Ji Yue Pursues the Culprit

As dawn broke, the training grounds of the Martial Academy were already filled with the rhythmic sound of fist winds.

Wang Yue, bare-chested, repeatedly practiced the Harmonious Flow Fist in the center of the field, sweat trickling down his back.

He wasn't deliberately pursuing speed or power. Instead, he focused his mind within his body, secretly circulating the first stance of the Blood Dragon Secret Method. After this period of cultivation, he felt increasingly clear that even though the Harmonious Flow Fist had reached perfection, it was far less direct and efficient than the Blood Dragon Secret Method in expanding his Blood Essence capacity.

As the secret method circulated, the seven streams of Blood Essence within him felt as if they were being soaked in warm water, slowly expanding. The upper limit of his Blood Essence capacity was increasing at a speed imperceptible to the naked eye.

"At this rate, I should be able to condense the eighth stream of Blood Essence soon."

Wang Yue calculated in his mind, but his fists didn't pause at all.

Just then, a commotion erupted from the periphery of the training grounds, sounding like an argument or a crowd being forcibly dispersed.

Wang Yue stopped, wiped the sweat from his brow, and looked towards the noise. He saw a young man, as lean as iron, holding a long, narrow Saber, standing at the entrance of the training grounds.

The Saber was longer and wider than a typical long saber, its blade gleaming with a cold, sharp light. It was clearly no ordinary weapon.

Dressed in black training attire, his posture was as upright as a pine tree. Though he appeared lean, he exuded a formidable, sharp aura, like a blade ready to be unsheathed.

This scene quickly caught Wang Shuo's attention. He had been instructing other disciples in their boxing nearby. Seeing this, he quickly walked up to the newcomer, his gaze wary as he sized up the man. His voice was steady, "Who are you, sir? What business brings you to our Wang Clan Martial Academy?"

The young man looked up, his face stern and his eyes sharp as knives. He swept his gaze over the disciples present and spoke without a hint of warmth, "My name is Ji Yue. I've come to the Wang Clan's stronghold today with a matter to inquire about."

As soon as he finished speaking, whispers broke out from the crowd. "This is Ji Yue? I've heard of him! He came from the Imperial Martial Academy, but instead of becoming an official, he joined the Wanted Criminals Department, specializing in hunting down notorious bandits and fierce criminals!"

"That's right, it's him! They say his Saber skills are god-like. He's taken down many evildoers over the years, earning him the nickname 'Soul Slaying Saber'!"

Wang Yue, standing in the center of the field, heard the name "Soul Slaying Saber Ji Yue" and understood immediately. The Wanted Criminals Department was an organization established by the imperial court specifically to apprehend major criminals. To gain renown within such a department, his strength must be considerable, at least a practitioner of the Energy Refining Realm!

Wang Shuo had clearly heard of Ji Yue as well. His expression eased slightly, but he remained vigilant. He asked calmly, "Captain Ji, if you have something to say, please speak directly. As long as it doesn't violate our Wang Clan's rules, we will help if we can."

Ji Yue didn't beat around the bush. He stated directly, "I pursued a villain from the Zhao Kingdom all the way from the Spirit Seeking Prefecture's capital. When I reached the borders of Changyun County, I lost his trail.

Over the past month, I've searched every town and village around Changyun County. I can confirm that the scoundrel is currently within Changyun County itself, seemingly searching for something."

He paused, his tone growing colder. "To find this item, that scoundrel has already killed many people, including an old man who had a stall in the county town.

I've investigated and found that someone purchased an item from that old man's stall a month ago and subsequently returned to the Wang Clan's stronghold. I hope that the person from your Wang Clan who made this purchase can step forward to assist me in solving this case."

"Zhao Kingdom villain? The old man in the county town?" Wang Yue's heart leaped upon hearing these keywords. A thought uncontrollably surfaced, "Could it be... for the Crimson Blood Bead?"

