Xunhuan Tower was located in the northern district of Gushan City.
Every inch of land here was worth an inch of gold, making it the most bustling area in the entire city.
From the name alone, one could tell what Xunhuan Tower was.
It was a brothel.
There were not many courtesans within Xunhuan Tower, but it pursued a standard of exquisite refinement. Every woman was peerless in both beauty and artistic talent.
"Young Master, are we really going to Xunhuan Tower again?
"That was where something happened to you last time. If the master finds out you've returned, I'm afraid..."
Gao Ping, the page following beside Lu Changsheng, could not help but try to dissuade him as he looked at Xunhuan Tower.
"It does not matter."
Lu Changsheng shook his head.
From his memories, he naturally knew that Gao Wen's previous encounter with a demon had indeed taken place at Xunhuan Tower.
Later, the government's investigation had claimed that the demon Gao Wen saw had merely fled into Xunhuan Tower, which was why he had been frightened.
However, Lu Changsheng knew very well in his heart.
That was not the case.
He knew clearly that Xunhuan Tower harbored a demon!
It was simply hiding very deeply.
And this time, he had taken the initiative to come see the demon.
And incidentally, to capture it.
Demons, too, were divided by strength.
Most were ordinary demons, referred to as lesser demons or simply true demons.
Above them were greater demons, demon kings, ancient demons, and demon ancestors.
As for the exact realms to which they corresponded, Lu Changsheng could not say for sure at the moment.
Yet in Gao Wen's memories, many ordinary true demons could be defeated by top-tier martial artists.
The only terrifying aspect of ordinary true demons was their immortality.
No matter what a martial artist did, they could not kill a true demon.
Of course, a martial artist's ability to rival a true demon was limited strictly to ordinary true demons.
Once they encountered a greater demon or higher, the martial artist was virtually doomed to die.
Lu Changsheng harbored a hypothesis.
Perhaps the strength of a greater demon had already stepped into the transcendent realm, which was why they could utterly crush martial artists.
As for ordinary true demons, aside from their immortality, their other strengths and methods had likely not yet reached the transcendent realm.
In that case, with his current ninety-nine percent progress in secondary growth, Lu Changsheng stood as the peak existence beneath the transcendent realm.
Dealing with ordinary true demons should pose no problem.
Though he could not kill them, he could capture them, trap them, and imprison them.
This was also where human armies and martial artists could still be of use.
In truth, their purpose was to deal with ordinary true demons.
"Bring the specially made fishing nets along," Lu Changsheng instructed.
"Rest assured, Young Master, I have already prepared two specially made fishing nets.
"But are the two of us truly going to capture a demon alone?"
Gao Ping remained deeply worried.
Over the past six months, he had learned a few of Lu Changsheng's "secrets."
He knew that Lu Changsheng had been constantly practicing martial arts.
His martial arts were even exceptionally powerful.
Even the top martial masters hired by the estate claimed that Gao Wen was a martial arts genius seen once in a century.
Yet this time, they were going to capture a demon.
The mere thought was terrifying.
"Once we enter Xunhuan Tower, do not speak. Just stay close behind me."
"Understood, Young Master."
With that, Lu Changsheng hesitated no longer and led Gao Ping directly into Xunhuan Tower.
"Oh, isn't this Young Master Gao?
"You were truly given a fright last time! I had intended for Miss Xuan to apologize to you, Young Master, but you haven't visited us for half a year."
As soon as they stepped inside, a familiar figure appeared before them.
The familiar voice of the madam reached his ears as well.
Although Madam Liu was the madam of Xunhuan Tower, she was not actually old.
She was merely in her thirties.
Of course, a courtesan in her thirties was indeed considered very old in this world.
Having lost her youthful bloom, she could only switch to becoming a madam.
Even so, though Madam Liu was in her thirties, her charm and allure still lingered.
In Lu Changsheng's eyes, her appeal was not in the least inferior to those girls in their teens.
"Madam Liu, haven't I come now?
"Go arrange a private room—the most secluded one.
"Then call Miss Xuan over."
Displaying the wealth and confidence of a spendthrift, Lu Changsheng tossed out a large silver ingot.
It sent Madam Liu into raptures, beaming from ear to ear.
The eldest young master of the Gao family was truly different; his spending was lavish.
