Chapter 24: The Miraculous Effect

  "Stop him quickly!"

  Just as Lü Yang was about to break through the enemy lines, he was suddenly and unexpectedly confronted by a White Lotus Sect disciple who had been hiding in close proximity, causing him to become flustered and hastily call for assistance from his fellow sect members.

  "Huh?" Lü Yang snapped back from his shock at breaking through the fifth stage of the Heavenly Tribulation, and threw a fierce punch that landed squarely on his chest.

  "Tiger Demon Pierces the Heart!"

  Crack! A terrifying sound of a fractured sternum came from the chest of the White Lotus Sect disciple, and his body was sent flying backward by an enormous force. In an instant, he was dead.

  Essence flew out from within, merging into Lü Yang's body. Lü Yang suddenly felt that the warm flow in his body had increased again, and as it circulated, essence filled his entire body, giving him a lingering, long-lasting feeling, as if that warm flow was a part of his body, able to circulate with his heart's intent, at will. Originally, he only had eleven years of cultivation, but now it seemed to have become even more majestic, already far surpassing the power that eleven years of cultivation should have, approaching that of twelve years.

  "My power has actually increased? And I can feel it, my body is getting stronger! What was that thing flying out of those two people's bodies just now, and how did I absorb it? Ah, yes, Xiao Ding, it must be that little cauldron acting up again!"

  All this said in a long time, actually only passed two or three breaths of time, Lü Yang soon felt no movement from the small cauldron, as if nothing had happened.

  But he was very clear in his heart that his strength had indeed increased significantly.

  Just then, the White Lotus Sect disciples who were intimidated by Lü Yang's ferocity after he killed two people in a row finally came to their senses and rushed up, shouting loudly.

  "Hum! Looking for death!"

  Lü Yang suddenly circulated his inner energy and struck with all his might once again.

  Normally, a young man like him, who had just entered the battlefield and killed an enemy, would be excited and tense in his heart. However, as a servant from a large family, he had already become desensitized to life and death after witnessing many executions at the back mountain medicine garden every year. Moreover, upon discovering Xiao Ding's extraordinary abilities, he was momentarily distracted from his tension.

  All he could think of was to kill the enemy, seize their essence and see what would happen.

  "Ah!"

  This White Lotus disciple was also killed by him with one punch, and his vital energy flew out.

  "His power has increased by four jins again, and it's purer than ever!"

  Lü Yang finally saw clearly that the strand of vital energy was flying out from the opponent's brow, and this kind of vital energy was simply a great tonic for himself. Having killed three people, his increased power was equivalent to one year of bitter cultivation.

  "Inconceivable, it's really too inconceivable! After having the small Ding for several months, I actually didn't know that it could absorb the essence of people I killed! Haha, such an incredible effect, truly worthy of being a heavenly divine object! A great and rare encounter has befallen me! I, Lü Yang, will defy heaven and change my fate, the opportunity to rise above others has arrived. With this small Ding, as long as I kill more enemies, I can avoid bitter cultivation and my power will surge!"

  Lü Yang was overjoyed in his heart, he finally truly understood that the small tripod inside his body was a real treasure, and his chance to defy heaven and change his fate had really arrived.

  Originally, a slave like him would spend his life in obscurity, with no prospects for the future. Not to mention having the opportunity to practice martial arts and cultivate himself, he didn't even have freedom. Even if he were to receive the patronage of a noble lady like Fourth Miss, he could only be diligent and follow her arrangements in everything, going east when told to go east, and west when told to go west, without any possibility of resistance.

  But this mysterious little tripod allowed him to see hope, and resisting fate also became possible.

  "You few, don't even think about running away, all of you just accept your death."

  Lü Yang gazed up at the sky and let out a long whistle.

  "This is bad! This guy is too crazy, we're no match for him, let's get out of here!"

  The nearby White Lotus followers were all startled by Lü Yang's crazed state.

  They're not fools either, now that it's chaotic everywhere, nobody can tell who's who. Rather than facing this ruthless person who can knock someone out with one punch, they'd rather go deal with others and prioritize self-preservation. So they quickly scattered to attack other people instead.

  Lü Yang relentlessly pursued and killed several more White Lotus Sect disciples, absorbing their vital energy. As he absorbed more energy, his powers grew stronger and deeper. With every move, the consumption of energy was replenished in a timely manner.

  The connection between Xiaoding and his body seems to be getting closer and closer.

  "My guess was right! I've been killing all the way, consuming physical strength and internal energy that has already exceeded the limit of an ordinary martial artist, but because of the warm current constantly flowing from the small cauldron, I have always maintained a state of peak condition, without any damage, not even my breathing has become rough!"

  "The warm current surging from the small tripod seems to be growing stronger and stronger, I can feel it too, it's getting stronger with me! As long as I continue to grasp like this, I'll soon be able to break through my limits and reach an even higher realm!"

  Lü Yang discovered that the small cauldron seemed to have established an extremely mysterious connection with his body, warm currents gushing out from it, circulating throughout his body, and then returning, cycling endlessly, constantly refining the external essence into his own essence. Moreover, it was not necessary for him to personally strike down the enemy to absorb the essence from their corpse, but as long as someone died within a few meters of him, he would automatically seize it.

  All this comes from the magical power of Xiao Ding, which seems to have been born with the ability to capture and refine the essence of the dead.

  However, at the same time, Lü Yang also discovered that some weak White Lotus Sect disciples brought about a negligible increase in growth, and even after a full-force strike, their vital energy would be consumed along with the warm flow, leaving almost no effect on increasing physical strength and power. Only those White Lotus Sect disciples with considerable strength could have their internal vital energy still have a surplus after replenishment and consumption, transforming into an increase in power.

  The small tripod is like a container specially used for refining and storing the essence of blood and flesh. The essence that Lv Yang cannot absorb all merges into it, and sinks into the sea of air with the warm flow, disappearing without a trace. Immediately afterwards, there is endless refinement, counter-flow, and the whole person feels as if they are soaking in warm water, extremely comfortable, and with boundless power, never getting tired.

  At this moment, the battle situation at Youming Mountain Lake seemed to have undergone some subtle changes. More and more White Lotus Sect disciples were gathering their formations and rushing towards the lake shore. This change was so sudden that even Lv Yang, who was excited and joyful about his growing strength, was shocked awake as if he had been doused with a basin of cold water.

  "No good, they're desperate and will directly attack the young mistress!"

  What kind of noble and lofty status does the Marquise of Jingluo hold? What would be the consequences if the Marquise of Jingluo were to be harmed?

  Lü Yangsheng had seen many innocent slaves and servants in the Lü household who were punished or even killed for being scapegoats, so he could predict that if Jiānglù County Princess made any mistakes, he would definitely not be spared.

  "We absolutely cannot let them harm the young lady!"

  Lü Yang no longer had the energy to absorb the essence, nor did he have the energy to care about other White Lotus Sect disciples. He fought bravely all the way, forcing his way through and creating a bloody path as he rushed towards the lakeside where the crowd was gathering.

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