.

At the same time, military bases were being built outside, and it had been said that electric fences would be raised as well in order to form a protective perimeter.

The Revival of Qi was a natural disaster on apocalyptic proportions. Even so, the country had spent much labor and resources to set up a multitude of countermeasures, as opposed to how things were at foreign nations.

Even if there had many multiple incidents of feral attacking cities, to the extent that several towns and villages were directly lost, combined with a rising death toll, but that was still countless times better than outside the country.

Their population was now centralized, and the military had taken control.

That policy was implemented airtightly, whereas outside the country…

Just yesterday, Jiang He read an article that said there were still people taking to the streets in protest for human rights, along with Awakened who are wreaking havoc and disorder.

Meanwhile, it was now afternoon as Jiang He returned home.

The progress on his mansion was quick, and he estimated two more days until work was finished.

After some thought, he said, "Everyone, there's no need to work overtime tonight. Go home, and have a good rest."

Then, after seeing the workers off, Jiang He climbed into his sports car again with high hopes.

Yes.

He was sticking to the script.

Having singled him out, the Sky Demon Cult would probably attack him soon, and night was the best time for them to strike!

"The Tranquil Heavenly General and the Earth Demon Heavenly General… can I kill those two rank-seven grandmasters?"

Still, time flew, but Jiang He did not even catch so much as a sight of the Sky Demon Cult.

His high hopes were soon reduced to disappointment.

At night, he was still lounging in his car, popping qi pellets and walnuts.

Even so, he only felt a monotonous dullness.

"Why aren't the Sky Demon Cult sticking to the script?"

Outside, the stars were few but the moon bright, and vague croaks from frogs could be heard.

It was already one in the morning, but Jiang He, tossing and turning, could not fall asleep even as he swiped through various videos.

"This won't do!"

"It's too boring!"

"Even if the Tranquil Heavenly General and the Earth Demon Heavenly General wouldn't come for me, why can't I go looking for them?"

Of course, that was not the entire reason for his boredom.

To prevent them from ambushing him, Jiang He had not had a good night's sleep over recent days. If he did not get rid of them and kept having high hopes… kept being worried, who else could really bear such a life?

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Chapter 69: City of Ruins

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

Wroom!

The engine of Jiang He's car purred.

Jiang He was relaying his commands through thought.

[Unmanned steering engaged. Destination: Ningdong Mines.]

The sports car bounded away, leaving the village rapidly.

"So, I'm not actually losing sleep out of boredom. Instead, I'm just too worried about getting blindsided and killed by the Tranquil Heavenly General and the Earth Demon Heavenly General, which kept me awake!"

"Those two really deserve to die!"

Leaning on his seat, a ferocious glint flickered over Jiang He's eyes.

The Sky Demon Cult had simply lost all reason.

They would actually use such a poisonous tactic to crush my will?!

Meanwhile, the car drove on rapidly, and it was just an hour's drive between Jinyintan Village and Ningdong Mines.

Before it was abandoned, the mines were famous throughout the country and the first town founded in the Western Xia province. It was rich with natural resources beneath its ground, and reserves of coal that had been discovered amounted over a hundred billion tons, and more than 200 coal factories, processing factories, powerplants, and energy plants were built there.

Even if it was just a town, it was no less prosperous compared to district cities or even metropolitan areas.

Be that as it may, the high-rise buildings and towers were now devoid of human activity. Signs of Feral devastation were everywhere, and late at night, the town appeared dilapidated and still.

Nonetheless, Jiang He's sports car now broke the silence of the night.

Screech!

The red supercar curved in a perfect drift, stopping at a square.

Jiang He opened the door and got off.

Recently, he had made a habit of eating one carrot before and after meals, which was why his night vision had strengthened considerably. As he looked out, he found booths that were not moved in time, as well as vehicles that could not be driven off in time.

Even as he walked along the street, there were bones and corpses scattered by the pavement.

On both sides of the streets, some of the shutters of the shops were closed, while others were wide open.

Jiang He entered a supermarket. The inside was full of dust, with many of the racks fallen over and the merchandise strewn all over. Most were past their expiry dates, though some with longer shelf lives were still useable.

After all…

It was less than two years since the mines had been attacked by Ferals.

Opposite the supermarket was a Chow Tai Fook jewelry store.

"Eh?"

Although the shop should be closed, Jiang He could see that someone had pried the doors open.

Still, from the signs of damage on the door, it had not been long since it was torn down.

Due to the emergency evacuations following the Feral rampage, the town must have been in utter panic. Everyone would only care about fleeing for their lives, and at such moments, they would hardly care for possessions.

'Now that is a wildland—a no man's land, law and order are nonexistent. It's inevitable some greedy person would come to these parts to make a sweep.' Jiang He thought.

He then found two corpses in the jewelry shop.

Unlike the dried bones outside, the corpses had not started to rot yet. They had probably died just a few days ago.

One of them was punched on the temple that killed him instantly, what with half his head punched in.

The other corpse was sprawled over the floor, a dagger that stabbed into his heart sticking out over his back.

"These two were ambushed, and were no prepared before they died."

"And the one who killed them must have been their companion."

Considering that this was a jewelry shop, the reason for it need not be said.

Leaving the shop and walking around the city, he found some of the towers crumbling into ruins. Ferals prowled the streets, and there were signs of bombardment here and there.

"Oh, right…"

"Duan Tianhe had pinpointed that the Tranquil Heavenly General and the Earth Demon Heavenly General must have been hiding at the Ningdong Mines, but where specifically?"

Jiang He suddenly remembered that very solemn question.

This area was so vast that the hiding spots around the city alone was inestimable, not to mention that there were many factories and coal mines of varied sizes. How was he supposed to look?

"Throw a few pea bombs and make some noise to draw them?"

"Shout 'I am Jiang He' to summon both the Tranquil Heavenly General and the Earth Demon Heavenly General here to kill me?"

"Or just carpet bomb all of Ningdong Mines? No, that's unrealistic."

That was when Jiang He suddenly got an idea.

He took out an orange bottle gourd from his System Backpack.

[Second Brother]

[All-seeing, all-hearing, adept at strategizing.]

[Usage: Blow to use.]

[Warm reminder: Remember to charge before use. Put it under the sun to charge.]

Holding the bottle gourd, Jiang He blew on it.

Bang!

An orange haze popped out of the bottle, landing on the ground and turning into a small child around seven-years-old, sporting a braid and an orange dudou. He was sucking on his thumb and smiling brightly at Jiang He.

"Gramps!"

"…"

Jiang He suddenly had the impulse of kicking Dumbo.

Anyway, were these seven brothers not septuplets?

All of them looked the same, even their obsession with sucking on their thumbs. It would be very hard to differentiate them next to each other, if not for their different colors.

The only thing that pleased Jiang He, however, was that Second Brother's wide eyes had clarity, unlike the dumb looks that kids have.

"Second Brother, how far could your all-seeing eyes and your all-hearing ears reach?"

Second Brother tilted his head and thought about it, before saying, "Gramps, I could see an ant and hear a gust of wind from two hundred miles away. However, I sensed that my abilities could still improve!"

"Just two hundred miles?" Jiang He muttered.

Were all-seeing and all-seeing merely exaggerations?

Still, 200 miles was far enough.

Picking up Second Brother with one hand and using the Second Practice of the Blind Princess's Eight Practices, he moved like a phantom, arriving atop an eighteen floored tower in a flash.

It was the tallest building at Ningdong Mines.

Tapping Second Brother on the back of his head, Jiang He exclaimed exasperatedly, "Hurry up and look. Why are you blanking out for?"

"Help me take a look and see if there's anyone strong nearby."

Standing on the edge of the building as his lips twitched, Second Brother mumbled, putting his index and middle fingers together and holding them over his eyes—

Whoosh!

Two solid orange radiance shot out of Second Brother's eyes over a dozen meters away…

Still, after searching in a circle, he found nothing.

Second Brother then lay down on the floor and listened attentively.

He listened for an entire minute before cursing through clenched teeth, "Gramps, southeast, fifty miles away. Two baddies are discussing about killing you. How despicable!"

Indignant, Second Brother was asking to fight. "Gramps, let my brothers out. We'll help you take care of those two baddies!"

In the abandoned mines.

The Tranquil Heavenly General had to wait three whole days, but he eventually received the information he wanted half an hour ago.

Jiang He's photo was displayed on his phone screen.

On the next page are documents sent in image formats.

"Jiang He."

"Male, twenty-five, born on the twenty-eighth of February, nineteen ninety-four, or tenth of February, the year of the dog on the lunar calendar… his parents died when he was young…"

The chunk of data even recorded circumstances of the part-time jobs Jiang He had taken up during his university days, but there was nothing about his martial arts training.

Resisting the impulse of smashing the phone, the Tranquil Heavenly General cursed, "Useless, all of them. Three days, and what I get is a pile of rubbish information?"

Beside him, however, the Earth Demon Heavenly General was all-smiles. "Not quite. Doesn't it show his address?"

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Chapter 70: Begging On Your Knees Is Useless!

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

In the abandoned mine, the Tranquil Heavenly General had released his Frost True Qi, forming a layer of ice over the cavern walls.

His expression was ferocious and his tone hoarse, "How dare he obstruct the grand schemes of the Holy Faith. I shall be the one who claims his head!"

Beside him, the Earth Demon Heavenly General shuddered and rebuked him, "There you go again. Could you not release your Frost True Qi at a moment's notice? It's just a sign of futility, and did you forget I don't like the cold?"

The Tranquil Heavenly General subtly withdrew his Frost True Qi, afraid to say anything.

The Sky Demon Cult has seventy-two Heavenly Generals. They would either be rank-seven grandmasters or superhumans who could match grandmasters, and they were ranked.

The Tranquil Heavenly General was the sixty-eighth, and the Earth Demon Heavenly General the thirty-eighth… in other words, he would never win against the Earth Demon Heavenly General.

"Jiang He has to be killed, but we need to act with prudence."

"Moreover, the Saint regards Lingzhou City with high importance, and you've failed in your last mission…"

Boom!

Even before the Earth Demon Heavenly General could finish, there was a dull crash, and the mine they were hiding in shook, pebble and sand rushing down the roof.

"Explosions! Could the Martial Arts Department (MAD) has reached this place?"

The Earth Demon Heavenly General's expression changed, and could not help breathing a long sigh as nothing else followed over dozens of seconds. "We could loan the MAD of Lingzhou City a hundred guts and they would still never come here," he chuckled. "Maybe there's a gas explosion at the mines below…"

Boom!

Another explosion echoed then, and the smile on the Earth Demon Heavenly General face stiffened.

The mine they were in quaked violently, and could collapse at any given moment.

"What's going on?"

He muttered, before crying out, "Tranquil, we need to move, or it's over for both you and I when the mines collapsed!

After all, they were hidden deep within the mines—over two-hundred meters beneath ground.

Even if rank-seven grandmasters were extremely durable and would not fear the earth crumbling beneath their feet, they still need to breathe, and being buried beneath ground meant they would eventually die anyway.

Nonetheless, being grandmasters who boasts incredibly speed, they just needed seconds to rush outside.

After leaving the mine, both of them rushed to a nearby fourth-floor building. As they landed on the top and looked around, they found another fiery flash rising to the air nearby, and the violent explosions resounded afar in the night.

It was soon followed by an exclamation—

"Woah!"

"So exciting!"

After that, the exclamation was followed by curses. "It actually triggered an explosion on the gas beneath the mines. If those two Heavenly General bastards were really hiding inside, they would definitely be blown up into pieces!

"…"

Both the Tranquil Heavenly General and the Earth Demon Heavenly General traded looks, their expressions turning from speechlessness to rage.

Meanwhile, Jiang He was cursing as he searched around.

"Sure, the Bottle Gourd Brothers are awesome…"

"But what was 'all-seeing' and 'all-hearing' even supposed to mean? All Second Brother said was that he heard the Heavenly General dogs were discussing about how to hurt me, but couldn't even pinpoint their location… Oh? This location is quite weird, and anyone hiding there would not be easily found."

Thud!

He hence handily threw several pea bombs in that general direction.

Boom!

Fiery flashes were let loose across all directions, followed by tremendous explosions.

Still, Jiang He was using the normal pea bombs instead of the strengthened ones. Since the explosive radius was more than twenty meters away, he did not have to drop down, clutching his head in defense.

He casted Indestructible Diamond to withstand the shockwave, before continuing to complain.

The Second Brother's skill appeared impressive, but the truth was… it was a little dumb.

For example, all he could do was give him a bearing: southeast, fifty miles away.

However, he could not determine where the specific spot fifty miles away was.

That was Jiang He had to resort to such a dumb idea for recon.

He would blow up any spot that he thought likely to be a hiding place. While he did not pin hopes of the pea bombs blowing up the Tranquil Heavenly General and the Earth Demon Heavenly General, it was okay to startle them and force them out of their hiding too.

"Could those two be idiots?

"Can't there hear such a loud commotion!

"Could they have been hiding in a wave somewhere and I managed to blow them up?"

Even as he spoke, Jiang he unwittingly arrived at the mine where the Tranquil Heavenly General and the Earth Demon Heavenly General had been hiding.

As he looked around, his eyes glinted—there were footprints on the ground, and cigarette butts scattered around the mine entrance.

"Those two dogs must be hiding here!"

With a turn of his hand, Jiang he drew out a strengthened pea bomb.

He did not count, but he must have taken out at least ten of them.

Meanwhile. On top of the four-floored building nearby, the Tranquil Heavenly General's eyes were abruptly bursting with killing intent.

"Jiang He!" He growled.

"That's Jiang He?" The Earth Demon Heavenly General exclaimed in surprise.

It was less than 300 meters away between the small building and the entrance to the mine.

Even if their night vision did not compare to Jiang He's, who had eaten many carrots, that was not much of a distance to rank-seven grandmasters. In fact, they could make out ninety percent of Jiang He's face.

The Tranquil Heavenly General's rage was burning, and was about to rush out when the Earth Demon Heavenly General stopped him.

"Be careful. I could see that the brat's aura is just rank-five advanced, but having the guts to find his end here? There must be elites in hiding!"

"Hide my butt!" The Tranquil Heavenly General cursed.

Both you and I are standing out in the open on top of a building. How could any hidden elites not notice us? Moreover, this location was wide, and wouldn't they notice if there was someone within a radius of twenty miles!

Twenty miles…

Even if an elite was hiding beyond that reach, would they not have finished killing a rank-five by then?

They would make their kill with a single strike and flee, hiding in the mountains. Would any elite be able to find them then?

Hence, the Tranquil Heavenly General's rank-seven aura promptly overflowed as he rushed forward.

As a grandmaster, he could accelerate beyond 100m/s, covering the 300-meter distance in two seconds.

His Frost True Qi was in full-burst mode the instant he rushed forward, the temperatures of his surroundings plummeting, with layers of white sleet actually appearing in the air.

Jiang He, who had just thrown a strengthened pea bomb in the mine promptly turned.

"Is that… the Tranquil Heavenly General? He's not actually in the mine?"

And yet, without much thinking, Jiang He promptly dropped to the ground, clutching his head.

The Tranquil Heavenly General who was charging towards him froze for a moment…

Is that…

Is he kneeling… prostrating himself to beg for mercy?

Nonetheless, he immediately threw away the thought, and he laughed with sinister killing intent. "Jiang He! You wouldn't take the highway to heaven, and yet would crash into hell even if there aren't doors. Even if you beg on your knees now, I would crush you into a million pieces… eh?"

The Tranquil Heavenly General's aura magnified, laughing coldly as he landed in front of Jiang He.

Raising his hand, he was ready to slap Jiang he to death with a palm of Frost True Qi, and yet, his True Qi had barely charged when he felt tremendous danger.

Boom!

The strengthened pea bomb detonated.

The Tranquil Heavenly General promptly looked up towards the mouth of the mine, his pupils reflecting a wave of flames.

What…

The…

Hell!!!

---

Read Everybody is Kung Fu Fighting, While I Started a Farm Chapter 71 - You Actually Backstabbed Me! online for free - NovelFull

Chapter 71: You Actually Backstabbed Me!

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

How powerful was the yield of the strengthened pea bomb?

Jiang He would never know anyway.

After all, bombs were a rather niche subject for most people, and there was no path for them to learn about it.

All Jiang He knew was that he had flattened a mountaintop with just three strengthened pea bombs, blowing up dozens of Feral Wolves, and within its radius, even rank-six Feral Wolves were absolutely defenseless.

He vaguely remembered that Pudgy Jiang mentioned a term, 'fuel-air explosive' or something…

Jiang He had no idea what that was, and did not ask, since he did not make a living out of that anyway.

Either way, up against multiple enemies, he ought to blow them up first, and attack personally if that failed.

This time, he threw over a dozen strengthened pea bombs down into the mine, and the ensuing terrific devastation destroyed the entire mine before it was vented out of the entrance.

Even if the Tranquil Heavenly General was a rank-seven grandmaster, all he could manage was cry out 'what the hell' before he was drowned in the blinding flames.

Boom!

The resounding explosion resounded in the night. The devastating flames that were vented out shot up almost a hundred meters into the air, illuminating the skies as bright as day. After that, the earth several miles around the mines began to crack and crumble.

Almost eight minutes had passed before Jiang He stood up.

Clutching his head and dropping the ground had kept him immune.

Even if that was not the first time where he used that trick, Jiang He could not help murmuring quietly in awe.

So amazing.

He was not even singed from the terrific explosion, and only felt the tremors when the earth cracked and crumbled near him.

Still, the tremor was very violent.

In fact, it quaked so hard that he… felt his digestive system go into overdrive, leaving him hungry.

He looked around at the torn land around himself, and could not help exclaiming, "Absolutely terrifying… the strengthened pea bombs are just too powerful. Even if I used Indestructible Diamond at the center of the blast, I would be blown half-dead if I didn't drop to the ground and clutch my head."

Gak…

That was when a loud cough was heard.

Jiang He turned to look.

Around ten meters away, the earth was squirming before it parted, with the Tranquil Heavenly General climbing out of it.

But once he got free, he lay on the ground, prone.

Blood was streaming out of mouth, and his eyes was staring blankly up in the night sky.

All he could think was… why had the mine exploded?

Still, even if there was no telling what caused the explosion, he would be a cripple even if he survived his current state now.

Even if he had Frost True Qi protecting his body, even if he did break through the surface and dig himself down into the ground with his True Qi before he was drowned in the blinding flames…

He was still grievously hurt.

All of his nerves and veins were damaged severely, and his organs were bleeding!

The fragrant smell of burnt flesh even palpated from his body, and he would probably have been directly charred if not for the strength of his Frost True Qi. Over a dozen of his bones were broken, and his entire body could not feel enough to know a specific number.

Suddenly, however, the Tranquil Heavenly General laughed.

"So what if I lived? So what if I died?"

"I died in the name of the Holy Faith. When the time comes and the Saint achieves mastery and harvest the fruits of our belief, he would revive me from the river of time."

The Tranquil Heavenly General's laughter grew wilder until he was basically spitting blood, and roared ferociously, "Jiang He is dead, and my wish is fulfilled! Even so, I would rather die than live like a cripple. I'm counting on you, Earth Demon—return my corpse to the Holy Faith!"

Still, that roar startled Jiang He, even as he stood nearby.

What was going on?

Earth Demon?

The Earth Demon Heavenly General?

Where was that bastard hiding? Why was he not showing up even now?

On the other hand, even though the Tranquil Heavenly General was blown to such a state, how could he still chant those braindead Sky Demon Cult slogans?"

And what was 'Jiang He is dead, and my wish is fulfilled!' even supposed to mean? Can't you see that I'm still alive and well just a dozen meters away?

"Oh, right. He was facing the other direction when he climbed out, and he definitely wouldn't see me…" Jiang He thought then.

At the same time, he could feel the Tranquil Heavenly General's aura weakening, his life now a candle in the wind that could be snuffed out at any moment.

As such, Jiang He strode towards the Tranquil Heavenly General and yelled, "Wait a minute, Tranquil Heavenly General. I'm not dead yet."

He naturally must not let that doggone thing die without regrets, right?

And upon his yelling, the Tranquil Heavenly General yelped, coughing a mouthful of black blood.

"No!

"That's impossible!

"How could a rank-five like you survive such a big explosion?!"

The Tranquil Heavenly General roared hysterically, and actually looked like he was about to recover just then.

Nonetheless, Jiang He laughed out loud and stomped his foot on the Tranquil Heavenly General's chest. With an audible crunch, he crushed several of the Tranquil Heavenly General's ribs, making him cough another mouthful of blood and almost knocking him out.

Then, looking down on the prone Tranquil Heavenly General from on high, he sneered, "Tranquil Heavenly General, I had nothing against you, and yet you keep sending your men to kill me, making me lose sleep…"

He put a bit of weight on his foot.

And then…

The Tranquil Heavenly General's head turned sideways, and he no longer breathed.

Even when dead, his eyes were round and open, filled with grievances and despair.

Jiang He gained a deeper understanding of the saying 'dying with one's eyes open1' just then.

Hmmm!

"Wasn't rank-seven grandmasters brutally powerful in qi and blood, brimming in unparalleled vigor? Why is he instantly dead when I put my foot lightly over him? I still had so many things to tell him…"

Jiang He muttered rather unhappily, but his face dropped as soon as he spoke.

A sense of danger struck him, and he felt unsettled in a split second, as if struck by an electric current. Goosebumps arose all over his body, and he instinctively charged Indestructible Diamond up to full capacity.

Thud!

He felt a stabbing pain over his back.

Something… pierced his Indestructible Diamond, and still had enough force to cut inside his flash.

That was when a 'pop' sounded across thin air, meaning that the object that blindsided him was so quick broke the sound barrier.

Jiang He turned.

In the darkness, a plump figure was walking towards him.

It was the Earth Demon Heavenly General.

Even though he comrade had died horrifically right before his eyes, the Earth Demon Heavenly General still had a smile on his face as he walked forward slowly whilst fiddling with a A-grade alloy flying dagger. "Not bad, Jiang He."

"You've repeatedly sabotaged the schemes of my Holy Faith and slayed many of my fellow believers, even killing Tranquil himself."

"Why I presumed you to be a shrimp before, it seems that I've underestimated you."

While he did not know what move Jiang He used to escape the frightening explosion, it never hurts to be prudent. Even if he was just a rank-five martial artist, the Earth Demon Heavenly General was not letting his guard down, what with the Tranquil Heavenly General was a precedent.

He only showed his face after blindsiding Jiang He with the flying dagger.

Standing under the night sky, around fifty meters away from Jiang He, studied his opponent. Soon, his face dropped and he could not stop himself from exclaiming, "Are you wearing an S-grade alloy armor?"

After all, his flying dagger should have pieced Jiang He's back, its monumental force tearing his heart apart and shoot out of the front of his chest.

And yet…

Jiang He was just standing there, facing him.

The front of the white jersey he was wearing was still unblemished. What wound?

Jiang He reached over his back to pull out the dagger, held it in front of his eyes for a look before simply flinging it on the Tranquil Heavenly General's corpse.

"So, you're the Earth Demon Heavenly General?" He asked quietly.

"Just as expected, you Sky Demon Cultists are all crazy. To think that you would stab me in the back with a flying dagger!"

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Chapter 72: Was That It?

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

"…"

The Earth Demon Heavenly General's mouth hung open, unsure what to say just then.

Stab you in the back?

What do you mean, ambushing you? I wanted to kill you, please!

Even though he was honored with the nick name of 'Laughing Tiger', the Earth Demon Heavenly General had no composure left on his face, only disbelief.

"You didn't wear an armor?" He growled. "You're not wearing armor? N-no way! You're just a rank-five, and would never withstand my flying dagger if you're not wearing an S-grade alloy armor!"

Whoosh!

He threw up his hand.

The dagger he was fiddling with turned into a ray of cold glimmer, darting towards Jiang He.

"Well done!"

Jiang He cried, bursting with abundant True Qi, just as the silhouette of a sun appeared behind him, illuminating the night sky.

Then, stretching out with his palm, a draconic roar quaked the air as two-styles of the Eighteen Dragon Subduing Palms were released in quick successions, slapping the cold glimmer down into the ground.

"What?!"

The Earth Demon Heavenly General's face fell.

Even so, his True Qi overflowed like flames around his body. With a charge of the crimson True Qi and a flick of his wrist, he threw out another flying dagger that punched to the air, leaving a fiery tail in its wake.

Jiang He slapped out several times again, and it took him four slaps to bring the dagger down this time.

"No way! He is definitely a rank-five martial artist who did not even reach pinnacle. How is his True Qi so abundant and powerful?" The Earth Demon Heavenly General was dumbstruck.

After all, there were different boundaries between rank-seven grandmasters too.

The Earth Demon Heavenly General himself had ascended as grandmaster for years and had reached pinnacle of rank-seven intermediate. While the flying dagger he unleashed just now was not his killing stroke, rank-seven grandmasters who recently ascended would have a hard time nullifying that move.

"This brat's power would match rank-seven novices!"

The Earth Demon Heavenly General's heart was pounding.

A rank-five advanced having abilities equal to rank-seven novices… what does that even mean?

If he rises to rank-six, wouldn't he be a legend who would kill grandmasters instead?

"A person like this must be rooted out!

"Otherwise, he would be a calamity for our Holy Faith if he develops!

"Moreover…

"Whatever he cultivated definitely hast to be the greatest cultivation there is, the way his palms were conjuring draconic silhouettes is definitely a top-level move. Not only would I accomplish something great for the Holy Faith, I might even gain a top-level cultivation manual!"

After that thought crossed his mind, the Earth Demon Heavenly General opened his mouth and breathed in.

Like a whale gulping down a mouthful of water, he consumed every last of the fiery True Qi around him. His rank-seven intermediate-pinnacle aura burst out, and a dark air of corruption arose behind him.

The air was as black as ink, and darker than the night!

"Jiang He, I would spare you if you surrender!"

The Earth Demon Heavenly General's voice had become extremely hoarse and sinister. While his aura was not much stronger than before, it now prompted a forbidding sense of danger.

On the other hand.

Jiang He's visage turned somber as he stared tightly at the Earth Demon Heavenly General!

When the ink-black air arose from the Earth Demon Heavenly General's body, Jiang He had the illusion that he was no longer human, and had turned into another type of creature.

"How impressive!"

"You are truly powerful, Earth Demon Heavenly General!"

Jiang He took a deep breath, muttering, "I had to release several palms to stop the throwing daggers you let loose in passing, I would definitely not match you in a normal trade of blows.

"And now that you're casting some weird cultivation, I would be an even less worthy opponent!"

"Hehe!"

The Earth Demon Heavenly General laughed coldly.

Weird cultivation?

This was the Sky Sage Arcanum, a cultivation handed down by the Saint himself. Even if he had cultivated only the bare minimum, he could give most of his peers a beatdown.

And now, he calmly strode towards Jiang He.

Though his pace was slow, the aura around him strengthened with each step he took.

Jiang He was not at all weirded out by that sight, however.

Most novels did write about that after all.

Was that not called… aura convergence or something?

Moreover, the aura convergence that the Earth Demon Heavenly General displayed was quite weak, and he had not reached the level where his feet punched a hole in the ground with each stride.

After a glance at the Earth Demon Heavenly General, Jiang He quietly took out a pepper from his System Backpack and ate it.

Crunch, crunch.

???

The Earth Demon Heavenly General paused in his stride then, his gathering aura left a little flustered.

"Jiang He," he growled hoarsely, "Are you trying to humiliate me, eating a pepper in my face?!"

"I'll admit that you're powerful, and I could only kill you if I take drugs… how is that humiliating you?"

With a few bites, Jiang He finished the thick, huge pepper.

His face hence reddened from the neck up to his head, and he could feel a hot stream instantly surging all over his body. The power of the spicy pepper had left his True Qi bursting even more violently, with white smoke actually rising from the top of his head!

The berserk pepper buffs his fighting power by fifty percent, and increased his rage points to a certain extent!

Boom!

As Jiang He aura shot up by half, his Dragon-Slaying Saber appeared in his hand with a flick of his wrist. The dark golden luster glimmered as his abundant True Qi charged it, and if he aimed its radiance towards someone caught off guard, they would not be having a good time.

"Earth Demon Heavenly General!"

Jiang He bellowed furiously, charging towards the Earth Demon Heavenly General, dragging along his Dragon-Slaying Saber. As his rage points activated, his killing intent surged violently as he coldly taunted, "After I, Jiang He, have cultivated for the eternity of half a month, I'm still a newbie to martial arts despite my fine cultivation."

"I myself don't even know how powerful I actually am!"

"So, since you are the first grandmaster who wants to fight to the death with me, I hope you could endure a fuc… I mean, a beating, so that I could earn some combat experience!"

Jiang He couldn't help being startled when he realized that he had misspoken.

It happened again!

Amongst the side-effects of the pepper was heat at the pit of his stomach and some weird thoughts in his head… as a matter of fact, why did it feel like the ugly Earth Demon Heavenly General had suddenly turned gorgeous?

Even the Earth Demon Heavenly General was left dumbstruck.

What was going on?

Why was Jiang He's aura suddenly bursting after he ate a pepper?

Was this some unique, mystic art?

And then there was that golden sword he wields…

Was it an S-grade alloy weapon?

No, an S-grade alloy weapon would not boast such a presence…

Moreover, was he hearing him wrong, or did Jiang He really said that he had only cultivated for half a month?

And yet, there was no time for him to think—Jiang He had already shortened the gap between them, and he swung the big sword that he was dragging along the ground, cutting through thin air.

Rawr!

A massive golden dragon-shaped slash hence descended from above!

In response, the corrupted air around Earth Demon Heavenly General's burst away once again. Since he was good with his fists, he had already slipped on a pair of alloy gloves, laughing coldly as he punched out at the dragon slash, "Jiang He, even if you could boost your fighting power with some secret technique, how long would you actually last?"

"You are definitely going to die today!"

He swung his fists, stiffly crushing the dragon slash Jiang He unleashed, only two find two more of those slashes were coming straight for his face.

Sweating from his brow, the Earth Demon Heavenly General was no longer as composed as he had been before. The dragon slashes were definitely no weaker than his full-powered blows—even though he swung his fists again and managed to block both slashes, he suffered horrific recoil in the process.

Blargh!

He spat out a mouthful of blood.

That was when he heard a faint sigh.

"Isn't that dragon-shaped slash just so cool?

"What a shame… I could only use it three times each day!"

At those words, the Earth Demon Heavenly General erupted in delight even as he stilled his churning blood and True Qi, even laughing out loud. "Your secret technique must have reached its limit, right? Three mere slashes would never beat me… eh?"

Even before the Earth Demon Heavenly General could finish, there was the resounding clap of a thunder.

A Thunderblade that stretched over ten meters was bearing down upon him.

