Chapter 62: Mad Demon

When the figures and screeches of the Wing-claw Stone Vultures completely vanished into the horizon, the Awakeners on the street scattered with their own subordinates to count the casualties and clean up the wrecked streets, houses, and factories.

The laborers were forcefully driven back into the factories by the lackeys’ whippings and scoldings. In this air raid, the lackeys didn’t suffer many casualties, but dozens of these panicked laborers were either crushed to death or unfortunately became food in the bellies of the Wing-claw Stone Vultures.

The guards began clearing the rubble-strewn streets with shouts and calls, while the Blood General, with his hands behind his back, roamed and inspected the area with Tie Shan and a few subordinates. Not far away, Chen Chong thought for a moment on top of a turret, then immediately leaped down and walked in the direction of the Blood General.

Along the way, a faint smell of blood drifted through the air. As Chen Chong passed some houses, he could even see flesh and internal organs splattered down from the sky, a ghastly sight to behold.

On the street, the Blood General was pointing at several Wing-claw Stone Vultures he had shot down and giving some instructions. Tie Shan beside him first spotted Chen Chong walking over and cracked a grin:

“Huh? Brat, where did you pop out from? Where were you hiding just now?”

Chen Chong ignored Tie Shan and bowed deferentially to the Blood General, whose back was to him, and said pretentiously: “General, I was wondering if there’s anything I can do?”

“It’s you…”

The Blood General turned around, his blood-red eyes scanning like a venomous snake, yet a playful smile surfaced on his face:

“Chen Chong, with such a good opportunity just now, didn’t you think about escaping?”

“The General jests.”

Chen Chong replied without changing his expression:

“I’m well-fed and warmly clothed now. With the General treating me so well, how could I possibly run away? When such an accident occurs in the Territory, it is only natural that I come to share the General’s burdens.”

“You’re a clever man, knowing what the right choice is.”

Taking Chen Chong’s words as an expression of loyalty as a matter of course, the Blood General gave a sardonic smile:

“You’re not yet familiar with the Territory. Go back to the Power Station and help Old Xu, see if there are any losses.”

“Yes.”

Chen Chong nodded, hesitated as if thinking, and then asked:

“General, may I ask when that side will make a move?”

By “that side,” Chen Chong was naturally referring to the possible actions the Dawn Gathering Place might launch against the base.

“Hm? Why are you asking this again?”

Hearing Chen Chong’s inquiry, before the Blood General could speak, Tie Shan’s eyebrows shot up and he said maliciously in a rough voice:

“The General clearly instructed last time that you would be notified when the operation begins. Is such an important plan something you can inquire about? And it seems you’re even more impatient than the General?”

The Blood General was a suspicious man by nature, and upon hearing Tie Shan’s words, he immediately narrowed his eyes.

At this moment, like a qualified actor, Chen Chong immediately put on a half-real, half-fake look of hatred:

“General, forgive me. The pain and torment I experienced in the base are etched into my bones and unforgettable for life, all thanks to those White-skinned Ghosts in the base! Though my power is feeble, I can’t wait to strip their skin and devour their flesh, to let those scum taste tenfold or a hundredfold what true suffering really means!”

“So that’s how it is.”

This reason was flawless. The Blood General’s suspicion instantly vanished. He smiled slightly and patted Chen Chong on the shoulder:

“You will have your wish fulfilled. However, from the news I’ve received and my understanding of the Dawn Gathering Place, they are quite cautious and won’t make any moves in the short term. It will be at least another ten days to half a month. Just wait at ease.”

Chen Chong put on a grateful expression: “Thank you, General. I am ready at any time to be the General’s guide!”

The Blood General nodded, and Chen Chong left. Staring at Chen Chong’s retreating back, Tie Shan snorted coldly: “General, I was wrong. This brat isn’t some wolf cub; he’s a complete bootlicker!”

The Blood General immediately burst out laughing, paying no mind to Tie Shan’s petty calculations, and casually instructed:

“Gather all the Wing-claw Stone Vulture corpses and send them to the kitchen to be properly prepared. Reward the lads who worked hard today!”

…

Chen Chong, having finished his performance, hurried straight to the Power Station.

Just as he arrived before the Power Station fence, he happened to see Old Xu standing fearfully at the station’s main gate, looking back and forth at the gray, hazy sky.

“Hey, kid!”

As soon as Old Xu saw Chen Chong, he hastily asked: “How are the other places?”

“Several dozen casualties.” Chen Chong walked closer and asked: “Old Xu, how is it here? Was it attacked?”

“Kid, you actually have a conscience.”

Old Xu looked at Chen Chong with surprise and said:

“This place is remote, so it wasn’t attacked. But I saw the other factories seemed to have suffered quite a bit of loss. Ah… those feathered beasts really treat this place as their own sheepfold.”

“It’s good that there was none.”

Chen Chong breathed a slight sigh of relief in his heart. The Power Station was, after all, crucial to his grand cultivation plan. If it had been damaged, it would undoubtedly be a colossal trouble for him.

After learning that the Power Station was operating normally, Chen Chong didn’t linger. He hastily said goodbye to Old Xu and returned to his dwelling.

Once in his room, Chen Chong didn’t intend to waste a single moment. He immediately shut out the noise outside the window, focused his mind, and the twenty-seven secret diagrams of the first layer of Body Tempering Iron Body flashed through his mind like a revolving lantern. When his mind had thoroughly settled, he immediately assumed the starting posture and began the cultivation of the Vajra Indestructible Divine Art step by step.

With the experience of the previous complete cultivation session, Chen Chong was undoubtedly much smoother with each secret movement this time. This was directly reflected in the total time needed to complete all twenty-seven postures. Compared to the last session, a nearly four-hour physical ordeal that nearly exhausted all his stamina, this time Chen Chong took three and a half hours to complete the twenty-seven secret movements fully.

During this process, the True Qi inside Chen Chong’s body was as if forged by an invisible iron hammer, seeping thread by thread into his muscles, bones, flesh, and blood, subtly strengthening every part of his body.

When the twenty-seventh posture was completed, Chen Chong’s muscles swelled all over, steam billowing from his body. He stood with difficulty, gasping sharply, and even more clearly felt that his muscles had toughened by another fraction or two, and his body seemed to still retain a sliver of spare energy.

He also utilized the time waiting for his stamina to recover. Without pausing, he returned to the bed board and assumed the meditation posture of the Ultimate Infinite Qigong, continuing to practice his control over the True Qi within his body, drop by drop refining the True Qi that had surged due to Electrotherapy.

Thus, Chen Chong was like a sleepless, restless robot. When his stamina was completely exhausted from cultivating the Vajra Indestructible Divine Art, he would immediately sit cross-legged and meditate, circulate the Ultimate Infinite Qigong to nourish his True Qi and quickly restore his stamina. Then, once his stamina recovered, he would begin Body Tempering Iron Body cultivation again, cycling through this from morning till night.

Even without eating or drinking, without electricity, and even without internet, Chen Chong didn’t feel the slightest bit bored or weary.

Within him, a kind of terrifying, mad-demon-like determination and focus was unfolding.