135: Chapter 135: The State of Shenghai Changes Hands, Martial Arts Improve (4k)

"News from the capital?"

Upon hearing this, Pei Jiu's movements paused for a moment.

Although their Red Lotus Demonic Cult had completely left the capital months ago and moved to Shenghai to set up base.

But the capital was the primary imperial city under the Son of Heaven's feet.

There were specialized personnel responsible for monitoring it at all times.

The situation in Great Wei was turbulent, and major news broke almost every other day.

Intelligence had always been the top priority in the eyes of various factions.

Intelligence from the capital was also the highest priority, handled by specialized scouts.

Pei Jiu was familiar with the person before him.

He had been gathering clues on the outskirts of the capital for years; generally, without an important matter, he would not have interrupted him here.

Pei Jiu signaled the other members to continue their work while he spoke in a low voice:

"What happened?"

"Sir, in the capital... it is said that traces of a cult member were discovered, and a specific wanted poster was even issued..."

"A member of our cult? How is that possible?"

Pei Jiu was stunned at first, then slowly shook his head.

As early as a few months ago, the Saintess had given the word to leave only basic intelligence personnel to stay behind.

All other personnel had evacuated; the highest-ranking people left in the capital now were merely scouts.

Could it be an Elder from one of the halls who had taken action?

With this question, he looked at the man before him.

The man also seemed to think something was off, and his expression was peculiar as he said:

"Sir, according to the intelligence, the person who acted calls himself 'Shan Jun.' He is a Saber Grandmaster and also possesses our cult's Red Lotus Karmic Fire..."

...

The sky was dark, shrouded in dark clouds.

The moonlight was blocked by the cloud layers, with very little light filtering down.

In the Shenghai region, several torches illuminated the surroundings.

In the originally prosperous provincial capital, the city walls had already been replaced with banners embroidered with the Red Lotus Karmic Fire.

Beneath the City Lord's Mansion, in a massive underground palace that had been temporarily excavated.

Splash, splash.

The thick smell of blood almost turned into something physical, dyeing the air with a layer of dark red.

In the center of the underground palace was a crimson blood pool bubbling with gas.

No,

Rather than a blood pool, it was more like a medicinal liquid condensed from the consumption of various Heaven And Earth Treasures.

The power contained in every drop of this blood water far exceeded that of external Medicinal Pills by several times.

Under the interweaving of countless thick medicinal powers.

The blood water boiled, yet was instantly incinerated by a domineering and scorching aura.

Click, clack.

From within the distant corridor, several sounds approached from afar.

The next moment.

Pei Jiu, the Hall Master of the Red Lotus Demonic Cult's Vermilion Bird Hall, leaped dozens of meters in a few steps and knelt respectfully on one knee at the edge of the blood pool.

He lowered his head, not even daring to breathe loudly.

In the center of the blood pool, a graceful figure was faintly visible.

Jiang Mengli's eyes were tightly shut, and her body was surrounded by illusory red lotuses.

Once that boiling blood water came within three feet of her, it would be directly refined by the Red Lotus Karmic Fire, turning into the purest essence and merging into her body.

After a long time.

Jiang Mengli opened her eyes.

The temperature of the entire underground palace suddenly rose.

Pei Jiu swallowed hard; at this moment, he actually felt an extremely strong sense of oppression from the woman before him.

In a short period, the Saintess's strength had undergone an earth-shaking change.

The secret royal medicinal formula from the previous dynasty used by the cult this time required the Jiang Bloodline combined with precious medicinal ingredients; it was a top-tier cultivation resource that only those of royal blood could enjoy.

Its purpose was to rapidly increase the combat power of royal family members.

Even if one were originally just an ordinary person, after the baptism of this secret medicine, they could undergo a complete transformation and break through the first three Realms of the Physical Body.

And this method, which was almost like a miracle, was also one of the reasons the royal family could govern the world.

However, since Great Wei overthrew the previous dynasty, most of the secret scriptures of the previous dynasty had been hidden or destroyed.

This medicinal bath could be said to be the last opportunity in her life.

Within the blood pool, the woman in red sat quietly amidst the spring's eye.

Jiang Mengli also sensed the movement ahead, and she opened her eyes:

"What is the matter?"

Her voice was cold, carrying a high and mighty pressure.

Pei Jiu took out a secret letter from his robe and presented it with both hands.

"Reporting to the Saintess, an urgent report has been sent back from the capital."

"Six Doors raided the Black Crow Cult headquarters, and the Black Crow Cult's Sect Master, Ye Wuya, has been captured."

Pei Jiu paused, his tone carrying a hint of uncertainty.

"I heard that an expert calling himself 'Shan Jun' defeated Ye Wuya, and he used our cult's Red Lotus Karmic Fire Scripture."

"The capital branch investigated for a long time but couldn't find this person's identity. I suspect that a reclusive Grand Elder of our cult has come out of seclusion."

Hearing this, Jiang Mengli was slightly startled.

Then, a peculiar smile appeared on her beautiful face.

Reclusive Elder?

Jiang Mengli shook her head.

There were no reclusive Elders left in the Saint Cult.

It was originally just a faction split off after the collapse of the Imperial Dynasty.