"What the…"

The thunder slash was even more powerful than the dragon-shaped slashes before. Even though the Earth Demon Heavenly General put out every defensive measure he had, he was still sent flying by the slash over a dozen meters away, where he slammed heavily into the ground as bolts sparkled all over his body.

Jiang He walked up to him and swung his sword again, cutting the Earth Demon Heavenly General cleanly in half.

Only then did he breathed a long sigh and said, "Lucky! Those weird thoughts in my head are finally gone!"

He glanced at the corpse of the Earth Demon Heavenly General which was cut in two and left lying on the dirt, suddenly finding things dull and uninteresting.

Still, was that all a rank-seven grandmaster could do?

Throwing flowing daggers, and using fists to stop his dragon slash and thunder slash?

Did he not have other styles and martial arts that could broaden Jiang He's horizon, and add to his combat experience?

"Or was I too quick for him to fully unleash his potential?

Nonetheless…

Jiang He stretched out lazily and laughed out loud. "I'm finally feeling relieved now that I've killed both the Tranquil Heavenly General and the Earth Demon Heavenly General. I'm sleeping so soundly when I get back."

Around eight kilometers away eastward of Linzghou City.

Joining forces, Su Ze and Li Fei finally managed to kill a rank-two Feral.

Su Ze dropped on his rump, a vague smile suddenly appearing over his tired face.

"It's been four days since Cheng Dongfeng ascended. Surely his cultivation would have become solid by now?"

"Very well. I could head to Jinyintan Village at sunrise and tell Jiang He about that, and that Master Cheng wants to challenge him. With Master Cheng's temper, he wouldn't ask any questions and go straight into the fight."

Su Ze snapped his fingers.

No wonder his progress with cultivation was so slow.

Because the truth was…

He was simply not adept at martial arts, but at brains and strategizing.

"I am so smart!"

Chapter 73: They Both Died Quite Horribly

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

Although it was three in the morning, the lights were bright at the Lingzhou City Martial Arts Department (MAD).

Duan Tianhe himself was sitting in his office with a somber look on his face.

Outside, Cheng Dongfeng was yawning as he entered.

He strode in casually, sat on the sofa opposite Duan Tianhe's desk and complained, "Old Duan, what are you thinking? What time is it? I fell asleep just a moment ago."

Duan Tianhe merely smiled in return. "Old Cheng, how's your cultivation? Is it stable now?"

Then, as he saw Cheng Dongfeng nod, his voice turned serious. "I've just received news of a major explosion over at the Ningdong Mines. Witness has seen a towering pillar of flames that rises into the air even from dozens of miles away."

"Oh?"

Cheng Dongfeng's gaze changed and he promptly lost all drowsiness. "Has the cause been determined? Could something had triggered a gas explosion in a mine?"

"Not likely."

Duan Tianhe said, rising to his feet. "Sure, it could be a gas explosion if it occurred inside a mine. But according to the feedback from the areas nearby Ningdong Mines, there had been a total of nine explosions, meaning that at least nine detonations occurred."

"Moreover, the ninth explosion was so frightening in magnitude that witnesses could see the fire and light rushing over the horizon."

"Could it be a military operation?"

"I've already contacted them. The Ningdong Mines is still a no man's land and had been categorized as a wildland. Why would there be any operation in an area without a garrison?"

Duan Tianhe suddenly rose to his feet and bowed towards Cheng Dongfeng with utmost respect. "Master Cheng, I hope you could take a trip to Ningdong Mines to determine the situation."

Cheng Dongfeng walked up, helped Duan Tianhe up and smiled, "What are you doing, Old Duan?"

That was when Duan Tianhe caught both of Cheng Dongfeng's upper arms and said seriously, "I should be seeing to this personally, but you know how things are at Lingzhou City, and I really have a hard time leaving recently."

"Moreover, there is a good chance the Tranquil Heavenly General and the Earth Demon Heavenly General are hiding near the Ningdong Mines. I suspect the explosions have something to do with them, and having you go is to send you into danger."

Duan Tianhe's tone changed and he chuckled bitterly, "But the mines are just around sixty kilometers away from Lingzhou City. I'm uncomfortable if the incident was not investigated."

"Moreover…"

Pausing for a moment, Duan Tianhe added, "You have received personal instruction by Master Dong in your posture—the Wandering Dragon of the Eight Trigrams. I would never be a match for you in that respect, and there is a higher chance you would survive if you went."

Cheng Dongfeng laughed out loud at that, and was rather smug.

What was more—that last part was really music to his ears.

Of course, he knew how serious this matter was. If the Sky Demon Cult was really up to something big over at the Ningdong Mines, and the MAD did not investigate the truth, how could they be stopped when they attacked in the future?

Given the cult's usual style, there would be countless dead when that happened.

"Master Cheng, please!"

With a flick of his wrist, Duan Tianhe took out a paper box.

It must have been a shoebox and had nothing really special about it, aside from what was placed inside: ten bottles of qi pellets.

He pushed the paper box towards Duan Tianhe.

Cheng Dongfeng glared and barked angrily, "Who do you take me for, Duan Tianhe?"

Then…

He held the paper box tightly in his arms, pointing a finger at Duan Tianhe's nose as he cursed, "I'm a gentleman who loves fortune, and it is reasonable that I take this. Also, I'm going to Ningdong for the sake of Lingzhou City, and not for wretches of the likes of you."

Duan Tianhe smiled but said nothing.

He understood Cheng Dongfeng's behavior best, and that he would definitely go to Ningdong to check out what had happened. In fact, Duan Tianhe only offered those ten boxes of qi pellets because he felt a little guilty… after all, the incident was an unknown!

There was a chance of death for anyone going there!

Meanwhile, Cheng Dongfeng had already turned and was heading outside. "I'm getting a weapon. Dispatch a car for my ride, Old Duan—running over sixty kilometers would take a toll on my stamina."

"Alright!"

Duan Tianhe replied, and followed Cheng Dongfeng out of the office, smiling, "Be careful, Old Cheng."

"Don't worry."

Cheng Dongfeng laughed. "You've even said that I'm stronger than you in postures. I would definitely return alive."

That was when Duan Tianhe's mobile phone rang.

Jiang He's voice spoke from the other end. "Were you sleeping, Chief Duan?"

Cheng Dongfeng, who was standing just outside the elevator paused too.

Jiang He?

As a grandmaster and possessing sharp hearing, Cheng Dongfeng could hear Jiang He's voice even if Duan Tianhe did not put him on loudspeaker.

Meanwhile, after being at a loss for words for a moment, Duan Tianhe answered impatiently, "Could I answer you call if I was asleep?"

"Yo?"

Jiang He was promptly displeased. "You're throwing your temper around too?"

"Sir Jiang!"

Duan Tianhe exclaimed between laughter and tears. "Sir Jiang He, is addressing you like this enough? Just say what you need to say—there's a situation over at Ningdong Mines and the MAD is in a mess right now. I'm hanging up if there's nothing important."

Meanwhile, over at the Ningdong Mines.

Jiang He, who was sitting cross-legged beside the Tranquil Heavenly General's corpse was caught by surprised, and exclaimed, "A situation at Ningdong Mines?" What happened? Surely it's nothing important? Isn't everything just fine here right now?"

"I don't know the specifics…"

Duan Tianhe said, without withholding the truth. "There's been explosions over at the Ningdong Mines, and I suspect it was the Sky Demon Cult's doing…"

But before he finished, Duan Tianhe suddenly noticed it.

What did Jiang He mean just now?

He was talking as if he was at the Ningdong Mines…

"Oh, that?"

Jiang He chuckled then. "It's just fine. I was bored and couldn't sleep, and remembered then that the Tranquil Heavenly General and the Earth Demon Heavenly General were hiding at the Ningdong Mines. I was worried that they would ambush me, so I came here looking for them… I did accidentally start some fireworks; I'm sorry if I startled you guys."

"What?"

Duan Tianhe quivered just then, his voice lifting by several decibels. He must be hearing things!

You were bored and couldn't sleep, and worried that they would ambush you…

So, a rank-five advanced like you ran off, looking trouble with two Heavenly Generals?

Outside the elevator, Cheng Dongfeng's expression changed slightly too.

Meanwhile, over at the other end of the call, Jiang He continued, "Well, the thing is, Chief Duan… I called to ask this: how many merit points do I earn for slaying Heavenly Generals?"

"Considering that they died quite horribly, it's a little disgusting carrying their corpses back. Should I send you a few photos as proof?"

Duan Tianhe: "…"

"Chief Duan?

"Chief Duan… are you listening?

"Damn it, why is there no voice?"

Beep-beep-beep-beep!!!

Jiang He hung up then.

Back at the corridor in the MAD, the silence was heavy.

Duan Tianhe was silent for over a dozen seconds before abruptly looking up at Cheng Dongfeng.

Cheng Dongfeng himself recovered from his shock too.

He kept a vice grip over the paper box in his hand, mumbling, "What?"

"Why are you looking at me like that for?"

"Fine, I'll go to the Ningdong Mines. Don't think about taking back my qi pellets!"

Report chapter

Chapter 74: I'll Do Handstands and Eat Poo If It Is Not Fuel-Air Explosive!

"What is Duan Tianhe playing at?"

"He didn't even tell me whether photographs count. But both Tranquil Heavenly General and the Earth Demon Heavenly General are rank-seven grandmasters, so this should earn me a lot of merit points, right?"

"That said… Am I really that awesome although I'm just rank-five advanced? My trump cards were barely used, and I could already cut grandmasters down with ease?"

Before Jiang He came to the mines, he was under the impression that both the Tranquil Heavenly General and the Earth Demon Heavenly General would not be easy opponents. If he couldn't beat them, he would have summoned the Bottle Gourd Brothers and have his Ferrari Enzo change into a Transformer, surrounding them and beating them to death…

But then…

He had easily defeated those two Heavenly Generals alone, and the strategy he had decided on beforehand was wasted!

Even as Jiang He complained, he was about to take some photos, send them to Duan Tianhe before going home to sleep. However, Duan Tianhe's call came just as he took out his phone.

"Jiang He, where are you right now?"

"I've already sent my people to the Ningdong Mines."

Well, he had to wait now.

He glanced at the time. It was already four in the morning, and he was a little hungry.

With a flip of his hand, he took out a carrot.

The 18cm carrot was as thick as it was sweet and crunchy. The texture was overflowing, and it nourishes both liver and eyes—most importantly, it fills the stomach when you are hungry.

After finishing one, Jiang He cleaned his mouth in satisfaction and glanced at his phone again to check the time.

Less than five minutes had passed.

"It would probably around twenty minutes before the people Jiang He sent arrive. Luckily, this spot isn't too far from the Leopard Python's nest… should I go meet my old friend?"

And once he thought of the Leopard Python, Jiang He felt a little hungry again.

That snake soup was really delicious!

Likewise, smoked snake was fresh and tasty, and he would never get bored of it. And most importantly, the meat of the rank-seven Leopard Python was very nourishing.

Jiang He rose, casted Blind Princess's Eight Practices, and sprinted towards the chain of yellow-soil mountains like a phantom.

Soon, the familiar mountain ditch appeared within sight.

Jiang He took out a pea bomb and threw it at the valley.

Surely, greetings were needed when old friends meet?

Boom!

The pea bomb blew up over the valley in dazzling flames, and the valley itself seemed to shudder in the next instant. Pythons after pythons were startled, and the Leopard Python itself reared its colossal head to look at Jiang He.

"Human!"

"You again!"

An angry bellow resounded beside Jiang He's ears. Flicking its scarlet serpentine tongue, the Leopard Python breathed a sharp noise—all at once, the pythons that had been pouring out of the valley like a tidal wave towards Jiang He instantly vanished from Jiang He's vision.

The rank-seven Leopard Python was quite intelligent.

In their last encounter, Jiang He had cut off its tail with a single swing of his sword. That was why it knew that Jiang was formidable, and that sending its children forth would only be sending them to their deaths.

But now that it had slithered out from the valley, Jiang He had to click his tongue discreetly.

"Heavens!"

He did not manage to see the Leopard Python's full body last time.

But now that he watched it slither out from the valley, an approximate number promptly came to Jiang He's mind…

That creature was at least two hundred meters long!

Would he finish eating it?

Still, even as the thought crossed his mind, Jiang He looked up towards the Leopard Python.

Its head was bigger than a car, and was almost triangular.

The scales above its head were also different from the markings on its body that resembled a leopard's spots—they felt rather stony. Its venomous fangs were also incredibly sharp and over one meter long.

And now, the colossal python's head was advancing, and less than a hundred meters away from Jiang He.

"I have nothing against you and don't wish to be your enemy, human. Leave immediately and I shall spare your life!"

The Leopard Python gaped its maw, flicking its scarlet tongue and leaving the air whooshing.

It was very wary against Jiang He, and still had lingering fears about the single cut that had removed its tail.

As its voice echoed over Jiang He's ears, he could also smell the disgusting stink from its maw. Hence, he could not help pinching his nose and firing back, "You are such a weird snake. Your meat is so delicious, so why would your mouth stink so much?"

Roar!

The Leopard Python which had been unwilling to fight Jiang He became furious!

Its mouth gaping in a bellow, its serpentine head streaked through the air and chomped down towards Jiang He, its spiritual voice echoing beside Jiang He's ears. "Damned human! You dare eat my flash? I shall devour you today!"

Question: when would snakes move the quickest?

It was the split second when they launched their heads to strike, similar to tortoises.

And having evolved up to rank-seven, the Leopard Python was even more terrific in that respect.

With a single whoosh, Jiang He only managed to catch of glimpse of a blurred dark shadow when the gigantic snakehead had landed from above. Its maw wipe open, the Leopard Python was chomping down towards him, and the creature would definitely swallow him alive if it really got him!

Nonetheless, Jiang He smirked.

"You must really want to die!"

With a flick of his wrist, his Dragon-Slaying Saber appeared in his hand.

He slashed.

Crack!

A ten-meter thunder slash burst away.

At the same time—

Ooom!

The hum of a blade.

The luminous sword in Jiang He's mind had flown out, and shot inside the giant serpent's open mouth with a thud.

Rawr!

The serpent cried.

It tried to close its mouth, but it was too late.

The ten-meter thunder slash had cut into its head, almost splitting its skull in two.

Even so, the most frightening strike was still the luminous sword.

The short blade of light enlarged in the instant it stabbed inside the Leopard Python, letting loose waves of Sword Qi that raged on. Eventually, with a gushing sound, it tore through the Leopard Python's belly and flew out, before returning inside Jiang He's mind.

He felt a little repulsed just then.

The sword that was caked with blood returning inside his head… was that not a little too disgusting?

Meanwhile, he hid further away and watched the Leopard Python.

The creature was rolling around on the ground, struggling and screeching incessantly, crashing and crushing a small hill ahead of itself…

"The lifeforce of Ferals is so mighty!"

Jiang He exclaimed, "If it had been a human, a rank-eight would have been killed instantly by my hands if caught unawares, let alone a rank-seven!"

He had to wait five minutes for the Leopard Python to finally die.

Its 200m long body probably weighed hundreds of tons.

Fortunately, Jiang He had more than enough space in his System Backpack, and he stuffed the Leopard Python's corpse inside with no more than a thought.

"It's just so huge… when would I finish eating it?"

Once he thought of the tons of snake meat, he suddenly thought that it was not delicious anymore.

Just as he was about to leave, he heard the incessant cries in the way from untold numbers of serpents.

"The Leopard Python must have been their leader, their king… some of them have gained intelligence, which is why they are in absolute agony with their leader's death!"

"Well, since I was the cause of their agony, I shall be the one to alleviate it!"

With a flick of his wrist, Jiang He grasped a handful of strengthened pea bombs and dumped them over the valley.

The tremendous explosions almost flattened the valley, its powerful flames illuminating the night sky.

Jiang He only stopped prostrating and clutching his head when the shockwaves dissipated, rising slowly and sprinting back towards the Ningdong Mines.

Yeah.

He just had to blow them all up, sparing them their agony.

Moreover, there was no telling how many people those pythons killed when the Ferals first attacked Ningdong, and now, Jiang he more or less avenged the dead.

An off-road vehicle was bounding towards the city of ruins that was Ningdong.

On it, Cheng Dongfeng's gaze shifted southeast, only to find flames rising into the night sky, followed by the rumblings of more explosions.

"Explosion! Another one!"

"What the heck is Jiang He doing?"

After several exclamations of surprise, the car turned silent.

"Pudgy Jiang, you are an expert in this field. Could you tell what the bomb Jiang He had been using was?" Cheng Dongfeng asked then.

Pudgy Jiang did not even think before answering, "It's a fuel-air explosive. It definitely is a fuel-air explosive. If it wasn't a fuel-air explosive, I'll do handstands and eat poo!"

But in the next instant, he sensed that something was not right.

How did the brat Jiang He managed to acquire the fuel-air explosive?

Moreover, fuel-air explosives were not hand grenades that could be carried around as you like, blowing things up whenever you want!

Report chapter

Chapter 75: Fiend Decree

"Grandmaster Cheng, Chief Jiang, there's no more road up ahead!"

The off-road vehicle drove out of the town.

The road towards the mining area was already difficult with its mud puddle and massive cracks, especially after bomb damage and the destruction wreaked by Ferals.

"Stop the car. We'll proceed on foot from here since it's less than twenty kilometers from the location Jiang He sent us. It's not too far."

Once they alighted, Cheng Dongfeng took the lead and bounded away.

Pudgy Jiang was right behind him, although Bai Feifei and another rank-five martial artist was relatively slower.

When they had reached the spot where both the Tranquil Heavenly General and the Earth Demon Heavenly General were slain, Jiang He was also returning after killing the Leopard Python.

"Master Cheng, Chief Jiang, Sister Bai… Eh?"

Jiang He greeted them, before his gaze shifted and he stared at Cheng Dongfeng, smiling, "You've ascended, Master Cheng?"

Cheng Dongfeng nodded, but was inwardly doubtful, 'I've withheld my aura, but this kid could actually see through my cultivation?'

When martial artists ascend from the pinnacle of rank six to the boundary of rank-seven grandmasters, there were two aspects aside from cultivation which they improve in: spirit, as well as an understanding where the individual and the world are one.

At rank-seven, one would achieve the 'restoration to natural state', controlling one's one strength freely. They would appear no different from an average person if they did not show it unless the other person was of a higher realm than himself.

However… did Jiang He stood upon a higher boundary above Cheng Dongfeng?

Meanwhile, Bai Feifei was already in work mode, and had dropped to a crouch before the corpse of the Tranquil Heavenly General. After inspecting it for a while, she concluded, "There's something weird about this body. A layer of his flesh was already cooked, but there aren't sign of burns."

"His veins and nerves were critically damaged and over a dozen bones were broken. All of his internal organs suffered a great trauma and he bled profusely from his stomach."

"But those aren't lethal. The blow that killed him was on his chest."

The group flocked towards the corpse.

Nonetheless, after Pudgy Jiang stared at the Tranquil Heavenly General's face for a while, he scratched the back of his head and suddenly asked, "By the way, does anyone knows what the Tranquil Heavenly General looks like? The last fight was all Old Duan, and it was too dark, not to mention that it was pitch black after his body was surrounded in Frost True Qi. I didn't really have a good look on his face."

"So, is this guy… really the Tranquil Heavenly General?"

Bai Feifei and Cheng Dongfeng shared a glance.

They had not encountered the Tranquil Heavenly General either, just as the Martial Arts Department (MAD) only knew that the Sky Demon Cult had seventy-two Heavenly Generals Fiends, and thirty-six Grand Decans. However, the MAD had no idea what any of them looked like.

Jiang He lifted a brow, promptly feeling upset at that.

With a wave of his hand, a token plate whooshed and stabbed into the Tranquil Heavenly General's corpse.

Cheng Dongfeng pulled the token out, noticing then that it was a unique token forged from alloys. The word 'Tranquil' was sculpted on its face, and 'Fiend' on its back.

"A Fiend Decree!"

"This corpse definitely belongs to the Tranquil Heavenly General!"

Jiang He threw out another token plate then, which had 'Demon' sculpted on its face, and 'Fiend' on its back like the other plate.

"That's the Fiend Decree of the Earth Demon Heavenly General!"

Cheng Dongfeng accepted the token plate and explained, "I heard the Sky Demon Sect issued the Fiend Decrees and the Decan Decrees, but never seen one before. So, this is what they looked like… oh, and Jiang He, was the Tranquil Heavenly General caught in the blast before he was killed?"

"Yeah."

Jiang He did not deny it. "I didn't know their specific location, so I started blasting every spot around this area which could be used for hiding. Then, when I was about to blow up the mine up there, the Tranquil Heavenly General suddenly charged at me from behind, and was caught right in the shockwave being vented out from the mine itself."

"Are you alright?"

"I'm fine." Jiang He grinned. "I threw the bomb. Wouldn't I know enough to dodge?"

And was prostrating while clutching my head not dodging?

Still, Pudgy Jiang sharply caught on to Jiang He's uses of words and pressed him, "Jiang He, did you just say…'throw'? How did you trigger a fuel-air explosive by throwing?"

"What fuel-air explosive?"

Jiang He drew a blank, saying, "It's just some dynamite I cooked up myself; it's nothing as awesome as that."

Of course, he could never tell anyone about the pea bombs.

He did offer any explanation with 'dynamite' anyway. If he does not admit it no matter who asked, what could any of them do to him?

At the same time, Pudgy Jiang looked weirded out, while Bai Feifei covered her mouth to hide a smile.

"Chief Jiang," Cheng Dongfeng chuckled then, "I remember something about handstands and what was it?"

Still, Cheng Dongfeng stopped teasing as Pudgy Jiang's expression contorted. "So, like I said," he smiled, "how could a rank-five advanced kill grandmasters, no matter how out of this world he could be? By the way, where's the Earth Demon Heavenly General's corpse? Was he blown into pieces?"

"Not quite."

Jiang He pointed towards the other corpse, saying, "It's over there. He was not caught in the blast, and I thought that he was quite powerful. I had to use some of my special moves to slice through him."

Yeah.

Special moves…

Eating peppers to boost combat strength counts as a special move, wouldn't it?

Jiang He led the way forward, chuckling as he walked, "That one was quite cunning. At the time, the Tranquil Heavenly General had climbed underground and was not blown to death immediately, so I had to walk up to him and stomp him to death. That was when the Earth Demon Heavenly General blindsided me with a flying dagger to my back."

Jiang He pointed behind him where a hole was torn over his shirt, and there were still traces of blood over his skin.

"Please check if my wound is serious… eh? It healed already?"

"…."

Was that not a little too much?

A rank-seven grandmaster backstabbing a rank-five advanced, but not only did that fail, he was actually killed in retaliation?

Cheng Dongfeng, Pudgy Jiang, Bai Feifei, and the rank-five martial artist with them followed Jiang He stiffly, feeling as if their heads had gone black.

It was only after walking three-hundred meters when they finally reacted—that is, when they saw the corpse Jiang He sliced in half and the slash cutting deep into the ground.

Cheng Dongfeng's eyes widened and could not help exclaiming, "What the hell… Jiang He, the Earth Demon Heavenly General is a veteran rank-seven and more powerful than the Tranquil Heavenly General… how did you kill him?"

"How did I kill him?"

Jiang He considered it, organizing his words, "He was around sixty meters away from me, but failing in his backstab, even slandering me for wearing an alloy armor…"

"Then, he started throwing daggers at me again, which I slapped off with two palms, but then the bastard changed forms… well, not exactly changed forms, but a black air was pouring out of his body and it did not feel human."

Cheng Dongfeng's eyes sharpened at that and he exclaimed, "Sky Demon Arcanum!"

"The Sky Demon Sect calls it the Sky Sage Arcanum. It's a frightening art, and was said to have been passed down from those who came from beyond the skies."

"The Sky Demon Arcanum?"

Jiang He muttered, before continuing, "So, anyway, after he transformed… I mean, used Sky Sage Arcanum, his aura became exceedingly frightening. So, I had to use my special move and boost my fighting ability, and only then did I cut him down with five consecutive slashes."

After that…

Jiang He yawned.

"It's already four in the morning… alright, you guys keep chatting, and just remember how much merit points for those two Heavenly Generals are. I'm going back to pay my sleep debt."

In a flash, his figure vanished into the dark night, leaving Cheng Dongfeng and the others trading glances.

Next morning.

Li Fei's breeder's union over at the eastern end of Jinyintan Village.

"Old Su, the lamb here's not bad, right?"

Li Fei and Su Ze were having breakfast.

It was three in the morning after they finished their last shift, and Li Fei keenly extended an invitation to Su Ze then. After that, they did not stay at the MAD, and instead came straight to Li Fei's home.

He had to relay Master Cheng's message anyway, did he not?

The lamb or whatnot was just in passing.

Cleaning his mouth, Su Ze then rose to his feet, smiling. "I still have to trouble you further, Li Fei. Please drive me to Jiang He's home, and we'll return to the MAD to submit our mission report after that."

Soon, Li Fei was in his BMW, giving Su Ze a ride to Jiang He's front door.

Taking a deep breath and suppressing his fear towards Jiang He, Su Ze firmly opened the car door and got off.

What was he afraid of?

It was Master Cheng who had a bone to pick with Jiang He anyway, not him.

At worse…

He could just show his hand, and tell him that Master Cheng wanted to give him an earful!

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Chapter 76: Is Someone Trying To Hurt Me?

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

Once Su Ze remembered Master Cheng who had reached the rank-seven boundary of grandmasters, he was overflowing in confidence by a hundredfold. He would not be intimidated even if he faced Jiang He directly!

Still wearing his suit, he puffed his chest as he entered Jiang He's yard, but did not find him after looking around. Since all he saw were a bunch of laborers going about their work, he cleared his throat and shouted, "Who is in charge here? Where is Jiang He?"

One of the workers, having been sitting over the wall he was supposed to tile, tapped his safety helmet with his trowel before saying in irritation, "Our contractor went off for his awakening. And why are you are looking for Little Jiang?"

"Little Jiang? I have some business with him… hold on, what did you just say?"

Su Ze's eyes widened at the plaster worker, asking as if he doubted himself. "Where did you say your contractor went?"

"I say, aren't you an annoying one?"

The tiling worker slammed his trowel and cursed, "Everyone had the same meat. Why is Big Onion Wang the only one who gets to awaken?"

A chorus of laughter broke out in the yard.

The other workers also joined in the fun. "Old Liu, you're really hard to please. Everyone here is already basking in Little Jiang's limelight, and even I could feel my lifting capacity increasing by a hundred catties, not to mention how spirited I feel. Aren't you the same, Old Liu? Hadn't you been bothering your other half over the last few nights?"

"Bleh, what nonsense are you spouting?"

"Am I spouting nonsense now? You think I wouldn't know what goes on in your house? We share a wall, and all the squawking in the middle night almost left me sleepless!"

As a matter of fact, the tiling worker had only wanted to vent a bit.

Everyone there were colleagues who worked alongside each other year in, year out and belonged to the same village. Therefore, a little banter would not be concern for the tiling worker, who actually folded his legs smugly on the wall and laughed. "You don't have to tell me. I felt over a dozen years younger, and while I wouldn't last minutes before, I could go hard at it for more than an hour now."

"…"

Ignored, Su Ze opened his mouth.

He felt his mind left in an utter mess.

What was going on?

Was he hearing things?

There's another Awakened in Jiang He's village, and it has to do with Jiang He himself?

According to statistics, Awakened were quite rare. While quite a few of them had came to be following the recent overflow of Spirit Qi, that ratio was less than one of ten thousandth, meaning that only one out of ten thousand individuals of the population could be an Awakened.

And yet, this village had a handful?

Focusing his mind, he only spoke again after a while, asking, "What is the address of your supervisor? And where is Jiang He?"

That was when Li Fei entered the yard.

There was no telling where he went after he got off the car, and he did not hear the conversation in the yard.

Still, most of the laborers there knew him, and Old Liu, the tiling worker sitting on the wall pointed at Li Fei, saying, "Two Doggie over there knows where Big Onion's house is. You could find Little Jiang there too."

Li Fei scratched the back of his head, chuckling. "Could you not call me Two Doggie, Old Liu? I'll have a son soon, so it's not right to use nicknames."

"Rascal! You're not letting us use nicknames now that you're an Awakened?" Old Liu glared. "I even remember the days when you were a kid…"

Knowing that the old thing was about to mention the glory days, Li Fei fled.

When he and Su Ze returned to his BMW, Su Ze suddenly asked, "Li Fei, is there something… abnormal about your village? For example, was there an emperor or important figure born here before? Like, someone so distinguished the entire village itself became distinguished."

"What?" Li Fei was a little taken aback.

Then, after Su Ze told him what had happened at Jiang He's yard just now, Li Fei's eyes sparkled as he exclaimed, "Big Onion Bro has awakened? If he really did, he would be the fourth Awakened in our village!"

Soon, they arrived at Wang Siyu's house.

On the way, Su Ze learnt from Li Fei that Wang Sizhen was Wang Siyu's elder brother.

As they stepped through the front door, they ran headlong into Jiang He, Wang Siyu and Wang Sizhen who were coming out. Li Fei quickly approached them, asking, "Big Onion Bro, I heard that you've awakened. Is that true? What is the superpower you've awakened?"

Incidentally, Wang Sizhen was sulking.

He glared at Li Fei, scowling, "I awakened a hammer!"

"Oh. So, you didn't?"

The delight in Li Fei's eyes hence faded, leaving him a little dispirited.

After all, wouldn't it be a little proud to mention to others that there was more Awakened in your village?

"I did awaken!" Wang Sizhen seethed through clenched teeth.

Li Fei blinked, taken aback. "Big Onion Bro, didn't you said you awaken a hammer?"

"Yes, I awakened a hammer."

"Doesn't that kind of mean you didn't awaken in dialect?" Li Fei was at a loss of words at that.

So did you actually awaken or not?

Beside them, Jiang He had been holding his hand over his mouth to hold back his laughter, and started shaking uncontrollably after hearing the other two men's conversation, and ended up laughing out loud.

Wang Siyu was holding her hand over her mouth as well, while her shoulders shook uncontrollably.

Meanwhile, Wang Sizhen scowled even harder.

Su Ze's gaze shifted when he realized something then, and he took a step forward and asked, "The superpower you've awakened is a hammer?"

Wang Sizhen nodded.

Su Ze's eyes brightened and he laughed, "Mister Wang, you don't have to be so disappointed. We have another elderly man at the Martial Arts Department (MAD) who had awakened the superpower of hammer as well, and his superpower is so formidable that he could forge the awesome weapons."

"I know!" Wang Sizhen said bitterly—both Wang Siyu and Jiang He had told him that when he realized that his superpower was a hammer.

