Chapter 69

ps: I owe everyone a chapter from a few days ago, do you still remember? Now I'm paying it back.

...

In the Shanhai Jing, on Mount Zhaoyao, Li Mang stood naked, holding a bowl of dark red Xuan Gui blood, slowly pouring it over his body.

"Hisss!!!"

As the Xuan Gui blood rained down on his body, the scorching heat made Li Mang draw in a sharp breath. Not only that, but as the blood seeped into his skin, it felt like ants crawling beneath his skin, a pain that pierced to the core.

The intense pain made the blood vessels on his face bulge, but Li Mang could only endure it. Bitterness must come before sweetness; there is no success without effort, especially in martial arts. If one does not put in the hard work, even the most talented person will come to nothing.

Li Mang did not consider himself a man of iron, but he wanted to live, a reason as simple as that. However, if he were to slack off even a little, it would be difficult to achieve, and he would really die... Compared to death, Li Mang did not find this particularly painful; the transformation of his skin gave him a sense of security.

The effect of the Xuan Gui blood on his body was evident. Li Mang's skin eventually turned a light bronze color. He used a kitchen knife to make several strong cuts on his skin, but it could not penetrate, leaving only a few red marks, showing how tough his skin had become.

Of course, Li Mang did not test it with a yellow-grade dagger; his skin was not yet capable of withstanding yellow-grade weapons, and he did not have a masochistic tendency.

Tasting the sweetness, seeing that the Xuan Gui body-strengthening treasure was still being refined, Li Mang could not bear to be idle. He returned to the construction site in reality and stole a large bucket, then proceeded to Mount Jiuyang to slaughter Xuan Gui, eventually collecting half a bucket of golden turtle blood, which he could soak his entire body in.

At first, there was still some pain, but as he gradually adapted, the pain subsided, replaced by a warm, comfortable feeling seeping into his body through his pores. In the stinky blood bucket, Li Mang fell asleep without realizing it.

Beside him, the Xuan Gui body-strengthening treasure was boiling, emitting steam, and the aroma of meat and medicine filled the entire Mount Zhaoyao...

Li Mang had been out of contact for a day and a night. The Yanhuang organization initiated an investigation, and the 'Tian Luo' in Changsha and Zhangjiajie were activated simultaneously for a thorough search. However, what shocked the Yanhuang intelligence group was that they could not find any trace of him...

This was not scientific!

Not to mention a living person, even a corpse buried underground could be easily found by Tian Luo. Now, with no news at all, the entire intelligence group was stunned!

However, although they could not find Li Mang, they did discover an important piece of information: members of the Chiyou organization had appeared in Zhangjiajie!

Chiyou, an organization with strength comparable to Yanhuang, had a thousand-year legacy. If one were to distinguish between the two, one would be white and the other black, one righteous and the other evil. Yanhuang and Chiyou have been mortal enemies since their founding.

"Chiyou appeared in Zhangjiajie, what for? Li Mang from Group 9 also went missing at the same time, is there any connection?" The head of the Yanhuang intelligence group asked a series of questions.

Yang Fan adjusted his thick glasses and said, "When Li Mang was on the mission to execute the Destiny Sky Plate in Chengdu, he killed the Chiyou shaman Ah Zhu, thus forming a grudge. Given Chiyou's nature of seeking revenge, this trip is likely to find Li Mang and seek revenge!"

"Li Mang was met by someone even before he got off the plane. Doesn't Mr. Yang find this suspicious?" Cai Cai asked with a smile. Groups 8 and 9 both belonged to the Yellow Group, and in important matters, they had to be present together to ensure that no rules of Yanhuang were violated.

"Does Mr. Cai not know that there are Chiyou infiltrators in the Yanhuang compound?" Yang Fan looked at Cai Cai and asked.

"Indeed, I suspect it might be a big fish," Cai Cai nodded in agreement with Yang Fan's view, but his smile was enigmatic.

"Stop this useless talk and make arrangements quickly to rescue Li Mang!" The head of the intelligence group, impatient with the rivalry between Groups 8 and 9, interrupted them.

"From the reaction of the Chiyou members, Li Mang has not been captured but has sensed danger and hidden somewhere. I have already sent people to Changsha and Zhangjiajie," Yang Fan said, adjusting his glasses.

"Group 9 is short of talent, how can Group 8 remain indifferent? We will also send strong members to help," Cai Cai added.

"..." Yang Fan frowned, then smiled, "That's good."

In the Shanhai Jing, on Mount Zhaoyao, Li Mang gradually woke up in the blood bucket in front of the mobile cabin, the stench of blood jolting him awake.

"Damn, my treasure medicine!" Li Mang was shocked and kicked his foot, flying directly out of the blood bucket.

He really "flew," reaching a height of four to five meters, a jumping ability that even surprised Li Mang himself. This shock, combined with the slight discomfort in his body, caused him to crash to the ground, his body already covered in black blood, now mixed with dirt.

But strangely, despite falling from such a height and landing on some large, hard rocks, Li Mang did not feel any pain at all.

"Strength has increased, and defense is incomparable to before." Li Mang was surprised, but he had no time to think about it. Ignoring the dirt on his body, he headed to the stove.

The fire was still burning. Since the pot was large and the heat was gentle, the treasure medicine in the pot had not dried out, though it was already quite mushy. Li Mang stirred it with a ladle, and a strong medicinal aroma filled the air, the rich spiritual energy invigorating his spirit.

"Fortunately, fortunately." Li Mang exhaled, worried that he might have ruined the pot of treasure medicine. Wasting materials was one thing, but wasting a day's time would be truly deserving of a lightning strike.

He filled several large buckets with clear water from the Lijue River and poured it over his head, revealing smooth, healthy bronze-colored skin.

"I like this skin tone." Li Mang was very satisfied, but he was more interested in the toughness of his skin. He found a kitchen knife and started cutting and chopping his arms and legs. After being doused with turtle blood yesterday, the body would still show blood marks when cut with a kitchen knife, but today, despite using all his strength, Li Mang only felt a slight pain, and there were no obvious marks on his bronze-colored skin.

"Incredible, truly incredible!" Li Mang was shocked. Then, his forehead heated up, and he picked up the yellow-grade dagger lying beside him, forcefully slashing it across his arm —

"Shh..."

"..." Seeing the long blood mark on his arm, Li Mang's expression stiffened, his face turning black. But what could he do besides silently bandaging the wound?

Indeed, Li Mang's skin, after being washed by the Xuan Gui blood, had become very tough, but it was not yet invincible. The fact that he did not cut off his entire arm with the dagger already showed the astonishing defensive power of his skin.