178: The departing Night Owl team

For the next period, Lu Sheng once again fell into his previous routine.

During his garrison duty, he resisted Otherworldly Demon invasions while constantly seeking opportunities to kill Otherworldly Demons and earn Merits (merit points).

On his days off, apart from performing God and Demon Contemplation with Sage of Literature, he would return to his hotel room to Cultivate his Qi and blood, Physical Body, and Heart of Confucianism.

According to Sage of Literature, his Confucianism talent was Heaven-Defying, making him qualified to learn Sage of Literature's unique techniques.

However, Sage of Literature's unique techniques required at least one hundred strands of Confucian Qi to be condensed within the Body before one could even begin to Cultivate them.

Therefore, during this time, Lu Sheng had to condense one hundred strands of Confucian Qi within his Body as quickly as possible!

Fortunately, the presence of the red talent, "Heart of Confucianism," greatly amplified Lu Sheng's Confucianism talent, even increasing his cultivation efficiency tenfold.

With the Overlay (stacking) of these two different amplifications, coupled with the Heaven And Earth Treasure that aided Confucian Qi cultivation, Lu Sheng was able to condense four to five strands of Confucian Qi almost every day.

This speed astonished Sage of Literature.

According to Sage of Literature, even he, when he was condensing Confucian Qi back then, would consider it very good if he could condense one strand a day.

At this rate, Lu Sheng would be able to successfully condense all one hundred strands of Confucian Qi in less than a month.

Such speed was the most terrifying in all of Great Xia.

As a result, every time Sage of Literature looked at Lu Sheng, it was as if he was looking at a monster.

However, this routine did not last for too long.

Ten days later.

At night, Lu Sheng sat cross-legged on his bed, a hint of fatigue still visible between his brows, and his complexion was even somewhat pale.

During the day, he had spent the entire day contemplating God and Demon with Sage of Literature.

After ten days of tempering, Lu Sheng was now able to contemplate more than ten times in a single day.

The longest he had lasted was even a full minute.

Although the God and Demon he saw were still somewhat blurry, it was a significant improvement compared to his first contemplation.

While contemplating God and Demon did not directly enhance Lu Sheng's strength, he gradually realized that as he contemplated God and Demon more frequently and for longer durations, his overall spirit, energy, and vitality became more condensed.

This feeling was incredibly peculiar.

It was as if his entire Body was filled with power, seemingly immune to fatigue.

Even prolonged combat would not cause any exhaustion.

And in ten days, the amount of Confucian Qi in Lu Sheng's Dantian had already reached a terrifying fifty-plus strands!

Generally speaking, in Confucianism cultivation, if condensing Confucian Qi from zero to one is a milestone, then filling the entire Dantian with Confucian Qi is another milestone.

When Confucian Qi can fill your Dantian, it means your Confucianism has already reached the level of a Spirit Transformation Realm expert.

However, Lu Sheng did a rough calculation, and if Confucian Qi were to fill his Dantian, it would require at least ten thousand strands!

At his current speed, it would still take a very long time to raise his Confucianism to the Spirit Transformation Realm.

But... for Lu Sheng, the most important thing right now was to increase the amount of Confucian Qi to one hundred strands!

Although Lu Sheng had been focusing on condensing Confucian Qi during this period, he had not neglected the cultivation of his Physical Body and Qi and blood.

Furthermore, under the amplification of the "Slaughter" talent, his Body Refining cultivation had been steadily increasing during this time, as he frantically killed Otherworldly Demons for Merits (merit points).

Although he was still a short distance from the Late Stage of Body Refining Sixth Layer, Lu Sheng estimated that breaking through to the Late Stage of Body Refining Sixth Layer within a month would not be difficult.

As for his Qi and blood cultivation, with the amplification of "Hundredfold Amplification," even without diligently Cultivating, Lu Sheng noticed that after Bone Forging Perfection, his Qi and blood continuously circulated throughout his Body.

