Chapter 24: Rapid Progress

“All set.” Fortunately, Ye Shui’er completed preparing the smoke bomb just before Lin Fei’s legs gave out from exhaustion.

Without wasting any time, Zhang Shi grabbed the smoke bomb and ran to a previously dug cave to ignite it. As tiny specks of dirt fell on the bomb, an odorless white smoke was released. Holding his nose, Zhang Shi quickly retreated from the cave.

Meanwhile, upon receiving his team’s signal, Lin Fei, with every ounce of energy left, rushed to the cave entrance and threw the pheromone bottle inside with all his might. The frenzied fire ants pursued the scent and flew into the cave in a buzzing frenzy.

“Now!” Zhang Shen exclaimed, swiftly hauling several huge stones to block the cave’s entrance, thereby severing the fire ants’ escape route.

While the large stones obstructed the cave’s entrance, a few narrow gaps remained. The members of the sixth squad waited nearby, ready to eliminate any fire ant that tried to escape. Dealing with a single fire ant was much less threatening than a swarm, and they could be eliminated from a distance using small stones. If the ants were too close, the aftermath of their explosive deaths would douse everyone in insect debris, an unsightly prospect.

After enduring two grueling hours, the team members shifted the rocks and inspected the cave.

“Grab a stick or anything else at hand. If you find any intact fire ants, crush them all,” Zhang Shen commanded. “I don’t want any of them to survive.”

Given the reproductive rate of fire ants, a single survivor could lead to a massive swarm in less than a month.

Ye Shui’er, Zhang Shi, and the others nodded in understanding. Over time, they had come to appreciate the prudence of their team leader. The process might be tedious, but upon reflection, it seemed quite sensible. Preserving their lives was worth any effort. They had already executed tasks like this multiple times.

Afterward, Zhang Shen torched the cave, reducing everything to ashes.

“If anything survives this, it would truly be against the laws of nature,” he stated, clapping his hands together in satisfaction.

However, not everything always went as smoothly. Constantly under high pressure, fatigue piled up exponentially. Initially, those at their Human Limit began to fall in large numbers, followed by martial artists with limited training.

The sixth squad experienced the same challenges. Zhang Shi was the first to fall, his head severed by a spiritual beast bear. He could have avoided the attack, but prolonged fatigue had sapped his agility. He was a fraction of a second too slow, and it cost him his life.

In his rage, Zhang Shen tore the bear into countless pieces. But Zhang Shi was gone, and all they could do was carry his body back.

“There are more and more beasts,” they observed somberly.

Upon their return to the Third Battalion, Zhang Shen’s small team was visibly downcast. Despite being no strangers to life and death, the demise of a comrade was still a heavy blow.

“Zhang Shi’s body will be taken care of by the logistics personnel, so there’s no need to worry further,” they were told. “You’ve all had a long day. Get some rest. We have more patrolling to do tomorrow.”

The team nodded. At this point, they didn’t have the luxury to slowly mend their emotional wounds.

“Dismissed,” ordered Zhang Shen, before heading to the command center. He had to report the patrol situation and casualties, as well as request a replacement for Zhang Shi.

“Understood. We’ll send a replacement as soon as possible,” responded the representative from Hongyuan City, his eyes bloodshot from sleep deprivation.

Back in his own tent, Zhang Shen was in turmoil. Despite his relative calmness, his fluctuating state of mind was not conducive to training. He retrieved a dried Pure Lotus Leaf. Without bothering to brew it, he simply popped it in his mouth to chew.

The bitter yet refreshingly cool flavor coursed down his throat, clearing the dullness in his mind and easing the pressure-induced tension in his mental state.

“Should I distribute the Pure Lotus Leaves, given the increasing number of casualties?” he wondered.

Having personally experienced the situation, Zhang Shen understood the significance of maintaining a healthy mental state in such critical times. However, after contemplating it for a while, Zhang Shen decided against it.

The supply of Pure Lotus Leaves was limited, not enough to benefit everyone. Worse yet, if it were revealed that he had these leaves, everyone would know that he had tricked the Wang family.

Instantly, all the problems plaguing the Wang family would descend upon Hongyuan City. The Wang family would likely channel all their built-up frustration toward them.

The drawbacks would far outweigh the benefits.

“Sir, I’ve brought today’s spiritual meat,” the cook’s voice echoed from outside the tent.

“Alright, bring it in,” Zhang Shen responded.

The cook then entered, bearing two large basins filled with spiritual meat, the spoils from the sixth squad’s recent spiritual beast hunts.

A portion of the meat was sent back to Hongyuan City, while the rest was cooked onsite for immediate consumption.

This meat served as a source of replenishment for martial artists, helping to restore the physical and internal energy expended during patrols. Moreover, the spiritual meat was highly nourishing, providing substantial benefits to martial cultivation.

In these times of the spiritual beast onslaught, any increase in strength was welcome. Thus, the spiritual meat was openly supplied, and one could eat as much as they desired. With such conditions, Zhang Shen had no reason to hold back.

By this time, he had already consumed all the White Jade Lotus Roots.

To continue improving, he needed to consume other heavenly treasures or spiritual meat. Given the meat’s plentiful supply, he could preserve the pills and spirit herbs in his storage bag for later use.

Zhang Shen did not stand on ceremony. He picked up large chunks of meat and began eating them heartily. The meat wasn’t overly prepared, simply boiled to perfection. But due to its intrinsic quality, the taste was quite satisfying.

