Chapter 353: Chapter 353

Luo Meng’s perception unfolded layer by layer, touching the door like a gentle stream seeping into the cracks.

She sensed that the atmosphere inside the room was as stagnant as a pond.

Luo Meng’s expression grew more grave. Could it be...

"The strength that the Demon Path martial artist displayed is undoubtedly at the second limit, while Meng Chuan had just broken through the first limit not long ago...

Perhaps... there’s still an undisclosed trump card..."

She recalled once more that peculiar turtle shell...

The bed was neatly made, the warmth from the tea in the cup on the table had completely faded away.

Swan-like perception followed along the floor, inch by inch inward...

At this moment, the sound of water splashing came from the bathroom.

At four in the morning, Meng Chuan, as usual, was about to "get up" and practice his fist skill.

Luo Meng’s heart and spirit were suddenly awakened, and she withdrew her perception completely.

She pondered to herself:

"It seems I was overthinking..."

Not to mention anything else, just that destructive force equivalent to the second limit, Meng Chuan is slightly lacking.

He has just stepped into the first limit Martial Arts Family, even relying on that shape-shifting ability, it’s impossible to battle for long against the more than ten meters tall Celestial Demon.

Neither fist blade nor a long spear combat traces were present on the field, she absolutely refused to believe Meng Chuan could fight an upper-rank Celestial Demon bare-handed.

Seeing the sky shift from pitch black to dim yellow, Luo Meng gracefully departed for stance training.

She also typically got up around four to practice martial arts, something surprisingly similar to Meng Chuan.

Upon perceiving him finish his wash-up and stepping out to start practicing fists, Luo Meng nodded slightly.

People who work hard usually share a mutual appreciation.

Watching the young man in the thin mist, she couldn’t help but feel a sense of admiration.

"No wonder Old Luo thinks highly of him, setting aside talent and comprehension, this perseverance is extremely rare."

As time passed, the small courtyard resonated only with the sound of fists and feet slicing through the air.

Yet unknown to her, after she left, Meng Chuan felt a tinge of luck.

Back then, after leaving, he suddenly changed course, sprinting madly in the direction of the United University.

The noise from the last confrontation with "Lin Yue" was too big, the chance of going unnoticed was very slim.

Thus, he changed his mind, abandoning the plan to hide under the mountain and return at dawn, choosing instead to head back to United University directly.

If the school were to initiate an external investigation first thing, he’d be done for...

With Zhao Jian’s past experience as a cautionary tale, Meng Chuan was not going to risk his future betting against the entire school’s intelligence.

Only when he sensed the figure outside the door departing, did he finally heave a sigh of relief.

"Tonight was indeed somewhat risky, but... it was worth it..."

[Seed of Fear]—blended with the Fear Chapter—was subtly enhancing his essence, energy, and spirit harmoniously.

Even though his mastery of the cultivation technique hadn’t improved, the advancement in level and grade brought him significant benefits.

At the same time, once the Seed of Fear completely merged with the Tao Heart, he would acquire his first "Martial Arts Ultimate Move."

Meng Chuan eagerly anticipated its effect.

Despite nurturing the martial principle of Seed of Fear slowly, it seemed the day of complete fusion remained far off.

To comprehend the first ultimate move sooner, he would need to take proactive action, creating "fear"...

Meng Chuan first ruled out ordinary people and martial artists as targets for condensing [Fearful Intent].

Not to mention, this group’s [Spirit] was minimal to begin with.

Moreover, it was similar to the methods of people from the Demon Path, an absolute no-go.

Celestial Demons mostly lack intelligence, while intelligent demons are mostly powerful—unwise.

Ultimately, Meng Chuan’s gaze fell on Demon Path martial artists.

Recently, the situation in Yong’an was stable, and it had been some time since he’d heard of the Demon Path causing trouble in the city.

The school’s task system also had no related tasks, with the police department and Martial Arts Association adequately staffed to handle any anomalies by themselves.

