Starting from the imperial palace guards, his clones spread all over the world.

Chapter 675 Removing the Unnecessary and Retaining the Essential
"It's not just the increase in power, there's also this..."

Every muscle in Liang Jin's body bulged slightly under the icy and ferocious embrace of the Annihilation Armor, as if an inextinguishable flame of war had been ignited deep within his soul:
"This overwhelming... fighting spirit!"

A burning thirst, like molten lava flowing through my veins, shot straight to my head!
Fierce battle! Collision! Crushing steel and flesh in an extreme confrontation!

This volcanic eruption of impulse was so intense that even the air itself seemed to be groaning under its own weight.

Strangely, however, his rationality remained as solid as a thousand-year-old iceberg, hanging high above the raging flames, clearly reflecting the trajectory of every spark!

Fighting spirit!

It is by no means a cold accumulation of skill.

It is the thunder of will! It is the scorching wind of the spirit!

The invisible furnace fire that can forge ordinary iron into divine weapons!
Everyone knows that strength varies.

The same force:
When used by a timid and cowardly person, seven-tenths of its full power is lost!

For a calm and composed person, nine-tenths of the effort is already considered excellent!
Only those with a high fighting spirit can break through barriers and surpass themselves at their limits, unleashing twelve! thirteen! or even beyond the level of common sense!
however.

The will to fight... is elusive and elusive, and the hardest thing to control!
Most people acquire their fighting spirit through repeated training and battles.

However, this approach often has a critical threshold that is difficult to grasp.

Once this threshold is crossed, many people will feel a deep sense of fatigue and even begin to loathe fighting, wanting to return to peace.

After countless battles, all that remains is a numb and weary feeling, as if blood and rust have seeped into one's very bones; one's sharpness has long since dulled.

Once this critical threshold is crossed, the will to fight will actually drop rapidly.

No one knows when this critical value will be reached.

After all, constantly walking on the edge of life and death and experiencing high-intensity battles goes against human nature.

For most people, fighting and killing are simply about competing for more resources to improve their lives.

However, there are a small number of people who are born fighting maniacs.

They often derive pleasure from fighting and combat, finding meaning and value in life.

Such people have a very strong fighting spirit; they will either become a fierce general or a murderous demon.

When ordinary people encounter them, they feel as if they are being targeted by a natural enemy, and their hair stands on end.

However, rigidity breeds fragility. This innate fighting spirit destined them to be prone to violence and aggression from a young age, often resulting in a short lifespan. Many of them died in their teens, and even fewer had a peaceful end.

In addition, some extreme emotions can enhance the will to fight.

For example, extreme hatred, or boundless love.

Under the influence of such extreme emotions, a person can be full of motivation and fighting spirit, and dare to go alone even when facing millions of people!

The changes in the fighting spirit of ordinary people are not only difficult to control, but are also full of fluctuations and too much uncertainty.

such as:

When a person faces an enemy that is too strong, their fighting spirit can easily be crushed.

When a person faces betrayal from their closest loved ones, their fighting spirit can vanish instantly.

When a person discovers that the goal they are fighting for is meaningless, they will lose all will to fight.

Some people are full of fighting spirit when they are young, but become gentle and mild-mannered in their old age.

Some people are fearless when they are alone, but become timid and hesitant after they have a family.

Some people are brave and decisive when they are healthy, but become depressed after suffering from illness.

Some people are like newborn calves, fearless when they know nothing, but they become hesitant after they see through the coldness of the world.

Therefore, the world's fighting spirit...

Fragile!

Fleeting!
Once the will to fight declines, it is often not a linear decline, but a precipitous one.

Even someone as exceptionally talented as Liang Jin had to expend tremendous willpower to ignite and maintain this precious fighting spirit in the past.

And now!
After putting on the Destroyer Armor, Liang Jin did not have extreme emotions, nor did he have the physique of a natural battle maniac, but he still possessed a high fighting spirit.

As long as he wears his armor, his intense and vigorous fighting spirit will remain!
This burning, eternally intense fighting spirit, seemingly emanating from the depths of an ancient and undying battle soul, was like the most faithful instinct, firmly rooted in the bottom of his consciousness!
As natural as breathing! As constant as a heartbeat!
Never run out!

Never waver!

"This is... a vessel truly born for war!"

A storm raged in Liang Jin's heart!

This characteristic of not relying on emotions, not needing to be ignited, and permanently maintaining peak fighting spirit is simply a complete subversion and reshaping of common sense about martial arts!
It could even be described as defying the heavens!

This incredible, paradoxical power...