At the time, he had been quite curious…

The old man was a blacksmith who hammered away on metals, which made sense that he awakened a hammer. On the other hand, why would Wang Sizhen awaken a similar power when he worked as a builder?

Moreover, when he focused on sensing the hammer… instead of a divine hammer like the old man's, his was a rubber mullet?

And what's that, you ask?

Large rubber mullets are used to break walls, while smaller ones are used for hammering bricks in place.

Hence, when Wang Sizhen materialized his rubber mullet, even Li Fei was laughing.

He really did awaken a hammer!

Meanwhile, Su Ze stared at Jiang He for heartbeats before saying, "Mister Jiang, may I talk to you for a second?"

"Oh?"

Jiang He grinned. "Do you have business with me?"

He followed Su Ze out of Wang Sizhen's house, where Su Ze went straight to the point once they were outside. "Master Cheng has completed his ascension in seclusion, and finally reached the realm of grandmasters. He has stepped out of his seclusion since!"

"What?"

Jiang He lifted his brow.

Why did it feel like Su Ze's tone was rather unfriendly?

Could he be nursing an itch?

At the same time.

The MAD, Lingzhou City.

Cheng Dongfeng was feeling disconcerted.

"What's going on?" He muttered while he rubbed his temples.

"My eyelids had been twitching the whole day, and its like each side would take turns after the other was done. Is someone trying to hurt me?"

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Chapter 77: The Grass Over The Grave Are Over A Meter Tall!

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

"What is going on?"

Cheng Dongfeng was troubled.

As the saying goes, the left eyelid twitches when one is about to lose wealth, and while the right twitches when one was about to suffer. But now, both his eyelids were twitching

"I'm a rank-seven grandmaster now; I can't be flustered for no reason. Still, could someone really be gunning for me?"

Rubbing his temples, Cheng Dongfeng poured himself a cup of water from his Thermos flask and ate a pinch of wolfberries. Then, he could not help sighing when he remembered the Tranquil Heavenly General and the Earth Demon Heavenly General. "How did Jiang He even cultivate?"

"A rank-five advanced turning the tables against grandmasters, and not novice grandmasters at that. How did he manage to do that?"

After Jiang He left, Cheng Dongfeng had thoroughly examined the scene of the battle. From the sword marks, footprints, the damage on the Earth Demon Heavenly General's gloves as well as the cut over his body, he put together a general picture of the fight in his mind.

Even when he closed his eyes now, his mind was still projecting Jiang He's swordplay!

"His way of the blade must have been unmatched in speed, each slash quicker and more vicious than the next, and so much so that the Earth Demon Heavenly General could only passively block them, until he eventually caved and was cut in half!"

That said, weren't rank-seven intermediate-pinnacle grandmasters supposed to have unlimited moves at their disposal?

Even so, all the Earth Demon Heavenly General could do was block Jiang He's blows without having any space to use other moves. How frustrating was that?

Of course, one could determine from a lateral perspective how ruthless Jiang He's swordplay was!

"Hold on…"

Suddenly, Cheng Dongfeng's eyes straightened as he muttered, "Wasn't that brat supposed to be good at palm techniques? The sheer power of his strength goes from strength to strength, unleashing a draconic bellow that shook the heavens as the shadow of a dragon takes to the air… it could not be powerful, so why is he so good at swordplay too?"

At that thought, Cheng Dongfeng chuckled coolly. "There's little wonder why the kid kept asking Duan Tianhe how he could kill a martial arts grandmaster. So, his real trump card wasn't palm techniques, but swordplay."

As a matter of fact, that was what Jiang He was going for.

You thought my palm techniques were brutal?

Sorry, but my swordplay is even more awesome.

Wait, are you now under the impression that my blade technique was my trump card? Heh, that is only because you had seen my sword…

And sorry, when the time comes, I would just summon the Seven Bottle Gourd Brothers. They have the power of seven grandmasters, and with my Enzo-brand Transformer, that's eight.

Whoops.

Cheng Dongfeng took a sip of his tea whilst holding his Thermos flask, and chewed on the wolfberries, smelling, "Luckily, I'm prudent and did not try to settle the score right after I ascended, or I'm getting slapped and trampled all over by Jiang He… eh?"

At that thought, Cheng Dongfeng scowled.

He felt like he had forgotten something.

Then, the hand which he held the Thermos flask with shook, spilling much water out of it. He promptly whipped out his phone and dialed Su Ze's number.

Su Ze, however, did not answer and hung up directly instead—because he had already stepped out of the elevator to Cheng Dongfeng's doorstep.

His face was utterly swollen, and he looked utterly miserable.

He directly crashed through the door, dropping to his knees at Cheng Dongfeng's feet with a plop and clutching his thigh as he wailed, "Master Cheng, you have to avenge me!"

"…"

Cheng Dongfeng did a double-take before asking, "What happened to you?"

Su Ze took a moment to compose himself, before seething through clenched teeth, "Master Cheng, didn't you tell me to go to Jiang He?"

Boom!

A bolt from the blue!

Cheng Dongfeng felt as if a thunderclap resounded in his mind. His hand twitched then, dropping the Thermos flask and scattering red wolfberries all over the floor.

He raised a shuddering finger at Su Ze, quietly asking, "You really went?"

Su Ze was dumbstruck at that.

Isn't that reaction a little exaggerated, Master Cheng?

Surely there's no need to be so thrilled, right?

Nonetheless, Su Ze nodded and said, "I went to Jinyintan Village and found Jiang He to tell him about your ascension to grandmaster. I was about to try to provoke him so that he would hit me and you would have a reason for payback, but even before I could do that…"

"He laughed insolently, saying that mere rank-seven novices are nothing!"

Cheng Dongfeng, however, thought that it was not wrong for Jiang He to say that. Staring at Su Ze, he seethed, "And then?"

Su Ze, under the impression that his master's peer had been enraged by Jiang He, smugly added, "He insulted you in my face, and of course I can't stand it, so I scolded him, saying that he wouldn't dare to breathe too loudly with you around…"

"And then, what?"

Su Ze's voice became much softer than, and he rubbed his cheeks, saying, "I felt that I must have touched a nerve, but he didn't follow the script and beat me up instead."

"Bastard!"

Cheng Dongfeng abruptly slammed his hand on his desk. It was made from genuine wood, but it was still smashed into pieces under his palm.

Su Ze was about to say more when his vision went dark, and the bottom of a 43-sized shoe rapidly enlarged before his eyes—

Pow!

Cheng Dongfeng had kicked off Su Ze with a single sweep of his foot, cursing, "Doggone it, who told you to insult Jiang He?!"

"He had foiled the schemes of the Sky Demon Cult on multiple occasions, and slayed the Tranquil Heavenly General and the Earth Demon Heavenly General, two of their seventy-two Fiends, contributing to our country and the people. Is he someone you should insult?!"

"I… I…"

Su Ze was left blank by the beating, and clutched his face in grievance. "Master Cheng, I didn't insult him, and… I didn't say much, although I did act a bit cocky, and then he beat me."

"Bastard, did anyone tell you to act cocky in Jiang He's face?!"

Su Ze suffered another kicking then.

Then, he left Cheng Dongfeng's room muddleheadedly, the words 'Get lost', 'Get the hell out of here', and 'The Eight Trigrams School have no dumb disciple like you' still echoing beside his ears!

"What the hell?"

"Weren't you the one who told me to provoke Jiang He? Why aren't you settling the score in my stead after I did just that, but hitting me and scolding me instead?"

Su Ze felt as if his heart was falling to pieces.

In truth, he and Jiang He had long since held no grudges against each other. They were both young, and Su Ze himself had only suffered a beating because he tried to put on airs. In his later encounters with Jiang He, there was no conflict even if their conversation were not so pleasant.

And now, Cheng Dongfeng had him provoke Jiang He, only to beat him up later instead?

Meanwhile, Su Ze had arrived at the main entrance of the Martial Arts Department (MAD) and sat on the floor. He was about to lit himself a cigarette when he heard two security officers whispering to each other.

They seemed to have been talking about the uproar at the Ningdong Mines last night.

That two martial arts grandmasters of the Sky Demon Cult had been slain by Jiang He.

"Heh."

Su Ze smirked. "You people know nothing. Do you even know what grandmasters are? Jiang He is powerful, but how could he put down a grandmaster… eh?"

Even before he could finish, Su Ze froze.

He suddenly remembered what Cheng Dongfeng had told him.

Jiang He, killing two of the Sky Demon Cult's seventy-two fiends—the Tranquil Heavenly General and the Earth Demon Heavenly General?

Thud!

The cigarette and lighter in his hand dropped to the floor.

Meanwhile.

Jiang He was blanking out in his yard.

He was staring at the grave he had almost completely forgotten about. How many days had it been since then?

Why was the grass growing over it more than a meter tall now?

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Chapter 78: A Second Superpower

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

"What are you staring at, Jiang He?"

Wang Sizhen approached him unhappily, threw his rump on the ground and lit himself a cigarette. After having a few firm puffs, he chuckled bitterly, "Jiang He, don't you think I'm a little useless?"

He then slammed a fish powerfully into the loose dirt, his body shaking as he seethed through clenched teeth, "All my life, I only ever hoped that I could glide over roofs and walk on walls like the heroes in the TV dramas, to be a hero of justice and kill within ten paces!"

"I just never imagined that I would awaken a rubber mullet!"

Teary-eyed, he stared at Jiang He and quietly said, "Jiang He, I'm useless!"

"No, you're not useless!"

It was obvious that Wang Sizhen suffered a heavy blow.

As such, Jiang He decided to console him, since Wnag Sizhen was a childhood friend of 'his', which was why he would definitely not let Wang Sizhen remain dispirited.

And yet…

He was not good at consoling.

After thinking about it for a while, he said, "Awakened like you are just rarer, and you had yet to fully tap into the potential of your rubber mullet. How could you give up already?"

Wang Sizhen appeared thoughtful at that, and there appeared to be hope and expectation towards the future in his eyes now.

That was when someone shouted, "Big Onion, come help…"

Although Wang Sizhen was basically the workers' boss, everyone was quite familiar with one another. Most who were older than him would just call him by his nickname, whereas those younger would at a 'Bro' behind his nickname.

And now, as Wang Sizhen answered the call for help, the worker said, "We need an iron rod inserted at that spot. I'll hold it up, help me hammer it in."

Hence, Wang Sizhen picked up a steel hammer and smashed on the iron rod three times, but the hammer that was usually quick slick was somehow uncooperative today.

Cursing inwardly, he threw the steel hammer aside and promptly conjured his rubber mullet, hammering it down on the iron rod with a loud thud.

The iron thud—as thick as an arm—directly sank thirty centimeters in.

"…"

Back in the yard, Jiang He shrugged.

Was that not quite useful?

Withdrawing his gaze, he continued to study the grave in front of him. It appeared tiny and miserable, since Dumbo and Trumbo were the ones who had dug it and piled the bricks over it.

Moreover, after Jiang He had observed it for hours and saw that nothing happened, he had forgotten about the grave itself.

On the other hand, Dumbo and Trumbo appeared quite wary about the grave, and would pour buckets of water over it every hour. It seems that after they had seen how Jiang He diligently sowed his farm every day, they wanted to share that experience too.

Hence, at some unknown point in time, grass was growing all over the grave and painting it an oily green. But although it resembled leek, it was not actually leek.

And Jiang He could be sure that it was not growing there last night.

Jiang He then glanced at Dumbo, who was lying in the mud and pretending to be a fish, slithering forward while putting its four paws forward. It played around until its whole body was caked with mud, and could not have been more entertained.

On the other hand, Trumbo was sticking to its usual daytime nap schedule.

Its naptime seemed to have extended especially after it had ascended up to rank four, and now was no exception as it laid out beneath the sun and dozed away.

"Come!"

With a quiet bellow, both cat and dog quickly came beneath his feet.

Pointing at the oily green grave, Jiang He asked, "Talk. What did the two of you do to this grave?"

Beneath the grave was the corpse of the water-type Awakened Sky Demon Cultist. Jiang He's original intention was to attempt growing him, but he had failed because his farm's level was too low. Still, considering that Dumbo had already buried the corpse, it was too troublesome to dig it out, so Jiang He was not bothered about it after that.

And now, both Dumbo and Trumbo shook their heads.

After shaking its head, Dumbo went to sniff at the meter-long grass above the grave, and then…

It plucked one straw of the grass and tasted it.

Eh?

Dumbo's eyes sparkled then.

Wasn't it a little tasty?

He therefore plucked out more clumps of grass and chomped down mouthfuls of it.

Trumbo's round eyes were filled with curiosity, so it clawed out one blade and started chewing as well.

As cat and dog tucked in, Jiang He could not help gulping a mouthful of saliva… he was actually feeling a little hungry right then.

"Forget it!"

'I would not eat that even if it's some exotic delicacy, let alone grass!' Jiang He thought.

How could he eat something growing out of a grave?

Hence, in the time that he finished one of his 18cm carrots, the cat and the dog had already weeded out all the grave grass, devouring even their roots.

Oom!

That was when a special surge of energy appeared over Dumbo and Trumbo's body, before vanishing in a flash.

Jiang He appeared stunned and exclaimed in surprise, "What was that… the energy signature just now felt like an awakening of superpowers…"

That was when he saw Dumbo baring its teeth at him.

Swoosh—

A jet stream of water shot out.

At the same time, with a shrill mewing, Trumbo opened its mouth and breathed little bubbles.

"…"

Jiang He's eyes turned round in surprise as he muttered, "Water-type superpowers? They had already awakened, but obtained new superpowers thanks to those clumps of grass?"

While Awakened was not limited to one superpower, those who possessed two or more were extremely rare.

To think that his own pets would reach that level.

"The Awakened had a water-type superpower, so anyone who ate the grass growing out of his grave would gain his powers?"

"Then, what about fire-type or thunder-types? What would grow as a result?"

Jiang He pondered on that question, but soon sighed miserably, saying, "Damn it, if I knew this would happen, I should have kept all the corpses of the Sky Demon Cult's superhumans, and I just might have grown a few more powers."

Even though at level 3, his farm could not grow Ferals, martial artists, or Awakened beyond above rank-three, however… he could still cultivate their powers with this method.

"There might be certain restrictions too, but I'll have to find out the specifics for myself."

Jiang He's did not have more superhuman corpses at the moment, so he had to hold on to the idea.

Later, he went out to buy a pack of cabbage seeds near the entrance of the village.

It was now the middle of September. Soon, it would be the season of salted veggies for the farming villages of Xibei. Jiang He himself was about to plant some vegetables which he could marinade himself later.

After planting the cabbages, Jiang He began to focus on the mansion.

The building itself was nearing completion, and what was left is wiring and piping, installing doors, windows and curtains. In the end, he would furnish it, purchasing some luxurious furniture, and then move in formally.

Still, that would take at least a month.

Eventually, in the afternoon of the fifteenth of September, three whole weeks since Jiang He had transmigrated on the twenty-fourth of August, Jiang He, who had been napping in his sports car for three whole weeks was jolted awake as a System Notification resounded in his mind.

[Ding!]

[Seven-day gift pack has been awarded to Host. Please check at your own leisure.]

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Chapter 79: Eggplants That Promote Longevity, Eases Swells, and Stops Bleeding

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

[Ding!]

[Seven-day gift pack has been awarded to Host. Please check at your own leisure.]

Jiang He, who was groggy in his sleep woke up, rubbing his blurred eyes as he turned towards the golden sack in his System Backpack.

It opened at his though.

"Congratulations, Host. You have received one eggplant seed."

"…"

Jiang He was so shaken in spirit then that all his drowsiness was gone.

A single eggplant seed had appeared in his hand. It was shaped like your average eggplant seed, although it was much larger—the size of a coin.

[Eggplant seed]

[Attribute: Coldproof, heatproof, high-yield.]

Blinking, Jiang He couldn't help chuckling and mutter, "Interesting. First, it was cucumbers, now it's an eggplant. It's fortunate that I'm the one who got this System, and not a widow…"

Getting off his car, Jiang He entered the yard.

His mansion was basically finished, with wiring and plumbing all put in place—now, Wang Sizhen was planning some furnishing for him.

In the yard, the cabbages Jiang He had planted two days ago had grown into an oily-green patch.

The cabbages were not actually planted on the ashes of Jiang He's special crops and did not develop special mutations. Moreover, Jiang He did not add nitrogen fertilizer or composite fertilizer, because why should he add fertilizers to stuff he would eat, which ought to stay green?

Still, in just two days, the cabbages were ripe for harvest. Each of them weighed around fifty kilos and were moist—like a lady just stepping out of her bath, sweet, delicious, and appetizing.

"Two would have been enough. How am I going to finish everything after I planted so many?" Jiang He muttered.

Then, just as he was about to get a shovel, Dumbo was already darting towards him. As his ability improved, it became quicker in digging holes, and had gouged out a small pit in just a dozen seconds.

"Not bad."

Jiang He smiled and threw in the eggplant seed, before exchanging a composite fertilizer and buried them.

Beside him, both Dumbo and Trumbo opened their mouths and used their new water-type powers to water the eggplant seed.

"Awesome."

Jiang He couldn't help chuckling. "Whoever has two pets like these wouldn't need to pay water bills for their farms."

Bringing out a bench, Jiang He sat cross-legged over it and waited leisurely for the eggplant seed to sprout.

After around three, a faint crunch sound could be heard from the soil.

Jiang He did not pay it much heed, since it was very normal.

The eggplant seed had been planted for quite a while, and it made sense that it made sounds as it took root and sprouted.

And after another three minutes, two raw shoots grew out of the soil.

At first, they were a pale-yellow, but following exposure to the sun, their pale color turned into a faint purple.

Hence, a purple 'eggplant tree' grew rapidly.

Even so, Jiang He was not weirded out.

How does that even compare?

He had already encountered a cucumber tree, a qi pellet tree, and even a money-growing tree. An eggplant growing into a tree was very normal, was it not?

Then, twenty minutes later, a multitude of flower buds were blossoming over the eggplant tree, which now grew to the height of an adult human.

And at the center of the bud was a tiny eggplant.

They were all a deep purple and several centimeters at first, but continued to grow, becoming as thick as they were long.

"Scary!"

"These eggplants are at least twenty-seven centimeters, aren't there? And they're so thick… they have to weigh several catties apiece."

Jiang He guesstimated as his heart blossomed.

He could finally add a new ingredient to his dishes. Before this, he had thought that he would not only get sick of a cucumber-only diet, but also rank-seven Leopard Python meat that money couldn't buy.

Growing the eggplant for a change of palate incidentally fit his plans.

After a rough count, Jiang He observed that the eggplant tree yielded a fine number of ninety-nine crops, and so reached out to pluck one—

[Ding!]

[1 Farm Point]

A cluster of data appeared before his eyes as he stared at the eggplant in his hand.

[A long, thick eggplant]

[Effects: Which in essences including Vitamin E and Vitamin P. High nutritional values, eases swells, stops bleeding, reduces body heat, and promotes longevity."

Jiang He's eyes sparkled.

"The effects of crops grown from this farm really could not be understood with common sense… easing swells and stopping bleeding…"

Jiang He hence turned on his phone's front camera for a look at his handsome, gorgeous face… before clenching his teeth and steeling himself to look for a brick, and smash it heavily down his face.

Pow.

The red brick shattered.

???

Jiang He was between laughter and tears—he could not feel any pain at all. Then, as he stirred his True Qi to shake off the shards on his face, and turned on his phone's front camera again—

"Nothing. No scratch, much less swelling or bleeding… My body is harder than steel now that I gained Beginner proficiency over Indestructible Diamond. How would a brick even hurt me? Wait…"

Jiang He gasped in surprise then, and moved his face closer to the camera. "Why do I look even more handsome after that brick smash?"

Putting away his phone, Jiang He turned towards another corner in the yard.

Over there, Dumbo was jumping around madly, fighting thin air.

Jiang He suspected then that Dumbo was not a Sichuan Wolfdog, and that it must have husky blood mixed in its ancestry.

Soon…

Yip!

Dumbo whimpered shrilly as it darted out of Jiang He's yard, jolting Trumbo awake to the point that its bristle, its dark fur all standing up.

"What are you doing?"

Jiang He was a little speechless as he held his Dragon-Slaying Saber at his side, rebuking the dog, "I'm just cutting a bit of your skin, not chopping you up. Anyone hearing you yipping like that would think I was torturing pets."

Yip-yip…

Dumbo's canine face looked full of grief and misery.

Cutting skin?

That was okay.

Sure, you could cut an inch of my skin, but can't you at least find a smaller knife?

This dog was almost frightened to death with how big that sword was!

"Stop yipping!"

Jiang He slapped the dog and stuffed the thick, huge eggplant he was holding down Dumbo's throat, scolding, "My eggplant could really shut you up, huh? Make another sound and I'll cut you up for your meat."

And just as expected, Dumbo stopped crying out.

All the grief and misery in its eyes were also gone, replaced by a look of shock.

What on earth was going on?

That three inch-long cut on its leg was no longer bleeding?

In fact, the wound was visibly closing itself.

Jiang He nodded in satisfaction at that, with a 'just-as-I've-thought' look showing on his face. "It really does stop bleeding, so… about promoting longevity…"

His heart pounded then!

Could it be true longevity?

Still, there was no telling how many years would be added to his life if he ate one eggplant!

Meanwhile, a crisp voice could be heard then.

"Are you home, Jiang He?"

Wang Siyu had arrived.

She immediately saw the half piece of eggplant in Jiang He's hand and could not help showing a look of surprise, her dainty white fingers covering her slightly parted lips!

Wow!

Such a large eggplant?

Chapter 80: Don't Dream Of Seeing My Daughter Ever Again!

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

As Jiang He stepped out of the yard with half an eggplant, he could not help chuckling when he saw Wang Siyu's reaction. "Blushing so hard? Could you be having dirty thoughts about my big eggplant?"

"Bleh!"

Wang Siyu spat, but did not answer Jiang He.

However, even as she glanced at the eggplant in his hand with the corner of her eye, her mind drifted back to university days for some reason, when she and her dormmate had a conversation about certain unusual experiences and tools.

Hence, she blushed even harder.

After a few more teases, Jiang He's eyes shifted and he exclaimed in surprise, "Your qi is much stronger now… could you be cultivating too?"

"Yeah."

Wang Siyu nodded. "Mind-reading is a support-type superpower that doesn't really strengthen individual ability, which is why I'm training in martial arts as well, hoping that I could protect myself. "

The both of them then held an idle conversation when Wang Siyu's tone changed and she said, "Jiang He, I've received word that we are supposed to move our farm too."

"Eh?"

"Orders from above is to build Lingzhou city into a city base, with a perimeter of high-voltage fences set up around it five kilometers away. The military would set up a garrison here to strengthen defenses, which is why everyone from every village and towns nearby would be moved to the city."

That concept was often mentioned in novels.

Moreover, a five-kilometer distance to the outer perimeter would be enough to settle in everyone from the towns and villages nearby, which would reduce civilian casualties as much as possible.

Jiang He's eyes twinkled then as he thought, 'If all of Jinyintan Village is moved, I could buy my neighbors' houses and plant more stuff…"

Then, Wang Siyu talked about the state of foreign countries.

With the revival of qi on full drive, more and more countries were suffering the assault of hordes of Ferals. Still, landlocked nations fared better, whereas every coastal country had been affected severely with countless casualties, even wiped out.

"Oh, right, how is the island nation now?"

Jiang He suddenly remembered the news he read about last time and asked, "The last time I read about it on the web, the island nation suffered a Feral onslaught and was sunk entirely. Was it completely wiped off the map?"

Wang Siyu shook her head.

Jiang He appeared disappointed and sighed, "What a shame…"

Wang Siyu couldn't help giggling, and became a little distracted as she stared at Jiang He's side profile. Still, she soon recovered and quietly said, "The Nine-Headed Serpent, the Supreme Ruler of the Pacific was the one that attacked the island nation. It is known to be one of the most powerful King Ferals and the island nation could not stop it. In the end, it was one of our country's elite who took action to save the island nation's citizens."

Jiang He was a little speechless at that.

Did the elites of our country… have that much free time?

Our own country is not out of the woods yet, and they would go to help the island nation?

Then, he asked, "The Nine-Headed Serpent, the Supreme Ruler of the Pacific, … does it really have nine heads?"

"Yes."

It turns out that Wang Siyu actually knew much about that topic. "It does have nine heads, and according to the Martial Arts Department (MAD)'s data, it evolved from an extinct species of snake called the Titanoboa, and was almost a thousand meters long—three times the height of the Eiffel Tower."

Gasp!

Jiang He inhaled sharply.

A thousand meters?

That huge?

"A thousand meters and nine heads," he muttered, "I would never finish eating it if I did kill it."

Huh?

Wang Siyu's eyes widened, wondering if she had heard wrong.

Eat?

Jiang He was actually thinking about eating the Nine-Headed Serpent?

Nonetheless, Jiang He continued with a smile, "Does the MAD have more inside information about powerful Ferals?"

"We should, since such things aren't really top-secret. I last heard that it had been uploaded to the forum called Warrior Home, providing martial artists and Awakened with certain knowledge."

"Warrior Home?"

Jiang He said. "I've heard that the MAD is working with the government to build an online forum, so it's already live?"

"It's in a test phase now, and would be formally online by the first of October."

After that, they had a long chat.

It was only when Wang Zhong came looking for Wang Siyu with a long face that she jumped in surprise like a little rabbit, saying, "I almost forgot I was still cooking porridge back home, Jiang He."

She scampered off.

"…"

Jiang He was a little speechless.

Cooking porridge?

We were chatting for almost two hours. If you really were cooking porridge, it would just be smudge now—why run?

By the next moment, however, he was smiling and greeting Wang Zhong at the gates, "Chief Wang, what brought you here? Please, come in."

As a matter of fact, Wang Zhong acknowledged Jiang He inside…

Still, it was hard for him to be immediately accepting upon seeing the brat with his baby girl.

Clasping his hands behind him as he entered Jiang He's yard, he studied the newly built mansion and could not help breathing a long sigh. "What a shame, such a nice mansion…"

"What's a shame?"

Jiang He asked in confusion, only for Wang Zhong to say, "I've just returned from a conference in the city. It's been decided that we would move the village by month's end—wouldn't your mansion be a waste then?"

"Month's end? That quick?"

Jiang He exclaimed, taken aback. "Didn't the higher-ups issue the orders only recently? Is the new residential area already constructed?"

Now that the country had made the revival of qi fully public, Wang Zhong had learned much, saying, "Yes, the orders are recent, but the construction of the new residences is not. Over ten residential zones were built around Lingzhou City and nine were complete, and the first relocations would start near the end of the month, our village included. I would be calling for a meeting soon, informing everyone in the village about the matter."

Jiang He curled his lip, looking as if he was fine about it.

Relocation?

No way!

Is my mansion not good enough?

What would happen to my farm If I really moved away? I can't keep driving to and from this farm that's over ten km away—how inconvenient is that?

Suddenly, his eyes moved and he caught Wang Zhong by the arm, grinning, "Could we hold a discussion with my neighbors, Chief Wang? I'm thinking about buying the land lots around mine if the village is really being evacuated."

"You rascal," Wang Zhong barked angrily, "You're moving anyway. Why throw away your money?"

"I'm going to clear them and used it for my farm!"

Jiang He said truthfully. "I myself like to tinker around with these lands to research new crops."

"You're not moving?"

"Nope!"

"You… You…"

Wang Zhong abruptly threw up his hands and cursed through clenched teeth, "It's not just us. Every nearby village would all have to move, and after that, any location more than five kilometers away from Lingzhou City would be categorized as wildlands. I know you're a martial artist and a powerful one at that, but you would never see my daughter again if you don't move house!"

He then stormed off, leaving Jiang He completely confused.

"What is Chief Wang even saying?

"Is he having brain problems?

"Does my moving house even have anything to do with your daughter?"

Just as Jiang He was about to take a coal-baked eggplant and eat it, a black MPV arrived outside his gates.

A nerdy woman, in full business attire and black-rimmed glasses stepped out of the vehicle.

"Is this Mister Jiang He's residence?"

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Chapter 81: Got To Get A Maid

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

Jiang He frowned.

What was with today?

Was his house supposed to be that lively?

Studying the woman, he replied, "I'm Jiang He. And you would be?"

There was a flash of surprise in the woman's eyes, but she soon recovered, and took two steps forward and offered a handshake, saying, "Greetings, Mister Jiang. I'm Wu Yueru, Head of Lingzhou City's Department of Education (DOE). I did not expect you to be so young, Mister Jiang."

Jiang He extended his hand as well.

Eh?

It was only then that he realized he was still holding the half-eaten piece of eggplant. Because his mind was preoccupied, he ended up stuffing the eggplant into Wu Yueru's fingers.

"That's an eggplant!"

As Wu Yueru looked down at the eggplant in her hand, Jiang He quickly hid it behind it, saying awkwardly, "I'm sorry, Chief Wu. I was just stepping out of my yard and hadn't even put down the eggplant I plucked."

Putting aside the eggplant, he then studied Wu Yueru and frowned, "Chief Wu… forgive me but are you really the Head of the DOE? I've met the chief more than once when I visited the department itself to claim my scholarship…"

Jiang He stared at Wu Yueru warily then, adding, "And he is a man, whose last name is Yang."

"You must be referring to Yang Wancheng."

Wu Yueru replied. "He is the former head now, but had since been transferred away from Lingzhou City. I've only be appointed recently."

Jiang He became more or less sure that Wu Yueru was the real thing when he heard her say the name 'Yang Wancheng', and therefore smiled. "Pleasure to meet you, Chief Wu. I'm just being careful; I hope you won't blame me."

"You should be careful, since according to what I know, you've foiled the schemes of the Sky Demon Cult more than once, Mister Jiang. Given how they usually do things, they would definitely come looking for you to settle the score when they have your information."

Jiang He's gaze twitched slightly.

It seems that Chief Wu did not know much about his situation at the moment.

She would not have been saying that if she really knew that he had slain both the Tranquil Heavenly General and the Earth Demon Heavenly General.

Nonetheless, Jiang He looked around.

Although his mansion was completed, it was not finished. Moreover, there were only two round stools aside, and no tea or snack to treat guests with.

Still, he pulled up the stools and said, "Please, sit, Chief Wu."

Wu Yue took the seat as offered.

Her clothes were your standard business attire: White blouse, a black short skirt and stockings—just like the attire of a female teacher in a certain drama Jiang He had watched.

Still, Jiang He was disappointed when she kept her legs tightly crossed when she sat, instead of seducing him like the female teacher in the drama.

Hence, Jiang He went straight to the point, "We've not bet before, have we, Chief Wu? Why have you come to me today?"

"Have you heard about the Martial Arts Academy (MAA) of Lingzhou City, Mister Jiang?" Wu Yueru replied.

