84: Chapter 84 Breakthrough to the Late Stage of Second Rank

In the quiet room, the candlelight flickered, casting Lin Tian's seated figure onto the wall, stretching it long and short.

He held the blood-red "red blood vermilion fruit" in his palm. After a moment of contemplation, he decided not to grind or dilute it, but carefully bit off a piece about one-third the size.

The fruit flesh entered his mouth and did not have the hardness he imagined; instead, it melted instantly, transforming into a torrent that was ten times purer, hotter, and more majestic than the diluted spiritual liquid from before, crashing into his abdomen!

In an instant, Lin Tian felt as though he had not swallowed a piece of fruit, but a ball of compressed, fiery meteor!

The violent, scorching, and endlessly vital power exploded within his body, like ten thousand wild horses off their leashes, rampaging through his Meridians!

"Ugh!" Lin Tian let out a muffled groan, the veins on his forehead instantly bulging. A red luster faintly showed through his skin, his blood and Qi boiled as if being cooked, and a layer of fine, slightly blood-colored sweat even seeped out from his skin.

That power was too strong, too violent! It far exceeded his previous estimates!

He dared not be the least bit negligent and immediately exerted the Five Elements Stance at the Perfection level with all his might.

The stance was like a needle pinning the sea, forcibly guiding and gathering the violent torrent of blood and Qi within his body, moving and circulating it along mysterious paths, refining and absorbing it bit by bit, merging it into his own blood and Qi Foundation.

Pain! Bloating! It felt as if his body could be burst open at any moment!

But accompanying this, his blood and Qi were growing and condensing crazily at a visible speed!

With every breath that passed, he could feel his strength increasing, and both the "quantity" and "quality" of his blood and Qi were undergoing earth-shattering changes.

Time flowed by amidst extreme pain and rapid improvement.

Lin Tian was single-minded, his entire focus immersed in guiding and refining that vast medicinal power.

When hungry, he would randomly stuff a few mouthfuls of the dry rations he had prepared;

When thirsty, he would drink a mouthful of clear water.

When extremely sleepy, he would only lean against the wall for a short nap before being "awakened" again by the surging blood and Qi within his body.

Three full days, without stepping out of the door.

On the evening of the third day, the figure sitting in the quiet room suddenly trembled, and the endless, steaming red mist of blood and Qi around him was suddenly retracted into his body, like a whale swallowing water!

A majestic Aura, several times more condensed, thick, and surging than three days ago, slowly permeated the room like a sleeping Vicious Beast awakening.

The air in the quiet room seemed to become viscous and heavy.

Lin Tian slowly opened his eyes, the divine light within them radiant, with golden, cyan, blue, and red light flashing for a moment before returning to depth and calm.

He slowly stood up and stretched his muscles and bones slightly, and a dull roar like a rushing river or the clashing of gold and iron immediately came from within his body.

"Second Grade Late Stage... It's done." Lin Tian clenched his fist, feeling the surging, almost overflowing, and powerful strength within his body.

A rough estimate suggested his pure arm strength was already approaching the three-thousand-jin mark!

Combined with his Perfection movement technique, Major Achievement saber technique, and the Three Element Combination Attack he had initially mastered, he now had the confidence to face an ordinary Second Grade Peak Martial Artist head-on, or even hold his own against a Martial Artist who had just entered the Third Grade!

He looked at the remaining one-third of the red blood vermilion fruit in the wooden box and carefully put it away.

This Breakthrough consumed quite a bit, but the effect far exceeded expectations. The remainder might help him when he attempts to break through the Third Grade Bottleneck.

"It's been three days... I wonder what the situation is outside." Lin Tian changed into clean clothes and pushed open the door of the quiet room.

The sunset glow spilled in, bringing a hint of warmth, and also bringing the noise of the outside world and... a faint sense of unease.

During the three days Lin Tian was in seclusion breaking through to the Late Stage of the Second Grade, Heishan City and its surroundings did not remain calm due to his "disappearance."

The Yamen and the Imperial Guard were busy searching for clues about the "Demonic Cult," and the wind was blowing and the cranes were calling.

As for Constable Lie Ming, he began to "act according to plan" in accordance with his agreement with the black-robed Demonic Cult envoy.

He first "accidentally" "extracted" a vague clue from an unimportant thug he had captured—that people of unknown identity and suspicious behavior had been frequently appearing in the northeast direction outside the city. He immediately "keenly" realized this might be related to the Demonic Cult and personally led men out of the city to investigate.

After some "difficult" tracking, they finally arrived at Tingtao Villa, a manor located in a gap between two mountains about a hundred miles from Heishan City that had been abandoned for decades.

The villa was in ruins, overgrown with weeds, and appeared exceptionally eerie in the twilight.

