The fiery torrent came quickly and also receded swiftly.

Merely a few breaths later, after rapidly cycling through Lu Sheng's body several rounds, his physique slowly adapted somewhat.

Although his body temperature still ran high, it wasn't as scalding as before.

His inner Jade Crane Skill qi also accelerated circulation. Naturally dispersing copious threads to mend damaged channels and organs.

Another moment passed.

Only then did Lu Sheng's overall skin color gradually restore his original paleness.

Phew...

The air he exhaled was still scorching.

No part of him lacked agony. As if his entire body's muscles and bones were pricked all over by needles.

Utterly different from the circumstances when initiating Jade Crane Skill. Currently he resembled being pummeled all over by sledgehammers.

"Luckily the accumulated Jade Crane Skill qi from this period can perfectly apply toward healing now."

Lu Sheng felt the cycling Jade Crane Skill inside starting to automatically recover his organs. Heart also finally loosening up.

"Didn't anticipate Dark Destruction Skill would be this overbearing merely at initiation. Then at higher levels, how powerful could it be...?"

He didn't dare imagine.

"Xiao Qiao."

He yelled loudly.

"Coming Young Master!"

Xiao Qiao hastily rushed over. Hands still dripping wet. Presumably washing something.

"Bring me medicinal tea."

Lu Sheng directed. Currently agony wracked him everywhere. Inner fire deficiency simmered while parched badly.

Xiao Qiao promptly delivered the prepared tea. It incorporated large amounts of yin-nourishing herbs. Like jade dou stonecrop, southern turtle jelly, snowdrop flower, yin winter and other precious medicines unique to this world.

Downing one cup brought an instant cool sensation from his throat into his stomach. Then spreading toward every part of his body from his stomach.

This slightly alleviated his inner fire.

Lu Sheng rapidly drank a whole potful.

One pot yielded five full cups.

He directly chewed and swallowed the medicinal ingredients too. Only then somewhat reluctantly exhaling in satisfaction.

Lying back resting for a couple hours, his bodily torment finally obtained some relief before the darkening skies.

Oblivious Xiao Qiao only saw Lu Sheng lacked any issues. Assuming he suddenly wanted tea. After taking the pot she ran off to the creek again washing clothes.

After a brief respite, Lu Sheng lifted his saber venturing outside to the yard at dusk. Wanting to test Dark Destruction Skill's might.

Its drastically larger reaction compared to Jade Crane Skill further stimulated his curiosity toward the inner force. Precisely how great was its potency?

That itch urged Lu Sheng leaving bed the moment pain mildly subsided. Preparing to demonstrate.

Within the murky woods...

Lu Sheng directly exited the yard quite a distance from the cabin toward a more deserted area.

Then attempted summoning Dark Destruction Skill's inner qi.

Its circulation range spanned between both kidneys to below the navel. Resembling an sash coiling around his waist. Rather peculiar.

Even freshly initiated, this qi had chopstick thickness.

Testing lightly with his spirit, Lu Sheng discovered stark contrasts against Jade Crane Skill. Able to freely direct and manipulate it with the slightest intention.

He tried guiding a single strand from his lower belly upward. Swiftly reaching his right shoulder, right arm, right hand before finally his long saber.

The instant that strand entered the saber blade.

Lu Sheng heard faint hissing scalds.

His arm turned scorching hot. An irrepressible impulse erupted in his heart as he fiercely brandished downward!

Swish!

His long saber abruptly cleaved out. Chopping into the tree trunk before Lu Sheng.

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Crackle!!

The human thick tree quaked intensely. Vast leaves fluttered down as if raining.

Lu Sheng's saber already deeply embedded halfway into the trunk.

Concurrently the gash's periphery clearly revealed traces of blackness.

"Blackness?"

Lu Sheng heavily wrenched out his blade. Brows furrowing as he felt the discolored area.

"Resembles... char from fire... High temperature? Or some other effect?"

He pondered briefly. Scoping his surroundings left and right before rapidly darting into some bushes.

Cheep

He firmly pinched the neck of a colorful wild hen concealed inside. It thought itself hidden only to still wind up captured.

"Let's test if it matches my guesses."

Lu Sheng carefully returned before the tree trunk. Extending a finger to scrape some powder from the slash's fringe into his palm.

The faint black powder sprinkled onto his palm. Then carefully hand fed to the wild hen swallowing it.

After eating the powder, Lu Sheng waited a spell. Meanwhile the wild hen noisily flapped about before apparently growing listless.

He scraped more powder for it to ingest.

This time he didn't have to wait long at all. Released after stumbling a few steps, that wild hen toppled over almost immediately!

Lu Sheng walked over for a touch. The wild hen's body was scorching hot still breathing but completely powerless and feeble. Practically akin to high fever.

"Indeed! This is a venom skill! Moreover very likely fire-type venom!"

Lu Sheng made initial determinations on Dark Destruction Skill's attributes.

He also took out his personally carried manual for careful examination.

'....Dark Destruction Skill. Its harming intent scorches fiercely while bearing sinister toxicity. Those afflicted without balancing inner qi to dispel and cleanse will perish in three days.'

Only that quite simplistic line described the skill's might.

But Lu Sheng could already grasp essentials of this venom art from it.

It precisely accorded with the one he presently wielded.

"Incredible."

