Becoming a saint begins with apprenticing under the last martial arts champion.

Upon hearing his subordinate's words, the high priest recalled the events that had occurred at the village port half a month prior.

Not only was one of the demonic fish they bred slaughtered.

Furthermore, a junior martial artist he recruited, along with about ten of his men, also disappeared.

A single event may be an accident.

But the simultaneous occurrence of multiple unexpected events seemed like an inevitable outcome.

The high priest took a deep breath: "Investigate!"

"Follow this lead!"

"Let's combine the information about the demon fish and the Tiger Head Gang to investigate further."

"Regardless, this matter involves the descent of an evil god; we must seize this opportunity! Everyone, all followers, mobilize!"

His words were full of authority and contained an invisible sense of oppression.

The remaining eleven Dharma protectors responded in unison, and soon after, they departed one after another.

Looking at the once-silent chamber, the high priest's eyes were filled with rolling blood.

This is bound to succeed; no one can stop it.

Foreigners won't do either!

That's what he said.

……

……

Lu Changqing left the water and came up from a secluded riverbank, cautiously turning back towards Pig Cage Village.

It was confirmed that no one was following.

They quickly returned to the courtyard.

About half an hour later, listening to the barking of wild dogs and the cawing of wild cats in Pig Cage Alley, he finally felt completely relieved.

Previously, I only knew the general plan of the Umbrella Cult, but I didn't have any real contact with them in normal times.

At most, he had some contact with the Tiger Head Gang.

But tonight, after encountering an underwater sacrificial ceremony of the Umbrella Cult and seeing the corpses of so many young children, as well as the corpses of the elderly and adults, I was deeply moved.

Lu Changqing finally understood: that group's plan had never stopped!

Danger is all around us!

I still need to strive to become stronger...

You still need to be strict with yourself in martial arts training and keep improving!

A doubt also arose in Lu Changqing's mind:

With the Tiger Head Gang members disappearing, will the Umbrella Church suspect them?

After a brief moment of contemplation, judging from the fact that the Umbrella Cult had still carried out the sacrificial ritual, they didn't suspect him for the time being.

Otherwise, they will definitely take action against themselves during this period.

But if that's the case, then which group was secretly watching me outside the city walls that night?

Are they foreigners?

After thinking for a moment, Lu Changqing still couldn't figure it out.

But in any case, there is only one way to resolve this chaotic environment and the hidden crisis: practice martial arts and become stronger!

Immediately, Lu Changqing began to choose the evolutionary talent after killing the alien demon.

After so much time had passed, he had made up his mind: option three, gloomy and cold.

Conceal your presence and become a seemingly inconspicuous but deadly blade ready to strike at any moment.

Choosing option three does not mean that the first two options are bad.

The cold and gloomy atmosphere suited him better.

If his fighting style, family background, and resources are all sufficiently strong, it's impossible for anyone to attack him.

This will allow him to cultivate smoothly all the way to the peak!

Lu Changqing would definitely choose to focus on blood loss for a more exhilarating combat experience!

Or perhaps he has many enemies and always needs to face groups of foes.

He would then definitely choose extreme evil to launch a wide-ranging attack.

However, the current situation is not like that.

In addition, his enemies were all hiding in the shadows.

The ability to double speed and power in five minutes is absolutely crucial when facing an enemy who may launch a surprise attack at any moment.

It might even allow him to escape from a desperate situation at some crucial moment!

The only thing that puzzled him was the description of the shark demon in the Tai Chi diagram: "an alien demon from beyond the realm."

What does this mean?

Are they not demons from the Central Plains, or do they mean... not from this world?

Despite his doubts, Lu Changqing did not hesitate any longer and immediately chose the Three Yin Cold.

At the moment he made his choice, the Tai Chi symbol in his mind began to spin rapidly.

The two demonic souls within the black energy portion stared at each other.

