Within Ten Zhang Is a Forbidden Zone: All Who Enter Shall Die!

"Kill the thief!" The Cui Clan Patriarch gave the order. At once, all the guards and martial artists aimed their crossbows at Lu Changsheng and advanced step by step. At this moment, Lu Changsheng stood outside the pill furnace room, his gaze fixed on the Cui clan's guards. He could even hear footsteps coming from every direction, meaning Cui clan forces were closing in from all around. The distance steadily closed. Twenty zhang, fifteen zhang, ten zhang... Seeing the Cui clan members step within ten zhang, a sharp light flickered in Lu Changsheng's eyes. Once his Silken Thread Sword exceeded a distance of three zhang, its power dropped drastically, and its consumption of qi and blood doubled. However, his reservoir of qi and blood was vast; he had no fear of depletion. Moreover, as long as one's qi and blood were immense enough, the Silken Thread Sword retained lethal power within ten zhang. Within three zhang, even martial artists in the Refining Organs Realm could hardly resist it. And just how many Refining Organs martial artists were left in the entire Cui clan anyway? Thus, the moment the Cui clan guards stepped within ten zhang, a rumble echoed within Lu Changsheng's body. *Hum.* The qi and blood inside Lu Changsheng surged forth from his body, gradually forming a massive cloud of blood above his head, so dense it seemed almost tangible. The colossal surge of qi and blood seemed to raise the temperature outside the pill furnace room in an instant. Yet even with his qi and blood gathered like a cloud, Lu Changsheng did not stop; his qi and blood continued to layer and mount relentlessly. "Qi and blood like a cloud! How could a martial artist below the Divine Strength Realm possess such terrifying qi and blood?" "Even for a Divine Strength Realm martial artist, their qi and blood wouldn't be much more than this, would it?" Many in the Cui clan were shaken to the core. *Whoosh.* In the next instant, Lu Changsheng snapped his eyes open. "Turning qi and blood into silken threads!" Lu Changsheng growled softly. At the same time, the blood cloud above his head split apart in an instant. One split into ten, ten into a hundred, a hundred into a thousand, a thousand into ten thousand... In the blink of an eye, the cloud of qi and blood divided into countless wisps of silken threads. What was more, every single thread seemed imbued with the sharp edge of a sword. "Silken Thread Sword, kill!" With a sweep of Lu Changsheng's hand, thousands upon thousands of Silken Thread Swords shot out like raindrops toward the surrounding guards! Watching the sky full of Silken Thread Swords sweep toward them, everyone in the Cui clan was stunned. Especially those experienced martial artists. They knew of the external release of qi and blood; indeed, they could release their own qi and blood externally as well. Yet once their qi and blood extended beyond three zhang, almost all its power dissipated, and the qi and blood would simply scatter. And now? This was nearly ten zhang away! Whose qi and blood could sustain a distance of ten zhang without diminishing? *Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh!* The qi and blood above Lu Changsheng's head had turned into countless silken thread swords, falling like a dense shower of rain upon the Cui clan guards in every direction. "Don't panic! Releasing qi and blood across ten zhang strips it of all power!" "Just protect your vitals!" "At ten zhang, released qi and blood has no killing power at all—it's nothing more than a pointless waste of qi and blood!" Several Cui clan martial artists shouted loudly, and the guards calmed down somewhat. Facing the dense swarm of "Silken Thread Swords," they merely raised their arms to shield their faces. In an instant, the Silken Thread Swords plunged into the crowd. *Squelch!* Instantly, the Silken Thread Swords sank into the bodies of numerous guards. Furthermore, each strand of the Silken Thread Sword was like an actual blade, piercing deep into their flesh. Some were even skewered straight through. "Ahhh..." "My hand..." "Help me..." As the Silken Thread Swords descended, several hundred guards from all sides collapsed to the ground one after another, writhing and wailing in agony. Some had their limbs pierced through, completely unable to stand. Some had their bellies and bodies riddled with wounds. Others had their hearts or other vital spots punctured, collapsing to the ground as corpses on the spot. Witnessing this, everyone could not help but suck in a sharp breath of cold air. The only ones still standing were those beyond ten zhang. After all, beyond ten zhang, the Silken Thread Swords truly retained little power. Yet within ten zhang, hardly anyone remained standing. Whether ordinary men, Strengthening Blood Realm martial artists, or Tempering Bone martial artists, every single person within ten zhang lay on the ground, either dead or gravely wounded. To the eyes of the onlookers, the scene was utterly shocking! After all, several hundred people had been routed in an instant by a single wave of "transforming qi and blood into swords." Such a sight was overwhelmingly impactful. "How is this possible?" "The thief's qi and blood can project out ten zhang? And it still possesses such lethal power that even Tempering Bone Realm martial artists can't resist it?" "More than just Tempering Bone Realm martial artists! This qi and blood would probably pose a threat even to a Refining Organs martial artist." "Whatever you do, do not step within ten zhang! No wonder the thief could kill the Three Elders of the Cui Clan. With strength like this, who at the Body Tempering level could possibly rival him?" Some of the remaining Cui clan martial