Chapter 183 - 120: Iron Bones Forged

Chapter 183: Chapter 120: Iron Bones Forged

The previous fierce battle between Lu Chuan’s group and the level-two zombie had already drawn most of the attention. Combined with the zombies Xu Mo had killed on his way here, not many remained around Fortress D-10. Now, only a few stragglers were left wandering the area. Leading Lu Chuan’s five-person squad, who had yet to catch their breath, Xu Mo made a near-effortless dash straight to the cold outer wall of Fortress D-10.

The six of them stopped. Behind them, scattered roars drew nearer. Before them lay their path to survival, about to open.

Lu Chuan endured the severe pain from his treated wounds and the weakness from blood loss. He took a step forward toward Xu Mo’s back and spoke again with a sincere tone, "Sir, we really owe you for this one. Words can’t express our gratitude. I was wondering what your name is..."

Before he could finish, Xu Mo glanced back at them indifferently. His gaze lingered on Lu Chuan’s face for less than half a second before sweeping over the fortress entrance, which was slowly opening to reveal a crack. Then, without any response, not even a simple gesture, his figure blurred. Like a phantom, he left an afterimage, disappearing into the shadows of the intricate factory ruins in just a few bounds. His speed was astonishing.

"...name..."

Lu Chuan’s outstretched hand froze mid-air, the rest of his question completely stuck in his throat. He and the four squad members behind him stared blankly in the direction Xu Mo had vanished, their expressions a complex, indescribable mix. There was the relief of having survived, deep gratitude toward the mysterious expert who had saved them, shock and awe at his terrifying power, and also a hint of bewilderment and helplessness at being so thoroughly ignored.

That gaze had been perfectly calm, without a single ripple, as if the heart-pounding rescue he had just performed was merely a casual act, not even worth mentioning to him.

"Captain..." the bald, sturdy man with the shield called out in a low, hoarse voice.

Lu Chuan pulled his gaze back, shook his head, and gave a bitter smile. "Let’s go. We’ll get inside first." He glanced at the fortress entrance, now open wide enough for one person to pass, and without further hesitation, was the first to slip through. The other squad members composed themselves and quickly followed one by one. The heavy gate slowly closed behind them, shutting out the dangers of the outside world, along with the mysterious masked man.

Meanwhile, the moment he was out of Lu Chuan’s squad’s sight, Xu Mo pushed his speed to its absolute limit. He wasn’t deliberately trying to act cool. Rather, through killing the level-two zombie, unleashing consecutive bursts of power, and finally leading the five-person breakout, the full-power circulation of his *Thirteen Grand Protectors’ Cross Training* had kept the qi and blood in his body in an extremely active, almost boiling state. It filled Xu Mo with the urge to let out a long, resounding cry.

Now that he was alone and no longer needed to consider others, he let loose and sprinted at full power. He could feel the qi and blood in his body roaring and surging like a flood from a broken dam, churning violently through his meridians.

An indescribable feeling of release welled up from the depths of Xu Mo’s heart, spreading through his entire body. All the gloom, tension, and restraint that came from long-term survival in the post-apocalyptic world—from constantly being on guard and suppressing his true nature—seemed to be utterly washed away by this surging tide of qi and blood during that clean, decisive slaughter and rescue.

At this moment, Xu Mo felt his mind and body achieve a state of clarity, his thoughts purer and more lucid than ever before. He felt as if a thousand-pound weight had been lifted from his shoulders; even his soul felt lighter. In this state, he could use Introspection to clearly perceive the circulation of his own qi and blood, feeling the subtle changes in every inch of his muscles and every single bone as they were nourished.

The surging qi and blood within Xu Mo’s body seemed to sense this wondrous change in their master’s state of mind. They began to circulate with even greater power and exuberance, as if injected with new vitality. Both their speed and strength were quietly increasing.

In this wondrous state of high coordination and resonance between his mind, body, and qi and blood, Xu Mo shot through the ruins like a black bolt of lightning.

THUMP!

A soft sound, almost inaudible and seemingly from the depths of his soul, suddenly exploded in Xu Mo’s mind.

Immediately after, the qi and blood in his body, which had been surging but still orderly and under his control, suddenly broke free of their restraints like a wild horse that had slipped its reins.

This sudden, drastic change caused Xu Mo, who was sprinting at full speed, to suddenly stiffen. His balance was instantly shattered, and he staggered so violently that he nearly fell to the ground.

Xu Mo hurriedly forced himself to stabilize his body, but his steps became unsteady.

’This is... a breakthrough?’

Xu Mo was startled at first, but then he immediately realized what was happening.

This phenomenon—of his qi and blood losing control and spontaneously assaulting the deeper levels of his body—was so similar to what he had felt when he broke through from an ordinary person to the Cowhide Realm. The only difference was that this time, the target of the assault was not his skin and membranes, but his deeper-lying muscles and bones.

That was it. It must have been that special state of mental and physical clarity, free of all obstruction, that had aligned with some fundamental principle of cultivation. It had triggered his qi and blood, which had long since reached a critical point, to shatter the barrier that had troubled him for so long in one fell swoop.

’The Iron Bone Realm! I’m breaking into the Iron Bone Realm!’

Realizing this, a flash of joy appeared in Xu Mo’s heart, but it was immediately followed by a strong sense of urgency. The last time he broke through to the Cowhide Realm, he had barely managed to sustain himself by consuming a massive amount of high-energy food and many restorative supplements. Even then, he had nearly been sucked dry.

A realm breakthrough was, in essence, an evolutionary leap to a higher level of existence. It required a massive amount of energy to support it. If the energy was insufficient, it would inevitably overdraw from the body’s very foundation and consume one’s life force.