"Miss Xuan was feeling a bit under the weather today, but since Young Master Gao has arrived, she will surely be willing to accompany you for a while.
"Please head upstairs and wait a moment, Young Master Gao."
With that, Madam Liu swayed her alluring, graceful figure and hurried off to make arrangements.
Beside them, Gao Ping stared at Madam Liu's retreating figure with wide, fixed eyes.
"Stop staring and head upstairs," Lu Changsheng said indifferently.
He led Gao Ping straight to a private room on the second floor.
The room appeared rather luxurious.
Wine, meat, and abundant fruits had already been served.
The fare was indeed sumptuous.
After waiting about fifteen minutes, Miss Xuan finally arrived.
She had evidently taken some time to dress up and apply her makeup carefully.
The moment she walked through the door, Lu Changsheng saw the strikingly bright and captivating Miss Xuan.
She was just as she had been in his memories.
Although Miss Xuan was a courtesan who had fallen into the demimonde, she lacked the coquettish air typical of worldly women. Instead, she carried a pure, elegant grace, resembling a young lady from a prestigious family.
Perhaps that was why Miss Xuan had captivated Gao Wen in the first place.
Miss Xuan offered a faint smile. "Young Master Gao, I am not feeling very well today, so I can only sit with you for a short while."
She was carrying a zither in her hands.
"Have a seat."
Lu Changsheng gestured for Miss Xuan to sit.
Madam Liu then took her leave, leaving only the three of them in the room.
Just as Miss Xuan prepared to play the zither, Lu Changsheng spoke. "Miss Xuan, half a year ago, I encountered a demon in Xunhuan Tower.
"At that time, you must have seen it as well.
"Where is the demon?"
Miss Xuan's expression shifted slightly, but she still responded slowly, "Young Master Gao, half a year ago, a demon snuck into Xunhuan Tower and startled you. I was terrified as well, but the demon fled shortly afterward.
"I reported all of these details to the magistrate's office."
Lu Changsheng nodded, indicating he already knew.
"Very well, I will not waste words.
"Miss Xuan, take me to see the true demon from half a year ago," Lu Changsheng said bluntly.
Miss Xuan's face went pale, yet she maintained her composure as she replied, "You must be joking, Young Master Gao. That true demon fled long ago, and even the magistrate's office could not catch it. How could I possibly take you to see it?"
Lu Changsheng merely stared at her, repeating each word with cold precision: "Miss Xuan, I said, take me to see the true demon from half a year ago. I will repeat this only once. Must I go inform the authorities that Miss Xuan is acquainted with a true demon?"
*Boom.*
As soon as those words were uttered, Miss Xuan's mind buzzed, going completely blank.
She had been exposed!
In the end, her secret had been laid bare.
Colluding with a true demon.
Such a crime was far too grave.
She could not bear the consequences!
Yet she had never actively sought out that true demon in the first place.
"I..."
Miss Xuan hesitated, halting on the verge of speech.
Finally, with a dejected expression, she said, "In the end, I still failed to hide it from Young Master Gao.
"That true demon, A-Hu, was actually the child of my father's concubine.
"Back before my family fell into ruin, my father took a concubine whom I called Aunt Qiu.
"Later, Aunt Qiu became pregnant. Only after giving birth to A-Hu did everyone discover that he was actually a half-demon.
"Only then did Aunt Qiu confess the truth. It turned out she had gone out and been violated by a demon, which resulted in the pregnancy. Out of fear, she had not dared to speak the truth, ultimately giving birth to the half-demon A-Hu.
"Father was shocked and furious, but he did not dare punish Aunt Qiu, nor did he dare harm A-Hu. After all, who knew whether that true demon would care about A-Hu?
"Later, Father passed away and our family collapsed. I was sold into a brothel. A-Hu had disappeared, but one day he found me.
"A-Hu seems to have only the intelligence of a child. He said he wanted to protect me always, and I had no way to drive him away.
"And so, he has been protecting me in secret ever since. Sadly, even though he is a demon, he cannot redeem me from the brothel..."
Miss Xuan recounted the story of the true demon A-Hu in full detail.
Lu Changsheng had not expected a true demon to possess such a bizarre background.
"Miss Xuan, your life has been pitiable.
"However, you should understand that a true demon must feed on humans, or it cannot maintain its spirituality.