The shark, which seemed to be breathing fishy stench, slowly opened its mouth, which was filled with tiny, sharp teeth.

Meanwhile, another equally terrifying fish, with a lantern on its forehead, slid slowly into the shark's mouth as if it were doing so willingly.

With a silent chewing motion, the black shark's soul solidified and seemed to grow even larger.

Just then, ink-black characters caught Lu Changqing's eye: [Control Water → Yin Water]

The moment his talent shifted, Lu Changqing felt a chill emanating from the depths of his body.

It was as if nothing had changed, yet it was also as if he himself had undergone a complete transformation.

As Lu Changqing held his breath and focused, he stood inconspicuously in the courtyard under the moonlight.

If an ordinary person doesn't look closely, he'll seem like air, as if he doesn't exist.

Regarding the concealment of one's aura, further verification is needed.

But he can feel the doubling of his strength and speed right now!

The next moment, Lu Changqing chose to actively activate the talent effect.

In an instant, an indescribable force surged from his heart throughout his body.

He was already 1.8 meters tall, but started to grow taller.

It was as if the bones had become harder.

My forearms, thighs, shoulders, and elbows have all become more than two sizes bigger!

He transformed from a slender young man into a giant as tall as a tower!

Power surged through his entire body; he clenched his fist and unleashed a powerful punch.

With a "whoosh," the air seemed to be broken and torn apart by him.

He casually bent down, activated the Arhat Subduing Demon Palm, and transformed his five fingers from a fist into a claw, grabbing at the ground with a casual gesture!

"Clang!" Five deep claw marks, each three or four centimeters long, were revealed.

It was so easy, so very easy, like cutting tofu with a hot knife. Lu Changqing didn't even feel like he was using any force.

Then he used the Hundred-Foot Soaring Step to turn back on the spot.

In an instant, afterimages appeared under the moonlight, like ghosts.

After a brief test of his abilities, Lu Changqing took a deep breath, his face full of excitement.

Doubled power and speed are indeed formidable!

Given his current strength, even without going into the water, it would be no difficult for him to fight against ordinary three-stage cultivators.

As for the fourth refinement...

He had never faced this before, so he couldn't make a decision.

But one thing is certain: with this trump card, even if they are no match for a fourth-level cultivator, escaping will not be difficult.

Cool!

Lu Changqing thought to himself, "This is a deep sigh."

He's only at the second level of cultivation now. If he waits until he's at the third or fourth level, or even reaches the level of breaking through barriers and entering the realm, or even reaches the level of Liu Bai!

If this talent is unlocked again, wouldn't I truly be invincible?

Thinking about the future, Lu Changqing felt his blood boil and his spirits soar!

He couldn't wait to continue his arduous cultivation and reach Liu Bai's level as soon as possible!

In the courtyard, only Lu Changqing's soft breathing could be heard.

Five minutes later, the active effect of the talent ended, and Lu Changqing felt a sense of weakness in his body.

It's not a side effect, but rather a sense of loss after experiencing power followed by weakness.

As described, the active effects of the talent do indeed have no side effects.

With only a one-hour cooldown, it has almost no impact on him.

However, there is one drawback: it consumes physical energy.

Just like controlling water flow underwater, active talents also require stamina.

Based on his current perception, he can use this active effect three times in a row without rest.

After three times, he insisted on calming down and getting some rest.

Otherwise, you might get so tired that you can't even lift your fingers.

Of course, this is an extreme case.

If you encounter an enemy normally and cannot defeat them after using the active effect of the talent, then there is basically no chance of using it a second time.

Looking at the sky, which had completely darkened, Lu Changqing composed himself and returned to his room to rest.

What he saw and heard in the water tonight made him realize even more how harsh his environment was.

Although trouble hasn't come his way yet, danger is always lurking around him.

For safety and for a better life, he must work hard to learn martial arts!

And the body of water where the Umbrella Cult performed sacrifices, Lu Changqing…

We should definitely give it a shot!