Cultivating in Different Professions

Chapter 194: Chapter 136: Trap

Luo Anning analyzed the situation seriously.

Zhang Chenchen and Cong Yuanlong couldn’t help but roll their eyes.

’What does she mean, *just* an eight-fold blood exchange?’

’Is an eight-fold blood exchange supposed to be bad?’

’What does that make us, with our seven-fold blood exchange?’

’Here in the Wuling City Taiping Bureau, only the absolute top geniuses are even qualified to practice an eight-fold Blood Exchange Technique, you know!’

’As for the Nine-Turn Blood Transformation Technique, that’s something only the peerless prodigies at Headquarters have a chance to learn.’

’In a small place like Wuling City, no one has ever heard of anyone achieving a nine-fold blood exchange.’

”Is the Body Tempering Limit really that amazing? Junior Brother Su, I wonder how you compare to those peerless prodigies from Headquarters.”

Cong Yuanlong curiously squeezed Su Mu’s arm. He had just seen it for himself—when the demon had grabbed Su Mu, it hadn’t even been able to break his skin.

”The Body Tempering Limit is decent, but it’s mainly because I awakened a Physical Divine Technique that happens to specialize in defense.

The Body Tempering Limit alone wouldn’t be enough to block an attack from a Tier One Demon.”

Su Mu said with a smile.

’His current combat strength was only partly due to his Physical Divine Technique.’

’The other part was his ten-fold blood exchange.’

’At the same realm, even without using his Physical Divine Technique, his strength was practically unmatched.’

’Both at twenty percent blood exchange, the gap between a ten-fold and a seven-fold exchange was enormous.’

’The ten-fold blood exchange gave him greater stamina and more explosive power, making him invincible among his peers.’

”It’s so great. I really shouldn’t have been in such a hurry to break through to the blood exchange stage back then. I should have spent a few more years in Body Tempering and aimed for the Body Tempering Limit too.”

Cong Yuanlong said with a look of regret.

”You think you can reach the Body Tempering Limit just by practicing the Body Tempering Technique for a few more years?”

Zhang Chenchen retorted, exasperated. ”Even if you spent another decade on Body Tempering, you wouldn’t even get close to the Body Tempering Limit.

Forget a decade, if you’d spent even another half a year on Body Tempering, you would have been kicked out of the Taiping Bureau long ago.”

If you couldn’t achieve blood exchange by the age limit, you weren’t qualified to become a Taiping Captain.

Cong Yuanlong had just barely made the age cutoff for his blood exchange. He was this close to not making it into the Taiping Bureau.

Take Hu Guangshao, for example. After being injured by Su Mu, his progress toward the blood exchange stage was delayed, forcing him to give up on joining the Taiping Bureau and turn to the Shennong Hundred Herbs Sect instead.

Everyone knew the Body Tempering Limit was good, but no one was willing to spend too much time on Body Tempering.

After all, the more time you spent on Body Tempering, the harder it became to break through to higher realms later.

If you didn’t undergo blood exchange while your qi and blood were still vigorous and then push for the Rebirth Realm...

...once you passed the age of thirty, the possibility of reaching the Rebirth Realm became virtually zero.

No matter how good the Body Tempering Limit was, it was still just Body Tempering. Against a Rebirth Realm expert, you’d still be utterly powerless.

Rather than chasing the slim hope of the Body Tempering Limit, it was better to raise one’s realm as much as possible within the limited time available.

”How do you know I couldn’t have done it? I’m a bit of a genius, you know...”

Cong Yuanlong grumbled under his breath.

Zhang Chenchen shot him a glare.

”The scent of the Chaotic God Grass will fade over time. Thanks to you, Junior Brother Su, we’ve blocked the first wave of demons. From now on, at most, only a few stray demons will be drawn over...”

Zhang Chenchen said, but she trailed off, suddenly pausing.

”Something’s wrong!”

she said, her expression grave.

”Something is definitely wrong.”

Su Mu’s face was also serious as he turned to face the forest, taking a defensive stance.

Luo Anning said nothing, but her actions spoke for her as she placed a hand on the hilt of her sword.

Cong Yuanlong was still confused. ”What’s wrong?”

”If the remnants of the Hu Family deliberately crushed the Chaotic God Grass here, they might not be willing to let things go so easily.”

Su Mu said in a low voice, ”If I were them, besides crushing the Chaotic God Grass here to release its scent, I’d take some with me to lure even more demons to attack the Taiping Bureau.”

”That’s right. We might have fallen into the enemy’s trap.”

Zhang Chenchen said in a somber tone.

Just as she finished speaking, the Taiping Waist Tokens on all four of their waists vibrated slightly.

Su Mu picked up his waist token, and with a slight surge of his qi and blood, a rushed voice came from within.

”Massive demon riot encountered, over a hundred strong. Location: Jade River. Requesting immediate backup!”

