40: Chapter 40 Countdown

Three months—it was neither long nor short. Chen Yuanji confined himself to the seclusion room, barely stepping out except for necessary meals and rest. He consumed a vast amount of resources from the Demon Emperor Palace: qi and blood pills, Body Tempering Liquids, and Yao Beast essence blood—he applied for anything that could aid his Cultivation. Granny Hu was not stingy and gave him whatever he asked for, even taking out a Grade Five "Dragon Blood Pill" from the Demon Emperor Palace's treasury, which was said to increase the intensity of one's qi and blood several times over.

"There is only one Dragon Blood Pill, originally intended for Xiao Hu when her Bloodline underwent Awakening," Granny Hu said as she handed him the Medicinal Pill. "But you need it more right now."

Chen Yuanji took the Medicinal Pill without saying thank you. Some favors could not be repaid with a mere word. The walls of the seclusion room were covered in tally marks, each stroke representing a day—three months, ninety days, ninety strokes.

During the first month, he increased his bone density to ten times that of an average person. His weight surged from a hundred and fifty jin to three hundred jin, and every inch of his bone became like refined steel, leaving not even a mark when struck by ordinary swords. His strength tripled; with a single punch, his Protective Aura condensed into a solid Fist-aura that could shatter a thousand-jin boulder from thirty feet away. He had reached the Gang Energy Late Stage!

In the second month, he began to compress his Protective Aura. While his Protective Aura at the Gang Energy Late Stage was already substantial, it wasn't condensed enough. At the true Gang Energy Peak, the Protective Aura should achieve a "balance of hardness and softness," being as hard as refined steel yet as soft as silk. When hard, it could block a full-strength strike from the Void-Piercing Realm; when soft, it could entwine an opponent like threads, making it impossible for them to break free. He combined the "Soft Body Chapter" from the Heavenly Demon Body Refining Art with the "Entwining Force" of Guoshu to create a brand-new way of utilizing Protective Aura—"Wrapping Aura." The Wrapping Aura was like silk; once it touched the body, it was like a maggot in the bone—impossible to shake off or break free from. This was the prototype of the Gang Energy Peak!

In the third month, he consumed the Dragon Blood Pill. The moment the Medicinal Pill entered his stomach, an earth-shattering power exploded within him. His qi and blood surged through his Meridians like boiling lava, his bones creaked, and his fascia grew frantically. His body strengthened at a visible rate, and fine golden patterns appeared on the surface of his skin—a sign that his Protective Aura had condensed into a physical form on his body. He had reached the Gang Energy Peak!

"It's still not enough."

Chen Yuanji gritted his teeth and pushed his inner core to spin frantically, absorbing all the medicinal power of the Dragon Blood Pill. The golden inner core in his Dantian expanded rapidly, growing from the size of a fist to the size of a head, filling his Dantian to the brim. He had reached the Gang Energy Peak Perfection.

Half-Step Divine Realm! He opened his eyes, and the air in the seclusion room trembled. An invisible pressure radiated from him, causing the runes on the walls to flicker violently. The Soundproofing Array and the Yuan Gathering Array simultaneously emitted a piercing hum, as if they could not withstand this power.

"Bang!" The door to the seclusion room was blown open, sending stone fragments flying. Chen Yuanji stood up and walked out. His steps were light, yet each one left a shallow footprint on the ground. This was not due to his weight, but because his Protective Aura was so strong that the stone slabs beneath his feet were automatically shattered.

The Yao guards stationed at the entrance turned pale upon seeing him and immediately ran. "Granny Hu! Elder Chen has emerged from seclusion!"

In the main hall of the Demon Emperor Palace, Granny Hu sat in the primary seat with an hourglass before her. The sand in the hourglass had almost run out, with only a thin layer remaining.

"Three months, the final day," she murmured.

When Chen Yuanji walked into the main hall, Granny Hu looked up, a flash of shock crossing her clouded old eyes. "You..." She couldn't finish her sentence. The Chen Yuanji before her was a completely different person from the one she had seen three months ago. It wasn't that his appearance had changed, but his temperament had. His gaze was as calm as a deep pond, but hidden within its depths was a heart-palpitating power, like a dormant volcano that could erupt at any moment.

"Gang Energy Peak?" Granny Hu asked.

"Half-Step Divine Realm," Chen Yuanji replied.

Granny Hu gasped. The God Realm was the ultimate Realm of Internal Family Boxing. In Chen Yuanji's previous life, he had spent his entire existence without even touching that threshold; in this life, he finally stood before its gates.

"Can you defeat Zhou Xuanji?"

"I don't know," Chen Yuanji spoke truthfully. "But I can try."

Granny Hu was silent for a moment before pulling an emergency transmission Jade Slip from her robes and handing it to Chen Yuanji. "This is the Demon Emperor Palace's emergency transmission Jade Slip. If you cannot win, crush it, and the Demon Emperor Palace will send someone to retrieve you."

Chen Yuanji took the Jade Slip and tucked it into his robes. "Where are Xiao Hu and Lu Yao?"

"They are in the backyard of the Demon Emperor Palace; they are safe." Granny Hu looked at him. "Do you want to see them?"

Chen Yuanji thought for a moment and shook his head. "If I see them, I won't be able to leave."

He turned and walked out of the main hall. Behind him, Granny Hu's voice drifted out: "Chen Yuanji, come back alive." He didn't look back, merely waving his hand. At the entrance of the Yaofeng Pavilion, Shen Wuchang sat on the steps drinking wine. His injuries had mostly healed; he could move his left arm, and his right leg was no longer lame.

"Kid, you're leaving?"

"I'm leaving."

Shen Wuchang stood up and handed the wine flask to Chen Yuanji. "Take a drink for your journey."

Chen Yuanji took the flask and took a large gulp. The wine was strong, cutting into his stomach like a blade, but his expression remained unchanged. "Elder Shen, I leave Xiao Hu and Lu Yao in your care."

"Don't worry." Shen Wuchang patted his shoulder. "While this old man might not be able to defeat Zhou Xuanji, protecting two little girls is no problem."

Chen Yuanji nodded, returned the wine flask, and turned toward the city gate. Niu Dali was standing there, holding the reins of a Wuzhui Horse. "Your horse has been fed for three months; it's grown a circle fatter."

Chen Yuanji took the reins and vaulted onto the horse. "Niu Dali, aren't you going back to the Heavenly Bull Tribe?"

"I'm not going back." Niu Dali grinned. "I'm doing fine in Heavenly Demon City. There's wine to drink and fights to be had. When you return, I'll buy you a drink."

"Alright." Chen Yuanji squeezed the horse's flanks, and the Wuzhui Horse let out a neigh before charging out of the city gate, galloping toward the Mist Forest. Behind him, the outline of Heavenly Demon City grew smaller and smaller until it finally vanished over the horizon.

Ahead, the thick fog of the Mist Forest rolled slowly in the morning light like a slumbering giant, waiting for his arrival. Zhou Xuanji! Three months ago, he had said he would give Chen Yuanji three months; today, three months later, was the final deadline.

Chen Yuanji did not wait for him to come; instead, he took the initiative to find him, because he didn't want to run anymore. It was time to face him head-on!