I Am a Rune Engraver, Carrying a Knife Makes Perfect Sense-Chapter 35 - Holding the Line Alone!

—

In that instant, the golden glow surrounding Xu Shen, which had previously been like a hazy mist, suddenly condensed and became dazzlingly radiant. Streams of golden light, as brilliant as divine rays, flowed continuously across his body.

His eyes grew even more intimidating, the golden hue within them shining brighter than ever.

And then, his buzzcut hair began to grow, lengthening rapidly until it cascaded down his back.

“What the hell?! Is this… Super Saiyan 3?!” one of the Xinhuo Guards exclaimed, almost getting clawed by a corpse ape in his distraction. He blinked rapidly, questioning if he was hallucinating.

This… this didn’t look like cultivation at all!

Xu Shen raised his hand and threw a punch into the air toward a corpse ape charging from his right. The very air seemed to ripple and distort as a massive wave of force erupted from his fist.

The corpse ape didn’t even have time to react before it exploded into pieces.

“So this is the Awakening Extreme Realm…” Xu Shen murmured, feeling the boundless vitality and power surging through his body. It was as if every cell in his body was brimming with energy, and an unstoppable force roared from deep within his flesh.

He finally understood what the old man had meant by “Extreme Realm,” though the old man hadn’t described it in detail. Xu Shen could only liken the sensation to breaking free from some invisible shackle—a transformation so profound it was almost indescribable.

It was like a child playing with a wooden sword suddenly becoming a master swordsman overnight, wielding a legendary blade.

Or like a barren field suddenly bursting into lush greenery after a single rainstorm.

“Is it because of my weapon runes and the Battle Art that I’ve stepped into this body-focused Extreme Realm?” Xu Shen wondered. This level of physical strength was far from normal.

—

BOOM!

Several more corpse apes lunged at him. Without even turning his head, Xu Shen instinctively threw another punch to his right.

A massive shockwave erupted from his fist, obliterating the ghouls mid-air. This time, they didn’t even turn into blood mist—just chunks of flesh scattered everywhere.

“That kid’s raw strength… is at least at the entry level of Flame Mastery Realm,” one Flame Mastery cultivator remarked, his face twitching slightly as he observed Xu Shen’s attack.

“In terms of pure strength, yes. But his overall combat ability is far below that,” another replied.

The others nodded in agreement, feeling somewhat reassured. After all, Flame Mastery marked a true transformation in cultivation. Once the “Flames of Consciousness” were ignited, the power of runes could be fully unleashed—something far beyond what anyone below Flame Mastery could achieve.

Still, the fact that Xu Shen had reached this level of raw power was astonishing enough to leave them shaken.

“Awakening Extreme Realm… It must be body-focused. I need to report this to headquarters,” one Tongyou Realm expert muttered. He had maintained his composure for a while but could no longer contain himself after witnessing Xu Shen’s breakthrough. Turning away from the battlefield, he began making a call.

The concept of “Extreme Realm” was something most Tongyou Realm cultivators had at least heard of, though it was exceedingly rare for anyone to achieve it. It wasn’t widely discussed because so few ever reached it.

Extreme Realm wasn’t just about runes or techniques—it also involved aspects of consciousness and willpower that were difficult to quantify.

Among everyone present—even counting all of Yuan City—Xu Shen might be the only one to have achieved it.

The term “Extreme Realm” itself was first proposed years ago by a senior named Yan. And now, they were witnessing someone who had truly reached it.

—

“Reporting in! This is Dong Tianming, supreme commander of the Changbai Mountain war zone. I believe we’ve discovered an Awakening Extreme Realm cultivator!” Dong Tianming spoke into his phone with a mix of excitement and uncertainty—it was his first time seeing such a phenomenon.

“Are you certain?” A calm yet authoritative voice responded after a brief pause.

“The signs match the descriptions provided by that senior. However, since I’ve never seen it before, I can’t be 100% sure,” Dong Tianming admitted. “But there’s something unique about this individual… His breakthrough seems entirely focused on physical strength.”

“What do his records say? Is his background clean?”

“His records have been modified by Yuan City’s Guide. I don’t have access,” Dong Tianming replied solemnly.

The other end of the line fell silent for a moment before speaking again. “Test him further to confirm if it’s truly the Awakening Extreme Realm.”

“I’ll send you his records shortly.”

“If he is genuine, I’ll personally reach out to him.”

“This would make him the first civilian cultivator in Xia Nation to achieve Extreme Realm at Awakening level…”

“If possible, we must spare no effort to recruit him into the Xinhuo Guard.”

“Perhaps… he could even become one of our future Flames.”

Dong Tianming’s eyes widened in shock at those words. For a moment, he forgot how to respond. Only after the call ended did he snap back to reality.

“A future Flame… Xu Shen, you’re truly blessed…” he muttered under his breath.

