Chapter 338 - 329: The Demon Soldier Plan

Chapter 338: Chapter 329: The Demon Soldier Plan

Hong Huan and Xu Chu had long since undergone Dirt-Loading with Yin Crow flesh, but in different parts of their bodies—one in his legs, the other in his hand.

Hong Huan was a master of Leg Techniques.

Upon Spirit Awakening, the trousers on Hong Huan’s legs and the sleeve on Xu Chu’s right arm burst apart in unison, revealing grotesquely mutated limbs that resembled bird claws.

This was the first Spirit Awakening, and it was immediately followed by a second.

BOOM!

After the second Spirit Awakening, a resonant hum emanated from both of their bodies in unison. Their frames swelled slightly, and their legs and arms, already thicker than a normal person’s, became coated in a faint gray light as they extended and thickened once more...

A moment later, two figures stood in the hall, their bodies wreathed in wisps of blackish-gray smoke. Shrouded in this miasma, one could see that their mutated right arm and legs had grown to exaggeratedly massive proportions.

This smoke was a fusion of a Demon Fiend’s miasma and a Martial Artist’s Vitality. It was far stronger than the Vitality of an ordinary Martial Artist, similar to the dark, turbid miasma Fu Juemin used to emit in his early years, before he had achieved Perfection in the Five Aggregates Profound Slaughter Technique.

Their auras were now more than two to three times stronger than they had been before the Spirit Awakening.

"After my first Dirt-Loading, I claimed I could fight an ordinary Martial Artist at the Initial Heart Intent Realm. That was something of an exaggeration.

But now, after this second Dirt-Loading, there’s not an ounce of exaggeration in that claim..."

Hong Huan spoke. After the second Spirit Awakening, his voice had become somewhat deep and hoarse, and his tone held a hint of smugness and arrogance.

Demon Flesh and Blood carries its own corrupting, evil energy. When it resides within a human body for a long time, it subtly erodes the mind. It was no surprise that a once-steady and cautious person would gradually become frivolous and arrogant.

Fu Juemin rose from the head seat and slowly walked toward the two men.

He paid no mind to Hong Huan’s claim about being able to defeat someone at the Manifestation Realm Heart Intent after a second Spirit Awakening. Talk was cheap; you could only know for sure after a real fight.

However, after the second Dirt-Loading, both Hong Huan and Xu Chu emanated wisps of a strange, evil aura that distorted the air around them.

Although their consciousness was tainted by the Demon Flesh and Blood, it was also, to some extent, elevated above that of an ordinary Gratitude Sensing Realm Martial Artist, and was beginning to show some characteristics of the Heart Intent Realm.

Fu Juemin inspected the parts of their bodies that had mutated after the Spirit Awakening. He found that the Demon Rhinoceros flesh from the second Dirt-Loading had caused a layer of hard skin, similar to Rhino Armor, to grow on those areas, and their muscles had also become much more gnarled and powerful.

It seemed the Demon Rhinoceros flesh mainly enhanced Defense and power. For a Martial Artist, improvements in these two areas provided the most direct feedback, so it was no wonder Hong Huan was so full of confidence.

He casually placed a hand on Hong Huan’s shoulder, and the latter immediately and respectfully bowed his head.

Even before infusing his Glazed True Gang, Fu Juemin could sense Hong Huan’s Vitality draining away like a flood.

Looking closer at Hong Huan, although his demeanor was euphoric, his eyes were bloodshot and faintly ringed with black, clear symptoms of being overdrawn.

Vitality Maintenance after Dirt-Loading was extremely important. A constant supply of various Great Medicines was needed to replenish Qi Blood, but the most crucial component was the Human Pill. After a second Dirt-Loading, the required dose of Human Pills would increase significantly.

And even if every aspect of their care was handled perfectly, a Martial Artist who had undergone a second Dirt-Loading would have a lifespan significantly shorter than one who had only done it once.

Fu Juemin separated a sliver of Innate Primordial Liquid from his Dantian, about one-fiftieth of his total reserves, and then attempted to transfer it into Hong Huan’s body.

Half of this sliver of Innate Primordial Liquid was unavoidably lost during the infusion. The rest instantly vaporized and rapidly fused into every corner of Hong Huan’s body.

BANG—!

The instant the Innate Primordial Liquid fused with him, a muffled bang resounded as a vigorous wave of energy erupted from within Hong Huan’s body.

CRACK, CRACK!!

Hong Huan, who had already grown a full size after the Spirit Awakening, grew stronger still. His aura soared, and his mutated form seemed to become much more harmonious.

