vncnus Chapter 121 Iron Bones Forged
Chapter 121 Iron Bones Forged
Chapter 121 Iron Bones Forged (An extra chapter for the future Alliance Leader)
Because of the intense battle between Lu Chuan and his team and the level-two zombies, and because Xu Mo had also killed quite a few zombies, there weren't many zombies left around D-10 Fortress. At this moment, only a few scattered ones were still wandering around. Xu Mo, leading Lu Chuan's team of five, who were still breathing heavily, rushed straight to the cold outer wall of D-10 Fortress with almost no trouble.
The six stopped in their tracks. Behind them came sporadic roars that were gradually approaching, while in front of them lay the path to survival that was about to open.
Despite the excruciating pain from his wound treatment and the weakness from blood loss, Lu Chuan stepped forward and addressed Xu Mo's retreating figure with sincere words: "Brother, I really owe you a debt of gratitude this time. No need for words of thanks. May I ask your name..."
Before he could finish speaking, Xu Mo turned and glanced at them indifferently. His gaze lingered on Lu Chuan's face for less than half a second before sweeping over the slowly opening fortress entrance, revealing a crack. Without any response, not even a gesture, he vanished in a flash, leaving a trail of afterimages like a ghost, disappearing into the intricate shadows of the factory ruins in a few leaps—his speed was astonishing.
"What's your name...?"
Lu Chuan's outstretched hand remained frozen in mid-air, the words of asking his name stuck in his throat. He and the four team members behind him stared blankly in the direction Xu Mo had disappeared, their expressions complex and indescribable. There was relief at surviving a disaster, deep gratitude for the mysterious expert's help, awe and reverence for his terrifying strength, and also a hint of astonishment and helplessness at being so decisively ignored.
His eyes were calm and undisturbed, as if the thrilling rescue just now was nothing more than a casual act to him, not worth mentioning.
"Captain..." the bald, burly man with the shield whispered, his voice hoarse.
Lu Chuan withdrew his gaze, shook his head, and gave a wry smile: "Let's go, let's go in first." He glanced at the fortress entrance, which was wide enough for one person to pass through, and without hesitation, he was the first to slip inside. The other team members also composed themselves and quickly entered one by one. The heavy door slowly closed behind them, isolating them from the dangers of the outside world and the mysterious masked man.
On the other side, the moment Xu Mo left Lu Chuan's team's sight, he increased his speed to the maximum. He wasn't deliberately trying to look cool; rather, during the process of killing level-two zombies, unleashing continuous bursts of power, and finally leading the five people to break through the encirclement, the full-force operation of the "Thirteen Protectors Horizontal Training" kept his internal energy and blood in an extremely active, almost boiling state, a state that made Xu Mo feel an urge to let out a long howl.
Alone at this moment, he no longer needed to worry about others. He ran with all his might, feeling his blood and qi surging and roaring like a flood bursting its banks, surging and turbulent through his meridians.
An indescribable sense of exhilaration rose from the depths of Xu Mo's heart, spreading throughout his body. All the frustration, tension, and constraint he had felt from living in the apocalypse for so long and constantly suppressing his true nature seemed to have been completely washed away by this surge of energy during the swift and decisive killing and rescue just now.
At this moment, Xu Mo felt his mind and body were clear and his thoughts were more open and pure than ever before. Xu Mo felt as if he had unloaded a thousand-pound burden, and his soul became lighter. In this state, he could even more clearly "introspect" the flow of his own qi and blood, and feel the subtle changes in every muscle and every bone under the nourishment of qi and blood.
The surging blood and qi within Xu Mo's body seemed to sense this wondrous change in his master's state of mind, and its flow became even more vigorous and joyful, as if it had been injected with new vitality, with its speed and power quietly increasing.
In this wondrous state of perfect harmony and resonance between body, mind, and vital energy, Xu Mo moved swiftly through the ruins like a black lightning bolt.
"Bang!"
A barely audible sound, as if from the depths of the soul, suddenly exploded in Xu Mo's mind.
Immediately afterwards, the blood and qi in his body, which had been surging yet orderly and under his control, suddenly became like a wild horse that had broken free of its reins.
This sudden change caused Xu Mo, who was running at full speed, to stiffen abruptly. His balance was instantly broken, and he stumbled violently, almost falling to the ground.
Xu Mo quickly steadied himself, his steps becoming somewhat hurried.
"This is... a breakthrough?"
Xu Mo was startled at first, then immediately realized what had happened.
This uncontrolled surge of Qi and blood, which spontaneously impacted deeper layers of the body, was remarkably similar to the feeling he had when he broke through from an ordinary person to the Ox-skin Realm. Only this time, the target of the Qi and blood was no longer the skin and membranes, but the deeper muscles and bones.
Yes, it must have been that special state of clarity and unhindered movement he had just experienced that resonated with some profound principle of cultivation, which triggered his qi and blood, which had already reached a critical point, and allowed him to break through the barrier that had troubled him for so long.
