I Am a Rune Engraver, Carrying a Knife Makes Perfect Sense-Chapter 27 - The Golden Figure

—

“Who taught you all this on East Street?” Wang Bing asked, taking a long drag from his cigarette as he stood on the rooftop.

“You don’t know? I thought you’d been secretly having the Xinhuo Guard keep an eye on me,” Xu Shen replied, feigning surprise.

“The area you went to was off-limits,” Wang Bing said plainly. “Unless ghouls appeared, no one was allowed to follow you inside.”

Wang Bing himself was curious. Although he had broken through to the Tongyou Realm, he hadn’t officially been promoted yet and was still a squad leader. He didn’t have access to certain secrets.

“An old—”

Xu Shen started to explain, but Wang Bing raised a hand, signaling him to stop.

Wang Bing frowned deeply. He had watched Xu Shen grow up. Normally, a kid his age would be trembling after killing a single ghoul, let alone doing what Xu Shen had done tonight. Yet here he was, acting like nothing had happened, casually thinking about taking a shower afterward.

If Wang Bing hadn’t been waiting in the living room, he might not have caught Xu Shen at all.

Taking another drag from his cigarette, Wang Bing’s face was soon obscured by smoke.

Xu Shen scratched his head. “Uncle Wang, what’s with the grim expression? You look like you’ve got the weight of the world on your shoulders.”

“It’s my fault I didn’t take better care of you. If I’d forced you to stay in school back then—”

“Uncle Wang!” Xu Shen’s voice suddenly turned serious.

Wang Bing looked at him.

Under the moonlight, Xu Shen’s eyes shone brightly, carrying a maturity far beyond his years.

“Even if you’d forced me to stay in school, I would’ve run away.”

“You’ve already done so much for Xu Dong and Xu Xia. I’m incredibly grateful for that. And you didn’t embezzle money—where would you have gotten enough to support all four of us through school?”

“You bought us this house. Aunt Li cooks for us every day. I’m not ungrateful. But now that I can support myself, I won’t let you spend another cent on me.”

“Uncle Wang, everything you and Aunt Li have done for me—I’ll never forget it.”

“I’ll repay your kindness a thousand times over in the future!”

Xu Shen’s voice carried an unshakable determination. His serious expression left Wang Bing momentarily speechless.

After a long pause, Wang Bing finally stubbed out his cigarette and said, “Since you’ve found your own path, I won’t say anything more.”

“And about tonight—you did well.”

He patted Xu Shen on the shoulder before turning and walking away.

As Yuan City’s second Tongyou Realm cultivator in the Xinhuo Guard, Wang Bing knew exactly what Xu Shen had done tonight.

—

In the days that followed, Xu Shen’s schedule was packed.

In the mornings, he trained the Battle Art with the old man.

In the afternoons, he crammed ten years’ worth of cultural studies with Ms. Wang at Experimental High School.

And in the evenings, he engraved and refined runes for his three brothers.

Life was busy but fulfilling.

Yang Dian, Zhang Zhuangshi, and Xu Guang took turns visiting every other day for their rune sessions. Meanwhile, Xu Shen’s relentless cultivation had brought him to the brink of breaking through to the Core Solidification Realm—a speed that was practically unheard of!

Even the repair shop employees weren’t spared. Whenever they had downtime, Xu Shen refined their runes as well. It was only then that they realized what Xu Shen had been doing in his office all this time.

No wonder he always came out looking so drained!

The repair shop quickly gained fame, becoming a gathering spot for Yuan City’s wealthy second-generation heirs and even some Xinhuo Guards who brought their cars in for repairs. The shop underwent a complete transformation—high-end and classy!

However, those rich kids who had hesitated during the ghoul incident now carried a sense of guilt. Zhang Zhuangshi had called them that night, but they’d stayed away out of fear of being arrested by the Xinhuo Guard. Seeing Xu Shen acting like nothing had happened only deepened their regret.

Fortunately, Xu Shen didn’t seem to hold it against them and greeted them with a smile whenever they visited. But they knew their relationship with him would never go beyond casual acquaintanceship.

—

Two months passed.

Among the awakened high school seniors, five students stood out as rising stars:

1. Murong Xin – From a branch of the Murong family in Xia Nation. She had engraved her family’s signature rune: Fierce Sky Armor, which combined offense and defense.

2. Wang Qingqing – The controversial Ghost Attribute talent and one of the most mysterious figures. Few had seen her around campus lately.