—

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

Back on the battlefield, Xu Shen continued leading the charge when suddenly the ground began trembling violently—far more intensely than before. Everyone’s expressions changed as they realized something was wrong.

ROAR!!

With a thunderous crash, trees toppled as dozens of massive figures emerged from the forest!

These creatures resembled corpse apes but were larger and more muscular. Their white fur had a faint reddish hue that gave them an eerie and otherworldly appearance.

Their aura was far stronger than any of the other ghouls present!

“Second-tier peak corpse apes!! Fall back! FALL BACK!!” The captain shouted in alarm as his face turned pale.

The Xinhuo Guards didn’t need further prompting. They immediately began retreating as fast as they could.

Dozens of second-tier peak ghouls appearing together could only mean one thing: something even more terrifying was lurking behind them!

—

Xu Shen had just stepped into the Awakening Extreme Realm and was fully immersed in battle. But when he noticed everyone else retreating, a serious expression crossed his face.

From behind those second-tier peak ghouls came an aura so oppressive it made his skin crawl.

ROAR!!!

A blood-red corpse ape stepped onto the snowy battlefield. Its fur looked as though it had been soaked in blood, flowing like flames in the wind. In stark contrast to its grotesque surroundings, its pristine skin showed no signs of decay—only an iron-gray hue that gleamed ominously.

The mere sight of it caused the surrounding ghouls to tremble with fear.

“What is that…?” Xu Shen muttered in surprise. Despite its relatively small stature—only about two meters tall—it exuded an overwhelming presence that set it apart from everything else on the battlefield.

“The offspring of the Blood Ape King…” The captain’s voice trembled as he stepped forward urgently. “Brother! Get back here—that’s a descendant of the Blood Ape King!”

“A second-tier peak ghoul with combat power equivalent to early third-tier! You can’t beat it!!”

Hearing this, Xu Shen recalled what he had recently studied about the Blood Ape King—a fifth-tier ghoul emperor and ruler of Changbai Mountain’s outskirts. Its strength was legendary; it had once fought two Yinshen Realm experts simultaneously, nearly killing one despite suffering severe injuries itself.

And now… this blood-red ghoul before him was its offspring—a “Little Blood Ape King.”

This chapt𝙚r is updated by freeωebnovēl.c૦m.

Battle intent surged in Xu Shen’s eyes as he stood firm amidst the snow-covered battlefield. His willpower was at its peak; an unyielding aura radiated from him as if declaring that retreat was not an option.

Stepping forward alone onto the snowy plain, Xu Shen faced down all the ghouls by himself.

“Perfect timing,” he said with a savage grin. “I haven’t killed enough yet. Let’s see how many more I can take down today!”

Golden light rippled across his body as his blood energy surged like a raging tide. Simply standing there, he exuded an aura so commanding it felt like he alone could hold back an entire army.

Even though this was merely a low-level battlefield filled with Awakening and Core Solidification cultivators, Xu Shen’s presence felt monumental—like he belonged on a far grander stage.

“Damn… This is so intense I almost thought this was a Flame Mastery battlefield,” one Flame Mastery cultivator muttered as he exhaled deeply.

“Does it matter? He may still be weak now, but that aura… It’s undeniable,” another replied. “If he doesn’t fall along the way, he’ll undoubtedly fight on Flame Mastery battlefields—or even higher!”

“And besides… This is what Xia Nation needs—fighters who embody such spirit!”

“If every generation were like him… How could we not rise?!”

Dong Tianming watched Xu Shen’s lone figure with a mix of admiration and melancholy. For a brief moment, he saw someone else’s shadow overlapping with Xu Shen’s—but such individuals were far too rare…

—

The Little Blood Ape King didn’t charge immediately. Instead, it stood still, its gray-white eyes glinting with intelligence. Slowly raising one arm, it pointed directly at Xu Shen.

In response, countless corpse apes scattered aside as dozens of second-tier peak ghouls let out deafening roars and charged toward him!

“All Core Solidification peak cultivators—support him!!” someone shouted as ten figures leaped forward, including the captain himself.

Wang Qingqing followed silently behind them without hesitation.

Yang Dian, Zhang Zhuangshi, and Xu Guang exchanged glances before gritting their teeth and rushing out as well.

“If we can’t win head-on… we’ll ambush it!” Zhang Zhuangshi muttered grimly.

—

But Xu Shen paid no attention to anything around him. His focus was solely on the Little Blood Ape King standing in the distance—a creature whose aura made his hair stand on end yet only fueled his battle lust further.

Smashing through an approaching ghoul’s skull with ease, Xu Shen grinned darkly as he locked eyes with his true target.

“You’re not enough to stop me,” he growled before launching himself forward like a golden comet streaking across the battlefield.

“You’re the only one here worth my time!”