Chapter 112 You killed Li Wei? Breakthrough to the Flesh Refining Realm

Chapter 112 You killed Li Wei? Breakthrough to the Flesh Refining Realm

Two days later, at the outer city government office, the Merit and Merit Division.

Lu Beichen and Song Jing arrived together.

Both of them had recovered their complexion, but deep in their eyes, there was a trace of regret and solemnity that they had not been able to complete the mission.

The officers of the Merit Department had already been notified and verified the identities of the two men and the evidence of their killings.

After receiving the fragment of the "Decree of Extermination" bearing the special markings of the Commandant's Office and recording the aura of Han Sha at the time of his death, along with the detailed action report submitted by Lu Beichen, they dared not delay and immediately began to calculate the reward.

"Han Sha, the deputy leader of the Blood Lotus Sect, has been confirmed dead. A reward of one thousand taels of silver will be given."

"He colluded with the heretical and treacherous Li Wei and is confirmed dead. A reward of 1,500 taels of silver will be given."

The clerk greeted him loudly, then looked troubled and turned to Lu Beichen: "Lord Lu, this Li Wei—according to the report, he wasn't killed by your own hands, but died in infighting among his accomplices. According to the rules, this reward—"

Lu Beichen frowned, about to speak. A senior official from the Merit Department, who had rushed over upon hearing the news, quickly stepped forward and reprimanded the clerk in a low voice, "Foolish! Lord Lu and Young Hero Song ventured deep into the lion's den, killed Han Sha, and forced the rebels into infighting, resulting in Li Wei's death. This merit is directly related to this event. How can you erase their achievements simply because they didn't personally kill him? The Commandant has already clearly stated that rewards for such meritorious officials should be distributed appropriately!"

The official turned to Lu Beichen and Song Jing with a forced smile and said, "Lord Lu, Young Hero Song, my men were ignorant and made a fool of themselves. Although Li Wei did not die directly at your hands, his execution was indeed due to your efforts. In my opinion, half of Li Wei's reward, that is, 750 taels, should be paid. Adding Han Sha's 1,000 taels, the total should be 1,750 taels. What do you two think?"

Lu Beichen looked at Song Jing. Song Jing nodded slightly. He wasn't particular about the amount of the reward money; getting it was a good thing.

"Okay." Lu Beichen nodded.

"Alright! Please wait a moment, I will process your payment immediately!" The manager breathed a sigh of relief and quickly ordered someone to fetch the silver notes.

Before long, a thick stack of large-denomination silver notes was presented to the two men. The total amount was 1,750 taels, including 15 notes of 100 taels each and 5 notes of 50 taels each.

Without even glancing at them, Lu Beichen picked up ten of the hundred-tael notes and five fifty-tael notes, totaling one thousand two hundred and fifty taels, and pushed them in front of Song Jing.

"Brother Lu, what's going on?" Song Jing was taken aback.

"Brother Song, you have made a great contribution on this mission. Without your swift and decisive strike that killed Han Sha, we might not even have escaped unscathed, let alone receive the reward. You deserve the lion's share of the reward." Lu Beichen said earnestly, putting away the remaining 750 taels that belonged to Han Sha and half to Li Wei. "You were the one who came up with the idea, and you were the one who killed him. I was merely there to help restrain him. This 1250 taels is rightfully yours. Besides, you need a lot of resources for your cultivation, and this is precisely the time when you need money. Don't refuse."

Looking at the heavy silver notes in front of him and then at Lu Beichen's sincere and determined gaze, Song Jing felt a surge of warmth in his heart.

He knew that Lu Beichen was an upright person and that his words came from the bottom of his heart, so to refuse again would only seem pretentious.

"Alright, in that case, I, Song, am humbled. Thank you, Brother Lu." Song Jing no longer stood on ceremony and put away the silver note. With this sum of over 1,200 taels, plus his previous savings, he would have no shortage of cultivation resources for a short time, and could even consider purchasing a better weapon.

"We're brothers, no need for thanks," Lu Beichen said with a smile, but the smile quickly faded as he lowered his voice, "It's just—Li Wei's death is quite suspicious. Given Li Wujiu and Qin Yue's personalities, how could they possibly turn on each other and kill Li Wei under those circumstances?"

A cold glint flashed in Song Jing's eyes, and he said in a deep voice, "This is exactly what I'm worried about. Although Li Wei is injured, he is still at the peak of the Copper Skin Realm and can still be useful to those two. Killing him in a pointless internal conflict would be unwise. Unless—"

"Unless his death brings even greater benefits!" Lu Beichen interjected, his expression changing. "The Blood Lotus Sect excels at refining pills using blood and qi, and Li Wujiu is a master of this art. Han Sha just died, and Li Wei followed suit—two portions of fresh blood and qi from martial artists at the Great Perfection of the Bronze Skin Realm—"

The two exchanged a glance and saw the seriousness and a hint of fear in each other's eyes.