"Constable, this place... really seems a bit wrong." An old constable looked at the faint, unnatural reflection faintly visible in the depths of the villa, as well as the smell in the air that was a mixture of decay and some strange fishy odor, and whispered to Constable Lie Ming.

Constable Lie Ming nodded feignedly, lowering his voice: "Be careful, do not startle the snake. You few, spread out and monitor from a distance. If there is any movement, send a signal immediately. The rest of you, stay here with me. If this is really a Demonic Cult nest, it is definitely not something we can handle. Immediately send someone, riding fast, back to the city to report to the Magistrate, and... be sure to notify the Jinyiwei Company Office! Such a great merit is also our duty; we cannot monopolize it!"

"Yes!" The subordinates responded, immediately dispatching several riders to gallop towards Heishan City.

When the news was sent back to the West City County Yamen, Magistrate Zhou Wenhai was both surprised and happy.

He was surprised that the Demonic Cult actually had a stronghold right under his nose, and happy that if he could destroy it in one fell swoop and capture the Demonic Cult leader, this great merit would be enough for him to be promoted!

He immediately gathered all the elite constables and yamen runners that the Yamen could mobilize, and even secretly contacted several small Gangs in the city, promising them heavy profits, to gather nearly a hundred men, preparing to lead the team himself to suppress the bandits and make a name for himself!

"My Lord! Think twice!" The goat-bearded secretary hurriedly dissuaded him, sweating on his forehead, "Those Demonic Cult evildoers are cunning and fearless of death. The situation inside the villa is unknown, and there may be an ambush. You are the magistrate of a county, and the safety of the whole city depends on you. How can you risk yourself? You should sit in the rear and coordinate the overall situation! Moreover... since this matter has been reported to the Imperial Guard, according to the rules, we should wait for the Imperial Guard lords to decide. If there are experts in that Demonic Cult stronghold, it is unlikely we can succeed without the Centurion of the Imperial Guard personally taking action!"

Magistrate Zhou Wenhai was poured cold water by the secretary, and his heated brain cooled down a little.

Thinking of the various strange rumors about the Demonic Cult, and thinking of Centurion Shen Lian's cold face, he finally nodded: "The secretary's words make sense. Pass the order down, let Constable Lie Ming lead people to closely monitor the villa, and do not act rashly. This official... will sit here. Immediately report the details to the Jinyiwei Company Office and ask Centurion Shen Lian to decide!"

The news quickly reached the Jinyiwei Company Office.

Centurion Shen Lian looked at the report in his hand, which was signed by Constable Lie Ming and detailed the abnormalities of "Tingtao Villa" and the suspicion that it was an important stronghold of the Demonic Cult, and a sharp glint flashed in his eyes.

He stood up, walked to the hanging topographical map of Heishan City and its surroundings, and his eyes fell on the location of "Tingtao Villa," pondering silently.

"The villa... is easy to defend and hard to attack, and it is also easy to set an ambush." He whispered to himself, but immediately, a flash of determination crossed his eyes, "However, the Demonic Cult evildoers are causing chaos in the world. Since there are clues, how can I sit idly by? It is better to believe it exists than to believe it does not. Even if it is really a trap, what does my Imperial Guard have to fear? It just so happens to take this opportunity to see how many monsters and ghosts are hiding near this Heishan City!"

"Come here!" He shouted in a low voice, "Pass the order! Except for the necessary personnel to stay behind, all Squad Leaders and above, gather at the drill ground immediately! Assemble fifty elites, carrying strong bows and crossbows, obstacle-breaking tools, and detoxifying Medicinal Pills. Depart in one hour and raid Tingtao Villa at night! Exterminating the Demonic Cult will be tonight!"

"Yes!"

Not long after Lin Tian walked out of the Lin family courtyard, an Imperial Guard warrior hurried over. Seeing him, he quickly saluted: "Squad Leader Lin, Centurion Shen Lian has an order. All Squad Leaders and above, return to the guard station drill ground immediately to gather. There is an emergency mission!"

"Understood." Lin Tian felt a shiver in his heart, dared not be negligent, and immediately followed the warrior to the Centurion Office.

On the drill ground, torches were bright, reflecting faces that were excited, solemn, or eager to try.

Senior Sister Chen Yu, Squad Leader Zhao, and others had already arrived.

Centurion Shen Lian was dressed in a dark black flying fish suit, covered with light armor, and a simple-looking, cold-light-containing embroidered spring saber hung at his waist. He stood on the general-command platform, his Aura as heavy as a mountain.

Seeing everyone had arrived, Centurion Shen Lian's eyes were like electricity, sweeping across the audience, his voice not loud, but clearly reaching everyone's ears: "According to reports, Tingtao Villa, a hundred miles outside the city, is suspected of being an important stronghold of the Demonic Cult. I have decided to set off immediately, raid the villa at night, and exterminate the evildoers! This battle must be a complete success. Do not let a single Demonic Cult remnant escape! Everyone, dare you follow me on this trip?"

