Another Breakthrough, Lu Xiang Visits

A fight broke out!

After more than half a month of standoff, the Blood Eagle Gang and the Iron Hand Gang finally started fighting!

As a result, the workload for the Corpse Buriers surged!

It went from dozens of bodies a day to nearly a hundred.

Clearly, the Blood Eagle Gang intended to use this opportunity to eliminate the Iron Hand Gang, while the Iron Hand Gang, as a rising challenger, needed to establish its dominance and force the Blood Eagle Gang to cede territory.

Both sides had their own plans and wanted to seize the moment. Naturally, they gathered their forces and arranged to fight in the twilight of a dark and windy night outside the shack district, resulting in a bloody massacre.

By the time the bodies were delivered to the burial grounds, Du En and the others found that not a single one was intact. Their heads were chopped off, or their limbs were severed.

Most importantly, nothing was left on them except for a few tattered pieces of cloth.

"It seems the fight wasn't intense enough, so they still had the leisure to loot the belongings of the deceased."

Du En made this judgment.

In fact, it was exactly as he predicted.

After a battle, both gangs realized the other was a tough opponent and difficult to deal with. They tacitly returned to their previous standoff, each thinking that if the other side showed the slightest sign of weakness, they could use it as an opportunity to de-escalate and return to their former state.

For the people in the shack district, directly affected by the conflict between these two gangs, it was naturally a false alarm, and the situation did not develop into the worst-case scenario.

The workload for the Corpse Buriers surged and then dropped, even falling to only about thirty bodies a day due to the ripple effects of the gangs' standoff.

Du En quickly sensed that the situation was not good. He worked day and night, racing against time.

Thus, time quickly passed into the latter half of October.

One night, Du En was cultivating in his room as usual.

He sat cross-legged on his bed, like a lump of yellow earth, becoming increasingly tough and resilient through gradual accumulation and consolidation.

Within his meridians, the thick, earthy Magic Power, carrying Spiritual Energy, flowed with a light and unhurried pace. His body served as a furnace, rapidly refining the Spiritual Energy.

After completing a full cycle, this gaseous Magic Power retreated to his Dantian's sea of qi.

When gathered together, it was the size of a fist!

He slowly opened his eyes, and a bright, earthy yellow flashed in their depths.

With a thought, his status panel appeared.

[Age: 18/91]
[Spiritual Root: Low-grade]
[Cultivation Level: Early Qi Refining (21/100)]
[Cultivation Technique: Yellow Earth Technique (Mastered 0/50)]
[Spells: Earth Bullet Technique (Initial Glimpse 8/20)]
[Divine Abilities: None]
[Hundred Arts: Appraisal (Initial Glimpse 0/20), Culinary Arts (Beginner's Practice 4/10)]

"Mastered" meant being able to perform a task with ease, as if driving a familiar carriage on a well-trodden path, naturally with extreme proficiency.

Du En's cultivation technique had officially reached this level tonight.

Through recent practical verification, the efficiency of sensing and refining Spiritual Energy had increased by another 10% on top of the previous level.

With the aid of Spirit Cuisine, he could now perform his cultivation exercises eight times every night!

This was at least four times more than others!

Even if he started cultivating from scratch now, it would only take him less than seven years to break through to Mid-stage Qi Refining, a significant reduction from the original thirty-odd years!

Of course, the current 21 points in his cultivation level accumulation were a short-term effect from the breakthrough in his cultivation technique, adding five points.

The Earth Bullet Technique also benefited directly due to its earth element affinity, increasing by another five points.

However.

"Appraisal is stuck..."

Through Du En's efforts, the Appraisal art within Hundred Arts quickly broke through to Initial Glimpse, allowing him to harvest and identify medicinal properties and food ingredients efficiently and skillfully.

After that, ordinary, unranked herbs could no longer provide proficiency. He needed to appraise Rank 1 herbs.

He assumed the same would be true for Culinary Arts.

However, that was less of an issue here. The Three Talents Stewed Owl was considered a ranked Spirit Cuisine, and he could continue stewing them. Stewing one a day as free meals would raise no suspicion until he reached "Mastered."

"It's just that the weak and vulnerable individuals who can't get enough food and are easily caught are almost all gone. Moreover, the nutritional benefits from these individuals are now barely sufficient, quite strained."

