Becoming a god by following the natural order and seeking good fortune and avoiding misfortune.

Chapter 81 Entering the Trap by Nature! (Seeking First Subscription)
On the first day of the eleventh month of the seventh year of the Mingjing reign, in the military tent of the military preparation camp.

It was early winter, and the north wind was starting to blow, bringing with it a chilling, desolate feeling.

Chen Sheng stared calmly at the panel before him. After a long while, a barely perceptible smile finally appeared at the corner of his mouth, dispelling the fatigue accumulated from days of arduous training between his brows.

[Basic knife skills perfected (722/2000)]

[Golden Bell Body Tempering Method Completed (1669/2000)]

[Mastering the Secret Techniques of Toad Fishing (150/1000)]

[Mastery of the Three Ultimate Demon-Slaying Sword Techniques (273/1000)]

"The Yin energy is indeed miraculously effective..."

With a slight thought, Chen Sheng's inner energy flowed slowly through his limbs and bones, filling his body with an unprecedented sense of fullness.

The effect of refining the Yin energy that Madam Yang had cultivated over the years was remarkable, and his cultivation level visibly rose a notch.

Now, there are only about 300 steps left to reach the completion of the Marrow Transformation stage. After all, Madam Yang's own cultivation level is limited. Even after nurturing for several years, her Yin Yuan Qi is still insufficient for Chen Sheng, who has reached the late stage of Foundation Establishment, and she cannot push it to completion in one go.

However, with the help of the Golden Jade Ointment, he should be able to reach the perfect state of cultivation soon.

As his thoughts raced, feeling the powerful internal energy and surging blood within his body, Chen Sheng subconsciously clenched his fists. At this moment, his strength had greatly increased compared to before.

With the addition of the Blood Demon Talisman and the "Sealing Origin Miasma" meticulously crafted by Li Huaisheng, everything is now ready, waiting only for the demonic monk and believer to walk into the trap.

In order to avoid any mistakes, Chen Sheng exercised great patience.

Despite the turbulent situation outside and the fierce battle between the Huang and Yang families, he showed no intention of leaving the military camp.

In addition, Chen Sheng secretly ordered Yan Ming to quietly and silently select more than a hundred loyal and brave elite soldiers and secretly deploy them around the central command tent.

Not only did everyone take the antidote to the miasma in advance, but they were also equipped with twenty powerful crossbows, the best weapons in the army, to wait for the enemy to come to them.

He wanted to see how that demonic monk could survive with so many preparations.

So what if it's innate?

What's destroyed is the innate!

……

Meanwhile, about a mile outside the military camp, in a private room on the top floor of a restaurant called "Drunken Immortal Pavilion".

Gao Yuanfeng stood by the window, his gaze fixed on the distant military camp, his brows furrowed into a deep frown, his face filled with unyielding anxiety and gloom.

He really couldn't understand how Chen Sheng, at such a young age, could be so calm.

The enormous wealth accumulated by the Gao family over many years fell into his hands. If it were anyone else, they would have already squandered it all in a life of extravagance and debauchery.

But Chen Sheng, like an ascetic monk, stayed in the military camp tent for three days straight, never leaving it!

This feeling was like throwing a punch full of power, only to hit empty air; it was so frustrating he almost vomited blood. Because Chen Sheng didn't leave the camp, Shan Xin found it difficult to find an opportunity to strike silently.

Are we just going to keep waiting like this?

"Alright, no need to look so worried. It's just a matter of storming into the camp. We just need to confirm that Benefactor Chen Sheng is in the camp."

A detached voice suddenly broke the silence of the room.

Gao Yuanfeng suddenly turned around and saw that the newcomer was completely shrouded in a large black monk's robe, making it impossible to see his face. Only his eyes flashed with a chilling light.

It was none other than the wicked monk, Shanxin.

Gao Yuanfeng quickly composed himself, stepped forward, bowed respectfully, and spoke with a hint of reverence:

"I, Gao, guarantee with my life that Chen Sheng is absolutely inside the central command tent of the military camp right now!"

