Pure Origin Technique Perfected!

"Go check if there are any survivors."

At Du Chen's command, the constables swiftly scattered throughout Lei Family Fortress, searching every inch with meticulous care.

Half an hour later, the constables returned one after another to report.

"Chief Constable, the entire Lei Family Fortress has been burned to ashes. There isn't a single survivor, but charred corpses are strewn everywhere—roughly two or three hundred of them."

"These corpses should have died before the fire began. We examined the wounds on several bodies that were relatively well preserved. They were blade wounds, all fatal in a single strike. The attacker drew his blade extremely fast."

"However, there are also some puzzling points. The bodies are densely concentrated around one courtyard. It seems that, while alive, they had been besieging the people inside the courtyard..."

These constables were all highly professional.

The entire Lei Family Fortress had been consumed by a raging fire.

The houses and buildings had been reduced to broken walls and ruins, and even the corpses had turned to charcoal, yet they could still deduce so much.

Hearing this, Du Chen said coldly, "We previously received word that Ji Qing came to Lei Family Fortress. Unfortunately, we were still one step too late. Who would have thought he would be so utterly deranged as to slaughter the entire Lei Family Fortress?"

Hearing Du Chen directly identify Ji Qing as the chief culprit behind everything, several constables were greatly shocked.

"Chief Constable Du, although there was intelligence that Ji Qing came to Lei Family Fortress, there are still many doubts surrounding what happened here. It may not necessarily have been Ji Qing. To rashly conclude that Ji Qing committed such a grave crime—wouldn't that be..."

"What, are you speaking for the Demon Lord? That Ji Qing murdered his own parents; his crimes are monstrous. He is also listed on the Villain Ranking, a Demon Lord in name and truth. Only he could have committed such an atrocious crime. What is wrong with this chief constable saying it was Ji Qing?"

"Besides, there is conclusive information proving that Ji Qing really did come to Lei Family Fortress. That is enough!"

"The purpose of this chief constable leaving the yamen this time was to pursue the fugitive Ji Qing and bring him to justice. Who would have thought Ji Qing would commit another case so appalling that heaven and earth cannot abide it! Issue a Wanted Poster immediately, raise the reward, and this chief constable wants Ji Qing's latest whereabouts!"

With just a few words, Du Chen had defined the Lei Family Fortress case. Many constables exchanged glances, their hearts filled with shock.

Ordinarily, they admired Du Chen, believing him to be the model for every constable in the yamen.

Whenever Du Chen acted, he would surely succeed at once and capture the fugitive.

Who would have thought this was how his "never fails" reputation had come about...

But they did not dare say anything.

As far as Du Chen was concerned, he did not care what the actual truth behind the Lei Family Fortress case was.

The reason he had decided Ji Qing was responsible was simple.

The more heinous Ji Qing's crimes were, the more heaven and man would rage against him. Then, once Du Chen captured Ji Qing, his reputation and prestige would rise all the higher!

Therefore, even if the Lei Family Fortress case had not been committed by Ji Qing, this "black pot" had to be placed on Ji Qing's back.

Besides, Ji Qing was already an utterly wicked fugitive. Carrying one more black pot meant nothing.

"Yes, Chief Constable!"

The constables quickly returned to the yamen and reported the details of the Lei Family Fortress case.

Thus, the yamen issued another Wanted Poster.

"On the twenty-sixth day of the eighth month in the tenth year of Yongchang, Green Province Chief Constable Du Chen tracked Liang City fugitive Ji Qing to Lei Family Fortress, where he discovered that more than two hundred innocent residents of Lei Family Fortress had been slaughtered by Ji Qing, with not a single survivor. His inhumanity is intolerable to heaven's law! A reward of three thousand taels of silver is hereby offered for information on the fugitive Ji Qing..."

The moment this Wanted Poster was released, the whole realm was shaken!

Not only had Ji Qing committed another crime, but it was such a horrifyingly major case.

The reward had even been raised to three thousand taels of silver!

Rumors also spread through the Jianghu that Green Province's foremost constable, Du Chen, the Wind Chasing Blade, had already set out and would personally arrest Ji Qing and bring him to justice, to be punished openly according to the law!

In Anyang City, Ji Qing secretly purchased a courtyard.

He had no mind to concern himself with the turmoil outside.

There was only one thing on his mind now: cultivating the Pure Origin Technique.

He had sufficient Origin Points now. He only needed to cultivate the Pure Origin Technique to the entry level.

