Immeasurable Strength, Uprooting a Sky-Reaching Tree!

As night fell, a hint of chill seeped into the air. Prefect Li Mu paced back and forth across the room, anxiety written plain across his face. Lately, he had tossed and turned, unable to sleep, looking as though he had aged years in a matter of weeks. The Thirteen Desert Riders had become his festering sore. If it were merely a band of mountain bandits like the Thirteen Desert Riders, Li Mu would not have been overly worried. When trade routes were blocked, the wealthy merchants and affluent gentry would naturally grow desperate; when the time came, they would supply the funds and grain, and sooner or later the bandit menace would be subdued. However, the White Lotus Sect had gotten mixed up with the Thirteen Desert Riders, and that changed everything. The White Lotus Sect—they had been inciting rebellions for over a thousand years. If the White Lotus Sect egged on the Thirteen Desert Riders to rebel and march against Nanyang City, should the walls fall, he, as prefect, would bear the brunt of it and certainly be put to death. That was the true root of his anxiety, the very reason he had posted the Righteous Heroes Notice. Regrettably, several waves of righteous heroes had been slaughtered by the Thirteen Desert Riders in succession. By now, no one dared step forward to tear down the notice. Li Mu walked out of the yamen once more. He had ordered the yamen runners to guard the Righteous Heroes Notice day and night, hoping someone would answer the call. "Milord." "Has anyone come to tear down the notice?" Li Mu asked. "In response to Milord, from dawn until now, no one has even shown an interest in the Righteous Heroes Notice." Li Mu's anxiety deepened. If this dragged on, he was even considering resigning his post. Yet, after toiling for so many years to finally become a prefect, he could not bear to give it up! "Hm?" Suddenly, out in the darkness beyond the yamen, a dark silhouette gradually emerged. "Who goes there?" The yamen runners tensed immediately. Though they kept a constant watch on the city gates, no one could guarantee that the Thirteen Desert Riders would not sneak into Nanyang City to carry out an assassination. After all, the Thirteen Desert Riders were now entangled with the White Lotus Sect. And when it came to assassinations, the White Demons were true masters of the craft! The runners drew their sabers, their nervous gazes locked onto the dark figure. Li Mu stepped back several paces, sheltered behind several guards. Gradually, the silhouette emerged fully from the darkness, revealing his appearance beneath the faint candlelight. It was a burly man with a full beard, dressed in black and holding a short sword, walking toward the yamen step by step. The newcomer was naturally Lu Changsheng. Ignoring the runners, he walked straight to the Righteous Heroes Notice, reached out, and ripped it down. The Righteous Heroes Notice was torn down by Lu Changsheng. Since he intended to resolve the problem of the Thirteen Desert Riders, he would naturally claim the bounty. After all, a thousand taels of gold plus a Divine Strength Realm martial art was too good an offer to pass up. "I accept this Righteous Heroes Notice!" Lu Changsheng declared in an even tone. Without paying heed to the runners, he turned and prepared to leave. "Hero, please wait!" Prefect Li Mu snapped back to his senses and called out at once. At a time like this, someone actually dared take up the notice? Though he could not gauge the man's strength, anyone with the nerve to tear down the notice was unlikely to be a fool rushing to his death. Lu Changsheng paused and turned back to look at Li Mu. Li Mu wore plain clothes rather than official robes, so Lu Changsheng did not recognize him. At that moment, a runner beside them chimed in, "Hero, this is our Lord Prefect." Lu Changsheng did not salute the prefect. Though this appeared somewhat arrogant, Li Mu did not take offense. Martial artists of the jianghu were haughty and untamed by nature; to a martial artist, a prefect truly meant very little. "No matter. May I ask the honored hero's name?" Li Mu asked with utmost courtesy. "Zhuang Thirteen." Lu Changsheng pondered briefly and tossed out an alias. "So it is Hero Zhuang." "Since you have torn down the Righteous Heroes Notice, if there is anything you