Although the Gao family suffered a devastating blow and the relationships they had cultivated over the years were wiped out by Chen Sheng with ruthless methods, Gao Yuanfeng learned from the cruel lessons of previous operations where Chen Sheng had anticipated his moves and led to disastrous defeats.

They became extremely cautious in their actions.

I only dared to relax after repeatedly confirming that everything was correct.

Therefore, he did not reveal the slightest information to either the Huang or Yang families.

He simply couldn't trust either of these two companies.

This may be the only chance the Gao family will have to take revenge.

The believer nodded slightly upon hearing this, his cold eyes turning towards the direction of the military camp outside the window, his tone remaining calm and indifferent:
“In that case, this humble monk will make a trip tonight to send this Benefactor Chen to the Pure Land as soon as possible, thus fulfilling your wish.”

If it weren't for the fear of revealing their whereabouts here and attracting the pursuit of Jinquan Temple, would the believer have waited here for several days for a mere Foundation Establishment Realm martial artist?

He was getting a little annoyed with it. With his cultivation at the Innate Realm, breaking into a military camp at night and taking lives was as easy as taking candy from a baby.

There is a fundamental difference between innate true qi and the protective force of a Foundation Establishment martial artist. Once true qi is released, the meager cultivation of a Marrow Transformation martial artist is utterly vulnerable.

Even within Ning'an Prefecture, he had never heard of any Foundation Establishment martial artist who could truly defeat a Xiantian martial artist who was beyond their realm.

"Grandmaster!"

Gao Yuanfeng stepped forward, his eyes flashing with deep-seated hatred and killing intent, his voice trembling with excitement:
"I, Gao, am willing to accompany the master and lend him a helping hand!"

The deep-seated hatred of the blood feud involving the 317 members of the Gao family tormented his heart day and night. He wished he could personally cut Chen Sheng into a thousand pieces, eat his flesh, and sleep on his skin!

The believer tilted his head slightly, and a faint, mocking smile seemed to curl at the corner of his mouth beneath the shadow of his black robe.

"No need, you can just wait here for my good news."

What use is it to carry around a Foundation Establishment stage cultivator as a burden, which only adds trouble?

With his strength, as long as he doesn't directly confront the entire military formation of hundreds of soldiers in the armed camp, but instead sneaks in to assassinate one person and then quickly disappears, no one can stop him.

A swift and decisive victory is the best strategy.

"Master, I..." Gao Yuanfeng was unwilling and wanted to try again.

"enough!"

The believer's voice suddenly turned cold, and an invisible chill instantly filled the entire room, as if the temperature had dropped several degrees.

"This humble monk dislikes idle talk and even more so dislikes others questioning my decisions."

Looking at the believer's murderous gaze, Gao Yuanfeng felt a chill run from the soles of his feet to the top of his head. His back was instantly soaked with cold sweat, and the words that were about to come out were swallowed back by fear.

He then realized that the man before him was not a compassionate monk, but a wicked monk who would take people's lives at any moment.

He quickly lowered his head and bowed deeply, not daring to have any further objections: "Yes...it was my slip of the tongue. Well then...I will prepare a small feast here to wish you, Master, a resounding victory and swift success!"

The believer ignored him and turned his gaze back to the deep night sky outside the window, slowly closing his eyes as if entering a meditative state.

Seeing this, Gao Yuanfeng dared not linger any longer. He carefully bowed and left the room, gently closing the door behind him.

Once Gao Yuanfeng's footsteps disappeared at the end of the corridor, Shanxin opened his eyes again, a gloomy look flashing across his face. Once this matter was over and he obtained the Blood Spirit Jade Marrow, he would immediately flee far away and leave this place of trouble.

Although he believed the risk of exposure was low, the methods of Jinquan Temple were not to be underestimated and he had to be wary. Once they discovered his whereabouts and sent pursuers, escape would be difficult. He checked his internal condition and found that his injuries had recovered to about 80%.

