Chapter 96 – Righteous Sword Intent, Black Lotus Sect's Secret Gathering

The real world, Luocheng High Cultivation Room.

“This instance truly yielded bountiful rewards…”

Lu Chen examined his game panel, realizing the gains from this ‘Atlas Laborer’ instance far surpassed what he obtained during the Three-School Joint Exam.

Not to mention the ‘Shard of Heavenly Dao’ and ‘Man-Mountain Art’ dropped by Little Gold Dragon at the end.

Just the experience points alone amounted to twenty thousand.

And this only accounted for the experience from defeating Little Gold Dragon.

If he included the experience from previously slain Black Iron Cauldron Men and Bronze Cauldron Men,

His total harvest from this Atlas Laborer instance reached nearly thirty thousand experience points.

This was sufficient to immediately advance his ‘Divine Power: Body-Forging’ to the breakthrough realm, with plenty to spare.

Aware of the Immortal Abomination’s existence, Lu Chen resolved to accelerate his cultivation speed as much as possible.

[You consumed 14,000 experience points. Body-Forging Art (Furnace Form) has advanced to ‘Breakthrough Realm’…]

[Body-Forging Art (Furnace Form): Breakthrough Realm (Cannot be upgraded further)]

[Effect: Can devour metals to temper the body, forging a refined steel physique, transforming the body into a weapon (Weapon Type: Furnace)]

[Special Effect · Furnace: Increases elixir absorption efficiency by 100%, devours attacks not exceeding one’s cultivation limit, and refines half of the attack power into personal Spiritual Power and vitality…]

[Special Effect · Refinement: Can summon the Mystic Pill Furnace to suppress and refine enemies]

Unlike the Body of Hundred Battles which merely stored received attacks, the breakthrough realm Body-Forging Art demonstrated far more domineering effects.

It could directly refine portions of enemy attacks, converting them into personal Spiritual Power and vitality.

To some extent, this equated to Lu Chen mitigating half of all incoming damage.

When combined with the damage reduction from ‘Body of Hundred Battles’,

Lu Chen estimated ordinary spells would only retain thirty to forty percent of their original potency against him.

Moreover, Body-Forging Art itself was a body tempering divine ability that would significantly enhance his physical qualities, further boosting his defensive capabilities.

With his physique—his final weakness—now compensated, Lu Chen felt virtually without shortcomings in the short term.

He only needed to cultivate his earth and water attribute divine abilities to higher Ranks.

Once he gathered all Five Elements special divine abilities, triggering qualitative transformation in his Spirit Root, he could attempt Heavenly Dao Foundation Establishment.

Unconsciously, he was drawing closer and closer to Foundation Establishment…

He didn’t need to specifically seek earth attribute divine abilities either.

He had serendipitously obtained one when defeating Little Gold Dragon’s Incarnation—the [Man-Mountain Art].

The effects of Man-Mountain Art were straightforward and brutal: upon activation, it allowed Lu Chen to transform into a Mountain Man.

In this state, both his defense and strength would receive immense boosts.

Though his movement would become sluggish and he’d be unable to employ Swordsmanship,

He could still execute fist techniques.

Lu Chen speculated that after cultivating Man-Mountain Art to breakthrough realm and combining it with Mountain-Shaking Fist Intent,

Its power might significantly surpass his Dragon Transformation Sword Intent.

Becoming another trump card following his ‘Heretical Sword’.

Beyond experience points and special divine abilities, Lu Chen’s other major gain from this instance was ‘Soul Crystal Shards’.[Soul Crystal Shard (Green): 12]

[Innate Divine Ability · Heretical Avatar: First Realm 21/30]

Each of the four Corpse Dragons gave Lu Chen three Soul Crystal Shards (Green), allowing him to obtain a full 12 green-tier Soul Crystal Shards at once.

This also enabled him to reach the threshold for upgrading his Innate Divine Ability.

Without any hesitation, Lu Chen immediately used up all these Soul Crystal Shards.

Before long, he felt changes occurring within his body.

He promptly checked the status panel of his Innate Divine Ability.

[Innate Divine Ability: Heretical Avatar]

[Grade: Second Realm]

[Effect: Upon activation, summons two Heretical Avatars. The Heretical Avatars possess 50% of the user’s cultivation base and Physique, 100% of skill levels, and receive 300% damage]

Although reaching the Second Realm of Heretical Avatar only increased the number of avatars Lu Chen could summon from one to two,

this improvement was by no means insignificant for him.

Because Lu Chen could use the Heretical Avatars to execute the ‘Heretical Sword · Immortal Severing Sword’.

No one understood better than Lu Chen just how terrifying the power of that sword strike was.

Below the Golden Core realm, few could withstand this nearly unavoidable sword technique.

For this sword did not strike the enemy’s Physical Body, but rather their Soul.

Although Lu Chen still couldn’t quite comprehend the principles behind this sword technique,

the terrifying strike that ignored space and distance

truly remained his strongest trump card at present.

So powerful that even the Aura Golden Dragon Little Gold Dragon, who had lived for over ten thousand years, would be utterly astonished upon seeing him execute this technique.

After organizing all his gains, Lu Chen began planning his next course of action.

Nearly three months had passed since he first obtained True Immortal Cultivation.

And he had activated his first Instance after the school term began.

Therefore, in just over ten days, he would be able to re-enter the ‘Ancient Cultivator Tomb’ Instance.

Upon careful reflection, he realized his initial exploration of the Ancient Cultivator Tomb hadn’t been particularly thorough.

Because he still hadn’t figured out how to use the ‘Mysterious Mausoleum Key’ that had dropped from Ye Chenglin back then.