require, the prefectural yamen will do its utmost to accommodate you." Li Mu was currently like a drowning man clutching at a stray straw; he had to hold on no matter what. If Zhuang Thirteen were to die as well, he had no idea if anyone else would ever take the notice. Therefore, he wanted to provide all the help he could muster, praying that Zhuang Thirteen could wipe out the Thirteen Desert Riders. Lu Changsheng considered for a moment, then said, "I need a fast horse." "A fast horse? We have one! The yamen has fast horses." Li Mu immediately ordered someone to lead out a reddish-bay steed from the compound. Lu Changsheng vaulted onto the horse's back, glanced down at Li Mu, and said calmly, "Lord Li, if I kill the Thirteen Desert Riders, what proof do I need to claim the bounty?" "Must I bring back thirteen heads?" Li Mu shook his head hurriedly. "No heads are required. The Thirteen Desert Riders wield Desert Scimitars, which are forged through a unique method and are exceedingly rare in Nanyang Prefecture; one can tell them at a glance." "When the time comes, simply bring back the scimitars of the Thirteen Desert Riders." Li Mu knew the Thirteen Desert Riders well. Their scimitars were like a second life to them. Unless dead, the Thirteen Desert Riders would never abandon their blades. "Very well. In that case, Lord Li, you had better prepare the gold and martial arts manual in advance." With that, Lu Changsheng wheeled the horse around and galloped away into the distance. Watching Lu Changsheng's departing figure, Li Mu asked, "Head Constable Liu, do you know this Hero Zhuang?" Head Constable Liu shook his head. "I have never heard of him. His name is unknown even in the jianghu; it is most likely an alias." It was entirely normal for martial artists to use pseudonyms. "Real name or fake, as long as he can kill the Thirteen Desert Riders, that is all that matters." "If Zhuang Thirteen dies too..." Li Mu gritted his teeth. If Zhuang Thirteen perished as well, he would truly have to consider resigning. Otherwise, once the Thirteen Desert Riders revolted under the White Lotus Sect's sway, he would be a dead man. *** Lu Changsheng rode through the city gates and galloped north along the official post road. Roughly two hours later, he drew his mount to a halt. The whereabouts of the Thirteen Desert Riders were no secret, requiring no map to find. Because they had blocked the post road, one merely had to travel along it to run into their men. Sure enough, Lu Changsheng spotted a crowd of bandits ahead, clutching broadsabers and glaring at him with savage gazes. "Not a caravan, just a lone man? Looks like someone from the jianghu. Could he be here to assassinate the thirteen chiefs again?" "Most likely. That corrupt official in Nanyang City posted some 'Righteous Heroes Notice.' Martial artists have been coming one after another to assassinate the chiefs, trying to make a name for themselves, only to get slaughtered instead." "This kid came all alone and struts right in like this—he's courting death! Capture him and present him to the chiefs!" Lu Changsheng looked calmly at the bandits, as if gazing upon a heap of corpses. These bandits were subordinates of the Thirteen Desert Riders. The massacres of those villages across Nanyang Prefecture had been carried out by these very men; not one of them was innocent. Lu Changsheng could not be bothered to waste words. His thoughts were unsettled, his emotions churning, and he happened to be in the mood to kill. Since these bandit lackeys had thrown themselves forward to die, Lu Changsheng would certainly not show mercy. Facing dozens of bandits, he kicked his stirrups, vaulted cleanly from the saddle, and landed right in their midst. "Silken Thread Sword, kill!" The qi and blood inside Lu Changsheng erupted in an instant. Instantly, turning qi and blood into silken threads, the threads turned sharp as swords. Swish! Swish! Swish! Swish! Swish! Streaks of the Silken Thread Sword shot forth like a violent downpour, instantly covering the sky and earth as they radiated in every direction. "What?" "What kind of technique is this?" "My hand..." Terror seized the bandits. In a single breath, dozens of bandits collapsed to the ground. Most were reduced to lifeless corpses. Even those who survived were wounded, thrashing and wailing in agony