Once his injuries have healed, he will rush back to Ning'an Prefecture to retrieve the Xuan Yin Blood Fiend. Combined with the Red Lotus Fiend Qi on his body, he can then refine the Nine Nether Yin Fiend, which ranks twenty-sixth on the Earthly Fiend Ranking!
If successful, he will not only be able to break through to the Condensing Fiend Realm, but also establish his foundation with the top-grade fiend energy of the 36th rank. His strength will surely experience a qualitative leap, and his future cultivation path will be smoother and broader.

He wanted to make it clear to those old guys at Jinquan Temple, to his master and the abbot, that he, Shanxin, was the most outstanding martial monk in Jinquan Temple in the past thirty years.

Instead of Shanming, whom they placed high hopes on and supported with the top resources of Jinquan Temple at all costs!

Thinking of the unfair treatment he suffered in the temple back then, and the choices he made out of jealousy, a fierce light flashed in the believer's eyes, and a ferocious look appeared on his face.

It was that resentment and hatred that led him to kill everyone who knew about the Xuan Yin Blood Fiend after accidentally discovering it with his fellow disciples.

Then, without hesitation, he sneaked into the forbidden area of ​​the temple and stole the superior red lotus evil energy, completely betraying the Buddhist sect.

Recalling what happened back then, the believer's eyes grew even fiercer.

……

At three quarters past Xu hour, the night was already deep.

The winter sky was moonless, with only a few lonely, cold stars dotting the boundless, inky black canvas, casting a faint, chilly glow. Inside the military camp, apart from the fixed sentries and the occasional orderly footsteps of passing patrols, all was quiet and still.

A dark figure, like a ghost blending into the night, silently crossed the wooden fence surrounding the camp, landing without disturbing a speck of dust.

In a few leaps and bounds, he had already avoided all the visible and hidden sentries, and quickly approached the central command tent in the center of the camp, which was still lit up.

The believer's gaze was sinister and icy, like a venomous snake locking onto its prey, firmly fixed on the target tent.

With the keen senses of a master of innate cultivation, he carefully perceived his surroundings. After confirming that there were no ambush signs and only a steady breathing sound inside the tent, he no longer hesitated. With a swift movement, he was like a wisp of black smoke blown by a gust of wind, and rushed straight towards the entrance of the tent.

His speed was beyond imagination; his feet never touched the ground, always maintaining a distance of more than three inches from the ground, as if gliding, bringing with them a barely perceptible chill.

The tent flap was silently parted by an invisible force, revealing the scene inside—a figure sat cross-legged on a futon with his back to the door, seemingly immersed in deep cultivation.

The believer acted with lightning speed, his right hand's five fingers outstretched, pure and sharp innate true energy bursting forth from his fingertips, solid as a substance, carrying a sharpness that could pierce through metal, aiming straight for the vital point in the back of the figure's heart.

He intended to kill with a single blow and then immediately flee, giving no one time to react.

"Pfft-"

A dull thud sounded as a sharp blade pierced flesh.

The believer's palm passed right through the other person's heart without any resistance, and he could even clearly feel the heart's last, weak beat in his palm.

Warm, viscous blood flowed down his arm.

Foundation Establishment martial artists are indeed no match for them.

A cold smile flashed across Shan Xin's face. There was no suspense between the Innate and Foundation Establishment cultivators. The opponent would have no chance to react and would be killed in an instant without any surprise. He immediately prepared to take the opponent's head and leave the military camp.

However, in an instant, a strange change occurred.

The believer suddenly realized that the innate true energy that was originally flowing smoothly and harmoniously within his body had begun to violently agitate without warning, and then seemed to be eroded by some invisible force and was rapidly dissipating.

At the same time, the surging blood and qi throughout the body seemed to encounter a cold current, suddenly becoming stagnant and obstructed.