Seeing that none of the Wang Clan disciples present volunteered to step forward, Ji Yue's expression turned cold, and his voice gained a sense of pressure. "Let me tell you, that villain is named Ling Fang. He is one of the main culprits responsible for the massacre of the Yan Clan family not long ago!

Of the thirty-seven members of the Yan Clan, none survived except for the youngest son who was away studying. Such wicked deeds cannot be allowed to go unpunished!"

"What? The villain who massacred the Yan Clan?" Wang Shuo's expression drastically changed upon hearing the words "Yan Clan." He hadn't expected that villain to still be in the county town. Although the Yan Clan wasn't a major family in the county town, they were an established local power, with two Energy Refining Realm martial artists in their clan.

However, he quickly calmed down. Looking at Ji Yue, his tone was calm but carried an undeniable authority. "We have noted what Captain Ji has said.

However, whether our Wang Clan disciples are involved in this matter still requires verification. Since you have stated your purpose, please return for now, Captain Ji. If we have any news, we will send someone to notify the Wanted Criminals Department."

Ji Yue's expressionless gaze swept across the training grounds, pausing for a moment on Wang Yue. Earlier, when he had inquired at the county market, he had a sketch made based on eyewitness descriptions. The person in the drawing had a medium build, which was completely inconsistent with Wang Yue's current height of over 1.9 meters. Therefore, after just a glance, he moved his gaze away.

Before leaving, he took out a portrait from his huái and handed it to Wang Shuo. "This is a sketch of the person described by the eyewitness who bought something at the old man's stall. If you find any leads, please contact me as soon as possible."

Wang Shuo took the portrait, his eyes subtly shifting. The outline of the person in the drawing bore some resemblance to Wang Yue before he had grown taller! He calmly folded the portrait and put it away, not saying another word.

Ji Yue caught the subtle change in Wang Shuo's eyes but didn't press further. This was the Wang Clan's territory, with Wang He overseeing it. Despite being a captain in the Wanted Criminals Department, he couldn't afford to offend them casually. If the Wang Clan was truly harboring a suspect, he would either have to ask his teacher for help or report it to the Spirit Seeking Prefecture; there were always ways to resolve such matters.

He cast one last glance at the training grounds, noting Wang Yue among the disciples. Carrying his Saber, he turned and left, his dark figure quickly disappearing at the end of the alley outside the Martial Academy.

The atmosphere in the training grounds remained heavy. The disciples whispered amongst themselves, discussing the perpetrator Li Fang who massacred the Yan Clan, and the "person connected to the Wang Clan" mentioned by Ji Yue.

The discussions in the training grounds still echoed in his ears, but Wang Yue had no interest in participating. The "Zhao Kingdom villain Li Fang," the "old man with a stall in the county town," and "searching for something" mentioned by Ji Yue – each piece of information struck him like a heavy hammer.

Especially when he thought of the Crimson Blood Bead he had obtained from Anyefang, his mind became even more chaotic. "The person Ji Yue is pursuing, the item sold at the old man's stall, could it be the Crimson Blood Bead?"

A series of questions sent a chill down his spine. If Li Fang was indeed looking for the Crimson Blood Bead, and the Crimson Blood Bead was now in his possession, then he would inevitably be drawn into this murder case.

"I must accelerate my cultivation!" Wang Yue clenched his fists, a sense of urgency flashing in his eyes. "Only by condensing more Blood Essence and breaking through to the Energy Refining Realm as quickly as possible will I have enough strength to deal with the potential dangers. Otherwise, let alone joining the Dragon Transformation Sect, I might not even be able to save my own life!"

He wasted no further time, quickly crossing the training grounds and heading towards Wang Shuo's residence. His mind was filled with the need to improve his strength, and he just wanted to immerse himself in cultivation as soon as possible.

Returning to his small courtyard, Wang Yue pushed open his room door, closed it behind him, and without even taking off his outer clothes, he immediately sat down cross-legged on the floor.