But according to Pei Jiu's description,

Someone who knew the Red Lotus Karmic Fire Scripture and liked to hide their head and tail, wearing a mask to play the ghost...

Besides that bastard Jailer who treated her like a maid, who else could it be?

"How was the specific battle situation?" Jiang Mengli asked casually.

Pei Jiu quickly replied: "According to the scouts, Shan Jun's intervention was extremely brief, but based on current intelligence, he has at least the strength of the Peak Aperture Condensation Realm."

"Peak Aperture Condensation Realm?"

A brilliant light flickered in Jiang Mengli's beautiful eyes.

It hadn't been long since they last met, yet that guy's strength had actually become stronger again.

Back in the Celestial Prison, the strength he displayed was only Rank 5, yet he could easily suppress me.

With this kind of combat power now, he is probably only one step away from the upper three ranks.

Perhaps this is just his hidden strength.

"No need to investigate this matter further."

Jiang Mengli composed herself and spoke calmly.

"That person is not an enemy for the time being. As for the matters in the capital, let him do as he pleases."

"Continue to keep an eye on the capital. Also, spread the news of Shan Jun within the cult first. If any members encounter him, remember not to take action against this person."

Upon hearing this, although Pei Jiu was confused, he did not dare to ask more and could only respectfully comply.

"How is the battle situation here in Shenghai?" Jiang Mengli changed the subject.

Mentioning this, Pei Jiu's spirit was roused, and a hint of fanaticism flashed in his eyes.

"Reporting to the Saintess, the three cities of Shenghai have all fallen under our cult's control!"

"The rebel-suppressing army sent by the court was ambushed by us at Luoyan Valley, with over half killed or wounded. They can now only retreat to Cangzhou, a hundred miles away."

"As long as we are given another half month to digest Shenghai's resources, we can march directly on the capital!"

Jiang Mengli nodded slightly and stood up from the blood pool.

The crimson blood water slid off her fair skin without leaving a trace.

"Very good."

"Pass down the order to speed up the integration of Shenghai's resources.

At the same time, have the hidden agents in the capital continue to lie low. Without my order, no one is allowed to act rashly."

Jiang Mengli felt the vast and powerful cultivation power within her, and her confidence increased manifold.

Breaking through two Realms in just one month, this kind of progress in strength was likely a Realm unprecedented and unrepeatable.

"So this is the Bloodline Power Father told me about..."

Jiang Mengli felt her heart beating within her chest; with every beat, a massive amount of nutrition from the surrounding blood water was absorbed.

Finally, she raised her head, her gaze piercing through the thick layers of the ground, looking toward the direction of the capital.

"Once I have completely stabilized my Realm."

"That will be the day we return to the capital."

...

A few days later.

Outside the Celestial Prison in the capital.

The sky was clear for ten thousand miles.

Chen Ran lay comfortably on a reclining chair, holding a cup of hot tea in his hand, taking a leisurely sip.

After a night had passed, the heavenly book of prison suppression in his Sea of Consciousness slowly flipped.

[You guarded the Celestial Prison for a day, gaining one year of cultivation power.]

[Current total: 197 years.]

"Comfortable."

Chen Ran stretched.

Life had been much more stable these few days, and there were no prison breaks.

Outside, people were fighting to the death and demons were dancing wildly, while he was in the Celestial Prison drinking tea and listening to music, with a guaranteed daily salary.

This was the life.

Putting down the teacup, Chen Ran locked his door and walked to the bed.

From a hidden compartment under the bed, he dragged out a heavy wooden box.

Opening the wooden box, over a dozen exquisite jade bottles were neatly arranged inside.

These were cultivation resources sent on time to him, the true Sect Master, by the current "Acting Sect Master" of the Demon Sound Sect, Sect Leader Fang Tianxing.

Since planting the Blood Seed in Sect Leader Fang Tianxing, this old fellow had been working diligently.

Not only did he manage the Demon Sound Sect in an orderly fashion, but he would also scour a large amount of Heaven And Earth Treasures every month and secretly send them into the capital.

All of them were great medicines that were hard to find even for a thousand gold on the market.

Hundred-Year Blood Ginseng, Purple Jade Lingzhi, Tianshan Snow Lotus—everything was there.

" Working for a sect， It's definitely much faster than painstakingly gathering resources on your own.."

This single basket of great medicines alone was worth several hundred years of his salary.

No wonder it was said that literature is for the poor while martial arts is for the rich; on this path of martial arts, if one's family background isn't thick, cultivation is truly restricted.

Chen Ran nodded in satisfaction.

He casually picked up a jade bottle and uncorked it.

A thick medicinal fragrance permeated the air; even a single whiff made one's blood surge.

Chen Ran didn't waste any words and directly poured the three dark red pills from the bottle into his mouth, chewing and swallowing them as if they were candy.

Boom!

The pills entered his stomach and turned into a massive and violent medicinal power, rampaging through his body.

If it were an ordinary Martial Artist who dared to take medicine like this, they would have exploded and died long ago.

But Chen Ran's Physical Body had been doubly reinforced by the Glazed Golden Body Art and the [Copper Skin] talent.