"A-Hu has most likely already consumed people, and his demonic nature is taking the upper hand. He only sought you out because he was following his lingering instincts. But a demon is ultimately a demon. Keeping him by your side is immensely dangerous—for both you and him.
"The only option now is to take me to see A-Hu, and I will deal with him."
Miss Xuan hesitated for a moment, but eventually consented.
"Young Master Gao, A-Hu is very ferocious. Going there rashly could be dangerous."
Lu Changsheng waved his hand. "No matter. Naturally, I have made preparations."
"Very well. I will take you to find A-Hu."
Miss Xuan knew that Lu Changsheng now held leverage over her.
She had no choice but to lead him to A-Hu.
Rising to her feet, Miss Xuan stepped out of the private room.
She exchanged a few words with Madam Liu, explaining that she was going out with Gao Wen.
Naturally, Madam Liu did not stop her.
Thus, Miss Xuan led Lu Changsheng and Gao Ping straight toward an abandoned temple in the southern part of the city.
"A-Hu is inside," Miss Xuan said, pointing toward the dilapidated structure.
All that remained of the abandoned temple were crumbling walls and ruined foundations.
There were even marks left by fire.
Weeds choked the interior, and the surrounding area was desolate; not even beggars were willing to venture near this ruined shrine.
"Wait outside, both of you."
Lu Changsheng walked into the abandoned temple entirely alone.
It was the seventh month, and under the blazing sun, the weather was scorching hot.
Yet the moment he stepped inside the temple, an eerie chill washed over him.
As soon as his foot crossed the threshold, Lu Changsheng caught the faint, lingering scent of blood in the air.
*Whoosh!*
A dark shadow lunged toward Lu Changsheng with lightning speed.
Lu Changsheng could clearly sense that it was a tall, burly youth.
Yet the youth was steeped in the stench of blood from head to toe.
As he pounced, an oppressive baleful aura bore down upon Lu Changsheng.
If it were any ordinary martial artist, this single pounce would likely have plunged them into grave peril.
Lu Changsheng, however, met it head-on with a direct punch.
*Bang!*
The strike slammed solidly into the youth's body.
With Lu Changsheng's strength at the peak of secondary growth, few beneath the transcendent realm could ever overpower him.
Consequently, this single blow sent the youth hurtling through the air.
An untold number of ribs shattered in his chest.
With a heavy thud, the burly youth crashed violently to the ground.
Yet before long, he scrambled back to his feet.
His eyes were savage, resembling those of a wild beast.
The collapsed section of his chest was regenerating rapidly at a speed visible to the naked eye.
At the same time, the youth's body swelled drastically.
In the blink of an eye, stiff black fur sprouted across his skin.
The nails on his fingers sharpened into deadly claws.
Blue veins bulged across his flesh as his frame expanded by two sizes.
He had transformed into a towering, bipedal wolf.
"Roar..."
The giant wolf threw its head back and roared at the sky, sending a fierce, suffocating aura sweeping out in all directions.
"So it's a wolf demon..."
Lu Changsheng finally saw A-Hu's demonic form.
It was a wolf demon.
Judging by its power, however, it was merely an ordinary wolf demon.
*Swish! Swish! Swish!*
Having manifested his demon body, A-Hu's speed became blindingly fast.
Afterimages blurred around him, making it appear as though he were lunging at Lu Changsheng from every direction at once.
Yet within Lu Changsheng's perception, the wolf demon's true position was clear as day.
Lu Changsheng could not be bothered to test him further.
He struck out directly with a palm.
"Heaven-Overturning Seal!"
This palm strike seemed to warp one's very senses.
As it came crashing down, the wolf demon felt as though Mount Tai were pressing upon him, choking the breath from his lungs.
Though distance still separated them, the wolf demon was seized by the sensation that there was nowhere to run.
*Boom!*
Lu Changsheng's palm landed solidly upon the wolf demon A-Hu.
Instantly, the demon's body shuddered violently.
His massive frame was pulverized directly into a puddle of meat paste by the strike.
Dead!
The wolf demon had died just like that.
Now, only a ragged wolf pelt remained upon the ground of the ruined temple.
"This wolf demon is truly weak.
"Whether in speed, power, or defense, it can only rival an ordinary Divine Strength Realm at best. It might not even match the Divine Gang realm.
"Is A-Hu particularly weak, or is this simply the combat prowess of an ordinary true demon?"