"what happened?!"

The benevolent man's head trembled violently, and his gaze instinctively fell upon his right arm, which had pierced through the other man's chest.

The skin on the blood-stained arm was rapidly turning from its normal color to bluish-black at a visible speed, and began to ulcerate and turn black over a large area, accompanied by a tingling, numb pain!

Oh no, it's poison!
A flicker of surprise and anger flashed in the believer's eyes.

Then, without hesitation, he activated his true energy to seal all the key acupoints in his body, preventing the toxins from spreading further.

At the same time, his powerful blood energy surged to his right arm like a raging torrent, trying to force out the invading toxins.

Fell into a trap!
This was a pre-arranged trap. The person in the tent was probably not Chen Sheng at all; it was bait!
"Gao Yuanfeng!!!"

An overwhelming surge of rage and murderous intent welled up within him, and his first thought was of Gao Yuanfeng's betrayal. Although he couldn't understand why the other party would do such a thing, he had no time to ponder it at that moment.
Almost instinctively, the believer mustered his inner energy and frantically activated his secret technique, attempting to leave the area first, thinking he would have plenty of time to settle accounts with the other party later.

Without hesitation, the believer disregarded the excruciating pain and numbness in his right arm and retreated rapidly.

However, in that very instant—the thought crossed his mind and he moved—

"Whoosh whoosh whoosh—whoosh whoosh whoosh—"

A piercing, sharp sound suddenly erupted from the darkness surrounding the large tent.

Dozens of crossbow bolts, gleaming with a cold, eerie blue light, rained down like a storm, instantly covering the entire military tent area and completely sealing off all possible angles for him to dodge!

"I don't know how high the sky is!"

Although startled, the believer remained calm, letting out a cold snort as he forcefully suppressed the chaos of his internal energy. His arms suddenly trembled, unleashing a surge of powerful innate energy that rapidly condensed into a protective golden bell around him.

“Ding-dang-dang-dang—!”

The dense barrage of crossbow bolts struck the golden bell-shaped protective shield, producing a continuous, metallic clang.

Although the true energy was constantly dissipating under the corrosive effects of the toxins, and the illusory image of the golden bell flickered, these specially made wind-breaking crossbow bolts ultimately failed to break through the protective true energy of a Grandmaster of the Innate Realm in the first instance.

"Bam—!"

Taking advantage of this opportunity, the believer unleashed the remaining true energy within his body, and a violent shockwave swept outwards from him, instantly tearing the huge central military tent to shreds, with cloth and wood chips flying like butterflies.

Using this burst of power, Shanxin's figure soared into the sky, intending to rely on his innate, brief ability to fly to forcefully escape this dangerous place.

But just as his body was about ten feet off the ground—

Countless earthenware pots and leather bags were thrown from all directions, raining down on him.

These vessels shattered upon impact with his protective golden bell. Inside were not hidden weapons, but countless colorful and varied poisonous insects. The moment they came into contact with his innate true energy, they were blasted into puffs of foul-smelling blood mist.

The blood of these poisonous insects mixed together, forming a blood mist that seemed to have an extremely strong corrosive effect on true qi. The believer felt that the speed at which his protective true qi dissipated suddenly increased several times over.

The originally solid golden bell phantom quickly became thin and transparent, almost impossible to maintain.

"not good!"

The believer's face suddenly changed color, as if the true energy in his body was like a river bursting its banks, flowing out in a torrent.

Unable to maintain his flight, he was instantly broken and plummeted straight down from a height of about ten feet.

Suddenly, countless torches lit up the surrounding area, illuminating it as bright as day.

More than a hundred elite soldiers, clad in helmets and armor and wielding sharp blades, had formed a tight battle formation, surrounding him completely and attacking him without any hesitation.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

The update time will be changed to the early morning of the following day from now on.

Finally, I'm releasing ten chapters in a row, please support me with your monthly votes.

Thank you all, big shots.
(End of this chapter)