Martial Arts: Starting with Upgrading the Dilapidated Temple

Chapter 155

Xu Hao gripped the metal fragment.

The gate slid open to both sides.

There were three people standing in the passageway outside.

The leading eunuch wore a crimson python robe, had a white face and no beard, and held a silver whisk in his hand.

He simply stood there, and the flames of the eternal lights around him all tilted toward him, making even the air feel thick and sticky.

The Realm of Divine Transformation.

Standing to the right behind the eunuch was Mu Chenyuan.

The head of the Mu family was bowing slightly at this moment, his face showing no trace of grief for the death of his younger brother and guest minister, only an almost cold calm.

To the left of the eunuch was Mu Yunchuan, kneeling on the ground, trembling.

"Master Mu," the eunuch spoke, his high-pitched voice making the passageway vibrate, "your eldest son is not clean at all. When he stole the key, he even slurred his breathing. If I were you, I would have slapped him to death long ago."

Mu Chenyuan lowered his head.

"My son is foolish and has been coerced by this scoundrel. The accumulated wealth of the Mu family over six generations is now offered entirely to Your Majesty to replenish the national treasury. I only ask..."

Chief Steward Li killed this scoundrel, thus saving the lives of the entire Mu family.

Mu Yunchuan suddenly raised his head, his face filled with despair.

"Father! You—you knew all along?"

"Fool." Mu Chenyuan didn't even glance at him. "You think you can hide your little schemes from me? Your second uncle is dead, four of your retainers are dead, and you're the only one who returned unharmed both times. You've been the one making all the decisions. If I didn't play along, how could I lure this dragon into my trap?"

Xu Hao stood in the center of the armory and stuffed the metal fragments into his clothes.

He understood.

Mu Chenyuan is a ruthless person.

Upon discovering his eldest son's betrayal, he did not immediately react, but instead astutely sensed an opportunity to break the deadlock.

With the Qin and Gu families eyeing them covetously and the Mu family suffering heavy losses in military strength, their only way out is to find a stronger ally.

This is Steward Li, and that's the leg.

Chief Steward Li was ordered by the Emperor to investigate Eunuch Wei's failed attempt to nail poison into the Ten Thousand Poisons Forest.

Upon arriving in Yongzhou, Mu Chenyuan took the initiative to visit him.

"Young man." Steward Li's gaze fell on Xu Hao, or more precisely, on the metal fragment Xu Hao had just put into his pocket. "Hand over the Abyss Navel Fragment. We'll leave you a whole corpse."

"Why are the items from the Celestial Surveillance Bureau in the Mu family's private cellar?" Xu Hao asked calmly, his hand resting on the hilt of the Devourer's Blade.

Steward Li sneered.

"You're quite clever, knowing these belong to the Imperial Observatory. I'm not afraid to tell you, there's a traitor within the Imperial Observatory who stole His Majesty's things and is secretly colluding with the Wusheng Sect to cause trouble in this forest. His Majesty sent me here, firstly to investigate Eunuch Wei's death, and secondly to clean house."

Xu Hao understood.

The person behind the living deity was not the Emperor of Daheng.

The Imperial Observatory has split up, with some people using the emperor's position to do their own business.

"The item is in my hands." Xu Hao stared at Steward Li. "Come and take it."

"court death."

Steward Li flicked his whisk.

There was no outward release of internal energy, nor any burst of vital energy.

Xu Hao felt a sudden darkness engulf his vision.

An extremely terrifying mental force crashed directly into his mind.

The hallmark of the Divine Transformation Realm is the will to fight.

The surrounding scenery instantly distorted.

Xu Hao seemed to see a huge, faceless statue looking down at him, raising its hand to crush him into mincemeat.

hallucinations.

But the psychological pressure is real.

Xu Hao's dark gold heart suddenly contracted, and the blood pumping speed instantly slowed down by half a beat.

At this critical moment, the blessed land painting in the sea of consciousness shone brightly.

The Record of Blessed Lands transformed into a golden barrier, forcefully blocking this spiritual impact.

Xu Hao suddenly opened his eyes, breaking free from the hallucination.

A hint of surprise flashed in Steward Li's eyes.

"You actually withstood our family's 'Unborn Dharma Form'? You're quite the secret-bearer."

He took a step forward, and his figure instantly disappeared from the spot.

too fast.

Xu Hao couldn't see his movements at all.

The speed of the mid-stage Divine Transformation Realm has already exceeded the dynamic visual capture limit of the Opening Aperture Realm.

Xu Hao did not retreat; he drew his sword immediately.

"The Abyss!"

The moment the dark gold blade was drawn, the space within a radius of ten feet suddenly sank.

Steward Li's figure appeared three feet in front of Xu Hao.

He frowned, feeling as if his body was shackled, and his speed slowed down for a moment.

That one moment is enough.

Xu Hao did not strike at Steward Li.

His current cultivation level simply cannot break through the protective aura of a mid-stage Divine Transformation Realm cultivator.

He gripped the knife with both hands, turned around, and pointed the blade upwards.

The dark gold heart was operating at overcapacity, and the power of the earth veins surged into the blade.