Then, upon seeing Jiang He's nod, she skipped the foreplay and went straight to business, saying, "I wish to offer you a job as the vice-director of Lingzhou City's MAA."

"Eh?"

Jiang He frowned before shaking his head, saying, "That won't do. My university degree is not in education, and I failed the teaching permit test I took after graduating. How am I supposed to take the post if I have no basis in education? I'm going to be misleading the students."

Wu Yueru's lips parted slightly; she had not expected that from Jiang He.

Adjusting her glasses with her tenderly white fingers, she then said, "Teaching permits wouldn't be a problem. I could help process you as long as you're willing, Mister Jiang."

"Is… isn't that a backdoor route?"

Jiang He asked meekly, "Moreover, you could see for yourself that I have a big patch of farm to look after. Where would I get the time to go to the MAA?"

"Most importantly, and you might not know this, Chief Wu… but I'm just a newbie when it comes to martial arts."

"…"

Wu Yueru felt as if Jiang He was teasing her, and yet… he looked serious. Moreover, would a man so handsome be that shallow?

As such, she smiled. "You only need to hold the post, Mister Jiang, or only lead one class if you're willing. The MAA had only been recently established anyway, so we sorely need instructors, but we wouldn't force you to instruct the students if you're reluctant, Mister Jiang."

"That won't do either. That's no honest work!"

Jiang He declined Wu Yueru, but before she left, she handed him her business card, saying, "If you've thought things through, Mister Jiang, you may call my personal number."

Wow!

Jiang He subtly clicked his tongue.

Private number?

Could she… be having some bad ideas toward him?

Even as Jiang He mused to himself, the clouds of dusk had arrived from the west, and he had not even had dinner.

Though his house had not been furnished, electricity was already installed and he still had his rice cooker and electric stove. Returning inside, he cooked a pot of vice and a plate of eggplant over baked meat, although he did not want to clean the dishes after he was done eating.

"Not wanting to do the dishes is a common flaw all men share…"

Jiang He sighed exasperatedly, when an idea struck him.

"Maybe I could get a babysitter?"

"Wait, no. I'm still young, why would I get a babysitter?"

"Wouldn't I be a laughing stock if others knew? I should get a maid if I need help—the young and pretty type, wearing a maid costume…"

The Martial Arts Department of Lingzhou City.

Duan Tianhe couldn't help feeling glee after hearing out a report from one of his people. "The new DOE Head? A B-class Awakened with telekinetic powers?"

"She went to see Jiang He?"

"Haha, I don't even have to sleep on it—she would definitely be snubbed. Still, that's fine, since Jiang He might demolish the MAA in its entirety if he really went there."

On the couch opposite him, Cheng Dongfeng was sipping tea but could not help saying, "You're in the wrong there, Old Duan. How many times has Jiang He helped you unwittingly? Why would you go behind his back and set him up?

Hah!

Duan Tianhe chuckled.

'This is a set up?

'Just a while ago, you've been complaining about Jiang He in every waking moment. And now you're forbidding others doing the same thing, just because you don't dare to do it anymore?'

"By the way, I heard that Wu Yueru has some serious background. Is she the daughter of that Wu family based in Jingdu City? Isn't she also acquainted with Mu Wanqiu?"

Cheng Dongfeng asked, before adopting a serious tone. "Old Duan, intelligence has reported that the elites of the Sky Demon Cult had returned into the country yesterday. I'm afraid that their next target would be Lingzhou City."

Duan Tianhe's gaze darkened then.

After all, he had received that information earlier than Cheng Dongfeng did!

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Chapter 82: You Can't Die On Me, Jiang He

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

"Old Duan, what are the dogs of the Sky Demon Cult actually thinking?" Cheng Dongfeng cursed. "They're getting more active over the last two years, allying themselves with Ferals and wreaking havoc everywhere. Could they intend to occupy Lingzhou City?"

Duan Tianhe's eyes twitched and quietly said, "That's not necessarily impossible. The Sky Demon Cult might be backed by Sky Demons themselves, who are ambitious and are aiming for Earth itself. In fact, if not for certain limitations, they would have launched a major invasion."

"However…"

Duan Tianhe's tone changed then and he chuckled, "As long as the champions of the Sky Demons could not descend upon us, the Sky Demon Cult would only ever be a bunch of clowns. They've only ever survived because they are in hiding—if they came out in the open, the various nations of this world would immediately greet time with a load of nukes."

"That said, we cannot afford to be careless with the Sky Demon Cult running around and starting trouble everywhere, especially with the dozens of elites and two grandmasters in the Tranquil Heavenly General and the Earth Demon Heavenly General all killed here in Lingzhou City. I'm afraid that the other elites of the Sky Demon Cult would not let this rest."

"It's fine."

Duan Tianhe replied, "Xibei is being protected by elites who could reinforce any location at any moment. What we need to do is help the military set up their electric fences and fortifications, so that after all civilians had been moved behind its protection, our forces at Mount Dadong would be freed up."

Halfway through their discussion, Su Ze rushed in, flustered.

Cheng Dongfeng was irritated the moment he saw Su Ze—that little buster almost killed him, which was why he glared at Su Ze like a tiger, barking, "Acting all flustered—where are your manners?"

Su Ze shuddered.

For him, seeing Cheng Dongfeng nowadays leaves him rather spooked.

Nonetheless, he steeled himself and said, "Chief Duan, Master Cheng. I have received news of Ferals spotted nearby Jinji Town and East Tower City, with dozens reported injured."

"What?"

Duan Tianhe's expression changed and he promptly rose to his feet. "Both of those towns are quite near Lingzhou City and had been screened by the military. Why would Ferals suddenly pop up?"

"Quick, inform everyone that we'll convene for an emergency meeting. Also contact Mu Wanqiu—she has some elites we could loan."

Su Ze responded affirmatively and was about to leave when his cellphone started ringing.

The moment he answered, Li Fe's urgent and panicking voice echoed from the other end. "Su Ze, I need backup! A dozen Ferals had just come out of nowhere and are rampaging through the farm… what the hell…"

Beep-beep-beep-beep!

The call was cut off.

Meanwhile, Duan Tianhe's eyes tightened and he quietly said, "Contact Jiang He. Ask him for help!"

In Jiang He's house, Jiang He, who had filled his stomach was lying in his sports car in bliss.

He turned on his phone and was about to browse through some videos when Duan Tianhe's call reached him.

Once he picked it up, his expression changed slightly and spoke even before he hung up, "Activate auto-drive. Location: Li Fei's breeder's union, east end of the village."

"What?"

Duan Tianhe did not catch that clearly, and Jiang He simply told him, "It's fine. My car is an unmanned vehicle that needs only voice input to start. Alright, I'll cut the crap."

Jiang He promptly hung up.

Wroom!

The car's engine purred.

As the sports car darted away, Jiang He watched as the electronic screen showed that it was bounding away at the speed of 280km per hour, and could not help sighing. "Too slow. Running there would have been quicker… what shame this is a sports car and not a flying car."

Still, he had soon arrived at Li Fei's farm.

Li Fei's wife and parents were not staying at the farm, although there were still dozens of workers around the barn. Three of them were already lying in a pool of their own blood, whereas the others were all hiding behind Li Fei and shaking.

There were over a dozen Ferals at large, with one of them being a tank-sized boar with razor-sharp tusks. It was snorting as it slowly advanced toward Li Fei, whereas the remaining Ferals were all running around in the farm, tearing the cows and goats into pieces.

Li Fei himself was staring at the boar while holding his alloy staff, quietly saying, "Brother pig, I know you Ferals are intelligent and understand what I say. You could eat your fill of livestock, just don't hurt my people."

The boar merely continued snorting.

Then, as it continued its slow advance, one of the employees hiding behind Li Fei finally lost it—shrieking, he turned around and ran.

"Don't!"

Li Fei exclaimed in shock. At such a moment, the Ferals would target anyone fleeing.

And just as expected, the boar promptly turned its massive body and charged toward the screaming employee.

Boom!

The earth shook.

The rank-three boar which weighed over three tons was no different from a tractor as it ran, crushing the paved road before it into pieces.

And even though it was slow compared to Ferals of the same rank, it was still more than a notch quicker than ordinary humans.

Nonetheless, Li Fei clenching on his alloy staff, burst out with his superpower, his arm muscles clenching as he swung his staff toward the boar.

Thud!

Even so, the staff smashed down with no effect. Instead, with a dull echo, Li Fei was sent flying off by the recoil.

He rose from the ground, his eyes fully red even as he bellowed.

But he was completely powerless.

At the same time, the boar was less than five meters away from the fleeing employee.

All it needed was a single second to catch up.

A soft prod with its tusk would pierce through an entire adult human.

But in that very moment…

Wroom!

The rumble of an engine echoed from the distance, its two fog lights appearing blinding in the dark night.

Seemingly startled, the boar gave up on chasing Li Fei's employee. Snorting a few times, it then dashed toward Jiang He's sports car.

As it powered forward on all fours, the ground was left shaking violently in its wake, and its sharp tusks glimmered faintly with a gold luster.

"???"

On the other hand, Jiang He was left dumbstruck in his supercar.

What?

Was the beast… trying to challenge him to a head-on collision?

"Stop, stop!"

Sparks flared from the wheels of the sports car, forcing it to a complete stop despite moving at top speed just a second ago. While a rank-three boar would never damage his supercar, how much grief would it be if its blood splattered over the car?

Still, the boar did not stop even though the sports car had stopped.

It was now less than fifty meters away, and seemed to be dashing even more ferociously now.

Stepping out of the car, Jiang He killed the beast with a single palm of Mighty Dragon Shows Remorse, and then proceeded to dart toward the farm with a loud battle cry.

Hence, in just a dozen seconds, the dozen or so Ferals were all slain.

With that matter settled, Jiang He turned and went to Li Fei, who spat out a mouthful of blood and flashed a pained smile. "Thank goodness you arrived so soon, Old Jiang. We would all be dead otherwise… eh?"

"Watch out!"

Li Fei's eyes had tightened abruptly, because he saw a dark shadow suddenly slipping into his farm!

And the shadow was darting straight toward Jiang He's back.

Jiang He quickly turned, but it was too late.

The black shadow had already slammed a palm over his chest, and with a loud 'pow', his body was sent high above the air and over thirty meters away, before crashing down at Li Fei's feet.

"Jiang He!"

Li Fei cried as he bounded toward Jiang He.

Under the distant glow of the streetlights, he could see Jiang He bleeding from his mouth and nose, as well as a gaping hole over his chest. Li Fei was promptly caught in agony and his tears flowed uncontrollably, and he held Jiang He's head, shaking his body and kept calling out to him—

"Jiang He!"

"You can't do this, Jiang He! You can't die on me…"

Meanwhile, the shadow stepped out of the streetlight.

He stood over 1.8 meters, appearing dry and thin. His face was covered in a dark golden mask that only reveals his nose, eyes, and mouth. Even though his lips were not moving, sinister laughter echoed, "A piece of trash like this actually slew the Tranquil Heavenly General and the Earth Demon Heavenly General?"

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Chapter 83: Kill Him, Kids!

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

"Who are you?"

Li Fei was on his knees and clutching Jiang He's head, before he promptly turned to glare his red eyes at the golden masked figure who came ever closer, hate overflowing in his gaze.

If Jiang He could not stop that man, how was he supposed to?

He was going to die regardless. What was there to fear anyway?

The employees he had been shielding behind him had all fled when Jiang He showed up to kill the Ferals. They were all average joes, and would be a burden even if they stayed.

Meanwhile, the golden-masked figure slowly approached him, his shadow appearing long and narrow beneath the streetlights, shrouding Li Fei.

A mocking smile flashed in the eyes beneath the golden mask.

"You have guts for a D-class Awakened. Well, it's fine—I shall grant you peace in death by telling you my name: I'm Killer Star, a Grand of the Sky Demon Cult."

He spread his hands.

True Qi surged, and vines of golden lines shone from his palm.

Li Fei closed his eyes, having no intention of putting up a fight.

However, in that very moment…

Cough!

A loud coughing voice could be heard.

Li Fei quickly opened his eyes and looked down at Jiang He in his arms, exclaiming in delight, "You're not dead yet, Jiang He?"

Even as he spoke, he shook Jiang He firmly.

"What…"

"Blargh!"

Jiang He coughed two mouthfuls of blood and said meekly, "Two Dog Li, stop shaking me or I'll really die."

At the same time, he stretched his senses across his body.

His wounds…

Were grievous!

That one palm from his assailant was exceedingly frightening. It felt to Jiang He as if a highspeed rail had crashed into him, with everything from his Indestructible Diamond to his protective True Qi were shattered.

And he had at least four broken ribs!

At the same time, all his organs were bleeding, and he thought that blood was piling in his abdomen, ejecting blood whenever he coughed.

On the other hand, Killer Star had withdrawn his hand in slight surprise.

"A rank-five like you did not die outright from my full-power palm? You really are special, and there's no wonder why the Tranquil Heavenly General and the Earth Demon Heavenly General would die by your hands."

He clasped his hands behind his back, his tone ever casual.

Even though his lips never parted as he spoke, his voice was very loud. It was not Secret Acoustics either, but a stirring of the air with True Qi with his abdomen.

Jiang He looked up at Killer Star with much difficulty.

The Grand returned his gaze.

As they locked gazes, Jiang He couldn't help being furious…

'What is with those eyes? Why are you looking at me like a corpse?'

Chuckling coolly, he said, "Killer Star the Grand? Killer Star… One of the thirty-six decans? So the Sky Demon Cult actually sent a rank-eight grandmaster to deal with little old me, who is just a rank-five?"

Even as he spoke, blood leaked out of the corner of Jiang He's lips.

Beside him, Li Fei's face fell!

Rank… rank-eight?

Meanwhile, Jiang He struggled to stand up.

He attempted it once, and when he failed, he barked, "Two Dog, help me up!"

Li Fei, however, was at once awestruck and infected by Jiang He's mood.

Still, he helped Jiang He up and laughed away, acting as if he did not care if they survived or died. "That's right!" He declared smugly. "We shall die standing rather than die kneeling. Whatever dog poo Killer Star or Killer Earth you are, come take our heads already! I'm an ingrate of a son if I keep following your every whim!"

"…"

Jiang He was dumbstruck at that.

'Aren't you quite the actor, Li Fei? What fit are you throwing at such a critical moment?'

Still, Killer Star chuckled in his irritation.

Laughing out loud, he was about to attack when he saw Jiang He flick his wrist, and a huge, thick eggplant appearing in his hand.

Killer Star paused and his eyes tightened. "Void Storage?"

"You actually know Void Storage?"

Jiang He was stunned, but now was not the time to talk.

Opening his mouth, he crunched down on the eggplant.

The vegetable was raw and had not even been washed. Eating it like this was very unhygienic, but Jiang He could not be bothered.

His felt much better after the first bite, with his organs no longer bleeding.

By the second bite, the fiery pain over his chest also faded.

It seemed that his broken ribs were healing rapidly too.

Meanwhile, Killer Star's expression changed again.

The fact that a rank-five martial artist actually possessed Void Storage definitely left him astounded. Still, when Jiang He started to bite down on an eggplant right in front of his face, that left him feeling…

Absurd.

In fact, he was not alone—Li Fei was confused too.

What's going on?

You were half-dead and not going to last, so why would you start eating an eggplant? Could it be that you would rather die than become a hungry ghost?

As for the Void Storage and what not, who cares?

Still, he felt that Old Jiang was eating so keenly, to the point that he felt a little hungry too.

Therefore, he subtly tugged on Jiang He's sleeve and whispered, "Old Jiang, give me half."

"Buzz off!"

Jiang He yelled in annoyance.

"Jiang He!" Li Fei shot back in rage. "So this is who you really are! You would hog all the food even when we're about to die together!"

"Who on earth is going to die together with you?"

Jiang He raised his leg and promptly kicked Li Fei aside, but also controlled his foot's strength so that Li Fei would drop unconscious without making a sound.

Meanwhile, Killer Star's eyes tightened.

He was left in disbelief as he stared tightly at Jiang He's thick, huge eggplant, and couldn't help mumbling, "No way…"

He was a rank-eight martial artist after all.

How perceptive was he towards auras?

He certainly could sense the changing aura in Jiang He's body.

His palm before had left Jiang He half dead, and his chance of survival was almost zero if he did not get help.

And how long had it been since then?

Two minutes, at most!

His vigor was gradually strengthening from his near-death condition, and could even kick a living person dozens of meters away.

Crack, crack.

Faint, crisp sounds were audible from Jiang He's body just then, and Jiang He exclaimed in surprise while he chewed on the eggplant, "My ribs are connecting… amazing. Wasn't this eggplant supposed to ease swells and stop bleeding only? It actually heals bones too?"

???

Killer Star blanked out.

Eggplant?

Was it all thanks to that eggplant?

Still, he was still a rank-eight martial artist. Quickly composing himself, he smirked, "Jiang He, so what if you have a mystical eggplant? So what if you could recover to your original state? I could crush a rank-five maggot like you with one finger!"

"Is that so?"

Jiang He smiled calmly as he put away the remaining piece of the eggplant.

It feels like he was more or less healed.

Staring straight at Killer Star, Jiang He's eyes burst with killing intent as he coldly said, "Killer Star, one of the thirty-six Decans, was it? Don't worry. I'll remember to burn joss paper at your grave this day next year!"

Boom!

Killer Star's aura exploded and he extended a palm.

Jiang He met his strike with a Mighty Dragon Shows Remorse.

As palm met palm, the enormous shockwave of True Qi that ensued blew up the ground beneath both men's feet.

Grunting and taking several steps back, Jiang He chuckled bitterly, "I guess rank-eight is more than a little stronger than rank-seven. I won't win… alone, that is."

Killer Star laughed heartily as he advanced. The golden markings on his palm shone again as he said, "You don't have to worry either, Jiang He. I would burn joss paper for you this day next year too… Eh? What was that?"

He promptly turned to find a red sports car streaking towards him, making tsche-tsche-tk-tk-tk sounds audibly as it shifted forms on its way.

"What the hell…"

Killer Star's eyes widened, and he even thought that he was seeing things.

He watched as the sports call turned into a three-meter tall Transformer, mumbling, "Am I dreaming?"

And yet, that was not all.

With a flick of his wrist, several bottle gourds appeared in Jiang He's hand.

He blew on the orange bottle gourd first, and an orange mist landed on the ground and turned into a young child wearing an orange dudou.

Then, he blew on a second bottle gourd, and then the third…

As the Bottle Gourd Brothers all landed on the ground, all of them made the same exact gesture: sucking on their thumbs, and greeting him as one, "Gramps!"

In that very moment, Jiang He suddenly found that the Bottle Gourd Brothers were not that contemptible.

Beaming, he said, "Kids, do you see that ugly bastard with the mask?"

"Kill him!"

Chapter 84: Killer Star Falls Apart

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

Baa~~

Goat bleats could be heard from the distance. With a whole flock of cows and goats in the breeder's union being mauled to death, even the surviving livestock were deeply traumatized, each of them shaking and crying out.

Meanwhile, the eyes that were exposed beneath Killer Star's mask were bulging roundly as he watched what was unfolding before him.

'What is going on?

'What the hell?'

He thought that he had gone blind, witnessing a sports car transforming and children jumping out of bottle gourds.

"Illusion?"

"Or… a special superpower?"

He finally used his abdomen to stir True Qi as a way of talking. When he started to mutter quietly to himself, however, one could hear the hoarseness in his voice.

Then, after a few mumblings, his voice suddenly became much louder and the True Qi over his body stirred. He stared at Jiang He, sneering, "It seems that you've awakened a superpower that conjures mental illusions, and its rank is not so low that it actually affects me!"

"It's fake, all of it!"

The golden markings over his palms shone again as he slapped his palm at Jiang He from some distance away, unleashing a golden palm of True Qi that tore through the night toward him.

"Gramps, make way! Allow me!"

In response, the eldest Bottle Gourd Brother in the red dudou went to stand in front of Jiang He, his body rapidly expanding until he became a giant standing four-meters tall. Weirdly, however, his dudou did not split, and it enlarged alongside the brother.

His muscles tightened and poked out, and he swung his fist that was the size of an electric rice cooker to punch the golden palm of True Qi into pieces, before sucking on his thick, large thumb and flashing a silly grin, "Am I awesome, gramps?"

"…."

Jiang He forced a smile, "Awesome. My grandkids are the most awesome!"

On the other hand, the look on Killer Star's face changed dramatically.

"Impossible!

"I'll never believe it!"

Driving his True Qi to its limit, black mist rolled off around his body and he lunged toward Jiang He.

That was when the third brother stepped up, shouting, "Watch me, gramps!"

His small body shone with golden radiance as he blocked Killer Star's palm head-on. Even if he was forced over eight steps back, he was absolutely fine.

After all, the third brother had a body of steel and was invincible against all weapons.

Nearby, the second brother was pulling back.

Being all-seeing, all-hearing and a strategist, he did not join the fight and took the role of commander instead, shouting, "Fourth Brother, fire!"

Fourth Brother hence went up front, opened his mouth and breathed.

Whoosh!

A streak of flames was let loose.

"What the heck…"

Jiang He took several steps back by reflex. The flame was so hot that it would not be surprising if it melted steel.

Fifth Brother, not one to be outdone, breathed a jet of water.

Jiang He's mouth hung open and he muttered, "Not even high-pressure washer guns could do that…"

"Aaaaaah!!!

Meanwhile, Killer Star was howling. Just as he charged True Qi a moment ago to extinguish the flames, the jet of water struck his chest. Feeling as if he was struck by a giant hammer, his entire body was sent flying backward.

At the same time, his gaze was rather blank.

What was going on?

Was that not supposed to fake? Was that not an illusion?

Then, even as his body hung in the air, he suddenly felt a chill behind him, and he let out a gasp of surprise, clutching his buttocks…

A fiery agony had made his eyes go red.

When he landed, Killer Star screamed hysterically, "Who is it? Who blindsided me?"

He was still clutching his buttocks even as he spoke.

"Hehe!"

That was when a giggle could be heard.

In the darkness, a small boy wearing a blue dudou materialized, and he was still holding his fingers in the pose of One Thousand Years of Death1.

It was Sixth Brother, whose ability was invisibility.

Jiang He's mouth twitched and he barked, "Sixth Brother! A fight is a fight—don't play around! And couldn't you have learnt something else? Who taught you that anyway?"

Killer Star felt as if he was going crazy. Right now, he had no intention to fight, let alone kill Jiang He.

However, just as he turned to leave, Jiang He yelled, "Stop him!"

Thud-thud-thud!

The awesomely-designed bright-red Transformer hence strode toward Killer Star, block its way.

There was a wheel on each of its limbs, and right now, the wheel over its right arm was splitting and reassembling into a bright-red laser sword over two meters long, whereas its entire left arm had turned into a six-barreled rotary cannon.

Rat-tat-tat-tat-tat!!!

The rotary cannon unleashed a volley, firing streaks of orange-red bullets at Killer Star in the night.

It was exceedingly powerful.

Moreover, its greatest strength was its extreme bullet velocity and focused accuracy, unleashing 3,000 shots per minute. Even if ordinary bullets would not hurt a rank-eight martial artist, Killer Star was left deflated under its sheer firepower and pushed back on every turn, the True Qi protecting his body kicking sparks as it got hit.

Woah!

Jiang He was captivated by the Transformer's move.

It was also the first time he saw the laser sword and the six-barreled rotary cannon.

Meanwhile, with the Killer Star pinned down, all seven Bottle Gourd Brothers attacked at once alongside the Transformer, beating the Grand until he was left ashen-faced and all his hair burnt off!

"Jiang He!"

Killer Star bellowed, and failed even as he attempted to escape again.

Although, the little brats that popped out of the bottle gourds were at best rank-seven intermediate and not that strong. However, their combined attack was flawless, and whenever you attack one of them, the other six would swarm over you.

As for that… robot warrior—a name that Killer Star thought up just then, since he had never seen one before…

"What in the world is that thing?"

"Isn't it too tough?"

Killer Star had tried to slip past the Transformer's side since its movements were clumsy.

Even so, that never worked. Even though Killer Star's stone breaking palm could split even mountain boulders, he only made a clanging sound when he struck the Transformer.

Still, Killer Star had noticed a certain clue.

It appeared… that it was controlled by Jiang He's voice.

For example, if Jiang He ordered, 'stop him', all the robot warrior did was stop Killer Star.

Then, if Jiang He said 'hit him', the robot warrior would join in the fray.

Therefore…

As a ferocious glare shot out of Sky Killer's eyes, while he took the full brunt of Eldest Brother's rice-cooker sized punch in his stride, he bounded toward Jiang He even as he vomited blood.

He was going to free as long as he killed Jiang He!

Boom!

Demonic Qi burst in full power around him as he pushed his Sky Demon Arcanum to the limit, his palm turning into talons as he clawed at Jiang He from the distance.

The look on Jiang He's face changed then.

He had been standing at a corner, popping qi pellets and eating carrots while enjoying the show. Now, he promptly charged Indestructible Diamond, extended his hand to draw his Dragon-Slaying Saber and cut toward the palm of Demonic Qi.

Boom-crack!

His ten-meter thunder-slash exploded.

With three consecutive slashes, Jiang He tore the palm of Demonic Qi apart and yelled, "Kids, surround him… eh?"

As he looked on, the seven Bottle Gourd Brothers all turned into seven clouds of smoke with several loud bangs, and all of them flew back into their respective bottle gourds.

"Damn it!"

"Out of charge!"

Jiang He face dropped, and he could not help complaining, "How many days have I charged them under the sun? Aren't these brothers a little too weak, lasting just a dozen minutes in battle?"

Meanwhile, Killer Star stopped in his tracks halfway through his charge, and began to laugh out loud in arrogance.

He felt his whole body relaxing as the pressure of being surrounded and beaten vanished entirely, and he smugly said, "Do you have any more tricks to pull, Jiang He?"

He strode toward Jiang He and spoke sinisterly. "Tell me, how do you want to die?"

Snikt!

A luminous sword shot out between Jiang He's brow then, punching through Killer Star's chest.

At the same time, Jiang He grinned calmly, saying, "What I say, goes. I told you I'd burn joss paper at your grave next year, I'm doing it!"

Oom.

The luminous sword returned to him, slicing its way through Killer Star's back as it came.

Hence, the smug look on Killer Star's face stiffened. He lowered his head to look at his own chest, mumbling, "Royal Sword!"

Fresh blood poured freely out of his mouth.

He could actually see that his own heart had been sliced apart by the sword with the dim glow of distant streetlights. Life was rapidly leaving his body as his gaze became muddled, before he fell on his back rigidly.

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The luminous sword quivered and flew back inside Jiang He's head, who nodded in satisfaction.

Not bad—the blade was very powerful.

In fact, if it was unleashed in sudden burst over a short distance, even rank-eight martial artists would have a hard time stopping it if unprepared.

Jiang He walked up and searched Killer Star's corpse, and found two bricks in his pockets.

"Is this some unique hobby he had? He actually carried two bricks around with him… Eh? This bricks is actually golden and smaller than a standard brick…

Jiang He blanked.

Golden plate?

He weighed it for a while and bit down on it.

It was very soft and his teeth marks dented it—it definitely was a brick of gold.

Putting the gold brick away, Jiang He continued searching the corpse.

Killer Star did not have much cash with him except a few thousand bucks, although he also had a satellite phone, a token plate, and the cultivation manual of a palm technique.

The token plate was forged from alloy, just like the ones he had found from the bodies of the Tranquil Heavenly General and the Earth Demon Heavenly General. Still, this one was much more exquisite than the Fiend Decree, with its borders being embedded with gold.

Its front was inscribed with a 'Kill', and its back a 'Decan'.

"This must be a Decan Decree."

Jiang he slipped the Decan Decree in his pocket. Having prior experience, he knew that it could be used as evidence to claim merit points from the Martial Arts Department (MAD).

As for the cultivation manual…

"Stonebreaker Palm? It must have been the palm technique Killer Star used. It's far weaker compared to the Eighteen Dragon Subduing Palms, although I could exchange it for some merit points."

Meanwhile.

The enormous Transformer was standing like a wooden block nearby, having put away its six-barrel rotary cannon and laser sword.

"Find an empty spot and dig a hole," Jiang He said.

Boom!

The Transformer slammed a punch into the ground.

The fist-shaped crater was over two meters deep, with spiderweb-shaped cracks appearing around it.

His lips twitching at a loss for words, Jiang He then said, "Are you a tiger or something? I said dig a hole—do you need to go that far? Alright, I'll call you Shere Khan starting today. Alright, change back into your car form."

Tsche-tsche-tk-tk-tk.

The enormous Transformer rapidly disassembled and reassembled itself into a red supercar.

At the same time, Jiang He grabbed Killer Star's corpse and dump it into the hole.

Only then did Li Fei stir.

Muddleheaded, he looked around, mumbling, "Is this hell? It actually looks no different from my farm…"

Then, he saw Jiang He and exclaimed in delight, "Old Jiang, so you came down with me?"

"With your sister!" Jiang He barked.

Li Fei's face dropped and he exclaimed in shock, "My sister is here too?"

As a matter of fact, Li Fei did have a sister.

Nonetheless, it took Li Fei quite a while to recover. When he did, he slapped himself, hard, muttering, "Old Jiang, what is your actual rank these days? How did you manage to kill a rank-eight Grand?"

Since there was a loader in the farm, Jiang He instructed Li Fei as he drove it and raked the ground to bury Killer Star, piling dirt over the dead body into a simple grave.

As Li Fei jumped off the loader, he could not help giving Jiang He a big thumb-up in praise. "I, Li Fei, would never submit even if my back was against the walls, but I would submit to you. You care enough that you wouldn't leave an enemy's corpse to dry out there—how kind of you."

Jiang He smiled, a little chagrined from the praise. "I did promise him that I would visit his grave next year. It wouldn't be easy to forget with a grave here."

Pausing, his tone changed as he said, "Li Fei, your farm is monitored, isn't it? Go destroy the records."

For now, Jiang He has no intention to reveal the Bottle Gourd Brothers or the Transformer.

"Alright!"

Li Fei did not even ask about the reason before he headed straight to his office and smashed his mainframe apart, crushing the hard-disk with a single slap.

After that, they headed to the farm on the adjacent plot, where dozens died horribly, with half-eaten corpses left scattered around after the Ferals had chewed through them.

Still, Jiang He whipped out his phone and gave Duan Tianhe a call, saying, "Old Duan, the crisis here in Jinyintan Village has been averted. Are you at the MAD? I have something to talk to you about."

Hanging up, Jiang He climbed into his sports car.

Nearby, Li Fei exclaimed in surprise, "Woah, a Ferrari Enzo? There's supposed to none in the Western Xia Province. How did you get your hands on one, Old Jiang?"