Iron Bone Realm! I am entering the Iron Bone Realm!
Realizing this, Xu Mo was initially delighted, but then a strong sense of urgency welled up within him. Last time, when he broke through to the Bull Skin Realm, he had consumed a large amount of high-energy food and many tonics just to barely keep going, and even then, he was almost completely drained.
Breaking through a realm is essentially a leap in the level of life, which requires a massive amount of energy to support it. If the energy is insufficient, it will inevitably overdraw the body's essence and consume life force.
All his tonics, including precious ginseng and lingzhi, were stored in the C-07 fortress, while he himself was empty except for his weapons!
Xu Mo immediately spared a sliver of his attention to subtly sense the condition within his body.
This feeling made Xu Mo's heart sink.
In just a few short breaths, his blood and qi, which had been surging like a mighty river, had noticeably weakened. His body was now like a huge, dry sponge, or a bottomless pit, where the uncontrolled surge of blood and qi was being frantically absorbed and devoured by his muscles, bones, and fascia, no matter where it flowed.
The absorbed blood and energy are rapidly integrating with his body tissues, strengthening their structure and increasing their density and strength.
The comfort brought by this enhancement was intertwined with the sense of crisis caused by the rapid depletion of his vital energy, making Xu Mo's mood extremely complicated.
"Holy crap! So fast!"
Xu Mo couldn't help but curse under his breath, daring not to delay any longer. He forced himself to hold his breath, suppressing the discomfort caused by the chaos of his qi and blood, and pushed his speed to the limit, running desperately towards the C-07 fortress.
At this moment, Xu Mo felt as if he was racing against time and against the rate at which his own vital energy was being depleted!
Fortunately, he had already left C-07 not far away in order to support Lu Chuan's team, and now, with his full power, the distance was rapidly closing.
A few minutes later, the familiar steel outline of Fortress C-07 finally came into view before Xu Mo. Near the entrance of the fortress, several zombies were lying on the ground, gnawing on the corpses of their kind that he had previously blown to pieces with grenades or dealt with with triangular spikes. The scene was bloody and disgusting.
Xu Mo was extremely anxious at this moment, and had no intention of getting entangled with these small fry. His eyes were cold, and his speed increased instead of decreasing. The three-edged dagger in his hand turned into several deadly black lights, flashing among the zombies like butterflies flitting among flowers!
"Pfft! Pfft! Pfft!"
Soft sounds rang out one after another. Before the zombies could even raise their heads, their skulls were completely pierced through, and they fell to the ground without uttering a sound.
Xu Mo didn't even glance at the result. He quickly kicked the corpses aside, clearing the entrance area. Then, like a fish swimming, he swiftly slipped into the fortress and forcefully activated an internal mechanism.
"Screech—Clang!"
The hydraulic system operates, and the heavy metal seal quickly closes and locks shut, completely isolating the area from all external dangers and interference.
Only then did Xu Mo breathe a slight sigh of relief, but his internal condition was still far from optimistic. In just a short while, he felt that the total amount of qi and blood in his body was less than two-thirds of what it was at its peak, and the rate of consumption was alarmingly fast.
Xu Mo dared not rest for a moment, and without even changing out of his filthy combat uniform, he climbed the rope ladder to the upper living area of the fortress as quickly as possible. He took out a ginseng root, his most treasured and of the best quality, directly from his backpack where important supplies were stored.
Without even having time to process it carefully, Xu Mo stuffed the whole thing into his mouth, chewed it a few times, and the rich ginseng flavor and slight bitterness instantly filled his mouth.
After swallowing a ginseng root, Xu Mo quickly assumed the stance of the "Thirteen Bodyguards Horizontal Training," held his breath, and focused all his energy on guiding...
Sensing the condition within the body.
As his consciousness sank into his body, Xu Mo could clearly "see" or rather feel that the out-of-control blood and qi were still frantically rushing through his limbs and bones.
With each flush of Qi and blood, a portion of the energy is greedily absorbed by the bones, bone marrow, deep fascia, and even internal organs.
Xu Mo felt his bones emitting a barely perceptible hum, their density seemingly increasing slowly, their structure becoming denser and more resilient; his muscle fibers became more explosive as they tore and reorganized; even his internal organs, nourished by this surging blood and qi, were radiating even greater vitality.
This is the breakthrough to the Iron Bone Realm, a comprehensive enhancement of physical constitution.
However, the consumption brought about by this enhancement was terrifying. The medicinal power of ginseng began to dissolve in the body, transforming into streams of warm energy that flowed into the torrent of qi and blood, attempting to replenish what was lost. But this replenishment, compared to the rate at which the energy was being released like a floodgate, seemed like a drop in the ocean.
Before long, Xu Mo felt that his vital energy had dwindled to less than one-fifth of its peak. The ginseng's medicinal power was still being released, but it clearly couldn't keep up with the rate of consumption. At this rate, he could probably only hold on for another minute or two before his vital energy was completely exhausted, at which point he would inevitably begin to overdraw his life force.
