Black Clothes Venture into Perilous Path

Five days remained until the clan's Martial Academy assessment, and the training grounds in the back courtyard were more lively than usual. However, Wang Yue continued his training at his own pace, his strength quietly breaking through once more.

Harmonious Flow Fist had advanced from the proficient stage to minor completion. He integrated the Qi and Blood circulation of the Blood Dragon Secret Technique into his fist techniques, making his moves more precise and his punches more condensed. Conversely, his breathing technique had become a bottleneck, remaining at the proficient level and failing to reach minor completion.

The progress of the Blood Dragon Secret Technique was even more gratifying. Over half of the thirty-six variations of the first form had been mastered. The daily cycle of "consuming Qi and Blood, replenishing Qi and Blood" caused his total Qi and Blood to surge to six units, far exceeding the one to two units of a Blood Condensation Realm martial artist who had just entered the stage.

Even more unexpectedly, the rapid increase in Qi and Blood had also boosted the progress of Harmonious Flow Fist. Subtle improvements that previously took months of practice could now be noticed within a few days.

However, the ten bowls of Blood Nourishing Soup from Steward Hu had long been depleted. Without the aid of the medicinal soup, even with a sufficient daily intake of meat, his training progress had slowed down. Wang Yue mused to himself: after the assessment, he would need to find a way to acquire more resources to replenish his Qi and Blood.

Early that morning, as Wang Yue finished his boxing practice, Steward Hu hurried over and called out to him and Xu Li, who was standing nearby. "Brother Hu wants to see you both. Hurry and follow me to the private residence."

The two dared not delay and quickly followed Steward Hu towards Tiger Roar Residence, feeling a bit puzzled. With only five days left until the assessment, Wang Hu summoning them now likely meant something important.

As soon as he pushed open the door to Tiger Roar Residence, Wang Yue caught sight of a woman in black, wearing a bamboo hat, standing inside besides Wang Hu. The veil of the hat obscured most of her face, revealing only a section of her fair chin.

A flicker of shock crossed Wang Yue's eyes, not because of the woman herself. Although the woman was also in the Blood Condensation Realm, her Qi and Blood fluctuations were stable, but her total amount was not as great as his.

What truly startled him was Wang Hu's change. His already imposing physique seemed to have grown by half an inch, with Qi and Blood swirling around him.

Has Martial Uncle Wang Hu broken through? Wang Yue guessed inwardly. He had only a vague understanding of martial arts realm divisions, and no one had told him what came after the Blood Condensation Realm. He could only judge strength by aura.

"Sit down when you're here," Wang Hu said in a deep voice, his gaze sweeping over the two before finally resting on the woman in black. "This is Jiang Peiling, an outer disciple of the Martial Academy. She will be accompanying you on a mission this time."

He paused, his tone suddenly turning cold. "There was a group of fools disguised as bandits who, not knowing their place, stole something from the clan. This mission is straightforward: leave no survivors. Do you understand?"

Wang Yue immediately cupped his fists. "This disciple understands."

Xu Li habitually addressed him as "Foster Father." As soon as he spoke, Jiang Peiling's gaze passed through the veil, lingering on Xu Li for a moment with a hint of scrutiny.

Wang Hu, catching this scene with his peripheral vision, sighed inwardly. If Xu Li had even half of Wang Yue's strength, I wouldn't need to specifically ask Wang Yue to accompany them.

Seeing that Wang Hu had nothing more to say, Wang Yue and Xu Li wisely got up to take their leave. Just as they reached the doorway, they heard Jiang Peiling's voice from inside the room, tinged with a bit of confusion: "That Xu Li has indeed only recently entered the Blood Condensation Realm, but Wang Yue... I don't see anything extraordinary about him that would make Master Wang praise him?"

She didn't know that Wang Yue's Qi and Blood had been repeatedly refined by the Blood Dragon Secret Technique. If he didn't actively circulate it, others could only sense that he possessed Qi and Blood, but couldn't determine the total amount, naturally failing to gauge its depth.

Wang Hu did not reply, but his voice carried an undeniable authority. "Take good care of these two and return quickly."

After Jiang Peiling's figure left Tiger Roar Residence, Wang Hu watched her retreating back, a hint of anticipation in his eyes. With top-grade root bone talent, her aptitude far surpasses ordinary people. If she can be properly honed in the Martial Academy, perhaps she'll have a chance to join a sect.

Wang Yue and Xu Li waited outside the courtyard. Seeing Jiang Peiling approach, she raised her hand and removed her bamboo hat. Her fair face bore faint calluses on her brow bones and knuckles, traces left from years of martial arts practice. Her willow-leaf eyebrows were slightly furrowed, adding a touch of heroic spirit that was quite striking.

