I Am a Rune Engraver, Carrying a Knife Makes Perfect Sense-Chapter 37 - The Three-Second Man

—

Xu Shen couldn’t describe how he felt at this moment.

Pain. Unbearable, excruciating pain.

Even when he had engraved runes onto his own body, it hadn’t hurt this much.

Yet, beneath this searing agony, a powerful force surged forth like an unstoppable spring, gushing out from the depths of his suffering!

Every ounce of pain acted like a fuse, igniting a hidden reservoir of strength buried deep within his flesh. That strength burned brighter and wilder with each passing second.

As the pain intensified, Xu Shen’s aura exploded outward like a ferocious tidal wave, sweeping across the battlefield!

The Little Blood Ape King’s fur stood on end as it let out low growls, its eyes locked onto Xu Shen. Then… it turned and ran.

Everyone froze in shock—even the other corpse apes paused, staring in disbelief as their leader fled.

CRACK!

A sharp sound echoed from within Xu Shen’s body—it was one of his bones fracturing.

Watching the Little Blood Ape King retreat, Xu Shen let out a hoarse laugh. He stomped his right foot heavily onto the ground.

The earth trembled under the impact, sending layers of snow flying into the air.

Xu Shen’s hair seemed to turn golden, fluttering wildly as his eyes radiated an intense golden light. His entire figure glowed as if surrounded by divine brilliance.

In an instant, his figure vanished, leaving behind a shockwave in his wake.

—

BOOM!!

In the blink of an eye, Xu Shen reappeared behind the fleeing Little Blood Ape King like a phantom.

With a thunderous roar, he swung his fist downward with the force of a meteor crashing from the heavens. His punch landed squarely on the creature’s back.

The impact was deafening, a colossal explosion that echoed across the battlefield. The ground beneath them caved in, forming a massive crater. Dust and debris filled the air as cracks radiated outward from the epicenter, spreading like spiderwebs.

The Little Blood Ape King’s head was partially shattered by Xu Shen’s devastating punch. Its body lay limp in the crater.

But it wasn’t dead yet.

Its remaining eye, once filled with ferocity and calmness, now brimmed with terror and confusion.

What… was this human?

Why… had he suddenly become so powerful?

—

Xu Shen laughed maniacally and delivered another punch to the creature’s chest. The blow nearly pierced through its body, shaking the earth beneath them.

The ghoul’s chest was left mangled and bloody, its blackened bones reduced to fragments.

At the same time, Xu Shen’s left arm was torn open completely—his skin shredded to reveal bone.

With one final punch, Xu Shen shattered the Little Blood Ape King’s skull entirely. Its body went limp as life left it.

The entire fight had lasted… three seconds.

—

As the Little Blood Ape King fell, Xu Shen could no longer hold himself together. Blood erupted from his body as the golden light surrounding him dissipated. He collapsed into a heap—a bloodied mess barely able to stand.

His vision blurred, and darkness crept at the edges of his consciousness. Before passing out, he saw Wang Qingqing and the others fighting their way toward him…

In those fleeting moments before unconsciousness claimed him, one question lingered in his mind:

Why did I start fighting the moment I got off that damn bus?

—

Somewhere in Xia Nation’s Capital

In a secretive and solemn conference room, chaos reigned. Shouts and exclamations filled the air as messages were relayed back and forth.

Five middle-aged individuals dressed in sleek black uniforms adorned with golden patterns were gathered around a table. Among them was a woman. Despite their prestigious status, they bickered like old ladies at a market stall—faces red with frustration.

“What?! The Little Blood Ape King is dead? Killed by an eighteen-year-old Awakening Realm brat? Are you kidding me?!”

“Shut your damn mouth! Why would I joke about something like this?!”

“Are you sure you’re not lying?”

“Do I look like I have time to lie to you? Watch the video yourself if you don’t believe me!”

Their heated argument was interrupted by an elderly man with white hair entering the room. Without saying a word, he activated a projector that displayed footage of Xu Shen defeating the Little Blood Ape King.

The five fell silent as they watched intently. Occasionally, their eyes narrowed in thought or flickered with astonishment.

When the video ended, the old man took his seat at the head of the table and looked at them calmly.

“Well? What are your thoughts?” he asked in an even tone, as if discussing trivial matters over tea.

