Chapter 206 Testing the Waters at Night

【Infusion continuing...】

On the panel, the remaining forty-two years of Lifespan began to jump frantically, like a rapidly burning fuse, plunging without hesitation into the bottomless pit of the Cultivation Technique infusion.

Ten years, twenty years, thirty years...

Each year of Lifespan invested felt like a piece being forcibly gouged out of his life.

Thirty-seven years, thirty-eight years!

【Remaining Lifespan: Four years】

When the numbers finally settled, Chen Mu only felt an indescribable coldness emanating from the depths of his Soul, as if something vital had been extracted, leaving behind only a shell barely functioning.

But it was at this very moment of burning his bridges.

【Year 11,082, death leads to life! In the desperate situation where his Origin Lifespan was nearly exhausted, the final half-percent of ordinary Protective Aura within his body finally let out an unbearable moan. The Calamity power, like a shark smelling blood, surged with a hundred times the ferocity of before, breaking through the final barrier in one go!】

Instantly, all pain reached its peak, and then completely faded away.

Replacing it was a brand new, agile power, flowing ceaselessly through his limbs and bones, every inch of flesh, and every thread of his Meridians.

Dark golden light seeped uncontrollably from the pores on his skin, illuminating the corner of the barracks in a hazy glow.

The light was not dazzling; instead, it carried an ancient texture. The air around him began to distort and faintly hum, before returning to normal.

Feng Qing opened his eyes in confusion and looked back, but found nothing. Chen Mu was still sitting cross-legged, everything as usual.

【Infusion successful! Hunyuan Wuji Calamity Body, second level "Unification of Calamity and Astral Qi", Perfection!】

【Physical Body Foundation, Meridian strength, Protective Aura quality, and Divine Soul resilience have undergone comprehensive qualitative change and sublimation. Current physique strength can withstand ordinary Profound Rank Low Grade Magic Treasure without damage. Hunyuan Calamity Astral Qi possesses both the destruction of "Calamity" and the protection of "Astral Qi", significantly increasing resistance to evil and Divine Soul attacks, and optimizing Protective Aura consumption efficiency by three times.】

It's done! Chen Mu opened his eyes abruptly.

In an instant, everything in the barracks became clearer than ever before in his eyes.

The trembling of a spider web in the corner, the faint changes in airflow as Lu Dachuan breathed, the lingering scent of grease on Feng Qing's fingertips—all these subtle perceptions flooded into his Sea of Consciousness, and were instantly organized and sorted out.

He had succeeded, but the cost was that his plundered Lifespan was reduced to zero, with only four years of his original Lifespan remaining.

But at least he was qualified to look at that gambling table now.

He desperately needed a hearty slaughter, needed a massive amount of Lifespan to fill the life that had been almost hollowed out, and to break through to that unknown third level.

Chen Mu rose silently, his movements light, not stirring a sound of wind.

Zhuifeng stood up immediately, looking at Chen Mu longingly. Chen Mu stroked its head, passing a wisp of dark golden Qi through his fingertips. Zhuifeng squinted its eyes comfortably, rubbed against his hand, and then obediently crawled back into its nest, seemingly understanding its master's intent.

The night was deep, and snoring rose and fell in the barracks. Chen Mu flashed out of the door like a ghost, blending into the darkness outside without disturbing anyone, heading straight toward the drill ground.

The drill ground late at night was vast and desolate. The shouting and clashing of weapons from the day's drills had long since faded, leaving only the tireless chirping of cicadas.

Chen Mu chose the most remote corner, near the wall, where the ground was uneven and rarely visited.

He stood still, closed his eyes, and breathed slowly. The Hunyuan Calamity Astral Qi within his body circulated spontaneously, with dark golden light shimmering beneath his skin, not showing on the surface. He did not need to draw his blade, nor did he need to practice any Move; he simply gathered his power into his fist and delivered a flat punch into the Void Realm ahead.