Lu Sheng inwardly marveled.

Dark Destruction Skill truly differed from life nourishing arts like Jade Crane Skill. A specialized internal method devised solely for contention and slaughter!

The disparity was just too enormous.

He meticulously sensed the Dark Destruction Skill qi inside himself.

Merely a single slash unleashing it previously already exhausted a strand. Further contrasting the remainder totals.

"Probably around ten more slashes before depletion at the initiated level. Dark Destruction Skill's inner qi also seems able boosting explosive force. Truly extremely practical."

After testing its effects, Lu Sheng turned to head back. This was merely the potency from initial stages. He keenly anticipated what heights it could reach after raising it higher.

Arriving at the small cabin's yard, he happened to see two Zheng manor guards delivering provisions.

The pair promptly came up greeting Lu Sheng upon sighting him on route.

"Young Master Lu. Updates on recent events are bundled inside the container. Please review unhurriedly."

The two bid their farewells before swiftly departing the woods after a simple greeting.

Lu Sheng accepted the food container. Standing by the yard gates he directly opened it up. Indeed a sealed letter rested inside as expected.

Entering the yard, he passed the box to the hurrying Xiao Qiao before tearing open the envelope himself and removing the letter out.

'Sworn Brother. The Xu residence tragedy from before was cracked in the city.

Some expert summoned by the authorities ferociously apprehended a huge bunch of people. Over ten heads rolled in the noontime marketplace execution today.'

Zheng Xian Guai's opening sentence instantly stunned Lu Sheng somewhat.

He read on further.

The recent chain of peculiar cases provoked such turmoil that quite a few urban households and tenant farmers fled toward Purple Cloud City.

The authorities suppressed a batch while forcing the rest to remain.

Afterward, aiming to pacify the masses' sentiments, the yamen aggressively captured dozens of people. All loudly proclaimed as culprits behind the preceding incidents.

Only then did things slightly settle among the commoners.

Finishing the letter, coldness flashed across the corners of Lu Sheng's mouth.

"Looks like the yamen is barely holding out. Culprits? If they were so easy apprehending, matters wouldn't have dragged until now.

Undoubtedly some hapless people were randomly scapegoated instead."

Fortunately the letter mentioned everything operating as usual currently in the Lu manor. No visible changes.

Young masters like Lu Chen Xin still played about uninfluenced.

Recently the pleasure houses and music halls in town even boomed with popularity it stated.

Evidently the terror led masses sought catharsis from excessive stress without outlets available.

Lu Sheng deeply inhaled.

"That approach might sustain stability temporarily. But this merely postpones the problem. Since the cases still aren't actually resolved, if similar instances recur..."

He kept the letter. Calming his spirit.

The Lu manor in present Jiu Lian City faced those bizarre happenings same as average commoners now. Utterly lacking resistance.

If genuinely running into those circumstances, the outcome needed no further elaboration.

Therefore his sole imperative at present was raising his strength as much as possible. So that he would possess a slim chance preserving himself when inevitably confronting such mysterious events down the road!

He was clueless on precisely how mighty one needed to be in order to handle those kinds of affairs. Hence he could only make himself as strong as his limits permitted.

After receiving the letter, Lu Sheng started aggressively downing the nourishing and restorative elite medicines brought along.

Having little Xiao Qiao prepare thick medicinal broths for him post every meal too.

Relying on formidable medicinal strength, merely three days allowed basically eliminating all post-promotion side effects from Dark Destruction Skill's initial stage.

On the fourth day...

"Second promotion!"

Lu Sheng stood before that previous massive slashed tree trunk.

The days prior, his saber gash nearly reached a fifth of the trunk's depth. Still remaining visible while the edges already withered.

This was one of the thickest trees across the whole woods. Currently appearing similarly dispirited.

Lu Sheng simply chose here for his next breakthrough attempt.

Leaning against it seated, he orderly laid out the medicinal potions from the provisions box before assuming lotus position.

Dark Destruction Skill's inner qi perpetually circulated along the route connecting his lower abdomen and kidneys.

"Navy blue."

Lu Sheng muttered inwardly.

The azure modification box emerged before his eyes. Gaze fixed on the Dark Destruction Skill column.

Intention prodded the modify button down.

The frame blinked once.

Lu Sheng's countenance promptly grew solemn.

"Raise Dark Destruction Skill one level!"

He voiced internally.

Snap. The skill's original Initiated status promptly transformed into First Layer after his thoughts stirred.

Before Lu Sheng even revealed happiness, an explosive torrent relatively weaker compared to past instantly inundated his whole body inside out.

Internally and externally he felt as if proximately barbecued by stoked braziers.

Just the span of a few breaths already drenched him in heavy sweat again. Skin re-reddening entirely.

However unlike initially, his physique already adapted substantially now. Nowhere as arduous as past.

Just the duration to boil a pot of tea. Around a dozen minutes or so.

Lu Sheng gradually caught his breath at last.

Although lingering pain lingered everywhere without exception, some newly blasted open channels by Dark Destruction Skill qi were absorbing into the circulating nexus too. Naturally requiring mending as well. Repairs naturally also needed time.

But his present sensation resembled being inflated with air throughout his body. Nearly unable to contain bursting out.

"Try again!"

Lu Sheng stood up while drawing his waist saber.