My cultivation method shines upon all heavens.

Once his figure had completely disappeared, Lian Feng waved his feather fan and looked at Liu Zhiyuan with a smile:

"Lord Liu, Lu Ming is quite impressive to have reached the Bone Forging Realm at such a young age. But I'm afraid he might not be up to the task of killing Shi Lei."

Liu Zhiyuan stroked his long beard, a hint of amusement in his smile:

"The most valuable thing about these wolf cubs who have fought their way up from the bottom is that you never know what kind of energy they will unleash in their pursuit of advancement."

He took a sip of his tea and continued slowly:

"Moreover, to be able to cultivate to the Bone Forging Realm in such a short time, even if it's all from mediocre martial arts, is still quite remarkable. This kid is probably hiding some secrets."

He put down his teacup, a meaningful glint in his eyes:

"If he can truly defeat Shi Lei, you can avoid having to intervene once, thus preventing potential exposure... which would be better for your Tianji Sect's grand plan, wouldn't it?"

Lian Feng's eyebrows arched slightly, and he gently waved his feather fan in front of his chest.

"You jest, sir. I came here solely to assist you; what business do I have with the Heavenly Mystery Sect's grand scheme?"

The two exchanged a smile and each picked up their teacups.

……

Outside the county government's library is the drill ground.

As Lu Ming stepped inside, he saw a short, stout figure standing with his back to him, hands behind his back, in front of the library door, looking up at the black lacquered plaque.

Wang An.

Lu Ming paused slightly, hesitated for a moment, then stepped forward and bowed with clasped hands from about ten feet away:

"Wang, the head of the squad."

Wang An seemed not to hear, his figure remaining completely still.

After a long while, he slowly turned around.

With her round face bearing her usual smile, she squinted at Lu Ming, her gaze carrying an inscrutable meaning.

A chilling aura silently spread over, like an invisible giant python slowly tightening and coiling, locking Lu Ming firmly in the center.

Lu Ming felt as if his shoulders were carrying a thousand pounds and his back was carrying a mountain. Sweat suddenly poured out from his forehead and slid down his temples.

But he remained bowed throughout, not daring to be negligent in the slightest.

"Oh……"

After a while, Wang An suddenly chuckled.

He walked over to Lu Ming, stretched out his chubby white hand, and gently patted his shoulder.

"Snap—!"

A crisp sound exploded from deep within the shoulder bone.

Lu Ming's face suddenly twisted, and he clenched his teeth tightly.

A sharp pain arose from my shoulder blade and spread along my spine to my limbs and bones.

He bit his lower lip hard, swallowing back the muffled groan that was rising in his throat.

Just how powerful is this old man?

With just a light tap, his shoulder bone was cracked, and his internal organs were churning and boiling under the impact of this hidden force.

"Young man, you should think things through carefully before you act."

Wang An withdrew his hand, the smile on his face fading slightly. His narrowed eyes slowly opened a slit, and he gave him a cold glance:

"Do you know... why our birthplace is called Yinhu County?"

Without waiting for Lu Ming's reply, he turned around and left with his hands behind his back.

The short, stout figure gradually disappeared into the shadows of the pillars, and the sound of footsteps pounded heavily on Lu Ming's heart.

Lu Ming slowly straightened up, his face as pale as paper.

He gritted his teeth and forcefully suppressed the metallic taste rising in his throat.

He knew that he had officially become involved in the struggle between Liu Zhiyuan and the four powerful families.

Wang An's actions were clearly driven by the fact that Liu Zhiyuan had summoned him back, and without understanding the magistrate's intentions, he decided to go all out and severely damage him.

This cut off his escape route and eliminated all variables.

It directly implied to him that in Yinhu County, the Wang family was the true "king" of the place, with the army remaining but the soldiers changing.

That old bastard, he's really ruthless.

He looked up in the direction where Wang An had disappeared, clenched his fist, and then relaxed it.

This is why, even though he knew the Seven Realms Path was a dead end, he never dared to take action to solve it.

Surrounded by wolves, he could only advance, not retreat.

He suppressed the churning pain in his body, took a deep breath, turned around, pushed open the wooden door of the library, and went inside.

The library was dimly lit, with a few rays of sunlight streaming in through the high windows, illuminating the spines of the bookshelves, and dust motes drifting slowly in the beams of light.

Lu Ming walked among the rows of tall bookshelves, his fingertips gliding along the spines of the books.

Finally, I stopped at a few yellowed books and pulled them out one by one.

A Study of Strange Tales of Qing and Yan, Volume Three:

In Qingyan, there was a hunter's son named Shi Poshan, who was born with astonishing strength.

