NOVPUB
Chapter 51: Chapter 51: The Strength of 8000 Jin!
"Arrogant!"
"Such boastful words! Today, your blood will spill within five steps!"
Upon hearing Luo Cheng’s remark, the trio of hat-wearing swordmasters had killing intent surge in their gazes, attacking simultaneously.
Luo Cheng sneered, stepped forward with his left foot, and his sword flickered rapidly in the void!
"Cloud Stabilization!"
Slash! Slash!
Blood light exploded, and the two men charging in front were instantly bisected at the waist before they could even react, their innards scattering across the ground.
Only the hat-wearing swordsman reacted the fastest, blocking the fatal strike by positioning his blade horizontally, but the impact forced him back five or six steps before he could stabilize his stance.
"What!"
The hat-wearing swordsman’s eyes widened with shock. Those two companions of his—both at the First Layer of Transcendence Realm—had been slain with just one strike!
As a martial artist in the Third Layer of Transcendence Realm, even he nearly lost grip of his weapon in that exchange.
"You’re merely at the Second Layer of Transcendence Realm—how do you possess such immense power?"
The hat-wearing swordsman’s disbelief was palpable.
"Die!"
Luo Cheng dismissed the need for words, sliding forward and throwing a powerful punch.
"Get lost!"
The hat-wearing swordsman’s eyes bulged with fury as he unleashed his Martial Soul, striking downwards with his blade in a ferocious arc.
The punch collided with the blade, emitting a metallic clang. The tremendous force from the strike caused the hat-wearing swordsman to stagger backward, leaving his defenses wide open.
Slash!
The sword light flashed, and the tip of Luo Cheng’s sword emerged from the back of the swordsman’s neck.
A typical martial artist in the Third Layer of Transcendence Realm possesses the strength of one tiger, equivalent to five thousand pounds!
Since cultivating the True Dragon Technique, Luo Cheng’s strength had reached at least six thousand pounds, and coupled with the Heavenly Fall Four Forms, slaying a Third Layer Transcendence martial artist had become effortless for him.
After dispatching all four enemies, Luo Cheng saw no one around. He immediately sat cross-legged, releasing his Martial Soul to begin absorbing power.
Among the four slain, the hat-wearing swordsman possessed the highest Martial Soul Grade as a Four-Star Martial Soul, while the other three were Three-Star Martial Souls.
Boom!
The moment Luo Cheng absorbed their Martial Souls, an overwhelming surge of Essence Qi flooded into his body, rushing through him like a raging river, nourishing his flesh.
Suddenly, Luo Cheng felt a tingling sensation radiate from his chest as his internal organs trembled slightly.
Moments later, Luo Cheng opened his eyes with a gleam of excitement on his face.
The Third Layer of Transcendence Realm—strengthening the internal organs, fortifying them as iron!
The sensation he experienced had unmistakably been Essence Energy moving into his internal organs.
In other words, Luo Cheng was only one step away from the Third Layer of Transcendence Realm!
"The Essence Qi of Transcendence Realm martial artists truly is remarkable!"
Luo Cheng couldn’t help expressing regret. Thinking back to the Lin Family experts he had killed in Qishan City...
If he had absorbed all their Martial Souls, he might have already broken through to the Third Layer of Transcendence Realm.
Shaking his head, Luo Cheng began collecting the belongings of the four slain adversaries.
The four had substantial assets, totaling nearly one million.
This brought Luo Cheng’s wealth to nearly five million in Gold Notes—certainly enough to qualify as a fortune.
"Time to buy some spiritual medicine in Linjiang City to break through to the Third Layer of Transcendence Realm. I also need a new sword."
Though the current sword was of decent quality, it fell short of being a star-level treasure. Under Luo Cheng’s immense strength, small cracks had already begun to form on the blade.
Raising his gaze upward, Luo Cheng looked at the azure sky, his eyes narrowing slightly.
"The top ten Outer Sect disciples of the Fierce Cloud Sect? Just wait—I won’t be far behind!"
Taking a deep breath, Luo Cheng packed up his belongings and set off.
By dusk, a massive city appeared within Luo Cheng’s view.
The city was majestic, far surpassing Qishan City in size—at least ten times larger. To the left lay a vast, mist-covered river. The glow of the western sunset illuminated the characters "Linjiang City" on the city gate, making them shine brilliantly.