"break!"

With immense force, the Maw slammed down on the steel ceiling above.

boom!

A deafening roar.

Although the Mu family's underground armory was sturdy, Xu Hao's strike not only contained the terrifying power of the Forging Realm, but also carried the corrosive effect of the earth's ley lines.

A three-foot-long crack was cleaved open in the ceiling, and dirt and gravel poured down.

Xu Hao bent his legs and exerted force suddenly.

Startling Waves Step.

He shot up through the crack like a cannonball, crashing through a three-zhang-thick layer of soil.

"Trying to run away?"

Steward Li snorted coldly and flicked his whisk upwards.

A white aura, like a long whip, chased after it along the crack.

As soon as Xu Hao broke through the ground, a tearing pain shot through his back.

His protective aura was shattered, and a deep gash was cut into the flesh of his back, exposing the bone.

Dark golden blood gushed out.

Xu Hao did not turn around.

Using this momentum, he twisted in mid-air and landed on the roof of Mingcui Tower.

He glanced outside Yongzhou City.

south.

The direction of Wan Du Sen Hai.

Without any hesitation, Xu Hao lightly touched the roof tile with his toes, and his figure transformed into a dark golden streak of light as he raced out of the city.

I can't beat someone at the mid-stage of the Divine Transformation Realm.

This is an absolute crushing defeat.

Staying means death.

In the underground armory.

Manager Li stared at the large hole in the ceiling, his face grim.

He did not chase after them immediately.

"Steward Li—" Mu Chenyuan stepped forward, "The thief has escaped."

"Run?" Steward Li flicked his whisk. "He was hit by our 'Heart-Shattering Silk' technique; he can't go far. Patriarch Mu, take your men and seal off Yongzhou City. I'll personally go catch this rat."

Steward Li swayed and burst out of the ground through the crack.

South of Yongzhou City lies a desolate wilderness.

Xu Hao's breathing was heavy.

The wound on his back had not healed.

Steward Li's aura carried a strange destructive force, constantly eroding his flesh and blood, and preventing the self-circulation and repair of his internal organs.

He must get back to the Ten Thousand Poisons Forest as soon as possible.

Once inside the forest, with the blessing of this blessed land and the newly repaired secondary nail formation, even if Steward Li is at the Divine Transformation Realm, he will have to think twice.

A sharp whooshing sound came from behind.

Steward Li has caught up with us.

The speed of the Divine Transformation Realm cultivator was too fast, and the distance between them was constantly shrinking.

Fifty li.

Thirty li.

Ten miles.

Ahead, the grayish-yellow miasma could be seen in the distance.

At the edge of the Myriad Poisonous Forest.

"Stay!"

Chief Steward Li's voice boomed in Xu Hao's ears.

A powerful, overwhelming force surged from behind.

Xu Hao turned around abruptly, the Devourer held horizontally in front of his chest.

clang!

With a crisp clang, Xu Hao was thrown back three zhang (approximately 10 meters).

The Devourer took the full force of Steward Li's whip, and the blade emitted a painful hum, leaving a white mark on its surface.

Xu Hao landed, his heels slamming into the ground, sliding backwards and creating two deep ditches before finally stopping.

The wound on my back has gone numb.

Hemp is not a good thing.

The "Heart-Destroying Silk" is still being dug inside.

He glanced at it from the side.

Steward Li stood thirty paces away, his whisk draped over his arm, looking unhurried, like an old man taking a stroll in the street.

"You're not slow," Steward Li said slowly. "However, this thread of yours is following the path of blood, heading towards your heart. With every step you take, you're losing more of your vital energy. Running into the Ten Thousand Poisons Forest? I'm afraid you'll collapse at the very edge."

Xu Hao did not answer.

He was calculating the distance.

There are still four miles to the edge of the Myriad Poisons Forest.

Four miles, a normal swaying in the waves, less than the time it takes to drink a cup of tea.

In this condition, just finishing the race would be a miracle.

He lifted his foot and continued running.

Manager Li shook his head, took a step forward, and followed at a leisurely pace.

There were no special signs of progress in the Divine Transformation Realm; it was just that the speed was so fast that it was unreasonable, as if the concept of "distance" had been torn out of the dictionary.

The distance of thirty steps was instantly reduced to twenty steps.

Xu Hao felt a chill run down his back, not from his wound, but from the qi.

He suddenly ducked, and a burst of energy swept over his head, creating a gust of wind that snapped off several strands of his hair.

Land, tumble, stand up, and keep running.

The movements were fluid and graceful, but a bit unsightly.

Two miles.

Xu Hao felt a burning sensation in his lungs.

The effects of "Heart-Destroying Silk" are already very obvious. Blood circulation has started to stagnate, like a leaky bellows. When you step on it, one-third of the air comes out, and the other two-thirds are wasted.

The dark gold heart was operating at full capacity, pushing the "heart-destroying threads" outwards, but the work of a Divine Transformation Realm cultivator was not something that a Qi Opening Realm cultivator could easily eradicate.

This is a slow-acting poison.

It will get heavier and heavier.

One mile.