However, this step was not so easy either.

The inner force cultivated by the Pure Origin Technique was exceptionally pure. Entering the technique was not particularly difficult, but it required some time.

Entering it within a few hours, or a day or two, was simply impossible.

More than ten days passed.

Ji Qing's Pure Origin Technique finally reached the entry level.

Now that he had entered it, Ji Qing could raise it with Origin Points.

This was Ji Qing's third third-rate internal art. It concerned whether he could advance to second-rate, making it a matter of great importance, and Ji Qing attached great importance to it as well.

"Raise the Pure Origin Technique."

"Consume one Origin Point. Pure Origin Technique reaches Minor Accomplishment."

Scene after scene appeared in Ji Qing's mind—images of himself cultivating the Pure Origin Technique day after day, accumulating effort over time.

The Pure Origin Technique truly deserved its reputation as an internal art that was upright, balanced, and gentle.

It was indeed upright, balanced, and gentle. Not the slightest mishap occurred.

But it was simply too time-consuming.

Reaching merely minor mastery had taken twelve years.

"Continue."

He spent another Origin Point, raising the Pure Origin Technique to major mastery.

At major mastery, the Pure Origin Technique's inner force was vast and surging, incomparably pure—but reaching major mastery had cost twenty-three years.

If one truly cultivated the Pure Origin Technique step by step, it would take thirty-five years.

And even after reaching major mastery, one would only be a Third-Rate Martial Artist.

That was the norm in the Jianghu.

Most martial artists in the Jianghu remained Third-Rate Martial Artists their entire lives.

Those who became second-rate either encountered extraordinary fortunes, came from aristocratic clans or great sects with resources piled upon them from childhood—

—or they were naturally gifted prodigies. But such people were far too rare.

Under normal circumstances, once the Pure Origin Technique reached major mastery, Ji Qing could fuse all the inner force in his body and attempt to break through to the second rate.

However, Ji Qing still had Origin Points, and the Pure Origin Technique could still be cultivated further.

Thus, Ji Qing raised the Pure Origin Technique to perfection.

He also knew perfectly well what changes would occur once the Pure Origin Technique, capable of cultivating such pure inner force, reached perfection.

"Consumed one Origin Point. Pure Origin Technique has reached perfection. Your Pure Origin Technique has attained miraculous mastery. You have comprehended Inner Force Purification! Any inner force can be purified to the utmost limit!"

Scenes surfaced in Ji Qing's mind.

Day after day, year after year, he cultivated the Pure Origin Technique. Then one day, a flash of inspiration struck him, and he actually used a "compression method" to refine his inner force to the ultimate degree once more!

What use was pure inner force?

Its uses were immense.

If inner force were compared to a current of water, then abundant inner force could turn a tiny stream into a towering flood, its might astonishing.

But when inner force became pure, that current could be twisted into a single rope, transformed into a hard ice awl that could pierce through anything!

Especially when breaking through in cultivation—the purer the inner force, the easier the breakthrough.

To break through from third-rate to second-rate, one needed to open certain meridians throughout the body, thereby forming a Great Circulation.

At that point, inner force would circulate through the heavenly cycle, vast and surging, incomparably immense—far surpassing that of a Third-Rate Martial Artist.

Cultivating three kinds of inner force and relying on sheer "stacking" to break through had never had a high success rate.

The main reason was that the inner force was not pure enough, making the meridians difficult to open.

One careless mistake, and all previous efforts would go to waste.

Yet Ji Qing was exceptionally calm now.

He opened the Demon Record and checked his own information.

Ji Qing: Third-Rate Martial Artist

Supreme Yang Rising Sun Skill: Perfection (Supreme Yang Inner Force, Inner Force Burst increased by thirty percent)

Pure Origin Technique: Perfection (Inner Force Purification)

Thirteen Fast Blades: Perfection (Ultimate Move: Thread of Sky)

Grass on Wings: Perfection (Ultimate Move: Void Borrowing Strength)

Origin Points: 4

Ji Qing now needed to fuse his Supreme Yang Inner Force and Pure Origin Inner Force together, twisting them into a single rope, before beginning to open the meridians of the Great Circulation within his body.

For any Third-Rate Martial Artist, this was the most crucial moment!

"Let's begin."

Ji Qing immediately mobilized his Supreme Yang Inner Force and Pure Origin Inner Force.

Boom.

The two streams of inner force officially began to merge!