Streams of people from all directions flowed into the city: some riding terrifying flying creatures, others manning gold-plated carriages, dressed grandly with spirited horses. Occasionally, figures could be seen soaring through the air.
"So many powerful individuals!"
Luo Cheng’s eyes reflected astonishment.
Those capable of flying through the air likely belonged to the Awakening Vein Realm—a rare sight in Qishan City, perhaps seen only once in a year.
Following the crowd, Luo Cheng arrived at the city gates.
At the gates stood two rows of armored guards, collecting entrance fees—one silver piece per person!
Observing the bustling throng, Luo Cheng pursed his lips.
One silver per person—this entrance fee alone might rival the annual earnings of Qishan City’s three major families.
The city interior was incredibly vibrant. Streets paved with blue stone stretched wide enough to accommodate ten carriages side by side. High-rising buildings flanked the roads, bustling with people in flowing streams.
Luo Cheng wandered the city, eventually hearing that every fifteenth of the month, Xuanyuan Sect dispatches ferries to transport disciples for sect trials.
Today was the thirteenth, leaving two days until the fifteenth.
As night fell, Luo Cheng found an inn and settled in.
Ordering a table full of food and drinks, Luo Cheng dined while listening to conversations among the martial travelers around him.
By chance, Luo Cheng heard a familiar name.
Yun Mengli!
"Have you heard? Xuanyuan Sect’s core disciple Yun Mengli will challenge Yuan Qingying—one of Xuanyuan Sect’s top ten true disciples—on Wind Rock Island this fifteenth!"
"Challenge one of the top ten true disciples? Is this real? Yun Mengli only became a core disciple less than two years ago!"
"I heard it from an Inner Sect disciple of Xuanyuan Sect—it’s absolutely true! It’s said the two have even wagered a treasure over the match."
"A prodigy of heaven! If Yun Mengli wins this match, she’ll become the youngest true disciple in Xuanyuan Sect’s history, with limitless potential ahead!"
"It won’t be that easy. Yuan Qingying’s strength is formidable, having awakened a Nine-star Martial Soul and long since entered the Awakening Vein Realm. I believe Yun Mengli will surely lose this time."
Listening to the chatter around him, Luo Cheng was visibly surprised.
He hadn’t expected Yun Mengli to challenge a true disciple.
After all, in any sect, true disciples possess extraordinary strength, standing atop the clouds, their status above even regular elders.
For a moment, Luo Cheng’s blood burned with excitement.
He, too, wanted to compete against these chosen few!
After finishing his food, Luo Cheng decided to visit Lingyun Pavilion tomorrow to purchase spiritual medicine. no𝚟𝚙u𝚋.c𝚘m
Returning to his room, Luo Cheng began practicing the True Dragon Technique.
As soon as he started cultivating, Luo Cheng felt a distinct difference.
With the technique in motion, resounding dragon roars reverberated straight to his soul, and the Essence Energy Vortex in his Dantian spun significantly faster than before.
"What’s going on?"
Feeling a tinge of astonishment, Luo Cheng found no abnormalities and continued cultivating.
Soon, the night passed.
Morning.
Roar!
A resounding dragon cry emanated from Luo Cheng’s Dantian as the rapidly spinning Essence Energy Vortex briefly stalled. A stream of energy condensed from it, like a transparent ribbon appearing in a pond!
"This is... Dragon Energy!"
Seeing the arc of energy, Luo Cheng’s face lit up with joy.
The dormant True Dragon Technique had finally stirred once more!
Condensing Dragon Energy signified he had touched upon the threshold of mastering the True Dragon Technique!
"How could this progress be so smooth? Could it be due to absorbing Martial Souls?"
Luo Cheng quickly recalled the four Transcendence Realm martial artists he had absorbed the previous day.
It seemed absorbing Martial Souls held great benefits for cultivating the True Dragon Technique!
Standing up, Luo Cheng casually threw a punch.
Boom!
The air itself seemed to explode under the strike, and a gust of wind swept through the room.
"Such powerful strength!"
A flicker of astonishment appeared in Luo Cheng’s eyes.
That punch alone seemed to carry nearly eight thousand pounds of force—enough to crush a martial artist in the Third Layer of Transcendence Realm with ease!