Just as Xu Mo was about to take other tonics, a gentle, pure energy flow, as warm as the morning sun, quietly emerged from deep within his body at the very moment when his vital energy was about to be depleted.
This energy flow was so peaceful and abundant that, unlike the medicinal power of ginseng, it did not require transformation but instead directly and rapidly merged into the nearly depleted blood and qi.
Like rain after a long drought, Xu Mo's previously stagnant and weak blood and energy instantly became abundant and surging again with the infusion of this warm current. Consumption and replenishment reached a delicate balance at this moment.
"This is—energy obtained through qi absorption?!"
Xu Mo instantly understood!
Since he began practicing the "Thirteen Bodyguards Horizontal Training," he has been diligently gathering Qi almost every day, guiding the gentle, yang energy of heaven and earth to temper his skin and nourish his blood. Over time, this energy is not completely consumed; a considerable portion settles and is stored deep within his body, subtly improving his constitution.
At this critical moment, when his vital energy was about to be exhausted during his breakthrough, the purest energy he had accumulated over the years was automatically activated, becoming the most timely and crucial replenishment on his path to breakthrough.
Unlike the slightly "heaty" effect of ginseng, which requires transformation, this warm current from "qi gathering" is of the same origin as his own qi and blood, blending perfectly. It nourishes his parched meridians and wildly strengthened body tissues, bringing a warm, comfortable, and satisfying feeling, as if he were basking in warm sunshine.
In comparison, the ginseng in his mouth, still releasing its medicinal properties, seemed somewhat superfluous and unnecessary. Its medicinal power was still being absorbed, but its main function seemed to have become consolidating and slightly accelerating the process, rather than serving as a primary energy source.
As his Qi and blood were replenished by this continuous warm current, Xu Mo felt the breakthrough process suddenly accelerate. Each surge of Qi and blood became more powerful, and the deep transformation of his body became more thorough.
Xu Mo could even vaguely sense that the density of his bones was significantly increasing. Some tiny impurities that were deposited deep in the bones and were usually imperceptible seemed to be forcibly squeezed out of the bones by the surging blood and qi, waiting to be expelled from the body.
And so, a tug-of-war continued within Xu Mo's body:
The body's vital energy and blood are being consumed rapidly, nourishing and transforming it.
When the energy is about to be exhausted, the accumulated "qi-gathering" energy in the body will surge out in time to quickly replenish the qi and blood.
The medicinal properties of ginseng serve as an auxiliary measure to ensure a smoother and more stable process.
The cycle repeated itself endlessly, through countless cycles.
Time seemed to have lost its meaning.
Xu Mo was completely immersed in this wondrous transformation process, forgetting everything around him.
I don't know how much time passed, maybe an hour or two, maybe half a day.
Finally, Xu Mo felt that his body had reached a critical point of saturation. Neither flesh and blood, fascia, nor bones and internal organs greedily absorbed qi and blood energy as before.
They seemed to have been "fed" and completed a qualitative leap.
At this moment, the amount and quality of the surging blood and qi within Xu Mo's body are vastly different from when he was in the Bull Skin Realm.
If his blood and qi at the Bull Skin Realm were a rushing stream, then at this moment, the blood and qi in his body are like a surging river, flowing mightily and endlessly.
Moreover, Xu Mo felt that the qi and blood in his body were no longer mobilized only when he was fighting, but naturally formed a perfect internal circulation, like a train that never stops, flowing in his body at all times, autonomously cleansing, nourishing and strengthening every corner of his body.
An unprecedented sense of power filled his heart.
The breakthrough process gradually leveled out and eventually stabilized completely.
Xu Mo slowly composed himself and opened his eyes in disbelief.
"That's it? He broke through? The Iron Bone Realm? Without consuming his own life force, without taking a huge amount of nourishing supplements, he just broke through so easily and naturally?"
Everything went so smoothly that Xu Mo felt somewhat unreal. He subconsciously raised his hands, wanting to feel the change in power.
However, what met the eye was not the expected sight of skin becoming tougher, but rather a layer covering the palms...
The skin on my arm was covered in a sticky, oily, black sludge with a faint fishy smell.
He froze for a moment, then abruptly looked down at his body. Sure enough! His entire body was covered with a thick, nauseating layer of black grime! Even his face felt like it was coated with something, itchy and very uncomfortable.
"This is supposed to cleanse the marrow and remove impurities from the body?"
Xu Mo instantly understood. Breaking through to the Iron Bone Realm wasn't just about increased bone density and a surge in strength; it was also a profound purification of the body. It forcibly expelled toxins and impurities that had accumulated deep within his flesh and bones over the years!
"Ugh! It stinks!"
The strong odor assaulted his nostrils, and Xu Mo could no longer bear it. He didn't even bother to savor the power he had gained after the breakthrough. He hurriedly jumped up from the ground and rushed towards the simple shower room in the fortress, which operated by storing water.
He needs to clean these impurities immediately.