"Exterminate the Demonic Cult! Protect the Imperial Court!" Everyone roared in unison, their morale high.

"Good!" Centurion Shen Lian nodded, "Everyone, check your equipment, replenish food, water, and Medicinal Pills. Rest for half an hour, and we will set off exactly at the beginning of the Zi hour!"

Everyone responded with a roar and dispersed to prepare. Lin Tian found Senior Sister Chen Yu and exchanged a few words in a low voice, learning that there had been no Breakthrough clues in these three days, the people of the Wang family were safe for the time being, and Constable Lie Ming seemed to have "accidentally" discovered this villa. Lin Tian's doubts grew deeper, but now that the arrow was on the bow, it was too late to ask more questions.

Half an hour later, more than fifty Imperial Guard elites, led by Centurion Shen Lian and Squad Leader Zhao, were like a black stream flowing in the dark night, silently leaving Heishan City, disappearing into the vast mountain forest outside the city, and rushing towards Tingtao Villa in the northeast.

At midnight, the moon was hidden and the stars were sparse. In the dense forest on the outskirts of Tingtao Villa, it was dead silent.

Constable Lie Ming, with more than twenty Yamen constables and temporarily recruited Jianghu people, lay in ambush behind the bushes, staring intently at the silhouette of the villa in the distance, which looked like a crouching giant beast in the dark.

He saw shadows in the forest in the distance approaching rapidly like ghosts, his heart tightened, and then joy surged.

They're here! The Imperial Guard really came! And looking at this posture, Centurion Shen Lian is leading the team personally! The plan is about to succeed!

He hurriedly took a few people to meet them, and joined Centurion Shen Lian and others at the edge of the forest.

"Subordinate, West City County Yamen Constable Lie Ming, pays respects to the Centurion!" Constable Lie Ming knelt on one knee, cupped his hands, and his voice carried suppressed excitement and "fatigue."

"How is the situation?" Centurion Shen Lian's gaze swept over him and looked at the villa in the distance, his voice plain.

"Reporting to the Centurion, since discovering the abnormality here, this subordinate has led people to monitor it day and night. During this period, several groups of people with mysterious whereabouts have entered and exited, all of them having extraordinary skills and cold Auras, which are quite similar to the rumored Demonic Cult evildoers. There are occasional fires and abnormal noises inside the villa, but the guard is strict, so this subordinate and others did not dare to get too close, for fear of startling the snake." Constable Lie Ming reported, his words sincere and details detailed.

Centurion Shen Lian nodded slightly, asked no more, and directly ordered: "Squad Leader Zhao, you take a team of people to detour from the left cliff, investigate whether there is any retreat behind the villa, and try to occupy the commanding heights. The rest of you, follow me to break through from the front! Remember, act fast and strike hard! If you encounter resistance, kill without mercy! Constable Lie Ming, you take your people to deploy defenses on the periphery, block all possible escape routes, and do not let anyone go!"

"This subordinate obeys!" Constable Lie Ming was overjoyed and quickly agreed. Stay outside? It was exactly what he wanted!

Centurion Shen Lian said no more, waved his hand, and was the first to sneak towards the broken gate on the front of the villa.

Dozens of Imperial Guards were like a pack of leopards before hunting, dispersing silently, following closely behind, and quickly disappearing into the shadows of the manor.

Lin Tian wanted to follow Centurion Shen Lian to break in, but was stopped by Squad Leader Zhao: "Lin Tian, you take Senior Sister Chen Yu and pick five more good hands to cooperate with Constable Lie Ming's men and be responsible for peripheral security and interception. If there are any fish that slip through the net, be sure to capture or kill them! You are meticulous and your cultivation is sufficient. I can rest assured handing this task to you."

Lin Tian hesitated for a moment, glanced at Centurion Shen Lian's back that had disappeared into the darkness, and cupped his hands: "Subordinate accepts the order!"

He picked Senior Sister Chen Yu and five other newcomers with good strength and came to Constable Lie Ming's side.

Constable Lie Ming looked at Lin Tian and the others who stayed outside, especially when he saw Lin Tian's calm face, a trace of undisguised resentment and pleasure flashed in his eyes.

Very good, Centurion Shen Lian has gone in, and Lin Tian has also stayed behind...

None of you can run!

He seemed to have seen the scene where the fire and screams rose into the sky from the villa, and then the Demonic Cult experts killed their way out, slaughtering these "remnants and defeated generals" outside.

"Squad Leader Lin, next, how should we deploy?" Constable Lie Ming suppressed the killing intent in his heart and asked feignedly respectfully, but a cold, imperceptible arc curled up at the corner of his mouth.