Castle of Black Iron

Since he left Black Armor Battlefortress for over 1 month, Zhang Tie improved his overall strength at the fastest speed. During the past 1 month; especially in the demon base, Zhang Tie killed hundreds of spider demons and hundreds of common ox-headed demons which brought him two fruits of source. After taking the two fruits of source, Zhang Tie was able to constantly knock over some earth demon knights face to face in the large-scale battle between humans and demons 10 days ago in his foundation consolidation period as an earth knight.

A fruit of source could enhance the capabilities brought by his surging points all over his body by 1/12, which indicated an overall enhancement. With two fruits of source, Zhang Tie would accomplish two rounds of overall enhancement. Although Zhang Tie was apparently still in the foundation consolidation period as an earth knight, actually, his overall strength had reached as same as that of those earth knights who had formed a half water chakra of viscount-level cultivation methods like "Five-elements Ground-look Sutra".

Plus the round of overall enhancement that he experienced when he promoted to 1 change earth knight realm, Zhang Tie’s overall strength had even been slightly greater than that of earth knights who had entered the 9 changes earth knight realm of the lowest level baron secret method.

Those who cultivated baron-level secret methods could only gain three rounds of overall enhancement in each knight stage. Zhang Tie had accomplished three rounds of overall enhancement as an earth knight of king roc sutra; additionally, some effects of fruits of source were even better than overall enhancement of knights themselves.

Without fruits of source, Zhang Tie, who cultivated the "King Roc Sutra", was as powerful as the 9 changes earth knight realm of baron-level secret method when he accomplished three rounds of overall enhancement; when he accomplished four rounds of overall enhancement, he would be as powerful as the 9 changes earth knight realm of viscount-level secret method; when he accomplished five rounds of overall enhancement, he would be as powerful as the 9 changes earth knight realm of count-level secret method; when he accomplished six rounds of overall enhancement, he would be as powerful as the 9 changes earth knight realm of marquis-level secret method...

This implied the great power of the emperor-level secret method.

During the 10 days’ recovery and cultivation, Zhang Tie was also meditating about his cultivation and precise battle strength level. Finally, Zhang Tie reached a conclusion that his basic battle strength was equal to the level of 5 changes earth knight realm of marquis-level secret methods such as "Fire Dragon Sutra".

Even Zhang Tie himself was startled by this conclusion. He had not imagined that he could reach this level unconsciously after taking so many fruits and cultivating the emperor-level secret method day by day. Even Zhang Taixuan the Long Wind Count might not enter such a high realm.

In 5 changes earth knight realm of the marquis-level secret method, Zhang Tie was already a member of powerhouses among earth knights in Taixia Country.

In this realm, he could easily kill any black iron knight. Plus his exceptional defensive capability and recovery capability, theoretically, he could defeat all the 6-7 changes earth knights who cultivated low-level secret methods in close combats.

Zhang Tie was a bit surprised about this result; however, the combats between him and those earth demon knights just now reminded him that it was true.

The fruit of source was very powerful. With the effect of two fruits of source, Zhang Tie accomplished two rounds of over-enhancement in a short period. This was a good news. However, the bad news was that the two fruits of source might be the last ones that Zhang Tie could take. From then on, the small tree would not produce any fruit of source anymore, after running out of the iron-body fruits and leakless fruits.

Zhang Tie had taken the fruits of source from iron-armored demons, wing demons, spider demons and ox-headed demons, except for the fruit of source from shadow demons. Theoretically, as long as Zhang Tie could kill 360 shadow demons below knight level, he could have a fruit of source from shadow demons. However, Zhang Tie knew that it was impossible. As shadow demons were rare, he might not kill so many shadow demons for the rest of his life.

After entering 1 change earth knight realm, Zhang Tie lost the source of another fruit. Therefore, he became a bit frustrated while being ecstatic. As there were too few fruits of source, Zhang Tie didn’t feel like leaving one on the tree as a souvenir.

After entering 1 change earth knight realm and understanding his real overall strength, Zhang Tie became thrilled inside with an unprecedented great confidence. The depression and haze that had puzzled him over the past 3 years since he was framed as a murder finally disappeared.

...

After Zhang Tie entered 1 change earth knight realm for 2 days...

...

"Beat vital parts..."

"Use more strength..."

"Exert all of your strength, don’t be afraid of hurting me..."

On the lawn outside the palace tree, as Zhang Tie constantly shouted, Aziz, Edward and Agan who had been wet all over gritted their teeth and beat Zhang Tie by their long saber, mace and heavy hammer forcefully.

Zhang Tie was wearing a pair of short pants in naked, sturdy upper body. Due to his preliminary recovery body, his skin was very smooth. After his wounds recovered, no scar was left on his skin. At this moment, Zhang Tie was bearing the strikes of Aziz, Edward and Agan like a target without using his protective battle qi.

