Blood Essence Soars, Black Tiger Gang Conspires

Night fell, and the outer city once again fell silent.

Returning to the quiet side room in his home in the South District.

Wang Yuan sat down cross-legged and carefully opened the jade box "sponsored" by the Flowing Cloud Martial Hall.

The Crimson Blood Ginseng lay quietly within, its entire body blood-red, shaped like a small, seated figure, exuding an extremely rich Blood Essence and a unique medicinal fragrance.

Just taking a whiff made one feel their internal Blood Essence stir slightly.

"I hope it can help me advance further."

Wang Yuan took a deep breath, no longer hesitating. He picked up the valuable Crimson Blood Ginseng and put it directly into his mouth to chew.

The ginseng body was not hard, but rather soft, with a rich, bittersweet taste.

But as soon as it entered his stomach, Wang Yuan felt a surge of heat, far more violent and several times purer than that from Qi and Blood Pills, or even the second-tier Fire Rhino jerky, exploding within his body.

This Blood Essence madly rushed to his limbs and bones, flowing into every meridian, and seeping into every inch of his muscles and bones.

If Shi Long saw this, he would be terrified. He knew that Crimson Blood Ginseng was rich in Blood Essence and was usually diluted with medicinal meals before use.

Who would eat it like Wang Yuan, in two or three mouthfuls like a meal?

"Boom!"

Wang Yuan felt as if thunder exploded in his ears. The Blood Essence all over his body surged uncontrollably and rapidly increased.

His skin instantly turned bright red, like a boiled shrimp, and wisps of white steam rose from the top of his head.

The Dragon Tendon Tiger Bone displayed its terrifying capacity for endurance and absorption at this moment.

The tough tendons, like coiled dragons, firmly locked the violent torrent of Blood Essence, greedily absorbing it.

Wang Yuan held his mind steady, fully circulating the Blood Essence techniques of Panshi Fist and Chasing Wind Leg, guiding this massive Blood Essence to integrate into his own Blood Essence circulation, continuously refining, purifying, and strengthening it.

After an unknown amount of time, the violent torrent of Blood Essence finally gradually subsided, completely absorbed and integrated by his body.

Wang Yuan slowly opened his eyes. He gently clenched his fist, feeling the Bloodline Power within him, which was nearly twice as vigorous as before.

A powerful confidence arose spontaneously.

"This Crimson Blood Ginseng truly lives up to its reputation!"

Wang Yuan was overjoyed.

He felt his cultivation had taken a big step forward.

Although he had not yet broken through to the Second Blood Change.

The accumulation of Blood Essence had reached a considerably deep level, and he was not far from that threshold.

It could be considered a Major Accomplishment of the First Blood Change.

With a thought, he tried to circulate the Blood Burning Technique.

Previously, using the Minor Accomplishment of the Blood Burning Technique, although it could increase his strength by fifty percent, he would always feel significant weakness and Blood Essence depletion afterward, requiring time to recover.

But now, with the surge in his total Blood Essence and the improvement in its quality.

The burning sensation from "Blood Burning" remained, but the feeling of weakness was greatly reduced.

It felt like he had just engaged in a rather strenuous workout, completely within a tolerable range.

"With my current Blood Essence foundation, maintaining the Minor Accomplishment of the Blood Burning Technique in my normal state is no longer a problem!"

A hint of excitement flashed in Wang Yuan's eyes.

This meant he had a powerful trump card that he could use at any time without worrying too much about the side effects.

But what surprised him even more was that the black Talent Bead imprint on his chest emitted an unprecedentedly clear and satisfying warmth.

He concentrated and sensed.

[Energy Absorption in Progress... Current Energy: (35/100)]

It directly surged from the previous 28-something points to 35 points.

The progress had broken through thirty percent!

The energy provided by this Crimson Blood Ginseng far exceeded the sum of all the Pills and food he had consumed before.

As expected, the higher the tier of heavenly treasures, the greater the benefit to the Talent Bead!

"At this rate, if I can get a few more precious herbs similar to Crimson Blood Ginseng."

"Or the flesh and blood of higher-tier demonic beasts, gaining talent again might not be out of reach..."

Wang Yuan's heart burned with desire, and his craving for more high-quality resources became unprecedentedly strong.

Strength was the foundation of everything.

And the awakening of the Talent Bead was his greatest assurance for rapidly improving his strength!

He stood up, stretched his limbs, and his whole body made crisp cracking sounds, filled with a sense of power.

The harvest from using the Crimson Blood Ginseng this time far exceeded his expectations.

Not only did his Blood Essence surge, solidifying the Minor Accomplishment of the Blood Burning Technique, but it also greatly advanced the energy accumulation of the Talent Bead.

Meanwhile, on the other side, as the night deepened, inside the Black Tiger Gang's headquarters.

Gang Leader Zhao Hu sat on a tiger-skin chair, his expression as grim as water, his fingers tapping unconsciously on the armrest.

Two men stood below him, the core fighting strength of the Black Tiger Gang.

The man on the left was tall and thin, with sinister eyes like a viper. He was the Vice Gang Leader, "Viper" Sun Miao, with a First Blood Change cultivation.

