Stepping on the Demoness to become the strongest

Yan Yu had beheaded Suo Wen, and the news first reached the Privy Council of Lu Country, then was broadcast internationally at a press conference before finally arriving at the Southern Border.

It's said that the Witch King, upon receiving the news, was in the middle of throwing a tantrum at a meeting: because a group of people, presumably finding Lu Country hard to deal with, had deserted halfway to attack Tianzhu to the west.

The Witch King was furious about this, saying, "I'm not saying no one should attack the west, but right now we should all be uniting and pressing north together. What does it mean to change course at this time? Isn't that a slap in my face?"

Soon enough, there were plants in the audience saying, "This is a betrayal of the Sorcerer Alliance Army," "If you know anyone, call them back immediately," and "Those who return will not be held accountable."

The Sorcerer Lords looked at each other, not particularly surprised by this outcome.

It was not through warfare and conquest that Witch King Long Po Ming had unified the Southern Border but rather because he received the loyalty of Suo Wen and Ajarn Meng, which allowed him to become the foremost among the Sorcerer Lords, and let the others acquiesce to him declaring himself the Witch King.

To put it plainly, his title as Witch King was fundamentally not that of an emperor but more akin to the leader of a loose alliance—a title lacking the prestige of winning a unifying war.

Now, with people deserting on their own, the Witch King's authority took another major hit, and what would follow depended on how he would deal with these people.

Witch King Long Po Ming didn't actually plan on troubling these deserters; he was well aware that his base of power was still insufficient. Having gained nothing from the northern invasion and now facing the prospect of punishment, he knew some might mourn the rabbit's death for fear of the fox—the seed of treachery was sure to sprout.

Rather than that, he preferred to invade Lu Country, kill for loot, and seize Mysterious Realms. As long as he could get his hands on resources, with the power to distribute spoils, others would truly and sincerely submit to him.

Just as Witch King Long Po Ming was secretly planning, someone suddenly rushed in with a report:

"It's terrible! Suo Wen is dead!"

All the Sorcerer Lords were aghast, but Witch King Long Po Ming was suddenly enraged, shouting:

"Who's dead? Don't spout nonsense!"

"Suo Wen is dead!" the dark sorcerer Messenger cried, "He was killed by the Longcheng Flying General in the Southern Border! His body's photo is on the news..."

Before the words were out, the Witch King's right arm flashed like lightning, sending out a black spirit possession into the messenger's forehead. The dark sorcerer stood woodenly for a moment, then suddenly fell backward, dead on the ground with a small ghostly handprint on his forehead—ingested by one of Long Po Ming's minions that invaded his mind and consumed his soul.

"That must be fake news released by Lu Country!" The Witch King, looking at the Sorcerers around him whose expressions had drastically changed, said each word emphatically with a face ashen, "I will call Suo Wen right now!"

He theatrically took out his mobile phone, dialed a number, put it to his ear, and babbled a few words, then hung up and said:

"Suo Wen was only injured by the Longcheng Flying General and has not died. He is currently recovering locally and will return in a few days. We will continue with the plan for the northern campaign; the army sets off tomorrow, and no one is allowed to fall out of line, lest they face military law!"

Having said that, the Witch King got up and left.

The Sorcerer Lords exchanged glances, mostly disbelieving the Witch King's performance just now.

If Suo Wen was really alive, able to answer your call, then why didn't you put it on speaker? If we could hear Suo Wen's voice, we certainly wouldn't doubt anything, but hanging up the call in such a hurry really makes people suspicious.

As the Sorcerer Lords' eyes wandered, most of them settled on Ajarn Meng.

Ajarn Meng, dressed in black, currently served as the Witch King Long Po Ming's deputy, just like the golden Sorcerer Suo Wen.

The difference was, Suo Wen was of the Dragon's Service, a die-hard supporter of the Witch King, whereas Ajarn Meng represented the interests put forward by many Sorcerer Lords and had been a devout monk in the Plaek monastery before his cultivation, enjoying considerable prestige throughout the Southern Border.

As everyone looked to him for help, the elderly Ajarn Meng did not respond. Instead, he simply lowered his eyelids, fiddled with the blackwood prayer beads in his hand, and silently turned to leave.

————————

"The situation is a bit dire," Su Yunjin worriedly said after checking Yan Yu's meridians and Dantian, "The recovery rate of his True Yuan is only half of what it was before, and the quality also leaves much to be desired. My recommendation is that for now, Captain, you should refrain from joining the battles, at least until you have mastered the Fasting skill."

"Alright, alright," since all the girls on the team insisted he not join the battle, Yan Yu could only surrender with a show of hands, "Then the Witch King is up to you, okay? I'm washing my hands of it."

"You just rest up here," Li Minghu said with a smile.

"Old Yan's already wilted; now it's up to us," Li Zhaojiang turned and said breezily, "Everyone, perk up, and don't let Old Yan down."

"Right!" The men of the Qing'an Battle Team also chorused in agreement.