Riding shotgun, he then exclaimed, "Screw me, where's the steering wheel?"

Ignoring Li Fei, Jiang He said, "Destination, MAD, Lingzhou City."

Wroom!

The engine rumbled as the sports car bounded away. In it, Li Fei was gaping, his head in the clouds as he muttered, "Voice navigation? Driverless? This is so high-tech…"

Beside him, Jiang He took out a pack of sunflower seeds and shared some with Li Fei, saying, "There's a rubbish bag behind, don't throw the shells everywhere… by the way, what are you going to do now?"

Jiang He was referring to Li Fei's farm.

"Most of the livestock are dead, and since we are supposed to move anyway, I would sell it. The world is in chaos at the moment, and surviving alone is very nice."

Li Fei appeared quite cheerful.

No one would be taking over the farm since the whole village was moving anyway. That said, the livestock that survived would still be worth a lot of money, and since Li Fei definitely would have save up some money over recent years, he could have a steady life as long as the economy did not take a nosedive.

"Moreover, I am an Awakened and I could earn a living from killing Ferals."

Even as they continued their jovial conversation, they soon arrived at the MAD.

Jiang He got off and dashed straight to the chief's office.

Duan Tianhe was seated inside and scowling, but he quickly rose to his feet to welcome Jiang He when he entered.

"What happened, Old Duan?" Jiang He could not help asking when he saw the look on the other man's face.

"Around an hour ago, various towns and villages around Lingzhou City suffered simultaneous Feral attacks," Duan Tianhe said, forcing a smile. "Casualties are above three thousand."

"What!?"

Jiang He slammed his palm on the coffee table just as he took a seat on the sofa. "The dogs of Sky Demon Cult are really not human!"

Crack.

The coffee table shattered.

Duan Tianhe's lips twitched at that.

'That's two coffee tables destroyed at your hands, isn't it?'

Even so, there was not much of a reaction on his face, and he was actually smiling. "It's fine…"

Then, he called in a worker, saying, "Clean this up. Put in an order for another glass coffee table, but remember to request that it's both bulletproof and shockproof."

After that, he turned back to Jiang He and solemnly said, "We, the MAD and the military had actually made more than one sweep through a radius of twenty kilometers around Lingzhou City. For so many Ferals to pop up and attack at the same time, someone must have been behind this!"

"By the way, Jiang He, you did mention the Sky Demon Cult just now…"

"Do you even need to ask?" Jiang He exploded. "They must have been behind this, and ran into one of their elites when I helped Li Fei. Luckily, my ability proved up to par, or I wouldn't be talking to you right now."

"Hmmm?"

Duan Tianhe's eyes narrowed and he asked in concern, "Are you alright? What happened to the Sky Demon Cult elite who attacked you?"

Thud!

Jiang He took out the Decan Decree and throw it onto Duan Tianhe's desk.

"Fiend Decree?"

Duan Tianhe could not help crying out in shock. "You killed another one of their Heavenly Generals?"

How many days had it been, and he already killed another Heavenly General?

Are you the end for all Fiends, bro?

Nonetheless, when Duan Tianhe picked up the token plate and saw the 'Decan' inscribed behind it, his whole body shaking and his voice becoming hoarse with disbelief, "This isn't a Fiend Decree—it's a Decan Decree! And it's marked with the word 'kill'… It belonged to Killer Star, one of the thirty-six Decans!"

Clang.

The Decan Decree fell to the floor.

Duan Tianhe seemed to not notice that at all, mumbling, "You've slain Killer Star?"

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Chapter 86: Spouting Nonsense With A Straight Face?

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

That was when footsteps could be heard from outside the door.

It was Cheng Dongfeng.

He had not entered, but his upset voice was already audible.

"Rubbish!"

"You're a rank-two, why would you join in the fray?"

"Could he had gotten away if I didn't have to save you?"

At the same, time, Su Ze's aggrieved voice could be heard too. "Didn't I stop him, Master Cheng? Why are you blaming me now?"

Then, both men came through the door, with Cheng Dongfeng walking ahead.

His mouth twitched when he saw Jiang He, although he abruptly broke into laughter, saying, "You're here too, Jiang He? Long time, no see… why do you look more handsome now?"

Jiang He flashed a vague smile and offered a fist and palm salute. "Grandmaster Cheng."

Even as he spoke, he glanced at Su Ze.

Shuddering, Su Ze lowered his head in embarrassment, afraid to look at Jiang He. Still, he said, "Master Cheng, Chief Duan. I suddenly remembered something I have to do, so I'll be going on ahead."

With that, he fled.

After all, he feared Cheng Dongfeng would beat him up later to vent his anger.

Meanwhile, Duan Tianhe, who was not aware of the details, did not ask about it despite noting the weird tone between both men. "Old Cheng, how were things over at the East Tower? How bad was it?"

Cheng Dongfeng's expression was solemn. His clothes were coated with Feral blood as he seethed, "Hundreds were dead when I got there. There were three waves of Ferals attacking, with the strongest amongst them being a rank-four, but all thirty-nine of them had been killed."

"Also, the Sky Demon Cult were controlling all those Ferals. I've come across a wind-type Awakened in the operation—he wasn't powerful, but he's quick, and he managed to flee."

Sitting behind his desk, Duan Tianhe tapped his desk with his fingers with a dark look.

"By the way, I heard you two said something about a Decan Decree and Killer Star?"

Cheng Dongfeng added quietly with a somber look then. "So, the Sky Demon Cult is mobilizing their rank-eights too? If they did, neither of us would be able to stop them. We'll need to get help as soon as possible."

Duan Tianhe laughed bitterly at that but said, "No rush. Let's decide after reviewing the situation."

"No rush?"

Cheng Dengfong barked angrily. "Old Duan, are you mental?"

"The seventy-two Heavenly Generals of the Sky Demon Cult are all rank-seven and equally match against class-seven Awakened, while their thirty-six Grands are all rank-eight and equally match against class-eight Awakened. What are we going to fight elites like them with if they attacked Lingzhou City? Harsh words?"

Nonetheless, Duan Tianhe flung his hand.

Whoosh!

He threw the Decan Decree he was holding at Cheng Dongfeng, who caught it in the air.

Then, his face dropped when he saw the token plate in his hand. "Decan Decree… wait a minute!"

"He came to a realization in the next instant, crying out, "Old Duan, where did you get a Decan Decree? It says 'Kill'… Is this Killer Star's Decan Decree!?"

An idea struck Cheng Dongfeng then, and he turned stiffly in disbelief and with a head full of questions to Jiang He.

Jiang He smiled elegantly without losing politeness in response.

What the hell.

What the hell?

What the hell!?

Cheng Dongfeng jumped up, shrieking, "You killed a rank-eight Grand?"

Jiang He was a little speechless.

Did he have to be so exaggerated?

Was that not a little over-the-top?

Nonetheless, he nodded.

Cheng Dongfeng was silent at that, and pinched his thigh firmly until he was screaming, before laughing bitterly. "So, I wasn't dreaming… but I still couldn't believe it—a rank-five advanced actually killed a rank-eight martial artist."

Jiang He nodded in serious agreement at that, and sighed meekly, "The rank-eight martial artist is really powerful, and this Killer Star had cultivated in a technique called Stonebreaker Palm that punches through everything. When I went to help Li Fei, he hid behind an ox's butt and suddenly ambushed me, almost killing me in the process."

"That's right! That's right!"

Li Fei was beside himself with joy, his spit spraying everywhere. "That snake probably came with his eyes on Jiang He, and even before I could call out, pow! Jiang He was sent flying."

"He must have puked three liters of blood, and his whole chest caved in."

Li Fei was about to demonstrate the injury over Jiang He's chest when Jiang He made him flinch with a look.

Beside them, Duan Tianhe and Cheng Dongfeng were left gaping. They felt as if their minds had gone blank and humming without end.

A rank-eight martial artist striking first and blindsiding Jiang He, only to be killed in return?

"No way!"

Duan Tianhe glared furiously at Li Fei then, scolding, "Young man, you look like you've got your act together, but what drivel are you spouting with that straight face? You said Jiang He was beaten half to death… but isn't he just fine?"

"But…"

Li Fei was about to defend himself, only to realize that Cheng Dongfeng spoke reason.

Becoming doubtful as well, he asked, "I forgot to ask, Old Jiang, but weren't you on death's door? You can't even stand up then, so why are you alive and kicking now? And didn't you knock me unconscious with a kick?"

Jiang He kept a straight face, saying, "You remembered it wrongly, didn't you?

"I kicked you?

"Did I really kick you?

"Why would I kick you?"

Li Fe's mouth hung upon as he felt his thoughts blur, and he muttered, "You didn't?"

But I did remember you kicked me…

Be that as it may, Li Fei was uncertain after another look at Jiang He's face, and he rubbed his temples, saying blankly, "Could Killer Star's aura had stunned me at the time, pressuring my nerves and creating illusions?"

"That's right!"

"It must have been an illusion!"

Li Fei suddenly became confident, saying, "No wonder I thought I saw you about to die, before you hugged an eggplant the size of a child's arm and stuck it down your own throat. So I was imagining things!"

"…"

Jiang He scowled at that.

'Why does that sound like a double entendre!

'What do you even mean, pressure… you're just lacking in the brain department!'

Beside them, Cheng Dongfeng's mouth curled up and he chuckled.

He might not have been there, but he was a hundred percent positive that Jiang He had kicked Li Fei. Still, that had nothing to with him.

Duan Tianhe, on the other hand, frowned. "You were hurt, Jiang He?" He asked.

"It's fine. I'm good now."

Jiang He smiled. "It's just a scratched. I would never have counter-killed Killer Star if I was really hurt."

Duan Tianhe did not press him for more information, and simply mused to himself for a bit before saying seriously, "If Killer Star really was hiding at Li Fei's farm, he was clearly sure that you would help him. It seems that the Sky Demon Cult has gotten their hands on your information, and knows that you live at Jinyintan Village."

"If they did let loose a horde of Ferals into attacking the towns and cities around Lingzhou City while mobilizing a rank-eight grandmaster on this occasion, I'm afraid their next move would be even more ruthless."

Looking at Jiang He, he added, "Word that you've slain Killer Star would soon reach the Sky Demon Cult, and after losing dozens of elites, two Heavenly Generals and one Grand, they would send an even greater force to fight you next!"

Jiang He's expression changed slightly at that.

But just as Duan Tianhe was about to say more, he heard Jiang He growl through clenched teeth, "Does the Sky Demon Cult think that I'm easily bullied? Looks like I would have to improve my abilities as soon as possible to handle the next threat!"

Hence, he turned and headed out of the office without looking back. "See you, Chief Duan, Grandmaster Cheng. I'm going home to cultivate!"

COMMENT

"…"

Behind him, Duan Tianhe's mouth was hanging open, and he could not decide if he wanted to laugh or cry.

'I was just about to persuade you to accept protection under the headquarters of the Martial Arts Department, please?'

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Chapter 87: Special Superpower

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

Li Fei did not leave the Martial Arts Department (MAD) with Jiang He, and remained there for a debriefing instead.

After he had finished reporting the casualties in his own farm and the farm next door, Li Fei wiped the sweat of his brow, saying quietly, "It's lucky Jiang He came to help as soon as possible, or Killer Star and that dozen of Ferals would have gone on a slaughter—when that happens, it wouldn't just be the farms, but all of Jinyintan Village would be destroyed."

Meanwhile, the entire MAD became busy.

With various major towns and villages around Lingzhou City attacked by Ferals, they naturally had to deal with the aftermath.

And since the MAD was shorthanded, Duan Tianhe immediately deployed the local public security forces.

All at once, every person in Lingzhou City was left panicking, with Duan Tianhe convening another emergency conference, contacting the local government and estate developers so that they implement the relocation of all towns and villages as soon as possible.

After that, Duan Tianhe was basically running everywhere until the sun rose, and only then did he return to his office.

He had a sip of last night's cold tea, before picking up his phone and dialing a number.

"Where's Bai Feifei? Has Killer Star's corpse been retrieved yet?"

Bai Feifei soon entered.

Her form was a little ragged, just as there were blood and scratch marks over her spandex.

"Chief… Killer Star's body… is gone!"

There was a trace of terror in Bai Feifei's eyes and she gritted her teeth, saying, "It's not just Killer Star's body! All the corpses of the livestock and the dozen of Ferals that we should have found at the farms east of Jinyintan Village are all gone!"

"What?"

Duan Tianhe's face dropped and he promptly made another call—but before he could speak, a voice spoke urgently from the other end, "We have a situation, Chief Duan!"

Thirty miles eastward of Jinyintan was a gully over a dozen meters deep. It was winding and craggy, stretching toward the distance.

Still, it was a very common gully amidst loess highlands.

As the soil loess highlands were loose, soft and had many peaks. Whenever there was a flood over the peak, the water would stream downward and converge beneath the hills, washing away much of the soil. After decades, centuries or even millennia, one gulley hence starting to form after another.

People were a rare sight in such places, with shepherds afraid that their livestock would fall into the gulley in the days before. There was naturally no one in sight once the revival of qi was made public.

Now, however, a lady stood beside one of the gulleys.

She looked to be around thirty, and she wore smoky—even frightening makeup. Her hair was short and she wore black spandex like Bai Feifei. Still, the only difference that set them apart was…

The lady's eyes were fixed on the direction where the gulley extended, and she giggled. Her voice was soft like a loli's, and she said, "So, the piece of trash called the Tranquil Heavenly General was hiding along this gulley?"

Three figures stood behind her.

Their auras were powerful. Two of them were rank-seven martial artists and one was a fire-type Awakened who was an equal match for them.

The three of them were all Fiends, Heavenly Generals of the Sky Demon Cult.

And yet, they did not even dare to speak.

Or even breathe too loudly.

If they misspoke and incurred her displeasure, they would promptly be cooked into puppet corpses. Who could they reason with then?

"Boring!"

Meanwhile, the lady complained and snorted coldly, before she giggled like a young girl again. "Luckily, Killer Star is still around. He would give me company and ease my boredom."

On the other hand, the three figures behind her were profoundly unsettled, feeling mysteriously frightened.

Did the crazy bitch control Killer Star's corpse too?

"It's still early in the morning. Why can't you let me sleep?"

Jiang He, still drowsy from sleep heard someone knocking on his car window, and so promptly opened the car door and got off, rubbing his blurry eyes. However, before he could actually see who was knocking on his car, he could hear a yell—

"Aaaaah!"

"You thug!"

"…"

All drowsiness was gone from Jiang He's body then, and he was a little lost for words as he looked at Wang Siyu, who was covering her eyes and yet staring at him between her fingers. "What are you doing? I'm all dressed up, and what is thuggish about… oh!"

Damn it!

Wang Siyu was at a loss for words too.

What do you mean, I don't have to be embarrassed?

Shouldn't you be embarrassed with such a scene?

Nonetheless, Wang Siyu turned around and stopped staring at Jiang He. Her cheeks were flushed, and she could feel her heartbeats quickening when she put her hand over her chest.

Even so, she knew that now was not the time for something so trivial, and so spoke with her back still facing Jiang He, "Killer Star's corpse… is gone."

"What?"

Jiang He's face dropped, and he climbed back into his car, heading straight to Li Fei's farm without washing up.

A large crowd was gathered around the farm, including the families of the dead, leaders of the village as well as police officers.

Stepping over the police line, Jiang He made a beeline for the spot where he buried Killer Star, and hung his head in agony when he saw the empty grave. "I promised him that I would visit his grave next year. Won't I be breaking my promise with his corpse gone now?"

Be that as it may, he then saw a shoe beside the hole.

Jiang He was promptly relieved and he grinned. "A shoe? Not bad. We could make a cenotaph if we bury that shoe!"

Li Fei, who was coming toward him, almost slipped and fell when he heard Jiang He say that.

'Bro…

'Is that what you're most concerned with?'

Nonetheless, Li Fei pointed at the loader he drove to pile the grave with, saying, "Old Jiang, the forensics team and some of the older inspectors had come by and had a look. Killer Star must have been dug the hole himself, meaning that he climbed out from beneath all by himself."

Frowning, Jiang He muttered, "He climbed out by himself? Does that mean Killer Star is not dead yet? No way, my sword did cut through the left side of his chest, and I could even see his broken heart at the time. The plot twist of having a heart on the right side of his chest shouldn't be possible, or did a dead guy just come back to life?"

"It's not just the Killer Star's corpse," Li Fei continued. "The more complete corpses of my livestock and the Ferals were all gone. I've contacted Chief Duan, and it seems that the same thing is happening in the other villages."

Pausing, Li Fei then said somberly, "The higher-ups suspect that someone had awakened superpowers that grants control over corpses!"

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Chapter 88: Revamped Dragon Elephant Prajna Palm

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

"After counting up the numbers of corpses that vanished, we found that two hundred and eighteen of them livestock, a hundred and three were Ferals, twelve hundred were civilians and one was a rank-eight martial artist."

Jiang He couldn't help chuckling coldly upon hearing the numbers. "The Sky Demon Cult had sent quite a force to deal with me. Since that person could control so many corpses including one rank-eight martial artist, that superpower already surpasses average rank-eights."

"That's what Chief Duan thought as well."

Li Fei said, lowering his voice. "Old Jiang, he's been meaning for you to retreat in secret and leave Lingzhou City. He had already spoken to the headquarters of the Martial Arts Department (MAD), and there are so many elites over there that even the leader of the Sky Demon Cult wouldn't be able to do anything to you. Moreover, you would be groomed with the MAD's abundant resources, and you could return when you could fend for yourself."

Jiang He, however, shook his head and smiled. "That won't do. I still have my crops back home, and what would happen to it once I'm gone?"

He strode past the police line and climbed straight into his sports car.

When he returned inside his house, he got off to find a black MPV arriving and stopping outside.

The driver was Su Ze, and Duan Tianhe was in the backseat.

He cut to the point once he got off, saying, "Have you thought about it, Jiang He?"

"Many thanks!"

Jiang He grinned, "But you don't have to worry, Chief Duan. A handful of Sky Demon Cultist would never bother me."

Move house?

No way.

Unless his farm had upgraded to the point that it could be carried around to any place he wanted.

Duan Tianhe tried to persuade him further, but changed the conversation and his tone when he saw how determined Jiang He was. "The Sky Demon Cult's is planning something big. They had deployed many of their elites this time and aim to take Lingzhou City, but thanks to your help, most of them were dealt with. Even so, that would incur the cult's wrath."

"That is why I called for an urgent conference, and we've decided to relocate your village today. Everyone will be moved out before nightfall!"

Jiang He's face twitched, but he replied, "That's for the best—this way, there won't be collateral once the Sky Demon Cult comes calling."

"…"

Duan Tianhe was taken aback… there was actually no arguing against that logic.

Even so, he quickly said, "I mean that you should relocate too. There would be combined fortifications of two towns over at Lingzhou City, and I've submitted a request to my higher-ups—elites would come to reinforce the city come tomorrow morning."

"I'm not moving!"

Jiang He was a little speechless at that. "Chief Duan, you've been saying so much, but why did we return to our original conversation? That's enough, you should go about your business, while I still have to return to my cultivation."

He was turning him down directly.

Laughing bitterly, Duan Tianhe could only leave.

After getting Dumbo to bring him a stool, Jiang He sat down, rubbing his temples rather unhappily. "The Sky Demon Cult are really an obsessed bunch… I've just had a few days of good sleep, and now they're coming to bully me again?"

As an idea struck him, he turned on his System.

[Name: Jiang He]

[Cultivation: Rank-Five Pinnacle]

[Ability: Royal Sword]

[Martial Arts Cultivation: Indestructible Diamond (Initiate), Eighteen Dragon Subduing Palms (), Blind Princess's Eight Practices (Second Practice), Strengthened Nine Yang Technique (First Tier), Ninefold Thunderblade (First Fold)]

[Owned Land: 888m]

[Farm Level: 3 (EXP 1500/5000)]

[System Backpack: 12 boxes]

[System Shop: Unlocked]

[Farm Points: 3800]

"Eh?"

"When did I become rank-five pinnacle?"

Jiang He was rather surprised.

Have I ascended already?

It did not feel that way.

Still, he was not concerned—he might have ascended even as he continued popping qi pellets over the last few days. Still, its effect was lesser now and while he could eat it as a snack, it still took him a long time to ascend to rank-five pinnacle.

As for rank-six, he would definitely have to change to a better grade of qi pellet.

Then, while he studied the System, Jiang He's thought shifted to his fight against Killer Star last night, and eventually breathed a long sigh, muttering, "My attacks at the moment aren't too shabby—Ninefold Thunderblade could cut down rank-seven grandmasters, whereas my superpower could kill a rank-eight if I could catch them off guard. In contrast, my defensive moves are much weaker."

Hence, Jiang He did the math.

Average rank-sevens could wound him, but would not stand much of a chance of killing him.

On the other hand, if a rank-eight blindsided him…

"Killer Star's sneak attack left me grievously injured with a single palm. If I didn't have the new eggplants, I would probably have died at Li Fei's farm yesterday!"

"And if my assailant had just been a little bit more powerful, I would have been killed with a single strike. I wouldn't even have the chance to eat the eggplant when that happens."

"So, my defensive measures are in urgent need of improvement!"

Protective cultivation?

Many techniques came to Jiang He's mind when he thought of it, including Golden Bell Shade, Iron Dressing and the Thirteen Arts of Juvenile Delinquents. Still, those were all physical arts, and strictly speaking fell a bit short compared to his Indestructible Diamond, meaning that they wouldn't be useful even if he cultivated them.

It would be best if he could cultivate a style that develops both his inner and outer body, improving his defense along with his ability.

After all, he had already planted the Ninefold Thunderblade manual after his farm had upgraded to level 3, meaning that he had only one chance left of planting a cultivation manual and he must choose carefully.

"What a shame."

"My farm level is too low, or I could plant some other manuals like the Zen arts, the Golden Arhats Form, the Unbreakable Body of Five Elements or whatnot. The Sky Demon Cult? I could crush them with a single punch!"

In the meantime, Jiang He had taken out pen and paper, musing as he pondered.

The cultivation manual must not be too high-level or it would not grow, just as it could not be too low that it would be ineffective.

Still, the first cultivation that came to Jiang He's mind was the Apocalyptic Demon Body, which was definitely the strongest body refinement cultivation in the world of martial arts.

Upon mastery, the body negates all attacks and the palms could split apart all divine weapons, which feels a little invincible. Most ridiculously, cultivating this martial art granted immortality.

"It's a bit nonsensical, but doesn't that go beyond the boundary of martial arts? Moreover, it's so profound that it definitely wouldn't grow or the time being."

Hence, after some thought, Jiang He could only give up on Apocalyptic Demon Body and wrote down Dragon Elephant Prajna instead.

"Dragon Elephant Prajna is not bad, but the farm points I have left would not be enough to buy Mysterious Soil for a strengthened version… looks like I would have to do a little work and revamp it!"

The question was, how does one revamp a cultivation art?

Jiang He actually had profound knowledge about that.

First, he would raise its difficulty!

If the Dragon Elephant Prajna only had thirteen tiers, he would make it so that there were eighteen!

After musing to himself for a long time, Jiang He took up his pen again and wrote, "Dragon Elephant Prajna is a peerless divine art of protection of a secret sect, and divided to thirteen tiers. Mastery of the first tier permits the unleashing of the strength of a single dragon and a single elephant, reaching over ten thousand catties. The roar of a dragon and the bellow of an elephant would accompany every use of the Dragon Elephant Prajna…"

"Upon cultivating the eighteenth tier of the Dragon Elephant Prajna, one could unleash the strength of eighteen dragon and elephants…"

After editing for over an hour, Jiang He sighed feebly.

"Isn't creating a cultivation manual a bit too difficult?"

Report chapter

Chapter 89: Planting Two Yuanbao Trees

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

Taking out an 18cm carrot and cleaning it with tissues, Jiang He ate it while checking the revamped Dragon Elephant Prajna in detail.

After all, creating a cultivation method was a very difficult task—it was not simply written just because you came up with an idea.

You have to consider aspects such as logic or power output, and might have to edit it over a dozen times—such as now, where Jiang He noticed a clear problem after one check.

"Isn't the Dragon Elephant Prajna I changed a little weak?"

"The first tier grants the strength of one dragon and one elephant, which my cultivation manual defines as ten thousand catties… but cultivating it to the eighteenth tier would only be a hundred and eighteen thousand catties?"

Sure, a hundred and eighteen thousand catties sound extremely powerful.

However, one should note here that even a D-class Awakened with superstrength could throw punches with a force of up to two tons, and a C-class with the same superpower could punch out with a force of up to ten thousand catties.

"I'm just a rank-five pinnacle now, but my punches could reach over a hundred thousand catties too, or a hundred and fifty if I ate a pepper. Isn't punches at a hundred and eighty catties after cultivating to eighteenth tier too weak?"

Jiang He thought about it, and edited Dragon Elephant Prajna for a bit.

"First tier mastery grants the strength of a dragon and an elephant, reaching over a hundred thousand catties… mastery of the eighteenth tier permits of a burst of strength over one point eight million catties."

"Not bad."

"One point eight million catties is still acceptable, and when I eat a paper to increase my combat strength by half, that would be 2.7 million catties. I would instakill rank-nine martial artists with a single punch too!"

After that, it was the special effects.

Jiang He's opinion was that cultivation methods with no special effects were soulless. Even when he used Blind Princess's Eight Practices, his body would be phantomlike and he would leave a long trail of afterimages.

"Sound effects would be enough with the dragon roars and elephant trumpeting. The special effects though…"

After musing to himself for a long time, Jiang He eventually wrote: Once unleashed, the Dragon Elephant Prajna unleashes the silhouette of a divine elephant and a divine dragon. The higher tier the cultivation, the more vivid the silhouettes would be!

He was about to draw said divine elephant and divine dragon when he remembered that his ability only extended to stick people, he gave up on the thought.

He waved, and Dumbo promptly went into digging mode, its all four paws clawing and soon made a hole in the ground.

Jiang He threw the Dragon Elephant Prajna that he spent two hours finishing in it, before redeeming a composite fertilizer and dumping it down the hole as well.

Trumbo opened its maw and watered the cultivation manual.

Meanwhile, Jiang He was thinking.

After that, he took out the two gold bricks from his pockets.

"Since I could plant a money tree, wouldn't it be the same for gold too?"

After ordering Dumbo to dig two more holes, Jiang He quickly spent 200 farm points to redeem two nitrogen fertilizers that he buried with the gold bricks.

Even as he planted the gold bricks, the Dragon Elephant Prajna was sprouting nearby. A strong little tree grew rapidly, with audible dragon roars and elephant trumpeting, with the silhouette of a divine dragon circling the tree, above a small but imposing golden elephant trumpeting at the skies.

Fortunately, those phenomena could only be detected in this small plot of land, and anybody outside would not notice.

And after an hour, the small strong tree blossomed, with eighteen sheets hanging by the tip of their branches.

Jiang He reached out to pluck one.

[Ding!]

[300 Farm Points]

Beside his ear, a crisp System Notification could be heard, and Jiang He could not help glancing at the System notification.

20 points was added to his Farm Level's EXP bar.

"In other words, these eighteen would fill me up to 5400 farm points and 360 EXP?" Excited, Jiang He read the golden sheet in his hand.

[Dragon Elephant Prajna]

[Eighteenth Tier]

He plucked another golden sheet, which turned out to be the Eighth tier.

Soon, he had plucked down all Eighteen Sheets and sorted them according to their Tier, whereas the tree collapsed loudly into ashes.

The System jingled in his head with another notification then.

[Ding!]

[A high-level martial art: Dragon Elephant Prajna has been detected in the farm. Consume 2000 Farm Points to learn the First Tier?]

Jiang He directly ignored the System Notification.

"If memory serves, Dragon Elephant Prajna is easy on the early tiers and I could try cultivating it on my own. I'll just use farm points if I can't."

Motivated, Jiang He began to cultivate according to instruction in the golden sheets.

Within minutes…

A dragon roar and an elephant's trumpeting echoed, with the faint silhouette of a divine dragon circling the air over the head and a divine elephant bellowing at the skies.

"Is… Is that it?"

Jiang He blinked.

It seemed that… it was not difficult at all?

Or perhaps his Strengthened Nine Yang Technique's compatibility with all martial arts was in effect?

"No, wait… I've only cultivated the first tier of the Dragon Elephant Prajna, but why does it feel like my abilities have improved a little? A little increase of my qi and blood density strengthened my defense by a whole notch. Could it be that my strength and True Qi is equivalent to the First Tier of Dragon Elephant Prajna before?"

Jiang He came to a realization.

So, was that why the cultivation of the First Tier was so simple and quick?

Not one who believe in jinxes, Jiang He had started cultivating the second tier of the Dragon Elephant Prajna, but had nothing after over a dozen minutes.

"Damn it!"

"Aresn't the early stages of the Dragon Elephant Prajna supposed to be easy and only difficult during the late? Why does it feel like hell difficulty from the very start?" He complained.

Jiang He thought about it, but still did not decide to use Farm Points to cultivate.

"I had 3800 farm points, spent 500 to redeem one composite fertilizer pellet and two nitrogen fertilizer pellets, before the Dragon Elephant Prajna earned me 5400 points, and now I would have 8700 points!"

If he slowly accumulated more points from here, he would reach ten thousand points soon. Would it not be more awesome if he directly cultivated up to Second Tier for his Nine Yang Techniques?

After that, he looked up ahead, and saw two small trees that around 2.5 meters tall, resembling still willows trees.

Both trees were fully golden and glimmered under the sun. As its dangling branches swayed under the wind's gusts, the stacks of golden ingots growing over it would clang as they knock into each other.

[Ding!]

[10 Farm Points]

Jiang He plucked down one golden ingot and studied it.

It probably weighed around one catty.

"I planted a gold brick, but what I got are golden ingots. This isn't logical!" He protested.

Still, he broke into laughter in the next second.

There were around a hundred gold ingots on one tree, each weighing a catty or half a kilogram. If he calculated according to the unit of 350 dollars per gram, one tree alone would produce over 17 million dollars.

"Money is no different from paper to me. What I need are farm points… that said, two trees would be enough to help me cultivate up to the Second Tier of the Nine Yang Technique!"

Soon, however, Jiang He was troubled.

What should he name the tree?

Money tree?

Yuanbao Tree?1

Chapter 90: Potato Landmine!

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

After pondering over half a day, Jiang He still could not come up with a good name. He therefore simply gave up, and cheerfully harvested the gold ingots.

[Ding!]

[10 Farm Points]

[Ding!]

[…]

In his mind, the System kept jingling with notifications.

A single gold ingot would earn him 10 Farm Points and 1 EXP, which was alright. Most importantly, it was like the money tree, and would not be reduced to ashes after the ingots were all plucked out. It was a long-term regenerating resource, although it takes seven days to grow each batch of ingots.

