Martial Arts Overlord!

At this moment, the gloomy man, who was called the hall master, was stunned for a few seconds before he came back to his senses, and then the corners of his mouth slowly turned up.

The next second, he stood up and paced back and forth in the dim space, his footsteps sounding exceptionally clear in the silence.

The men kneeling on the ground lowered their heads even further, and not one of them dared to raise their heads.

"interesting."

The voice was very soft, as if talking to oneself.

"He killed Jin Hu while only at the second level of the Muscle Refining Realm the day before, and the next day he was able to instantly kill ten fourth-level Muscle Refining Realm cultivators. Now he has killed Bai Tianshui. From Muscle Refining to Bone Forging, it took less than a month."

He stopped and turned to look at his men, who were prostrate on the ground. "Tell me," he said, "isn't it a waste to kill such a genius?"

The men looked at each other, none of them daring to speak.

The hall master's gaze fell on Lu Jin's photo. Lu Jin in the photo looked excessively young, and his eyes were calm, unlike a young man who had just killed three cult members.

He stared at the photo for a long time, then laughed: "If we could turn such a genius into a saint, he would definitely be the strongest saint. At that time, my status within the church would also rise to a higher level."

He then lowered his head, looking at his subordinates prostrate on the ground, and his voice suddenly turned icy: "A bunch of useless trash. Does our Holy Church have no influence in the real world?"

We need to find a way to win him over, entice him, and make him willingly join our Holy Church.

Tell him that only here can his talents be truly realized, and only here will he have a bright future.

"What if he doesn't want to?" one of the subordinates asked, mustering his courage.

The hall master glanced at him, and that look made the subordinate who asked the question fall to the ground.

"If that doesn't work, then consider killing! But remember, winning them over is the first choice, killing is the backup. Killing such geniuses would be a waste. Also, if you bother me again with these matters, I want you all to become my creations!"

His voice wasn't loud, but every word felt like a knife to the neck of everyone present.

"A mere Lu Jin? Do you expect me to personally take action? You know I have to stay here these days to prevent the authorities from finding this place. Get out!"

As soon as the word was uttered, all the subordinates felt as if they had been granted a pardon and scrambled out of the room.

The hall master turned around and walked into the depths of the space.

There was a specially made metal cage there, and a young man was locked inside.

The young man looked to be in his early twenties, with a handsome face. His hands were fixed behind his back with specially made alloy chains, and his clothes were tattered, revealing bruises and scars on his exposed skin.

But his eyes were very bright, as bright as two unsheathed swords.

"Damn cultists! Let me go! Otherwise you'll be reduced to ashes!" The young man's voice was hoarse, but every word carried an unyielding sharpness.

The hall master stood in front of the cage, looking at the young man, a slight smile playing on his lips.

His smile was so gentle that it gave you goosebumps.

"Chu Youming, a swordsmanship prodigy, is Chu Changhe's only son. You may call me Chen Feng."

Chen Feng's voice was so gentle, as if he were coaxing a child to sleep.

"alright."

"Relax, take a deep breath. Dizziness is normal and will pass quickly."

He then took a syringe from his pocket; the syringe contained a liquid that emitted an eerie green glow.

Chu Youming's pupils contracted sharply as he struggled desperately, but the alloy chains remained motionless.

Chen Feng slowly stepped forward and inserted the needle into Chu Youming's carotid artery, slowly pushing in the green liquid.

Chu Youming's screams echoed in the dim space, so piercing that they could give anyone who heard them a nightmare.

Chen Feng stood outside the cage, his hands in the pockets of his white coat, watching quietly with a gentle smile always on his lips.

...

The morning sunlight streamed through the gaps in the curtains, casting a long, thin patch of light on the ceiling.

Lu Jin opened his eyes, stared at the spot of light for a few seconds, and then sat up.

I slept soundly through the night without any dreams.

But he wasn't entirely satisfied.

Because they did not enter the Eternal Night Ruins.

He now desperately wants to enter the Eternal Night Ruins. Baijiang District has been cleared out, and the other areas are waiting for him to harvest them.

Each time you go there, your strength will increase dramatically.

Coming to my senses, I finished washing up, and my phone rang repeatedly.

"Senior brother."

"Let's go downstairs, I'm here."

Zhao Wen's voice came through the receiver, carrying a rare hint of seriousness, "I have something to tell you on the way."

Lu Jin went downstairs, and Zhao Wen's black sedan was already parked at the entrance of the alley.

He opened the car door and got into the passenger seat. Zhao Wen started the car and drove onto the main road. Several minutes later, Zhao Wen finally spoke.

"I heard something after I got home last night."

He tapped his fingers lightly on the steering wheel. "Chu Changhe's only son, Chu Youming, went missing some time ago. Chu Changhe is a swordsmanship master, and his status in the martial arts world of Pingshui City is no lower than our master's. His son, Chu Youming, is also a renowned swordsmanship genius, having reached the fourth level of Bone Forging at the age of twenty. Such a person, just vanished like that."

Lu Jin frowned slightly: "The Holy God Cult?"

"Most likely." Zhao Wen nodded. "Considering what happened to you last night, the Holy Church has been making increasingly frequent moves lately. They're not just watching you, but all the young geniuses in Pingshui City. Jin Hu went to the Baijiang District branch, the doctor came to see you, and others are keeping an eye on other targets."

Lu Jin remained silent for a moment, without responding.

He remembered the monument in the Eternal Night Ruins, the death prophecy in the newspaper, and the news reports that many people had gone missing in Pingshui City.

What exactly does the Holy Spirit Church want to do?

What is the connection between kidnapping a genius, converting a saint, and the major changes in Pingshui City two months later?

Zhao Wen seemed to have seen through his thoughts, and changed the subject: "By the way, you're famous all over the city now."