The crowd quietly controlled their swords and left, leaving Yan Yu to rest there.

This place was an uninhabited village, completely abandoned, so there was no worry of enemies finding their way here.

Yan Yu sat lazily on a wooden chair, watching the outside, quietly circulating his True Yuan through the Grand Circulation inside his body.

As Su Yunjin had said, with the progress of his Fasting, his body's endurance was getting worse and worse, no longer suitable for continued fighting.

Rather than continue following the team while his True Yuan was depleted, it would be better to hand over command to Chen Lingyun and find a place to perfect the Fasting technique.

Yan Yu yawned and slowly closed his eyes, beginning to doze off.

Time gradually transitioned from afternoon to evening, and the distant forests fell into darkness, devoid of any light.

Technology and civilization seemed to have vanished completely from this place.

In the Southern Border, where Transcendents held all control, mortals were as scarce as wild animals, eventually being reduced to mere production tools and resources to be domesticated by the Transcendents.

In the previous life, this tide spread globally, similar to how Homo sapiens gradually replaced Neanderthals, until even Lu Country could not escape — the Transcendents had become the "new human race" of the new era.

It was just that he had not witnessed the very last moment when the whole world plunged into hell.

If allowed to recklessly compete amongst themselves, the Transcendents would inevitably turn everything around them into fuel for their own growth because those who did not do so would be eliminated by the stronger ones. However, if someone could become the strongest in this world, they could then remodel the entire world at will according to their own desires, bringing order back to this world.

Of course, by that time, the strongest in this world would almost certainly be deified, and countless theories would try to prove that they were "naturally superior to all humankind," "the destined ruler of all humanity"...

It doesn't matter anymore.

Could it be worse than the ending of the previous life, where mortals nearly perished?

Yan Yu suddenly opened his eyes.

He stepped out of the main entrance of the house, looking at the brilliant Milky Way hanging in the center of the night sky, and took a long breath.

The goal is the end of the ascension to godhood. Starting today... I am taking the first step.

Suddenly, Dantian trembled slightly as if unblocking something, and then powerful True Yuan began to emanate from Dantian, traveling through the meridians to the limbs and bones.

Cleansing, tempering, polishing!

Muscles, bones, connective tissues... the acquired turbidity hidden in various parts of the body was all being expelled continuously through the pores, washed away by the forceful True Yuan.

If Yan Yu's body were to be compared to a house, it was filled with various clutter and old items before Marrow Cleansing, capable of housing only limited things. And Marrow Cleansing would clear out most of the trash.

When the Marrow Cleansing was completed, the next step would be to transform the Purple Mansion, and form the Golden Core.

Yan Yu stood silently on the empty ground, the light in his eyes almost growing brighter and his clothes fluttering without wind, rippling as the driving force of the True Yuan burst forth from his pores.

Suddenly, he began to move lightly.

The simple stretch of his joints caused a crackling sound throughout his body, like firecrackers or frying beans.

Yan Yu stretched again, and his body shot up nearly ten centimeters, his arms, shoulders, thighs, chest, and abdomen — places where the muscles were not very apparent — gradually displayed clear lines.
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The True Yuan was not only washing away the turbidity of the five grains from inside his body but also repairing his body. If a sample of his tissues were tested now, it would show his cells growing and differentiating at an astonishing rate, utterly disregarding the Hayflick limit.

Spiritual Energy Resurgence, it never talks science with you.

Finally, the changes in his body gradually came to an end.

Yan Yu's Marrow Cleansing was nearly 90% complete, although some dead angles in the bones were not yet fully cleaned, such as the pelvic cavity and the joints of the spine. These areas required True Yuan to be used for long-term continuous polishing and washing... which was the practice process of the entire Marrow Cleansing Stage.

Of course, the benefits of completing Marrow Cleansing were obvious.

Life span was extended, complete fasting was achieved, and one's root bone was significantly strengthened. Even without activating the Wood Bending Charm, one could easily defeat the top sanda fighters or even the champions among mortals, because their physiques and strength were no longer in the same league.

Yan Yu pulled at his shirt collar, a stench of decay hanging around him; all were impurities expelled during the Marrow Cleansing process.

Back in the room, he began to rinse off his body with tap water, which came from the mountain behind the village and therefore felt extra chilly on the skin.

But Yan Yu was undeterred and simply cleaned his body, then started scrubbing his soiled clothes.

The mobile phone placed aside suddenly rang; it was a call from Lord Master.

"Hello?" Yan Yu turned on the speakerphone.

"Old Yan, I hear you're practicing that Fasting technique?" Liu Longtao got straight to the point.

"Yes, what about it?"

"I entered the Marrow Cleansing Stage this morning," Liu Longtao asked casually, "Do you want me to tell you the tricks?"

It was the familiar taste of showing off, but Yan Yu patiently listened until the end and responded:

"No need, I've also undergone Marrow Cleansing."

"What?"