Lu Changsheng was somewhat puzzled.
Though he knew ordinary true demons had not stepped into the transcendent realm, he had not anticipated him being this weak.
Yet perhaps it was not that the true demon was weak, but that Lu Changsheng was simply too strong.
The peak of secondary growth.
With such physical conditioning combined with terrifying martial realms, how immense was Lu Changsheng's combined combat power?
Forget one wolf demon—even ten wolf demons would face the exact same fate: an utter beating.
However, the truly terrifying aspect of a demon was its immortality.
Lu Changsheng did not let down his guard.
Sure enough, an incredible sight unfolded before his eyes.
The mangled paste on the ground swiftly reformed back into the wolf demon.
Examining the wolf demon from head to toe, there was not even a scratch on him.
He had returned entirely to his original state.
This sight sent a tremor through Lu Changsheng's heart.
"What terrifying immortality..."
Lu Changsheng repeated the process, shattering the wolf demon's head with a punch.
Yet it was useless; the demon recovered just as quickly.
He then decapitated the wolf demon, held the head firmly, and reduced the body to paste.
Still, it was pointless—beneath the severed head held in Lu Changsheng's grasp, a new body grew out rapidly.
No matter how many times he destroyed it, he could not prevent the wolf demon from recovering.
Now Lu Changsheng finally experienced firsthand just how troublesome a true demon was.
Immortality!
It was truly unkillable!
Even he was helpless against it.
Thus, Lu Changsheng could only resort to the final method: trapping the wolf demon.
"Gao Ping, bring a fishing net!"
"Right away, Young Master!"
Outside the ruined temple, Gao Ping swiftly threw a net inside.
Lu Changsheng caught the net and draped it directly over the wolf demon.
Specially crafted, the net was exceptionally tough.
Even with the wolf demon's sharp claws, tearing through it in a short period was impossible.
"Gao Ping, you two can come in now," Lu Changsheng called outside.
Soon, Gao Ping and Miss Xuan entered the ruined temple.
At a glance, they saw the wolf demon struggling violently within the net.
"A-Hu..."
Miss Xuan indeed recognized the creature.
She identified A-Hu immediately.
"Bring the ropes and bind the wolf demon."
Together with Gao Ping, Lu Changsheng bound the wolf demon A-Hu with ropes.
Now powerless to struggle, A-Hu could only remain tied up submissively inside the net.
"All right. According to plan, we head to the estate."
Lu Changsheng had planned this long ago.
He had already purchased an estate outside the city.
It was sparsely populated; even if a true demon were kept there, it would be difficult for anyone to discover it.
Boarding a carriage, Lu Changsheng brought the wolf demon, Miss Xuan, and the others along to the estate.
"Young Master Gao, how do you intend to deal with A-Hu?" Miss Xuan asked.
"What, are you afraid I will kill him?
"Rest assured. He is a demon, and I cannot kill him. I merely wish to study demons."
Lu Changsheng was not deceiving Miss Xuan.
He truly intended to study demons.
In particular, he was intensely curious about why demons were immortal.
"Very well, Miss Xuan. If you are worried about A-Hu, you may come see him after some time.
"Do not reveal the location of this estate to anyone."
Lu Changsheng issued this warning.
Miss Xuan then took her leave and returned to Xunhuan Tower.
Lu Changsheng also went back to the Gao residence.
Afterward, using martial arts training as an excuse, Lu Changsheng temporarily departed from the Gao estate.
He secured a month's time to practice martial arts outside.
For this month, Lu Changsheng had already devised a clear plan.
He would remain at the estate and dedicate all his efforts to studying the true demon A-Hu.
"A-Hu, time to eat."
Lu Changsheng tossed some meat to A-Hu.
A-Hu was bound by thick iron chains.
Though his intelligence was low, he was deeply wary of Lu Changsheng, glaring at him with fierce, hostile eyes.
Lu Changsheng paid it no mind.
In the coming days, there would be many interactions between him and A-Hu.
Once A-Hu had eaten his fill, Lu Changsheng began his experiments.
To start, Lu Changsheng took a blade to A-Hu.
For instance, he severed an arm.
He severed a leg.
Then, without destroying the severed arm or leg, he observed whether A-Hu could still regenerate.
As a result, the estate was filled every day with A-Hu's shrill, miserable howls.