He speculated there must be some hidden Instance within the Ancient Cultivator Tomb.

At the time, his cultivation level might have been insufficient to meet the conditions for unlocking this hidden Instance,

preventing him from discovering how to use the ‘Mysterious Mausoleum Key’.

Not only had he not fully explored the potential of the Ancient Cultivator Tomb,

but there were also areas in the Ancient Sword Tomb Instance that Lu Chen hadn’t been able to fully investigate.

Foremost among these was the area beyond the Sword Pavilion’s third floor.

The Sword Pavilion had been severed by Gu Xian’s Heretical Sword back then,

causing everything above the third floor to collapse behind the pavilion.

However, due to the obstruction of eerie black mist, Lu Chen had been forced to stop at the third floor and couldn’t continue his exploration.

Additionally, when he defeated Fang Heng previously, he had received a special reward… Unknown Sword Intent.

[Unknown Sword Intent]

[Effect: Upon use, enables a special comprehension of Sword Intent. Recommended to use after achieving ‘Dao-Comprehension’ in a Swordsmanship skill to avoid affecting one’s Sword Path]

“Back then, because I hadn’t mastered any Dao-Comprehension level Swordsmanship yet, I temporarily set it aside.”

“Then with exam preparations and subsequent Instances, I gradually forgot about this Sword Intent’s existence.””It’s about time to use this now.”

Lu Chen controlled his in-game character and directly used this Sword Intent fragment.

The next second, Lu Chen felt himself entering some special state of enlightenment.

A sword technique called ‘Righteous Sword Qi’ began flashing repeatedly before his eyes…

Meanwhile, outside a derelict factory in Luocheng.

Shen Feiyang looked at the dilapidated factory before him, his eyes dark-circled and filled with indescribable exhaustion.

I knew following this Black Lotus Sect would lead nowhere. Not only are their meetings all mysterious, held in these remote places,

But they also schedule them at these ungodly hours in the middle of the night.

You people don’t need sleep, but I do!

Despite his complaints, Shen Feiyang ultimately chose to enter.

After all, while his surface identity was that of a Black Lotus Sect follower, secretly he was an undercover agent for the Shanhai Bureau.

But Shen Feiyang knew he had to commit fully to the role.

If he didn’t want others to discover his double agent identity,

He had to act more like a Black Lotus Sect follower than anyone else.

Only then could he survive these three years and wait for the day when he could retire after completing his mission.

Thinking this, Shen Feiyang secretly encouraged himself.

Three years, just three years.

After three years, I’ll be completely cleared!

But before that, I need to gain the trust of the Black Lotus Sect’s higher-ups.

Although I was brought in by someone claiming to be the Deputy Leader of the Black Lotus Sect, I don’t know what he looks like, nor do I know his name.

Who knows if his Deputy Leader identity is even real.

But since he could make me a ‘Missionary’ right after joining, it’s probably genuine…

Sigh, if only I had seen his face back then.

If I had, I might not need to be undercover at all – I could have reported directly to Lord Yu and gotten promoted immediately.

What a pity, truly a pity.

Missionary, Altar Lord/Vice-Altar Lord, Protector, Holy Son/Saintess, Deputy Leader, Leader

This was the power structure within the Black Lotus Sect.

Although positions in the Black Lotus Sect weren’t necessarily tied to cultivation level,

To reach positions above Missionary,

Either your cultivation had to reach a certain level, like achieving the Foundation Establishment Stage,

Then you could naturally become a Missionary of the Black Lotus Sect.

Or you needed to make outstanding contributions to the Black Lotus Sect.

Such as donating substantial wealth to the sect, or helping complete some major task for them.

That Shen Feiyang could become a Missionary while only at the Qi Condensation Stage clearly indicated he had some connections.

I wonder why that Deputy Leader trusts me so much. Didn’t he consider that after forcing me to join, I might betray them?

Thinking back to that mysterious existence who called himself the Deputy Leader,

Shen Feiyang felt puzzled.

Because no matter how you looked at it back then, he didn’t seem like someone who would join a cult.

Could it be that he wasn’t inviting me, but the female ghost inside me?

The more Shen Feiyang thought about it, the more this seemed likely.

He had been completely ordinary before, only becoming slightly special after that female ghost entered his body.

At this thought, Shen Feiyang couldn’t help but sigh.

Others rely on women for their living, but him? He’s relying on a female ghost.

Yet while both are living off others, at least others get to eat properly.

But what about him, Shen Feiyang?Not even a grain of rice, let alone a meal!

No way. Once I complete my undercover mission and safely withdraw from the Black Lotus Sect,

I must have the Shanhai Bureau help me expel the female ghost from my body.

Otherwise, my happy life will be…

Slap!

Before Shen Feiyang could finish his thoughts, his right hand suddenly slapped him across the face.

Only then did he remember—the female ghost could hear his inner thoughts!

Stop, please stop, madam! I was wrong!

After Shen Feiyang desperately begged for mercy in his heart for a moment, the mysterious female ghost finally let him off.

Shen Feiyang covered his right cheek, tears uncontrollably streaming from his eyes.

Humiliating—utterly humiliating!

Forget it, forget it. I’d better see what those Black Lotus Sect scoundrels want first.

Calling a Missionary like me to a meeting in the middle of the night—they must be planning something big.

And if I report this to Lord Yu, it should count as a merit, right?

Thinking this, Shen Feiyang immediately took out a special mask from his Storage Bag, put it on, and strode into the abandoned factory.

My chance to earn merit… has arrived!

(End of Chapter)