Suddenly, Liang Jin recalled a forbidden manual that had been gathering dust in a corner of his mind and was covered in ashes!
—The Mad Blade!
According to Yu Linglong, this sword technique was created by an ancient martial artist who, after suffering a qi deviation during his training, was able to regain his senses through sheer willpower. He created the technique based on the sensations he experienced during the qi deviation.

Later, the former imperial family awarded this sword technique to the Liu family.

Ultimately, it was passed on to Liang Jin through Liu Yuan, a survivor of the Liu family.

"Mad Blade" is unparalleled in its ferocity and bravery. It grows stronger with each battle, becoming increasingly mad. It resembles a raging lion with a heart of its own, or a frenzied tiger. It is the most ferocious of all, the most mad of all. No one in the eight directions and six realms can stop it.

Some even speculate that if the Mad Blade is mastered, it may surpass the Earth-level martial arts and enter the realm of Heaven-level martial arts.

However, this terrifying technique has a fatal weakness: it is a demonic blade that devours the mind!

Once used, it can drive a person into a state of frenzy.

In this state, the user feels neither fear nor pain, but only...

Kill!
The killing never stops!
They will kill everyone they see, regarding all things as straw, with only a crimson tide of blood in their eyes!
Parents, best friends, loved ones... all turned into cold corpses before the maddening blades!

Only when there is nothing left to kill, or when one dies, can one escape this eternal nightmare for a moment and regain consciousness.

It's almost like a berserker's berserk state.

This martial art is also adept at attracting hatred. Users often inexplicably kill innocent people while using it, resulting in them making enemies all over the world and eventually becoming public enemies.

Therefore, anyone who learns this sword technique often dies a violent death at the very beginning of their training, and none of them meet a good end.

When Liang Jin first acquired "Mad Blade," he had high hopes for it and practiced it diligently.

But once he unleashes the Mad Blade, as its energy surges through his meridians, his consciousness is as if it has fallen into a chaotic swamp, completely overwhelmed and submerged by endless bloodlust.

After half a day of frenzy, it recovered...

Like waking from a hangover, he was startled to realize that he had exited the state of "Mad Blade," and he had no memory of anything that had happened during that time.

All that remains in my memory is a blinding crimson void!

The only clear feeling I had was that at that time I only wanted to kill, constantly looking for all living things and killing them all.

In this state, he believed that even if Zhao Bao and Su Lian stood in front of him, he would not hesitate to chop them into mincemeat with a knife.

Even more terrifying is...

That clone that carries "The Mad Blade"...

At that very moment, the connection with his true self was forcibly severed!
The main body will temporarily lose control of this clone and will be unable to perceive its existence.

Just like this clone, it chose to disconnect itself.

Only after this frenzy ends can we reconnect to the internet.

In order to resist this madness, Liang Jin tried to use [Si Mian].

After putting on the [Si Mask], he was able to keep a clear mind and was no longer controlled by the desire to kill.

However, when Liang Jin used the "Mad Blade" technique while maintaining a clear mind thanks to the "Si Face" ability, he felt that he could not fully unleash its true power.

The "madness" of "Mad Blade" was completely suppressed by [Si Mian]!
The sword light that should have torn the sky apart and melted gold and iron was reduced to empty, flowery gestures.

Its power has waned to an alarming low, even less powerful than ordinary Xuan-level sword techniques!

Without the madness of "Mad Blade"... it's practically useless martial arts!
This made Liang Jin realize that only in a state of madness could the true power of "Mad Blade" be unleashed.

Uncontrolled martial arts skills naturally wouldn't appeal to Liang Jin.

Liang Jin was not a lone wolf martial artist after all; he had many companions and subordinates around him, which made it impossible for him to continue practicing "Mad Blade," so he put it aside.

now!

The fighting spirit on this Destroyer Armor burns eternally like lava and remains as firm and unshakable as a mountain!
Like a ray of dawn piercing through the abyss of despair!

This made Liang Jin's heart pound wildly!

"It can! It definitely can!"

A near-boiling thought exploded in his mind:

"The fighting spirit of Annihilation... originates from countless iron-blooded battle souls! It is boundless! Resilient and bound by an invisible will!"

"It's enough to suppress the destructive impulses of 'Mad Blade' that are running rampant!"

"But it won't extinguish the 'madness' as well as [Si Mian]!"

"Let the 'power' of the Mad Blade truly bloom! And let my consciousness maintain its most basic clarity!"

But this is merely a hot speculation!
We still need to verify this.

"Verify it now!"

Liang Jin's clone cannot be verified at present.

However, he can send other clones to verify this within the [Nine Void Boundless Realms].