upon the dirt. Lu Changsheng remained planted where he stood. From the moment he leapt down into their ranks, he had not even moved a step. Merely by shaping his internal qi and blood into the Silken Thread Sword, he had shot down dozens of bandits. Such a method bordered on the miraculous. Yet, at this moment, Lu Changsheng sensed something unexpected, a look of surprise crossing his face. My qi and blood barely depleted at all? He was thoroughly astonished. By all rights, releasing that wave of the Silken Thread Sword should have consumed a vast amount of qi and blood. After all, the external release of qi and blood took a tremendous toll. And yet, the qi and blood within him surged violently, bearing no trace of exhaustion. No, it's not that there was no consumption, but that my qi and blood recover too quickly. It's the marrow! After the marrow transformation, the marrow's blood-producing capacity increased drastically. Blood is not qi and blood, but a vast supply of blood undoubtedly allows qi and blood to replenish swiftly. Once the marrow transforms, the recovery rate of qi and blood soars. Especially since I've undergone both marrow transformation and blood exchange; stacking the two together, my endurance, recuperation, and everything else have dramatically improved. Though there is no official stage called the half-step Divine Strength Realm, my current state is practically equivalent to a half-step Divine Strength Realm... Lu Changsheng could distinctly feel that his strength had soared. His present condition was far superior to any Refining Organs martial artist. Even someone at peak Refining Organs was nothing before him. He was leagues beyond peak Refining Organs, yet had not reached the Divine Strength Realm, occupying a tier all his own in between. What was that if not a "half-step Divine Strength Realm"? Initially, Lu Changsheng had worried that because the Thirteen Desert Riders commanded so many bandits, his Silken Thread Sword—while potent for area attacks—would drain his qi and blood so quickly that one or two bursts would leave him empty. Now it seemed his qi and blood recovered at an incredible pace, completely eliminating any concern over depletion. Lu Changsheng walked over to one of the fallen bandits. A silken sword had pierced through the man's arm, staining his clothes in crimson, but he would not die anytime soon. Lu Changsheng reached down, hoisted the bandit up by the collar, and demanded coldly, "Where are the Thirteen Desert Riders?" "In the stronghold... up on the mountain." "Lead the way." Paying no heed to the bandit's wound, Lu Changsheng carried him directly into the forested hills. Through the woods, Lu Changsheng spotted an abandoned temple halfway up the mountain from afar. The temple had been enclosed with hastily erected palisades, and the faint clamor and shouts of numerous bandits drifted from within. Evidently, the abandoned temple had been fortified into a makeshift mountain stronghold. "Who goes there?" Before Lu Changsheng could get close to the stronghold, he was spotted. Vaguely, two bandits could be seen crouching in the brush to the side. Hidden sentries! The bandit in Lu Changsheng's grip must have known about them, yet had stayed silent. Bandits are never to be trusted! With a flick of qi and blood, transforming qi and blood into a sword, Lu Changsheng pierced the injured bandit's heart in an instant. Immediately after, he hurled the corpse straight toward the two hidden sentries. Thud! The dead bandit crashed into the pair. "Aaargh!" With a pair of screams, both sentries were bludgeoned to death on the spot. Given Lu Changsheng's current physical strength, even a casual toss carried terrifying power; smashing two sentries to death was nothing out of the ordinary. However, the sentries' dying shrieks alerted the bandits in the stronghold. "What happened?" "Sounds like the sentries were taken out!" "An assassin!" In an instant, an uproar broke out within the stronghold. Archers scrambled behind the wooden palisades, leveling their bows and crossbows at Lu Changsheng. Lu Changsheng narrowed his eyes. There were several hundred bandits inside the compound. What was more, they fielded archers who seemed thoroughly disciplined and trained. Evidently, the Thirteen Desert Riders were not just skilled in martial arts; they likely understood