Two trees therefore supplied him a total of 200 gold ingots, earning him a total of 2000 Farm Points and 200 EXP.

"I now have 10700 Farm Points, enough to improve the Strengthened Nine Yang Technique up to Second Tier!"

At Jiang He's very thought—

[Ding!]

[-10000 Farm Points]

[Congratulations, Host. You have cultivation the Strengthened Nine Yang Technique up to Second Tier, mastery.]

In the split second that the System notification jingled, the True Qi in Jiang He's body went into overdrive. The silhouette of two great suns rose into the air, his aura climbing by several notches, and his cultivation rose all the way from rank-five pinnacle up to rank-six advanced until it stopped.

Taking a deep breath, Jiang He punched at the skies!

Boom!

The skies rumbled resounding and cracked.

Jiang He withdraw his fist, shook his head and sighed. "I thought that mastery of the Second Tier of the Strengthened Nine Yang Technique would improve my cultivation up to rank-seven. I didn't expect that it would only reach rank-six advanced."

The effect fell a bit short of his expectations.

Even so…

It was acceptable.

Jiang He screened his own body with inner vision, but he did not feel awesome.

"Well, it's a standard ascension anyway, even if I did skip more than a few levels. But how awesome could it be, when I did not break through to rank-seven of grandmasters?"

Jiang He felt it closely.

His True Qi was simply a bit more abundant.

That said, while he could cut down the Earth Demon Heavenly General with five slashes before, just two slashes were enough now.

"Now, what I face is an Awakened with the power to control corpses. This little bit of power wouldn't be enough!" Jiang He's gaze turned towards the pile of ashes on the ground then.

What should he plant?

After scrounging through the stuff that he had piled up in a corner of his yard, Jiang He found five potatoes.

It was high in nutritional values, and after a little Baidu-ing, Jiang He read that that it helps increase bust size, and that there were many ways to serve it: baked, stir-fried, salted, or made into coleslaw after cooking it.

Planting all five potatoes, Jiang He glanced at his phone and found that it was past six in the evening.

He stepped out of the yard to his front gates, and found that things were quite lively in the village.

Military trucks were parked over every alley and path.

Some of his neighbors were already relocated, and every remaining resident were loading their belongings on to the trucks, with help from the police and members of the Martial Arts Department (MAD).

The elderly had grim looks on their faces, and were subtly wiping their tears away.

It certainly doesn't feel right moving from a place they stayed for the most of their lives.

Quietly puffing on a cigarette near his gates, Jiang He was about to return to his yard when Duan Tianhe's MPV arrived.

As Duan Tianhe himself got down, he went straight to the point, "Jiang He, I have to stand guard over Lingzhou City and can't be away for long. But when I get back, I'll have Old Cheng bring a weapons company and some elites to back you up."

Wang Siyu, Wang Sizhen, and Li Fei were all aboard the MPV too.

All three of them would actually stay to help Jiang He.

It was especially the case for Wang Sizhen, and he looked like he was raring to go. Rubbing his hands, he said, "Jiang He, you don't have to say it. When I think about how us bros are going to fight side-by-side… I am getting a little excited."

"Excite your hammer!"

Jiang He was at a loss for words. "Big Onion Brother, all you awakened was a rubber mullet. Why are you here to join in the fun?"

Still, worried that he was being too direct and it would hurt Wang Sizhen, Jiang He changed his tone then and added, "You're a special support-type Awakened. You should be shining brightly at the right post."

"R-right post?"

Wang Sizhen was a little blank at that.

"Big Onion Bro," Jiang He asked in return, "What are the attributes you have found out thus far?"

Wang Sizhen talked about it and said, "It makes hammering in pillars very easy, and I noticed that the hammer gets stronger when I use it to hit a wall, which makes pasting tiles and bricks together quite convenient.

"…"

Jiang He was taken aback.

How many days have you awakened? That's all you tested?

After musing for three seconds, he then said, "Lingzhou City is undergoing major constructions at the moment, so I'm sure you could shine in the construction business. As for Wang Siyu…"

Wang Siyu's head was lowered, and she quietly said, "The whole village has moved away. I'm worried if you stay here alone."

"What's there to worry about? I'm a big man and I have my own hands and feet. Or would I starve to death?

Beside them, Li Fei couldn't help laughing and subtly gave Jiang He a thumb-up. "No wonder you're still single after all this time despite your good looks. It seems like you did all you can to stay that way."

"And you!"

Jiang He pointed at Li Fei then, barking, "You're a D-class Awakened! You're even weaker than my dog. Why are you poking your nose into this? Go home and cultivate, we'll talk when you're stronger."

Less than a dog!

The corner of Li Fei's lips twitched.

More importantly, he could offer no retort!

Jiang He's dog was really stronger than he was!

Hence, with those sharp words, he chased the trio off.

Jiang He himself shook his head with a bitter laugh.

There was no helping it—it was too dangerous for them to stay.

After seeing them off, Jiang He returned to his yard, where the potatoes he planted had already sprouted into a potato shoot that was half his height.

Breathing a long sigh of relief, Jiang He couldn't help chuckling. "Fortunately, the potatoes aren't growing from the branches—my crop isn't affecting my world view this time."

Potatoes grew beneath ground, and had to be dug out during harvest.

Still, they have high yield, and one shoot would grow up to seven potatoes, meaning that one Mu could produce over 5000 catties since one potato was already 2 catties.

Getting a shovel, Jiang He dug out one of the potato shoots.

"What the…"

He was dumbfounded.

There were thirty potatoes from that single shoot—each of them was huge and weighted up to five catties.

Still, that was not the most important part.

Instead…

"Why is the potato's shape so weird? It looks just like a landmine."

Jiang He mumbled, picking out one of the potato and staring at it.

A line of data appeared before him.

[Potato]

[Inedible, contains devastating firepower.]

[Usage: Bury beneath the earth. Blows up when stepped upon.]

[Friendly reminder: This is an extremely powerful farm produce. It is suggested that the Host drop to the ground and clutch his head with both hands upon detonation to stay immune from damage.]

Jiang He was at a loss for words.

What the heck?

Why would weird stuff keep popping up? Was it that hard to fulfill his wish of having baked potatoes?

Report chapter

Thirty miles eastward from Jinyintan Village.

It was past seven in the evening now.

The sun was setting and the night slowly descending.

Near the gully, a short-haired woman wearing spandex and smoky make-up was sitting cross-legged, and lying beside her was a boar over a dozen meters in length and was covered in a layer of pitch-black scales.

The boar's tusks were long and it also had a single dark horn above its head, and it was as tall as a one-floored building even though it was lying down.

A petrifying aura was emitting from its horn too.

Weirdly, however, there was a vague gray sheet of deathly air around its body.

Upon closer look, one would see a gaping hole in the horned boar's abdomen. The flesh around it had dried up, however, and its innards were visible, though they had all shriveled into a tangled bunch and showed no signs of life.

It was a rank-eight Feral, slain by one of Sky Demon Cult's Sentinels, its corpse now awarded to the Decan, Pain Star.

That is, the woman beside the dead boar.

Aside from the horned boar, Killer Star's corpse was also covered in a layer of gray mist, and standing behind Pain Star like a piece of wood.

Nearby, there were almost a hundred Ferals and 1200 human corpses.

All those Ferals were dead. In fact, some of them had been pierced so thoroughly that black blood was still dripping from their wounds, and just like the human corpses, they were covered in a faint gray mist that had the impression of apocalyptic zombies.

One of the top ranked Decans in the Sky Demon Cult, Pain Star earned her place not because of her physical strength. In fact, she could be very weak in a fight, and a rank-five martial artist would be capable of killing her if they could get close enough.

However, it was her superpower that was exceedingly terrifying: she has the ability to summon corpses to fight for her.

Of course, while her power did have limitations, it remains extremely horrific. She would definitely be a genocidal machine in the battlefield!

"Lady Pain Star. Jinyintan Village has been fully evacuated."

Nearby, a Fiend whose whole body was releasing a scorching aura spoke reverently. "However, the villagers were being escorted by the military and a grandmaster, which prevents me from attacking. As for Jiang He… I suppose he would have left with the escort."

The Heavenly General, Earthen Savage was a red-haired man and appeared to be in his thirties. He was an A-class Awakened with fire-type powers who could match a rank-seven grandmaster.

Meanwhile, Pain Star slowly opened her eyes. She extended her hand, and a rat appeared in her palm.

The creature was around three inches long and was surrounding with the faint deathly mist as well. It squeaked even as it crawled around Pain Star's palm, but when it was done squeaking and the deathly mist around it faded, it became a corpse once more.

A flash of surprise appeared in Pain Star's eyes then.

Then, she covered her lips with one hand and giggled coquettishly. "Interesting. How interesting… what a stubborn little kid. He is actually so brave that he would remain alone in the village—does he really believe that the Sky Demon Cult is helpless against him?"

That was when the air boomed twice as two other Fiends rushed to the scene.

One of them was the Earthen Majesty Heavenly General, and his hair was all white and had a slight hunch. He was also holding a long alloy staff.

The other man, the Earthen Diction Heavenly General bore a slight resemblance to Earthen Majesty. However, his posture was straight and he appeared spirited.

Both men were rank-seven martial arts grandmasters and ranked high amongst the seventy-two Fiends, boasting brute power.

"You're back? How did your task go?"

Pain Star asked flatly as she turned to both men.

Earthen Diction forced a smile in response. "The Leopard Python is gone. We checked its lair, but the entire valley was flattened from bombardment, and I fear the snake was killed by the military."

"Oh?"

Pain Star nodded but was unconcerned, and she slowly rose and continued flatly, "That snake is merely a rank-seven intermediate. It won't affect the course of the battle much anyway."

Beside her, the horned boar slowly rose to its feet then.

Behind her, Killer Star's corpse suddenly opened his eyes, his gaze so still that it would weird out anyone.

At the same time, Pain Star looked out into the distance—night had arrived, but the moon was very bright, so it was not too dark.

Smiling faintly, she said, "Intelligence suggests that a rank-nine elite is stationed at the Xibei area and could reinforce our objective at any time, so let's avoid dragging this out and dreaming too much. Launch the attack right now—we shall trample over Jinyintan Village, take Jiang He's head and slaughter our way into Lingzhou City!"

Earthen Majesty's gaze twitched then, and he said quietly, "My lady, if the rank-nine comes…"

"It's fine."

Pain Star smiled. "Sixth Elder has arrived at Mount Dadong three hours ago, representing the Saint as he negotiates with the Graywolf King. When we had taken Lingzhou City, Sixth Elder would arrive to preside over it."

"When that happens, the fraternities of the Western Frontier and Yungui would come to reinforce us too. With that, our Holy Faith shall use Lingzhou City as our base to slowly devour all of Xibei."

Then, with a single command from Pain Star, the Ferals and human corpses began to charge rapidly at Jinyintan Village like hordes of zombies.

Some of the corpses had missing limbs or broken skulls, and yet they all ran swiftly, covering mountains and hills at a pace that could match martial artists.

Most of the corpses had been normal humans, but under Pain Star's control that strengthened them supernaturally in death, each corpse could match a rank-one martial artist in ability. Most importantly, they would never fear death!

Indeed, rank-one martial artists could lose the ability to fight if you stabbed them once.

On the other hand, when it comes to Pain Star's corpses, you could stab so many holes that they became a sieve, but they would still try to kill you, howling as they did so!

Meanwhile, back at Jinyintan Village.

Jiang He stepped out of his yard after digging out all his potatoes.

The whole village was silent, with every villager having moved away.

Stretching out lazily, Jiang He took out an orange bottle gourd and blew into it.

Bang!

A puff of smoke landed on the ground, turning into Second Brother.

"Gramps!" He greeted Jiang He.

"Use your all-seeing eye and all-hearing ears. Check where the Sky Demon Cultists are hiding."

Second Brother nodded and leaped up the roof, his eyes shooting beams as he looked around. Still, he could not see anything as there were too many obstacles in the distance, and so jumped down, placed his ear on the ground, and listened.

That was when his expression changed. "Gramps, around thirty kilometers eastward, a lot of people are rushing in our direction!"

"Oh?"

Delight showed on Jiang He's face and he laughed out loud. "Good. And I was wondering where I should start my search."

Stuffing Second Brother back into his bottle gourd, Jiang He climbed into his car and headed to the east side of the village, and began burying potatoes.

Even as he dug, he said, "Luckily, I'll probably be rid of most of my problems tonight, or I won't be able to eat or sleep in peace… still, there's another wave waiting after this one…"

But that cures the symptom and not the cause!

Report chapter

Chapter 92: Forgive Me For Being Direct…

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

Jiang He basically dug out his entire yard to harvest 150 potatoes.

But that did not add up, and he wondered if he should dig again when he returned.

After all, this stuff would explode if anyone stepped on it, and it would be hilarious if he blew himself up for his own negligence.

In the meantime, he had planted 50 out of the 150 potatoes, saving a hundred.

To ensure that the firepower was sufficient, Jiang He arranged them close to each other: he planted five rows with ten in each row, with a distance of 30 meters between each potato to put up a square formation stretching over 300 meters by 150 meters.

After he had finished planting his landmines, Jiang He put his sports car into his System Backpack so that it would not be caught in the blast. Then, he drew out a carrot and ate while he waited.

And in the time that he finished one—

Boom!

The earth rumbled.

Jiang He's ears pricked up and he exclaimed in surprise, "What's that sound? It feels like thousands of people are running at the same time…"

He rose to his feet and looked out to the east.

Under the moonlight, he could see waves of human figures dashing wildly away on the tar road of the mountaintop farms. Their movements might be stiff, but they were exceedingly rapidly as they dashed alongside enormous Ferals.

The most eye-catching was one particularly massive pig.

Jiang He could feel its frightening presence even though it was seven hundred meters away.

"Eh?"

Jiang He suddenly gasped in surprise then. "A boar knight? Am I seeing things, or is there really someone sitting on top of the boar?"

He had to be seeing things.

Riding a boar?

While the revival of qi had prompted certain boars to evolve into powerful creatures, but riding one… how low would a person's aesthetical values be to do that?

But even as that thought crossed his mind, Jiang He had already drawn out his Dragon-Slaying Saber.

In the distance.

Pain Star was seated cross-legged over the horned boar. Killer Star, who was following the creature, was still dripping blood from the gaping sword wound over his chest, his dead eyes glimmering with an unnerving milkiness.

At the same time, the Heavenly Generals Earthen Majesty, Earthen Diction, and Earthen Savage were staying tightly by their side.

Pain Star spoke then, asking, "Where are the remaining members of our group?"

"My lady, they are hiding in an unpopulated village right now, but would join the battle at Lingzhou City upon your command."

Earthen Savage responded with reverence.

Pain Star, however, waved him off. "No need."

"It's Lingzhou City. There's not even a rank-nine around—they would never stop me unless they deploy arsenals of high-grade thermal weapons."

Her words were filled with confidence.

After all, her superpower was enough for her to stand alone against an army in such battles.

As for arsenals of high-grade thermal weapons?

With over several hundred thousand individuals populating Lingzhou City, as long as the Martial Arts Department (MAD) and military would not abandon their rationality and resort to citywide slaughter, they would never have the guts to use thermal weapons.

"Earthen Diction. You're good at posture techniques, so take point and scout ahead."

"Yes, my lady!"

The Earthen Diction Heavenly General darted away rapidly, and returned as quickly as he left, saying, "My lady, there is someone obstructing our path ahead."

"Oh?"

Delight appeared over Pain Star's face as bloodlust flashed in her eyes for an instant. Licking her devilishly purple lips, she exclaimed in excitement, "Are they MAD or military? How many are there?"

"Just one person." Earthen Diction said quietly. "I couldn't see clearly because he was quite far, but from the look of his figure, it seems to be Jiang He, the one who had slain dozens of our fellow believers, the Tranquil Heavenly General, the Earth Demon Heavenly General, and Killer Star."

"What's going on?"

Over the ridge of a cornfield, Jiang He was blinking even as he carried his Dragon-Slaying Saber.

A geezer seemed to have been running towards him.

He was quick, but it also seems that he turned and ran after he saw Jiang He from three hundred meters away.

"The codger isn't a weakling. He moved so quickly that he has to be a rank-seven grandmaster, and probably stronger than the Earth Demon Heavenly General." When Jiang He considered whether he should give chase and stab the old man a bit, the rumbling was suddenly slowing down.

The hordes of human figures were now distinct in Jiang He's vision.

Since the distance was too far before for Jiang He to see clearly, now that there were just several hundred meters away, he could now make out a facial scar on one of the person's face. It must have been a gash left by a Feral because half his face was missing, and one of his eyes was dangling out of its socket. At the same time, the blood on his face had yet to dry, and kept dripping out without end.

The person beside him was no better—he was dragging one of his own arms on the ground along with his body. It must have been mauled by a Feral, leaving half-chewed bones, tendons, and skin.

More bizarrely, there was a vague gray mist covering their bodies, and their eyes were a bizarre gray hue.

"What the hell. How frightening!"

Jiang He couldn't help shuddering. It was a sight that made him remember the zombie movies he had watched in his last life, and those monsters were no different from the corpses here.

Even as those thoughts crossed his mind, those walking dead slowly made their way towards Jiang He, with quite a few Ferals amongst their ranks.

"So, the Ferals are zombies too… they must have been the missing bodies of the villagers, townsfolk, and Ferals."

Rage brewed in Jiang He's gaze at that very thought.

He had nothing against the Sky Demon Cult's ambition to conquer the world, but those civilians were innocent.

Meanwhile, the zombies all stopped 200 meters away from Jiang He. With over a thousand of them gathered in a rather tight formation, Jiang He could not help being worried.

Could the potatoes he buried really blow they all up in a single blast?

"Well, it's fine. I could just throw a few more pea bombs to follow up."

Kekekeke!

That was when crisp laughter echoed from behind the zombies.

Boom!

Boom!

The earth shook as a horned boar that stood taller than a bus advanced from the rear.

Pain Star slowly rose to her feet atop the horned boar's back then, laughing as she fiddled with her short hair. "You have some guts, in you, kiddo. But did you really think that my Holy Faith is helpless against you just because you wiped out some pieces of trash?"

Jiang He gaped.

What the hell.

Was that… really a boar knight?

And was that woman over thirty?

To think that an old cow was acting youthful, putting on smoky makeup—and thick makeup at that.

Jiang He could see that clearly under the moonlight, even though there was a distance of two hundred meters between them.

Really…

He could not bear to look!

"Guess I have myself to blame for eating too many carrots and getting such perfect eyesight."

Even as he complained inwardly, Jiang He studied their group as well as the horde of zombies, inwardly praising his own maneuver.

"Forgive me for being direct," he said earnestly, "but a bunch of uglies like you would never defeat me!"

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Chapter 93: Boom! It Blew Up!

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

The community office of Jinyintan Village.

Several figures were hidden on top of the building—members of Lingzhou City's Martial Arts Department (MAD) who remained here to monitor the situation.

And one of them was Su Ze.

Right now, he was holding a pair of night-vision binoculars and staring afar.

"Chief Duan, Jiang He left his house!"

"He just stopped on the eastern edge of the village and appears to be burying something. The distance is too far and a cornfield is in the way. I don't have clear visuals!"

Su Ze was updating his higher-ups about the situation, when a loud rumbling echoed from the distance. He quickly turned towards it, but when he still could not get a clear look, he promptly yelled, "Bro Fa, come take a look!"

There was a youth who had been playing with his phone nearby, although he only heard Su Ze after he shouted at him again.

He rose and stood on the edge of the building. There was a brief flash in his eyes as his superpowers kicked in, and he looked far into the dark night when his expression changed. "There are so many people… No, those are zombies!"

"Chief Duan's hunch was right. The Sky Demon Cult must have sent a superhuman with powers to control dead bodies, converting every missing body and Feral into zombies!"

The youth's voice was very loud.

His superpower was the 'all seeing-eye', and while he was Pudgy Jiang's subordinate, Duan Tianhe had borrowed him by force.

Meanwhile, back at the MAD.

Once Duan Tianhe received the call, he promptly alerted Cheng Dongfeng, who rushed to his office fully equipped.

He was wearing full-body alloy armor and carried an S-grade alloy combat blade, whilst bearing a somber look on his face.

"Old Cheng, I have to stand watch over Lingzhou City. This time…"

"Alright, alright, quit with the act!" Cheng Dongfeng barked, cutting Duan Tianhe short. "I know Lingzhou City is important, so just be frank. What should I do?"

Without further ado, Duan Tianhe quickly told him, "I have a weapons company on standby outside the city. You should leave immediately, and bring them along to Jinyintan Village to support Jiang He. Don't let him fight alone!"

"Alright!"

Cheng Dongfeng strode out.

After he left, Duan Tianhe made another call, barking orders, "Send the word and have everyone be on alert to stop the Sky Demon Cult from attacking Lingzhou City!"

As a matter of fact, Duan Tianhe was well aware that the Sky Demon Cult had sent a considerable force into Xibei, even mobilizing their elites to deal with Jiang He.

Even so, he could not afford to be careless.

Right after he hung up, Duan Tianhe thought of something and made another call.

"This is Duan Tianhe!

"There has been a Sky Demon Cult elite spotted near Lingzhou City. Requesting support!"

Yuzhen.

Although this was a small mountain town under Lingzhou City's jurisdiction, it was now a military base, with various military fortifications set up around the town.

Aside from the standard military force, there were also military elites standing guard here.

And soon enough, a single figure bounded away from Yuzhen and headed towards the direction of Lingzhou City.

He was a rank-nine senior grandmaster, a middle-aged man dressed in military standard and carrying an S-grade longsword slung over his back. His body was palpating a blazing aura, and his movements were rapid—even if Yuzhen was over three hundred kilometers away from Lingzhou City, he would reach it in just an hour.

Be that as it may, after the grandmaster had reached over a hundred miles away from Yuzhen, an ear-splitting howl resounded from the direction of Mount Dadong. As he turned to look, he could see the silhouette of a gray wolf in the air, even if he was a hundred miles away.

At the same time, a raging bellow echoed in Yuzhen, followed by thunderbolts that flashed over the night sky.

"Graywolf King!"

The rank-nine grandmaster stopped in his tracks, his gaze shifting.

Yuzhen was being guarded by a champion who surpassed rank-nine and the Graywolf King would not have been a threat. And yet, the senior grandmaster sensed something foreboding for the beast to suddenly attack at this precise moment.

He studied his surroundings.

Loess hills stretched on alongside both sides of the road, and the senior grandmaster found a lone figure standing atop one of the peaks, stroking his blade and laughing, "The whole world knows that Commander Wang of the Xibei Militarized Zone is one of the rare few godly champions in this world, but imagine my surprise of finding out that Cheng Jingzhou, leader of the Third Xibei Field Operations Division to be an impressive elite too."

Snikt!

A raging blade will abruptly let loose, and a figure dashed down from the mountain, striking towards the grandmaster.

Without a word, the grandmaster readied his sword to meet his foe.

His True Qi surged, causing his alloy longsword to burn in pale scarlet flames. Still, compared to the blade-wielder who was attacking him, his swordplay appeared much duller, inelegant, and certainly not that menacing.

However, after just a dozen exchanges, the blade-wielder suddenly let out a weird cry, twitching as he retreated.

There was a single sword cut on his arm where blood was streaming out.

"Sword will?" The blade-wielding man exclaimed in surprise. "You've actually gained sword will? You are filled with surprises, Chen Jingzhou."

Chen Jingzhou frowned in response and shot back with a thick Xibei accent, "You dog, just stick to the fighting, or flee if you can't win. Why bother wasting your breath?"

As if in response, the blade-wielding man blew a long whistle, and two figures appeared in a flash atop other hills.

"Two rank-eights, one Awakened…."

Chen Jingzhou muttered, although he was grinning broadly. "You bunch of dogs flatter me."

With a twirl of the alloy longsword in his hand, he no longer held back. Sharp Sword Qi raged as he charged at the blade-wielding man.

"Sixth Elder, we're here to help!"

The two Sky Demon Cult rank-eights and the Awakened who could match rank-eights joined the battle.

At first, their intention of coming was to intercept and kill the elite sent to aid Lingzhou City.

Still, the plan has changed now.

All they needed to do was delay Chen Jingzhou.

It would not take long. An hour was all they need, and Pain Star would assuredly conquer Lingzhou City.

As for the other elites of Xibei? They would be too far away and unable to send help in time at all. And with Yuzhen's other elites being held back by the Graywolf King and its Feral followers, how would they have the time to send support?

Meanwhile.

East side of Jinyintan Village.

Holding his Dragon-Slaying Saber, Jiang He was laughing out loud in smugness. "You people might not know this, but I've already ascended up to rank-six advanced. Wouldn't it be a simple matter to kill a bunch of trash like you?"

On the other hand, Pain Star did a double take even as she stood over the horned boar.

Then, she could not help breaking into laughter.

Rank-six advanced?

What has gotten into him that a rank-six advanced became as arrogant as he was?

Nonetheless, she stopped laughing in the next instant. With a wave of his hand, she cried, "Kill!"

At her command, every single zombie suddenly bounded forward and charged towards Jiang He. Even 'Killer Star', who had been standing behind Pain Star all along strode forward, his power after his zombification now more than a notch above his power in life!

In a flash, he had already overtaken the other zombies, and continued dashing towards Jiang He.

"200, 100…"

Standing in the middle of his potato minefield, Jiang He watched as the zombies dashed towards him while keeping an eye on Killer Star.

At the same time, he quietly counted the distance in his head.

"50…"

"20!"

"Now!"

Jiang He promptly clutched his head and dropped to the ground.

In that same precise moment, Killer Star had coincidentally stepped on one of the potatoes.

As a matter of fact, Jiang He had planted them shallowly.

When Killer Star's foot landed, half of the potato poked out.

Even so, the zombified Killer Star stopped, its dead, murky-gray eyes staring curiously at the potato beneath his feet…

Eh?

What was that?

"It's not blowing up?"

Having been lying face-down for one entire second but not hearing the explosion he expected, Jiang He couldn't help looking out with the corner of his eye, cursing, "What the heck… are the potato landmines no different from real landmines, and wouldn't blow up if the target doesn't lift his foot?"

And you're just a zombie—why are you being so smart? And is that actually curiosity in your eyes?

Still, that thought was brief.

After all, the thick horde of zombies had already reached the minefield.

One of the other zombies stepped on one of the potatoes, entering the potato minefield.

After that, a second zombie reached it too… and in no time at all, hundreds of zombies had already rushed within the minefield.

In the next second.

The potatoes that they stepped on all abruptly bloated.

As if a volcano was being detonated within!

Boom!

It blew up!

Chapter 94: Give You Face?

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

At the center of the potato minefield was Jiang He, lying face-down and clutching his head.

He subtly looked out with the corner of his eye, and saw that one of the potatoes was expanding rapidly as endless flames surged within. In the next second and with a resounding boom, the potato exploded, followed by a second potato, a third, and a fourth….

Boom! Boom! Boom!

The tremendous explosions echoed one after another beside his ears, the fiery radiance that instantly burst out dyeing the night sky bright red. The violent explosions triggered a chain effect as well, and the deafening rumbles seemed to be never-ending as all fifty potatoes Jiang He buried blew up!

Jiang He quickly closed his eyes.

The light…

Was blinding.

Even if he had the perfect defense of being prone and clutching his head, he could clearly feel the tremors from the potato blast.

"These potatoes are as powerful as the strengthened pea bombs…" Jiang He thought, suddenly feeling heartache. He should have just planted around twenty potatoes if he knew the potato landmines had that much yield—was it not a waste planting fifty in a single breath?

Meanwhile, as the shockwave of the explosion surged across every direction like a tide, the zombies that were lunging towards the potato minefield were directly vaporized. Even the ones further away were caught in the shockwave and left in pieces.

The potato beneath Killer Star detonated too, and his corpse was directly blown sky-high.

"Holy crap…"

Further away on top of the horned boar's back, Pain Star had a bad feeling in the split second she saw Jiang He drop down to the ground. And yet, before she could react, the potato minefield had already blown.

"Back! Back away right now!" She squealed.

Hence, the horned boar beneath her promptly turned and ran. In fact, her warning was unnecessary—both Heavenly Generals Earthen Diction and Earthen Majesty were already running for their lives as well.

Earthen Savage also promptly fled!

However, he was merely an Awakened. While his superpower meant he was not much weaker than Earthen Diction and Earthen Majesty, he was far lacking when it came to physique.

As such, he could feel the violent heatwave streaming towards his back even before he could get 50 meters away. He promptly clenched his teeth and animated his superpower so that his whole body burst into flames, and in the next instant, the fiery light from the minefield explosion drowned him out.

"Oh, I've really planted too much!"

"Such a shame! Such a waste!"

"By the way, I thought I saw Killer Star's corpse fly. Wonder if it was blown into pieces… well, if it was, I guess I could only visit his cenotaph next year."

Meanwhile, the barrage of potato explosions continued echoing beside his ears.

Clutching his head and remaining facedown, Jiang He felt very bored as many thoughts crossed his mind.

In the end, it took ten whole seconds for the shockwave to fade!

With that, Jiang He promptly leaped up from the ground and looked around. Everything that was within a thousand square meters was now vaporized, and he himself was in the middle of a big crater that the explosion formed.

"That boar knight hag and those three Sky Demon Cultists who didn't look too weak were quite far, and definitely would have reacted in time and escaped… could they have really escaped?"

"That's not good…" Jiang He exclaimed inwardly.

Carrying his sword, he sneaked into the darkness of the night.

At the same time, three kilometers away.

Blargh!

Pain Star abruptly vomited a mouthful of fresh blood even as she sat on the horned boar's back, her face now pale-white.

Beside her, both the Earthen Diction Heavenly General and the Earthen Majesty Heavenly General were unscathed. Still, their bodies could not really take being pushed to the limit at a moment's notice, leaving their qi boiling and their blood churning rather unbearably.

Still, when Earthen Diction saw Pain Star vomit blood, he quickly went to her, asking, "Are you alright, my lady?"

Pain Star opened her mouth, only to vomit another mouthful of blood.

The explosion had been too sudden—the horde of corpses which her power had been imbued into was blown into pieces before she could withdraw, injuring her grievously.

Waving him off, Pain Star said feebly, "It's fine. It's just a little recoil."

Even as she spoke, she clenched her teeth, her eyes at once flashing with murderous hatred and some degree of fear as she glared at the direction of the explosion.

"Was it worth it?" She muttered, as if to herself.

"Huh?"

Beside her, Earthen Diction appeared puzzled.