Immediately, Liang Jin put away the Extinction Armor and handed it over to another clone to use.

Soon, within the [Nine Boundless Realms].

A figure clad in menacing black armor gripped a crimson longsword that emitted a bloodthirsty wail, seemingly dripping with congealed blood! It was the Blood Blade!

This test immediately unfolded within the [Nine Boundless Realms]...

The verification ended abruptly, far exceeding Liang Jin's expectations!

Based on feedback from [Nine Void Boundless]...

"Success!"

An overwhelming joy, almost tearing his chest apart, made Liang Jin, who was sitting upright in the quiet room, tremble slightly!
"That's right! Just like I predicted!"

Liang Jin's eyes were filled with excitement:
"The madness brought by 'Mad Blade' is as deep and as hellish as an abyss! Like ten thousand ghosts wailing in the night! This madness is tearing my will apart!"

"However……"

The indomitable battle roars emanating from the core of the Annihilation Armor, like the clash of countless swords and horses, formed an unbreakable barrier of will!

It actually managed to block the madness of "Mad Blade" from that... boundary called "rationality"!

However, their burning fighting spirit actually allowed the power of "Mad Blade" to be fully utilized.

This was also the first time Liang Jin experienced the effect of "Mad Blade".

That power broke free from its restraints, erupting like a volcano that had been suppressed for millennia!
Where the blade flashes!
No longer just a shell!

Its momentum was fierce and domineering, shattering all previous understanding!
Its destructive power is enough to make even the finest Earth-grade martial arts pale in comparison!
"Good! Good! Good!"

Liang Jin was filled with excitement as he "witnessed" the stunning, almost space-tearing blade energy through the Nine Void Boundless Realm!
"As expected, it's a domineering sword technique approaching the heavenly level!"

"I must seize the time and master 'Mad Blade' as well."

"We'll see the true power of 'Mad Blade' after it reaches its full potential!"

What truly exceeded Liang Jin's expectations was the power of the Destroyer Armor!
"This Annihilation Armor is not only incredibly defensive, but it has also granted me tremendous power!"

"And I can sense that as my strength increases, the Annihilation Armor will also grant me even greater power!"

Liang Jin couldn't hide the joy on his face.

The Annihilation Armor gave Liang Jin a comprehensive boost to his combat power!
First of all, the defensive capabilities of the Annihilation Armor are ridiculously strong!
In Liang Jin's opinion, it was probably even stronger than the Heavenly Tribulation Armor welded onto Tie Kuangtu's body!
Iron Madman wears the Heavenly Tribulation Armor, which can indeed withstand all surface attacks, but it cannot withstand attacks with penetrating power.

This means that if Tie Kuangtu is not strong enough, he can easily be killed by a master using penetrating force through his Heavenly Tribulation Armor.

But the Annihilation Armor is different.

The Heavenly Tribulation Armor relies on its own sturdy materials to generate defensive power.

The materials used in the Destroyer Armor are very ordinary, but its defensive power seems to be generated by some mysterious force that has transcended the scope of normal understanding.

It's more like the countless remnants of battle souls residing within this armor, transformed into a bloodbath stance with distorted laws.

When an external force strikes it, whether it is a powerful punch or a subtle, penetrating force, it is as if it is trapped in an endless vortex of battle spirits!
Torn apart! Wear down! Neutralized!
Even its attack power and fighting spirit seem to be provided by the battle spirit within the armor!
Indeed, Liang Jin could sense that this armor possessed a battle spirit.

This kind of battle spirit is not the kind of weapon spirit in novels that can jump out and communicate with people, but it is somewhat similar.

It was formed by the convergence of countless obsessions and fighting spirits, which gave the Destroyer Armor extraordinary power.

This power not only provides terrifying defensive capabilities, but also grants Liang Jin extremely strong offensive power!

This attack power even increases exponentially!

When he tested his attack power while wearing the Annihilation Armor and went all out, he felt that he could even... contend with the giant serpent on Dragon Transformation Island!
You should know that the giant snake was almost equivalent to a first-grade martial artist!
"This is... the true appearance of a high-level battle puppet!"

"Although it cannot be remotely controlled to act independently, the resulting increase in strength is truly astonishing!"

A slight smile crept onto Liang Jin's lips.

The surprise of this achievement is enough to brighten up some of the gloom that has been hanging over my heart.

But soon, however, a cold glint appeared in his eyes:
"But why... do I still feel it's impossible to defeat Zhao Wuji in the mausoleum of Emperor Taizu?"

Even with the Annihilation Armor on his body and the Mad Blade in hand, he used all his abilities.

Liang Jin could still sense that he was probably no match for Zhao Wuji.

