*Whoosh.*
Lu Changsheng snapped his eyes open.
The qi and blood within him roared relentlessly, his blood surging through his vessels like crashing waves, producing a deafening din.
With practically every passing moment, Lu Changsheng's constitution was advancing.
This was his sixth marrow transformation and blood exchange.
Once it was complete, Lu Changsheng would possess the strength of sixty tripods!
With that in mind, he immediately summoned his attribute panel to examine his current status.
Host: Lu Changsheng
Comprehension: 683 (Hidden Dragon in the Depths)
Qiantian Treasure Transformation Secret Method: First Layer
Triple Waves: Second Wave
Blood Crystal Secret Method: Perfection
Ninefold Carp Leaping Dragon Gate Art: Second Tier
Divine Dragon Transformation: Second Transformation
Nine-Word Thunder Sound Secret Method: Perfection (Incomplete)
On the attribute panel, the Ninefold Carp Leaping Dragon Gate Art had already reached the second tier, and the Blood Crystal Secret Method had reached perfection as well.
Despite all these improvements, the most crucial figure—the strength of sixty tripods—did not appear on the attribute panel.
With the strength of sixty tripods filling his entire body, Lu Changsheng was equivalent to having undergone six marrow transformations and blood exchanges.
Once he unleashed the Second Transformation of the Divine Dragon, doubling his physical might, that would become one hundred twenty tripods.
And if he were to execute the second move of Triple Waves for an additional fifty-percent increase, that would reach a staggering one hundred eighty tripods of strength.
This was a truly terrifying number.
Not only had he attained the Hundred Tripods Realm, but he had also exceeded it by far.
*The Divine Dragon Transformation must have an upper limit to its physical amplification, and Triple Waves surely has an upper limit to its strength enhancement as well. I just don't know where that limit lies.*
A sharp gleam flashed across Lu Changsheng's eyes.
He knew that any secret method or martial art that amplified power had an upper limit.
Yet even after reaching the Hundred Tripods Realm through amplification, he still did not seem to have reached that threshold.
After all, beyond the Hundred Tripods Realm lay the Thousand Tripods Realm.
*I wonder how far the prefectural yamen's investigation into the demon martial artist has progressed?*
Lu Changsheng suddenly thought of the demon martial artist.
A full month had passed, yet the prefectural yamen seemed to have made no progress whatsoever.
The demon martial artist seemed to have vanished into thin air.
However, Lu Changsheng suspected things were not that simple.
Based on the pattern of how the corpses had appeared previously, a new batch surfaced roughly every month.
And it had been exactly one month since the last batch of bodies was discovered.
Still, investigating the demon martial artist was the government's responsibility. When it came to conducting investigations and manhunts, the authorities were certainly far more capable. Lu Changsheng only needed to wait quietly.
***
At this moment, the Nanyang prefectural yamen, joined by martial artists from numerous factions, had arrived at a mortuary in the southern district of the city.
"Officers, this is the place—the Lin Family Mortuary."
"The Lin clan has maintained this mortuary for a hundred years to house unclaimed corpses."
"Times have been chaotic lately, so many more unclaimed bodies have turned up, all kept here at the Lin Family Mortuary."
A night watchman was introducing the place to the yamen's constables.
The Lin Family Mortuary was widely renowned; after all, it had stood for a century.
"Is anyone guarding the mortuary?" Head Constable Liu asked.
"There used to be, but several months ago, Old Man Zheng, who looked after the place, seemed to have died of illness. Then came an Old Man Wang, who volunteered to watch over the mortuary. He didn't even want wages, just two meals a day."
The watchman was very familiar with the local area.
"Do you know this Old Man Wang's background?" Head Constable Liu pressed.
"Well... I'm really not too sure about that."
"Old Man Wang is a solitary fellow. I've exchanged a few words with him, but he was always aloof and reluctant to say much. All I know is that he seems to be an outsider who fled to Nanyang Prefecture as a refugee. He's old and frail, unfit for heavy labor, so to avoid starving, he volunteered to keep watch over the mortuary."
After the watchman finished, Head Constable Liu fell into thought.
"An outsider..."
