Chapter 111: Chapter 110: Bludgeoned to Death

"Die!"

Barton drew his right fist back to his waist. All the blood energy in his body surged madly toward it, twisting the very air around his knuckles.

With mountain-shattering force, he launched the punch straight at Ian’s face!

This punch was enough to blast an Elite Level High Level Apprentice—Shield and all—into smithereens!

Ian didn’t dodge or evade. He threw a punch of his own.

There was no steaming blood energy, no dazzling light—just a plain, simple straight punch.

As he swung, his arm seemed to swell slightly, its skin glowing with a faint, jade-like golden luster.

The two fists collided!

DONG...!

It was like two solid iron hammers smashing into each other at supersonic speed.

A visible shockwave erupted in a ring, snapping several nearby stalagmites in half and sending shards of rock flying.

"What?!"

The savage grin on Barton’s face froze instantly, replaced by utter horror.

He felt an indescribable, colossal Power, as if the entire Earth was crushing down on him—it was unstoppable!

The blood energy gathered on his fist was shattered by the impact, and the bones in his hand emitted a sickening crunch as they broke under the strain.

Searing pain shot up his entire right arm, which went numb. His body stumbled backward uncontrollably, each step cracking the ice beneath his feet.

Ian’s figure only swayed slightly before he was once again steady as a rock.

He pushed off his feet. With a BANG, the ice shattered, and he closed the distance like a Shadow.

"You..."

A mix of shock and fury on his face, Barton hastily swung his left fist while simultaneously trying to activate some life-saving Secret Technique.

But Ian was faster.

His left hand shot out like lightning, precisely grabbing Barton’s swinging left wrist. His fingers tightened like an iron vise.

CRACK!

The crisp sound of a wrist bone shattering.

Barton screamed, his Secret Technique interrupted.

Fear finally appeared in his eyes. This gray-robed man wasn’t an ordinary High Level Apprentice at all!

’This physical strength, this Spiritual Power... He’s a monster!’

He wanted to run, but his right hand was useless and his left was captured.

Ian yanked Barton’s captured left wrist toward him, brought up his right knee like a battering ram, and slammed it viciously into Barton’s abdomen.

"URGH..."

Barton’s eyes bulged as he violently spat out a mouthful of blood mixed with chunks of his internal organs. The knee strike completely shattered his protective layer of blood energy.

Ian released him, and Barton crumpled backward like a shrimp.

He took a deep breath, and as Barton watched in terror, his body...

RIP! His muscles burst through his gray robe.

A three-meter-tall, silver-gray giant appeared, emanating a suffocating sense of Power. 𝗳𝗿𝐞𝕖𝘄𝗲𝕓𝗻𝚘𝚟𝕖𝐥.𝚌𝕠𝕞

CRACK! CRACK! Ian twisted his barrel-sized head.

"This is my most comfortable form. A shame..."

Before the words left his mouth, he took a step forward, and his fists fell like raindrops.

BAM! BAM! ...

He used no Witchcraft, only pure, ultimate physical strength. Every punch landed solidly on Barton’s head, chest, and back.

Dull thuds echoed through the Stone Forest, accompanied by the grating sound of breaking bones.

At first, Barton could still barely block and scream in pain, but soon, his arms fell limply to his sides.

His protective blood energy vanished completely. His dark red robe became soaked with his own blood, and his bones shattered inch by inch.

Finally, Ian smashed a fist down onto the crown of his head.

SPLAT!

It was like smashing a ripe watermelon.

Barton’s headless body swayed and fell limply to the ground, silent.

From the start of the ambush to Barton being beaten to death, the entire process took no more than ten breaths.

The hollow in the Stone Forest returned to silence, leaving only the spreading stench of blood and scorching, and the wreckage strewn across the ground.

Ian slowly straightened up. His swollen body returned to its original size, and he changed into a new robe.

His breathing was steady as his cold gaze swept over the five corpses.

"Gaga, clean and efficient! Not one got away!"

Gaga leaped out from the shadows and landed on Ian’s shoulder. Its small eyes, filled with excitement, scanned the battlefield.

’Enemies like these don’t even need my help.’

Ian said nothing and quickly got to work.

He swiftly looted the Dimension Bags and other valuables from the five bodies, pocketing the Abyssal Crystals and discarding the mission-related tokens.

