Advancing to Second-Rate!

Supreme Yang Inner Force was already the product of two types of inner force fused together, and was inherently very powerful.

Yet in terms of purity, Supreme Yang Inner Force still fell far short of Pure Origin Inner Force.

Thus, when the two types of inner force collided and fused, Pure Origin Inner Force naturally took the lead.

More importantly, Pure Origin Inner Force possessed the characteristic of Inner Force Purification.

As it fused the inner forces, it was also purifying them.

It took roughly three strands of Supreme Yang Inner Force to purify into one strand of Pure Origin Inner Force.

But the purified inner force was refined to the utmost extreme!

The fusion of inner force lasted two hours.

"Swish."

Ji Qing opened his eyes.

His inner force had completely fused.

His martial arts had changed as well.

The Supreme Yang Rising Sun Skill and the Pure Origin Skill had vanished, replaced by the "Supreme Yang Pure Origin Skill."

Ji Qing silently sensed the incomparably pure inner force. Without the slightest hesitation, he immediately circulated it and began opening the meridians of the Greater Circulation one by one.

Meridians that had originally been incomparably difficult to open were effortlessly broken through beneath the impact of the pure inner force, as naturally as water flowing into a channel.

One hour, two hours, three hours...

In the blink of an eye, three hours had passed.

When the final meridian was opened—

Boom.

After Ji Qing's inner force completed a Greater Circulation, it instantly surged.

Moreover, whenever his inner force circulated through a Greater Circulation, it increased with every passing moment.

Ji Qing carefully felt the benefits of the "Greater Circulation."

After his inner force completed Greater Circulations again and again, his meridians had also widened.

He could unleash even stronger inner force in a single attack.

This was a Second-Rate Martial Artist!

Once one advanced to Second-Rate, a martial artist improved in every respect.

Especially in terms of inner force, the difference from a Third-Rate Martial Artist was like heaven and earth.

Many Jianghu martial artists toiled diligently their entire lives. Even if their talent was somewhat lacking, they could eventually become Third-Rate Martial Artists.

But Third-Rate Martial Artist was their limit.

To become a Second-Rate Martial Artist, one had to be exceptionally gifted, encounter a fortuitous opportunity, or be piled high with vast resources from childhood.

Otherwise, it would be impossible to become a Second-Rate Martial Artist in one's lifetime.

Therefore, Second-Rate Martial Artists were a watershed.

In the Jianghu, only by becoming a Second-Rate Martial Artist could one be considered a renowned expert in a region.

Only Second-Rate Martial Artists could establish sects and hold down a sect.

As for Third-Rate Martial Artists, at most they could open martial arts schools, escort agencies, and the like.

Ji Qing immediately focused his mind and opened the Demon Record to examine his information.

Ji Qing: Second-Rate Martial Artist

Supreme Yang Pure Origin Skill: Perfected (Supreme Yang Inner Force, Inner Force Burst increased by thirty percent, Inner Force Purification)

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

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

Origin Point: 4 points

According to the information in the Demon Record, Ji Qing had already become a Second-Rate Martial Artist!

The three internal cultivation arts had also successfully fused into one.

Beyond Second-Rate came First-Rate, which was even more difficult.

Second-Rate Martial Artists cultivated the Extraordinary Meridians. They had to open the Extraordinary Meridians throughout their bodies.

Once the Extraordinary Meridians were opened, one could advance to a First-Rate Martial Artist.

There were generally two methods for Second-Rate Martial Artists to open the Extraordinary Meridians.

One was to rely on profound internal cultivation, opening the Extraordinary Meridians bit by bit. This required incomparably deep and pure inner force, a condition Ji Qing met.

But if he relied on his own inner force to open the Extraordinary Meridians, it would take a long time.

Perhaps he could succeed after several years.

Or perhaps it would take decades of painstaking effort.

He might even spend his entire life unable to open the Extraordinary Meridians.

The second method was to cultivate certain superior internal arts.

These internal arts specifically cultivated certain Extraordinary Meridians. Once mastered, they could open one or several of them.

Yet internal arts capable of opening the Extraordinary Meridians were often Second-Rate internal arts, considered the "core" of a sect in the Jianghu, and rarely circulated there.

For Ji Qing, the second method was clearly more suitable.

He had Origin Points. As long as he could find superior internal arts that cultivated the Extraordinary Meridians, he could directly raise them with Origin Points.

However, without any superior internal art at present, Ji Qing could only use the old method and slowly open the Extraordinary Meridians bit by bit with his own internal energy.

Fortunately, his internal energy was exceptionally pure.

Even relying on his own internal energy to open the Extraordinary Meridians would definitely not be a problem.

It simply required time; it was not something that could be accomplished in ten days or half a month.

To open a single Extraordinary Meridian, he would need at least half a year to a year.

And that was already considered extremely fast.

"Second-Rate internal arts are hard to find, but I can search for them slowly. Blade techniques, however, are already an urgent matter..."

Ji Qing murmured under his breath.