Before, Du En couldn't finish eating a whole one he caught. Now, with his strengthened body and good digestion, he could consume it all, including the soup and medicinal dregs. Yet, even after his cultivation breakthrough tonight, he still felt strained.

He had to find a way to catch the Great Owls, but those were genuinely difficult to catch. They lived far away, were well-fed, and were very vigilant. He couldn't simply lure them by feigning death.

"Also, the deterrent effect of the stench from cooking owls has significantly weakened. Although the Blood Eagle Gang appears to be in a standoff with the Iron Hand Gang these days, they have actually returned to their own territories, rendering the conflict superficial."

This point was not unexpected.

Once the Blood Eagle Gang was free, they would likely arrange for someone to replace the deceased Luo Heng and collect protection fees in this area.

As the ones who escaped last time, the Corpse Buriers would likely become the new person's target, a chicken to be killed to warn the monkeys, thereby establishing their authority.

Du En's intense training during this period was precisely to prepare for this.

And on this point, there was no need to worry, because his hard work had paid off. He had reached his short-term goal before the Blood Eagle Gang even showed up.

After considering his joys and worries, Du En did not slack off. He closed his eyes again, immersing himself back into cultivation, continuing to accumulate bit by bit.

Thus, another two days passed relatively smoothly.

On this particular morning.

BANG!

A foot suddenly kicked the front door of the small courtyard, the sound exploding and waking the six of them.

They all came out of their rooms, only to see Lu Xiang, short and fierce-looking, wearing clothes emblazoned with a blood eagle. He was currently radiating murderous intent, his face contorted as he glared at them.

The sharp knife in his hand seemed eager to leap!

He stared intently at Du En, the leader of these Corpse Buriers. If there was any sign of fear or weakness from their side, he would charge forward and slash first, delivering a real deterrent.

However, Du En remained as calm as a still ancient well. He completely absorbed the initial onslaught, taking a steady step forward, fearless and unfazed, and approached to ask, "What do you need?"

Seeing him like this, Lu Xiang couldn't help but mutter to himself.

Old Luo being scared off wasn't just because he was weak. Looking at this kid, I feel a bit intimidated myself. It's as if he truly has a solid backing, tsk!

Clicking his tongue inwardly, feeling that he had been outmatched in momentum, Lu Xiang became enraged. His expression grew even more ferocious, and he waved his knife as he spoke harshly, "My name is Lu Xiang. From today onwards, I'll be collecting the protection fees in this area. And you scum, like living corpses, dared not pay before. Did you really think you could get away?"

As soon as these words were spoken, Ning Caize and the others couldn't help but feel apprehensive.

What was coming has finally come!

Moreover, this Lu Xiang before them was aggressive and full of killing intent. His eyes fixed on them like a tiger spotting lambs, truly terrifying. He had probably killed someone not long ago!

Du En's brow didn't even twitch. "So?"

"So, including the six months you owe from before, fifteen low-grade spirit stones per person, a total of ninety, hand it all over!"

Ninety low-grade spirit stones?!

You're robbing us!

Ning Caize and the others were dumbfounded, while Lu Xiang brandished his knife, a wide grin splitting his face.

That's right!

I am robbing you!

Before, that scoundrel Zhang Lin directly took twenty low-grade spirit stones from me. It took me several years to save that up. Now, don't I need to get it back properly?!

"You'd better hand it over honestly, otherwise, don't blame me for a bloody entrance and exit!"

His threat was so obvious. As he swaggered, greed spread, and he no longer held back from Du En's group. He glared at Du En, who was close by, ready to swing his knife directly if Du En dared to talk back.

Du En, however, remained calm and unfazed, not falling for it. "Even if you kill us, you won't find ninety stones."

Because there simply aren't that many!

Lu Xiang actually knew this very well, but his exorbitant demand was not just for show. He immediately placed the knife at Du En's neck and said angrily, "I don't care if you have it or not. If you can't produce it, then die!"

"Even death won't produce it."

What, you brat, you're completely unresponsive! If you put on a fawning expression and say a few soft words, I could proceed to the next step, let you owe it as debt, and then you can hurry to the steward to ask for money, and pay back as much as you can. I know you haven't gone to ask for money this month!

Facing Du En, this hard, unyielding stone that wasn't afraid of a knife, Lu Xiang was somewhat helpless at this point, becoming increasingly frustrated.

Do you really think I wouldn't dare to hurt someone?!

Please follow! Please collect!