Chapter 81.2: Leaping Through the Dragon Gate Again! (II)

At dusk, Lu Changsheng returned swiftly to Miaoshou Garden. Then, when night fell, he disguised himself as Zhuang Shisan and headed for the Prefectural Yamen.

𝚏𝕣𝐞𝗲𝐰𝕖𝐛𝐧𝕠𝕧𝚎𝚕.𝐜𝚘𝗺

The yamen was still ablaze with light. Inside, Li Mu was still awake, filled with worry. Earlier that day, Li Mu had summoned the wealthy merchants, powerful clans, and jianghu forces of Nanyang Prefecture to persuade them to hunt for the demonic martial artists. It took every ounce of authority he possessed to finally put them into action.

Despite this small victory, Li Mu remained uneasy. Finding the demonic martial artists was one thing, but dealing with them was another. Only Divine Strength martial artists could annihilate such beings, and he had none he could command at will.

While Li Mu dwelled in his worries, the door opened with a soft creak. Already on edge, Li Mu snapped. "Didn't I tell you not to come—"

He stopped mid-sentence. Something felt off. He spun around and froze when he saw a familiar figure standing calmly in the doorway.

"Great... Great Hero Zhuang?"

Li Mu was slightly startled, but in the next instant, delight surged through him. The Divine Strength martial artist he so desperately needed was right there, standing before his very eyes.

He knew how terrifying Zhuang Shisan was. News of his exploits had already spread far and wide. Apparently, Zhuang Shisan had unleashed terrifying power in Yan City, killing Zhang Tianwu, the chief of the Blackwater Gang. He had also slain Zhao Wuji, an Elder Guardian of the Myriad Poison Cult. And as if that weren't enough, he had even wiped out the Myriad Poison Cult's entire base in Yan City.

Even though Li Mu knew nothing of martial arts himself, he understood exactly what such feats meant. Yan Jiansheng, Zhang Tianwu, and Zhao Wuji were all Divine Strength Realm experts, yet every one of them had fallen at Zhuang Shisan's hands. That alone was enough to show that Zhuang Shisan was not merely a Divine Strength martial artist, but a formidable expert even among those of the same realm.

"Lord Li, I hope you will forgive my intrusion," Lu Changsheng said softly.

Under normal circumstances, it would be unacceptable for someone from the jianghu to appear unannounced before an imperial official. But these were chaotic times, and Li Mu had neither the energy nor the time to fuss over such formalities. Besides, Zhuang Shisan was known for striking down the wicked, so Li Mu hoped he might be willing to deal with the demonic martial artists as well.

"Great Hero Zhuang, what brings you to the Prefectural Yamen tonight?" Li Mu asked.

"The demonic martial artists," Lu Changsheng said firmly. "Their recent appearance in Nanyang Prefecture caught my attention. I heard the Prefectural Yamen holds records related to them, so I came to take a look."

"Demonic martial artists?" Li Mu muttered, his eyes lighting up. This was exactly what he had been hoping for.

"Great Hero Zhuang," Li Mu said warmly, barely able to hide his relief, "any and all information we have regarding demonic martial artists is at your disposal. You may see whatever you wish."

Li Mu immediately sent out orders for people to retrieve all information they had regarding the demonic martial artists. His servants returned soon after with a stack of books and placed them in front of Lu Changsheng.

Lu Changsheng sat down and began reading, turning each page with care. By the time he reached the end, four hours had slipped by, and he finally had a clear understanding of demonic martial artists.

According to the records, no one knew exactly when demonic martial artists first appeared. But whenever they did, chaos followed without exception. Demonic martial artists cultivated with something known as demonic blood essence. The more blood essence they accumulated, the stronger they became.

Demonic martial artists were separated into two groups by demonic transformation. Demonic martial artists that had undergone the transformation were comparable to Divine Strength martial artists. Those who had not were still fearsome in their own way, and under the right circumstances, some could even kill a Divine Strength martial artist. However, they were still inferior to those who had undergone demonic transformation.

The records offered few concrete details on how exactly demonic transformation was achieved. What they did make clear was that it was tied to humans. It seemed that only by repeatedly consuming certain parts of the human body could a demonic martial artist undergo demonic transformation. Some favored hearts, others brains, and there were even those who fed specifically on people's faces.

Lu Changsheng thought back to those corpses. Judging from their sheer number, it seemed that this demonic martial artist in Nanyang Prefecture was attempting to achieve demonic transformation. Moreover, each body had been completely drained of blood, which strongly suggested that human blood was a key element in triggering demonic transformation.

Lu Changsheng turned to Li Mu as he closed the last book. "Lord Li."

