Blazing Heaven Sun Art, True Qi Realm Triple!

The battle at the Weeping Ghost Mine turned Lin Feng from a "newcomer who got lucky" into a "freakish powerhouse not to be provoked" within the Nan Yan Commandery's Demon Suppression Division.

An unprecedented atmosphere of harmony permeated the entire Iron Token Courtyard.

The old-timers who used to gather in cliques, gossiping and pointing fingers at newcomers, now saw Lin Feng as if he were an ancestral tablet. They started bowing and scraping from eighty feet away, their forced smiles uglier than tears.

As for Wei Jin's cronies, they had become utterly terrified.

Rumor had it that they didn't dare to whisper Lin Feng's name in their dreams at night, lest that God of Slaughter would climb out from under their beds with a saber, asking them, "What are my rules?"

Lin Feng, however, paid no mind to any of this.

To him, subduing these flies was merely about creating an environment where he could safely "pay to win."

Under the stunned gaze of the Mission Hall attendant, Lin Feng smoothly obtained 1,500 Merit Points.

Clutching this fortune, he happily headed straight for the Armory.

It was the same Armory, and the same two attendants.

However, this time, the treatment was worlds apart.

Before Lin Feng even reached the entrance, the two attendants sprang up from their chairs as if they had springs attached, rushing forward to greet him.

"Brother... Brother Lin! You... you've arrived!"

One attendant bowed and scraped, his fawning nearly overflowing, "The Armory has been cleared especially for you today, absolutely quiet! No one will disturb you!"

The other attendant nimbly brought over a cup of hot tea.

"Brother Lin, please watch your step! We'll be waiting by the door. If you need anything, just call out!"

Just two days ago, they had been mocking Lin Feng as a coward, but today, he had returned with the head of a third-tier Golden Corpse King.

The slap in the face was swift and brutal, almost sending them to their graves.

Now, forget about making things difficult; they wished they could worship Lin Feng.

Lin Feng, too lazy to bother with these turncoats, strode directly up to the second floor of the Armory.

Unlike the dazzling array of bookshelves on the first floor, the second floor appeared spacious and solemn.

There were only a dozen or so rosewood bookshelves, sparsely adorned with martial arts manuals carefully preserved in jade boxes.

Each manual emitted a faint aura of spiritual energy, clearly indicating they were no ordinary items.

Lin Feng's goal was clear.

He already had complete sets of cultivation techniques, saber techniques, and movement techniques, but they were all low-level trash from Qingyang County's beginner village, no longer keeping pace with his growing strength.

He quickly found three manuals that caught his eye on the bookshelves.

The first was a cultivation technique, the Blazing Heaven Sun Art.

It was an advanced version of the Blazing Sun Art, cultivating True Qi that was even more scorching and domineering, like fire that burns the heavens, sufficient for a martial artist to cultivate to the peak of the ninth level of the True Qi Realm.

Price: 1000 Merit Points.

The second was a saber technique, the Nine Tribulations Thunder Slash.

It consisted of nine forms, each strike like thunder, every slash a tribulation, its power far exceeding the Seven Fiends Saber Technique.

Price: 1000 Merit Points.

The third was a movement technique, the Phantom Flowing Light Steps.

When cultivated to mastery, one's body would become like a phantom, their steps like flowing light, leaving behind a deceptive afterimage during movement.

Price: 1000 Merit Points.

The three manuals totaled 3000 Merit Points.

Lin Feng walked to the exchange counter and presented the manuals along with his token.

The old man with the goatee was still in charge of the exchanges.

Seeing Lin Feng, the old man's eyelids twitched, and his attitude was noticeably better than last time.

"The Blazing Heaven Sun Art can be exchanged with mission rewards," the old man said as he registered the items. "The remaining two books require 2000 Merit Points. You only have 1500, so you're short by 500."

"How much Merit Points can this be exchanged for?" Lin Feng, having prepared for this, placed the rubbings of the Heavenly Corpse Soul Control Art he had confiscated from the mine onto the table.

The old man with the goatee initially paid it no mind, but when his gaze fell upon the four twisted, sinister seal script characters on the cover, his cloudy eyes lit up, and he snatched the manual as if it were a treasure.

"The Heavenly Corpse Soul Control Art! It's this long-lost evil cultivation technique!"

"Although this technique is wicked, its methods for corpse refinement and mental control are of extremely high reference value for our Demon Suppression Division's research into the weaknesses of zombies!"

He looked up, his gaze towards Lin Feng changing.

