My skills have mutated again!

Chapter 327 The killing begins

It wasn't just for venting anger or fulfilling a mission.

Xia Lin left alone, mainly for her own convenience and development.

"The identity replacement card (high) is indeed a good thing."

Despite these limitations, Xia Lin discovered that this identity substitution card had directly placed him at a crucial juncture in the mission.

The conflict between the Wallbreakers and the Eight Guardian Sword Clan will most likely be the focus of the early stages of the main quest, and the significance of Xia Family's Second Young Master's identity in this phase has already become apparent.

"However, as the situation has developed to this point, I am no longer the sole focus, so it is time for me to withdraw."

Xia Lin's identity is key, but not essential. Without Xia Lin, there is still Xia Tian, ​​and even Xia Huangwei.

The storm has begun.

Xia Lin, however, still needs time to develop.

Furthermore, his identity is crucial but not essential.

This gave Xia Lin the opportunity to leave.

His true strength is hidden in the shadows. The almost permanent physical changes brought about by his demon form, combined with a few small muscle control techniques from martial arts, are enough to evade the tracking of anyone with ulterior motives.

So at this moment, Xia Lin remained hidden in the shadows.

He didn't try to suppress the increasingly raging anger in his heart.

After all, the cultivation method of the Hundred Losses Demon Art is not just about eating and practicing!

[Hundred Losses Demonic Art (Racial Heritage Level): Passive Skill, Fundamental Martial Arts Principle! After cultivation, you can rapidly break through martial arts cultivation and realms through actions such as gluttony and killing! However, as a price, the higher your martial arts cultivation, the shorter your lifespan!]

It could even be said that Xia Lin's previous training methods actually slowed down the rate at which his strength increased.

Because the fastest way to cultivate this skill is not through overeating, but through killing!
Thinking of this, Xia Lin's lips curled into a cold smile.

Pulling up her hood to cover half her face, Xia Lin walked back into Lin City.

……

The chartered plane bound for Shenjing ultimately did not take off.

An hour later, sirens blared as police arrived at Yuan Yao's location.

Special police cordoned off the area, and Xia Huangwei and Jiang Wufang then got out of the car and came to the vehicle.

Yuan Yao is still in a coma, but his life force is strong.

Jiang Wufang stepped forward, opened the car door, and with a quick groping, pulled a blood-written letter from Yuan Yao's pocket.

He leaned closer to smell it and nodded to Xia Huangwei: "It was left by the second young master."

Xia Huangwei then took the note and looked at it closely.

The note read:
"I have no choice but to comply with the invitation from the high monk. Father, rest assured, I will return home in a few months."

This high-ranking monk appears quite frequently.

Xia Huangwei pondered for a moment, then smiled knowingly.

With the high-ranking monks present, Xia Lin's safety should be assured...

……

Xia Huangwei was unaware that Xia Lin was not planning to prioritize his own safety in this round.

When it's time to lie low, do what needs to be done; when it's time to fight, fight.

Xia Lin was once consumed by rage and even had self-destructive tendencies.

This emboldened him to take unnecessary risks.

So much time has passed, and Xia Lin's personality has become much more restrained—but he still can't become an absolute opportunist.

His personality has always been rooted in adventure and gambling; when it's time to take a risk, Xia Lin never backs down.

Just like right now!
The city of Lin was still brightly lit late at night.

This is a characteristic of international metropolises.

In the center of Lincheng City, there is a bar street.

During the day, it's deserted, but at night it transforms into the most stylish guy in the whole city.

It was past three in the morning.

The sky was already bright, but the bar street was still bustling.

The violent heavy metal music echoed throughout the street, and passersby reeked of alcohol, exuding an air of extravagance and decadence.

Suddenly, footsteps sounded from the street, causing pedestrians to stop.

But after a quick glance, everyone except a few drunkards looked away.

This person is simply too strong.

Standing at two meters tall, he possesses an extremely imposing physique.

He looks like a powerful martial artist or bodybuilding enthusiast.

