Achieving physical sainthood begins with the Iron Shirt technique!

"Clang—"

An extremely piercing metallic cracking sound erupted in the black market hall. The heavy bronze door, which was said to be able to withstand the full force of an early Foundation Establishment stage attack, snapped on its hinges and crashed heavily onto the bluestone floor tiles.

The hundred or so independent cultivators who were originally waiting in the hall to watch the excitement or even try to snag a bargain were all shaken by the huge commotion, their whole bodies trembling and a chill running down their spines.

Smoke and dust rose everywhere.

Lu Chen strode out from the swirling dust. A bulging animal hide was tightly bound around his lower back with a tough leather rope, and the pure yang energy of the twelve layers of Iron Shirt technique was frantically consuming the massive amount of medicinal power he had just swallowed.

Extreme Qi and Blood overflow.

The originally cold and damp air in the hall was baked dry and scorching by this raging heat wave. The surrounding air became extremely viscous, and a sense of oppression hit them, causing several nearby rogue cultivators to catch their breath and feel a tightness and pain in their chests.

In the shadowy corner, several evil cultivators who had been engaging in shady dealings for years were already holding poisoned darts and vile trapping artifacts in their hands.

Through the smoke and dust, they could see Lu Chen's gnarled, iron-gray body. Not only was there not a single patch of skin broken, but the surface of his muscles even still bore the dark red rust left from when he had just snapped the neck of the Foundation Establishment Sect Leader.

These desperate men's knees buckled on the spot, their fingers trembled violently, and they shoved the magical artifacts they held back into their crotches and sleeves, not daring to utter a sound for fear of attracting the attention of the other party.

No one needed to call out to them. In the crowded black market hall, hundreds of rogue cultivators frantically squeezed against the wet stone walls on both sides.

The crowd pushed and shoved each other violently, creating a passageway two zhang wide in the very center of the venue for Lu Chen.

These ruthless, mercenary scum, who usually killed without blinking an eye, felt not a shred of admiration. Heads bowed, they stared intently at their toes, their minds filled only with extreme terror of this pure, violent beast. In this lawless land where justice reigned, they knew only fists and death.

Lu Chen didn't even glance at the crowds on either side. He strode confidently through the passageway out of the entrance to the underground cavern.

Thick gray miasma rolled in from the outer perimeter of Broken Immortal Mountain, and the tall, broad figure disappeared cleanly into the night, completely swallowed by darkness, without the slightest hesitation.

The moment Lu Chen stepped out of the black market, the dozens of spirit stone lamps embedded in the ceiling of the underground cavern, used for lighting, suddenly burst into a violent "sizzling" sound.

The lights flashed wildly twice, then went out completely.

The entire black market was instantly plunged into complete darkness. After a brief silence, a distorted scream suddenly erupted from the crowd.

"The earth's energy has been cut off! The Azure Sky Sword Sect has sealed off the entire Broken Immortal Mountain!"

A chaotic cacophony of shouts, shoving, and the clanging of magical artifacts filled the dark hall, plunging the group of rogue cultivators into utter panic.

In several hidden caverns deep within the karst cave, a few obscure divine senses quietly peeked out. These were Foundation Establishment stage evil cultivators who had been hiding in the lower levels of the black market for years to avoid their enemies.

Their divine senses had barely reached the hall when they were met with the lingering, domineering aura of Lu Chen's blood and energy. Immediately afterward, the terrifying pressure of the Qingxiao Sword Sect's array that had sealed off the entire Broken Immortal Mountain also pressed down forcefully along the earth's veins.

Several divine senses were jolted numb. These old monsters didn't even exchange a word, tacitly severing their probes. The heavy stone door was sealed shut layer by layer, and they obediently retreated to their own territory, letting Lu Chen, this mortal demon god, swagger away, not daring to provoke him at all.

Deep in the outer perimeter of Broken Immortal Mountain.

A large number of outer disciples of the Azure Sky Sword Sect and Xuan Tie heavy cavalry were advancing step by step into the heart of the mountains and forests, forming a huge semi-fan-shaped formation and holding blue-glowing detection array plates in their hands.

Their methods were extremely brutal. The disciples in the front row directly activated their flying swords, shredding the dense bushes along the way into wood chips. The array plates forcibly extracted moisture from the ground, causing the surrounding flowers and plants to yellow, dry, and crumble at a visible speed. The lackeys of the immortal sect trampled over the fallen leaves, sweeping the mountain forest clean, leaving not a single blade of grass, displaying an arrogant attitude of absolute crushing over mortal beings.

Several miles away, Lu Chen was rapidly moving through the deep forest.

His two thick thighs unleashed astonishing power, his feet stomping on the ground and crushing the hard rocks to pieces, leaving deep craters in the mud. The century-old blood ginseng and demon beast leg meat he had swallowed were being frantically refined by the Extreme Dao Furnace, his blood and qi surging and crashing through his veins, emitting a muffled booming sound.

