83: What, are you going to use the gang leader as a test subject?

A flash of light passed, and Chen Heng opened his system backpack.

“This thing, I probably won't need it…”

Taking out the Optimized Medicinal Pill, Chen Heng pondered for a while and realized he truly had no use for it.

[spirit recovery pill: Can bring the dead back to life and heal all injuries.]

Opening the bottle cap, a very cool fragrance wafted out.

“It smells quite good.”

Chen Heng put away this bottle of spirit recovery pill and glanced at the black fiend blade beside him.

The Optimization button next to the black fiend blade was still gray, indicating that nine Optimization attempts were not enough to Optimize it.

“Cultivate, Cultivate!”

Chen Heng put away his scattered thoughts and began to Cultivate the Nine Revolutions Longevity Art.

The Wutong Sect and Fude Orthodox Sect were merely minor issues.

The real big problems were yet to come.

There were still sixteen days left until the agreed time between the Wutong Sect and the Ghost Corpse Temple, and Chen Heng had to accelerate his pace of becoming stronger.

From that secret letter, he learned that the Ghost Corpse Temple was coming out in full force this time.

After all, Qiyang City was a major commercial city, not comparable to the small Fulai County.

Moreover, Qiyang City's defensive strength was also not comparable to Fulai County's.

The strongest person in Fulai County was merely a Huajin, and he had already defected to the Ghost Corpse Temple.

However, Qiyang City had several Tongxuan experts, and probably even stronger Acquired Martial Artists.

So, Chen Heng did not plan to flee this time; he was ready to settle things with the Ghost Corpse Temple.

“I said, if the Ghost Corpse Temple sends one, I’ll kill one. If they send a pair, I’ll kill a pair.”

“You massacred Fulai County and then chased me to Qiyang City.”

“I really don't know if I'm at odds with you all.”

Chen Heng was not sure if his current strength was a match for the Ghost Corpse Temple coming out in full force.

But all he could do was become stronger.

Only by becoming stronger could he survive in this wretched world.

---

Early the next morning, Chen Heng took the secret letter confiscated from the Wutong Sect and headed to the White Tiger Hall.

After a night of deliberation, Chen Heng still decided to unite all possible forces.

Even if he could wipe out the Ghost Corpse Temple alone, he would still pay a certain price.

Besides, if there were ready-made enforcers available, not using them would be foolish, wouldn't it?

Chen Heng now entered and exited Qi Longhu’s council hall without even needing to announce himself, simply pushing the door open and walking in.

He sat down opposite Qi Longhu, waiting for Qi Longhu to speak first.

“Alas…”

The two were in a stalemate for a while, but Qi Longhu eventually gave in, letting out a long sigh.

“Alright, here you go. These are the crimson blood pills we agreed on earlier.”

Qi Longhu took out three small porcelain bottles from the desk drawer and placed them on the table.

“And for Shigou Village, just find Qi Qing and sign the deed.”

“I really don’t understand you. Isn’t the iron mine in the north of the city, Goulan Street, plus half of the Five Spirits Merchant Guild’s shares, enough for you?”

“What do you want that desolate, broken village for?”

“I have my uses; Big Brother Qi doesn't need to worry about it,” Chen Heng said with a chuckle, collecting the three small porcelain bottles from the table.

“Oh, right, I have something else to tell you. Don’t get too excited.”

Chen Heng pulled out the secret letter, opened it, and laid it out in front of Qi Longhu.

“Joking! Am I the kind of person who gets easily excited?!”

Qi Longhu was somewhat dismissive.

He had already contended with the Wutong Sect and the Fude Orthodox Sect; what else was there to fear?

Picking up the secret letter, Qi Longhu’s expression slowly changed from initial indifference to a face as black as a pot bottom.

“Really?” Qi Longhu swallowed, his fingers trembling slightly.

“I don’t know, but we can’t be unprepared.”

Chen Heng shook his head; he himself couldn't be sure whether the Ghost Corpse Temple would truly come.

But it was better to be cautious with those madmen.

“This Old Man can’t even have a single peaceful day…”

Qi Longhu now felt a splitting headache.

He had just finished dealing with the Wutong Sect and the Fude Orthodox Sect last night.

Oh, and those traitors from the Vermilion Bird Hall.

Now, this kid brought him an even more terrifying problem today.

This Ghost Corpse Temple was a notorious group of evil cultivators within a thousand-li radius.

They committed all sorts of atrocities, most notably massacring cities and then using the extremely resentful dead to refine ghosts and corpses.

“I can’t make the decision on this; I can only report it to the Gang Leader.”

As soon as Qi Longhu finished speaking, he remembered a message an internal affairs envoy had given him this morning.

“It’s over, Qiyang City is doomed…”

Tossing the secret letter onto the table, Qi Longhu leaned back in his chair and stopped thinking.

“What’s wrong?” Chen Heng was a bit confused; why had Qi Longhu suddenly lost his spirit?

“Oh, right, the messenger probably hasn’t reached your home yet.”

Qi Longhu straightened up and told him about Gou Longxun’s approaching lifespan.

“Ah?” A string of question marks appeared above Chen Heng’s head.

He couldn't understand, absolutely couldn't understand.

How could a martial Dao Breakthrough also take someone's life?

From the moment he stepped onto the martial Dao, he had never felt any so-called Bottleneck.

His Realm had advanced smoothly, without any hindrance.

Hmm, if he Optimized these few bottles of crimson blood pills into hundred refined crimson blood pills and consumed them, he would probably Breakthrough to Acquired.

“Heh.” Qi Longhu sneered, a hint of disdain in his eyes.

“Do you think everyone is like you?”

“A sixteen-year-old Tongxuan, with internal cultivation even tougher than Old Wang Ba Wu Tianba.”

“Every time we martial artists with ordinary talent Breakthrough a Realm, it takes a good chunk of our lives.”

“Not to mention the Gang Leader, who Breakthrough with injuries.”

“Damn it, I hate you Geniuses the most.”

“No, you should be a Prodigy.”

Qi Longhu was now like a sulking little girl, turning his head away, deliberately not looking at Chen Heng.

“…” Chen Heng’s mouth twitched; Qi Longhu’s current appearance was truly an eyesore.

Can you imagine a ninety-something-year-old, muscular, extremely burly man acting coquettishly with you?

Anyway, that's how Chen Heng felt looking at Qi Longhu right now.

“Big Brother Qi, if all the injuries on the Hall Master’s body were healed, would he be able to Breakthrough to Innate?”

Chen Heng suddenly remembered the spirit recovery pill he had Optimized last night.

“Nonsense, the Old Gang Leader fell to Acquired precisely because of all his hidden injuries.”

“Once the injuries heal, recovering to Innate is a certainty.”

“Then that’s easy to handle.” Chen Heng clapped his hand and pulled out a bottle of Medicinal Pill from his pouch.

“What’s this?” Qi Longhu sat up straight, picking up the bottle of Medicinal Pill and examining it repeatedly.

“This Medicinal Pill is called the spirit recovery pill. It can bring the dead back to life, heal bones and flesh, and cure all injuries.”

Chen Heng directly repeated the System description.

“You little brat, you’re boasting without thinking, aren’t you?”

Qi Longhu rolled his eyes, his face full of disbelief.

“How do I feel like you’ve concocted a formula yourself and are looking for someone to test the Medicinal Pill on?”

“Let me tell you, although the Gang Leader has many hidden injuries, he is still the founder of the Five Spirits Gang.”

“For such a Medicinal Pill testing job, just find a prisoner in the Black Prison.”

“What if something happens to the Gang Leader after he takes it?”