Inside the Government Office, Chen Sheng opened his eyes, a deep, lingering solemnity etched between his brows.

As expected, the difficulty of breaking through to the Marrow Transformation Realm was far greater than the previous two realms.

The three realms of Foundation Establishment—Mingxi, Bone Forging, and Marrow Transformation.

The first two realms could be overcome with patient, grinding effort. As long as one’s aptitude was decent and resources were plentiful, a breakthrough was always possible by following a methodical process. The Marrow Transformation stage, however, was a massive chasm to cross.

This realm involved the tempering of one’s inner marrow, touching upon the very foundation of a Martial Artist. A single misstep could lead to failure and severe damage to one’s Primordial Qi. In the worst-case scenario, the sea of marrow would be shaken, and one’s foundation utterly destroyed.

What made it even more daunting was that a Foundation Establishment Martial Master had, at most, three chances in their lifetime to attempt a breakthrough into the Marrow Transformation Realm.

Each failure would not only damage their Martial Dao foundation but also cause the success rate of subsequent attempts to plummet. This was why there were many Bone Forging Martial Masters in the world, yet not even one in ten could step into the Marrow Transformation Realm.

The future revealed by the "Seeking Fortune and Avoiding Evil" Celestial Book was like a constantly ringing alarm.

According to its guidance, he currently had only two paths to successfully break through:

First, he could cultivate the Fishing Toad Force Secret Technique—which strengthened his foundation and protected his Meridians—to the Minor Achievement stage. Second, he could find a way to obtain the Huang Family’s ultimate treasure: the Spirit Marrow Gu.

However, neither path was easy.

The Fishing Toad Force was profound and difficult, and progress was extremely slow. Without the aid of an Elixir like the Purifying Essence Pill, which could perform Bone Marrow Cleansing and Body Refining, relying on his own arduous cultivation meant his progress would be at a snail’s pace.

He had been diligently cultivating it for over two months and had only just barely reached the entry level.

[Fishing Toad Force Secret Technique, Minor Achievement (47/500)]

Based on this rate of progress, reaching the Minor Achievement stage would require at least another half-year of arduous work, day and night.

He couldn’t afford to wait that long.

The other path, obtaining the Spirit Marrow Gu, was just as difficult.

He had heard Wu Kuang mention this Spiritual Object during a casual conversation back when they were traveling together to their new posts.

This Gu was considered a first-rate opportunity for achieving Marrow Transformation. Its most precious quality was that it could be nourished for generations as an heirloom.

An adult Spirit Marrow Gu could produce a single drop of "Spirit Marrow Liquid" approximately every twelve years. If a Martial Artist refined this liquid while breaking through to the Marrow Transformation Realm, it could increase their chances of success by thirty percent.

One could say that unless a person’s foundation was exceptionally weak, breaking through to the Marrow Transformation Realm with the help of this Spiritual Liquid was almost guaranteed.

No wonder the Huang Family had the longest legacy in Changshan County. With this item in their possession, they could continuously produce Marrow Transformation Martial Masters and maintain their family’s power.

Since he was unwilling to waste half a year, the Huang Family’s secretly held Spirit Marrow Gu became his only and most crucial target.

’But the question is... could the Huang Family’s Spirit Marrow Gu really be at its twelve-year mark right now? If that’s true, it can’t be explained away as a coincidence. It’s almost as if it’s waiting specifically for me.’

’But if it isn’t, then there must be something else going on that I don’t know about.’

After a moment of thought, Chen Sheng didn’t hesitate. He rose and headed straight for the dungeons of the North City Military Camp.

He knew very little about the Huang Family’s internal affairs, but that didn’t matter. There was an "Insider" locked up in the cells who knew the family like the back of his hand. Perhaps he could learn something about the Spirit Marrow Gu from him.

Ever since the night he captured "Bone-Melting Hand" Li Huai Sheng alive, the man had been constantly begging for a chance to meet with Chen Sheng to plead for his life.

Of course, Chen Sheng wouldn’t easily trust a Poison Dao expert who had tried to kill him one moment and was kneeling to beg for mercy the next.

In the meantime, he had ordered his men to secretly investigate Li Huai Sheng’s background.

Unfortunately, the man’s moniker seemed to have appeared in Changshan County out of thin air, with no traceable history. The only lead was his self-proclaimed identity as a "Huang Family Tributor," something Chen Sheng had always been skeptical about.

Fortunately, the "Seeking Fortune and Avoiding Evil" Celestial Book had unexpectedly given him a hint: there was a way to control the man. However, the other party might not cooperate willingly. Thus, Chen Sheng’s original plan had been to keep him imprisoned for a while, break his spirit, and then decide how to use him later.

But now, with the situation so pressing, he no longer had the luxury of time.

As he stepped into the deepest part of the dungeon, a damp, putrid stench assailed his senses.

Two guards were drinking together by the faint light of an oil lamp, while Li Huai Sheng, bound tightly to a torture rack with chains as thick as a child’s arm, was still weakly pleading with them for a chance to see Chen Sheng.