"Ahem... According to regulations, the division will reward those who turn in such valuable evil cultivation techniques."

"I'll make the decision for this rubbings, and I'll value it at... 500 Merit Points! How does that sound?"

"Deal." Lin Feng chuckled inwardly. This old man was quite the businessman.

Merit Points were just enough, and three brand-new secret manuals were in hand.

Returning to the Iron Token Courtyard, Lin Feng closed the door to his room, a look of excitement at the upcoming card draw appearing on his face.

He first committed the contents of the three secret manuals to memory, then opened the System panel.

[Crit Points: 78050]

Looking at this number, Lin Feng felt a surge of ambition.

"With money, you can do whatever you want!"

"System! Start adding points!"

[Ding! Consumed 50,000 Crit Points, Blazing Heaven Sun Art crit success!]

RUMBLE!!!

This breakthrough was far more violent than any previous one!

If the progression from Body Tempering to Meridian Opening was a stream flowing into a river.

Then the progression from Meridian Opening to the True Qi Realm was like a river pouring back, flowing upstream into the sea!

Within the meridians of his body, the surging golden True Qi, catalyzed by a massive amount of Crit Points, began a qualitative transformation!

It was compressed, purified, and condensed over and over again. Finally, strands of even purer, more agile "Spiritual Qi," as if possessing life, were born from the True Qi!

At the same time, within his Dantian, a massive vortex of Spiritual Qi formed with a roar!

This was the mark of the True Qi Realm—the Qi Vortex!

With a Qi Vortex, a martial artist could absorb the Spiritual Qi of heaven and earth into their body, converting it into their own spiritual power, inexhaustible and causing a surge in strength!

True Qi Realm First Level!

True Qi Realm Second Level!

True Qi Realm Third Level!

A full 50,000 Crit Points acted like fuel, forcefully pushing his cultivation from the peak of Meridian Opening Realm Ninth Level directly to the Third Level of the True Qi Realm!

"Hoo..."

Lin Feng slowly opened his eyes, feeling the unprecedented power within his body. With a thought.

He formed his fingers into a sword and lightly pointed at the empty wall.

A condensed, pale golden Spiritual Qi shot out from his fingertip, silently leaving a bottomless small hole in the solid wall.

Externalization of True Qi!

This was the most prominent characteristic of a True Qi Realm expert, killing without a trace!

"Not bad, not bad."

Lin Feng nodded with satisfaction, his gaze shifting back to the System panel.

After some thought, he issued a command.

[Ding! Consumed 10,000 Crit Points, Phantom Flowing Light Steps crit success!]

Endless insights into movement techniques flooded his mind. Lin Feng felt his body become lighter than ever before, as if he had merged with the wind.

With a thought, he took a casual step within the cramped room.

His figure instantly vanished from his original spot. In the next moment, four identical "Lin Fengs" appeared simultaneously in the northeast, southeast, southwest, and northwest corners of the room!

These afterimages were lifelike, even the folds of their clothes clearly visible, carrying faint spiritual energy fluctuations, enough to pass for the real thing!

Phantom Flowing Light Steps, Minor Accomplishment!

Logically, even with perfected movement techniques, only one afterimage could be produced to confuse enemies.

Minor Accomplishment could not produce afterimages.

But Lin Feng, relying on his 60x crit, forcefully achieved what even perfection couldn't with his Minor Accomplishment cultivation.

"This speed, compared to Flowing Wind Steps, is like the difference between a carriage and an airplane. If it were perfected, combined with crits, dozens, even hundreds of afterimages could appear in an instant..."

Lin Feng was very satisfied with the effect and finally set his sights on the saber technique.

[Ding! Consumed 18,000 Crit Points, Nine Tribulations Thunder Slash crit success!]

Buzz--!

This time, what flooded his mind was no longer just a killing intent.

It was a domineering saber intent, wild and fierce, as if it could summon the divine thunder of the nine heavens!

The Hundred Refined Steel Blade in his hand, under the influence of this saber intent.

It actually emitted a "sizzling" sound, and faint arcs of electricity seemed to dance on the blade!

Nine Tribulations Thunder Slash, Proficient!

True Qi Realm Third Level cultivation.

Minor Accomplishment movement technique.

Proficient saber techniques.

Coupled with a critical hit multiplier of up to 60 times…

Lin Feng stood up, feeling his transformed strength, the curve of his lips growing more pronounced.

If that Golden Corpse King were to come back to life.

One strike would send him back to his coffin!