42: What a pleasant surprise!

In the simple courtyard, the stone house was tightly shut.

The tumultuous waves caused by Lin Jingyu's return and his declaration, "The demon lair is destroyed, the Ancient Demon is slain," could not penetrate the thin wooden door.

Inside the door, a world of its own.

Lin Jingyu sat cross-legged on the cold stone bed, like a sculpture cast from dark divine iron.

He did not rush to count his gains but instead immersed his mind in the minutest parts of his body, carefully experiencing the transformation brought by the Peak of Bone Forging Realm, ninth layer.

**Buzz!**

With a slight thought, a light blue screen, visible only to him, unfolded in the depths of his consciousness:

【Martial Arts Modification System - Status Panel】

host: Lin Jingyu

Realm: *Bone Forging Realm · Ninth Layer (Peak)*

**evolution points: 38750 points → (Newly Acquired: +36500 points!)**

**Core Cultivation Techniques:**

1. Indestructible Vajra Divine Art (Pinnacle) → 【Evolution Direction】: Star Body Tempering Method (Requirement: Tendon Changing Realm First Layer, 50000 evolution points)

2. Dragon Tendon Tiger Bone Art (Major Achievement) → 【Evolution Direction】: Primordial Unity Qi Art (Requirement: Marrow Cleansing Realm First Layer, 80000 evolution points)

3. Phantom Step (Major Achievement) → 【Evolution Direction】: Shrinking the Ground to an Inch (Requirement: Tendon Changing Realm Third Layer, 30000 evolution points)

Core Martial Skills:

1. Sky-Piercing Finger (Flawless) → 【Evolution Direction】: Star Shattering Finger (Requirement: Marrow Cleansing Realm First Layer, 35000 evolution points)

2. Great Strength Bull Demon Fist (Return to Simplicity)

Physical Body Status:

Bone Density: Dark Star Divine Iron Grade (Ultimate Tempering)

Blood Qi Intensity: Mercury-like flow, vigorous vitality (Contains faint Star Power)

Muscle Strength: Coiling Dragon-like, astonishing explosive power

Skin Defense: Indestructible golden light intrinsic, enhanced instinct for counter-shock and force redirection

"The Bone Forging Realm has reached its limit."

A cold glint of absolute control flashed in the depths of Lin Jingyu's golden pupils. "Thirty-six thousand five hundred points... This trip to the Rotting Bone Forest has yielded quite a harvest."

Slaying the Centuries-Old Great Demon was definitely the biggest chunk, with the Mountain Guardian Heavy Armored Demon, the Scarlet Nightmare Essence Blood Demon, and the numerous lesser demons cleared along the way providing solid replenishment.

With another thought, his System space opened.

First to be taken out was the core component of the Mountain Guardian Heavy Armored Demon—that massive tower shield, riddled with cracks yet still incredibly heavy.

The dark metal glowed faintly in the dim stone house, its surface still bearing dents and claw marks from violent impacts, subtly emanating a fierce, mountain-like aura unique to the Mountain Guardian Demon.

"Special material, contains earth vein essence... System, absorb!" Lin Jingyu gave the command without hesitation.

**Buzz!**

The tower shield's surface flashed with a faint glow, then rapidly lost its luster as if weathered, becoming dull and brittle.

A pure, dense energy, imbued with the aura of the earth, was stripped and devoured by the System.

【Ding! Absorbed "Mountain Guardian Heavy Armor Core (Damaged)", gained evolution points: 1500 points!】

The shield completely turned into ordinary iron, shattering into pieces on the ground.

Next was the essence left behind by the Scarlet Nightmare Essence Blood Demon—a fist-sized, crimson blood sac wrapped in a tough membrane.

It was warm to the touch, like a living, faintly pulsating heart, emitting a thick, nauseating bloody smell and pure life energy.

"Essence blood Origin, an excellent Material for Body Refining... but it's impure and contains demonic malevolence, useless to me. System, purify and absorb!" Lin Jingyu's voice was cold.

**Hiss!**

Under the System's mighty power, the membrane instantly dissolved, exposing the viscous, lava-like crimson essence blood. It emitted corrosive 'sizzling' sounds, attempting to resist. But the invisible System power enveloped, crushed, and purified it! The blood-red rapidly faded its demonic glow, becoming pure and fiery!