Each time his Qi and blood successfully circulated around his Body, the flesh and blood of his entire Body would experience a slight improvement.

Lu Sheng also felt that his Qi and blood seemed to be searching for something within his Body.

It was as if a sealed space was filled with Qi and blood, and these Qi and blood wanted to find the door to this space, pry it open, and exit this sealed space.

This feeling grew stronger with time.

Finally, when Lu Sheng felt a sense of being trapped within his Body, as if an invisible Shackles was forcefully locking his Qi and blood and flesh and blood.

And on this night... Lu Sheng silently circulated the "Hidden Dragon Formless Sword," continuously moving his Qi and blood, which roared within his Body.

A full twenty thousand points of Qi and blood, carrying a violent aura, seemed to want to completely shatter everything that obstructed it.

After an unknown period, Lu Sheng suddenly felt that when his Qi and blood flowed to a certain spot within his Body, it was as if it had sunk into a quagmire.

This feeling gradually weakened as his Qi and blood continuously poured in.

"This feeling... is it the Human Body Shackles?"

Lu Sheng's expression suddenly trembled slightly.

In the Martial Artist Dao, after Bone Forging, comes Shackles!

Breaking the Human Body Shackles would cause Qi and blood to undergo a qualitative leap.

The Human Body Shackles are invisible and must be continuously impacted by powerful Qi and blood until they are finally broken open, thereby unlocking the Human Body's potential!

The feeling of Qi and blood sinking into a quagmire was precisely the sign of finding the Shackles!

Thinking of this, Lu Sheng couldn't help but feel surprised. Without any hesitation, he mobilized all the Qi and blood in his Body, frantically surging towards this spot.

A full twenty thousand points of Qi and blood transformed into a long Qi and blood Dragon, fiercely impacting this space.

Thump thump thump!!!

A series of muffled thuds came from within Lu Sheng's Body, as if a strong man was continuously hammering with an iron hammer.

With each impact of Qi and blood, the feeling of sinking into a quagmire would weaken a bit.

As the number of impacts continuously increased.

In an instant, a roar suddenly erupted from within Lu Sheng's Body, rushing straight into his mind.

Rumble!!!

Along with the sound of this roar, a certain power that bound Lu Sheng within his Body seemed to have been completely resolved.

Immediately after, the flesh and blood cells throughout his Body emitted joyful emotions, and countless strands of Qi and blood continuously secreted from the flesh and blood cells.

Finally, they joined Lu Sheng's original Qi and blood.

In just a moment, the original twenty thousand points of Qi and blood, with the shattering of the Shackles, actually surged directly to forty thousand points of Qi and blood!!

Forty thousand points of Qi and blood, Shackles First Layer!!

The surging Qi and blood continuously circulated within Lu Sheng's Body, as if patrolling its brand new territory.

Gradually, Lu Sheng slowly opened his eyes, a trace of flush on his face.

"I've finally... stepped into the Shackles Realm!"

Lu Sheng's lips curved into an arc.

The Shackles Realm, in the Martial Artist Dao, could barely be considered as entering the ranks of intermediate-level Martial Artists.

It's important to know that in Star Academy, even among second-year seniors, it was already incredibly Heaven-Defying for one student per year to reach the Shackles Realm.

In fact, only some of the outstanding third-year seniors in Star Academy could reach this Realm.

Students of Star Academy, after graduation, basically had Body Storage Realm cultivation, or rather, only Body Storage Realm cultivation allowed them to graduate.

And now, Lu Sheng, merely by his cultivation, was already considered upper-middle among Star Academy students.

This was still based on the fact that Lu Sheng was only a freshman.

Students of Lu Sheng's age were currently preparing for the Martial Arts College Entrance Examination.

Speaking of the Martial Arts College Entrance Examination, Lu Sheng's brows twitched slightly, and he glanced at the time.

"By my reckoning, the Martial Arts College Entrance Examination should be in the next few days!"

After stabilizing his Cultivation, Lu Sheng suddenly became interested and opened his phone to search for the Martial Arts College Entrance Examination.