Xu Li beside her stared blankly, his eyes slightly unfocused. Wang Yue helplessly reached out and lightly tapped his back. "Control your mind. Martial artists are most susceptible to impatience."

Xu Li suddenly came to his senses, his cheeks flushing slightly. He whispered, "Understood." His Qi and Blood had increased rapidly in the past month, and he hadn't fully adapted, occasionally losing control of his emotions.

Jiang Peiling seemed not to notice Xu Li's lapse, merely glancing at the two of them indifferently. Her voice was clear and cool. "Junior Brothers, let's go. We'll discuss the mission on the way."

Wang Yue cupped his fists slightly, and the three of them walked together towards the Wang Clan's main gate.

"The clan purchased a batch of cultivation supplies and weapons in the neighboring county. They were supposed to be transported back yesterday, but they were intercepted just as they were nearing Changyun County."

Jiang Peiling explained as they walked, her tone calm. "The clan has investigated and confirmed that the bandits were over a hundred refugees, led by two Blood Condensation Realm cultivators whose origins are unknown. Do not be careless."

Upon reaching the Wang Clan's main gate, servants had already prepared horses and black attire. Wang Yue and Xu Li quickly changed into close-fitting black clothes. Xu Li took out a brand-new pair of iron gauntlets from his bag and put them on; they were specially prepared for him by Wang Hu.

Wang Yue, with practiced ease, put on his Black Cloud Fist attire. As his fingertips touched the slash marks on the gauntlets, he felt a surge of confidence.

He inadvertently glanced at Jiang Peiling's gauntlets, his eyes lighting up. The gauntlet's striking surface was embedded with a row of inch-long spikes. When delivering a punch, they could both increase the force and penetrate defenses – a clever design.

Accompanying them were seven burly men, all former subordinates of collateral branches who had not yet entered the Blood Condensation Realm. Although they hadn't entered the martial path, they had years of boxing foundation and moved with practiced ease.

The ten of them mounted their horses. Their black attire glinted coldly in the morning sun. They galloped forward, their hooves striking the bluestone road with a uniform "tap-tap" sound. From a distance, they resembled a troop of elite Black Cavalry.

When the ten reached the city gate, Jiang Peiling produced the Wang Clan's token. Without further delay, they headed straight for Lianmang Mountain, twenty miles away.

Xu Li's horsemanship was evidently still a bit clumsy. When they were still two to three miles from Lianmang Mountain, the ten dismounted and began a brief rest.

They gathered around, discussing how to eliminate the bandits. The seven men, accustomed to handling miscellaneous affairs, appeared more experienced than Wang Yue and the other two.

The leader of the seven men spoke first. "We are outnumbered, so a direct confrontation is out of the question. How about we sneak into their residence tonight, eliminate the two Blood Condensation Realm leaders first, and the rest of the refugees will naturally scatter."

Wang Yue frowned, raising his concern. "If we fail to find the leaders, or if we get surrounded by the refugees, our lives could be in danger."

The leader of the seven men looked back at Wang Yue, his tone firm. "In a frontal assault, we simply cannot withstand the siege of over a hundred mountain bandits. Rest assured, young master, the seven of us working together can kill one Blood Condensation Realm cultivator. The remaining one will be up to the three of you."

Seeing the seven men's resolute attitude and the plan's feasibility, Wang Yue had no further objections.

Finally, after Jiang Peiling's approval, the ten reached a consensus, setting the night for the operation.

Once the plan was confirmed, the seven men also breathed a sigh of relief. In their view, the real difficulty of this mission was convincing Wang Yue and the other two to agree to the night raid plan. After all, the three of them were in the Blood Condensation Realm, surpassing them in status and strength.

As the atmosphere relaxed slightly, the seven men also chatted with Wang Yue and Xu Li about their past experiences training in the back courtyard.

Wang Yue was surprised to learn that one of the seven had once attended the Martial Academy. Unfortunately, his root bone talent was poor, and he couldn't break through to the Blood Condensation Realm. He was eventually replaced by other disciples, which disheartened him for a long time. Afterward, his training progress couldn't catch up, although he was now only one step away from the Blood Condensation Realm.

Wang Yue observed discreetly and could roughly tell that none of the seven had mastered a complete breathing technique. Even Jiang Peiling's situation was uncertain. Breathing techniques were the foundation of the Wang Clan. Even as an outer disciple of the Martial Academy, at most, she could only practice the introductory-level breathing techniques issued by the clan; it was impossible for her to have mastered the complete set.