Last night's announcement made you known throughout Pingshui City. Fame has its advantages, but it also brings trouble.

"What trouble?" Lu Jin snapped out of his reverie and raised an eyebrow. "I don't like trouble. I just want to focus on my cultivation."

"For example, some chambers of commerce will force you to become their spokesperson, some martial arts schools will try to poach you, and some forces will try to use your fame to promote themselves."

If you refuse, they will use all sorts of means to pressure you, and sometimes even our martial arts school can't withstand it.

Although you're now an honorary squad leader at the police station, that title can solve 80% of the problems. But there's still 20% that title alone won't be enough.

He paused, then glanced at Lu Jin: "So I suggest that if you have time, go to the Martial Arts Association to get certified and become a full member."

"Martial Arts Association?" Lu Jin raised an eyebrow.

"Yes. The Martial Arts Association is not just an association; it's an official body with real power. The president of the Pingshui City Martial Arts Association is concurrently the mayor of the city."

Becoming a full member of the association is not just a symbol of status and position, but also means that you can mobilize a network of people and resources far exceeding those of ordinary people.

Being an honorary squad leader at the police station ensures you "won't be bullied," while being a full member of the martial arts association ensures "no one dares to bully you." Combined, you can basically walk sideways in Pingshui City.

He paused, a complex tone creeping into his voice: "However, getting certified is quite difficult. I took the test twice before I passed."

It's not that people lack ability; it's that there are too many talented people.

Throughout Pingshui City, geniuses from various martial arts schools, elites trained by various families, and even some reclusive sect successors will participate in the certification process.

The competition is much fiercer than you imagine. Even though I'm considered top-tier at the inner city branch, I'm not much compared to the rest of Pingshui City.

Lu Jin nodded, keeping those words in mind, but still asked, "Senior brother, what's your strength now?"

"I could have entered the Spirit Nourishing Realm long ago through the Refining Essence Realm, but I want to make my physical body and essence even stronger."

"Junior brother, when you reach the Refinement Realm, you must refine it to the extreme. With a powerful essence, it can even extend your life by 20 years."

"Of course, there's another reason. Because this Pingshui City Martial Arts Tournament has a age limit of 30 and below the Nourishing Spirit Realm, so... you know."

"Refining essence..."

Lu Jin nodded slowly. After the Bone Forging Realm comes the Extreme Realm, but this realm is not one that ordinary people can enter.

Reaching the extreme realm can greatly enhance a martial artist's flesh, bones, and muscles, and also provides an opportunity to comprehend a certain artistic conception, which is extremely rare.

In terms of artistic conception, it is virtually invincible in battles of the same level.

Passing through the extreme realm is called refining essence, which is to replenish the body's depleted essence through martial arts and medicine. This not only enhances physical strength but also prolongs life.

Next comes nourishing the spirit, enhancing the martial artist's mental strength. Those with strong mental strength can form domains or even small worlds like the Holy God Realm, and also improve the martial artist's perception. Furthermore, mental strength is an indispensable part of future martial arts cultivation.

Next comes the gathering of Qi, opening up the Dantian, drawing Qi into the body, turning the Dantian from a pool into a vast ocean. At this stage, the martial artist can attach Qi to the surface of the body, enabling them to carry cannonballs.

Then comes the meridian opening, which opens up the twelve regular meridians and the eight extraordinary meridians, releasing the energy outwards. Immediately afterwards, the essence, energy, and spirit unite and condense into three lotus flowers above the martial artist's head.

This is called "Three Flowers Gathering at the Top"!

Also known as a grandmaster!

"Grandmaster." Lu Jin took a deep breath: "Becoming a Grandmaster should give me the ability to protect myself during the Fist Slave Calamity."

A short while later, the car stopped in front of the Tianlong Martial Arts School.

As soon as Lu Jin opened the car door, he saw Chen Wei standing at the gate, tiptoeing and looking in this direction.

Upon seeing Lu Jin get out of the car, he immediately ran over, his expression a mixture of excitement and nervousness.

A number of students had already gathered around, all eyes fixed on Lu Jin, their eyes filled with the same word.

envy!

It wasn't jealousy or resentment; it was pure envy.

They all saw the citywide announcement last night: three members of the Holy Spirit Cult were killed, including a core member.

Such a record inspires nothing but envy and admiration!

Even some students in the Bone Forging Realm felt incredibly terrified. They had only reached the fourth level of the Tendon Changing Realm when they arrived yesterday, but they left at the first level of the Bone Forging Realm.

Is his mother even human?

"Brother Lu Jin!" Chen Wei ran up to Lu Jin, panting, "Someone's looking for you!"

"Who?"

Chen Wei took a deep breath, his voice trembling: "The president of the Pingshui City Martial Arts Association! He said he wants to invite you to join the association!"

Zhao Wengang pushed open the car door, one foot still on the ground, and froze there.

He turned his head, stared at Chen Wei with wide eyes, his lips moved, and after a long while, he managed to squeeze out a sentence: "What did you say?"

"The president of the Martial Arts Association!" Chen Wei pointed inside the martial arts hall, "He's waiting in the lobby! The headmaster is receiving him!"

Zhao Wen mechanically turned his head to look at Lu Jin.

His Adam's apple bobbed, and his expression was extremely complex.

He was just telling Lu Jin in the car how difficult it was to get certified by the Martial Arts Association; he said he took the test twice before he passed.

Before the words were even finished, the president of the Martial Arts Association personally came to invite him.

Authentication? Not required.

Exams? No need.

The president himself came to invite him. He had never heard of such a thing in all the years he had worked at the inner city branch!

How can the differences between people be so great?

Isn't Zhao Wen a genius too?

...