MWM Chapter 219

Inside the wardrobe at home.

Leo was adapting to the perfected Extremis virus that he had injected at the Sokovia base yesterday.

The first test was strength. After the injection of the perfected Extremis virus, his physical strength increased by another level. While it wasn’t quite as strong as his second transformation, it was not far off.

This meant that even without transforming into his second form, his physical strength and internal chakra levels were nearly as high as they were post-transformation.

If he did transform into his second form, his strength and chakra would naturally surpass his previous levels.

Next was the high temperature and flame ability unique to the Extremis virus. Because his version was a perfected one, its effects were even stronger than Killian’s.

With a mere thought, his entire body could not only emit high temperatures but also burst into flames, somewhat resembling the Human Torch from Marvel’s Fantastic Four.

Moreover, the flames were extremely hot and quite damaging.

He could also breathe fire from his mouth to attack, with a speed faster than using ninjutsu or magic.

However, in terms of power, it was still less potent than high-level Fire Style ninjutsu.

Through experimentation, he also discovered that the high temperatures and flames weren’t without cost. Essentially, they consumed physical energy, as did the healing ability of the virus.

Chakra is a combination of physical and mental energy, whereas the high temperatures, flames, and healing abilities of the Extremis virus consume only physical energy.

So, it’s hard to say which is more efficient or convenient.

In any case, he figured that for daily needs like lighting a cigarette or starting a fire, or dealing with minor threats, using the flames from the Extremis virus was more convenient.

For example, by extending a finger, he could produce a flame—certainly easier than using a wand or forming seals to cast a Fire Style jutsu.

However, when facing a formidable enemy, using magic and ninjutsu would be more reliable, given their superior attack power and range.

Lastly, regarding his healing ability, it was likely enhanced by the combination of the Super Soldier Serum and Hulk genes already in his body, along with the perfected Extremis virus, resulting in a much stronger healing ability than Killian’s.

How strong? His instincts told him that as long as his head wasn’t destroyed, any other part of his body could regenerate.

In other words, even if his head was severed, as long as it remained intact, the body could slowly regenerate from the neck upward, although much slower than regenerating a limb.

Compared to the Immortal Duo’s Hidan, it might not be as impressive, but Leo was quite satisfied with it.

With Orochimaru’s body shedding technique, his powerful healing ability, combined with Apparition and the teleportation book, he finally felt confident enough to venture into the world of “Legend of the Zu Mountain.”

He opened the panel, swallowed the small box containing all his supplies, and navigated to the small world section.

“’Legend of the Zu Mountain,’ initial entry time: 12 months. Additional small world time: 36 months. Do you wish to enter?”

Not bad. After nine months of effort, he had earned a total of three years of small world time through completing various side quests, in addition to the one year granted upon the world’s activation.

So, he now had a total of four years to explore this new world.

Because this time he would be entering for four years, he had worn Wanda out yesterday; she still hadn’t woken up.

“Enter!”

Upon pressing the enter button, the scene before Leo’s eyes immediately transformed. Then, as before, a series of memories flashed through his mind like a slideshow.

When he opened his eyes again, Leo had a general understanding of the world he was now in and his identity within it.

Compared to the brief snippets from the “Legend of the Zu Mountain” movie, the memories associated with this identity were far more detailed.

This world was primarily divided into four factions. One was the Mortal faction, similar to ancient commoners; they lived, aged, got sick, and died, rarely living past a hundred years, and they pursued wealth and glory.

Some martial artists could perform extraordinary feats like leaping across rooftops, but they were still bound by mortal limitations.

Beyond mortals, there were those who sought immortality and ascension, gathering in the spiritual-energy-rich mountains and rivers to practice the arts of longevity.

These people were divided into three major factions: the Orthodox faction, led by Emei of Zu Mountain; the Demonic faction, led by the Blood Demon of the Dark Spring; and the various unorthodox sects scattered across the world.

The Orthodox faction absorbed the natural spiritual energy, spending most of their time in seclusion within their mountain gates, occasionally venturing out to exterminate demons.

Due to their cultivation techniques and philosophy, they were generally righteous and kind-hearted people. Only a few were particularly stubborn, and there were very few truly evil ones, unlike the hypocritical righteous factions often depicted in many stories.

The Demonic faction also absorbed natural spiritual energy but often engaged in evil deeds to accelerate their cultivation and increase their power, such as killing mortals to seize their souls and refine their spirits, or absorbing mortal blood and flesh.

Their techniques were evil, their spells were evil, and their magical artifacts were evil—there were essentially no good people among them.

Lastly, there were the Unorthodox sects, who were neither wholly righteous nor entirely evil. Most were solitary practitioners without a fixed sect location, traveling the world while cultivating, with generally strong abilities.

Currently, the Demonic faction was rampant. The powerful Blood Demon of the Dark Spring led the Demonic Cult to destroy the Huashan Sect, second only to Emei, 497 years ago, and the Kunlun Sect 297 years ago.

Of the four strongest Orthodox sects, only the Emei Sect and Mount Wutai remained today.

The character Leo was now inhabiting, a young Taoist named Li Qingfeng, belonged to a very small Orthodox sect called Xiaozhu Mountain, located among the Zu Mountain mountains.

Li Qingfeng was originally a young boy from a village; his parents were farmers. When he was eight years old, while playing in the mud with friends at the eastern entrance of the village, he encountered an old Taoist with white hair and eyebrows.

The old Taoist immediately recognized that Li Qingfeng had an extraordinary aptitude for cultivation and took him as a disciple, bringing him into the mountains for training.

Initially, his parents objected, but after the old Taoist demonstrated some spells and left behind considerable wealth, they were convinced, being simple farmers who had never seen such wonders.

Additionally, Li Qingfeng was the third child in his family, with two older brothers and a younger sister, so losing one child didn’t seem like a big deal to them.

After twelve years of cultivation, Li Qingfeng had made some progress in the Taoist arts and wanted to descend the mountain to visit his parents, who, given their age, might not live much longer if he delayed any longer.

Orthodox cultivation emphasized not only physical discipline but also the cultivation of the mind, so his master had agreed to this trip down the mountain.

However, upon arriving at his hometown, he discovered that his village had been massacred. If it had been the result of a military conflict, he, as a member of the Orthodox faction, would have been saddened but resigned.

But it was clearly not the case, as all the souls in the village had been taken.

So, it was either the work of the Demonic faction or some kind of demon.

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