A flicker of surprise showed in Fu Juemin’s eyes as he witnessed this.

But the surprise quickly faded into understanding. The Innate Primordial Liquid could greatly stimulate a person’s latent potential and push a Demon Body into its Second Form, so it was only natural that it would have this effect on a Dirt-Loading Martial Artist.

A tremor ran through Hong Huan’s body. He abruptly looked up, the bloodshot veins in his eyes having completely vanished, replaced by a look of utter shock.

This shock then morphed into elation, and he dropped to his knees, declaring with unprecedented reverence, "Thank you for your blessing, Spirit Lord!"

Fu Juemin’s expression, however, remained placid. He simply said, "This is only the second Dirt-Loading. You have seven more steps to go."

His forehead pressed to the ground, Hong Huan trembled with excitement.

Fu Juemin then infused a sliver of Innate Primordial Liquid into the nearby Xu Chu. Learning from his experience with Hong Huan, he used an even smaller amount this time—only one percent of his total.

Xu Chu’s reaction was even more exaggerated than Hong Huan’s—he ended up smashing three floor tiles with his forehead.

Having received the reverence and loyalty of the two men, Fu Juemin returned to the head seat.

"Where is Gu Shouyu?"

"Mr. Gu is in seclusion. He said he wants to delve into the mysteries of the third Dirt-Loading, as well as the meditation techniques of the Celestial Master Dao..."

Hong Huan replied, still kneeling on the floor.

After receiving that wisp of Fu Juemin’s Primordial Qi, the evil thoughts that had sprouted in his mind after the second Dirt-Loading were purged. The intense feeling of being "hollowed out" was gone from his body, his inexplicable anxiety had vanished, and he felt as if his future was a wide, open road.

"Celestial Master Dao techniques?"

Fu Juemin’s eyes shifted, a hint of surprise in them.

He had acquired the entry-level teachings of the Celestial Master Dao and had tossed them to Gu Shouyu to study, treating it as a long shot. He never expected Gu Shouyu would have already started practicing them.

"Then we won’t disturb him. We’ll wait for him to emerge from his seclusion on his own."

The Dirt-Loading procedure didn’t require Gu Shouyu’s personal attention. The Mu, Ning, and Chaha families under his command all had their own specialized Dirt-Loading Masters.

Hong Huan and Xu Chu’s successful second Dirt-Loading proved two things: the Nine Spirits Filth Loading Technique was viable, and the Innate Primordial Liquid could indeed replace Human Pills for replenishing another’s Vitality. With this, Fu Juemin’s objective was achieved.

"There’s no need to refine any more Human Pills for now."

Fu Juemin pondered for a moment before saying slowly, "Have the Ninggu and Chaha families send all their existing Human Pills to me. Then, as quickly as possible, gather a batch of materials needed for the first Dirt-Loading..."

Fu Juemin was already planning to have the men of his Ghost Camp undergo the first Dirt-Loading enhancement in batches.

The effects of the Demon Rhinoceros flesh were excellent, providing both Defense and explosive power—a perfect fit for the Ghost Camp.

Of course, he would also need Demon Fiends that offered different types of enhancements.

Fu Juemin’s plan was to quickly assemble a force, organized according to the different enhancement effects and the number of Dirt-Loading procedures each member had undergone.

With his current reserves of Innate Primordial Liquid, supporting a force of a thousand should be more than enough. After all, ordinary people undergoing Dirt-Loading would require far less Vitality supplementation than Hong Huan and Xu Chu did.

Combined with Western firearms, he could surely forge them into a "surprise force" with unparalleled combat strength.

In these chaotic times, the role of individual martial prowess was ultimately limited. One only had to look at the Great Demons, beings as powerful as Flood Dragon Level or even higher, who were still kept like livestock by the Nine Banners.

And didn’t the Nine Banners, who controlled a city full of monsters, still have to cower under the protection of the vast Northern Army?

Fu Juemin was doing all this not to vie for supremacy, but simply to secure a safe place for himself.

"Have you found out the information I asked you to gather?"

Fu Juemin asked Mu Feng, who stood in the hall below.

Seeing the successful completion of Hong Huan and Xu Chu’s second Dirt-Loading, Mu Feng seemed to catch a glimpse of his own future prospects, and his attitude toward Fu Juemin became even more respectful.

Hearing the question, he hurried forward, pulled a thread-bound booklet he had prepared earlier from his sleeve, and presented it respectfully.

"Please have a look, Spirit Lord."

The ink on the booklet was still fresh.

Fu Juemin casually flipped it open, browsing page by page through the information recorded within on all the clans and Demon Fiends of the Lower Five Banners.