Chapter 73: Hell Training, Life and Death on the Line
In an environment like hell itself, the potential within Chen Ming's body was rapidly squeezed out and transformed into strength.
In just two short months, Chen Ming completely refined the External Spirit Bone into himself. His overall spirit power also rose from Rank 33 to Rank 35, as every bit of energy and potential recently accumulated within his body was forced out.
During this period, Chen Ming nearly died three times, was severely injured five times, and suffered countless minor injuries, including all kinds of tears and fractures. He killed one Ten-Thousand-Year Spirit Beast, more than a dozen Thousand-Year Spirit Beasts, and over a hundred Hundred-Year Spirit Beasts. He also fell from high places more times than he could count.
It could be said that almost every day, the moment Chen Ming opened his eyes, he had to face a challenge close to death. Sometimes, even when he closed his eyes to rest, he would still be subjected to Zhang Peng's sudden attacks and assigned new tasks.
Once injured, he was not allowed to use medicine for treatment either. Instead, he had to rely on his own physique to endure, recovering quickly through devouring flesh and blood and absorbing life force by devouring the Origin of Spirit Beasts. Sometimes, even when he was so badly injured that he had only one breath left, he would still be heartlessly assigned high-intensity training.
Chen Ming's throat had once been torn open by a Ten-Thousand-Year Spirit Beast, and his heart had once been pierced by a special skill. Yet he had stubbornly healed himself through his ability to devour life force.
If it were a normal Spirit Elder or Spirit Ancestor facing what Chen Ming had gone through in these two months, they would have died hundreds of times over. But Chen Ming endured it by relying on his own life force and adaptability.
Chen Ming's exceptionally tenacious characteristics were known not only to himself, but also to Zhang Peng. Although Zhang Peng did not understand what a Golden Finger was, he had seen Chen Ming cultivate external techniques and knew just how resistant Chen Ming was to injury and death. That was why he ultimately decided on such oppressive training.
It was not until this moment that Zhang Peng finally relented, allowing Chen Ming to rest for a while. If Chen Ming had any requests, he could also bring them up. Even if he wanted a Ten-Thousand-Year Spirit Bone, Zhang Peng would find a way to obtain one for him.
Chen Ming's request was very simple.
"I want to go back to human society for a walk! I want to eat, I want to buy things, and I want to rest!"
Chen Ming's emotions were actually controlled very well, but two months of extreme pressure had still left his eyes covered with a thick layer of Evil Qi. He had become sensitive and suspicious of everything around him, as if he might enter a life-and-death struggle at any moment.
Even if he rationally knew that staying away from human society was better, and that this kind of cultivation in deep mountains and old forests was the most suitable path for him, emotionally, Chen Ming truly could not hold on anymore.
If this continued, he really could not guarantee that he would not turn into a psychopath.
Rationally, Chen Ming knew that Zhang Peng was doing everything possible to help him quickly and completely fuse with the External Spirit Bone, thoroughly stimulate his potential, and adapt to his new state.
But because the pressure was far too great, Chen Ming was still unable to properly control his irritable and suspicious emotions.
What he needed now was not a Spirit Bone or some treasure. He needed a period of time where he could live as a very ordinary, normal person.
This was necessary to relax the psychological pressure he had accumulated during this time.
"Alright, alright, that's not too difficult." Zhang Peng looked at the red-eyed Chen Ming and gave a sheepish smile.
"The toxins in your body need to be controlled. Otherwise, if they leak out in a town, it will become a natural disaster. Recently, the Sun Moon Empire has had some friction with the Douluo Continent again, and inspections are quite strict. I'll find a way to get you a human-skin mask and a fake identity to avoid unnecessary trouble."
"The toxins are easy to handle. I can control some of them myself, and the rest can be covered through isolation."
Chen Ming picked up a piece of cloth and pointed at it.
"Just say I have a skin disease, or that my skin was burned while hunting Spirit Beasts before, so I need to wrap myself up."
"As long as I don't use spirit power, I can hide it."
"As for the identity issue, I believe in Teacher's ability."
Chen Ming pushed the problem to Zhang Peng. After all, Zhang Peng was a Super Douluo. Handling such a small matter should not be a problem.
"You always give me trouble, but this isn't a big deal. I'll take you to the Holy Spirit Cult Branch Hall in the nearest city and find someone. It can be handled there."
Was it easy for Evil Spirit Masters to run into problems when entering society? Even if they did nothing, would they be hunted down once discovered?
To put it simply, even if someone discovered that the two of them had a problem, that person had better pretend not to notice where the problem lay.
Zhang Peng could not defeat Mu En or Xuan Zi, but in the eyes of more than ninety-nine percent of Spirit Masters, he was an immovable mountain.
The beast spirit drove the black clouds, carrying Chen Ming and Zhang Peng toward the nearest city with Holy Spirit Cult activity. Relying on the preparations made in advance, Zhang Peng easily found the Holy Spirit Cult Branch Hall in this area.
This was a very small Branch Hall.
The Branch Hall's Great Sage Spirit, the Branch Master, was Rank 51 and had already passed eighty years old. Among Evil Spirit Masters, he was a genuine piece of trash. The Branch Hall's Second Holy Spirit was only Rank 40 and had already passed seventy years old. That talent was nothing more than roadside level.
To describe it inappropriately, the talent of these two was even comparable to Yu Xiaogang.
Seeing an Enshrined from the Headquarters appear, the Branch Hall's Great Sage Spirit and Second Holy Spirit were so frightened that they knelt on the ground on the spot and began begging for mercy.
Matters such as reselling Spirit Beast materials, falsely reporting monthly expenses, and starting families locally without letting their descendants join the cult were all blurted out at once.
Looking at these two trembling Spirit Masters, Zhang Peng did not know what to say. He could only wave his hand and tell them to hurry up and prepare the identities.
Faced with Zhang Peng's magnanimity, the two scrambled away to prepare the identities. Meanwhile, Chen Ming looked at their elderly departing figures with a trace of doubt in his eyes.
"The evil energy on those two combined isn't even as heavy as mine. With their age and cultivation, how can they manage a Branch Hall?"
Although the Demonic Sheep Chen Ming had fought before was already a weakling among Spirit Ancestors, Chen Ming felt that this Second Holy Spirit probably could not even beat Demonic Sheep.
"Where would the cult get so many geniuses?" Zhang Peng explained. "Many of the higher-ups in the Branch Halls are people dispatched by the cult to strengthen control."
"The powerhouses and geniuses within the branches have long since entered the Headquarters. Those left behind are all people without much ability. Most of the time, their tasks are merely to collect intelligence and resources. They aren't needed for fighting."
"For those with ambition, being dispatched to a Branch Hall is an opportunity. If they perform well, they can be transferred directly back to the Headquarters to receive rewards. These people also do the most work, the harshest work, and the bloodiest work. Those with the most blood on their hands are often from this group."
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