This bit of medicinal power wasn't even enough to tickle him.

"heavenly book of prison suppression, add points!"

With a thought, Chen Ran directly mobilized the cultivation power accumulated in his body and invested it into the recently acquired martial art.

[Consumed ten years of cultivation power, Heavenly Silk Puppet Technique has reached Major Achievement!]

Buzz!

Along with the frantic consumption of cultivation power, a massive amount of cultivation memories flooded into Chen Ran's mind.

Those were countless days and nights in dark secret rooms, conducting cruel experiments using living people, corpses, and Yao Beasts.

The Heavenly Silk Puppet Technique was originally an extremely sinister heterodox secret technique.

It used one's own True Qi as a guide to condense formless and substance-less "Heavenly Silk."

This Heavenly Silk was not only incredibly tough and difficult for swords to damage, but even more terrifyingly, it could directly pierce into the target's acupoints and nerves, forcibly seizing control of the body.

At the Major Achievement stage, the Heavenly Silk Puppet Technique could even turn a target into a compliant string puppet without them noticing.

Chen Ran opened his eyes.

He raised his right hand, his five fingers slightly spread.

Swish! Swish! Swish!

Accompanied by subtle sounds of breaking air, ten transparent silk threads, almost undetectable to the naked eye, shot out from his fingertips.

These threads shuttled flexibly through the air, like venomous snakes with lives of their own.

In the corner, a fat rat was poking its head around looking for food.

Chen Ran's fingers moved slightly.

A strand of Heavenly Silk silently pierced into the rat's neck.

The rat stiffened, and then it actually stood upright and performed a set of frantic punches quite decently.

Chen Ran smiled.

He suddenly retracted his fingers.

The ten strands of Heavenly Silk snapped taut, turning into ten sharp, invisible blades.

The rat, which was still throwing punches, didn't even let out a scream before it was sliced into dozens of uniform pieces of meat.

The cuts were as smooth as a mirror, and not a sound was made.

"Good stuff."

Chen Ran satisfiedly retracted the Heavenly Silk.

This thing was practically a god-tier skill for ambushing people.

Combined with his [Heavenly Net] perception, within a hundred-zhang radius, if anyone dared to harbor ill intentions toward him, they wouldn't even know how they died.

With the Major Achievement of the Heavenly Silk Puppet Technique, the True Qi in Chen Ran's body also ushered in a new round of explosive growth.

His cultivation, which had already reached the Middle Stage of the Rank 4 Aperture Condensation Realm, began to frantically impact the remaining acupoints in his body under the dual push of the massive medicinal power and the Breakthrough of the technique.

Thump! Thump! Thump!

A series of booms, like muffled thunder, resonated within Chen Ran's body.

Hidden acupoints were forcibly burst open, and the violent True Qi roared through his Meridians.

A faint golden light surfaced on his body; it was a sign of the Glazed Golden Body Art operating spontaneously.

His bones made a tooth-grinding friction sound, and muscle fibers were constantly tearing and reorganizing, becoming even tougher.

Half an hour later.

The rumbling gradually subsided.

Chen Ran let out a long breath and slowly finished his cultivation.

Late Stage of the Rank 4 Aperture Condensation Realm.

It had taken him more than a week to break through this Realm using slow, steady effort.

Feeling the power in his body that was several times stronger than before, Chen Ran clenched his fist, and a dull air explosion sounded.

Chen Ran narrowed his eyes.

Below the Rank 3 Return to Truth Realm, he was absolutely an invincible existence.

Even if he encountered someone who had just entered the Rank 3 Return to Truth Realm, he could hold his own.

"However, I still need to be steady."

"At least wait until I break through to the Return to Truth Realm next month."

Chen Ran quickly suppressed the swelling pride in his heart.

The waters of this world were very deep.

If nothing else, any of those old monsters imprisoned deep in the Celestial Prison, if picked out at random, would have been a ruthless character capable of stirring up the world in their prime.

For example,

The one in the deepest part of Jia Ward.

The Ancient Abandoned Cultivator, Shen Jixuan.

He was once a Rank 2 Innate Realm powerhouse.

Even though he had now fallen to the Peak of the Return to Truth Realm, he was still an extremely dangerous and terrifying existence.

Chen Ran recalled the scene outside the Jia Ward cell that day, when Shen Jixuan had merely emitted a trace of his aura and repelled the eunuch from the palace.

That sense of oppression that struck directly at the Soul remained fresh in his memory.

"Shen Jixuan."

Chen Ran rubbed his chin.

That old fellow specialized in the Divine Soul; he surely held many good things in his hands.

Previously, Chen Ran's strength was insufficient, so he didn't dare get too close, fearing he would be sabotaged by the old monster's Divine Soul secret techniques.

But at the rate of gaining one year of cultivation power per day, it wouldn't take a month.

He would then be able to break through to the Rank 3 Return to Truth Realm, his Divine Soul would undergo a transformation, and he would have the power to protect himself.

Then he could try to contact this Cultivator who specialized in the path of the Soul.

"No rush, take it slow."

"In any case, he's locked in the Celestial Prison and can't run away. Sooner or later, he'll be my experience..."