**【Ding! Purified and absorbed "Scarlet Nightmare Essence Blood Origin", gained evolution points: 3200 points!】**

Pure life energy merged into the System's reserves, and the demonic malevolence was completely erased.

"The Mountain Guardian Heavy Armored Demon and the Scarlet Nightmare Essence Blood Demon combined are only four thousand seven hundred points... The big prize is still to come." Lin Jingyu's gaze fell on the two truly valuable Items in the depths of the System space.

The first item was the only thing that survived the violent force after he punched and exploded the Centuries-Old Great Demon—a dark golden bone fragment, about the size of a palm and irregularly shaped!

The edges of the bone fragment were as sharp as a divine weapon, its surface naturally engraved with extremely complex and profound patterns, exuding an ancient, terrifying aura of vicissitude!

Just looking at it was like seeing a colossal demon, reaching to the heavens, roaring through the river of time!

"The Centuries-Old Great Demon's Natal Demon Bone Essence! Tempered by time and soaked in demonic power, it is no longer an ordinary object!" Golden light burst forth in Lin Jingyu's eyes. The value of this bone fragment far surpassed the Mountain Guardian Armor and Scarlet Nightmare Blood! "System, absorb!"

**Boom!**

The dark golden bone fragment vibrated violently, emitting an unwilling hum!

The complex natural demonic patterns on it suddenly lit up, and a phantom will, ancient, arrogant, and ferocious, burst out, transforming into a blurry, colossal demon phantom that roared silently at Lin Jingyu!

This was the Ancient Demon's last imprint remaining in its Natal Demon Bone!

"Hmph! Still daring to cause trouble even after death!" Lin Jingyu snorted coldly. His dark golden bones resonated, and his vast blood Qi surged like a roaring furnace!

A pure, domineering, and crushing Physical Body will fiercely met it!

**Pfft!**

Like boiling water on snow, the arrogant colossal demon phantom, under the impact of Lin Jingyu's pure and domineering Physical Body will, couldn't even last for a breath before instantly disintegrating! The light on the dark golden bone fragment rapidly dimmed.

【Ding! Absorbed "Centuries-Old Great Demon Natal Demon Bone Essence (Contains faint ancient demonic patterns)", gained evolution points: 18500 points!】

A vast, pure, and immense energy, imbued with the characteristics of time's precipitation and toughness, was devoured by the System.

"Eighteen thousand five hundred points! Worthy of being an Ancient Demon that lorded over the Rotting Bone Forest for centuries!" Even with Lin Jingyu's iron will, he felt a surge of excitement. Coupled with what he had obtained before, the total evolution points had surpassed sixty thousand!

Finally, his gaze locked onto a corner of the System space—a perfectly round, egg-sized black crystal, its color like the deepest night sky.

The crystal's surface was incredibly smooth, yet inside, countless miniature nebulae seemed to slowly rotate and collapse, emitting a strange aura that made one's Soul tremble, cold and desolate yet containing immense energy!

**Demon Core!**

The core crystallization of the Centuries-Old Great Demon's demonic power essence and life Origin!

"An unexpected delight..." Lin Jingyu took it out and held it in his palm. It was chillingly cold to the touch, yet it felt like holding a miniature star about to explode, heavier than imaginable!

Strands of extremely pure energy tried to penetrate his tough skin but were easily blocked by the surging blood Qi within him.

"System, analyze this item!"

**【Analyzing...】**

Item: Demon Core (Centuries-Old · Rotting Bone Ancient Demon)

Quality: Medium Grade

Energy Attributes: Yin Evil, Star (Faint), Life (Impure), Resentment (Residual)

Contained Energy Intensity: Extremely High (Approximately equivalent to 50000 evolution points)

Convertible Absorption Rate: Approximately 80% (Requires deep System purification)

Special Status: Contains faint "Ancient Demon Beacon" aura (Trackable)**

---

"Fifty thousand points!" Lin Jingyu's eyes gleamed intensely! The energy contained in this Demon Core was almost equivalent to all his other gains from this trip! More importantly, the "Star (Faint)" attribute notation made his heart stir.

"The Star Body Tempering Method... precisely requires drawing upon Star Power to temper oneself! This Demon Core's faint Star attribute, perhaps..." A thought rapidly formed in his mind.