After glancing at the time for the Martial Arts College Entrance Examination, a complex emotion suddenly flickered in Lu Sheng's eyes.

This year's Martial Arts College Entrance Examination was just one week away.

And he should have participated in this year's Martial Arts College Entrance Examination, but now, he seemed to be drifting further and further away from his peers.

This gave Lu Sheng a sense of unreality.

It was as if he had become a bit out of place with this era.

However, this emotion did not last long in Lu Sheng's mind; in just a moment, Lu Sheng suppressed it.

Instead of dwelling on these thoughts, it would be better to focus on improving his strength.

From Lin Xuan's words, Lu Sheng knew that although the current Great Xia had the Ten Saints of Great Xia guarding it, there was a Demon God in the Otherworldly Demon World that far surpassed the Ten Saints of Great Xia!

Although he didn't know why the Demon God hadn't actively attacked Blue Star, as long as the Demon God existed for a day, it was like a sharp sword hanging over the heads of the Great Xia Human Clan.

The level of threat was terrifying.

To resolve this sharp sword hanging over the heads of all the Great Xia Human Clan, one could only continuously improve their strength, to the point of being able to surpass the Demon God!

And this... was the meaning of the Apex Plan!

Thinking of this, Lu Sheng took a deep breath, took out some Heaven And Earth Treasure that aided Confucian Dao Cultivation, and silently began to condense Confucian Qi.

Soon, night slowly receded under the expulsion of the scorching sun.

The sunlight gently passed through the window and fell upon Lu Sheng.

Thump thump thump!!

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door, and Lu Sheng's brows slightly raised as he opened his eyes.

"Is it time for guard duty again?"

Lu Sheng shook his head, then got up from the bed and opened the door, but seeing the fully armed members of the "Night Owl" team, Lu Sheng couldn't help but feel a little puzzled.

"What's going on with you guys?"

One had to know that the "Night Owl" team hadn't been fully armed when guarding the Shan Hai Great Wall before; in this situation, could it be that something had gone wrong with the Shan Hai Great Wall today?

The first faces that met Lu Sheng's eyes were still those of Wang Long and Li Ming.

Among the "Night Owl" team, the two he had the best relationship with were undoubtedly these two guys.

Wang Long said with a smile, "Today is the last day for our "Night Owl" team to guard the Shan Hai Great Wall. After today's guard mission ends, we will immediately leave the Shan Hai Great Wall, as there are other missions waiting for us. So, we've packed our things, and once the guard duty is over, we'll be leaving!"

"Is the mission time up?"

Lu Sheng's brows slightly raised, and only then did he realize that he had actually been staying at the Shan Hai Great Wall for a month.

And during this month, Lu Sheng had, unknowingly, grown somewhat accustomed to the presence of the "Night Owl" team.

Now, hearing Wang Long say they were leaving, Lu Sheng felt a hint of reluctance in his heart.

"Hehe, there's always a time for goodbyes, isn't there? We combat team members can't stay in one place forever."

Wang Long put an arm around Lu Sheng and said with a smile.

"Although I don't know what you're doing here at the Shan Hai Great Wall, I'm guessing it's the principal's intention. We've already applied to the Shan Hai Army for you, and you can continue to stay in this hotel."

"As for the Shan Hai Great Wall, after we leave, you'll also follow a Shan Hai Army team and continue to guard Post 18. But, I didn't realize, kid, you've already Cultivated to the Shackles Realm!"

Wang Long said, looking at Lu Sheng with some surprise.

At this moment, he realized that Lu Sheng had already Broken Through to the Shackles Realm.

One had to know that a Shackles Realm expert was considered a relatively good student in the Star Academy.

Not to mention, Lu Sheng's combat power was also evident. With Lu Sheng's current Cultivation, it was likely that no one below the Body Repository Realm would be his opponent.

Listening to Wang Long's words, the other members of the "Night Owl" team then noticed the change in Lu Sheng's Cultivation, so much so that their expressions when looking at Lu Sheng became somewhat strange.