He focused his mind, and his powerful Vaporization Spiritual Power surged out like a tide, carefully washing over the five corpses.

He paid special attention to Barton’s body, erasing and scrambling any potential tracking marks or residual auras.

Gaga cooperated by releasing its own Shadow Energy to cover and interfere with any traces.

After confirming that all traces were gone, Ian didn’t linger. His figure flickered and vanished deep into the Stone Forest, heading back toward the stronghold.

After turning in his mission, Ian returned to his stone house in the stronghold and activated the warning Runes.

He first took out Barton’s Dimension Bag and probed it with his Spiritual Power.

Inside, aside from a few dozen Abyssal Crystals, several hundred Magic Stones, and some common Potion ingredients, the most conspicuous item was a thick, leather-bound book.

The cover was dark red and cool to the touch, made from the tanned hide of some Demon. On it were twisted Tua characters that read:

*Crimson Secret Scripture*.

Ian opened the book.

A bloody, violent aura washed over him. It was as if countless wails echoed from between the words.

The book recorded dozens of Secret Techniques, most of which were utterly evil.

There was a Curse Witchcraft that required the "Heart Blood of one hundred infants" for its Refining, a ritual that used "flayed human skin" as a material, and even a Forbidden Technique that imprisoned a Soul in flesh to be tortured.

Ian’s brow furrowed as he quickly flipped past the unsettling content.

Until he reached the "Physical Body Tempering Chapter."

A Witchcraft appeared, named the "Furnace Body Tempering Skill."

Its core principle was to use one’s own body as a Furnace, smelting countless types of Essence Blood to temper an immortal combat body.

The Cultivation process was equally bloody, requiring large quantities of bizarre ingredients like "Living Extraordinary Creature’s Heart Essence Blood," "freshly extracted Bone Marrow Spirit Ointment," and "Soul Fragments filled with resentment."

However, the book specifically noted that the reason the Cultivation Technique was called a "Furnace" was because it was not picky about the type of Essence Blood used.

Any Essence Blood refined from an Extraordinary Bloodline, as long as it was pure enough, could be thrown into the "Furnace" to be smelted and absorbed, transforming into pure physical strength and defense.

When tempered to a high level, one’s physical body would surpass that of a Demon of the same tier, becoming immensely powerful and indestructible.

’Not picky about the type of Essence Blood...’

Ian’s breath caught in his throat.

An image flashed through his mind: the mountain of various Blood Essences piled up in his Dimension Bag. From Shadow Pattern Vipers, Rotting Swamp Porcupinefish, Stone-Skinned Mountain Demons...

These Blood Essences were originally just byproducts of his practice with the [Bloodline Purification Technique].

But now, they seemed to have transformed into a mountain of gold, a path to a formidable physique!

’Does this mean all that Blood Essence I refined won’t just be snacks for Gaga anymore?’

A sharp glint flashed in Ian’s eyes as an irrepressible excitement surged through him.

He possessed the Secondary Limit-Breaking [Bloodline Purification Technique], which had the two special effects of [Spirit Devourer] and [Awakening]. The purity of the Blood Essence he refined was far beyond what an ordinary person could imagine.

The supply of Blood Essence was not a problem for him at all!

This "Furnace Body Tempering Skill" was practically tailor-made for him!

He wouldn’t touch the other bloody Secret Techniques in the book. But the Chapter on physical Body Tempering... it was too perfect.

’I’d better not turn in the Abyssal Crystals at the mission post, but I can spend them at the market. As for this Secret Scripture...’

The upper limit of this physical Witchcraft was Tier One Peak.

Ian closed the book, his fingertips tapping lightly on the cover.

The risk was immense. If anyone discovered he possessed a core Secret Scripture of the Deep Red Royal Court, the consequences would be unimaginable.

But the opportunity was even greater.

His Witchcraft System was already approaching the limit for an Apprentice, and promotion was imminent, but his physical body had always been his weak point.

After the Limit-Breaking enhancement of the [Rock Bear Potion], his body was far stronger than his peers, but he had no clear path forward after Tier One.

If he could use the "Furnace Body Tempering Skill" with a massive amount of high-purity Blood Essence, his physical strength would take a qualitative leap!

By then, he would be able to beat powerful enemies to death in close combat, tank Witchcraft with his defense, and his endurance in battle would be terrifying to behold.