That burning passion brought by the Extinction Armor suddenly felt like a torch of purgatory drenched in the ice of the heavens!

*Swoosh!* Half of them were wiped out!

But he could understand it after all.

Back in the previous dynasty, Zhao Wuji was already an invincible first-rank martial artist.

After he founded the Great Qian Dynasty, he obtained the Yin Seal and many other secrets from the Burial Dragon Ridge.

Afterwards, he hid in the mausoleum of Emperor Taizu for several decades. Just how high was his martial arts skill? How much of an inhuman level did he temper himself to?
Its terror has long exceeded the imagination of martial artists of this era!

"Besides him, are there any other first-rank martial artists in this world?"

Liang Jin didn't know.

If it weren't for the palm strike Liang Jin received from Zhao Wuji at the Taizu Imperial Mausoleum that day, he would have thought that the strongest person in the world was a second-rank martial artist.

The giant snake on Hualong Island is, after all, a ferocious beast, not a martial artist.

First-rank martial artists are extremely rare.

Even among the many first-rank martial artists who have appeared throughout the long river of history, there are only a handful, and most of them are legends whose authenticity is difficult to discern.

Since Zhao Wuji, no first-rank martial artist has appeared in the world.

Even today, many ignorant fools believe that Zhao Wuji's first-rank cultivation was exaggerated by the court.

Liang Jin had died once at Zhao Wuji's hands, and he knew Zhao Wuji's terrifying strength better than anyone else.

"Humph!"

Liang Jin let out a low, hot groan, like a wounded beast licking its wounds and letting out a suppressed growl!
That deep-seated hatred! That excruciating pain and fear on the verge of death! It has been awakened once again!

“Zhao Yuanji…”

"One day, I'll make you taste the pain I felt when I died!"

A chilling surge of anger welled up in my chest for a moment.

Liang Jin took a deep breath and pulled himself back to his senses:

"I've been in seclusion for so long, shouldn't I go out and see if anything important has happened recently?"

Sitting cross-legged on the icy jade bed, Liang Jin nodded slightly, his deep eyes returning to their usual stillness.
"I'll go into seclusion for another month, and then come out next month."

“If something truly terrible had happened, Qiannan would have been waiting for me outside the palace long ago.”

"Since nothing terrible has happened, and Zhang You and Qian Nan can handle it, then I shouldn't give up my arduous cultivation."

"Become stronger! Only by becoming stronger faster!"

The death of the original body deeply pained Liang Jin.

Therefore, Liang Jin now naturally has to work twice as hard as before.

So he continued to sit cross-legged on the cold jade bed and cultivate.

Without the slightest hesitation!

Inside the quiet room, only the low hum of internal energy flowing and stirring the air could be heard.

Time...

In the extreme process of condensation and mental torment, it slips away like fine sand through one's fingers.

Outside the window, winter had deepened in Minzhou.

The lush greenery of the plants was eventually stripped of its splendor by the relentless wind and frost, leaving only gnarled, withered branches piercing the gray sky.

A light snowfall quietly blanketed the palace's glazed tile roofs, upturned eaves, and even the rolling hills outside the city, covering them all with a thin, somber layer of silver.

Until the end of the month!

The sun is setting!

The figure, who had been sitting cross-legged on the cold jade bed for a whole month, opened his eyes again!

"It's almost the end of the month again. I wonder if I'll be able to get anything good by signing in this time."

Anticipation also flickered in Liang Jin's eyes.

Normally, the rewards for signing in are quite ordinary, mostly consisting of a small amount of martial arts cultivation, martial arts proficiency, and common pills.

These rewards had a very noticeable effect on Liang Jin in the early stages.

However, Liang Jin has now gradually entered the later stages, and these rewards no longer have an immediate effect on him. It is only about accumulating little by little until quantitative change leads to qualitative change.

However, once the end of the month approaches, the quality of the items you can win by signing in tends to be much better.

As the check-in time arrived, Liang Jin clicked the "Check-in" button on the system panel without hesitation.

Soon, a message popped up.

[Congratulations, host, on successfully checking in! You have received the reward: Zhenyuan Dragon-Slaying Lock]

Liang Jin was slightly taken aback when he saw the reward:
"What kind of lock? Is it a weapon or some kind of armor?"

Immediately, Liang Jin looked at the description of the newly acquired reward.

Upon seeing this, Liang Jin's rock-solid body trembled almost imperceptibly.

He couldn't help but burst into laughter:
"Great! Great! Just like a pillow delivered when you're sleepy!"

"What I needed, I signed up for!"

"Even the heavens are on my side!"

(End of this chapter)