The yellow miasma at the edge of the forest was already close at hand.

Steward Li's voice rang out behind me again, this time very close, as if it were right next to my ear.

"Stop, we'll leave you a whole corpse."

Xu Hao lightly touched the ground with his toes, unleashing the final burst of his "Surging Waves Step," and plunged headfirst into the miasma at the edge of the forest.

flutter.

The miasma enveloped him like water, and pale yellow poisonous gas poured into his nasal cavity.

Outsiders who enter will begin to be poisoned within three breaths.

But this is his territory.

The power of the blessed land is suppressed.

Steward Li stepped into the edge of the woods and frowned slightly.

The protective aura surrounding him kept the miasma at bay, but something on the ground beneath his feet was pressing against him.

It's not resistance, but a very subtle form of repulsion.

It's like stepping onto someone else's territory; the land itself doesn't welcome you.

"Interesting." Steward Li took two steps forward, stepping onto the decaying leaves. "With such a simple trick, you think you're the master of the forest?"

He didn't hear a response.

The woods were very quiet.

It's too quiet.

Even the chirping of insects has disappeared.

Steward Li stopped, raised his hand and flicked his whisk forward, sending it flying three zhang (approximately 10 meters) and clearing a path through the bushes ahead.

There was nothing there.

He listened intently.

A bad feeling crept into my heart.

The sensation of "Heart-Destroying Silk" has weakened.

It's not that Xu Hao died, it's that this thread was blocked by something.

For the first time, Steward Li's expression changed.

What power can affect the soul threads of a Divine Transformation Realm cultivator?

Three hundred paces away, deep within, Xu Hao knelt on the ground.

He braced himself with his right hand on the Abyss, his left knee on the ground, the wound on his back had reopened, and black blood flowed down his spine.

The "Heart-Destroying Silk" had just bitten into his heart, severing a tiny opening in the main meridian of his qi and blood.

But he couldn't care less about any of that.

Within his mind, the scroll of the blessed land emitted a dazzling golden light.

[Warning: The host's Qi and blood have fallen to a critical level.]

[Blessed Land Emergency Protection Mode Activated—Should we extract resources from the Sumeru Warehouse to forcibly stabilize the host's Qi and Blood?]

Xu Hao stared at the line of text.

He looked down at the Sumeru Canal.

Inside were all the items that had been moved from the Mu family's armory: six generations' worth of martial arts manuals, medicinal herbs, blood crystals, and weapons.

He thought for a couple of breaths.

"No extension of life, upgrade the Myriad Poisons Forest and Sea Blessed Land, all in."

The scroll trembled violently.

The Sumeru Container opened, and its contents poured out like a flood bursting its banks, only to be swallowed up by the scroll.

The technique transformed into points of light.

The blood crystals transformed into energy flows.

The century-old elixir transformed into scalding, thick fog, which poured entirely into the golden flow of the painting.

Xu Hao felt as if he had been roasted from the inside out by a huge heat wave.

The broken flow of qi and blood was forcibly blocked; it wasn't repaired, but rather forcibly filled in.

At the same time, deep within his consciousness, the golden characters on the scroll of blessed land began to flash wildly.

[Absorbed Resources: Six Generations of Mu Family Accumulation (Cultivation Techniques x312 Scrolls, High-Grade Blood Crystals x470, Hundred-Year-Old Spiritual Herbs x89)]

taste----)】

[Energy transformation in progress————]

【————】

[Blessed Land Level: LV2→LV3, Upgrade Complete.]

[New Permissions: Deep Leyline Exploration, Ancient Weapon Tomb Unlocked.]

Light burst outwards from the ground beneath his feet.

The ground of the Myriad Poisons Forest trembled for a moment.

Three hundred paces away, Steward Li walked deeper into the area, stepping on the decaying leaves.

The next step, the instant my foot touched the ground, I felt an extremely terrifying weight—as if something had just taken root in this forest.

Steward Li stopped in his tracks.

He looked up and surveyed his surroundings.

The tree canopy remained still, and so did the miasma.

But something has changed in the entire Poisonous Forest.

It was like something that had been sleeping for a long time suddenly opening one eye.

"Interesting." Steward Li's nonchalant expression vanished, and his grip on the whisk tightened slightly. "You actually managed to settle down in this forest."

Xu Hao sat cross-legged on the ground, the wound on his back still there, but with the blessing of the LV3 blessed land authority, it finally began to heal slowly. As for the Heart-Destroying Silk inside, it could not be removed yet.

Within the sea of consciousness, the scroll slowly unfolds.

Its perception range is twice as large as LV2, covering the entire Ten Thousand Poison Forest.

Then, for the first time, the outline of the metal layer at the south end of the scroll became clear.

It's not a solid iron plate.

It consists of countless weapons.

Layer upon layer, stacked in formation, sinking two hundred feet underground.

Each one carries the murderous aura of an ancient battlefield, each one lies dormant.

Soldiers' Tomb.

A genuine ancient military burial mound.

Xu Hao lowered his head and looked at the Devourer in his hand.

The blade was trembling.

Manager Li's voice came from outside the woods.