Pain Star continued then, "The information we had claimed that Jiang He is only in his twenties, but he already has the power to slay Killer Star. The potential in his future was inestimable, and it's not impossible for him to reach the realm of the divine. Even so, he…"

Pausing, Pain Star gritted her teeth. "He actually had the guts to take us out with him?"

Indeed, in Pain Star's perspective, Jiang He intends to self-destruct and kill them in the process.

He certainly could not be blamed for his confidence in that.

In fact, Earthen Diction was about to retort, and he couldn't do so after thinking about it…

After all, the explosion just now was utterly frightening.

A rank-eight pinnacle martial artist wearing S-grade alloy armor would definitely die if they had been at the center of the explosion, without any chance of survival—let alone a mere rank-six like Jiang He.

Even rank-nine martial artists whose defenses were lacking would have been blown to death.

And yet…

He had a strange feeling.

'Why did Jiang He do that?' The Earthen Diction Heavenly General wondered then. 'He just had to plant the mines and trigger it when we walked on it. He certainly did not have to show himself…"

"Why would he drop face down at the center of the explosion?"

Having a hundred questions but no answer, Earthen Diction shook his head, and suddenly exclaimed when he remembered something. "Where's Earthen Savage? Did… Did he die?"

"He's not dead."

Pain Star said confidently. "Earthen Savage is a fire-type Awakened who could completely convert flames into energy for short periods of time. In that state, he would not be seriously injured even if the magnitude of the explosion exceeds his power."

Then, her gaze changed and she seethed, "Let's regroup for a while. After that, we'll continue our plan to take Lingzhou City!"

"But…"

Both Earthen Diction and Earthen Majesty traded looks and were about to dissuade her when Pain Star coldly said, "Relax, my superpower is special. As long as we could pile up a high-enough body count when we get to Lingzhou City, I could quickly heal and control corpses again, building another army of zombies that don't fear death… hmmm?"

She turned towards the dark night.

Under the moonlight, the Earthen Savage Heavenly General was making his way towards them despite having trouble walking.

His body was still smoking.

His fire-type power did nullify most of the shockwave… but the explosion was still powerful that he was hurt considerably.

Earthen Majesty, who was on good terms with Earthen Savage was delighted to see him alive, and walked up to him with a smile. "Earth…"

Be that as it may, his face dropped in the instant he uttered that single word.

The tip of a sword had suddenly pierced through Earthen Savage's chest.

Earthen Savage's face stiffened, but even as he tried to turn his head to look behind him with much difficulty, a large palm held his head and firmly shoved—

Crack.

Earthen Savage dropped rigidly into the dirt. Even as life escaped his body, he never once saw the face of the youth who killed him.

"No!"

"That's impossible!"

Pain Star looked as if she had seen a ghost, mumbling, "You're a rank-six! How could you be safe in the center of the explosion?"

Jiang He, brandishing his Dragon-Slaying Saber and laughing coldly. "Everyone, please do not resist, and I just might let you die in one piece."

Eh?

Jiang He did a double take even as those words left his mouth.

Wasn't there something with my tone just now? Why did it feel like I'm a demon lord?

I'm clearly the victim here, alright?

Nonetheless, composing himself, Jiang He bounded forward, Dragon-Slaying Saber in hand and bellowing in rage, "You bunch of psychos really pushed me too far! Why should I give face after you dogs attacked me again and again!?"

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Chapter 95: Looking At Everyone Through Rose-Tinted Glasses

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

"Kill him, Earthen Majesty, Earthen Diction!"

Pain Star cried out shrilly when she saw Jiang He approaching, Dragon-Slaying Saber in hand. "Do you believe a mere rank-six martial artist like him is really that powerful?"

Still, she did not really have to speak—the Earthen Majesty Heavenly General and the Earthen Diction Heavenly General were already combining to intercept Jiang He.

They were not being careless with the precedents in the Tranquil Heavenly General, the Earth Demon Heavenly General, and Killer Star. They went all out in their first strike, unleashing True Qi as dark mist surrounded their bodies. As one brandished an alloy staff that concealed a thin, long war blade and one swung his alloy sword, radiant blade and sword shadow intertwining and shrouding Jiang He.

In response, Jiang He energized his Indestructible Diamond. As his Nine Yang True Qi burst out, he unleashed two slashes of Ninefold Thunderblade the instant he raised his hand.

Boom-crack!

The thunder slash exploded, breaking through the radiant blade and sword shadow, cutting towards the two rank-seven pinnacle martial artists and forcing them to retreat.

Still, Jiang He's face twitched at that.

He noticed his shortcoming in their very first exchange.

"My skills have too little variety…"

The Ninefold Thunderblade he had cultivated cuts straight ahead and was rather rigid, to the point that the Earthen Majesty Heavenly General and the Earthen Diction Heavenly General easily parried or evaded the slashes that could have maimed them.

"But I have my advantage too!"

"I might be rank-six, but my True Qi is more abundant compared to theirs. They could block one slash, but can they block ten?"

Jiang He slashed out again, and both the Earthen Majesty Heavenly General and the Earthen Diction Heavenly General appeared excited when they parried another thunder-slash from Jiang He. "His moves might be powerful but there's no variety! He can't keep busting out the same moves like this!"

"Die!"

When Pain Star saw Jiang He's shortcoming as well, she leaped down from the horned boar which rushed at Jiang He like a tank.

The pressure mounted on Jiang He at once.

He hence swung his saber for a vertical slash, repelling both the Earthen Majesty Heavenly General and the Earthen Diction Heavenly General. After that, he turned into a blur with Blind Princess's Eight Practices, evading the horned boar's charge.

Still, he looked solemn.

"That pig is rank-eight!"

"Too bad it's been dead for a long time and its flesh is all rotten. Its meat would have lasted me a year otherwise!"

Then, seeing that both the Earthen Majesty Heavenly General and the Earthen Diction Heavenly General were charging at him again, Jiang He breathed a long sigh and quietly muttered, "Looks like I have to go all-out!"

Boom!

His aura increased by several notches while the silhouette of two great suns rose behind him. It was a sign that he had cultivated up to tier two in Strengthened Nine Yang Technique. Aside from the suns, there was deafening dragon roars and elephant trumpeting, and in just a few moments, silhouettes of a divine dragon and a divine elephant appeared, and began running in circles around the suns.

Hence, Jiang He attacked once more!

Boom-crack!

His ten-meter thunder-slash burst out, cutting towards Earthen Majesty Heavenly General, who was closest to him.

What the hell!

Earthen Majesty Heavenly General was fighting at full power, but his face fell when he saw the thunder-slash. Holding up his sword to parry it, a loud clang echoed before he was sent flying.

Even up in the air, he was vomiting blood violently.

Seizing the moment, Jiang He took out a pepper and stuffed it down his throat, even as he brought his blade to bear against the horned boor.

Once the pepper was in his mouth, his aura overflowed by several notches.

???

Pain Star, who was standing in the distance look utterly bewildered. Still, despite being unsure what was going on with Jiang He, she kept crying out, "Kill him! He only used some trick—it won't last!"

After that…

Blargh!

She then saw that the Earthen Diction Heavenly General sent flying whilst puking blood as well.

Jiang He, laughing, cut down at him again, and Earthen Diction had to hold up his sword to parry again!

Clang!

As metals clashed, the S-grade alloy longsword Earthen Diction had been wielding was knocked out of his hands—Jiang He had cut into his hand between his thumb and his forefinger, and most importantly, the thunder element had paralyzed his body, making every strand of hair stand upright!

"No!"

Even as Earthen Diction cried out in despair, Jiang He's third slash had arrived, cutting him in two.

Rumble!

In that instant, the horned boar had already reached Jiang He's back.

Jiang He swung his sword with a backhand swing, but a vein of dark air shot out of its jet-black horn of the boar, breaking Jiang He's slash, just as its body that was the size of a bus slammed heavily into Jiang He.

Crap!

Jiang He cursed inwardly. Though he was still an initiate in Indestructible Diamond and being knocked like that would not be a problem, he still felt it. Nonetheless, he could not help looking pleased when he realized that he was sent flying in the Earthen Majesty Heavenly General's direction.

Even as horror and despair showed on Earthen Majesty's face, Jiang He turned and smiled, asking, "Were you surprised?"

"Was this unexpected?"

Stab!

Running his blade through the Earthen Majesty Heavenly General and killing him, Jiang He landed and started to brawl with the horned boar.

"Damn it!"

"This thing's skin is too thick and too tough. And since it's a corpse in the first place, normal injuries wouldn't work at all."

He was unable to cut the horned boar down despite several consecutive slashes, and perhaps because of the pepper's side effects, Jiang He couldn't help becoming a little frustrated.

What was worse…

He actually found the horned boar attractive.

Meanwhile, Pain Star, who had been scared out of her wits, promptly turned and fled.

However, she was already suffering from recoil, and being an Awakened with a worse physique than a rank-five martial artist, how could she be any quicker?

Hence, even before she could run over 500 meters, she suddenly turned to find Jiang He giving chase like a phantom, saber in hand. He was more than twice quicker than she was, and so Pain Star had to grit her teeth, use her powers and steer the horned boar to pursue Jiang He.

Nonetheless, the horned boar was quite slow for a rank-eight feral.

It remained far behind Jiang He, who widened the gap between them even as he closed in on Pain Star.

Knowing that she was not getting away, Pain Star resolved herself and stopped.

But as she abruptly turned around, she tore off her spandex with a single move and called out in her coquettish loli voice, "Mercy, young hero. If you spare me, I'm willing to be your slave… gak…"

She felt a pain in her belly even before she finished—Jiang He had cut his saber through her body.

As Pain Star looked down at the blade that pierced her body with much difficulty, and then looked up.

Why wasn't this person playing his cards like a normal person?

Under these circumstances, shouldn't you stop, say something ruthless before you do this?

Her horned boar would have caught up in that brief window, and she would make it self-destruct with her control over it, maiming Jiang He even if she could not kill him.

Now, her lifeforce was rapidly fading.

A venomous look appeared on Pain Star's face then, and she cried, "You'll never kill me, Jiang He! One day, the Saint would revive me from the River of Time!"

"You talk a lot!"

Jiang He pulled out his sword and stabbed Pain Star again, directly killing her.

Only then did he breathe a long sigh and mutter, "Looks like I would have to eat the pepper only when the time is right. Otherwise, I'll be looking at everyone through rose-tinted glasses, like how I almost got seduced by this old bag!"

Jiang He patted his chest, appearing relieved.

Thankfully, he was decisive enough to stab her to death, and did not give her the chance to flirt.

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Chapter 96: You're Quite A Good Shot

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

Boom!

The earth shook.

The horned boar collapsed resounding into the dirt halfway through its charge, its massive body sliding over dozens of meters through inertia before it stopped.

It was a corpse under the control of Pain Star's powers in the first place. Now that she was dead, the horned boar reverted to an actual corpse.

"Well, even if its flesh had rotten and inedible, a rank-eight Feral corpse could still be sold to Mu Wanqiu for a good price."

Jiang He then picked up one of the alloy longswords nearby.

It belonged to the Earthen Diction Heavenly General, and the entire weapon was forged from an S-grade alloy.

"S-grade sword… it would sell for millions, I think?"

At that thought, Jiang He picked up the Earthen Majesty Heavenly General's weapon as well. It had a long but narrow war blade that resembled a sword of the Tang Dynasty in style, although it was much thinner.

"It's an S-grade alloy weapon too, but this would cheaper than the sword since it would need less materials… I'm guessing it's worth around twenty million." Jiang He quietly appraised the price, before realizing in delight that the sheathe of the war blade as well, which was a fashioned into a staff was made out of pure S-grade alloys too.

"These two weapons could sell for a good portion of a hundred million, making my hard work for the night worth it."

After that, Jiang He found the two Heavenly General's Fiend Decrees.

One was inscribed with 'Diction' and the other 'Majesty', which in turn identified them as the Earthen Diction Heavenly General and the Earthen Majesty Heavenly General.

After that, he searched the fire-type Awakened he had stabbed dead first, only to find a few thousand dollars and one Fiend Decree.

"So damned poor!" Jiang He couldn't help complaining.

Then, he also felt around Pain Star's corpse a bit, muttering as he did so, "Is this really a woman? She's flatter than I am, and she would put on smoky makeup even though she's already in her thirties…"

"No one in our village would marry her type…"

"Pain Star?"

Jiang He found her Decan Decree then.

And while he touched the bodies, Cheng Dongfeng had led a fully-armed weapons company, rushing to Jinyintan Village form Lingzhou City.

Still, they were all stunned by the violent explosions.

An armored Cheng Dongfeng promptly leaped out of his vehicle and looked out in the direction of the rumbling, and when he found half of the night sky lit up by the fiery radiance, he couldn't help muttering, "There it is… again. Is that kid a walking bag of dynamites?"

He actually missed Pudgy Jiang right then.

If Pudgy Jiang was here now, an explosives expert like him would have been able to identify the type of bomb from the sound and the scene of the explosion.

Still, when he remembered Pudgy Jiang, Cheng Dongfeng couldn't help thinking, 'By the way, didn't Pudgy Jiang say he would do handstands and eat poo if it wasn't a fuel-air explosive? Did he really do it?

"Wait, why the hell am I thinking about that?"

Returning inside his vehicle, Cheng Dongfeng barked, "Floor it!"

Hence, the military trucks that were carrying a fully-armed weapons company, armaments, and munitions drive bounded towards ground zero.

And within minutes—

"Woah!"

One of the soldiers gasped, and was soon echoed by the others.

Chen Dongfeng's eyes widened when he got off his vehicle and stared at the crater that was over eight hundred meters wide and four meters deep, unable to decide what he should be saying at once.

How many tons of dynamite were detonated here?

Then, a soldier ran towards him, saluted and yelled on top of his voice, "Report! We've checked—the hundreds of human and Feral corpses we found on the scene should be the ones that vanished before."

Cheng Dongfeng's gaze shifted then and pressed, "What about Jiang He?"

"Who goes there?" Another soldier barked then. "Stop!"

Bang-bang-bang!!!

He then fired several shots into the distance.

"Stop firing…"

Jiang He's voice could be heard from afar, and he was cursing rather angrily. "Do you shoot at your allies? That startled me!"

He could be seen carrying a bus-sized horned boar as he stepped out into the moonlight, before he threw it casually… boom, the massive corpse smashed into the ground, leaving the ground quaking and rumbling.

Spreading his left hand, Jiang He then put four yellow bullets into the palm of the gaping soldier. He was about to scold him, but when he saw the soldier's leg shaking, he ended up only clapping him on the shoulder and calming him, "Don't get so nervous. It's just a bigger boar—it can't be deader."

The soldier was even more nervous at that, and Jiang He could only try to make light of the situation. "You're quite a good shot—each bullet you fired was heading straight to my head. You would have disfigured me if I didn't catch the bullets with my lightning reflex."

The soldier: "…"

"Are you alright, Jiang He?"

Cheng Dongfeng strode towards him and studied him from head to toe, and only breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that Jiang He was mostly fine.

He then turned to look at the massive horned boar lying on the ground, and surprise appeared over his face.

"Is… Is that a rank-eight Feral?"

Although the horned boar was a corpse, Cheng Dongfeng could still feel a faint pressure. And if that happened to a rank-seven grandmaster like him, how would the soldiers fare?

That was why the soldier appeared so nervous.

Even in death, the presence of rank-eight Ferals alone prompted fear.

Cheng Dongfeng withdrew his gaze after a while. Bowing at Jiang He and offering him a fist-palm salute, he said solemnly, "Master Jiang, though a rank-five you may be, you have slain the Tranquil Heavenly General, the Earth Demon Heavenly General, Killer Star and now, a rank-eight Feral. I truly defer to your might!"

Jiang He, rather chagrined from the praise, quickly waved him off. "You're exaggerating, Grandmaster Cheng. I didn't actually kill the horned boar, and I'm already rank-six!"

"Eh?"

Cheng Dongfeng did a double take and exclaimed in shock. "You didn't?"

"Yup."

Jiang He answered truthfully. "The rank-eight beast was long dead, although it was under Pain Star's control, like the other zombies and Killer Star… So I didn't kill it."

"Pain Star?"

Noting Cheng Dongfeng's shock, Jiang He felt through his pockets, took out a token plate and handed it to Cheng Dongfeng. "That's right, Pain Star… Eh? I got the wrong one. This is the Earthen Majesty Heavenly General's Fiend Decree…"

Hence, he took out all four token plates he had recovered and started picking through them. "This belonged to Earthen Diction, and this belonged to Earthen Savage… this one. Look: it's a Decan Decree, with the word 'Decan' and 'Pain' inscribed on it. It represents Pain Star, right?"

Cheng Dongfeng's eyelid twitched. Even though he had a hunch about everything, he couldn't help asking, "Where… did you get those token plates?"

Meanwhile, 200 miles away from Lingzhou City.

Chen Jingzhou, wearing his military standard and wielding his alloy longsword had beaten the Sixth Elder of the Sky Demon Cult and his three backup Grands on every turn.

But even though he was not caught in the heat of the battle, he would be encircled whenever he tried to pull away and flee.

Worse, his opponents would run away whenever he was about to deal a killing blow.

Hence, sweating from his brow, Chen Jingzhou clenched his jaw. "It's been so long. Could Lingzhou City have fallen already?"

His aura suddenly overflowed wildly from his body. The sword will of the alloy longsword in his hand hence raged, sweeping away several of his opponents, but when he was about to blaze his True Qi for another killing blow, the Sixth Elder of the Sky Demon Cult broke out in wild laughter and promptly retreated.

In the blink of an eye, his opponents had made a clean escape, leaving a smug laughter ringing through the night air. "I've underestimated you, Chen Jingzhou. Even so, delaying you for half an hour is enough—considering the timing, I'd say Lingzhou City would have fallen by now. So what if you could make it there now? Shouldn't we be sitting down, and start discussing annexing the city to our control instead?"

"Damn it!"

Chen Jingzhou cursed, but he did not pursue the voice, and instead sprinted in the direction of Lingzhou City.

He is a rank-eight martial artist, and even if he was not adept at speed, he approached the sound barrier as he burst out in full strength.

On top of a mountain, one of the Grands watched Chen Jingzhou as he ran and frowned. "Sixth Elder,' he asked, "Should we be letting Chen Jingzhou go just like that? If we could keep holding him…"

Blargh!

Even before the Grand finished, the blade-wielding middle-aged man—Sixth Elder vomited a mouthful of blood.

"Sixth Elder!"

"Six…"

Sixth Elder waved the others off, seething, "It's alright. Chen Jingzhou has simply injured my pulse with his sword will, but I could use that to refine my martial will. In fact, it would be an opportunity for me to develop my blade will as well."

His tone changed then, and he laughed with a face brimming with joy. "This is already enough even if we couldn't kill Chen Jingzhou. Pain Star would have taken Lingzhou City by now, and that alone would be a major feat. Hurry, help me contact Pain Star!"

Report chapter

Chapter 97: A Furious Chen Jingzhou

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

Sixth Elder was grinning from ear to ear.

He had achieved a major victory in spite of his failure to kill Chen Jingzhou, and had even gained some understanding towards 'blade will'. Moreover, Pain Star's successful assault over Lingzhou City would be a tremendous feat.

Beside him, Brave Star, one of the thirty-six Decans had whipped out a satellite phone, and had found Pain Star's number from his booklet, and dialed it hopefully.

Even before the call got through, he put it on loudspeaker, holding it up with both hands in front of Sixth Elder.

[Sorry, the number you have dialed cannot be reached at the moment.]

[Sorry, …]

Brave Star's expression changed, but he forced a smile, saying, "Patience, Sixth Elder, perhaps Pain Star might be busy at the moment. I'll call Earthen Majesty and the others instead."

With that, he dialed the number of the Earthen Majesty Heavenly General.

[Sorry, …]

Brave Star's smile stiffened when he heard the machine voice once again, and that continued even after he dialed Earthen Diction and Earthen Savage's numbers.

Meanwhile, there was now a dark look on Sixth Elder's face. Clenching his teeth, he growled, "Call the other groups. Right now."

They were unaware that the Pain Star and her escort's satellite phones were crushed by Jiang He when he had found them on their bodies.

There was no point in keeping those toys anyway.

The Martial Arts Department (MAD) would not find out anything with the encryption and self-destructive sequence installed into the phone, and it would be better to just destroy them straightaway.

Jinyintan Village.

On the east side of the village, Cheng Dongfeng was drawing deep breaths and had finally calmed down.

Still, he was very curious and could not help asking, "Jiang He, you've killed three more Fiends and another Decan? As a rank-five… I mean, a rank-six, how did you do that?"

"How?"

Jiang He mused to himself for seconds to organize his thoughts, before saying, "Pain Star is merely an Awakened. Sure, her power was special and she could control dead bodies so that they fought for her, but there I was, in my farm, planting my potatoes when I remembered that the Sky Demon Cult would attack me. That's why I attacked first…"

"And the rest is history, Grandmaster Cheng."

Jiang He said, pointing at the carnage of the explosions. "I've blown up most of the zombies that Pain Star was controlling, frightening her off and the three Fiends with her, and they weren't slowpokes. It took me great effort to catch up and cut them all down."

Even as he spoke, he seemed to remember something else and asked, "By the way, have you guys found Killer Star's corpse?"

"I vaguely saw him being used as a zombie and blown sky-high, although I didn't know if he was blown into pieces…"

Hence, Jiang He started a search, with a group of soldiers helping him.

Eventually, they did find Killer Star five minutes later—or the half of his body that was left, three hundred meters away from the left side of the explosion, at a cornfield destroyed by the shockwave from the explosion.

Jiang He hence went home, got a piece of white cloth and wrapped it around Killer Star's mangled corpse, and said with a yawn, "I hadn't been sleeping well recently because of the Sky Demon Cult. Grandmaster Cheng, you could just hand off the Fiend Decrees and the Decan Decree to Old Duan, and have him record the merit points under my name.

"And help me contact Mu Wanqiu about the horned boar corpse, see if she's interested.

"Okay, now I'll go home and sleep."

Hence, Jiang He picked up Killer Star's dead body and walked home carefully, leaving behind a gaping Cheng Dongfeng…

Bro.

Is there something wrong with you?

How could you sleep after you caused such a scene?

And, even if you could fall asleep, there is no telling how many people would not be sleeping because of you!

Nonetheless, Cheng Dongfeng instructed the many soldiers to clean up the battlefield, and only then did he remember he forgot to ask where the corpses of Pain Star and her Fiends were.

Whipping out his phone, he dialed Duan Tianhe's number.

Duan Tianhe was himself sitting in his office at the MAD with a somber look on his face. He promptly answered Cheng Donfeng's call when he saw his caller ID, asking, "Old Cheng, what's the situation? There were explosions just now…"

Cheng Dongfeng reported the outcome of the battle to him.

Thud!

Duan Tianhe's phone fell straight to the floor. With a frozen look on his face, he sat down stiffly and only recovered after a long time, yelling, "Someone prepare a car. I'm going to Jinyintan Village!"

With Pain Star and the Heavenly Generals Earthen Savage, Earthen Majesty Earthen Diction all killed, no small fry was going to invade Lingzhou City.

Nonetheless, after Duan Tianhe had gotten ready and stepped out of the MAD, his MPV had driven for just around twenty meters when there was a loud bang—a figure had streaked towards the vehicle, landing directly on the hood of the MPV.

That tremendous force kicked the entire vehicle into the air, reducing the hood and the front half of the car to scrap metals.

Bang!

The MPV landed then.

Duan Tianhe promptly leaned aside and rolled outside, sending one car door flying in the process.

But he had barely left the car when he felt his body become light, because his entire body had been lifted by a large hand. More horrifyingly, Duan Tianhe could feel an abundant wave of True Qi was directly restraining himself.

"Duan Tianhe, did you bloody spread military disinformation?"

A voice with a Xibei accent spoke beside his ear.

Duan Tianhe realized what was happening then, and when he clearly saw who it was, he quickly exclaimed, "Commander Chen…"

The man was indeed Chen Jingzhou, in his military uniform and having his alloy longsword slung over his back.

Still, he was left very ragged at the moment after the serious battle he just fought. His uniformed was almost in pieces no thanks to slices by Sword Qi, and his face had dirt all over it since one of his opponents was an earth-type Awakened who could match a rank-eight martial artist.

Moreover, he had dashed all the way here afterwards, covering a 200-mile distance to reach Lingzhou City…

He did not once stop through his wild dash and had almost drained all of his True Qi in his fear that Lingzhou City had fallen with countless casualties.

But when he reached it, he found that there was nothing wrong with the city.

When he dialed Duan Tianhe's number, he found that Duan Tianhe was on a joyride to who-knows where, twiddling his thumbs.

And now, Chen Jingzhou glared at the man himself, pelting him with a bellow, "Duan Tianhe, did you know that your misinformation almost got me cut down by the Sixth Elder and three Decans of the Sky Demon Cult?!"

"Do you know that you would be court-martialed for your misinformation?!"

Duan Tianhe rose to his feet, between laughter and tears. "Commander Chen, I really wasn't spreading disinformation…"

Utterly irritated, Chen Jiangzhou kicked Duan Tianhe down to the ground, pointed a finger at his nose and barked, "You're still being stubborn even now?!

"Didn't you tell us that Lingzhou City is facing a dire threat, that Sky Demon Cult elites might be invading?

"Where are those elites?

"Tell me, where are the Sky Demon Cult elites?!"

"To tell the truth, Commander Chen," Duan Tianhe replied, "The Sky Demon Cult had deployed two rank-eight Grands and three Heavenly Generals, although they're all dead now."

Hah!

Chen Jingzhou snorted.

Two rank-eight Grands?

Three Heavenly Generals?

All dead?

And what, did you kill them all, Duan Tianhe?

Report chapter

Chapter 98: Do You Take Me For A Fool?

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

'Why does it seem like Commander Chen does not believe me?'

Even so, Duan Tianhe did no complain too much.

In fact, he would not blame Chen Jingzhou—his reaction would probably the same even if he was in Chen Jingzhou's shoes.

Hence, he had to brace himself and explain, "Commander Chen, I'm sure you are aware of the incidents revolving around the Tranquil Heavenly General and the Earth Demon Heavenly General?"

Chen Jingzhou nodded, but soon glared and bark, "What does your disinformation have to do with them?"

"From what I know, those two unlucky bastards were killed by one of the rank-fives in your city. Or are you telling me that rank-five also managed to kill two Grands and three more Fiends?"

"Do you take me for a fool, Duan Tianhe?"

"…"

Between laughter and tears, Duan Tianhe simply said, "It might be hard to believe, Commander Chen… but that is indeed the information I'm aware of."

Hence, twenty minutes later…

"What the hell!"

Having traveled to Jinyintan Village with Duan Tianhe, Chen Jingzhou blanked out when he saw the Decan Decrees and Fiend Decrees he held between his fingers, and could not resist mouthing a few expletives.

He then took a look at the crater that the potato landmines had blown into the ground, and walked one circle around the horned boar's corpse. It was only then did he ask, "Is Jiang He really rank-five?"

"He's rank-six now!"

"Rank-six, rank-five. What's the difference?"

Chen Jingzhou remained rather doubtful despite all that and sighed. "In the realm of martial arts, a rank-six who turned the tables against rank-seven grandmasters would be considered a legend… but who would believe that a rank-six could cut down a rank-eight?"

"Grandmaster Cheng, where did Jiang He kill Pain Star and her three Decans?"

"The final scene of their battle is less than four kilometers from here," Cheng Dongfeng answered. "I've checked—Jiang He must have detonated his bomb here, scaring off Pain Star and her three Decans. After that, he pursued them all the way there, and killed them when he managed to catch up."

As a rank-nine senior grandmaster and a top champion who had gained understanding over sword will, Chen Jingzhou's vision far surpassed a newly ascended grandmaster like Cheng Dongfeng. He could come up with many theories with just tiny traces or clues.

After he arrived on the scene to have a look at the sword marks and blood trails, he said, "The fight didn't last long. There was a huge gap in ability between the combatants, and it was basically a one-sided fight. Jiang He must have learned an extremely powerful thunder swordplay—look, thunder energy is still lingering over that split tree."

Chen Jingzhou himself was caught in disbelief even as he said those words.

A huge gap in ability?

A rank-six, up against three Sky Demon Cult Heavenly Generals and one Grand, would actually have such an overwhelming advantage?

If anyone else had said that, Chen Jingzhou's palm would be greeting his cheeks. But such was reality!

After a long silence, he suddenly chuckled and said, "If us old-timers had really been outdone by a youth… where is Jiang He? I'm a little anxious to meet him now."

Beside them, Cheng Dongfeng said quietly, "He told me he had serious insomnia because of the Sky Demon Cult, and went home to sleep."

Chen Jingzhou did a double take, but soon broke into hearty laughter.

He did not have to worry about the rest, then.

After they returned to the Martial Arts Department of Lingzhou City, Chen Jingzhou first gave Yuzhen a call before reading up on Jiang He's information.

"A martial-arts style passed down in his family?"

"Rapid cultivation and awakened beast-taming powers?"

"Noted to have sold a species of corn that increases bust size, suspected to be a mystically evolved crop following the revival of qi…"

Chen Jingzhou gaze changed then.

Following the revival of qi, it had not merely been humans or beasts who evolved. Many plants had developed to a certain extent as well, and loess hills that spread yellow dirt whenever a gust kicked up had now grown into lush forests, and there were many floral spirits discovered across the control.

And certain unique floral spirits certainly improved the strength of select individuals by leaps and bounds within a short time.

"The kid must have some extraordinary luck to gain some floral spirit, thereby cultivating from rank-three to rank-six advanced in a single breath…" Chen Jingzhou thought, and could not help remembering the 'special corn' that mentioned in the data Duan Tianhe had provided him.

"Enhancing breast growth… I was skinny when I was younger, and though my figure is more well-rounded after my martial arts cultivation, I can't really develop my pecs. I wonder if that corn would work for me… but selling it at five hundred thousand per stalk? Who would buy that for their breasts!"

Even as Chen Jingzhou continued reading about Jiang He, someone knocked on the door.

Soon, Mu Wanqiu stormed in, exclaiming, "Why didn't you tell me that you were coming, Uncle Chen?"

"Little Qiu?"

Chen Jingzhou studied Mu Wanqiu from head to toe then—he almost did not recognize her.

Mu Wanqiu's old man was military and a martial arts elite as well, and happens to be a longtime acquaintance of Chen Jingzhou's, whom he was on good terms with. It was also why Chen Jingzhou had met Mu Wanqiu many times.

She even visited him at the militarized zone before coming to Lingzhou City.

But…

The little lady was utterly flat before and had no chest to speak of. So how did her breasts become so perky now?

Still, Chen Jingzhou was too embarrassed to ask since he was an elder and smiled instead. "Why else? There's a situation here at Lingzhou City and the brat Duan Tianhe called for help. I was in Yuzhen and therefore not too far away, which is why I hurried here for a look… But it's already two in the morning, Little Qiu. Why aren't you in bed?"