At the age of sixteen, he entered the Skin Tempering Realm; after three months, he achieved mastery of the Tendon Strengthening Technique; and after another year, he completed the Muscle Strengthening Technique.

His fists struck, causing the earth and rocks to crumble and his skin to glow with a reddish-gold light. The villagers all called him "the Half-Immortal".

However, in his greed for quick results, at the age of eighteen his muscles swelled up like drums, his blood vessels burst, his blood and qi flowed in reverse, and he died from his bulging muscles.

No remains of the body, only half a patch of scorched earth.

……

Xu Yang's Martial Arts Miscellany, Part Two:

Xu Yang has a son from a poor family, Su Qingxuan, who is exceptionally talented.

In his early twenties, he practiced Yi Jin Tong to improve his meridians and strengthen his muscles like steel. He then spent three years in rigorous training to forge his bones.

A clear sound naturally arises from between the bones, which can draw in the pure energy of heaven and earth. When walking, the feet do not touch the dust, the body is like a swallow, and it can walk on water.

However, he overestimated himself and recklessly tried to force his body, which was already strong enough for bone tempering, into practicing methods he had never understood. In the end, his bones cracked, his meridians were severed, and he went into a state of demonic possession.

He went mad all day, howled in the mountains and died, and his bones were eaten by beasts.

……

Jingyang Ancient Strategies: Military Records

In Jingyang there was a recluse named Chu Jinghong, who abandoned worldly affairs and devoted himself to the Dao.

First, temper the skin and shape the body, then forge the bones and cleanse the marrow, until you reach the realm of marrow refinement.

His bone marrow is radiant, his blood and qi are like mercury, his eyes can see into the dark, his ears can hear the chirping of insects a hundred miles away, his body is surrounded by a spiritual light, he can abstain from grains for half a month without hunger, and he is almost otherworldly.

However, for some unknown reason, his hair turned completely white overnight, and he lost all his breath.

……

Lu Ming turned the pages of the book in his hand one by one, but his expression grew increasingly grim.

He sought out outstanding individuals among the rogue cultivators of his time.

These people lacked a systematic lineage and could only piece together fragments of martial arts manuals from various realms.

However, each of them, relying on their extraordinary talent, managed to cultivate their respective realms to an unparalleled level.

However, although their fates are described in a subtle and restrained manner, almost all of them suffer from qi deviation and die from their bodies exploding.

Clearly, the writer either harbored reservations or intentionally concealed information, resulting in a vague and ambiguous ending.

"Although I had expected it... seeing these things in person still..."

He closed the book, pressed his fingertips against the yellowed pages, and after a long while slowly spoke:

"I'm not reconciled!"

What seemed like a path to defy fate turned out to be a predetermined ending.

How could he accept this!

He closed his eyes, exhaled the stale air from his chest, and began searching among the bookshelves again.

Finally, his eyes lit up, and he pulled out a yellowed, thin booklet from the corner.

Records of Extraordinary People in Yu-Yan Regions:

There was a farmer's daughter named Ji Wuchen, whose intelligence far surpassed that of ordinary people from a young age.

Tempering the skin and strengthening the tendons is done in one go, building muscles and forging bones is done with ease, and one can directly enter the process of refining the marrow and connecting the blood with the spirit.

However, for some unknown reason, one day while sitting and observing the heavens and earth, he dispersed his vital energy and thus abandoned his cultivation.

Although he later abandoned his studies and tried again, he became just another ordinary person.

Lu Ming's eyes lit up, but quickly dimmed again:

"The solution... is to start all over again? Unfortunately, it's obviously not without its costs."

He sighed and put the thin book back in its original place.

His gaze swept across the bookshelf, and then he pulled out another volume.

This time, he searched for records of the founding emperors of past dynasties.

The Ancient Records of Yongzhou: A Brief Account of Hegemony

Emperor Fu Xiong of the Dayong Dynasty was originally a stable boy. During his escape, he mistakenly entered an ancient temple deep in the mountains.

The hall enshrines the Thousand-Armed King, whose thousand hands are intertwined, with fingers and claws like hooks, each holding a bell that rings without wind, causing one's soul to tremble upon hearing it.

With nowhere else to turn, Fu Xiong clung to the Buddha's feet for survival, promising "the world's blood offerings will be made to him forever."

That night, the bells rang loudly, and the King of Light's ten thousand hands fell down, stroking his back.

After that, Fu Xiong moved with the agility of a ghost, traveling thousands of miles without getting tired. In battle, he seemed to have multiple arms wielding simultaneously, fighting against a hundred men. He annexed various tribes, unified the western frontier, and became known as Emperor Yong.

