Martial Ascent to Divinity

Rao Mingxian gave a self-deprecating laugh and said, "We are all martial artists, how could we not understand? The realm only distinguishes the strength of True Qi and the body; true power depends on other factors."

"After I advanced to the middle period of Blood Transport, I thought I had the capacity to fight you. But when I saw the wounds on the demons you killed, the fierceness of your palm power is even greater than mine."

"In truth, the hardest part is that you have already vaguely formed that fearlessness and undaunted martial arts will. Don't laugh at me, but we people eat a lot of pills, and indeed sometimes our blood rushes our brains, life and death we set aside."

"But most of the time, we are indecisive. In battle, this is very lethal."

"Looking at you instead, your will is strong, attacking without hesitation, remaining calm during battle, combined with powerful fighting will, you are simply a battlefield god of killing."

"Do you really think United Strength is something so easily triggered? Back then, the temporary army organized by the Pioneer Company fought many battles, but rarely triggered United Strength. On the contrary, the Demon City Army and Civilian Corps Army often formed United Strength."

"Because the Pioneer Army lacked a war soul."

"You, are our war soul."

Zhou Leng glanced at Rao Mingxian and said, "I have known you since junior high; I didn't expect you to have matured so much since then. You also had prominent eyebrows and big eyes back then, but looked muddled. Now you have a dignified appearance, charisma, and upright spirit."

Rao Mingxian's face flushed, as if his childhood embarrassments were revealed; his eyes evaded and said, "Truly, I was not sensible back then, but now I've grown up, haven't I?"

"I really didn't think we could charge the formation together." Zhou Leng sighed.

"Back then I wasn't strong, but over the years my martial arts gradually advanced, and I've slowly gained courage. You too, have been growing quickly lately."

"On the day of the martial arts exam, we were still in the same exam hall."

"Yes, it's just been two or three months."

After several joint battles, coupled with years of study together, their relationship became increasingly solid.

They gathered with others to discuss the next steps.

Some people worried about the danger and didn't dare to go, but those who had obtained benefits before were eager to try.

In the end, over a thousand people decided to follow Zhou Leng to the Moonlight Shadow Wall, the last inheritance land.

Zhou Leng first bid farewell to Molten Hammer, then came to Xu Qingjin's side and left some pills.

"I can't use so many." Xu Qingjin said.

"Finish them when you return to school."

"Alright."

"You take care of your injuries; if anything happens, don't fight to the death, run quickly. There are enough Qi Nourishing Pills here for you to run for a while."

"Okay, you do the same. Don't push yourself too hard; inheritance isn't more important than life." Xu Qingjin said, raising his head to look at Zhou Leng standing.

"Rest assured, I'm leaving now."

"Go Zhou Leng!" Xu Qingjin smiled and waved his arm.

Zhou Leng returned to the main group and carefully checked his packages.

These days he continued to fight and hunted many demons, gaining numerous pills.

He acquired three new Replenishing Essence Pills, and the quantities of Great Nourishing Pills, Qi Nourishing Pills, Blood Replenishing Pills, and other non-core pills were abundant.

So far, just in the Celestial Ladder inheritance, he encountered a total of 20 Replenishing Essence Pills.

The number of consumed Replenishing Essence Pills reached 21, with 15 still in hand.

Once the rest time was over, the thousand-people assembly left the aperture, first clearing surrounding demons, then marched grandly toward the Moonlight Shadow Wall.

Among the thousand-person team, more than thirty carried blue spiritual light.

Ji Changnian, whose leg injury had mostly healed, was also among them.

Zhou Leng led in front, followed by a thousand people.

Including the young giant known as "Mountain River Oak."

Everyone said he fought with passion and cared about nothing else at all, just wanted to battle with the human race.

"Rao Mingxian, I need to ask you something." Tian Chengchang took Rao Mingxian to the side of the team, away from others.

The two knew Chang Luan and had eaten together several times before.

Through battles, their relationship quickly warmed up.

Tian Chengchang first asked about the joint exam, Celestial Ladder inheritance, and demons.

Finally, Tian Chengchang turned the topic towards Zhou Leng, looking at Zhou Leng's silhouette, "Zhou Leng seems to have suddenly emerged; I've never heard of him before."

Rao Mingxian smiled, "You're unfamiliar with Zhou Leng, but do you know Zhang Xinglie?"

"Of course, even our East China Martial Arts Academy has spread his stories."

"Zhang Xinglie grew up with Zhou Leng and always admired him, considering Zhou Leng's potential to be immense."

"Is that so? You went to the same junior high and high school as him; what's he like usually?"

Rao Mingxian thought for a moment and said, "He was very ordinary in the past, with no bad reviews. Anyone who met him never said anything negative. He was good when we played demonized basketball. Think about it, with Zhang Xinglie's high standards, how could he be wrong?"

"What about after he came to Ruda? I heard he's a Martial Arts School Student, mostly focused on practical combat, and is said to be more flamboyant." Tian Chengchang said.

"He truly isn't flamboyant. More than a month since the semester started, no stories about him in the campus circulated, but it was because of robbery leading to a gray interest, engaging in gambling fight; that's how people came to know him. Afterwards, it was just being first in monthly exam and gaining fame." Rao Mingxian said.

"So usually he's not as fierce as on the battlefield?"