—

“Awakening Extreme Realm—this is undoubtedly Extreme Realm!” one man with a scar on his forehead exclaimed, his eyes burning with excitement.

“And somehow… this kid broke through another limit within Extreme Realm,” he added.

“Commander,” another man with a scholarly demeanor spoke up solemnly. “I believe Xu Shen must have had contact with Senior Yan—or perhaps inherited something from him.”

“Otherwise, achieving Extreme Realm at Awakening level would be impossible.”

“Normally, such a thing shouldn’t exist.”

—

“Commander, we need to bring this kid into the Xinhuo Guard immediately! He’s destined to become one of our future Flames—I’ll personally ensure his safety,” another suggested enthusiastically.

But their excitement was cut short by a single statement from the commander:

“He has a forbidden body.”

The room fell silent as all five stared at him in disbelief.

“A… forbidden body? Commander, you must be joking…” the woman among them said with a forced laugh.

But her laughter quickly faded when she realized he wasn’t joking. The commander never joked about such matters.

“I contacted Yuan City’s Guide and learned that Xu Shen has indeed interacted with Yan Gui,” the commander explained, his sharp gaze sweeping across them. “What we know for certain is that Xu Shen is a body-focused cultivator.”

“I suspect he has inherited something from Yan Gui.”

At this revelation, their expressions shifted subtly. They all understood what this meant.

Even among these esteemed individuals—some of whom had only recently ascended to their positions—they had all heard stories about Yan Gui during their formative years. Many within Xinhuo Guard’s upper echelons regarded Yan Gui as a mentor figure despite never meeting him in person.

“Senior Yan… is still alive?” the scholarly man asked after a long pause, his voice tinged with surprise. If true, Yan Gui would undoubtedly be considered an ancient monster by now.

“I don’t know,” the commander admitted. “But if Xu Shen has indeed inherited something from Yan Gui…”

“The Cheng family will not sit idly by.”

—

BANG!

The woman slammed her hand on the table, her face darkening with anger. “The Cheng family—they think they’re Xia Nation’s saviors? Didn’t they contribute the least during that battle?”

“Regardless,” another interjected calmly. “The Cheng family has influence in every sector—even one of Capital Academy’s vice principals is from their clan.”

“So what? Are you saying they’ll openly act against Xu Shen if he enrolls there?”

“You know how these powerful families operate,” came the reply with a smirk.

“You implying my family does the same? Watch your mouth!” she snapped back.

—

Before their argument could escalate further, the commander tapped his finger lightly on the table to regain their attention.

“I’ve already sealed all records and footage of Xu Shen,” he stated firmly. “What I want to discuss now is his future.”

The room fell silent once more as they exchanged uncertain glances. Sending Xu Shen to university would expose him to scrutiny—not just from the Cheng family but also other factions interested in exploiting his talents or connections to Yan Gui.

Recruiting him into Xinhuo Guard was an option, but most young cultivators preferred attending university unless financially desperate. Forcing him into service wasn’t viable either.

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Seeing their troubled expressions, the commander sighed and shook his head. “You’ve all been fighting for so long that your brains have dulled,” he remarked dryly. “I already have a plan for Xu Shen.”

His lips curled into an enigmatic smile as he continued. “Now I need your approval.”

“What plan?” asked the scarred man curiously.

“I requested information from Yuan City’s Guide and investigated Xu Shen’s activities since his awakening,” the commander explained. “I found something… interesting.”

He gestured toward a screen that displayed images of Wang Qingqing, Yang Dian, Zhang Zhuangshi, and Xu Guang—along with detailed records of their runes.

Even before he finished speaking, their faces shifted as they studied the data intently. As seasoned experts in rune techniques, they immediately noticed subtle anomalies in these individuals’ runes—something distinctly different yet undeniably powerful.

—

“These four have all had their runes modified—though not in traditional ways,” the commander revealed. “What’s more interesting is that they all share one connection: Xu Shen.”

He paused for effect before delivering his conclusion:

“It seems we have ourselves… a new rune engraver.”

—

“Are you suggesting…” The woman’s eyes widened as realization dawned on her.

“Exactly,” he confirmed with a grin. “It would be perfectly reasonable for Xinhuo Guard to employ him as an official rune engraver.”

The five exchanged knowing smiles before bursting into laughter.

“Reasonable? It’s brilliant!”