Suddenly, Lu Chen's forward momentum abruptly halted. The abnormal danger perception of the Extreme Dao Body Cultivator was frantically alarming in his mind.

Less than five miles ahead, in mid-air, more than a dozen pale white flying sword lights were parting the miasma and approaching at high speed.

Lu Chen's feet were planted firmly on the ground, the soles of his feet carving two deep trenches up to his calves in the slippery mud. His massive body, which had been running at high speed, was frozen in place, demonstrating an extremely terrifying micro-management of his physical strength.

The sound of the flying sword cutting through the air grew louder and louder.

Without wasting even a breath, Lu Chen forcefully suppressed the boiling pure yang energy within his body. The wildly beating heart in his chest instantly slowed its rhythm, its beat gradually reduced to once every incense stick's time.

The dark red metallic sheen that represented the twelve layers of "Iron Shirt" on his body surface completely faded, and his skin returned to a lifeless, deathly gray. His body temperature plummeted, becoming exactly the same as the cool, damp rocks around him.

He leaned back, his broad back pressed firmly against the trunk of a towering ancient tree that was as thick as two people could hug, his whole body blending seamlessly into the heavy shadow cast by the tree canopy.

In mid-air, disciples of the Azure Sky Sword Sect flew low overhead on their flying swords.

The pale white light of the flying sword swept across the forest below, striking the shadows of the ancient trees and revealing only a patch of light-absorbing black light.

Lu Chen tightly closed his heavy eyelids, completely blocking out any possible reflection from his eyeballs.

The Azure Sky Sword Sect's Heaven-Locking Array has completely severed the life force of the earth's veins in this area. The towering ancient tree that Lu Chen is leaning against is rapidly withering due to dehydration. Large chunks of dry, dead bark are peeling off the trunk.

Lu Chen's iron-gray, bulging muscles, in both color and texture, perfectly matched the dry, cracked bark of the trees.

The cultivators high in the sky spread out their divine sense, sweeping down along with the intense light of the flying sword.

The two sides are less than three zhang apart.

The disciple's divine sense habitually sought to capture the resonance of the spiritual energy of heaven and earth and the fluctuations of true essence. The probing laws swept across Lu Chen's body, only returning the feel of a rough, cold, lifeless dead tree burl.

The disciple on the sword didn't even turn his head, whistling past above the ancient tree. The blind spots that immortal magic so confidently boasted about were completely penetrated by this mortal with no spiritual roots.

Once the sword light in mid-air had completely disappeared, Lu Chen reopened his eyes, activated his suppressed pure yang qi and blood, and continued to venture into the deep mountains.

Half an hour later.

With his head and shoulders covered in cold night dew, Lu Chen stepped over the gravel and successfully returned to the mountainside of the Hidden Miasma Valley.

The black town road stele, weighing 30,000 jin, still firmly blocks the entrance to the cave.

Lu Chen turned sideways and squeezed into the cave through the half-foot-wide gap left above.

As soon as his feet touched the hard, dry ground, a pair of small, slightly warm hands reached out from the darkness and precisely grasped Lu Chen's large, calloused, and bloodstained hands.

A-Nan, wrapped in a tattered wolf skin, leaned close to Lu Chen's legs and whispered, "Those cold people... have locked up the entire mountain. There's no water left underground."

The little blind girl's newly formed jade bones possessed extremely keen perception, allowing her to sense the Heaven-Locking Array's devastating attack on the mountain forest ahead of time.

Lu Chen remained silent. He placed the soles of his feet flat on the cave floor.

The senses, enhanced by the twelve layers of qi and blood, clearly detected the subtle array fluctuations emanating from deep within the earth. The moisture and vitality in the valley were being forcibly drained by a domineering force, and the surrounding rock walls were beginning to dry and brittle.

This stronghold has been completely exposed to the Immortal Sect's trap.

A ruthless glint flashed in Lu Chen's eyes. He turned around and strode to the town's road stele blocking the entrance to the cave.

No preparation was needed at all. Lu Chen spread his arms wide, his thick arms directly embracing the cold, black monument. His back arched sharply backward, his leg muscles bulging high.

"rise."

A low growl rolled out from his throat.

He forcefully pulled the 30,000-jin (approximately 15,000 kg) town road monument from the mud and rock crevices. Gravel mixed with soil fell down in a rustling sound.

Lu Chen supported the base of the Dao Stele with one arm, using his waist and hips to lift the massive weapon back onto his right shoulder. He then tightly wrapped the remaining section of the century-old black iron chain around his arm and the stele.

He used his free left hand to pull the wolf skin over, tied A-Nan back to his chest, shouldered the Dao tablet, and strode out of the cave. Facing the increasingly dense sword light of the immortal sects in the night, he headed towards the more desolate area deeper into Broken Immortal Mountain.