"A Qi and Blood Pill!" Song Jing said, enunciating each word clearly, voicing the unsettling suspicion, "They want to use the Qi and blood of these two to refine an evil pill and forcefully break through to the Body Refining Realm!"

Lu Beichen gasped, "If that's the case, once they've refined it, Li Wujiu and Qin Yue will both break through to the Flesh Refining Realm—no one in the outer city will be able to stop them! At that time, their first targets for revenge will be you, me, and the Commandant's Mansion!"

"We must report to the Commandant immediately!" Song Jing said decisively. "This matter is of utmost importance and cannot be resolved by our private actions. We must ask the Commandant to decide to dispatch additional manpower and conduct a full-scale search to eliminate them before they complete their elixir!"

"Let's go!" Without further hesitation, Lu Beichen immediately left the Merit Department and headed straight for the study of Captain Chen Yanzhou.

Inside the study, after listening to Lu Beichen's report, especially the speculation about the "Qi and Blood Elixir," Chen Yanzhou's usually calm face finally showed a solemn expression.

He put down his vermilion pen, stood up, and slowly paced around the study.

"The Blood Qi Pill—one of the forbidden evil arts of the Blood Lotus Sect. Using the fresh blood and qi of high-level martial artists as the main ingredient, supplemented with many insidious drugs, the resulting pill could indeed force a martial artist at the peak of the Copper Skin Realm to break through to the Flesh Refining Realm. However, the consequences are endless, and the success rate is not one hundred percent." Chen Yanzhou's voice was low and filled with murderous intent. "If they really manage to refine it, even if only one person breaks through, it would be enough to unleash a bloodbath in the outer city."

He stopped and looked at Lu Beichen, a hint of admiration flashing in his eyes: "It's good that you thought of this and reported it immediately. This matter has indeed gone beyond the scope of ordinary pursuit."

"My lord, please immediately send more experts to seal off the western area of ​​the city and search it thoroughly! We must not allow the elixir to be successfully refined!" Lu Beichen said urgently.

Chen Yanzhou shook his head: "Li Wujiu is as cunning as a fox, and Qin Yue is no easy opponent either. After this ordeal, they must have moved and won't stay in the same place to wait for us to search. Moreover, refining Qi and Blood Pills takes a long time and involves a lot of noise, so they will definitely find a more secluded place with special ley lines or formations to cover it up."

He pondered for a moment, then decisively ordered: "Beichen, you take my token and immediately mobilize all the experts above the Bronze Skin Realm in the Commandant's Office, under your command. Under the pretext of investigating the remnants of the Blood Lotus Sect and capturing Qin Yue, conduct a high-profile search of the entire city, especially abandoned mines, underground palaces, and secluded mansions. Make it appear as if you are launching a full-scale siege, alerting them and forcing them to not dare to move easily or complete the final steps. In addition, I have sent Nie Shuli, the seventh disciple of the Mad Wind Martial Arts School Master, to assist you."

"Yes!" Lu Beichen accepted the order.

The thought of the Captain sending Senior Brother Nie Shuli, a master of the Flesh Refining Realm in the Captain's Mansion, was truly astounding. It was said that not only had he mastered the Gale Blade Technique to perfection, making his blade incredibly powerful, but his Nine Shadow Steps movement technique was also at its peak, and he himself had just broken through to the Flesh Refining Realm.

With his high-burst Whirlwind Blade Technique and high-speed Nine Shadow Steps, he is the leading figure among the new disciples of the Whirlwind Martial Arts School.

Lu Beichen felt at ease at this moment, with Senior Brother Nie here to support him.

Moreover, Senior Brother Nie had killed many demonic thieves before, and his experience in suppressing thieves was also very rich.

A campaign of encirclement and counter-encirclement against evil cultivators in the Flesh Refining Realm quietly began on this afternoon when people were collecting their bounties.

Meanwhile, in the darkness, the alchemy furnace was burning brightly.

Deep within an abandoned iron mine in the north of the city lies a hidden cave of subterranean fire.

A pungent, nauseating stench of blood mingled with a strange medicinal aroma, permeating the scorching underground space. A dark red alchemical furnace, resembling congealed blood, emitted an ominous hum as it was licked by the subterranean fire.

Li Wujiu and Qin Yue sat cross-legged in front of the furnace, their eyes bloodshot, their breaths disordered and violent, and it seemed as if countless small snakes were wriggling under their skin. This was a sign that after swallowing the Qi and Blood Pill, the medicinal power was violently clashing and merging with their own blood and evil skills.

"Ugh—"

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"Heh—"

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The two simultaneously let out low growls that sounded inhuman, their blood vessels bulged, their skin cracked, and blackish-red blood beads seeped out, only to be instantly evaporated by the scorching earth fire.

The life essence of Li Wei and Han Sha, combined with other sinister materials, was refined in the earth fire for seven days, finally creating these two evil pills containing immense power and endless resentment.

The pain lasted for a full day and night.