After establishing the nation, he built numerous temples dedicated to the Thousand-Handed King within his territory, enforced harsh laws, and killed countless people.

The old records commented: "The emperor has ten thousand hands, but he does not care for the people; in fact, he seizes the whole world."

……

The Records of Xuanling: Biography of the First Ruler

Ji Zhao, the first ruler of the Great Xuan Dynasty, came from a fallen family. He traveled to various places to study and fell ill in a dilapidated temple.

The Buddha statue in the temple is gaunt, with drooping eyes and a closed mouth. It has a hole in its forehead and is known as the Dream-Eating Buddha. It is said that the Buddha can swallow people's dreams and exchange them for their fortune.

As Ji Zhao was unconscious, he dreamt that he entered the mouth of Buddha and felt that all his memories, worries, fears, greed and ignorance had been absorbed. When he awoke, he was clear-headed and made decisions like a god.

From then on, he planned for the world with meticulous strategies, gathered heroes, established laws and regulations, and founded the Xuan Dynasty from the perspective of a mere scholar.

Whenever a major event is approaching, he would close his eyes and sit quietly for half a day. Upon waking, a brilliant plan would immediately come to him, which he would claim was "divinely inspired."

Later, a secret record was passed down: The first ruler never dreamed and could not sleep at night. He could only sleep peacefully by offering the dreams of young boys to the Buddha.

……

The History of the Red Ruins: The Book of the Blood Emperor

The Great Crimson Blood Emperor Helian Tu was originally a bandit. He was pursued by government troops and hid in the Yin Temple.

The temple's master, the Blood-Clad Ksitigarbha, does not deliver the dead, but rather gathers the souls of the dead. He wears a blood-stained kasaya, holds a withered bone staff, and is surrounded by rows of ghostly soldiers.

Helian Tu swore an oath before the statue: He was willing to sacrifice ten million heads in exchange for the power to sweep across the eight wastelands.

That night, blood seeped into his body, and a murderous aura soared to the sky.

After that, they won every battle, the enemy army was routed at the mere sight of them, they conquered cities and seized territories, causing rivers of blood to flow, and finally established the Red Dynasty.

The Emperor often said, "With Ksitigarbha's help, the Yin army clears the way, and Heaven's mandate returns to the Red."

According to unofficial historical records, ghostly cries could be heard every night in the palace of the Red Emperor, and the floor tiles of the imperial palace were perpetually stained red, a stain that could not be washed away with water.

……

Lu Ming closed the book, his eyes deep and unfathomable:

"What the demon in the temple said was indeed not unfounded... These founding emperors of previous dynasties were all inextricably linked to demons and monsters."

His gaze paused slightly, a hint of doubt flashing in his eyes:

"But... what about the Great Zhao? Is there no record of it, or is it something they dare not write about? Perhaps there's some taboo surrounding it?"

He muttered to himself as he put the book back in its place and turned to leave the library.

Dusk was falling, and the last trace of crimson on the horizon was fading.

As Lu Ming walked out of the county government gate, the night wind rushed towards him, carrying the lingering dust and bloody smell from the daytime.

He walked south along the street, his steps heavier than when he came.

Outside the county government office, Liu Tiezhu and Wang Chenghu had just returned from patrolling the streets when they saw Lu Ming's departing figure in the distance.

Wang Chenghu's gaze swept over them, his eyes narrowing slightly: "What's this lowly commoner doing back here?"

Liu Tiezhu shrugged and yawned nonchalantly:

"He was probably summoned back by the magistrate...who knows. He can't possibly be back to plot against us, can he?"

The speaker has no intention, the listener has the heart.

A cold smile appeared on Wang Chenghu's lips:

"Hmph, what kind of lowly creatures dare to bare their teeth at tigers and leopards? Let's just cripple him. Whatever schemes and tricks he may have, what trouble can he possibly cause?"

Having said that, he turned and followed after them.

Liu Tiezhu was taken aback, then stomped his foot and hurriedly chased after him.

He wanted to slap himself in the face.

Why are you so talkative!

If anything happens to this little rascal, he'll be the first to suffer the consequences.

Hong Sanyuan was about to follow when Lin Susu grabbed his sleeve.

He turned around and looked in confusion.

Lin Susu's expression was serious, and she lowered her voice:

"Leave it to them. We shouldn't act rashly... These peasants have cheap lives, and who knows what desperate tricks they might be hiding?"

Upon hearing this, Hong Sanyuan nodded obediently and withdrew his foot.