When the two soldiers saw Chen Sheng suddenly appear, they were scared out of their wits. They scrambled to their feet and bowed, the alcohol’s effects instantly wearing off.

"You two may leave," Chen Sheng said, waving a hand.

"Yes, my lord!" The two scurried away as if they had been granted amnesty.

Li Huai Sheng, disheveled and emaciated, struggled to lift his head. A brilliant light suddenly erupted in his clouded eyes as he spoke, his voice hoarse and excited:

"Commander Chen! Commander Chen, I sincerely wish to surrender! I’ll be your most loyal servant!"

Chen Sheng walked up to him, calmly scrutinizing the prisoner before speaking coolly:

"I came here to give you a chance. It all depends on whether you know what’s good for you."

"I do, I do! Commander Chen, you can see for yourself, I know exactly what’s good for me!"

"You’re not from Changshan County, are you?" Chen Sheng got straight to the point.

Li Huai Sheng knew Chen Sheng must have investigated him. His expression darkened, and he shook his head.

"...No."

"Care to tell me about your origins?"

Li Huai Sheng understood that this was the first step to gaining trust. If he didn’t explain his background clearly, there was no chance he would survive. After a brief silence, he finally spoke, his voice raspy:

"I... I come from the Ten Thousand Poisons Sect in Nanzhao Prefecture. My family met with disaster and was wiped out, forcing me to flee alone. After wandering for some time, I ended up here in Changshan County the year before last. Because my Poison Skills were decent enough, the Huang Family recruited me as a Tributor..."

"And that’s why you can betray the Huang Family without a second thought?"

"That’s not entirely it."

A bitter, self-mocking smile appeared on Li Huai Sheng’s face. "I’ve always operated on the principle of equal exchange. I put in as much effort as the resources the Huang Family gives me."

"They expect me to die for them for the meager payment they offer? What a joke. Besides... I carry the weight of a blood feud. With my vengeance yet to be achieved, I’ll take any chance to live. I would never willingly go to my death."

Chen Sheng nodded slightly at his words.

’That did make sense.’

’Why would anyone risk their life for a mere Tributor’s stipend?’

His gaze swept over Li Huai Sheng’s collar, which had been pulled open from his struggles, revealing a strange black snake tattoo on his chest. The pattern, however, seemed incomplete.

"This black snake, is it the mark of the Ten Thousand Poisons Sect?"

"It is."

"Why is it incomplete?"

A flash of embarrassment crossed Li Huai Sheng’s face.

"In my youth... I was too aggressive while researching my Poison Skills and accidentally introduced poison into my body. It corroded my flesh and damaged part of the tattoo."

Chen Sheng didn’t press for details. His tone suddenly shifted, becoming cold and stern.

"You must know full well why I don’t trust you. If you want to live, you must meet two conditions. First, offer up a sufficiently valuable ’Pledge of Loyalty.’ Second, hand over something that will allow me to control you completely."

Li Huai Sheng’s heart sank. He knew the crucial moment had arrived. He asked in a trembling voice:

"My lord... how do you plan to control me?"

The corner of Chen Sheng’s mouth lifted slightly as he slowly drew a piece of paper from his sleeve. It was as thin as a cicada’s wing, dark in color, and emitted a faint, cloying, sweet scent.

"This is a remnant page of the Hundred Poisons True Skill. According to what’s written here, cultivators like you who follow this path must all nourish a ’Lifebound Poison Insect’ inside their bodies with their own essence blood."

"This insect is symbiotically linked to your life. The majority of your Poison Skill is tied to it. If the insect dies, the host will suffer a severe backlash. A great loss of power would be the least of your worries."

His gaze was as sharp as a blade as he stared at Li Huai Sheng’s instantly pale face, saying, word by word, "If you want me to trust you, hand over your Lifebound Poison Insect for me to control."

"You... How do you know about the Hundred Poisons True Skill?! And how did you know it was hidden in the secret lining of my black robe?!"

Li Huai Sheng was aghast, his face drained of color, his eyes filled with incredulous terror. This page of the Cultivation Technique was incredibly important to him, so he had always kept it hidden on his person in an extremely secret place. Given that it was thin as a cicada’s wing, it could be easily destroyed, but it was almost impossible to discover.

"You don’t need to know that."

Chen Sheng’s voice was indifferent, laced with an authority that allowed no room for questions. "You only need to answer: are you willing, or not?"

"If I’m not willing... does that mean I’ll never leave this dungeon?"

Chen Sheng first nodded, then slowly shook his head, his gaze sweeping over the grim torture instruments around them. His meaning was self-evident.

"You will leave... but in a different way."

The dungeon fell into a dead silence, broken only by the crackling of the torches and Li Huai Sheng’s ragged, heavy breaths.

His expression flickered, his mind clearly in turmoil. Seeing that Chen Sheng’s patience was wearing thin and that he was about to turn and leave, he finally cried out in a hoarse voice:

"Commander Chen... wait."

As if drained of all strength, Li Huai Sheng slumped against the torture rack and said dejectedly:

"I... I am willing to hand over my Lifebound Poison Insect."

A knowing smile touched Chen Sheng’s lips.

"Very good."

————