"I should ask Inspector Long Jiu to keep an eye out for me; it could accelerate the fusion of fear while also gathering some resources—two birds with one stone..."

Coming back to his senses, Meng Chuan retrieved his spear from inside the house.

Tonight, the objective was "perfectly" completed, allowing him to vent his inner thrill with the spear.

With a shake of his body, power resonated to the spear’s tip, as he wielded it with one arm, vigorously expressing broad strokes.

Crashing, dotting, piercing, hacking, employing no fancy moves, just silently practicing the spear’s basic skills.

This was a newly added segment to Meng Chuan’s daily morning exercise routine.

Having rubbed the shaft to practice [Goldfinger] the night before, wielding the spear upon awakening felt just right.

Practicing for ten minutes or so, any small progress would suffice.

The sound of breaking the wind echoed softly, repeating, each strike making the air resonate with explosive sounds.

Suddenly he spun and thrust, the Five Elements metal True Qi quietly manifesting from his arm, piercing a bowl-sized hole all the way through a three-meter distant Star Soup rock.

As he settled down, with the spear’s tail planted on the ground, Meng Chuan pondered silently.

Since last night, the feeling of the spear was fiercer today than it was yesterday...

During the battle with "Lin Yue" earlier, he had used his iron fists like a spear.

They were just a few honest moves, yet profound and simple.

Wherever the fist’s edge reached, power and true qi condensed as if swallowing the sharpest blade.

Every fist contained within it the torment from relentless spear practice in the imaginary world...

Meng Chuan stood with the spear retracted, feeling the lingering resonance of spear strength flowing within.

The battle with Lin Yue last night gave him a deeper understanding of the martial principle of substituting fists for a spear.

This was not only a validation of Qi Jiguang’s Long Fist imagery training but also a practical breakthrough in integrating the method of weapon strikes into fist skills.

"The spear technique comprehension from the imagery world has now indeed begun to feed back into reality..."

No matter what weapon is used in True Martial, be it the spear’s fierce thrust or the slashing of sword and blade.

The core principle of force is inherently aligned with the essence of fist skills.

The fundamental skill remains unchanged across myriad variations, only by solidifying the foundation of fist skills can one truly master the essence of various weapons.

Fist skill is the basis of it all.

Returning to his senses, Meng Chuan turned to practice the proficiency of his third-rate Fist Skill.

Meanwhile, he secretly pondered whether there were any flaws at the northern slopes of Lishan Mountain earlier.

That Celestial Demon was equally cunning, likely it would later evade capture from those who follow.

But it certainly wouldn’t return to Yanhua, it would probably either disguise itself again as Lin Yue and hide elsewhere, or... find a new guise altogether.

If this Celestial Demon harms others again, Meng Chuan wouldn’t be able to do anything.

Apart from the widely known righteous techniques, all usable methods had been deployed, and he was truly at his wit’s end.

All he could do was carefully instruct his family, while anonymously alerting the police to enforce a lockdown.

When destitute, prioritize self-preservation.

It seemed Meng Chuan had provoked yet another enemy lurking in the shadows.

The all-new version of Lin Yue, Lin Yue (2.0 Overhaul)...

Fortunately, Meng Chuan recalled the scenes from their previous encounter.

"Thousand Faces, Thousand Eyes altered my aura and appearance, but in the final liberation state, it might arouse suspicion...

If it, like the [Venom] from before, could read Lin Yue’s memories, it would certainly recognize my true identity and understand the skill of shape controlling.

Alternatively, it might tentatively report me to United University, and the school would then engage with me.

But as long as Principal Yang doesn’t interfere, there’s no risk of exposure for me."

Yang Huan had already mended relations with him, and having just secured the Martial Extreme True Inheritance for the Yong’an campus, the likelihood of his interference is minimal.

After all, it’s merely a "Demon Path civil war," not a major issue.