Mu Wanqiu certainly wouldn't be sleeping.

How could she after she learned that Jiang He had got his hands on the corpse of a rank-eight Feral?

After a long chat, Chen Jingzhou suddenly asked, "By the way, Little Qiu, are you acquainted with Jiang He?"

Jiang He was unaware what happened out there after he returned home.

He dug a hole in his yard and buried everyone—Pain Star, Killer Star, Earthen Majesty Heavenly, and the others underneath.

It was worth noting here that he had already flattened that other grave in his yard.

After the grave grass sprouted, Jiang He exhumed the grave, only to find that the body of Three Waters Wei was gone. Still, it had not simply disappeared, but had instead been converted into fertilizer and fused into the farm itself, and Jiang He had a hunch that his essence must have transformed into the grave grass.

That was why Dumbo and Trumbo would gain water-type powers after they ate the grass.

And now, he buried these bodies to test if those grave grass would sprout again, or grow a 'person'…

"Still, even the weakest of the corpses was an A-class Awakened. I wonder if anything would grow from them."

As that thought crossed Jiang He's mind, he stretched his body lazily and took out his sports car from his System Backpack, scowling as he climbed inside to sleep.

"When would the mansion actually be completed?

"Sleeping in the car is nice, but that's only if it's for a few days. It's going to be miserable if I have to sleep here over a long time!"

"Oh, right…"

"If I could plant a car, then what about a house?"

Report chapter

Chapter 99: Can I Plant A Missile Launcher?

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

Jiang He whipped out his phone and swiped through the news.

Everything on the internet was articles concerning the revival of qi lately.

That included what country was attacked by Ferals, the rise of certain powerful Awakened who slew the Ferals and rescued thousands.

Jiang He soon fell asleep after browsing through the news for a while.

He then woke up naturally.

After climbing out of his sports car to wash up, Jiang He checked the time.

It was still 11 in the morning but he still lacked a lot of sleep.

He cooked some rice, sliced out a piece of python meat, made a cucumber coleslaw mixed with shredded carrots, and fried an eggplant for lunch, but Jiang He still found his meal boring. "This meal is at least worth ten million bucks, but it just doesn't taste nice…"

As he devoured every last dish, Jiang He rubbed his temples and considered the root of the problem.

First.

He was getting bored of eating this stuff every day.

Secondly, and most importantly…

"The Sky Demon Cult is to blame. They latch on to me like a leech that I can't shake off no matter what. Even if I killed two of their Decans and five of their Fiends, who would know whether they would cause more trouble for me?

"Those animals are keeping me from getting a good night's sleep or even a good meal…"

Jiang He clenched his teeth.

He scowled again when he looked at the bowl and chopsticks on his table.

Having no maid to clean up after him was really unbearable.

Now that his lifestyle had improved, he certainly couldn't keep cleaning up after himself, could he?

He could avoid washing his clothes by changing from set to set, but he certainly can't change his kitchen utensils after one use, could he?

He then studied his kitchen, and realized that it was even cruder now.

There were just a few tables in the newly built mansion, upon which stoves were put simply.

"I should spare some time to contact Wang Sizhen and see how long the furnishings would take. If push comes to shove, I could just slap off the whole mansion and plant another…"

Even as Jiang He planned for his future, there was a blaring of car horns.

He stepped out of his yard to find three vehicles parked in a queue outside his gates.

The first was a white CRV, the second was something with military plates and the third was an off-road vehicle, which Jiang He recognized as belonging to Mu Wanqiu.

"Jiang He!"

A chuckle was audible right then.

Duan Tianhe stepped out of the white CRV, and came to Jiang He, smiling, "Thanks for last night, Jiang He. I've already credited merit points under your name, and also requested clearance from HQ for you now that Warrior Home is in its closed testing phase. You can log in to the forum with your ID number—I'll send you the web address later."

Jiang He smiled in return, but then glanced at Duan Tianhe's vehicle and asked, "Did you change cars, Chief Duan? I remember you used to drive a black MPV."

The corners of Duan Tianhe's mouth twitched.

How could he not change cars?

After all, the Black MPV was totaled!

With a single kick, Chen Jingzhou had almost crushed it.

That was when both the man himself and Cheng Dongfeng got off the military vehicle.

Mu Wanqiu also alighted from her off-road vehicle then, and Wu Yueru was accompanying her in her usual office lady fashion.

"Haha, Jiang He!"

Chen Jingzhou laughed with his loud pitch the moment he spoke. "Your reputation precedes you, but now that I've met you, I could really tell that you have the measure of a young hero and the look of a prodigy!"

Duan Tianhe quickly made the introductions.

"Jiang He, this is Chen Jingzhou, leader of the Third Xibei Field Operations Division. He's also a rank-nine senior grandmaster who had come specially to reinforce Lingzhou City."

Jiang He walked up to shake hands with Chen Jingzhou and greeted both Mu Wanqiu and Wu Yueru, before saying, "My house was just finished and a little plain. If everyone wouldn't mind, please come in…"

There were quite a lot of stools in the house, and everyone took a seat after Jiang He brought them out.

Chen Jingzhou cut straight to the point then, saying, "Jiang He, I have heard much about you from Chief Duan. You may be rank-six, but you selflessly put yourself on the line to defeat the elites of the Sky Demon Cult and protected Lingzhou City and its hundred thousand of citizens. That is a grand accomplishment and I've already requested commendations from the military…"

Jiang He promptly waved him off at the mention of 'commendation'. "You're being too kind, Chief Chen. I wasn't really thinking that much at the time, and my main beef was that the Sky Demon Cult was being persistent in their efforts to take me down, denying me any peace. That's why I fought back."

Chen Jingzhou, who understood that well nodded. "The Sky Demon Cultists definitely deserve death. They sent a rank-nine elder, two rank-eight grandmasters and an earth-type awaken who was equal to rank-eights, just to intercept and kill me before I could reach Lingzhou to help. If you hadn't come forward in such a vital moment, Jiang He, Lingzhou City would have fallen."

Jiang He's eyes lit up then and he quickly asked, "The Sky Demon Cult actually sent a rank-nine, two rank-eights, and an earth-type?"

"That's right."

Chen Jingzhou nodded, although he looked weirded out.

'Why does it feel like there is something wrong with this kid's expressions and tone of speech?

'Shouldn't you be panicking and worried after hearing such information?'

Meanwhile, Jiang He mused to himself for a moment rather awkwardly, and after stuttering for a bit, he asked, "Well… Commander Chen, may I ask a question?"

"Just ask away!"

Chen Jingzhou waved his large hand welcomingly.

Jiang He gritted his teeth. "Commander, I wonder… how powerful is that rank-nine Sky Demon Cult Elder? And how do I kill a rank-nine martial artist?"

???

Chen Jingzhou's face stiffened. Unable to react in time, his native dialect spilled out, "Whit did ye say?"

Beside them, Duan Tianhe's face dropped and he couldn't help exclaiming, "Jiang He, don't even think about it! Rank-nine champions are as brutally powerful as they were formidable in spirit, and they are capable of fusing martial arts into the will of their martial arts. The best of them could even control the power of concepts, and their every single move would embody the power of the world. Even if you had demonstrated that you are able to kill both Pain Star and Killer Star, death only awaits you in a battle against a rank-nine."

Duan Tianhe understood Jiang He all too well—the only reason that brat asked that was because he wants to kill a rank-nine Sky Demon cultist.

In return, surprise was written all over Jiang He's face and he muttered, "Are rank-nines that formidable? Looks like I definitely wouldn't win…"

There was vague disappointment in his tone.

Later, after a few more exchanges, Chen Jingzhou rose to his feet, saying, "Well, there's much work waiting back at base, so I won't bother you for now. Jiang He, your commendation would soon be granted, so I'll see you again soon when I personally award it to you."

"You're too kind, Commander Chen."

Jiang He was about to decline his reward courteously, but withdrew his words as an idea struck him, and said, "Commander Chen. If the military is really keen on awarding me a commendation, could I request for something like weapons or explosives?"

After all, Dumbo and Trumbo, who were supposed to watch his house had not really developed.

Jiang He was a little worried about having them guard the yard.

However, the military could provide weapons and munitions with more firepower, such as rocket launchers and gatling guns. Who knows? When he gets his hands on some and strengthened them with his mysterious soil, there might be surprises in store.

Jiang He could even see it: Dumbo, carrying a rocket launcher and firing it…

And how much more devastating could the firepower a planted rocket launcher be?

"Hmmm…

"I wonder if rocket launcher or missile launchers could be planted, though…"

Report chapter

Chapter 100: Blended Qi Pellets

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

At the mention of weapons and munition, Chen Jingzhou could not help remembering the giant crater at the east side of the village, which prompted him to ask about it.

Jiang He smiled in return, "It's just a little something I cooked up myself. It doesn't violate any laws, does it, Commander Chen?"

It did for sure… But had the times not changed now?

Even if it made such a gigantic crater?

After that, Jiang He made his request, asking for however much stuff he could.

Chen Jingzhou noted down everything and climbed back into his military vehicle.

Duan Tianhe saw him off, before turning to Jiang He, "There's a bunch of things to do at the Martial Arts Department (MAD) so I won't bother you anymore. I've already sent the address of Warrior Home to your WeChat, and you could give me a call if you have anything you don't understand."

"You've stopped the Sky Demon Cult's conspiracies multiple times, killing two of their Decans and five of their Fiends on different occasions. Those are enormous accomplishments, and by coincidence, headquarters had been drafting different chapters of rewards."

Duan Tianhe smiled then. "Cultivation manual, secret texts, weapons, and qi pellets—what do you need? I could help put in a good word for you."

Jiang He considered that seriously.

He did not really have any use for those stuff.

Still, the fierce resistance he could put up because he could not bear with the Sky Demon Cult's bullying had unwittingly helped the MAD considerably, and so he quickly said, "Can I choose the rewards for myself, Chief Duan? If I'm allowed to, please ask the higher-ups to wait a few days until I could decide."

"Alright!"

Duan Tianhe laughed heartily. "There are some introductions about many treasures on Warrior Home. You could decide after taking a look."

Soon, he left in his new car with Cheng Dongfeng.

After that, the only one left was Jiang He, Mu Wanqiu, and her assistant Wu Yueru.

Those two women were a sight for sore eyes, whenever they stood together.

Mu Wanqiu, a fire-type Awakened boasted a stunning figure and a steamy presence.

Wu Yueru, however, was different.

Dressed in her office lady attire, there was some extent of primness in her sexiness, as well as a sense of maturity.

Compared to burly men like Duan Tianhe and Chen Dongfeng, Jiang He was more willing to chat with these two beauties. Once they returned inside his house, they began to chat idly away.

And it was obvious that Wu Yueru was quite curious about Jiang He.

She asked every question possible, until Jiang He himself was rather speechless.

'What the heck?

'Age, height, and zodiac are fine, but she's actually asking if I had any girlfriends and whether I'm single!

'What does that have to do with you?'

Jiang He was even suspecting that his System might have some hidden attribute like 999 charisma. Why else would every woman want to get their hands on him?

"That's right!

"That has to be it!

"Surely it's not because I'm good looking, right? It's not like having good luck would let me have anything I like…"

Beside them, Mu Wanqiu really could not keep listening to their conversation. She bore a deep grudge towards Jiang He since each of her previous conversations with him had ended unpleasantly.

Muttering, Mu Wanqiu suddenly smiled, "Jiang He, you might not know this, but Yueru and I are here mainly to thank you personally."

"Thank me?"

Jiang He was a little uncertain. What was there to thank him for?

At the same time, Wu Yueru flushed, which Jiang He noted with the corner of his eye.

She reached out and pinched Mu Wanqiu, who chuckled, "You might not be able to tell, but Yueru was quite skinny before, and she only got her figure now thanks to your crop."

Jiang He was left speechless even as he understood.

Seeing that Wu Yueru's cheeks flushed even harder, Jiang He added with a smile, "That's actually unnecessary. Since doctors could be as caring as parents, you women could just visit the doctor…"

Beside them, Mu Wanqiu was shaking with laughter.

Still, after pausing for a moment and changing his tone, Jiang He smiled, "Look, didn't she regain her confidence because of my help too?"

Mu Wanqiu scowled immediately, and a flame sparked over her head.

Jiang He extinguished it with a gentle blow, before saying with a straight face, "Don't play with fire, Miss Mu. You'll burn yourself."

"You…"

Flustered, Mu Wanqiu could not say anything for a while.

Burn herself with fire?

Was that a threat?

Jiang He, on the other hand, was smiling faintly.

What could Mu Wanqiu hope to achieve with that flame over her head? Frighten him? Now that he has gained Initiate proficiency over Indestructible Diamond, Second Tier Mastery over Strengthened Nine Yang Technique as well as Dragon Elephant Prajna, could you even burn off a single strand of my hair, even if I let you burn me without lifting a finger?

Of course, that was not actually necessary.

Mu Wanqiu had a temper, but whenever she faced Jiang He…

She really could not throw a fit sometimes.

And now, it was Wu Yueru's turn to shake with laughter. Compared to others, these women's giggles were quite interesting and enjoyable.

Clenching her teeth and throwing a fierce glare at Wu Yueru, Mu Wanqiu took a deep breath before saying, "Jiang He, I've moved the corpses of the horned boar and the other Ferals back to our facility last night."

With that, she whipped out her phone to send Jiang He an inventory.

"Most of them were blown into pieces however, which is why they were priced quite low. Please check."

Jiang He read through the inventory and the total value.

At around ten million bucks, it was not actually much—it was around the price of his breakfast…

Perhaps even less.

After all, his large eggplants that could ease swells, stop bleeding, and connect broken bones were worth more than ten million.

That being said, money was just a number to Jiang He, and a dozen million dollars was no different from a thousand dollars.

"Can I exchange the money for cultivation supplies? I'm thinking about developing my pets… by the way, I won't be needing more qi pellets."

It seems that one could develop resistance against qi pellets if they had one too many.

Dumbo had barely reached rank four even though it was eating a big bowl's worth of them, just as Trumbo did not improve much two days after rising to rank-five novice.

"…"

Mu Wanqiu could not react immediately, whereas Wu Yueru's red lips were slightly parted in surprise. Not only was this man good looking, but he's a spendthrift too? There was no telling how many martial artists did not have the money to buy themselves cultivation supplies, but you are extravagant enough to buy cultivation supplies for your pets?"

After she recovered, Mu Wanqiu forced a smile. "The Superpower Research Department is only developing qi pellets suitable for martial artists and Awakened for now. We had yet to develop anything for pets for now."

Jiang He blinked, taken aback. "Aren't those things universal? My pets have been eating qi pellets until they got all fattened up…"

Feeling a tightness over her chest, Mu Wanqiu clutched at her own chest then.

How much of a wastrel could you be, feeding qi pellets to your pets?!

"Oh, right…"

Jiang He suddenly asked, "The numbers aren't quite right, yes? It's just over ten million… if I remember correctly, the corpse of a rank-eight Feral should be worth at least thirty million, right?"

"The value of the horned boar is not listed in the inventory yet."

Mu Wanqiu laughed. "Jiang He, weren't you asking about medicinal pellets that were more expensive than qi pellets? We did manage to develop a qi pellet called the blended qi pellets, and rank-six martial artists could replenish their True Qi rapidly with one pellet even when their True Qi was exhausted, and it's effective for rank-seven grandmasters as well."

"Oh?"

Jiang He's eyes twinkled, "How much are those?"

"Three million."

Mu Wanqiu said, putting up three fingers. "The truth is that the blended qi pellets were just developed and still on clinical trials, and I had to go through some lengths to convince my grandfather letting me have ten pellets beforehand."

"I'll take everything you have." Jiang He said grandly.

"Jiang He," Mu Wanqiu laughed bitterly. "My grandfather is looking to reduce the cost of making the blended qi pellets at the moment, and it could become cheaper when it's put on retail. Moreover, using it for cultivation costs too much, so I'm suggesting that you only buy three pellets and only take it when it matters, since it replenishes your True Qi and rapidly requires combat ability."

Jiang He was a little speechless at that.

Replenish True Qi for what?

Was that even necessary?

After all, he never once felt that he was short on True Qi ever since he started cultivation.

Combat was not theater. Why would there be something so elaborate?

Burst out at full power upon encountering the enemy, cutting them down in several slashes. Why would he need to replenish his True Qi?

"I'll have all ten blended qi pellets. I won't be paying—just take that horned boar corpse in return instead."

Jiang He had his own plans too.

As his farm leveled up, the EXP and Farm Points he could earn from qi pellets are too few. Wouldn't it better to just swap for a higher-level qi pellet and level up his farm soon?

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Chapter 101: Mansion Model And Maid Doll

Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation

"Are you sure?"

Mu Wanqiu advised. "The blended qi pellets are very expensive, and could save your life when you use it to restore your True Qi when you need it. However, it would be wasteful if you use it for cultivation."

Looking at Jiang He, she then added, "You're now rank-six advanced, and if I'm right, your cultivation method must be very efficient, granting you abundant True Qi far surpassing any peer. Ten blended qi pellets might not be enough for you to rise beyond rank-six pinnacle."

"I've already said give me everything. You just have to tell me whether you're selling—why are you talking so much?"

"Fine!"

Mu Wanqiu retorted. "The corpse of the rank-eight horned boar is very complete, but its flesh has decayed because it has been dead for a long time. Still, that won't matter much—the estimated valuation for it is 3.8 million, and you would have eight million left after deducting the price for the ten blended qi pellets."

"Would you still be buying qi pellets with the remaining funds? If not, I'll wire it to your account."

Jiang He thought about it and said, "Sure. I've also recovered two S-grade alloy weapons. Would the National Superpower Research Department (NSRD) buy them?"

Since the weapons he recovered from the Earthen Majesty Heavenly General and Earthen Diction Heavenly General were useless even if he kept them, he could simply sell them off.

"The difference in value between S-grade weapons are enormous, and would only be priced after appraisal. There are many types of S-grade composite metals, and any weapons forged from such metals are a combination of different weapons. Some martial artists who do not have enough money would actually add in A-grade metals to S-grade weapons."

Mu Wanqiu was quite knowledgeable in the subject, but that made sense.

Her grandfather, one of the founders of the NSRD was said to be a part of the invention and development for new metal matrix composites, and Mu Wanqiu must have been educated about it at a young age, therefore knowing more than your average person.

"Alright."

Jiang He did not draw out both alloy weapons immediately from his System Backpack, and said, "I'll bring the weapons to the Martial Arts Department (MAD) when I head there later. You can prepare the qi pellets for me—I'll take them in the afternoon.

Hence, they completed their business discussion.

Mu Wanqiu's tone changed then, and she said, "Jiang He, I actually have something else to discuss with you today."

Even as she spoke, she glanced at Wu Yueru who was about to speak, when Jiang He waved her off, smiling. "If it's about the Martial Arts Academy (MAA), you may save your breath. I'm not fit to be a teacher, and aren't you afraid I'll drag my students into a ditch if I'm leading them?"

"Why would you drag them to a ditch?"

There was confusion on Wu Yueru's face.

Beside her, Mu Wanqiu chuckled and explained for Wu Yueru, "It must be a dialect around these parts, which means to misguide students."

"No way!"

Wu Yueru exclaimed. "With Jiang He's personality and charisma, how could he misguide the students?"

"…"

Mu Wanqiu could not say a word for a long time, whereas Jiang He was delighted.

Wu Yueru has some taste… Still, despite her mature looks and quiet demeanor, it seems that she's quite the lovesick type too? This was only their second meeting, and was she already conquered by his personality and charisma?

Even so, Jiang He is definitely not going to take the post of director at the MAA.

Would he not be absolutely preoccupied if he had to deal with the piles of administrative duties every single day?

Would it not be better if he could live his days quietly, minding his yard and eating the fruits and vegetables he grew by himself. What could he ask for more?

Still, Wu Yueru did not try to keep persuading them after Jiang He insisted.

She rose to her feet and shook his hand, saying, "I wouldn't force you since you're reluctant, Mister Jiang. However, you could give a lecture at the academy if you have the time, since you are a hero of Lingzhou City now, and your exploits are known in the city even if it was not reported in the news. All the academy recruits worship you a lot."

"That's not a problem."

Jiang He reluctantly let go of Wu Yueru's hand then and escorted the two beauties out of his house before returning inside.

He had a meal, but did not even wash his pot.

"Doing the dishes is so difficult…"

Jiang He scowled, before thinking, 'Washing up would be much more convenient if I could awaken water-type powers… all I need is think about it."

Dumbo and Trumbo did have water-type powers, but how could a cat and a dog do the dishes?

That was why hiring—planting a maid was more convenient.

"I'll have to test whether I could grow a maid. Still, I would have to grow a mansion first since that takes priority. This house is so plain that there's no spot anyone could sit when they visit. It's quite embarrassing."

And he had to give his maid a place to sleep when he grew one?

Surely she could not squeeze inside his sports car with him, could she?

Hence, Jiang He moved out his kitchen utensils out of the house and into his yard, directing his True Qi and promptly slapped out with Mighty Dragon Shows Remorse!

Rawr!

A draconic roar thundered.

The golden silhouette of a dragon streaked out into the mansion that was just finished days ago, and the building collapsed with a single rumble. After that, Jiang He launched another palm, blowing a gust that blew away the debris.

However, Jiang He froze after he did that.

"Hold on…"

"How am I supposed to grow a mansion?"

"My yard is just one Mu. Could a mansion even be planted?"

"Maybe I could try a model?"

Jiang He remembered his experience of planting a car then, his eyes twinkling when the idea came to him, although he soon scowled again. "Planting a model would definitely work, but it becomes very huge after its grown. Wouldn't it be too huge for my farm?"

"And while there are models for cars and mansions… but what about maids?"

Jiang He thought about it.

If he remembered correctly, there were maid dolls available online that warms the bed, although it could not walk, jump or talk. Still, there was no telling whether it could be planted.

"A maid doll might work, although I don't know what would grow… why bother planting her if she couldn't cook or do the dishes?"

Jiang He was a little worried.

There was no telling if the maid could be grown the way he wanted…

At the very least, he would need a pretty doll. Would he not just slap an ugly one to death?

"That said, the maid is not urgent. I need to get a mansion right now, or I'm going to develop back problems if I keep sleeping in the sports car everyday…"

Jiang He hence headed to the yard to check on the graves he had buried last night.

There was a layer of bricks piled over the graves, which were clearly put in place by Dumbo and Trumbo… who were also jumping up and down over them now.

However, Jiang He was not surprised to find that nothing had happened over the graves.

It took a few days for the grass to grow on the grave of the B-type water-type Awakened, who was equivalent to a rank-five or six martial artists. On the other hand, the weakest of the corpses last night was the Earthen Savage Heavenly General, who was equal to a rank-seven grandmaster.

"What's the name of the water-type Awakened again?"

Jiang He thought about it… there seemed to be 'water' in his name.

Still, that was alright, since a minor character like him didn't deserve a name.

"His ability was equal to rank-five, but he was at the level of rank-six pinnacles because it was raining the other day… My farm level was three, and that means I could only plant corpses two levels above that."

After all, Jiang He had planted rank-six corpses before: a rank-six wolf. Nonetheless, those were all corpses and there would not be much different—the two-level gap was more a hands-on aspect.

Moreover, Jiang He had a vague theory.

Planting a corpse might not assuredly produce a person. For example, grass containing that water-type Awakened Sky Demon Cultist's essence had grown out his grave, which Dumbo and Trumbo gained water-type superpowers after eating it.

"Let's called these grave grasses Power Fruit for now!"

"So, if I planted an Awakened, I would either revive him into my puppet… or gain his powers?"

"Then… would I gain a martial artist's cultivation if I planted him?"

Jiang He then poured out a bowl of qi pellets for Dumbo and Trumbo, saying, "Finish your food. I'm going out for a bit for an errand."

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Chapter 102: The Strongest Integrated Weapon!

There was a village called Nanchuan seventy kilometers away from Lingzhou City.

It was now uninhabited, however, with all residents having been evacuated away half a month ago.

Nonetheless, the Sixth Elder of the Sky Demon Cult and three Decans were standing around in the courtyard of one of the bright and spacious farmer's homes, with many other Sky Demon Cultists standing before them.

"What on earth is going on?"

"Didn't Pain Star say that she controls a hundred Ferals and almost twelve hundred corpses?"

"With two rank-eights in the horned boar and Killer Star, two rank-seven Heavenly Generals in Earthen Diction and Earthen Majesty, as well as the Earthen Savage Heavenly General, how did they fail to take Lingzhou City?"

"Forget not invading it—how did they manage to disappear mysteriously? How could any of you not know whether they are dead or alive, captured or killed?"

Rage was all over Sixth Elder's face, and his voice was rather hysterical.

The other Sky Demon Cultists were all shivering, with someone quietly saying, "Please calm down, Sixth Elder. Pain Star had us stay undercover and follow her orders… We did not expect something like this to happen."

"Pain Star also told us that she would attack from Jinyintan Village, killing Jiang He first and slaughter her way into Lingzhou City. We've been hiding near Lingzhou City, but we did not expect Pain Star to never arrive."

"Also, there was a big explosion at Jinyintan Village and military reinforcements soon arrive… could it be…"

The cultist hung his head then, afraid to look at Sixth Elder straight in the eye.

He was beside himself with complaints inside.

'What use is there bellowing at us?

'We're just average members. The weakest amongst us is rank-two and the strongest is a B-class Awakened. Who would dare to disobey Pain Star's orders?'

Sixth Elder's gaze shifted.

"Jinyintan Village, a big explosion?"

"Jiang He… the rank-five martial artist who ruined the Holy Faith's plan many times, killing the Tranquil Heavenly General and the Earth Demon Heavenly General?"

Sixth Elder mused to himself for a long time then and growled, "Contact headquarters. I want every information about Jiang He, and send someone to find out about the battle last night!"

The Sky Demon Cult's double agents in Lingzhou City had all been rooted out previously, and they were basically blindfolded when it came to information about the city.

In fact, they would have charged into Lingzhou City if they knew that Chen Jingzhou was temporarily away from the city. And once they took control, the Martial Arts Department (MAD) and the military would have to consider the hundreds and thousands of civilians in the city if they wanted to reclaim it.

Meanwhile, Jiang He had driven his sports car into Lingzhou City.

He even played an insert song when he entered the city.

That is, before the police stopped him, because he was driving a car without plates.

Jiang He was immediately displeased. 'Why would I get car plates when I don't even have a license?'

Of course, not having a license was even more serious.

Nonetheless, Jiang He did not muster his body's powerful presence and petrify the police, or tell them how awesome he was.

He merely opened his car door quietly and pointed at the driver's seat.

"Mister policeman, my car has no steering, pedal, or even gear stick. Why would I need a license?"

"…"

Jiang He drove off even as the policeman remained bewildered.

"I can't continue like this. I have to get some sort of driver's license…"

Entering the city, Jiang He first found a property agency.

Surprisingly, real estate was not falling apart because of the revival of qi or the rampage of Ferals. Instead, it was trending now that the city had become safer than the outskirts.

Be that as it may, the government had kept a tight control over property prices, and limited purchases as well.

Inflating prices randomly?

Jailtime!

Hoarding properties?

Jailtime!

Special measures for a special age.

Moreover, if those with money would purchase any property in the city, they would reduce the government's burden.

That was why the bustling sight at the property agency left Jiang He surprised. There were droves of people and it could not be more crowded, and there was even a queue to the showroom.

Not bothered to queue up, Jiang He sought out the manager directly, who turned out to be a pompous man.

The moment he set eyes on Jiang He, he said, "Buying a house? Go queue up."

After all, there were too many people wanting to get a property and he did not have care about not making sales. It was totally normal for him to react like that.

Nonetheless, Jiang He smiled. "I'm just trying to make things easy since I have urgent things to see too. Moreover, I'm not buying a property—if I remember correctly, your company developed mansion districts before, and I want one of your models."

"Don't be in a hurry to refuse either."

"I've also read your advertisements that you offer special treatment to martial artists and Awakened, that they wouldn't have to queue up?"

Jiang He gently put his palm on the wall, and then lowered it, leaving a deep palm print on the stalwart concrete wall.

The manager promptly put on a smiling face then, "Please wait a moment, sir. By the way, do you have any mansion models in mind? We should have a batch if memory serves, and I'll have someone bring it to you right now."

Around half an hour later.

Jiang He was holding a mansion model as he stepped out of the property agency.

It was the model of a three-floored mansion.

The mansion's design was a simplistic fusion of western and Chinese styles, and quite fine in appearance. As for the interior… it was only a model anyway. Jiang He was unconcerned, and he would just have to accept whatever grew out.

"Mansion, check. Now, about the maid."

That was harder to get—Jiang He did not manage to get his hands on any even after running through several supermarkets.

After asking around, someone actually suggested he either go to an adult toy store or joss paper shop.

'Are they making fun of me?

'Why would I get a maid doll at an adult toy store?'

That was why Jiang He found a joss paper shop and entered. Just as expected, there were many charming joss paper dolls available, with some fashioned with vivid impressions of various star celebrities. Jiang He even found one particularly familiar foreign star called Aoi something, boasting a spicy figure and was incidentally a maid too.

There was one thing that left Jiang He unsettled, however…

Why wsas her maid costume so lewd?

"Boss, isn't your premises a shop for funeral items? What's with the paper dolls?"

The shop owner grinned in return. "Some people have such taste. After they have gone down there, their friends and family would occasionally burn those to send them over."

Jiang He understood with a start just then.

Should he burn a dozen for his late 'grandfather'?

Well, forget it. That's a little inappropriate.

Instead, Jiang He bought the doll of the familiar celebrity, asked the shop owner to wrap it up and stuff it inside his car before driving to the MAD. He was about to conduct the trade he previously agreed with Mu Wanqiu, only to run into Cheng Dongfeng the instant he entered the main entrance of the MAD.

"Jiang He, the weapon Commander Chen promised you has arrived—I was about to bring it to you."

There was a military truck behind Cheng Dongfeng.

A cyan cloth was covering its load, and he pulled the cloth down to reveal several huge containers.

Jiang He leapt off his car to find Cheng Dongfeng opening a box, drawing out a rocket launcher, saying, "This is the PF-89 model light rocket launcher. It's just 3.6 kilograms, and easy to carry around…"

After that, Cheng Dongfeng opened another container, drawing out a rocket launcher that was twice larger than the last one.

There was somberness on his face as he introduced, "This is the M4088 nuclear missile launcher, capable of loading a light-nuclear missile warhead with a yield equivalent to twenty tons of TNTs. It's a technology that only three countries possess, capable of flattening a small military fort and the most powerful integrated weapon at present!"

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