Chapter 197 - 196: It’s Simply Too Slow
Chapter 197: Chapter 196: It’s Simply Too Slow
The first light of dawn was breaking, and the thin mist was starting to fade.
Cangwu City, just outside the gates.
"Haaah—"
Wu Chen leaned languidly against his crimson horse, his drowsy eyes watching the crowd moving in and out of the city as he let out a long yawn from time to time.
It was no wonder he looked completely drained; he was, in fact, utterly exhausted.
A full day had passed since he accepted the mission to find the barbarian spies.
After drinking with Zhou Hu at a tavern yesterday and questioning him about the barbarian spies,
he had taken Zhou Hu, carrying a stone that could detect Barbarian Race spies, and scoured the entirety of the vast Cangwu City.
Although he knew the chances of finding a barbarian in Cangwu City were slim, Wu Chen decided to try his luck anyway, just in case they were hiding in plain sight.
He held onto a sliver of hope. ’Maybe I’ll get lucky and run into one?’
But reality was harsh.
After combing through every corner of the city with its million inhabitants, all while maintaining a high state of alert, the search had left Wu Chen with nothing but exhaustion.
This was why Wu Chen was now at the city gates.
He planned to search the mountains, fields, and towns around Cangwu City to see if he could find any trace of the barbarian spies.
’Sure enough, once something turns into a job, you lose all your motivation.’
’Back when I was guarding the city walls and killing Demon Corpses, or heading to the Blood Slaughter Sect to slay demon-kin, I never felt this tired...’
Wu Chen grumbled to himself, let out another huge yawn that squeezed tears from his eyes, and glanced at his panel:
[Deep Red Host]Wu Chen
[Martial Arts Realm]First Layer of the Leakless Realm
(Qi Power: Earth-Shaking Wild Bull) (Stamina: Enduring Qi Power) (Body: Disguise Skill) (Physique: Body Like Solid Rock)
[Martial Arts & Cultivation Techniques]’Bone-Eroding Wind Blade: Force’ ’Spirit Swallow Plucks a Leaf Step: Force’ ’Grand Righteous Qi Nurturing Formula: Intent’ ’Blood-Absorbing Demon Skill’ ’Body Refining and Essence Nourishing Skill’...
After he finished allocating points to the two Blood Coagulation Realm Martial Arts manuals from the Demon Suppression Bureau, his realm had naturally advanced, reaching the First Layer of the Leakless Realm as expected.
He had now joined the ranks of first-class masters, albeit at the very bottom.
Taking advantage of the mental fatigue from his all-night search for the spies, Wu Chen closed his eyes to rest and sank his consciousness inward for introspection. Only then did he discover that the nine round, jade-like sources of blood-colored essence, which had been closely linked to his five viscera, had vanished.
’Huh? What’s the internal change after a realm breakthrough?’
’Let me take a closer look.’
Wu Chen wasn’t panicked by the disappearance of the nine crucial sources of essence.
After all, his panel clearly displayed that he was in the Leakless Realm. Furthermore, he could clearly feel the earth-shattering changes in his physique, far beyond what he’d had in the Blood Coagulation Realm the day before.
So, his current realm was, without a doubt, the First Layer of the Leakless Realm.
Wu Chen held his breath, calmed his Qi, and focused his mind, observing the flow of Qi and Blood throughout his body to see the difference in his physique between the Leakless Realm and the Blood Coagulation Realm.
’So that’s what happened!’
Without much effort, Wu Chen saw countless silver-white, rhombic crystal shapes mixed within the flowing essence and blood in his body.
These sesame-seed-sized Rhombic Crystals drifted slowly with his breathing. A small number of them adhered to his flesh and bones, making them fuller and denser, but most of the crystals floated like rootless duckweed, unattached to the flesh and bone of his physique.
Moreover, compared to the Qi circulating through his body, these Rhombic Crystal essences were moving at a snail’s pace—incredibly slow.
If one didn’t look closely, they would appear to be floating motionless in place.