In Meng Chuan’s understanding of Yang Huan, the "old fox," such a minor matter wouldn’t compel him to act and deteriorate their relationship.

"If not reported, it’s likely that Celestial Demon would lurk in the shadows, seeking an opportunity to confirm identity and enact revenge."

But Meng Chuan was not afraid; he had long since prepared to respond.

As long as the opponent dared to show up, with his True Martial battle armor fully armed, thoroughly resolving it wouldn’t be a problem.

The battle armor and True Martial provide great enhancement for actual combat.

Meng Chuan feared exposure, so he didn’t bring them during the cultivation of the "Demon Skill" last night.

If he had had the Bridge of Helplessness Moon in hand, the final soul attack should have been able to kill the opponent.

Meanwhile, in the depths of the dark alleys of Yong’an City, Chimu, restoring the "Lin Yue" form, lurked.

It caressed its damaged True Spirit core, its dark gaze wandering within the shadows.

"The [Ancient True Man] under Li Xiao’s seat..."

It murmured softly, its voice tinged with suspicion and regret.

Recalling the encounter at the northern slopes of Lishan Mountain last night, Chimu couldn’t help but curse its own meddling.

If not for the momentary curiosity, tailing that strange old man cultivating Demon Skill.

The carefully cultivated Lishan fungal network wouldn’t have been destroyed.

Now that area must be under intense scrutiny; in the short term... no, forever unable to return.

It spat harshly, the inky green liquid corroding a small pit in the corner of the wall.

After adjusting its breath for a moment, Chimu began to ponder its next plan.

Once a master of a level four Demon Nest, it deeply understood the principle of "leveraging forces."

The most reliable plan now was to follow the leads provided by the "Ancient True Man."

"If that old man really is one of Li Xiao’s..."

"Then find an opportunity to slay him, and conveniently acquire a new guise."

Turning the thought over, a cunning expression appeared:

"If he’s an impostor... all the better."

This thought made Chimu lick its lips excitedly.

It could pretend to surrender, investigating the true identity of the Ancient True Man while infiltrating the Demon Summoning Hall.

After all, besides that peculiar old man, no one else in the world knew its true form.

Establishing its own network of followers, gathering emotional power through them to restore its strength.

This was the third step of its "rebirth plan."

Thinking of that foe who drove it to such a situation.

Chimu’s demonic qi involuntarily surged but quickly suppressed it, emitting a low chuckle:

"Mountains whisper... Li Xiao... and that strange old man. No rush, we have ample time."

In the depths of the alley, the inky green figure gradually merged with the shadows.

In the distance, a golden line appeared on the horizon; dawn was approaching.

... Tʜe source of this ᴄontent ɪs novel·fire·net

Several days later, the disturbance at the northern slopes of Lishan Mountain gradually subsided.

Meng Chuan initially wanted to inform his master of the "Tao Heart Demon Seed" situation, but since his master had left for the Ji Region on martial hall business, he had to postpone.

These days, he maintained his usual martial arts training routine.

No anomalies appeared, and the school didn’t send anyone to inquire about him.

"The fake Lin Yue remains inactive, likely choosing to bide time sinisterly, or fleeing from Yong’an.

From United University’s perspective, the internal strife among Demon Path in the northern slopes, after a covert investigation, indeed amounts to nothing significant."

However, Yanhua was restless these few days because Lin Yue went missing...

Though rootless, he possessed "spiritual roots," being the student of the [Buddha Class] in whom the Buddhist Sect placed high hopes, equating in significance with the United University’s Grandmaster Class, making every student crucial.

After lunch, just as Meng Chuan was preparing to visit Dong Yue’s house, he suddenly received a phone call, redirecting him to the school meeting room.

Someone from Yanhua had arrived.

"[Panshan Jiao·Feng Yue], does Chief Meng still remember me?"

The person on the opposite side smiled, standing up quickly to shake hands as the vigorous silhouette approached.