Such people should avoid getting involved unless absolutely necessary.

But the return rate is indeed at its maximum.

Xia Lin didn't care about that, and wasn't afraid of exposing her true identity.

After all, apart from witnessing it firsthand, who could possibly connect the frail second young master of the Xia family with his current demonic form?

He simply walked to a bar and stood there by himself.

Looking up, the neon lights outlined the bar's name: Breakthrough!
This place is one of the Wallbreakers' strongholds in Lin City, as Zhong Ying knows it.

……

Stepping into the bar, the noise and clamor intensified.

Under the flashing lights, demons danced wildly, and the noise was deafening.

Xia Lin frowned slightly.

In every lifetime, he disliked this kind of environment.

I simply pushed my way through the crowd on the dance floor and made my way to the entrance on the second floor.

Two arms, relatively strong compared to those of a normal person, blocked Xia Lin's way.

The security personnel blocked the way, but their tone was relatively respectful.

"Sir, this is a restricted area. Please do not approach."

Xia Lin nodded and said slowly, "I'm looking for Renault. Is Renault upstairs?"

The two security guards looked at each other, a hint of confusion in their eyes.

They didn't know who Reynolds was...

It wasn't that the person Xia Lin was looking for wasn't here; it was just that these two weren't high enough in rank, barely qualifying as peripheral members of the Wallbreaker organization.

Renault, on the other hand, is a key member of the Wallbreakers organization.

Grandmaster, Thunder Hand, Renault!

This is one of the three Grandmasters who broke through the barrier that Zhong Ying knew.

He was also one of the two Grandmasters who fought Jiang Wufang in the garden.

"Forget it, I can't explain it to you..."

A crisp sound of something cutting through the air suddenly rang out, but it was hidden in the noisy environment and went unnoticed.

Two streams of black, bloody energy were flung out by Xia Lin, striking the hearts of the two bodyguards.

In an instant, his heart shattered!

However, those who were hit did not spit out blood, and their deaths were gruesome.

They just stood there stiffly, motionless.

Furthermore, faint lines of black blood energy seeped from the wounds of the two men, eerily connecting to Xia Lin's seventy-two internal and external acupoints!

Within his body, the Hundred Damage Demonic Art was operating on its own, using the life force of others to temper Xia Lin's own blood and energy.

Xia Lin walked past the two security guards who were dead but whose eyes were not at peace, and slowly walked up the stairs to a higher floor.

The notification tone in my ear started flashing.

Your racial stat has increased by 0.00001!

Your base attributes have increased by 2 points.

The sound was continuous, and the blood and qi in the body circulated extremely quickly!

If a careful observer were to notice, they would be able to vaguely perceive that the two security guards' bodies were gradually shrinking.

In contrast, the first acupoint on Xia Lin's right palm was slowly glowing.

Ninth level of martial arts.

Fifth grade, enlightenment.

What is opened are the seventy-two orifices inside and outside the body!
When all acupoints are fully opened, one reaches the fourth rank, which is also the foundation of the seventh level for a native martial artist.

Xia Lin's current level is only 6, and his martial arts grade is only sixth rank.

Right now, all that's left is for him to unlock the first acupoint, and then he'll be able to advance to the fifth rank.

It's not difficult.

……

Compared to the hustle and bustle downstairs, the second floor is undoubtedly much quieter.

The smell of alcohol was also much less.

Xia Lin twitched his nostrils and could smell a faint, almost imperceptible medicinal fragrance amidst the faint smell of alcohol.

It was this medicinal fragrance that made Xia Lin realize he had found the right target.

Renault, or another Grandmaster, at least one of them is hiding here!

Logically speaking, Xia Lin shouldn't be causing trouble for a Grandmaster—he can't beat one anyway.

That Zhong Qiming is just a counterfeit version; he doesn't deserve the title of Grandmaster. A true Grandmaster could kill Xia Lin without difficulty.

However, one issue cannot be ignored.