Having devoured the contents of two large basins, his stomach had barely expanded. These two basins of food were enough to sustain him until the next meal.

On his display, as his body digested and absorbed the demon meat, a steady stream of experience points flowed into his physical level.

The Supreme Physical Body System

Host: Zhang Shen

Physical Level: Innate Stage 4th Layer

Progress: 5%

Cultivation Level: Acquired Stage 9th Layer

Progress: 57%

Cultivation Technique: Bright Moon Technique, 9th Layer (Progress: 88%)

Martial Skill: Cultivation Concealment Technique (Progress 57%) top-grade Acquired Bird Step Technique: 79% (Available to be deployed)

Completed Techniques: (Expandable for details)

Evaluation: With your substantial investment, your physical level has progressed rapidly, but it still falls significantly short of your aspiration.

As anticipated by Zhang Shen, after consuming the four White Jade Lotus Roots, his physical level reached the Innate 3rd Layer at 97%.

Afterward, with the help of a considerable amount of spiritual meat consumed, he smashed through another barrier, becoming a formidable practitioner of the Innate 4th Layer.

However, since all the resources he consumed were digested by his body, his cultivation progress was rather sluggish. The 57% progress he achieved was a reflection of the boost his physical strength gave his cultivation.

Contrarily, regarding martial skills, as they were learned by his physical body, there was no need for meditation. Therefore, during his time in the tent, Zhang Shen used it for rest and the refining of martial techniques, exploring the martial skills of the three families.

Among them, Bird Step was a skill he valued highly. Ever since he mastered his Cloud-Drifting Step, he noticed a deficit in his speed technique. While the Cloud-Drifting Step was indeed enigmatic and could create afterimages, it lacked in terms of long-distance running or linear speed.

Even though he could soar through the sky due to his physical prowess, movement techniques were still crucial in combat. With the boost of speed techniques, even when airborne, he could be quicker and more elusive.

After consuming the spiritual meat, Zhang Shen spent two hours going through the martial arts secret manual, reinforcing his understanding and memory. Afterward, he left the tent and headed to an open space to practice. Several people were already training there.

Without disturbing them, Zhang Shen began to practice other lower-rank sword techniques and the Bird Step.

It was only deep into the night that he retired to rest, preparing for the next day’s patrol.

It was precisely due to Zhang Shen’s strength, dedication, and prudent working style that those initially unfamiliar with him in the sixth squad started to truly admire and respect him.

Unbeknownst to many, a new power was gradually forming around Zhang Shen, a force with the potential to become a significant pillar of strength for Hongyuan City.

This emerging force was named ‘the Future’.

Individuals like Zhang Si and Lin Sanjue saw all this happening, did not hinder it, and instead, were pleased to see its progress.

With the passage of time, the beast tide started peaking. The sheer number and the aggressive behavior of the beast hordes were unprecedented, increasing several-fold compared to earlier times.

The delay strategy had become ineffective. A head-on confrontation was the only option left.

However, due to the chosen strategy, the strength of Hongyuan City was preserved. Although there were casualties, they were minimal and within an acceptable range.

Meanwhile, the earlier mode of patrols by small teams was no longer feasible. Given the current circumstances, sending small teams out for patrol was like handing over opportunities to the beasts to surround and annihilate them.

The sixth squad could not afford to lose control over the external situation. Hence, a reconnaissance team made up of individuals with excellent mobility was established to monitor the movements of the beast wave.

Zhang Shen was also part of this team.

Without a sufficiently strong individual among them, it was uncertain if the information, even if obtained, could be safely relayed back.

This was especially true for urgent information. If they weren’t fast enough, the beasts might already have launched an attack before the intelligence could be sent back.

However, Zhang Shen was not appointed as the team leader this time. Despite his high level of cultivation and speed, he lacked the necessary experience. Therefore, serving as an ace information carrier was deemed the optimal choice for him.

In the midst of the swampy undergrowth, Zhang Shen and his team remained hidden.

From a safe distance, they carefully watched the movement of a massive beast group ahead of them. This group was the largest near Hongyuan City.

Within this crowd, several beasts were at the Innate stage, over a thousand at the Acquired stage, and the rest were normal beasts in staggering numbers.

If this group were to mobilize, it would demand the full force of all six battalions of Hongyuan City to potentially subdue them.

Zhang Shen and his comrades dared not approach too closely for observation, fearing detection and a subsequent inability to escape.

‘Such a terrifying presence!’

Zhang Shen’s Innate physical body endowed him with keen perception, enabling him to comprehend the sheer power of this beast group. Setting aside the intimidating quantity, among the Innate beasts alone, there were two that emitted an oppressively overwhelming aura.

Despite Zhang Shen’s actual strength being at the Innate 4th Layer, he still felt significantly outmatched.

A daunting thought surfaced in Zhang Shen’s mind, ‘These beasts are likely in the late stages of the Innate realm!’

This conclusion weighed heavily on him, filling him with unease.

Of the seven neighboring cities, only the Wang family of Jiuchuan City possessed a legacy of late-stage Innate powerhouses. None of the other six cities could boast of practitioners of this level.

If these beasts decided to attack, who in Hongyuan City could withstand them? The immense pressure mounted suddenly, making it difficult for Zhang Shen to even breathe.

‘We must relay this information back!’ He thought, ‘It’s always better to be prepared than to be caught off guard!’