In truth, Head Constable Liu's investigation had already pointed toward the Lin Family Mortuary.
Numerous clues converged here.
That was why he had mobilized so many Refining Organs martial artists across Nanyang Prefecture to come along.
There was likely something wrong with this Lin Family Mortuary.
And this outsider caretaker, Old Man Wang, was even more suspicious.
"Go call Old Man Wang out," Head Constable Liu told the watchman.
The watchman swallowed hard. Though he was merely a lowly watchman, seeing the yamen's grand array made it clear to him that the mortuary was problematic, and Old Man Wang perhaps even more so.
Yet he did not dare refuse.
Trembling with fear, he had no choice but to step inside the mortuary.
"Old Man Wang..."
The watchman called out loudly, peering around.
However, the mortuary was filled with coffins and reeked heavily of decaying corpses, yet Old Man Wang was nowhere to be seen.
The emptiness of the hall only deepened the watchman's terror.
*Creak.*
Just then, a strange noise broke the silence.
The watchman froze, cold sweat pouring down him as he turned around trembling.
From inside one of the coffins, a figure slowly sat upright.
Witnessing this, the watchman shuddered from head to toe.
"Looking for me?"
At that moment, the "corpse" sitting up in the coffin actually spoke.
The watchman started, took a closer look, and then let out a sigh of relief. "Old Man Wang, what are you doing sleeping in a coffin?"
It turned out this person was indeed the caretaker, Old Man Wang.
Old Man Wang said flatly, "It's warm inside the coffin."
The watchman said nothing to that.
Indeed, the mortuary did not even have a single quilt; sleeping here at night was truly rather cold.
By comparison, inside a coffin was much warmer.
"All right, come with me quickly. The officers want to see you."
With that, the watchman led Old Man Wang out of the mortuary.
*Whoosh.*
As Old Man Wang emerged, every eye fell upon him.
Head Constable Liu's expression was grave as he said in a heavy voice, "Old Man Wang, how long have you been watching over this mortuary?"
Old Man Wang glanced at Head Constable Liu and replied placidly, his tone devoid of any inflection, "About six or seven months, I think. I don't remember clearly."
"Six or seven months?"
Head Constable Liu compared the timeframe, and his heart gave a sudden thump.
This coincided precisely with when the first batch of corpses had appeared.
"You stay in the mortuary every day—have you ever gone out?"
"No. I have no wages and possess nothing of value. Where could I go? I can only stay in the mortuary with these corpses."
Old Man Wang answered many more questions.
At first glance, there seemed to be no flaws in his answers, yet upon closer consideration, his demeanor was far too calm.
With so many official constables and martial artists present in such a formidable display, let alone an outsider caretaker of a mortuary, even a seasoned schemer could never remain so composed.
Head Constable Liu merely suspected that something was wrong with Old Man Wang, but he lacked evidence; it was only his deduction.
He glanced at the mortuary, then barked, "Open the coffins. We need to inspect the corpses inside."
At Head Constable Liu's words, the look in Old Man Wang's eyes shifted for the first time.
"Respect belongs to the dead. They are all poor souls who died far from home with no one to collect their remains."
"I hope the officers will not disturb them further."
Old Man Wang stood right before the mortuary's entrance, his tone openly resistant.
Head Constable Liu sneered. "The government is investigating a case—how dare you obstruct us? Step aside immediately, or blades have no eyes!"
With a sharp *clang*, Head Constable Liu drew his gleaming broadsword.
Yet Old Man Wang remained motionless, as though he had not heard Head Constable Liu at all.
Seeing Head Constable Liu's gaze turn increasingly hostile, the watchman felt a pang of pity and hurriedly urged, "Old Man Wang, hurry and get out of the way! You're just the caretaker here; those bodies have nothing to do with you."
"If you really hinder the officers in their duties, you'll be in immense trouble!"
Old Man Wang looked at the watchman, then swept his gaze over the fierce-looking constables and bailiffs. He suddenly let out a long sigh. "Why bother?"
"Why must you come to throw your lives away?"
"Just one last batch and it would have reached completion. Why must you come to die right at this moment?"
The moment those words fell, everyone present underwent a drastic change of expression.