Although he was a true demon endowed with immortality and could not be killed by any means, having his limbs severed and his internal organs scooped out day after day was excruciating!
Such pain was enough to drive anyone mad.
Facts proved that Lu Changsheng did manage to uncover a few insights.
For example, he discovered that when A-Hu's arm was severed, a new one grew out rapidly, while the severed arm slowly rotted away.
Yet Lu Changsheng could not sense anything akin to spiritual energy entering A-Hu's body.
Without any replenishment of energy, how did A-Hu grow an arm?
This defied common sense; it did not conform to the law of conservation of energy.
The law of conservation of energy was not limited to technological worlds.
In truth, it applied to all worlds.
It was akin to a universal rule.
Could a true demon truly create energy out of nothing to grow an arm?
It was not just arms; legs, eyes, and even internal organs were the same.
Lu Changsheng exhausted every method he could think of.
He even sliced A-Hu into thin slivers, yet the result was meaningless.
A-Hu still managed to regenerate.
Then Lu Changsheng used fire.
Fire could burn A-Hu to death, even reducing him to ash.
Yet before long, A-Hu revived once more.
The only way to deal with A-Hu was not to kill him, but to trap him.
In essence, it was imprisonment.
He had heard that the Jing Dynasty maintained specialized facilities for imprisoning true demons.
Once confined to those places, a true demon could never escape.
In truth, it was no different from being dead.
After a month of repeated experiments, Lu Changsheng began to draw his conclusions.
"The immortality of a true demon should be a kind of rule.
"This is a rule unique to this world: demons are simply immortal!
"That is why a demon cannot be killed by any means. Perhaps only the collision between rules—between one true demon and another—can kill a true demon."
Lu Changsheng turned his thoughts back to his own circumstances.
If he wanted to step into the transcendent realm, he needed to introduce the transcendent power of this world.
However, the transcendent power of this world was passed down entirely through bloodlines.
What options did he have?
Could he return to the womb of a true demon and become a demon fetus?
That was exceedingly difficult—in fact, entirely unrealistic.
Alternatively, he could descend into the body of a newly deceased true demon.
Yet once a true demon died, both body and soul were utterly destroyed.
No corpse would ever be left behind.
"I have it.
"In this world, what defines a demon?
"A half-demon possesses both human and demon bloodlines, yet can still be called a true demon.
"Then what if I integrate the blood of a true demon through a direct blood exchange? Could I, to some degree, also become a true demon? Or gain powers similar to a true demon, thereby gaining the ability to kill them?"
Lu Changsheng's eyes lit up.
A blood exchange!
If even a blood exchange did not work, he would exchange flesh.
He would integrate true demon flesh into his own body, forcibly fusing it with his own flesh.
An ordinary person could never do this.
After all, true demon flesh was far too potent.
Attempting such a feat would mean certain death for an ordinary person.
Yet Lu Changsheng was no ordinary person.
He stood at the peak of secondary growth.
His physical body was far more formidable than that of an ordinary true demon.
"Let's give it a try."
With that, Lu Changsheng sliced off a small piece of flesh from the true demon A-Hu.
Then he cut open his own arm.
He forcefully shoved A-Hu's flesh into the flesh of his arm, then swiftly controlled his own flesh to envelop the piece of demon flesh.
*Sizzle, sizzle, sizzle...*
Lu Changsheng felt his own flesh being devoured by that small clump of A-Hu's flesh.
Pain.
An incomparable agony stimulated Lu Changsheng's nerves.
Fortunately, Lu Changsheng possessed a vast consciousness—the consciousness of an Earth Saint.
Such pain was well within his tolerance.
Moreover, his immense consciousness allowed him to closely monitor the subtle shifts occurring within his flesh.
As the true demon flesh continued to devour Lu Changsheng's flesh, that small clump grew steadily stronger.
Yet it did not matter.
This was Lu Changsheng's body now.
The true demon flesh had fallen into the heavy encirclement of Lu Changsheng's own flesh.
"Eat. Eat more. Let's see just how much you can swallow."
Lu Changsheng smiled faintly.
He even mobilized more flesh to feed the true demon flesh, wanting to see how much it could consume.
He intended to gorge the true demon flesh until it burst.
Ultimately, they would reach a state where "you are in me, and I am in you."
When that moment arrived, it would mark the metamorphosis of Lu Changsheng's physical body.
Chapter 269