Li Mu looked back at him with bloodshot eyes. "Great Hero Zhuang, have you finished reading?"

"I have. Thank you, Lord Li, for granting me access."

With that, Lu Changsheng stood up and prepared to leave. Seeing this, Li Mu panicked. His cooperation and eagerness had not been mere courtesy or goodwill. He needed Zhuang Shisan to deal with the demonic martial artist.

"Great Hero Zhuang, please wait. This time, the authorities have mobilized all major forces in Nanyang Prefecture to search for the demonic martial artist. But even if it is found, neither the officials nor the martial artists they have gathered may be capable of killing it. This humble official hopes that Great Hero Zhuang might personally take part in the search—"

Before he could finish, Lu Changsheng raised a hand. "These are matters for the authorities. I am merely a martial practitioner. I could not bear such responsibility."

He paused, then added, "That said, if a demonic martial artist brings disaster upon Nanyang Prefecture, rest assured I won't stand by and watch. Farewell for now, Lord Li."

Li Mu opened his mouth to speak again, but Zhuang Shisan was already gone.

He sighed wearily.

What a pity. I couldn't persuade Zhuang Shisan to step forward. But if the demonic martial artist shows up, at least Zhuang Shisan has given his word to protect the prefecture from chaos.

With that thought, Li Mu felt his spirits lift. The heavy gloom that had pressed on him for days seemed to disperse.

The Prefectural Yamen soon moved in full force. All major powers within Nanyang Prefecture were mobilized, martial artists dispatched, informants activated, and searches carried out across the region. They combed through the streets, villages, forests, and even remote paths, turning the entire prefecture upside down.

***

In the blink of an eye, another month passed. During this time, Lu Changsheng focused on nourishing his spirit.

Two or three months had passed since Lu Changsheng's last attempt at ascending the Dragon Gate. The strain from that attempt had long since faded. Not only had he recovered, but he had gotten even stronger. After refining the Four-Eyed Toad and undergoing another round of marrow transformation and blood replacement, his foundation had grown far deeper than before.

Even so, Lu Changsheng did not rush. Ascending the Dragon Gate had to be done in a single, decisive burst, and it required absolute certainty. Failure was not merely a setback. A single misstep could delay progress for a long time, and repeated failures could leave behind a psychological scar. Once that happened, ascending the Dragon Gate again would become impossible.

Lu Changsheng had been waiting to push the Blood Crystal secret technique to perfection before attempting the leap again, and now he felt that the moment had finally arrived.

He looked out at the rising sun on the horizon. As the light spread across the land, his emotions gradually settled, sharpening and gathering until they reached the peak. In that instant, enlightenment struck. Lu Changsheng immediately began circulating the Blood Crystal secret technique, and the next moment, a line of words appeared before his eyes.

Blood Crystal secret technique reaches Perfection. Perception +10.

Whoosh!

Lu Changsheng opened his eyes and smiled.

The Blood Crystal secret technique has finally reached Perfection!

He raised his hand. Resting in his palm was a Blood Crystal, one of the five he had obtained from the Blood Fiend Sect. With the secret technique at Perfection, he could finally refine one Blood Crystal.

Using his mind, Lu Changsheng split open his palm. Fresh blood welled out and spread across the Blood Crystal, which immediately began to dissolve, flowing through the wound and merging into his body.

Once the Blood Crystal had fully dissolved and flowed through his body, reaching his bone marrow, Lu Changsheng immediately activated the Blood Crystal secret technique.

Boom!

His entire body shook violently.

It's starting! The fifth marrow transformation and blood replacement.

By now, Lu Changsheng was thoroughly familiar with the process. This time, everything proceeded smoothly, without the slightest mishap. In barely an hour, the transformation was complete, and fifty cauldrons of strength surged through his body. Without hesitation, he moved on to his next step and attempted to ascend the Dragon Gate.

This had always been his plan. Refine the Blood Crystal, undergo the fifth round of marrow transformation and blood replacement, push himself to his absolute peak, and then, in a single, unstoppable surge, attempt the ascent.

At this moment, both his body and spirit were at their peak. If he could not break through the second Dragon Gate now, no one else could.

As Lu Changsheng activated the Ninefold Carp-Dragon Ascension, he felt in that instant as though he had truly become a carp. With a powerful thrust, he leapt upward, soaring toward the second Dragon Gate.

Bathed in the warm light of the rising sun, Lu Changsheng felt as though he were swimming freely between heaven and sea. In his eyes, there was only one thing. The Dragon Gate was drawing ever closer.

Then in one final burst, he surged forward and successfully leapt over the second gate.