*Clang!*
Blades were drawn across the board, and everyone stared nervously at Old Man Wang.
Even the watchman scrambled to the rear.
He was no fool. For Old Man Wang, normally a quiet, taciturn man, to utter such words meant there was definitely something wrong with him!
"Who on earth are you?" Head Constable Liu shouted, fraught with tension.
Old Man Wang was barefoot, clad in tattered rags, his teeth yellowed and his whole body giving off a sour stench.
Yet everyone regarded him as if facing a mortal enemy.
Old Man Wang raised his head, a faint grin slowly spreading across his lips as he said languidly, "Haven't you been searching for me all along?"
With that, Old Man Wang slowly spread open his palms.
Instantly, bizarre black bugs began burrowing out from his palms, one after another.
And not just from his palms.
Even from his ears, his nose, and every single part of his body, black insects came crawling out.
At this sight, everyone's hearts violently trembled.
A demon martial artist!
Such bizarre, terrifying methods could belong only to a demon martial artist.
"Go, enjoy a hearty meal."
Old Man Wang shook all over and flung his hands forward.
*Buzz!*
Countless bizarre black bugs were hurled out, scattering in every direction.
Those standing close were swarmed in an instant as the bizarre black bugs swiftly crawled onto them, burrowing straight into their flesh with effortless ease.
"Ahhh..."
Piteous screams erupted at once.
"Get off me! What kind of bugs are these?"
"Quick, bugs are burrowing into my body! They're devouring my internal organs..."
"Fire! Burn these bugs with fire, quickly!"
In mere moments, nearly half of the hundred-plus martial artists collapsed.
Among them were even martial artists of the Refining Organs Realm.
Before these bizarre black bugs, ordinary men, Tempering Bone practitioners, and Refining Organs martial artists seemed no different from one another.
Once a bizarre black bug burrowed into their bodies, death was absolute!
Some lit torches, attempting to drive the insects away.
Yet it was useless.
The bizarre black bugs showed not the slightest fear of open flame.
A grotesque smile played on Old Man Wang's face.
As the martial artists perished beneath the swarm, their corpses shriveled at a speed visible to the naked eye.
Then, from the desiccated husks, black bugs crawled back out and burrowed into Old Man Wang's body once more.
Old Man Wang seemed to relish the sensation, letting the bizarre black bugs re-enter him undisturbed.
"Evil arts!"
Seeing this, fire nearly burst from Head Constable Liu's eyes.
He was enraged.
As a Refining Organs martial artist, he could naturally tell that these bizarre black bugs were inextricably linked to Old Man Wang.
Old Man Wang even cultivated his arts through them.
The bugs were far too numerous to contend with.
Yet Old Man Wang was only one man.
Old Man Wang was the source of the swarm; so long as he was killed, the bizarre black bugs would naturally perish over time.
"Die!"
Head Constable Liu's qi and blood surged violently as he brought his blade crashing down toward Old Man Wang with all his might.
This strike contained every ounce of Head Constable Liu's power.
It was blindingly fast—a single flash of blade light, arriving before Old Man Wang in the blink of an eye.
*Clink!*
Suddenly, the sound of colliding metal rang out.
Head Constable Liu stared in shock, his expression shifting drastically.
Talons!
At some point, Old Man Wang's hands had transformed into a pair of sharp talons.
Incredibly hard and razor-sharp, they had caught Head Constable Liu's broadsword head-on.
*Crack!*
With a vicious squeeze of Old Man Wang's talons, the sharp broadsword snapped into several pieces and clattered to the ground.
"Soon... once I kill you all and drain your blood, perhaps I can complete my demonization."
"I only wanted to drink a little blood, only killed a few ordinary people. Why did you have to get so hysterical and hunt me down so aggressively?"
The expression on Old Man Wang's face contorted into something monstrously hideous.
Dark lines surfaced across his skin, presenting a horrifying spectacle.
"Die!"
Head Constable Liu flung away his shattered hilt and threw a punch straight at Old Man Wang's chest.
*Squelch.*
Yet before Head Constable Liu's fist could land, his entire body stiffened.
He looked down at his chest.