artists immediately retreated several steps away from the pill furnace room, pulling back to more than a dozen zhang away. "Patriarch, what do we do?" The remaining martial artists all looked toward the Cui Clan Patriarch. The Cui Clan Patriarch glanced at the martial artists beside him and said in a heavy voice, "Everyone, within ten zhang, while his qi and blood possesses some power, it shouldn't be enough to harm Refining Organs martial artists. "What's more, after unleashing such an immense surge of qi and blood, he must have depleted a massive amount of it. With his qi and blood emptied, his strength is bound to plummet. "Now Cui Jiu has returned as well, giving us nine Refining Organs martial artists. If we swarm him together and strike with everything we have, we can definitely kill him! "What do you all think?" In truth, the Cui Clan Patriarch's gaze was mainly focused on the three consecrated elders. Among the three consecrated elders, two were peak Refining Organs martial artists. Now that the Three Elders of the Cui Clan were dead, these two peak Refining Organs consecrated elders naturally carried far more weight. One of the consecrated elders appeared to be a Buddhist monk. He glanced at the corpses of the Three Elders of the Cui Clan on the ground, then looked at the countless guards still groaning and wailing, and then grinned broadly. "Patriarch, I think it would be better to exercise caution. The best course of action is for you to immediately send someone to Suspended Sword Villa to notify Elder Lu Tong. "If Elder Lu Tong comes down from the mountain, no matter how formidable this person is, he will easily be suppressed by Elder Lu Tong. "We only need to surround the pill furnace room. Why take unnecessary risks?" The Cui Clan Patriarch's expression shifted slightly. Lu Tong? If they truly called Lu Tong here, what would be left for the Cui clan? When the time came, the Marrow Transformation Pills left for the Cui clan would likely be pitifully few. "Master Kongyan, if Elder Lu Tong descends the mountain, he can naturally suppress this scoundrel. However, Suspended Sword Villa is several tens of li from Jubei City. Sending someone to Suspended Sword Villa and waiting for Elder Lu Tong to travel back down will take at least ten-odd shichen back and forth. "In such a long time, I fear the thief would have escaped long ago," the Cui Clan Patriarch said in a heavy voice. "Escape?" "Patriarch, this poor monk sees no sign whatsoever that this thief intends to flee. "He seems to be searching for something. Does the Patriarch know what he is looking for? "If the thief cannot find it, he certainly won't leave. When the time comes, if we just stall and buy time, we will naturally be able to wait until Elder Lu Tong arrives," Monk Kongyan said with a half-smile. The Cui Clan Patriarch's heart sank. The Cui clan's refining of a batch of Marrow Transformation Pills was an utmost secret that most people knew nothing about. Among the consecrated elders, only Master Luotian knew. The Cui clan would never proclaim the matter of the Marrow Transformation Pills everywhere, nor would they let the other consecrated elders know. Otherwise, these consecrated elders would inevitably harbor ulterior motives. Moreover, the Cui Clan Patriarch could tell what Monk Kongyan meant: the man simply did not want to risk his life fighting. "Fine! Then send swift horses to Suspended Sword Villa at once to invite Elder Lu Tong down the mountain!" The Cui Clan Patriarch had no better alternative. Relying solely on the Cui clan's few Refining Organs martial artists, he truly did not dare act rashly. The Three Elders of the Cui Clan were already dead. If the Cui clan's other Refining Organs martial artists suffered further losses, how could the Cui clan keep the three consecrated elders in check? How could they maintain their foothold in Jubei City? The Cui Clan Patriarch did not dare gamble! Thus, the Cui clan martial artists encircled the pill furnace room, watching from a distance with no intention of attacking. *Is the Cui clan afraid?* Lu Changsheng glanced at the Cui clan crowd and roughly understood their intention. They had been terrified by his slaughter! However, having released his qi and blood just now, his internal reservoir was indeed largely depleted. Yet his strength was far more than just his qi and blood. With his current physical constitution alone, if he unleashed the Instant Kill Technique, few Refining Organs martial artists could withstand it. Even if the Cui clan truly continued their assault, he was confident he could shatter them. Still, now that they were no longer attacking, it was naturally a good thing for Lu Changsheng. He had come for the Marrow Transformation Pills, not to slaughter every last member of the Cui clan. As long as the Cui clan did not approach the pill furnace room, he would pay them no heed. And so Lu Changsheng spoke, "Within ten zhang of the pill furnace room, all who enter shall die!" His voice boomed across the vicinity of the pill furnace room. The faces of the Cui clan members changed slightly. Within ten zhang of the pill furnace room had clearly become a forbidden zone: trespassers die! Many Cui clan martial artists were filled with righteous indignation. The prestigious Cui clan had been forced into a corner on their own grounds, a single thief with a single sword demarcating a forbidden zone within their own estate—what a mockery! Yet no matter how indignant they were, they had to endure it. "Let this thief be arrogant for a little longer. Once Elder Lu Tong descends the mountain, he is as good as dead!" Holding their breath in suppressed fury, the Cui clan martial artists placed their hopes on Elder Lu Tong's arrival from the mountain.