Transmitting messages with the waist token consumed qi and blood, so it naturally couldn’t be used for idle chatter.

Typically, messages were sent concisely, and all Taiping Captains within a certain range would receive them.

”It really is a trap!”

The faces of the four paled. If Zhong Guizheng, Ding Shiyun, and Liu Yang were being attacked by over a hundred demons, then what about their own location?

The thought had barely formed when suddenly, a loud RUMBLE echoed from the forest ahead.

One after another, trees began to fall, as if knocked down by some ferocious beast.

”You will all die with my Hu Family!”

A voice filled with hatred boomed from deep within the woods.

SWOOSH!

Along with the voice, a dark mass shot toward them.

Su Mu flicked a finger.

A gust of wind precisely struck the dark mass.

POP! The dark mass burst open, spilling red powder everywhere.

A thick scent instantly filled the air.

Chaotic God Grass powder!

Su Mu flicked his sleeve, unleashing his Xun Wind Realm to blow the powder aside.

But the scent of the Chaotic God Grass had already clung to their clothes.

AWOOO! A demonic wolf taller than a man leaped out from the forest, its qi and blood shockingly powerful.

”Tier One Peak!”

Zhang Chenchen sucked in a sharp breath.

Of the four of them, her cultivation was the highest—seventy percent blood exchange and mastery of a triple-layered momentum.

But even she stood no chance against a Tier One Peak demonic wolf.

’There was no other way. I’ll have to fight to the death to hold it off and let my junior brother and sisters escape.’

Just as Zhang Chenchen drew her sword, she saw a figure lunge forward.

A brilliant saber light exploded forth, fiercely striking the demonic wolf’s head.

In that instant, a fine rain began to fall from the sky, and a fierce wind kicked up.

The raindrops, driven by the gale, became like countless tiny Flying Sabers, piercing the demonic wolf’s body.

The demonic wolf let out a piercing shriek as dozens of bloody sprays erupted from its body.

Its gray fur was instantly dyed red with blood.

At the same time, the Thunder Shocking Saber followed through, splitting the massive wolf’s head open.

The Tier One Peak demonic wolf had only just appeared and hadn’t even had a chance to show its might before it crashed to the ground.

Su Mu landed back on the ground, looking somewhat drained and breathing heavily.

In that one strike, aside from not using his Gen Mountain Realm, he had unleashed his full power.

All the power of the Profound Yellow Blood accumulated from his ten-fold blood exchange, his Physical Divine Technique, the Indestructible Golden Body, his Kan Water Realm, and his Xun Wind Realm.

After that single slash, he even felt a sense of complete exhaustion.

But the result was good. The Tier One Peak demonic wolf was dead.

”Kill!”

Su Mu stood tall, slowly swept his Thunder Shocking Saber forward, and roared.

That simple action carried the might of an entire army.

Zhang Chenchen and Cong Yuanlong subconsciously obeyed his command and charged forward to fight.

Luo Anning, showing her unconditional support for Su Mu, fully activated her Kan Water Realm and plunged into the pack of demons.

Deep within the forest, a figure huddled on a large, leafy tree, his eyes wide as he stared intently at the saber-wielding Su Mu.

’A Tier One Peak demon, comparable to someone at the Perfection of the blood exchange stage, killed in a single strike?’

’Damn it, how can a Taiping Captain be this strong!’

The moment the Tier One Peak demonic wolf fell, he knew his plan was going to fail.

This was, after all, the outermost area of Daxing Mountain. It had already taken a great deal of effort to lure a Tier One Peak demonic wolf, and he didn’t have the means to attract any stronger demons now.

With the Tier One Peak demonic wolf dead, the remaining dozens of demons were no match for these Taiping Captains.

Since their opponent had so easily killed a Tier One Peak demonic wolf, wiping out the other few dozen demons was only a matter of time.

”You were lucky this time! But you killed so many people from my Hu Family. This isn’t over. I’ll be back!”

A deep hatred filled his face as he leaped away, heading in another direction.

Just then, he heard the whistling of wind by his ear.

He instinctively looked back, only to see a flash of saber light appear before his eyes at an incredible speed.

He only had time to raise a hand before the saber light sank into his chest. His raised hand hadn’t even had a chance to block.

His eyes widened in utter disbelief.

’How could he kill me by throwing his saber from hundreds of meters away?’

’How did he dare to throw his saber?’

’He’s surrounded by demons! Isn’t he afraid of being at a disadvantage, facing them bare-handed after throwing his weapon?’

The immense force behind the long saber carried his body upward, pinning him high on a tree trunk.

He struggled to lift his head and saw Su Mu draw the Ziwei Soft Sword from his waist. With a flash of sword light, another demon fell.

”So... that’s how it is. You have a second weapon...”

SPURT.

He spat out a mouthful of blood and closed his eyes, unwilling to accept his fate.