Old Man Wang's talons had pierced straight through his torso, impaling his heart.
*Thud.*
Head Constable Liu fell dead, his body hitting the ground.
A formidable Refining Organs martial artist had failed to withstand even a single move from Old Man Wang; the disparity was simply too vast.
Witnessing this, many martial artists felt the urge to retreat.
Yet it was no longer up to them whether they could flee.
From the corpses inside the Lin Family Mortuary, more black bugs came crawling out.
The bizarre black bugs multiplied beyond hundreds or thousands into tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands, perhaps millions.
They surged forth like a black deluge. Whether Strengthening Blood, Tempering Bone, or Refining Organs martial artists, not a single person could withstand the onslaught of this black tide.
One after another, they were breached by the bugs, which began devouring their blood.
Moreover, after slaughtering these martial artists, the bizarre black bugs did not stop. Instead, they continued spreading in every direction.
They burrowed straight into the homes of common folk.
Instantly, agonized screams began rising from house after house.
At this sight, Old Man Wang grew even more frenzied, his eyes turning blood-red.
"I originally just wanted to stay quietly in the mortuary, picking off an unlucky fool now and then to drain their blood until I achieved demonization."
"Yet why couldn't you grant me even this tiny wish?"
"You forced my hand! You forced me to slaughter!"
"In that case, let every soul in Nanyang City merge into one with me! Hahaha..."
Old Man Wang laughed like a madman.
Yet more and more black bugs continued to pour from his body.
These bloodthirsty bugs were even beginning to lay eggs.
Only inside Old Man Wang's body could the bloodthirsty bugs rapidly reproduce and, nurtured by his essence blood, swiftly mature.
As long as Old Man Wang lived, the bloodthirsty bugs would multiply without end.
When that time came, the entire population of Nanyang City would be devoured clean by the bugs, reducing it to a city of the dead!
Martial artists fled in utter panic.
They were the sole survivors.
Of the hundred-plus martial artists assembled by the yamen, nearly all were dead.
Yet even after escaping, the sight before them left them paralyzed with fear.
Innumerable people were already wailing in the streets.
The bizarre black bugs were spreading rapidly; sooner or later, they would engulf all of Nanyang City.
"It's over... What kind of monster have we provoked?"
"Is this a demon martial artist? The legends say that whenever a demon martial artist appears, calamity is sure to follow... It was true all along..."
"All of Nanyang City is finished..."
Despair gripped their hearts.
Black bugs covered the surroundings; there was nowhere left to run. At best, they could only hold out a little longer.
The demon martial artist was simply too terrifying.
They could not imagine who could possibly save Nanyang City now.
A Divine Strength Realm martial artist?
Even if one truly arrived, could they even contend with such a demon martial artist?
*Tap, tap, tap.*
Right at that moment, the faint sound of footsteps reached their ears.
They snapped their heads up and looked forward.
At some point, a burly figure had appeared upon the deserted street.
Dressed in black and bearing a short sword, a terrifying aura of qi and blood radiated from him.
That qi and blood had even coalesced into a massive cloud of crimson in the empty air.
"Could this be... a Divine Strength Realm martial artist?"
"Hero Zhuang is here!"
"It's Hero Zhuang Thirteen, the righteous Hero Zhuang!"
Hope flared in everyone's hearts.
Zhuang Thirteen!
Across all of Nanyang Prefecture in recent months, no name shone brighter than Zhuang Thirteen's.
Righteous to the core, with chivalrous courage and valor.
Not only had he eradicated the Thirteen Desert Riders, but he had also annihilated the domineering and tyrannical Blood Fiend Sect.
Rumor even had it that Hero Zhuang had traveled to Yancheng and dismantled a stronghold of the Myriad Poison Cult.
In short, Zhuang Thirteen was immensely powerful, his chivalrous renown echoing far and wide.
With Zhuang Thirteen here, perhaps they could be saved!
Yet could Zhuang Thirteen withstand a demon martial artist and those terrifying insects?
At that very moment, a boundless sea of bugs blanketed the entire street like a black wave, surging with overwhelming force toward Zhuang Thirteen.
Chapter 82