Even Nightingale looked at Lu Sheng with surprise, but the complex emotion in her beautiful eyes became even more intense.

"Alright, hurry up and head to the Shan Hai Great Wall. Although it's the last day, no one can let their guard down, after all... Otherworldly Demons won't care if it's our last day of guard duty!"

Ultimately, it was Nightingale's slightly cold voice that broke their conversation.

Listening to Nightingale's words, Wang Long also shrugged helplessly, and then everyone headed to the Shan Hai Great Wall... Post 18 on the Shan Hai Great Wall.

Nightingale and Wang Long leaned against the edge of the city wall, looking down at the white figure below.

Wang Long glanced at his watch and couldn't help but say with emotion,

"This month has passed so quickly!"

"Speaking of which, this guy's personality really suits me! If only he were truly a member of our "Night Owl" team!"

Listening to Wang Long's words, Nightingale, who was beside him, also fell silent.

She thought the same in her heart.

Although she had maintained a cold attitude for this past month, she had also vaguely wanted Lu Sheng to join the "Night Owl" team.

She even found some of her previous thoughts amusing.

It's just... Lu Sheng couldn't possibly join the "Night Owl" team anymore.

Indeed, the "Night Owl" team was an elite combat team, and it had a certain reputation among all the combat teams in the Star Academy.

But Nightingale also knew that an elite combat team was definitely not Lu Sheng's true calling.

In Lu Sheng's future, only a Demon Slaying-level combat team would be qualified to be Lu Sheng's choice, and perhaps... even the most top-tier Emperor Slaying-level combat team!

If she had looked down on Lu Sheng before, then now, even though Lu Sheng was only in the Shackles Realm, with his top-tier talent, Lu Sheng already had the qualifications to look down on the "Night Owl" team!

Nightingale's gaze fell on the coastline below, where Lu Sheng faced a Peak Shackles Realm marine Otherworldly Demon, and the Dragon Slayer Sword in his hand instantly whistled out.

The ultimate power of annihilation instantly took the life of that Peak Shackles Realm marine Otherworldly Demon.

Although the Peak Shackles Realm marine Otherworldly Demon's Cultivation far surpassed Lu Sheng's.

However, Lu Sheng's Qi and blood quantity alone was comparable to a Martial Artist at the fourth layer of the Shackles Realm, and the quality of Lu Sheng's Qi and blood was twice that of ordinary Martial Artists.

In terms of Qi and blood, Lu Sheng was already comparable to a Martial Artist at the eighth layer of the Shackles Realm.

Coupled with the Physical Body strength of the Middle Stage of the sixth layer of Body Refining.

Combined, below the Body Repository Realm, an ordinary Peak Shackles Realm marine Otherworldly Demon would indeed find it very difficult to force out Lu Sheng's full strength.

Watching Lu Sheng continuously Slaughter Otherworldly Demons, Nightingale finally sighed softly in her heart.

Her initial thoughts... were truly laughable!

Nightingale couldn't help but mock herself internally, then glanced at Wang Long and said lightly,

"He has his mission, and our "Night Owl" team also has our own mission!"

"Let's just do our best!"

"There's one more hour left for the guard mission, let's stand our last shift!"

Nightingale left a light remark, then stepped out, even walking out of the Shan Hai Great Wall and rushing into the coastline, joining the action of clearing the marine Otherworldly Demons at the edge of the battlefield.

Her Golden Body Realm Cultivation, the moment she joined, resulted in the Slaughter of many Otherworldly Demons.

Wang Long stood on the city wall, watching Nightingale's actions, and couldn't help but smile faintly.

His captain... was truly cold on the outside but warm on the inside.

Although she said that, some emotional fluctuations were still easily discernible from Nightingale's actions.

Thinking of this, Wang Long leaned lazily against the city wall. Behind the Shan Hai Great Wall, the scorching sun slowly set, leaving behind a fiery orange glow.