3. Shi Jian – A Thunder Attribute talent with the Thunder Surge Rune.

4. Cai Tianpeng – A Wind Attribute talent with the Azure Wind Heart Rune.

5. Lin Sancai – A frail-looking girl with a pure Sword Attribute talent. Rumor had it that a powerful figure had taken her away for secret training immediately after her awakening. She recently returned with astonishing sword skills.

But none of this mattered to Xu Shen anymore.

—

Currently, Xu Shen was in the underground training room beneath the old man’s house.

His entire body radiated blood energy that roared like thunder with every movement he made. Each subtle motion produced sounds reminiscent of rolling thunder or collapsing mountains.

The thunderous noises came from within his body—every muscle contraction and bone collision generated powerful shockwaves that rippled outward like an invisible storm.

His arms bore newly engraved Weapon Runes that glowed faintly as they merged seamlessly with his skin. The runes on his left and right arms mirrored each other perfectly, creating an intricate symmetry.

Even more astonishingly, with each breath he took, golden mist seemed to flow from his mouth like divine light blooming into a radiant lotus.

This golden mist wasn’t just an illusion—it emanated real energy waves from deep within his flesh as if his body contained endless treasures waiting to be unleashed.

“So this is the Battle Art,” Xu Shen murmured as golden light flickered in his eyes. His blood energy intertwined with the Battle Art, transforming its crimson hue into shimmering gold!

As he pushed the Nine Observations of the Nether Immortal technique to its limit, his body surged to its peak state—every function operating at maximum capacity.

Golden light enveloped him entirely as his blood energy roared like a raging storm accompanied by crackling thunder.

—

Upstairs, the old man suddenly opened his dim eyes from where he lay on a rocking chair.

“Finally mastered it?” he muttered softly.

Back in the training room, Xu Shen clenched his fist experimentally. Thunder rumbled from within him as if lightning were about to burst forth from his veins.

BOOM!

He punched a massive white stone in front of him. The entire room shook violently as cracks spread across the stone before it shattered into countless fragments!

The golden light around him faded as his glowing eyes returned to normal. Yet something about him had changed—a newfound aura of unwavering determination radiated from him.

It was an aura that said: No obstacle can stand in my way.

“This Battle Art… its origins must rival those of the Nine Observations of the Nether Immortal,” Xu Shen thought, his eyes gleaming with newfound insight.

As he fully mastered the Battle Art, he noticed something strange happening within his mind. The illusory black mountain formed by the Nine Observations now had a new addition—a golden figure identical to himself!

The figure sat cross-legged atop the mountain, surrounded by divine light like an immortal being.

“What is this?” Xu Shen wondered aloud.

When he activated the Battle Art again, the golden figure vanished instantly—merging seamlessly into every fiber of his being. His combat strength skyrocketed to unprecedented levels—pushing past even his physical limits!

The intense pain of his flesh tearing forced him to deactivate the technique quickly. The golden figure returned to its perch atop the mountain within his mind.

“It can push me beyond my limits?” Xu Shen muttered in disbelief.

The old man had once told him that breaking through limits was possible but not guaranteed—it depended on individual aptitude and circumstances.

But what was happening now? Despite the pain, Xu Shen could feel that if he wanted to take that step forward, he could—but at great cost to his body.

—

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As Xu Shen pondered this development, a sudden gust of wind alerted him to an incoming attack!

He spun around and threw a punch instinctively—his fist colliding with another bony fist mid-air!

BOOM!

The impact sent shockwaves rippling through both their bodies as Xu Shen felt his muscles tremble from the force.

Yet instead of fear, a spark of battle intent ignited in his eyes as golden blood energy surged around him once more.

“Come!” he roared.

The underground chamber quaked as Xu Shen and the old man clashed repeatedly—each strike cracking walls and shaking the ground.

Despite being slammed into walls multiple times by the old man’s relentless attacks, Xu Shen refused to back down. Blood dripped from his mouth as he countered with ferocious strikes of his own.

“You’ve mastered it in just two months,” the old man said with a rare smile as he dodged one of Xu Shen’s blows. “You’re six months ahead of my expectations—you’re well-suited for the Battle Art.”

“Old man,” Xu Shen said between breaths as he wiped blood from his mouth. “When you mastered the Battle Art… did you get a little golden figure in your mind?”

The old man frowned in confusion. “Golden figure? What golden figure?”