Chapter 182: You Know You're About to Die

"Still have 33 Free Attribute Points."

"I'll add them to Strength. My explosive power really is lacking."

Yang Ling immediately allocated all his Free Attribute Points to Strength.

Strength surged from 24 all the way up to 57 points!

One after another, warm currents surged through his body. This doubling in power made him feel an enormous change in his physique!

His perception spread throughout his entire body. Whether it was an illusion or not, he felt as though he could see his bone density constantly increasing. His muscle strength was also exploding upward wildly. This transformation came from within and radiated outward.

"I think I've gotten a little taller..."

A strange expression crossed Yang Ling's face. He knew his perception was different from ordinary people's. Since he felt taller, then he had definitely grown.

Thankfully, the change wasn't major. If he had suddenly shot up by over ten centimeters, his physique would have bulked up by at least two or three sizes, and his clothes would have burst at the seams.

"Probably about one centimeter taller. Not bad. I didn't expect I could still grow taller after becoming an adult. If I add Strength up to one or two hundred points in the future, I might go from one meter eighty to one meter ninety."

Yang Ling couldn't help but chuckle. Then he pushed off hard with both legs, and the immense strength made his speed spike by another notch!

"Strength and Agility truly complement each other. Increasing Strength to a certain degree also allows my sprint speed to skyrocket!"

For the next half hour or so, Yang Ling slowly got a handle on his current power.

Most of the benefits from this round had been absorbed. Now, as long as he smoothly escaped the Water Qilin Cave, the next wave of qualitative transformation awaited him.

That Sixth-Rank expert from the Water Transport Guild, Cao Junxiong, still wanted to trade him the Seven-Inch Sword.

He had twenty-one Foundation Consolidation Pills on him, plus the hundred and fifty he'd get from selling the Seven-Inch Sword.

That made a total of a hundred and seventy-one pills, enough to charge straight into the fourth layer of the Vajra Bright King Technique and reach the Skilled stage!

"Set one aside from these for the Heavenly Will True Scripture."

"Perfect."

The corners of Yang Ling's mouth curled up. He felt like his days were growing more and more promising.

Suddenly, his ears twitched. He seemed to catch some kind of noise.

The next moment, he immediately activated his full power and unleashed the Vajra Indestructible Body.

A rope suddenly snapped up from the snow. This rope was clearly forged from refined iron!

By now, Yang Ling had no time to brake. His legs slammed directly over the rope.

The immense force dragged that rope forward for over thirty meters!

The two Seventh-Rank experts gripping the ends of the rope were caught off guard and sent flying along with it.

Yang Ling glanced at his shins. His pants had been torn open, and a gash had appeared on his skin.

Fortunately, this kind of injury meant nothing to him. His HP didn't even budge.

"But if I didn't have the Vajra Indestructible Body, with my current speed and strength, this rope would have easily severed both my legs."

As he thought this, Yang Ling turned his gaze to the two Seventh-Rank experts from Star Observation Academy who were picking themselves up from the snow.

Their clothing had already given away their origins.

"Is that Chief Constable Yang?"

The two looked stunned. One of them quickly clasped his hands in a bow:

"Chief Constable Yang, we thought you were a beast from the Snowy Ice Plain. We never imagined it would be you. Our sincerest apologies!"

The other also wore an awkward smile:

"You were moving way too fast. We couldn't get a clear look. Tch."

"Are this Yang Ling's legs made of iron? They didn't even get cut through?"

"Is the rope not strong enough?"

"Impossible. I specifically asked the Master Craftsman to forge this tripwire. It's laced with Vermilion Gold. Under normal circumstances, even a Seventh-Rank martial artist caught off guard would have their legs sliced clean off!"

"This Yang Ling must have trained in an external technique!"

"He's proficient in Lightness Skill, Flying Daggers, and now external techniques too. Where does this bastard find the time to train so much?"

"Good thing those two were quick on their feet and said they mistook him. Otherwise, they'd probably be done for."

Fragments of whispers drifted into Yang Ling's ears.

Without even turning his head, Yang Ling knew exactly where that group was.

About a hundred meters to his left.

A faint smile spread across Yang Ling's face.

"Chief Constable Yang, you must be in a hurry, right? We'll take our leave first."

The two clasped their hands and tried to slip away. As they left, their gazes swept over the bulging pouch at Yang Ling's waist, a trace of reluctance flickering in their eyes.

"It doesn't look like you two are all that eager to leave. Better just stay."

With a light laugh, Yang Ling appeared before them like a bolt of lightning. Both palms slammed down onto their skulls, crushing their crowns on the spot.

Blood sprayed from all seven orifices of the two men as they dropped dead on the spot.

Even in death, they couldn't quite process what had happened. A hint of bewilderment lingered in their eyes.

"With only the Vajra Bright King Technique's boost, my Strength can reach a hundred and seventeen points."

"With this kind of power, as long as you haven't trained the Iron Head Technique, one slap is enough to kill."

Yang Ling felt a swell of emotion.

This round of adding to Strength had once again brought a qualitative transformation to his abilities.

If he went all out, his strength could reach an absolutely terrifying level.

After the two died, the group a hundred meters away fell into dead silence. They exchanged looks of disbelief.

In their eyes, he was from the Ironclad Department. How could he casually kill martial artists from Zhao State like this!?

"Is this bastard insane!? Once we get out of here, we're definitely reporting him!"

"Unbelievable. As an Ironclad Constable, he's this bloodthirsty. How is he fit to wear the iron armor!"

"Keep your voice down. Don't let him notice us. This guy's methods aren't simple. Even if we all jump him together, we might not be his match."

"Wait, is he coming this way!?"

"Impossible. How could he have found us?"

"It's probably just a coincidence. We're too far away. There's no way he knows we're here."

"He turned. Looks like it really was a coincidence."

The five Star Observation Academy disciples exchanged glances and breathed a collective sigh of relief.

They were only lower Seventh-Rank or mid-Seventh-Rank. What chance did they have against an upper Seventh-Rank expert?

Besides, they had seen Yang Ling's skills. They knew he had won a grand slam during the competition against the Four Sects.

This was someone who had defeated upper Seventh-Rank experts from the Four Sects! If he really locked onto them, at least one or two of them would die for sure!

Just as the five relaxed and prepared to slip away quietly, a figure had already approached them from another direction.

A fierce kick technique crushed one of their skulls on the spot.

Yang Ling was now wielding the Centenary Refined Vermilion Gold Pickaxe, giving him a twenty-point Strength boost.

He also activated the Twelve Paths Vajra Legs, adding another eighteen points of Strength.

Combined with the Vajra Bright King Technique's dual-attribute sixty-point boost.

His Strength now reached a staggering hundred and fifty-five points!

The remaining four Star Observation Academy disciples looked on in terror.

By the time they reacted, another one of them had his face shattered by Yang Ling's kick.

"Yang Ling! How dare you!"

The remaining three roared in shock and fury, choosing to flee without hesitation.

Yang Ling remained calm. In the span of a single breath, he caught up to the nearest one and kicked his neck clean through.

Without even sparing him a glance, he turned and chased after the other two.

A few breaths later, the sole surviving Star Observation Academy disciple fell to his knees, weeping bitterly:

"Chief Constable Yang, I know I was wrong. Please spare my life. I'll be your beast of burden, I'll repay you any way you want!"

"You're not admitting you were wrong. You know you're about to die."

Yang Ling slammed a palm onto the crown of his head, hearing the crisp crack of his skull shattering.

With that done, he stood still for a moment, listening intently. Only then did he gather the pouches they had left behind and quickly resume his sprint toward the exit!

From start to finish, he had spent less than a minute.