The man on the right was a bald, burly man with a face full of coarse flesh and a hideous scar across his chest.

He was the other Vice Gang Leader, "Mad Dog" Liu Mang, also at First Blood Change.

These three were the greatest reliance of the Black Tiger Gang in dominating the Bluestone Alley and the surrounding few alleys.

"You've both heard, haven't you?"

Zhao Hu finally spoke, his voice hoarse, carrying a hint of imperceptible anxiety.

"That Wang Yuan from Panshi Fist Academy, one month, First Blood Change."

"And at Flowing Cloud Martial Hall, he broke a spear with his bare hands and defeated Li Liang in three moves!"

Upon hearing this, Sun Miao and Liu Mang's faces turned extremely ugly.

They had immersed themselves in martial arts for many years before barely breaking through to First Blood Change, and they knew how difficult it was.

Wang Yuan's cultivation speed was simply unheard of.

Even more terrifying was his combat ability. Breaking a spear with his bare hands?

What kind of terrifying strength would that take, and...

"If this brat doesn't die, my Black Tiger Gang is doomed!"

Zhao Hu slammed the armrest violently and stood up, his eyes flashing with ferocity.

"It's already a life-and-death struggle between us!"

"Song San, Widow Li, and the others were probably killed by him."

"Once he breaks through to Second Blood Change, or even without reaching Second Blood Change, as long as his spear skills become more proficient, who among us can stop him?"

Sun Miao licked his slightly dry lips and said sinisterly:

"Gang Leader, we all understand the logic."

"But... how do we kill him?"

"That kid is currently living in the South District, right under the nose of Panshi Fist Academy."

"His own strength is formidable, and his vigilance must be high."

"We can't just charge into the South District, into Panshi Fist Academy, to kill someone, can we? That would be no different from seeking death."

Liu Mang scratched his bald head and said in a deep voice:

"Exactly. That cursed place, the South District, has several times more patrolling constables than the East District, and people from Panshi Fist Academy are often moving around. There's simply no way to make a move!"

Zhao Hu took a deep breath, suppressing his irritation, and said coldly, "If we can't do it openly, we'll do it in secret!"

"He'll always have a moment alone, always have a moment when he leaves the South District!"

Zhao Hu's voice was low:

"As far as I know, this brat is extremely cautious."

"Except for traveling between the academy and home, he rarely goes anywhere else."

"Even if he occasionally goes out, he goes quickly and returns quickly."

"Trying to intercept and kill him when he's out is too difficult, with too many variables."

"Then we'll target his family!"

A hint of viciousness flashed in Sun Miao's eyes.

"His parents, his sister! As long as we capture them, I'm afraid that brat will have no choice but to comply!"

Liu Mang, however, gave a wry smile upon hearing this:

"Gang Leader, his sister Wang Yu is now a manager in the Zhang Family in the Inner City."

"That Inner City place is heavily guarded. With our small group going in, let alone capturing someone, whether we can retreat safely is a problem."

Sun Miao chimed in:

"His parents do live in the South District, and I heard they opened a general store."

"But the South District... if our people go there in large numbers, it will be too conspicuous."

"And who can guarantee that Wang Yuan hasn't arranged some contingency around his parents?"

"What if it's a trap?"

For a moment, silence fell in the hall.

Killing Wang Yuan himself would be as difficult as ascending to heaven.

Threatening his sister in the inner city would be extremely risky, bordering on suicidal.

Targeting his parents in the South District would also be fraught with difficulties and too uncertain.

Zhao Hu paced back and forth irritably, feeling like a caged beast. He could see the threat, but had nowhere to strike.

Wang Yuan was like a turtle withdrawn into its shell, leaving him, a vicious dog accustomed to bullying the weak, with no way to bite.

"Are we just going to watch him continue to grow?"

Zhao Hu growled in frustration.

Sun Miao pondered for a moment, then slowly said, "Boss, perhaps... we can wait for an opportunity."

"What opportunity?"

"An opportunity for the South District to fall into chaos, or at least for the patrols to weaken."

Sun Miao's eyes glinted venomously. "For example... if the Black Wind Bandits outside the city were to cause more trouble again."

"Or even... if that plague were to accidentally spread to the South District?"

Zhao Hu stopped pacing, his eyes suddenly flashing with sharp light.

That's right!

Gaoye City was already in turmoil.

If the situation worsened, the South District wouldn't be able to remain untouched.

At that time, with order collapsing and people in a panic, it would be their best chance to strike.

"Wait!"

Zhao Hu gritted his teeth, squeezing the word out from his throat.

"Tell the brothers to lie low recently, and keep a close watch on Wang Yuan's shop and his home in the South District."

"Report immediately if there's any movement."

"At the same time, find a way to have some patients with the plague from the East District stay in the South District for a few days..."

A sinister smile appeared on Zhao Hu's face.

He didn't believe that Gaoye City could remain peaceful forever.

As long as chaos erupted, it would be an opportunity for the Black Tiger Gang, and for him, Zhao Hu.