Even if his Thirteen Fast Blades reached perfection, it was still, in essence, merely a Third-Rate blade technique.

Naturally, it would be better if he could directly find a Second-Rate blade technique, but that was difficult as well.

Once a martial art reached the Second-Rate level, it became something renowned throughout the Jianghu, capable of being passed down as a sect's unique secret art. Why would it circulate freely through the Jianghu?

If Ji Qing wanted to improve his blade techniques, he still had to "pile them up" with Third-Rate blade techniques.

Second-Rate martial arts were scarce in the Jianghu, but there was no shortage of Third-Rate martial arts.

Thus, Ji Qing immediately rose and left the courtyard.

Wearing a bamboo hat, he headed to the Listening Wind Tower.

Ji Qing was not there to buy intelligence.

The Listening Wind Tower's intelligence was too expensive. Unless the information was extremely secretive, there was no need to purchase it.

There was a teahouse in the Listening Wind Tower.

The teahouse was filled with people from the Jianghu, with figures from every walk of life crowding within.

As everyone talked and sparred, much information about the Jianghu could be obtained in the Listening Wind Tower's teahouse.

And it was free.

At most, one only had to pay for a cup of tea.

That was far more cost-effective than buying intelligence.

Thus, many people of the Jianghu were willing to visit the Listening Wind Tower's teahouse, to hear interesting tales from the Jianghu or see whether they could obtain useful news.

Ji Qing arrived at the Listening Wind Tower's teahouse, ordered a cup of tea, and quietly sipped it by the window.

The teahouse was currently abuzz with discussion of the "Jianghu Rankings."

"Everyone, Lingxiao Pavilion has released its Villain Ranking again. The greatest change, and naturally the one drawing the most attention, is Ji Qing. He was previously eighth on the Villain Ranking, but the Lei Family Fortress massacre has launched him straight to fifth!"

"It is said that Ji Qing cultivates an evil art requiring him to sever all feelings and extinguish his nature, taking pleasure in slaughter. That is why he murdered his parents and butchered everyone in Ji Manor. Now, he has even slaughtered the entire Lei Family Fortress."

"Ji Qing already has a title: the Heartless Blade. They say his blade techniques focus on speed, and that he has severed all feelings and extinguished his nature. Whenever his blade leaves its sheath, blood must be spilled—he is terrifying beyond measure!"

"The Government Authorities have raised the bounty on 'Ji Qing' again, directly to three thousand taels! Heh heh, if I could catch Ji Qing, wouldn't those three thousand taels of silver be mine?"

"Still dreaming? Ji Qing was able to wipe out the entire Lei Family Fortress. Before that, he even killed the Eighteen Riders of the Great Desert and the Three Freaks of Lingdong. He is definitely a Second-Rate Martial Artist. If you truly ran into Ji Qing, I'm afraid you wouldn't even be able to block a single strike."

"Ji Qing's ferocity indeed soars to the heavens, and his evil reputation is notorious. But Green Province's foremost constable, Du Chen, the Wind Chasing Blade, is already pursuing Ji Qing. With Du Chen's strength, he will surely capture Ji Qing and bring him to justice!"

"I heard that Du Chen, the Wind Chasing Blade, was personally pursuing Ji Qing during the Lei Family Fortress massacre, but arrived one step too late and failed to save the Lei Family Fortress from Ji Qing's hands..."

There was much news in the teahouse concerning the Villain Ranking.

"Ji Qing" had thoroughly become famous throughout the Jianghu, earning the title of the "Heartless Blade."

But it was fame born of infamy.

"The Lei Family Fortress matter has been pinned on me?"

Ji Qing frowned.

Naturally, he knew about what had happened at the Lei Family Fortress.

They had all been Skin Puppets controlled by the Skin-Peeling Demon.

How had it become him slaughtering the entire Lei Family Fortress?

Ji Qing listened more carefully.

He discovered that the news had been spread by Du Chen, the Wind Chasing Blade.

"Du Chen, the Wind Chasing Blade..."

Ji Qing understood.

Du Chen, the Wind Chasing Blade, had been hunting him all along.

The greater Ji Qing's fame became—the more his foul reputation spread far and wide, his villainous name glaring for all to see—the greater Du Chen's merit would be if he caught him.

"You want me to take the blame? Then let's see how capable you really are..."

A flicker of killing intent flashed through Ji Qing's eyes.

He did not care about a bad reputation, but neither did he want to bear the blame for someone else without cause.

Especially when someone wanted to make an example of him, to step on him and rise to fame and fortune.

If Du Chen came after him, then they would see whose blade was faster.

Bang.

Suddenly, the teahouse doors were pushed open.

A slender woman in fitted martial attire walked in.

The bustling teahouse fell silent in an instant.

"Is there any hero willing to fight on behalf of my Hundred Battles Sect? Inner cultivation, blade techniques, even gold and silver—I will offer them all with both hands!"

The woman's voice echoed through the teahouse.

The Jianghu folk who had been boasting loudly just moments ago all lowered their heads in the face of gold, silver, and martial arts, keeping their mouths shut.