All the strikes didn’t leave any scars on Zhang Tie’s skin besides loud sounds and special frictional sounds.

At the beginning, Aziz, Edward and Agan spared some strength; after knowing that Zhang Tie didn’t feel enough, the three people exerted their full strength and pounded at Zhang Tie’s body constantly by their weapons.

Aziz held a grim mace being covered with sharp spurs. After hearing Zhang Tie’s request, Aziz held high his mace and swung it at Zhang Tie’s shoulder.

When the mace almost touched Zhang Tie’s shoulder, Zhang Tie moved aside and resisted Aziz’s mace by his face. When the mace almost touched his skin and the sharp spurs almost stabbed into Zhang Tie’s eyeballs did he close his eyes...

As a result, Aziz forcefully pounded the mace onto Zhang Tie’s face.

"Bang..."

Aziz didn’t realize what happened until his mace hit Zhang Tie’s face.

"Castle Lord..." Aziz’s hand quivered as he dropped off his mace immediately. Edward and Agan hurriedly stopped too as they both thought that they had hurt Zhang Tie.

The moment Aziz dropped off his mace, he had hurriedly knelt down in a flurried way. Face turning pale, he almost burst out into tears, "Ahh, I didn’t mean it, I just wanted to hit Castle Lord’s shoulder..."

Zhang Tie opened his eyes and said, "Take it easy, I tried it on purpose. I’m fine..."

"Ahh, Castle Lord...you’re really...fine?"

"Yes, I’m fine!"

Zhang Tie replied as he rubbed his face. His facial skin was very good, which was neither swollen nor broken. He didn’t even lose a hair. Just now, Zhang Tie just wanted to try the anti-strike capability of his most fragile body part. The result was very satisfactory. He bore a mace’ strike on his face safe and sound. He just felt a bit pain on his face like being hit by an inflated toy mace. When the spurs of the mace stabbed onto his eyelids, he just felt his eyeballs being pressed by an external force. Both his eyelids and eyeballs were fine.

Actually, Aziz, Edward and Agan had the strength of LV 9 fighters. Additionally, their weapons were not inflated toys, but real. Although those weapons were neither silver secret items nor bronze items, they were made of abyss iron.

After confirming that Zhang Tie was safe, Aziz finally stood up while faintly quivering all over.

Zhang Tie ran his spiritual energy and activated his capability as a divine dominator. Closely after that, the mace automatically floated up from the ground and fell in his hand. Zhang Tie felt that it weighed about 50-60 kg. Each time Zhang Tie waved it, the mace would utter a wild-wolf like howl, which sounded like containing a terrifying strength.

After waving it for a short while and confirming that it was not inflated, Zhang Tie threw the mace back to Aziz as he turned around and asked Heller on his side.

"Heller, what’s the matter with me? Why do I feel that my anti-strike capability and defensive capability have entered a wholly new realm and are fully developed besides the sharp increase in my strength and speed after entering 1 change earth knight realm? Only by the physical defense, I could completely ignore all the strikes of fighters below LV 9."

"Castle Lord, do you remember the situation you were in when you entered the 1 change earth knight realm?"

"Of course I do, I was severely wounded at that moment..." Zhang Tie replied frankly as he immediately realized something. He then widely opened his eyes and asked, "Wait, you mean my super strong defensive capability is related to the situation when I was severely wounded at that moment..."

"After growing old, eagles’ claws and beaks would gradually turn blunt. By then, eagles would smash their sharp claws and beaks on hard rocks, making them badly mutilated. After their wounds recovered, they would grow sharper claws and beaks and accomplish a metamorphosis so as to adapt to the environment. After forming an earth chakra, you have entered a new realm of "King Roc Sutra". Do you feel that the overall enhancement brought by the "King Roc Sutra" couldn’t even match the instinct that a wild beast develops so as to respond to the crises?" Heller asked a question in return while his eyes flickered in a wise way...

Zhang Tie understood it immediately. It indicated that he would have more chances to strengthen some abilities if he encountered more crises in these aspects. After each round of overall enhancement, he would be able to face the problems that he had suffered in a franker way. If he was still severely wounded when he entered the 2 changes earth knight realm, his defensive capability would be further strengthened. On the contrary, if all the aspects were balanced, the effect of his overall enhancement would also be balanced in all aspects.

As he gradually reached higher levels and realms, the power of emperor-level secret method gradually became outstanding.

Zhang Tie estimated that only emperor-level secret methods such as "King Roc Sutra" could realize tentative enhancement.

Touching his face, Zhang Tie felt that he should think about it carefully.

After thinking about it a short while, Zhang Tie told Aziz, Agan and Edward to bring those demon knights here. As he felt good today, he wanted to offer a bloody sacrifice by those demon knights...