He took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down, and pushed the thoughts of Li Fang and the Crimson Blood Bead to the back of his mind for the moment, sinking his consciousness into his body.

"Circulate the Blood Dragon Secret Method, second stance!" Wang Yue thought inwardly, and his body began to move accordingly.

The movements of the second stance of the Blood Dragon Secret Method were much more peculiar than the first.

At times, it resembled a flood dragon exploring the sea, with the body curling and sliding close to the ground, while the arms were raised high, as if tearing through the air.

His fists struck the ground with a whistling force, causing the bluestone slabs to tremble slightly.

Some movements were so contorted they seemed to defy logic. If it were the old Wang Yue, he probably wouldn't have been able to complete even half of a move.

But now, empowered by [Talent] and [Talent], these peculiar movements were executed by him with fluid grace.

As soon as the diagram of the second stance appeared in his mind, his body instinctively followed the rhythm. Every point of force application, every adjustment of breath, was precise and accurate.

In the Martial Soul panel, the martial arts shadow corresponding to the second stance of the Blood Dragon Secret Method appeared and was instantly dissolved and absorbed by him without any hesitation. This was the first time he felt so at ease since he began cultivating the Blood Dragon Secret Method.

As the stances progressed, the seven streams of Blood Essence within him began to be rapidly consumed. With each variation mastered, a wisp of Blood Essence was drawn out and consumed, while the capacity of his Blood Essence simultaneously expanded at a speed imperceptible to the naked eye, like a riverbed continuously widening to accommodate more water.

Wang Yue was immersed in his cultivation, the only sounds he could hear being his own breathing and the whistling of his fists cutting through the air. Unknowingly, more than half of the seven streams of Blood Essence had been consumed. His once abundant Blood Essence now felt somewhat weak.

"Hoo," Wang Yue slowly stopped his movements. As he stood up, he realized the clothes on his back were already soaked with sweat, clinging to him with a cool sensation.

He felt the changes within his body, a hint of joy flashing in his eyes. "The second form of the Blood Dragon Secret Method... I've actually cultivated a third of it!"

He recalled that when he first practiced the first form, it took him nearly half a month just to get the basics down. The second form was far more difficult than the first, yet now, after only a few attempts, he had cultivated a third of it. This was the advantage brought by top-tier root bone talent and extraordinary comprehension.

However, after the initial joy, he also recognized a problem: the Blood Essence consumed during this cultivation was more than he had anticipated. With his current recovery speed, it would likely take several days to replenish it.

Wang Yue walked to the window and pushed it open. A cool breeze rushed into the room, invigorating him.

Strangely, even though most of his Blood Essence was depleted, he didn't feel the slightest bit of fatigue. Instead, he felt mentally sharp and his mind was exceptionally clear.

"Since my Blood Essence can't be quickly recovered for now, I'll refine the Harmonious Flow Fist!" Wang Yue's gaze sharpened, and he walked back to the center of the room, assuming the starting stance for the Harmonious Flow Fist.

He wanted to push the Harmonious Flow Fist to the realm of perfection as quickly as possible. Wang Shuo had once said that the perfection of the Harmonious Flow Fist not only required the fist techniques, breathing, and footwork to be integrated but also to reach a state where "spirit, energy, and essence are one, Blood Essence moves with the body, and one can observe the diagram and condense energy at any time."

Now that his root bone talent and comprehension were both top-tier, his martial arts progress was naturally rapid.

As he threw out his fist techniques, Blood Essence would spontaneously circulate along his meridians, empowering his fist energy. His breathing rhythm and footwork were perfectly coordinated, and every step felt as if it were treading to the rhythm of the martial path.

"Soon... it will be perfected..." Wang Yue felt the changes in the Harmonious Flow Fist, and the corners of his mouth couldn't help but curl up slightly. Once the Harmonious Flow Fist was perfected, perhaps it could add another layer of Blood Essence to him, or maybe cultivating the second form of the Blood Dragon Secret Method would add another layer of Blood Essence?

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