"Probably not; you can see the reactions of his classmates, they all really trust him, especially Wei Hong, obviously the class monitor, yet always follows Zhou Leng's lead, showing his popularity in the class."

"However, he's a bit too ruthless on the battlefield."

Rao Mingxian sighed, "Your family is in the Pioneer Company, mine is in education; the family influencing us is not the same as Zhou Leng. His father was a soldier who sacrificed, so how do you think he thinks since childhood?"

Tian Chengchang nodded, "I've seen quite a few children of soldiers, varied types, but mostly they have an innate obsession with slaying demons."

"Imagine, if your family were killed by demons or sea sirens when you were a child, once that seed of revenge was planted, now is the time for it to blossom."

"That's truly how it is; that's why he seems like a changed individual, with a fierce spirit on the battlefield."

"Once off the battlefield, he becomes very amiable. Think back to those of us in the first and second tier, several people constantly haggle and look for opportunities to gain more spoils of war, but have you ever seen Zhou Leng resort to any measures for spoils?"

"Honestly, never. When distributing the spoils, he only takes his part and then just seems to disappear, unlike some who jump around."

"Therefore, among us, there isn't an Unparalleled Righteousness Ji Changnian, but there is Courageous Leader Zhou Leng."

"Yeah..."

Tian Chengchang looked up at the figure of Zhou Leng, his right hand instinctively reaching into the pocket of his clothing, feeling for something, then withdrawing.

Inside, there was a black mourning cloth.

Before Tian Chengchang's eyes, the dense forest stretched out, the scenery chaotic.

Outside the gigantic light shield formed by the Inheritance of the Celestial Ladder, the Seventh Division was engaged in a bloody battle with the invading Demons.

Numerous Pioneer Teams joined the fray.

Suddenly, a sharp insect cry echoed across the battlefield, the sound traveling for miles.

"Go!"

"Run quickly!"

"It's a Demon noble, a Grandmaster expert!"

Some Pioneer Teams didn't hesitate, abandoning their war merits, turning to flee.

Some people glanced back as they ran.

They saw a giant creature emerging from the depths of the fog.

The upper body of the giant was three or four meters high, humanoid, covered in blood-red armor, concealing body and face, akin to ancient Western knights.

A closer look revealed the armor was composed of countless blood-red carapace beetles.

In its hand, it held a knight's spear over ten meters long.

Below the humanoid waist, it connected to a massive giant insect.

The insect resembled a centipede or scorpion, with a blood-red shell, an eerie hue, plump and layered, over ten meters long.

Beneath the insect body, numerous shrimp-like legs writhed rapidly, seemingly endless.

Behind it, a blood-red cape fluttered, covering the insect body.

The cape was composed of countless flying insects.

Suddenly, the Demon raised the blood-red spear, accelerating, breaking the sound barrier in a flash.

Boom...

A white vapor ring erupted around him, shaking the earth, scattering grass and trees, dust billowing.

His entire body transformed into a red light, rushing two thousand meters away in an instant.

Behind his path, a long corridor of smoke lingered.

As the smoke cleared, a smoking chasm appeared, with scattered human and Demon body parts, mangled and bloody on either side.

A Grandmaster Demon, leaving no life in its wake.

"Giant Insect Knight..."

"A Grandmaster-level Demon has appeared, what on earth is happening?"

"Run, it's no longer our concern."

Boom... The Giant Insect Knight charged again.

Inside the Celestial Ladder's light shield.

Zhou Leng and a thousand others advanced, slaying Demons in their path.

Before long, they saw from a distance a round stone wall standing on the grass, like a full moon fallen to earth, emitting a bright glow, as tall as two floors.

Shadows moved atop the stone wall.

People bearing blue light columns sat all around.

The number of people within the aperture was greater than in other areas.

The Demons outside the aperture were countless, far more than previously seen.

Everyone's hearts sank, suspecting more Demons gathered nearby.

As the Demons spotted the approaching humans, they charged, quickly numbering over five thousand.

Zhou Leng said, "There's no other way, we must push through. Everyone, call for help from the students inside."

"Alright!"

So, the students from various schools all shouted loudly with Qi, requesting aid.

Unlike the inner circles in the other two places, the students here were more proactive, gathering two to three thousand strong, charging forward.

"Rescue our comrades, we must! Charge!"

The leader on the other side was exceptionally robust, body like a black bear, with thick eyebrows, and fists as large as stones.

"It's He Yin Martial Arts Academy's new senior brother, Lv Yuanhao!"

Several Demon squads merged together, like a tide, engulfing the two human armies.

Zhou Leng and Lv Yuanhao stood at the forefront of their respective teams, like sharp blades piercing the Demon ranks.

"Kill!"

"Kill!"

All the exam students were red-eyed, Qi circulating throughout their bodies, blood surging in fists and palms.

The Mountain River Oak swung its strong trees, sweeping like a broom, knocking Demons flying everywhere.

Zhou Leng, having experienced numerous battles, was more seasoned, every punch and palm not wasted, taking down a Demon without extra movement.

This time was slightly different from the previous two, the Demons here were clearly more numerous and of higher average strength.

Demons came from all directions, and Zhou Leng, prioritizing offense, reduced his defensive blocks. In just a moment, he was already bloodied.

Only minor injuries, Zhou Leng consumed Blood Replenishing Pills and Qi Nourishing Pills, once again fighting with full strength.

The two human factions charged against each other, and in mere moments, ignited united strength.