The fire gradually died down, and the alchemy furnace cooled down.

Li Wujiu and Qin Yue opened their eyes almost simultaneously. A blood-red light flickered in their eyes, and a powerful, solid, and chillingly sinister pressure, far stronger than before, spread from the two of them like a tide, shaking the surrounding stone walls until they were covered in dust.

The Flesh Refining Realm has been achieved!

"Hahahaha!" Li Wujiu stood up, threw his head back and laughed loudly, his voice hoarse like a night owl, filled with madness and triumph. "Flesh Refining Realm! I have finally stepped into this second realm! Power! This is true power!"

With a casual wave of his hand, a solid, blood-red palm print slammed into the stone wall beside him. The hard rock was eroded into a deep palm print as easily as tofu, with black smoke hissing from the edges.

Qin Yue slowly stood up, clenched his fist, his knuckles cracking like thunder, feeling the surging, refined blood and true energy within his body, and a ferocious smile appeared on his face: "Not bad! This is the Flesh Refining Realm! Copper skin and iron bones, blood and energy like a furnace! Song Jing, you little bastard, Lu Beichen, and that damned Commandant's Mansion—your death is near!"

The two exchanged a smile, their eyes filled with cruelty and pleasure.

The immense power brought by the breakthrough inflated their confidence to unprecedented levels. They felt that no one could stop them in the outer city, and they could even conquer the inner city. "Let's start with Song Jing! Drain his tendons and bones, refine his blood and qi, to vent the hatred in my heart!" Li Wujiu licked his lips, his eyes gleaming with even more bloodlust.

"That's exactly right! Then we'll slaughter the Chasing Wind Martial Arts School and massacre the Commandant's stronghold in the outer city! Let this outer city become the hunting ground for my Blood Lotus Sect and the Black Tiger Gang!" Qin Yue grinned maliciously.

Meanwhile, deep within the Chasing Wind Martial Arts School, in Song Jing's secluded meditation room.

He sat cross-legged, shirtless. Beneath his skin, a pale golden luster flowed and condensed at an unprecedented speed, faintly emitting a deep, bell-like sound.

In front of him were several empty medicine bottles, which were precious medicinal materials purchased with reward silver to assist in the cultivation of the external martial arts technique, and they had all been used up.

In recent days, he has been secretly investigating the whereabouts of Li Wujiu and his companion while diligently cultivating his skills.

Especially the Golden Bell Shield, under the accumulation of a large amount of resources, the stimulation of life and death pressure, and his own unremitting hard work, the bottleneck that had been stuck for a long time finally began to loosen.

"Qi and blood circulation, circulating throughout the body, skin, muscles and bones, all as one body—" Song Jing silently recited the final mental technique of the Golden Bell Cover, guiding the powerful qi and blood and true qi in his body to wash and beat every inch of his skin, muscles and bones again and again.

Gradually, the pale golden luster beneath the skin became richer and more solid, no longer flowing on the surface, but seemingly about to penetrate the body, forming a visible, ancient and thick pale golden light film on the skin! On the light film, faint Sanskrit patterns flowed, exuding an indestructible and impervious aura.

"clang--!"

A grand, deep, and ancient bell-like sound resounded from within Song Jing's body, causing the entire meditation room to tremble! His body shone with golden light, transforming him into a pale golden bronze figure, with a dignified and majestic appearance and a powerful aura!

The golden light lasted for several breaths before slowly receding and finally disappearing completely. Song Jing opened his eyes, a fleeting golden glint appearing in them.

He slowly got up, stretched his body, and heard a series of popping sounds from his bones and muscles, as if his blood and qi were flowing like the Yangtze River.

He looked down at his skin, which seemed no different from that of an ordinary person, and gently pressed his hand on the iron weapon rack next to him.

"Crack." He casually pressed a clear fingerprint into the thick edge of the refined iron!

"Golden Bell Shield, perfected!" Song Jing clenched his fist, feeling the seemingly invisible yet extremely tough layer of protection under his skin, as well as the surging power and defense within his body.

Nowadays, even if you were hit by an ordinary sword or knife, it would be difficult to leave even a white mark.

When fully activated, its defensive power is strong enough to withstand the normal attacks of a martial artist in the early stage of the Body Refining Realm! Strength, endurance, and recovery ability also increase accordingly.

"Li Wujiu, Qin Yue—you'd better have already broken through." Song Jing looked towards the north of the city, his eyes cold and sharp, his fighting spirit rising.

"Otherwise, wouldn't this perfected Golden Bell Shield be lacking a testing ground?"

With the emergence of the evil pill, demons run rampant.

The golden bell has reached its full potential, as solid as a rock.

A clash between beings at the Body Refining Realm is now inevitable.

However, Song Jing saw that the Chasing Wind Leg Technique on the panel was about to be perfected. He decided that once the Chasing Wind Leg Technique was perfected, he would be able to easily defeat them, even if they had both broken through to the Flesh Refining Realm.