The one currently in this place is not a Grandmaster in normal condition.

The two Grandmasters who broke through the barriers fought Jiang Wufang and severely injured him, but they themselves could not recover.

Otherwise, would they have let Xia Lin off the hook?
From the deduction process of the result, we can know that Jiang Wufang won the battle between the three Grandmasters in the garden. This means that the two Grandmasters of the Wall Breaker were injured more severely than Jiang Wufang.

Even a Grandmaster who is seriously injured is still a Grandmaster—for any demonic art, the key factor in evaluating the quality of a "tonic" is the strength of the "tonic"!

"Dong dong dong."

There was a sudden knock on the door.

No one responded.

However, as dawn approached, the knocking continued incessantly, showing no sign of stopping.

Before any sound could be heard from inside the room where the aroma of medicine wafted, the door of the adjacent room suddenly opened, and a man wearing gold-rimmed glasses, who appeared to be the bar manager, walked out and looked at Xia Lin.

"Who are you looking for?"

Xia Lin smiled and pointed into the room.

“I’m looking for him, I’m going to look for him.”

The manager frowned: "There's no one in that room."

Xia Lin shrugged slightly: "I don't think so... Never mind, we'll see once we take a look."

As he spoke, he opened his arms and pushed them against the door in front of him.

Along with this, a crisp gunshot rang out.

……

The soundproofing on the second floor of the bar was specially designed to break through the barriers.

Not only is the soundproofing in each room excellent, but the soundproofing between the entire second floor and the ground floor is also excellent.

When the "bang" sounded, no one downstairs knew anything.

Only Xia Lin could feel a not-so-strong force strike his temple, causing his head to tilt slightly to the side.

The metal bullet struck Xia Lin precisely in the temple, but it only grazed the skin before being crushed by the muscle.

Xia Lin turned his head instantly like a ghost, looked at the dumbfounded manager, and a ferocious smile appeared on his face.

"Didn't anyone tell you that a small pistol can't penetrate the defenses of a martial artist above the Grandmaster level?!" Indeed, no one had told the manager these things.

Although this person is a member of the Breakers, he is not a martial artist, and his identity is roughly similar to that of Zhong Ying.

However, right after Xia Lin said those words, a thunderous sound suddenly rang out from behind the door in front of him.

In an instant, the solid wood door shattered into pieces.

A large hand, imbued with blue, lightning-like blood energy, smashed through the door and slammed fiercely towards Xia Lin's face.

He turned his head to the side, but did not retreat even half a step.

Despite the Thunderclap Hand striking his left shoulder, instantly crushing it, Xia Lin stepped forward, forcefully squeezing into the room. He raised his right hand as well, unleashing a palm strike imbued with overwhelming heavenly might!
The Heavenly Seal!
Amidst the swirling sawdust, Xia Lin spotted the man named Renault.

He was short and stocky, a whole head shorter than Xia Lin.

At this moment, he was completely wrapped in bandages. As the door was destroyed, the strong smell of medicine rushed into Xia Lin's nose, even causing Xia Lin to feel physically uncomfortable.

He was indeed seriously injured.

This made Xia Lin's sinister smile even more intense!
The Heavenly Seal struck Renault squarely on the shoulder, but Renault neither dodged nor avoided it.

Renault, the Thunder Hand, is a tough guy in his fighting style. Even though he is seriously injured, changing his style rashly would only make him worse.

Amidst the surging of blood energy, Renault withstood the Heaven-Sealing Seal head-on.

Xia Lin's palm strike did not seriously injure Renault—as a Grandmaster, Renault's physique was even twice as strong as Xia Lin's.

However, as a foundational skill, the Heavenly Seal is equally terrifying in effect.

Renault felt dizzy and disoriented, which caused his second move, Thunderclap Hand, to go astray and smash the wall with his palm.

Before the dizzying sensation could subside, Xia Lin had already unleashed the second Heaven-Covering Seal!

Right at the stairwell, the two security guards suddenly tilted and fell to the ground.