Directly absorbing it for evolution points would certainly lead to quick advancement, but if he could utilize its Star attribute in conjunction with the upcoming evolution of the Star Body Tempering Method, would it produce unexpected effects?

"Ancient Demon Beacon aura... trackable?" Lin Jingyu's eyes instantly turned cold, like ten thousand years of ice.

This was like imprinting an invisible mark on prey, making it easier for more powerful predators to track! "Hmph, dead and still trying to cause trouble? System, can this beacon aura be completely erased?"

【Requires consumption of evolution points: 500 points, can completely purify and erase the residual "Ancient Demon Beacon" and impure resentment, retaining pure energy and Star attributes. Execute?】

"Execute!" Lin Jingyu did not hesitate.

Five hundred evolution points for the complete removal of a safety hazard was worth it!

He didn't want to be disturbed by some "Ancient Demon relatives" tracking the beacon during the critical moment of his Breakthrough to the Tendon Changing Realm.

【Purification begins... Consuming evolution points: 500 points!】

The pitch-black Demon Core in his palm trembled slightly, its deep black surface seeming to shed an invisible layer of grime, becoming purer and more translucent.

The miniature nebulae rotating within seemed to brighten a little, and the uncomfortable resentment and the faint sense of the "beacon" completely vanished, leaving only pure, vast energy and that faint but real Star aura.

"Very good." Lin Jingyu contentedly put the purified Demon Core back into the System space, not absorbing it for now.

He needed an absolutely safe environment to attempt to use this Demon Core to impact the Star Body Tempering Method!

Just as he was about to close his eyes and meditate, consolidating his current Realm and preparing for the Breakthrough to the Tendon Changing Realm—

**Bang! Bang! Bang!**

The simple wooden door of the small courtyard rattled violently from urgent, panicked knocking!

"Lord Lin! Lord Lin! This is bad! Something has happened at the City Lord's Mansion! City Lord... City Lord asks that you please proceed to the deliberation hall immediately!" Outside the door, Zhao Tianhao's subordinate, a young soldier, shrieked, out of breath and on the verge of tears, his voice filled with extreme fear and despair!

"Something happened?" Lin Jingyu frowned slightly, a hint of displeasure rising from his interrupted thoughts. He had just pacified the greatest threat in the frontier; who would be so reckless as to cause trouble now?

The soldier's voice suddenly rose, filled with hysterical terror:

"It's... it's the Li family! That old scoundrel Li Yuankun! He... he used some evil method! He... he resurrected the resentment of the Scarlet Nightmare Essence Blood Demon you killed! It's rampaging through the City Lord's Mansion! Many... many brothers have already died! The City Lord is also about to collapse!"

The resentment of the Scarlet Nightmare Essence Blood Demon... resurrected?

Li Yuankun?!

A bone-chilling killing intent, like a tangible cold current, instantly permeated from the cracks in the stone house door, making the soldier reporting outside feel as if he had fallen into an ice cellar, his teeth chattering, the rest of his words choked back!

Inside the stone house.

Lin Jingyu slowly opened his eyes.

In the depths of his golden pupils, there was no anger, only an indifference that froze all things, and... a cold annoyance at being provoked by an ant.

He stood up.

His burly physique stretched, bones emitting faint, crisp sounds like metal clashing.

Beneath his dark golden skin, his knotted muscle fibers slowly writhed like awakened primordial Dragon Pythons, accumulating terrifying power capable of tearing apart mountains.

"The Li family... Li Yuankun..." A low voice echoed in the stone house, carrying a Soul-freezing chill. "I intended to let you live a few more days... Since you're so eager to die..."

He took a step forward.

He did not use Phantom Step.

Only the pure explosive power of his Physical Body!

**Rumble!**

The hard stone slab beneath his foot exploded like tofu, spiderweb-like cracks instantly spreading across the entire stone house floor!

A violent wave of Qi burst forth from him, and the simple stone house trembled, its walls shaking, dust falling, as if struck by an invisible giant hammer!

"Then... I shall grant your wish."

Lin Jingyu's figure, carrying a terrifying, crushing pressure, pushed open the creaking wooden door. The dazzling light from outside poured in, but it could not illuminate the bottomless, cold killing intent in his eyes.

City Lord's Mansion?

Scarlet Nightmare Resentment?

Li Yuankun's sinister scheme?

Before his absolute power, they were merely the clamor of ants, all of which could be shattered with a single punch!