military formations as well. Or perhaps it was the handiwork of the White Lotus Sect. With these archers in place, Lu Changsheng could not charge the stronghold amid the confusion. Even though he was a "half-step Divine Strength Realm" martial artist who had completed marrow transformation and blood exchange, his body remained flesh and bone. If he forced his way in, he risked injury or even being shot dead by a volley. If only I had Zhao Xing's suit of iron armor, I could charge straight through their arrow formation! Zhao Xing's iron armor flashed across Lu Changsheng's mind. But he had no such armor on him right now. Looking from a distance, Lu Changsheng could vaguely sense several sharp gazes locked onto him from inside the stronghold. They had to be the Thirteen Desert Riders or experts from the White Lotus Sect. They seemed cautious, refraining from recklessly dispatching men outside. Lu Changsheng glanced at his surroundings. Aside from dense, towering trees, the forest offered nothing else. Trees... A flash of inspiration struck Lu Changsheng. Seeing the leafy, towering trees, a plan formed in his mind to counter the archers and breach the stronghold gates. Lu Changsheng strode directly to a sky-reaching tree so thick it would require three men to encircle its trunk. He wrapped his arms around the trunk, managing to clasp only a portion of its girth. Gathering his strength, he hauled upward with everything he had. Rustle, rustle, rustle. The branches and foliage shook violently, but the tree itself barely budged. Inside the stronghold, the bandits stared at Lu Changsheng with wide eyes. "What is he doing?" "Is he trying to pull up that tree?" "That's a sky-reaching tree three men wide! Even someone with innate divine strength couldn't pull that up, could they?" "Who could uproot a tree like that except an expert of the Divine Strength Realm?" "Though this man possesses an imposing presence and robust qi and blood, he definitely isn't in the Divine Strength Realm." The bandits burst into laughter instead. They had seen plenty of assassins over recent weeks. Yet an assassin this "dim-witted" was truly a first. Lu Changsheng cared nothing for what the bandits thought. His raw physical strength alone seemed insufficient to tear out the tree. Taking a deep breath, he unleashed the qi and blood within his body, forcing it outside his frame. Boom! A rumble echoed within Lu Changsheng as his qi and blood detonated, a cloud of crimson blood mist rising above his head. Then, the blood cloud split, weaving into strands of silken threads of qi and blood. These were not Silken Thread Swords, however, but merely the manifestation of turning qi and blood into silken threads. The other ends of the threads remained anchored within Lu Changsheng's body. Like countless writhing tentacles, these threads of qi and blood instantly blanketed the colossal tree, densely wrapping around its entire trunk. "Rise!" In that instant, Lu Changsheng heaved with both arms, and the silken threads of qi and blood covering the entire tree erupted with terrifying might. Rumble! An incredible sight unfolded as the entire mountain forest seemed to shudder. Amidst the tremors, the sky-reaching tree shook violently until, at last, it was forcibly uprooted from the earth by Lu Changsheng! Inside the stronghold, thirteen martial artists clad in exotic garb, with pale skin and features conspicuously distinct from the locals, stared out at Lu Changsheng in the distance. "How is that possible?" "He actually pulled out a tree that big?" "They always say the Southern Dynasty's martial arts are profound and produce countless experts. Aside from those foolish assassins before, a truly interesting fighter has finally arrived." These thirteen men were none other than the Thirteen Desert Riders! They had always referred to the Great Fish Dynasty as the "Southern Dynasty." After all, geographically, the Great Fish Dynasty lay south of the northern barbarians and the great desert. "Immeasurable strength, uprooting a sky-reaching tree!" "Even so, the thirteen chiefs' martial prowess is transcendent; below the Divine Strength Realm, few can stand as their match." "Though this man possesses brute force, mere brute force is not worth mentioning." The speaker was an old man in white robes, known in the stronghold as Elder Chu.