A burst of light suddenly erupted from the first acupoint on the right hand.

Blood and energy surged into it, circulating faster and in greater quantities, greatly enhancing Xia Lin's martial arts power!

A sharp, piercing sound suddenly rang out.

The gust of air disrupted all the facilities in the makeshift medical room.

Even before the shockwave dissipated, the culprit that caused it—Xia Lin's right hand—had already slammed into Renault's head!

"die!"

Xia Lin's eyes turned bloodshot, and he roared!
This wasn't just to boost morale; he was actually using the Soul-Devouring Technique!
Using the Soul-Seizing Technique to search Renault's soul is out of the question.

However, breaking through psychological defenses and creating openings is clearly effective.

It was like a heavy hammer striking a steel nail.

Renault was hit on the spot, his eyeballs bulging out.

The floor beneath their feet collapsed instantly, causing everything inside the house, including Xia Lin and Renault, to fall from the sky and crash into the center of the dance floor on the first floor.

The music continued, but the crowd descended into chaos.

Xia Lin disregarded everything else and just grinned maliciously as he struck out with his palm again!

"Die! Die ...

A violent force stirred up a gale.

The hammering sound continued incessantly.

Black blood-red threads connected Xia Lin and Renault, and the notification sound in their ears exploded rapidly as if they were going crazy!
Your racial stat has increased by 0.001!

Your base attributes have increased by 30 points!

The Hundred Damage Demonic Art within his body accelerated its operation, and within just two seconds, the five acupoints on Xia Lin's right hand were successfully opened!

The opening of acupoints signifies an improvement in martial arts realm and power.

Xia Lin will only get stronger with each fight!
As for Renault, the moment he was forcibly controlled by the Heavenly Seal, his fate was sealed.

"Pfft" sound.

Renault's head was forcefully smashed into his chest cavity by Xia Lin...

He then collapsed to the ground.

As Xia Lin swallowed a pill he had brought with him to repair the injury to his left shoulder, he grinned maliciously and commented.

"Stubborn as a mule!"

After saying that, he turned and went upstairs.

Upstairs, the manager of the Breakthrough Bar had somehow taken out a submachine gun.

When he saw Xia Lin go upstairs again, the manager looked desperate, but gritted his teeth and pulled the trigger hard!
In just a few seconds, he had emptied the magazine...

Unfortunately, they couldn't even break Xia Lin's clothes.

This clothing is an item in Xia Lin's personal space. It's not a high-level item, and its main effect is to adapt to body shape.

But even though it's not high-level, it's still SS-level—items of lower level really don't qualify to be put into Xia Lin's personal space.

Even if it's not explicitly stated, items of this grade must possess a certain level of defensive capability, as it's inherent in the materials themselves and cannot be penetrated by ordinary submachine guns.

Even as Xia Lin grabbed the manager's head with one hand, the manager remained defiant.

"I won't tell you anything!"

Xia Lin simply grinned and said, "No, you will."

Killing Renault in front of the manager has planted a seed of fear in that person's heart.

Even though the Soul-Stealing Technique is still on cooldown, the related skills are not!

Besides, this manager is just a mortal... Superhumans really have hundreds of ways to deal with a mortal.

The moment the maniacal voice filled his ears, the manager had no secrets left.

……

Because of the Xia family's situation, the Lincheng police's response time was relatively slow today.

It took a full half hour for the armed special police force to arrive at the scene.

The murderer had already left.

Sheriff Hong Lang was the first to enter the messy bar and stopped next to Renault.

Looking down, Hong Lang frowned.

"It was the work of the evil warrior."

The so-called evil martial artist is a martial artist who has gone astray. Generally speaking, evil martial artists have strange skills and extreme personalities.

His men stepped forward and took a look, and immediately shuddered.

Because the body of Renault that appeared before them had been turned into a dried-up corpse.

Hong Lang squatted down and looked at Renault's corpse, then quickly focused his gaze on Renault's palm.

A glint of doubt flashed in his eyes.