As a result, many places in his physique where Qi and Blood could circulate had no Rhombic Crystal essence in them at all.
’Something is clearly wrong.’
’So, the Leakless Realm sublimates the essence from the Blood Coagulation Realm, turning it into these sesame-seed-sized Rhombic Crystals to nourish my physique in return.’
’And this essence is no longer the ordinary blood-red color, but a higher-level, silver-white essence!’
Wu Chen had a feeling that this advancement wasn’t just a simple jump in realm, but an elevation of his very life essence.
He could feel a vigorous life force from each of the silver-white Rhombic Crystal essences in his body. The flesh and bone to which the crystals were attached shone with a brilliant light and were exceptionally tough.
And such a change was naturally the result of pouring in ten times the normal amount of Blood Coagulation Realm Martial Arts.
’With my current physique, even if I were riddled with arrows from powerful bows and crossbows, as long as my vitals aren’t hit, my life wouldn’t be in danger.’
Wu Chen was stunned by the life force radiating from the Rhombic Crystals. This was only the first transformation. If he continued to enhance his essence, he could survive even if his organs were injured in battle, recovering in mere moments.
As for regrowing flesh on bare bone or being reborn from a single drop of blood, these things no longer seemed so out of reach.
’However...’
That was all too far in the future. Wu Chen focused on the present, looking at the slowly moving Rhombic Crystals that had yet to fuse with his flesh and bone, and at the areas in his body where the crystals were sparse.
’What’s going on here?’
Wu Chen didn’t quite understand. He pondered for a moment.
Then he smacked himself on the head, wondering if the Rhombic Crystal essence had clogged his brain.
What else could it be?
’Of course, it’s because I need to find Martial Arts for the Leakless Realm!’
’It seems only more profound Martial Arts can now push these Rhombic Crystal essences throughout my physique and allow them to fuse precisely with my flesh and blood.’
At this thought, Wu Chen let out a breath of stale air and rubbed the bridge of his nose, his expression turning bitter.
The joy he’d felt from his realm advancement just moments ago vanished in an instant.
The thought of having to find new Martial Arts, which could take half a month or even a full month before he could advance to the next major realm, was agonizing.
It was just too slow!
’But it’s also about time I gave those Soul-Storage Pearls to my master.’
’That way, I can get a basic Martial Arts manual from him to get me through the early stage of the Leakless Realm.’
From leaving Qingfeng Manor to joining the Demon Suppression Bureau, then accepting the mission to find the barbarian spies, and finally searching for them all over the city...
Wu Chen had been working nonstop, without a moment’s rest.
As a result, he hadn’t even had time to deliver the Soul-Storage Pearls he’d obtained to his master, who was but a remnant soul.
THUMP! THUMP! THUMP!
As he was lost in thought, the sound of jogging footsteps approached.
Wu Chen turned his head to see the figure of a lean man jogging out from the city gates in his direction.
It was Zhou Hu.
"Did you get the things?"
"Sir, I got them. Please, take a look."
Zhou Hu handed the storage pouch in his hand to Wu Chen. He then glanced left and right and, seeing that Wu Chen hadn’t brought any other attendants, felt a wave of despair.
’Where’s your family background? Where are your lackeys and enforcers!’
’Don’t tell me you’re just going to keep using me!’
He looked at Wu Chen resentfully. "Captain Li Youtao heard you were planning to leave the city to capture them alive, so without a word, he went to the inner vault and got twelve silver-thread ropes."
"They’ll definitely be enough to tie up those barbarian spies."
"On top of that, he prepared a ten-day supply of medicinal pills, food, and drink."
"..."
Wu Chen looked at the twelve finger-thick, expensive-looking silver ropes and the pile of bottles and jars filled with medicinal pills in the storage pouch, and the corners of his mouth gradually curled up.
It seemed this Captain Li had gone all out and met every demand, all to get a "pretty-boy" young master like him out of the city quickly so he wouldn’t cause trouble for anyone else.