There was no sound of breaking wind, no leakage of Protective Aura—just a simple punch. A pale golden palm print flew out, accurately striking a bluestone half-buried in the earth in the distance.

"Puff!"

With a muffled thud, the fist print sank into the bluestone. Immediately after, cracks appeared on the surface of the stone, spreading outward from the center. In the blink of an eye, they covered the stone, and then with a crash, it shattered into a pile of rubble.

Chen Mu slowly withdrew his fist, looking at his hand.

He had only used thirty percent of his strength for this strike.

Before the battle at Shi Town, he might have been able to shatter the stone with an all-out effort, but he could never have done it with such ease, nor could he have controlled his power so concisely and concentratedly, without any waste.

This was the qualitative change after the Perfection of Unification of Calamity and Astral Qi.

With a thought, he quietly executed the Divine Void Step. His physical form hadn't moved, but he left an afterimage behind, while his true self was already ten zhang away. The afterimage lasted for a full breath before slowly dissipating.

Speed burst, endurance, overall improvement.

Just as Chen Mu was immersed in his new power, a slender figure approached the drill ground silently.

"Good fist technique, good movement technique!"

A crisp voice suddenly came from behind him to the side. Chen Mu's heart tightened slightly, and he turned around.

With his current perception, he hadn't detected anyone approaching in advance.

Shen Suning was standing ten paces away, still wearing that pale green Confucian dress, covered by a thin black cloak. She held a lantern, and the dim candlelight illuminated her delicate face. There was no surprise in her eyes, only a calm appreciation.

"Miss Shen."

Chen Mu restrained his Qi, and the dark golden light completely vanished.

"I am on duty today. While patrolling nearby, I heard some unusual movements, so I came to check."

Shen Suning walked forward. The candlelight elongated their shadows, intertwining them. Her gaze swept over the shattered bluestone, then landed on Chen Mu's face.

"I didn't expect it to be you, Chen Mu. With this level of cultivation, I'm afraid you were hiding your true strength back at Shi Town."

Her tone was not one of questioning, but more like a statement.

Chen Mu was noncommittal.

"I have gained a little something."

Shen Suning smiled lightly.

"To be able to trigger Protective Aura and disturb the atmosphere of a region with just 'a little something'—this word 'little' is perhaps too modest."

She paused, the look of appreciation in her eyes deepening.

"However, this is good. Hiding some skills in a place like this means you will live longer."

The two were silent for a moment, standing there. Shen Suning did not seem in a hurry to leave. She hung her lantern on a piece of rotten wood nearby, stepped closer, and looked up at the stars in the sky.

"The night sky of the Prefecture and the county town below look... they don't seem any different."

She said softly, suddenly.

Chen Mu looked in the direction of her gaze and said slowly.

"The sky is the same."

"That's right, the sky is the same, and the land is the same. It's just that the demons are stronger, and people's hearts are more complex."

Shen Suning turned her head, the lamplight casting shadows on her profile.

"Chen Mu, you come from Yunmeng. How do you find this place?"

"There are more demons." Chen Mu was concise.

Shen Suning suddenly burst into laughter.

"That is truly your style. But that is correct—there are more demons, and they are fiercer. Those seven snakes at Shi Town were just an appetizer. The real tough nut, like the one in the south... that is the man-eating tiger."

She mentioned the south, obviously aware of the rumors about the Burning Heaven Demon King.

Chen Mu's eyes flickered slightly.

"How much do you know?"

"Not much. I only know that Thousand-Household Liao has personally called for generals, the elite of the Demon Hunting Division have all been dispatched, and the Demon Search Division and Medicine Demon Division are all working around the clock."

Shen Suning's tone was calm, but there was a faint trace of worry hidden deep in her eyes.

"But that is a slaughter on another level. For us in Team C, it is enough to do our own jobs well. Only by staying alive can we see tomorrow's sun."