"This is a martial artist... and of a fairly high rank..."

As a first-rate martial artist, Hong Lang's judgment is naturally credible.

Just as Hong Lang was thinking that this was a major case, his subordinates suddenly came up to him and whispered in a voice that only the two of them could hear.

"Boss, don't investigate this matter any further."

"I just got a call from the government office. The owner of this bar is the wife of the second-in-command..."

Hong Lang turned his head to look at his subordinates, and slowly narrowed his eyes.

Knowing there were many problems involved, Hong Lang's "professionalism" led him to make the right judgment.

"Pack up and get back to the team as soon as possible."

……

At that moment, Xia Lin had already appeared in front of the house of Lin Cheng's second-in-command.

The security forces in the vicinity were practically non-existent in front of Xia Lin, who was close to a Grandmaster, allowing him to enter the villa smoothly, as if he were returning to his own home.

Inside the villa, on the second floor.

A faint voice rang out; it was the voice of Lin Cheng's second-in-command.

"Renault is dead. I don't know who did it!"

"Hide well! No, no, no... Come to my house, protect me for a while... I'm afraid that person will come looking for trouble..."

"An accident? What accident?! Someone's watching us! This is no accident! Aaaaaah!!"

The scream interrupted the call, and the person on the other end of the line who was communicating with Lin Cheng's second-in-command immediately fell silent and stopped speaking.

Shortly afterward, as the screams subsided, a deliberately disguised voice slowly emerged from the other end of the microphone.

"Grandmaster, Martial Star, right?"

"I've found you!"

Wu Xing's voice rang out: "Who are you?"

"Beep beep..."

The call is hung up.

Xia Lin put down the satellite phone and turned to look at the hostage whose arms and legs were twisted and who was screaming in pain.

A friendly smile appeared on his face.

"I ask, you answer, OK?"

Just then, footsteps sounded downstairs.

The screams alerted the security forces.

This made Xia Lin shrug.

"It seems this isn't a good place to talk."

Xia Lin stepped forward, lifted the hostage with one hand, smashed the window, and burst out with blood and qi. His figure disappeared into the distance in an instant, like an eagle.

……

There's a saying: "follow the vine to find the melon."

This is what Xia Lin is doing right now.

Xia Lin obtained some information about the Wall Breakers from Zhong Ying's mind.

Thus, he found the Breakthrough Bar and Renault.

Xia Lin found the second-in-command of Lincheng from the manager of the Breakthrough Bar.

And this being knows far more than Zhong Ying and the manager of Breakthrough Bar.

In an abandoned factory.

The hostages had already lost all signs of life—Xia Lin had no habit of leaving any survivors.

Sitting on the reinforced concrete, Xia Lin's gaze was deep, and he had gained a clearer understanding of the Wallbreakers organization.

"A behemoth, even stronger than imagined!"

Xia Lin originally thought that the Wall Breakers were just rats hiding under the noses of the Eight Guardian Sword Clan.

However, at this moment, it was discovered that the wall-breaker was not a rat, but a wolf!

Their members not only include traitors within the Eight Guardian Sword Clan, but also have deep ties to the World Government, which was supported by the Eight Guardian Sword Clan.

"But thinking about it, it makes sense... Who would like to have eight old men riding on their head?"

In a sense, the World Government does have a desire to overthrow the Eight Guardians of the Sword Clan, so it's not surprising that some people join the Wallbreakers.

Xia Lin smiled and shook his head, not caring about it.

The Hundred Damage Demon Art circulated slightly within his body, illuminating a total of twenty-three acupoints.

In just one night, Renault alone allowed Xia Lin's Hundred Damage Magic Technique to reach new heights!

Xia Lin wasn't used to talking about martial arts realms, so he used racial stats and attributes instead:
[Base stats: 3.7 (originally 3.5)]

[Base Attributes: 3200 (originally 2500)]

Stand up and look up.

The sky was just beginning to brighten.

The killing had only just begun.

(End of this chapter)